Measurement of airborne gunshot particles in a ballistics laboratory by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The present study aimed determines lead (Pb), antimony (Sb) and barium (Ba) as the major elements present in GSR in the environmental air of the Ballistics Laboratory of the S?o Paulo Criminalistics Institute (I.C.-S.P.), S?o Paulo, SP, Brazil. Micro environmental monitors (mini samplers) were located at selected places. The PM(2.5) fraction of this airborne was collected in, previously weighted filters, and analyzed by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (SF-HR-ICP-MS). The higher values of the airborne lead, antimony and barium, were found at the firing range (lead (Pb): 58.9 μg/m(3); barium (Ba): 6.9 μg/m(3); antimony (Sb): 7.3 μg/m(3)). The mean value of the airborne in this room during 6 monitored days was Pb: 23.1 μg/m(3); Ba: 2.2 μg/m(3); Sb: 1.5 μg/m(3). In the water tank room, the air did not show levels above the limits of concern. In general the airborne lead changed from day to day, but the barium and antimony remained constant. Despite of that, the obtained values suggest that the workers may be exposed to airborne lead concentration that can result in an unhealthy environment and could increase the risk of chronic intoxication.     

Supine Hypotensive Syndrome as the Probable Cause of Both Maternal and Fetal Death

Abstract: Supine hypotensive syndrome is characterized by severe supine hypotension in late pregnancy, whose clinical presentation ranges from minimal cardiovascular alterations to severe shock, resulting from inferior vena cava compression by gravid uterus. We report a case of a 41‐year‐old 39‐week‐pregnant woman found dead supine. Autopsy revealed the following: cyanosis of the limbs; congestion of the jugular and subclavian veins; abundant abdominal subcutaneous fatty tissue; uterus displacing intestine and diaphragm; collapsed inferior vena cava; both femoral veins dilated and filled with blood; edematous and congested lungs; and placenta 790 g, fetus 3475 g, amniotic fluid 800 cm³. The diagnosis of supine hypotensive syndrome as the probable cause of death is supported by the position of the body and autopsy findings. This syndrome can be considered as the first stage of the physio‐pathological mechanism that led to death in the case presented herein and should be considered by pathologists as a cause of sudden death.     

Do Publicly Traded Firms Price Differently from Private Firms?

This article analyzes whether publicly traded firms price differentlyfrom privately held firms in the product markets. Our empiricalevidence shows that, in the U.S. newspaper industry, firms increasetheir prices when their ownership structure changes from privateto public. The effects are robust and significant. A plausibleexplanation is that private owners enjoy more freedom than publicmanagers to expand circulation and distort content, pursuingthe consumption of nonpecuniary benefits of control. Additionalevidence is consistent with this interpretation. Public newspapersshow lower prices when insiders' ownership participation ishigher. Moreover, private newspapers appear more likely thanpublic newspapers to endorse a candidate during presidentialcampaigns. To my knowledge there are no previous studies comparingpricing by private and public companies.     

The Philosophical Foundations of Ecological Civilization: A Manifesto for the Future

This article explores moral stances in social movement research. The article first identifies three moral orientations (and their corresponding world views) that have become common since the end of the Cold War. The second section uses Friedrich Nietzsche's praise and criticism of three types of “useful history” to clarify the benefits and costs of each moral orientation. The article closes with thoughts about the relevance of Nietzsche's notion of “free spirits” to morally inspired scholarship about movements.     

Does Conditionality Mitigate the Potential Negative Effect of Aid on Revenues?

Abstract

This paper assesses whether conditionality in IMF-supported programmes has helped offset the potential negative effect of foreign aid on tax revenues. The analysis – carried out on panel data covering 1993-2012 for 111 low- and middle-income countries – shows that growing use of revenue conditionality by low-income countries partially offsets the depressing effect of foreign grants on tax revenue, particularly on taxes on goods and services. The impact of conditionality is strong in countries where aid dependence is high and where institutions are strong, suggesting that revenue conditionality cannot substitute for weak institutions in mitigating any negative effect of aid on tax revenue collection.