Hydromorphone detected in bile following hydrocodone ingestion

Two similar cases are reported here in which Tussionex, a preparation containing hydrocodone and phenyltoloxamine, caused or contributed to death. Toxicological analyses revealed a high concentration ratio of hydromorphone to hydrocodone in the bile in both cases. It is postulated that the finding of hydromorphone is due to the metabolism of hydrocodone.     

Quantification of propane in biological materials by head-space GC

Propane was measured in specimens taken from two persons who died from a LPG explosion in an apartment using head-space-GC/FID. Because of the variation of instrument performance and sample injection, the internal standard pentane was used. Calibration standards were prepared by injecting each calculated volume of pure propane gas into capped vials containing 2 ml of blood and 5 microl of internal standard. The calibration curve revealed good linearity from 0.09 microg/ml to at least 90 microg/ml. The method validation data also included repeatability and recovery. The propane quantities in blood, fat and brain tissue were between 0.27 and 71 microg/ml (microg/g) with the highest concentration observed in fat. The confirmation of propane was conducted by the means of solid phase micro-extraction and mass spectrometry.     

Evaluation of DNA match probability in criminal case

The new emphasis on quantification of evidence has led to perplexing courtroom decisions and it has been difficult for forensic scientists to pursue logical arguments. Especially, for evaluating DNA evidence, though both the genetic relationship for two compared persons and the examined locus system should be considered, the understanding for this has not yet drawn much attention. In this paper, we suggest to calculate the match probability by using coancestry coefficient when the family relationship is considered, and thus the performances of the identification values depending on the calculation of match probability are compared under various situations.     

Electoral Competition and Agricultural Support in OECD Countries

Agricultural trade protectionism in developed countries remains a politically charged issue, yet few studies have attempted to explain the political dynamics behind this important trade issue. We consider agricultural subsidies as a type of distributive policy that targets the agricultural sector at the expense of consumers and taxpayers. Based on Cox (1987, 1990) and Myerson (1993) , we argue that electoral systems that encourage politicians to appeal to a narrow constituency tend to have a higher level of agricultural support. We test this theoretical hypothesis using OECD agricultural support data disaggregated by commodity and country. A cross-classified multilevel model is employed to account for complex variation of agricultural support across countries, commodities, and time. Our empirical results show that electoral systems that encourage politicians to target narrow (broad) constituencies are associated with relatively high (low) levels of agricultural subsidies.