Research note: challenges of identifying female human trafficking victims using a national 1-800 call center

Human trafficking is a complex global and national crime problem harming victims physically, psychologically, and financially. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), Pub. La 106–386, and subsequent reauthorizations, provide assistance and benefits to foreign born victims of labor or sexual human trafficking who are here in the United States. The strategies used to encourage victims to come forward were modeled on those used in the anti- domestic violence (DV) and child protection movements. These include initiatives alerting the public to domestic violence situations through awareness campaigns to increase tips as well as calls for service to police. Other public service initiatives urge victims themselves to self-identify by calling 1-800 numbers. While these techniques have shown success in reducing incidences of domestic violence and providing help to victims, their use to combat sex trafficking has not produced the same level of results. This note explores the challenges for immigrant women victims to self-identify as trafficking victims and urges that evidence-based research is needed to determine the efficacy of a national call center approach.     

The Depoliticisation of Development and the Democratisation of Politics in Tanzania: Parallel Structures as Obstacles to Delivering Services to the Poor

Local democracy and the involvement of local communities in the provision of social services are central issues in the local government reforms that are presently being implemented in many developing countries. At the same time, institutions that run parallel to local authorities, such as social funds and various user-committees, are established to improve accountability and participation. By focusing on actual political processes rather than administrative, legal and fiscal aspects of decentralisation, this article traces the breakdown of two development projects in Tanzania to the existence of parallel structures. It suggests that user-committees and social funds should be integrated in local authority structures to avoid fragmentation of participation and to enhance local democracy.     

Homicide by unusual‐edged weapons: Forensic considerations of two cases

Homicide by stab wound is common worldwide. However, the use of unusual edged weapons is rarely reported in the forensic literature. Here, we report two cases of homicide involving a Japanese sword, or katana, and a sickle. Both of these weapons can create either stab or incised wounds with some particularities. In our cases, characteristics of the external wounds, internal injuries, and the depth of penetration raised the possibility of an unusual weapon. Meticulous forensic examination of these injuries (morphological characteristics, depth of penetration, trajectories, and cut marks in the bone) may allow the forensic expert to determine the type of weapon used.     

Identification of furosemide in hair in a post‐mortem case by UHPLC‐MS/MS with guidance on interpretation

Testing for drugs in hair raises several difficulties. Among them is the interpretation of the final concentration(s). In a post‐mortem case, analyses revealed the presence of furosemide (12 ng/mL) in femoral blood, although it was not part of the victim's treatment. The prosecutor requested our laboratory to undertake an additional analysis in hair to obtain information about the use of furosemide. A specific method was therefore developed and validated to identify and quantify furosemide in hair by UHPLC‐MS/MS. After decontamination of 30 mg of hair, incubation in acidic condition, extraction with ethyl acetate, the samples were analyzed by UHPLC‐MS/MS. Furosemide was found in the victim's hair at 225 pg/mg. However, it was not possible to interpret this concentration due to the absence of data in the literature. Therefore, the authors performed a controlled study in two parts. In order to establish the basis of interpretation, several volunteers were tested (four after a single 20 mg administration and twenty‐four under daily treatment). The first part indicated that a single dose is not detectable in hair using our method. The second part demonstrated concentrations ranging from 5 to 1110 pg/mg with no correlation between dosage and hair concentrations. The decedent's hair result was interpreted as repeated exposures. In the case of furosemide analysis, hair can provide information about its presence but cannot give information about dosage or frequency of use.     

Size calculation of restriction enzyme HaeIII-generated fragments detected by probe YNH24 by comparison of data from two laboratories: the generation of fragment-size frequencies.

Restriction fragment-length polymorphism of locus D2S44 detected by the highly polymorphic probe YNH24 and restriction endonuclease HaeIII can be used to improve parentage testing when representative fragment-size frequencies can be obtained. By joining the results of different laboratories, it is possible to set up a meaningful databank. Therefore, the same randomly chosen samples were tested for the HaeIII RFLP detected by probe YNH24 in Düsseldorf (DUS) and Amsterdam (AMS). The results of the different fragment-size calculations obtained by using internal markers and a computerized system (DUS-cad and AMS-cad), and by using external markers and manual calculations (DUS-man), were analyzed. Comparing these results, no statistically significant differences were seen. The results obtained with probe YNH24 and enzyme HaeIII in Düsseldorf and Amsterdam can be used to attain a sufficient number of samples to generate relevant fragment-size frequencies.     

Social Welfare and Ethnic Warfare: Exploring the Impact of Education on Ethnic Violence

This article questions the popular assumption that education promotes peaceful ethnic relations and explores ways education potentially contributes to ethnic violence. It begins by describing mechanisms through which education can shape ethnic violence. Next, it provides a comparative–historical analysis of Assam, Cyprus, and Sri Lanka. The analysis offers evidence that education can promote ethnic violence by strengthening ethnic divisions and inter-communal disfavor, increasing frustration and aggression, intensifying competition, and providing mobilizational resources.     

With the Benefit of Foresight and a Little Help from Hindsight

This article is about New Zealand's recent experience in public sector reform. New Zealand became seized with economic rationalism about the same time as Australia did but at the national level we went faster and farther than Australia towards the creation of a commercial culture in the public sector. Here I discuss what might be learned from what has happened in New Zealand.