Computing in the USSR: A Comment

A specialist on Russian society and politics analyzes recent plans for reform of social policy in Russia. Based on documentary and interview evidence, case studies of housing and pension reform are presented. Prospects for the Putin government's social-sector reform program are considered.     

CHILDREN'S AND PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AFTER PARENTAL SEPARATION AND DIVORCE*

This article outlines the views of children and parents involved in family law disputes, about the need for and appropriateness of children's participation in decisions regarding residence and contact arrangements. Ninety parents and 47 children (ranging in age from 6 to 18 years) who had been through parental separation, were interviewed. Both parents and children had a range of views about the general appropriateness and fairness of children being involved, but the great majority, particularly of parents, thought that children should have a say in these matters. Core findings of the study include the considerable influence that older children had over the arrangements either in the aftermath of the separation or in making further changes over time, and the higher stated need of children who had experienced violence, abuse, or high levels of conflict to be heard than those in less problematic and noncontested matters. Parents involved in contested proceedings supported the participation of children at a younger age than those who were not. There was a reasonable degree of agreement between parents and children about the need for children to be acknowledged and the value of their views being heard in the decision‐making process. Parents, however, expressed concern about the pressure and manipulation that children can face and exert in this process, whereas children were generally more concerned about the fairness of the outcomes, and maintaining their relationships with their parents and siblings.     

Analysis of 683 drug packages seized from "body stuffers"

The wrappings and contents of 683 drug containers (bubbles) seized from 154 street dealers have been analysed since 2001, when the law enforcement policy in Hamburg, Germany, allowed the application of emetics to be used by so-called body stuffers for the recovery of swallowed drug packages. Of the bubbles recovered 96% contained cocaine. Cases of intoxication have not yet been observed but a 20-year-old man with a previously unknown toxic cardiomyopathy died 3 days after a sudden cardiac arrest which followed the forced application of ipecacuanha via correctly placed nasogastral tube.     

Postmortem analysis of anastomotic suture line disruption following carotid endarterectomy

The tensile strength of a surgical suture is essential in maintaining the integrity of vascular anastomoses. While faulty operative technique and the loading strength of individual sutures have been implicated in spontaneous suture line disruptions, there has, to date, never been a published postmortem analysis of a suture that has known to have failed. We present the case of suture line disruption leading to fatal exsanguination in a 77-year-old man following carotid endarterectomy with a facial vein patch. Using both dissecting and scanning electron microscopy, we determined that surgical technique (an untied knot) was the cause of the suture line disruption. The removal of a broken or untied suture at surgery or at autopsy should not preclude proper analysis of the failed suture, because the results can have both medico-legal and public health implications.     

Violence against women associated with arrests for sex trade but not drug charges

The current study was designed to examine associations between gender-based violence and arrests due to sex trade or drug-related charges among a statewide sample of incarcerated women in Rhode Island. Incarcerated women were asked to participate in brief pre- and posttest surveys of their experiences of violence, sexual risk and substance use behaviors, as part of a study on the effectiveness of a family planning program in a state correctional facility; data from pretest surveys (N=447) were used for current analyses. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for demographics were used to assess significant associations between gender-based violence variables (i.e., adolescent intimate partner violence (IPV), adult IPV, childhood sexual assault (SA), adolescent SA, and adult SA) and arrests due to sex trade or drug-related charges. Significant relationships were observed between arrests for sex trade and adult SA (OR=2.1, 95%CI=1.2-3.6), adolescent IPV (OR=2.5, 95%CI=1.5-4.1), and adult IPV (OR=1.7, 95%CI=1.1-2.6); no significant associations were observed for drug-related charges. Findings from the current study demonstrate that experiences of gender-based violence are associated with arrests for sex trade but not drug-related charges. Interventions for incarcerated women are needed to consider and address history of victimization from gender-based violence and its relation to women's historic and future sex trade involvement.