DNA analysis of digested tomato seeds in stomach contents

Examination of stomach contents is one of the important steps in medical legal autopsy. Vegetative materials such as stems, roots, and seeds in stomach contents can be valuable evidence for providing investigative leads in death investigation. Currently, the identification of plant materials relies on microscopic and morphologic examination. We have found that many seeds are often protected from acid degradation during stomach digestion by their tough exterior seed coat. Tomato seeds were selected as a model system to assess DNA analysis and plant variety marker identification. The DNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism method was performed to determine if the DNA obtained from single seeds could be used for PCR analysis. From the amplified fragment length polymorphism results, some candidate markers for individualizing seeds from morphologically distinct tomatoes were identified. These data on DNA analysis of tomato seeds indicate amplified fragment length polymorphism is a viable procedure for the individualization of seeds from stomach contents in forensic investigations.     

The terrorist mind: II. Typologies, psychopathologies, and practical guidelines for investigation

Part I of this two-part article presents a psychological and political analysis of the terrorist mind. Part II describes the major current psychological classifications and typologies of domestic and foreign terrorism. Explanations are offered in terms of our current understanding of the personality and psychopathology of terroristic violence. A heuristic model of classifying terrorism in terms of personality and psychopathology is presented. In addition to guiding further research and theory on the psychology of terrorism, this model has immediate practical application to the investigation and interrogation of terrorist suspects.     

The terrorist mind: I. A psychological and political analysis

Part I of this two-part article describes the major forms of domestic and foreign terrorism, the motivations of the perpetrators, and the psychological, social, and political forces that contribute to this most particular expression of violence. The article addresses the question of whether all terrorists are sick or evil and considers the possibility that some forms of terrorism, however odious their result, can be a rational response to a situation of perceived intolerable injustice. The article examines what motivates people to join terrorist groups and what may later move them to leave the terrorist lifestyle. Special consideration is given to the psychological and religious dynamics of suicide terrorism and what might motivate some people to give their lives for their cause. Finally, the article offers recommendations for a multipronged approach to dealing with this modern yet ageless scourge.     

Jocks, gender, binge drinking, and adolescent violence

Previous research has suggested a link between athletic involvement and elevated levels of adolescent violence outside the sport context. The present study expanded on this literature by positing differences in the sport-violence relationship across dimensions of athletic involvement (athletic participation vs. jock identity), type of violence (family vs. nonfamily), and gender as well as by examining the impact of binge drinking on the sport-violence relationship. Regression analyses using a sample of 608 Western New York adolescents indicated that (a) jock identity (but not athletic participation) was associated with more frequent violence, (b) jock identity predicted nonfamily violence (but not family violence), and (c) the link between jock identity and nonfamily violence was stronger for boys than for girls. Binge drinking predicted family violence among nonjocks only.     

Efforts to improve patient safety in large,capitated medical groups: description and conceptual model

Medical care should be safer. Inpatient problems and solutions have received the most attention; this outpatient qualitative case study addresses a gap in knowledge. We describe safety improvements among large physician groups, model the key influences on their behavior, and identify beneficial public and private policies. All groups were trying to reduce medical injury, which was part of the sample design. The most commonly targeted problems are those that are similar across groups: shortcomings in diagnosis, abnormal tests follow-up, scope of practice and referral patterns, and continuity of care. Medical group innovators vary greatly, however, in implementation of improvements, that is, in the extent to which they implement process changes that identify events/problems, analyze and track incidents, decide how to change clinical and administrative practices, and monitor impacts of the changes. Our conceptual model identifies key determinants: (1) demand for safety comes from external factors: legal, market, and professional; (2) organizational responses depend on internal factors: group size, scope, and integration; leadership and governance; professional culture; information-system assets; and financial and intellectual capital. Further, safety is an aspect of quality (the same tools, decision making, interventions, and monitoring apply), and safety management benefits from prior efficiency management (similar skills and culture of innovation). Observed variation in even simple safeguards shows that existing safety incentives are too weak. Our model suggests that the biggest improvement would come from boosting the demand for quality and safety from both private and public larger group purchasers. Current policy relies too much on litigation and discipline, which have sometimes helped, but not solved, problems because they are inefficient, tend to drive needed information underground, and complicate needed cultural change. Patients' safety demand is also weak for want of information and market power. Big purchasers' demands, however, quickly influence the internal environment of medical groups, helping managers advance quality safety toward the top of groups' congested decision-making "queues."