Whole bovine blood use in forensic research: Sample preparation and storage considerations

Mammalian whole blood sources are often used for forensic research and training when human samples cannot be sourced. While porcine, ovine and equine blood have been shown to be viable alternatives to whole human blood for forensic purposes, procurement can still pose a problem, especially for smaller and remote institutions. This work explores the use of whole bovine blood for basic bloodstain simulation. Sample preparation through the addition of ACD-A anticoagulant was optimized and storability was explored. Viscosity, surface tension, density, and packed cell volume, four fluid properties relevant to bloodstain pattern analysis, were monitored over four days and in two temperature conditions. Linear mixed models accounting for variation in the donor demonstrated that these fluid properties of the bovine blood changed predictably over time and with temperature. Whole bovine blood with 12.5% v/v ACD-A was found to be viable for use in basic bloodstain simulation at ambient and physiological temperature.     

Der Biodiversitätsschaden nach 21a des Bundesnaturschutzgesetzes

Zusammenfassung Im Mai 2007 wurde das Gesetzes zur Umsetzung der Richtlinie des Europ?ischen Parlaments und des Rates über die Umwelthaftung zur Vermeidung und Sanierung von Umweltsch?den verabschiedet, das seinerseits die Umwelt-Haftungsrichtlinie (UH-RL) in deutsches Recht umsetzt. Auf Grund von Art. 72 Abs. 3 S. 2 GG treten Gesetze auf dem Gebiet des Naturschutzes mit Ausnahme der abweichungsfesten Teile frühestens 6 Monate nach Verkündung in Kraft. Folglich sieht Art. 4 des Gesetzes vom 10. Mai 2007 vor, dass das Umweltschadensgesetz (USchadG) und die ?nderungen im Wasserhaushaltsgesetz und im Bundesnaturschutzgesetz zum 14. November 2007 in Kraft getreten sind.     

Thermal shrinkage of small single acrylic fibers — A technique of forensic potential

Single fibers less than 1 mm long of nine types of acrylic fibers were thermally shrunk from 85°C to 285°C by hot stage optical microscopy. A surprisingly wide variety of behavior was observed. The temperature for the onset of shrinkage ranged from 105°C to 190°C; total contraction ranged from 2% to 64%; and some fibers contracted rather steadily, whereas others contracted abruptly. Reproducibility of shrinkage was excellent for most monocomponent fibers but was less reproducible for bicomponent fibers. In general, it was found that the technique may be used to discriminate among fiber types within a single fiber generic class using submicrogram sized samples.     

Self-concept of adolescent sexual abuse victims

To assess the self-concept and psychological profile associated with sexual abuse, 20 young female victims evaluated in a sexual abuse clinic completed the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire (OSIQ). The alleged assault was intrafamilial in 13 cases, lasting from several months to 10 years. Extrafamilial abuses were isolated events. Intercourse was alleged in 18 of the 20 instances. OSIQ group mean scores were in the poorly adjusted range for three scales, indicating serious problems with sexual attitudes, family relations, and feelings of inability to master the external environment. While the mean Overall Adjustment scale score was within normal limits, 10 girls had scores in the range indicating severe problems in adjustment; 7 were incest victims. Compared to nonsexually abused adolescent patients from a general adolescent clinic, sexually abused youth had significantly more problems with vocational/educational goals, psychopathology, and ability to master the environment (p<0.05). The self-concept problems identified in these sexually abused youth (a) are similar to those reported by women seeking psychiatric care long after their childhood sexual abuse occurred and (b) share some features reported among physically abused adolescents.This work was supported in part by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (#7278) and the Indiana State Board of Health, Maternal and Child Health Division.Received M.D. from Case Western Reserve University. Research interests are psychosocial effects of chronic illness on children and adolescents, compliance and cognitive developments.Received M.D. from Georgetown University.     

Exploring Seasonal Poverty Traps: The ‘Six-Week Window’ in Southern Malawi

Conventional wisdom in Malawi holds that seasonal food deficits force smallholders to hire out their labour to buy food during the critical first six weeks after planting, thereby reducing maize yields on their own fields and reinforcing poverty. This model was tested empirically for the Blantyre Shire Highlands using evidence from a panel survey and household case studies. Results showed no significant relationship between the supply of hired labour (ganyu) and the timeliness of weeding for maize, and that timely weeding was not a significant determinant of household maize deficits. This puzzle is explained by the diversification of the rural economy that has allowed households to develop alternative livelihood strategies to cope with maize deficits. Livelihood diversity helped poor households avoid the seasonal poverty trap and also helps explain the paradox of why the poorest region in Malawi escaped the 2001–2002 famine.     

External Validity in Policy Evaluations That Choose Sites Purposively

Evaluations of the impact of social programs are often carried out in multiple sites, such as school districts, housing authorities, local TANF offices, or One‐Stop Career Centers. Most evaluations select sites purposively following a process that is nonrandom. Unfortunately, purposive site selection can produce a sample of sites that is not representative of the population of interest for the program. In this paper, we propose a conceptual model of purposive site selection. We begin with the proposition that a purposive sample of sites can usefully be conceptualized as a random sample of sites from some well‐defined population, for which the sampling probabilities are unknown and vary across sites. This proposition allows us to derive a formal, yet intuitive, mathematical expression for the bias in the pooled impact estimate when sites are selected purposively. This formula helps us to better understand the consequences of selecting sites purposively, and the factors that contribute to the bias. Additional research is needed to obtain evidence on how large the bias tends to be in actual studies that select sites purposively, and to develop methods to increase the external validity of these studies. © 2012 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.     

The institutional logic of small-firm economies in Italy and Taiwan

This article compares the small-firm economies of Taiwan and Italy, utilizing an institutional oganizational approach in the analysis of economic structures. It is divided into three sections. First, there is a presention of the main features of the Italian and the Taiwanese economies to draw out their distinctive similarities. The second part identifies a set of institutional factors which help us understand the similarities observed in the two economies, and classifies them along two analytical headings: individual values and social structure. The third section explores the significance of the author's crossnational comparison of small-firm economies for improving the status of an institutional theory of economic structures. By, emphasizing the role of institutional factors and the social embeddedness of economic activities in Italy and Taiwan, the article provides a corrective to the unilateral emphasis on an East versus West model of economic action and shows the obvious inadequacies of restrictively cultural, political, or economic interpretations of national economies. Marco, Orrù is assistant professor of sociology at the University of South Florida. Recent publications include “Patterns of Inter-Firm Control in Japanese Business” (Organization Studies, December 1989, 549–74) and “Organizational Isomorphism in East Asia” inThe New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis P. Dimaggio and W. Powell, eds., (University of Chicago Press, 1991). Dr. Orrù's research has also appeared inThe British Journal of Sociology, Sociological Forum, Japan'sFinancial Economic Review, and other professional journals. He is currently working on a monograph,Patterns of Asian Capitalism, co-authored with Gary G. Hamilton and Nicole Woolsey Biggart.