Crime and justice in Tudor-Stuart England and the modern United States

This paper surveys the criminal justice system in 16th and 17th, century England, for the purpose of pointing out important similarities between its workings and the operation of the criminal justice system in the modern United States. Topics covered include (1) the nature and incidence of crime; (2) citizen participation in and cooperation with the criminal justice system; and (3) the disposition of persons and cases. The authors conclude that, contrary to popular opinion, early modern England was not a halcyon period of law and order. That the English criminal justice system was beset by problems similar to those faced today seems to indicate that the interaction between law and society is inherently problematic.     

Ultrastructure of acute ammonia toxicity in the human lung

A tanker truck carrying anhydrous ammonia (NH3) fell off a freeway, releasing a dense cloud of NH3 gas, killing several people. The driver was dead upon impact. To our knowledge, pulmonary NH3 toxicity in humans has not been studied previously by electron microscopy (EM). Therefore, in two cases, the paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of lung were deparaffinized and reembedded in plastic for 1-mu sections and EM examination. The lung tissue of a third case, the truck driver, was similarly processed as a control. Light-microscopic pulmonary findings in the acute NH3 deaths included denudation of the tracheobronchial epithelium, edema of the lamina propria, and marked alveolar edema, congestion, and hemorrhage. In contrast, in the truck driver's lungs, the bronchial epithelium was intact, and there was no gross odor of NH3. Massive pulmonary hemorrhages in his lungs were attributed to trauma rather than NH3 inhalation. EM examination of the lungs of the truck driver showed no discernible toxic alterations in either the capillary endothelial cells or the Type I or II alveolar epithelial cells, and alveolar and capillary basement membranes were intact. In contrast, EM study of the lungs from two individuals dying acutely of NH3 inhalation showed marked swelling and imbitional edema of Type I alveolar epithelial cells; however, alveolar basement membranes and capillary endothelial cells appeared as usual. These electron-microscopic findings demonstrate the Type I epithelial cell to be the target cell of acute alveolar wall injury in NH3 inhalation.     

A validated method for the analysis of cannabinoids in post-mortem blood using liquid-liquid extraction and two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Phenazepam is a long-acting benzodiazepine that, unlike other benzodiazepines, is currently not scheduled as a narcotic in Finland, most other European countries or the USA. It is used as an anxiolytic, sedative-hypnotic and anti-epileptic, mainly in Russia. In Finland, as well as in some other countries, an increase in the unauthorized use of phenazepam has been observed in recent years. In the one year period between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 the prevalence of phenazepam in Finland was assessed among drivers apprehended for driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), in medico-legal autopsy cases and in police confiscations of illicit drugs. In DUID cases an LC-MS/MS method preceded by solid phase extraction was used for the determination of phenazepam. In the post-mortem investigations the sample preparation consisted of liquid-liquid extraction followed by derivatization and the determination was carried out by GC-MS. The police confiscations were analysed by GC-MS. There were 141 positive phenazepam cases among apprehended drivers, representing approximately 3.5% of all confirmed drug cases (n=4007) in this time period. The median (range) phenazepam blood concentration in DUID cases was 0.061 mg/L (0.004-3.600 mg/L). The median phenazepam concentration in cases with no concomitant stimulant use was significantly higher than the overall median concentration. Phenazepam was found in 17 medico-legal autopsy cases and the median (range) blood concentration was 0.048 mg/L (0.007-1.600 mg/L). Phenazepam was not considered by the medico-legal team to be the sole cause of death in any of the cases, the majority of them being accidental opiod overdoses. There were 26 seizures of phenazepam by the Police in the time period studied, some of the batches consisted of a mixture of phenazepam and stimulant designer drugs. The data show that phenazepam abuse is a widespread phenomenon in Finland. A typical user was a male multi-drug user in his 30s. The concentration range of phenazepam among apprehended drivers and medico-legal autopsy cases was wide and the drug was usually found along with other psychoactive drugs. Therefore, although it seems likely that phenazepam contributed to impairment of driving in some DUID cases, the extent of its effect remains unclear and further studies are needed to define the concentrations causing impairment and toxicity.     

Antiforeigner Resentment as a Manifestation of Xhosa Hegemonic Masculinity

Abstract

During a xenophobia and social cohesion research project conducted by the Safety and Violence Initiative (SaVI) of the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Freedom House USA, researchers found an overwhelming perception that foreign nationals were taking things that belong to South Africans. This perception was most prevalent in the male population, and antiforeigner resentment was mainly aimed toward male foreign nationals. This paper uses ethnographic research in the form of qualitative interviews from Motherwell and Makhanda in the Eastern Cape province to find out how constructions of hegemonic masculinities at the local level contribute to antiforeigner resentment.     

Managing children's and adolescents' medical complaints amid parent conflict: Strategies and tools for professionals

Children and adolescents who are having difficulty coping with stress often present with complaints of physical discomfort. Effective treatment approaches exist for many of these issues. Among high-conflict parents, however, children's medical issues can become another canvas for conflict, with parents focused more on blaming one another for the child's distress than on options for assisting the child. Professionals can be drawn into the conflict to such a degree that they overlook essential steps for addressing and managing these issues. The authors present a research-informed model for managing medical and psychophysiological issues amid parental conflict.     

Catching Them Before Too Much Damage is Done: Early Intervention with Resistance‐Refusal Dynamics

Children often need help before their parents are ready to stop fighting. Children at the center of high‐conflict disputes, particularly those who resist contact with a parent, face extraordinary risks of maladjustment. Years of investigation and litigation may precede any meaningful attempt at intervention, based on the questionable belief that all elements of causality (or blame) must be established before any effective treatment can occur. Children's functioning may continue to deteriorate during this time, undermining their future adjustment and reducing the chance of successful intervention later. We illustrate the application of the coping‐focused, multisystemic Child Centered Conjoint Therapy model to assisting these families. Methods to assist children without compromising external investigations are discussed.