Racial Inequality in the Uruguayan Labor Market: An Analysis of Wage Differentials Between Afro‐descendants and Whites

Latin America is a region of sharp ethnic inequalities. Uruguay has usually been considered an exception to this pattern, although no data were available to confirm this assumption until recently. This article uses the Household Survey of 2006 to analyze the wage gap between Afro‐descendants and whites through OLS equations, decompositions, and quantile regressions. The analysis finds that discrimination explains approximately 50 percent of the racial wage gap for men and 20 percent for women. Discrimination operates partly through occupational segregation. Differences in schooling are the most important explanatory factor for the rest of the gap. Quantile regressions show that discrimination declines across percentiles for men.     

Age estimation through histological study of trabecular volume and cortical bone width of the iliac crest

There have been many methods proposed to estimate the age of human bones in forensic medicine or in forensic anthropology, including those that assess histological structures. In this study, age was evaluated through the histomorphometric study of trabecular volume and cortical width of the right iliac crest. A total of 25 samples A total of 66 samples (42 male and 24 female) were obtained from necropsies of judicial cases, with ages ranging from 13 to 58years, who had died a sudden or violent death. The samples were obtained using Bordier's trocar for bone biopsy, in a period not exceeding 24h after death. The samples were examined without decalcification, with 96° alcohol dehydration, embedding in methyl methacrylate, and sectioned with a microtome Reichert (3μm). The sections were fixed on microscope slides and stained using toluidine blue, Goldner trichrome and hematoxylin-eosin methods. The samples were studied under a Leica DM LB microscope and the images were digitally captured. The digital images were processed using an image analysis program and data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package. The results demonstrated that the combination of the trabecular volume and cortical width acted as predictors of the age in subjects which did not suffer from any deterioration of bone and/or mineral metabolism.     

Suicidal Smothering by Rubber Latex Gloves and Handkerchief

Asphyxial deaths are common in forensic practice, being sustained by a variety of mechanisms that cause an oxygen deficiency to the brain. Several classification models have been proposed in the literature, the most recent one being that of the International Network for Forensic Research Group (INFOR). This report describes an unusual case of suffocation where the obstruction of the airways was caused by a gag formed of three latex gloves and a handkerchief. The manner of death (differential diagnosis between homicide and suicide) and the different alternatives of classification are discussed.     

Anxiety disorders and intimate partner violence: can the association be explained by coexisting conditions or borderline personality traits?

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious, preventable public health problem. IPV perpetration is strongly associated with Anxiety disorders at the population level. We investigated whether the association could be explained by coexisting psychiatric conditions or Borderline personality traits, using a combined data-set of two National Household Surveys (n = 15,973). Results showed women were more likely to report perpetrating IPV than men. Anxiety disorders were associated with IPV. When coexisting psychiatric conditions together with a categorical diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) were investigated as explanatory variables, 19.2% of the association between Anxiety disorders and IPV was explained. Using individual Borderline traits in place of a categorical diagnosis of BPD, 58.3% of the association was explained. In conclusion, the association between Anxiety disorders and IPV was partly, but not fully, explained by coexisting psychiatric conditions and individual Borderline traits. Perpetrators of IPV should be screened for Anxiety disorders and among those with Anxiety disorders, Borderline traits are important.     

The Variability of Ecstasy Tablets Composition in Brazil

The content of ecstasy tablets has been changing over the years, and nowadays 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is not always present in the tablets. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition in the seized tablets labeled as ecstasy. We analyzed samples from 150 different seizures made by Sao Paulo's State Police by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. MDMA was present in 44.7% of the analyzed samples, and another twenty different active substances were identified in these tablets, such as caffeine, 2C‐B, piperazines, amphetamines, phencyclidine, and others. Methamphetamine was present in 22% of these samples. The results demonstrate a huge shift in the pattern of trafficking of synthetic drugs, where MDMA has been replaced in tablets mostly by illicit psychoactive substances, in a clear attempt to bypass the law. The great variability in the tablets composition may lead to an increased risk of drug poisoning.     

A Natural Experiment in Political Decentralization: Local Institutions and Citizens' Political Engagement in Uruguay

The potential democratizing effect of political decentralization reforms has been a matter of substantial theoretical and empirical debate. This article analyzes the effect of local democratic institution building on the political attitudes and behavior of citizens living in small towns in Uruguay. More specifically, using a natural experiment design, this research seeks to establish the causal impact of recently established elections of local authorities on individuals' political engagement. It develops a comparative case study analyzing the consequences of this institutional innovation in two towns. It shows that individuals from the town where citizens have the opportunity to elect their local authorities have more positive attitudes toward politics than those from the town without such elections.