Posttraumatic stress disorder following ethnoreligious conflict in Jos, Nigeria

In September 2001, ethnoreligious rioting occurred in Jos, Nigeria. Using a multistage cluster sampling technique, 290 respondents were recruited in Jos 7 to 9 months after the riot. Data were collected regarding demographics, exposure to traumatic events, and psychological symptoms. Resting pulse and blood pressure were recorded. A total of 145 (52.5%) witnessed or were victims of personal attacks, 165 (59.6%) lost their possessions, 56 (20.7%) had their homes burned, 44 (16.2%) witnessed relatives' deaths, and 8 (2.9%) were robbed. A total of 252 (89.7%) of the respondents met reexperiencing criteria, 138 (49.1%) met avoidance criteria, and 236 (84.0%) met arousal criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A total of 116 (41%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 36% to 47%) met all three categories for PTSD. Only personal attacks (adjusted odds ratio = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.7 to 4.7) and a heart rate of 90 beats/min or more (adjusted odds ratio = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.4 to 5.8) were significantly related to PTSD in a multivariate model.     

Parental Kidnapping: A Survey of Left-Behind Parents

Parental kidnapping is examined through a survey instrument developed by Rosemary Farley Janvier. The survey was tested and mailed to 283 left-behind parent victims nationwide; 65 parents elected to participate (a 23% return rate). The survey results yielded a statistical profile of parental kidnappings, with distinct differences between domestic and international cases. The differences were both in gender of the perpetrator and the victims, marital, and custodial status. The circumstances surrounding the kidnappings, use and effectiveness of existing legal remedies as preventive measures, law enforcement, attorneys, and the court?s responses, both pre-kidnapping and post-kidnapping and the emotional and financial costs to the parent victims were assessed. Recommendations by the left-behind parents for prevention of parental kidnappings are offered for legislative changes and procedural changes for the law enforcement community, attorneys, and the judiciary in decisions to be made to ultimately protect children from this trauma through prevention. Special recognition to the staff of the Ocean County Advisory Commission on the Status of Women, Ann Finnegan, Project Coordinator, and Lynn Ross, clerical support.     

Corporate Financial Performance and the Use of Takeover Defenses

This paper tests the hypothesis that the threat of a contested takeover improves corporate performance. This is done by a cross-sectional analysis of listed Danish firms with and without effective takeover defenses. Takeover defenses adopted by Danish firms mainly consist of dual class voting rights often in combination with foundation ownership. Using simultaneous equation estimation to deal with the problem of causation, the results show that unprotected firms do not outperform protected firms. This suggests that management in unprotected firms are disciplined by other corporate governance mechanisms than the market for corporate control, including the legal protection of shareholders.     

Rectal fist insertion. An unusual form of sexual behavior

Rectal fist insertion (fist fucking) is an uncommon and potentially dangerous sexual practice. This is usually a homosexual activity, but can also be a heterosexual or an autoerotic practice. One known death has been reported associated with rectal fist insertion, in which the complications of anal and colonic tears and bleeding had occurred (see Editor's note). The possibility of drug overdose is also probable, as drugs and alcohol are commonly introduced into the rectum to promote sphincter relaxation and to ease the discomfort of anal dilatation.