Schizophrenia as a cause of death

Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that is associated with increased mortality. Although traumatic deaths account for most of this increase, there is also an increased rate of natural deaths in this population. Altered autonomic physiology in this group might contribute to death. To determine if there are schizophrenics in whom, after a complete autopsy, no recognizable cause of death other than schizophrenia is established, the records of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York were reviewed for deaths associated with schizophrenia and a natural manner of death. Six such decedents were identified, and their histories and autopsy results are described. We believe that schizophrenia per se is a potentially lethal disorder. Autonomic irregularities and their interactions with psychotropic drugs deserve further attention.     

Buffalo tales: interest group policy stories in Greater Yellowstone

Wicked policy problems—those that resist resolution and continuously cycle through different administrative jurisdictions—are time-consuming for the practitioner and expensive. In these wicked policy environs, interest group narratives contribute to this intractability through the continued construction of a policy loser’s tale. Central to our study is the analysis of group maturation with that of policy narrative elements. We explore whether there is a relationship between lobby tactics, financial resources, and professionalization of authorship of narratives and policy narrative elements. We content analyze the policy stories of the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) over a 10-year period (1999–2008), using the Yellowstone National Park bison and brucellosis controversy as case material and track how this new interest group’s fundamental policy story has changed over the course of its lifespan. As demonstrated through their choice of lobby tactics, the group does evolve from an unconventional to a conventional interest group, with two out of three of their constructed policy beliefs remaining unchanged and their political tactics consistently focusing on spinning the loser’s tale aimed at expanding the policy arena. Suggestions on the importance of this work to scientists, administrators, and academics are included.     

A Preliminary Forensic Entomological Study of Beetles (Coleoptera) in Interior Alaska,USA*

Forensic entomology uses knowledge of arthropod ecology to help solve crimes. There has been no published forensic entomological research in Alaska. We used one piglet carcass split in half to create two carcass plots in Fairbanks (~64.8°N, subarctic) that were sampled over a period of 59 days in 2019. Four pitfall traps were placed around each carcass, and four similarly arranged pitfall traps were placed 40 m distant as controls. Traps were emptied approximately weekly covering the first four stages of decomposition. We focused on adults of the larger-bodied (>9 mm) families and subfamilies of Coleoptera: Staphylinidae (subfamily Staphylininae), Carabidae, and Silphidae. A total of 621 specimens were collected and processed: 29 staphylinines, 210 carabids, and 382 silphids. A one-way ANOVA showed no significant difference between the mean numbers of staphylinines or carabids caught in carcass versus control traps. Silphids showed significantly greater mean number of beetles caught in carcass traps relative to control traps. Four species of Silphidae were documented, but contrary to similar studies, the vast majority of specimens belonged to two species of Nicrophorus (N. vespilloides Herbst and N. investigator Zetterstedt). Each of the three target taxa showed a peak in the number of specimens collected during the bloat stage of decomposition despite the carabid peak being driven by a phytophagous species.     

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of China’s best kept secrets. Boasting breath-taking views and epic hiking trails galore, it is a must see for anyone passing through or living elsewhere in the province. The gorge begins where the raging rapids of the Jinshajiang River (a major tributary of the Yangtze) pass between the imposing two-some of Jade Dragon Snow and Haba Snow mountains. Both of these permanently snow-capped peaks are approximately 5,500 meters above sea level.     

Lugu Lake

Our destination was Lugu Lakesupposedly home to the only matriarchal society left on Earth. This unique civilization is based around the banks and beaches of the lake, a spectacular alpine body of water which straddles the Sichuan and Yunnan border in southwest China. Sitting at an altitude of 2,685 meters, it is officially the highest lake in either province. We didn’t quite believe that a society like this could exist, and if it did, how it could function peacefully. We boarded the Lugu Lakebound bus to investigate. Though a handful of China’s 55 ethnic minority groups are represented here, including Yi and Pumi peoples-it is the Mosuo and the dominant role of their women in society that attract visitors. These people may number a mere 40,000 in total,     

Global governance of training standards in an outsourced labor force: The training double bind in seafarer license and certification assessments

The shipping industry is among the most globalized of all industries and is characterized by complex modular supply chains, including a largely outsourced labor force of “just‐in‐time” casualized workers from developing countries and the transitional East European states. Despite long‐standing efforts by international bodies to standardize and regulate the education and training of seafarers, variations in practices and standards persist. Employers exercise contradictory influences on education and training providers, on the one hand demanding the urgent provision of more recruits (encouraging corner‐cutting), and on the other complaining about the poor quality of recruits received (urging crackdowns on poor quality providers and more rigorous examinations) – the training double bind. This paper reflects on these issues through the study of the problematic use of computerized assessments in seafarer examinations, drawing upon findings from a study involving research in six different case study countries providing maritime labor and interviews with stakeholders.     

Justice and the neutral state: A postmodern,feminist critique of lehning's account of justice

In this journal, Lehning (1990) defended the liberal view of political justice, arguing on behalf of a comprehensive principle of state neutrality as the linchpin of justice. By failing to deal with the postmodern challenge to the Enlightenment-liberalist conception of neutrality and by thoroughly ignoring the feminist understanding in which neutrality actually conceals a masculinist bias, Lehning's analysis is seriously undermined with respect to its possibility for understanding, let alone for accomplishing political justice.