The first international proficiency test on ketamine and norketamine in hair

This paper discusses the organization of the first international proficiency test (PT) programme on ketamine (K) and norketamine (NK) in hair samples. The primary objective of the programme was to evaluate the analytical capability of participating laboratories on hair analysis for K and NK via comparison of results. Authentic samples, instead of spiked samples were used in the programme to mimic the analysis of incorporated illicit drugs in real-life situations. Eight of the ten participating medical or forensic laboratories from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore and the USA returned results to the organizer. Quantification methods from these laboratories were confined to GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. Performance assessment based on z-score indicated that only three laboratories achieved satisfactory results for both the analysis of K and NK. It was concluded that the overall performance of the participating laboratories was fair and there is still room for further improvement. Additional similarly designed PT programmes are recommended to be organized in order to encourage reliable measurements of illicit drugs in hair samples. Taking into account the substantial effect on the consensus values within limited number of data points, a recommendation on the provision of reference values assigned by accurate methods will be of benefit to small size PT programmes in the forensic field.     

Umbilical cord blood banking: beyond the public-private divide

Umbilical cord blood is a source of haematopoietic progenitor cells, which are used to treat a range of malignant, genetic, metabolic and immune disorders. Until recently, cord blood was either collected through donations to publicly funded cord blood banks for use in allogeneic transplantation, or stored in commercial cord blood banks for use in autologous transplantation. The line between public and private cord blood banking is being blurred by the emergence of "hybrid" models that combine aspects of both the public and private systems. The authors describe these hybrid models and argue that their emergence is explained by both market forces and public sector policy They propose that the future of the sector will depend heavily on several key developments that will differentially affect public, private and hybrid banking models.     

Racially conditional donation: the example of umbilical cord blood

While direction of donated tissue to family members has long been accepted, direction to members of specific racial groups has been opposed, on the basis that it is discriminatory and contrary to the ethos the institution of organ donation seeks to promote. It has, however, recently been proposed that racially conditional donation may provide a useful--and ethically acceptable--way to address the social inequalities and injustices experienced by certain cultural groups. This article examines the ethical, legal and cultural arguments for and against racially conditional donation, concluding that the practice is more likely to undermine the values of equity and justice than to promote them and that it may also lead to other unfavourable personal and social outcomes.     

Evaluation of the south carolina comr/cunity long-term care medicaid waiver for the elderly and disabled

Medicaid waivers play an important role in the health policy process. Various health care policy initiatives have encouraged states to experiment ith their Medicaid programs by expanding coverage to populations not traditionally covered by Medicaid, or by delivering Medicaid services in non traditional ways. Lessons learned by individual states' Medicaid waivers could be an important part of the health care reform debate. This paper presents an evaluation of a Medicaid waiver operating in South I Carolina. The South Carolina Community Long-term Care Waiver for the Elderly and Disabled is evaluated for cost effectiveness, quality of care, and client satisfaction. This evaluation shows that the waiver is highly effective in offering individuals who are medically and financially eligible for Medicaid supported nursing home care a viable, cost effective, high quality alternate to institutionalization.     

Strong Reciprocity and the Roots of Human Morality

Human morality is a key evolutionary adaptation on which human social behavior has been based since the Pleistocene era. Ethical behavior is constitutive of human nature, we argue, and human morality is as important an adaptation as human cognition and speech. Ethical behavior, we assert, need not be a means toward personal gain. Because of our nature as moral beings, humans take pleasure in acting ethically and are pained when acting unethically. From an evolutionary viewpoint, we argue that ethical behavior was fitness-enhancing in the years marking the emergence of Homo sapiens because human groups with many altruists fared better than groups of selfish individuals, and the fitness losses sustained by altruists were more than compensated by the superior performance of the groups in which they congregated.     

The Resurgence of Chinese Anti-Americanism in the 1990s： State Policy or Popular Expression？

While Western observers typically attribute the population＇s nationalist anti-Americanism largely to government propaganda or manipulation, they misunderstand the roots of anti-American behavior in China. As depicted by Peter Hay Gries in China＇s New Nationalism and by Michael H. Hunt in The Genesis of China＇s Foreign Policy, a more nuanced portrayal is in order. While the two books utilize distinct socialpsychological and historical perspectives, an integrative reading of the two suggests that popular expression is in fact largely responsible for China＇s anti-Americanism. At first this conclusion in favor of popular expression may seem at odds with Hunt＇s state-centered analysis of the roots of foreign policy. Nevertheless, after a brief summary of each book and a comparative application to the issue of anti-Americanism, the authors demonstrate that applying a comparative historical reappraisal to Hunt＇s study suggests that both scholarly works support the predominant role of popular expression on contemporary China＇s nationalist anti- Americanism.     

How capital technologies affect municipal service outcomes: The case of police mobile digital terminals and stolen vehicle recoveries

Mobile digital terminals (MDTs) are two-way computers, installed inside police vehicles, that provide officers with remote data base prospecting capabilities. Proponents argue that MDTs help officers recover stolen property. Several Texas police departments implemented MDT systems in the 1980s. This article assesses how MDTs in Dallas and Fort Worth affected vehicle theft recoveries, in comparison to a city with no MDTs, Austin. Five hypotheses are evaluated in a multiple interrupted time series design using ANOVA, response surface analysis, and pooled time series regression. The analysis of recoveries before and after intervention in two MDT cities and one non-MDT control city suggests that the technology is linked with increases in vehicle theft recoveries. The magnitude of improvement in recoveries associated with MDTs is more significant at lower levels of vehicle thefts. Austin showed some improvement in recovery rates without using MDTs, so other factors besides the technology are likely to be important.