THE POLICY CONSEQUENCES OF THE GREEN REVOLUTION:

By examining data from fifteen Latin American nations on several agricultural- and food-related variables for 1965 to 1977, this paper analyzes the efficacy of the Green Revolution for food consumption. A Radical Model is offered to explain why a high technology, export-oriented, agricultural policy may not adequately serve the food consumption needs of Third World countries.     

Judicial Impartiality and Independence in Divided Societies: An Empirical Analysis of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia‐Herzegovina

The role of constitutional courts in deeply divided societies is complicated by the danger that the salient societal cleavages may influence judicial decision‐making and, consequently, undermine judicial impartiality and independence. With reference to the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia‐Herzegovina, this article investigates the influence of ethno‐national affiliation on judicial behaviour and the extent to which variation in judicial tenure amplifies or dampens that influence. Based on a statistical analysis of an original dataset of the Court's decisions, we find that the judges do in fact divide predictably along ethno‐national lines, at least in certain types of cases, and that these divisions cannot be reduced to a residual loyalty to their appointing political parties. Contrary to some theoretical expectations, however, we find that long‐term tenure does little to dampen the influence of ethno‐national affiliation on judicial behaviour. Moreover, our findings suggest that this influence may actually increase as a judge acclimates to the dynamics of a divided court. We conclude by considering how alternative arrangements for the selection and tenure of judges might help to ameliorate this problem.     

Spirituality and health outcomes among police officers: empirical evidence supporting a paradigm shift

The negative impact of traumatic and other work-related stressors on the health of police officers is well-documented. Spiritual development is also commonly mentioned in the professional literature as an effective means of protecting officers from the ill-effects of policing, reportedly resulting in improved health and wellness outcomes. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to support claims regarding spirituality and police officer health. The present study investigated what types of spiritual practices police officers used, the relationships between spiritual effort and spiritual growth regarding various psychological and stress-related symptomatology, and whether differences in psychological and health outcomes existed between police officers engaging or not engaging in spiritual practice (N = 193). With one exception, the results do not support the notion that enhanced spirituality is associated with lower illness symptoms or perceived stress. Rather, opposing findings were demonstrated involving positive associations between spiritual growth and distress. Spiritual effort, however, was inversely associated with alcohol use, a behavioral-based coping mechanism. Implications of these findings are discussed, and suggestions for reconceptualizing police health and spiritual practices are introduced.     

Fatal intoxication with 1,4-butanediol: Case report and comprehensive review of the literature

A fatal case of 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) oral ingestion is reported here, in which a 51-year-old man was found dead in his bed. According to the police report, the deceased was a known drug user. A glass bottle labeled (and later confirmed to be) “Butandiol 1,4” (1,4-BD) was found in the kitchen. Furthermore, the deceased's friend stated that he consumed 1,4-BD on a regular basis. The autopsy and histological examination of postmortem parenchymatous organ specimens did not revealed a clear cause of death. Chemical-toxicological investigations revealed gammahydroxybutyrat (GHB) in body fluids and tissues in the following quantities: femoral blood 390 mg/L, heart blood 420 mg/L, cerebrospinal fluid 420 mg/L, vitreous humor 640 mg/L, urine 1600 mg/L, and head hair 26.7 ng/mg. In addition, 1,4-BD was qualitatively detected in the head hair, urine, stomach contents, and the bottle. No other substances, including alcohol, were detected at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. 1,4-BD is known as precursor substance that is converted in vivo into GHB. In the synoptic assessment of toxicological findings, the police investigations and having excluded other causes of death, a lethal GHB-intoxication following ingestion of 1,4-BD, can be assumed in this case. Fatal intoxications with 1,4-BD have seldom been reported due to a very rapid conversion to GHB and, among other things, non-specific symptoms after ingestion. This case report aims to give an overview to the published of fatal 1,4-BD-intoxications and to discuss the problems associated with detection of 1,4-BD in (postmortem) specimens.     

The effects of the (fentanyl-fueled) drug overdose epidemic on medicolegal death investigation in the United States

The evolving opioid epidemic in the United States, fueled by illicit fentanyl, has greatly increased deaths from illicit drug use. These nonnatural deaths require formal death investigation. The National Association of Medical Examiners states in its Forensic Autopsy Performance Standards that autopsy remains a necessary component for proper investigation of suspected acute overdose deaths. If a death investigation office lacks adequate resources to investigate all deaths under its jurisdiction while meeting expected standards, then that office may be forced to consider altering its protocols for investigation by changing the types of deaths investigated or the extent of its investigations. Drug death investigations take longer to complete because novel illicit drugs and mixtures of drugs complicate toxicological analyses, prolonging a family's wait for completion of a death certificate and autopsy report. Public health agencies must also wait for results, but some agencies have developed mechanisms for rapid notification of preliminary results to allow timely deployment of public health resources. The increased deaths have strained the resources of medicolegal death investigation systems throughout the United States. Given the significant workforce shortage of forensic pathologists, newly trained forensic pathologists are too few to meet the demand. Nevertheless, forensic pathologists (and all pathologists) must make time to present their work and themselves to medical students and pathology trainees to encourage an understanding of the importance of quality medicolegal death investigation and autopsy pathology and to provide a model that can encourage interest in a career in forensic pathology.     

Development and validation of a LC–MS/MS method for analysis of vortioxetine in postmortem specimens. First data from an authentic case

Vortioxetine is an antidepressant recently licensed in USA and EU for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Neither fatal case due to overdose nor data about postmortem concentrations on blood or other specimens have been reported. The aims of this study were the development and validation of a method for vortioxetine analysis by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in postmortem samples and its application in an authentic case. The method was validated and applied on blood, vitreous humor, bile, brain, liver, kidney, and gastric content. After protein precipitation, the supernatant was directly injected into LC–MS/MS. Analysis was carried out by Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode. The authentic case concerned a 38 years-old woman, affected by depression, who was found hanged at home. The method determined an acceptable sensitivity, selectivity, linearity, precision, and accuracy for all matrices. No interference was shown for all matrices. The matrices do not significantly reduce the peak intensity of vortioxetine. No carryover was shown. Toxicological analysis of the authentic case showed vortioxetine in blood (234 ng/ml), vitreous humor (10.5 ng/ml), brain (490 ng/g), lung (479 ng/g), liver (3751 ng/g), kidney (798 ng/g), bile (2267 ng/ml) and gastric content (253 ng/ml). Our case suggests that even at blood concentrations of vortioxetine equal to 234 ng/ml, the subject was able to stage and carry out the hanging. Vortioxetine concentrations found in the other cadaveric samples (biological fluids, organs, and gastric content) may be helpful to evaluate further similar comparable cases.     

Death by compaction in a robotic dumpster

Robotic waste management automation systems are increasingly utilized around the globe as a user-friendly, ecological and hygienic alternative to waste disposal, simultaneously reducing the volume and frequency of waste collection. The present paper aims to report a case of death by compaction in an automated robotic waste management system and review relevant literature on compactor-related fatalities. The unusual fatal accident involved a 37-year-old male citizen who deliberately entered the robotic dumpster to retrieve his accidentally discarded medication. Upon entering the robotic chamber, the compaction system was automatically activated, although all safety measures were in full operation. This paper highlights the lack of standardized reporting on compactor-related mortality, which however is of importance both in terms of its social impact and public safety. These deaths occur rarely, in scattered areas of the globe, associated with various situations (e.g., occupational fatalities, homeless people, infanticide) and trash compactors of different types, technology, age, maintenance quality, warning signage and safety interlocks. In all previously reported fatalities, the technology involved was considerably older (as in conventional waste containers, garbage compaction trucks, chute-fed compactors in buildings, etc.). The case described in the present report is a rare event in both literature and international news coverage as it encompasses a fully automated technology intended for unsupervised, direct use by the public being located in public spaces where all citizens can interact with it. The aim of this report is to raise awareness and improve knowledge about safety parameters so that similar incidents can be avoided in the future.