Diagnostic value of the placenta in medico-legal practice

In three suspected cases of infanticide, histological examinations of the placentas were effective in clarifying the circumstances. We have estimated the 5th month of pregnancy from pieces of the placenta in one case and diagnosed the causes of perinatal abnormalities in two cases, those being acute chorioamnionitis and possible premature separation of normally implanted placenta.     

Ideology, strategy and party competition in postwar Norway

Abstract. Electoral manifestos are a key instrument of democratic political parties in their quest for popular support. This article investigates the contents of postwar Norwegian party manifestos. The analysis builds on the saliency theory of party competition. Methodologically, it replicates the factor analysis of Budge, Robertson, and Hearl (1987). Four factors are uncovered. Two of these can be identified with the left-right dimension, one with the moral-religious axis, and one with material centre-periphery conflicts. A high degree of interparty consensus and convergence is evident, particularly prior to 1970. The results are generally consistent with previous research on Norwegian mass and party politics.     

Plasminogen (PLG) polymorphism in northern Japanese: confirmation of PLG*M6 allele

Plasminogen (PLG) phenotyping has been performed on 450 unrelated individuals from northern Japan, using wide-scale ultrathin layer polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing combined with immunoblotting. One common phenotype and six rare ones were observed. The rare phenotypes included the recently detected allele PLG*M6 in a new combination with PLG*M5 allele. The estimated allele frequencies for PLG*A, PLG*A3, PLG*M2, PLG*M5, PLG*M6, PLG*B, and PLG*B2 were 0.961, 0.009, 0.001, 0.016, 0.001, 0.003, and 0.009, respectively.     

Theoretical Paradigms of Islamic Movements

The discourse of contemporary Islamic radicalism derives its inspiration from the writings of three Muslim thinkers and activists: Abu al-A^cla al-Mawdudi (died 1979), Sayyid Qutb(died 1966), and Ayatollah Khumayni (died 1989). This article is devoted to an initial exposition of the main themes of their texts as the unique founders of this particular 'discursivity'.     

Brain markers and suicide: can a relationship be found?

Recent work suggests that some persons who commit suicide have altered neurochemistry in their brains. It remains unclear which of the many reported abnormalities are most reliably present and whether they reflect a specific psychiatric disorder or a disposition to violent impulsivity. A number of technical and interpretive problems must be clarified, but a postmortem test indicating that a subject was at high risk for suicide may eventually emerge. This approach would not be useful for ruling out suicide, since altered neurochemistry is not likely to be involved in every case.     

Paternity testing: blood group systems and DNA analysis by variable number of tandem repeat markers

Two recent paternity cases are reported. In the first case of paternity exclusion, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) on variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) loci with multiple alleles were informative, as well as established systems of red blood antigens, red cell enzymes, serum proteins, and human leukocyte antigens. In the second case, in which both the alleged father and the first wife were deceased, the paternal genotype was determined by using genetic markers from the second wife and four children, which then were compared with the paternal alleles of the child in question, the plaintiff in this case. The high probability of paternity (0.999,998,7) made us conclude that the man probably was the actual father. The DNA analysis by VNTR probes appears to be quite valuable in the study of paternity cases.     

The use of a packed column for the determination of bupivacaine in human plasma by gas chromatography: an application in a pharmacokinetic study of bupivacaine.

The method involves a single extraction of the drug and the internal standard, etidocaine, from alkalinized plasma with n-hexane. The gas chromatograph is equipped with a glass column (2.0 m x 2 mm) packed with 3% W/W SP2250 on Chromosorb W, (80/100 mesh) and a nitrogen sensitive detector. The method can accurately measure plasma bupivacaine concentrations down to 0.01 micrograms ml-1 using a sample size of 0.5 ml. The day-to-day variation of bupivacaine at 2.0 micrograms ml-1 is 6.90% (n = 10). The calibration graph is linear over the range 0.1-4.0 micrograms ml-1. The method is accurate, fast and sensitive and has been applied in a pharmacokinetic study of bupivacaine.