Chorionic villus sampling prior to pregnancy termination, a tool for forensic paternity testing.

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS), prior to pregnancy termination (pre-termination CVS), is suggested as a tool for forensic paternity testing. Unlike the abortion material, which consists of ruptured tissues of fetal and maternal origin, extra-embryonic membranes obtained through CVS can provide an uncontaminated source of fetal tissue for genotyping. We discuss the possibility of confined placental mosaicism (CPM) and its implications on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based analyses of short tandem repeats (STRs) and the D1S80 loci.     

The morphofunctional changes in the internal organs in the modelling of poisonings by psilocybine-containing mushrooms]

Histological analysis of the viscera in experimental poisoning with psilocybin-containing mushrooms showed nonspecific changes in all examined organs, presenting as expressed hemocirculatory disorders and intracellular dystrophy. Quantitative histochemical analysis showed appreciable shifts in the activities of enzymes involved in the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial redox processes and of specific enzymes involved in nerve tissue metabolism. This may reflect some features in the direct effects of narcotic alkaloids contained in psilocybin-producing mushrooms.     

Lethal poisoning with ethyl alcohol and its surrogates in various regions of the Russian Federation

The index of lethal poisoning with ethyl alcohol and its surrogates in Russia remains one of the highest in the world. It is explained by high alcohol consumption in Russia (about 15 liters of pure alcohol per capita annually), consumption of mainly strong beverages (about 80%), extensive sales of adulterated strong alcoholic beverages (more than 25%), virtually no preventive work in the population, and other causes. The index of lethal poisoning with alcohol and its surrogates in the country and its regions is one of the most important parameters in evaluation of the socioeconomic well-being of the population.     

B. Reviews and notes of recent bibliographies

i. Le Moyen‐Orient contemporain. By Guy Feuer, with the collaboration of S. Chauvin and F. Pourcelet. (Guides de Recherches, No. 6) Paris, Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, 1975. pp. 245. 48 fr.

ii. Eléments de bibliographie des études arabes. By Aubert Martin. Paris, Publications Orientalistes de France, 1975. pp. iii, 235. 35 fr.

iii. The Emergence of Arab Nationalism from the 19th century to 1921: A Bibliography. Compiled and annotated by Frank Clements, London, Diploma Press, 1976. pp. x, 290. £10.00

iv. Union catalogue of Arabia Serials and Newspapers in British Libraries. By the Middle East Libraries Committee, edited by Paul Auchterlonie and Yasin H. Safadi. London, Mansell, 1977. pp. xvi, 146. £12.50.

v. Arabia Historical Writing, 1973 & 1974. By Fawzi Abdulrazak. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Library, 1974 & 1976. 2v. $ 8.65 (for both vols).

vi. Modern Arabic Literature: A Bibliography of Articles, Books, Dissertations and Translations in English. By Salih J. Altoma. Bloomington, Indiana University, Asian Studies Research Institute, 1975. pp. 73. $ 4.00

vii. The Kurds in Iran, a Selected and Annotated Bibliography. By Wolfgang Behn. London, Mansell, and Munich, Verlag Dokumentation, Publishers, 1977. pp. 76. £6.00

ix. American Doctoral Dissertations on the Arab World 1883–1974. Second edition. By George Dimitri Selim. Washington D.C., Library of Congress, 1976. pp. xviii, 173. Obtainable from: Superintendent of Documents, Government Publications Office, Washington D.C. 20402. Price: outside USA $5.75 plus $1.44 for overseas postage.

x. International and regional politics in the Middle East and North Africa: a guide to information sources. (International Relations Information Guide Series, 6). By Ann Schulz. Detroit, Gale, 1977. pp. xii, 244. $18.00

xi. The politics of African and Middle Eastern states: an annotated bibliography. By Anne Gordon Drabek & Wilfrid Knapp. Oxford, Pergamon, 1976. pp. x, 192. £6.75     

Poverty across the Life Cycle: Evidence from the PSID

The likelihood of experiencing poverty at some point during the adult life cycle is estimated. These probabilities are derived through a set of life tables built upon 25 waves of data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and represent an alternative approach to studying poverty than prior empirical studies. Life table analyses are divided into early adulthood (ages 20–40), middle adulthood (ages 40–60),and later adulthood (ages 60–80). The findings indicate that individuals within the sample face a significant risk of poverty at some point during their adult lives, particularly during the early and later stages of adulthood. Duration tends to be relatively short (1 or 2 years), but once poverty occurs, it is likely to occur again. Results also reveal the profound life‐course effect that race, education, and gender have upon the likelihood of encountering poverty during the adult years. Several policy and research implications are discussed. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.