Childhood Sexual Abuse,Other Childhood Factors,and Pathways to Survivors’ Adult Relationship Quality

We were interested in understanding how the effects of childhood sexual abuse, in concert with other negative childhood experiences, were carried forward into adult romantic relationships. Data from 15,831 married or cohabitating individuals were gathered via the RELATE Questionnaire. Empirical research, attachment theory, and a general model of adult relationship quality suggested that the path from negative childhood events to adult relationship quality was mediated by a number of individual and relational affect-laden variables. Results showed that childhood abuse and other family-of-origin variables work primarily through the adult survivor’s perceptions of the events of his or her childhood. This “current impact” variable, along with the current level of depression, work through an emotion-laden relationship variable—level of emotional flooding during couple conflict—to influence the relationship quality outcome variable. Treatment implications are discussed.     

Functional MRI Detection of Deception After Committing a Mock Sabotage Crime*

Abstract: Using Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) to detect deception is feasible in simple laboratory paradigms. A mock sabotage scenario was used to test whether this technology would also be effective in a scenario closer to a real‐world situation. Healthy, nonmedicated adults were recruited from the community, screened, and randomized to either a Mock‐crime group or a No‐crime group. The Mock‐crime group damaged and stole compact discs (CDs), which contained incriminating video footage, while the No‐crime group did not perform a task. The Mock‐crime group also picked up an envelope from a researcher, while the No‐crime group did not perform this task. Both groups were instructed to report that they picked up an envelope, but did not sabotage any video evidence. Participants later went to the imaging center and were scanned while being asked questions regarding the mock crime. Participants also performed a simple laboratory based fMRI deception testing (Ring‐Watch testing). The Ring‐Watch testing consisted of “stealing” either a watch or a ring. The participants were instructed to report that they stole neither object. We correctly identified deception during the Ring‐Watch testing in 25 of 36 participants (Validated Group). In this Validated Group for whom a determination was made, computer‐based scoring correctly identified nine of nine Mock‐crime participants (100% sensitivity) and five of 15 No‐crime participants (33% specificity). BOLD fMRI presently can be used to detect deception concerning past events with high sensitivity, but low specificity.     

Methanol Detected in a Subdural Hematoma as an Embalming Artifact

Analysis of subdural hematomata has been used to suggest antemortem drug concentrations, with the assumption that materials within the hematoma are less subject to metabolism or degradation during any survival period and postmortem interval. We report the case of an 87‐year‐old woman whose death had not been reported to the coroner's office until postembalming. Autopsy revealed a traumatic brain injury with subdural hematoma causing a mass effect. Testing of the clot indicated a methanol concentration of 51.8 mg%. No additional analyses were detected. These findings suggest that methanol can be present in a postmortem hematoma sample, yet not represent a poisoning. Our findings also suggest that while the interior of hematomata do not necessarily represent completely “protected space” from postmortem diffusion of some blood constituents, such diffusion is not facile, and analysis may still provide useful indications of antemortem drugs present, if not actual concentrations.     

Guilty plea hearings and judicial supervision: Some differences between federal and state judges regarding Rule 11 and a defendant’s right to due process

Samples of 120 district court judges from six randomly selected circuit court jurisdictions were compared with 62 circuit and criminal court judges in Tennessee concerning their compliance with Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure (U.S.C.A., 1986) governing guilty plea hearings. Among other things, Rule 11 provides that judges will inquire of defendants in open court about the voluntariness of their guilty pleas, whether they understand that they are waiving several important constitutional rights, whether there is a factual basis for the guilty plea, whether they realize they have a right to an attorney, and whether they understand the nature and consequences of the charges against them. It was found that federal judges are substantially in compliance with these provisions of Rule 11, although full compliance was not observed for all issue areas. By comparison, Tennessee trial judges adhered to these provisions (duplicated in the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure verbatim) much less frequently. Various reasons for these discrepancies are discussed, as are some implications for defendant’s access to due process and certain constitutional guarantees.     

Retrospective and prospective voting in a one-party-dominant democracy: Taiwan's 1996 presidential election

Public Choice - Several theories of voting behavior suggest that voters evaluate candidates in an election based on the candidates; past performance and future promise. There is a dispute in the...     

The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act of 2002: the rise of the voluntary incentive structure and congressional refusal to require pediatric testing

On January 4, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, which is the government's most comprehensive legislation regarding pediatric research to date. The Act offers pharmaceutical companies a six-month exclusivity term in return for their agreement to conduct pediatric tests on drugs. It also provides public funding and organizes private funding to help conduct pediatric research on those drugs that pharmaceutical companies opt not to test in children. This Note reviews the history of pediatric research and traces the development of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act's unique incentive and public funding structure. The Note contends that, while the Act is comprehensive and promotes important pediatric studies, its incentive structure forces consumers and taxpayers to bear the costs of testing pharmaceuticals in children instead of the manufacturers who research, develop, and market those drugs. Congress should consider mandating pediatric studies in any future enactment of the legislation.     

Genetic structure among 38 populations from the United States based on 11 U.S. core Y chromosome STRs

A DNA database consisting of the 11 Y chromosome short-tandem-repeat (Y-STR) recommended by the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods is constructed for 2517 individuals from 38 populations in the United States. The population samples derive from five ethnic groups currently living in 10 states. A multidimensional scaling (MDS) plot places the populations into four discrete clusters (African Americans (AA), European Americans (EA), Hispanic Americans (HA), and Asian Americans (SA)) and one dispersed cluster of Native Americans. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicates that a large proportion of the total genetic variance is partitioned among ethnic groups (24.8%), whereas only a small amount (1.5%) is found among-populations within ethnic groups. Separate AMOVA analyses within each ethnic group show that only the NA sample contains statistically significant among-population variation. Pair wise population differentiation tests do uncover heterogeneity among EA and among HA populations; however, this is due to only a single sample within each group. The analyses support the creation of AA, EA, HA, and Asian American databases in which samples from different geographic regions within the United States are pooled. We recommend that separate databases be constructed for different NA groups.