Postmortem findings of the victims of the Jonestown tragedy

The procedure for processing and identifying the victims of the Jonestown, Guyana tragedy is outlined. Autopsies were performed on seven of the victims, and the autopsy anatomic and toxicologic findings are presented. Problems encountered in the interpretation of the autopsy findings are noted.     

Attributions for fair exchange outcomes: The effects of power and status

This study focuses on how two fundamental social factors, structural power position and social status, affect attributions for relatively common, non-problematic exchange outcomes. We argue that the relative power and statuses of dyad members activate expectations of competence which in turn shape attributions in the situation. Subjects assumed the role of a typist described in a vignette of a transaction between a typist and a student needing a paper typed. We manipulated power positions in the vignette by varying the value and availability of the resource each actor desired; subject's sex and that of the fictive student represented social statuses. Despite the typicality of the exchange situation, results indicated that status and, to some extent power, created variation in the strength of attributions for the exchange outcome. Females, presumably expected to be more competent typists, made stronger self-attributions for the typing payment than males. Similarly, those in high power positions tended to attribute the payment more to themselves than occupants of low power positions.     

How the probability of a false positive affects the value of DNA evidence

Errors in sample handling or test interpretation may cause false positives in forensic DNA testing. This article uses a Bayesian model to show how the potential for a false positive affects the evidentiary value of DNA evidence and the sufficiency of DNA evidence to meet traditional legal standards for conviction. The Bayesian analysis is contrasted with the "false positive fallacy," an intuitively appealing but erroneous alternative interpretation. The findings show the importance of having accurate information about both the random match probability and the false positive probability when evaluating DNA evidence. It is argued that ignoring or underestimating the potential for a false positive can lead to serious errors of interpretation, particularly when the suspect is identified through a "DNA dragnet" or database search, and that ignorance of the true rate of error creates an important element of uncertainty about the value of DNA evidence.     

History of Traumatic Abuse and HIV Risk Behaviorsin Severely Mentally Ill Substance Abusing Adults

Epidemiological studies in the United States estimate HIV seroprevalence rates ranging between 4% and 23% for serious mentally ill adults (SMIA; i.e., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other chronic disorders with psychotic features), with substantially greater estimates for risky sexual behaviors. Among the most consistent factors linked to HIV risk in non-SMIA populations is a history of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. The current study examined the intersection of abuse history and HIV sexual risk behavior in SMIAs with a group of men (n = 64) and women (n = 115) recruited from eight geographically diverse and representative clinical sites around Florida. A cross-sectional interview revealed a high prevalence of alcohol and other drugs problems, as well as a history of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse in 75% of the participants, with 68% of these reporting multiple types of abuse. Compared to nonabused counterparts, those with a history of abuse reported significantly greater: (a) lifetime and current psychiatric symptoms, (b) recent unprotected sexual intercourse, and (c) crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana use. No gender differences were detected in the associations of abuse history and sexual risk behaviors. These results underscore the need for HIV prevention efforts targeted to SMIAs and the critical importance of addressing abuse history in interventions with this underserved population.     

Depressive symptoms in women experiencing intimate partner violence

The study was a cross-sectional examination of African American women positive for intimate partner violence (IPV) who presented to the medical or psychiatric emergency department (ED) for treatment. African American women with a recent history of IPV who presented following an attempted suicide (n = 100) were compared to demographically comparable African American women who were IPV positive who had not attempted suicide and presented for treatment of another condition(n= 100). Women completed face-to-face interviews on several measures, including demographics and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Overall, there were no demographic differences between cases and controls. Attempters reported statistically significant higher scores on all 21 BDI-II items than did nonattempters. Four BDI-II items had effect size values in the medium range: sadness, self-dislike, suicidal thoughts, and feelings of worthlessness. These four items can be used as a brief screen in the ED to detect female patients positive for IPV at increased risk for suicidal behavior.     

INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY OF GOVERNMENT'S RELIANCE UPON OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES

The federal government spends vast sums of money for management and analysis services. The authors contend that the selection process to determine the winners of the awards of contracts to perform these services too often disregards cost competitiveness as a factor in the award. The relative importance of technical proficiency and cost are examined and a model is proposed whereby a high level of technical expertise can be obtained at a more reasonable cost.