Screening postmortem whole blood for oxycodone by ELISA response ratios

The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy of screening postmortem whole blood for oxycodone using the ratio of the oxycodone immunoassay response to the response for the specimen obtained with a general opiate-class immunoassay. Fifty eight specimens which were negative for opiates and 158 postmortem whole blood specimens positive for opiates including 66 specimens known to contain oxycodone were assayed. Specimens were diluted 1:5 with assay buffer and analyzed by both the Neogen Oxymorphone/Oxycodone ELISA and the Neogen Opiate Group ELISA (Neogen Corporation, Lexington KY). The oxycodone equivalents in ng/mL from the Oxymorphone/Oxycodone ELISA were divided by the morphine equivalents in ng/mL from the Opiates ELISA to obtain an Oxycodone/Opiates Response Ratio. This ratio was compared with the GC/MS data for all specimens and for opiate positive specimens. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis suggested that optimum relative response ratio was 2.0. The sensitivity of the ELISA response ratio for the presence of oxycodone at a response ratio cutoff of 2.0 was 89.4% +/- 3.8% and the specificity was 88.1% +/- 3.2%. Specimens with a ratio of 2.0 or higher had a greater than 50% probability (positive predictive value) of containing oxycodone in a population with a greater than 15% prevalence of oxycodone.     

The use of quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) to identify composite restorations in forensic examinations

There has been a large increase in the number of tooth colored restorations "white fillings" placed in recent years. An increased demand from the public for more aesthetic dental restorations causes a potential problem for forensic dentists who may find the fillings difficult to identify and hence include in postmortem odontograms. This has implications for the accuracy of dental identifications, particularly in situations where limited time is available for postmortem identification, e.g., mass casualty incidents. A new method for the detection of composite restorations is presented. Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence (QLF) is a technique currently employed to detect small changes in enamel mineral content. An experiment was conducted to determine if the technique would afford a greater degree of contrast between composite and enamel and thus enable the accuracy of composite identification in enamel. Twenty-four previously extracted human premolars were gently cleaned with pumice and wet-and-dry paper. Twelve were subsequently randomly selected and restored on their buccal surfaces with Spectrum (a composite) following manufacturer's instructions. No attempt was made to color match the teeth and all were filled with shade B3. Twelve teeth were left unrestored. QLF and normal white light images were taken of both restored and non-restored surfaces with teeth wet and then dried. Ten forensic dentists were asked on two separate occasions (one month between each attempt) to indicate whether or not they thought the surface was: a) restored or b) unrestored. Results indicate that forensic dentists detected a significantly higher proportion (p<0.005) of filled surfaces with QLF.     

Introduction: Reflections on Two Decades of Congressional Budgeting

Even casual observers of federal policy making cannot help but notice the increasing preeminence of the Congressional budget process. The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which created this process, brought forth profound changes in budgeting practices, both within Congress and between Congress and the president. In addition, the last decade has seen numerous attempts to use the process for deficit control. The goal of this special symposium is how congressional procedures-adapted over time-have affected the federal budgeting process. Each article examines the original purpose of the 1974 statute and analyzes the statute's impact over more than two decades.     

Was erklärt politische Patronage in den Ländern Westeuropas? Defizite des politischen Wettbewerbs oder historisch-formative Phasen der Massendemokratisierung

Every major paradigm in the social sciences since the 1950s has offered its own explanation for the varying incidence of party patronage and political clientelism in modern democracies. Today the two main contenders are (RC-based) positive political economy and historical institutionalism. Positive political economy emphasizes the crucial importance of effective political competition as a control device against the ever present temptation for politicians to use ‘improper political practices’ like patronage or clientelism. Historical institutionalism highlights the importance of formative moments in the history of democratic mass mobilization and party formation. The article argues that both approaches suffer from considerable weaknesses. The article proposes a modified historical-institutionalist explanation, which emphasizes the importance of state formation rather than party formation and which explains varying degrees and different forms of political patronage in Europe with different paths of modern state-building.     

The Budget Enforcement Act and Its Survival: Congress Hears from Experts

The unpopularity of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 grew in light of the recession, recent international events, and continuing record budget deficits. This prompted many Congress members and congressional committees to consider the future of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990. Two hearings, held in October and November of 1991, exemplify the kinds of choices facing the Congress and the type of advice that Congress has been receiving. This article reviews the testimony given at the hearings by experts with established knowledge of federal budgeting.     

Cocaine-related deaths in Pima County, Arizona, 1982-1984

A three-year review of toxicology data from medical examiner autopsies in Pima County, Arizona, has demonstrated that cocaine has rapidly become a leading substance of abuse, second only to alcohol in the frequency of drugs detected by toxicologic analysis of all suspicious deaths, motor vehicle accident fatalities, homicides, and suicides. Gastric contents and urine were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, and nasal swabs, blood, and urine were tested for the combination of cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine by quantitative radioimmunoassay. A total of seventy-two deaths in Pima County from 1982 to 1984 have involved cocaine. Seventy percent of these have occurred in the last fifteen months. Marked variation in the individual response to cocaine compared to the blood concentration of cocaine/metabolite was noted.