Environmental dispute resolution and hazardous waste cleanups: A cautionary tale of policy implementation

New York State experimented with replacing their litigation-oriented system for achieving toxic dump site cleanup with one promising to lower transaction costs through alternative dispute resolution. Our analysis of outcomes is informed by three generations of implementation work focusing on (1) the motivations and incentives shaping individual behavior, (2) the larger organizational and political factors associated with variation across cases, and (3) the generic properties of policy implements. This mosaic approach to explanation produces, we believe, a more lifelike picture of use to policy makers for understanding the dynamic and interrelated nature of their choices.     

Bioethical Policymaking for Advanced Medical Technologies: Institutional Characteristics and Citizen Participation in Eight OECD Countries1

Organizational characteristics of public institutions, councils, committees, and panels for bioethical deliberations were examined in eight OECD countries, that is, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United States, Canada, and Japan. Their jurisdiction, membership composition, modes of agenda setting, and appraisal systems were examined, as was their utilization of public involvement measures. Questionnaire surveys and structured interviews were conducted with representatives of parliamentary offices, ministries, and other institutions for ethical deliberations, both public and private, in the eight countries. Confirmation of survey results was made by close follow‐up communications. Since the early 1980s, all the countries studied have established public institutions for policy deliberation on bioethical issues. While legislatures, for example, Parliament, sometimes convene special commissions or expert panels on an ad hoc basis, most of the permanent institutions are affiliated with ministries of health, science, or technology. The composition of core panel members was quite similar across institutions as well as among countries, generally composed of 10 to 15 experts. Many institutions have experimented with some forms of public involvement measures, although public involvement is not routinely incorporated in the policy process, except in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Canada. The study describes the current public institutions and their practices for bioethical policy deliberations. Exchange of experience and knowledge among the institutions is advisable to improve their performance.     

Japan's Economy and the Global Financial Crisis

After the prolonged stagnation that followed the post-Bubble economic collapse at the end of the 1980s, from 2002 onwards the Japanese economy exhibited its longest period of economic expansion (albeit gradual) since World War Two. As this expansion came to an end and the economy was on the verge of the downward curve of the economic cycle, it was confronted with the current financial and economic crises, which originated in the USA. Nevertheless, Japanese financial institutions had invested little in sub-prime-related financial products, and with the lessons learned from the issue of bad loans in the 1990s, Japan's financial system enjoyed greater stability than that of any other major nation. However, in the period from the end of 2008 to early 2009, Japan experienced the sharpest economic decline of any major nation.

Yet, with the worst period having ended in the spring of 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted in its October 2009 forecasts that Japan will experience real economic growth of 1.7% in 2010—a higher rate than the USA (with 1.5%) or the Euro Zone (with 0.3%). Despite forecasts of a protraction of excessive US imports as a direct result of excessive US consumption, Japan is being forced to reduce its degree of reliance on exports to the USA and to make major adjustments to its export structure—both in terms of the regions to which it exports and the products that it exports. Japan also faces the task of setting itself on the path to economic growth, using the twin drivers of foreign demand and domestic demand, and this will necessitate the cultivation of domestic demand. Now, the long-term strategy for Japan is to promote the expansion of regional demand in Asia, to couple this regional demand with domestic demand, and to latch on to Asia's economic dynamism.     

On-column derivatization for determination of amphetamine and methamphetamine in human blood by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple determination method of amphetamine (AP) and methamphetamine (MA) in human blood was developed using on-column derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). AP and MA were adsorbed on the surface of Extrelut and then derivatized the N-propoxycarbonyl derivatives using propylchloroformate. Pentadeuterated MA was used as an internal standards. The recoveries of AP and MA from the spiked blood were 89.7 and 90.3%, respectively. The calibration curves showed linearity in the range of 12.5-2000 ng/g for AP and MA in blood. The coefficients of variation of intraday and interday were 0.42-4.58%. Furthermore, this proposed method was applied to some medico-legal cases of MA intoxication. MA and its metabolite AP were detected in the blood samples, and the correlation of the blood level of amphetamines and the behaviors of the victims was in good agreement with the criteria proposed by Nagata [Jpn. J. Legal Med. 37 (1983) 513].     

A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for ABO blood typing of semen by using anti-p 84 monoclonal antibody as a marker of blood group substance in semen

A blood group substance (BGS), a protein with ABH antigenic activity, was isolated from human seminal plasma and designated as p 84 (Sato, 1995). We have developed a method for determining the ABO blood type of semen by performing a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in which p 84 is captured with an anti-p 84 monoclonal antibody, and evaluated the specificity and sensitivity of this method. Although BGS activity was detected in semen sensitively by this method, it was not detected in saliva, urine, breast milk, blood or vaginal secretions. Since the concentration of p 84 in semen was independent of the secretion status, the status can be determined as non-secretor when p 84 but not BGS activity was detected. To determine the stability of BGS activity on p 84, dried stains of semen on filter paper were kept at 4, 26, and 37 degrees C for 8 months, 2 years and 1 month, respectively, and their BGS activities were examined. After 8 months at 4 degrees C, over 60% of the original BGS activity was recovered from the stain. The activity could be detected even from a square as small as 0.25 by 0.25 cm. After 1 month at 37 degrees C and 2 years at 26 degrees C, 31 and 20% of the BGS activity, respectively, still remained. It could be detected from the pieces of 1.0 by 1.0 cm and 0.5 by 0.5 cm squares, kept for 1 month at 37 degrees C and 2 years at 26 degrees C, respectively. Finally, semen was mixed with saliva or blood at varying volumetric ratios and used for the sources of dried stains. The BGS activity of p 84 could be detected in the stains until the ratio between semen and saliva or blood reached 1:4. We conclude that this sandwich ELISA offers a more sensitive and specific method for determining the ABO blood type of semen samples obtained from sexual assault victims than existing methods, such as the conventional absorption-elution and classical hemagglutination-inhibition tests.     

An autopsy case of imipramine poisoning

We present a fatal imipramine poisoning. Quantitative analysis of imipramine and its metabolite, desipramine, was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of imipramine and desipramine were 18.67 microg/mL and 6.21 microg/mL in heart blood and 6.90 microg/mL and 1.77 microg/mL in the femoral venous blood, respectively. We concluded that the cause of death was due to imipramine poisoning.     

Discrimination among species of Papaver based on the plastid rpl16 gene and the rpl16-rpl14 spacer sequence

An attempt was made to discriminate among six species of Papaver (P. bracteatum, P. orientale, P. pseudo-orientale, P. rhoeas, P. setigerum and P. somniferum) by comparing the nucleotide sequences of the plastid rpl16 gene and the rpl16-rpl14 spacer region. Comparison of sequences allowed us to distinguish five species, namely P. bracteatum, P. orientale, P. pseudo-orientale, P. rhoeas and P. setigerum plus P. somniferum from one another, but sequences from P. setigerum and P. somniferum were identical. It is difficult to distinguish between P. bracteatum, P. orientale and P. pseudo-orientale at the vegetative stage of growth. However, our method allowed us to distinguish between these three species and the others using nucleotide sequences and should allow identification of P. bracteatum that has been cultivated illegally in the garden in Japan. Furthermore, P. rhoeas was clearly discriminated from P. setigerum and P. somniferum by reference to the sequence of the rpl16 exon using young seedlings.     

Miniaturized sample preparation method for determination of amphetamines in urine

A simple and miniaturized sample preparation method for determination of amphetamines in urine was developed using on-column derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Urine was directly applied to the extraction column that was pre-packed with Extrelut and sodium carbonate. Amphetamine (AP) and methamphetamine (MA) in urine were adsorbed on the surface of Extrelut. AP and MA were then converted to a free base and derivatized to N-propoxycarbonyl derivatives using propylchloroformate on the column. Pentadeuterated MA was used as an internal standard. The recoveries of AP and MA from urine were 100 and 102%, respectively. The calibration curves showed linearity in the range of 0.50-50 microg/mL for AP and MA in urine. When urine samples containing two different concentrations (0.50 and 5.0 microg/mL) of AP and MA were determined, the intra-day and inter-day coefficients of variation were 1.4-7.7%. This method was applied to 14 medico-legal cases of MA intoxication. The results were compared and a good agreement was obtained with a HPLC method.