Five‐year effects of an anti‐poverty program on marriage among never‐married mothers

Using data from an experimental evaluation of the New Hope project, an anti‐poverty program that increased employment and income, this study examined the effects of New Hope on entry into marriage among never‐married mothers. Among never‐married mothers, New Hope significantly increased rates of marriage. Five years after random assignment, 21 percent of women assigned to the New Hope condition were married, compared to 12 percent of those assigned to the control group. The New Hope impact on marriage was robust to variations in model specification. The program also increased income, wage growth, and goal efficacy among never‐married mothers, and decreased depression. In non‐experimental analyses, income and earnings were associated with higher probability of marriage and material hardship was associated with lower probability of marriage. © 2006 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management     

Identification of DNA of human origin based on amplification of human-specific mitochondrial cytochrome b region

Species-specific differences in a non-polymorphic region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene appear to be large enough to allow human-specific amplification of forensic DNA samples. We therefore developed a PCR-based method using newly designed primers to amplify a 157-bp portion of the human mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The forward and reverse primers were designed to hybridize to regions of the human mitochondrial cytochrome b gene with sequences differing from those of chimpanzee by 26% (7 bp/27 bp) and 26% (6 bp/23 bp), respectively. Using this primer pair, we successfully amplified DNA extracted from blood samples of 48 healthy adults. All these human samples produced a single band of the expected size on agarose gel electrophoresis, and the sequence of the single band was shown to be identical to that of the target region (157 bp) by sequence analysis. On the other hand, no visible bands were amplified from DNA extracted from blood samples of animals including non-human primates (chimpanzee, gorilla, Japanese monkey, crab-eating monkey) and other species (cow, pig, dog, goat, rat, chicken and tuna). Thus, DNA producing a single band following PCR amplification using this primer pair can be reasonably interpreted as being of human origin. In addition, aged biological specimens comprising bloodstains, hair shafts and bones were successfully identified as being of human origin, illustrating the applicability of the present method to forensic specimens.     

Peculiar circular and C-shaped injuries on a body from the sea

A case where a body with unusual circular injuries was found in the sea is presented. The victim was a 60-year-old woman who had been depressed and had attempted suicide before. She was missing for 6 days before the corpse was found. The body had several almost perfectly circular injuries and C-shaped incision injuries with almost circular flaps of skin. We concluded that the cause of the peculiar circular injuries might be bite marks of Isistius spp. (I. brasiliensis and/or I. plutodus), commonly known as cookie-cutter shark because of its very unusual feeding style.     

The Impact of Home‐Based Child Care Provider Unionization on the Cost,Type, and Availability of Subsidized Child Care in Illinois

In February 2005, Illinois became the first U.S. state to grant home‐based child care providers (HBCPs) the right to form a labor union in order to bargain collectively with the state government. This policy inspired similar efforts across the country and represents a potentially important direction for child care policy. To date, the implications of labor unions for the cost, type, and availability of subsidized child care have not been evaluated empirically. In this study, we examine the impact of granting Illinois HBCPs the right to form a labor union on (a) the type of child care (licensed vs. license‐exempt/home‐based vs. center‐based) used by subsidy‐receiving Illinois infants and toddlers; (b) the per‐child cost of subsidized child care for infants and toddlers; and (c) the percentage of Illinois infants and toddlers who use child care subsidies. To conduct these analyses, we combine data from the Current Population Survey with Child Care and Development Fund administrative records on U.S. infants and toddlers whose families received child care subsidies during the period from 2002 to 2008. We use both a traditional difference‐in‐differences as well as a comparative case study with a “synthetic” control group approach. The synthetic control group approach improves on traditional comparative case studies by providing a transparent, empirical approach for constructing the counterfactual, documenting comparison units’ contribution to the synthetically created control group and detailing the degree to which the synthetic control group is, or is not, similar to the treated unit on preintervention measures of the outcome as well as on other selected characteristics. We find that subsidy‐receiving Illinois infants and toddlers spent an average of between 6.4 and 7 percentage points more hours in licensed care settings, as compared to license‐exempt settings, in the three years following child care unionization. We also find that between 0.7 and 1.1 percentage points fewer Illinois infants and toddlers used child care subsidies following unionization.     

Detection of S-methylfenitrothion, aminofenitrothion, aminofenitroxon and acetylaminofenitroxon in the urine of a fenitrothion intoxication case

A 23-year-old male attempted suicide by ingesting approximately 50 ml of 5% fenitrothion emulsion, and vomited soon afterwards. He was admitted to a hospital about 3 h after ingestion. He recovered and was discharged from hospital 3 days after admission. The serum cholinesterase activity (normal range: 175-440 I.U.) was only 29 at 3 h, 32 at 1 day, 59 at 2 days and 75 at 3 days after ingestion. Fenitrothion and its metabolites in the body fluids were extracted by an Extrelut column extraction method, detected by a gas chromatograph equipped with either a hydrogen flame ionization detector or a flame photometric detector, and confirmed by a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Fenitrothion concentration in the blood was 169.5 ng/g at 3 h after ingestion. The half life of blood fenitrothion concentration was found to be about 4.5 h. Fenitrothion metabolites, 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, aminofenitrothion, aminofenitroxon, acetylaminofenitroxon and S-methylfenitrothion, were detected in the urine samples. All of them except S-methylfenitrothion were detected in the urine samples collected up to 62 h after ingestion. It would appear therefore that fenitrothion poisoning can be determined by detection and analysis of the metabolites in urine even if fenitrothion has not been detected in the blood.     

Australia and Japan's Return to International Society: Negotiating Allies and the Afro-Asian Bloc, 1952–56

In December 1956, Japan gained membership of the United Nations, marking a significant milestone in Japan's return to international society. In approximately five years since the San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect in April 1952, this had been a difficult diplomatic issue for the Australian government. This article examines how the Australian government dealt with this issue by focusing upon the intersection of Australia's policy towards Japan and Japan's status as a member of the emergent Afro-Asian bloc. This article argues that Japan's engagement with the rest of the bloc was a rising factor in Canberra's consideration of Japan's place in the world, thereby helping revisit the orthodox historiography of Australia–Japan relations during the early Cold War era which often overemphasises rapid growth of bilateral trade.     

Gas chromatographic determination of cresols in the biological fluids of a non-fatal case of cresol intoxication

A simple and rapid method for analysis of free and conjugated cresols in biological fluids was developed. Prior to and following freeing of the conjugated cresols by acid hydrolysis in a sealed ampoule, free cresols were extracted by Extrelut column extraction, determined by gas chromatography, and confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In a non-fatal case of cresol intoxication a 46-year-old male had ingested about 100 ml of a saponated cresol soap solution. The concentrations of xylenol (2,4- and/or 2,5-dimethylphenol) and p- and m-cresol in the serum sample collected on admission were 15.8 micrograms/g, 43.3 micrograms/g and 73.8 micrograms/g, respectively. The total cresol concentration of 117 micrograms/g in the serum is within the range of fatal concentrations, and it is suspected therefore that the patient's recovery was due to adequate therapy alone.     

Subdural hemorrhage: A unique case involving secondary vitamin K deficiency bleeding due to biliary atresia

Extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA) is a rare disease characterized by progressive and obliterative cholangiopathy in infants and is one of the major causes of secondary vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) due to cholestasis-induced fat malabsorption. Breast feeding increases the tendency of bleeding in EHBA patients because breast milk contains low amounts of vitamin K. A 2-month-old female infant unexpectedly died, with symptoms of vomiting and jaundice prior to death. She had been born by uncomplicated vaginal delivery and exhibited normal growth and development with breastfeeding. There was no history of trauma. She received vitamin K prophylaxis orally. In an emergency hospital, a CT scan showed a right intracranial hematoma and mass effect with midline shift to the left. In the postmortem examination, severe atresia was observed in the whole extrahepatic bile duct. Histologically, cholestasis, periductal fibrosis, and distorted bile ductules were noted. The gallbladder was not identified. A subdural hematoma and cerebellar tonsillar herniation were found; however, no traumatic injury in any part of the body was observed. Together, these findings suggest that the subdural hemorrhage was caused by secondary vitamin K deficiency resulting from a combination of cholestasis-induced fat malabsorption and breastfeeding. Subdural hemorrhage by secondary VKDB sometimes occurs even when vitamin K prophylaxis is continued. This case demonstrated that intrinsic factors, such as secondary VKDB (e.g., EHBA, neonatal hepatitis, chronic diarrhea), should also be considered in infant autopsy cases presenting with subdural hemorrhage.     

An autopsy case of heart rupture from a scooter accident with 3 riders

A 15-year-old male died of cardiac rupture due to blunt chest trauma from a traffic accident involving a low-speed scooter carrying 3 people and a head-on collision with a tree. The victim was sitting on the footrest of the scooter. It was concluded that the victim was compressed between the handlebar of the scooter and the other 2 passengers, causing cardiac ruptures via bidirectional compression and intravascular hydrostatic pressure. The victim may have served as a cushion for the other 2 passengers, who were not thrown from the scooter and sustained only minor injuries.