Segmental determination of ethyl glucuronide in hair: a pilot study

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is a minor metabolite of ethanol. Its detection in hair is more and more studied in both clinical and forensic context for the purpose of alcohol abuse monitoring. In this pilot study, hair specimens from 15 patients included in a treatment program after alcohol abuse cessation, were segmented and analyzed for EtG. The results were then compared to their self-reported past alcohol consumption and to their blood biomarkers values (GGT, MCV, ASAT, ALAT). EtG concentrations measured in hair varied from 8 to 261 pg/mg. The pattern of EtG concentration detected in the different hair segments matched with the drinking history of patients, displaying variations (increase and decrease) in alcohol consumption and also time of cessation. Results also demonstrated the existence of a significant correlation (r(p)=0.5357; p=0.0390) between EtG concentration in hair and the amount of alcohol intake. Variations in the EtG concentrations with respect to hair segments may provide an overview of the drinking history of patients. Moreover, EtG concentration in hair may help to estimate the daily alcohol intake.     

When Efficiency Is Unbelievable: Normative Lessons from 30 Years of City–County Consolidations

We use a new model of city-county consolidation to analyze 12 local government consolidation attempts during the last three decades. Using a rigorously designed comparative case study, we identify the critical variables that explain why some consolidations succeed and others fail. Arguments for consolidation typically fail when they focus on the increased equity to be gained from the redistribution of revenues from the suburbs to central cities. Traditional arguments that are based on increased efficiency are also unsuccessful. Instead, the essential element of a successful consolidation is a group of civic elites who define the economic development vision for the community, determine that the existing political structure is incapable of supporting and implementing that vision, and convince the voters that city–county consolidation is the key to economic development that will benefit the whole community, not just the elites.     

Sinking Swann: Public School Choice and the Resegregation of Charlotte's Public Schools

Public school choice is a widely used tool for education reform and may be a way to improve school accountability and efficiency. This article examines what happened to student outcomes when Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Schools, a large and diverse urban school district located in North Carolina, changed its assignment policy to one of open enrollment with mandatory choice. The previous policy used a broad array of magnet schools and a limited amount of mandatory busing to achieve desegregation. The new policy required that all students choose a school, and it specifically avoided using race or ethnicity considerations in assigning students. The article examines the impacts of the new policy on the end‐of‐grade standardized tests in reading and math. The article uses regression analysis to discover whether the scores of various groups of students increased or decreased after the policy change. The analysis suggests that the “race‐neutral” assignment policy was neither neutral in the opportunity it provided students to attend their school of choice nor in its academic outcomes. Anglo students were more likely to receive their first choice of schools and to improve their scores. African American students were less likely to receive their first choice school and their scores declined.