Aborigines and Crime in Australia

Aborigines are 16 times more likely in Western Australia to be victims of homicide and 6.5 times more likely to report crimes against die person to police than are non-Aborigines. Aborigines are 9.2 times more likely to be arrested, 6.2 times more likely to be imprisoned by lower courts, 23.7 times more likely to be imprisoned as an adult, and 48 times more likely to be imprisoned as juveniles than non-Aborigines. The increased overrepresentation from arrest to imprisonment appears largely a function of the very high levels of recidivism found among Aborigines: 88 percent of male Aborigines are rearrested compared with 52 percent of non-Aborigines, and 75 percent of Aborigines return to prison at least once compared with 43 percent of non-Aboriginal males. States with a high Aboriginal 'cultural strength' and socioeconomic 'stress' index are the most punitive. 'Cultural strength,' 'stress,' and imprisonment are highly correlated and associated with those states with the most 'frontier' characteristics.published_or_final_versio

Molecular gas and dust around a radio-quiet quasar at redshift 4.69.

Galaxies are believed to have formed a large proportion of their stars in giant bursts of star formation early in their lives, but when and how this took place are still very uncertain. The presence of large amounts of dust in quasars and radio galaxies at redshifts z > 4 shows that some synthesis of heavy elements had already occurred at this time. This implies that molecular gas--the building material of stars--should also be present, as it is in galaxies at lower redshifts (z approximately = 2.5, refs 7-10). Here we report the detection of emission from dust and carbon monoxide in the radio-quiet quasar BR1202 - 0725, at redshift z = 4.69. Maps of these emissions reveal two objects, separated by a few arc seconds, which could indicated either the presence of a companion to the quasar or gravitational lensing of the quasar itself. Regardless of the precise interpretation of the maps, the detection of carbon monoxide confirms the presence of a large mass of molecular gas in one of the most distant galaxies known, and shows that conditions conducive to huge bursts of star formation existed in the very early Universe

The creatine kinase system and pleiotropic effects of creatine

The pleiotropic effects of creatine (Cr) are based mostly on the functions of the enzyme creatine kinase (CK) and its high-energy product phosphocreatine (PCr). Multidisciplinary studies have established molecular, cellular, organ and somatic functions of the CK/PCr system, in particular for cells and tissues with high and intermittent energy fluctuations. These studies include tissue-specific expression and subcellular localization of CK isoforms, high-resolution molecular structures and structure–function relationships, transgenic CK abrogation and reverse genetic approaches. Three energy-related physiological principles emerge, namely that the CK/PCr systems functions as (a) an immediately available temporal energy buffer, (b) a spatial energy buffer or intracellular energy transport system (the CK/PCr energy shuttle or circuit) and (c) a metabolic regulator. The CK/PCr energy shuttle connects sites of ATP production (glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation) with subcellular sites of ATP utilization (ATPases). Thus, diffusion limitations of ADP and ATP are overcome by PCr/Cr shuttling, as most clearly seen in polar cells such as spermatozoa, retina photoreceptor cells and sensory hair bundles of the inner ear. The CK/PCr system relies on the close exchange of substrates and products between CK isoforms and ATP-generating or -consuming processes. Mitochondrial CK in the mitochondrial outer compartment, for example, is tightly coupled to ATP export via adenine nucleotide transporter or carrier (ANT) and thus ATP-synthesis and respiratory chain activity, releasing PCr into the cytosol. This coupling also reduces formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibits mitochondrial permeability transition, an early event in apoptosis. Cr itself may also act as a direct and/or indirect anti-oxidant, while PCr can interact with and protect cellular membranes. Collectively, these factors may well explain the beneficial effects of Cr supplementation. The stimulating effects of Cr for muscle and bone growth and maintenance, and especially in neuroprotection, are now recognized and the first clinical studies are underway. Novel socio-economically relevant applications of Cr supplementation are emerging, e.g. for senior people, intensive care units and dialysis patients, who are notoriously Cr-depleted. Also, Cr will likely be beneficial for the healthy development of premature infants, who after separation from the placenta depend on external Cr. Cr supplementation of pregnant and lactating women, as well as of babies and infants are likely to be of benefit for child development. Last but not least, Cr harbours a global ecological potential as an additive for animal feed, replacing meat- and fish meal for animal (poultry and swine) and fish aqua farming. This may help to alleviate human starvation and at the same time prevent over-fishing of oceans

Child Homicides in Hong Kong: A Retrospective Review of a Ten-Year Period From 1989-1998

After attending this presentation, attendees will understand the characteristics of child homicide in a predominantly Chinese population and thus be able to compare and contrast with characteristics in their own population. This presentation will impact the forensic community and/or humanity by providing rare data on child homicide in a predominantly Chinese culture. It also represents a systematic review of all child homicides for all of Hong Kong in a ten year period. It shows similarities with other published material but will also highlight differences which may be cultural in nature. This paper presents the findings of a retrospective review of all child homicide cases seen in Hong Kong in a ten-year period between 1989 and 1998. In this period there were a total of 799 homicide incidents, with 948 victims and 1666 offenders. Children younger than 4 accounted for 7.3% of victims (n = 69) and between ages 10-15, 8.8% of victims (n = 83). However, there was a much lower homicide rate between ages 5 and 10, accounting for only 2% (n = 19) of all homicide victims. These results are consistent with previous statistics that child homicide had a bimodal pattern, peaking in ‘very early childhood’ and ‘late adolescence’ (Christoffel)1 Victim-offender relationships, causes of death and manner of death will also be discussed. i Christoffel, K.K. (1984). Homicide in childhood: A public health problem in need of attention. American Journal of Public Health, 74(1), 68-70

Homicide-suicide in Hong Kong, 1989-1998

This study provides the first systematic research of homicide-suicide (HS) in a Chinese society. Data were drawn from the HK Homicide Monitoring Data-base computer file derived from investigation and death reports held by the HK Police Force and the Coroner's Court. During the 10-year study period, 56 events involving 133 deaths were identified. The majority of offenders were males (75%) and most victims were female (64%). The mean age of offenders and victims were 41.9 and 32.3 years, respectively. Spouses and lovers comprised the majority of victims (46.4%) followed by child victims (36%). Most HS events were motivated by separation or termination of marital or sexual relations (39%), economic reasons (25%) and other domestic disputes (20%). The most frequent modes of killing were strangulation/suffocation (26%), stabbing/chopping (24%), followed by gassing/poisoning (14%) and falling from a height (14%). The commonest method of suicide was falling from a height (48%). It was followed by gassing/poisoning (22%) and strangulation/suffocation (13%). Depression (18.3%) was found to be the commonest mental disorder. Most offenders were from low-socio-economic background. Two-third were unemployed and 76.6% had 9 or less years of education. HS in HK were distinguished from those reported in the western literature in respect to the high relevance of economic factors, the absence of mercy killing between old couples, a higher percentage of pedicide-suicides and the infrequent use of firearms. © 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex