A Study Comparing the Pre- and Post-Training Knowledge of Emergency Department Nurses in Turkey for the Diagnosis of Physically Abused Women

This study assesses the knowledge levels of emergency service nurses regarding their ability to recognize the signs of physical abuse in women, before and after an educational program. The research was conducted in Istanbul city center, using a comparative definitive method. The universe of the research consisted of emergency service nurses of three different publics. Data were collected via face to face interviews based on a questionnaire comprised of 21 questions with forty nine nurses. The results of the research revealed that 58.6 % (n?=?27) of ER nurses were between 18–25 years of age and 100 % (n?=?46) of them didn’t have any previous education on recognizing violence, and the scores before, just after and 3 months after the education program were statistically meaningful (x?=?30, p?<?0.0001). This study indicates that forensic medicine should be built up in nursing schools and via in-service training, the workers should be supported to improve themselves.     

Homicide‐Suicide in Konya,Turkey Between 2000 and 2007*

Abstract: Homicide followed by the suicide of the murderer is a relatively rare lethal incident in which an individual kills another person and subsequently dies by suicide. Cases involving a homicide and a suicide in which death examinations and autopsies were performed at The Konya Branch of the Forensic Medicine Council between 2000 and 2007 were retrospectively investigated. During the studied time period, there were 10 homicide‐suicide cases identified with 10 perpetrators killing 12 victims. Nine of the perpetrators were men and eight of the victims were women. The precipitating motive was an impending divorce in four of the cases. Two perpetrators were described as severely depressed, one had a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, and one was a pedophile who had reactive depression. Firearms were used in eight of the homicide cases and seven of the suicides. Constricting the use of firearms may reduce/prevent future homicide‐suicide cases, as it is the most commonly used method to carry out homicide‐suicides.     

Y-chromosome and autosomal STR diversity in four proximate settlements in Central Anatolia

Due to the longstanding human presence in the region and the influence of social traditions, the genetic make-up of populations currently inhabiting Turkey (Anatolia) is quite complex. To characterize the patterns of genetic diversity in rural Central Anatolian villages, we analyzed samples collected at four local settlements for variation at 17 Y-chromosome STR and 15 autosomal STR loci. The resulting data reveal considerable diversity within these settlements, as well as some structure in the paternal genetic variation, with a limited number of haplotypes being shared between the communities. These findings have important implications for forensic studies of Turkish populations.     

Erosion of confidence in advanced democracies

The data from a host of cross-national surveys document the sociological finding that citizens increasingly mistrust the principal institutions and organizations of pluralist democracies. Paradoxically, this coincides with the exportation and spread of democratic regimes. Available documentation shows four major characteristics of distrust, which are manifest in many European nations. Many sociological features cross national frontiers and permeate all social strata. These lead to further consideration of legitimacy. Analysis also supports the lesson that electoral procedures alone are no longer sufficient for building confidence in representative democracy, for decisions must be continually taken, and cannot insure the harmonious and full legitimacy of democratic regimes in the most developed countries. Mattei Dogan is Senior Research Director at the French National Centre of Scientific Research, Paris. The author of numerous books and articles, he is also Chair of the Research Committee on Comparative Sociology, International Sociological Association.     

Sexual Behavioral Disinhibition Associated with Nucleus Lentiformis Lesion: A Forensic Neuroscience Perspective Through a Case

Organic brain disturbances particularly related to frontal cortex structures and subcortical areas including the basal ganglia may play a role in behavioral disinhibition disorders. Kluver–Bucy syndrome (KBS), which is one of the better knowns of these syndromes, includes hyperorality, visual agnosia, and hypersexuality, has been reported to occur after temporal lobe and amygdala lesions; however, several patients who had focal lesions in areas other than the temporal cortex and amygdala have been reported to present partial KBS symptoms. Nucleus lentiformis refers to a large portion of the basal ganglia including the putamen and globus pallidus, and specific structures within this broad area are known to be important for reward and value-based decision making. To date, KBS symptoms including hypersexual behavior associated with nucleus lentiformis lesions have never been reported. Here, we present a 38-year-old male patient who developed increased sexual interest and hyperorality after infarctions in the right lenticular nucleus and right occipitotemporal region and committed a first-degree sexual assault. He was sent to our institution for the assessment of criminal responsibility to the index sexual crime. According to a comprehensive and thorough forensic psychiatric evaluation, he was diagnosed as having an organic personality disorder with partial KBS symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of deviant sexual behavior and hyperorality developing after nucleus lentiformis infarction. We aimed to discuss possible neurobiologic explanations of late-onset deviant sexual behavior, which resulted in sexual criminal behavior following a cerebrovascular infarction.     

Subvalvular aortic stenosis as a cause of sudden death: two case reports

Sudden death is defined as a death that occurs suddenly, develops during an unpredictable course, and is due to natural or unnatural causes. Although there is no universally standardized definition on how "sudden" a sudden death is, WHO defines sudden death as a death that occurs within 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. The aim of this study is to present 2 rarely reported autopsy cases and to emphasize the importance of systemic autopsy at sudden death. On macroscopic examination, crescent-shaped, thick, fibrous membranes, located 5 mm and 3 mm away from the aortic valves, were detected. Fibrous membranes extended from the ventricular septum to the left ventricular outflow tract, thus apparently narrowing this region. Left ventricular wall and septum were slightly thickened, and there were scattered grayish-white areas of a small diameter. These became more intense in the septum and myocardium of the left ventricle on the anterior plane of the myocardial sections. In both cases, the aortic valves of were thickened and also markedly narrowed on one of them. In this case, the fibrous membrane adhered to the aortic valve and extended to the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve at one side. Both aortic valves comprised 3 leaflets. Other valves and coronary arteries showed no macroscopic pathologic findings. Microscopic examination of both cases demonstrated that the fibrous membrane comprising abundant collagen fibers was situated on the ventricular septum. Hypertrophy, moderate to severe interstitial fibrosis, and focal areas of scarring were observed in the specimens taken from the septal and ventricular myocardium. No abnormality was found on the conduction system examinations. Toxicologic analysis results in blood were negative. Based on the findings, membranous-type (discrete type) subvalvular aortic stenosis, diagnosed during the autopsy, was considered as the cause of sudden death in both cases.     

Fragmentation and recombination of the social sciences

Studies in Comparative International Development -     

Analyzing Global Governance Failure: A Philosophical Framework

This article seeks to make a contribution to theory development by explicating the competing approaches (explanatory frameworks and research methods) that can be used in the analysis of episodes of global governance failures—undesirable events (such as war, or incidents of international terrorism) and behaviors (such as rogue political leaders accumulating weapons of mass destruction or supporting international terrorist groups) that are a consequence of the ineffectiveness of a global governance process. It does so by constructing a methodological taxonomy, which enables the identification of the competing philosophical methodologies that underpin contending perspectives on the causation of, and solutions to, episodes of global governance failures, by reference to contesting understandings of what knowledge is (an epistemological issue) and what exists that is capable of giving rise to consequences (an ontological issue). It then identifies the epistemological and ontological challenges facing policy analysts seeking to analyze and address global governance failure. Meeting these challenges requires the adoption of a methodology that draws insights from the epistemological and ontological syntheses that have emerged within contemporary social theory.     

Psychiatric morbidity in murder and attempted murder crime convicts: a Turkey study

In the present, the morbidity of psychiatric disorders of homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts imprisoned in Turkey, Sivas maximum security prison was investigated. Seventy imprisoned homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts included in this study. Sociodemographic information form, structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis-I disorders and structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R personality disorders applied to the participants. Most commonly diagnosed disorders among those convicts were current Axis-I disorders, depressive disorders (7.1%) and anxiety disorders (5.7%). Among Axis-I disorders, the most diagnosed one was the substance use disorders (45.7%). The most diagnosed Axis-II disorder was found as to be antisocial personality disorder (48.6%). The rate of convicts who were diagnosed as having both Axis-I and Axis-II disorders was 51.4%. The most prevalently accompanying lifetime Axis-I disorders to antisocial personality disorder with respect to Axis-I, and Axis-II comorbidity was substance use disorders. As a result, it was thought that the substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder among the homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts were the most prevalent lifetime psychiatric disorders.