Distribution patterns and functional relationships of the encephalopathy (author's transl)

"Wernicke's encephalopathy", as one of the sequelae of chronic alcoholism, is discussed with regard to its effects on driving ability. The neurological symptoms are presented with reference to 33 cases and the possible personality defects with thalamic lesions and abortive types of disease are emphasized.     

Der neue europäische Hochwasserschutz

Zusammenfassung  Die in jüngerer Zeit aufgetretenen verheerenden überschwemmungen in Europa haben die Europ?ische Gemeinschaft veranla?t, erstmals auf dem Wege spezifischer Richtliniensetzung den Hochwasserschutz aufzugreifen. Die Richtlinie 2007/60/EG beschr?nkt sich dabei weitestgehend auf prozedurale Instrumente und hochabstrakt gehaltene Schutzvorstellungen. Der nachstehende Beitrag setzt sich mit der Richtlinie kritisch auseinander und stellt sie in den Kontext des europ?ischen Wasserwirtschaftsrechts.     

Prozess- und Vertretungskosten eines auf Zahlung des Pflichtteils gerichteten Verfahrens als die Pflichtteilsbemessungsgrundlage mindernde Passiva der Verlassenschaft?

Die nach dem Erbfall und vor der Einantwortung entstandenen, mit der Besorgung und Verwaltung des Nachlasses verbundenen Kosten sind als Erbgangs-(Erbfalls-) schulden Passiva der Verlassenschaft. Passiva sind nur jene Prozess- und Vertretungskosten, die im Zusammenhang mit der Besorgung und Verwaltung des Nachlasses iSv § 810 ABGB stehen. Die Vertretung der Verlassenschaft in einem auf Bezahlung des Pflichtteils gerichteten Verfahren geh?rt nicht zur Besorgung und Verwaltung des Nachlasses. Das Verfahren dient nicht der Realisierung oder Erhaltung des Nachlasses, sondern lediglich der Abkl?rung, wie hoch die Ansprüche des Pflichtteilsberechtigten sind. Hingegen sind die Kosten der Inventarerrichtung und die Gebühren des Gerichtskommiss?rs zu den Passiva zu z?hlen. Bei der Beurteilung, welcher Wert der Liegenschaften (Ertragsoder Verkehrswert) in der Verlassenschaft anzusetzen ist, ist es mitunter nicht m?glich, den Wert aller Liegenschaften nach derselben Methode zu ermitteln. Es ist auf die Widmung der Grundstücke abzustellen.     

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC x GC-TOFMS) for drug screening and confirmation

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) is applied to analysis of drug standard mixtures containing 78 drugs of interest in forensic samples. For this study, underivatised drugs were employed. While several of the drugs were not detected at the low concentrations employed in the samples, most could be satisfactorily assigned their first and second dimension retentions in the GC x GC retention plane. For this study, time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) detection was used. The enhanced separation possible in GC x GC is demonstrated, and typical linearity and apparatus precision are shown for tramadol, diazepam, olanzapine and desipramine using selected qualifier ions. Mass spectral library search quality for the detection of drugs in a selection of authentic forensic cases, along with retention position in the 2D retention plane, is used to support positive identification of the presence of the drugs. The analysis of 'difficult' drugs paracetamol and phenytoin is shown to produce anomalous chromatographic peak shape in the 2D plane, whereas most drugs gave acceptable peak shapes. The GC x GC technique was applied to screening drugs in forensic samples, with either flame ionisation (FID) or TOFMS detection, and compared favourably with conventional single column GC-MS analysis when tested for diazepam in an authentic forensic study.     

Deposition of cocaine in tissue after lethal and repeated sublethal administration to sheep

The deposition of cocaine in tissue after lethal administration to sheep was investigated. In addition, the presence of cocaine in tissue obtained from sheep treated for 30 days with a sublethal dose (2.4 mg/kg b.wt.) after 1-day, 1-week, or 1-month withdrawal was studied. The determination of cocaine was performed by radioimmunoassay. The concentrations measured represent the sum of cocaine and its metabolites. The presence of cocaine was also qualitatively proven by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. After a lethal dose administration cocaine was found in all investigated organs. The highest concentrations were present in liver, bile, and kidney. In tissue obtained from the sheep treated daily with a sublethal dose and killed after 1-week withdrawal, the concentrations found were significantly lower. After 1-month withdrawal, cocaine was not to be discovered in tissue.     

Age estimation using CT imaging of the third molar tooth, the medial clavicular epiphysis, and the spheno-occipital synchondrosis: a multifactorial approach

A multi-factorial method for estimating age was devised based on the development of the 3rd molar tooth, the medial clavicular epiphysis, and the spheno-occipital synchondrosis, using multiple regression as the means to construct age estimation formulae and CT scanning as the imaging modality. The sample consisted of approximately 600 individuals from a contemporary Australian population, between the ages of 15 and 25 years, who were admitted to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Melbourne, Australia, for the purposes of medico-legal death investigation. Results show that the spheno-occipital synchondrosis does not contribute to the age estimation model for this age cohort. The regression computation for the 3rd molar tooth and medial clavicle, when combined into a single multiple regression calculation, provides a robust model with tighter age ranges at the 95% confidence interval (CI) than when each age marker is used individually. This research provides a method to estimate age for unknown age Australian individuals in the problematic age group of 15-25 years with greater precision than previously possible.