Haplotype diversity in mitochondrial DNA hypervariable region I, II and III in northeast China Han

Sequence polymorphism of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, hypervariable regions HVR I, HVR II and HVR III, from 51 unrelated China Han (Yan Bian area) were determined by PCR amplification and cycle sequencing.     

Allele frequencies and haplotypes of the STR loci of the PowerPlex Y-system in southern populations from Korea

In this study, 12 Y-specific STR loci--DYS391, DYS389 I, DYS439, DYS389 II, DYS438, DYS437, DYS19, DYS392, DYS393, DYS390, DYS385a/b--were analyzed in 259 unrelated males from the southern populations in Korea using the PowerPlex Y PCR system.     

The prevalence of MDMA/MDA in both hair and urine in drug users

The prevalence and age distribution of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) in hair samples by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were studied. The recoveries obtained from hair were 97% and 99% for MDMA and MDA, respectively. The inter- and intra-assay precision and accuracy were determined. Out of 791 hair samples, 44 (5.6 %) contained MDMA and/or MDA. Out of these 44 subjects, urinalyses from 35 were negative for both MDMA and MDA, while only 9 were positive. We also evaluated concentrations of MDMA and MDA, and the metabolite-to-parent drug ratios. This study showed that the abuse of MDMA or MDA was found principally among young adults and male abusers. We found the epidemiology of ecstasy users in Korea between March 2002 and April 2003.     

Intentional and unintentional injuries across health regions in Alberta, Canada: an implication for policy

The growing practice of including intentional injuries (suicide and interpersonal violence) under the injury control umbrella has produced some controversy. The present study was designed to determine whether or not there might be an empirical basis for this initiative from an ecological point of view by examining the associations among unintentional and intentional injuries across 17 geographically defined health regions. The study was set in the Province of Alberta, Canada, where health services were delivered to a population of 2.96 million persons in 1999 through 17 regional health authorities. The results of a principal components analysis showed that nearly all causes of injury-hospitalization loaded on a single factor. It was not possible to produce separate factors for intentional and unintentional injuries. The strong intercorrelation among all measures suggests that there is an empirical basis for the view that intentional and unintentional injuries belong under the same conceptual umbrella, at least at the ecological level.     

Childhood panhypopituitarism presenting as child abuse: a case report and review of the literature

Childhood panhypopituitarism may be acquired or congenital. Children with panhypopituitarism can present clinically with diabetes, growth failure, decreased bone density, and morbid obesity. In the forensic setting without the proper history, it can be misdiagnosed as child abuse or neglect. We report a case of a 3-year-old black girl who was admitted to the emergency room with apnea and subsequently died. While at the emergency department, it was discovered that the child had a fractured left hip and was severely growth retarded for age. The coroner wanted to rule out child abuse and/or neglect and requested an autopsy based on the physical findings identified by hospital staff. Significant findings at autopsy included small for age (15th percentile for age), hypoplastic brain/pituitary gland/adrenal gland/thyroid gland, abnormally formed skull with an occipital protuberance, a fractured left hip with decreased bone density, and central adiposity. Subsequent to the autopsy, it was discovered that at 6 weeks of age the child suffered from group B streptococci meningitis that resulted in panhypopituitarism. The panhypopituitarism then resulted in seizure activity, diabetes insipidus, and growth retardation. The authors hope this case report and review of the literature will assist investigators, pathologists, and clinicians in making a distinction between neglect or inflicted injury of child abuse and panhypopituitarism that can present with similar signs and symptoms.     

Exploring the forensic use of the emotional recognition test (ERT)

General "hypo-emotionality" has now become a broadly accepted concept as one of the conspicuous psychological characteristics of repetitive, violent offenders. Numerous psychophysiological studies have verified this premise. The current study sought to examine the applicability of the Emotional Recognition Test (ERT) in a sample of 85 Korean inmates in a maximum-security prison. Two additional criterion groups were included for comparison: normal controls and schizophrenic inpatients. Because the ERT consists of problem-solving items, it is relatively free from response biases and is more efficient than measuring physiological responses. Results indicated that all criterion groups scored significantly differently on the ERT total and subscale scores. Additionally, similar to the physiological emotion-specific findings, emotion-specific subscales of the ERT indicated that offenders had significantly more difficulty in recognizing negative emotional stimuli, particularly sadness.     

Allele frequencies and genetic data of 16 highly polymorphic loci in Koreans

Allele and genotype frequencies for the 15 STR loci (FGA, vWA, MBP-L, MBP-H, HumTh01, D3S1358, D3S2406, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D18S51, D19S253, and D21S11) and two VNTR loci (D1S80 and D17S5) in a sample of unrelated Koreans were determined.