An unusual shotgun injury pattern produced by an intermediate target

Discharge of a shotgun with a shotgun casing in its muzzle as a "dust cover" produced a pattern of injuries suggestive of combined intermediate- and distant-range wounds.     

Distribution of morphine in body fluids and tissues in fatal overdose

Two cases of fatal overdose with morphine are presented. Large amounts of the drug were involved in both cases, one by oral ingestion, the other by intravenous injection. Morphine concentrations in various body fluids and tissues are compared to those in the literature.     

Accidental poisonings involving carbon monoxide, heating systems, and confined spaces

Eleven incidents of carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication resulting in sixteen fatalities are reported. All of the cases involved heating systems as either the source or the means of distributing the CO. Blood samples were analyzed for ethanol and CO. Elevated blood CO saturations were found in 14 of the 16 victims while none of the victims had a blood ethanol concentration greater than 0.10% (w/v).     

Dermal surface in electric and thermal injuries. Observations by scanning electron microscopy

The dermal surface (after enzymatic digestion of the dermo-epidermal junction) in electric and heat lesions is described. There do not appear to be elements that help in forming a precise differential diagnosis. It is possible, however, to differentiate these lesions from all traumatic cutaneous injuries and some limited nontraumatic lesions (e.g., verrucae). Remarkably good preservation of the dermal surface even in an advanced state of decomposition does suggest the possibility of certain diagnosis of electric and heat lesions even when postmortem phenomena have greatly damaged or even totally removed the epithelial part of the skin.     

The polymorphism of plasminogen (PLG) by ultrathin-layer isoelectric focusing. Distribution in the Veneto population (Italy)

The distribution of plasminogen phenotypes in the population of Veneto was investigated by ultrathin-layer isoelectric focusing. In our sample (n = 1325), the three common phenotypes PLG1, PLG2, PLG2-1 and two further phenotypes PLG1-V and PLG2-V were, observed and the following frequencies calculated: PLG1 = 0.84038; PLG2 = 0.15811; PLGV = 0.00151. These gene frequencies are compared to those found in other populations. Analysis of 41 mother-child pairs was in agreement with an autosomal codominant inheritance.     

The "empty heart" sign

Approximately 15% of victims of instantly lethal central nervous system trauma have an empty or nearly empty heart at autopsy. This article defines and discusses the "empty heart" sign.     

Characteristics of adolescent incest sexual perpetrators: Preliminary findings

Adolescent incest sexual perpetrators seen at an out-patient clinic were interviewed regarding demographic characteristics and occurrence of deviant and nondeviant sexual behaviors. Results indicate that subjects (1) committed more sexual crimes than they had been arrested for, (2) reported a very early onset of sexual behavior, (3) had additional DSM-III psychiatric disorders, and (4) reported previous sexual victimization. Recommendations for future research are made.     

The law and economics of supranationalism: the European Union and the subsidiarity principle in collective action perspective

This article, prepared for an issue devoted to the work of Judge Richard A. Posner, considers the implications of law and economics for the structure of supranational organizations, with particular attention to the application of collective action theory to the relationships among states in the EU. After discussing the connections between this approach and Judge Posner’s work, the article describes collective action theory and its implications for our understanding of the state and of relationships among states. From this perspective, supranational organizations such as the EU can be understood as institutional structures that facilitate collective action among states by reducing the transactions and enforcement costs of making and implementing collective decisions. At the same time, the delegation of authority to supranational institutions creates agency costs for states and their peoples because the interests of the state and its people diverge from the interests of the collective in some instances. Viewed in this perspective, the institutional structure of the EU—like that of other supranational organizations or federal nation states—reflects an effort to strike a balance between collective decision making and local control so as to maximize the collective gains and minimize the resulting agency costs. Understood in these terms, various features of the EU’s institutional design make sense. The ordinary legislative process permits the EU to act without the unanimous consent of member states, thus reducing transactions costs in those areas where collective action is necessary, particularly in relation to the creation and regulation of the internal market. The EU reduces enforcement costs through principles of direct applicability or effects and the supremacy of EU law, which are effective legal restraints in states governed by the rule of law. The institutional structure of the EU also incorporates a representative and deliberative process for collective action that helps control the resulting agency costs for member states and their peoples through supermajority and co-decisional requirements. The collective action perspective also illuminates the function of the subsidiarity principle and the enhanced role of national parliaments in its enforcement.