Three cases of sudden death due to butane or propane gas inhalation: analysis of tissues for gas components

We report three cases of sudden death due to inhalation of portable cooking stove fuel (case 1), cigarette lighter fuel (case 2), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (case 3). Specimens of blood, urine, stomach contents, brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and fat were collected and analyzed for propylene, propane, isobutane, and n-butane by headspace gas chromatography. n-Butane was the major substance among the volatiles found in the tissues of cases 1 and 2, and propane was the major substance in case 3. A combination of the autopsy findings and the gas analysis results revealed that the cause of death was ventricular fibrillation induced by hard muscle exercise after gas inhalation in cases 1 and 2, and that the cause of death in case 3 might be hypoxia. It is possible that the victim in case 3 was under anesthetic toxicity of accumulated isobutane which is a minor component of liquefied petroleum gas.     

Medicolegal studies on alcohol detected in dead bodies — alcohol levels in skeletal muscle

An experiment was carried out on rats to determine whether or not a skeletal muscle sample was suitable for the determination of ethanol concentration in a carcass. Gas chromatography was used to estimate the ethanol and n-propanol concentrations in the femoral muscle and intracardial blood. The ethanol concentration of each sample was corrected according to the moisture ratio of circulating blood, viz., 78.5%.The ethanol concentration ratio of blood to muscle was 1.03 two hours after ethanol administration. When the carcasses of rats pre-treated with ethanol were stored at 15 °C and 25 °C, respectively, the ethanol concentrations in muscle and blood increased with time. At all times the concentration was higher in blood than in muscle, and also higher in samples collected from the carcass stored at 25 °C than at 15 °C.When the control carcass was stored in the same manner, the postmortem production of ethanol was noticed in both blood and muscle. As in the experimental rats, the control rats exhibited a higher blood ethanol than muscle ethanol level. Again, the ethanol concentration was higher in samples collected from the carcass stored at 25 °C than at 15 °C. The ratio of ethanol to n-propanol was less than 20:1 in blood and less than 10.1 in muscle.These results suggest that skeletal muscle may be a suitable tissue for the postmortem detection of ethanol.     

A rapid and simplified extraction of haloperidol from plasma or serum with bond elut C18 cartridge for analysis by high performance liquid chromatography

This method for the determination of haloperidol (HAL) in plasma is based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a reversed-phase column, ODS-C18. HAL is rapidly extracted from human plasma by using Bond Elut C18 cartridge and its recovery is over 90%. The mobile phase is a mixture of 1% acetate/acetonitrile/tetrahydrofuran/triethylamine (69.5: 28.2:1.9:0.4, by vol.). The method is rapid, simple and free from intereferences and gives good precision.     

Determining the state of the deceased during cardiopulmonary resuscitation from tissue distribution patterns of intubation-related lidocaine

The objective of this study was to determine whether the concentrations of lidocaine, used for endotracheal intubation, in body fluids and tissues reflect the state of the circulation of the deceased during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The tissue distribution of lidocaine was investigated in seven individuals (Cases 1-7) who underwent medical treatment with endotracheal intubation using Xylocaine jelly (a 2% lidocaine hydrochloride preparation), before being pronounced dead. Six patients (Cases 1-6) had cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival at hospital. In Cases 1-4, there was no restoration of heartbeat during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However, systemic distribution of intubation-related lidocaine was observed and the kidney-to-liver ratios of lidocaine were less than 1. In Cases 5 and 6, the heartbeat resumed temporarily with cardiac massage, and a kidney-to-liver lidocaine ratio greater than 1 was observed. In Case 7, where the patient was comatose upon admission to hospital, the kidney-to-liver ratio of lidocaine was also greater than 1. These phenomena were substantiated in animal experiments. Our results indicate that the absorption of tracheal lidocaine during the artificial circulation resulting from cardiopulmonary resuscitation results in a kidney to liver ratio of less than 1, whereas absorption during natural circulation gives a ratio greater than 1. The kidney-to-liver ratio of intubation-related lidocaine may give useful information on the state of a patient during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.     

A partnership postponed? Japan–EU cooperation in conflict resolution in East Asia

Asia Europe Journal - This paper explores reasons for the (un)willingness of the European Union (EU) to cooperate with its external partners such as Japan in promoting regional integration and...     

Do the Kurds have ‘no friends but the mountains’? Turkey's Secret War against Communists,Soviets and the Kurds

A Kurdish proverb says that the Kurds have ‘no friends but the mountains’. This was not what the Turkish authorities believed. Using new and previously unexploited archives both in English and Turkish, this article offers a new interpretation of Turkey's perception of the Kurds. By analyzing Kurdish activities and their alignment with Communist movements and Soviet activities, it shows how Turkey's threat perception was shaped by international contexts, especially through the Cold War. In addition, the Kurdish nationalist movement in the Middle East played a pivotal role in regional intelligence cooperation between Turkey, Iraq and Iran. This article argues that Soviet and Communist activities had an important role in shaping Turkey's threat perception of the Kurdish minority in the country. Turkey's perception of subversive threats involved an intertwining of Communists, Soviets and Kurds. This affected the Kurdish bid for independence for most of the twentieth century.     

A Procedure for Calculating the Vertical Space Height of the Sacrum When Determining Skeletal Height for Use in the Anatomical Method of Adult Stature Estimation

Estimating stature from skeletonized remains is one of the essential parameters in the development of a biological profile. A new procedure for determining skeletal height (SKH) incorporating the vertical space height (VSH) from the anterior margin of the sacral promontory to the superior margins of the acetabulae for use in the anatomical method of stature estimation is introduced. Regression equations for stature estimation were generated from measurements of 38 American males of European ancestry from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. The modification to the procedure results in a SKH that is highly correlated with stature (r = 0.925–0.948). Stature estimates have low standard errors of the estimate ranging from 21.79 to 25.95 mm, biases from to 0.50 to 0.94 mm, and accuracy rates from 17.71 mm to 19.45 mm. The procedure for determining the VSH, which replaces “S1 height” in traditional anatomical method models, is a key improvement to the method.