Suicide in the Ukraine

The suicide rates of the 24 provinces (oblasts) of the Ukraine were found to be strongly associated with indices of social disintegration (such as divorce and illegitimacy rates), with the Western provinces incorporated in the USSR later than other Ukrainian territories having lower suicide rates and lower levels of social disintegration.     

Injury pattern in fatal automobile accident passengers due to rear-end collisions

The article reports on the injury pattern seen in fatally wounded car passengers after rear-end collisions on motorways. The study material included 5 rear-end collisions, in which 9 car occupants (5 drivers and 4 front-seat passengers) were killed. The change in velocity (delta v) was above 60 km/h in all the reported cases. The injury pattern showed the following characteristics: extensive soft-tissue traumatization (subcutaneous haematomas, blood-filled pockets, "décollements") not discernible from outside on the back of the trunk, mostly in the lumbosacral region; dorsal serial rib fractures, often combined with fractures of the spine (including the sacrum and the coccyx) and/or the pelvis; ruptures of the aorta at the typical sites of predisposition; ruptures of the liver and spleen (particularly at the visceral surfaces).