Craniometry and mathematical calculations as a method for viscero-cranium profile determination

The aim of this work is to prove the application of craniometry in determining the identity of unknown bodies. There is a great correlation between the viscero-cranium appearance and the osseous structure, the said correlation following mathematical rules and thus being possible to be calculated. Various segments of the skull and different size of the angles they make with each other are directly responsible for the graphic profile of viscero-cranium. The nasal bones and their angle are the basis to determine the shape and size of the nose.     

Blood carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide concentrations in the fatalities of fire and non-fire associated civil aviation accidents, 1991-1998

To evaluate pathophysiological significance of post-mortem urinary myoglobin levels in determining the cause of death, we investigated 210 forensic autopsy cases, partially in comparison with serum levels. Post-mortem serum myoglobin levels were extraordinary high in most cases possibly due to post-mortem change. Urinary myoglobin levels did not correlate with the serum levels, showing possible post-mortem elevation in cases of a prolonged post-mortem period over 48h. A high (>1000 ng/ml), moderate (100-1000 ng/ml), slight (50-100 ng/ml) and not significant (<50 ng/ml) elevation of urinary myoglobin were observed in 26, 43, 31 and 110 cases, respectively. Half the highly elevated cases were those with a survival time over 24h. In cases of minor muscle injury such as head trauma, elevation of urinary myoglobin level was closely related to longer survival. In acute/subacute deaths with a post-mortem interval within 48h, a significant difference was observed in relation to the blood carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels of fire victims: myoglobinuria over 100 ng/ml was more frequently and markedly observed in cases with COHb below 60% than over 60%, suggesting muscle damage in fatal burns. Similar elevation was observed in heat stroke victims, and also in some cases of acute and subacute death from polytrauma, asphyxiation, drowning, electricity and spontaneous cerebral bleeding, but not in myocardial infarction. Thus, it was suggested that high post-mortem urinary myoglobin levels in acute and subacute death cases may be a possible indicator of antemortem massive skeletal muscle damage as well as exertional muscle hyperactivity or convulsive disorders associated with hypoxia.     

Transfer of biological traces in cases of hanging and ligature strangulation

In hanging and ligature strangulation, the noose mostly causes a mark or groove which is formed partly by compression of the skin and partly by abrasion with loss of the upper epidermal layers. The horny scales abraded from the neck may be transferred to the strangulation device or to the interposed textiles where they are sometimes visible at stereomicroscopic examination or even to the naked eye as silver-grey particles. The morphologic features of the epidermal transfer due to hanging and ligature strangulation is demonstrated by 14 case examples. The biological traces may be sufficient for comparative DNA typing by means of PCR-based methods. In 9 out of the 14 cases, genomic DNA typing was successful. Analysis of mtDNA succeeded in another two cases, although genomic DNA could not be detected. Beside the accumulation of solid epidermic particles the paper describes deposition of serous and fatty tissue fluid at the ligature (mainly adjacent to skin ridges).     

Children's Medicaid enrollment: the impacts of mandates, welfare reform, and policy delinking

From 1984 to 1990. Congress enacted a series of mandates that expanded Medicaid eligibility for low-income children by gradually delinking Medicaid eligibility from welfare eligibility. The 1996 national welfare reform law nominally completed the delinking process when the statutory phase-in of children's Medicaid coverage was preserved even as the states were given increased flexibility for administering welfare programs. This article provides estimates of the impact of these fedcral policy changes on children's Medicaid enrollment rates and analyzes the degree of success in uncoupling children's Medicaid enrollment from welfare. Data from the Current Population Survey for 1979 to 1998 are used to provide standardized enrollment probabilities for the United States and individual states. The results show important enrollment increases associated with the period of the mandated expansions, followed by enrollment declines associated with welfare reform. The largest increases in enrollment during this period were in states with historically restrictive welfare eligibility, but rates also rose in states that previously had relatively expansive welfare eligibility. The net effect was a reduction in the extent of state-to-state variation in enrollment. The Medicaid expansion peaked in 1995, prior to the advent of national welfare reform. Since then, children's Medicaid enrollment has fallen, with the largest declines falling on families with the very lowest incomes. Consistent with the desire to delink children's Medicaid coverage from welfare, the association between Medicaid and AFDC/TANF enrollment weakened during the expansionary period, but there still was a relatively strong relationship between policy outcomes for these two programs. Despite the policy changes, Medicaid coverage of children is still influenced by state-level welfare policy.     

Spectra interference between diquat and paraquat by second derivative spectrophotometry

A rapid and accurate method, combining solid-phase extraction and second-order derivative spectrophotomety approaches, is developed for the simultaneous determination of diquat (DQ) and paraquat (PQ) in blood, tissue and urine samples. Supernatant resulting from the precipitation of protein (with trichloroacetic acid) in plasma and tissue or Amberlite IRA-401 resin treated urine are passed through a mini-column packed with Wakogel gel (Silica gel). Analytes are then eluted with a non-organic solvent, 0.2mol/l HCl solution containing 2mol/l NH(4)Cl. UV spectrum of the eluent in 220-350nm range provides effective screen to detect the presence of DQ and/or PQ. In the presence of DQ or PQ alone, the analyte present is quantitated by conventional zero- or second-order derivative spectrophotometry. The calibration curve in the 0.1-5.0mg/l range for either analyte obeys Beer's law. When both DQ and PQ are present, their concentrations are determined by the peak amplitudes of their respective second-derivative spectra after the addition of alkaline dithionite reagent. Interference is negligible when the DQ/PQ concentration ratio is within the 5.0-0.2 range.Using a 2-ml of sample size, the detection limits for DQ and PQ in plasma are 0.02 and 0.005mg/l. The corresponding detection limits for urine samples (10ml sample size) are 0.004 and 0.001mg/l. Recoveries of DQ and PQ in triplicate plasma and urine samples spiked with 0.5mg/l of analytes are 93 and 85%. The precision of the proposed method resulting from triplicate study of spiked urine samples varies from 3.2 to 4.6% at 0.5mg/l of DQ and PQ, respectively.     

Effects of profound hypothermia on the blood-brain barrier permeability in acute and chronically ethanol treated rats

This study examines the effects of profound hypothermia on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in ethanol administrated rats. Vascular permeability to intravenously injected Evans blue (EB) was quantitatively examined in the brain regions of rats. Rats were treated with ethanol acute and chronically. Rectal temperature of rats was dropped into 20+/-1 degrees C during profound hypothermia. Mean arterial blood pressure in both acute and chronic ethanol treatments plus hypothermia significantly dropped into low levels as well as in hypothermia alone (P<0.01). Hypothermia led to a significant increase in the content of EB dye in the brain regions of rats (P<0.05). Both acute and chronic ethanol treatments plus hypothermia did not lead to a significant increase in the BBB permeability against intravenously injected EB dye. We conclude that ethanol intake protects the BBB against the effects of hypothermia.     

A protocol for the forensic analysis of condom and personal lubricants found in sexual assault cases.

In sexual assault cases, lubricant trace evidence may supplement biological evidence, or may be the primary physical evidence where biological evidence is unavailable. This study considered a total of 50 lubricants from condoms and personal lubricant products available in Australia. Differentiation of the samples was attempted using fluorescence examination, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Eleven of the samples were uniquely identified by the analysis scheme, while the remainder of the samples were separated into nine groups. As a result of this study, a recommended protocol for the detection and analysis of an "unknown" biological swab was produced.     

Detection and assay of cis- and trans-isomers of 4-methylaminorex in urine, plasma and tissue samples

The 4-methylaminorex (4-MAX) is an amphetamine-related psychostimulant drug that has appeared on the clandestine market with a street name of "U4Euh". This compound exists as four stereoisomers, trans-4R,5R, trans-4S,5S, cis-4R,5S and cis-4S,5R, of which the cis forms have been classified as Schedule I substances in the US. The increasing variety of designer drugs has highlighted the importance of detection, identification, and quantitative measurement of these drugs, including 4-MAX, in biological samples. In the present study, the isomers of 4-MAX were detected in urine of rats treated with the drugs by some but not all of the on-site immunoassays tested, mainly as amphetamine or methamphetamine. To facilitate identification of 4-MAX by laboratories specialized in drug analysis, the electron-ionization mass spectrum and TLC data for underivatized 4-MAX using a routine laboratory drug-screening procedure is provided. In addition, a GC/MS method is described for the quantitative determination of cis- and trans-4-MAX as tert-butyldimethylsilyl-derivatives in plasma, urine and tissue.