New findings concerning the pathogenesis of acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning

The pathomechanism of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning was studied by means of cardiopathological and neuropathological investigations in experimental CO intoxication. It has been shown that besides CO-hemoglobin association, the binding of CO to cytochromes is a significant factor. The latter is thought to be responsible for the cytotoxic phenomena. Combined ultrastructural and cytochemical studies have enabled differentiation between toxic, hypoxic, and mixed alternations.     

Distribution of income sources of recent retirees: findings from the New Beneficiary Survey

Using data from the New Beneficiary Survey, this article examines income received by the newly retired from assets, employer-provided pensions, and social security. Today's retirees commonly possess pension or asset income to supplement social security. The proportions with asset income were 83 percent for married men and their wives and 69 percent for the unmarried. The proportions with pension income were 56 percent for the married couples and 42 percent for the unmarried. The article finds that up through the middle of the income distribution, social security remains the main income component. In addition to these traditional income sources of the retired, the data also highlight the important role of earnings among many of the new beneficiaries--44 percent of the married couples and 27 percent of the unmarried had current earnings.     

Suffocation death by occlusion of the airways with sand

Eleven cases are reported in which death occurred because of suffocation as a result of occlusion of the respiratory tract by sand (without thoracic compression: 3 cases) or being buried alive (8 cases). Two tables demonstrate the findings and circumstances in the events. Three cases are described in detail. A 22-year-old woman was manhandled by blows and kicks to the head and neck. She became unconscious and her head and neck were covered by a layer of sand so that she suffocated. A 42-year-old man was smothered, while unconscious, in a prone position with his face in the sand, after hard blows to the head by two culprits. A 17-year-old girl finally died by chocking. Previously the culprit had pressed her face into the ground, so that she aspirated particles of soil. The question of vital reactions during aspiration of sand was investigated by microscopic examination of the content of the air passage and by destroying parts of the lungs by sulphuric acid. Minimal aspiration of sand occurred in all cases. Although the postmortal remains were left in the ground, there was no postmortem penetration of sand into the air passage. Histological examinations were carried out to support the diagnosis of violent suffocation. In some cases, there were remarkable findings (mobilization of alveolar cells, hepatocelullar hydropic degeneration), but there were no typical or unanimous findings that pertained to all cases.     

Skeletal muscle activity of alcohol-treated rabbits in immersion hypothermia: adenine nucleotide concentrations and phosphorylation state

The effects of alcohol injection (0.5 g . kg-1 i.v.) on the core cooling and rewarming rates, concentration of the adenine nucleotides, and the phosphorylation state of the adenylate system (ATP/ADP X P) were studied in the skeletal muscle of anesthetized rabbits immersed in ice-cold water. NaCl-injected rabbits immersed in ice-cold water were used as cold controls, alcohol-treated animals at room temperature (20 degrees C) as alcohol warm controls, and NaCl-injected animals at room temperature as anesthesia controls, respectively. The fall of core temperature to 32 degrees C in the alcohol-treated rabbits and the cold controls took about 40 min. During this time the temperature of the alcohol warm and anesthesia controls fell by about 1 degree C. No difference in the rewarming rate was observed between the alcohol-treated and cold control rabbits. Serum glucose concentration was elevated in the cold controls (from 5.9 to 8.3 mmol/l) but not in the alcohol-treated rabbits. Cold exposure reduced the phosphorylation state in the skeletal muscle of the alcohol-treated rabbits by 32% (P less than 0.05), but the decrease (6%) was not significant in the cold controls. After rewarming the phosphorylation state decreased in the above groups by 71% and 15%, respectively, as compared with the initial values. No significant changes in the phosphorylation state were found in the warm control animals. The redox state of the cytosol in the skeletal muscle or liver did not change, nor was there any change observed in the arterial pO2 or pCO2 concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Child physical abuse: prevalence, characteristics, predictors, and beliefs about parent-child violence in South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Latina women in the United States

The present study examined the prevalence, characteristics, beliefs, and demographic predictors of parent-child physical violence among South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Latina women in the United States. Two hundred fifty-one college-educated women from a middle to high SES (South Asian/Middle Eastern, n = 93; East Asian,n = 72; Latina,n = 86) completed a self-report survey on childhood experiences and beliefs regarding physical abuse. Seventy-three percent of the South Asian and Middle Eastern sample, 65% of the East Asian sample, and 78% of the Latina sample reported experiencing at least one type of physical abuse. Significant differences in characteristics and perpetrators of abuse were found across groups. Demographic factors did not predict physical abuse. Experiencing physical abuse was the only predictor for acceptance of physical discipline and as a parental privilege or right across groups. Implications of alternate cultural models of family violence based on beliefs and exposure to violence are discussed.