Interpapillary lines--the variable part of the human fingerprint.

The dermatoglyphic pattern of human palms and soles is individually unique and unchanging. Their prints show the course of the papillary ridges as papillary lines. Case reports and a few older studies of repeatedly taken fingerprints could, however, show that so-called interpapillary lines can develop between the papillary lines. The questions of this study were: How often do interpapillary lines occur? Can the differences between papillary and interpapillary ridges be quantified? Five-hundred and two ink prints of the palms and fingers from the archive of the Bochum Police Department were examined retrospectively. In 121 volunteers, the appearance of interpapillary lines was examined prospectively. From the later collective, the fingerprints of 13 people with interpapillary lines and nine people without were examined further by taking two silicon prints and measuring them with laser profilometry In 215 of the 502 ink prints (42.8%) interpapillary lines could be demonstrated. In those subjects younger than 20 years they were less frequently observed (34.1%) than in those above the age of 20 (51.8%). In all cases using laser profilometry the interpapillary lines could be related to a corresponding interpapillary ridge. The interpapillary ridge heights were 24.9 +/- 10.0 microm, significantly lower than the papillary ridges, which measured 59.0 +/- 19.2 microm. Interpapillary ridge widths were with 194.8 +/- 65.1 microm significantly narrower as compared to 435.5 +/- 57.4 microm in the papillary ridge. Those papillary ridges, between which interpapillary ridges were found, were significantly further apart from each other (610.5 +/- 78.9 microm) than those without interpapillary ridges (484.9 +/- 70.6 microm). During the course of a lifetime new ridges between the regular papillary ridges can develop or manifest. The fact that interpapillary lines are more frequently found on the right hands in men and those with increasing age is consistent with the theory that they correspond to degenerative changes and with sensitivity of touch.     

Discrimination of falls and blows in blunt head trauma: systematic study of the hat brim line rule in relation to skull fractures

In the discrimination of falls from blows in blunt head trauma, the hat brim line rule is one of the most often used criteria. The present study assesses the validity of the hat brim line rule for skull fractures and looks at other possible criteria. All autopsy cases were retrospectively analyzed on a 5-year period. Cases selected consisted of downstairs falls (n = 13), falls from one's own height (n = 23), and homicidal blows (n = 44). Results show that fractures above the hat brim line are more in favor of blows, while fractures in the hat brim line zone are more difficult to distinguish. The majority of fractures were located on the left side for homicidal blows and on the right side for falls. A higher average number of lacerations was revealed for homicidal blows. In conclusion, this study establishes three criteria in favor of blows: (i) localization of a wound above the hat brim line; (ii) left side lateralization; and (iii) a high number of lacerations.     

Detection of explosives in hair using ion mobility spectrometry

Conventional explosives 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), nitroglycerin (NG), and ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN) sorbed to hair can be directly detected by an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) in E-mode (for explosives). Terrorist explosive, triacetone triperoxide (TATP), difficult to detect by IMS in E-mode, was detected in N-mode (for narcotics). Three modes of sample introduction to IMS vapor desorption unit were used: (i) placement of hair directly into the unit, (ii) swabbing of hair and placement of swabs (i.e., paper GE-IMS sample traps) into the unit, and (iii) acetonitrile extracts of hair positioned on sample traps and placed into the unit. TNT, NG, and EGDN were detected in E-mode by all three sample introduction methods. TATP could only be detected by the acetonitrile extraction method after exposure of the hair to vapor for 16 days because of lower sensitivity. With standard solutions, TATP detection in E-mode required about 10 times as much sample as EGDN (3.9 mug compared with 0.3 mug). IMS in N-mode detected TATP from hair by all three modes of sample introduction.     

Cerebral traumatism with a playground rocking toy mimicking shaken baby syndrome

Shaken baby syndrome (SBS), one of the most deadly and devastating forms of child abuse, is caused by violent shaking. The combination of subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, brain swelling, and diffuse axonal injury is highly typical of this syndrome and faced with these autopsy findings, induced traumatic lesions are strongly considered. However, it is known that motor-vehicle accidents and falls from great height can also produce this pattern of injury. Nevertheless, stories of arms fall, couch fall, or bumped head while the baby is being carried are generally considered incompatible with SBS. We here report a case of a 2-year-old boy presenting with all the classic autopsy findings of SBS from a playground rocking toy shaken by an older child.     

Postmortem changes mistaken for traumatic lesions: a highly prevalent reason for coroner's autopsy request

Postmortem changes are well known for their possible misinterpretation as traumatic lesions which can mislead to suspicion of violent death and therefore to a forensic autopsy request. As far as we know, a systematic review of the prevalence of such a reason for coroner's autopsy request has not been done yet. A retrospective study of 230 forensic autopsies requested by the Coroner's office from 2002 to 2004 in the province of Quebec, Canada, was conducted by the authors. Of the 230 reviewed cases, postmortem artifacts mistaken for traumatic lesions were found in 18 cases. These misinterpretation were based on 5 categories of portmortem changes: purge fluid drainage in 12 cases (66.7%), bluish discoloration by lividity in 5 cases (27.8%), parchment-like drying of the skin in 4 cases (22.2%), bloating from gas formation in 4 cases (22.2%), and skin slippage in 1 case (5.56%). Therefore, postmortem artifacts misinterpretation occurred in 7.83% (95% confidence interval 0.05-0.12) of all requested forensic autopsies and in 35.29% (95% confidence interval 0.23-0.50) of decomposed autopsy cases. This study clearly establishes the high prevalence of postmortem artifacts as main reason for forensic autopsy request. Hence, in a context of forensic pathologist shortage, the improvement of coroner continuous training may reduce the workload.     

Kommanditisten,Pflichtversicherung

Vor dem Hintergrund der Materialien zu § 2 Abs 1 Z 4 GSVG und der Entwicklungsgeschichte dieser Bestimmung steht fest, dass Kommanditisten einer KG nach Ma?gabe einer "aktiven Bet?tigung" im Unternehmen, die auf Einkünfte gerichtet ist, pflichtversichert sein sollen, nicht aber Kommanditisten, die nur "ihr Kapital arbeiten lassen", dh sich im Wesentlichen auf die gesetzliche Stellung eines Kommanditisten beschr?nken. Da der Kommanditist gem § 164 UGB von der Gesch?ftsführung der KG grunds?tzlich ausgeschlossen ist, kann die Beantwortung der Frage, ob sich der Kommanditist in einer für § 2 Abs 1 Z 4 GSVG relevanten Weise "aktiv" im Unternehmen bet?tigt, in rechtlicher Hinsicht nur vom Umfang seiner Gesch?ftsführungsbefugnisse auf Grund rechtlicher – und nicht blo? faktischer – Gegebenheiten abh?ngen. Kommanditisten, die nur "ihr Kapital arbeiten lassen" und die daher nicht nach § 2 Abs 1 Z 4 GSVG pflichtversichert sein sollen, sind jedenfalls jene, deren Rechtsstellung über die gesetzlich vorgesehenen Mitwirkungsrechte an der Gesch?ftsführung nicht hinausgeht.     

Zwangsweises Betreten einer Wohnung

Es existiert keine gesetzliche Vorschrift, die Exekutivorgane zum Zwecke der Durchführung von Erhebungen zu Zustellungen in führerscheinrechtlichen Angelegenheiten zum (zwangsweisen) Betreten von R?umlichkeiten bzw dortigem Verweilen ohne Zustimmung des Verfügungsberechtigten erm?chtigen würde. Somit ist der Verbleib von Polizeibeamten in einer Wohnung ab der vom Wohnungsinhaber ausgesprochenen Aufforderung, diese zu verlassen, ohne Rechtsgrundlage.     

Child sexual abuse and adult romantic adjustment: comparison of single- and multiple-indicator measures

This study compared the usefulness of single- and multiple-indicator strategies in a model examining the role of child sexual abuse (CSA) to predict later marital satisfaction through attachment and psychological distress. The sample included 1,092 women and men from a nonclinical population in cohabiting or marital relationships. The single-item measure assessed the presence or absence of CSA. The multiple-indicator measure included items relating to level of force, relationship with perpetrator, number of abusive experiences, and nature of assault. Structural equation modeling indicated that, for research purposes, a dichotomized item provided as much information as a complex measure to predict the relationship between sexual abuse and marital adjustment through attachment representations and psychological distress. However, when analyses were conducted strictly within the CSA victims group, no correlation was found between abuse severity and psychosocial measures. The present results show that in a community sample, CSA may be an important risk factor that develops couple difficulties, regardless of the severity of the trauma.