A controlled study of the time-course of breath alcohol concentration after moderate ingestion of ethanol following a social drinking session

This paper evaluates the breath alcohol concentration (BrAC), nausea (feeling of being slightly intoxicated) and subjective driving performance after ingesting a moderate dose of alcohol in the presence of a light meal, which intends to approach a social drinking setting. 119 healthy individuals (69 males and 50 females, aged 21.7+/-3.0) ingested three glasses of wine (95mL each) and their BrAC was determined by an Alcotest 7410 at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120min post-drinking. 46% of females and no male subjects exceeded a BrAC of 0.25mg/L, the legal limit for driving fixed by some Western countries. 53% of the study population felt nausea during the experimental session and 20% self-reported impairment of their driving skills. In both cases these subjective effects were more pronounced in females. The major determinants of mean BrAC were time post-drinking, gender (male) and body mass index (BMI), all these variables being inversely associated. Females and individuals with a BMI lower than 22.5kg/m(2) were at an increased risk of exceeding the legal limit of BrAC. The feeling of nausea was significantly associated with gender (females), the ingestion of up to 2 drinks on weekdays, and having exceeded a BrAC of 0.25mg/L during the experimental study. The main predictor of self-perception of impaired driving skills was the feeling of nausea, followed by a BrAC in excess of 0.25mg/L. In conclusion, both females and subjects with lower BMI are at an increased risk of exceeding the legal limit of BrAC after moderate alcohol consumption resembling a social drinking setting.     

Clinical forensic examination findings in assault cases among adolescents

Child and youth criminality has risen markedly over the past 25 years and causes increasing concern to the general public. The clinical forensic examination cases of youth violence victims examined at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the Hanover Medical School and its Oldenburg Branch between 1999 and 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. In all, 55 adolescents (37 females, 18 males; median age 15.5 years) were examined. In most cases the suspect was a close (40.0%) or passing (23.6%) acquaintance. 16 assaults were committed by two or more adolescents jointly. Most of the juveniles were victims of sexual assaults (56.4%). In 15 victims of sexual offences (51.7%) diagnostic findings were obtained on the basis of anogenital injuries and/or the presence of sperm. In summary, the analysis shows that adolescents frequently become victims of sexual assault. In addition, youth violence is often committed in a group.     

Diagnostic efficacy of biochemical markers in diagnosis post-mortem of ischaemic heart disease

In forensic medicine, there is a need for more sensitive biochemical markers for the post-mortem diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. A study of the distribution of biochemical markers in different fluids is of great significance in post-mortem diagnosis, because their distribution depends on the location of tissue damage and release kinetics. The aim of this study is to compare the sensitivities and specificities of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), myoglobin and cTnI in serum and pericardial fluid for the post-mortem diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We studied 188 cadavers selected during 1 year from medicolegal autopsies. The groups were as follows: (1) myocardial infarction (n = 52); (2) asphyxia (n = 59); (3) multiple trauma (n = 41); (4) natural deaths excluding myocardial infarction (n = 36). We obtained statistically significant differences in pericardial fluid for all the biochemical markers, the highest levels being obtained in the group of cadavers who had died from myocardial infarction. A common factor is the high negative predictive value found in biochemical markers, which is contrary to the findings obtained in clinical practice, when the percentages of sensitivity are very high.     

Postmortem vitreous humor beta-hydroxybutyrate: its utility for the postmortem interpretation of diabetes mellitus

Ketoacidotic coma is one of the most serious complications arising from diabetes mellitus, especially type I, and may be the cause of sudden death especially in diabetes type I. Since beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-OHB) serum concentrations might provide more information on the severity of ketoacidosis, the aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of beta-OHB in vitreous humor and its correlation with other biochemical parameters during postmortem examination. We intended to ascertain the sensitivity and the specificity of these markers for diagnosing diabetes mellitus and the presence of ketoacidosis. This study involved 453 cadavers with a mean age of 57.6 years (S.D. 20.7) and a mean postmortem interval of 17.8 h (S.D. 9.6, range 2-61 h). Cases were assigned to two diagnostic groups according to the antemortem diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, based on the patients' medical records. In vitreous humor statistically significant differences were found in biochemical marker concentrations between the two diagnostic groups, the highest values being obtained in the group of subjects with a previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The measurement of beta-OHB in vitreous humor may be a useful alternative to using blood during postmortem analysis. The presence of high levels of beta-OHB may help interpret the cause of death in diabetics when the autopsy result is negative.     

Application of automatic image analysis (IBAS system) to age calculation. Efficiency in the analysis of several teeth from a single subject.

In a previous paper (M. López-Nicolás et al., Forensic Sci. Int., 45 (1990) 143-150) we obtained a model of multiple regression to estimate age using computerized image analysis (IBAS) to study teeth. This method should provide more precise measurements of the parameters involved and to test this hypothesis we have carried out a blind study using more than one tooth from the same individual in order to check the diagnostic accuracy of the method. Our results show that individual variability introduced serious errors in tooth age estimation using computerized image analysis. However the study of more than one tooth per individual improves the accuracy of age estimation. Specific cases should therefore be interpreted cautiously, as a degree of variability can be expected using the parameters defined in this method.     

The usefulness of lung surfactant phospholipids (LSPs) in the diagnosis of drowning

The authors have studied the usefulness of some lung surfactant phospholipids (LSPs) isolated from lung tissues as markers of drowning. Two different groups of rabbits were sacrificed by drowning in fresh and salt water, and their phospholipid compositions were compared with those of a non-drowned control series. For the phospholipids studied in lung lavages (phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and phosphatidyl glycerol) the proportions differed between the control group and the drowned group, and between the fresh-water and salt-water drowned animals. According to these results, the lipids we have analyzed can be employed as markers in forensic autopsies, where it is necessary to differentiate between death by drowning and postmortem immersion and between fresh-water and salt-water drowning. In lung tissue, only phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl inositol showed significative differences. These results also confirm that LSPs are strongly affected in drowning.     

Intimacy training in a forensic psychiatric setting: an experiment

This article is about intimacy training in two forensic psychiatric hospitals. This training is an experiment in which patients are trained in skills relating to intimacy and sexuality through real physical contact with a therapist. It is a way of treatment in those cases in which other, usually verbal methods, have failed to accomplish (sexual) behaviour change, and it can feed or revitalise verbal therapy. The purpose of the training is (a) to make the patient aware of the feelings intimate contact with a woman provokes and (b) to increase the patient's social and sociosexual skills so that he learns how to handle his intimate and sexual wishes, needs, and limits, and those of his partner. The training aims at diminishing the risk of new offences. The experiment is intended to provide answers to questions about the effectiveness of this kind of training in relationship to this aim.     

Anti‐Corruption Watchdog Accountability: The Limitations of Judicial Review's Ability to Guard the Guardians

Anti‐corruption watchdogs form an important part of integrity measures in Australia's system of government. Integrity theory places anti‐corruption watchdogs in a fourth branch of government and as a part of a national integrity system as a way of understanding how they detect and prevent corruption and promote integrity. Integrity theory claims that an important part of the oversight of watchdogs occurs through judicial review of watchdog decisions by the courts. However, it fails to recognise the unique limitations when undertaking judicial review of watchdog decisions. This article submits that it is important to recognise these limitations to properly assess the effectiveness of a national integrity system and a fourth branch of government. The article explores the unique limitations of the court's ability to hold watchdogs to account and offers suggestions for managing these limitations.