Mortality in maximum security psychiatric hospital patients

Numerous studies have mentioned to the high percentage of violent deaths in prison psychiatric hospitals, with suicide being the principal cause. The aim of this study was to analyze the circumstances related with the deaths recorded in a high security institution. Postmortem reports on all the deaths at the Alicante Psychiatric Prison between 1984 and 1997 were studied (36 cases of unnatural death and 28 of natural death). Of the violent deaths recorded 34 (94.4%) were suicides. Demographic, clinical and interpersonal variables factors were registered. In the cases of suicides, the method used, the place of death, season, month and time of suicide were analyzed. In our study, 64.7% of suicides were schizophrenic and 32.4% had inflicted self-harm previously. We found a statistically significant association between the cause of death (natural, suicide or homicide) and age, 47.1% of suicides being between the ages of 18 and 30 and 29.4% between the ages of 30 and 45. Natural causes predominated in older subjects. The prison population studied showed grave negative traits, mental illness and criminal behavior having forced them to the very edge of society. Our results were compared with the death and suicide rates of the general Spanish population.     

对财经类院校学生学习法语的动机的分析

法语第二外语教学长期以来都是以所用的教材来决定上课的内容和形式,而较少考虑到学生的学习动机以及他们对法语课的需求和期待,上课的气氛比较单调和沉闷.本文采取问卷调查的方法,主要对财经类院校学生学习法语的动机进行分析,研究这一特殊教学对象的学习需求和期待,以便更好地为他们提供相适应的教学内容和形式.     

Diagnosis of pregnancy in bloodstains. Study of progesterone and luteinizing hormone levels

The objective of this work is to establish the diagnostic efficiency of the determination of progesterone and luteinizing hormone in bloodstains on an absorbent surface. In a stain consisting of woman's blood, the establishment of pregnancy or birth may be significant in cases of criminal abortion or infanticide, or to determine the probable date of the events. A total of 61 women between the ages of 16 and 47 years were studied (mean age 29.54 years; S.D. 7.82). Subjects were distributed in three groups: pregnant women, women in labour and non-pregnant women. We found statistically significant differences in progesterone and LH levels between the non-pregnant group and pregnant women in labour in 24 and 48-h bloodstains. We found no statistically significant differences between progesterone and LH levels in pregnant women in 24, 48 and 72-h stains and at 6 and 7 days. We can conclude that progesterone and LH measurements in bloodstains at least 1 week old and probably much older can be very useful in establishing the diagnosis of pregnancy up until and including the time of birth.     

Usefulness of DNA quantification in diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies A preliminary study

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM) are a frequent cause of sudden death in both young people and adults. Different cardiomyopathies can be distinguished according to the etiological agent and, although there are morphological differences too, alterations in the quantity of DNA in the cardiomyocytes may play an important role in their pathogenesis and evolution. To understand the characteristics and the behaviour of the DNA index in hypertrophic cardiomyopathies, we have studied thirty cases (10 primaries or essential, 10 hypertensives and 10 toxic) and compared the results with those obtained for 10 macroscopically normal hearts. The results showed that the different cardiomyopathies were statistically related with age, heart weight and ventricle thickness. The normal hearts showing a diploid DNA index, hypertensive cardiomyopathies (CM) hearts a tetraploid index and both toxic CM (1.1-1.9) and essential CM (>2) heart showing an aneuploid index. Statistically significant associations (p < 0.001) were observed when the DNA values were compared with the type of CM, the age, the thickness of both ventricles and the heart weight. Therefore, we think that the technique described may be of great help in the differential diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies.     

The determination of CK,LDH and its isoenzymes in pericardial fluid and its application to the post-mortem diagnosis of myocardial infarction

After having studied 144 pericardial fluids, from the same number of judicial corpses, we propose the measurement of CK for the postmortem diagnosis of myocardial infarction, since it is a reliable, exact and easy technique available to an ordinary laboratory. Providing that contaminated samples be disregarded, the fluids are centrifuged early, and the cadavers be under 48 hours old, the study of CK enzymatic levels in the pericardial fluid allows the postmortem differentiation of myocardial infarction from other causes of death.     

Plasmatic levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in drowning. A pilot study

Bodies found in water may cause problems for forensic pathologists who have to differentiate drowning from postmortem immersion or fresh from salt water drowning. The exact physiopathology of drowning is still controversial and complementary tests can not exactly establish the exact cause of death if macroscopic findings at autopsy are not conclusive. We have employed atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) as a marker in an experimental series of fresh and salt water drowning, comparing their results with a non-drowned control series. There are differences between the plasma basal levels of the control series (79 pg/ml) and the levels in animals drowned in fresh water (358 pg/ml, P less than 0.001) and between control and rabbits drowned in salt water (190 pg/ml, P less than 0.001). According to these values, there are also differences between fresh and salt water drowned animals (P less than 0.001). We propose this peptide as a new marker in cases of drowning, with the ability to differentiate drowning from postmortem immersion and fresh from salt water drowning.     

对大学法语教学目的的思考

随着中法两国的交流日益密切,社会对法语人才的需求在质量和数量方面都有了提高,而既有专业又懂外语的学生尤其受青睐.因此开设大学第二外语的学校越来越多,各校的教学目标、内容、理念及模式也发生了很大的变化.本文试图结合欧盟语言能力分级参照标准,从语言和文化两个方面,思考大学法语(第二外语)的教学目的.     

STR data for the AmpFlSTR Profiler Plus loci from Murcia region (SE Spain)

Frequency data of the nine STRs included in the AmpFlSTR Profiler Plus Kit were determined in a sample of 114 unrelated individuals from Murcia region (SE Spain).