Accidental sharp force injury fatalities.

The authors review all accidental sharp force injury deaths investigated at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences from 1990 to 1999. Twenty-two cases of accidental sharp force injury were identified, accounting for 0.29% of all accidental deaths (9,562) during the 10-year study period. Included in this series are 5 incised wounds, 11 stab wounds, 4 chop wounds, and 2 deaths caused by dog attacks. About half of the cases involved some type of motorized machinery. The victims' ages ranged from 2 years to 71 years, with most deaths occurring in older teenagers and younger adults. Male subjects (17) were involved much more frequently than female subjects (5). In 50% of the cases, ethanol or other drug use was a possible underlying contributing factor in the accident. The cases are briefly reviewed, and the importance of detailed investigation in manner-of-death certification is emphasized.     

Testing repeatability and error of coordinate landmark data acquired from crania

This study evaluates issues of precision, repeatability, and validation in three-dimensional (3D) landmark coordinates. Two observers collected 19 homologous cranial landmarks from three skulls during three separate digitizing sessions. Statistical analysis was conducted on the 171 interlandmark distances (ILDs) derived from the original coordinate data. A mixed model ANOVA detected significant within-subject error in 54 of the 171 ILDs (i.e., 32%). A GLM procedure revealed significant between-observer variation in 14 ILDs and significant observer-by-session differences in 13 ILDs. The majority of these differences involved ILDs with type 3 landmarks as endpoints, such as euryon and alare. Unlike type 1 and 2 landmarks which are biologically informative in all directions, type 3 landmarks contain a substantial arbitrary component. Thus, it is not surprising type 3 landmarks displayed significant digitizing error. Given these results, we caution researchers to be mindful of type 3 landmarks measurement discrepancies when selecting landmarks for coordinate data evaluation.     

An ounce of prevention...

A major theme in the apparent transformation of the criminal justice system in recent years is the commitment to shifting away from reactive responses to crime in favor of proactive prevention practices. This paper raises the question of whether the rhetoric of prevention has been translated into real substantive changes. The author argues that the activity which has occurred in response to the rhetoric of prevention is more significant as an ideology of practice and control than as a ‘solution’ to the problem of crime. For the moment, it is unlikely that an ounce of prevention will produce more than a few grams of cure.     

Pleural pearl. An immature pleural ball?

An incidental, pearl-like body was attached to the visceral pleura of a young man who committed suicide. The lesion consisted of concentric laminations of collagen and mesothelial type cells, and was associated with a resolved pleurisy. The possible relationship of this lesion to previously reported "pleural balls" is discussed.