Roentgenologic heart volume determination for the diagnosis of fatal heart failure

In order to investigate the connection between the cardiac volume and the cardiac shadow plane, 385 anterior-posterior radiographs of the thorax have been selected comparing their cardiac shadow plane with the corresponding cardiac volumes determined by the autopsy of the cadavers. The comparison showed a connection of both magnitudes by means of the formula Hvol = 0.49 x Fa x square root of Fa (Hvol = cardiac volume in cm3, Fa = cardiac shadow plane of the anterior-posterior radiograph in cm2, corrections were made from the radiation divergence). A verification of the formula showed a very high correlation (r = 0.984) in 25 cadavers to be dissected. The comparing volume of the cardiac shadow plane has been investigated by means of the water displacement method, in which the cardiac vessels were ligated and the heart taken out of the cadaver. The cardiac volume, evaluated from the cardiac shadow plane showed a significant correlation at the cardiac death by internal natural cause. The comparison of the mathematical evaluated cardiac blood volumes of the symptoms causing death showed that the cardiac blood volumes in the group of poisonings and the group of drowning, suffocations and hanging with 231 ml and 211 ml in the men collective were at the same level as the cardiac death (246 ml). About the same applied to the women collective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Expenditure effects of metropolitan tax base sharing: A public choice analysis

This research explores probable budgetary consequences from the introduction of an institutional change which requires communities in metropolitan areas to pool any growth in the commercial-industrial tax base so that all cities benefit from new development irrespective of where the development occurs. Sharing of the tax base has been suggested as a means to overcome fiscal disparities among local governments in metropolitan areas and to reduce competition for new industrial development, thus, promoting ‘orderly development’ of the urban area. An alternative view of the institutional change focuses on the consequences of removing the tax base from the control of the local unit of government and suggests that based upon existing studies of government size and the cost of public services, government managers will be less responsive to the wishes of the citizen/taxpayer after the introduction of tax base sharing. The efficiency aspects of local government finance are examined and based upon data for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, the expenditure effects are estimated. The empirical evidence suggests that while revenue flows are altered in the metropolitan areas, the primary impact of tax base sharing has been to expand the level of government expenditures, not equalize interjurisdictional tax rates.     

Historical perspectives on crime in England

A.B., DePauw University 1949; A.M., University of Pennsylvania 1950; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania 1953.     

Death caused by accidental hanging in the hand strap loop of a garage door

The authors report on a 10-year-old boy who accidentally hanged himself in the hand strap of a garage door. The door was an electric overhead door of an underground garage. The accident was reconstructed at the scene using a dummy. The strap of the door was long enough to be slipped over the head easily. In view of this background it seems advisable to consider whether the current safety regulations on the operation of electric doors should be changed accordingly.     

Unusual carbon monoxide poisoning

Despite of indicative death scenes or characteristic findings of the external examination, about 40% of the accidental fatal intoxications due to carbon monoxide are not recognized before the performance of the autopsy. Six cases are reported which illustrate possible reasons for the delayed establishment of the diagnosis: unusual circumstances of the intoxication or sources of carbon monoxide, only subtle degree or lack of external signs of the intoxication or a competing cause of death at autopsy.--Cases 1 and 2: 53, respectively 54-year-old couple, found dead in a caravan, extreme putrefaction of the bodies, spectrophotometric detection of the fatal carboxyhaemoglobin level in oedema fluid of the scalp.--Case 3: 23-year-old lorry driver, found dead in the tightly closed cab of his lorry, operation of a source of electricity with "environmentally friendly" fuel, carboxyhaemoglobin level 83%.--Case 4: 19-year-old man, found dead in the flat of friends, removal of the CO-source before alerting the police forces, lack of the bright pink coloration of livor mortis, haemopericardium due to atrial rupture at postmortem examination, carboxyhaemoglobin level 65%.--Case 5: 27-year-old man, found dead in his flat, advanced decomposition of the body, residues of a charcoal fire in a metal bucket in the sink, carboxyhaemoglobin level 80%.--Case 6: 42-year-old woman, lying dead in the garage beside her car, engine switched-off, ignition key next to the body on the floor under the car, carboxyhaemoglobin level 46%.     

Death in homes for the aged/nursing homes from the legal medicine viewpoint

Following the death of 16 inhabitants of a nursing home within a period of 2 weeks, the prosecution ordered legal autopsies in all of the cases, which had not yet been buried or cremated, suspecting a neglect of nursing or active euthanasia respectively. Two out of a total of ten cases revealed drug overdoses which could have explained death. However, due to concurring causes of death, the evidence could not be furnished with adequate security. In the present case, the examinations helped--already in a preliminary stage of the investigations--to prevent the authorities from more expensive proceedings as well as the respective nursing home from being unjustly suspected of having committed a criminal offense.     

Online reference database of European Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) haplotypes

The reference database of highly informative Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) haplotypes (YHRD), available online at http://ystr.charite.de, represents the largest collection of male-specific genetic profiles currently available for European populations. By September 2000, YHRD contained 4688 9-locus (so-called "minimal") haplotypes, 40% of which have been extended further to include two additional loci. Establishment of YHRD has been facilitated by the joint efforts of 31 forensic and anthropological institutions. All contributing laboratories have agreed to standardize their Y-STR haplotyping protocols and to participate in a quality assurance exercise prior to the inclusion of any data. In view of its collaborative character, and in order to put YHRD to its intended use, viz. the support of forensic caseworkers in their routine decision-making process, the database has been made publicly available via the Internet in February 2000. Online searches for complete or partial Y-STR haplotypes from evidentiary or non-probative material can be performed on a non-commercial basis, and yield observed haplotype counts as well as extrapolated population frequency estimates. In addition, the YHRD website provides information about the quality control test, genotyping protocols, haplotype formats and informativity, population genetic analysis, literature references, and a list of contact addresses of the contributing laboratories.