Suicide by blasting caps: a case study of rare cranial trauma

Suicide is a deliberate act of ending one's life. Suicide by use of any explosive device, when not involved in a terrorist act, is quite rare in occurrence when compared with other methods routinely utilized. In this paper, we present to the medicolegal community a case of an adult male who committed suicide with blasting caps and the subsequent extensive damage to the cranial hard tissue. Although the cause and manner of death were relatively straightforward, consultation with forensic anthropologists was requested for an anthropological trauma assessment of the highly fragmented skull. After the skull was cleaned and reconstructed, the analysis revealed similarities between blasting cap trauma to the head and high velocity gunshot trauma to the head. Therefore, in a case where some evidence may have been removed or destroyed, forensic analysis involving trauma of this magnitude could result in a misinterpretation of the true mechanism responsible for the osseous damage. In this case, cooperation among the law enforcement agency, coroner's investigators, the forensic pathologist, and forensic anthropologists provided a comprehensive death case analysis.     

利用中国汉族成人股骨上端CR片特征判定年龄

目的探讨中国汉族成人股骨上端CR片的特征随年龄变化的规律,以推断年龄。方法 277例中国汉族成人骨盆正位CR片,其中男性139例,年龄范围18-83岁,女性138例,年龄范围18-85岁,选取股骨上端的股骨头、股骨颈、大转子内的骨小梁及股骨上端髓腔高度四项指标,观察不同年龄各指标的变化进行统计分析。结果成人股骨头、股骨颈骨小梁变化和股骨上端髓腔高度是影响45岁以下年龄变化的重要因素,股骨大转子影响较小。四项指标对45岁以上年龄组均是影响年龄变化的重要因素。利用以上指标建立的回归方程能很好的反映成人股骨上端的增龄性变化,预测骨龄较为准确。结论利用成人股骨头、股骨颈、股骨大转子内骨小梁的改变及股骨上端髓腔高度变化可推断年龄。     

Predictability of Physical and Psychological Violence by Early Adverse Childhood Experiences

Early Adverse Childhood experiences (ACEs) in families of origin can take the form of witnessing it and/or being its victim, both of which can lead to the occurrence of domestic violence. Given such close linkage, the purpose of the present study was to determine the predictive abilities of ACEs regarding specific types of physical and psychological violence. To do so, 50 couples from those referred to five different family courts in Tehran to seek divorce due to domestic violence, were randomly selected and administered an author’s-made questionnaire assessing different types of physical and psychological violence and the participant’s history of abuse by their parents. Our findings showed that witnessing domestic violence in childhood can predict different types of physical and psychological violence, but mostly could account for “hitting” of the physical type and “cursing” of the psychological type. Similarly, being the victim of domestic violence mostly accounted for predict “strangling” of the physical type and “cursing” of the psychological type. Such results are discussed in the context of the existing literature and underscore ACEs importance in terms of their predictive ability of various types of physical and psychological violence.     

The quantification of fingerprint quality using a relative contrast index

Research into fingermark enhancement techniques has traditionally used visual comparisons and qualitative methods to assess their effectiveness based on the quality of the developed fingermark. However, with increasing research into the optimisation of these techniques the need for a quantitative evaluative method has arisen. Parameters for acceptable fingerprint quality are not well defined and generally encompass clear, sharp edges and high levels of contrast between the fingermark ridges and background material. Using these current parameters, a conclusive measurement of fingerprint quality and thus the effectiveness of development techniques cannot be achieved.This study presents a model through which an aspect of fingerprint quality can be objectively and impartially measured based on a relative contrast index, constructed through measuring the reflective intensity of the fingermark ridges against the background material. Using a fibre-optic spectrophotometer attached to a microscope with axial illumination, the intensity counts of the ridge detail and background material were measured and a logarithmic contrast index constructed. The microscope and spectrophotometer parameters were experimentally tested using a standard colour resolution chart with known reflective properties. The protocol was successfully applied to four sample groups: black inked fingerprints on white paper; latent fingermarks on white paper developed separately with ninhydrin and physical developer; and fingermarks in blood deposited on white tiles and enhanced with amido black. The contrast indices obtained quantitatively reflect the level of contrast and provide an indication of fingerprint quality through a numerical representation rather than previous qualitative methods. It has been suggested that the proposed method of fingerprint quantification may be viable for application in the forensic research arena as it allows the definitive measurement of contrast to aid the evaluation of fingermark detection and enhancement techniques.     

Sex estimation from the mastoid process among North Indians

Determination of sex from fragmentary crania is a critical problem in forensic anthropology. Osteometric analysis of mastoid can serve forensic anthropologists better in sex identification by virtue of the noticeable dimorphic characteristics. The present study aims to develop population-specific, sex-differentiating anthropometric standards for the mastoid process of North Indian skulls. Eight parameters of the mastoid region were measured on 138 adult crania (M/F 104:34, 22-65 years) and analyzed using SPSS 16.0. All parameters showed significant sexual dimorphism (p < 0.000). In stepwise analysis, asterion-mastoidale and mastoid breadth have provided an accuracy of 87%. Receiver operating characteristic curves were obtained for each variable to observe their overall performance in sex determination. Posterior end of incisura mastoidea-depression of suprameatal triangle was found to be the best variable with maximum area under curve and highest predictive accuracy (82.6%).     

Relationships Between Adult Women’s Mental Health Problems and their Childhood Experiences of Parental Violence and Psychological Aggression

We used the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (M. A. Straus, S. L. Hamby, D. Finkelhor, D. W. Moore, & D. Runyan, 1998) to assess retrospectively women’s childhood experiences of both mother and father physical abuse and psychological aggression, and assessed mother and father alcohol problems based on criteria derived from the Family History Research Diagnostic Criteria (N. C. Andreasen, J. Endicott, R. L. Spitzer, & G. Winokur, 1977). Data were collected from 447 women (age 18 or higher) from seven domestic violence programs and five substance use disorder treatment programs in a midwestern state. Using OLS regression with backward elimination (p < .10 as criterion for removal from the equation) we found that higher levels of mother physical abuse, father psychological aggression, and presence of mother alcohol problems predicted higher scores on the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Trauma Symptom Checklist. Higher levels of mother physical abuse and father psychological aggression predicted higher scores on the Beck Depression Inventory. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

论中国现代儿童文学发生期的审美困境

中国儿童文学在五四时期获得了现代品格,但是仍然经受着多重审美困扰.中国儿童文学这一发生期的审美困境大致有四:"未来之民"的儿童观底蕴深厚,暗含教化思想的文学观的变相延续,童心主义所致的玄美,单纯强调儿童的"现在"性导致的矫枉过正等.这些困境在整个二十世纪的中国儿童文学中都不同程度存在,对此加以探讨可以为当代儿童文学的审美提供历史借鉴.     

Performing the ‘India Permitida’: The Counter-Gift of Indigenous Women Targeted by a Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (Chile)

Relying on ethnographic data, this article critically analyses the pro-mining position adopted in Chile's Atacama Region by a group of Diaguita women who benefited from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to revive indigenous culture. While the desire to escape from poverty (salir adelante, moving forward) appears as the main reason for participating, the benefits generated a sense of indebtedness resulting in allegiance to the company. The investigation also shows how this programme played a part in building a scenario in which indigenous females perform subjects apparently more suited than men to the neoliberal and multiculturalist governmentality of the Chilean State, whose politics favours mining.     

“耳听为虚”“无法言说”与“死亡的沉默”——对语言使用的方法论反思

"话语""叙事""文本"等材料的使用在社会科学研究中占据了相当大的比例,对这些材料的使用和限制已经有相当数量的讨论和反思。本文在认知人类学对"通过语言的转译来研究文化"这一现象进行批判的基础上,探讨三种"非话语""非叙事""无文本"的情况,即"眼见为实,耳听为虚"(语言的欺骗性以及思维与语言的不对应)、"无法言说"与"说不出口"(无论是由于文化上的羞愧还是道德准则的限制)以及由死亡带来的沉默(死亡本身以及那些"还没来得及说的")。本文试图通过这三种不同类型的案例来关注语言与现实的不完全对应,反思语言与文化更为复杂、不确定的关系,以引起对不同田野调查材料的关注,进而丰富以语言为中心的方法论讨论。     

警察院校警体第二课堂探究

对若干警察院校的调查发现,警体第二课堂的开展,除个别院校常设有与警体内容有直接联系的专业训练外,绝大部分院校是以学生“自主锻炼”为主要形式.针对其成因,应从深化认识,重新定位警体第二课堂的价值取向;健全制度,为学生积极主动参与提供动力支持;正确引导,树立警察终身职业锻炼意识;科学设置,不断丰富和完善具有专业特色的警体第二课堂结构;完善保障,为警体第二课堂的长效运转提供坚实基础等方面促进,推动以学生为主体的警体教育模式改革.