Characteristics of Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices Accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners

The National Association of Medical Examiners accredits medical examiner and coroner offices. Approximately 60 offices were fully or provisionally accredited as of late 2011, and these offices serve one‐quarter of the U.S. population. The calculated average population served was 1.6M but ranged from 0.3 to 10.5M. The calculated mean death rate was 794 deaths/100K population, and the mean homicide rate was 7.2 homicides/100K population. The calculated mean budget was $4.35M, but budgets ranged from $0.67 to $26.8M. The calculated mean budget/capita was $3.02 but ranged from $0.62 to $10.22. The average size of the facility was under 30,000 sq. ft. The calculated average staffing was found to include five forensic pathologists, four and a half autopsy technicians, and nine investigators. The mean forensic pathologists/1M population was 3.7. Calculated workload indices included 222 autopsies/pathologist and an autopsy rate of 77.6/100K population. These results show that offices of every size can achieve accreditation.     

Differentials in overall and cause-specific mortality among infants born in and out of wedlock,Stockholm 1878–1925

This study investigates differentials in the decline of cause-specific infant mortality by marital status of the mother in Stockholm (1878–1925) and factors contributing to the explanation of these differentials using computerized records of individual entries from the Roteman Archives. Included in the analysis were 120,094 children less than 1 year of age who lived in Södermalm during this period. Cause-specific mortality rates were calculated for three time periods. Cox's regression analysis was used to study the relationship between overall and cause-specific risk of infant death and of being born in and out of wedlock in relation to a set of variables. Infant mortality rates and mortality risks were higher among children born out of rather than in wedlock. The most pronounced differentials in cause-specific mortality rates between these groups of children were seen in cases of diarrhea. The socioeconomic status of the household head and number of children in the household were statistically significant with infant mortality, but explain only part of the excess mortality risk of children born out of wedlock. In Stockholm at the turn of the 19th century being born out of wedlock was strongly associated with poor health outcomes, particularly in diarrheal diseases, pneumonia/bronchitis, and immaturity/congenital causes.     

罪犯死亡处理与救济法律问题研究

罪犯死亡依其性质分为正常死亡和非正常死亡两类。对死亡罪犯依法予以救济是化解监狱与罪犯家属矛盾的关键所在。罪犯死亡法律救济主要包括适用《国家赔偿法》的刑事赔偿、适用民法的民事赔偿、参照相关法律实施的经济补偿或赔偿以及按照国家有关规定给予奖励等四种渠道与方式;而罪犯自杀死亡和正常死亡则不存在法律救济问题。为了使罪犯死亡的处理与救济建立在稳定可靠的法制基础上,现阶段需要通过进一步修改《监狱法》、制定出台《罪犯死亡处理办法》、修改司法部《司法行政机关行政赔偿、刑事赔偿办法》和《罪犯工伤补偿办法（试行）》,以加强罪犯死亡处理与救济的制度体系建设。     

Punctual selves,punctual death and the health-conscious cogito: Descartes’ dead bodies

Abstract

This paper reflects critically on the late-modern obsession with health by presenting Descartes as an almost ideal type of the health-conscious subject. Descartes’ life, works and death are interpreted from the unlikely combination of the theoretical perspectives of Charles Taylor and Jean Baudrillard. Despite significant differences, both of these theorists rely heavily on Weber's concept of disenchantment, and each develops a ‘punctual’ concept in their analysis of modernity. Specifically, the paper combines Taylor's ‘punctual self’, which can remake itself at will, with Baudrillard's ‘punctual death’, which presents death as a meaningless terminus. Viewing Descartes through these punctual concepts, it becomes clear that the extensive anatomical investigations he conducted throughout his career shaped his uniquely modern stance towards death and health. However, Descartes maintained an ambivalent relationship with traditional conceptions of death and health, which prevented him from fully embracing modern health-consciousness. The paper concludes with a reconsideration of Descartes’ ‘premature’ death, which invites critical reflection on the role that the predictable behaviour of health-conscious subjects plays in the ever-expanding biomedical order.     

Death penalty sentiment in the United States

Pro-death penalty sentiment, at its all-time low in 1966 at 42% of the country's adult population, steadily rose to 71% in 1986. This average percentage varies widely for various subgroups of the population-as widely as between 43 and 93% at the extremes: political leanings, ethnic background, sex, and economic status are the main determinants. Death penalty sentiments are not of uniform strength: about one-third of the pro-death penalty population might give up their position if the alternative were life without parole and if they were convinced that the death penalty is not a deterrent. In the main, death penalty sentiment is not determined by utilitarian considerations but by moralistic ones, which in turn are part of the liberal-conservative dividing lines.     

诗意的活着--史铁生作品的生命意识透析

坎坷的人生经历,引发了史铁生对生与死的深层思考:明了死是一个无需寻求而必然会降临的节日,人应珍视生之"过程".从个人的苦难中审视并发现整个人类生命存在的状态是与生俱存的永恒困境,并试图指出人类走出困境的求赎之路--从绝对独立自由的精神上实现超越,由敬畏生命而谱写出一曲人类不屈的生命壮歌.     

从中外反腐的经验教训 看全面落实“三个代表”的重要性

纵览中外一些历史王朝的兴亡和世界上一些大党老党的成败,可以看到,人心向背是决定一个政党、一个政权兴亡的根本性因素。新时期,深入开展反腐败斗争是全面落实"三个代表"重要思想的本质要求和题中之义。     

防卫过当概念探微

刑法学界对防卫过当的定义有失科学 ,这源于学者对我国刑法第 2 0条第二款规定的错误解读 ,该规定不是对防卫过当的定义 ,只是对其中构成犯罪的情形做了规定 ;正当防卫的防卫限度条件是“不得超过必要限度造成不应有的损害” ,而不是“不得明显超过必要限度造成重大损害” ;防卫过当既可以构成犯罪 ,也可以是一般违法行为 ,还可以成立意外事件 ,其主观上可以欠缺过错 ;防卫过当可以存在假想防卫中 ,成立假想防卫过当     

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema in live birth determination: radiographic and gross pathologic features

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) has previously been reported as a useful finding in the determination of live birth in cases where the birth and death were not attended. Herein, we present the radiographic and gross pathologic features of PIE in such a case. In this instance, in addition to parenchymal interstitial emphysema, there were subpleural air collections and a pneumothorax.