Significant association of TH01 allele 9.3 and SIDS

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) constitutes a considerable percentage of infant death of unknown etiology. Individual catecholamine response variation is suspected to play a role in SIDS. TH01 is a tetrameric short tandem repeat marker in the tyrosine hydroxylase gene, which regulates gene expression and catecholamine production with allele 9.3 exerting a particularly strong effect on noradrenaline production. We investigated in an age-controlled study the TH01 allele frequencies in 127 cases of SIDS and 406 control cases to assess whether in SIDS cases a distinct TH01 allele distribution could be determined as has been reported by a previous study. We found that genotypes containing one or two 9.3 alleles were significantly more frequent in SIDS patients (58.2%) than in control subjects (48.4%, p=0.038), whereas all other alleles were more frequent in the control subjects. Our findings support the notion that there exists a significant association between TH01 gene configuration and SIDS.     

Neck and scleral hemorrhage in drowning

The determination of the cause and manner of death for a body recovered from the water can be difficult because of a lack of autopsy findings specific for drowning. This case report describes a 30-year-old man found submerged at the bottom of a hotel pool. An autopsy revealed scleral hemorrhages and fascial hemorrhages of multiple muscles of the anterior and posterior neck bilaterally. No evidence of traumatic injury was on the surface of the body. An investigation by law enforcement found no evidence of foul play. The occurrence of petechial and neck hemorrhage in a body recovered from the water is controversial, and a review of this literature will be given. We suggest that fascial hemorrhages of the muscles of the neck, as well as cephalic hemorrhages, can be explained by drowning-related elevated central venous pressure that is communicated to the head through the valveless veins of the neck.     

Essential medicolegal death investigation services: standardization of a survey instrument based on the Essential Public Health Services

The National Academy of Sciences recommends that states assess the performance of medicolegal death investigation agencies. To aid in performance assessment, we adapted an instrument based on the CDC's 10 Essential Public Health Services by translating the terminology to that of essential medicolegal death investigation services. This produced a survey that could be used to standardize reporting practices and services of agencies. To validate the instrument, a stratified random sample of 12 death investigation chiefs in 12 states was interviewed. This sample represented both medical examiner and coroner jurisdictions within the varying medicolegal structures. A cognitive testing process elicited how well participants could respond to and interpret the survey questions. The response was favorable in that the respondents agreed that given specific revisions toward question clarification, the instrument would be a useful and relevant tool for assessing system performance.     

窦房结中央动脉狭窄与心源性猝死

近年来国内外学者相继报道由单纯窦房结中央动脉狭窄引起的猝死。本文就窦房结中央动脉的解剖、组织学特点、病变特点进行综述,探讨窦房结动脉狭窄引起猝死的机制,以期为相关法医病理学死因鉴定提供理论基础。     

Macroscopic observations of the effects of varying fresh water pH on bone

Little is known about the decomposition of remains in aquatic environments of varying pH, and even less is known about the specific effects of these environments on bone. Bovine bones were placed in solutions of pH 1, 4, 7, 10, and 14 and observed over a period of 1 year. All solutions eventually removed or dissolved the soft tissues from the external surface of the bone. The pH 7 and pH 10 solutions had little effect on the bone, but the other solutions affected the bone to varying degrees. Extreme pH levels were the most destructive, while more moderate pH levels had lesser but significant and interesting effects. Empirical data on postmortem aquatic changes may be extremely useful in forensic contexts for both improving time since death estimates and also for providing better information to underwater recovery experts thereby potentially increasing the quantity and quality of remains recovery.     

Comparison of Decomposition Rates and Faunal Colonization of Carrion in Indoor and Outdoor Environments

Abstract: Decomposition and insect colonization of pig (Sus scrofa L.) carcasses were observed over a 42‐day period inside and outside a house in a suburban region of Edmonton, Alberta. Three freshly killed pig carcasses were placed outdoors on grass and three carcasses were placed in separate rooms inside a house in a suburban residential area. The carcasses were examined and sampled regularly. Outside carcasses were colonized rapidly by Calliphora vicina (R‐D), Lucilia sericata (Meigen), Lucilia illustris (Meigen), Eucalliphora latifrons (Hough), Cynomya cadaverina (R‐D), Phormia regina (Meigen), and Protophormia terraenovae (R‐D). There was a delay of 5 days before inside carcasses were first colonized but all species except E. latifrons and L. illustris readily colonized at this time. Many more insects colonized the outside carcasses, and these were rapidly skeletonized. Inside, much fewer insects were present and decomposition was slowed and colonization extended. Dispersal patterns of postfeeding larvae inside the house on hard substrate were greatly expanded compared with those from carcasses on grass.     

中国应对海上溢油生态损害的立法进路

依据中国现行法应对渤海溢油事故,行政罚款的力度有限,生态损害索赔的现行法依据不足,重大环境污染事故罪也难认定。建立海上溢油损害赔偿机制、确立海洋溢油生态损害防治各项制度,是中国应对海上溢油生态损害的当务之举。以生态系统管理理念为指导思想,以增进生态利益的保护和预防、控制生态损害发生为立法目标,确立海洋生态系统管理立法模式,完善海洋生态系统管理法律制度建设,是应对海上溢油生态损害的立法进路。     

论吸食新型毒品的管制

近年来,我国新型毒品有取代传统毒品的趋势。政府对吸食新型毒品的管制可分为出现法律真空、以地方管制为主、调整和统一戒毒模式三个阶段,具有受管制的新型毒品种类不断扩大、吸食新型毒品的管制日趋严厉、寻求司法与社会、医疗体系间的紧密合作三个特点。当前吸食新型毒品管制存在的问题是：强制隔离戒毒放大了惩处威慑功能、社区戒毒与社区康复管理措施不配套、自愿戒毒增加了复吸重罚的可能性。应转变理念,坚持人文关怀精神;明确社区戒毒定位,制定配套措施;鼓励自愿戒毒,减少管制成本。     

富人治村与乡镇的治理逻辑

当前普通农业型村庄的富人治村状况和乡镇治理能力表明,当前的富人治村与传统社会的乡绅治村截然不同,前者更多的是一种行政逻辑,很少积极主动地回应村庄内部的治理需求;后者则是一种自治逻辑,是基于乡村社会内生秩序与治理需求的考虑。相应地,依赖富人治村的乡镇治理逻辑已不再是与传统乡绅治村相适应的简约治理逻辑,而是一种治理逻辑,即依赖富人治村只是乡镇应对其治理能力衰弱,以实现各类行政和治理目标的策略。     

流动人口犯罪对策研究

随着城市化进程的推进,大量流动人口涌进城市,随之而来的是居高不下的流动人口犯罪,流动人口犯罪成为危及城市社会稳定的重要因素。因此,深刻剖析流动人口犯罪的现状和原因,并提出有针对性的对策成为当务之急。