The black soldier-fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera, Stratiomyidae), used to estimate the postmortem interval in a case in Amapá State, Brazil

The black soldier-fly (Hermetia illucens) is a generalist detritivore which is commonly present in corpses in later stages of decomposition and may be useful in forensic entomology. This paper describes the estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) based on the life cycle of the black soldier-fly in a case in northern Brazil. A male child was abducted from his home and 42 days later his corpse was found in an advanced stage of decay. Two black soldier-fly larvae were found associated with the body. The larvae emerged as adults after 25-26 days. Considering the development cycle of H. illucens, the date of oviposition was estimated as 24-25 days after abduction. Since H. illucens usually (but not always) colonizes corpses in more advanced stages of decay, this estimate is consistent with the hypothesis that the child was killed immediately after abduction.     

Diesel fumes do kill: a case of fatal carbon monoxide poisoning directly attributed to diesel fuel exhaust with a 10-year retrospective case and literature review*

While it is known that diesel fuel combustion engines produce much lower concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) than gasoline engines, these emissions could certainly generate lethal ambient concentrations given a sufficient amount of time in an enclosed space and under suitable environmental conditions. The authors report a case of CO poisoning which was initially referred for autopsy as a presumed natural death of a truck driver found in the secure cab of a running diesel tractor trailer truck. Completion of the preliminary investigation ascribed death to complications of ischemic heart disease (IHD), pending toxicological analysis that included quantification of CO. When the toxicology results showed lethal blood COHbg, the cause of death was re-certified as CO intoxication secondary to inhalation of (diesel) vehicular exhaust fumes. Because of the unique source of fatal CO intoxication in this case, the contributory IHD and the possible contaminants in the putrefied blood, a 10-year retrospective review was conducted on all nonfire related CO deaths autopsied (n = 94) at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Louisville, KY from 1994 to 2003. For validation of the COHbg detection method used by the Kentucky Office of Forensic Toxicology (KYOFT), blood samples from these cases along with controls were submitted to three laboratories using various analytical methods yielding no statistically significant differences. Lastly, an extensive literature review produced no scientifically reported cases of fatal CO poisoning attributed to diesel fuel exhaust.     

Elevated morphine concentrations determined during infant death investigations: artifacts of withdrawal of care

Abstract:  Three cases are reported of elevated postmortem blood morphine concentrations (189–3036 ng/mL) that were observed during the course of death investigations involving three children ranging in age from 1 week to 2 years, all of whom underwent withdrawal of life support. In all three cases, the presence of opiates in postmortem blood was indicated by immunoassay (ELISA) and quantitative confirmatory analysis of free morphine concentrations in postmortem blood was performed by solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in the selected ion monitoring mode. While the practice of withdrawing life support from terminally ill patients, with the accompanying administration of narcotics/analgesics has been reported in the medical literature, it has not been adequately described in the forensic literature. The implications of this practice on the forensic toxicological interpretation of morphine findings are discussed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of postmortem morphine concentrations arising directly from administration in conjunction with withdrawal of care in pediatric patients.     

大鼠死后肌动蛋白降解与死亡时间的相关性

目的观察大鼠死后不同时间心肌、肝、脾、肺、肾、脑和骨骼肌肌动蛋白（actin）的降解规律,为晚期死亡时间（postmortem interval,PMI）的推断寻找客观指标。方法28只SD大鼠随机分为7组,经机械性窒息致死后．分别置于20℃恒温箱内,于0、24、48、72、96、120和168h后剖取以上器官,应用免疫印迹技术检测各组织内actin的含量,SPSS11．5软件对所得数据进行方差分析。结果大鼠死后上述各器官actin含量均随PMI的延长而逐渐下降,与PMI相关,决定系数（R2）均在0．75以上。但actin在上述各器官内的降解速度有显著差异（P〈O．05）,在脑组织中降解速度最快,其余依次为肺、脾、肝、肾、心肌和骨骼肌。结论尽管大鼠死后心肌、肝、脾、肺、肾、脑和骨骼肌actin的降解规律具有组织差异性,但是actin在上述组织中的含量变化与PMI相关．有助于较晚期PMI的推断。     

Beyond opportunism: Intermediary loyalty in regulation and governance

Regulators and other governors rely on intermediaries to set and implement policies and to regulate targets. Existing literatures focus heavily on intermediaries of a single type – Opportunists, motivated solely by self-interest. But intermediaries can also be motivated by different types of loyalty: to leaders (Vassals), to policies (Zealots), or to institutions (Mandarins). While all three types of loyalists are resistant to the traditional problems of opportunism (slacking and capture), each brings pathologies of its own. We explain the behavioral logic of each type of loyalty and analyze the risks and rewards of different intermediary loyalties – both for governors and for the public interest. We illustrate our claims with examples drawn from many different realms of regulation and governance.     

Pig-mentation: postmortem iris color change in the eyes of Sus scrofa

Experienced forensic pathologists and examiners may be familiar with the phenomenon of postmortem iris color change; however, only Knight, Simpson's forensic medicine, Arnold, London, 1997; Ref. 1 and Saukko and Knight, Knight's forensic pathology, 3rd ed., Arnold, London, 2004; Ref. 2 have referred to it in the literature, and to date, there have been no published scientific research studies on this taphonomic artifact. A controlled experiment was conducted of postmortem changes to isolated Sus scrofa eyes. The eyes (n = 137) were separated into three groups and each sample was observed for 3-day postmortem at a different temperature. In addition, a Sus scrofa head was obtained to observe postmortem changes of eyes in situ. All isolated blue eyes in the experiment, at room temperature and higher, changed to brown/black within 48 h. The in situ blue eye, at room temperature, turned brown/black within 72 h. If iris color consistently changes postmortem in humans, then this taphonomic artifact must be incorporated into victim identification protocol, including disaster victim identification software, and autopsy reports to prevent inaccurate victim identification and inappropriate exclusion from the identification process.     

有关WTO规则在我国适用的若干法律问题

我国加入世界贸易组织已有数年。但WTO规则究竟应怎样在我国国内予以适用与实施的问题,至今为止,理论界尚无定谳,立法上更无统一、明确的规定,最近通过的宪法修正案亦未提及。不过,在这一问题上,该组织其他成员方在立法与实践中的诸多做法,将无疑为我国立法机关和司法部门提供有益的参考与借鉴。     

法院制度功能之比较研究

法院制度之功能经历了历史演化 ,尤其是近现代以来 ,现代法院的地位、作用和传统法院相比较 ,有更加明显的变化。本文运用结构———功能的方法探析了现代法院制度和传统法院制度的异同 ,指出两种类型的法院制度在纠纷解决这一直接功能和社会控制、权力制约、形成公共政策等延伸性功能方面表现出来的变化 ,值得关注研究。     

The Preference for Indirect Harm

We presented subjects pairs of hypothetical scenarios. The action in each scenario harmed some people in order to aid others. In one member of the pair, the harm was a direct result of the action. In the other member, it was an indirect byproduct. Subjects preferred the indirect harm to the direct harm. This result could not be fully explained in terms of differences in judgments about which option was more active, more intentional, more likely to cause harm, or more subject to the disapproval of others. Taken together, these findings provide evidence for a new bias in judgment, a tendency to favor indirectly harmful options over directly harmful alternatives, irrespective of the associated outcomes, intentions, or self-presentational concerns. We speculate that this bias could originate from the use of a typical but somewhat unreliable property of harmful acts, their directness, as a cue to moral evaluation. We discuss the implications of the bias for a range of social issues, including the distinction between passive and active euthanasia, legal deterrence, and the rhetoric of affirmative action.     

西宁市猪圆环病毒2型感染的流行病学调查

用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测了西宁市8个规模养殖场和部分散养户的161份猪血清样品的猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)抗体。结果显示,所有被检猪场均有PCV2抗体阳性猪存在,161份血清样品中PCV2抗体阳性率为86.95%。从上述样品中随机抽取28份样品,用PCR方法检测了PCV2 ORF1基因;结果,从13份血清中扩增到了特异性PCV2 ORF1基因,阳性率为46.42%。证实,西宁市猪场和散养猪群中存在PCV2感染。