Death from Barotrauma Due to Compressed Air: A Medico‐legal Analysis

Lesions of the digestive tract due to barotrauma resulting from compressed air application are not common, are rarely lethal, and largely affect the sigmoid and descending colon. Moreover, their pathogenic mechanism is a topic of discussion because these lesions have multiple characteristics. Here, the authors describe an autoptic case of death from lesions of the ascending and transverse segments, with perforations and bleeding suffusions as well as ischemic areas covered the colonic wall that was extremely thinned, congested, and hemorrhagic, with considerable flattening leading to disappearance of the mucosal folds and with numerous petechial hemorrhages. The pathological framework of lung congestion made it possible to identify the mechanism responsible for this death as depletion of the heart's pumping function, which contributed significantly to the acute respiratory failure due to respiratory distress as well as to reduced mobility of the diaphragm due to intestinal distension. Acute heart failure played an important role in this death.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Protective and Risk Factors in 18 Survivors of a Plane Crash

The aim of this study is to identify protective and risk factors related to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on a sample of survivors from a single plane crash. Eighteen survivors were examined 6 months following the event. The subjects all underwent psychiatric interviews, Clinician‐Administered PTSD Scale structured interviews, personality and cognitive tests. Only 38.9% of them presented with all of the symptoms of PTSD; 22.2% showed no symptoms for PTSD; remaining survivors exhibited emotional/affective symptoms related to the event. In addition to the severity of the traumatic event itself, other risk factors identified were the loss of a relative, the manifestation of depressive symptoms, and the severity of physical injuries sustained. Low levels of hostility and high levels of self‐efficacy represented protective factors against developing PTSD.     

Suicidal Nitrogen Inhalation by use of Scuba Full‐Face Diving Mask

A 29‐year‐old man was found dead lying on the bed in a hotel room in a famous Slovak mountain resort. He had a full‐face diving mask on his face, connected through a diving breath regulator to a valve of an industrial (nondiving) high‐pressure tank containing pure 100% nitrogen. The breath regulator (open‐circuit type) used allowed inhalation of nitrogen without addition of open air, and the full‐face diving mask assured aspiration of the gas even during the time of unconsciousness. At autopsy, we found the typical signs of suffocation. Toxicological analysis revealed 94.7% content of nitrogen in alveolar air. Following the completion of the police investigation, the manner of death was classified as a suicide. Within the medico‐legal literature, there has been only one similar case of suicidal nitrogen inhalation described (1).     

Comparing Methods to Assess Intraobserver Measurement Error of 3D Craniofacial Landmarks Using Geometric Morphometrics Through a Digitizer Arm

Intraobserver error (INTRA‐OE) is the difference between repeated measurements of the same variable made by the same observer. The objective of this work was to evaluate INTRA‐OE from 3D landmarks registered with a Microscribe, in different datasets: (A) the 3D coordinates, (B) linear measurements calculated from A, and (C) the six‐first principal component axes. INTRA‐OE was analyzed by digitizing 42 landmarks from 23 skulls in three events two weeks apart from each other. Systematic error was tested through repeated measures ANOVA (ANOVA‐RM), while random error through intraclass correlation coefficient. Results showed that the largest differences between the three observations were found in the first dataset. Some anatomical points like nasion, ectoconchion, temporosphenoparietal, asterion, and temporomandibular presented the highest INTRA‐OE. In the second dataset, local distances had higher INTRA‐OE than global distances while the third dataset showed the lowest INTRA‐OE.     

Assessment of walkway tribometer readings in evaluating slip resistance: a gait-based approach

The purpose of this study was to assess the viability of using slip risk (as quantified during human subject walking trials) to create a reference standard against which tribometer readings could be compared. First, human subjects (N=84) were used to rank objectively the slipperiness of three different surfaces with and without a contaminant (six conditions). Second, nine tribometers were used to independently measure and rank surface slipperiness for all six conditions. The slipperiness ranking determined from the walking trials was considered the reference against which the tribometer measurements were compared. Our results revealed that only two of the nine tribometers tested (Tortus II and Mark III) met our compliance criteria by both correctly ranking all six conditions and differentiating between surfaces of differing degrees of slipperiness. These findings reinforce the need for objective criteria to ascertain which tribometers effectively evaluate floor slipperiness and a pedestrian's risk of slipping.     

静脉气体栓塞的研究进展

气体栓塞是一种较多见而又威胁生命的医疗操作并发症,在法医学实践中也时有所遇,但易被检验者所忽略;也常因尸体放置较久而给法医学检验和鉴定带来困难。在此综述了静脉气体栓塞的病因、病理生理变化、临床表现及诊断和法医学鉴定的意义及注意事项,认为超声心动图、CT和MRI等现代成像技术在气体栓塞的临床诊断和法医学鉴定中有积极的辅助作用。     

利用不同鞋种鞋印长度推断身高差值探究

目的研究不同鞋种的鞋印长度与赤足平面足迹长度的差值数据,为利用现场各类不同穿鞋足迹分析身高等人身特点提供科学依据,也为足迹定量化分析与检验奠定基础。方法针对犯罪现场中常见鞋种,选取不同的鞋号,采集对不同足长、身高的实验者正常行走所捺印的穿鞋样本与赤足样本,对穿鞋足迹鞋印长度与赤足足迹长度进行统计与计算。结果得出不同鞋种鞋印长度与赤足平面足迹长度的差值数据。结论应用现场穿鞋足迹分析身高等人身特点时,应针对不同的鞋种,减去相关系数,结合原有身高分析公式,综合分析身高。     

临床法医学鉴定损伤系数的研究及展望

在临床法医鉴定和司法实践中 ,对于不同致伤因子、不同性质、不同部位的边缘性和多元性损伤如何评定 ,对《人体重伤鉴定标准》第 93条、《人体轻伤鉴定标准 (试行 )》第 5 3条如何正确理解和运用 ,本文引入“损伤系数”并就损伤系数的概念、公式来源、应用及在法医鉴定中的意义等进行了综述 ,以期对人体损伤的定量评定这一问题的解决有所推动 ,从而更好地运用国家鉴定标准     

侦查冒险探讨

尽管侦查冒险在侦查实践中有产生风险的现实可能性,但是其无疑在侦查破案中发挥了巨大的作用。只有充分分析侦查过程中风险的来源,因源施策,从多方面对其进行规制,尽量减低侦查中的风险系数,才能将侦查冒险引向一个健康发展的方向,更好的为侦查服务。     

Multinational cooperation: building capabilities in small air forces

European air power is represented by a variety of air forces, each equipped with different capabilities and facing different limitations. Developing the former and making up for the latter requires resources and finances and is not always possible within a national capacity. It may be particularly problematic for smaller air forces, especially with the trend of shrinking defence budgets and increasing costs of the newest technological achievements. This article investigates the idea of multinational cooperation in Europe as a way to make up for these shortfalls and build collective European capabilities. In doing so, it focuses on two states, namely Poland and Sweden as examples of small air forces. By choosing these countries as case studies it also provides an opportunity to investigate the different forms of multinational involvement existing within and outside a major military alliance, namely NATO. The article explores the participation of the Polish and Swedish Air Forces in several multinational initiatives and investigates how such involvement increases (or not) their capabilities.