The effect of the method of burial on adipocere formation

A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effect of the method of burial (i.e. the presence of coffin and clothing) on the formation of adipocere. This study follows previous studies by the authors who have investigated the effect of physical conditions on the formation of adipocere present in a controlled burial environment. The study utilises infrared spectroscopy to provide a preliminary lipid profile of the remains following a 12 month decomposition period. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was employed as a technique for determining the salts of fatty acids present in adipocere. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used as the confirmatory test for the identification and determination of the chemical composition of adipocere which formed in the controlled burial environments. The results suggest that coffins will retard the rate at which adipocere forms but that clothing enhances its formation. The results concur with previous observations on adipocere formation in burial environments.     

Using PMCT of Individuals of Known Age to Test the Suchey–Brooks Method of Aging in Victoria,Australia

The estimation of an individual's age at death plays a critical role in the investigation of unidentified human remains. The Suchey–Brooks method, which involves the analysis of degenerative morphological changes in the pubic symphysis, is currently widely used to estimate age in adults. This study tested the applicability of the Suchey–Brooks method on a contemporary adult Australian (Victorian) subpopulation by observing three‐dimensional volume‐rendered postmortem computed tomographic (PMCT) reconstructions of the pubic symphysis of 204 individuals aged 15–100 years. Results showed the method was reliable for females (85% correct allocations) but not for males (67% correct allocations). It is therefore recommended that extreme caution be used when applying the Suchey–Brooks method for estimating age at death of an individual in this subpopulation from PMCT images. The results suggest further investigation into alternate age estimation methods is required.     

Underlying Dimensions of DSM-5 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms

This study examined the relationship between the underlying latent factors of major depression symptoms and DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A nonclinical sample of 266 participants with a trauma history participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the fit of the DSM-5 PTSD model and dysphoria model, as well as a depression model comprised of somatic and nonsomatic factors. The DSM-5 PTSD model demonstrated somewhat better fit over the dysphoria model. Wald tests indicated that PTSD’s negative alterations in cognitions and mood factor was more strongly related to depression’s nonsomatic factor than its somatic factor. This study furthers a nascent line of research examining the relationship between PTSD and depression factors in order to better understand the nature of the high comorbidity rates between the two disorders. Moreover, this study provides an initial analysis of the new DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD.     

Medical careers and health care for Indian women: patterns of control

Abstract

In the 1880s reform-minded men and women in Great Britain had joined the missionaries and a number of Indian reformers in demanding that Western medical care be extended to Indian women. The subjects of their concern were high-status Indian women who observed the norms of seclusion. British women, at this time entering the medical profession, supported this initiative because it legitimized their professional goals and promised employment. This paper explores the introduction of medical care for Indian women with reference to the life of Dr Haimavati Sen (c. 1867-1932), ‘lady doctor’ in charge of an exclusively women's hospital in Hughli district of Bengal. The paper explores two issues: the ways in which imperialism, feminism, and racism worked to marginalize Indian women in professional medical roles and the impact of this process upon women as patients and clients.     

The biochemical alteration of soil beneath a decomposing carcass

The processes associated with cadaver decomposition in outdoor settings, particularly those that occur during the extended postmortem interval (>30 days) are poorly understood. Thus, few methods are currently available to accurately estimate the extended postmortem interval (PMI). Of these methods, a soils-based approach has the potential to address the postmortem interval between which entomology and anthropology are the most valuable. Although the validity of soil-based methods has previously been established, little work has been conducted to explain the processes that have been designated for forensic application. As a consequence, we investigated the dynamics of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus-based compounds in soil beneath pig (Sus scrofa) cadavers (gravesoil) that were placed on the soil surface over a period of 100 days. Decomposition was assessed through the physical characteristics of the cadaver, soil pH, soil moisture content, and the concentration of total carbon, total nitrogen, soil-extractable phosphorus, and lipid-phosphorus in soil. Cadaver decomposition did not result in a significant difference in soil carbon and moisture content. However, significant (P < 0.05) increases were observed in the concentration of soil pH, total nitrogen, soil-extractable phosphorus, and lipid-phosphorus. Based on the current results, a significant increase in the concentration of gravesoil nutrients represented a maximum PMI of 43 days (lipid-P), 72 days (total nitrogen), or 100 days (soil-extractable phosphorus). This work provides further evidence that a soil-based method has the potential to act as a tool for the estimation of extended PMI.     

Caged tigers: ‘First wave’ feminists in India

Between the end of the nineteenth century and the Second World War, Indian women began to voice their grievances, form organizations for women only and formulate a women's rights ideology. Between the time when the three major all-India organizations were formed, 1917–1927, and Independence in 1947, women worked for female education and for legislation that would free women from traditional restrictions. This article examines their treatment of three issues: child marriage, purdah and the Hindu Code. The Conclusion evaluates the feminist ideology, the relationship between this ideology and nationalism, and the impact of this movement.     

A preliminary investigation of the stages of adipocere formation

Adipocere is a postmortem decomposition product which forms from a body's adipose tissue. This study aimed to chemically demonstrate the process of conversion from adipose tissue to adipocere. Samples of adipocere were collected from pig cadavers that were allowed to decompose for varying intervals. Samples of soil were collected from beneath the cadavers and analyzed to determine the leaching effect of adipocere. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to quantify the fatty acid composition of pig adipocere. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used as a confirmatory test and to identify other components such as triglycerides and calcium salts of fatty acids. The study demonstrates the process of adipocere formation and the stages of formation through which the process passes using chemical techniques.     

Experiences with dating aggression and sexual coercion among Polish college students

Dating aggression and sexual coercion were studied in Polish college women (n = 100) and men ( n = 101) using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996). Rates of psychological and physical aggression, sexual coercion, and injury were compared for men and women. Rates of physical aggression, sexual coercion, and injury were compared with preliminary data from 31 universities and 16 countries from the International Dating Violence Study (IDVS; Straus, 2003, 2004). Rates of psychological aggression, physical aggression, and sexual coercion were high with respective rates of 77%, 36%, and 42% for men and 89%, 48%, and 40% for women. Relative to the IDVS samples, Polish men and women had high levels of physical aggression and sexual coercion. Relative to the IDVS samples, women, but not men, had high levels of causing injury to their partner and using threats or actual physical force to obtain oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse. The possible influences of high levels of domestic violence in Polish society and rapid changes in women's roles are discussed.     

Developing a new scoring method to evaluate human decomposition in a humid,continental (Dfb) climate in Quebec

The published literature shows a lack of methods to evaluate the patterns and extent of decomposition of human remains and to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) in humid, continental (Dfb) climates such as Quebec. The aim of this study was to address this gap in the current knowledge base by providing the first observations from human corpses studied under controlled conditions in Quebec. A 12-month study was conducted at the site for Research in Experimental and Social Thanatology; the first human taphonomy facility in Canada. Six human donors with known time of death were deposited across spring (n = 1), summer (n = 3), and autumn (n = 2) 2021. The lack of suitability of the total body score method to evaluate the extent of decomposition at the facility prompted the development of a new scoring system based on the macromorphoscopic changes observed. The scoring system was applied to the donors to evaluate decomposition throughout seasons. All donors followed comparable decomposition trajectories, regardless of the season of deposition. Eighty-five percent of taphonomic patterns appeared in the first 25 experimental days or 5000 Kelvin accumulated degree days (350 ADD). Extensive desiccation of tissues was observed at a median of 21 experimental days across donors, resulting in a plateau within decomposition with no extensive skeletonization. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first published report of experimentally observed desiccation in such a form in a Dfb climate. This study provides new data on the types of decomposition patterns to expect in forensic investigations in southern Quebec and comparable climates.