Sudden death of an alcoholic elderly man with acute esophageal necrosis (black esophagus)

We report a fatal case of acute esophageal necrosis (black esophagus) in an elderly male with alcohol abuse who was found dead with coffee-ground vomiting. A postmortem examination revealed severe anemia and marked black coloring of the esophagus from the upper to the bottom end. This was accompanied by histologic evidence of extensive mucosal necrosis. Alcohol abuse and esophagitis-related vomiting were both considered to be factors that led to the acute fatal esophageal necrosis. The cause of death was undetermined. We discuss the possible role of acute esophageal necrosis in the cause of sudden death.     

Detection of orosomucoid 1 phenotypes in semen and semen stains

Orosomucoid 1 phenotypes were detected in seminal plasma by isoelectric focusing and immunoprinting. The orosomucoid 1 phenotypes in seminal plasma correlated with the types found in the corresponding serum specimens. Semen stains stored for ten days could be typed for orosomucoid 1. The present work revealed that orosomucoid 1 is a useful genetic marker for the medicolegal grouping of semen stains.     

Determination of diquat in biological materials by electron spin resonance spectroscopy

An electron spin resonance (ESR) method already in use for the quantitative analysis of paraquat was applied to the analysis of diquat in blood, serum, urine, tissue homogenates and several drinks without purification of the samples. The diquat radical produced with ascorbic acid at alkaline pH was much more stable than that produced with the commonly used sodium dithionite. Radical decay in solutions covered with n-hexane was less than 5% after 60 min over a wide range of ascorbic acid concentrations. In 0.2 N NaOH solution 85% of the radicals was present even after 24 h. The limit of detection was 0.3 micrograms/ml and the required amount of sample was 0.1 ml. When both diquat and paraquat were present in a sample the diquat was first extracted with 1-butanol prior to the ESR measurement, because both species were converted to the radicals.     

Identification and quantitation by 1H-NMR of metabolites in animal organs and tissues. An application of NMR spectroscopy in forensic science

1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was applied to the study of metabolites in rat organs and tissues. From 1H-NMR spectra of D2O extracts of various organs and tissues, lactate, pyruvate, and some other substances were simultaneously identified and quantitated. On the basis of the results, the use of 1H-NMR for estimating post-mortem time was suggested.     

A scanning electron microscopy and electron probe X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EPMA) of pink teeth

Samples of postmortem pink teeth were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and electron probe X-ray microanalysis. Fracture surfaces of the dentin in pink teeth were noticeably rough and revealed many more smaller dentinal tubules than those of the control white teeth. Electron probe X-ray microanalysis showed that the pink teeth contained iron which seemed to be derived from blood hemoglobin. The present study confirms that under the same circumstance red coloration of teeth may occur more easily in the teeth in which the dentin is less compact and contains more dentinal tubules.     

An autopsy report on a ruptured rudimentary horn (uterine anomaly) with ectopic pregnancy

The rudimentary horn is a rare developmental anomaly of the Müllerian duct. Ectopic pregnancy in the rudimentary horn is estimated to occur in one out of 76,000–150,000 pregnancies. A 30-year-old primigravida suddenly collapsed after 3 days of continuous abdominal pain. Emergency laparotomy revealed a massive intraperitoneal hemorrhage and fetal demise. The growth of the fetus after 19 weeks of gestation is believed to have caused the rudimentary horn rupture, thereby rapidly leading to hemorrhagic shock in the mother and ischemic death in the fetus. This is the first autopsy report on maternal death due to the rudimentary horn or other Müllerian duct anomalies, which emphasizes the need for forensic pathologists to consider this condition as a possible cause of unexpected death in fertile women. In addition, it is very important for clinicians to detect Müllerian duct anomalies by sonography during routine obstetric examinations, and promptly diagnose anomaly related ectopic pregnancies in women displaying symptoms of an acute abdomen, intraperitoneal hemorrhage, or shock in the emergency practice.     

Orosomucoid 1 phenotyping from human urine by isoelectric focusing

Orosomucoid 1 polymorphism was revealed in human urine by isoelectric focusing and immunoprinting on polyacrylamide gels. The orosomucoid in urine samples was recovered and concentrated by using immobilized allo A lectin. The orosomucoid 1 phenotypes of 60 urine samples correlated with those of the corresponding serum samples.     

A fatal case of oral ingestion of benzine

A young woman committed suicide by ingesting benzine. We report the findings obtained at autopsy and the chemical analyses of the gastric contents, blood, and tissues in this case. Fatal concentrations of n-hexane, benzene, toluene and m-, p-xylene were detected. Pulmonary edema and hemorrhage were caused by the primary effect of the chemicals or secondarily by respiratory depression, suffocation due to volatile fluid, or heart failure. Mild hemorrhage around arterioles and venules in the brain cortex suggest hyperpermeability of the vessels. The fragmentation and waviness of the cardiac myofibrils indicate the presence of hypercontraction and possibly arrhythmia.     

A new method for typing haptoglobin in bloodstains using immobilized allo A lectin

Allo A lectin from the beetle, which is beta-D-galactose specific, reacts to haptoglobin but not to hemoglobin. The use of allo A-Sepharose for typing haptoglobin in bloodstains helped eliminate hemoglobin from the bloodstain extract and presented highly resolved haptoglobin patterns by disc gel electrophoresis. This method is simple and rapid for typing haptoglobin in bloodstains and can be easily used in forensic science laboratories.     

The Effectiveness of the Brief Prison‐Based Methamphetamine Abuse Treatment Program

This paper describes recent changes in policy and procedures to address drug offenders in Japan. Methamphetamine use is the major substance problem as one in every eight arres‐ tees involves a violation of the Stimulant Control Act and sentence lengths have increased in recent years. Prevalence is difficult to determine, but the drug has a long history in Japan; methamphetamines were first synthesized by a Japanese scientist in 1893 and legal use was common during WWII. New treatment and correctional approaches adopted since 2007 are discussed.