Sudden Death Caused by Rupture of Spontaneous Ductus Arteriosus Aneurysm in an Adult

A 55-year-old man complained of sudden onset of severe neck pain. This was followed by prompt loss of consciousness and death. Autopsy revealed rupture of a saccular aneurysm, which was considered to have resulted from enlargement of the remaining ductal tissue, and was located on the medial aspect of the uppermost portion of the descending aorta. Dense blood extravasation was noted in the posterior mediastinum and extending to the strap muscles of the neck and larynx. Histological examination of the rupture site revealed disappearance of the medial elastic fibers and thickened intima covered with dense fibrous tissue. Spontaneous ductus arteriosus aneurysm in adults is a rare finding, but widespread use of imaging technologies has revealed that it develops more frequently than previously recognized. Fatal complications may occur even when the aneurysm is relatively small. Therefore, pathologists should be aware of this aneurysm as a potential cause of sudden death.     

Statistical comparison of dog and cat guard hairs using numerical morphology

Numerical features obtained from the guard hairs of dogs and cats (total 300 hairs per dog or cat) were statistically compared, in an attempt to discriminate between them. Using hairs from each of five mongrel dogs and cats, eight measurements (length (Len), maximum width (MaxWid), cross sectional maximum diameter, cross sectional minimum diameter, cuticular thickness of the cross section and three scale counts per 100 microm length (observed at three positions: distal third (disSC), middle (midSC) and the proximal third (proSC) portions) and five indexes (hair width index (HWI), medulla index (MI), hair index, cuticle index and the difference in scale counts between the distal and proximal parts (defSC)) were examined. The range for each numerical feature overlapped each other extensively, and none of the features permitted a discrimination between dog and cat hairs, based on the values obtained. However, 12 numerical features, except for the midSC, showed a statistically significant difference between dog and cat hairs, as evidenced by a t-test. For the purpose of comprehensively comparing numerical features and statistically discriminating between dog and cat hairs, a discriminant analysis between the two were carried out using a multiple regression analysis. Four types of discriminant functions produced by combining over five numerical features were examined. Dog and cat hairs could clearly be discriminated using any of the discriminant functions. Species discrimination using the discriminant function permitted the species of a dog or cat to be determined, based on the overall morphologies of various numerical features. When experimentally collected test samples were investigated using the discriminant function using Combination-2, consisting of eight numerical features (Len, MaxWid, MI, HWI, disSC, midSC, proSC and defSC), all 10 cat hairs were correctly determined to be cat hair and 22 of 23 dog hairs were correctly identified. This discriminant function produced good results for species discrimination between dog and cat hairs.     

Computer-assisted skull identification system using video superimposition

This system consists of two main units, namely a video superimposition system and a computer-assisted skull identification system. The video superimposition system is comprised of the following five parts: a skull-positioning box having a monochrome CCD camera, a photo-stand having a color CCD camera, a video image mixing device, a TV monitor and a videotape recorder. The computer-assisted skull identification system is composed of a host computer including our original application software, a film recorder and a color printer. After the determination of the orientation and size of the skull to those of the facial photograph using the video superimposition system, the skull and facial photograph images are digitized and stored within the computer, and then both digitized images are superimposed on the monitor. For the assessment of anatomical consistency between the digitized skull and face, the distance between the landmarks and the thickness of soft tissue of the anthropometrical points are semi-automatically measured on the monitor. The wipe images facilitates the comparison of positional relationships between the digitized skull and face. The software includes the polynomial functions and Fourier harmonic analysis for evaluating the match of the outline such as the forehead and mandibular line in both the digitized images.     

Three cases of sudden death due to butane or propane gas inhalation: analysis of tissues for gas components

We report three cases of sudden death due to inhalation of portable cooking stove fuel (case 1), cigarette lighter fuel (case 2), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (case 3). Specimens of blood, urine, stomach contents, brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and fat were collected and analyzed for propylene, propane, isobutane, and n-butane by headspace gas chromatography. n-Butane was the major substance among the volatiles found in the tissues of cases 1 and 2, and propane was the major substance in case 3. A combination of the autopsy findings and the gas analysis results revealed that the cause of death was ventricular fibrillation induced by hard muscle exercise after gas inhalation in cases 1 and 2, and that the cause of death in case 3 might be hypoxia. It is possible that the victim in case 3 was under anesthetic toxicity of accumulated isobutane which is a minor component of liquefied petroleum gas.     

The harmonization of automobile environmental standards between Japan,the United States and Europe: the ‘depoliticizing strategy’ by industry and the dynamics between firms and governments in a transnational context

Abstract

When initial automobile environmental standards were introduced during the 1970s and 1980s there was a large difference in the level and timing of the introduction of these initial emission standards in the United States, Japan and Europe. Trade in automobiles was the target of fierce trade disputes in the 1980s between, for example, the United States and Japan. The governments of Japan, the United States and Europe were involved in trade negotiations as agents of the automobile industry of each country, often focusing on environmental standards as sources of non-tariff barriers. But since the mid-1990s, because of the globalization of the automobile industry, automobile firms have had common interests in collaborating in relation to voluntary harmonized standards. They also have common interests in relation to other sectors such as the petroleum industry in that the burden for emission reductions needs to be shared equitably among sectors. In that sense, it can be said that a ‘depoliticizing strategy’ has been used, which is the strategy used by the automobile industry not to rely on government intervention and trade conflicts at an intergovernmental level to deal with the difference in standards. There is a tendency for high-level convergence concerning environmental emission standards for NO_x etc. in Japan, the United States and Europe and related sulfur content standards for complying with them. In addition, the automobile industry has been consciously seeking international harmonization through the Trans Atlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) and the TrilateralWorking Group. Harmonization has also been attempted at the intergovernmental level to gain legitimacy at the arena of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) through the signing of the 1995 Agreement (the revision of 1958 Agreement) and the establishment of the 1998 Global Agreement. In the process, governments have been requested by automobile firms to adopt harmonized standards; but governments also have their own incentives to set up an intergovernmental mechanism to establish harmonized standards.     

The use of moxibustion scars in the identification of individuals in forensic medicine

The use of moxibustion today does not only take place in Eastern Asia, but recently also in Europe and the United States. Moxibustion scars are often seen in autopsy cases in Japan. However, no reports of the use of moxibustion in autopsy cases have been reported. This paper reports on an autopsy case in which moxibustion scars were used to extrapolate on the past symptoms of the deceased, date of therapy and the location of the moxibustion clinic which administered the moxibustion.     

Autopsy report on central pontine myelinolysis triggered by vomiting associated with digoxin intoxication

An 87-year-old male, prescribed digoxin and furosemide for congestive heart failure and Alzheimer disease, had dehydration and anemia due to poor food intake and hemorrhagic cystitis. Repeated vomiting due to an upper respiratory infection caused disturbance of consciousness and hypotension. The patient was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with digoxin intoxication and hypernatremia. The serum sodium (Na⁺) level was corrected, but the patient died 4 days after admission following uncontrollable seizure. A histologic examination after an autopsy revealed characteristic findings of central pontine myelinolysis (CPM). This is the first autopsy report on CPM triggered by vomiting in association with digoxin administration.     

日本关于法律相关文字之字形、字义研究的学术概况

在日本殷周法制史研究学界,关于字形、字义的研究具有相当长的历史,其丰富的研究成果也备受关注.可以指出的是,目前在日本,该学术研究领域正处在立足于历来关于字形·字义研究成果的基础上,向新的研究层次迈进的过程中开拓.     

Fatal and nonfatal poisoning by hydrogen sulfide at an industrial waste site

An adult man (A) entered a pit to collect seepage at an industrial waste site in Japan. As he suddenly lost consciousness, three colleagues (B, C, D) entered the pit to rescue him. All of these men lost consciousness in the pit. Two workers (A and B) died soon after the accident, one worker (C) died 22 days after the accident, and one worker (D) survived. Since hydrogen sulfide gas was detected in the atmosphere of the pit, gas poisoning was suspected. Toxicological analyses of sulfide and thiosulfate, a metabolite of sulfide, in blood and urine of the victims were made using the extractive alkylation technique combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Sulfide was detected in the blood of A and B at levels of 0.13 and 0.11 mg/L, respectively, somewhat higher than in healthy persons. Thiosulfate was detected in whole blood of deceased victims A and B, in the plasma of deceased victim C, at concentrations of 10.53, 4.59, and 4.14 mg/L, respectively. These values were similar to those found in fatal cases of hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Thiosulfate was not detected in the plasma of survivor D. With respect to urine samples, thiosulfate was the highest in the non-acute death victim C (137.20 mg/L), followed by that in the survivor D (29.34 mg/L), and low (0.90 mg/L) and not detected in the acute death victims, A and B, respectively. Based on these results, all four patients were victims of hydrogen sulfide poisoning. The concentrations of thiosulfate in blood and urine were more useful than that for sulfide for determining hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Thiosulfate in urine was the only indicator of hydrogen sulfide poisoning in the non-fatal victim.