Exsanguination by subclavian-esophageal fistula associated with a left subclavian aneurysm

Aortic aneurysms are a common autopsy finding, but aneurysms confined exclusively to the subclavian arteries are rare. When found, they are typically associated with trauma, surgery, or aberrant vessel distribution. Subclavian-esophageal fistula formation is also rare, with the vast majority being related to aberrant vessel distribution or esophageal foreign bodies. Dicle et al. first reported a subclavian-esophageal fistula associated with a non-aberrant subclavian artery aneurysm in 1999 (1). The following case would mark the second report of that phenomenon, and the first in the setting of a forensic autopsy.     

A Challenge for Police-Community Relations: Rethinking Stop and Search in England and Wales

This article presents research carried out as part of a government research programme looking at how police tactic of 'stop and search' in England and Wales. For many years, figures which have shown a higher rate of stop and search of minority ethnic groups, particularly black people, have provoked much controversy, and have been seen by many as a manifestation of police racism. This article reviews the way in which stop and search impacts on public confidence, with particular reference to those from minority ethnic groups. It goes on to explore its role within policing, including an examination of its effectiveness against crime and the evidence for racism in police practice. Following from this, it considers how stop and search can be used in a way that minimises negative impacts on the community and maximises its effectiveness against crime.     

Suicidal hangings in jail using telephone cords

In a three month period of 2000, three suicide hanging deaths involving the use of telephone cords occurred in Texas jails and were autopsied at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas. In each case, the telephone was located within the cell, allowing the prisoners unhindered access at any time. Because of these incidents, two of the jails shortened their receiver cords to a total length of 6-8 in. The telephones were otherwise unaltered, and are still in the same locations. The third jail replaced their entire phone with a cordless telephone. Despite the attention that these cases received, standards have not been set regarding the type or placement of telephones used within jail cells, and a fourth incident in 2002 underscores this ongoing problem. These three incidents highlight the need to provide telephones that, if placed within holding cells or other jail cells, do not provide a possible means of suicide.     

The contribution of statistics in the forensic appraisal of post-transfusion contamination by hepatitis C virus

Many patients were contaminated by blood products in the 1980s and early 1990s, a period during which there was no means of detecting hepatitis C virus (HCV) and measures of vigilance in French blood transfusion centers were lacking in rigor, and it has become a real public health issue by now. The blood transfusion centers which produce and distribute the products are liable for such contamination, as long as the expert appraisal has established a link of causality between the transfusion and the contamination. When the viral serologic status (i.e. the contaminating potential) of the donors is not known, experts often resort to indirect evidence, including use of probability estimates calculated according to the following method. The probability (P) that there was at least one contaminating donor among those having provided the blood given to a patient, is calculated using the following formula:P=1.(1.pHCV)(N)where pHCV is the prevalence of subjects who have tested positive for anti-C virus antibodies in a population of blood donors, and N is the number of donors having contributed to the transfusion in question. Although the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is very sensitive, its threshold, below which weak replication is undetectable, varies depending on the technique used. One study has demonstrated that below a dilution of 10(-4), RNA is no longer detected by the majority of laboratories. The specificity of PCR is not flawless either, since false-positive results are found, probably resulting from contamination of the samples. Considering that 0.10% is a reasonable approximation of the prevalence of subjects who had anti-HCV antibodies that were detectable by recombinant immunoblot assay during that period, one can calculate the probability that there is a contaminating donor among the blood donors who contributed to the product that was administered and determine a curve.     

Is Age Irrelevant? Perceptions of Young and Old Adult Eyewitnesses

In Experiment 1, we videotaped elderly and younger adults (n = 69) reporting their memories for a crime video. The seniors were significantly less accurate than the younger adults. In Experiment 2, participants viewed the testimony videotapes and rated the elderly as less credible than the younger adults. In Experiment 3, participant-jurors (n = 302) evaluated transcribed testimonies provided by Experiment 1 participants. The ostensible age of the witnesses was manipulated. Thus, some participants read a senior's testimony believing it was provided by a younger adult and vice versa. Participants were apparently not biased by negative stereotypes of seniors' eyewitness capabilities.