RESUMEN
It is critical to understand the relationship between under-body blast (UBB) loading and occupant response to provide optimal protection to the warfighter from serious injuries, many of which affect the spine. Previous studies have examined component and whole body response to accelerative based UBB loading. While these studies both informed injury prediction efforts and examined the shortcomings of traditional anthropomorphic test devices in the evaluation of human injury, few studies provide response data against which future models could be compared and evaluated. The current study examines four different loading conditions on a seated occupant that demonstrate the effects of changes in the floor, seat, personal protective equipment (PPE), and reclined posture on whole body post-mortem human surrogate (PMHS) spinal response in a sub-injurious loading range. Twelve PMHS were tested across floor velocities and time-to-peak (TTP) that ranged from 4.0 to 8.0 m/s and 2 to 5 ms, respectively. To focus on sub-injurious response, seat velocities were kept at 4.0 m/s and TTP ranged from 5 to 35 ms. Results demonstrated that spine response is sensitive to changes in TTP and the presence of PPE. However, spine response is largely insensitive to changes in floor loading. Data from these experiments have also served to develop response corridors that can be used to assess the performance and predictive capability of new test models used as human surrogates in high-rate vertical loading experiments.
Asunto(s)
Modelos Biológicos , Columna Vertebral/fisiología , Aceleración , Adulto , Anciano , Fenómenos Biomecánicos , Cadáver , Humanos , Masculino , Maniquíes , Persona de Mediana Edad , Equipo de Protección Personal , Postura , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Over the past 20 years, the use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as evidence of the presence of semen in forensic cases has been well established. In this study, we compared a commercially available immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) for the identification of PSA with the identification of spermatozoa in swabs obtained from the vagina of deceased females. There was agreement between the 2 methods in 67 of the 80 cases (84%), including 18 cases where both the PSA was positive and sperm were observed microscopically. The remaining cases had 1 positive result and 1 negative result. We concluded that although there was substantial agreement between the presence of sperm and a positive PSA, there were enough discrepancies between the 2 methods (16%) to justify the use of both methodologies, if possible, to make the determination of sexual activity prior to death.
Asunto(s)
Antígeno Prostático Específico/análisis , Semen/inmunología , Autopsia , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática/métodos , Femenino , Patologia Forense , Humanos , Masculino , Valor Predictivo de las PruebasRESUMEN
A case of intoxication from the oral hypoglycemic drug metformin is presented. A number of published liquid chromatographic methods were combined to enable a simplified analysis of metformin in both antemortem and postmortem specimens. The method involved direct injection of a protein-free filtrate into the liquid chromatograph. The method was sufficiently sensitive to detect therapeutic use of metformin; no common therapeutic or abused drugs interfered with the assay. In the presented case, the hospital admission serum metformin concentration was 141 mg/L, or approximately two orders of magnitude above therapeutic concentrations. The medical examiner concluded that the cause of death in this case was metformin intoxication, and the manner of death was suicide.
Asunto(s)
Hipoglucemiantes/sangre , Hipoglucemiantes/envenenamiento , Metformina/sangre , Metformina/envenenamiento , Cambios Post Mortem , Administración Oral , Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Presión , Sobredosis de Droga , Resultado Fatal , Medicina Legal , Humanos , Hipoglucemiantes/análisis , Masculino , Metformina/análisis , Persona de Mediana Edad , SuicidioRESUMEN
The following is a study conducted to determine whether there was any significant difference in carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) saturation levels between the heart blood and blood collected from a peripheral site. The average heart blood to peripheral blood COHb saturation level ratio in the 42 cases studied was 1.09. Sixty-two percent (26 of 42) of the cases had a heart blood to peripheral blood ratio between 0.9 and 1.1; 74% (31 of 42) had a ratio between 0.8 and 1.2. Eighty-three percent (35 of 42) had a ratio between 0.7 and 1.3. There were four cases where the heart blood to peripheral blood ratio was either below 0.6 or greater than 1.4. The differences between the two sites were not statistically significant.