1,721,074 research outputs found
An approach to person identification by means of dental prostheses in a burnt corpse
No full textThe identification of a burnt corpse is described. In this case it is suggested that the composition and properties of alloys used for dental prostheses are useful in determining the country of origin of the deceased in addition to the role they could play in an ordinary dental identification process
A new experimental approach to computer-aided face/skull identification in forensic anthropology
No full textThe present study introduces a new approach to computer-assisted face/skull matching used for personal identification purposes in forensic anthropology.In this experiment, the authors formulated an algorithm able to identify the face of a person suspected to have disappeared, by comparing the respective person's facial image with the skull radiograph.A total of 14 subjects were selected for the study, from which a facial photograph and skull radiograph were taken and ultimately compiled into a database, saved to the hard drive of a computer. The photographs of the faces and corresponding skull radiographs were then drafted using common photographic software, taking caution not to alter the informational content of the images. Once computer generated, the facial images and menu were displayed on a color monitor.In the first phase, a few anatomic points of each photograph were selected and marked with a cross to facilitate and more accurately match the face with its corresponding skull. In the second phase, the abovementioned cross grid was superimposed on the radiographic image of the skull and brought to scale. In the third phase, the crosses were transferred to the cranial points of the radiograph. In the fourth phase, the algorithm calculated the distance of each transferred cross and the corresponding average. The smaller the mean value, the greater the index of similarity between the face and skull.A total of 196 cross-comparisons were conducted, with positive identification resulting in each case. Hence, the algorithm matched a facial photograph to the correct skull in 100% of the cases
Cerebellar agenesis in a suicide
No full textA case of a suicidal death associated with autopsy findings of right cerebellar and vermian agenesis is described. A review of the literature points out the various recurrence of agenesis, symptoms, and the likelihood of motor deficits. The singular coexistence of only behavioral and intellectual deficiency with suicidal inclination in an adult man with partial cerebellar agenesis is discussed
A fatal case of intoxication after an unsuspected combined intake of verapamil and atenolol.
No full textI bloccanti del canale di calcio (CCBs) e i ß-bloccanti vengono utilizzati, combinati o individualmente, nel trattamento di ipertensione, angina pectoris, aritmie cardiache e altri disturbi. Tuttavia, lo shock cardiogenico è stato riportato come una complicazione rara associata alla combinazione di verapamil e ß-bloccanti che possono essere risolti mediante intervento medico. Descriviamo il caso di una donna di 35 anni che ha sviluppato uno shock cardiogenico fatale dopo un sovradosaggio non voluto di verapamil (bloccante dei canali di calcio) e atenololo (ß-bloccante) che è stato scoperto solo dopo l'analisi di autopsia e tossicologia.Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and ß-blockers are used, combined or individually, in the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias, and other disorders. However, cardiogenic shock has been reported as a rare complication associated with the combination of verapamil and ß-blockers that can be resolved by medical intervention. We describe the case of a 35-year-old woman who developed a fatal cardiogenic shock after an unintentional overdose of verapamil (calcium channel blocker) and atenolol (ß-blocker) that was discovered only after autopsy and toxicological analyses
A case of "precocious" mummification
No full textMummification is a peculiar transformative process consisting of the total drying of the body soft tissues. It is produced, in particular conditions, between 6 and 12 months after death. "Precocious" mummification has been reported in countries where recorded weather conditions are more extreme than in Italy, in a confined environment, or with particular micro-climate conditions. Here we present a case of mummification produced in a central region of Italy in four weeks. We also analyze conditions allowing for the rapidity of this phenomenon
Aortic dissection and cocaine use
No full textMost of the cocaine - deaths are said to be related to cardiovascular complications. This paper addresses
a rather infrequent complication of chronic cocaine use, represented by the aortic dissection. The case in
point pertains to a 45-year-old, caucasian male, substance abuser who suffered an aortic dissection
following the use of cocaine. Blood concentrations of cocaine and benzoylecgonine were considered not
to be within a potentially toxic range
Aspetti normativi e considerazioni medico-legali sulla sperimentazione farmacologica clinica
No full textThis article aims to explore the regulatory and medicolegal aspects of experimental drug trials. Firstly, the authors provide definitions of drug according to WHO, the European Community and our official Pharmacopoeia, and that of experimental studies. They then explain the distinction between pure or basic research and drug trials and explain the various phases of the latter. Besides providing definitions, and exploring doctrinal, theoretical but also practical aspects of drug trials, the authors also discuss and analyze legislative aspects, with particular reference to the Italian legislative framework, and medicolegal issues, including informed consent, effects on humans, and professional responsibility
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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