76 FR 63197 - Sudanese Sanctions Regulations; Iranian Transactions Regulations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

...-country diplomatic or consular missions in Sudan or Iran, respectively. OFAC also is amending the Sudanese... remains to or from Sudan and Iran, respectively, for burial, cremation, or interment. DATES: Effective... 63198

Archaeoastronomical Information in the Study of Cremation Necropolis: Preliminary Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mejuto, J.; Cerde, M. L.; Rodríguez, C.

2009-08-01

This work remarks the significance that archaeoastronomical studies have for archaeological research. These studies provide us data about the perception that ancient societies had about astronomical events and how these facts were added to their religious and ideological world. Thus, archaeoastronomy become a valuable source of information when aimed to solve any question involving the ancient societies. We take as reference in this work some of the Late Bronze Age{'}s cremation necropolis, representatives of usually called Urnfields, to check if their design can be related to some celestial phenomena: Can Bech de Baix (Gerona), Can Pitieu-Can Roqueta(Barcelona), Molá (Tarragona), Can Missert (Tarragona), Les Obagues (Tarragona), La Colomina (Lleida) and La Torraza (Navarra). Likewise a new standard in archaeological excavations maps is proposed. This will allow getting the information more available and improving further studies.

Disaster Victim Identification using Orthopedic Implants in the 2011 East-Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

PubMed

Numata, Norio; Makinae, Haruka; Yoshida, Wataru; Daimon, Masao; Murakami, Hideki

2017-03-01

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake (magnitude 9.0) devastated Japan's east coast, and the associated tsunami resulted in social and mechanical destruction. Search for the missing people is still ongoing. Surgical implants are common in the general population. Medical implants usually have lot numbers, and their forensic use is common for victim identification. This investigation was conducted mainly in the cities of Kamaishi and Otsuchi, both of which were affected by the tsunami disaster in 2011. We visited 6 mortuaries with the police between March 20 (9 days after the tsunami) and April 20 (40 days after the tsunami) to examine the presence of surgical scars and related information. Unidentified human remains were investigated by visual and tactile examination. We also visited temples where the ashes were preserved. If implants were found, their lot numbers and estimated surgical procedures were recorded to determine positive identification. Ten of 233 sets of unidentified human remains before cremation displayed characteristics of a potential past surgical history. However, only 2 of these 233 sets had orthopedic implants. Instead, non-combustible orthopedic implants were found and recognized in 8 of the 331 sets of unidentified human ashes in the temples after cremation; the lot numbers were fully legible in 2 of the 8 sets. We estimated the surgical procedures, which led to positive identification. In conclusion, lot numbers and the surgical knowledge of orthopedic surgeons could assist with the positive identification of disaster victims. However, the relevant information can be erased after cremation.

No place, new places: death and its rituals in urban Asia.

PubMed

Kong, Lily

2012-01-01

In many land-scarce Asian cities, planning agencies have sought to reduce space for the dead to release land for the living, encouraging conversion from burial to cremation over several decades. This has caused secular principles privileging efficient land use to conflict with symbolic values invested in burial spaces. Over time, not only has cremation become more accepted, even columbaria have become overcrowded, and new forms of burials (sea and woodland burials) have emerged. As burial methods change, so too do commemorative rituals, including new on-line and mobile phone rituals. This paper traces the ways in which physical spaces for the dead in several east Asian cities have diminished and changed over time, the growth of virtual space for them, the accompanying discourses that influence these dynamics and the new rituals that emerge concomitantly with the contraction of land space.

An investigation of nitride precipitates in archaeological iron artefacts from Poland.

PubMed

Kedzierski, Z; Stepiński, J; Zielińska-Lipiec, A

2010-03-01

The paper describes the investigations of nitride precipitates in a spearhead and a sword found in the territory of Poland, in cremation graveyards of the Przeworsk Culture, dated to the Roman Period. Three different techniques of the examination of nitride precipitates were employed: optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer) and transmission electron microscope. Two types of precipitates have been observed, and their plate-like shape was demonstrated. The large precipitate has been confirmed to be gamma'-Fe(4)N, whereas the small one has been identified as alpha''-Fe(16)N(2). The origin of nitride precipitates in archaeological iron artefacts from Poland is probably a result of the manufacturing process or cremation as part of burial rites. An examination of available iron artefacts indicates that nitride precipitates (have only limited effect on mechanical properties) influence the hardness of metal only to a very limited degree.

31 CFR 560.542 - Importation and exportation of human remains for burial, cremation, or interment authorized.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., as well as of coffins or other receptacles containing such human remains, from Iran is authorized. (b... well as of coffins or other receptacles containing such human remains, to Iran is authorized. (d) This...

Death Rituals Reported by White, Black, and Hispanic Parents Following the ICU Death of an Infant or Child

PubMed Central

Brooten, Dorothy; Youngblut, JoAnne M.; Charles, Donna; Roche, Rosa; Hidalgo, Ivette; Malkawi, Fatima

2015-01-01

Purpose To examine rituals (disposing remains, wakes, funerals/burials, celebrations) of White, Black, Hispanic parents post ICU infant/child death. Design and methods Qualitative design, 63 parents completed English or Spanish semi-structured interviews at 7 & 13 months after infant’s/child’s death. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and entered into Atlas.ti for analysis. An inductive approach to thematization was used to develop codes. Results Parents: mean age 35.1 years (SD = 9.03); 33% Black, 27% White, 40% Hispanic; from 17 countries. Three themes emerged: immediately after death - shock and stress, needing help with arrangements, decisions on burial or cremation (conflicts due to finances, religion, culture), when and where to hold wakes, funerals/burials. Wakes and funerals - who prepares child’s body, appropriate dress (deceased child, mourners), who can come (cultural restrictions),-variations by child age, parent choice, culture, religion, country. After burial/cremation - being with family, milestone celebrations. Conclusion Child death is devastating for parents, other children, grandparents, and family members. Practice Implications. Rituals after child death require decisions about the child’s remains, wakes, funerals/burials at time of great pain for parents. This is especially true for newly immigrated parents and those with language barriers where making arrangements is especially hard and often very isolating. Health professionals who provide support need to be cognizant of practice differences based on religion, culture, economics, family traditions, and individual preference and provide as much support and resource as possible. A list of religious leaders representing the community’s cultures and funeral service providers who may provide lower cost burials/cremations is helpful. PMID:26639773

16 CFR 453.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... deceased human bodies for burial, cremation or other final disposition; and (2) arrange, supervise or conduct the funeral ceremony or the final disposition of deceased human bodies. (k) Immediate burial. An... enclosure, without ornamentation or a fixed interior lining, which is designed for the encasement of human...

16 CFR 453.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... deceased human bodies for burial, cremation or other final disposition; and (2) arrange, supervise or conduct the funeral ceremony or the final disposition of deceased human bodies. (k) Immediate burial. An... enclosure, without ornamentation or a fixed interior lining, which is designed for the encasement of human...

16 CFR 453.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... deceased human bodies for burial, cremation or other final disposition; and (2) arrange, supervise or conduct the funeral ceremony or the final disposition of deceased human bodies. (k) Immediate burial. An... enclosure, without ornamentation or a fixed interior lining, which is designed for the encasement of human...

16 CFR 453.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... deceased human bodies for burial, cremation or other final disposition; and (2) arrange, supervise or conduct the funeral ceremony or the final disposition of deceased human bodies. (k) Immediate burial. An... enclosure, without ornamentation or a fixed interior lining, which is designed for the encasement of human...

16 CFR 453.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... deceased human bodies for burial, cremation or other final disposition; and (2) arrange, supervise or conduct the funeral ceremony or the final disposition of deceased human bodies. (k) Immediate burial. An... enclosure, without ornamentation or a fixed interior lining, which is designed for the encasement of human...

Analysis of metallic medical devices after cremation: The importance in identification.

PubMed

De Angelis, Danilo; Collini, Federica; Muccino, Enrico; Cappella, Annalisa; Sguazza, Emanuela; Mazzucchi, Alessandra; Cattaneo, Cristina

2017-03-01

The recovery of a charred cadaver raises many issues concerning personal identification; the presence of prosthetic materials may provide very important and decisive information. Who is involved in the recovery of a charred body or of burnt human fragments, should therefore be able to recognize medical devices even if modified by fire effects. Metallic residues (585kg) that came from 2785 cremations were studied. Medical devices were then divided by type and material in order to esteem the representativeness of each typology. The study illustrates the great presence of metal medical devices that could be of great help in identifying bodies and underlines that metallic medical devices types and morphology should be known by forensic practitioner involved in identification cases and that this kind of material can still be identified by physician and dentists, even if exposed to very high temperatures. Copyright © 2016 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lessons Learned from Autopsying an Unidentified Body with Iodine-125 Seeds Implanted for Prostate Brachytherapy.

PubMed

Idota, Nozomi; Nakamura, Mami; Masui, Koji; Kakiuchi, Yasuhiro; Yamada, Kei; Ikegaya, Hiroshi

2017-03-01

We report here lessons learned from an autopsy case involving radioactive materials. We performed an autopsy of an unidentified mummified man with no available medical history whom from imaging findings we suspected had received radioactive seed implants for prostate brachytherapy. We returned the excised prostate and seeds to the body. A few days later, the body was identified by DNA matching and cremated. According to the man's medical record, he had undergone iodine-125 seeds implantation for prostate cancer 11 months earlier. We should have removed the radioactive seeds from the body to prevent radiation exposure to the bereaved family and/or environmental pollution due to cremation. Surprisingly, one seed was found in the stored prostate specimen. Forensic experts should be cognizant of the risk of both radiation exposure in the autopsy room and environmental pollution. We must remain abreast of the latest advances in medicine. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Disputed family claims to bury or cremate the dead.

PubMed

Freckelton, Ian

2009-10-01

A significant number of court decisions in Australia have wrestled with the issue of who among equally ranked next-of-kin should have priority in determining the timing and place of a loved one's burial or cremation. The first port of call for such decision-making can be the coroner who must determine to whom to release a body, where a death has been reportable, but disputation occurs also in non-coronial contexts and has repeatedly fallen for resolution by Supreme Court judges. The decisions have identified a variety of practical considerations which have been taken into account. However, there remains considerable uncertainty about the significance of factors such as religious, spiritual and cultural values, as well as the nature and extent of the care-giving role, as influential considerations in respect of courts' decisions. While greater predictability of courts' decision-making might be therapeutic, it may be that the variability of factual situations precludes the construction of a hierarchy of relevant considerations.

76 FR 62833 - Notice of Intent To Repatriate a Cultural Item: Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-11

... being found in a ``receptacle on the top of a totem pole containing the bones and ashes of a cremated... bones at the time that it was collected. Based on the collection location on Kiloosnoo Island in the...

Cluster of Ebola Virus Disease, Bong and Montserrado Counties, Liberia.

PubMed

Nyenswah, Tolbert G; Fallah, Mosaka; Calvert, Geoffrey M; Duwor, Stanley; Hamilton, E Dutch; Mokashi, Vishwesh; Arzoaquoi, Sampson; Dweh, Emmanuel; Burbach, Ryan; Dlouhy, Diane; Oeltmann, John E; Moonan, Patrick K

2015-07-01

Lack of trust in government-supported services after the death of a health care worker with symptoms of Ebola resulted in ongoing Ebola transmission in 2 Liberia counties. Ebola transmission was facilitated by attempts to avoid cremation of the deceased patient and delays in identifying and monitoring contacts.

Skeletal Remains from Punic Carthage Do Not Support Systematic Sacrifice of Infants

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Jeffrey H.; Houghton, Frank; Macchiarelli, Roberto; Bondioli, Luca

2010-01-01

Two types of cemeteries occur at Punic Carthage and other Carthaginian settlements: one centrally situated housing the remains of older children through adults, and another at the periphery of the settlement (the “Tophet”) yielding small urns containing the cremated skeletal remains of very young animals and humans, sometimes comingled. Although the absence of the youngest humans at the primary cemeteries is unusual and worthy of discussion, debate has focused on the significance of Tophets, especially at Carthage, as burial grounds for the young. One interpretation, based on two supposed eye-witness reports of large-scale Carthaginian infant sacrifice [Kleitarchos (3rd c. BCE) and Diodorus Siculus (1st c. BCE)], a particular translation of inscriptions on some burial monuments, and the argument that if the animals had been sacrificed so too were the humans, is that Tophets represent burial grounds reserved for sacrificial victims. An alternative hypothesis acknowledges that while the Carthaginians may have occasionally sacrificed humans, as did their contemporaries, the extreme youth of Tophet individuals suggests these cemeteries were not only for the sacrificed, but also for the very young, however they died. Here we present the first rigorous analysis of the largest sample of cremated human skeletal remains (348 burial urns, N = 540 individuals) from the Carthaginian Tophet based on tooth formation, enamel histology, cranial and postcranial metrics, and the potential effects of heat-induced bone shrinkage. Most of the sample fell within the period prenatal to 5-to-6 postnatal months, with a significant presence of prenates. Rather than indicating sacrifice as the agent of death, this age distribution is consistent with modern-day data on perinatal mortality, which at Carthage would also have been exacerbated by numerous diseases common in other major cities, such as Rome and Pompeii. Our diverse approaches to analyzing the cremated human remains from Carthage strongly support the conclusion that Tophets were cemeteries for those who died shortly before or after birth, regardless of the cause. PMID:20174667

16 CFR 453.4 - Required purchase of funeral goods or funeral services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Required purchase of funeral goods or funeral services. 453.4 Section 453.4 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION TRADE REGULATION RULES FUNERAL INDUSTRY PRACTICES § 453.4 Required purchase of funeral goods or funeral services. (a) Casket for cremation provisions—(1) Unfair or...

New ages for human occupation and climatic change at Lake Mungo, Australia.

PubMed

Bowler, James M; Johnston, Harvey; Olley, Jon M; Prescott, John R; Roberts, Richard G; Shawcross, Wilfred; Spooner, Nigel A

2003-02-20

Australia's oldest human remains, found at Lake Mungo, include the world's oldest ritual ochre burial (Mungo III) and the first recorded cremation (Mungo I). Until now, the importance of these finds has been constrained by limited chronologies and palaeoenvironmental information. Mungo III, the source of the world's oldest human mitochondrial DNA, has been variously estimated at 30 thousand years (kyr) old, 42-45 kyr old and 62 +/- 6 kyr old, while radiocarbon estimates placed the Mungo I cremation near 20-26 kyr ago. Here we report a new series of 25 optical ages showing that both burials occurred at 40 +/- 2 kyr ago and that humans were present at Lake Mungo by 50-46 kyr ago, synchronously with, or soon after, initial occupation of northern and western Australia. Stratigraphic evidence indicates fluctuations between lake-full and drier conditions from 50 to 40 kyr ago, simultaneously with increased dust deposition, human arrival and continent-wide extinction of the megafauna. This was followed by sustained aridity between 40 and 30 kyr ago. This new chronology corrects previous estimates for human burials at this important site and provides a new picture of Homo sapiens adapting to deteriorating climate in the world's driest inhabited continent.

New insights into Eastern Beringian mortuary behavior: A terminal Pleistocene double infant burial at Upward Sun River

PubMed Central

Potter, Ben A.; Irish, Joel D.; Reuther, Joshua D.; McKinney, Holly J.

2014-01-01

Here we report on the discovery of two infant burials dating to ∼11,500 calibrated years (cal) B.P. at the Upward Sun River site in central Alaska. The infants were interred in a pit feature with associated organic and lithic grave goods, including the earliest known North American hafted bifaces with decorated antler foreshafts. Skeletal and dental analyses indicate that Individual 1 died shortly after birth and Individual 2 was a late-term fetus, making these the youngest-aged late Pleistocene individuals known for the Americas and the only known prenate, offering, to our knowledge, the first opportunity to explore mortuary treatment of the youngest members of a terminal Pleistocene North American population. This burial was situated ∼40 cm directly below a cremated 3-y-old child previously discovered in association with a central hearth of a residential feature. The burial and cremation are contemporaneous, and differences in body orientation, treatment, and associated grave goods within a single feature and evidence for residential occupation between burial episodes indicate novel mortuary behaviors. The human remains, grave goods, and associated fauna provide rare direct data on organic technology, economy, seasonality of residential occupations, and infant/child mortality of terminal Pleistocene Beringians. PMID:25385599

Social Consequences of Ebola Containment Measures in Liberia.

PubMed

Pellecchia, Umberto; Crestani, Rosa; Decroo, Tom; Van den Bergh, Rafael; Al-Kourdi, Yasmine

2015-01-01

In the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Liberia, two major emergency disease-control measures were cremation of bodies and enforcement of quarantine for asymptomatic individuals suspected of being in contact with a positive case. Enforced by State-related actors, these were promoted as the only method to curtail transmissions as soon as possible. However, as with other harsh measures witnessed by Liberian citizens, in many cases those measures elicited uncontrolled negative reactions within the communities (stigma; fear) that produced, in some cases, the opposite effect of that intended. The research has been conducted in two phases, for a total of 8 weeks. Ethnography of local practices was carried out in 7 neighbourhoods in Monrovia and 5 villages in Grand Cape Mount County in Liberia. 45 Focus Group Discussions (432 participants) and 30 semi-structured interviews sustained the observing participation. Randomly selected people from different social layers were targeted. The principal investigator worked with the help of two local assistants. Perceptions and practices were both analysed. Participants stressed how cremation perpetuated the social breakdown that started with the isolation for the sickness. Socio-economical divides were created by inequitable management of the dead: those who could bribe the burial teams obtained a burial in a private cemetery or the use of Funeral Homes. Conversely, those in economic disadvantage were forced to send their dead for cremation. State-enforced quarantine, with a mandatory prohibition of movement, raised condemnation, strengthened stigmatization and created serious socio-economic distress. Food was distributed intermittently and some houses shared latrines with non-quarantined neighbours. Escapes were also recorded. Study participants narrated how they adopted local measures of containment, through local task forces and socially-rooted control of outsiders. They also stressed how information that was not spread built up rumours and suspicion. Populations experiencing an epidemic feel a high degree of social insecurity, in addition to the health hazards. Vertical and coercive measures increase mistrust and fear, producing a counter-productive effect in the containment of the epidemic. On the other hand, local communities show a will to be engaged and a high degree of flexibility in participating to the epidemic response. Efforts in the direction of awareness and community involvement could prove to be better strategy to control the epidemic and root the response on social participation.

[Application of computed tomography (CT) examination for forensic medicine].

PubMed

Urbanik, Andrzej; Chrzan, Robert

2013-01-01

The aim of the study is to present a own experiences in usage of post mortem CT examination for forensic medicine. With the help of 16-slice CT scanner 181 corpses were examined. Obtained during acquisition imaging data are later developed with dedicated programmes. Analyzed images were extracted from axial sections, multiplanar reconstructions as well as 3D reconstructions. Gained information helped greatly when classical autopsy was performed by making it more accurate. A CT scan images recorded digitally enable to evaluate corpses at any time, despite processes of putrefaction or cremation. If possible CT examination should precede classical autopsy.

Siva - The Mad Lord: A Puranic perspective

PubMed Central

Somasundaram, Ottilingam; Murthy, Tejus

2017-01-01

The eccentricities of Lord Shiva, especially His attire, behavior - particularly the midnight dance at the cremation grounds surrounded by various strange beings, fondness to remain naked, and love for strange pets such as snakes and fawn, have attracted the loving and devout attention from His various adiyargal (devotees). This has resulted in the outpouring of their love for their Lord in the form of Thevaram and Thiruvachakam of Sambandar, Appar, Sundarar, Karaikal Ammaiyar, and Manickavachakar. Along with these writings, the background Puranic myths are mentioned. It is suggested that these ideas could be utilized to destigmatize mental illness among the sufferers and their carers. PMID:28529371

Muslim customs surrounding death, bereavement, postmortem examinations, and organ transplants.

PubMed Central

Gatrad, A. R.

1994-01-01

Muslims are always buried, never cremated. It is a religious requirement that the body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after death. Those carrying out this duty should be immunised against hepatitis B and be aware of the hazards of AIDS. Muslim women never attend burials and it is rare for funeral directors to be involved. Muslim jurists from the Arab world can justify organ transplantation, but those from the Indian subcontinent are against it. They are united in the belief of the sacredness of the human body and thus deplore postmortem examinations. Images p522-a PMID:7848419

Present and future emissions of HAPs from crematories in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Yifeng; Tian, Hezhong; Yan, Jing; Xiong, Chengcheng; Pan, Tao; Nie, Lei; Wu, Xiaoqing; Li, Jing; Wang, Wei; Gao, Jiajia; Zhu, Chuanyong; Wang, Kun

2016-01-01

China is the most populous country in the world. The amount of death population has reached 9.65 million and 49.5% of human corpses are cremated by about 1700 crematories spread throughout the country in 2012, leading to considerable discharge of various hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) into the atmosphere and great concerns on regional air quality and health risks for surrounding residents. By using the practicable or best available emission factors, for the first time, a multiple-year emission inventory of typical hazardous air pollutants discharged from crematories in the Chinese mainland, has been established for the historical period of 1990-2012, and the future trends of HAPs emissions until 2030 are forecasted based on three scenarios analysis. Our results show that the total emissions have gradually increased to 906 t of NOX, 443 t of SO2, 2713 t of CO, 477.7 t of PM, 377 t of HCl, 36 t of H2S, 25 t of NH3, 62 t of NMVOCs, 592 kg of Hg, 48 kg of Pb, 14 kg of Cd, 53 kg of As, 40 kg of Cr, 37 kg of Cu, 51 kg of Ni, and 96 g of PCDD/Fs as TEQ (toxic equivalent quantity) by the year 2012. Under the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, various HAPs emitted from cremators would continuously increase with an average growth rate of 3% till to 2030; whereas the emissions will peak at around 2015 and then decline gradually with varied speed under the two improved control scenarios. To mitigate the associated air pollution and health risks caused by crematories, it is of great necessary for implementing more strict emission standards, applying combustion optimization and requiring installation of best available flue gas purification system, as well as powerful supervision for sound operation of crematories.

Coal and cremation in ancient Peru

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brooks, William E.

2004-01-01

After my visit to the adobe-walled archaeological site of Chan Chan, near Trujillo in northern Peru in the summer of 2000 (Geotimes, August 2003), my guide asked if I would like to see the metallurgical furnaces used by the Chimú, ancient residents and master metalsmiths of the region. Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimú Empire (A.D. 1100-1400) and the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas. These furnaces, my guide explained, were where Andean gold, silver and copper ores were smelted and fabricated into jewelry, masks and plates sought by the Spaniards. We left the main part of the complex, followed a dusty trail, and arrived at a site marked by fresh-looking, redbrown, clinker-like debris.

Psychiatric investigation of 18 bereaved pet owners.

PubMed

Kimura, Yuya; Kawabata, Hidenobu; Maezawa, Masaji

2011-08-01

This survey explores the grief associated with the loss of a pet, and was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaires were handed out to 50 bereaved pet owners attending a public animal cremation service, and we received 18 responses. Participants responded within 0 to 44 (median 4) days of the death of their pet. Although most mental health problems immediately following mourning are presumed to be normal grief reactions, on the basis of several psychiatric scales, 8 of the 16 valid responses indicated depression and/or neurosis. Statistical analyses showed that the following factors were significantly associated with grief reactions: age of owner, other stressful life events, family size, age of deceased animal, rearing place, and preliminary veterinary consultation.

“Cleansing” anatomical collections: The politics of removing specimens from German anatomical and medical collections 1988–92

PubMed Central

Weindling, Paul

2015-01-01

SUMMARY In 1989–90 an intense debate erupted in the Federal Republic of Germany over the status of anatomical specimens from the period of National Socialism. Pressure was brought on the German universities and research institutes to remove body parts. The solution was deemed rapid burial of all specimens whose provenance was in doubt. A range of options was considered, and the eventual decision to bury cremated remains was deemed the best way to draw a line under an uncomfortable past of Nazi medical atrocities. The aim was to achieve closure on this issue by a rapid “cleansing” of collections. However, identification of victims was left unresolved amidst the heated debates at the time. PMID:22445542

The New Space Age in the making: Emergence of exo-mining, exo-burials and exo-marketing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capova, Klara Anna

2016-10-01

At the beginning of the 21st century we witness considerable global developments in space exploration and a new era has begun: the New Space Age. The principal symbols of that age are firstly internationalization of space activities, secondly commercial utilization of space technologies, and lastly emergence of outer space economy. This paper presents selected signposts of the New Space Age. Three cases of recent outer space enterprises: recovery of asteroid resources (exo-mining), post-cremation memorial spaceflight (exo-burials) and first extraterrestrial advert (exo-marketing), are introduced in order to emphasize the monetary and social dimension of commercial application of space technologies. To give an illustration of these trends, this paper provides a brief socioculturally minded account of three outer space undertakings that are interpreted as signposts of the new era.

In the path of destruction - eyewitness chronicles of Mount St. Helens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waitt, Richard B.

2015-01-01

“The air had no oxygen, like being trapped underwater…I was being cremated, the pain unbearable.”-- Jim Scymanky“I was on my knees, my back to the hot wind. It blew me along, lifting my rear so I was up on my hands…It was hot but I didn’t feel burned—until I felt my ears curl.”—Mike HubbardA napping volcano blinked awake in March 1980. Two months later, the mountain roared. Author Richard Waitt was one of the first to arrive following the mountain’s early rumblings. A geologist with intimate knowledge of Mount St. Helens, Waitt delivers a detailed and accurate chronicle of events. The eruption story unfolds through unforgettable, riveting narratives—the heart of a masterful chronology that also delivers engrossing science, history, and journalism.

Coroners and death certification law reform: the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and its aftermath.

PubMed

Luce, Tom

2010-10-01

After considering various different options for half a decade, the last Government legislated in 2009 to reform the England and Wales coroner and death certification systems. The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 provides for the creation of a new Chief Coroner post to lead the jurisdiction and for local medical examiners to oversee a new death certification scheme applicable equally to burial and cremation cases. In October 2010 the new Government announced that it judges the main coroner reform to be unaffordable, will not proceed with it and plans to repeal the provisions. It intends to implement the new death certification arrangements, which is welcome. The decision to abort the main coroner reform in spite of longstanding and widespread recognition of the need for major change is deplorable though in line with other failures over the last century to properly modernise this neglected service.

Microscopic residues of bone from dissolving human remains in acids.

PubMed

Vermeij, Erwin; Zoon, Peter; van Wijk, Mayonne; Gerretsen, Reza

2015-05-01

Dissolving bodies is a current method of disposing of human remains and has been practiced throughout the years. During the last decade in the Netherlands, two cases have emerged in which human remains were treated with acid. In the first case, the remains of a cremated body were treated with hydrofluoric acid. In the second case, two complete bodies were dissolved in a mixture of hydrochloric and sulfuric acid. In both cases, a great variety of evidence was collected at the scene of crime, part of which was embedded in resin, polished, and investigated using SEM/EDX. Apart from macroscopic findings like residual bone and artificial teeth, in both cases, distinct microscopic residues of bone were found as follows: (partly) digested bone, thin-walled structures, and recrystallized calcium phosphate. Although some may believe it is possible to dissolve a body in acid completely, at least some of these microscopic residues will always be found. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

A sociocultural analysis of death anxiety among older Japanese urbanites in a citizens' movement.

PubMed

Kawano, Satsuki

By examining the experiences of death anxiety and attitudes toward personal deaths among members of a citizens' movement, the Grave-Free Promotion Society (GFPS), this study considers the applicability of the view that culture and high self-esteem serve as defenses against death anxiety in Japan's changing society. The GFPS promotes the scattering of ashes over the conventional interment of cremated remains in a family grave. GFPS members often lack descendants to care for a family grave, the neglect of which is thought to endanger the deceased's peaceful rest. By returning the dead to nature through ash scattering, the GFPS provides an alternative strategy of managing its members' posthumous well-being. GFPS members often report that their choice of ash scattering has reduced their anxiety about their personal deaths and improved the quality of their lives. Based upon these findings, this study offers some suggestions for increasing cultural sensitivities of test instruments commonly used to examine death anxiety among older persons for use in a Japanese context.

Raising the Yellow Flag: State Variation in Quarantine Laws.

PubMed

Katz, Rebecca; Vaught, Andrea; Formentos, Adrienne; Capizola, Jordan

Quarantine is an important but often misused tool of public health. An effective quarantine requires a process that inspires trust in government, only punishes noncompliance, and promotes a culture of social responsibility. Accomplishing successful quarantine requires incentives and enabling factors, payments, job security, and a tiered enforcement plan. In this article, we examine the variation in state-level quarantine laws and assess the effectiveness of these laws and regulations. We find that most states allow for an individual to have a hearing (63%) and to have a voice in burial and cremation procedures (71%), yet are weak on all other individual rights measures. Only 20% of states have provisions to protect employment when an individual is under quarantine, and less than half have plans for safe and humane quarantines. Decision makers at the state and local levels must make a concerted effort to revise and update quarantine laws and regulations. Ideally, these laws and regulations should be harmonized so as to avoid confusion and disruption between states, and public health officials should work with populations to identify and address the factors that will support successful quarantines if they are ever required.

From state terrorism to state errorism: post-Pinochet Chile's long search for truth and justice.

PubMed

Wyndham, Marivic; Read, Peter

2010-02-01

Patio 29 lies in the northern sector of Santiago's General Cemetery. To the naked eye, it is a grim unweeded field of some twelve hundred rusted tin crosses. But to the families of the 1,197 detained-disappeared during Augusto Pinochet's brutal dictatorship, Patio 29 is both a site of horror and a site of hope. Its story begins in September-December 1973 when 320 early victims of the repression were brought there in makeshift wooden crates that held as many as three bodies each, and buried in unmarked graves. A few years later, two hundred of those graves were exhumed by the military, and the remains presumably cremated. For another decade, the mass grave remained silent, yielding few of its secrets to the families' demands to know: Where are they? Today, nineteen years into the so-called transition to democracy, Patio 29--the most important single finding in relation to Chile's detained-disappeared-still refuses to reveal the identities of those victims, pressing upon the government of Michelle Bachelet a new question: Who are they? First state terror, now state error have conspired to make Patio 29 one of Chile's principal horror-cum-hopescapes.

Isolation of tooth pulp cells for sex chromatin studies in experimental dehydrated and cremated remains.

PubMed

Duffy, J B; Waterfield, J D; Skinner, M F

1991-03-01

In experiments designed to assess sex chromatin in artificially mummified and heated pulp tissue, a method was devised that successfully separates cells while minimizing nuclear damage. Sex chromatin (both Barr bodies and F-bodies) is shown to preserve in dehydrated human pulps up to one year. Human pulp tissue retains sex diagnostic characteristics when heated to 100 degrees C for up to 1 h. Parallel experiments on extracted teeth from young pigs reveals comparable tissue preservation. Heat penetration is retarded, however, in unextracted pig teeth in fleshed jaws such that temperatures could be raised to 300 degrees C for longer than 1 h. Heat penetration into fleshed material was further tested by the insertion of thermocouple probes to assess the temperature attained within the pulp chamber. At chamber temperatures up to 75 degrees C sex diagnosis in human pulps from extracted teeth was still possible. In outdoor incineration of fleshed pigs' heads in an open fire, 75 degrees C in the pulp chamber was reached at a fire temperature within the range 500-700 degrees C. The implications of these findings for forensic situations are described.

[Intellectual honesty in abortion problems].

PubMed

Werner, M

1991-04-03

A pastor comments on the recent ruling by the Swedish Department of Health and Social Affairs that the remains of an abortion should be "treated respectfully"--cremated or buried in a cemetery. This decision results from recognition on the part of the government and the medical establishment that a growing segment of public opinion agrees that the fetus is a human being. The new rules mean, though, that a fetus becomes human only upon its death. Logically, an abortion that is respectfully performed ought not to be performed at all. This is the fundamental problem with abortion, and no amount of arbitrary boundary drawing at various levels of supposed capability for survival at the 12th, the 18th, or the 24th week of pregnancy will alter the fact. It is necessary to face the problem with complete intellectual honesty and say that a fetus is a human being no matter what its age, but that voluntary abortion is also a social necessity. Only then can society find another abortion policy, one that recognizes that late abortions are hard to distinguish from births. The Swedish abortion policy must reflect honest facts, rather than etiological legends, preconceived ideas for which arguments must be found afterward.

The Artificial World of Plastination: A Challenge to Religious Perspectives on the Dead Human Body.

PubMed

Jones, David Gareth

2016-11-01

The public exhibitions of plastinated (preserved) and dissected human cadavers have proved exceedingly popular and also very contentious. However, there has been little in the way of sustained analysis of these exhibitions from a Christian angle. The technique of plastination enables whole bodies to be displayed as though standing and playing a variety of sports, and with 'life-like' facial expressions. In analyzing this phenomenon, the plastination procedure is outlined, and the degree of naturalness of the whole body plastinates assessed. In searching for theological directives the debate over burial and cremation is used as a means of exploring the respect we give the dead body, and the significance of the resurrection of the body for our views of the dead body. In particular, attention is paid to devaluation of the dead body in situations ranging from dissection of the body through to commercial public exhibitions. The centrality of notions of altruism and 'gift' is discussed. It is concluded that there are many disquieting features to these exhibitions, necessitating caution in approaching them. Nevertheless, in reminding visitors of their mortality and the wonders of the human body, they are not to be dismissed entirely.

Imaging and virtual autopsy: looking back and forward

PubMed Central

Bolliger, Stephan A.; Thali, Michael J.

2015-01-01

In order to create a three-dimensional (3D) documentation of findings which can be reassessed if necessary by other experts, the research project ‘Virtopsy®’ was launched in the late 1990s. This project combined autopsy results with forensic imaging in the form of computed tomography, magnetic resonance tomography and 3D surface scanning. The success of this project eventually succeeded in convincing the courts in Switzerland to accept these novel methods as evidence. As opposition towards autopsies has grown over the last decades, Virtopsy also strives to find and elaborate additional methods which can answer the main forensic questions without autopsy. These methods comprise post-mortem angiography for illustration of the vascular bed and image-guided tissue and fluid sampling for histological, toxicological and microbiological examinations. Based on the promising results, post-mortem imaging, especially with 3D surface scanning, has meanwhile also been applied to living victims of assault, who have suffered patterned injuries due to bites, blows with objects, etc. In our opinion, forensic imaging is an objective method which offers the possibility for a reassessment of the findings by other experts, even after burial or cremation of the corpse, or healing of the injuries in living victims, thus leading to a greater security in court. PMID:26101279

Crooked Timber: The life of Calvin Wells (1908–1978)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Calvin Wells was the leading palaeopathologist in the UK between the later 1950s and the early 1970s. He studied medicine at University College London but failed in anatomy and qualified in 1933 with the Conjoint Diploma (MRCS, LRCP). After qualification he began to study obstetrics and after war service in the RAMC he settled in Norfolk (UK), established a small general practice and took up palaeopathology. Although he was usually conservative in diagnosis he tended to over-interpret signs in the skeleton, often publishing descriptions that were more fiction than science. He held firm views on the way in which palaeopathology should be undertaken and in particular he resented the entry into the field of anthropologists without medical training. His major contributions to palaeopathology were related to the study of cremations and the introduction of the notion of pseudopathology, and his writings on these subjects have scarcely been improved upon since. He was extremely well read, warm and encouraging to those with archaeological or medical qualifications, but vituperative about those he disliked. His bone reports, which are a major proportion of his published output, generally were highly regarded but his writing is often marred by sexual innuendo and vulgarity which does his memory little credit. PMID:24585588

The crash of Colgan Air flight 3407: Advanced techniques in victim identification.

PubMed

Bush, Mary; Miller, Raymond

2011-12-01

Identifying disaster victims by means of dental records is a well-established technique. In cases in which high temperatures are involved, destruction of the structural relationship of the dentition necessitates that adjunctive aids be used in the identification process. Analysis of tooth fragments by means of scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy can reveal evidence of restorative procedures, as well as trace amounts of dental materials remaining on tooth surfaces. In addition, dental materials can be analyzed and identified according to brand, even if the materials have been cremated. The authors describe the identification of three victims from the crash of Colgan Air flight 3407, a commuter airplane flying between Newark, N.J., and Buffalo, N.Y. The crash involved a fire, and a portion of the airplane burned for nearly 11 hours. Dental fragments that had restorative material adhering to them were recovered and analyzed. These fragments contained corroborative information that helped confirm the identity of the victims. Detailed record keeping is part of clinical practice. The level of detail present in dental records can affect the ability of forensic odontologists to determine the identity of a victim's remains. Documenting the brand names of dental materials used in restorative procedures can make the difference between identifying and not identifying a victim's remains.

Comparing Ancient DNA Preservation in Petrous Bone and Tooth Cementum

PubMed Central

Margaryan, Ashot; Stenderup, Jesper; Lynnerup, Niels; Willerslev, Eske; Allentoft, Morten E.

2017-01-01

Large-scale genomic analyses of ancient human populations have become feasible partly due to refined sampling methods. The inner part of petrous bones and the cementum layer in teeth roots are currently recognized as the best substrates for such research. We present a comparative analysis of DNA preservation in these two substrates obtained from the same human skulls, across a range of different ages and preservation environments. Both substrates display significantly higher endogenous DNA content (average of 16.4% and 40.0% for teeth and petrous bones, respectively) than parietal skull bone (average of 2.2%). Despite sample-to-sample variation, petrous bone overall performs better than tooth cementum (p = 0.001). This difference, however, is driven largely by a cluster of viking skeletons from one particular locality, showing relatively poor molecular tooth preservation (<10% endogenous DNA). In the remaining skeletons there is no systematic difference between the two substrates. A crude preservation (good/bad) applied to each sample prior to DNA-extraction predicted the above/below 10% endogenous DNA threshold in 80% of the cases. Interestingly, we observe signficantly higher levels of cytosine to thymine deamination damage and lower proportions of mitochondrial/nuclear DNA in petrous bone compared to tooth cementum. Lastly, we show that petrous bones from ancient cremated individuals contain no measurable levels of authentic human DNA. Based on these findings we discuss the pros and cons of sampling the different elements. PMID:28129388

Streptococcal necrotizing myositis: a case report and clinical review.

PubMed

Hourmozdi, Justin J; Hawley, Dean A; Hadi, Christiane M; Tahir, Bilal; Seupaul, Rawle A

2014-03-01

Streptococcal necrotizing myositis, also known as gangrenous myositis, is a very rare and severe soft tissue infection that predominately involves skeletal muscle and, eventually, superficial fascia and surrounding tissues. The presentation is often nonspecific until the rapidly progressing clinical course becomes apparent. A high morbidity and mortality rate has been reported in the small number of cases since 1900. Despite several attempts to better define the different entities causing necrotizing myositis, no single definitive causal relationship has been defined. A review of the literature is presented here to help clinicians distinguish those with necrotizing myositis from those with nonnecrotizing myositis when the clinician is at all confronted with the suspicion for such an infection. The case presented is that of a 48-year-old woman who had streptococcal necrotizing myositis. She died roughly 72 h after admission. After the patient's death, the clinical team sought consent for autopsy. Hospital staff made contact with family, and information was obtained from the family that the onset of the patient's symptoms was allegedly temporally related to her acquisition of a new tattoo on the right back, where the tattoo process allegedly included injection of cremated ashes of a pet dog. A high level of suspicion for necrotizing myositis must be maintained for a patient with unexplained severe muscle pain and soft tissue swelling accompanied by systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frequency of neurotic symptoms shortly after the death of a pet.

PubMed

Kimura, Yuya; Kawabata, Hidenobu; Maezawa, Masaji

2014-04-01

Some individuals manifest psychosomatic symptoms after the death of their pets. A survey was conducted at four public and commercial animal cremation service centers in Japan. In each center, a questionnaire was distributed to 100 individuals (400 in total). The questionnaire consisted of the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ28), the social readjustment rating scale (SRRS) and a series of questions regarding demographic information and the circumstances of their pet's death. In total, 82 returned questionnaires were available for analysis. GHQ28 proved the existence of neurotic symptoms in 46 responses (56.1%; 95% confidence interval: 44.7%-67.0%). Analysis of the responses using the GHQ28 subscales with a Likert scoring system demonstrated more somatic dysfunction in females (GHQ-A: P=0.04). Furthermore, significant correlations were identified among the following factors: owner's age (GHQ-A: ρ=-0.60, P=0.01; GHQ-B: ρ=-0.29, P=0.01; GHQ-C: ρ=-0.32, P<0.01; GHQ-D: ρ=-0.42, P<0.01), SRRS score (GHQ-A: ρ=0.32, P<0.01; GHQ-B: ρ=0.25, P=0.02; GHQ-D: ρ=0.30, P=0.01) and animal's age (GHQ-D: ρ=-0.26, P=0.02). The death of indoor pets caused deeper depression (GHQ-D: P=0.01) than that of outdoor or visiting pets. The results revealed neurotic symptoms in almost half of the pet owners shortly after their pet's death.

Estimating the life expectancy of companion dogs in Japan using pet cemetery data.

PubMed

Inoue, Mai; Kwan, Nigel C L; Sugiura, Katsuaki

2018-05-24

The life expectancy provides valuable information about population health. The life expectancies were evaluated in 12,039 dogs which were buried or cremated during January 2012 to March 2015. The data of dogs were collected at the eight animal cemeteries in Tokyo. The overall life expectancy of dogs was 13.7 (95% confidence interval (CI): 13.7-13.8) years. The probability of death was high in the first year of life, lowest in the fourth year, and increased exponentially after four years of age like Gompertz curve in semilog graph. The life expectancy of companion dogs in Tokyo has increased 1.67fold from 8.6 years to 13.7 years over the past three decades. Canine crossbreed life expectancy (15.1 years, 95% CI 14.9-15.3) was significantly greater than pure breed life expectancy (13.6 years, 95% CI 13.5-13.7, P<0.001). The life expectancy for male and for female dogs were 13.6 (95% CI: 13.5-13.7) and 13.5 (95% CI: 13.4-13.6) years, respectively, with no significant difference (P=0.099). In terms of the median age of death and life expectancy for major breeds, Shiba had the highest median age of death (15.8 years), life expectancy (15.5 years) and French Bulldog had the lowest median age of death (10.2 years), life expectancy (10.2 years). When considering life expectancy alone, these results suggest that the health of companion dogs in Japan has significantly improved over the past 30 years.

Measurement of nanoparticle exposure in crematoriums and estimation of respiratory deposition of the nanoparticles by number and size distribution.

PubMed

Kato, Nobuyuki; Mastui, Yasuto; Takaoka, Masaki; Yoneda, Minoru

2017-11-25

Nanoparticles (NPs), including hazardous substances, are generated in crematoriums due to the high temperatures during the combustion process. NPs are reported to greatly impact animals' health by reaching the alveoli and being carried to the entire body through the blood stream. However, studies in crematoriums have yet to assess workers' exposure to the generated NPs. The purpose of this study is to assess workers' exposure to NPs released in crematoriums. Field surveys were conducted in three crematoriums with an emphasis on cremation, bone rearrangement and cleaning processes. The NP concentrations and size distributions were analyzed. The deposition of NPs in each respiratory region during each working process was calculated based on the measured data using the Human Respiratory Tract Model. The mean particle number concentration was maximized momentarily during the bone rearrangement process. The concentration at the time a crematory's door was opened was 500,000 particle/cm 3 . NPs aggregated to micro-sized particles within a few minutes, dust generated by the bone rearrangement, or both. As a result of model calculation, the mean ratios (alveolar per the other regions by a crematory) were approximately 3.0 (bronchus and bronchioles regions: except for the first survey in crematorium A which had the obstruction of measurement) and 4.3 (extrathoracic airways). The ratios were similar for all crematoriums. These results can be used for health risk assessments in crematoriums. In addition, these results should be applicable to estimate the inhalation unit risk of each respiratory organ such as lungs and nose.

The genetics of the pre-Roman Iberian Peninsula: a mtDNA study of ancient Iberians.

PubMed

Sampietro, M L; Caramelli, D; Lao, O; Calafell, F; Comas, D; Lari, M; Agustí, B; Bertranpetit, J; Lalueza-Fox, C

2005-09-01

The Iberians developed a surprisingly sophisticated culture in the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula from the 6th century BC until their conquest by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. They spoke and wrote a non-Indo-European language that still cannot be understood; their origins and relationships with other non-Indo-European peoples, like the Etruscans, are unclear, since their funerary practices were based on the cremation of bodies, and therefore anthropology has been unable to approach the study of this people. We have retrieved mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from a few of the scarce skeletal remains that have been preserved, some of them belonging to ritualistically executed individuals. The most stringent authentication criteria proposed for ancient DNA, such as independent replication, amino-acid analysis, quantitation of template molecules, multiple extractions and cloning of PCR products, have been followed to obtain reliable sequences from the mtDNA hypervariable region 1 (HVR1), as well as some haplogroup diagnostic SNPs. Phylogeographic analyses show that the haplogroup composition of the ancient Iberians was very similar to that found in modern Iberian Peninsula populations, suggesting a long-term genetic continuity since pre-Roman times. Nonetheless, there is less genetic diversity in the ancient Iberians than is found among modern populations, a fact that could reflect the small population size at the origin of the population sampled, and the heterogenic tribal structure of the Iberian society. Moreover, the Iberians were not especially closely related to the Etruscans, which points to considerable genetic heterogeneity in Pre-Roman Western Europe.

Frequency of Neurotic Symptoms Shortly after the Death of a Pet

PubMed Central

KIMURA, Yuya; KAWABATA, Hidenobu; MAEZAWA, Masaji

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Some individuals manifest psychosomatic symptoms after the death of their pets. A survey was conducted at four public and commercial animal cremation service centers in Japan. In each center, a questionnaire was distributed to 100 individuals (400 in total). The questionnaire consisted of the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ28), the social readjustment rating scale (SRRS) and a series of questions regarding demographic information and the circumstances of their pet’s death. In total, 82 returned questionnaires were available for analysis. GHQ28 proved the existence of neurotic symptoms in 46 responses (56.1%; 95% confidence interval: 44.7%–67.0%). Analysis of the responses using the GHQ28 subscales with a Likert scoring system demonstrated more somatic dysfunction in females (GHQ-A: P=0.04). Furthermore, significant correlations were identified among the following factors: owner’s age (GHQ-A: ρ=−0.60, P=0.01; GHQ-B: ρ=−0.29, P=0.01; GHQ-C: ρ=−0.32, P<0.01; GHQ-D: ρ=−0.42, P<0.01), SRRS score (GHQ-A: ρ=0.32, P<0.01; GHQ-B: ρ=0.25, P=0.02; GHQ-D: ρ=0.30, P=0.01) and animal’s age (GHQ-D: ρ=−0.26, P=0.02). The death of indoor pets caused deeper depression (GHQ-D: P=0.01) than that of outdoor or visiting pets. The results revealed neurotic symptoms in almost half of the pet owners shortly after their pet’s death. PMID:24334827

Complex layered dental restorations: Are they recognizable and do they survive extreme conditions?

PubMed

Soon, Alistair S; Bush, Mary A; Bush, Peter J

2015-09-01

Recent research has shown that restorative dental materials can be recognized by microscopy and elemental analysis (scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence; SEM/EDS and XRF) and that this is possible even in extreme conditions, such as cremation. These analytical methods and databases of dental materials properties have proven useful in DVI (disaster victim identification) of a commercial plane crash in 2009, and in a number of other victim identification cases. Dental materials appear on the market with ever expanding frequency. With their advent, newer methods of restoration have been proposed and adopted in the dental office. Methods might include placing multiple layers of dental materials, where they have different properties including adhesion, viscosity, or working time. These different dental materials include filled adhesives, flowable resins, glass ionomer cements, composite resins, liners and sealants. With possible combinations of different materials in these restorations, the forensic odontologist is now confronted with a new difficulty; how to recognize each individual material. The question might be posed if it is even possible to perform this task. Furthermore, an odontologist might be called upon to identify a victim under difficult circumstances, such as when presented with fragmented or incinerated remains. In these circumstances the ability to identify specific dental materials could assist in the identification of the deceased. Key to use of this information is whether these new materials and methods are detailed in the dental chart. Visual or radiographic inspection may not reveal the presence of a restoration, let alone the possible complex nature of that restoration. This study demonstrates another scientific method in forensic dental identification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ancillary hospital personnel faced with organ donation and transplantation.

PubMed

Ríos, A; Conesa, C; Ramírez, P; Galindo, P J; Martínez, L; Fernández, O M; Montoya, M J; Rodríguez, M M; Lucas, D; Parrilla, P

2006-04-01

To reduce the number of family organ donation refusals, it is necessary not only to act on the general public but also on the health care system. In this respect, there are data suggesting that the percentage of hospital personnel against donation is high, especially among ancillary personnel. The objective herein was to analyze the attitudes of ancillary hospital professionals toward donation of their own organs and determine factors that conditioned such attitudes. A random sample in a third-level hospital with a solid organ transplant program was stratified by ancillary services: administrative, porters, maintenance, cleaning, and cooking. Attitudes toward donation of one's own organs after death were evaluated using a questionnaire on psychosocial aspects validated in our area. It included various psychosocial variables that could affect such attitudes. The Student t test and chi-square test were used to evaluate the data. We analyzed 277 respondents of mean age 43 +/- 8 years and 96% women. The level of acceptance of organ donation was 64% (n = 178), whereas 46% were either against or undecided (n = 98). The variables which determined the attitudes were understanding of brain death (P = .004); attitude toward cadaveric manipulation, especially toward autopsy (P = .013) and cremation (P = .004); concern about mutilation after donation (P = .014); religion (P = .032); partner's attitude toward donation (P < .0001); and possibility of needing an organ in the future (P = .031). Ancillary hospital personnel had similar attitudes toward donation as those of the general public as observed in other studies. The attitudes were determined by many psychosocial factors. A campaign to raise awareness among professionals has become a priority, given that working in a hospital, their unfavorable attitude could have a strong negative impact on the general public.

Repatriation of human remains following death in international travellers.

PubMed

Connolly, Ruairi; Prendiville, Richard; Cusack, Denis; Flaherty, Gerard

2017-03-01

Death during international travel and the repatriation of human remains to one's home country is a distressing and expensive process. Much organization is required involving close liaison between various agencies. A review of the literature was conducted using the PubMed database. Search terms included: 'repatriation of remains', 'death', 'abroad', 'tourism', 'travel', 'travellers', 'travelling' and 'repatriation'. Additional articles were obtained from grey literature sources and reference lists. The local national embassy, travel insurance broker and tour operator are important sources of information to facilitate the repatriation of the deceased traveller. Formal identification of the deceased's remains is required and a funeral director must be appointed. Following this, the coroner in the country or jurisdiction receiving the repatriated remains will require a number of documents prior to providing clearance for burial. Costs involved in repatriating remains must be borne by the family of the deceased although travel insurance may help defray some of the costs. If the death is secondary to an infectious disease, cremation at the site of death is preferred. No standardized procedure is in place to deal with the remains of a migrant's body at present and these remains are often not repatriated to their country of origin. Repatriation of human remains is a difficult task which is emotionally challenging for the bereaving family and friends. As a travel medicine practitioner, it is prudent to discuss all eventualities, including the risk of death, during the pre-travel consultation. Awareness of the procedures involved in this process may ease the burden on the grieving family at a difficult time. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

[High-grade pressure sores in frail older high-risk persons. A retrospective postmortem case-control-study].

PubMed

Von Renteln-Kruse, W; Krause, T; Anders, J; Kühl, M; Heinemann, A; Püschel, K

2004-04-01

Some old persons at risk do develop, but others, at comparable risk, do not develop high-grade pressure sores. To evaluate potentially different risk factors, we performed a post mortem case-control study in old persons who developed high-grade pressure sores within six months until 14 days before death. Consecutive cases with pressure sores grade >/=3 and potential controls at comparably high risk for pressure sores were examined before cremation. After written informed consent had been obtained by the next relatives, all available nursing and medical records of the deceased were thoroughly evaluated. Cases and controls were matched according to age, gender, immobility, and cachexia.A total of 100 cases with 71 pressure sores grade 3 and 29 pressure sores grade 4 were compared to 100 controls with 27 pressure sores grade

Did he drown or was he murdered?

PubMed

Lau, Gilbert

2002-04-01

An unemployed, 60-year-old Singaporean gentleman died during a brief overseas trip to another South-East Asian country. He had, presumably, drowned in the bathtub of his hotel room, which he shared with his then 44-year-old companion, who was supposedly his nephew. The relevant public health and medico-legal authorities of the host country conducted an external examination of the body at the scene, whereupon they agreed with the police that his death was probably due to accidental drowning following an episode of syncope. It would appear that this verdict was based almost entirely on circumstantial and hearsay evidence. No autopsy was performed. In its place, considerable reliance was placed on the observation that abdominal compression resulted in the outflow of a small amount of water from the mouth, as being proof of drowning. A few days later, the body was cremated in the host country and the remains (ashes) were subsequently repatriated to Singapore. It later transpired that, shortly before they embarked on the ill-fated trip, the deceased's 'nephew' had purchased, on the former's behalf, travel insurance policies (covering accidental injury and death) amounting to a total of S$800,000 from five different insurance companies, as well as a separate life policy for a further S$100,000, most of which had been issued within the fortnight prior to their departure. Interestingly, the beneficiary (later the plaintiff in the ensuing civil trial some three years later) of all of these policies, was the ex-wife of the deceased's 'nephew', with whom he had, in fact, continued to live although they were officially divorced several years ago. Whilst the claim against the life policy had been settled, the first five insurers declined to issue payment on grounds of suspicion that the deceased had been the victim of a homicide, planned or executed by the 'nephew', wherein the beneficiary was a conspirator of sorts. The author was approached by defence counsel (representing the various insurers), for assistance in this matter. It was felt that a proper forensic review was seriously hampered by the lack of a full autopsy which would have been indispensable in ascertaining the actual cause of death and in eliminating other possibilities, apart from drowning, such as death from natural causes, other forms of injury, poisoning, or homicide. It was also emphasized that the mere presence of ingested water is not diagnostic of drowning. Eventually, after a protracted but unsuccessful attempt at mediation (in the course of which, the plaintiff rejected the offer of a reduced, although apparently sizable quantum), the matter came before the High Court, which found in favour of the defendants. It appeared that the judge was more than convinced that the deceased was indeed the victim of a homicide of which the plaintiff was a conspirator and her ex-husband, the perpetrator, as even a cursory perusal of the written judgement would indicate. Accordingly, the court ruled that the plaintiff (in her capacity as both the beneficiary of the insurance policies and executor of the estate) and her ex-husband had, effectively, deprived the insurers of their contractual right (as stipulated in the insurance policies) to have an autopsy conducted on the body of the deceased and they were, therefore, entitled to deny liability. This case illustrates the difficulties inherent in conducting an independent review of a putative instance of drowning, where convincing and reliable forensic evidence and documentation are largely wanting; this being compounded by its occurrence in a foreign jurisdiction whose medico-legal practices differ substantially from that to which one is accustomed. It may even be said that the corpus delecti was destroyed, in this instance, by cremation. It is also unusual in that a de-facto finding of murder was made in a civil court (whose standard of proof is that of a balance of probabilities) and that this had, subsequently, spurred the police to undertake a criminal investigation for conspiracy to murder. In the event, the civil appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, but no charge was laid against any of the suspects for want of sufficient forensic or investigative evidence of a criminal offence having been committed.

Dominicans Resident in Spain and the United States Faced With Deceased Organ Donation.

PubMed

Ríos, A; López-Navas, A; Ros-Martínez, A; Mikla, M; Martínez-Alarcón, L; Navalón, J C; Ramis, G; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2015-11-01

Investigating the attitude of subgroups of populations living in different countries is useful for establishing whether there are differences in opinion in terms of place of residence. The objective of the study was to analyze attitudes toward deceased organ donation in the population from the Dominican Republic who are residing in the southeast of the United States and Spain. A sample was taken of residents of the population from the Dominican Republic residing in Florida (the United States) (n = 63) and in Spain (n = 80), which was stratified by age and sex. A validated questionnaire about psychosocial aspects (PCID-DTO Rios) was self-administered and completed anonymously: the χ(2) test, Student t test, and logistic regression analysis were used. The completion rate was 86% (123 respondents of the 143 selected). Of those surveyed, 54% were in favor, 23% were against, and 23% were undecided. Of the residents in Spain (n = 57) 63% (n = 36) were in favor, 12% (n = 7) were against, and 25% (n = 14) were undecided. Of the residents in the United States (n = 66) 46% (n = 30) were in favor, 33% (n = 22) were against, and 21% (n = 14) were undecided (P < .001). The following factors were found to be associated with attitude: 1) level of education [OR = 12.195 (52.631-2.808); P = .001]; 2) concern about the possible mutilation of the body after donation [OR = 11.363 (47.619-2.695; P = .001]; and 3) rejection of cremation or burial of the body after death [OR = 6.134 (21.276-1.763); P = .004]. Attitude toward the donation of the respondent's own deceased organs after death was more favorable among Dominican residents in Spain compared with those living in the United States. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human body donation in Thailand: Donors at Khon Kaen University.

PubMed

Techataweewan, N; Panthongviriyakul, C; Toomsan, Y; Mothong, W; Kanla, P; Chaichun, A; Amarttayakong, P; Tayles, N

2018-03-01

Culture, society and spirituality contribute to variability in the characteristics of human body donors and donation programmes worldwide. The donors and the body donation programme at Khon Kaen University, northeast Thailand, reflect all these aspects of Thailand, including the status accorded to the donors and the ceremonial acknowledgement of the donors and their families. Data from the programme records and from surveys of samples of currently registering donors and recently received donor bodies are analysed to define the characteristics of both registering and received donors, including motivation, demography, socio-economic status, health, and use of the bodies. The body donation programme at Khon Kaen University currently has a very high rate of registration of body donors, with gender and age differences in the patterns of donation. Registrants include more females than males, a long-standing pattern, and are an average age of 50 years. The bodies of 12% of registrants are received after death and include more males than females. Both sexes are of an average age of 69 years. Males had registered their donation eight years prior to death and females ten years prior. Current registrants identified altruistic motives for their decision to donate, although the coincidence of body donation by a highly revered monk with a surge in donations in 2015 suggests that Buddhism plays a primary role in motivation. The opportunity to make merit for donors and their families, and respect shown to donors and the nature of the ceremonies acknowledging the donors and their families, including the use of the Royal Flame at the cremation ceremony, all contribute to decisions to donate. The characteristics of body donors and the body donation programme at Khon Kaen University are reflective of Thai society and the centrality of Buddhism to Thai culture. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The attitude of Latin American immigrants in Florida (USA) towards deceased organ donation - a cross section cohort study.

PubMed

Ríos, Antonio; López-Navas, Ana Isabel; García, José Antonio; Garrido, Gregorio; Ayala-García, Marco Antonio; Sebastián, María José; Hernandez, Antonio Miguel; Ramírez, Pablo; Parrilla, Pascual

2017-10-01

The Latin American (LA) population resident in the USA is a growing subgroup of the population. To find out the structure of attitude towards organ donation in the LA population resident in Florida (USA). A sample was taken of LA residents in Florida, randomized and stratified by nationality, age and sex (n = 1524). Attitude was assessed using a validated questionnaire (PCID-DTO Rios) that was self-completed anonymously. The survey completion rate was 95% (n = 1450). Attitude was favourable in 33% of respondents (n = 485), against in 40% (n = 575) and undecided in 27% (n = 390). The following variables were associated with a favourable attitude: country of origin (Dominican Republic; P = 0.038); sex (female; P < 0.001); marital status (married; P < 0.001); level of education (university; P < 0.001); previous experience of the subject (P < 0.001); considering the need for a transplant in the future (P < 0.001); understanding the concept of brain death (P = 0.003); attitude towards donating a family member's organs (P < 0.001); having discussed organ donation and transplantation with one's family (P < 0.001) or with one's partner (P < 0.001); participation in pro-social type activities (P < 0.001); the respondent's religion (atheist-agnostic; P < 0.001); a respondent's knowledge of the attitude of his or her religion towards organ donation (P < 0.001); no concern about mutilation after donation (P < 0.001); acceptance of cremation (P < 0.001); burial (P < 0.001); and an autopsy if one were needed (P < 0.001). The attitude towards donation of LA in Florida is worse than that reported in the native population and is associated with certain psychosocial factors. © 2017 Steunstichting ESOT.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust: geochemical signals of mortuary areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smejda, Ladislav; Horak, Jan; Alexandrova, Jana; Hejcman, Michal

2017-04-01

Mortuary areas are important components of historic landscapes. We address the intriguing problem of human-induced chemical change in sediments and soils affected by burial of the deceased. While the decomposition of dead bodies may be seen as a very natural process, cultural customs of most human societies often dictate the establishment of formal mortuary areas where human remains accumulate for decades and centuries. Abandoned cemeteries and other places associated with the dead then turn into other land-use categories (e.g. arable fields, forests, parks, residential areas etc.). What is the long-term ecological legacy of former places of intensive burial has been little studied so far. Phosphate analysis is the most frequently applied method for geoarchaeological detection of past human impact on soils. It has been used also in research aimed at human graves. To overcome the inherent limits of this method, we focus mainly on a multi-elemental analysis of necrosols based on X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). In this presentation, we discuss selected observations made in typologically and chronologically distinct localities, covering a spectrum of burial customs practiced since prehistory to the recent period, namely inhumation, cremation, and (through animal proxies) also excarnation. We aim to show that mortuary areas are quite specific and complex class of sedimentary archive. Chemical signals of decomposed human remains can frequently be well distinguished against the natural background values, which means they may remain persistent for a very long time (in timescale of centuries to millennia). From an ecological point of view, mortuary sites (even abandoned ones) represent landscape patches significantly enriched with various nutrients compared to the surrounding region, with necessary impact on local biota. This emergent research area produces knowledge that can be utilised in ecology, soil science, and landscape management. Serious problems must however be tackled to fully embrace its potential; from ethical concerns towards human remains to methodological aspects of various taphonomic and diagenetic effects on measured data. The work presented in this paper has been partially funded by the project DEEPDEAD: Artefacts and human bodies in socio-cultural transformations (HERA.15.055).

Abiding by the sufficiency economy philosophy to develop the quality of life of teachers and educational personnel in the central region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khumkhong, Tippawan

2018-01-01

This research aimed to 1) study the ideas and procedures of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) to make it fully implemented to develop the quality of life of teachers and educational personnel in the central region, 2) study the results of implementing the SEP and 3) offer some guidelines in implementing the SEP to develop the quality of life. The samples were the teachers and educational personnel, the cremation service welfare members of 2015 in 9 provinces of the central region namely Bangkok, Sing Buri, Saraburi, Chai Nat, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pha Nakhon Si Ayuttaya, Lop Buri and Ang Thong. The qualitative research's samples were the 6 key informants selected purposely, collected by depth-interview, analyzed using inductive method, checked by the methodological triangulation and the key informants. The quantitative research's samples were the 398 offered obtained by stratified random sampling having regard to the ratio, collected by questionnaire with the reliability value of 0.982, analyzed by percentage, mean and standard deviation. The findings were as follows: 1) As for the ideas towards the SEP and the ethical principles of Buddhism are one and the same thing. All levels of people can follow this philosophy. The procedures towards the SEP to develop the quality of life by performing in harmony with their daily lives regarding to the moderation, the reasonableness, building self-immunity with knowledge and ethical qualification. 2) The SEP helps develop the better quality of life, happiness, sound life, sound economy with great satisfaction of the living. 3) On offering some guidelines in implementing the SEP to develop the quality of life: 3.1) the performers must have good understanding in the philosophy and accept to bring it into use 3.2) lead a life according to the ethical principles of Buddhism or to the ones of the religion you believe. 3.3) members of the family had to cooperate in leading lives according to the SEP and 3.4) save money when having more than enough. 4) The teachers and educational personnel are able to implement the ideas offered at a high level.

Preliminary description of aging cats and dogs presented to a New Zealand first-opinion veterinary clinic at end-of-life.

PubMed

Gates, M C; Hinds, H J; Dale, A

2017-11-01

AIMS To conduct a preliminary investigation into the chronic disease conditions and clinical signs present in aging New Zealand companion animals at end-of-life and to describe the timing, circumstances, and manner of death. METHODS The medical records database of a first-opinion, companion animal, veterinary practice in Auckland, New Zealand was searched to identify all canine and feline patients ≥7 years of age that were subjected to euthanasia or cremated in the period between July 2012-June 2014. The free-text medical notes were analysed for information on the circumstances surrounding the death, previous diagnoses of chronic disease conditions, and the presence of clinical signs associated with decreased quality-of-life at the time of euthanasia. RESULTS The median age at death was 15 (max 22) years for the 130 cats and 12 (max 17) years for the 68 dogs in the study sample. Euthanasia at the clinic was carried out for 119/130 (91%) cats and 62/68 (91%) dogs, with the remainder recorded as having an unassisted death. The frequency of deaths was highest during December for both cats and dogs. Cost was mentioned as an issue in the medical records for 39/181 (21.6%) patients that were subjected to euthanasia. At the time of euthanasia, 92/119 (77.3%) cats and 43/62 (69.4%) dogs were recorded as having >1 clinical sign associated with a decreased quality-of-life. Inappetence and non-specific decline were the two most commonly recorded clinical signs for both dogs and cats. Cardiovascular disease (44/130, 34%), renal failure (40/130, 31%), and malignant neoplasia (36/130, 28%) were the most common chronic disease conditions recorded for cats. Degenerative joint disease (22/68, 32%), malignant neoplasia (14/68, 21%), and cardiovascular disease (8/68, 12%) were the most common chronic disease conditions recorded for dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE These preliminary findings highlight that aging companion animals in New Zealand frequently have chronic disease conditions and clinical signs that may potentially be associated with decreased quality-of-life at the time of death. Further in-depth studies are required to determine whether there is a greater role for veterinarians in counselling owners about end-of-life care and euthanasia decisions.

The Latin American population in Spain and organ donation. Attitude toward deceased organ donation and organ donation rates.

PubMed

Ríos, Antonio; López-Navas, Ana I; Navalón, Juan C; Martínez-Alarcón, Laura; Ayala-García, Marco A; Sebastián-Ruiz, María J; Moya-Faz, Francisco; Garrido, Gregorio; Ramirez, Pablo; Parrilla, Pascual

2015-04-01

The Latin American (LA) population has similarities with the Spanish population which makes its integration into Spanish society easier. to analyze the attitude toward organ donation among Latin American citizens residing in Spain, to determine the psychosocial variables which affect this attitude, and to examine the correlation between donation rates of LA citizens in Spain and in their countries of origin. A random sample of LA residents in Spain was taken and stratified according to the respondent's nationality (n = 1.314), in the year 2010. Attitude was assessed using a validated questionnaire (PCID-DTO Dr Rios). The survey was self-administered and completed anonymously. Student's t-test, the χ(2) test, and logistic regression analysis. There was a 94% completion rate (n = 1.237). Attitude toward donation was favorable in 60% of cases (n = 745), 12% (n = 145) were against, and 28% (n = 347) were undecided. The following variables were associated with attitude toward donation: sex (P = 0.038), level of formal education (P < 0.001), country of origin (P = 0.002), attitude toward the donation of a family member's organs (P < 0.001), having discussed donation with the family (P < 0.001), carrying out prosocial activities (P = 0.025), attitude toward cremation of the body (P < 0.001), attitude toward burial of the body (P < 0.001), attitude toward having an autopsy carried out (P < 0.001), previous experience of the organ donation and transplantation process (P < 0.001), fear of mutilation after donation (P < 0.001), knowledge that the Church has a positive attitude toward organ donation and transplantation (P < 0.001), knowledge of one's partner's attitude toward organ donation (P < 0.001), and a belief that one might need a transplant in the future (P < 0.001). The donation rates in this population group in Spain are higher than those recorded in their countries of origin (55.76 vs. <10 pmp; P < 0.001). The attitude toward organ donation among LA citizens residing in Spain is slightly worse than that reported in the native Spanish population and is determined by many psychosocial factors. The donation rates of LA citizens in Spain are higher than those in their countries of origin. © 2015 Steunstichting ESOT.

The Mighty Ganges and its Journey Through the Silk City: A Case Study of Water Quality and its Impact on Health in Bhagalpur, Bihar, India, using Machine Learning, GIS & Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaman, B.; Kumar, N.

2016-12-01

River Ganges with an approximate stretch of 2525 km serves about 40% of India's population across 11 states, one of which is Bihar. The district Bhagalpur is located in the eastern part of Bihar and extends between the north latitudes of 25°03'40" and 25°30'00" and east longitudes of 86°30'00" and 87°29'45" encompassing approximately 66 km stretch of the Ganges. It forms a part of the mid- Gangetic alluvium plain covering an area of 2570 km2. The total population of the district stands at 3.03 million with a population density of 743 per km2. Ganges is a life line of millions of people with utmost religious significance but its banks have become a dumping ground for untreated urban sewage, industrial waste, disposal of solid corpses etc. which has led to severe environmental issues and as reported by the Central Ground water Board, the southern part of the city is affected by arsenic contamination in ground water (> 50 mg/L as per WHO norm). The municipal corporation is trying to cope up. This study aims at a comprehensive analysis of water quality along the entire 66 km stretch of the river. The methodology would involve dividing the stretch into 1 km sub-study areas and collection of 10 water samples from each stretch. Samples will also be collected at disposal points from industries especially the silk manufacturing units, sewage disposal points, cremation grounds, pesticide disposal points. A high resolution remotely sensed imagery of the city would be used and the multi-class relevance vector machine (MCRVM) would be used to broadly classify the landuse/landcover and this synoptic view of the city would facilitate the understanding of the urban environment. In conjunction, a standard questionnaire on health along with GPS locations would be collected from sample population inhabiting the demarcated stretches. Analysis would include physical, chemical and bacteriological tests on water samples. The results would bring forth the water quality and check for permissible limits, its effect the state of human health, the compliance of waste disposal with specified standards and landcover map of the city for understanding the spatial configuration of the city. The research would be of immense use to the agencies responsible for restoring and preserving water quality of the River Ganges thus to improving quality of life in this silk city.

Soil and art: the Spanish Society of Soil Science calendar for 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mataix-Solera, Jorge; Poch, Rosa M.; Díaz-Fierros, Francisco; Pérez-Moreira, Roxelio; Asins, Sabina; Porta, Jaume; Cortés, Amparo; Badía, David; Del Moral, Fernando

2017-04-01

The Spanish Society of Soil Science (SECS: www.secs.com.es) is preparing since 2009 a calendar dealing with a topic chosen by its members, with the main aim to disseminate the importance of the soil to the society. In this contribution, we want to show the calendar 2016, developed during 2015, (International Year of Soils) dedicated to soil and art. We chose, for the twelve months of the year, a selection of paintings where soil is present, and where we, as soil scientists, can interpret what the artist observed about the soil or its management. An introduction written by professor F. Díaz-Fierros describes the evolution of different styles in different regions of Western Europe and US, and how soil was reflected in artworks. The selected paintings date from XV century to current times, by autors of different schools of art and very varying styles. The main features shown in these paintings are soil colour, soil structure, horizonation, and even soil profiles that can be classified. Other paintings show ploughing as main land management practice, and also soil conservation practices and the effects of fire as soil degradation. Artworks included in the calendar (in order of appearance): The ploughed field. 1888. Vincent Van Gogh. Zundert, The Netherlands (1853-1869) Los Cigarrales (alrededores de Toledo). Aureliano de Beruete y Moret. ca. 1905. Casa del Museo Goya - Museo de Arte Hispánico. Castres (France) Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Miniature. Musée Condé, Bibliothèque, Chantilly (France)(1413-1416). Paul, Jean and Herman de Limbourg The Dunes near Haarlem. 1667. Jan Wijnants. (1632-1684). National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Archaeology: Rooted in the Past. 2010. GC Myers, New York, USA (1959) La forêt au sol rouge. 1891. Georges Lacombe, Versalles (1868-1916) Sitges des de la Creu de Ribes. 1892. Santiago Rusiñol. Barcelona (1861-1931). Courtesy of the Colección Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza (Madrid) De Kruisdraging. 1606. Pieter Brueghel the Young (1564-1636). Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen Rostolls cremats (Rastrojos quemados), Wool tapestry. 1988. Carles Delclaux after a work by (Sant Cugat, 1951) Robles y Rocas (Picos De Europa). 1874. Carlos de Haes (1826-1898). Museo de El Prado De val van Icarus. 1558. Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1525-1569). Koninklijke Musea von Schone Kunsten, Brussel O Paraño, c.a. 1922-29. Alfonso D. Rodriguez Castelao (1886-1950). Museo de Pontevedra Acknowledgements: to the Spanish Soil Science Society members

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's experience with the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Missing Person DNA Database Program, 2004-2007.

PubMed

Heninger, Michael; Hanzlick, Randy

2011-03-01

Medical examiners and coroners occasionally encounter unidentified human bodies, which remain unidentified for extended periods. In such cases, when traditional methods of identification have failed or cannot be used, DNA profiling may be used. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a National Missing Person DNA database (NMPDD) laboratory to which samples may be submitted on such cases and from possible relatives or environments of unidentified decedents. This article describes the experience of the Fulton County Medical Examiner (FCME) in submitting samples to the NMPDD laboratory. A database was established at the FCME to track the submission of samples from unidentified decedents to the NMPDD laboratory for DNA testing along with the results and turnaround times. In December 2004, the FCME inventoried all cases for which samples were available and began to submit them to the NMPDD laboratory for testing. DNA testing and isolation rates, sample type, and turnaround times were tabulated in October 2006 for samples submitted between December 16, 2004 and December 16, 2005. An overall summary of data was also prepared concerning the status of all samples submitted as of April 17, 2007. During the 1-year study period, samples from 77 unidentified decedents were submitted to the laboratory. As of October 2006 (22 months after submission of the first samples and 10 months after submission of the last samples), testing had been completed on 53% of the samples submitted, and 68% of those tested resulted in a mitochondrial DNA profile. Turnaround times ranged from 66 to 557 days, improved with time, and had a mean of 107 days for specimens submitted during the latter part of the study period. As of April 17, 2007, we had submitted samples involving 84 unidentified decedents. Seventy-five percent of the samples have now been tested. Data from the NMPDD laboratory have resulted in 4 identifications by comparison with putative relatives, 4 exclusions, and no cold hits through comparison NMPDD DNA profiles from missing persons. More extensive data are presented in the body of this article. The NMPDD laboratory provides useful and free services to medical examiners, coroners, and law enforcement agencies that require DNA services regarding missing and unidentified persons. Turnaround times have improved. The success of the system in getting cold hits will be heavily dependent on law enforcement filing missing persons reports and submission of reference samples from putative relatives of the decedent. We recommend collecting specimens for DNA analysis early on in the postmortem investigation, submitting samples to the NMPDD laboratory or one of its participating laboratories when traditional methods for identification cannot be used or have failed, not burying bodies until a DNA profile has been obtained, and not cremating unidentified remains.

Social evolution in the Hallstatt--La Tène period.

PubMed

Smrcka, Václav

2009-01-01

On the archaeological finds, written reports and in the composition of the bone tissue, we can suppose that social evolution in Hallstatt--La Tène period proceeded through the three following stages. In the Early Iron Age (Hallstatt period) with funerary furnishings of barrows, seldom, also, of burial grounds, we can distinguish only two groups: a ruler and his court with women and servants. Elements of nomadic and pastoral traditions can be distinguished in the ruling stratum. The second class of people living in bondage has agricultural features. At this first stage of social evolution (approximately between the 7th and the 5th centuries B.C.), in the period of princes, we can distinguish only two social groups--the king (prince) with his court on one side and peasants on the other side. This social stratification determines access to land and, at the same time, ownership of mobile wealth--cattle. The elite accumulates wealth coming also from other sources, for example, in an eponymic locality it mines salt and controls its distribution, other elites of the Hallstatt society control key points of trade, in the first place the trade in amber, being the trade proper provided by foreign merchants. In an archaeological context there appear the settlements of the elite of the refugium. The second social stage with military democracy (in the 4th and the 3rd centuries B.C.) is characterised by several factors: 1st Cheaper weapons, due to their manufacture using products with ensured sources of raw material, 2nd overproduction of foodstuffs, 3rd increase of population. Access to the sources has a larger spectrum, this is why the social stratification of the structured unevenness in this period is taking the form of a pyramid. This social pyramid is confirmed by written reports and also appears in the funerary furnishings. Not only are the ruler and his "court" put in the graves, but also all the members of the clan. We suppose that the new social group of priests, who gained a high social prestige both in wartime and in peacetime, took part in this change of mentality and opinions. Due to the rich admission of the dietary elements Sr and Zn, we suppose that it could be garniture 600 in the burial grounds that represents this group. From the result it can be deduced at 5% significance level (p = 0.0519) that also the relations between the garnitures within the social stratification differ consistently with the region. When strontium content in social groups was statistically tested regardless of the region, differences are found at the 5% level of significance (p = 0.0402) between the group II (males with weapons, females with anklets and with 2 bracelets, 54 skeletons with mean content of 198 microg Sr/g of bone) and group IV (males without funerary furniture, children and exceptions, 31 skeletons with mean content of 154.9 microg Sr/g of bone). Also at statistical testing of lead content, regardless of the region, there are differences at the 5% level of significance between group II (48 skeletons with mean content 1.5 microg Pb/g of bone) and group IV (27 skeletons with mean content 0.47 microg Pb/g of bone). Regardless of region there is an apparent difference in consumption of the vegetal component of diet (strontium) and social marker (lead) between the richest elite group II and group IV covering the persons living in bondage on the level of slaves. The third phase of social evolution of the urban type is characterised by the evolution of oppida. Production is fully concentrated here. An oppidum is a market place formed by agricultural villages. Due to the change of the funerary rite towards cremation and the absence of burial grounds, the social structure can only be judged in a mediated manner by means of written reports. A large number of smaller tribal "kingdoms" are concentrated into several larger ones, comprising even several tribes, such as, for example at the king of the Boeotians and of the Taurisks Kritasir in Pannonia and Norik [1]. In these three phases, social evolution lasted for 6 to 7 centuries and headed towards the state system. It was interrupted by the migrations of the Celts and by external pressure from the Romans and the Germans.

Obituary: Cornell H. Mayer, 1921-2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radhakrishnan, Venkataraman

2006-12-01

Cornell (Connie) H. Mayer, a pioneer of radio astronomy, died on 19 November 2005 of congestive heart failure at his home in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. He was eighty-three. Cornell Mayer was born in Ossian, Iowa on 10 December 1921. After graduating from the University of Iowa in 1943, he joined the Navy during World War II and was stationed at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC. There he assisted Fred T. Haddock in the development of the first radar antenna inside a submarine periscope. This device has been credited with shortening the war in the Pacific because of the number of Japanese ships that were sunk with its aid. With Haddock, Connie also discovered centimeter-wave radio bursts from the sun coincident with solar flares. They made the first detection of thermal radio emission from the Orion nebula and other galactic HII regions. They also detected extragalactic objects and thus initiated the important field of centimeter-wave astronomy. Their observations were made with a 50-foot parabolic reflector on a gun mount located on the roof of one of the NRL buildings. This telescope had the world's highest radio resolving power for many years. With Haddock's departure to the University of Michigan in 1956 to create a new radio observatory there, Connie became head of a group in the Radio Astronomy Branch at NRL, where he remained until his retirement in 1980. Much of his work involved the measurement of planetary temperatures by analysis of radio emissions. By making technical innovations in instrumentation--such as replacing disc choppers with a ferrite switch to compare the sky and reference load, or using argon gas tubes for calibration--Connie greatly improved the performance of his equipment. This resulted in the discovery of an astonishing, 600oC surface temperature of Venus, which contradicted the widespread notion that Venus was similar to the Earth and potentially habitable. In spite of the extraordinarily careful and systematic way that the observations were carried out and analyzed, many remained skeptical about the result and its interpretation in terms of a massive greenhouse effect, until the Mariner-II spacecraft fly-by in 1962, which put all such doubts to rest. Connie and his group continued to make radio observations of other planets and discovered a non-thermal centimeter wavelength emission from Jupiter. This led directly to work done at Caltech that demonstrated the existence of Van Allen-like belts around the planet. Being a superb engineer, Connie firmly believed that technology led to scientific discovery. Like others, he was preoccupied with the improvement of the sensitivity of radio astronomy receivers, and applied physics to new designs. In 1959, Connie collaborated with Charles Townes and his students at Columbia in the first application of the maser to astronomy. When Townes received the 1964 Nobel Prize for the invention of the maser, he asserted that Connie's desire to improve receiver sensitivity was influential in his work and shared a portion of his prize money with him. Connie's greatest contribution was in the study of non-thermal radio sources at very short wavelengths. Non-thermal sources were recognized by the fact that their flux density decreases with increasing frequency. If the emission mechanism were synchrotron radiation (as theorized in 1950), then the radiation should be linearly polarized up to a theoretical maximum of 70 percent. In 1949, John Bolton had identified a discrete radio source with the Crab Nebula optical counterpart. The optical radiation was known to contain a diffuse component with a featureless spectrum. The Russian astrophysicist Joseph Shklovsky boldly hypothesized that both the optical and radio emissions were due to the synchrotron mechanism. This implied that the optical radiation would be polarized, and Soviet scientists found it so in 1954. Soon after, the radio source Virgo A was matched with the peculiar galaxy M87, whose spectrally featureless optical jet was found to be polarized in 1956. Thus the crucial evidence in support of the synchrotron mechanism for both galactic and extragalactic radio sources was the detection of polarization in their optical radiation. The very next year, Connie and his collaborators showed that at a 3 cm wavelength, the Crab Nebula was substantially polarized (8%) at a position angle close to that of the optical direction. The hundreds of pixels obtainable in the optical, as opposed to only one in the NRL 3 cm observation, enabled the variation of position angle with sky position to be measured. Five years later, the NRL group, succeeded in measuring the first polarization in two extragalactic radio sources, Cygnus A and Centaurus A, at 3 cm. Later measurements at slightly longer wavelengths showed that polarization must be common in synchrotron sources, but that the amount decreased rapidly with increasing wavelength. It was already evident from the NRL measurements that Faraday rotation was important, and it was also clear that increased resolution would be required to remove the effects of averaging over distributions with varying position angles. This led Connie to build receivers at even shorter wavelengths and to use them on larger telescopes than NRL's. The most spectacular results were obtained in 1966 with a 1.55 cm receiver on the NRAO 140-ft reflector at Green Bank, which provided a beam width of only 1?:7. They found that the Crab Nebula had a distribution of polarization similar to that observed optically, reaching up to 16%. Internal Faraday rotation was clearly required to explain the rapid depolarization with increasing wavelength. For Cygnus A, they had just enough resolution to show that the two components of the double radio source were nearly orthogonally polarized. Their most beautiful result was on the galactic supernova remnant Cassiopea A, where they found a remarkable circular circumferential symmetry in the polarization vectors, explaining why previous work with poorer resolution indicated no polarization. Most importantly they recognized that the implied radial field "suggests that the magnetic field has been carried out with the expansion of the supernova envelope, and...[they] observe[d] polarized radiation associated with a component which has been stretched out in the radial direction during the expansion of the shell." This landmark paper led the way for later polarimetric studies of both galactic and extragalactic radio sources. Observations two decades later with the VLA (the world's most powerful, synthesis radio telescope with a quarter million pixels to each one of Connie's), substantiated most or all of his early conclusions, and was a tribute to his pioneering effort. The NRL group was later involved in discoveries about the variability of interstellar water and SiO masers, the structure of molecular clouds and star forming regions, the development of techniques for precision time transfer, remote sensing of the ocean and atmosphere, and much else, but in the aforementioned radio astronomy work, Connie Mayer had no peer. A colleague remarked, "Connie was among the last of the scientist-engineers who built their own equipment, performed their own experiments, and also interpreted the results into paradigm shifting science." Connie was a rare and noble example of natural modesty, becoming uncomfortable if anyone praised him. After his death, his wife found many awards that he had received but never framed nor told her about. He joked that he did not want a formal funeral "with a lot of people getting up and mouthing off about me." He received full military honor services at Arlington National Cemetery, but was cremated as per his wishes. He is survived by Carey Whitehead Mayer, his wife of fifty-six years, and their daughter, Carolyn Elizabeth Mayer. Their son, John, died in 1978.

Obituary: Robert C. Bless (1927 - 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surrounded by his loving family, Robert Charles Bless died at home on November 29th, three days before his 88th birthday. He was born in Ithaca, NY on Dec. 3, 1927 to a Russian father, Arthur Aaron Bless, and a French mother, Eva Chantrell Bless. Bob spent many summers on the family farm in the South of France, where he gained a great pride and joy in his French heritage, large extended family, and mother tongue. As a child growing up in Gainesville, FL, Bob's first job was snake wrangling, earning 10 cents per foot, with an added bonus for the more venomous species. Young Robbie took daily adventures in the Florida woods and swamps, armed only with pockets full of pecans and oranges. He enjoyed spending time at the family's lake cabin, where he learned to sail and helped his father plant acres of trees to grow their timber plantation. As a first generation immigrant, Bob's father received a PhD in physics, which inspired Bob to pursue an extensive educational route in astrophysics. Bob excelled in academics, graduating high school at the age of 16 and the University of Florida (B.Sc.) at 19. His path to graduate school was interrupted by a diagnosis of tuberculosis that forced him into a Florida sanitorium for one year. During this time, Bob made the most of what he described as the most dismal part of life by advocating for patient rights, initiating an inter-sanitorium newsletter, and gaining skills and experience in community organization and leadership - qualities that would later inform his leadership in academe. After being one of the first successfully treated tuberculosis patients in the US, Bob went on to earn a M.Sc. from Cornell University, and received his PhD degree in Astronomy from the University of Michigan in 1958. That same year, Bob joined the staff of the Astronomy Department of the University of Wisconsin (UW), Madison. It was there that Bob met Diane McQueen. Despite Bob's Dodge Dart and what has been described as the worst first date in either of their memories, Bob and Diane married in 1969 in a small ceremony on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state and continued to cultivate a happy and loving marriage of 45 years. Bob's contributions to UW and to the field of astronomy were truly impressive and influential. He was a dedicated and extremely effective teacher at all levels of university education, as shown by very high student evaluation ratings from freshmen to graduate students. In addition to astronomy courses, for many years Bob co-taught a popular course on the history of astronomy and cosmology. He authored a well-received undergraduate textbook, Discovering the Cosmos, that emphasized the contributions of astronomy to the history of Western thinking as well as its fascinating modern factual discoveries. In his book, Bob cautioned his readers: "in reading this book you will discover that astronomy is enjoyably mind expanding and even exciting. This is not, however, 'astronomy without tears'." His dedication to astronomy education extended far beyond the academic community and helped set a pattern of outreach to the general public now widely followed by NASA and other institutions. The clearest manifestation of that dedication was his founding, in 1990, of UW Space Place. His colleagues considered him to be not only smart, as most university staff are, but, perhaps more importantly, wise as well, meaning that he could digest diverse material, determine its broader implications, and suggest and execute on effective courses of action as necessary. He served as Chair of the Astronomy department for several years, but his leadership role extended until his retirement and even beyond as his advice continued to be sought by subsequent Chairs. Perhaps his largest contribution to the department was his counsel and friendship to all of its members, from technicians to senior academics, sometimes acting as mentor or peacemaker and moderator. He was especially important in orchestrating the relocation of the department to new quarters when Sterling Hall was extensively renovated, and in overseeing the renovations to Washburn Observatory that were completed in 2009. Bob was an innovative and accomplished scientist, specializing in both instrumental design and calibration measurements - an absolutely vital determinant of the data's utility in which instrumental readings are converted to physically meaningful results. Early in his career he worked on the UW's Wisconsin Experiment Package (WEP), which was the primary payload in NASA's Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO-2), the first true space observatory. Launched in 1968 and operating until 1973, OAO-2 measured the properties of light from celestial objects from above the earth's obscuring atmosphere. Bob was a principal team member in all aspects of WEP (and many of OAO-2), including design, fabrication, testing, operations, and scientific research. Bob went on as designer and Principal Investigator of the High Speed Photometer (HSP), one of the original instruments chosen to be launched in 1990 with the famous Hubble Space Telescope, arguably the most successful telescope in history. (WEP, OAO-2, and HSP are on public display at UW Space Place.) Bob's worldwide reputation was illustrated by his being chosen as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Gemini Observatory, an international consortium operating two very large ground-based telescopes in Chile and Hawaii. This Board had the heavy responsibility of selecting the instruments aboard the telescopes and thereby the nature of their scientific impacts. Bob also served on several important committees within NASA, some requiring his moving to Washington for extensive periods of time. He authored numerous scientific papers and review articles in prestigious journals and books. Bob retired from the University as Professor Emeritus on Bastille Day in 1994 at the age of 67. Bob's expertise and dedication to astronomy and instrumentation took backseat only to his role as husband and father. He relished family dinners and international travel where he never missed an opportunity to regale family and friends as the resident historian. In 1992, at the age of 64, Bob embraced fatherhood when he and Diane became the guardians for Diane's nieces and nephew. Throwing footballs, offering cooking lessons, and tutorship in nearly any subject, Bob had much to share with his newfound children. A passionate classical music enthusiast, Bob also was a wine connoisseur and everybody at Barriques knew his name. Bob is survived by his wife, Diane; daughters Jacqueline (Bartlett) of Mazomanie; and Andrea (Caleb) of Middleton; son Brandon (Stephanie) of Craftsbury Common, Vermont; grandchildren Teolyn, Finch, Luca and Wilder; sister, Marguerite McInnis and nephews (Alexander and Lauchlin McInnis) and niece (Marguerite McInnis) of Florida, and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents Eva Chantrell Bless and Arthur Aaron Bless. The family would like to thank Agrace Hospice and Drs. Thomas Hyzer and Wayne Grogan and their respective staffs for the care provided to Bob. There will be a Celebration of Bob's life held in early summer when all of his family can join his friends in sharing memories. "I hope that you will have found the experience worth the effort, and as at the end of a long journey to unfamiliar places, that you will be a somewhat different person for it." - Robert Charles Bless Reprinted with permission from Cress Funeral & Cremation Service.