[Criteria for differentiating self- or other-inflicted injuries of alleged or real victims]. / Unterscheidungskriterien für Selbst- oder Fremdbeibringung von Verletzungen angeblich oder tatsächlich Uberfallener.

A synoptic study of six cases of self-inflicted sharp force injuries is presented, where young, mostly female people had simulated assaults to gain sympathy or other personal advantage. The morphological distinctives of simulated assault wounds from such of real assault are worked out and the common situative and motivative background is cleared up.

Influence of saccades on manual reactions--a reaction time and VEP study.

Experiments were performed to investigate the retardation of motor reactions, triggered immediately after saccadic eye movements, by comparing VEP latencies and manual reaction times. As visual stimuli grating patterns of different spatial frequencies were used. They were presented during continuous fixation ("resting eye" condition) as well as shortly after a saccade ("saccadic" condition) with different onset delays (25, 50, 100, 150 msec), in order to determine the influence of saccades on VEP latencies and on manual reaction times. Compared with the reaction times in the "resting eye" condition, the postsaccadic reaction times were much prolonged whereas the respective VEP latencies are almost unchanged. Thus an inhibitory interaction of different motor responses (i.e. saccadic eye movements and manual reactions in this study) at higher levels of the afferent system or at the motor control site is postulated. This result has been confirmed for stimuli of different spatial frequencies.

[ABH and Lewis antigens in the tracheal glands. I. Lewis-positive individuals]. / ABH- und Lewis-Antigene der Trachealdrüsen. I. Lewis-positive Individuen.

Antigens A, B, H, Lea, and Leb were demonstrated in the tracheal glands of 15 Lewis-positive secretors and 15 nonsecretors by the indirect immunoperoxidase technique. The detection of group-specific ABH antigens in mucous epithelium and intraductal secretory fluid was dependent on the secretor character. Whereas determination of secretor character was sometimes unreliable with anti-A and anti-B, the findings obtained by additional labeling with UEA1 were consistently correct. The secretors showed minimal gland labeling with anti-Lea and intensive labeling with anti-Leb; the nonsecretors, intensive Lea labeling and weaker or absent Leb labeling. Consequently, the determination of secretor character by ABH labeling could be verified by the behavior of the Lewis antigens. Since both morphologic structures and epithelial antigens are highly resistant to putrefaction, ABO and secretor character can also be diagnosed in badly decomposed tracheal wall specimens.

[Death of a twin--infanticide or intrauterine fetal death?]. / Tod eines Zwillings--Kindestötung oder intrauteriner Fruchttod?

The authors report an intrauterine death in a twin pregnancy. Due to external circumstances, infanticide was initially suspected. Forensic examination of fetus and placenta, however, revealed a placental cause for the death of the twin. The macerated fetus, which had been retained for at least one week, was expelled, apparently unnoticed, shortly before the live birth of the hypotrophic second twin. The question of the possibility of unnoticed fetus expulsion was discussed.

[Immunoenzyme demonstration of isoantigens A, B and H in kidney tissue changed by putrefaction]. / Immunenzymatische Darstellung der Isoantigene A, B und H in fäulnisverändertem Nierengewebe.

In contrast to blood serology, which usually fails in specimens more than a few days old, immunohistochemistry (PAP technique) provided reliable information on the blood group (ABO) and, in most cases, also the secretor character of 23 kidney specimens stored for months at room temperature. Better results were obtained with monoclonal antibodies than with human sera. In the late stages of decomposition, blood group diagnosis is based on the more decomposition-resistant antigens of the collecting tubular epithelium (in secretors) and the endothelia of the arteriolae medullares rectae and not on the identification of erythrocytic antigens. In addition, a decomposition-resistant epithelial antigen in the distal convoluted tubules (Tc II) is unmasked by autolysis or heterolysis. "Blood group" antigens were frequently detected in bacteria and fungi. These antigens, however, were clearly distinguishable from blood group characters of the tissue. A transient, weak, false-positive reaction with monoclonal anti-B appeared in decomposed Tc II epithelia.