Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Kleiber.
Several physiologists confuse Fourier's law of animal heat flow with Newton's law of cooling. A critique of this error in 1932 remained ineffective. In 1969 Molnar tested Newton's cooling law. In 1971 Strunk found Newtonian cooling unrealistic for animals. Unfortunately, he called the Fourier formulation of animal heat flow, requiring post-Newtonian observations, a "contemporary Newtonian law of cooling."
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Electromyographic (emg) responses and joint movements of the leg were analysed in subjects standing with eyes closed on a sinusoidally moving treadmill (0.16 Hz or 0.33 Hz, amplitude 33 cm). Activity in antagonistic leg muscles was reciprocally modulated, with a predominant gastrocnemius activation during deceleration of forward movement and tibialis anterior activation during deceleration of backward movement of the treadmill. In these phases, it was necessary to compensate for sway induced by body inertia. The match between treadmill movement and emg activity was better for the gastrocnemius than for the tibialis anterior muscle. The characteristic pattern of leg muscle emg activity is suggested to be modulated predominantly by vestibulo-spinal reflexes partly because treadmill movements did not evoke muscle strength, and partly because patients with loss of vestibular function showed basic alterations in the emg pattern and could only compensate for the slow sinus while standing unsupported.
UNLABELLED: No reliable data are available on cases of lethal child abuse (by active force) in the area of Federal Republic of Germany prior to reunification (the former West Germany). In a multicenter study we therefore examined the police and court records for such cases occurring in the period 1 January 1985 to 2 October 1990 in nearly the entire area of Federal Republic of Germany. RESULTS: The study center received information on 58 cases of lethal child abuse. Extrapolated to all institutes of legal medicine, this corresponds to 62 cases in all of West Germany in the period studied. An approximately equal number of unreported cases should be added to this figure. Including unreported cases, at least 20 cases of lethal child abuse occurred per year; thus only one in every two cases ever came to light. Almost two thirds of the victims were younger than one year old. At autopsy 59% exhibited signs of repeated abuse at autopsy. By far the most common cause of death was direct impact from a blunt object, usually to the head. Mostly, the male person to whom the victim relates most closely (father, stepfather, partner of the mother) has killed the child. Twenty-one of the 74 persons charged saw the charges against them dropped or were acquitted due to lack of evidence; 51 received sentences ranging from one year probation to life. In the remaining two cases the outcome of the trial was unknown. Signs of abuse were readily apparent at autopsy in almost all cases. The high number of unreported cases underscores the need to educate medical students and practicing physicians to be on the look-out for signs of abuse and argues for an increase in the rate of autopsy.
UNLABELLED: Up to now reliable data were available on cases of lethal child neglect in the area of the Federal Republic of Germany prior to reunification (the former West Germany). In a multicenter study we therefore examined the police and court records for such cases occurring in the period from 1 January 1985 to 2 October 1990 in nearly the entire area of Federal Republic of Germany. RESULTS: The study center received information on 19 cases of lethal child neglect. Extrapolated to all institutes of legal medicine, this corresponds to 20 cases and thus 3.5 cases a year in the whole of West Germany in the period studied. There is to be added a dark-field which cannot be limited more precisely. However, the cases of fatal child neglect might have occurred much more seldom than fatal child abuse caused by use of physical violence. Slightly more than half the victims were younger than 1 year, the oldest one was 7 10/12 years old. Most frequently the children died of starvation and thirst. Mostly the mothers/nursing mothers killed the child alone or together with the victim's father/stepfather. In the majority of the cases there was not a close affection between parents and child. Nearly 30% female/male perpetrators suffered from chronic alcohol abuse. Only 15 (= 56%) of 27 female/male perpetrators were sentenced to imprisonment (period between 7 months on probation and 10 years). Mitigation circumstances existed for nearly half the persons sentenced to imprisonment. It is true that child neglect is a rarer crime, but the experts of legal medicine always have to indicate errors made during the external inspection of the corpse (among others failures to see indications of neglect).
It is supposed that some fatal aviation accidents of "cause unknown" especially of light and private airplanes are possibly intended by a suicidal act. However it is difficult to prove this suggestion. A case of a light aircraft accident is reported in which the medicolegal autopsy and the police investigation revealed, unexpected, a simultaneous homicide and suicide caused by a stabbing attack on the pilot. This paper stresses the importance of autopsies of the victims in aircraft accident investigation and discuss the medicolegal and psychopathological aspects of the case.
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The professional access to weapons plays a role in the choice of suicide instruments. Light and signalling ammunition is used by police forces, in the military, in sports, and professional navigation. An unusual suicide of a shipowner by means of a signal-pistol is presented. The signal cartridge was shot into the head. Penetrating the skull the cartridge entered the brain. The burning-out of the signal-set--taking about 10 seconds--initiated a flat-burning.--This case shows once more the dangerous misuse of light and signal ammunition.