For more than 35 years the Swiss Society of Neuropathology has organiseditstraditionalInternationalWinterMeeting.Themainaimofthis venue is to bring together neuropathologists and clinicians as well as neuroscientistsinterestedindiseasemechanisms.TheXVIIIthInternational WinterMeeting washeld inMarch 2000 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The topicofthe2000Meetingwas"NeuropathologyandGeneticsofDementia." Aprogrammeofinvitedplenarylecturesofhigheducationalvalueaswellas platform andposterpresentations given by manyparticipantscoveredthe broadspectrumofdementingdisorders.Encouragedbythehighstandardof the meeting, and probably also influenced by the advent of a new Millenniumwedecided, togetherwithKluwerAcademiclPlenumPublishers, topublishtheProceedingsofthe2000Meetinginthepresentbook. The increaseofthe agedpopulation challenges social and health care systemsinindustrializedsocieties.Maintenanceofhealthandautonomyinto oldage isakeyfactor, andtheautonomyandindependenceofoldpersons crucially depend on mental health. However, neurodegenerative disorders accompanied bydementiaaffect 5-10%ofindividualsoverthe ageof65, and for the age group between 65 and 95 the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction doubles every 5 years. With this challenge in mind, Rossor discusses the clinical syndrome of dementia which encompasses an enormousvarietyofunderlyingdisorders. Over the last few years it has become apparent that many neurodegenerative disorders are characterised by protein misfolding and aberrant polymerization and may therefore be viewed as "aggregation proteopathies." Among them a substantial subsetofdementing disorders, either with or without motor dysfunction, are characterised by abundant v VI Preface neuronaland/orglialaccumulationofhyperphosphorylatedtauprotein.The molecular parametersofthese "tauopathies" are reviewed by Delacourte. Therecentdiscoverythatmutationsofthetaugenearecausativeforfamilial formsoffrontotemporaldementiaandParkinsonism(FTDP-17)broughtthe "taupathway"and the"tauopathies"tothecentrestage.Thisextraordinary breakthroughwillbecoveredbySpillantiniandGoedert.Thereisincreasing evidence that argyrophilic grain disease is much more frequent in older patients than previously thought. Tolnay et al. are reviewing recent contributionstothepathologyofthislate-onsetdementingdisorderinwhich ofamyloidbetadeposits, isalmost taupathology, inthealmosttotalabsence exclusivelyrestricted to the limbic lobe and the amygdala. Schultzet al. report an intriguing age-related progression of neuronal and glial tau pathologyinbaboonsthusrenderingthe baboonapotentialprimatemodel forage-relatedhuman"tauopathies." Gotzetal. introducetransgenicmice expressingmutated human tau as valuable animal models for reproducing formationofneuro-andglialfibrillarylesions.

Forensic toxicology has progressed rapidly and diversified greatly in recent years. The members of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists provide a valuable service through the association's bulletin. In its pages members hear of new poisons as they are encountered and the analytical techniques used to deal with them. There is a wealth of information in the form of case reports which is used to assist with the interpretation of the results. Each year the members have the opportunity of meeting in Europe. In 1979 the chosen venue was the University of Glasgow and the meeting was hosted by the Department of Forensic Medicine and Science. The department was established by Royal Charter in 1839 within a few years of the beginning of the modern approach to toxicology. In those early years the function of the department was to teach forensic medicine and toxicology. Today the department has become a recognised centre for the teaching of forensic medicine. The toxicology section has expanded greatly to provide the best forensic and environmental toxicology in Scotland. Inorganic analytical facilities are available for the investigation of metallic poisons by atomic absorption spectrometry, neutron activation analysis, X-ray fluorescence and anodic stripping voltametry. Organic analytical toxicology is pursued using gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, immunoassays, and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Apart from the normal research and routine investigations of a toxicological laboratory the department specialises in the investigation of fire related deaths, solvent abuse (glue sniffing) and trace element studies in human subjects.

" ... this is an excellent compilation of data which should be on the bookshelves of all analysts interested in the benzodiazepines. It is to be hoped that, with the introduction of so many new ben zodiazepines, the author will quickly add these in a second edi tion" (A. C. Moffat in: Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 1983). This review, deputizing for many others, reflects the friendly reception enjoyed by the first volume of Benzodiazepines, which was published in 1982 and apparently closed a gap in the ben zodiazepine literature. In the meantime, Benzodiazepines has established itself as a standard book, as evidenced by numerous letters and quotations. Suggestions were also soon made for a new edition in view of the unusually rapid development in the field of the benzodiazepines. It became quickly obvious, however, that it would not be sufficient to publish a revised second edition, but that a completely new second volume would be required for which, however, the successful previous format could be largely retained. The following considerations seem worth mentioning in connection with the preparation of Volume II: - To ensure continuity with Volume I as far as possible, the list of references was consecutively numbered (references 1 to 3779 in Volume I, references 3780 to 11338 in Volume II). Whereas in Vol. I the substances appear in the sequential order of their historical development they are listed in alphabetical order in Vol. II."

The range at which a weapon has been fired is an important measurement for the reconstruction of firearms offenses (murder, suicide, accident). All changes caused by a shot and which vary according to the distance from the weapon are suitable in principle for determining this distance. However, some procedures are very elegant in theory but hardly applicable in practice. The constructions of ammunition and the sequence of events during a shot are dealt with first as this knowledge forms a basis for understanding the various methods. \ The individual zones (classes) of firing distances (contact shot, intermediate shot, distance shot) are described. In this connection, the morphological methods for determining the firing distance are discussed. From the shape and size of the powder residue distribution (soot stains, powder tattooing) and with the knowledge of the weapon and ammunition, the distance from the target can be elucidated. In this chapter, the methods of making an invisible distribution visible are also dealt with. In order to determine the range of the shot from the appearance of the wound no complicated apparatus is necessary. One can judge with the naked eye. These procedures have a great advantage over the methods discussed in the following chapter in that they give stronger proof. They are more vivid and convincing for the uninitiated (judge or jury) than abstract measurements obtained by scientific devices.

One of the surprising things about the natural world is that animals are dying around us all the time and yet we rarely see any evidence of it. This is a testimony to the efficiency of the large variety of organisms which decompose animal corpses. Whilst bacteria and fungi are the main groups involved in decomposition processes, the larger insects additionally provide an important physical disruption of body tissues, which aids the penetration of micro organisms and speeds the collapse of the body structure. A human corpse is treated no differently and the same groups of organisms are involved. From a forensic science viewpoint the universality of the decay process provides two major advantages. Information based on the decomposition of animals is of considerable value when considering human cases and the successional pattern of decay is broadly equivalent wherever the process is being studied. Historically, the usefulness of insects in solving crime can be traced back in the literature to the 13th century. McKnight 1, 2] translated a Chinese text of this period which contains an account of how a law officer dealt with a case of murder in the rice fields. Death had been caused by a sickle and the official ordered all the field workers to line up and lay their sickles on the ground in front of them. Flies began to be attracted to one of the sickles whereupon its owner confessed to the crime."

Methamphetamine is one of the most widely abused stimulants and together with amphetamine has led to serious social problems. Numerous papers in the fields of medicine, toxicology, pharmacology, sociology, etc. have appeared. In Japan for example about 20,000 to 22,000 persons have been arrested in recent years on suspicion of abuse, smuggling or illegal manufacture of drugs. In other countries, stimulant drugs also present social problems and efforts have been directed toward prevention. Although marked development of analytical techniques in the field of forensic sciences has been achieved, there is a need for a continuous review of recent advances. A review of studies on methamphetamine has therefore been made from the standpoint of forensic toxicology and legal medicine. Attention has been directed to biological samples because analyses and interpretation for the purpose of t.oxicological and As a detailed survey on abuse drugs involving clinical practice are important. 1 methamphetamine and amphetamine has been made by Fishbein and covered the time before 1980, we refer only to data and events appearing after 1980.

Competitive binding techniques such as radioimmunoassay (RIA) are widely used to measure an enormous variety of compounds in biological fluids. Current methods have 1 2 arisen from the pioneering work ofYalow and Berson in the U. S. A. and Ekins in the u. K. Much of the early development was concerned with the analysis of protein hormones, and nearly a decade passed before attention focussed also on small molecules such as steroids and drugs. The potential of immunoassay methods for drug monitoring in clinical and forensic laboratories and in addict treatment programmes resulted in the commercial production of immunoassays for various therapeutic and abused drugs, making the technique available to laboratories lacking the facilities to raise their own antisera and synthesise labelled compounds. However, commercial assays are not only expensive but are restricted in range, and so it is advantageous for a forensic laboratory to have the capability to devise "in-house" immunoassays suited to its particular requirements. This chapter describes the theory and practice of RIA in forensic drug analysis. Much of the theory and some of the practice are applicable to immunoassays in which non isotopic labels are used, but such assays are not described in detail since, to date, the versatility and sensitivity of RIA have made it the immunoassay technique of choice in forensic toxicology. The particular advantages of RIA are its sensitivity and the fact that samples such as haemolysed blood can be assayed with little or no prior preparation."

Uber die Tatsache, dass bei plotzlichen Todesfallen Kohlenmonoxyd-Hamo- globinwerte unterschiedlicher Hohe und unterschiedlichen Beweiswertes im Hinblick auf die Todesursache festgestellt werden konnen, ist oft berichtet worden (Bode u. Kampmann 1982; Geldmacher-v.Mallinckrodt 1975; Mueller 1953; Pollak 1978). Die Bedeutung dieser fruher haufigsten Ver- giftungsart ist inzwischen gegenuber anderen Intoxikationen zuruckge- gangen (Schwerd 1979). Im Hinblick auf die Zunahme von Kombinationsver- giftungen war uns wie anderen (Bode u. Kampmann 1982) in den letzten Jahren eine Zunahme der Falle mit niedrigen Kohlenmonoxyd-Hamoglobin- konzentrationen aufgefallen, deren Ursachen nicht unbedingt auf der Hand lagen. Wir wollten wissen, welche Bedeutung der Feststellung eines bestimmten CO-Hb-Wertes bei einem plotzlichen Todesfall heutzutage kommt. Material und Methoden Wir haben alle Falle des Institutes der vergangenen zwanzig Jahre, in denen eine Bestimmung des Gehaltes an Kohlenmonoxyd-Hamoglobin nach Heilmeyer (1933) mit der Zweilangenmethode bei 560 und 575 nm, modi- fiziert nach Schwerd (1962), wie von einem von uns beschrieben (Sellier 1953), vorgenommen worden war, aufgeschlusselt. 45 Falle mit einem Wert von 0% wurden von vornherein ausgeschieden, weil es sich offenbar um Routinekontrollen bei anderer gesicherter Todesursache gehandelt hatte. In 17 Fallen war die Feststellung von 0% CO-Hb von forensischer Bedeu- tung. Ausgehend von einer Gefahrdungsgrenze von = 50% CO-HB (Mueller 1953; Prokop u. Gohler 1976; Schwerd 1979) wurden in den Jahren 1963 bis 1982 insgesamt 26 Falle mit Werten zwischen 0 und ~ 50% analysiert.

Francois Delaporte's Chagas Disease chronicles Brazilian medicine's encounter with a disease, an insect, and a history of discovery. Between 1909 and 1911, Carlos Chagas described an infection (pathogenic trypanosome), its intermediate host, and the illness that he believed it caused, parasitic thyroiditis. Chagas's work did not lack significance: the disease that came to share his name would be one of Latin America's most serious endemic diseases. However, the clinical identification of the disease through "Romana's sign" (a palpebral edema or swelling of the eyelid) some decades later marked a transformation in the general medical knowledge of the disease and its basis altogether. Not only was the disease entity that Chagas had described shown to be a nosological illusion, but twenty-five years of scientific controversy turned out to have been based on a misunderstanding. The continued use of the term "Chagas's Disease" even after Cecilio Romana's discovery thus refers to a fundamental ambiguity. Delaporte dispels this ambiguity by re-examining the various discoveries, dead ends, controversies, and major epistemological transformations that marked the history of the disease--a history that begins with the creation of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro and ends in the forests of Santa Fe in northern Argentina. Delaporte's study shows how an epistemological focus can add depth to the history of medicine and complexity to accounts of scientific discovery.

This book provides, in a single volume, an extensive, research-based evaluation of the most popular clinical assessment tools as applied in forensic settings. These widely used instruments often require important modifications in their administration and interpretation when used for forensic purposes, and it is vital that the clinician is intimately familiar with their correct application, as well as their limitations. The test instruments included are analyzed by senior figures in the field of psychological assessment who are uniquely qualified to discuss them because they have either had a crucial role in the development of the tests, or they have dedicated their careers to advancing our understanding of these clinical assessment measures. Each chapter begins with a summary of the development of the assessment instrument in its more traditional applications in clinical settings, and then considers its utilization in forensic settings. The types of forensic issues which have been addressed with that instrument are reviewed, and an illustrative case example is given which reflects the types of uses and limitations of the assessment technique when applied in a forensic context. New in this edition are a chapter on the MMPI-2-RF and separate chapters for the adult and youth versions of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. Psychologists using assessment instruments in applied forensic settings will find this to be a valuable and practical source of information, as will attorneys wishing to gain an understanding of the application of these psychological assessment approaches in the courtroom.

Essentials of Autopsy Practice is dedicated to updating the modern pathologist on the issues related to the autopsy. This first volume contains 12 topical chapters which are not covered in any other text. It comprises the most recent developments in current autopsy and relevant subjects that have not yet been covered in current autopsy textbooks. This is what makes this book exceptional in its field. The book will be of interest to both trainees and consultants in all sub-branches of pathology including forensic pathology. The subject matter will also appeal to other areas of clinical medicine and will make a good reference book.

This book provides, in a single volume, an extensive, research-based evaluation of the most popular clinical assessment tools as applied in forensic settings. These widely used instruments often require important modifications in their administration and interpretation when used for forensic purposes, and it is vital that the clinician is intimately familiar with their correct application, as well as their limitations. The test instruments included are analyzed by senior figures in the field of psychological assessment who are uniquely qualified to discuss them because they have either had a crucial role in the development of the tests, or they have dedicated their careers to advancing our understanding of these clinical assessment measures. Each chapter begins with a summary of the development of the assessment instrument in its more traditional applications in clinical settings, and then considers its utilization in forensic settings. The types of forensic issues which have been addressed with that instrument are reviewed, and an illustrative case example is given which reflects the types of uses and limitations of the assessment technique when applied in a forensic context. New in this edition are a chapter on the MMPI-2-RF and separate chapters for the adult and youth versions of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. Psychologists using assessment instruments in applied forensic settings will find this to be a valuable and practical source of information, as will attorneys wishing to gain an understanding of the application of these psychological assessment approaches in the courtroom.

Fresh research has opened up new vistas in forensic pathology that are allowing for closer national and international cooperation between pathologists and scientists in a range of medical and scientific disciplines. At the same time, autopsy and laboratory techniques are undergoing rapid evolution, with new procedures coming on stream while existing processes yield additional -- and more accurate -- results. This sixth volume of reviews in forensic pathology provides professionals working in the field with cutting-edge material on the latest key advances in the fields of traumatic death, sudden natural death and death time estimation. Now with numerous color illustrations, the book gives forensic experts across the world a fully up-to-date guide to contemporary procedures and theory in forensic science and medicine. The chapters cover an exhaustive range of aspects in the discipline, from the analysis of sudden natural deaths in infancy and childhood to the cardiac proteomics approach in the study of cases involving sudden cardiac death. Other specialist chapters deal with the forensic investigation of deaths in aviation and as a result of accidents involving all- terrain vehicles. The volume covers fresh research in the use of protein markers for the estimation of post-mortem intervals, and features a chapter telling the story of the medico-legal investigation into the deaths resulting from the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.Comprehensive and current, this fresh volume of reviews is an essential resource for professionals who need to stay ahead of the game in a fast-moving and exciting field of scientific endeavor.

"Forensic Medicine," written by L. Buris, Professor of Forensic Medicine at the Debrecen Medical University in Hungary, is an informative and practice-oriented review of the topic. The book contains essential data and references of forensic medicine, both in theoretical and practical aspects. It gives a pathological, pathophysiological and biochemical interpretation of various alterations with the up-to-date results of forensic medical research as well.

Imaging for Forensics and Security: From Theory to Practice provides a detailed analysis of new imaging and pattern recognition techniques for the understanding and deployment of biometrics and forensic techniques as practical solutions to increase security. It contains a collection of the recent advances in the technology ranging from theory, design, and implementation to performance evaluation of biometric and forensic systems. This book also contains new methods such as the multiscale approach, directional filter bank, and wavelet maxima for the development of practical solutions to biometric problems.

The book introduces a new forensic system based on shoeprint imagery with advanced techniques for use in forensics applications. It also presents the concept of protecting the originality of biometric images stored in databases against intentional and unintentional attacks and fraud detection data in order to further increase the security.

To comment at length on the importance of the benzodiazepines seems superfluous within the scope of this preface. No other class of active substances has experienced an even approximately compa rable advance in the past two decades. It is therefore not surprising that the formerly dominant barbiturates and bromocarbamides have had to give way in many fields to the benzodiazepines, which now rank first (Proudfoot and Park 1828]). Closely linked with the great therapeutic importance of the benzodia zepines are analytical problems. Detection and the determination of blood levels can be necessary under therapeutic aspects, for instance in working out optimally effective levels in the treatment of epileptic conditions ("drug monitoring"), but also in connection with questions at issue in toxicology and traffic medicine. A toxicological analysis can be subdivided into the following steps: Detection (identification including screening) Determination (e. g. blood, plasma or serum levels) Interpretation of the analytical results. This book is intended as a contribution to each of these chapters: The part "Analytical Data" (pp.I-122) gives a comprehensive collec tion of data, e.g. general and chromatographic data (TLC, GLC) as well as spectra (UV, IR, MS) of 19 commercial preparations, 23 important metabolites and 18 hydrolysis derivatives. Information about biotransformation and the possible formation of aminobenzo phenone derivatives is also given. The most important analytical methods are presented in an extensive review on pp.123-204 in order to make it possible to select the optimum method on the basis of the essential data."

Alcohol abuse, alcohol intolerance, alcohol dependence and other alcohol-related disabilities are some of the most challenging public health problems facing our modern-day society. The purpose of this comprehensive monograph is to review the available knowledge concerning the pharmacogenetic basis of alcohol sensitivity and its physiolgical implications and to synthesize the bulk of existing knowledge regarding metabolic features and biomedical disturbances related to alcoholism. The chapters cover a broad array of disciplines including an overview of historical and epidemiological aspects, biochemistry and molecular genetics of enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism, biochemical and neuropsychopharmacological effects of alcohol. Major emphasis is placed on the role of genetic factors in alcoholism. The experimental details are summarized and a comprehensive bibliography is included.

Ancient DNA Typing is a comprehensive manual about the analysis of ancient and degraded DNA. It is an equally useful textbook and working tool for various disciplines such as: Anthropology, Archaeology, Forensic Medicine, Conservation Biology, Environmental Sciences and Food Engineering.
The reader benefits from a clear division of strategies, methods and applications with many interesting examples of the analysis of historic skeletal and cultural remains. The book contains a detailed protocol chapter which serves as a lab manual with the most important methods for DNA extraction, PCR and electrophoretic analysis of degraded samples. The appendix helps to set up a PCR lab specializing in ancient DNA research and answers the most frequent questions concerning technical problems in investigations of degraded DNA.

Essentials of Autopsy Practice updates the modern pathologist on issues related to the autopsy. This volume contains topical chapters on the pathology of shock, religious attitudes to death, incised wounds, radiological investigations, metabolic disorders in childhood, maternal deaths, body alterations and piercings which are comprehensive, unique and educational. It brings the literature together into a modern, up-to-date review of the subject, each authored by experts in their field. It comprises the most recent developments in current autopsy practice making the book unique and exceptional - a valuable aid for the bench top, autopsy suite, laboratory or library. A hands-on reference book, Essentials of Autopsy Practice is of interest to both trainees and consultants in all sub-branches of pathology including forensic pathology. It can also be used by non-medical staff involved in the dead, such as nurses, police, lawyers and bereavement officers.

Although the specimen of choice in the US drug testing industry is urine, and serum in clinical medicine, interest has recently grown in the use of other matrices as drug testing media. This book provides researchers and forensic toxicologists with a convenient general text summarizing the state of knowledge today. Chapters focus specifically on the application of these practices to drugs of abuse. The up-to-date information provided is complemented with thorough references.

Herbal Products: Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Second Edition builds on the informative foundation laid by its predecessor. This fully revised and expanded second edition boasts more than 200 new references that document efficacy studies and adverse effects and four new chapters devoted to dietary products. Practitioners and researchers will find that this volume is a comprehensive resource for objective clinical information.

Although primarily used today as one of the most prevalent illicit leisure drugs, the use of Cannabis sativa L., commonly referred to as marijuana, for medicinal purposes has been reported for more than 5000 years. Marijuana use has been shown to create numerous health problems, and, consequently, the expanding use beyond medical purposes into recreational use (abuse) resulted in control of the drug through international treaties. Much research has been carried out over the past few decades following the identification of the chemical structure of THC in 1964. The purpose of Marijuana and the Cannabinoids is to present in a single volume the comprehensive knowledge and experience of renowned researchers and scientists. Each chapter is written independently by an expert in his/her field of endeavor, ranging from the botany, the constituents, the chemistry and pharmacokinetics, the effects and consequences of illicit use on the human body, to the therapeutic potential of the cannabinoids.

In this new volume of the globally recognized Forensic Pathology Reviews, Dr. Michael Tsokos has gathered chapters from the top experts in the field to reveal both the applied and scientific areas of expertise along the broad spectrum of forensics studies. Volume 5 piques the mind as leading forensic pathologists from the United States and around the world offer advanced insight into death caused environmental conditions, trauma, neuropathology, natural causes, and ballistics. The authors of this volume further their exploration as they impart research related to identification, serial murder, histopathology, and age estimation. While unveiling unsurpassed and cutting-edge knowledge, Forensic Pathology Reviews, Volume 5 will also inspire emerging forensic scientists to immerse themselves in innovative research.

Written in a handbook style with specific methods and tips on eliminating false positive and false negative results, this book is a practical guide to the detailed mechanisms of such occurrences.

This book brings together an international collection of research literature on the topics of criminal profiling and serial violent crime by integrating the respected insights of both scholars and practitioners from around the globe. It explains etiological factors and psychological mechanisms to reveal criminal motives.