[Methods of health economic evaluation for health services research].

On August 30, 2010, the German Network for Health Services Research [Deutsches Netzwerk Versorgungsforschung e. V. (DNVF e.

[At first a clear case: homicide by injury to the neck].

Reported is of a 33 year old female found dead in the basement of her home, manifesting strangulation/throttling marks on the neck. The attack on the throat was, however, not cause of death but a CO intoxication. This woman was killed by direct inhalation of 99% carbon monoxid administered by her husband (via a mask or hose).

[Ultrafiltration, an efficient method for purification of DNA from stains].

Isolating DNA from stains all pollutions are extracted, too. Restriction of the DNA can be prevented. After phenol extraction the DNA had been ultrafiltered.

[Quantitative determinations of Hp, Pi, Tf and GC in stored blood stains].

Quantitative analysis of serum proteins in blood stains by rocket immunoelectrophoresis showed the following results: Long elution times in processing blood stains do not produce a significantly higher yield of serum proteins in stains, and they increase the risk of structural alteration of protein molecules. The amount of proteins detected decreases with increasing age of blood stains. Some proteins are already altered in stains after a short storage time and are no longer useful for phenotyping.

[Hair disease or the effect of heat (fire)?].

We found alterations in the ends of a man's hair, changes that were suspected of being incendiary. The hair ends were dull, but there were no typical macroscopic signs of alteration by heat; yet the microscopic findings were clear. Spindle-shaped changes in the hair were interpreted at first as heat damage but could be explained as the results of hair-setting lotion.

[Sources of error in the determination of transferrin in frozen blood samples and blood stains].

Frozen or stored blood samples often show bands in the D-area of transferrin. These alterations can be misinterpreted as D-variants. The alterations do not appear in separated serum.

[Composition of intervillous thrombi from maternal and fetal blood].

In serological studies blood groups of intervillous thrombi of the placenta were identical with maternal blood groups in 88.9%. Identity with fetal blood groups occurred in 11.

[Dependability of ABO findings in stored blood samples].

Report on the occurrence of "acquired" A or B in stored blood samples. This bacterial alteration is of importance when an indirect experimental investigation with the absorption-elution technique is needed in advanced cases of hemolysis. One has to consider this disturbing factor in identification tests (alcoholic blood samples).

[Detection of gamma globulin and Inv markers in vaginal secretions].

The Gm 1, Gm 2, and Inv 1-factors in the vaginal secretion are in accordance with the corresponding serum features to be expected basically. Deviations are possible. They are either caused by interference factors in the vaginal secretion or other factors which are not, however, always detectable in each case.

[Detection of hereditary enzyme characteristics in vaginal secretion].

Upon investigation of semen- and blood-free vaginal swabs using starch gel electrophoresis the Phosphoglucomutase type was clearly identified in about 40%. Using cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis PGM could not be demonstrated. In all cases the results correspond with those obtained in blood.

[Medical secrecy and the pathologist's obligation of notification (author's transl)].

The pathologist, like every other doctor, is pledged to secrecy. The pledge of secrecy also extends to what he has found in the body of the deceased be they secrets of the patient or of a third party. Third party secrets are not protected by the obligation of secrecy if safequarding them would be against the "projected interests of the patient".

[The detection of gamma globulin and Inv-factors in semen and saliva and of haptoglobins in semen (author's transl)].

Gm- 1-, 2-, and Inv 1-factors can be demonstrated in semen and saliva. For the examination of traces it is necessary to verify the suitable dilutions for the different charges of antisera and to test the eluates of the samples if they have a sufficient concentration. We observed some incorrect negative results in seminal and saliva stains which were apparently caused by insufficient material.

[The detection of inherited enzyme polymorphism in semen (author's transl)].

Our investigation of the occurrence of the enzymes phosphoglucomutase (PGM), glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (GPT), adenylatkinase (AK), adenosine-desaminase (ADA), and 6-phophogluconate-dehydrogenase (6-PGD) produced the following results: The phosphoglucomutase type was demonstrated in the most sperm samples and seminal stains in accordance with the corresponding blood type. This enzyme is rather stable and could still be demonstrated well in 1-month old stains. The glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase can only seldom be determined in semen and seminal stains.