Signs Of Struggle Research Articles

Plastic bag suffocation and codeine overdose: An unusual case of complex suicide and review of the literature

The term “planned complex suicide” refers to cases where two or more suicide methods are applied simultaneously. Plastic bag suffocation is a suicidal method commonly combined with self-poisoning by inhalation of volatile compounds or pharmacological substances at poisoning dosage. A 67-year-old woman was found dead on the couch. The head was wrapped in a plastic bag knotted at the front of the neck. No signs of struggle were present on the scene. In the fireplace, there were two blisters of acetaminophen/codeine phosphate tablets. Postmortem examination showed congestion of the face and the neck and pulmonary edema with patchy emphysema. There was no evidence of physical duress. Toxic levels of codeine were detected in the blood. The death was related to a complex suicide involving codeine overdose and asphyxia by plastic bag suffocation. The hypoxic/cardioinhibitory effects of plastic bag suffocation combined to codeine-induced deep reduction of respiratory rate, making the suicide hypothesis the more likely scenario. In order to assess what elements contribute to postmortem diagnosis in complex suicides with plastic bag suffocation, a review of the forensic literature published between 2002 and 2022 was performed. This article emphasizes the complexity of diagnosing deaths involving plastic bag suffocation in suicides, particularly when combined with other methods like inert gas inhalation or drug intake. It underscores the importance of comprehensive toxicological analyses, careful scene examination, and histological studies, not forgetting a thorough comparative analysis of the existing literature, to accurately determine the cause and manner of death in such cases.

Suicide or Homicide? A Case of Self-Inflicted Triple Gunshot Wound by Double-Barrel Shotgun.

Differential diagnosis between suicide and homicide by firearms is still a major challenge in forensic practice, especially when multiple gunshot wounds are present. A case of self-inflicted triple wound by double-barrel shotgun is presented. A 73-year-old White male patient was found dead in a wooden area. According to investigations, he had disappeared from home the day before. The corpse was covered with clothing in a prone position on a gravel road, a short distance from a car with driver-side-door open and keys in the ignition. Next to the body, a 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun was found, with 3 fired cartridges and 1 unused in the left front pocket of the trousers. No signs of struggle were present. Two penetrating wounds in the upper torso were detected by postmortem computer tomography. Autopsy showed 2 near-contact entrance wounds in the pectoral region bilaterally, each associated with exit wounds in the omni lateral hip. Only organs of "delayed incapacitation" were injured. Death was determined to be a suicide. This uncommon case of self-inflicted triple wound by shotgun highlights the importance to integrate proper analysis of the scene with autopsy findings in order to avoid misinterpretation of a suicidal death as a homicide.

LARYNGOTRACHEO BRONCHIAL FOREIGN BODY: ABOUT 27 CASES

Laryngotracheobronchial foreign bodies in children (CLTB) is a serious accident that can be life threatening. The penetration syndrome is often obvious, but endoscopy can be used for both diagnosis and treatment. The objective of this study is to analyse the different epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects of laryngotracheobronchial foreign bodies in children in the ENT and cervicofacial surgery department of the military hospital of Nouakchott. This is a prospective study spread over a period of 30 months from December 1, 2019 to May 31, 2022, on children with foreign body inhalation, aged less than 15 years. The average age of our patients was 6.7 years with extremes ranging from 01 year to 14 years. A male predominance was noted with a sex ratio of 2.37. Patients evacuated from the interior of the country represented 33.33% of cases. The average admission time was 33 days. The clinical condition of the child on arrival was varied: a strictly normal examination in 29.62% of cases, coughing in 70% of cases, respiratory distress with signs of struggle in 25.92%, alteration of the general condition with signs of exhaustion in 14.81% of cases. Standard radiography showed a radiopaque foreign body in 52% of cases. Rigid bronchoscopy was performed in all our patients (27 cases), and allowed extraction of EC in 100% of cases. The right bronchial location was observed in 51.81% of cases. Non-organic foreign bodies were found in 52%. The outcome was favourable in 96.29% of cases, death and tracheal stenosis were observed in 3.7% respectively.

An Analytical Study on the Medical Reports of Rape Survivors in Nepal

Case reports of rape is increasing in society. Rape adversely affects physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Clinicians are at the forefront for the medical management as well providing medico-legal documentation as per the guidelines protocol imposed by the State. This is a retrospective rape case law study of cases retrieved from the Nepalese Supreme Court website. The medical reports provided were studied on the rape cases claimed and analyzed. 149 rape cases were analyzed for medical report. Only one third of the rape cases had positive findings of rape. However, only physical evidence of violence was noted, mainly on the state of hymen, signs of struggle and the presence or absence of spermatozoa in female genitalia. Age determinations were requested to mitigate the punishment in perpetrator. The significance of mental, behavioral, and social wellbeing in rape victims were completely overlooked in the medical report documentation.

Evaluation of the Management of Infant Respiratory Distress at the CNHU-HKM Pediatric Emergency Department

Introduction: Respiratory distress (RD) is a major emergency to which infants are particularly vulnerable. It can lead to neurological sequelae and even death when treatment is not adequate and rapid. Objective: To evaluate the management of RD in infants at the CNHU-HKM in Cotonou. Methods: The study was of a transversal and analytical nature and took place over a period of 06 months, from 1st January to 30th June 2015. Included in the study were all infants hospitalised for DR. The therapeutic modalities were analysed according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Results: A total of 96 infants were included. The hospital frequency of DR was 38%. The average age was 12 months. One in 3 infants had SaO2 less than 90% on admission, and in 58.3% of cases, the infant showed at least 3 signs of struggle. The initial assessment was as recommended. The systematic use of oxygenrequires a revision of the criteria for oxygentherapy in the unit. The three main causes were severe pneumonia (31.3%), severe malaria (18.8%) and bronchiolitis (15.6%), and their treatment was correct. However, none of the infants had been able to benefit from ventilatory support. Mortality was high (31.2%) linked to the intensity of DR (p = 0.04) and sepsis (p = 0.006). Conclusion: The procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of RD in infants at the CNHU are fairly consistent with WHO guidelines. Ventilatory support is necessary for some children with severe RD.

Signs of struggle (SOS): The development and validation of a behavioural mental health checklist for the workplace

ABSTRACTFor managers to successfully support employee access to mental health resources, they must first be able to recognise if and when an employee may need help. To manage employees effectively, managers must be able to recognise changes in employees’ work behaviour that may indicate when an employee is struggling at work. In study 1, we develop and establish the structure of the 20-item Signs of Struggle (SOS) checklist as comprising five factors that describe the warning signs of health impairment at work (i.e. distress, withdrawal, reduced attendance, degradations in performance, extreme behaviours). In study 2, we show that manager-rated signs of struggle correlated substantially (r = .72) with participant-reported strain. The SOS tool provides managers a way to recognise when employees may be struggling and could benefit from workplace resources. We recommend that for maximal benefit, managers also receive training on how to use the SOS, and also on how to approach and assist employees who are displaying warning signs.

Signs of Struggle, Songs of Sorrow: Notes on the Politics of Uncertainty in the Films of John Akomfrah

It is said that the end of the 1970s marked the beginning of a time of disorientation and disappointment. The dreams of emancipation and liberation that once were longed for gave way to an overwhelming sense of mourning: mourning for crumbled hopes and broken promises, mourning for possibilities that turned in on themselves, a mourning seemingly without end. Deprived of the certainties that supported revolutionary dreams, politically engaged cinema was bound to explore other forms of sensibility that had to come to terms with their own uncertainty. The work of the Black Audio Film Collective and John Akomfrah responded to this challenge by reawakening the phantoms of history and infusing the act of mourning with the possibility of collective agency. Between documentary and allegory, between letting go and moving on, Akomfrah’s films weave a sensible tissue from histories of fractured horizons and absent ruins that refuses to act as an urgent response to the “state of emergency.” Instead, what is explored is a politics of uncertainty that takes grief by the hand and generates sites of memory that leave room for a reimagination of the future.

Slash Manips: Remixing Popular Media with Gay Pornography

Slash Manips: Remixing Popular Media with Gay Pornography

FEMALE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Objectives: To ascertain the incidence of sexual violence in Faisalabad city and to analyze the data with respect to demographics, presentation and pattern of physical injuries and evidence collection from victims of sexual violence. Method: This cross sectional study was conducted on 93 alleged victims of sexual violence at the medico legal clinics in Allied hospital. DHQ hospital & Government General Hospital in Faisalabad city in year 2008. Results: 51.6% cases belonged to age group between 10-19 years and 63.45% were unmarried. In 59.1% cases the offender was previously known to the victim and in 31.18% cases two or more persons were involved in the act. There was more than 15 days delay of presentation to the hospital in 36.56% cases. In 13.98% cases non genital injuries and sign of struggle were present on the body of the victim while only 7.53% cases presented with genital injuries. In 80.64% cases the swabs sent to chemical examiner were positive for semen. Conclusions: The incidence of sexual violence is on the rise in Faisalabad city. Sexual violence was frequently seen in unmarried young females with late presentation due to social stigma. Sexual violence was associated with genital as well as non genital injuries. There should be clear guidelines regarding evidence collection and these should be disseminated and implemented nationally.

Acute yew ( Taxus) poisoning in moose ( Alces alces)

Acute yew ( Taxus) intoxication in a free-ranging moose ( Alces alces) is reported. The moose was found dead without any signs of struggle and post mortem examination revealed general congestion, bilateral heart dilatation, and the presence of yew in rumen. The animal was found adjacent to a housing estate with unfenced gardens, surrounded by woods and open fields without native yew. The vast majority of the gardens contained cultivars of yew that had frequently been browsed upon. These were the most likely source of intoxication. This is believed to be the first report of yew intoxication in a wild animal species. It is concluded that yew intoxication may be an overlooked diagnosis in wild deer, and the general opinion that deer species are naturally resistant to many plant-associated toxins is discussed.

Signs of Struggle: The Rhetorical Politics of Cultural Difference (review)

Signs of Struggle: The Rhetorical Politics of Cultural Difference (review)

Beyond the Romance of Multiculturalism: Radicalizing Difference and Community in Cultural Studies

Miranda Joseph. 2002. Against the Romance of Community. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. $18.95 sc. xxxvi + 231 pp. E. San Juan, Jr. 2002. Racism and Cultural Studies: Critiques of Multiculturalist Ideology and the Politics of Difference. $24.95 sc. xii + 428 pp. Thomas R. West. 2002. Signs of Struggle: The Rhetorical Politics of Cultural Difference. Albany: SUNY Press. $57.50 hc. $18.95 sc. xi + 149 pp. Identity politics, though most often performed as a rejection of and effort to transform dominant culture, has nonetheless been an ongoing object of critique among leftist theorists. Traditional Marxists, of [End Page 181] course, have taken issue with the focus on cultural identity rather than economics, while poststructuralists have questioned the essentialism and othering suggested by any appeal to singular identity (Heyes 2002). Even so, the contemporary world, perhaps especially in the militaristic aftermath of September 11, seems a space that intensely needs the kind of analysis made available by concepts associated with identity politics—concepts like community, culture, and difference. To what extent, for example, does a racializing discourse of difference continue to function as a way to "other" people of the Middle and Far East, and how does this discourse contribute to renewed nostalgia for an imagined peaceful and democratic United States community? How do concepts of difference and community circulate in and help to sustain the globalized "Empire" that Hardt and Negri so expertly describe and that takes an especially visible form in the current occupation of Iraq? Although no doubt completed before the events of 9/11, all three books under review here offer useful tools for radically rethinking Empire, a regime whose work is coming into ever sharper focus. While rejecting romanticized views of difference and community, the three authors nonetheless find much of value in these concepts for furthering radical, anti-capitalist projects. Recuperating the radical potential of community through a process of cultural critique is precisely Miranda Joseph's goal in Against the Romance of Community. Expertly moving between and bringing together Marxist and poststructuralist theory, Joseph seeks to understand the ongoing attraction of concepts of community in contemporary culture and theory while slipping past the conundrum of "identity." Rather than focusing on the traditional categories of difference and sameness that have informed identity politics, Joseph looks at social processes, the ways in which "social relations and social activities [are] mobilized for particular political and economic purposes" (xxxii). Thus, rather than examining community as a static concept or a static formation, she questions the function of community as concept and strategy. She points out that despite the fact that critiques of community have been made by poststructuralist and feminist scholars for the past twenty years, "a celebratory discourse of community relentlessly returns"; her project is to understand why it returns (2002, viii). Having participated in identity political projects herself, Joseph hopes to "interrupt the reiteration of community" in order to reclaim its potential value as a vehicle for social change: "Fetishizing community only makes us blind to the ways we might intervene in the enactment of domination and exploitation. I see the practice of critique, and in particular a critical relationship to community, as an ethical practice of community, as an important mode of participation" (ix). [End Page 182] Joseph employs both ethnographic and discursive analyses to argue "that both the rhetorical invocation of community and the social relationships that are discursively articulated as community are imbricated in capitalism" (viii-ix). She arrives at this conclusion by first establishing community as capitalism's supplement through a deft theoretical analysis. Noting that late-twentieth century evocations of community (from authors such as Christopher Lasch and Robert Bellah) tend to criticize bureaucratization and the welfare state more than capitalism per se, Joseph argues: The critiques of bureaucratic conformism promote differentiation, while the critiques of individualism promote subordination to existing social norms and structures. Taken together, differentiation and subordination would seem to yield hierarchy. . . . [I...

Signs of Struggle?

Signs of Struggle?

Finding Ways to Attend to and Talk About Family Therapy and Feminism from "Non-Mainstream" Paths

In this paper I revisit my training experience in the family therapy specialty at a counseling program. The basic question I am addressing is how meaning is constructed out of social experiences and memory. Taking a feminist and family therapy orientations as a starting point, I consider the interaction between personal narratives and clinical theories, and the implication of this interaction for therapy. In particular, I examine my experience with silence as a mark of social constraint but also as a sign of struggle. I suggest that certain narrative approaches involving collaborative negotiations of meaning can productively address the issue of silence. Finally, I suggest that "narrativizing" can provide a mapping function to the maze of discontinuities that arise in social interaction, especially in the case of cultural dislocations.