This chapter focuses on the variety of different EEG patterns that can be seen after hypoxic ischemic brain injury, which often produces some of the most severe encephalopathies. Common post–cardiac arrest findings include discontinuity, burst suppression, background voltage attenuation and suppression, lack of EEG reactivity, seizures, myoclonus, and status epilepticus. The prognostic significance of these findings is discussed. Finally, the topic of using EEG as a confirmatory tool in brain death protocols is introduced.

Concurrent and distributed systems based on message passing have become important drivers of our technological advancement. Their programming requires the integration of communicating processes, at the heart of which we find the notion of choreography: a document that prescribes the communications that processes should perform in order to reach a common goal. We say that a system has the property of choreography compliance if the interactions that take place among processes follow the agreed-upon choreography.

This chapter discusses information-sharing, including with victims of crime committed by persons with mental disorders. In general, a patient’s treatment is confidential and, unless the patient consents to information being shared, this limits the information that can be disclosed. However, information about a patient can be disclosed to a third party such as a victim if other statutes, such as the Domestic Violence and Mental Health Acts, permit this. Information can also be disclosed if another person is at risk of harm if the information is not disclosed. Furthermore, the victims of specific violent and sexual offences have certain rights to information about the offender. This includes offenders subject to the MHA and detained in hospital or subject to compulsion in the community. Patients can be victims as well as perpetrators of crime, and professionals working in health, social care and the justice system require a robust understanding of when to share confidential information. The first half of the chapter provides information on relevant legislation and guidance to be considered when sharing information about patients in general. The second half is focused on legislation and guidance on information sharing by organisations supporting victims of crimes committed by mentally disordered offenders.

The chapter analyses each element of the definition of a treaty in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969: an international agreement, concluded between states, in written form, governed by international law, either in a single instrument or in two or more related instruments, whatever its particular designation. Agreements in simplified form such as an exchange of notes or an exchange of letters can also be treaties. The chapter examines the criteria which international courts and tribunals have applied in determining whether other instruments such as agreed minutes might constitute treaties. Relevant factors include: form and designation, terminology, subject matter, terms, context, intent, level of negotiator, definite or conditional terms, clarity, subsequent practice, and registration with the UN. Examples of electronic signature are noted, although state practice is sparse. A treaty should be distinguished from a non-legally binding instrument, such as a memorandum of understanding, although some states use the title ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ also for treaties with a certain subject matter. Unilateral declarations are not treaties but may in some circumstances have binding legal effects. Treaties have a wide variety of titles, including Protocol, but the title does not itself determine whether an instrument is a treaty.

Treaties may be amended by agreement between the parties. Bilateral treaties can be amended more easily than multilateral treaties. Bilateral treaties will sometimes include a provision on amendment but, in the absence of that, the parties will often simply proceed to amend the treaty by means of an exchange of notes, with provision concerning the entry into force of the amendment. Multilateral treaties too will often have express provision specifying amendment procedures. The chapter analyses various examples of these, including the use of supplementary treaties or protocols. If there is no such provision, residual rules are provided by Articles 40 and 41 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

This chapter is written for the researcher who may encounter immunohistochemistry (IHC) in a slightly different context when compared to diagnostic applications. There are many moving parts to IHC assays, and this chapter covers all of the important aspects the researcher needs to consider when employing IHC for their projects. This objective is achieved by employing a request form for IHC services. The questions posed on the form build towards piecing together a protocol that is fit for purpose and can be used in many applications. Practical explanations about epitope retrieval, diluting antibodies from concentrates and the use of detection kits are provided. The need to block endogenous enzyme activity is also explained, as is the technique for antibody optimization. Borrowing the basic fundamental IHC protocol used in diagnostic histopathology, the researcher should be able to adopt and change parameters to suit their research applications.

Leica’s current IHC instrument is the Bond III. A review is conducted by a medical scientist using it on a daily basis so that an honest evaluation is afforded from first-hand experience. Topics of interest include the machinery Leica employs for epitope retrieval and the coverplate technology to assist in reagent delivery. A discussion about proprietary reagents and consumables whilst highlighting the various components of the machine is provided. There are tips and tricks offered to get the most out of the platform. Programming stain protocols for both chromogenic, fluorescence and double labelling IHC are specified along with equipment servicing and maintenance requirements. The reader in essence, gets to appreciate what it is really like to operate and work with the Bond III. The chapter concludes with both good and bad aspects of this form of automation and some opportunities for improvement.

Immunohistochemistry assays can be technically difficult. There are countless opportunities for errors. Some faults can be fixed, and this chapter contains a precise appraisal of common problems encountered along with suggested solutions. Incorporating both pre-analytic conundrums and analytic challenges from a staining perspective, it is written by a medical scientist able to think outside the square and offer resolutions ranging from the practical to the unconventional. All prescribed advice has been tested and proven successful. Suggesting corrective actions is an exercise in giving the worker options and workarounds for certain situations. Doing more with less and less testing material and lifting sections from slides to be used again when the paraffin block is exhausted are two examples of what can be achieved. Ultimately, it is about tuning protocols to make the most of the precious test tissue given whilst eliminating unnecessary wastage.

Immunohistochemistry robotics and automation as defined by Agilent comes in the form of the Dako Omnis. An appraisal is given by a medical scientist with intimate knowledge of the principles behind the technology, the various machine components and Dako’s proprietary reagents. Daily operations with the instrument allow for an honest review of stain protocols, workflow logistics and maintenance obligations. An explanation of the unique dynamic gap technology is provided along with in-built quality assurance measures. As the Omnis is a new instrument when compared to Leica’s Bond III and Ventana’s BenchMark ULTRA, discussions are based upon the good and bad points of both the hardware and the software aspects. The reader should get an idea of how the Omnis produces stained slides and the capabilities of the machine.

Roche’s answer to current immunohistochemistry automation is the Ventana BenchMark ULTRA. An evaluation of the machine’s design, operation and maintenance is provided from a user’s viewpoint. Technologies which differentiate Ventana from other manufacturers are discussed in detail. The liquid coverslip, hapten-based detection system and random access points are examples of these differences when compared to traditional coverplate and polymer technology as used by other vendors. A commentary about proprietary reagents and staining protocols are offered along with advice on achieving workflow efficiencies. Discovering quality control measures of the instrument is another topic covered. Ultimately, it is hoped the reader understands the intricacies of this platform and the advantages and disadvantages of such a system, and gains a sense of the technology behind the BenchMark ULTRA.

Seasonal variations directly impacted the social and economic activities of past human populations. Cementochronology is one of the methods available to address seasonality questions. It relies on the cyclic deposition rate of dental cementum observed microscopically on petrographic thin‐sections of animal teeth from archaeological contexts. However, no protocol exists to select a Region of Interest (ROI) or to identify the last cementum increment. This chapter proposes consensual biological and optical criteria for the selection of optimal ROIs and their analysis. Interobserver tests were performed to assess the criteria, as well as age and season of death, on thirty thin‐sections of modern documented reindeer teeth. Results demonstrate the accuracy, and replicability of this protocol, and emphasize the influence of training and experience for the proper implementation of cementochronology.