Understanding the Basic Types of Asphyxiation

Based in Austin, Texas, Danielo Perez, MD, is a forensic pathologist who has examined a number of scenes involving unnatural, unexplained, and unattended deaths. Undertaking forensic autopsies, Dr. Danielo Perez focused on the underserved rural areas surrounding Austin. One of the primary pathways to death coroners deal with is asphyxia, which results when oxygen is no longer supplied to the organs or tissues. 

Smothering involves the mouth and nose being obstructed and can occur in accidental situations, such as when a baby’s head becomes caught between a pillow and a wall. Homicidal types of smothering include covering a face fully with a pillow or placing duct tape over the air passages. There are no autopsy findings specific to this means of asphyxiation, although abrasions or contusions around the mouth and face are common in adults. 

Strangulation is another major cause of asphyxiation, and involves a compression of the neck by some force other than the person’s own body weight. Typically homicidal, ligature strangulation usually leaves a horizontal mark across the neck. In addition, signs of struggle such as fingernail marks around the neck, lacerations, and abrasions may be present. Cases of hanging also involve neck compression, but the ligature mark is oblique, as at least some of the body’s weight will have been employed in tightening the ligature.

Spiritual and Moral Benefits of Martial Arts

While Austin resident Danielo Perez has considerable experience in forensic pathology, he also enjoys the practice of martial arts for its health and spiritual benefits. Before moving to Austin, Danielo Perez was an assistant martial arts instructor.

The practice of martial arts has obvious physical benefits for cardiovascular health and coordination, but the spiritual and mental benefits are just as important. Martial arts practice helps to cultivate some virtues in practitioners.

A martial arts practitioner must learn humility to succeed. Martial arts draw strengths and weaknesses into clear focus, so practitioners learn to make honest self-assessments, and, in turn, develop an understanding of how to improve as well as admit imperfection.

Many martial arts also emphasize certain values during teaching. Common core values include respect for others, harmony, and self-protection, among others. Learning to adhere to one's own values and apply them in multiple contexts can lead to success in more than just martial arts.

Finally, martial arts encourage discipline. Martial artists must think before acting, focus on their actions, and regulate them effectively. They must also repeat the same moves or stances several times to master them, which encourages a disciplined, persistent outlook that also applies to other areas of one's life.

About the NAME Foundation

An experienced professional in forensic pathology in the Austin, Texas area, Dr. Danielo Perez has also worked in other areas of the country, including work from 2011 to 2012 in the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to his work in the Austin area, Dr. Danielo Perez engages with his peers and keeps up with new advances in forensic medicine through membership in the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME).

More than two decades ago, NAME established a charitable arm to act as an advocacy arm for forensic sciences, as well as a vehicle to fund research and professional development. Since then, the NAME Foundation has offered numerous awards and scholarship opportunities to students and working professionals looking to advance their learning in the field. 

There are three main awards distributed at NAME’s annual conference each year: 

-The John Smialek Best Resident Paper and Poster award - worth $500
-The John Pless Best Student Paper and Poster award - a textbook award
-The Mary Fran Ernst Best Affiliate presentation - worth $500

These awards are underwritten solely by contributions to the foundation. As an accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, all monies donated to the organization are completely tax deductible. To learn more, visit www.thename.org/name-foundation.

Tai Chi Offers a Wide Range of Health Benefits

Now working on establishing his own pathology consultancy business in Austin, Texas, Danielo Perez holds board certification in anatomic, clinical, and forensic pathology. Alongside extensive work in these fields in Austin and surrounding areas, Danielo Perez has studied tai chi since his college years.

A martial art with origins in ancient China, tai chi incorporates slow, careful movement with breathing and meditation. As a low-impact, slow-moving martial art, it is often called “moving meditation.” 

While the goal of aerobic exercise is to burn calories, tai chi focuses on physical alignment and balance. It can also help improve energy, circulation, and muscle control. Despite its slow nature, tai chi still works out the muscles of the arms, legs, back, and core. More importantly, it enhances flexibility, which supports proper muscle engagement and decreases injuries.

In conjunction with medical intervention, tai chi has been shown to treat and prevent many conditions associated with aging. Moreover, the practice can be adapted for people of all ages, sizes, and physical abilities.

Classes at the Meditation Bar in Austin, Texas

A forensic scientist based in Austin, Texas, Danielo Perez served as a medical examiner for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office where he conducted forensic autopsies and mentored pathology fellows. With a long-time interest in Eastern philosophy and practices, Danielo Perez studies Daoism and Confucianism and meditates regularly.

For those in Austin, Texas, who wish to meditate away from home environs, the Meditation Bar is a calm space where people can quietly retreat from their daily routines to enhance their quality of life and mental health. The meditation center offers a number of classes and experiences, such as:

1. Sound. Taking a sound bath is a great way to relax and forget stressors. In a sound bath, vibration runs through the body and brings it back into alignment. 

2. Qigong. Through this class, participants use controlled breathing techniques to strengthen their mind-body connections and improve their circulation, which leads to enhanced overall health and reduced stress. 

3. Feel. Based on the neuroscience that says the body can’t think and feel at the same time, this class guides participants to focus on feeling the sensations already present in the body. Through this, thinking naturally slows as feelings of well being and peace take over. 

Learn more about these and other offerings at www.meditationbar.com.

Forensic Toxicologists Examine the Body for Toxic Substances

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Dr. Danielo Perez received his MD at SUNY Downstate Medical College in New York prior to beginning his career as a forensic pathologist. While conducting autopsies in the Austin area, Dr. Danielo Perez was responsible for death examinations, select death scene reconstructions, and toxicological analyses.

Forensic toxicology refers to the examination of a biological sample for the presence of toxic substances like alcohol, drugs, and poison. The duties of a forensic pathologist or toxicologist include evaluating the cause and manner of an individual's death and establishing the role of these toxic substances in the process of death.

Forensic toxicologists may provide expert witness testimony in court proceedings. During these instances, they are expected to explain the information they have gathered in a manner that is easily understood by the jury.

Nowadays, the field of forensic toxicology has expanded to include testing employees for substance abuse, examining animal samples for criminal investigations related to wildlife, and analyzing biological samples for the presence of date rape drugs.

Study Suggests Acupuncture Is an Effective Treatment for Chronic Pain

A longtime resident of Austin, Texas, Dr. Danielo Perez earned his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical College in Brooklyn, New York. After completing his degree, he moved to the Austin area to pursue a career in forensic pathology. In addition to his training in Western medicine, Dr. Danielo Perez maintains a strong interest in Eastern medicine, and he is currently taking classes in acupuncture. 

A Chinese medical tradition dating back thousands of years, acupuncture relies upon stimulating points in the body with a needle to correct energetic imbalances, thereby relieving pain and speeding healing. Though acupuncture, like much Chinese medicine, has been viewed with skepticism in the West over the past several hundred years, recent research has indicated that Chinese medicine, and especially acupuncture, can be effective for treating certain conditions.

Now, yet another study indicates that acupuncture can be effective as part of a comprehensive health care plan. In a paper published in The Journal of Pain in May 2018, a team of researchers reported on a meta-study that suggests acupuncture not only serves as an effective treatment for chronic pain, but that its effects last over time. Additionally, the paper’s authors concluded acupuncture's beneficial effects could not be attributed to the placebo effect.

The study’s findings are especially exciting considering the ongoing opioid epidemic in America. Experts suggest that using acupuncture as an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs for chronic pain conditions could help alleviate the crisis.