Retrospective analysis of forensic toxicology data from 2021 to identify patterns of various forensic cases.

PURPOSE: Knowing and analyzing the characteristics and trends of forensic toxicology cases in a certain area is particularly important for a local government to establish an effective prevention and control system. The purpose of this work was to summarize data from forensic toxicology cases received by the Academy of Forensic Sciences (AFS) in 2021. METHODS: As requested by the police or according to the details of cases, samples were systematically screened or analyzed by various methods. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to identify medicinal drugs, drugs of abuse, pesticides, poison gases, etc. RESULTS: AFS received a total of 17,758 cases in 2021, of which 314 cases underwent autopsy. The main cause of death was sudden death, and the manner of death was mainly accident. Among 13,744 drug abuse cases, the number of positive cases was 1721, with a positive rate of 12.5%, and synthetic cannabinoids were the most frequently detected substances. In 3640 traffic cases, 85.3% of drivers were suspected of drunk driving. In 103 poisoning cases, hydrogen sulfide poisoning and pesticide suicide account for a large proportion. In drug-facilitated crimes, zolpidem was the most frequently tested component. In 55 case of dog poisonings, the main poisons were cyanides and succinylcholine, and the main poisoning tools were poisonous baits and poisonous syringe darts. CONCLUSIONS: This study profiles the toxicological characteristics of forensic toxicological cases conducted at the AFS in 2021 and provides a scientific basis for poisoning cases and drug abuse prevention.

Prevalence of Physical Violence in the Medical-Forensic Approach in the Years 2015-2020 in City and Neighboring Municipalities: Perspectives from Poland-Poznan Study.

Forensic medical opinions serve the appropriate classification of a crime against health. Violence, a multifaceted phenomenon, requires forensic medical examination in the case of causing damage to health. Due to the effects caused by the perpetrator, the damage to health is divided into severe, medium, and light. This study analyzed 7689 incidents of violence from 2015-2020, taking place in the area subordinate to the Provincial Police Headquarters in Poznan, based on anonymized documentation of forensic medical examinations performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Poznan at the request of the Police and privately. The analysis took into account: units ordering the test, type of exposure, medical help, sex and age of the victim, places of the incident, classification and localization of injury, manner of impact, attitude of the perpetrator to the victim, profession of the victim, gender of the perpetrator, and remarks. In Poland, statistics on violence victims are underestimated, resulting from the low reporting of crimes committed to law enforcement authorities. There is a need for programs to educate the perpetrator of violence on methods of conflict resolution and programs to prevent violence, covering events taking place in public spaces.

Exploratory study on the quality of forensic assessments using the Istanbul Protocol in a virtual versus face-to-face environment.

INTRODUCTION: With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, most torture victim care centres had to adapt their forensic assessment methods and move to online methodologies. Therefore, it is essential to assess the advan-tages and disadvantages of this type of inter-vention, which seems to be here to stay. METHOD: Structured administered surveys were conducted with professionals (n=21) and with torture survivors (SoT) (n=21) from a sample of 21 Istanbul Protocols (IP). Compar-ing face-to-face (n=10) and remote (n=11) in-terviews in relation to the evaluation process, satisfaction, difficulties encountered, and compliance with therapeutic aspects. All as-sessments were primarily psychological. Three remote and four face-to-face interviews in-cluded a medical assessment. RESULTS: No significant problems were found in relation to the ethical requirements of the IP. Satisfaction with the process was pos-itive in both modalities. Regarding the online method, there were frequent connection prob-lems and a lack of adequate material resources in the remote assessments, requiring a signifi-cantly higher number of interviews in most cases. Survivors were more satisfied than eval-uators. Overall, the forensic experts described problems in complex cases with an under-standing of the person's emotional response, they established a bond, and they undertook psychotherapeutic interventions in the event of an emotional crisis during the assessment. In the face-to-face protocols, logistical and travel problems were frequent, which meant that fo-rensic work times had to be adapted. DISCUSSION: The two methodologies are not directly comparable but have specific issues to be studied and addressed. More invest-ment and adaptation in remote methodology is needed, especially given the poor economic situation of many SoT. Remote assessment is a valid alternative to face-to-face interviews in specific cases. However, there are very relevant human and therapeutic aspects that indicate that, whenever possible, face-to-face assess-ment should be preferred.

A Survey on forensic odontologists' activity in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Few information on virus contagion at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic led to severe restrictions in the dental and forensic activity in Italy, the introduction of procedural guidelines and implementation of preventive measures. A specific survey on Italian forensic odontologists (FOds) activity was conducted to investigate the COVD-19 pandemic impact on daily practices, the preventive measures adopted to manage the risks of contagion procedures performed on living and dead people and the possible peculiar cases that required the intervention of a medical examiner. A total of 122 FOds answered, mostly males over 46 years coming from northern Italy. The results highlight the lack of specific guidelines for the procedures on living people compared to those on the dead but the regulations for the daily clinical practice resulted more than sufficient: in fact, more than 80% of FOds adopted the preventive and safety measures provided for dental practices. The forensic activity significantly decreased during the initial period (more than 75%) and gradually normalized to pre-pandemic numbers in approximately 50% of cases after the implementation of the vaccination campaign. 13 cases of occupational contagion have been reported, most of them (more than 85%) in northern and central Italy. In two cases members of the dental staff sued the employer for responsibility in the contagion. The decrease of the overall ID activity during the pandemic time can be more likely attributed to the of the dental data than the real impact of the pandemic regulations. The use of telematic tools, such as teleconferences, for many procedures proved to be an important resource useful for application even in post-pandemic times.

[Distance teaching of forensic medicine at the department of medical university during the COVID-19 pandemic]. / Distantsionnoe prepodavanie sudebnoi meditsiny na kafedre meditsinskogo universiteta v period pandemii COVID-19.

The purpose of the work is to share the experience of distance teaching of forensic medicine. Teaching of forensic medicine throughout the history of the department of forensic medicine of the medical faculty of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University Research Medical University took place exclusively on the intramural basis. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made its adjustments and teaching became remote. This situation required adoption of urgent measures to organize a high-quality and continuous process of student's teaching. The measures included preparation and formation of all necessary material equivalent to full-time classes in the electronic format; compilation and development of instructions and algorithms for students and teachers on the cycle and development of uncredited or missed classes in a remote format; creation of groups in instant messengers with students and a teacher; organization of online classes using conferencing applications; recording a full course of lectures (available in students' personal accounts); creation of the possibility of online testing of the level of initial and acquired knowledge of students in two languages (In Russian and English). The experience of conducting classes in remote mode is generally positive, the measures taken have brought training to a qualitatively new level.

Evaluation of face masks as a valuable forensic DNA evidence in the post-COVID era.

After the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, a sharp surge in the usage of the face-masks throughout the globe has been observed. Pre-experiment survey of 252 individuals indicated a higher use of cotton-make masks (41%), followed by N-95 make (31%), and surgical disposable masks (26%). It was also further revealed that a higher fraction of individuals wear a face-mask more than 3 times (37%) before its disposal. In order to assess the potential usability of different mask types as forensic DNA evidence, a study was conducted on 50 healthy individuals. DNA content of different fractions such as the portion of mask covering the mouth region and the ear-piece showed a good source of host DNA. Though no statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) was found in the DNA quantity obtained from different face mask types, an increasing trend was obtained in the order: cloth make type (7.031 ± 0.31 ng), N-95 make (4.711 ± 0.15 ng), and surgical disposable type (2.17 ± 0.13 ng). The time of wearing of a face-mask showed a positive correlation with the yield of DNA irrespective of the face-mask type used. Samples retrieved from both the portions covering the mouth area and the ear-piece showed a good source of genomic DNA yielding an average of 4.82 ± 0.11 ng and 4.44 ± 0.10 ng of DNA, respectively. Irrespective of the face-mask types, number of reuse, and the portion of the mask, 66.66-96.11% of samples showed a complete autosomal STR DNA profile. This suggests that if a face-mask is found at the crime scene, it should be collected and preserved as a potential source of DNA evidence for routine forensic DNA analysis.

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal [2022; Vol.28, Issue 12]

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the official health journal published by the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization. It is a forum for the presentation and promotion of new policies and initiatives in health services; and for the exchange of ideas concepts epidemiological data research findings and other information with special reference to the Eastern Mediterranean Region. It addresses all members of the health profession medical and other health educational institutes interested NGOs WHO Collaborating Centres and individuals within and outside the Region

المجلة الصحية لشرق المتوسط هى المجلة الرسمية التى تصدرعن المكتب الاقليمى لشرق المتوسط بمنظمة الصحة العالمية. وهى منبر لتقديم السياسات والمبادرات الجديدة فى الصحة العامة والخدمات الصحية والترويج لها، و لتبادل الاراء و المفاهيم والمعطيات الوبائية ونتائج الابحاث وغير ذلك من المعلومات، و خاصة ما يتعلق منها باقليم شرق المتوسط. وهى موجهة الى كل اعضاء المهن الصحية، والكليات الطبية وسائر المعاهد التعليمية، و كذا المنظمات غير الحكومية المعنية، والمراكز المتعاونة مع منظمة الصحة العالمية والافراد المهتمين بالصحة فى الاقليم و خارجه

La Revue de Santé de la Méditerranée Orientale est une revue de santé officielle publiée par le Bureau régional de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé pour la Méditerranée orientale. Elle offre une tribune pour la présentation et la promotion de nouvelles politiques et initiatives dans le domaine de la santé publique et des services de santé ainsi qu’à l’échange d’idées de concepts de données épidémiologiques de résultats de recherches et d’autres informations se rapportant plus particulièrement à la Région de la Méditerranée orientale. Elle s’adresse à tous les professionnels de la santé aux membres des instituts médicaux et autres instituts de formation médico-sanitaire aux ONG Centres collaborateurs de l’OMS et personnes concernés au sein et hors de la Région

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on forensic cases admitted to an emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 disease has given rise to various negative effects on human life in terms of health and economic and social well-being. We believe that these negative effects may have led to increased forensic incidents such as violence and suicide. Therefore, in this study, we sought to examine the effects of COVID-19 in forensic cases admitted to an emergency department. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study, performed at the emergency department of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital. Forensic cases admitted between March and June 2020 (pandemic period) and forensic cases admitted between March and June 2019 (pre-pandemic period) were compared in the study. Results: A total of 4296 patients were included in the study, of which 3011 were admitted during the pre-pandemic period and 1285 during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the percentages of suicide attempts (3.6%), motorcycle traffic accidents (7.4%), and violent incidents (29.4%) were higher during the pandemic period, the percentages of in-vehicle traffic accidents (5.4%) and pedestrian traffic accidents (2.2%) were lower (respectively, p = 0.035, p = 0.005, p < 0.001, p = 0.015, p = 0.008). At the time of the pandemic, the percentages of incidents of violence against women (44.2%) and traffic accidents with a motorcycle involving men (9.3%) were higher than during the time before the pandemic (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: The effects of the pandemic on our lifestyle are indisputable. This study reveals that the pandemic also affected patients who were admitted to the emergency department for forensic reasons. In addition, the increase in the percentages of suicide and violent events indicates that pandemics probably increase feelings of fear, loss, and hopelessness, and special precautions should be taken to maintain order in the society.

The Role of Forensic Medicine in Responding to Emergencies and New Major Epidemics.

In recent years, human beings are constantly facing the threat of emerging infectious diseases. Forensic technology plays a unique role in responding to the emergencies and new epidemics. In epidemic prevention and control, forensic partitioners can provide important clues for the identification of vector animal species and the traceability of pathogen regions based on non-human DNA testing technology. In epidemic-related judicial practice, forensic partitioners bear more and more evidence responsibilities in dealing with biosafety laws-related issues, such as improper handling of epidemics and vaccine safety issues, which require forensic evidence. In terms of pathogen tracing, forensic physical evidence examinations identify species and individuals through biological materials extracted from the scene of death and autopsy of infectious diseases, are expected to provide informative clues for epidemiological investigations and point out the direction for pathogen tracing. In addition, forensic pathological examination can provide an important pathophysiological basis for determining the cause of death and the mechanism of death through autopsy, also offer necessary scientific evidence for clarifying the epidemiological characteristics of the epidemic and predicting the development trend of the epidemic.

[COVID-19 pandemic and alcohol use patterns in Moscow population: forensic aspects]. / Pandemiya COVID-19 i patterny upotrebleniya alkogolya sredi naseleniya Moskvy: sudebno-meditsinskie aspekty.

The presents an analysis of the trend of the postmortem ethanol tests in biological samples obtained from the deceased in Moscow in April-May 2019 and 2020. In total, 7110 reports of forensic chemistry studies were examined; all cases were classified by the age of the deceased, following the modern generational theory to study patterns of alcohol consumption in these age groups and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stable patterns of alcoholic behavior were revealed in the groups of the deceased. It was shown that, on average, every 3rd representative of Generations «X¼ and «Y¼ consumes alcohol shortly before death; the highest average blood ethanol levels were found in representatives of Generations «Y¼ and «X¼. The number of positive ethanol test results increased in April-May 2020 among males of the baby boom and Generation «X¼ compared to the same period in 2019. The patterns identified can be used to further study the contribution of alcohol consumption to mortality.

POST-COVID SUICIDE: FORENSIC SCIENCE ANALYSIS.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: The article draws attention to the raise of suicide incidents after COVID-19 and proposes special knowledge to use in some forensic examinations for patients with COVID-19 and after as a measure of suicide preventing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: Scientific researches and comparative analyzes of criminal cases marked as a suicide were done based on statistics method. 415 suicide cases were fixed in Ukraine in 2020, and other persons' influence for suicide committing was revealed only in 61cases. In 2021, the tendency has increased, and only during the first four months (from January till April) there were 213 suicide cases. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: There are so many cases of suicide after COVID-19 caused by mental and neurological disorders due to the coronavirus effects on human brain and psyche, not only at hospitals but at home as well. The virus can disrupt nervous system work both directly and indirectly, activating the immune system excessively (the so-called cytokine storm). Complex forensic medical and psychological examination may be appointed to determine the mental state of persons after COVID-19. There are two ways to solve the problem with the help of special knowledge and forensic science. On the one hand, investigate person's predisposition for suicide after covid to prevent a suicide. On the other hand, if you had failed and the person committed a suicide use the information received to prevent other persons' suicides.

The evolution of the autopsy over the years.

Abstract: Autopsy has played an extremely important role in both the forensic and clinical fields for many years. In recent years, clinical autopsy has become less important, but today, thanks to the pandemic, this importance has been rediscovered. Conversely, forensic autopsy has never lost its importance, but it would need to be updated.

Personal effects management of Air India Express flight AI1344: A case study.

An Air India Express Flight AI1344 travelling from Dubai to Calicut (Kozhikode), when attempting to land, unfortunately, overshot the runway and crashed causing many casualties as the impact caused the aircraft to break up into multiple pieces. The response to a disaster, specifically an aviation disaster, is highly complex. It involves multiple government agencies and calls for a truly inter/multidisciplinary response from diverse domains including forensic experts, fire experts, aeronautical engineers, humanitarian experts who must together form an ideal post-rescue recovery team. The author was intricately involved in the recovery mission launched after the above air disaster. This case study considers the process of collecting and managing the personal effects of those affected along with the various challenges involved.

[Comparative analysis of the volume and structure of non-violent death in St. Petersburg and Novgorod region over the past 5 years]. / Sravnitel'nyi analiz ob"ema i struktury nenasil'stvennoi smerti v Sankt-Peterburge i Novgorodskoi oblasti za poslednie 5 let.

The purpose of the work is to study the dynamics of the volume and structure of forensic medical research on cases of non-violent death in the Russian Federation for the period from 2016 to 2020 using the example of two regions of the Federation that differ in socio-economic terms. The material for the study was the annual reports of the «St. Medical Examination¼ and «Novgorod Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination¼. It was established that during the study period in St. Petersburg and the Novgorod region, non-violent death was dominant in the structure of forensic medical examinations of corpses, accounting for about 80%. The leading place was occupied by diseases of the circulatory system and neoplasms, they were more common among residents of the Novgorod region. A positive fact was that since 2016, the residents of the Novgorod region, in contrast to the residents of St. Petersburg, there has been a trend towards a decrease in the number of deaths from diseases of the cardiovascular system. Mortality from oncological diseases increased from year to year in both subjects of the Federation. The most rare causes of death were infectious diseases and diseases of the nervous system. For both groups of diseases, higher mortality was also among residents of the Novgorod region. Both in St. Petersburg and in the Novgorod region there was a gradual decrease in the total number of cases of stillbirths and deaths of children under the age of 1 year. For the entire study period, this indicator, as for most diseases, was higher in the Novgorod region. In the year of the spread of a new coronavirus infection, mortality from most non-communicable diseases increased.

The potential of digital technologies in problem-based forensic learning activities.

Forensic practice is the concluding practical course of the forensic science bachelor program at the School of Criminal Justice of the University of Lausanne. Learning activities are constructed around five main objectives for the resolution of simulated forensic case problems: 1) select relevant traces and items to be collected at the scene and perceive their potential value in the reconstruction process, 2) apply appropriate detection techniques in sequence to obtain clues of good quality, 3) process traces using Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation and Verification (ACE-V) methodology, 4) produce and summarise information in oral and written forms to help an investigation, and 5) work collaboratively to benefit from the diversity of group members. Simulating and supervising realistic activities is a complex task that became more and more challenging with a continuously increasing number of students over the years (from ca. 30 in 2016 to more than 60 in 2021). Thus, an educational innovation project was launched and aimed at implementing digital technologies to support the teaching staff. A computer-based crime scene simulation tool (allowing students to visualize 360° crime scenes and relevant items) and a communication tool (to simplify and centralise the communication between the students and the teaching staff) were implemented. This article describes the implementation, added value and limitations of these digital technologies in problem-based learning activities. Prior to 2020, the practical course forensic practice was delivered entirely on-site without specific technologies, and entirely on-line in 2020 (due to the sanitary restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic). Finally, in 2021, on-line and on-site activities were implemented with success, combining the best of both approaches in a blended teaching mode. An overall increase in the satisfaction of students and teaching staff was observed with the implementation of these tools. Limiting presence on-site allowed students to take a step back from the activities and collected items. This promoted critical thinking, and together with an increase in structured (on-line and on-site) interactions allowed for a positive, continuous learning experience. While the evaluations of these novel technologies were very positive, students still expressed their willingness to perform certain tasks on-site and a preference for face-to-face interactions.

Non-fatal strangulation and COVID-19 common symptoms and signs: considerations for medical and forensic assessment.

Emerging evidence suggests that an onset or escalation of interpersonal violence has been occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among persons in intimate or familial relationships. Strangulation (or neck compression) is a common form of interpersonal violence and can result in serious adverse health outcomes, including death. The identification and attribution of injuries from non-fatal strangulation are complex, as there may be an absence of external signs of injury and their appearance may be delayed by many days. There is a heavy reliance on clinician identification of 'red flag' symptoms and signs, the presence of which necessitates urgent further assessment. Additional challenges arise when acute non-fatal strangulation symptoms and signs are shared with other clinical conditions. In such cases, differentiating between the conditions based on the symptoms and signs alone is problematic. We present the diagnostic challenges faced when conducting forensic assessments of COVID-19-positive and suspected COVID-19 (S/COVID) patients following allegations of non-fatal strangulation in the setting of physical and sexual assaults. The implications of shared symptoms and signs, for forensic clinicians, primary healthcare, and emergency practitioners, as well as other frontline service providers, are discussed.

[Development of a cooperative autopsy network of pathology, neuropathology and forensic medicine]. / Entwicklung eines kooperativen Obduktionsnetzwerks aus Pathologie, Neuropathologie und Rechtsmedizin.

BACKGROUND: Autopsies are an important tool for understanding novel diseases, including COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The German Registry of COVID-19 Autopsies (DeRegCOVID) was established and launched in April 2020. DeRegCOVID acts as the electronic backbone of the German Network for Autopsies in Pandemics (DEFEAT PANDEMIcs), which started in September 2020. RESULTS: The results of DeRegCOVID and DEFEAT PANDEMIcs are characterized by an unprecedented collaboration of more than 35 university and non-university autopsy centers linking pathological, neuropathological, and forensic medicine institutes. DeRegCOVID has evolved, adapted to new challenges, and currently contains the largest international autopsy dataset. After only a short period of operation, more than 80 publications have been produced, which have contributed to the understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19, e.g., through the discovery of thromboembolic events, multiorgan tropism, and NeuroCovid-19. The autopsy centers have carried out extensive educational work and, beyond the scientific gain in knowledge, have explained to politicians and the general public the essential role of autopsies in pandemic management. To further develop autopsy-driven research, a continuation of DEFEAT PANDEMIcs was conceived, the National Autopsy Network (NATON). CONCLUSIONS: The registry and network, in which all interested centers can participate, have demonstrated the value of networked medical research and the high value of autopsy for medicine.