Long-term study of pig carrion entomofauna.

Long-term changes of carrion entomofauna are poorly understood. No single carrion study lasted longer than one year. We studied entomofauna of large pig carcasses in the second and the third year postmortem. Ten carcasses were exposed in xerothermic grasslands of Western Poland in spring, early and late summer of 2012. Entomofauna was monitored until September of 2014. 72 species were found in the second year, and six in the third year. In the second or the third year carcasses from the late summer block revealed larger number of taxa compared to carcasses from the spring or the early summer block. Taxa differed in pattern of multiple larval colonizations. Only necrophagous taxa breeding in long-lasting carrion parts as well as predators feeding on arthropods present in these parts were found to recolonize. Recolonizations were always recorded in the second or the third year after death. Patterns of multiple colonization depended on the time of carcass exposure in the first year. Residencies of larvae were unexpectedly long in the second year. Several forensically important flies overwintered on carcasses in the larval stage. Current results support the view that insect fauna of cadavers with long post-mortem interval (PMI) may be used for PMI estimation.

Morphology and identification of first instars of European and Mediterranean blowflies of forensic importance. Part III: Calliphorinae.

First instars of Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus) and Cynomya mortuorum (Linnaeus) (both: Diptera: Calliphoridae) are thoroughly documented with scanning electron microscopy images, light microscopy photographs and line drawings. Substantial new data are provided for the following morphological structures: pseudocephalon; antennal complex; maxillary palpus; facial mask; cephaloskeleton; thoracic and abdominal spinulation; spiracular field, and posterior spiracles. Earlier descriptions are summarized and major discrepancies with the current study are discussed. An identification key to first-instar larvae of the five European species of Calliphorinae of forensic importance is presented. However, it remains impossible to distinguish the first instars of Ca. vicina and Cy. mortuorum based on external morphology with the current level of knowledge.

Poland: health system review

The Health Systems in Transition (HiT) country profiles provide an analytical description of each health system and of policy initiatives in progress or under development. They aim to provide relevant comparative information to support policy-makers and analysts in the development of health systems and reforms in the countries of the WHO European Region and beyond. The HiT profiles are building blocks that can be used: to learn in detail about different approaches to the financing, organization and delivery of health services; to describe accurately the process, content and implementation of health reform programmes; to highlight common challenges and areas that require more in-depth analysis; and to provide a tool for the dissemination of information on health systems and the exchange of experiences of reform strategies between policy-makers and analysts in countries of the WHO European Region. This series is an ongoing initiative and material is updated at regular intervals.