Catch me if you can-emission patterns of human bodies in relation to postmortem changes.

The present study examines for the first time the emission patterns and olfactory signatures of 9 complete human corpses of different stages of decomposition. Air sampling was performed inside the body bags with solid sorbents and analysed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after thermal desorption (TD-GC-MS). Furthermore, odour-related substances were detected by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). Sulfurous compounds (mainly dimethyl di- and trisulfide) were identified as most important to the odour perception. Around 350 individual organic substances were detected by TD-GC-MS, notably sulfurous and nitrogenous substances as well as branched alkanes, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters and ethers. A range of terpenes was detected for the first time in a characteristic emission pattern over all decomposition stages. Concentrations of the substances varied greatly, and no correlation between the emission patterns, the stage of decomposition and the cause of death could be found. While previous studies often analysed pig cadavers or only parts of human tissue, the present study shows the importance of analysing complete human corpses over a range of decomposition stages. Moreover, it is shown that using body bags as a kind of "emission test chamber" is a very promising approach, also because it is a realistic application considering the usual transport and store of a body before autopsy.

The use of an educational video on forensic autopsy in curricular teaching for medical students-is it worth the effort? : A field report from lecturers and a survey among students.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work is to share our experience with an educational video on forensic autopsy. Using questionnaires, we attempted to answer the following questions: Does watching the video trigger emotions in students? Does the autopsy meet the expectations that they had before? Does the video help to prepare them for their subsequent autopsy participation? METHODS: A total of 365 medical students who attended their classes during the COVID-19 pandemic measures were provided with the video on an online platform. Links leading to questionnaires were positioned before and after the video. One hundred seventy-six students returned to face-to-face teaching during their course in forensic medicine. Those among them who chose to participate in an autopsy at our institute were given the link to a third questionnaire after their autopsy participation. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS 27.0 and Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-two students completed a questionnaire before watching the educational video, 85 also completed one afterwards, and 28 completed the third questionnaire. The most intense feelings while watching the video were "curiosity" and "surprise". Out of twelve students (14.1%) who had imagined the autopsy differently in advance, five perceived the autopsy shown in the video as rougher or more brutal than expected. All autopsy participants who had previously viewed the video felt adequately prepared. CONCLUSION: Teaching should include an introduction to the handling of the corpse and the general procedures in the dissecting room. Although a video cannot substitute for personal interaction, it is useful to prepare students for their autopsy participation.

[On using the corpses of large mammals as model objects for studying the postmortem period]. / Ob ispol'zovanii trupov krupnykh mlekopitayushchikh v kachestve model'nykh ob"ektov pri izuchenii postmortal'nogo perioda.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: Is to justify using the corpses of large mammals as model objects for studying the postmortem period. Similarities in processes occurring postmortem in human and swine corpses (decomposition stages and the structure of dominant necrophilic organisms inhabiting the corpse), as well as similar changes of relative impedance parameters for the cartilaginous tissue and musculoskeletal flap of swine and human corpses have been established. The results obtained allow recommending the swine corpse as an adequate human corpse model both for scientific studies and for solving specific scientific and practical issues arising in the practice of forensic examination when determining the prescription of death coming and the postmortem period conditions.

Body donation in Italy and the issue of consent: Operational suggestions.

The authors aimed to analyze the Italian law of 10 February 2020, n. 10, which governs the post mortem donation of one's body and tissues for training, educational and scientific research purposes. The different models of consent set forth in this set of norms are discussed, reaching the conclusion that the most suitable option for balancing the interests at stake is the one that authorizes all uses of the body for the sole purposes expressly permitted by the donor. After briefly laying out the current legislation on the subject, particularly regarding the ways of expressing consent, the authors highlight how the legislation enacted by Italian lawmakers is meant to codify the absolute preeminence to the donor's right to self-determination.

Resistencia estructural de prótesis dentales acrílicas y de cromo cobalto en cadáveres quemados o carbonizados: a propósito de dos casos / Structural resistance of acrylic and cobalt-chromium dental prostheses in burned or charred corpses: a propos of two cases

La identificación humana genera continuos desafíos técnicos y científicos para los equipos de expertos forenses en sus múltiples contextos de intervención. Uno de los más complejos, está representado por el hallazgo de cadáveres quemados o carbonizados, donde las huellas dactilares resultan inviables. En tales situaciones, los tejidos de la cavidad oral han demostrado elevada tolerancia a la injuria térmica, aportando información decisiva, muchas veces com-plementada por estructuras protésicas recupera-das del occiso. El presente artículo reporta dos ca-sos donde las prótesis dentales acrílicas y de cromo cobalto exhibieron notable indemnidad pese a la gran pérdida orgánica sufrida por los cuerpos de las víc-timas ante la acción vulnerante del fuego, otorgando valor probatorio para contribuir en el establecimien-to de su identidad (AU)

Human identification generates continuous technical and scientific challenges for teams of forensic experts in their multiple contexts of intervention. One of the most complex is represented by the discovery of burned or charred corpses, where fingerprints are unviable. In such situations, the tissues of the oral cavity have shown high tolerance to thermal injury, providing decisive information, often complemented by prosthetic structures recovered from the deceased. This article reports two cases where the acrylic and cobalt chrome dental prostheses presented notable indemnity despite the great organic loss suffered by the bodies of the victims before the damaging action of fire, granting probative value to contribute to the establishment of their identity (AU)

[Statistical analysis of performance indicators of medical forensic departments of the FME bureaux in the Russian Federation]. / Statisticheskii analiz pokazatelei mediko-kriminalisticheskikh podrazdelenii byuro SME v Rossiiskoi Federatsii.

This article presents the results of the study of the quantitative performance indicators of medical forensic departments of state forensic medical expert institutions in Russia as a whole and in individual federal districts from 2009 to 2018. Medical statistics methods were used. We analyzed absolute and intensive indicators, their percentages, and correlation relationships. Trends and patterns were studied to identify causal relationships and assess the effect of various factors. A steady trend of reducing the total number of expert examinations performed in the medical forensic departments was shown. However, their share of the total number of violent death cases is increasing. The labor intensity of medical forensic examinations and the number of examination methods used are increasing. Regional differences in the studied indicators are revealed. The presented metadata can be used to improve the workflow management of forensic medical departments and monitor the effectiveness of improvements. The findings confirm the need to modernize and adapt the regulatory and procedural framework of the expert work.

Anatomical Variations of the Median Nerve: A Cadaveric Study.

OBJECTIVES: Variations in the morphological anatomy of the median nerve such as formation, distribution, and communication have been well documented. All these variations should be taken into account when practicing any surgical approach for the treatment of injuries affecting the median nerve. Furthermore, they are of the utmost importance for interpretation of the clinical presentation. METHODS: The objective of this investigation was to determine the anatomical variations in the formation of the median nerve in cadavers at the Forensic Pathology department in Central Clinical Hospital of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation between January 2022 and April 2022. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and prospective information source study was conducted on 42 anatomical bodies (corpses) and 84 brachial plexuses. RESULTS: After analyzing the results obtained in this investigation, we concluded that the median nerve presented variation in its formation in 22.6% of the investigated cases. These variations were more common in males (81.8%) than females (18.2%). The anatomical variation was unilateral in 7.1% and bilateral in 19% of all anatomical bodies examined. CONCLUSIONS: The median nerve presented a great number of variations in its formation in roughly 23% of the anatomical bodies, with male being the predominant gender. Furthermore, the most frequent region of formation was the axillary region (92.9%). For clinicians, it is important to remember these variations during surgical procedures in this area and during brachial plexus block.

Validation and beyond: Next generation sequencing of forensic casework samples including challenging tissue samples from altered human corpses using the MiSeq FGx system.

The proceeding developments in next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies enable increasing discrimination power for short tandem repeat (STR) analyses and provide new possibilities for human identification. Therefore, the growing relevance and demand in forensic casework display the need for reliable validation studies and experiences with challenging DNA samples. The presented validation of the MiSeq FGx system and the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep Kit (1) investigated sensitivity, repeatability, reproducibility, concordance, pooling variations, DNA extraction method variances, DNA mixtures, degraded, and casework samples and (2) optimized the sequencing workflow for challenging samples from human corpses by testing additional PCR purification, pooling adjustments, and adapter volume reductions. Overall results indicate the system's reliability in concordance to traditional capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based genotyping and reproducibility of sequencing data. Genotyping success rates of 100% were obtained down to 62.5 pg DNA input concentrations. Autosomal STR (aSTR) profiles of artificially degraded samples revealed significantly lower numbers of locus and allelic dropouts than CE. However, it was observed that the system still exposed drawbacks when sequencing highly degraded and inhibited samples from human remains. Due to the lack of studies evaluating the sequencing success of samples from decomposed or skeletonised corpses, the presented optimisation studies provide valuable recommendations such as an additional PCR purification, an increase in library pooling volumes, and a reduction of adapter volumes for samples with concentrations ≥31.2 pg. Thus, this research highlights the importance of all-encompassing validation studies for implementing novel technologies in forensic casework and presents recommendations for challenging samples.

The Postmortem Interval of Two Decedents and Two Dog Carcasses at the Same Scene Based on Forensic Entomology.

In this paper, we report the estimation of the minimum PMIs of two human corpses and two dog carcasses using entomological evidence. Corpses of an elderly couple and carcasses of four dogs were found scattered on different floors in a house. The scene was very dirty. In addition, there were 12 emaciated live dogs at the scene. The corpses had been eaten by the dogs to different degrees, but the damage was greater on the man's corpse. After forensic examination, it was concluded that both individuals died of natural causes. The minimum PMIs of the two individuals and the two dogs were estimated using entomological evidence. The minimum PMIs of the other two dogs were not estimated because of the risk of contamination with the human corpses. Different insect species were found on each of the corpses and carcasses. The minimum PMIs were estimated as about 8.75 days for the woman, 4.17 days for the man, 3.13 days for the dog found in the stairwell and about 28.80 days for the dog found in the toilet. These estimations coincided with the time the woman stopped communicating with her daughter and when the electricity consumption at the house decreased significantly.

Detección de ARN del SARS-CoV-2 por PCR en una serie de cadáveres remitidos para autopsia / Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by PCR in a series of corpses sent for autopsy

A partir de la emergencia del SARS-CoV-2 en el mundo se desató la pandemia por COVID-19 que afectó a 185 países; aparecieron numerosas publicaciones científicas presentando datos epidemiológicos, clínicos, estadísticos y microbiológicos. La elevada mortalidad ha implicado la necesidad de contar con datos cada vez más precisos con relación al virus y a su comportamiento en el medio y, por otro lado, enfrentó a los equipos de salud con un grave problema con relación al manejo seguro de cadáveres y a los riesgos de transmisión que ello implica. El objetivo del presente estudio ha sido detectar la presencia de ARN del SARS-CoV-2 en cadáveres remitidos a la Morgue Judicial de la Nación que no estuvieran comprendidos en la definición de caso sospechoso propuesta por el Ministerio de Salud de la Nación de la República Argentina. Se realizaron hisopados nasofaríngeos a 101 cadáveres elegidos aleatoriamente y basándose en criterios de inclusión para la detección de ARN viral mediante técnica RT-PCR. Se detectó ARN viral en el 16,8% de los cadáveres incluidos en el estudio. (AU)

Following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, affecting 185 countries. There have been numerous scientific publications presenting epidemiological, clinical, statistical, and microbiological data. The high mortality has implied the need for increasingly accurate data regarding the virus and its behaviour in the environment and, on the other hand, faced health teams with a serious problem in relation to the safe handling of corpses and the risks of transmission that this implies. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in corpses sent to the National Judicial Morgue that were not included in the definition of a suspected case submitted by the Argentine Ministry of Health. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were taken from 101 cadavers chosen randomly and based on inclusion criteria for detection of viral RNA using the RT-PCR technique. Of the cadavers included in the study, 16.8%, not classified as suspected cases of COVID-19, were tested for the presence of viral RNA in the samples collected. (AU)

Animal carcass burial management: implications for sustainable biochar use.

This review focuses on existing technologies for carcass and corpse disposal and potential alternative treatment strategies. Furthermore, key issues related to these treatments (e.g., carcass and corpse disposal events, available methods, performances, and limitations) are addressed in conjunction with associated environmental impacts. Simultaneously, various treatment technologies have been evaluated to provide insights into the adsorptive removal of specific pollutants derived from carcass disposal and management. In this regard, it has been proposed that a low-cost pollutant sorbent may be utilized, namely, biochar. Biochar has demonstrated the ability to remove (in)organic pollutants and excess nutrients from soils and waters; thus, we identify possible biochar uses for soil and water remediation at carcass and corpse disposal sites. To date, however, little emphasis has been placed on potential biochar use to manage such disposal sites. We highlight the need for strategic efforts to accurately assess biochar effectiveness when applied towards the remediation of complex pollutants produced and circulated within carcass and corpse burial systems.

Factors affecting management of corpses of the confirmed COVID-19 patients during pandemic: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The global spread of the COVID 19 disease and the concerning rise in the number of corpses of the patients dying of the disease has caused challenges in handling the corpses by the health system and relevant organizations in most countries. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors affecting the corpse management process of the patients dying of COVID 19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a systematic review of literature using the PRISMA guideline. Without time limit until the end of January 2021, the studies related to corpse management in patients with COVID 19 were extracted from the data resources of Medline (PubMed), Web of Science, Google scholar, Embase, ProQuest, Scopus, Iranmedex, SID, and ISC, and also the reference lists of selected studies, as well as other systematic reviews, key journals, and proceedings of conferences and congresses. Finally, thematic analysis was used to analyze the obtained data. RESULTS: 190 studies were identified based on the initial search, and finally 21 studies were entered into analysis. Based on the systematic review and thematic content analysis, challenges in the process of managing the corpses of COVID-19 victims were divided into three main themes and eight sub-themes. The themes included psychosocial factors, environmental factors, and resources, and the sub-themes included supporting survivors, customs, values, infection control, corpse identification and burial, corpse transferring, equipment, and governments' capacity. CONCLUSION: Implementing psychological, social, and spiritual support programs for grieving families, the observance of customs and values governing the community at the time of funeral and burial, and planning to control infection and safety in the process of maintenance, transfer to the cemetery and safe burial are the most important strategies that can be used in the process of corpse management. Utilizing and aligning religious leaders with the health system in order to inform people about the ways of disease transmission from the bodies and to use alternative solutions for holding religious and cultural ceremonies (e.g., virtual mourning), as well as providing personal protective equipment to those in close contact with corpses, the development and implementation of health protocols for managing possibly a large number of bodies, capacity building, and anticipating necessary resources are highly recommended strategies.

[Forensic aspects of the burning of human corpses]. / Sudebno-meditsinskie aspekty sozhzheniya trupov lyudei.

Objective - to outline the basic ideas about the conditions and results of the burning of human corpses and the potential possibilities of a forensic medical examination of the burned remains. It is impossible to burn the corpse of an adult to a state of only homogeneous ash not only on the fire, but also in special crematorium chambers. After the burning of the corpse, ash and bone fragments remain in a state of black, gray and white heat. The state of the cremated remains allows, at least, establishing the number of incinerated corpses, their species and anatomical affiliation. Reconstruction of the conditions of corpse burning is possible only within the framework of a comprehensive forensic examination with the participation of specialists in the field of fire-technical affairs and forensic medical experts. The exclusive competence of specialists in the field of fire-technical affairs is the verification of the conditions of combustion (type and volume of fuel, technical features of combustion, duration of cremation, etc.).

Plague Transmission from Corpses and Carcasses.

Knowing whether human corpses can transmit plague will inform policies for handling the bodies of those who have died of the disease. We analyzed the literature to evaluate risk for transmission of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, from human corpses and animal carcasses. Because we could not find direct evidence of transmission, we described a transmission pathway and assessed the potential for transmission at each step. We examined 3 potential sources of infection: body fluids of living plague patients, infected corpses and carcasses, and body fluids of infected corpses. We concluded that pneumonic plague can be transmitted by intensive handling of the corpse or carcass, presumably through the inhalation of respiratory droplets, and that bubonic plague can be transmitted by blood-to-blood contact with the body fluids of a corpse or carcass. These findings should inform precautions taken by those handling the bodies of persons or animals that died of plague.

A phase I/II feasibility vaccine study by autologous leukemic apoptotic corpse-pulsed dendritic cells for elderly AML patients.

This was a phase I/II study testing the feasibility of a vaccine by autologous leukemic apoptotic corpse-pulsed dendritic cells (DC) in elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in first or second complete remission. Pulsed DC were administered at doses of 9 × 106 subcutaneously (1 mL) and 1 × 106 intra-dermally (0.1 mL). Five doses of vaccine were planned on days +1 + 7 + 14 + 21 and +35. Five DC-vaccines were produced and injected for all five patients included in the study. No severe adverse event was documented. Larger Phase 2 studies are now required to precise the role of DC-vaccines with leukemic apoptotic bodies in older as well as younger AML populations. (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01146262).

Significance of detecting postmortem serum IgE in frozen corpses for the diagnosis of anaphylaxis in forensic.

The aim of this study was to detect the postmortem serum total IgE levels in frozen corpses and identify whether the death incident caused by an anaphylaxis in forensic medicine. Autopsy cases with pathological death (total, n = 106; 4-214 h postmortem) include cardiac disease (n = 15), pulmonary infection (n = 12), central nervous system disorder (n = 6), pulmonary emboliszn (n = 7), hapetic disease (n = 5), kidney disease (n = 6), enteric disease (n = 10), necrotizing pancreatitis (n = 7), diffuse peritonitis (n = 6), MODS (n = 6), toxicosis (n = 5:), anaphylactic shock (n = 7), bronchial asthma (n = 8) and other disease (n = 6) were examined. Results showed that there was no significant difference between serum IgE levels and ages, postmortem intervals (PMIs), gender as well as survival time. Serum IgE levels of deaths due to anaphylactic shock and bronchial asthma were higher than that of other groups. Forensic pathology examination results showed the main pathology changes of bronchial asthma were mucous congestion in bronchial lumen and eosinophils infiltration in bronchial mucosa. The main pathological features of anaphylactic shock were laryngeal edema and eosinophils infiltration in multiple organs (lung and spleen). This research proved that there was a great significance for IgE to infer whether the individual died due to an anaphylaxis even for a long PMI in frozen corpses. Furthermore, we can also preliminarily determine the type of allergic death combined with the examination of forensic pathology. These findings further verify the feasibility of postmortem serum IgE in the diagnosis of forensic causes of death and broaden the application scope of this marker.

Submerged corpses of an elderly couple retrieved from a canal with alcohol detected in their blood: A rare case of murder-suicide by drowning?

The body of an elderly man and his disabled wife were found submerged in a canal in open country one afternoon. They had last been seen alive that morning. The man's car was parked close to the canal and the woman's wheelchair was located in a stable position a few meters from the canal bank, facing away from the water. There were abrasions and bruises on the woman's forearms and hands and lower left leg, and the man's body displayed a bruise on the left hand and an abrasion of the left thumb likely caused by a fingernail. Other observations included frothy fluid exuding from the nose and in the airways, overdistended lungs with rib impressions and clear watery fluid in the stomach of both victims. Ethanol was detected in the peripheral blood of both corpses (1.0 g/L in the woman, 0.25 g/L in the man). The man was known to be stressed and depressed: he cared for his ailing spouse, who was affected by severe cognitive impairment and he had on several occasions expressed a desire to put an end to their misery. The hypotheses of a suicide pact or a double accident were in contrast with the woman's mental state and with the position of the wheelchair, respectively. The manner of death was consistent with a spousal murder-suicide involving a double drowning. Papers reporting similar cases are infrequent in the literature.

Arco aórtico: ramas y variaciones de diámetro interno en cadáveres frescos / Aortic arch: Branches and internal diameter variations in fresh corpses

Resumen Introducción: El conocimiento del patrón de las estructuras que emergen del arco aórtico es importante para las intervenciones en el cuello y la cabeza. Las variantes anatómicas y el área interna de estos vasos son cruciales para el enfoque de terapias endovasculares más seguras. Objetivo: Mostrar las variantes anatómicas y el área de los vasos que tiene dicha variación. Materiales y métodos: Se seleccionaron cuatrocientos cadáveres frescos, del Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses de Medellín, con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y 40 años, sin lesiones en el tórax o el cuello, a los cuales se les evaluaron sus arcos aórticos. Todas las variantes se fijaron mediante registro fotográfico y las medidas se tomaron con un calibrador Mitutoyo. Conclusión: Este es el segundo trabajo sobre el tema llevado a cabo en Colombia y el primero en usar cadáveres frescos que se incorporaron en la medida que cumplían los criterios de inclusión.

Abstract Introduction: The knowledge of the pattern of the structures that emerge from the aortic arch is important for neck and head interventions mainly. The presence of anatomical variants and the internal area of these vessels is of great importance for the approach of safer endovascular therapies. Objective: To show the anatomical variants present and the area of the vessels that present such variation. Materials and methods: Four hundred fresh cadavers, aged between 18 and 40 years, without chest or neck injuries, were selected to evaluate their aortic arches, in the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of the city of Medellin, Colombia. All the variants were fixed photographically and the measurements taken with Mitutoyo calibrator. Conclusion: This is the second work on the subject carried out in our country and the first one using fresh cadavers and in a random way.

[Epidemiological analysis of violent death and cases of not established death cases in Russian Federation (2009-2018)]. / Epidemiologicheskii analiz pokazatelei nasil'stvennoi smerti i sluchaev neustanovleniya prichiny smerti po Rossiiskoi Federatsii (po materialam 2009­2018 gg.).

The paper presents the results of an epidemiological analysis of statistical data on the number of deaths from violent deaths, which cause has not been established; unidentified and unclaimed corpses in forensic medical expertise in Russia as a whole and in individual federal districts for the period from 2009 to 2018. Percentage indicators and share values of the circumstances due to which the death cause was not established are given. It was found that on the basis of a steady decreasing trend in number of violent deaths, the number of corpses with an unknown death cause is growing, mainly due to putrefactive changes in corpses of adults and due to the burning of children corpses. The presence of a strong correlation between the number of unclaimed and unidentified corpses with the number of forensic medical expertise, when the cause of death was not established, was shown. Based on the analysis results at the macro level (federal districts), some interregional differences in the structure of the analyzed indicators were revealed. The results obtained make it possible to confirm the relevance of existing clusters of scientific research and to form new ones, to place accents in the directions of the postgraduate education of specialists.

Corpses against science death: new Italian law titled 'Rules relating to the directives of one's body and tissues post-mortem for study, training, and scientific research purposes'.

The new Italian Law no. 10 of 2020, titled 'Rules relating to the directives of one's body and tissues post-mortem for study, training, and scientific research purposes' (10 February, 2020), has opened the doors to a new and clearer regimentation on body donation to science, according to the procedure already introduced by Law no. 219/2017 on the 'Rules relating to informed consent and advance directives of treatment'. The authors exposed some concerning regarding the application of the law, such as donation mistrust, also linked to our cultural heritage; the incomplete protection of minor and incompetent people; the complexity of an adequate information, which could undermine the informed consent; and finally, the fees overload for research institutes, with already exiguous budgets. Next, the authors analysed some positive aspects of the law and in primis the central role of corpses in scientifical knowledge and medical training. Moreover, a simple mechanism based on a conscious and pre-stated consent, registered in a database that follows European data protection Regulation, is discussed. Further, the procedure of the restitution of the bodies to their families, which represents a way to guarantee the relatives' commemoration, is also elucidated. In conclusion, the authors proposed a format of informed consent, to try a direct application of the law, thereby fastening the process of standardisation and centralisation of all the living wills. The authors optimistically investigated the opportunities offered by the law and encouraged a conscientious participation by citizens.