Molecular profiling of the intestinal mucosa and immune cells of the colon by multi-parametric histological techniques

The impact of the post-mortem interval (PMI) on the optical molecular characteristics of the colonic mucosa and the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) were examined by multi-parametric measurements techniques. Inflammatory cells were identified by immunohistochemical staining. Molecular parameters were estimated using the Raman spectroscopy (RS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging. The 3D refractive index (3D-RI) distributions of samples were determined using the digital holographic tomography. The distribution of immune cells between post-mortem (PM) and normal controls did show significant differences for CD4 (P = 0.0016) or CD8 (P < 0.0001), whose expression level was decreased in PM cases. No association was found between individual PMI values and inflammatory cell distribution. However, there was a tendency for a negative correlation between CD4(+) cells and PMI (r = − 0.542, P = 0.032). The alterations ongoing in post-mortem tissue may suggest that PMI has a suppressive effect on the effector properties of the cell-mediated immunity. Moreover, it was confirmed that spectroscopic and digital holotomographic histology are also a useful technique for characterization of the differences in inflammation of varying intensity and in GALT imaging in a solid tissue. Anatomical location of immune cells and methods of tissue fixation determine the molecular and optical parameters of the examined cases

Dviračio rato kriminalistinis tyrimas, kaip svarbiausias įrodymas, suteikęs galimybę nustatyti sunkių kūno sužalojimų atsiradimo aplinkybes.

Pranešime nagrinėjamas kūno sužalojimų mechanizmas. Apsvaigęs nuo alkoholio 39 metų vyriškis įvykdė vagystę ir iš įvykio vietos bandė pabėgti dviračiu. Jį pradėjo vytis pavogtų daiktą savininkas. Byloje apklausti liudytojai pateikė dvi įvykio versijas. Dėl įvykio įtariamo asmens giminės teigė, kad persekiojantysis pavijo bėglį, pargriovė ir ėmė spardyti. Kiti liudytojai sakė, kad bėglys priekiniu ratu trenkėsi į šaligatvio bortelį ir nukrito nuo dviračio. Parengtinio tyrimo metu dviratis buvo apžiūrėtas paviršutiniškai. Tik po dvejų metų, atlikus išsamų dviračio tyrimą, gautą informaciją sulyginus du žuvusiojo kūno tyrimu, pavyko nustatyti, kad asmens žūties priežastis buvo griuvimas, o ne suspardymas

Searching for new features of intravitality of hanging based on macro- and microscopic evaluation of the proximal attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone

Aim of the study : Assessment of the usefulness of intravital lesions in the proximal attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone in medico-legal evaluation of death by hanging. Material and methods: The study material was obtained from the bodies of 35 people who died by hanging. The control group comprised specimens collected from 30 people who died of non-traumatic causes. The structures under study were examined macro- and microscopically. The basic change which could be recognized as a marker of intravitality of hanging was the presence of a macroscopically extensive blotchy area of abundant ecchymosis in the proximal muscle attachment, similar to that found in the distal attachment, and the presence of abundant diffuse intraosseous ecchymoses in the mastoid process. Results: None of the cases revealed any ecchymoses in the proximal attachment of the muscle that would be similar to those present in the distal attachment. Discolourations within the mastoid processes, macroscopically suggestive of extensive intraosseous effusions arising from the mechanism of stretching, were not confirmed by microscopic evaluation and occurred at the same frequency as in the control group. Limitations of the study were related to the method which involved sample collection by means of bone chisels, decalcification and preparation of specimens, which had an effect, for example, on the measurable evaluation of the degree of congestion. Conclusions : The study has failed to provide convincing and unambiguous data on the usefulness of examining mastoid processes and proximal attachments of the sternocleidomastoid muscles during autopsy to determine the presence of intravitality features of hanging. A description of research methodology and its associated difficulties, e.g. with the interpretation of results, can also be useful for the planning of similar studies by other researchers

The search for mass graves of the soldiers of the National Armed Forces murdered in September 1946 in the Opole region of Poland – results of forensic medical examination

The aim of the study is the identification and forensic-medical and anthropological evaluation of the remains of soldiers of the National Armed Forces murdered by the secret police in September 1946 in the Opole region. The remains were located during the search for mass graves of victims of the Communist regime carried out by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). Material and methods: In June 2012 and April 2013, in the area of the Hubertus clearing between the villages of Barut and Dąbrówka, 41 human bone fragments were revealed in the course of archaeological works carried with use of the open pit method at the probable site of the liquidation of one of the groups of soldiers from the unit of Captain Henryk Flame, aka “Bartek”. In the vicinity of the ruins of the former Scharfenberg manor, in a forest of the Łambinowice commune, a mass grave was discovered containing the remains of at least 25 individuals, mostly young men. The grave was damaged and bore traces of subsequent interference. The forensic-medical-anthropological examination procedures were carried out, the biological profile of the victims evaluated, the minimum number of individuals (MNI) determined and the injuries interpreted. Results : A portion of the remains discovered near the village of Barut bore traces of trauma associated with a great force. On the remains from the mass grave in the Łambinowice commune, numerous traces of injuries of the perimortem trauma nature were disclosed, including gunshot damage, both within the skulls and in post-cranial skeletons. Conclusions : The activity of the Institute of National Remembrance led to the confirmation of archival data regarding the site of liquidation of one of the partisan groups of the National Armed Forces in the vicinity of the village of Barut in the Opole region. The research did not allow unambiguous determination of the origin of remains discovered in the mass grave in the Łambinowice commune. The archival data indicate that the remains may be those of victims of Communist terror

<i>Dermestes</i> (<i>s.str.</i>) <i>haemorrhoidalis</i> (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)—The Most Frequent Species on Mummified Human Corpses in Indoor Conditions? Three Cases from Southwestern Poland

Beetles of the family Dermestidae, especially of the genus Dermestes Linnaeus, 1758, are often identified on corpses in late stages of decomposition. They usually feed on remains devoid of organs and soft tissues or when the corpses undergo mummification. In Europe, eight species from two subgenera Dermestes and Dermestinus Zhantiev, 1967, have so far been identified on human corpses. Despite the relatively frequent presence of Dermestes sp. in experimental studies conducted in Poland, no reports concerning Dermestes directly collected from human corpses have been published to date. This article again describes observations of Dermestidae collected from human corpses found in indoor conditions in Wrocław, the capital of the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship. For the second time, there is evidence of the presence of Dermestes (s.str.) haemorrhoidalis on human corpses—a species considered to be relatively rare, as evidenced by faunistic data published from Poland, as well as the results of ongoing experiments of forensic interest