内蒙古乌盟六号辽墓契丹族古尸研究

1981年11月,内蒙乌盟出土一具距今约900年的契丹族女性干尸。头戴鎏骨金面具,身套铜丝网络,尸体外形保存较完整。全身骨骼完好,其主要化学组成为钙和磷。内脏呈棕黑色粉末状。肺如干枯的树叶紧贴于左右胸腔后壁。显微镜下可见肺泡及间质的轮廓和细菌芽孢。腹膜虽已干枯,但仍呈半透明状,并可见血管网的痕迹。其余内脏不能辨认。胃区组织中检出大量的砷。关于古尸保存的原因,本文也进行了分析。     

Identification of a Buried Cadaver Based on Finger Ridge Characteristics of a Hand Protected by a Latex Glove

This paper presents the case of a cadaver buried in a pine grove, in loamy soil at a depth of about 1.8 m. The case is quite interesting due to the fact that one hand of the victim was bare and the other one was clad in a latex glove. In the laboratory, the severed hands were gently washed with water. The left palm exhibited signs of advanced decomposition. The ridges were visible only on the thumb. The gloved hand was found to be in much better condition. There were signs of saponification on the palm. Ridges on both the palm and all fingers were visible. The fingers of the right hand, palm prints, and the thumb of the left hand were successfully matched against a ten-print card. The match provided the police with a positive identification of the missing person.     

新冠肺炎疫情期间公安法医应当加强尸体甄别和个体防护

因鉴定体制特点,公安法医除参与尸体有关的现场勘查工作外,还需进行尸体检验工作。在此过程中,可能面对很多风险,受伤和中毒等事件时有发生。然而,国内公安法医对新冠肺炎等传染病流行期间死亡的尸体如何甄别进行尸体检验鉴定,对现场勘查及尸体检验工作的防护只有少量规定,且内容不够详尽。本文对法医在现场勘查中遇到的尸体及尸体检验中实验室建设、职业现状、风险评估及防范措施等进行了论述。最后,建议出台相关的制度规定等具体约束规范措施,以保障公安法医现场勘查及尸体检验工作的顺利进行,以解除基层鉴定机构和鉴定人的后顾之忧。     

Volatile Organic Compound Profiling from Postmortem Microbes using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are by-products of cadaveric decomposition and are responsible for the odor associated with decomposing remains. The direct link between VOC production and individual postmortem microbes has not been well characterized experimentally. The purpose of this study was to profile VOCs released from three postmortem bacterial isolates (Bacillus subtilis, Ignatzschineria indica, I. ureiclastica) using solid-phase microextraction arrow (SPME Arrow) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Species were inoculated in headspace vials on Standard Nutrient Agar and monitored over 5 days at 24°C. Each species exhibited a different VOC profile that included common decomposition VOCs. VOCs exhibited upward or downward temporal trends over time. Ignatzschineria indica produced a large amount of dimethyldisulfide. Other compounds of interest included alcohols, aldehydes, aromatics, and ketones. This provides foundational data to link decomposition odor with specific postmortem microbes to improve understanding of underlying mechanisms for decomposition VOC production.     

K9 water searches: scent and scent transport considerations

Increased use of water search dogs for detecting submerged bodies has created the need for a better understanding of scent emanating from the bodies and how it transits the water to the dog's nose. A review of recent literature identifies likely scent sources, potential scent transport processes, and research needs. Scent sources include gases in bubbles or dissolved in the water, liquids as buoyant plumes and droplets or dissolved in the water, and solids consisting of buoyant particulates with secretions, bacteria, and body fluids. Potential transport processes through the water include buoyancy, entrainment, and turbulence. Transport processes from the water surface into the air include volatilization and evaporation enhanced by bubble bursting, breaking waves, splashing, and wind spray. Implications for the use of water search dogs are examined. Observations of submerged, decomposing bodies are needed to quantify the physical and chemical characteristics of the scent and scent transport processes.     

Using ninhydrin to detect gravesoil

Some death scene investigations commence without knowledge of the location of the body and/or decomposition site. In these cases, it is necessary to locate the remains or the site where the body decomposed prior to movement. We hypothesized that the burial of a mammalian cadaver will result in the release of ninhydrin reactive nitrogen (NRN) into associated soil and that this reaction might have potential as a tool for the identification of clandestine graves. Juvenile rat (Rattus rattus) cadavers were buried in three contrasting soil types in Australian tropical savanna ecosystems and allowed to decompose over a period of 28 days. Soils were sequentially harvested and analyzed for NRN. Cadaver burial resulted in an approximate doubling (mean = 1.7 +/- 0.1) in the concentration of soil NRN. This reaction has great potential to be used as a presumptive test for gravesoil and this use might be greatly enhanced following more detailed research.     

105例生前精神异常的水中尸体回顾性分析

目的：分析生前精神异常的水中尸体的特点,为此类案件鉴定和分析提供参考。方法调查2010年1月至2014年6月上海市公安局水上公安局检验的所有生前精神异常的水中尸体档案105例,对死者一般情况、尸检情况、案情调查情况和疾病史进行统计分析。结果自杀104例,死者受教育程度较低,天气较暖时案件较多,尸体多在2d内被发现。多数死者没有自杀史,没有遗书,但在临死前出现行为、心理的异常变化。抑郁症、抑郁状态和精神分裂症是主要的精神障碍类型,仅有9名死者曾坚持进行正规治疗。结论精神异常是投水自杀的高危因素,监护人员应该警惕患者的异常行为,特别是气温转暖时。     

大鼠死后肋软骨细胞核DNA含量随死亡时间的变化

目的研究大鼠死后肋软骨细胞核DNA含量与晚期死亡时间的相关性。方法应用改良的Feu lgen法结合计算机图像分析技术对死后大鼠35d内肋软骨细胞核DNA含量变化进行观测分析。结果死后1~28d,细胞核染色逐渐变淡,至35d时已观察不到,死后肋软骨细胞核DNA含量与死亡时间呈直线相关。结论大鼠肋软骨细胞核DNA含量随死亡时间延长呈线性规律下降。     

Dynamics of Ninhydrin‐Reactive Nitrogen and pH in Gravesoil During the Extended Postmortem Interval

Estimating the postmortem interval of skeletal remains is difficult, as few tools exist to do so. To address this problem, we conducted a field experiment to measure the chemistry of swine (Sus scrofa domesticus Linnaeus) gravesoil after 1 year and 3 years postmortem. Carcasses were placed on the soil surface of a pasture during June in a cold (Dfa) climate. Significant (p < 0.05) increases in ninhydrin‐reactive nitrogen, pH, total nitrogen, and nitrate in gravesoil were detected 1 year postmortem. Significant differences in gravesoil chemistry were not detected 3 years postmortem. These observations coincided with gaps in plant growth 1 year postmortem and the development of lush vegetation 3 years postmortem. We conclude that these phenomena can be used to assist the decision‐making process regarding the allocation of resources during the early stages of a death investigation.     

BK virus genotype distribution offers information of tracing the geographical origins of unidentified cadaver

There are no efficient methods to determine the geographic origin of unidentified cadavers. We showed earlier that the geographical distribution of the JC virus genotype detected from human kidneys indicates the host's geographical origin. As there are still cadavers from which we cannot detect the JC virus (JCV), we investigated whether the genotype of another virus species belonging to the same family, human BK virus (BKV), could also be used to detect human geographical origin. BKV was found in 11 of 36 cases (30.5%). Even in the seven JCV-negative cases, the host's geographic origin could be estimated from the BKV genotype. Four subjects were positive for both the BKV and JCV. As the distribution areas of BKV and JCV genotypes are not identical, it is possible to narrow down the geographic area that any cadaver originates from.