Localization and quantification of the nonspecific esterase in injured skin for timing of wounds.

Histochemical quantification of the nonspecific esterase (NSE) in injured skin was performed using histochemical demonstration of the enzyme and a microspectrophotometric scanning technique on specimens taken from 32 Hartley guinea-pigs and 8 cases of human skin wounds. In all antemortem incisions and lacerations, including those made at the agonal stage, NSE activity could be observed in the dermal tissue of the wound edge. The enzyme activity increases with the antemortem duration of the injuries. Both total content and mean concentration of NSE in the wound edge between antemortem and postmortem wound groups differ significantly (less than 0.01). Multiple range test shows that significant differences (P less than 0.05 or P less than 0.01) of total content of NSE in the wound edge also exist in 0-5 min, 15-30 min, 1-h, 2-h and 4-h antemortem incised wound groups and in 0-min, 5-min, 15-30 min, 1-h and 4-h antemortem laceration groups. The positive NSE reactions in 8 cases of human skin wounds were similar. The study indicates that histochemical quantification of NSE in injured skin is very useful in timing wounds and is exactly applicable in medicolegal practice. According to the different influences of inhibitors on enzymes, it was inferred that the enzyme activity in wound edges was due to B-esterase.     

兔不同时间切创中肌细胞核DNA的定量测定

为了使损伤时间推断手段更加精确化,为损伤时间推断提供新的方法,我们利用显微分光光度计测定兔皮肤切创创口内肌细胞核DNA 含量,结果发现:正常肌细胞核DNA 含量为18. 420Au,而损伤后创外周区内肌细胞核的DNA 含量立即迅速下降。伤后1h 为17. 274Au;伤后3h 为8. 672Au,达最低水平,随着损伤及经过时间的延长,DNA 含量又逐渐回升,伤后6、8、12,24h 的含量分别为12. 563、13. 608、14. 743,16. 448Au。上述结果说明,损伤区域内肌细胞核内DNA 的含量与损伤时间有明显关系,DNA定量分析可作为损伤时间推断的一个重要根据。     

Evidence for use of electroshock devices

The authors tested whether use of an electro shock weapon (stun gun) leaves marks on skin which can be found in an exterior examination. On pig skin such marks could not be produced postmortally. An experiment on one of the authors caused reddish skin marks which persisted for about 2 h. Inability to act as promised by the weapons' manufacturers did not occur in our experiments, exactly as previously described by other authors. Use of an air tester which shoots barbed electrodes ought to produce bleedings if the electrodes actually penetrate the skin.     

在大鼠皮肤切创愈合过程中TGF-β_1基因及蛋白表达变化与损伤时间关系的实验研究

了解细胞因子在创伤及修复过程中的表达变化与损伤时间的关系。初步调查生前不同造创时间 ( 0 5h～16 8h)皮肤创缘组织在修复过程中TGF β1mRNA和蛋白质表达变化 ,并与死后伤 ( 0 5h～ 6h)上述变化进行比较。结果表明 ,在生前伤 ,TGF β1在上皮细胞的表达于损伤后 0 5h开始增强 ,以 2 4h～ 96h反应最强 ,除上皮细胞内表达外 ,还在肉芽组织的巨噬细胞和成纤维细胞表达。TGF β1的免疫印迹 (WesternBlot)分析表明 ,TGF β1蛋白表达的峰值在 16 8h ;TGF β1斑点杂交和原位杂交结果显示 ,mRNA的表达在伤后 3h开始 ,6h后明显 ,96h达峰值。死后损伤组在 0 5～ 3h内有免疫组化的弱～中度表达 ,但无mRNA的表达 ,3h后则均无任何表达。TGF β1在修复过程中的一些规律性变化及特点反映了与损伤时间的关系 ,可作为精确推断损伤时间的分子生物学标志。     

Immunohistochemical detection of fibronectin and tenascin in incised human skin injuries

Immunohistochemical detection of molecules involved in inflammatory reaction can be useful for the diagnosis of vitality in skin wounds. We studied the expression of fibronectin (FN) and tenascin (TN) in 58 human skin wounds (48 vital and 10 postmortem). The age of vital injuries ranged from 3 min to 8 h and postmortem specimens were collected after a postinfliction interval of 15-180 min. One hundred thirty-seven formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections (mean: 2.3 sections per case) were stained with each of two monoclonal antibodies against FN and TN using the streptABC technique. A reticular staining for FN in wound edge and dermis was observed in 50% of vital specimens versus 0% in postmortem cases. Immunoreactivity was reduced in 10 autolysed cases. FN positivity exclusively at the injury margin was observed in 39.4% of vital wounds and 10% of postmortem cases. TN was negative in all specimens. Vital and postmortem hemorrhage areas showed positivity for FN and TN. Due to its low sensitivity, immunohistochemical analysis of FN is useful for determining vitality only in a minority of cases. Different factors in everyday practice, including autolysis and technical problems often produce false negative reactions with the result that FN cannot be regarded as a reliable parameter of vitality. Positive reactions (network staining) are more valuable than negativity but are not pathognomonic. Both vital and postmortem hemorrhages show an enhanced positivity for FN and TN, thus impeding the diagnosis.     

损伤皮肤酯酶显微定位、定量与损伤时间推断

作者用显微分光光度计扫描法,对32只 Hartly 豚鼠的实验性损伤以及8例人体损伤的皮肤组织中的酯酶,进行定位、定量研究。发现生前损伤后,创壁0.4mm 以内真皮胶原纤维等间质即刻出现酯酶着色,存活时间越长,着色就越深、范围越大。生前各时间组互相间有显著差异。所有的生前损伤组创缘酯酶含量及平均单位面积酶含量与正常皮肤及死后损伤组差别均极显著。人体损伤皮肤组织酯酶定位及含量变化与豚鼠所见一致。因此,作者认为损伤皮肤酯酶定位定量分析以推断损伤后存活时间,已可应用于法医实际案例鉴定中。作者还根据对抑制剂的反应认为创缘真皮胶原纤维上所显示的酯酶为 B-酯酶。     

眼外伤鉴定中辅助检查结果的综合分析评判

眼外伤的司法鉴定主要依据视觉功能状况,即视敏度和视野检测结果。视敏度主要依赖行为视力检测,视野依赖电脑视野检查。上述检查的主观性比较强,目前还没有完全客观的方法。眼部超声、光学相干断层扫描、眼部放射影像学等技术有助于眼球结构的检查,其结果是相对客观的。根据眼球结构变化的情况可以帮助分析、推测视觉功能的损害程度。传统和多焦眼电生理技术等一些眼科辅助检查手段也有助于验证主观检查结果。若能在结合案情、伤情及病历资料的基础上,综合采用多种辅助检查方法,可提高对视觉功能损害情况判断的准确性,进而提高司法鉴定结论的科学性、客观性和准确性。     

Optical 3D surface digitizing in forensic medicine: 3D documentation of skin and bone injuries

Photography process reduces a three-dimensional (3D) wound to a two-dimensional level. If there is a need for a high-resolution 3D dataset of an object, it needs to be three-dimensionally scanned. No-contact optical 3D digitizing surface scanners can be used as a powerful tool for wound and injury-causing instrument analysis in trauma cases. The 3D skin wound and a bone injury documentation using the optical scanner Advanced TOpometric Sensor (ATOS II, GOM International, Switzerland) will be demonstrated using two illustrative cases. Using this 3D optical digitizing method the wounds (the virtual 3D computer model of the skin and the bone injuries) and the virtual 3D model of the injury-causing tool are graphically documented in 3D in real-life size and shape and can be rotated in the CAD program on the computer screen. In addition, the virtual 3D models of the bone injuries and tool can now be compared in a 3D CAD program against one another in virtual space, to see if there are matching areas. Further steps in forensic medicine will be a full 3D surface documentation of the human body and all the forensic relevant injuries using optical 3D scanners.     

Estimation of time in forensic biology and pathology. An introductory review

Timing is an extremely important factor in the practice of forensic biology and pathology. This review offers an opportunity for evaluating the time at which an injury could have taken place and thus its chronologic age. Both the macroscopic and microscopic aspects of the injury are discussed. The use of histochemical techniques using the study of enzymes as a basis of the technique is discussed. Histamine and serotonin techniques are also discussed and their applications in practical cases including a traffic accident are presented. The field is discussed and references given in large numbers.     

The effect of sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid on pig dermis. A light microscopic study

In order to compare the dermal changes after exposure to direct current (d.c.) with changes after influence of acid and base influence, the skin of fully anaesthetized Danish Landrace pigs were exposed to acid and basic solutions. Biopsies were obtained immediately after and up to day 7 after the injury. Collagen fibres with increased affinity for eosin and irregular cross-striation in polarized light together with shrunken cells with dark stained nuclei were found just beneath the epidermis immediately after application of 1 N HCl. Immediately after exposure to 1 N NaOH dispersed collagen fibres showed increased eosinophilia and a fine densely spaced cross-striation in polarized light and vesicular nuclei were present within dermal cells. During the following days a narrow demarcation zone of neutrophilic granulocytes separated the zone containing abnormal collagen fibres from normal tissue below. Calcified collagen fibres were not observed and no other abnormal histochemical reactions were present. It is concluded that the morphology of acid induced lesions and base induced lesions shows resemblance to the morphology of anode and cathode lesions, respectively, but not to heat lesions. The reason for not finding depositions of calcium salts on collagen fibres in skin exposed to basic solutions could be a non-optimal pH in the tissue or that other electrochemical processes than shift in pH are necessary for the calcification process.     

小鼠皮肤创伤愈合过程中IL-10在不同表达部位的组化定量研究

目的探讨小鼠皮肤创伤愈合过程中IL-10在不同表达部位的变化与损伤时间的关系。方法应用免疫组织化学技术和形态计量法,对小鼠不同时程皮肤切创组织中IL-10不同表达部位(表皮细胞及表皮下组织的浸润细胞)的变化进行研究。结果皮肤切创前后表皮层均有阳性表达,切创后1～3h表皮细胞阳性表达水平迅速升高,24h时降至较低水平,伤后48h表达水平再次升高,96h后逐渐回复到正常水平;表皮以下阳性部位主要是浸润的单核/巨噬细胞,损伤6h后阳性细胞在真皮、皮下组织及创口肉芽组织内逐渐增多,于伤后72h达最大值(51.41±3.12)%,96～168h阳性细胞数逐渐减少(29.38±2.64)%～(5.56±4.74)%。结论皮肤创伤修复过程中IL-10在不同表达部位的变化特点与皮肤损伤时间相关,检测其表达变化可望用于损伤时间推断。     

疱性皮肤损伤的法医学应用研究进展

疱性皮肤损伤是法医检验鉴定实践中常见的一种皮肤损伤类型,目前尚未见有专门性报道,其可由多种外界因素所致,以表皮松解、皮疱形成为主要改变.致伤因素包括机械性、物理性、毒物性和腐败性等,并表现出不同的形态特征,对于推断死亡时间、死亡方式、死因等有重要意义.首先通过文献复习回顾了疱性皮肤损伤研究的历史渊源和研究现状,其次结合...     

Sweat testing in addicts under methadone treatment: an Italian experience

In determining the possibility that a specific weapon was responsible for a specific injury it is often valuable to examine the damage marks left on any clothing worn by a victim. Correlating this damage both to the skin and clothing with the dimensions of the suspect weapon (if available) may help in determining these possibilities. In this work four different types of knives were used to produce damage marks on various different fabrics both stretched and loose over skin. Statistically significant differences were found between the length of wound on the skin and the corresponding damage to the fabrics when the fabric was stretched over the skin while no statistically significant differences were observed when the fabric was loose over the skin. This was true for all of the knives examined.     

Vitality and time course of wounds

The term "wound" describes the morphologic-functional disruption of the continuity of a tissue structure. A wound can be inflicted during life--when the cardiovascular and respiratory system is still intact--or after death, i.e. after cardiac and respiratory arrest. Traumatization during life triggers vital reactions that do not occur in postmortem wounds. Three types of vital reactions in wound healing can be distinguished: Reactions of the scavenger type, which are almost exclusively mediated by blood cells. Reactions by complex signal transduction pathways, which involves cascade-like release of chemokines, cytokines and adhesion molecules and may influence type 1 and type 3 reactions. Reactions of the scarring type, which involve the final repair of the damaged tissue and are carried out primarily by cells residing at the wound edges, i.e. partly concerning mesenchymal cells and partly tissue-specific cells dependent on the involved organ system. The three different types of reaction follow roughly parallel temporal courses that include cascade-like interactions among themselves. Whereas demonstration of a vital reaction suffices to differentiate an intravital wound from a postmortem wound, the vital reactions themselves follow strictly temporal courses. The regular time-dependent occurrence of each phenomenon allows--in limits--a reliable temporal classification of wound healing. A review will be given especially demonstrating the actual German scientific research in vitality and in skin wound timing as well as in timing of mechanical injury of the brain.     

Touch DNA of Shed Skin Cells from the Deployed Airbag to Address Drunken Driving Crimes

In the criminal cases of driving under the influence （DUI）, DNA evidence can be collectedfrom the deployed airbag of the motor vehicle and submitted to the crime lab for touch DNA analysis.The evidence can be acquired when the skin cells are observed on the surface of the airbag in a trafficaccident. However, the low quantity or quality of the evidence collected from a crime scene preventsfurther identification analysis in many cases. In the current study, we reported a case of identifyingtouch DNA extraction from the shed skin cells from the deployed airbag of a motor vehicle. We man-aged to collect DNA evidence from the shed skin cells in an airbag using a proper approach of collec-tion and extraction. The 5.87 ng of extracted DNA was sufficient for genotyping and forensic identifica-tion, which helped to identify the driver of the car in collision with a pier in the street. In DUI casesand other traffic accidents, therefore, the amount of touch DNA extracted from the deployed airbag canbe sufficient for DNA marker genotyping and further analysis.     

MANDATED CUSTODY EVALUATIONS AND THE LIMITS OF JUDICIAL POWER

Kelly and Ramsey are clearly correct that a shift from a “how to” approach to custody evaluations to one that asks the more fundamental question “why” is long overdue. However, in addition to assessing the efficacy of custody evaluations (which Kelly and Ramsey propose), the legal system must also clarify the justification for imposing this extensive—and often expensive—intrusion into the privacy of parents. Three possible justifications for these intrusions are examined in this article: privilege, harm, and voluntariness. Is divorce a privilege, rather than a right, and can qualifications (including intrusive and expensive ones) be attached to requesting that privilege? Are custody evaluations instead justified as a means of avoiding harm to children? If a harm justification is asserted, exactly what harm do evaluations prevent, and how do they accomplish this harm avoidance? Finally, given the high value placed on parental cooperation by the family courts, is it simply too perilous for a parent to oppose a custody evaluation if one is suggested, either by the other parent or by the court? If so, are consents to custody evaluations truly voluntary?     

Suffocation due to foreign body aspiration visualized by post-mortem CT

The aspiration of a foreign body is a high-risk event in the life of an infant or toddler, which needs fast clinical diagnosis and therapy. If the respiratory tract is massively obstructed, the aspiration can be fatal, as shown in the case of an 18-month-old child. The little boy choked on a fragment of a hazelnut shell. Besides radiography and bronchoscopy, a CT scan can be of special value to visualize the foreign body. Based on the data obtained, a virtual bronchoscopy can be calculated. Compared with conventional radiography, the advantages of computed tomography are better image quality, higher indicative value and the possibility to exactly localize the foreign body in the respiratory tract. In the presented case, the nutshell could be visualized in the larynx before autopsy.     

Patterned imprint mark due to the folded shoulder stock: A possible finding in contact shots from submachine guns

The muzzle imprint (barrel mark) is a pressure abrasion typically associated with contact shots. Apart from the contours of the actual muzzle profile, other constructional parts such as the front sight and/or the recoil spring guide of semiautomatic pistols may be imprinted next to the bullet entrance wound. In some types of submachine guns the shoulder stock can be folded forward so that its end partly encircles the muzzle. If such a weapon was in contact with the skin at the instant of discharge, a corresponding contusion mark is to be expected. The imprint configuration may point to the type of weapon and to the way in which the gun had been held when firing the shot. The paper presents the injury pattern in a 36-year-old man who committed suicide with a Scorpion SA Vz 61 submachine gun cal. 7.65 mm Browning from former Czechoslovakia.     

蛋白因子与皮肤损伤时间的相关性研究

皮肤创伤愈合是一个复杂的过程,黏附分子、细胞因子等蛋白因子在该过程中发挥重要作用,常随损伤时间的延长呈现规律性表达。对这些蛋白因子在皮肤损伤后的表达变化进行深入研究,可以为法医学皮肤损伤时间推断以及临床皮肤损伤的修复提供新思路。本文对黏附分子、细胞因子等蛋白因子应用于皮肤损伤时间推断研究的国内外研究现状进行了综述,以供今后检案及研究借鉴。     

巨噬细胞在损伤修复过程中的作用及其法医学意义

损伤时间推定,一直是法医学领域研究的重要课题。为了寻找准确推定损伤时间的方法,本文综述了巨噬细胞在损伤修复过程中的作用机理、伤后巨噬细胞源性细胞因子的表达和巨噬细胞吞噬物的演化与损伤时间的关系。认为进一步研究巨噬细胞在损伤修复中的特征性变化,有望成为推定损伤时间的方法之一。