The informative aspects of the wound surface for determining vitality and wound age in skin cuts

A histological study was carried out on skin cut wounds of guinea pigs at various time intervals during the first day after infliction of the cut. At the same time intervals, blood cells were obtained from the wound surface prints and analyzed cytologically and cytochemically. Histological examination showed that a central and peripheral zone formed in the wound area, demonstrating that necrobiotic and inflammatory processes were even occurring in the early hours after injury. However, changes in the quantitative relationships between individual kinds of cells were much more differentiated cytologically and reflected much more precisely. Functional and structural macrophage and lymphocyte changes in the wound region during inflammation were also revealed. In correlation, cytochemical analysis confirmed the concept concerning the development of the inflammatory process in the wound area, as enzyme-activity changes clearly detectable, which reflected the rapid, energetic, plastic cellular processes on the wound surface. Our combined results suggest that the wound surface is a zone of vital processes, but that it is not a "dead," "necrobiotic" area. The dynamics of the cellular alterations in the wound surface, reflecting the vital processes developing there, can be successfully used when the problem of vitality, especially the time lapse after the skin injury, is to be resolved.     

The significance of collagen in determining the age of a wound

The aim of the present study was to find out whether the quantitative and/or qualitative analysis of collagen can be useful in the determination of the age of healing skin wounds in various body regions of patients of different ages and sex. The quantitative measurement of total wound collagen revealed no clear time-dependent changes. Immunohistochemical staining for collagen types I and III demonstrated the presence of type III as early as 2 days after injury. Procollagen type I was found in wounds beginning from 4 days on, while type I collagen was not present before 6 days after the injury. Immunohistochemical analysis of specific basement membrane proteins, collagen type IV and laminin, showed a reconstruction of the epithelial basement membrane beginning from on day 5, while a completely rebuilt basement membrane was found in most cases after more than 14 days, depending on the dimension of the wound and its treatment.     

Morphological characteristics of gunshot wounds of liver and spleen

Stellate wounds are to be expected in gunshot injuries to the liver and spleen. As to their configuration, they resemble the skin breaks in an absolute close-range shot. The exit wound is larger than the entry wound. The genesis and utility of such injuries for reconstruction of the shot direction are discussed with reference to seven gunshot mortalities. Stellate wounds could also be achieved by shooting at isolated cadaver organs. The experimentally produced gunshot wounds differed from those produced in vivo in that the entry and exit wounds were equally large.     

Hemosiderin findings in the liver, spleen and lung in newborn infants and infants

The content and distribution of hemosiderin in the liver, spleen and lungs of stillborn children, newborns and infants were determined histologically by Perl's method (Prussian blue reaction). We describe a study of 59 deaths up to the age of 2 years. The hemosiderin content depends on age and decreases with increasing age. No relevant differences were found in cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In the liver hemosiderin is localized preponderantly in the periphery of the lobules. The spleen shows a diffuse siderosis of the red pulp. Minimal intrapleural, septal and perivasal depositions of hemosiderin can be found in the lung tissue. The significance of these findings is discussed.     

Detection of bancol for the purpose of forensic chemical expertise

Optimal conditions for the extraction of bancol from the biological material with toluene are described. The possibility of its purification and separation from co-extracted compounds on a silicagel L column, 40/100 mcm is illustrated. Identification and quantitative determination of bancol isolated from the cadaverous liver were performed by the electron spectrophotometry technique, thin-layer chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography using normal-phase sorbents. A method of bancol detection was adapted for the purpose of forensic medical expertise and applied for the postmortem examination of the cadaverous tissues.     

Morphological and spectroscopic measurements of plastic bags for the purpose of discrimination

The discrimination of noncolored transparent polyethylene bags was studied by several nondestructive and semidestructive analytical methods. X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and optical microscopy (differential interference contrast microscopy and phase contrast microscopy) were applied to polyethylene films. X-ray diffraction was used to distinguish variations in the crystalline phase, infrared spectroscopy was used to distinguish variations in the molecular components, and optical microscopy was used to distinguish the different surface morphologies. The results show that X-ray diffraction classifies the crystalline phase of the film depending on whether it is made from low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, or high-density polyethylene; that infrared spectroscopy is useful to distinguish the molecular components and it is the most discriminating technique; and that optical microscopy discriminate films easily by their morphological differences.     

Estimation of postnatal life duration of the premature newborns by postnatal involution of hemopoietic tissue of the liver

140 dead fetuses and neonates of 21-40 week gestation were studied with morphometric study of hemopoietic activity of hepatic parenchyma. The correlation-regression analysis has established that hemopoietic activity of the liver in premature neonates reduces exponentially with duration of their extrauterine life. First, there was hyperplasia of hemopoietic tissue of the liver, its involution was observed 19 hours after birth, on the average, reaching maximum to the end of early neonatal period. Basing on the difference of gestation age estimated by the degree of hemopoietic activity of hepatic parenchyma and neonatal mass, a regression model of determination of neonatal period of life of premature babies was developed. The results of the study can be used for practical application in forensic medical examination of perinatal death cases.     

失血性休克大鼠肝肾脾细胞微管蛋白死后降解的检测

目的探讨失血性休克大鼠肝肾脾细胞微管蛋白含量变化与死亡时间（PMI）的关系。方法大鼠经切断股动脉致失血性休克死亡后，分别于死亡即刻和死后1、2、3、5和7d剖取脾脏、肝脏及肾脏组织，应用western—blot技术检测微管蛋白含量，SPSS11．5软件对结果进行统计学分析。结果大鼠肝肾脾细胞内微管蛋白含量随PMI的延长而逐渐降低，至死后7d仅可见很淡的微管蛋白印记谱带，其中微管蛋白在肝脏内降解速率最快。3种组织内微管蛋白含量变化的同归方程及相关系数（r）分别为：肝脏Y=-2221．1X＋14844，r=0．9823；脾脏Y=-1871．1X＋11344，r=0．9749；肾脏Y=-1878．1X＋13715，r=0．9629。结论大鼠死后肝肾脾细胞内微管蛋白降解规律与PMI之间具有相关性，并存在组织差异性。     

Three-dimensional modeling of the various volumes of canines to determine age and sex: a preliminary study

Canines are usually used in anthropological and forensic sciences for sex and age determination. The best methods to estimate age are based on secondary dentine apposition, evaluated from periapical X-rays. The aim of this study was to propose a new method of sex and age estimation using 3D models to obtain more precise predictions using tooth volumes. Fifty-eight dental CT scans of patients aged 14-74 with a well-balanced sex ratio composed the sample. One hundred and thirty-three healthy canines were modeled (Mimics 12.0). The sample was divided into a training sample and a validation sample. An age formula was determined using the "pulp volume/tooth volume" ratio. Sex prediction was adjusted with total volumes. Applying the equations to the validation sample, no significant difference was found between the real and predicted ages, and 100% of the sex predictions were correct. This preliminary study gives interesting results, and this method is worth being tested on a larger data sample.     

The boundaries of law and the purpose of legal philosophy

Many of the current debates in jurisprudence focus on articulating the boundaries of law. In this essay I challenge this approach on two separate grounds. I first argue that if such debates are to be about law, their purported subject, they ought to pay closer attention to the practice. When such attention is taken it turns out that most of the debates on the boundaries of law are probably indeterminate. I show this in particular with regard to the debate between inclusive and exclusive positivists: I present several ways of understanding what this debate is about and argue that none of them is defensible. My second argument focuses more on the purpose of jurisprudential inquiry. I argue there that even if some jurisprudential debates have determinate answers, it does not follow that they deserve our attention, because not all true facts are worth knowing. After discussing and rejecting the claim that jurisprudence could be justified as knowledge for its own sake, I propose one possible justification for engaging in legal philosophy and outline its implications for the kind of issues that should be pursued. Assistant Professor, University of Warwick School of Law. The Essay was presented in the Oxford Jurisprudence Discussion Group. I thank participants there for their comments.     

Mechano- and morphogenesis of gunshot fractures in the flat bones

Gunshot fractures in flat bones, bullet defects in the continuum were studied in experiment. The laws of gunshot fracture formation were formulated. In far distance, bullet has a direct and radial blow action. The direct blow induces comminution and disintegration of the bone tissue with dislocation of bone fragments; radial blow potentiates bone destruction. Morphological characteristics of gunshot fractures of flat bones depend on the force of the direct and radial impact action and can be used for estimation of the far shot distance, kinetic energy and shape of the head of the shell.     

西方法律形式合理性形成中的数学因素

数学思维对亚里士多德的三段论逻辑体系的形成起着决定性的影啊,而西方文化逻辑就主要建立在亚里士多德的三段论逻辑体系之上。由于西方的数学是演绎数学,具有形式化的特点,所以,建立在演绎数学基础上的西方文化逻辑便具有注重形式化的特点。西方文化逻辑对西方文化中的所有学科都有影响,法律也不例外。西方的思维方式很大程度上是建立在演绎数学的基础之上,所以,受思维方式影响的西方法律也必然具有形式化的特点,即注重法律形式合理性。由于数学是理性的化身,所以,近现代西方法律理性化的结果使法律得到了数学理性更深的改造。数学思维虽然不是近现代西方法律形式合理性形成的唯一影响因素,但无疑是决定性的影响因素。     

Studies of dentition abnormalities in children of the Republic of Armenia for the purpose of personality identification

This paper reports the results of investigations carried out to elucidate the frequency and the structure of various forms of abnormalities of dentition among the children of the preschool and school age in the Republic of Armenia. These data may be of help for the forensic medical personality identification especially for the expertise of unrecognized corpses. Moreover, these data provide an indirect picture of the prevalence of abnormalities of dentition among the adult population of the country. Specifically they may sometimes be used to identify the ethnic and/or racial background of a person.     

Development of the X-linked tetrameric microsatellite markers HumDXS6803 and HumDXS9895 for forensic purpose

This paper presents sequence and population genetic data of the X-linked DXS6803 and DXS9895 short tandem repeat (STR). The tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism DXS6803 (also known as CHLC.GATA45H11) and DXS9895 (also known as CHLC.GATA124B04) are located at the Xq12-Xq21.33 and Xpter-Xp22.2 region, respectively. In kinship testing, DXS6803 and DXS9895 are suitable for concomitant use. Population genetic data were obtained by analyzing 182 unrelated females and 110 males from Chinese Han population. In this population, both DXS6803 and DXS9895 exhibited seven clearly distinguishable alleles ranging from 109bp to 128bp and 139bp to 163bp in length, respectively. Testing for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) showed no significant deviation for these two loci. The polymorphism information content (PIC), observed heterozygosity (H(obs)) and power of exclusion for parentage testing of a girl for trios (PE(trio)) and duos (PE(duo)) were 0.67, 0.687, 0.673 and 0.530 for DXS6803, and 0.69, 0.736, 0.688 and 0.547 for DXS9895, respectively. Seventy-eight families studies of these two loci confirmed X-linked codominant inheritance and mutations were not found.     

Alternative light source (polilight) illumination with digital image analysis does not assist in determining the age of bruises

The age of a bruise may be of interest to forensic investigators. Previous research has demonstrated that an alternative light source may assist in the visualisation of faint or non-visible bruises. This project aimed to determine if an alternative light source could be utilised to assist investigators estimate the age of a bruise. Forty braises, sustained from blunt force trauma, were examined from 30 healthy subjects. The age of the bruises ranged from 2 to 231 h (mean = 74.6, median = 69.0). Alternative light source (polilight) illumination at 415 and 450 nm was used. The black and white photographs obtained were assessed using densitometry. A statistical analysis indicated that there was no correlation between time and the mean densitometry values. The alternative light source used in this study was unable to assist in determining the age of a bruise.     

Estimation of explosive charge mass used for explosions on concrete surface for the forensic purpose

The method of choice used by most terrorists for achieving political goals remains the utilization of explosive devices and there is always visible evidence at a crime scene after the deployment of such devices. Given favorable circumstances, forensic analysis can determine the cause of the explosion — the type of the explosive device, the means of detonation, the type and mass of the explosive charge that has been used and perhaps provide information to lead to the identity of the individual who may have constructed or deployed the explosive device, etc. Evidence of an explosion may take the form of a crater or other damage which may provide some information facilitating and estimating the mass of explosive material used. This paper reports the findings obtained by performing experimental explosions of known charges on a concrete surface, in order to establish the correlation between the charge weight and the effects of the explosion. Known masses of explosives were fired and the dimensions of craters made by explosions were measured. Five empirical equations for estimation of the explosive charge mass from crater dimensions were used.     

社会转型时期犯罪人的犯罪目的研究

犯罪目的是犯罪人实施犯罪行为的原动力,犯罪人主观上对犯罪结果的企盼促使犯罪人实施犯罪行为。由于犯罪人的犯罪目的不同,所表现出的犯罪行为和社会危害性亦有所不同。因此,研究犯罪人的犯罪目的对掌握犯罪人的犯罪目的与犯罪行为之间的规律,有效预防犯罪尤为重要。