The use of hybrid isoelectric focusing for the detection of polymorphic proteins in blood stains

alpha1-Antitrypsin (Pi), transferrin (Tf) and orosomucoid (ORM) were determined in bloodstain extracts by isoelectric focusing (IEF) with carrier ampholytes (CA) and also with a mixture of immobilines (HIEF). HIEF yields superior results from proteins typing in bloodstain extracts, since phenotypes are better distinguished and the bands are straighter and sharper. Also the sensitivity of HIEF is similar to IEF with CA.     

Diagnostic postmortem angiography of fatal splenic artery haemorrhage

The site of fatal haemorrhage from the splenic artery, caused in one case by a ruptured aneurysm and in another case by an intracystic haemorrhage of a postoperative pancreatic pseudocyst, was revealed by postmortem angiography. Radiopaque silicone rubber vulcanizing at room temperature was used as contrast medium. In the latter case, the dissection was seriously hampered by tight postoperative intestinal adhesions following four abdominal operations to control bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract. The results indicate the usefulness of postmortem angiography with contrast medium vulcanizing at room temperature for postmortem diagnosis of rare causes of gastrointestinal haemorrhage.     

Radiograms of the paranasal sinuses as a principle of identifying catastrophe victims and unknown skeletons

The paper is devoted to the identification on the base of X-ray of frontal sinuses. These sinuses, developed in puberty doesn't change its shape during aging. Differentiation of the size and shape of sinuses is remarkable and probably is one of the individual features of the man. The system of classification of sinuses is proposed, basing on the area size, shape and symmetry. In the current everyday practice all X-ray radiograms are destroyed after five years of storage in Poland. For identification purpose all radiograms of sinuses and A-P punctures of skull should be stored in radiology departments, and arranged according to proposed classification system. The case is presented, in which the pictures of skull were the base of successful identification of skeleton.     

An analysis of the medicolegal autopsies performed in Adana, Turkey, in 1983-1988.

Data on 1,000 medicolegal autopsies have been compiled by the Morgue Department of the Adana branch of the Council of Forensic Medicine of Turkey, and have been reviewed to determine the local differences in causes of death, as well as age and sex distributions of decedents, in medicolegal deaths in this region. This is the first report on this subject in this region of Turkey. Unusual categories of death and incidences of death are also discussed. The results of this study show that the number of medicolegal autopsies and the rate of natural death in Adana are quite close to those of some other cities of Turkey and some foreign countries. Contrary findings are revealed in the frequencies of the causes of death.     

Multicenter evaluation of ultrafiltration, dialysis, and thermal coagulation as sample pretreatment methods for the colorimetric determination of paraquat in blood and tissues

Three methods of sample pretreatment for the rapid colorimetric determination of paraquat were compared: ultrafiltration, dialysis, and thermal coagulation. Spiked autopsy blood and tissue samples were examined in parallel in Groningen and Krakow and some samples were interchanged. All three methods gave recoveries between 87 to 102%; accuracy at the 20-mg/L level was within 10% of the target value and coefficients of variation in the 10 to 60-mg/L range were between 3 to 15%. Determinations in blood and liver in a fatal case of Gramoxone poisoning showed excellent agreement. Because of its reliability, speed, and simplicity, ultrafiltration is the method of choice.