Metalloligand homeostasis: molecular basis of iatrogenic and technogenic trace element deficiency

It is well known that a toxic effect of some medicines is the result of their in vivo interactions with trace elements leading to disturbance of trace element balance in the living body. The Mossbauer spectrometry technique has been used for toxicochemical evaluation of iron-bearing medicines. This method can be used in forensic toxicology. We studied composition of trace elements in the hair of children living in Macedonia: in polluted territory (the town of Veles, the study group) versus in unpolluted one (Ivankovci village, the control group). AES-ICP and ICP-MS techniques were used. We discovered that the hair of children living in the polluted territory contain significantly elevated concentrations of Pb (in 43% cases), Hg, Ni (14%), Cd (21%), Cu (16%), Sn, As, Na, Se and subnormal concentrations of Mg (in 51% cases), Mn, Cr and Li.     

Forensic medical assessment of acute blood loss in combination with craniocerebral trauma and alcohol intoxication

Forensic medical findings have been analysed retrospectively for 242 deceased of acute blood loss: 186 (76.8%) corpses were male and 56 (23.2%) corpses were female. It was found that in acute blood loss (ABL) duration of the terminal period (TP) depended on its combination with craniocerebral trauma (CCT) or alcohol intoxication (AI). A short TP (several minutes) was observed in ABL patients with CCT (39.6%), a long-term TP--in ABL associated with AI (20-60 min, 40.4% cases; several hours, 56.3%; over 24 hours, 54.5%). Slow TP occurred primarily in mild AI (TP for several hours 55.6%, over 24 hours--83.3% cases). In severe AI the number of cases with a short TP exceeded the number of cases with a long TP (over 24 hours) by 53.7%.     

Evaluation of a Health Care Provider Training Program to Identify and Help Partner Violence Victims

This study tested four hypotheses about the impact of a 3-h domestic violence training program with 752 health care providers on attitudes and values related to screening and helping partner violence victims. Hypotheses 1, 2, and 3 were that training would be related to: 1) increased self-efficacy to identify and help partner violence victims, 2) increased endorsement of the role of health care providers and settings for helping partner violence victims, and 3) increased comfort making appropriate community referrals to help partner violence victims. Hypothesis 4 was that training effects would be moderated by prior training and by prior experience with helping a victim. Following training, health care providers reported increased self-efficacy, increased comfort making appropriate community referrals, and increased valuation of health care providers and the health care system as having an important role in stopping domestic violence. Hypothesis 4 was also supported. Prior training and/or experience with an abuse victim predicted smaller changes in the dependent variables. These gains held at a 6-month follow-up. Implications for training curriculum design are discussed, in addition to institutional policy implications for determining the benefits versus costs of universal training, including staff who demonstrate prior training or experience with battered victims. Study limitations and future research directions, including the need to measure performance and policy compliance will also be outlined.     

Modern concepts of adipocere formation mechanisms

Biochemical parameters of transformation of fresh subcutaneous fat into adipocere have been studied in experiment. Activation of lipid peroxidation is a significant component of the mechanism of adipocere transformation, which is proven by a drastic increase in the level of Schiff's bases in adipocere in comparison with subcutaneous fat. The concentrations of myristic, palmitic, and stearic fatty acids increase during the formation of adipocere, while the content of linoleic acid decreases in comparison with the unchanged human subcutaneous fat.     

Crystallographic analysis of liquor for diagnosis and life-time evaluation of craniocerebral injury

Liquor specimens were examined by crystallography in 136 patients with craniocerebral injuries of different severity, hospitalized at the neuroinjury department of Kaliningrad Emergency Hospital and in 12 normal subjects in 1997-1998. The crystallograms were evaluated by a sum of signs, as a result of which specific patterns of colony growth in health and craniocerebral injury of different severity were obtained.     

Expert evaluation of damage to health in dental injuries

Discusses problems in forensic medical expert evaluation of the severity of dental injuries. Analyzes the classification of dental injuries and criteria for their expert evaluation. Considers some disputable and contradictory problems in expert interpretation of dental injuries involving complete loss of teeth and evaluation of injuries in subjects with maxillodental diseases. Offers approaches to solution of these problems.     

Morphological aspects of acute intoxication with azaleptin

Clinico-anatomical analysis, chemico-toxicological and histological examination of material from 54 deceased from intoxication with azaleptin both in urgent toxicology department and pre-admission stage, were performed. Morphology of intoxication with azaleptin was studied, structural base of genopathy at these intoxications was developed.     

Forensic and medical evaluation of vascular malformations of the brain in cranio-cerebral trauma

A classification of vascular malformations (VM) is defined in the article including a differentiation between their macroscopic and histological variations; an independently-authors-observed case of arterial-and-venous malformation (AVM) in a minor cranial-cerebral trauma (CCT) is described. Published data reflecting the forensic-and-medical value of AVM and cavernous malformations as well as of telangectasias and of arterial-and-venous fistulas in minor head traumas are analyzed. Issues of the forensic-and-medical expertise of VM and remote consequences of CCT are under consideration. VM are assessed in CCT patients with epilepsy and other pathologies. An algorithm of the forensic medical expertise of VM is suggested.