Brain acetaldehyde and ethanol: method of determination and diagnostic significance in ethanol poisoning

The content of ethanol and acetaldehyde in the limbic cortex and reticular formation of the brain was measured by gas-liquid chromatography in lethal ethanol poisoning. The content of acetaldehyde was significantly increased in the gyrus cinguli of the brain. Lethal poisonings occurred during any stage of ethanol intoxication. The data characterizing individual ethanol tolerance were obtained, which can be used for differential diagnosis of ethanol poisoning in practical forensic medicine.     

Effect of death from total supercooling of the body on morphofunctional state of human adrenals

The morphology of adrenals was studied in cases of death from total supercooling. The intensity and terms of response are different in different morphofunctional zones of the adrenal cortex. Presumably, the terms and intensity of responses of various portions of the adrenal cortex reflect the specific features of their function regulation.     

Expert evaluation of aftereffects of migration of catheters in the vessels during subclavian vein catheterization

Eleven cases with migration (escape) of catheters, inserted into subclavian veins, into the vascular bed, are analyzed by the results of forensic medical evaluations. Expert evaluation of aftereffects of the complications caused by flaws in medical care is made. Suggestions are made on evaluation of the severity of harm inflicted to health in such cases and the criteria of such evaluations are offered.     

Difficulties in forensic medical evaluation of some forms of craniocerebral injury

Conclusions of 41 repeated expert evaluations of craniocerebral injuries within the framework of criminal and civil cases investigation are analyzed. Some aspects of clinical and forensic medical diagnosis of lethal and nonlethal injuries to the head, evaluation of the quality of medical care, and qualification of the severity of harm to health are discussed. Causes of typical expert errors and approaches to their prevention are shown.     

Infrared spectroscopy of the dry residue of liquor crystallograms in various diseases

The article presents the results of an examination of the dry residue of liquor crystallograms (DRLC) using infrared spectroscopy technique. 36 spectrograms were studied. Elements of similarity and difference were revealed in the spectrograms of organic substance (antifreeze, sodium cyclamate and fatty tissue), of DRLC of the crystal-forming matter CuCl(2)x2H(2)0, of DRLC of a live person and cadaveric liquor (with no brain injury in respective case histories), of DRLC of liquor of live persons with a brain injury, of DRLC of liquor of persons who died of a brain injury and of persons who died of other causes.     

The forensic description of torn cerebral aneurysms

103 studies of torn aneurysms in the cerebral vessels are described. Localizations, morphological peculiarities of aneurysms as well as the nature of intracranial hemorrhages caused by torn aneurysms are presented. The authors have a critical attitude to the "acquired" theory of aneurysm development.     

Hair analysis for delta(9)-THC,delta(9)-THC-COOH,CBN and CBD,by GC/MS-EI. Comparison with GC/MS-NCI for delta(9)-THC-COOH

A sensitive analytical method was developed for quantitative analysis of delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta(9)-THC), 11-nor-delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-carboxylic acid (delta(9)-THC-COOH), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabidiol (CBD) in human hair. The identification of delta(9)-THC-COOH in hair would document Cannabis use more effectively than the detection of parent drug (delta(9)-THC) which might have come from environmental exposure. Ketamine was added to hair samples as internal standard for CBN and CBD. Ketoprofen was added to hair samples as internal standard for the other compounds. Samples were hydrolyzed with beta-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase for 2h at 40 degrees C. After cooling, samples were extracted with a liquid-liquid extraction procedure (with chloroform/isopropyl alcohol, after alkalinization, and n-hexane/ethyl acetate, after acidification), which was developed in our laboratory. The extracts were analysed before and after derivatization with pentafluoropropionic anhydride (PFPA) and pentafluoropropanol (PFPOH) using a Hewlett Packard gas chromatographer/mass spectrometer detector, in electron impact mode (GC/MS-EI). Derivatized delta(9)-THC-COOH was also analysed using a Hewlett Packard gas chromatographer/mass spectrometer detector, in negative ion chemical ionization mode (GC/MS-NCI) using methane as the reagent gas. Responses were linear ranging from 0.10 to 5.00 ng/mg hair for delta(9)-THC and CBN, 0.10-10.00 ng/mg hair for CBD, 0.01-5.00 ng/mg for delta(9)-THC-COOH (r(2)>0.99). The intra-assay precisions ranged from <0.01 to 12.40%. Extraction recoveries ranged from 80.9 to 104.0% for delta(9)-THC, 85.9-100.0% for delta(9)-THC-COOH, 76.7-95.8% for CBN and 71.0-94.0% for CBD. The analytical method was applied to 87 human hair samples, obtained from individuals who testified in court of having committed drug related crimes. Quantification of delta(9)-THC-COOH using GC/MS-NCI was found to be more convenient than GC/MS-EI. The latter may give rise to false negatives due to the detection limit.     

The talus: sex assessment of prehistoric New Zealand Polynesian skeletal remains

Prehistoric Polynesian skeletal remains are frequently being recovered in New Zealand due to the increasing pace of urbanisation. Since such material must often be reinterred quickly, it is important that the sex of individuals be determined from the remains in a relatively short time. For this purpose, discriminant function analysis was utilised for sex determination of prehistoric adult New Zealand Polynesian tali (24 males and 27 females). Five measurements were taken and subjected to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) discriminant function analysis. For the discriminant functions derived, accuracy of sex determination ranged from 85.1 to 93.3%. Reduction in error over random assignment by sex ranged from 70 to 87%.     

Allele frequencies for the four major sub-populations of New Zealand at three STR loci--HUMTH01, HUMTPOX and CSF1PO

Allele frequencies for the three STR loci included in the GenePrint CTT multiplex system (HUMTH01, HUMTPOX, HUMCSF1PO) have been determined for the four major sub-populations of New Zealand.