Trichophyton Mentagrophytes Perforates Hair of Adult Corpses in the Gaseous Period*

Abstract: Despite the substantial literature on mycology, there are still limited reports of the interaction between fungi and human hosts in the postmortem period. Thus, the main goal of this study was to investigate the in vitro perforation test using Trichophyton mentagrophytes on hair from adult corpses in the postmortem period (gaseous period). The protocol was carried out with positive (prepubescent children’s hair) and negative controls (healthy adult hair) as well. One strain of Trichophyton rubrum was also used as a negative perforation control. Perforations were found in all the hair samples from corpses and prepubescent children after 12–14 days exposure to T. mentagrophytes and were absent in the hair samples of healthy adults. Furthermore, hair perforation was not observed with T. rubrum. Our preliminary findings suggest the use of T. mentagrophytes as a potential marker of the death interval in forensic science.     

论共同犯罪人刑罚的从属性与独立性

共同犯罪相对于单独犯罪而言,是一种复杂的犯罪。从形式上说,共同犯罪是二人以上共同故意实施的犯罪,是刑法的重要组成部分。共同犯罪人刑罚的从属性与独立性理论,是从共犯从属说与独立说中化解出来的,但又不仅仅局限于"共犯"。从属说和独立说理论主要解决的是共犯的犯罪性问题,即共犯的犯罪性来自自身还是正犯,但事实上,对于回答异质行为是否应该科处刑罚以及如何科处刑罚,才是独立说与从属说之终极体现。可以说,在刑罚领域的独立性与从属性解决的是共同犯罪人的刑罚是否存在"参照"或"依照"其他共同犯罪人刑罚的问题。     

Unnatural and Violent Death in Cases with High Blood Alcohol Concentration— Autopsy Study

The use of alcohol increases the risk of dying from unnatural or violent causes. The presented study explored the distribution of age, gender, cause, and circumstances of death in persons who died in an unnatural and violent manner, with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) higher than 0.3 g/dL, and where the cause of death was not alcohol intoxication. We defined the control (0 < BAC < 0.3 g/dL) and study (BAC ≥ 0.3 g/dL) groups, as in subjects with these concentrations, there is a significant risk of gross intoxication, stupor, and death. The subjects from the study group were older, with no difference in gender distribution. Traffic accidents were the most common fatal event in both groups, followed by suicides. Other accidents (choking on food and exposure to fire) were more frequent in the study group. Compared to the control group, subjects from the study group were older persons whose deaths were mainly accidental.     

Reanalysis of Korean War Anthropological Records to Support the Resolution of Cold Cases

Re‐investigation of previously unidentified remains from the Korean War has yielded 55 new identifications, each with corresponding records of prior anthropological analyses. This study compares biological assessments for age at death, stature, and ancestry across (i) anthropological analyses from the 1950s, (ii) recent anthropological analyses of those same sets of remains, and (iii) the reported antemortem biological information for the identified individual. A comparison of long bone measurements from both the 1950s and during reanalysis is also presented. These comparisons demonstrate commonalities and continuing patterns of errors that are useful in refining both research on Korean War cold case records and forensic anthropological analyses performed using methods developed from the 1950s identifications.     

Saddle Pulmonary Embolism with Paradoxical Coronary Artery Embolism through a Patent Foramen Ovale

A 35‐year‐old male patient was found in cardiac arrest in his vehicle, with no apparent injuries after a minor motor vehicle collision. The decedent was found to have a saddle pulmonary embolus with a thromboembolus impacted across a patent foramen ovale and a paradoxical embolism in the circumflex coronary artery, as well as significant clotting in the deep veins of both lower extremities. There were no risk factors in his history to explain the deep venous thrombosis; family history suggested the possibility of an unrecognized clotting disorder.     

Deaths Due to Accidental Air Conditioner Compressor Explosion: A Case Series

In an air‐conditioning system, the compressor is a large electric pump that pressurizes the refrigerant gas as part of the process of turning it back into a liquid. The explosion of an air conditioner (AC) compressor is an uncommon event, and immediate death resulted from the blast effect is not reported in forensic literature. We report three such cases in which young AC mechanics were killed on the spot due to compressor blast, while repairing the domestic split AC unit. The autopsy findings, the circumstances leading to the explosion of the compressor, are discussed in this study.     

“Tampering to Death”: A Fatal Codeine Intoxication Due to a Homemade Purification of a Medical Formulation

Many homemade tamper processes of medical codeine formulations are available on selected “forums” on the Internet, where recreational codeine users claim to be able to purify codeine by removing additives, such as acetaminophen, to avoid or limit adverse effects. In this work, it is reported and discussed a fatal case of codeine intoxication. The findings of objects such as jars, filters, and tablets, and amounts of unknown liquid material at the death scene investigation suggested a fatal codeine intoxication after the tampering procedure called “cold water extraction.” Toxicological results obtained from the analysis of both the nonbiological material and the body fluids of the decedent integrated with the information collected at the death scene investigation confirmed the above‐mentioned hypothesis. This report underlines the importance of a tight interconnection between criminalistics and legal medicine to strengthen the identification of the cause of death and the reconstruction of the event.     

Correlation between Genetic Variants and Polymorphism of Caveolin and Sudden Unexplained DeathCSCD

Objective: To explore the genetic variation sites of caveolin (CAV) and their correlation with sudden unexplained death (SUD). Methods: The blood samples were collected from SUD group (71 cases), coronary artery disease (CAD) group (62 cases) and control group (60 cases), respectively. The genome DNA were extracted and sequencing was performed directly by amplifying gene coding region and exonintron splicing region of CAV1 and CAV3 using PCR. The type of heritable variation of CVA was confirmed and statistical analysis was performed. Results: A total of 4 variation sites that maybe significative were identified in SUD group, and two were newfound which were CAV1:c.45C>T (T15T) and G4V7:C.512G>A (R171H), and two were SNP loci which were CAVl:c.246C>T (rs35242077) and CAV3:C.990T (rsl008642) and had significant difference (P<0.05) in allele and genotype frequencies between SUD and control groups. Forementioned variation sites were not found in CAD group. Conclusion: The variants of CAV1 and CAV3 may be correlated with a part of SUD group. © 2017 by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.     

Signs of Fungal Infection in Dead Mimic the Chronic Torture

The cases of battered woman syndrome (BWS) are very common in India. The majority of the women suffer battering by their family members especially in‐laws. The injuries occurring each time indicate their being battered, but on being questioned about these happenings, a mismatched history being given by them is the major indication of BWS. In many of the cases, the injuries present over the body either in healing stages or in association with skin diseases may mislead the forensic pathologists and investigating agencies. One such rare autopsy was conducted where the healing lesions of the chronic fungal infections were mistaken as the injuries of chronic torture. The case is presented here to remind to the forensic pathologist about the possibility of the signs of chronic fungal infections in dead, which can mimic the torture, and to discuss its medicolegal implications.     

基于化学计量法的FTIR鉴别心源性猝死

目的联合应用傅里叶变换红外光谱技术及化学计量法对心源性猝死的大鼠进行鉴别分析。方法注射药物或空气分别诱导大鼠的心源性猝死及空气栓塞死亡模型。应用Nicolet i Z10 FTIR光谱仪采集血清样本的红外光谱,联合OMNIC及Unscrambler软件,基于光谱不同分子吸收区间建立偏最小二乘回归模型。结果基于指纹区(1 200~900cm-1)建立PLS模型,均方根误差和决定系数分别是0.068 3、0.981 3,预测均方根偏差和预测决定系数分别是0.104 8、0.956 1;基于蛋白质酰胺区间(1 720~1 480cm-1)建立PLS模型,RMSE和R2分别是0.058 6,0.986 2,RMSEP和预测R~2分别是0.079 4、0.974 7。综合分析两种模型,蛋白质酰胺区间的RMSEP更小,且预测R2更大,提示其预测效果略好于指纹区间。结论联合FTIR及化学计量法,基于蛋白质及指纹区的分子特征均可有效鉴别大鼠的心源性猝死,其中两种不同死因引起的蛋白质差异更为显著。