Estimating postmortem interval for human cadavers in a sub‐tropical climate using UV‐Vis‐near‐infrared Spectroscopy

Estimating postmortem interval (PMI) of surface found skeletal remains is challenging. This novel study used UV‐Vis‐NIR spectroscopy to scan soil collected from cadaver decomposition islands (CDIs) ranging from 15‐ to 963‐d postmortem and control soils. A decomposition product spectra model (DPS model) was constructed by deducting the control soil spectra from the CDI soil spectra for the estimation of postmortem indices: PMI (d), ADD₄, ADD₁₀, and ADD₂₀. The DPS model (n = 55) was calibrated and subjected to a full cross‐validation. Calibration R² and RPD for the DPS model ranged from 0.97 to 0.99 and from 6.1 to 9.9, respectively, for the four postmortem interval indices. Validation R² and RPD for the DPS model ranged from 0.73 to 0.80 and from 1.9 to 2.2, respectively. The DPS model estimated postmortem intervals for three test CDIs in a clay soil under perennial grassland (test set 1; n = 3) and six CDIs in a sandy soil under a loblolly pine forest (test set 2; n = 6). Test set 1 had PMI prediction ranges from ?69 to ?117 days, ?796 to +832 ADD₄, +552 to +2672 ADD₁₀, and ?478 to ?20 ADD₂₀ of observed PMI. Test set 2 PMI prediction ranged from ?198 to ?65 days, ?9923 to +2629 ADD₄, ?6724 to +1321 ADD₁₀, and ?2850 to +540 ADD₂₀ of observed PMI. Test set 2 had poor predictions for two CDIs, for all measures of postmortem indices resulting in discussion of sampling depth, effect of body mass index (BMI), and scavenging.     

256例命案尸体死亡时间推断的回顾性分析

目的探讨降低死亡时间推断误差的方法。方法收集常州市和南京市2003年1月一2013年1月256例已破命案．采用传统方法进行死亡时间推断,与破案后获得的实际死亡时间进行比较,并根据死亡时间进行分组,计算死亡时间推断准确率,分析判断错误原因。结果早期尸体死亡时间（≤12h和13～24h）推断准确率分别为90％、89％,晚期尸体死亡时间（1—7d、1～2周、3～4周、1～6个月、7～12个月和1～5年）的推断准确率随时间的延长下降,分别为79％、76％、83％、79％、60％和50％。推断方法不当、水中尸体、极端温度、客观依据不足、抛尸以及变动或破坏现场是影响死亡时间推断准确率的常见因素。结论综合参考多项指标可降低死亡时间推断的误差。     

利用猪胸主动脉生物力学性能时序性变化推断死亡时间

目的观察分析家猪尸体胸主动脉生物力学性状指标的变化规律,探讨其在死亡时间(PMI)推断中的应用价值。方法采集180根家猪的主动脉,在恒定温度、湿度下,于2～230h之间每间隔12h设置1个取检材时间点组;各组主动脉检材用电子万能材料试验机拉伸检测极限载荷、极限载荷变形、平均力、应力、应变,宽度和厚度等生物力学参数指标;应用多元逐步回归方法进行统计学分析。结果家猪死后230h内,随PMI延长,胸主动脉大体观呈自溶腐败性变色、瘫软、液化趋势。生物力学参数指标中,极限载荷、平均力和应力呈随PMI延长呈明显下降趋势,PMI间隔24h组间比较差异性均有统计学意义(P<0.05),校正决定系数分别为0.923、0.806、0.867,估计标准误差分别为±18.39h、±29.88h、±24.58h,PMI间隔24h组间比较差异性均有统计学意义(P<0.05),其它指标与PMI之间相关性不显著均P>0.05。结论死后230h内家猪胸主动脉的极限载荷、平均力和应力的死后时序性变化,与PMI呈明显的负相关性,可用于PMI推断,其中极限载荷效果最佳。     

反相高效液相色谱法检测生物胺的法医学应用初探

目的采用反相高效液相色谱法(RP-HPLC)检测大鼠肌肉组织中7种生物胺,并探讨其在法医学中的应用价值。方法以丹磺酰氯为衍生剂,通过ZORBAX Rx-C18反相色谱柱分离,以乙腈-水作流动相梯度洗脱,流速为1.0mL/min,柱温为20℃,DAD检测器,对色胺、腐胺、尸胺、组胺、酪胺、亚精胺、精胺7种生物胺进行检测。结果 7种生物胺得到良好分离,在0.5～100.0μg/mL的范围内线性良好,相关系数均>0.99,检出限在0.14～0.50μg/mL之间;对大鼠肌肉样本的添加回收率在83.8%～100.6%之间,相对标准偏差均<11%。结论采用RP-HPLC法检测生物胺,方法简便、快速、灵敏,能够满足尸体组织中生物胺检测的需要。     

Specific Patterns of Canine Scavenging in Indoor Settings

Postmortem animal mutilations due to domestic dogs in isolated domestic deaths are taphonomic modifications regularly observed by forensic pathologists. They are rarely described in the literature; however, even though they present specific patterns. Through 41 cases, 10 at the forensic institute in Lille (France) and 31 at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (USA), plus 22 cases from the literature, specific locations and patterns of postmortem scavenging lesions are proposed. These lesions are mainly distributed in three locations: the face, especially the nose and the mouth (73.1%), the neck (43.1%), and the arm (shoulder/upper limb [29.2%], hand [26.8%]). We discuss the time span between death and scavenging, the consequences on identification, and comparison with outdoor settings. Outdoor scavenging lesions are mainly located on the trunk and limbs usually sparing the head, which strongly differs from indoor distribution and imply different animal motivations.     

Entomological identification of the post-mortem colonization of wolf cadavers in different decomposition stages

Human-driven biodiversity loss is progressively becoming a problem with dramatic consequences for the conservation of vital ecosystems. The increasing number of illegal killings of the grey wolf (Canis lupus, Linnaeus, 1758), a threatened species, displays the need for investigation and prosecution of such offences. Forensic entomology makes use of the knowledge about necrophagous insects to estimate a minimum time-since-death interval of the deceased person or animal, which can give important information on a possible perpetrator. The cadaver fauna along five decomposition stages of wolves in Germany was investigated in the period 2014–2021. The insects from 70 wolf cadavers, originating from all over Germany, were provided by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin. The accumulated degree day (ADD) model was applied for the post-mortem interval estimation on wolf cadavers for the first time. A total of 20 coleopteran species and 14 different dipteran species were discovered and identified. Almost 99 % of all insect specimens were from the order of Diptera, and beetles (Coleoptera) accounted for only 1 % of the cadaver fauna. The blowflies (Calliphoridae) are of particular importance for forensic issues, accounting for about 66 % of all families. Carrion beetles (Silphidae) were found as the second most abundant family (about 21 %). In addition, combining all cases, a steadily increasing insect species richness S was detected from early decay to advanced decay (fresh S = 8; bloated S = 12; active decay S = 21; advanced decay S = 34). In the following remains stage, the species number decreased again (S = 24). However, no significant difference in the number of species was found between the stages of decay when the cases were considered individually. The temporal pattern of insect appearance was found to be congruent with those of previous studies. Furthermore, a time of death was determined for each case and compared to the pathologist's estimates. This study provides insights into the arthropod fauna of wolf remains for the first time, applies the ADD-Model for post-mortem interval estimation, and discusses the suitability of forensic entomology for wildlife death investigations.     

尸体心血红细胞ATP降解规律与早期死亡时间的相关性

目的观察早期死亡时间（PMI）与血液红细胞ATP含量的相关性。方法选择具有确切死亡时间的尸体30例,在死亡后6、8、10、12、14、16、18、20、22、24h分别于第4肋间进行心脏穿刺取血,利用生物发光法检测血液样本红细胞ATP含量（μmol／gHb）,并观察红细胞ATP含量变化与死亡时间的关系。结果尸体心血红细胞ATP含量在死亡后1～24h之内呈现非匀速下降趋势,与死亡时间的Pearson相关系数为-0．971（P=0．000）;尸体心血红细胞ATP含量与死亡时间的回归方程及尺。值为：Y=-0．096X＋2．872（x为死亡时间）,R2=0．936,P=0．000。结论尸体心血红细胞ATP含量在死后1—24h之内的变化与死亡时间具有相关关系,可以作为法医学死亡时间推断的生物学指标。     

The Role of Vitreous Magnesium Quantification in Estimating the Postmortem Interval

The use of magnesium as a parameter to estimate the time of death is controversial. In 32 traumatic deaths with known postmortem intervals (PMIs), small quantities of vitreous humor (VH) were sampled repetitively every 3 h until 24 h postmortem. The bodies were kept at the constant ambient temperature of 20°C (68°F). The concentrations of magnesium were in the range of 0.47–1.15 mM. A statistically significant correlation of the concentration of magnesium with the PMI was observed (r = 0.453, p < 0.01), but with small predictive value—coefficient of variation for regression was 45.5%; the average of the paired differences between the estimated and actual PMIs was 5.24 + 3.19 h. Although useful results might be expected due to the large transmembrane gradient for magnesium, the results of this study strongly disprove the usefulness of measuring magnesium in VH to estimate the time of death.     

论区间测速的法律完善

传统监测地点车速的执法方式容易被机动车驾驶人躲避,并且覆盖范围有限,因而在制止超速行驶方面效果有限。区间测速以道路的某一段区间为测速的对象,有效地克服了定点测速的弊端。区间测速的实施应在＂以人为本,具有一定容错率＂的原则指导下,注意分段进行测速,认定违法时应以区间平均速度而不能以区间平均行驶时间为依据,同时应完善相应的执法程序,保障相对人的知情权,违反法定执法程序尤其是违反处理时限的执法无效。     

大鼠脑、骨髓细胞核DNA降解推断死后间隔时间的研究

目的检测大鼠死后不同温度下脑、骨髓细胞核DNA降解规律，寻找推断早期死亡间隔时间（PMI）的新参数。方法10℃和20℃下，大鼠死后0～40h内，每隔4h取材脑组织和骨髓，单细胞凝胶电泳（SCGE）检测DNA降解程度，线性回归分析比较彗星参数HeadDNA％、尾长（TL）、Olive尾矩（TM）与PMI的关系。结果大鼠死后早期脑细胞、骨髓细胞核Head DNA％随着PMI逐渐下降的程度不同，20℃脑细胞核Head DNA％降解速率较快。与骨髓细胞相比，脑细胞核Head DNA％与PMI线性关系较好。与TL、TM相比，Head DNA％与PMI的线性关系较好。结论脑组织是利用SCGE检测DNA降解推断PMI的合适检材。Head DNA％较TL、TM推断PMI的价值更高。