[Forensic medical expertises and the studies of material evidence of biological origin in Russia (based on the materials collected during the period from 2003 till 2017)]. / Sudebno-meditsinskie ékspertizy i issledovaniia veshchestvennykh dokazatel'stv biologicheskogo proiskhozhdeniia v Rossii (po materialam 2003-2017 gg.).

The objective of the present study was the analysis of expert activities of the forensic biological, forensic cytological, and molecular genetic divisions and laboratories of the state agencies carrying out forensic medical expertise in the Russian Federation during the past 15 year period (2003-2017). We scrutinized the data on the organizational structure and the personnel scheduling chart of the aforementioned units. The study has demonstrated the progressive decrease in the number of forensic biological and forensic cytological investigations versus enhanced activities of the molecular genetic laboratories. The volume of work done by the forensic biological department was reduced by 42% during 2017 in comparison with 2003 whereas that of molecular genetic expertises and investigations increased by 6.9 times within the same period. Simultaneously, the structure of the molecular genetic expertises and investigations underwent appreciable changes. The relative amount of blood studies decreased while that of hair, teeth, bones, and other biological tissues increased. The time spent for the performance of expertises and investigations in the respective departments and laboratories decreased in comparison with 2003.

[The topical problems of the application of the TASER electroshock devices]. / Aktual'nye voprosy primeneniia élektroshokovogo ustroistva TASER.

The objective of the present study was the analysis of publications in the foreign medical literature concerning the problems of safety, clinical diagnostics, pathological morphology, and treatment of the patients subjected to the impact by various models of the TASER electroshock devices. The materials for this article were borrowed from the available Internet resources and libraries. The methods of scientific analysis were employed to follow up the dynamics of publication and to determine the number of publications on the issues of interest. The main attention was given to the overview of the subject matter of scientific research and experiments. The review covers 74 foreign articles presenting the discussion of various conditions and circumstances of the action of various types of the TASER electroshock devices (ESD) on the man with special reference to their effectiveness and safety as confirmed by numerous experimental impacts on the volunteers and animals. It is shown that the dynamics of relevant publications in the foreign scientific periodicals gives evidence of the strong interest shown by the specialists in various scientific disciplines to the problem of safety of various models of the TASER electroshock devices. The largest number of the articles (60 or 81.1%) published during the period covered by the present study were submitted by the American authors describing their experiments involving the volunteers, anthropometric dummies, and human corpses (n=38 or 51%). The subject matter of these publications included the forensic medical evaluation of the lethal outcomes of the application of the TASER electroshock devices with the related technical problems and characteristic of various ESD models. Despite the extensive studies on the volunteers and the experimental animals, the authors of the publications failed to present direct and conclusive evidence of the lethal consequences of the application of the TASER electroshock devices (ESD) on the man. Some of them recommend to prohibit (or restrict whenever possible) the targeted application of the electric shock weapons to the thoracic region. Experiments on the animals have demonstrated the possibility of development of cardiovascular and respiratory complications following the application of the TASER X2 electroshock devices operating at a frequency of 40 Hz during 30 minutes. The clinical and laboratory studies with the participation of the volunteers in an alcoholic intoxication condition have confirmed the long-term increase in the blood lactate levels under the influence of the electric shocking weapons. The analogous data suggesting the development of pronounced acidosis under effect of the TASER X2 electroshock devices due to the elevation of the lactate concentration in the venous blood have been obtained in the animal experiments. The studies of humans in a narcotic intoxication condition failed to provide direct evidence of induction of psychic disorders in the form of an acute confusional state (delirium) under the influence of the TASER electroshock devices. The evaluation of changes in the skin cover in the form of the punctured or contused wounds in the victims of the application of the electroshock gun projectiles did not revealed any specific signs of the local electrical action.

[On the detection of minor Rhesus antigens in blood stains].

A new method for the detection of minor C, Cw, c, E, e-antigens of the Rhesus system in blood stains has been developed based on the absorption-elution technique with the use of anti-C, anti-Cw, anti-c, anti-E, and anti-e sera and standard erythrocyte preparations preliminarily treated with highly active proteases (protease C or papain). This method makes it possible to determine complete Rhesus phenotype in blood stains and substantially extend the possibilities of their differentiation on material objects (evidence) for the purpose of forensic-biological examination.

[The absorption-elution technique with the use of highly active proteases: a novel technology for the detection of Rhesus D antigen in bloodstains].

The proposed method for the specific detection of Rhesus D antigen in 6 month old bloodstains is based on the use of modified immunoglobulins (anti-rhesus D peptides) in the absorption-elution reaction (AER). These peptides were prepared by an original method using polyclonal anti-rhesus D antibodies and standard erythrocytes preliminarily treated with a highly active protease. Specific identification of D antigen of the Rhesus system obviates the problem of poor AER specificity and thereby significantly improves the quality of forensic biological expertise.

[Detection of rhesus D-antigen in mixed traces of blood and excretions].

The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of detecting rhesus D-antigen in mixed traces of blood and excreta with the use of anti-D peptides. The described absorption-elution procedure allows for the identification and measurement of D-antigen in mixed samples of blood and excreta due to specific serological properties of anti-D peptides that make them more suitable for the purpose compared with native polyclonal anti-D antibodies. The new immunological method is the first one to be used in forensic medicine for distinguishing blood Rh-antigens (e.g. D-antigen) present in mixed traces of blood and excreta. Hence, its high practical value.

[Serological detection of Rhesus antigen D in blood traces from Rh-negative (cde) people]. / O serologicheski vyiavliaemom nalichii v sledakh krovi Rezus-otritsatel'nykh (cde) lits Rhesus-antigena D.

A D-like structure was serologically detected on the internal side of Rh-negative (cde) erythrocyte membrane. This structure is absolutely inaccessible for anti-D antibodies in morphologically intact liquid blood erythrocytes. In hemolyzed erythrocytes of blood stains this antigenic structure, serologically identified as Rh antigen D, is accessible for binding with anti-D antibodies and for detection by the absorption-elution test, particularly so after blood stain treatment with proteases.