Fatal drowning as a result of an airplane crash--case report.

An ULM (Ultra Light Motorized) plane Aeroprakt 22-L with two men on board dived unexpectedly into the Dworackie lake near the town of Olecko in Warmia and Mazury district, Northeastern Poland. The pilot and the passenger had multiorgan blunt injuries, including subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage, fractured ribs, fractured thigh (in one of the deceased) and pulmonary contusions as a result of the impact with the lake. The multiorgan injuries and unconsciousness resulting from head trauma prevented the casualties from saving themselves. The underlying cause of the death was the crash into the lake, however drowning was assessed as the proximate cause of death. The accident was analyzed together with an account prepared by State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation and with the Human Factor Analysis and Classification System - HFACS (the standardized method of analysis of flight accidents, the tool originally developed and tested within the U.S. military).

Genetic identification of a gunshot victim four years posthumously.

The paper presents a personal identification case of an unrecognized corpse, presumably belonging to a male missing for four years. The cadaver was buried in a ground ditch and covered with slaked lime and soil. During the investigation the burial place was indicated. The corpse was exhumed and afterwards transferred to the Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok. External examination and autopsy findings demonstrated adipocere formation and putrefaction, as well as two gunshot wounds in the thorax and the head assumed to be the cause of death. Personal identification procedure included skeletal and dental examination. As a source material for genetic typing, the femur, brain, lung, kidney and spleen samples were collected. DNA templates were extracted by a modified organic procedure and genotyped with the use of AmpFISTR Identifiler Amplification Kit and PowerPlex Y System in an ABI 310 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems). All the soft tissue samples yielded sufficient quantity and quality of DNA to perform genetic profiling.

[Pathologies of the cervical spine anatomy as a possible cause of young patients vertigo]. / Nieprawidlowosci odcinka szyjnego kregoslupa jako mozliwa przyczyna zawrotów glowy u mlodych osób.

Vertigo occurs in many diseases, especially in older people. It is a specific diagnostic problem in young people. In the paper, 86 young patients with incidental vertigo were clinically assessed. Electronystagmography, eye-tracking pattern test, optokinetic test and cervical spine X rays were used in examination. The results were compared with the control group of young and healthy people and also with the older patients group with degenerative changes of the cervical spine. In the examined group the disturbances of physiologic cervical lordosis were found in 33.8% and positional nystagmus in 23%. The vestibular tests and hearing were frequently normal. These results suggest that disturbances of physiologic cervical lordosis may be the cause of balance disturbances.

Detectability of SGM Plus profiles in heart and lungs tissue samples incubated in different environments.

The aim of the study was assessment of environmental effect on typeability of AmpFlSTR SGM Plus loci: D3S1358, VWA, D16S539, D2S1338, D81179, D21S11, D18S51, D19S433, TH01, FGA and gender marker amelogenin. Heart and lungs specimens collected during autopsies of five persons aged 20-30 years were incubated at 21 degrees C and 4 degrees C in different environmental conditions, fresh different water and soil conditions. DNA was extracted by organic method from tissue samples collected in 7-day intervals and subsequently typed using AmpFlSTR SGM Plus kit and ABI 310. Incubation at 21 degrees C and prevented air access, as well as in peat soil and in sand favoured faster DNA degradation reflected by decrease in typeability rate. In samples with negative genotyping results no DNA was found by fluorometric quantitation. Decomposed soft tissues are potential material for DNA typing.

[Spinal cord injuries in material of Department of Forensic Medicine in 2001-2005]. / Urazy kregoslupa w materiale Zakladu Medycyny Sadowej AMB w latach 2001-2005.

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are becoming an increasingly grave problem in therapeutic management and medico-legal evaluations. The objective of the study was an analysis of SCI cases and a presentation of observations made while reviewing the archival records of medico-legal evaluations in civil law and insurance cases in the years 2001 to 2005. In this period, 43 SCI cases were evaluated, accounting for 10.2% of the total caseload. The highest incidence of SCI was noted in participants of traffic accidents and involved both drivers and passengers. The cervical spine was affected most frequently (60.4%), including 44.2% injuries to the perispinal tissues.

[Effect of cobalt bomb irradiation on genetic identification]. / Wplyw napromieniowania bomba kobaltowa wybranych tkanek na identyfikacje genetyczna.

The objective of the paper was to assess the effect of gamma-irradiation on typeability of AmpFISTR SGM Plus loci in selected tissue specimens collected during forensic autopsies. Full AmpFISTR SGM profiles were obtained after gamma-irradiation of 150Gy. At the dose of 200Gy a gradual loss of longer amplicons was noted. In terms of AmpFISTR SGM Plus typeability, the thyroid gland and kidney were the most vulnerable to gamma-irradiation.

Typeability of PowerPlex Y (Promega) profiles in selected tissue samples incubated in various environments.

In cases of decomposed bodies, Y chromosomal STR markers may be useful in identification of a male relative. The authors assessed typeability of PowerPlex Y (Promega) loci in post mortem tissue material stored in various environments. Kidney, spleen and pancreas specimens were collected during autopsies of five persons aged 20-30 years, whose time of death was determined within the limit of 14 hours. Tissue material was incubated at 21 degrees C and 4 degrees C in various environmental conditions. DNA was extracted by the organic method from tissue samples collected in 7-day intervals and subsequently typed using the PowerPlexY-STR kit and ABI 310. A fast decrease in the typeability rate was seen in specimens incubated in peat soil and in sand. Kidney tissue samples were typeable in all PowerPlexY-STR loci within 63 days of incubation at 4 degrees C. Faster DNA degradation was recorded in spleen and pancreas specimens. In samples with negative genotyping results, no DNA was found by fluorometric quantitation. Decomposed soft tissues are a potential material for DNA typing.

Effect of soil and water environment on typeability of PowerPlex Y (Promega) in selected tissue samples.

In cases of decomposed bodies Y chromosomal STR markers may be useful in identification of a male relative. The authors assessed typeability PowerPlex Y (Promega) loci in tissue material stored in water and soil environment. Tissue material was collected during autopsies of five persons aged 20-30 years with time of death determined within the limit of 14 hours. Heart muscle, liver and lung specimens were stored in pond water, sea water, sand and peat soil. DNA was extracted by organic method from tissue samples collected in 7-day intervals. Liver specimens were typeable in all PowerPlex Y loci within 100 days of storage in pond water with gradual decline at DYS392 in sea water. Heart muscle specimens stored in pond water exhibited allelic loss at DYS19, DYS385, DYS389II and DYS392, while all loci were typeable in sea water stored samples. For lung specimens allelic loss was noted throughout the profile. Storage of liver specimens in peat soil for more than 14 days resulted in allelic drop-out, and after 21 days no profiles were typeable. Heart muscle specimens were typeable in all PowerPlex Y systems after 35-day storage in sand, while allelic drop-out and subsequent lack of profiles were noted after 14 and 35 days respectively. Lung specimens stored in garden soil exhibited allelic drop-out and subsequent lack of profiles after 7 and 21 days, respectively. All PowerPlex Y loci were typeable in the latter material in sand up to day 35 with gradual decline of longer amplicons (DYS19, DYS385, DYS389II and DYS392).

[Clinically non-symptomatic pulmonary embolism in patients with deep vein thrombosis of the lower limb]. / Klinicznie bezobjawowa zatorowosc plucna u chorych na zakrzepice zyl glebokich konczyn dolnych.

The pulmonary embolism (PE) is the common and severe complication of the deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs. The lack of accurate diagnosis of PE is a cause of 5-10% of the hospital deaths. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of the pulmonary embolism in patients with the deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs with no clinical symptoms of pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy was performed in 25 patients with angiographic findings confirmative to the deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs. The results of the study were analysed according to the PIOPED criteria. In the group of patients with common thrombosis of the deep vein a high probability of lung embolism was assessed in 70%, medium and low by 12% in each group, and very low in 6%. In the group of patients with femoral thrombosis of the deep vein a high probability of lung embolism was assessed in 60%, medium in 20% and very low in 20%. In the group of patients with calf thrombosis of the deep vein high, medium and very low probability of lung embolism was assessed by 25% in each group. Results of this study indicate the need of searching the pulmonary embolism in patients with thrombosis of the deep vein of the lower limbs despite the lack of clinical symptoms of the pulmonary embolism.