[The possibilities of forensic histology under expertise of defects of medical care provision].

The article presents systematic analysis of the possibilities of forensic medical histology under examinations of defects of provided medical care and recommendations based on application of mentioned method. The analyzed data related to criminal and civil cases of defects of provided medical care which used conclusion of non-state forensic experts and forensic medicine experts. The following methods of investigation were applied: microscopic, logical-analytical, logical-synthetic, comparative, systematic and analytical. The proposed histological optimal strategy allows to determine the failure of which body functions was became crucial in the event of death and which of several pathological processes played major role in tanatogenesis. This information is indispensable for establishing causal relationships of defects of provided medical care with unfavorable outcomes. The defects of organization of forensic-histological examinations were established. For the first time, the proposed means of increasing informativeness of forensic-histological findings in cases of defects of provided medical care with involvement of non-state forensic experts. The number of concrete scientific and organizational approaches to improve the actual situation was proposed.

[The peculiar features of the morphological manifestations of the damage to the liver associated with the death cap mushroom poisoning]. / Osobennosti morfologicheskikh proiavlenii porazheniia pecheni pri otravlenii blednoi pogankoi.

This article is focused on the peculiar features of the morphological manifestations of massive hepatic necrosis associated with the death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) poisoning in comparison with similar cases of intoxication. It has been shown that the poisoning is associated with cell proliferation in the peri-portal regions of the liver and induction of the mechanisms of apoptosis responsible for the death of hepatocytes.

[The role of the systemic approach in the establishment of the forensic medical diagnosis].

The original classification of the approaches to the establishment of the forensic medical diagnosis is proposed. It includes the following main components: 1) verification of the hypothesis; 2) the search for the specific symptoms of the disease or injury of interest; 3) the use of mathematical statistics for the selection of the most informative symptoms; 4) mathematical simulation and simultaneous comprehensive evaluation of the large number of signs and symptoms, 5) differential diagnostics; 6) the method of exclusion; 7) syndrome diagnostics. The comparison of these approaches based on a voluminous material (793 observations) has demonstrated the advantages of the latter one. The recommendations for its practical application are proposed.

[The prospects for the application of the immunohistochemical methods for the establishment of intravitality and prescription of the mechanical injuries in forensic medical practice].

The objective of the present work was the analysis of the literature concerning the application of the immunohistochemical methods for the improvement of diagnostics of intravitality and prescription of the mechanical injuries in forensic medical practice. Special attention is given to the examples of publication dealing with the methods for addressing this issue. The most promising areas of the application of immunohistochemical methods are considered. They are exemplified by the use of specific antibodies for the establishment of intravitality and prescription of the mechanical injuries. The possibility of using the presence of fibrinogen in the pulmonary alveoli as the marker of prolonged strangulation is illustrated. The results of this literature review provided a basis for the conclusion about good prospects of the application of the immunohistochemical methods with the purpose of establishing intravitality and prescription of the mechanical injuries in forensic medical practice.

[The characteristic morphological changes of the internal organs in certain forms of combined poisoning].

The results of forensic medical investigations of 100 corpses of the persons who died from combined intoxication with two and more poisons are presented. They were compared with clinical observations and summarized uisng the methods of tanatogenetic analysis. The main variants of fatal combined poisoning and the underlying tanatogenetic mechanisms were categorized into cardiac (disturbances of rhythm and conductivity, progressive hypotension, flabby heart muscle, extensive fragmentation of cardiomyocytes), cerebral (coma and massive death of brainstem neurons), and pulmonary (of pneumonia- or pulmonary oedema-type with fibrin precipitation in the alveoli and formation of hyaline membranes). This classification was supplemented by a variety of combinations of the above variants with necrotic nephrosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome. It is concluded that the results of this study may be of use for forensic medical diagnostics of combined poisoning and the elucidation of the contribution of individual toxic substances to the fatal outcome bearing in mind the low informative value of the relevant forensic medical data.

[Characteristics of morphological manifestations of anaphylactic shock in response to the administration of pharmaceutical preparations encountered in the practice of forensic medical expert-histologist].

The authors report the results of a forensic medical investigation of 6 cases of death associated with the administration of pharmaceutical products documented by forensic medical experts of the Russian Centre of Forensic Medical Expertise. The results of the study are compared with the clinical data and summarized using the methods of tanatogenetic analysis. The following main clinical variants of iatrogenic anaphylactic shock (IAS) are distinguished: bronchospastic IAS (n = 1), asphyxic IAS (n = 1), hemodynamic IAS (n = 3), and combined (bronchospastic plus hemodynamic) IAS (n = 1). The signs of all these variants are described allowing for their diagnostics and differentiation diagnostics. These data can be used for the purpose of forensic medical diagnostics and elucidation of the mechanisms of tanatogenesis.

[Parallels between clinical and morphological characteristics in fetal and newborn asphyxia from the standpoint of forensic medicine].

This paper deals with morphological methods for diagnostics of pre-, intra-, and postnatal asphyxia in newborn infants. Parallels between clinical and morphological characteristics in fatal cases resulting from this condition are described. The analysis of the voluminous literature has demonstrated the imperative necessity to broaden the scope of diagnostic morphological and pathomorphological methods for the study of newborn baby corpses in order to elucidate the causes of death or clarify whether a baby was born alive or stillborn.

[Evaluation of injection signs in drug-users in forensic medical practice].

The study was designed to obtain the morphological picture of post-injection lesions in drug-addicts. The most frequent localization of the signs of non-medical injections was established. Special attention was given to concrete signs having special informative value for the evaluation of the prescription of post-injection lesions. The possibility of using these data for the confirmation of non-medical origin of such lesions was assessed. It is concluded that the results of the study may be useful for the substantiation of diagnosis of acute and chronic narcotic intoxication and for the post-mortem examination in the course forensic medical investigation.

[Prospects for using immunohistochemical methods in forensic medical thanatology].

This review of Russian and foreign literature is focused on the use of immunohistochemical methods in forensic medical practice. It shows that forensic medical specialists not infrequently underestimate the value of these techniques. Recommendations are proposed for a more extensive application of immunohistochemical methods in practical and fundamental medico-legal thanatology.

[Effect of emissions from a copper-nickel plant on soil microbial communities in forest biogeocenoses of the Kola Peninsula].

The effect of industrial pollution with emissions from the Severonikel Copper-Nickel Plant (SCNP) on soil microbial communities of forest biogeocenoses has been studied taking into account their relative location under tree crowns (near the stem, in the undercrown area, or under gaps in the canopy). The results show that increasing technogenic pollution results in a significant decrease in the microbial biomass, basal respiration, and maximum specific growth rate, as well as in dominance of K-strategists in the microbial communities of polluted soils. The effect of location under the crown, compared to the intercrown area, manifests itself in dominance of rapidly growing microorganisms with the r-strategy. However, emissions from the SCNP inhibit the growth of r-strategists, and the location-dependent differences between microbial communities are leveled off in areas with the highest pollution level.

[Forensic-medical evaluation of toxic hepatitis associated with surrogate alcohol poisoning].

Medical cards of 1,116 inpatient victims of surrogate alcohol poisoning and 242 cases of its fatal outcome associated with jaundice were available for analysis form Irkutsk Region and other regions of the Russian Federation in the second half of 2006 and early 2007. The study revealed differences in hepatic lesions depending on the chemical nature of toxicants. Mixtures containing guanidine derivatives caused highly specific irreversible disturbance of bile transport in hepatocytes and biliary capillaries in the absence of cholestasis at the level of biliary ducts. Changes in hepatocytes of different type and genesis appear to be due to other toxic components and may be of use for the establishment of causal relation between hepatic lesions and concrete toxic mixtures.

[Microbial biomass and growth kinetics of microorganisms in chernozem soils under different farm land use modes].

The carbon content of microbial biomass and the kinetic characteristics of microbial respiration response to substrate introduction have been estimated for chernozem soils of different farm lands: arable lands used for 10, 46, and 76 years, mowed fallow land, non-mowed fallow land, and woodland. Microbial biomass and the content of microbial carbon in humus (Cmic/Corg) decreased in the following order: soils under forest cenoses-mowed fallow land-10-year arable land-46- and 75-year arable land. The amount of microbial carbon in the long-plowed horizon was 40% of its content in the upper horizon of non-mowed fallow land. Arable soils were characterized by a lower metabolic diversity of microbial community and by the highest portion of microorganisms able to grow directly on glucose introduced into soil. The effects of different scenarios of carbon sequestration in soil on the reserves and activity of microbial biomass are discussed.

[Forensic evaluation of the time since rib fractures].

Visual, stereomicroscopic and histological analysis of 216 fractures of ribs extracted from 83 dead bodies was carried out during forensic examination in cases of blunt trauma of chest in 58 male and 25 female. It was revealed that modifications of rib fragments, determined with fractometrical method in the zone of contact (trasses, rubbings, polishings) can be used for forensic diagnostic of prescription of ribs fractures. There were revealed characteristic properties of sphacelous, inflammatory and regenerative processes in the zone of ribs fractures which consist in the fact that hemolysis of red blood cells, leucocyte and macrophagal reaction, sphacelous modifications of tissues, formation of granulation tissue are developing faster and proliferation of fibroblasts becomes later than in impairments of other localizations and types. The complex use offractometrical and histological methods increase accuracy and objectiveness offorensic diagnostic of prescription of mechanical trauma of chest.

[Identification of human gender by hand x-ray].

A planimetric analysis of hand bones x-ray images is proposed for gender identification. The gender is determined by two methods: by interval estimation of bones size and calculation of the discriminant function and its comparison with group centroid values.

[Principles of medical and trace examinations in expert evaluation of transport accident traumas based on roentgenological methods].

Airtraffic and car traumas illustrate possibilities of x-ray methods in expert examination of transport trauma. X-ray data is most important in clarification of traumatic mechanisms and defects on the clothes of the victims which point to the accident details. Further accumulation of the material will allow introduction of more precise assays of the signs assessment.

[Ascertainment of the cause and tempo of death in forensic medical practice].

In order to develop a method of ascertaining a cause of death and of evaluating its tempo the authors undertook a histological study and a study of a dehydration degree in 76 cases of death due to the below reasons: mechanical trauma, mechanical asphyxia, burn shock, and carbon monoxide intoxication. Acute emphysema of lungs, lack of edemas in lungs and brain, desquamation of pulmonary macrophages, hyperemia of renal capillaries, primary urine in some glomerules, prevalence of ischemic changes with karyopyknosis in medulla and hypohydration of brain were typical of fast death. Prevalence of dystelectasis in lungs, emptying of pulmonary capillaries, evident edema of lungs and brain, desquamation of pulmonary macrophages, lack of primary urine in glomerular capsules, acute circulatory disorders of renal hemodynamics with sweating of fibrin and erythrocyte glomerules into cavities, necrotic nephrosis, pigment cylinders in renal tubules, thrombi in vessels, prevalence of chromatolysis, karyolysis and cytolysis in medulla, pronounced glial reaction as well as pronounced edema of brain and its hyperhydration were typical of slow death.

[Thanatogenesis in poisoning with psychopharmaceuticals].

Discussed in the paper are thanatologically significant morphological signs in intoxication with some of psychic drugs. It was demonstrated that, in intoxication with azaleptin, phenazepam and aminazin, death comes mostly from affection of the brain including its edema and irreversible severe changes of neurons. In intoxication with tizercin, benzodiazepines and barbiturates, cardiac thanatogenesis as fibrillation of heart chambers combined with foci of myocytolysis. Sodium oxybutyrate brings about vascular collapse with subsequent development of fibrillation of heart chambers and of pulmonary edema. Intoxication with amitriptyline causes naturally necrotic nephrosis entailing uremic pneumonia and edema of the brain and heart.

[Determination of a mechanism of the coming of death by morphological methods in strangulation mechanical asphyxia].

Described in the paper are morphological data characterizing the tempo and type of thanatogenesis in strangulation asphyxia. The cerebral thanatogenesis was shown to prevail in mechanical asphyxia. The results of determination of a degree of hydration of the brain by drying its samples are described. Medullary substance was demonstrated to be hypohydrated in such death.