A 70-year study of femicides at the Forensic Medicine department, University of Bologna (Italy).

Femicide is defined as the gender-related killings of women and girls or as an any intentional murder of women and it represents a worldwide health issue. Although it has gained a growing attention across the public and the media, true data on its prevalence and a characterization of the phenomenon are still scarce. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics of female homicides and femicides, which are necessary to design and monitor effective preventive efforts. Post-mortem examination reports of female homicides occurred in the judicial district of Bologna over a period of 70 years were revised. Characteristics of victims and perpetrators, circumstantial and post-mortem data were extracted. Overall, 172 female homicides were observed, including 103 femicides, with no significant changes over time. The mean age of victims increased over time and showed a statistically significant association with the victim-perpetrator relationship. Homicides committed by non-intimate partner family members increased. Our study unveiled that, in the past decades, femicide was a hidden but constant social phenomenon, despite the social, cultural and juridical changes. The research in forensic pathology could help bring to light trends, characteristics and risk factors to be considered for strategies to counteract violence against women.

Integrated multidisciplinary approach in a case of occupation related planned complex suicide-peticide.

The combined event of a suicide and the killing of a pet has been hardly explored in forensic literature, but it is not rare at all. In the reported case the dead corpse of a 60-year old mentally ill woman and the carcass of a dog were found on the bed of a private apartment. In light of death scene investigation, necroscopic examination and toxicological analyses death was attributed to licit drug intoxication and self-strangulation after lethal poisoning of the dog. Due to the presence of two lethal means (cervical noose and drugs), acting in chronological order, the event was classified as a secondary complex suicide. Moreover, the woman, although mentally ill, was a psychiatrist. Thus, her professional background, namely the easy access to psychiatric drugs together with her knowledge of drug composition and properties lead to suppose an occupation related suicide. The comprehensive analysis of all the available information, including death scene investigation, occupational, necroscopic and toxicological data, resulted of the utmost importance for a proper reconstruction of the events and are recommended in complex cases such as occupation related planned complex suicides combined to the killing of pets.

Application of aquatic decomposition scores for the determination of the Post Mortem Submersion Interval on human bodies recovered from the Northern Adriatic Sea.

PURPOSE: The decomposition process of human bodies in marine environment is not well understood, and it is influenced by external variables related to the geographical area where the body is submerged. We report the application of two decomposition scores, the Heaton's score and the van Daalen's score, on a casuistry of human bodies recovered from the Northern Adriatic Sea. The aims of this study are to verify whether the marine environment of a Mediterranean climate area may affect the applicability of both scores and to develop a prediction model that can be applied on bodies recovered in salt water. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 61 human bodies recovered between 2005 and 2019 from coastal water of the Northern Adriatic Sea nearby the Italian regions Emilia-Romagna and Marche. For each of the 61 cases included, the Total Aquatic Decomposition Score (TADS) was calculated with the Heaton's score and the Van Daalen's score. The prediction model was assessed through multiple regression analyses, and the determination coefficients (r2) between TADS and PMSI (expressed in days) and between TADS and Accumulate Degrees Days (ADD) were studied. The prediction model was applied to the entire case sample, to bodies recovered during the warm season and to bodies recovered during the cold season. RESULTS: All bodies were recovered floating, and a very poor scavenging activity was observed. The regression analyses showed a strong correlation between the TADS and the total case sample using both scores and both independent variables (PMSI and ADD). The determination coefficients were greater than 0.95 also when considering the total case sample. DISCUSSION: The proposed prediction models are not significantly influenced by seasonality, contrarily to what observed on bodies recovered in fresh water in the same climate area. However, the ADD model, which also consider the water temperature, should be preferred for higher decomposition stages. This study helps increase the accuracy of PMSI estimation in bodies recovered from a marine environment of the Northern Adriatic Sea.

An Explorative Study of CYP2D6's Polymorphism in a Sample of Chronic Pain Patients.

BACKGROUND: A proper antalgic treatment is based on the use of titrated drugs to provide adequate relief and a good tolerability profile. Therapies have a variable effectiveness among subjects depending on medical and genetic conditions. CYP2D6 variations determine a different clinical response to most analgesic drugs commonly used in daily clinical practice by influencing the drugs' pharmacokinetics. This study was a monocentric clinical trial exploring the CYP2D6 variants in 100 patients with a diagnosis of chronic pain. METHODS: DNA was extracted to evaluate the genotype and to classify patients as normal-fast (gNMs-F), normal-slow (gNMs-S), ultrarapid (gUMs), intermediate (gIMs), and poor metabolizers (gPMs) using the Activity Score (AS). Information on therapies and general side effects experienced by patients was collected. Nongenetic co-factors were evaluated to examine the discrepancy between metabolic profile predicted from genotype (gPh) and metabolic profile (phenocopying). RESULTS: The distribution of our data underlined the prevalence of the gNMs-F (67%), whereas gNMs-S were 24%, gIMs 6%, gPMs 3%, and no gUMs were found, resulting in 33% of patients with reduced metabolic activity. In the analyzed population sample, 86% and 56% of patients, respectively, took at least one or two drugs inhibiting in vitro activity of the CYP2D6 enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: Over one-third of the enrolled patients showed altered CYP2D6 enzymatic metabolic activity, with a risk of phenocopying potentially due to polypharmacology. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03411759.

Postmortem submersion interval in human bodies recovered from fresh water in an area of Mediterranean climate. Application and comparison of preexisting models.

PURPOSE: The methods developed in recent years for the assessment of the Postmortem Submersion Interval (PMSI) have proven to be promising, but are strictly related to specific geographical areas or climates. The aim of this study is to assess the suitability of two of the most recent total aquatic decomposition scores (TADS) for the determination of the PMSI in bodies recovered from fresh water in an area of Mediterranean climate in the last 15 years. To do this, the correlation coefficient (r2) between PMSI and Accumulate Degrees Days (ADD) or PMSI and days was studied. METHODS: The correlation between PMSI (expressed in days or in ADD) and the TADS was evaluated considering: (a) bodies recovered during the entire period; (b) bodies recovered during the cold season; (c) bodies recovered during the warm season. A linear regression analysis was set comparing the statistical significance of a model plotting TADS versus ADD, and another model plotting TADS versus PMSI (expressed in days) for both scores. RESULTS: Scores were scarcely applicable when considering the entire casuistry, as regression models showed low r2 values, but both scores showed high correlations after dividing the cases into 2 groups. In fact, after performing the seasonal partition, we observed a strong correlation between PMSI and TADS, using either of the scores. CONCLUSION: This study helps increase the accuracy, reliability, and validity of PMI estimation in bodies recovered from freshwater in an area of temperate climate, such as Northern Italy, supporting the need to establish regionally-specific equations for estimating PMI in a forensic context.

Scanning electron microscopy in the identification of fly artifacts.

Bloodstain pattern analysis has a key role in crime scene reconstruction; however, it can be hampered by diverse confounding factors, such as insect activity which may lead to the production of small artifactual bloodstains, commonly referred to as fly artifacts (FA). Although several techniques aimed at distinguishing human bloodstains and FA have been developed, actually, no standardized and reproducible methodology is available. The aim of our study was to test the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to distinguish human bloodstains from FA produced by Sarcophaga carnaria. FA and bloodstains have been produced on five different deposition surfaces under experimental conditions. After visual analysis, bloodstains and FA were analyzed at standard low (× 40-× 300) and high (× 600-× 1200) magnification through a Philips SEM 515. Although differential diagnosis between bloodstains and FA resulted often inconclusive at visual analysis, SEM analysis allowed the identification of additional key distinctive morphological features. In particular, on the surface of FA, small crystal-like and/or amorphous material deposits were observed. Such deposits were absent on bloodstains which, on the other hand, displayed red blood cells stacked in "rouleaux." Basing on these results and under our experimental conditions, SEM analysis resulted suitable to perform a differential diagnosis between bloodstains and FA produced from the insect activity of Sarcophaga carnaria.

Sudden unexpected death in a case of necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis.

Acute myocarditis is related to a significant number of sudden deaths among young adults and its diagnosis is often demanded to post-mortem investigations performed on a forensic setting. Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) is a rare form of myocarditis that is pathologically characterized by myocardial inflammation with eosinophils, often in association with elevated levels of circulating blood eosinophils. The sudden death of a 19-year-old boy with no past medical history is reported. Diagnosis of fatal acute EM was performed after a comprehensive investigation including an in-depth analysis of anamnestic and circumstantial data, and complete autopsy followed by toxicologic and cardio-pathological investigations. Discussion focuses on the forensic issues related to diagnosis and therapy of this rare form of acute myocarditis. As acute EM may be patchy, extensive myocardial sampling is mandatory in order to recognize the extent and the phase of the disease. An early diagnosis is the basis for a timely therapy, which is the key-point for prevent extensive myocardial damage, allowing a better outcome, especially when EM is acute and necrotizing. However, as demonstrated from the case herein reported, the course of EM is sometimes fulminant and does not allow any therapy nor even clinical diagnosis. Finally, this paper serves as reminder to consider this infrequent disease in differential diagnosis when facing with a sudden death, even in a young subject and in the absence of any prodrome.

Post-mortem thermal angiography: a pilot study on swine coronary circulation.

Thermal imaging (TI) allows the detection of thermal patterns emitted from objects as a function of their temperature in the long-infrared spectrum and produces visible images displaying temperature differences. The aim of this pilot study was to test TI to visualize the coronary circulation of swine hearts. Thirty swine hearts were prepared for ex situ coronarography, and thermal images were acquired through a FlirOne thermal camera (FLIR Systems®) paired with a Google Android Smartphone. Coronary arteries were cannulated, namely the anterior interventricular artery, the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery, and the right coronary artery. The heart was cooled, and contrast medium (CM) consisting of distilled water heated to 40 °C was injected in a coronary vessel, while thermal images were captured. These steps were repeated for each coronary vessel and under experimentally simulated coronary heart disease. Thermal imaging coronarography (TIC) allowed a clear representation of the morphology and course of the coronary vessels and of experimentally simulated coronary heart disease, moreover, demonstrated to be easy to perform during or after autopsies on ex situ hearts, non-destructive, reproducible, and cheap. On the basis of these preliminary results, TIC might allow a subsequent more focused and comprehensive cardiopathological examination of the heart, which remains mandatory for the definitive diagnosis of coronary heart disease. Although these preliminary results seem encouraging, further systematic studies on human hearts, both normal and pathological, are necessary for estimating the sensitivity and specificity of the proposed method and to draw any definitive conclusion.

Possible fatal hyperthermia involving drug abuse in a vehicle: case series.

Major interplaying causes of heat stroke (HS) and fatal hyperthermia are climate, physical activity, artificial extreme ambient temperatures, confinement in a small compartment, and effects of drugs and chemicals, combined with predispositions and complications. A common and unfortunate cause of HS is vehicular hyperthermia (VH) death. Hyperthermia in a vehicle is a type of environmental thermal disorder, involving victim's susceptibility, confinement with restraint, and possible influences of drugs and poisons, including exhaust gas containing complex fumes, carbon dioxide and monoxide. Whereas VH typically occurs when babies or young children are being left unattended in parked vehicles in direct sunlight, it has been reported only anecdotally for adult subjects. Three cases of adult fatal VH will be herein presented. In each presented case the corpse was found enclosed in a vehicle on spring/summer days. During crime scene investigation (CSI) psychoactive substances were found near to the corpses leading to the suspect of a suicidal fatal drug intoxication. Basing on this misleading suspect in Case 2 and 3 a forensic expert was not charged for the CSI and a fatal VH was not suspected nor properly investigated. Later, a comprehensive autopsy, including biochemical and toxicological analyses, excluded a death related to natural causes, fatal intoxications, ketoacidosis and traumas. On the other hand, the reconstruction of the temperature, the humidity, the heat index and the related risk of HS allowed the diagnosis of fatal VH in all the reported cases. In particular, death occurred because of the long-lasting stay into a hot parked vehicle which was facilitated from self-administration of psychoactive drugs with related neuro-depression. This case series confirms that a comprehensive CSI followed by an autopsy including histology, biochemical and toxicological analysis remains mandatory in cases of forensic interest, as well as when a corpse is found enclosed in a vehicle. Anyway, sometimes the diagnosis of heat-related fatalities remains a medley of investigative and medicolegal observations.

A homemade furnace. Influence of occupational skills in a fire-related planned complex suicide.

The term "planned complex suicide" means the combination of more than one method of suicide, planned to prevent failure of the first method to ensure a fatal outcome. Professional skills and tools are sometimes used to plan and perpetrate the suicide. A case of planned complex suicide of a mechanical engineer working with furnaces in a tube factory is herein reported. The suicide was committed in a rudimental furnace set up in the victim's apartment using his professional skills, by assembling furniture, mattresses, books and flammable liquid present in the house. Three-dimensional models of the crime scene before and after the realization of the "homemade furnace" are proposed. The discussion will focus on the importance of a comprehensive analysis of the professional background of the victim to infer the manner of death for the identification of complex and occupation-related suicides.