Study of Diatom Flora of Kaalesar Ghat of Rapti River at Gorakhpur for Forensic Consideration

Diatoms are unique algae. They are scientifically known as Bacillariophyceae. Diatoms have been used in forensic science in a variety of ways, the most frequent being the diagnosis of death by drowning. When a person drowns, water will enter the lungs and then enter the bloodstream through ruptures in the peripheral alveoli before being carried to the other organs such as the liver and heart. Naturally, the microscopic contents of the water, which will include diatoms, will pass into the blood as well. The detection of diatoms in the organs can contribute to a diagnosis of death by drowning, a process referred to as the ‘diatom test’. A study was conducted in the department of Forensic Science, SHUATS, Prayagraj which included the extraction and identification of diatoms from the collected water samples from three different sites of Kaalesar Ghat of Rapti River in Gorakhpur. The acid digestion method was used for diatom extraction. And, after analysis total 13 diatom species were found. The identified diatoms were of great ecological assessment that plays an important role in criminal investigations related to premortem or ante-mortem drowning. Keywords: Diatom, Drowning, D-mapping, Rapti-River

Macromorphological findings in cases of death in water: a critical view on “drowning signs”

Death in water is a challenging issue in forensic pathology since from natural death to homicide all circumstances of death in water are conceivable. Therefore, the correct interpretation of all abnormal autopsy findings is important. In order to determine a death by drowning, numerous internal and external signs of drowning are already described. However, these are supposed to be influenced by various factors reducing their significance and evidence. Moreover, the autopsy of water corpses often reveals further pathological findings that should not be underestimated for determining the cause of death. The aim of this study was to set frequencies of the observed drowning signs in context to the forensic literature and to identify possible influencing factors. In this study, we observed that pathological organ changes of the cardiovascular system were significantly more common in corpses after shortened (atypical) drowning processes than in classical drowned victims. Furthermore only a complete formation of external foam, immediately after the corpse’s recovery, was exclusively found in drowning victims. All other drowning signs were either also observed in non-drowning deaths in water or no information could be provided with reasonable assurance. In addition, many of the examined drowning signs were negatively affected by prolonged postmortem intervals, putrefaction, or resuscitation attempts. It can be concluded from our analysis that morbidity is an important factor in deaths in water. Morbidity can support a death by drowning in case of incidents in water. For the examined drowning signs, no high diagnostic certainty could be observed. Nevertheless, these findings can increase their diagnostic value—if forensic physicians take influencing factors into consideration.

NEW DIAGNOSTIC SIGNS OF DROWNING BASED ON VIRTUAL AUTOPSY RESULTS

Introduction. The article presents a case study of local forensic Department GBUZ MO "Bureau of forensic medical examination" when the investigation of the girl's corpse, who died from drowning was the method of posektsionno computed tomography (virtual autopsy), with subsequent radiological-anatomical comparison of the results. Goal. Identification of possibilities of computer tomography in establishing diagnostically significant signs of drowning; pre-sectional identification/exclusion of injuries. Materials and methods. Computer tomography was performed in the radiology Department of the district hospital at MSCT Optima of General Electric (64-slice tomograph, with a thickness of 1.5 mm and 2 mm sections). Discussion of results. When studying the Russian medical literature, there was no description of the presence of fluid in the maxillary and frontal sinuses of corpses extracted from water. Conclusions. The presence of fluid in the maxillary and frontal sinuses revealed during CT examination allowed to Supplement the number of objects for the algological study. The discovery of plankton and quartz-containing particles in the fluid from the paranasal sinuses expanded the evidence base for death by drowning.

Underwater Monuments: Iossif Ventura and the Poetry of Commemoration

The article looks at Iossif Ventura’s collected edition of “Tanaïs” and “Kyklonio” (two poems commemorating the death by drowning of almost the entire Jewish community of Crete in 1944, published in English in 2015), exploring the themes of memory, trauma, and guilt, while linking the poems’ haunting underwater imagery with current concerns about the deaths of refugees in the Mediterranean. Drawing connections between Ventura, Jason deCaires Taylor’s underwater statues, and Marie Jalowicz Simon’s book about survival in Nazi Germany, Gone to Ground, the essay considers the psychological ramifications of precarious sea crossings aiming at escape and freedom.

Complications of drowning: A case report

Unintentional drowning is the sixth most common cause of accidental death, accounting for 4,086 deaths (1.4 per 100,000) in the United States in 2007.1 In children, drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death, and those aged 1–3 years have the highest rate of drowning.2 More than 1,400 pediatric drownings were reported in the United States in 2008.3 Many drowning deaths are due to lack of supervision in the bathtub, unprotected access to a pool, or lack of swimming skills.3 For every death by drowning, six children are hospitalized for drowning, and up to 10% of survivors experience severe brain damage.2

John Adams FLS of Pembroke (1769–1798): a forgotten Welsh naturalist and conchologist

John Adams was a member of a long line of landed gentry from Pembrokeshire, Wales. At a young age, he became a Fellow of the Linnean Society and read four papers before his untimely death by drowning at the age of 29. He described 53 invertebrate species as new to science, mostly from small molluscan shells, but he should be regarded as a naturalist, not a shell collector. He read mathematics at Cambridge University and seems to have relied heavily on his library and social connections to develop his expertise in natural history. Although never publishing on botany, the annotations in his botanical books and his connections with John Symmons and James Edward Smith show him to be competent with the British flora.

Trends in the drowning mortality rate in Iran

ObjectiveThe WHO estimates the global incidence of death by drowning to be about 300 000 cases per year. The objective of this study was to estimate the trend in mortality due to drowning in all provinces of Iran in all age groups and both genders from 1990 to 2015.Study designThe National and Subnational Burden of Diseases (NASBOD) project is a comprehensive project in Iran. It is based on the Global Burden of Disease study and includes novel methods to estimate the burden of diseases in Iran.MethodsThis study used the results of the mortality rate due to drowning as part of NASBOD and investigated the causes behind the mortality rates. The data set recorded mortality rates by 19 age groups and two genders with the corresponding subnational pattern during the time period from 1990 to 2015.ResultsThe drowning mortality rate decreased in Iran from 1990 to 2015. From 1990 to 2015, the annual percentage change for males and females was −5.28% and −10.73%, respectively. There were 56 184 male and 21 589 female fatalities during the study period. The highest number of deaths was seen in 1993 with 4459, and the lowest number of fatalities was observed in 2015 with 903 deaths.ConclusionOur data showed a decline in drowning mortality in Iran from 1990 to 2015, but the rates and declines varied by province. Our findings are of great importance to health officials and authorities in order to further reduce the burden of drowning.

Letter to the editor regarding “Diatoms in lung tissue: first investigation in Brazil in proving death by drowning”

1. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Thank you for publishing the paper entitled “Diatoms in lung tissue: first investigation in Brazil in proving death by drowning”, by Carneiro, et al., 2017 [1].

In memoriam of Peppe Morabito

“Lightly we passed on Earth” is the title of a novel by Sergio Atzeni, published in 1996, one year after his untimely death by drowning in the Tyrrhenian sea. The author is referring to the levity of water. «Lightly we passed on Earth”…. “like the water that flows, jumps from the hollow spring, winds between mosses and ferns up to the roots of almond and cork trees or rolls over the stones from mountains and hills toward the plain, from stream to river, slowing down on the way to the swamps and the sea, transmuted by the sun in steam, in clouds moved by the wind, and in blissful rain…”