Methodological approaches to the application of burns classifications in determining the severity of injuries in Ukraine

The article considers the existing classifications of thermal burns by the depth of the lesion. The analysis and comparison of different classifications among themselves is carried out. The problems that may arise in forensic medical practice in determining the severity of thermal burns, which are associated with the use of different classifications, are demonstrated. The use of different classifications of burns according to the depth of the lesion can lead to incorrect determination of the severity of injuries when compiling the "Expert Conclusion". Methodological approaches that will avoid this are presented. The aim of the work. Elaboration of methodological approaches to the use of modern classifications of burns, which are introduced in Ukraine and in other countries, during forensic medical examinations of thermal injuries. Materials and methods. Analysis, synthesis, comparison and analogy of printed and electronic legal documents of Ukraine, domestic and foreign forensic and medical literature on burn injury. Results. Analysis and comparison of different modifications of burns classification by depth of injury revealed that modern classifications by combinations of numbers and letters differ from the classification of burns by depth, which is used in forensic practice in Ukraine in determining the severity of thermal injuries. The forensic expert during the examination in cases of thermal injury examines the medical records that contain information about the treatment of the victim. Victims can be treated in various medical institutions both in Ukraine and abroad. Thus, different classifications are used in the formulation of the diagnosis, which can lead to incorrect determination of the severity of the injury caused by high temperature. The result is a biased "Expert Conclusion", which may later be considered inadequate evidence in criminal proceedings. To prevent erroneous assessment of the degree of burns, the expert must find out what classification of burns is used in making a clinical diagnosis, and interpret the specified degree of burns in accordance with the gradation of burns, which regulates the activities of forensic experts. Conclusion. At present, the «Rules of forensic determination of the severity of injuries», which were approved in Ukraine in 1995, don't provide adequate methodological support for forensic expert research, which should correspond to the current level of development of medical science and clinical practice. The introduction of the achievements of world medicine into the domestic forensic medical practice should be facilitated by modern legal documents regulating the activities of forensic medical institutions of Ukraine.

The spectrum of body injuries of the driver and passenger in the case of a lethal traffic injury in a frontal collision in the interior of class E cars

The article discusses the state of examination of a lethal automobile injury to a driver and a passenger in a frontal collision in the passenger compartment of class E cars. Aim of the work. Investigate the injuries of the driver and passenger in the passenger compartment of an E class car and highlight the signs of being in the passenger compartment in the driver’s or passenger’s seat for practical use in forensic medical research. Materials and methods. The objects of the study were 179 «Acts of forensic medical examination of corpses» and «Conclusions of an expert» on road accidents accompanied by injury and death of people obtained from the archives of the Zhytomyr Regional Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination, accompanied by the death of persons inside car. The damage to the driver and passenger in a frontal collision in the passenger compartment of class E cars was carefully considered. A set of proven reliable methods was used in the work: anthropometric, morphometric, photographic, forensic, statistical analysis. Results. As a result of the registration of damages, the features inherent in damages received in the passenger compartment of an E-class car in a frontal collision were revealed. In particular: injuries to the soft tissues of the left leg prevailed among the front seat passengers, and not among the drivers, as is commonly believed; fractures of the bones of the lower extremities were found only in drivers; fractures of the bones of the right upper limb were observed only in front seat passengers; damage to the soft tissues of the left hand was characteristic only of drivers; the drivers had pelvic fractures on the right and left; the drivers had rib fractures on the left in combination with ruptures of the lungs on the side of the injury; the passengers had injuries to the ribs on the right, but no right-sided ruptures of the lungs were recorded. Conclusions. It has been established that the spectrum of damage to a driver and a passenger in a fatal car injury in a frontal collision in the passenger compartment of class E cars is characterized by a sufficient variety. Fractures of the right and left lower extremities and fractures of the thoracic spine are among the features that distinguished the driver from the passenger in a frontal collision in the passenger compartment of class E cars.

Features of dermatoglyphics of suicides (literature review)

The analysis of the number of suicides, factors and conditions of its cause is complex and subjective, as it is associated with insufficient information about the causes of suicide. In this regard, it becomes especially important to search for markers that allow to identify persons prone to suicidal states, to carry out preventive measures with him in order to prevent suicides. The aim of this work was to study the latest publications on the study of genetic and phenotypic traits inherent in persons prone to suicidal acts. It has been established that to date there are no scientific studies that would reflect the relationship of phenotypic manifestations in suicides, in particular, anthroscopic, anthropometric and dermatoglyphic features of all phalanges of fingers and palms.

Methods of forensic medical analysis of acute intoxications with ethyl alcohol (review of literary sources)

The article presents an overview of current literature on the problem of forensic diagnosis of acute poisoning by ethanol and its surrogates. Morphological and forensic chemical criteria for the diagnosis of ethanol intoxication are presented, variants of patho- and thanatogenesis are described, as well as modern methods for diagnosing these poisonings. Aim of the work. Review of current literature data on the problem of forensic diagnosis of acute poisoning by ethanol and its surrogates. Conclusion. In our opinion, it is necessary to introduce into the practical work of the bureau of forensic examinations new promising technologies for the diagnosis of acute intoxication with ethyl alcohol and its surrogates.

Differential possibilities of classical histological research methods for establishing the genesis of hemorrhages in the human brain substance

Verification of the cause of death (CD) from ischemic cerebral infarction (ICI), hemorrhage of traumatic (GTG) and non-traumatic (GNG) genesis eliminates the violent origin of death. Very often it is difficult to diagnose the genesis of hemorrhage only macroscopically when performing an autopsy, so additional material should be selected for forensic histological examination. Aim of the work. To develop forensic criteria for the differentiation of ICI, GTG and GNG of the brain by light microscopy of histological sections of the human brain (HB). Material and methods. For the study were used native sections and stained histological specimens of HB from 110 corpses in the case of: death from ICI – 30 histological specimens (1 group), which were made of 30 speciments stained by the methods of Nissl and Spiel-Mayer; GNG – 30 histological samples (group 2) – 30 speciments, stained similarly to the previous group; GNG – 30 histological samples (group 3) – 30 speciments stained similarly to the previous group. Brain preparations in case of death from coronary heart disease were selected for control – 20 samples (4 groups) – 20 speciments stained by the methods of Nissl and Spiel-Mayer. Results. Analysis of the obtained data of histological examination of morphological changes of tissue elements of the human brain with different genesis of hemorrhage did not reveal stable relationships between changes in the structure of nervous tissue and the cause of hemorrhage. Conclusion. Given the nonspecificity of degenerative changes in the structural elements of the brain, depending on the genesis of hemorrhage, it can be concluded that morphological methods of histological preparations of the brain do not provide accurate and objective information about the genesis of hemorrhage.

The current state of expert research of domestic firearms and cartridges for them in Ukraine

The development of the domestic engineering industry during the independence of Ukraine, in particular, led to the emergence of enterprises working in the field of development and production of firearms and ammunition for it. Experimental studies performed by forensic experts and criminologists to study the features of injuries and damage caused by modern models of domestic weapons need to be generalized and systematized. Aim of the work. To review the literature sources related to the study of lethal and non-lethal pistols and ammunition for them of domestic production. Materials and methods. In order to achieve this goal, we searched for literature sources within the scientometric databases of Google Scholar, Web of Science and Scopus by keywords, to a depth of 10 years using the criteria of selection of articles. Results. A review of literature sources revealed that the direction of the study of pistols and ammunition for them of domestic production is still relevant and tends to increase in the last 5 years; the departments of forensic medicine at Higher Education Institutions and Research Forensic Centers are most interested in studying this topic; publications on models of pistols developed 10 or more years ago are found in large numbers in the scientific literature, but publications on "younger" models in the scientific literature are not found. Conclusion. The vast majority of research on domestic firearms is devoted to the study of pistols produced by RPC «Fort». However, the available amount of research cannot meet the current needs of the expert service and, accordingly, the police. Research aimed at studying the ballistic properties of domestic weapons still remains a relevant and urgent area of forensic medicine and criminology.

Forensic determination of determination of damage to human internal organs by the method of reconstruction of the optical activity of histological sections

The article presents the results of experimental testing of the technique of tomographic reconstruction of circular birefringence maps of molecular complexes in a digital histological study of the age of damage to tissues of internal organs (brain, liver and kidney) of temporary monitoring of the mean value, dispersion, asymmetry and kurtosis, characterizing the distribution of the magnitude of the optical activity of histological sections of the brain, liver and kidney identification of the temporal extent of linear changes in statistical parameters and the accuracy of determining the duration of damage to human internal organs by digital histological methods of polarization reconstruction (tomography) of circular birefringence of molecular complexes. Aim of the work. Development of a technique for determining the duration of damage to human internal organs by digital histological methods of polarization reconstruction of circular birefringence of molecular complexes. Materials and methods. The object of the study was the histology of samples of human internal organs (brain, kidney and liver) with different duration of damage from 1 hour to 120 hours. For control, we used BT samples of those who died from coronary artery disease with different duration of damage from 1 hour to 120 hours. The studies were carried out using the technique of polarization reconstruction of circular birefringence of molecular complexes. Results. A set of treatment-relevant relationships between temporal changes in the statistical structure of topographic maps of circular birefringence of optically active molecular complexes of histological sections of human internal organs with different duration of damage and variations in the mean value, dispersion, asymmetry and kurtosis, characterizing the distribution of the value of this parameter of anisotropy, has been determined. Conclusions. A new original method has been developed for tomography of the optical activity of molecular complexes of tissues of human internal organs in a digital histological study of the age of damage to the tissues of the brain, liver and kidney, as well as the myocardium and lung tissue at a time interval of 1 hour. up to 120 hours

3D-modeling of an experimenal wound channel caused by a piercing-cutting object with bilateral blade grinding

The research deals with the possibility to use up-to-date methods of 3D-modeling for diagnostics of piercing-cutting objects causing injuries with bilateral blade grinding. A virtual element of the wound channel is shown to be printed on 3D-printer and given to investigating bodies in order to increase the effective and objective search of a traumatic instrument. Aim of the work. To apply the method of photogrammetry with further 3D-modeling of the wound channel formed by a piercing-cutting object with bilateral blade grinding for further examination of its morphological peculiarities and receiving its linear size with high accuracy in the space of graphics editor «3DsMax». Materials and methods. Fifteen experimental wound channels were made by means of alginate impression mass with rubber-like effect «Hydrogum 5» (firm «Zhermack», Italy), which becomes hard rapidly, remains elastic after polymerization, allows impresses to be obtained with an extremely smooth surface, most accurately preserves and reproduces characteristics of an immersed blade of the knife examined. To make experimental injury a piercing-cutting object was used – a knife with bilateral grinding of the blade 6,16 cm long, 2,6 cm wide in the base of the blade, and the blade in its middle part 0,3 cm thick. These sizes of the piercing-cutting instrument were obtained by means of sliding calipers with the error ±0,03-0,15 cm. The wound channel obtained was divided into fragments with a pitch about 3,5 cm. Every fragment of the wound channel was contrasted with a dye using 1 % brilliant green alcohol solution. All the fragments of the wound channel were opened parallel to its length and were placed on a rotary table located in a light cube to provide adequate illumination and photos were taken. The digital camera SONY RX 10 II was used for shooting. The object of shooting was labeled with a number, a fragment of a plotting scale 1,0 cm long was placed on it to calibrate the scale and control the sizes of the object examined in computer programs. The photos obtained in JPEG format were loaded into the computer program «Agisoft Photoscan», and 3D-textured models of a wound channel fragment were created in it. The model obtained and the texture was exported in «OBJ» format. The next stage of the work was to transfer 3D-models obtained into the graphic space of «3DsMax» program, where the scale of the model was calibrated. After that the wound channel was reconstructed in the graphics editor by means of 3D models of the wound channel fragments. Results. To compare differences between classical and new methods of examination at first linear dimensions of injuries were measured by means of a ruler. The depth of the wound channel was obtained consisting of two fragments according to the method of measuring the wound channel depth in the dead body by means of joining of its separate parts due to immersion and passing the blade in the victim’s body (in the skin, subcutaneous tissue with muscles, in the wall of the cavity and inside of it, in the internal organ and other anatomical structures). The width and length of the wound channel on various levels of immersion were registered in the similar way, which is an important diagnostic component during forensic expertise in case of piercing-cutting injuries. The next stage in our research was to examine and get linear dimensions of injuries by means of up-to-date technologies using 3D-models with the help of the graphics editor «3DsMax». In this case the computer program enabled to get the above results with a higher accuracy to 0.001 cm. Conclusions. The results obtained are indicative of high information value of the three dimensional methods to identify a traumatic piercing-cutting object by means of a spatial reconstruction of the wound channel fragments, which provides high accuracy in solving applied tasks in modern forensic practice and criminal law science. The method with the use of the graphics editor «3ds max» allows retrospective diagnostics of the wound channel fragments to be obtained followed by further comparison with an expected traumatic object.

Case of victim torture in forensic expert practice

The article contains a case of causing violent acts, namely torture, which corresponds to the section «Physical evidence of torture» of the «Istanbul Protocol». The morphological manifestations of bodily injuries are given, which are sufficiently informative for their further assessment by law enforcement agencies as manifestations of torture and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Aim of the work. Forensic medical characteristics of morphological manifestations of bodily injury as manifestations of torture and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Material and methods. The material of the research was the archival data of the Luhansk Regional Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination. Well-known forensic and statistical research methods were used. Results. During the forensic examination of the corpse of gr. There were at least 100 injuries in the form of numerous bruises, bruises, wounds, a strangulation furrow on the neck, and changes in the anus. Conclusion. Revealed during the forensic medical examination of the corpse of gr. M. at least 100 bodily injuries in the form of numerous abrasions, bruises, wounds, a strangulation groove on the neck and changes in the anus were identified by law enforcement agencies as manifestations of torture and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in accordance with the section «Physical evidence torture» of the «Istanbul Protocol».

Temporal dynamics of change of polycrystalline component of bioctisses and blood of death from poisoning by alcohol and carbon with different time since death

The article contains the results of a study of the effectiveness of forensic medical determination of the prescription of death by the method of differential Müller-matrix polarization-phase tomography, which is implemented by multichannel probing of rhizopolarization with laser beams of histological sections of the brain, myocardium, adrenal glands, liver and blood of the deceased and multichannel polarization filtration series images with algorithmic reproduction (reconstruction) of coordinate distributions (tomograms) of the average linear birefringence (LD) of polycrystalline networks. Aim of the work. Efficiency study by the method of differential Müller-matrix polarization-phase tomography for determining the duration of death. Materials and methods. The object of the study was the histology of samples of human internal organs (brain, myocardium, adrenal glands, and liver) with different duration of damage from 6 hours to 48 hours (we used BT samples from those who died from alcohol poisoning and carbon monoxide poisoning). For control, we used BT samples from those who died from ischemic heart disease with different duration of damage from 6 hours to 48 hours. The studies were carried out using the method of differential Muller-matrix polarization-phase tomography. Results. The range of linear change in the magnitude of the higher-order statistical moments, and accordingly the analytical determination of the DNS, lies in the range from 20 hours to 48 hours. The accuracy of determining the DNS is also significantly improved and amounts to 0.5 hours. Conclusion. The high efficiency of Muller matrix algorithmic reproduction of maps of average values of birefringence of the optically anisotropic component of biological preparations of the deceased was revealed.