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

Acute or chronic pulmonary emphysema? Or both?—A contribution to the diagnosis of death due to violent asphyxiation in cases with pre-existing chronic emphysema

The diagnosis of death due to violent asphyxiation may be challenging if external injuries are missing, and a typical acute emphysema (AE) “disappears” in pre-existing chronic emphysema (CE). Eighty-four autopsy cases were systematically investigated to identify a (histo-) morphological or immunohistochemical marker combination that enables the diagnosis of violent asphyxiation in cases with a pre-existing CE (“AE in CE”). The cases comprised four diagnostic groups, namely “AE”, “CE”, “acute and chronic emphysema (AE + CE)”, and “no emphysema (NE)”. Samples from all pulmonary lobes were investigated by conventional histological methods as well as with the immunohistochemical markers Aquaporin 5 (AQP-5) and Surfactant protein A1 (SP-A). Particular attention was paid to alveolar septum ends (“dead-ends”) suspected as rupture spots, which were additionally analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The findings in the four diagnostic groups were compared using multivariate analysis and 1-way ANOVA analysis. All morphological findings were found in all four groups. Based on histological and macroscopic findings, a multivariate analysis was able to predict the correct diagnosis “AE + CE” with a probability of 50%, and the diagnoses “AE” and “CE” with a probability of 86% each. Three types of “dead-ends” could be differentiated. One type (“fringed ends”) was observed significantly more frequently in AE. The immunohistochemical markers AQP-5 and SP-A did not show significant differences among the examined groups. Though a reliable identification of AE in CE could not be achieved using the examined parameters, our findings suggest that considering many different findings from the macroscopical, histomorphological, and molecular level by multivariate analysis is an approach that should be followed.

Diagnostic Value of Thromboelastography (TEG) for the Diagnosis of Death in Infected Patients

In this study, we want to investigate the clinical value of each index of thromboelastography (TEG) on the prognosis of infected patients. The clinical baseline data and TEG test results of 431 infected patients in our hospital’s emergency department between January 2018 and December 2018 were selected. And the patients were divided into death and survival groups to analyze the predictive value of each index of TEG and the joint model on the death of infected patients. In the correlation study of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) with each TEG parameter, CRP was positively correlated with maximum amplitude (MA, r = 0.145, P = .003) and elasticity constants (E, r = 0.098, P = .043), respectively. PCT was positively correlated with coagulation reaction time (R, r = 0.124, P = .010) and time to MA (TMA) ( r = 0.165, P = .001), respectively; PCT was negatively correlated with α-Angle ( r = 0.124, P = .010) and coagulation index (CI, r = −0.108, P = .026), respectively. Multifactorial regression analysis showed that granulocytes, thrombocytes, platelet distribution width (PDW), and infection site were independent influences on infected patients’ death. Diagnostic data showed that all eight TEG indicators had good specificity for predicting death, but all had poor sensitivity; thrombodynamic potential index (TPI) had the best diagnostic value (area under the curve, AUC = 0.609, P = .002). The eight-indicator modeling of TEG showed that the TEG model combined with PCT and CRP, respectively, had lower diagnostic efficacy than PCT (AUC = 0.756, P < .001); however, TEG had better specificity (82.73%) when diagnosed independently. The granulocytes, thrombocytes, PDW, and infection site are independent influencing factors of death in infected patients. Each index of TEG has better specificity in the diagnosis of death in infected patients.

Diagnóstico situacional de mortalidade entre adolescentes em condição de vulnerabilidade [Situational diagnosis of death among adolescents in conditions of vulnerability] [Diagnóstico situacional de mortalidad entre adolescentes en condiciones de vencibilidad]

Objetivo: identificar as principais causas de óbito entre adolescentes de 10 a 19 anos em um município no interior do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Método: estudo descritivo, exploratório de abordagem quantitativa, a partir do levantamento de dados em registros de óbitos do município de Rio das Ostras. O desfecho foi causa básica do óbito. Os dados foram processados no Programa R. Resultados: foram observados 84 (100%) óbitos, com maior prevalência entre adolescentes de 17 a 19 anos, 49 (58,3%), do sexo masculino, 71 (84,5%) e de cor parda, 38 (45,2%). As principais causas de óbitos foram Perfuração por Arma de Fogo/homicídio, 35 (41,7%), e acidentes, 32 (38,1%). Conclusão: o reconhecimento dessa vulnerabilidade configura importante caminho para o enfrentamento e resolução desse grave problema, sobretudo municípios localizados longe de centros urbanos, parece muitas vezes esquecido, no que tange o cumprimento de estatutos e políticas públicas a favor desse grupo etário.