Archiwum medycyny sadowej i kryminologii最新文献

Aim: The aim of the work is to provide an overview of the potential application of artificial intelligence in forensic medicine and related sciences, and to identify concerns related to providing medico-legal opinions and legal liability in cases in which possible harm in terms of diagnosis and/or treatment is likely to occur when using an advanced system of computer-based information processing and analysis.

Material and methods: The material for the study comprised scientific literature related to the issue of artificial intelligence in forensic medicine and related sciences. For this purpose, Google Scholar, PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched. To identify useful articles, such terms as "artificial intelligence," "deep learning," "machine learning," "forensic medicine," "legal medicine," "forensic pathology" and "medicine" were used. In some cases, articles were identified based on the semantic proximity of the introduced terms.

Conclusions: Dynamic development of the computing power and the ability of artificial intelligence to analyze vast data volumes made it possible to transfer artificial intelligence methods to forensic medicine and related sciences. Artificial intelligence has numerous applications in forensic medicine and related sciences and can be helpful in thanatology, forensic traumatology, post-mortem identification examinations, as well as post-mortem microscopic and toxicological diagnostics. Analyzing the legal and medico-legal aspects, artificial intelligence in medicine should be treated as an auxiliary tool, whereas the final diagnostic and therapeutic decisions and the extent to which they are implemented should be the responsibility of humans.

The aim of the study: The aim of the study is the analysis of suicides based on forensic autopsies and case files from the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Białystok.

Material and methods: The number of forensic autopsies conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Białystok in the years 2016-2021 equaled 2365. On the basis of post-mortem examinations and circumstances of deaths contained in the case files, 391 cases were qualified as suicides. The analysis accounted for gender, age, time, the dynamics of changes in the number of suicides over the years, the place of suicide, the method of committing suicide, and the state of sobriety. The data were subjected to statistical analysis using the following tests: Chi-square test of independence, Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test, non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA by ranks with post hoc multiple comparisons of mean ranks for all samples. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The calculations were performed using the Statistica 13.3 package from StatSoft.

Results: In the studied years, suicides accounted for 16.54% of all autopsies. In 82.09% of cases, the suicides were committed by men, and in 17.91% by women. It was found that individuals who chose suicide by poisoning were statistically significantly younger than those who chose suicide by jumping from a height (p=0.0035). A statistically significant correlation was found between gender and the preferred location for committing suicide (p=0.033). A statistically significant correlation was also found between gender and sobriety or the state after alcohol consumption (p=0.00008).

Conclusions: The study shows that the main group of suicides still consists of men (82.09%). The age of women and men committing suicide did not differ significantly. Women were more likely to commit suicide in urban areas than men. Women were statistically significantly more likely to be sober or in a state after alcohol consumption at the time of committing suicide. The most commonly chosen method of suicide was death by hanging.

Obesity epidemic and prevailing standards of desired body shape encourage society to use weight loss aids. Thermogenics, which are dietary supplements aimed at increasing energy expenditure, are particularly gaining popularity. These preparations can be easily purchased without prescription and have a complex composition, which means they can interact with numerous substances. The article describes the case of a 31-year-old female patient who, in a suicide attempt, ingested significant amounts of the dietary supplements 'Blue Magic' and 'Purim'. Both supplements contain, among other ingredients: caffeine, yohimbine, reserpine, and synephrine. The patient developed multiple organ failure, which led to her death on the second day of hospitalization. Poisoning by dietary supplements, due to their diverse composition and the lack of correlation between the content and the composition declared by the manufacturer, can pose a significant threat to the health and life of consumers.

Introduction: The development of pneumatic shooting has led to the construction of technologically advanced devices with discharge energies similar to those of firearms. The pneumatic weapons ammunition market offers a variety of shot which varies in penetration properties and the extent of gunshot damage. In view of the ease of "tuning" of air rifles, a study was conducted of the inlet damage to the anterior femoral surface after pneumatic gunshots. The paper shows the differences in damage parameters depending on the type of shot.

Material and methods: In the study, Air Arms Hi-Power Xtra FAC cal. 5.5 mm and FX Bobcat Mk II cal. 6.35 mm pneumatic carbines were used and lead shot by Haendler&Natterman's Spitzkugel type, Hollow Point and Baracuda cal. 5.5 mm and 6.35 mm, as well as lead-free shot Excite Apollo cal. 5.5 mm and Black Max Lead-Free cal. 6.35 mm. Measurements were taken of the extent of inlet damage to the anterior surface of the femoral shaft with X-ray and CT imaging.

Results: HollowPoint shot caused the greatest range of gunshot penetration damage in both bone and periosteum, Apollo lead-free shot caused the least. At the same time, HollowPoint shot showed the greatest susceptibility to ricocheting.

Conclusions: 1. The type of shot used influences diversified morphology of the holes and the nature of gunshot damage to the femoral shaft. The differences concern both the gunshot holes and the nature, course and extent of associated fractures. 2. The smallest inlet holes and damage to the periosteum with a regular shape are caused by gunshots with pointed and pointed tip pellets. The greatest extent of bone and periosteum inlet damage was observed in gunshots with Hollow Point type shot due to its predisposition to deformation and fragmentation. 3. Radio-imaging studies are a valuable complement to macroscopic visual assessment providing a useful value for identifying the type of shot used.

In the study, data from the literature regarding the use of computed tomography in post-mortem examinations (post-mortem computed tomography - PMCT) were analyzed. Literature data indicate that PMCT should be used as a complementary tool rather than an alternative to autopsy, detecting additional changes that may have been unnoticed due to anatomical location or the need to extend traditional autopsy techniques. The ability to save, create and reconstruct images is very helpful in creating documentation and final opinions. There is a need to develop standards for the evaluation of post-mortem computed tomography images, which will enable further development of virtual autopsy techniques in the field of forensic medicine, supported by artificial intelligence.

Introduction: In accordance with the Polish law, pneumatic weapons are weapons that use compressed gas to set a bullet in motion and generate a discharge energy of more than 17J. In recent years, Poland has seen an increase in crimes committed with pneumatic weapons. The research aim of the present study was to measure the velocity of selected 5.5 mm and 6.35 mm caliber shot and to create a model of a human thigh using a pig femur.

Material and methods: This study used Air Arms Hi-Power Xtra FAC cal. 5.5 mm and FX Bobcat Mk II cal. 6.35 mm carbines and Haendler& Natterman's Spitzkugel, Hollow Point and Baracuda cal. 5.5 mm and 6.35 mm lead shot and Excite Apollo cal. 5.5 mm and Black Max Lead-Free cal. 6.35 mm lead-free shot. The velocity of the shot at a distance of 10 m was measured and its kinetic energy was calculated; pig femurs were measured and CT imaging was performed.

Results: The 5.5mm caliber shot reached velocities between 253 m/s and 278 m/s, obtaining energies between 27J and 44J. The 6.35 mm cal. shot reached velocities between 242 m/s and 254 m/s and energies between 52J and 59J. Pig femurs had an average weight of 410 g, a length of 239 mm, and a shaft diameter at mid-length of 30.6mm. The thickness of pig femur shaft walls was variable. A ballistic model of the human thigh was created using gelatin available in Poland.

Conclusions: 1. The number of registered crimes with pneumatic weapons and the wide access to pneumatic devices with the possibility of design modifications justify the initiation of experimental studies on the assessment of gunshot injuries from pneumatic weapons. 2. The parameters of the shaft of a pig femur obtained from pigs weighing about 115 kg are similar to those of a human adult femur, which makes it possible to create a human thigh model. 3. Of the 5.5 mm cal. shot, the highest impact energies were generated by barracuda type shot, and of the 6.35 mm cal. shot, it was barracuda type and lead-free shot. 4. The thickness of the bony layer of the pig femur shaft is heterogeneous; the posterior wall of the shaft is the thickest, the lateral wall is the thinnest; however, it shows the greatest individual variability.

A direct punch with a clenched fist to the face most often results in soft tissue damage, which is usually not serious enough to be considered a severe health impairment. This article presents two cases in which a single punch to the orbital region led to a blowout fracture. The first case resulted in additional displacement of the right lens into the vitreous body, secondary glaucoma and retinal detachment. In the second case, the victim sustained retinal concussion and subretinal haemorrhage due to choroidal rupture at the level of the macula resulting in temporary, almost complete loss of vision. Such injuries, although possible, are not typical of the mechanism described. In both cases, the effects meet the legal definition of impairment of the functioning of a bodily organ or disturbance of health lasting longer than 7 days within the meaning of the relevant article of the Polish Penal Code. Additionally, in the second case, we deal with exposure to direct danger - loss of vision in one eye (another severe disability) within the meaning of the relevant articles of the Polish Penal Code.

Sex determination is an indispensable parameter in identifying unknown deceased individuals. It can narrow down the chances of possible matches by 50%, providing a crucial lead in personal identification. In cases of commingled, decomposed, fragmented, charred and unidentifiable corpses, the importance of dental morphometrics cannot be overlooked due to the resistance of teeth to post-mortem degradation. Addressing this quality of teeth, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a North Indian population to evaluate sexual variations in dental dimensions and to identify the most sexually dimorphic dental dimension. The study included 207 participants (114 females and 93 males) in the age group of 21 to 45 years. Dental casts were prepared after obtaining informed consent from the participants and ethical clearance from the institute's ethical committee. Six odontometric dimensions, namely incisor-incisor distance, inter canine distance, combined width of central incisors, inter-premolar distance, inter-molar distance, and dental arch height of each participant were recorded on the dental casts using standard procedures. Analysis of the data elucidated the existence of statistically significant sexual dimorphism in the dental dimensions of the participants. The results of the discriminant function analysis show a sex determination accuracy of 68.1%, with a cross-validation accuracy of 65.2%. The study found the incisor-incisor distance to be the most sexually dimorphic trait, making it the best predictor of sex in the present population. The results of the present study may be helpful in sex determination and personal identification from dental remains in medico-legal and disaster victim identification cases.