Forensic science最新文献

The thermostability of ABO blood-group antigens in human dental pulp is deseribed. The ability of the enamel and dentine to protect the ABO(H) antigens from thermal damage has also been estimated mathematically.

In consecutive medicolegal material comprising 79 persons, the formazan test revealed recent myocardial infarction in 16 cases (20%). Only 4 of these cases (25%) were demonstrated by macroscopic examination. By means of microscopic examination, the 4 infarctions recognized macroscopically and 5 other cases which were demonstrated by the formazan test could be confirmed. If the formazan test is employed as an independent demonstration of myocardial infarction, a total of 16 cases could be demonstrated (as mentioned above), or four times as many as at macroscopic examination at autopsy.

Three quinoline amines, 2-aminomethylquinoline, 2-hydroxymethylquinoline and quinaldine (2-methylquinoline), are identified in greyhound urine. These amines can interfere in the analysis of greyhound material for basic drugs. This is a special problem in ultraviolet spectrometry since their extinction coefficients are high.

Reference analytical data for these quinoline amines and for six related compounds are given. The techniques used are infrared spectrometry, ultraviolet spectrometry, fluoremetry, thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

The method for spectrophotometric determination of COHb in blood on the basis of difference in absorbancies of deoxy- and carboxy-hemoglobin reported previously ^[1] was further improved. The total blood hemoglobin content was determined by the azide-methemoglobin method instead of the well-known cyanmethemoglobin method. This method was found to be useful even if applied to old or putrefied blood samples.

An investigation on the significance of the temperature when examining the presence of Y-bodies in cells from blood stains was performed. Stains on cotton cloth were placed at 53 °C and 5 °C respectively, and the results were compared with those of an earlier report on stains stored at room temperature. There proved to be a much more rapid decline of the male count, and false negative results appeared earlier. This was most pronounced for the “cold” stains. No false positives were found. Twenty-five fresh blood smears from one male were examined in order to get an impression of the accidental variation. It was found that even in the case of a male with a rather low count (mean: 28%) the chance of accidentally getting a false negative result (<10%) was less than 2%.

Rats were given thallium acetate (5 mg elemental thallium/kg body weight) intraperitoneally daily for 7 days. The brain was fixed by perfusion-fixation and small pieces of the cerebellum were processed for electron microscopy. Variegated mitochondrial profiles, increased incidence of electron — dense bodies and proliferation of Golgi zones were observed in the thallium — poisoned rat corebellum. Multilamellar cytoplasmic bodies were discernible in the cerebellar cortex of the thallium-treated rats.

The quantitative changes in mucopolysaccharides (MPS) and water contents in post-mortem rabbit corneas were studied. On the basis of the results, the post-mortem periods were classified into 4 stages. The first stage was during the first day after death when the MPS and the corneal water contents were observed to have maintained their initial values and the cornea was “clear”. The second was 1 to 3 days after death when the MPS remained at approximately their initial value, whereas the water contents were very pronounced. In this second stage the cornea was “a little clear” or “cloudy”. The third was 3 to 6 days after death when the MPS were found to have decreased gradually, but the water contents maintained their high level. The cornea in this third stage was “cloudy” or “very cloudy”. The fourth was 6 or more days after death when the two parameters were found to have decreased significantly, and the cornea was “very cloudy”.