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Characteristic Changes and 3D Virtual Measurement of Lung CT Image Parameters in the Drowning Rabbit Model JIAN Jun-qi,DENG De-yuan,WAN Lei，et al. 2019, 35(1): 1-4，10.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.001 Abstract ( 257 )   PDF (8160KB) ( 1021 )   Objective To use virtual anatomy technique in the analysis of post-mortem characteristic changes of CT images in the experimental drowning rabbit model and the related parameters in 3D virtual model, so as to explore its application value in the diagnosis of drowning in forensic pathology. Methods A model of drowning rabbits was established, with animal models of hemorrhagic shock and mechanical asphyxia as the controls. CT scan was performed on the experimental animals, and the differences in imaging features between the groups were compared by morphological reading of the tomographic images. CT data were imported into Mimics 14.0 software for 3D modeling. The CT values and lung volumes were calculated by the software, and the differences on CT values and lung volumes brought by different causes of death were analyzed. Results The CT images of lungs in the drowning group showed characteristic ground-glass opacity （diffuse and uniform density increase）. There were no obvious abnormalities in hemorrhagic shock group, and only a few similar changes were found in the mechanical asphyxia group. Compared with the controls, the CT values and the lung volumes in the drowning group were significantly increased （P<0.05）. Conclusion Based on post-mortem lung imaging, the combination of CT value and lung volume changes can effectively reflect the virtual anatomical features in drowning, and provide a diagnostic basis for the forensic identification of drowning. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Expression of Annexin A1 during Skin Incised Wound Healing in Mice JIN Xin, ZHAO Jian-xin, YAO Yi，et al. 2019, 35(1): 5-10.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.002 Abstract ( 250 )   PDF (7219KB) ( 809 )   Objective To investigate the expression changes of annexin A1 （ANXA1） during the process of skin incision healing, and to explore its expression and function during skin injury repair. Methods The skin injury model of mice was prepared, and skin tissues of the controls and the injured group at 6 h, 12 h, 1 d, 3 d, 5 d, 7 d, 10 d and 14 d after injuries were taken. The morphological changes of the wound were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining, and the expression of ANXA1 was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC） and Western blotting. Results HE staining showed normal healing of skin wounds. IHC results revealed that ANXA1 was expressed in the epidermis, hair follicle, sebaceous gland and vascular endothelium. In the injured group, the expression of ANXA1 was enhanced in epidermis and skin appendages around the wound 6-12 h after injury, and ANXA1 was also highly expressed in neutrophils and a small number of mononuclear cells. ANXA1 was mainly positively expressed in monocytes, neovascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts, and small amount of fibroblasts at 1-3 d, 5-10 d, and 14 d after injury, respectively. Western blotting showed that, compared with the controls, the expression of ANXA1 was significantly increased at 6 h after injury, peaked at 1 d, and then decreased gradually in the injured group. Conclusion ANXA1 may be involved in the regulation of skin damage repair, with time-dependent expression during skin wound healing, and thus is expected to be a biological marker for inferring the wound formation time. Related Articles | Metrics

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Stature Estimation of Sichuan Han Females Based on X-ray Photography of Total Lower Limbs CUI Jing-hui, LUO Ying-zhen, CHANG Yun-feng，et al. 2019, 35(1): 11-16.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.003 Abstract ( 217 )   PDF (1060KB) ( 630 )   Objective To establish a mathematical model of stature estimation for Sichuan Han females on the basis of the relationship between lower limbs and individual height, thus to provide evidence for forensic identification. Methods Samples were collected from 171 Sichuan Han females. Large flat panel multi-function digital photography system was used to take the full-body X-ray films of the lower limbs. Indexes of long bones and stature of the subjects were measured, respectively. A linear regression analysis was carried out on the correlation between them, and a mathematical model of the stature calculation was established. Then the mathematical model was used to calculate the stature of another 29 Sichuan Han females to test its accuracy. Results The maximum length of femur （x1） had the highest correlation with stature. A total of 13 linear regression equations were established （P<0.05）, with the correlation coefficient （R） 0.821-0.897 and the standard error of the estimation （SEE） 2.994-3.812 cm. The backtesting showed that the equation y=41.604+1.205 x1+1.318 x6+2.444 x12+1.852 x13-2.388 x14 had the smallest mean absolute deviation （2.485 years old） and the highest accuracy of ±2SEE （92.9%）, and that the equation y=48.783+2.568 x1 had the highest accuracy of ±1SEE （60.7%）. Conclusion The stature estimation is high by using the long bones of the lower limbs has high accuracy. Related Articles | Metrics

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Methylation-Based Age Estimation Model Construction and Its Effectiveness Evaluation LI Shan-fei,PENG Fu-duan,WANG Jian-ning，et al. 2019, 35(1): 17-22.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.004 Abstract ( 341 )   PDF (1263KB) ( 928 )   Objective To screen the DNA methylation loci associated with the age of Han males in northern China and to construct an age estimation model. Methods Twenty-one candidate methylation loci were screened. The DNA methylation levels of 476 blood samples from Chinese Han males were detected for 21 amplicons using EpiTYPER technology platform, and data on 153 DNA methylation loci were obtained. Results After correlation analysis, 8 age-related DNA methylation loci were finally screened. CpG1, CpG2, CpG4, CpG7, CpG8 were located on TRIM59, RASSF5, Clorf132, CSNK1D, ELOVL2,CpG5, CpG6 on PDE4C, and CpG3 on chr17:21452808. Based on the 8 loci, 352 samples were used for model construction. A multivariate linear regression age estimation model was constructed （R2=0.93）, with mean absolute deviation （MAD） of 2.69 years old. When 109 samples were used for model validation, the MAD was 3.80 years old. The test was repeated 3 times in 15 new samples, with MADs of 4.08, 4.68 and 3.93 years old, respectively. Conclusion The age estimation model on Han males in northern China constructed in this study can be used to estimate the age of victims and suspects and to narrow the scope of investigation, and therefore has practical application value. Related Articles | Metrics

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Polymorphism and Forensic Application Value of 71 Y-SNP Loci in Han Population of Northwest China ZHANG Li-nan, SONG Yu-tong, JIANG Lei，et al. 2019, 35(1): 23-29，38.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.005 Abstract ( 215 )   PDF (1551KB) ( 649 )   Objective To analyze the polymorphism of 71 SNP loci on Y chromosome in Han population of Northwest China, to assess its forensic application value, and to screen out Y-SNP loci for forensic examination of Han population in East, South, and Northwest China based on the integration of previous research results. Methods Multiplex polymerase chain reaction （PCR） and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF-MS） were performed on 71 Y-SNP loci of 202 unrelated Han male individuals in Northwest China. Gene diversity （GD） and haplotype diversity （HD） values were calculated, and then Y-SNP loci of Han population in East, South, and Northwest China were screened with the combination of data from previous research. Results Among the detected 71 loci, 67 loci were polymorphic in the Northwest Han male population, with GD values 0.010 0-0.502 2. There were 22 and 25 loci with a moderate （0.2≤GD<0.3） and high （GD≥0.3） amount of genetic information, respectively. There were 26 loci for the Han communities in Northwest, South, and East China. Conclusion Y-SNP loci are potential in paternity testing and individual identification, as well as the judgement of population distribution and migration. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Analysis of Forensic Sciences Literature in SCIE from 2008 to 2017 SHI Ge-fei,HUANG Ping,LIU Ning-guo, et al. 2019, 35(1): 30-38.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.006 Abstract ( 387 )   PDF (1473KB) ( 704 )   Objective To analyze the literature on forensic sciences indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded （SCIE） in recent 10 years, and to understand the research status, characteristics and trends in the field of forensic sciences. Methods Literature on forensic sciences from 2008 to 2017 in Web of Science （WoS） was retrieved. The documents number and geographical distribution, document types, source titles, organizations, research areas, authors, funding agencies, and the high cited articles were detected. The impact factors （IF） of journals were retrieved in Journal Citation Reports （JCR）. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results From 2008 to 2017, there were 21 001 documents on forensic sciences in SCIE. The main document type was articles, with English as the major language. With regards to research areas, pathology has the largest number of papers worldwide, and genetics and heredity has the largest number of publications in mainland China. Among the 18 journals where the documents was published, Forensic Science International ranks the first on publication count, and Forensic Science International Genetics has the highest IF （5.637） in the JCR 2017. In 2017, the number of papers from mainland China increased by 48.50% compared with 2016, which was higher than the global increase （32.63%） and the top-5 countries in terms of number of publications （the US, Germany, the UK, Australia, Italy）. The average document count per organization is 1.98 worldwide and 1.17 in mainland China, respectively. The publication number per author is 0.53 worldwide and 0.36 in mainland China, respectively. Around 28.17% of the publications were funded, with National Natural Science Foundation of China （NSFC） as the Top 1 funding agency （192 papers）. Among the documents with citations, the most cited publication has been cited for 366 times. Conclusion The yearly numbers of publications on forensic sciences are increasing during recent 10 years. Focusing on the mainland China, there would be more high-quality papers with the steady funding of NSFC. Related Articles | Metrics

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Analysis of Causes of Death and Related Factors of 102 Perinatal Infants in Chongqing YANG Zhi-xi, WEI Ze-hong, ZOU Xing，et al. 2019, 35(1): 39-43.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.007 Abstract ( 196 )   PDF (996KB) ( 652 )   Objective To analyze the causes of perinatal death and related factors from the perspective of forensic medicine, and to provide references for reducing perinatal mortality and guidance for forensic identification. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 102 cases of perinatal autopsy with clinical data from the Department of Forensic Medicine of Chongqing Medical University in 2004-2016. Results Of the 102 cases of perinatal deaths, 66 （64.71%） were neonatal deaths, 24 （23.53%） were stillborn foetuses, and 12 （11.76%） were stillbirths. Among the 66 neonatal death cases, 39 （59.09%） died within 1 d, 19 （28.79%） died within 1-3 d, and 8 （12.12%） died within >3-7 d of birth. The top 3 causes of neonatal death were pulmonary diseases, congenital malformation, umbilical cord and placental abnormalities. The causes of stillborn foetus and stillbirth were mainly umbilical cord and placental abnormalities, and intrauterine asphyxia. Conclusion Pulmonary diseases, umbilical cord and placental abnormalities, and congenital malformations are the main causes of perinatal death. In order to reduce the perinatal mortality, pre-pregnancy examination and prenatal care should be strengthened, and the knowledge of pregnancy care should be popularized. Related Articles | Metrics

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Forensic Analysis of 52 Corpses Found in Wells CUI Wan-chao， ZHANG Wen-juan 2019, 35(1): 44-47.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.008 Abstract ( 259 )   PDF (980KB) ( 871 )   Objective To explore the forensic pathological characteristics of corpses in wells, and to summarize the differences in corpses between homicide and suicide, so as to provide references for forensic analysis of such cases. Methods Data of 52 corpses found in wells （51 cases） in Xuchang, Henan Province from 2004 to 2016 were retrospectively collected, and descriptive statistics were performed on the dead individuals, time of death, wells, autopsies, and diatom testings. Results The proportion of males and females in the 52 corpses was 1∶2.5, and 42 people were at the age of >20-50 years （80.8%）. The accuracy of the death time inference were 75.0% and 54.2% within 8 d and 8 d or more after the actual death time, respectively. Most of the wells （84.3%） were small ones with big wellhead diameters of 60-100 cm. The death causes in homicide cases were mainly mechanical injury and suffocation （90.3%） with heads downwards （58.1%）, but that in suicide cases was mostly drow-ning （85.0%） with heads upwards （65.0%） and body surface abrasions （95.0%）. Conclusion Cases of corpses in wells should be comprehensively analyzed according to scene inspections, autopsies, and auxi-liary tests combined with inspection results. Related Articles | Metrics

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Forensic Analysis of 25 Cases of Diffuse Brain Atrophy after Trauma WANG Yao-bin, WANG Li-li, ZHONG Shi-liang 2019, 35(1): 48-51，57.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.009 Abstract ( 214 )   PDF (1090KB) ( 721 )   Objective To study the forensic features of diffuse brain atrophy after trauma, the relationship between age and interval time of post-traumatic brain atrophy, and the relationship between the degree of craniocerebral injury and that of brain atrophy. Methods The forensic features of 25 cases of diffuse brain atrophy after craniocerebral trauma were retrospectively analyzed from aspects of gender, age, craniocerebral injury characteristics, and imaging characteristics of brain atrophy. Pearson correlation analysis was used for statistical analysis. Results Diffuse brain atrophy after trauma could occur in any age group, dominated by severe brain injury. The Pearson correlation coefficients （r） between the time interval of brain atrophy and age were 0.442 （P<0.05）, 0.341 （P>0.05）, and 0.904 （P<0.05） for the overall cases, the group over age 50, and the group under age 50, respectively. The correlation coefficient between the degree of brain injury and that of brain atrophy was 0.579 （P<0.05）, and that between severe brain injury and brain atrophy was 0.788 （P<0.05）. Conclusion The more serious the brain injury, the more severe the brain atrophy. Various degrees of diffuse brain atrophy can occur in severe craniocerebral injury, and diffuse brain atrophy is usually mild and moderate after mild and moderate craniocerebral injury. In the practice of forensic clinical identification, a comprehensive analysis should be conducted with the combination of case materials when the identified person has high risk factors leading to brain atrophy （e.g., hypertension, diabetes, etc.）, plus injury and illness relationship analysis if necessary. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Medicolegal Identification of Medical Malpractices in Orthopaedic Surgery SHI Fang,ZHANG Mao-ying,MA Jing-yuan,et al. 2019, 35(1): 52-51.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.010 Abstract ( 230 )   PDF (1010KB) ( 640 )   Objective To analyze the characteristics of medical malpractices in orthopaedic surgeries, to explore principles and methods in medical legal identification, and to provide basic data for uniform medicolegal standard for the future medical identification. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 cases of medical malpractices in orthopaedic surgery, among the 364 cases archived in Medicolegal Expertise Center of Xi’an Jiaotong University during 2002-2015. Results In the 100 cases of orthopedic medical malpractices, with 104 hospitals involved in, 95 cases were judged with medical errors and the other 9 cases with no error. The top 3 reasons for errors were （1） inadequate observation or estimation of diseases （27.9%）, （2） intraoperative improper operation （17.3%）, and （3） delayed or missed diagnosis and treatment （12.5%）. The consequences of medical malpractices were mostly disability （61%）, followed by prolonged diseases （31%） and death （8%）. With regard to the causal relationship between medical errors and consequences, 95 cases （91.4%） were with causality and the other 9 cases （8.6%） with no causality. Specifically, 56 cases （53.9%） were with medical errors as the secondary causes accounting for 25% causative potency, and 20 cases （19.2%） were with medical errors as the major causes accounting for 75% causative potency. Conclusion It is pivotally important for determining the causative potency of medical errors to analyse the causes of damages in orthopaedic surgery and to distinguish subjective factors from objective ones of medical errors. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Application of OCT in the Forensic Pathological Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis and Myocardial Infarction LI Yang, ZHANG Ning, WANG Cheng-ming，et al. 2019, 35(1): 58-62.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.011 Abstract ( 187 )   PDF (2357KB) ( 684 )   Objective To investigate the value of optical coherence tomography （OCT） in the diagnosis of coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction in forensic identification. Methods OCT and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） examination were performed to examine the pathological samples of coronary artery and myocardial infarction in 5 cases of sudden coronary death. The morphological and local measurement indexes were compared. Results In the OCT images, the layers of coronary artery could be distinguishably featured, and the atheroma plaques had a good morphological correspondence with HE slices. The normal myocardia in the OCT image showed weak light signals with high absorbance, while the fiber scar tissues in the myocardial infarction areas showed strong light signals with low absorbance. There were no significant differences on the fibrous cap thickness in coronary atherosclerotic plaques or intima-media thickness between the OCT images and the HE slices （P>0.05）. In the OCT images, the optical densities of the old myocardial infarction areas （1 226.24±622.66） and those of normal myocardia （3 707.90±962.98） were significantly different （P<0.05）. Conclusion The OCT image has a good morphological consistency with HE slice, thus is expected to be the primary screening method for the forensic pathology examination of coronary artery atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction, which can help to improve the diagnostic accuracy. Related Articles | Metrics

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Genetic Polymorphism of 17 STR Loci in Uygur Population of Akesu in Xinjiang YANG Yang, TONG Ji-jun 2019, 35(1): 63-67.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.012 Abstract ( 431 )   PDF (908KB) ( 910 )   Objective To investigate the genetic polymorphisms of 17 STR loci in Uygur population of Akesu in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Methods Blood samples from 10 094 unrelated individuals of Uygur population of Akesu in Xinjiang were amplified by using the 17+1 PCR amplification kit, and 17 STR loci typing were detected. Allele distribution and population genetic parameters of each locus were calculated, and compared with those of Chinese Han population, and Uygur population of Yili, Hotan and Turpan regions. Results In the 10 094 unrelated Uygur individuals, 252 alleles were detected. All loci meet the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium using a chi-square goodness-of-fit test expectation except vWA loci. Fourteen out of the 17 STR loci, including D13S317, showed high power of discrimination. A significant difference on the allele distribution of all the 17 STR loci was observed between Uygur population of Akesu and Chinese Han population, and the difference of some loci existed between Uygur population of Akesu and the other three Uygur populations. Conclusion The 17 STR loci are highly polymorphic genetic markers, and the polymorphic information could serve as reference data for forensic individual identification and paternity identification in Akesu. Related Articles | Metrics

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Research Advances in Sympathetic Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction and Its Significance in Forensic Science#br# YU Tian-shui,GE Lu-zou,CAO Ji-min 2019, 35(1): 68-73.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.013 Abstract ( 396 )   PDF (925KB) ( 766 )   Sympathetic remodeling after myocardial infarction is presented as denervation, sympathetic nerve sprouting and sympathetic hyperinnervation, and is closely related to ventricular tachyarrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death at convalescence in patients with myocardial infarction. This article reviews the anatomic structure, morphology and functional remodeling of cardiac sympathetic nerve, as well as its role in healed myocardial infarction identification, which may provide references for forensic research. Related Articles | Metrics

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Effect of Corpse Cryopreservation on Forensic Pathological Identification JIA Yu-qing, JIN Guo-dong, TIAN Mei-hui，et al . 2019, 35(1): 74-77.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.014 Abstract ( 377 )   PDF (899KB) ( 892 )   Because cryopreservation can effectively slow down the putrefaction and prolong the preservation time of corpses, it has become the main way of corpse preservation in China. However, it may cause a certain degree of non-specific effects on the corpses and thus interfere with forensic pathological identification. This paper summarizes relevant problems reported in domestic and foreign literature reports and practical identification, and analyzes the effects of cryopreservation on corpses from aspects of anatomical findings, histomorphology, postmortem biochemistry, and postmortem imaging, therefore to provide Chinese forensic workers assistance on problems in their practice of forensic pathology. Related Articles | Metrics

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Proteomics and Its Application in Forensic Pathology HAN Liu-jun,XU Hong-mei,CHEN Long 2019, 35(1): 78-83.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.015 Abstract ( 506 )   PDF (898KB) ( 965 )   Proteomics has become one of the hot topics in modern life sciences. Its application prospects have been confirmed in clinical medical research, such as the discovery of new disease biomarkers, identification of disease-related proteins, and development of new drug targets. However, in the field of forensic science, especially in forensic pathology, it is still in the stage of exploration. This paper reviews the research techniques and the use of proteomics in forensic pathology in domestic and foreign scholars, in order to provide new ideas for the research and application of forensic pathology. Related Articles | Metrics

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Application Prospect of Massively Parallel Sequencing in Mixed Stain Detection LIU Jing, HE Guang-lin, HOU Yi-ping, et al. 2019, 35(1): 84-88，94.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.016 Abstract ( 261 )   PDF (1001KB) ( 854 )   Mixed stains is the common biological sample in sexual crime cases. Its analysis and DNA profiles interpretation are one of the difficulties in forensic examination. The current genetic marking of mixed stain detection mainly rely on capillary electrophoresis （CE） separation technology, and the analysis methods of the results are mainly inclusion rate and likelihood methods. Because CE has limited resolution and is not able to exploit the efficacy of each genetic marker, its ability to split mixed stain is limited. In recent years, the emerging massively parallel sequencing （MPS） technique not only can obtain the base sequence information of genetic markers, but also is capable of detecting multiple genetic markers simultaneously, and thus derives new analytical methods, bringing new opportunities for forensic detection and analysis of mixed stain. This paper intends to review the application prospects of conventional mixed stain analyses and MPS technique, therefore to provide references for later research and practice. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Research Progress on Detection Methods of Amphetamines in Human Hair REN Guan-heng, YAN Qi-jiang, TANG Ying,et al. 2019, 35(1): 89-92.  DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.01.017 Abstract ( 348 )   PDF (909KB) ( 975 )   Amphetamines are chemical synthetic drugs that are becoming increasingly popular in China. As a common sample in the inspection of poisons, hair has the advantages of easy storage, good stability, and long detection time compared with traditional human body fluid samples （blood, urine）, thus possesses an unique application value in the field of forensic toxicology analysis. By now, methods for detecting amphetamines in human hair have been widely used, and validity of the results has been recognized and adopted by the court. This paper reviews domestic and foreign research progress of the detection of amphetamines in hair samples, including the pretreatment and analytic methods. Related Articles | Metrics