Postmortem biochemistry is a valuable tool in forensic investigations, providing insights into the tissue damage and organ dysfunction associated with death. This study aimed to identify biochemical markers that distinguish primary and secondary hypothermia. Twenty-one Wistar rats were allocated into three groups: the Control group (n = 7), which was exposed only to hypothermic conditions, the Alcohol + Hypothermia group (n = 7), and the Benzodiazepines + Hypothermia group (n = 7). The temperature metrics assessed included the normal core temperature, the post-ketamine (0.3 ml injection) core temperature, the immersion temperature, temperature at the onset of hypothermia, and temperature at death. Blood samples were collected from the thoracic aorta in EDTA vacuum tubes for biochemical analysis. The key biochemical parameters measured included the Total Protein (g/L), Albumin (g/L), Globulin (g/L), Albumin to Globulin Ratio, Alanine Aminotransferase (U/L), Alkaline Phosphatase (U/L), Cholesterol (mmol/L), Amylase (U/L), and Lipase (U/L), using an automated IDEXX (Netherlands) cell counter. Significant between-group differences were found for the total protein and globulin levels (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively), with post-hoc tests confirming differences between the alcohol and control, and benzodiazepine and control groups. The cholesterol levels were found to be significantly different through an omnibus test (p = 0.03), but post hoc tests did not confirm these differences on a statistically significant level. The amylase levels varied significantly across all groups (p < 0.001), with post hoc tests confirming significant differences among all pairs: alcohol vs. benzodiazepine (p = 0.002), alcohol vs. control (p = 0.003), and benzodiazepine vs. control (p < 0.001). The lipase levels showed significant differences in the omnibus test (p = 0.030), but there was no significance in the post hoc tests. Amylase emerged as the most significant parameter in our study, with reduced levels strongly associated with secondary hypothermia. These findings highlight the potential use of total protein, globulin, and amylase levels as biomarkers to differentiate between primary and secondary hypothermia in forensic contexts.

Background: Lyme borreliosis is a multisystemic infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Erythema migras is the main clinical marker of the disease. Objective: This study aimed was to investigate the frequency and clinical manifestations of European borreliosis on the skin, and to determine the significance of these findings for diagnosis and therapy. Methods: A retrospective-prospective clinical study of outpatients treated and monitored in a private clinic of an infectologist was conducted over nine years from to 2013-2021. The study was clinical, descriptive and analytical in nature. Results: In the investigated period, 509 (30.8%) patients with borreliosis symptoms were treated. EM in our patients occurred under the following conditions: a) ringed redness, b) redness of target cels and d) continuous round or oval redness of different sizes of individual redness, or multiple occurrences with primary dissemination. Skin changes with multiorgan chronic symptoms of borreliosis occurred in 67.7% of cases the including: walking redness of different shapes and sizes, pink borreliosis stretch marks, white borreliosis stretch marks, borreliosis palms and soles, psoriatic changes, Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, Scleroderma circumscripta-morphae, Erythema nodosum, Granuloma anulare and Lichen striatus et atrophicans. Of the 509 patients treated for borreliosis, 32.3% with multi-organ symptomatology had no skin changes. Conclusion: The skin manifestations of European borreliosis are multi-layered and Erythema migrans are basic, but not the only markers of the disease. ‘Pink borreliose stretch marks, “white borreliosis striae”, “borreliosis palms or soles”, and intermittent redness accompanied by itching are unique markers for the diagnosis of chronic borreliosis, if they are manifested.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a serious ailment that affects people, and the first signs or symptoms usually occurr between the ages of 15 and 45. While the condition is mostly prevalent in men, women are not immune to this disease. This problem is diagnosed with a combination of clinical history and X-rays, pathology and HLAB27 test. The aim of this case study is to demonstrate how macroscopic and microscopic analysis can be used for identification of the disease from a forensic point of view. In April 2018, we exhumed 11 remains near the city Višegrad, twenty-five years after the last war. All the remains were completely skeletonized. The skeleton of a female was specific and shaped like a bamboo branch, with a partial knitting of vertebral bodies in the lumbar region of spine and with total knitting in the thoracic part. The spinous processes were completely knitted. Her son gave informations for verbal autopsy that she had trouble walking and doing normal activities during life. Samples for analysis and pathological diagnostics were used to determine the real bone condition for forensic purposes. To our best knowledge our case is first one in the literature which combines macroscopic and microscopic analysis of AK in exhumed skeletal remains after 25 years of death in modern era of Europe.

OBJECTIVE The hard palate participates in the construction of the oral and nasal cavities and represents the bony barrier between them. Morphological differences of the hard palate are important for forensic medicine, anthropology, anatomy, as well as scientific branches dealing with the study of evolutionary development, populations differences. The aim of this study was to determine sexual dimorphism of hard palate on three-dimensional (3D) models of human skulls using geometric morphometry. MATERIALS AND METHODS The research was conducted on 3D models of 209 human skulls from Bosnian population (139 male, 70 female). On the obtained 3D models, we marked landmarks on the palate using Landmark editor program. Using MorphoJ program we analyzed sex differences of shape and size on hard palate. RESULTS The principal component analysis showed that the first two components (PC1 and PC2) described 55.503% of the total morphological variability of the hard palate. The results of the discriminant analysis showed predictive power for male with 66.91% accuracy and for female with 58.57% accuracy based on the shape and size of the hard palate. The influence of size of the hard palate on its shape was statistically significant (p<0.0001). The results of discriminant analysis based on shape of hard palate showed predictive power for male with 68.34% accuracy and for female with 64.29% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Sex differences of hard palate are statistically significant and can be used for sex determination in skeletal remains. The percentage of accuracy for determining sex based on the hard palate was higher for men in this study.

Background: The correlation between diabetes mellitus and acute myocardial infarction is greater every day. The mean platelet volume (MPV), which is the determinant of platelet function, is an independent risk factor for the cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of each disease (hypothyroidism, hypertension, myocardial infarction) individually and combined on MPV in diabetic patients.Methods: The cross-sectional study included 102 patients who suffer from diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2), of both sexes (46 females, 56 males), with the average age of 58.91 (SD=12.93). All the patients were treated at the Primary Health Centre in Zenica from May to July 2017. All patients had diabetes mellitus and the disease had lasted for 10 years in both sexes.Results: Mean platelet volume was significantly higher in patients with myocardial infarction than in those without myocardial infarction. Age, sex, HbA1c, BMI, lipids and platelet count did not show any significance in either group of patients. Regression analysis showed that the prevalence of myocardial infarction had the highest predictive significance for MPV values, (predictor importance 0.49; coefficient 1.275, p<0.001).Conclusions: Mean platelet volume was significantly higher in patients with diabetes mellitus and myocardial infarction than in DM patients without myocardial infarction. Regression analysis showed correlation with acute myocardial infarction in patients with DMT2, but not with other chronic illnesses. The highest platelet volume indices were observed in patients with myocardial infarction. MPV can be used as a specific indicator in diabetic patients with myocardial infarction.   

Background: The aim of the study was to find out what happens to erythrocytes and their forms during life and after death as a result of high water temperature.Methods: Heat stress was used on a rat model.to investigate the effects of different temperature intensities (37°C and 44°C) and exposure time (20 min and until the time of death) on erythrocyte morphology. Total of 23 Wistar rats were divided into two groups: 37°C as control group and 44°C as trial groups. The trial groups were classified into antemortem the exposure time of 20 min and postmortem groups exposure time until fatal outcome. The anaesthetised rats were exposed to preheated water using the water bath. May-Grünwald-Giemsa colouring technique was applied on blood samples taken from the abdominal aorta. Results: Exposure of Wistar rats to water temperature in groups KG37 and G44 led to a significant changes in core temperature. In the control group, the thermoregulatory mechanism established normothermia, and in G44 hyperthermia was detected during 20 minutes of exposure. The frequency of heat stroke in group G44 was 43.8%. Target cells and anulocytes were predominant in antemortem group at 44°C, while anulocytes and spherocytes in postmortem groups 44°C, respectively. Dacryocytes with spherocytes were significantly higher in postmortem group 44°C than in antemortem group 44°C (p=0.002, p=0.017, respectively).Conclusions: Poikilocytosis is associated with the exposure length and temperature intensity. Following a fatal outcome dacryocytes with spherocytes at 44°C were significantly more than in corresponding antemortem groups.

Introduction/Objective. The diffuse axonal injury has a very important place in clinical and forensic aspects of neurotraumatology. A special challenge is proving it in situations of short survival (less than two hours) after a craniocerebral injury. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of beta-amyloid precursor protein (?APP) immunohistochemical staining in postmortem diagnosis of axonal injuries in head injury survival shorter than two hours, its expression and distribution through the brain tissue of the deceased. Methods. 36 adult fatalities, both sexes, injured by acceleration-deceleration mechanisms were divided into two groups: died up to two hours and died more than two hours after the injury. Immunostaining of brain tissue samples (frontal parasagittal white mass, genu and splenium of the corpus callosum and rostral pons) was used to register ?APP positivity. Data were processed by methods of descriptive and inferential nonparametric statistics, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The ?APP immunopositivity was shown in 88.9% of cases (82.3% of ? two hours group vs. 94.7% of > two hours group). ?APP expression was enhanced towards the posterior structures of the brain. The shortest survival period with detected ?APP immunopositivity was 20-25 minutes, in three cases. There was an association of ?APP expression in the brainstem and interhemispheric/paramesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage (p = 0.035). Conclusion. ?APP immunohistochemical staining is effective in proving diffuse axonal injury in casualties that survived less than half an hour. Interhemispheric/paramesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage may indicate a more severe form of axonal injury.

Aim To compare hospital costs of acute limb ischemia treatment in two periods of time and to show evidence of long-term repercussions on reducing costs during successful treatment. Methods Retrospective analysis of data obtained from 100 patients' medical history in the period 2000-2016 at the Clinic of Vascular Surgery Sarajevo: group A - 60 patients with acute limb ischemia in the period 2005-2016 and group B - 40 patients with acute limb ischemia (ALI) in the period 2000-2005. From 2000 to 2005 conservative treatment method was used, invasive diagnostic and surgical procedures were often delayed for a shorter or longer period of time. During the period from 2005 to 2016, the management model and safe practice included emergency diagnostic procedures, colour-Doppler, arteriography, emergency surgery (embolectomy by Fogharty and if necessary, vascular by-pass). Results Better health service for the patients with acute limb ischemia was offered in the period 2005-2016, which relied on proven medical treatment trends. The largest share of the total costs of each patient included costs of hospital bed with significant difference between the period 2005-2016 and 2000-2005, mean of 1398.71 KM and 2480.45KM, respectively (p<0.0001), indicating rationalization of time that patients spend at the Vascular Clinic. Conclusion This trend of money/fund savings is an example of good practice, effectiveness and efficiency in the treatment of ALI and as such was used in patients with other vascular diseases.