Background: Nearly all practical forensic age diagnostics studies estimate the probability distri... more Background: Nearly all practical forensic age diagnostics studies estimate the probability distribution of the age conditional on the developmental status of a certain anatomical feature. Given such a probability distribution, the probability of a person exceeding a certain legal age threshold is computed. In court, forensic experts are often asked to summarize the probabilities obtained by evaluating different age indicators of the same person. Objective: The present study demonstrates computation of the age probability distribution conditional on the conjunction of several different age indicators given the age probability distributions conditional on the development status of the respective single anatomical features. Material and methods: Data from two distinctively different studies on age estimation were used to join their probability information via Bayes' theorem. Each of the cited studies is based on the development status of only one of two different anatomical structures: third molar and clavicular epiphysis. Results: We derive general formulae for Bayesian information joining in forensic age estimation. Posterior distributions of age class, given the simultaneous statuses of the two anatomical features are generated. Finally, the study presents the technique on an artificial case example. Conclusion: Bayes' theorem can be used in forensic age estimations to combine information from several different anatomical features to yield more precise probability values of age given development status data of several distinctly different anatomical features. Conditional stochastic independence of the single age indicators as used in our article has to be scrutinized and is not generally recommendable. Keywords Forensic age estimation in the living • Anatomical age markers • Age probability distribution • Joining age information • Bayes theorem Practical conclusion The study presented demonstrates information fusing from different single predictors, providing probabilities for forensic age estimation. Equation 8 of the single age indicators as presupposition has to be scrutinized.
medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Apr 20, 2023
Rectal temperature measurement (RTM) from crime scenes is an important parameter for temperature-... more Rectal temperature measurement (RTM) from crime scenes is an important parameter for temperature-based time of death estimation (TDE). Various influential variables exist in TDE methods like the uncertainty in thermal and environmental parameters. Although RTM depends in particular on the location of measurement position, this relationship has never been investigated separately. The presented study fills this gap using Finite Element (FE) simulations of body cooling. A manually meshed coarse human FE model and an FE geometry model developed from the CT scan of a male corpse are used for TDE sensitivity analysis. The coarse model is considered with and without a support structure of moist soil. As there is no clear definition of ideal rectal temperature measurement location for TDE, possible variations in RTM location (RTML) are considered based on anatomy and forensic practice. The maximum variation of TDE caused by RTML changes is investigated via FE simulation. Moreover, the influence of ambient temperature, of FE model change and of the models positioning on a wet soil underground are also discussed. As a general outcome, we notice that maximum TDE deviations of up to ca. 2-3 h due to RTML deviations have to be expected. The direction of maximum influence of RTML change on TDE generally was on the line caudal to cranial. Keywords Temperature-based death time estimation, heat equation, Finite Element cooling model, core temperature measurement uncertainty, death time estimation uncertainty All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Feb 12, 2016
The accuracy of the input parameter values limits the accuracy of the output values in forensic t... more The accuracy of the input parameter values limits the accuracy of the output values in forensic temperaturebased death time estimation (TDE) like in many scientific methods. A standard strategy to overcome this problem is to perform multiple measurements of the input parameter values, but such approaches are subject to noise accumulation and stochastic dependencies. A quantitative mathematical analysis of advantages as well as disadvantages of multiple measurements approaches (MMAs) was performed. The results areA general stochastic model of MMA.-The information degradation inequality quantifying gains and losses of MMAs.-Example calculations of the information degradation inequality for the following two MMAs relevant to TDE: o Multiple successive rectal temperature measurements o Multiple synchronous body layer temperature measurements Neither multiple successive rectal temperature measurements nor multiple synchronous body layer temperature measurements seem to significantly improve death time estimation. MMAs are superior to the single measurement approach only in the very early body cooling phase.
Background: Generally, disc changes are of degenerative origin and develop over a longer time spa... more Background: Generally, disc changes are of degenerative origin and develop over a longer time span. Accidental incidents with isolated traumatic disc ruptures are rare events; however, occupants involved in low velocity accidents often claim a causal relationship between disc changes and accidents. In forensic casework the adequacy of the biomechanical load to cause traumatic disc rupture has to be assessed. Objective: Based on patient data we addressed the following issues:-Do traumatic cervical disc rupture occur in low velocity accidents?-Are there always accompanying injuries in neuroradiological imaging?-What are the main injury mechanisms? Methods: In this study we analyzed cases of traumatic disc ruptures without other severe injuries in patients who underwent surgical treatment between 2010 and 2021. The purpose was to identify cases with traumatic disc ruptures following low velocity scenarios. The sample contained 16 cases with the main diagnosis of traumatic cervical disc rupture. Results: Falls caused traumatic disc rupture in 14 of the cases, while traffic accidents caused disc injury in 2 cases only. Radiological signs of acute trauma as well as sensorimotor deficits or pain were present in every case. Of the patients six did not sustain accompanying fractures. In the majority of cases a hyperextension mechanism was assumed, even though an exact reconstruction of the load was not possible in every case. Conclusion: This study renders traumatic genesis of a disc rupture highly unlikely in patients involved in low velocity scenarios. Medical imaging without accompanying injuries or signs of acute trauma, e.g., in terms of bleeding, bony or ligamentous lesions, supports a non-accidental cause of disc changes. Nevertheless, expert opinions require case by case evaluation taking account of patient-specific and case-specific conditions.
Acts of violence often result in blunt force trauma. On behalf of the court, forensic experts not... more Acts of violence often result in blunt force trauma. On behalf of the court, forensic experts not only have to assess injuries in terms of morphology or severity, but they also have to give statements regarding the risk of potential fatal injuries. We describe a case of domestic violence where a man hit the head of his wife using a rubber mallet. His wife sustained extensive and multiple parietal scalp lacerations and avulsions with exposure of the cranial bone. A CCT revealed neither skull fractures nor intracranial injuries. Biomechanical measurements were performed using a bowling ball and an animal head representing head surrogates. In comparison to steel hammer impacts we hypothesized longer contact durations and lower maximum contact forces in blows with a rubber mallet. However, contact durations in the magnitude of 3 ms do not confirm our hypothesis. The contact forces calculated based on mallet and animal head accelerations were between 2.97 kN and 4.68 kN. These force values are rather below the parietal fracture thresholds, explaining the absence of parietal skull fractures in the case presented. Moreover, the relatively low Young's modulus comes along with a deformation of the rubber mallet and a decrease in contact pressure. In summary, contact times could be reliably estimated, while contact forces remained largely uncertain.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Jun 28, 2018
Forensic and biomechanical assessment in case of blunt force trauma can be a challenging task esp... more Forensic and biomechanical assessment in case of blunt force trauma can be a challenging task especially when deformable striking objects are used. Evaluations solely based on empirical knowledge can lead to misjudgments. Semi-quantitative and quantitative investigations give the forensic assessment a scientific basis comprising experimental and calculation methods. Based on a real case where a car wheel was used as a striking object, our work presents a simple test setup for contact force estimation in head contacts with deformable contact partners. Our approach combines experimental measurements using a single accelerometer and calculations applying the conservation of linear momentum and Newton's second law. Both experimental and calculation results are discussed in terms of validity, reproducibility, and plausibility. With regard to our case, we can conclude that the injury pattern without skull fractures does not confound multiple strikes with a wheel. Skull fractures and potential fatal injuries had not to be expected assuming a head-carcass contact in case of a non-supported head. The approach presented can be applied to any case where deformable or uncommon blunt objects are used.
For many applications of SAR interferometry phase unwrapping is an essential processing step. How... more For many applications of SAR interferometry phase unwrapping is an essential processing step. However, though unwrapping errors usually result in large error contributions compared with thermal or decorrelation noise, algorithms for fast and reliable phase unwrapping are still under investigation. Phase unwrapping becomes difficult when the signal is affected by strong decorrelation noise (repeat pass interferometry) or the signals from the scattering objects are not sampled correctly (layover). At DLR a digital elevation model (DEM) processing system is currently developed for ERS Tandem data and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data, that relies hardly on correctly unwrapped phase values. The weighted least squares approach used until recently seemed to give locally good results, but it turned out to produce slowly varying large scale errors. In 1996 Costantini (1996, 1998) proposed a new branch cut based phase unwrapping algorithm, that minimizes the total weighted length of branch cuts in the image (minimum cost flow). The present authors' experiences with a prototype implementation were promising with some restrictions. The giant memory requirements of the general purpose minimum cost flow code limited the usability to smaller scenes (2700×2700) even on a larger computer. In response to this problem the authors developed a new MCF implementation, optimized with respect to memory and speed for InSAR phase unwrapping. Another problem is to correctly guide the branch cuts through alpine or forested terrain. The authors present cost functions that improve the unwrapping result in such regions
Haemophagocytosis in the bone marrow of patients who have succumbed to COVID-19 has not been wide... more Haemophagocytosis in the bone marrow of patients who have succumbed to COVID-19 has not been widely studied. The aim of the present study was to perform morphological analyses and morphometry of haemophagocytosis in bone marrow of patients with severe COVID-19 and to correlate the findings to the clinical course of the disease. Methods and Results: In the single-centre study at the University Hospital Jena bone marrow specimens of 15 deceased patients with severe course of COVID-19 were sampled from vertebral column during autopsy. Slides of bone marrow were stained with routine stains or immunohistochemistry and further examined for haemophagocytosis using light microscopy. To substantiate morphological findings additional slides were stained against CD163 and morphometry was performed. In all bone marrow samples, a relative increase in cellularity was found. Haemophagocytes with erythrophagocytosis were detectable in 67% of the deceased patients. In tissues with low number of haemophagocytes or ill-defined haemophagocytes, an increase in iron deposits was frequently seen. Next, morphological findings were correlated with several important clinical data and the H-Score was calculated to posthumously confirm the diagnosis secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH). Median duration of disease and hospitalisation time were shorter in patients with haemophagocytosis (n=10) compared to patients without haemophagocytosis (n=5). In addition, patients with haemophagocytes showed increased inflammatory parameters two to five days prior to death compared to patients without haemophagocytes. Conclusions: Haemophagocytosis is a common finding in the bone marrow of deceased with severe COVID-19 and may designate fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Oct 9, 2020
Falls over railings are frequent case scenarios forensic experts are confronted with. An importan... more Falls over railings are frequent case scenarios forensic experts are confronted with. An important issue is the differentiation of accidental and non-accidental falling scenarios. From a biomechanical point of view, this is a challenging task and should be addressed in a multifactorial approach. This work presents a simplified mechanical model in terms of a cranked rod that can be used in cases without relevant dynamic components in terms of pushing or jumping. If the anti-slip and the anti-tilt condition are violated, the possibility for a person to get over a railing should be assumed and investigated in more detail. Because our approach also involves uncertainties, the formulae should be understood to be part of a multifactorial approach. Numerical simulation, experimental reconstruction, injury pattern, and trace analysis can yield additional substantial connecting facts.
A method to estimate the time since death using immunohistochemistry was exposed.-With increasing... more A method to estimate the time since death using immunohistochemistry was exposed.-With increasing postmortem interval (pmi) the stainability of antigens decreases.-This allows a rough estimation of the time since death.-In this first control study the reduced stainability of antigens can be confirmed.-For thyreoglobulin and calcitonin we received much earlier negative stainings.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Jun 18, 1999
Conduction and convection are assumed to account for most of the energy loss from the dead body t... more Conduction and convection are assumed to account for most of the energy loss from the dead body to the (cooler) environment. There are no quantitative estimations in the literature for the contribution of radiation to heat loss. The aim of the present paper was to estimate the radiation energy loss in postmortem cooling. The Stefan-Boltzmann law is used and combined with a single-exponential model for the cooling process of the skin derived from experimental data of Lyle and Cleveland (1956). The influence of various factors (e.g. skin temperature, environmental temperature, body mass and body height) on the amount of radiation emitted was investigated. The radiation energy is quantitatively described as a function of time. The radiation energy loss ranged from approximately 200 kJ in small (165 cm) and lean (50 kg) bodies at room temperature (20 degrees C) to approximately 600 kJ in tall (185 cm) and over-weight (100 kg) bodies at outdoor temperature (5 degrees C) in the first hour postmortem.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Aug 7, 2019
Fatal head injuries are frequently seen in pedestrians hit by motorized vehicles. In our case, th... more Fatal head injuries are frequently seen in pedestrians hit by motorized vehicles. In our case, the pedestrian sustained a devastating head injury with skull splitting in the mediosagittal plane. A car collided with a traffic sign causing a bending of the pole. The metal pole hit a man standing close beside it; the man had a head injury severity that is more commonly due to falling objects than due to traffic accidents. Assuming a head mass of 5 kg, simplified calculations yield maximum contact forces of ca. 36 kN exceeding mean parietal fracture forces which are in the order of magnitude of 12.5 kN. The influences of the effective body mass and the horizontal distance between the pole and the pedestrian on maximum contact forces are investigated. High contact forces in our case can be mainly explained by the comparably high impact velocity and by a partial mass transfer of the total car mass to the pole.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Mar 15, 2018
Forensic experts often have to assess injury and fatality risks in the context of violent blunt f... more Forensic experts often have to assess injury and fatality risks in the context of violent blunt force trauma. Maximum striking velocities in one-and two-handed strikes with a rod-like implement can be of particular interest. Current literature lacks studies addressing this problem. The purpose of this study was therefore to measure and analyse maximum striking velocities in one-handed and two-handed strikes in female and male volunteers. We hypothesised higher striking velocities in two-handed strikes compared to one-handed strikes. Fifty volunteers performed one-and two-handed strikes from top to bottom using a steel rod of 65 cm length and 1000 g weight. A Qualisys™ Motion Analysis system registered displacements of reflecting markers fixed to the rod as well as to the volunteer's body. In one-handed strikes, the mean maximum striking velocity was 17.2 m/s in the female sample and 23.9 m/s in the male sample. Statistically not significantly different maximum striking velocities were found in two-handed strikes with mean values of 18.3 m/s in the female sample and 24.2 m/s in the male sample. Female and male volunteers also yielded similar mean maximum striking velocities in two-handed strikes comparing 'overhead' and 'overshoulder' striking techniques. In conclusion, the striking technique did not relevantly influence maximum striking velocities in our setup.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Dec 22, 2022
The reconstruction of traffic accidents involving powered two-wheelers (PTWs) frequently proves t... more The reconstruction of traffic accidents involving powered two-wheelers (PTWs) frequently proves to be a challenging task. A case in which a fatal head-on crash of a PTW with a small truck where only minor vehicles damage was observed but resulted in isolated fatal chest trauma is discussed here. External examination of the corpse revealed two lacerations on the back, at the first glance implying sharp trauma. Based on the accident traces, the technical expert assumed an emergency break of the PTW rider resulting in a rotation of the PTW in terms of a wheelie on the front wheel. The first contact between the PTW rider and the tail end of the small truck probably occurred with the upper side of the helmet, and then, the back handle of the PTW caused the stab-like injuries followed by compression of the rider between the small truck or asphalt and the PTW. Based on the few accident traces available, neither a reconstruction of the pre-impact velocity nor a detailed reconstruction of the PTW rider kinematics was possible. However, using an interdisciplinary approach, the principal collision position as well as the injury mechanisms could be reconstructed.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Dec 17, 2022
Chronic aortic dissections and pseudoaneurysms caused by chest trauma are rare and generally have... more Chronic aortic dissections and pseudoaneurysms caused by chest trauma are rare and generally have to be critically distinguished from non-traumatic dissections and aneurysms. We present a well-documented case of a post-traumatic aortic dissection that ruptured about 9 months after chest trauma. A motorcyclist sustained fractures of the forearm and chest trauma with paravertebral rib serial fractures and hemopneumothorax. Nine months after the accident, echocardiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm that ruptured 3 months later and 1 month prior to the planned surgery. An autopsy showed pericardial tamponade following a rupture of the dissected aorta. Accident scene documentation was consistent with a head-on collision of the motorcycle against the left front side of the car. The relative speed was about 55 km/h. Aggravation of unspecific symptoms after discharge, initial CT imaging, and the absence of atherosclerosis or medial necrosis hold for a post-traumatic genesis of the dissection in our case. Initially, the accident insurance company rejected the regulation. In the second instance, they revised rejection based on our interdisciplinary expert opinion.
Highlights ========== In homicide cases used: Stomach content death time estimation (Tröger, Ba... more Highlights ========== In homicide cases used: Stomach content death time estimation (Tröger, Baur, Spann) (SCE) SCE gives confidence intervals for its estimator TEE of time between last meal and death We show that TEE is not optimal in the sense of Maximum Probability estimation (MPE) The article gives update formulae and diagrams to change TEE to an MPE It is shown that: (1) TEE > MPE; (2) (TEE-MPE) > 0.15 * TEE; (3) (TEE-MPE
Numerous physiological and pathological mechanisms can cause elevated or lowered body core temper... more Numerous physiological and pathological mechanisms can cause elevated or lowered body core temperatures. Deviations from the physiological level of about 37°C can influence temperature based death time estimations. However, it has not been investigated by means of thermodynamics, to which extent hypo-and hyperthermia bias death time estimates. Using numerical simulation, the present study investigates the errors inherent in temperature based death time estimation in case of elevated or lowered body core temperatures before death. The most considerable errors with regard to the normothermic model occur in the first few hours post-mortem. With decreasing body core temperature and increasing post-mortem time the error diminishes and stagnates at a nearly constant level.
Background: Nearly all practical forensic age diagnostics studies estimate the probability distri... more Background: Nearly all practical forensic age diagnostics studies estimate the probability distribution of the age conditional on the developmental status of a certain anatomical feature. Given such a probability distribution, the probability of a person exceeding a certain legal age threshold is computed. In court, forensic experts are often asked to summarize the probabilities obtained by evaluating different age indicators of the same person. Objective: The present study demonstrates computation of the age probability distribution conditional on the conjunction of several different age indicators given the age probability distributions conditional on the development status of the respective single anatomical features. Material and methods: Data from two distinctively different studies on age estimation were used to join their probability information via Bayes' theorem. Each of the cited studies is based on the development status of only one of two different anatomical structures: third molar and clavicular epiphysis. Results: We derive general formulae for Bayesian information joining in forensic age estimation. Posterior distributions of age class, given the simultaneous statuses of the two anatomical features are generated. Finally, the study presents the technique on an artificial case example. Conclusion: Bayes' theorem can be used in forensic age estimations to combine information from several different anatomical features to yield more precise probability values of age given development status data of several distinctly different anatomical features. Conditional stochastic independence of the single age indicators as used in our article has to be scrutinized and is not generally recommendable. Keywords Forensic age estimation in the living • Anatomical age markers • Age probability distribution • Joining age information • Bayes theorem Practical conclusion The study presented demonstrates information fusing from different single predictors, providing probabilities for forensic age estimation. Equation 8 of the single age indicators as presupposition has to be scrutinized.
medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Apr 20, 2023
Rectal temperature measurement (RTM) from crime scenes is an important parameter for temperature-... more Rectal temperature measurement (RTM) from crime scenes is an important parameter for temperature-based time of death estimation (TDE). Various influential variables exist in TDE methods like the uncertainty in thermal and environmental parameters. Although RTM depends in particular on the location of measurement position, this relationship has never been investigated separately. The presented study fills this gap using Finite Element (FE) simulations of body cooling. A manually meshed coarse human FE model and an FE geometry model developed from the CT scan of a male corpse are used for TDE sensitivity analysis. The coarse model is considered with and without a support structure of moist soil. As there is no clear definition of ideal rectal temperature measurement location for TDE, possible variations in RTM location (RTML) are considered based on anatomy and forensic practice. The maximum variation of TDE caused by RTML changes is investigated via FE simulation. Moreover, the influence of ambient temperature, of FE model change and of the models positioning on a wet soil underground are also discussed. As a general outcome, we notice that maximum TDE deviations of up to ca. 2-3 h due to RTML deviations have to be expected. The direction of maximum influence of RTML change on TDE generally was on the line caudal to cranial. Keywords Temperature-based death time estimation, heat equation, Finite Element cooling model, core temperature measurement uncertainty, death time estimation uncertainty All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Feb 12, 2016
The accuracy of the input parameter values limits the accuracy of the output values in forensic t... more The accuracy of the input parameter values limits the accuracy of the output values in forensic temperaturebased death time estimation (TDE) like in many scientific methods. A standard strategy to overcome this problem is to perform multiple measurements of the input parameter values, but such approaches are subject to noise accumulation and stochastic dependencies. A quantitative mathematical analysis of advantages as well as disadvantages of multiple measurements approaches (MMAs) was performed. The results areA general stochastic model of MMA.-The information degradation inequality quantifying gains and losses of MMAs.-Example calculations of the information degradation inequality for the following two MMAs relevant to TDE: o Multiple successive rectal temperature measurements o Multiple synchronous body layer temperature measurements Neither multiple successive rectal temperature measurements nor multiple synchronous body layer temperature measurements seem to significantly improve death time estimation. MMAs are superior to the single measurement approach only in the very early body cooling phase.
Background: Generally, disc changes are of degenerative origin and develop over a longer time spa... more Background: Generally, disc changes are of degenerative origin and develop over a longer time span. Accidental incidents with isolated traumatic disc ruptures are rare events; however, occupants involved in low velocity accidents often claim a causal relationship between disc changes and accidents. In forensic casework the adequacy of the biomechanical load to cause traumatic disc rupture has to be assessed. Objective: Based on patient data we addressed the following issues:-Do traumatic cervical disc rupture occur in low velocity accidents?-Are there always accompanying injuries in neuroradiological imaging?-What are the main injury mechanisms? Methods: In this study we analyzed cases of traumatic disc ruptures without other severe injuries in patients who underwent surgical treatment between 2010 and 2021. The purpose was to identify cases with traumatic disc ruptures following low velocity scenarios. The sample contained 16 cases with the main diagnosis of traumatic cervical disc rupture. Results: Falls caused traumatic disc rupture in 14 of the cases, while traffic accidents caused disc injury in 2 cases only. Radiological signs of acute trauma as well as sensorimotor deficits or pain were present in every case. Of the patients six did not sustain accompanying fractures. In the majority of cases a hyperextension mechanism was assumed, even though an exact reconstruction of the load was not possible in every case. Conclusion: This study renders traumatic genesis of a disc rupture highly unlikely in patients involved in low velocity scenarios. Medical imaging without accompanying injuries or signs of acute trauma, e.g., in terms of bleeding, bony or ligamentous lesions, supports a non-accidental cause of disc changes. Nevertheless, expert opinions require case by case evaluation taking account of patient-specific and case-specific conditions.
Acts of violence often result in blunt force trauma. On behalf of the court, forensic experts not... more Acts of violence often result in blunt force trauma. On behalf of the court, forensic experts not only have to assess injuries in terms of morphology or severity, but they also have to give statements regarding the risk of potential fatal injuries. We describe a case of domestic violence where a man hit the head of his wife using a rubber mallet. His wife sustained extensive and multiple parietal scalp lacerations and avulsions with exposure of the cranial bone. A CCT revealed neither skull fractures nor intracranial injuries. Biomechanical measurements were performed using a bowling ball and an animal head representing head surrogates. In comparison to steel hammer impacts we hypothesized longer contact durations and lower maximum contact forces in blows with a rubber mallet. However, contact durations in the magnitude of 3 ms do not confirm our hypothesis. The contact forces calculated based on mallet and animal head accelerations were between 2.97 kN and 4.68 kN. These force values are rather below the parietal fracture thresholds, explaining the absence of parietal skull fractures in the case presented. Moreover, the relatively low Young's modulus comes along with a deformation of the rubber mallet and a decrease in contact pressure. In summary, contact times could be reliably estimated, while contact forces remained largely uncertain.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Jun 28, 2018
Forensic and biomechanical assessment in case of blunt force trauma can be a challenging task esp... more Forensic and biomechanical assessment in case of blunt force trauma can be a challenging task especially when deformable striking objects are used. Evaluations solely based on empirical knowledge can lead to misjudgments. Semi-quantitative and quantitative investigations give the forensic assessment a scientific basis comprising experimental and calculation methods. Based on a real case where a car wheel was used as a striking object, our work presents a simple test setup for contact force estimation in head contacts with deformable contact partners. Our approach combines experimental measurements using a single accelerometer and calculations applying the conservation of linear momentum and Newton's second law. Both experimental and calculation results are discussed in terms of validity, reproducibility, and plausibility. With regard to our case, we can conclude that the injury pattern without skull fractures does not confound multiple strikes with a wheel. Skull fractures and potential fatal injuries had not to be expected assuming a head-carcass contact in case of a non-supported head. The approach presented can be applied to any case where deformable or uncommon blunt objects are used.
For many applications of SAR interferometry phase unwrapping is an essential processing step. How... more For many applications of SAR interferometry phase unwrapping is an essential processing step. However, though unwrapping errors usually result in large error contributions compared with thermal or decorrelation noise, algorithms for fast and reliable phase unwrapping are still under investigation. Phase unwrapping becomes difficult when the signal is affected by strong decorrelation noise (repeat pass interferometry) or the signals from the scattering objects are not sampled correctly (layover). At DLR a digital elevation model (DEM) processing system is currently developed for ERS Tandem data and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data, that relies hardly on correctly unwrapped phase values. The weighted least squares approach used until recently seemed to give locally good results, but it turned out to produce slowly varying large scale errors. In 1996 Costantini (1996, 1998) proposed a new branch cut based phase unwrapping algorithm, that minimizes the total weighted length of branch cuts in the image (minimum cost flow). The present authors' experiences with a prototype implementation were promising with some restrictions. The giant memory requirements of the general purpose minimum cost flow code limited the usability to smaller scenes (2700×2700) even on a larger computer. In response to this problem the authors developed a new MCF implementation, optimized with respect to memory and speed for InSAR phase unwrapping. Another problem is to correctly guide the branch cuts through alpine or forested terrain. The authors present cost functions that improve the unwrapping result in such regions
Haemophagocytosis in the bone marrow of patients who have succumbed to COVID-19 has not been wide... more Haemophagocytosis in the bone marrow of patients who have succumbed to COVID-19 has not been widely studied. The aim of the present study was to perform morphological analyses and morphometry of haemophagocytosis in bone marrow of patients with severe COVID-19 and to correlate the findings to the clinical course of the disease. Methods and Results: In the single-centre study at the University Hospital Jena bone marrow specimens of 15 deceased patients with severe course of COVID-19 were sampled from vertebral column during autopsy. Slides of bone marrow were stained with routine stains or immunohistochemistry and further examined for haemophagocytosis using light microscopy. To substantiate morphological findings additional slides were stained against CD163 and morphometry was performed. In all bone marrow samples, a relative increase in cellularity was found. Haemophagocytes with erythrophagocytosis were detectable in 67% of the deceased patients. In tissues with low number of haemophagocytes or ill-defined haemophagocytes, an increase in iron deposits was frequently seen. Next, morphological findings were correlated with several important clinical data and the H-Score was calculated to posthumously confirm the diagnosis secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH). Median duration of disease and hospitalisation time were shorter in patients with haemophagocytosis (n=10) compared to patients without haemophagocytosis (n=5). In addition, patients with haemophagocytes showed increased inflammatory parameters two to five days prior to death compared to patients without haemophagocytes. Conclusions: Haemophagocytosis is a common finding in the bone marrow of deceased with severe COVID-19 and may designate fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Oct 9, 2020
Falls over railings are frequent case scenarios forensic experts are confronted with. An importan... more Falls over railings are frequent case scenarios forensic experts are confronted with. An important issue is the differentiation of accidental and non-accidental falling scenarios. From a biomechanical point of view, this is a challenging task and should be addressed in a multifactorial approach. This work presents a simplified mechanical model in terms of a cranked rod that can be used in cases without relevant dynamic components in terms of pushing or jumping. If the anti-slip and the anti-tilt condition are violated, the possibility for a person to get over a railing should be assumed and investigated in more detail. Because our approach also involves uncertainties, the formulae should be understood to be part of a multifactorial approach. Numerical simulation, experimental reconstruction, injury pattern, and trace analysis can yield additional substantial connecting facts.
A method to estimate the time since death using immunohistochemistry was exposed.-With increasing... more A method to estimate the time since death using immunohistochemistry was exposed.-With increasing postmortem interval (pmi) the stainability of antigens decreases.-This allows a rough estimation of the time since death.-In this first control study the reduced stainability of antigens can be confirmed.-For thyreoglobulin and calcitonin we received much earlier negative stainings.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Jun 18, 1999
Conduction and convection are assumed to account for most of the energy loss from the dead body t... more Conduction and convection are assumed to account for most of the energy loss from the dead body to the (cooler) environment. There are no quantitative estimations in the literature for the contribution of radiation to heat loss. The aim of the present paper was to estimate the radiation energy loss in postmortem cooling. The Stefan-Boltzmann law is used and combined with a single-exponential model for the cooling process of the skin derived from experimental data of Lyle and Cleveland (1956). The influence of various factors (e.g. skin temperature, environmental temperature, body mass and body height) on the amount of radiation emitted was investigated. The radiation energy is quantitatively described as a function of time. The radiation energy loss ranged from approximately 200 kJ in small (165 cm) and lean (50 kg) bodies at room temperature (20 degrees C) to approximately 600 kJ in tall (185 cm) and over-weight (100 kg) bodies at outdoor temperature (5 degrees C) in the first hour postmortem.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Aug 7, 2019
Fatal head injuries are frequently seen in pedestrians hit by motorized vehicles. In our case, th... more Fatal head injuries are frequently seen in pedestrians hit by motorized vehicles. In our case, the pedestrian sustained a devastating head injury with skull splitting in the mediosagittal plane. A car collided with a traffic sign causing a bending of the pole. The metal pole hit a man standing close beside it; the man had a head injury severity that is more commonly due to falling objects than due to traffic accidents. Assuming a head mass of 5 kg, simplified calculations yield maximum contact forces of ca. 36 kN exceeding mean parietal fracture forces which are in the order of magnitude of 12.5 kN. The influences of the effective body mass and the horizontal distance between the pole and the pedestrian on maximum contact forces are investigated. High contact forces in our case can be mainly explained by the comparably high impact velocity and by a partial mass transfer of the total car mass to the pole.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Mar 15, 2018
Forensic experts often have to assess injury and fatality risks in the context of violent blunt f... more Forensic experts often have to assess injury and fatality risks in the context of violent blunt force trauma. Maximum striking velocities in one-and two-handed strikes with a rod-like implement can be of particular interest. Current literature lacks studies addressing this problem. The purpose of this study was therefore to measure and analyse maximum striking velocities in one-handed and two-handed strikes in female and male volunteers. We hypothesised higher striking velocities in two-handed strikes compared to one-handed strikes. Fifty volunteers performed one-and two-handed strikes from top to bottom using a steel rod of 65 cm length and 1000 g weight. A Qualisys™ Motion Analysis system registered displacements of reflecting markers fixed to the rod as well as to the volunteer's body. In one-handed strikes, the mean maximum striking velocity was 17.2 m/s in the female sample and 23.9 m/s in the male sample. Statistically not significantly different maximum striking velocities were found in two-handed strikes with mean values of 18.3 m/s in the female sample and 24.2 m/s in the male sample. Female and male volunteers also yielded similar mean maximum striking velocities in two-handed strikes comparing 'overhead' and 'overshoulder' striking techniques. In conclusion, the striking technique did not relevantly influence maximum striking velocities in our setup.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Dec 22, 2022
The reconstruction of traffic accidents involving powered two-wheelers (PTWs) frequently proves t... more The reconstruction of traffic accidents involving powered two-wheelers (PTWs) frequently proves to be a challenging task. A case in which a fatal head-on crash of a PTW with a small truck where only minor vehicles damage was observed but resulted in isolated fatal chest trauma is discussed here. External examination of the corpse revealed two lacerations on the back, at the first glance implying sharp trauma. Based on the accident traces, the technical expert assumed an emergency break of the PTW rider resulting in a rotation of the PTW in terms of a wheelie on the front wheel. The first contact between the PTW rider and the tail end of the small truck probably occurred with the upper side of the helmet, and then, the back handle of the PTW caused the stab-like injuries followed by compression of the rider between the small truck or asphalt and the PTW. Based on the few accident traces available, neither a reconstruction of the pre-impact velocity nor a detailed reconstruction of the PTW rider kinematics was possible. However, using an interdisciplinary approach, the principal collision position as well as the injury mechanisms could be reconstructed.
International Journal Of Legal Medicine, Dec 17, 2022
Chronic aortic dissections and pseudoaneurysms caused by chest trauma are rare and generally have... more Chronic aortic dissections and pseudoaneurysms caused by chest trauma are rare and generally have to be critically distinguished from non-traumatic dissections and aneurysms. We present a well-documented case of a post-traumatic aortic dissection that ruptured about 9 months after chest trauma. A motorcyclist sustained fractures of the forearm and chest trauma with paravertebral rib serial fractures and hemopneumothorax. Nine months after the accident, echocardiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm that ruptured 3 months later and 1 month prior to the planned surgery. An autopsy showed pericardial tamponade following a rupture of the dissected aorta. Accident scene documentation was consistent with a head-on collision of the motorcycle against the left front side of the car. The relative speed was about 55 km/h. Aggravation of unspecific symptoms after discharge, initial CT imaging, and the absence of atherosclerosis or medial necrosis hold for a post-traumatic genesis of the dissection in our case. Initially, the accident insurance company rejected the regulation. In the second instance, they revised rejection based on our interdisciplinary expert opinion.
Highlights ========== In homicide cases used: Stomach content death time estimation (Tröger, Ba... more Highlights ========== In homicide cases used: Stomach content death time estimation (Tröger, Baur, Spann) (SCE) SCE gives confidence intervals for its estimator TEE of time between last meal and death We show that TEE is not optimal in the sense of Maximum Probability estimation (MPE) The article gives update formulae and diagrams to change TEE to an MPE It is shown that: (1) TEE > MPE; (2) (TEE-MPE) > 0.15 * TEE; (3) (TEE-MPE
Numerous physiological and pathological mechanisms can cause elevated or lowered body core temper... more Numerous physiological and pathological mechanisms can cause elevated or lowered body core temperatures. Deviations from the physiological level of about 37°C can influence temperature based death time estimations. However, it has not been investigated by means of thermodynamics, to which extent hypo-and hyperthermia bias death time estimates. Using numerical simulation, the present study investigates the errors inherent in temperature based death time estimation in case of elevated or lowered body core temperatures before death. The most considerable errors with regard to the normothermic model occur in the first few hours post-mortem. With decreasing body core temperature and increasing post-mortem time the error diminishes and stagnates at a nearly constant level.
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Papers by Michael Hubig