Macroscopic, microscopic, and chemical assessment of gunshot lesions on decomposed pig skin.

Very little literature exists on gunshot wounds on decomposed material. In this study, seven pig heads underwent a shooting test. Entrance wounds from the first head underwent neutron activation analysis (NAA) and histological testing immediately after the firing test; the other six heads were exposed to two different environments (open air and soil) and analyzed by radiochemical and histological tests every 15 days.

Immersion of piglet carcasses in water--the applicability of microscopic analysis and limits of diatom testing on an animal model.

Investigation of bodies recovered in water comprises an important proportion of medico-legal cases, but is affected by relevant limits concerning the specific decomposition processes and the cause of death. Few indications are provided by literature concerning the post mortem modification of corpses in water, but for a general variability in decomposition degree, and only few experimental projects have been performed in order to verify the influence of water on the decomposition process. On the other hand, in order to reconstruct the cause of death, at present, the diatom test is considered as the "golden standard" for the diagnosis of drowning, although recent literature has pointed out its relative reliability and the frequent problems of contamination.

Metabolic syndrome and morphofunctional characteristics of the left ventricle in clinically hypertensive nondiabetic subjects.

Background: The study was aimed to evaluate the impact of the metabolic syndrome on left ventricular (LV) structure and function in nondiabetic patients, never treated with antihypertensive or lipid-lowering drugs.

Methods: Eighty-eight patients, with recent finding of clinic BP >140 or 90 mm Hg, underwent 24-h blood pressure (BP) monitoring, echocardiogram, evaluation for metabolic syndrome (Adult Treatment Panel III criteria).

Results: Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 38 subjects (43.