Biological factors and self-perception of stress in relation to freeze-like response in humans.

Many animals react to threatening stimuli such as a predator attacks by freezing. However, little experimental research investigated freeze response in humans. Here, we have employed practices commonly used in self-defense training to create two unique scenarios simulating armed physical threat.

Substantial decrease in SARS-CoV-2 RNA after fixation of cadavers intended for anatomical dissection.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a problem arose with classic body donation programmes for obtaining cadavers for anatomical dissections, science and research. The question has emerged whether bodies of individuals who died of COVID-19 or were infected by SARS-CoV-2 could be admitted to Departments of Anatomy. To determine the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to employees or students, the presence and stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cadavers after fixation agents' application and subsequent post-fixation baths over time were examined.

The importance of molecular autopsy in forensic medicine.

Standard autopsy does not always detect a cause of individuals death. It occurs often in cases of sudden death. The reason for decease, at least in a part of unsolved cases, can be revealed using methods of molecular biology and genetics.

Gender differences in the effect of a 0.11% breath alcohol concentration on forward and backward gait.

Alcohol contributes to a large number of diseases and health conditions related to injuries. The aim of our study was to evaluate gender differences in forward and backward gait when sober and at a breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) of 0.11%.

Current issues of body donation for teaching and research purposes and their use in the Czech Republic.

Since time immemorial, bodies of deceased have been an integral part of teaching anatomy, and therefore the study of medicine. Without them, the teaching of anatomy, clinical anatomy and many research projects could not be realized. Nowadays, the European countries allow to use exclusively bodies of the deceased donors.

Various fatal complications of urolithiasis.

This article describes two cases of fatal complications of urolithiasis. The first case discusses the development of fatal urosepsis in a patient with a known mental health issue. The patient had self-introduced a thermometer into her bladder, which led to stone formation around the thermometer and consequently to fatal urosepsis.

Applying 3D prints to reconstructing postmortem craniofacial features damaged by devastating head injuries.

Postmortem facial identification is one of the most common techniques for establishing a deceased person's identity. In victims suffering from devastating cranial injuries, the feasibility of facial identification tasks can be compromised by damage to or disfigurement of the identifying cranial features. Although there are several reconstructive approaches, which help experts to restore the essence of person's physical appearance, thus enhancing the chances of recognition, only a few of them involve restoring the fractured cranial bones as the foundation for the reconstructed soft tissues.

Using drone-mounted cameras for on-site body documentation: 3D mapping and active survey.

Recent advances in unmanned aerial technology have substantially lowered the cost associated with aerial imagery. As a result, forensic practitioners are today presented with easy low-cost access to aerial photographs at remote locations. The present paper aims to explore boundaries in which the low-end drone technology can operate as professional crime scene equipment, and to test the prospects of aerial 3D modeling in the forensic context.

[Oncology secrets of suddenly deceased individuals].

Malignant neoplasms represent the second most common cause of death in men and women in the Czech Republic after cardiovascular diseases. The incidence, prevalence and mortality is recorded in the Czech National Cancer Registry. The most recent data available is from 2013, in this year there were 81 541 patients newly diagnosed with cancer and 26 944 people died of cancer.

Postmortem Increase in Body Core Temperature: How Inaccurate We Can Be in Time Since Death Calculations.

Postmortem increase in body core temperature is a well-known phenomenon in forensic practice. Despite this, cases of reliably documented postmortem hyperthermia are rarely reported in the forensic literature, and it is still not clear how frequently postmortem hyperthermia occurs and in which cases we may it predict. In routine forensic practice, the standard course of body cooling is expected, and the prediction of normal body core temperature in the time of death is used for back-calculating the time of death by Henssge method.

[Correct indications and performing of autopsies in the Czech republic].

Since July 1st 2016 Czech law, after more than two years after the new Civil code came into force, in turn, permits performing the clinician indicated pathological-anatomical autopsies with regard to their basic purpose, which is to identify the cause of death, other diseases, complications of diseases and to verify the clinical diagnosis and medical treatment of patient.For physicians requesting an autopsy it is important to know the rules for their indication and implementation. These rules respect the public interest in performing the autopsies as well as the possibility to decide about post-mortem treatment of the own body and bodies of close relatives.

Death Due to Myocardial Bridging.

Myocardial bridging is a congenital coronary pathology described as a segment of coronary artery which courses through the myocardial wall beneath the muscle bridge. Although the myocardial bridging prognosis is benign, have been also reported sudden death in medical literature. ¬A 30-year-old married woman was found dead at her home.

Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma: an Autopsy Case.

Liposarcoma is very rare mesenchymal tumor that occurs in deep soft tissue and mostly seen in limbs and retroperitoneum, accounts for 24% of extremity and 45% of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas. Retroperitoneal liposarcomas are typically present with advanced disease and often carry a poor prognosis. Retroperitoneal liposarcomas grow slowly in the very expandable retroperitoneal space in the deeply hidden and clinically silent therefore diagnosis is usually made late.

[The criteria for appointing experts in forensic medicine].

Unlabelled: In the Czech Republic, forensic medicine is an independent medical field, in which physicians with the appropriate attestation perform expert activities, especially in criminal proceedings, after being formally appointed by a regional court. In order to improve the quality of the activities provided by these experts, the Ministry of Justice is endeavouring to tighten up the general conditions for the appointment of new forensic experts. The individual criteria do not, however, take into account the special nature of forensic medicine as a medical field, the very essence of which involves the specialist qualifications which are necessary for the provision of expert opinions, most frequently to the police.

Suddenly deceased young individuals autopsied at the Department of forensic medicine, Brno - analysis.

Unlabelled: Determination of the cause of death in sudden deaths of young people is a relatively common problem in routine medical practice. In cases of poor or negative morphologic findings at autopsy and poor or negative test results from laboratory, diagnostic quandary can occur. The grant project IGA MZ CR (Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic) targets cases of the sudden deaths of young people under 40 years of age, where, even after an autopsy performed, and other laboratory examinations at the Department of Forensic Medicine are completed, it fails to detect the exact cause of death and death as a possible etiology is supposed malignant cardiac arrhythmias.

[The correlation of results of breath analysers and laboratory blood examinations of blood-ethanol concentration (Czech and Slovak study)].

The target of this study was to compare the results of breath analysers and "lege artis" laboratory blood examinations when determining alcohol levels. This was then used to determine whether any differences exist between the two methods, and how large these differences are. 610 cases from 11 workplaces in the Czech Republic and Slovakia were analysed.

[Forensic interpretation of postmortal ethanol neogenesis in blood samples of cadaverously decomposed bodies].

There is no real possibility for detail knowledge of postmortal changes of blood alcohol concentration in the near future, so that it is necessary to comment alcoholaemia with special aspect on empirical practice. Potential use of alternative (more resistant to putrefaction) body fluid or tissue can help to distinguish ratio of endogenous and exogenous ethanol. It seems that using of vitreous (eventually urine) is the best way to avoid desinterpretation mistakes of alcoholemia in cadavers.

[Death of pedestrians after trafic accidents with motor cars].

It was analyzed 431 cases of pedestrians hit by cars who died during years 1996-2005 and their body was examined in the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Brno. In the study there were observed factors of traffic accident, time of the accidents, day in the week, production mark of the car, time of surviving of pedestrians, type of the hit, severity of the injury and cause of the death. The results of laboratory examination of ethylalcohol and drugs were studied.

[The legal aspects of manipulation of dead body in the department of legal medicine and pathology].

Recent updates (novelizations) of Czech medical laws are very strict with regards to manipulation with corpses. The authors refer to several instances where healthcare personnel come to contact with corpses and state the relevant regulations (laws) including applicable penalties in case they are not adhered to.