Papers by Valentina Bugelli
Best Practice in Forensic Entomology - The sampling and storage of living blow fly larvae
Forensic entomology (FE) is one of the most important tools for estimating the time since death b... more Forensic entomology (FE) is one of the most important tools for estimating the time since death by analyzing the species composition and age of the necrophagous fauna on the dead body. Sampling, transferring and killing/storing of this insect evidence is a very important task in forensic entomology because different methods can influence survival and further rearing of the living samples in the laboratory or bias the morphological examination of the dead specimens. The majority of “Best Practices” and “Guidelines” in forensic entomology recommend that fly larvae, the most important group in FE, should kept under controlled or at least known conditions, most suitable at 2-6°C. They suggest in addition that larvae should be stored in vials with an air-permeable lid and that these vials should be equipped with coarse sawdust or paper for taking e.g. excretion liquids. Living samples should be then transport to an expert within 24 hours. While keeping the latter window of time is a real...
L'apporto dell'entomologia alle scienze forensi: aspetti generali ed esperienza casistica
L'entomologia forense comprende tutti gli aspetti applicativi dello studio degli insetti che ... more L'entomologia forense comprende tutti gli aspetti applicativi dello studio degli insetti che siano in qualche modo correlati a questioni di carattere legale. Dopo una breve introduzione a carattere storico-esplicativo della materia in esame e degli aspetti più strettamente medico-legali, si procede alla discussione e all'approfondimento dell'esperienza casistica sviscerando le varie applicazioni e implicazioni dell'entomologia forense concludendo con la relativa discussione final
Intrafamily traumatic experiences in childhood and cyberbullying victimization on adolescent people in italy: Data from a multicentric study performed by self-report questionnaire
The Journal of forensic odonto-stomatology, 2019
Burned bodies raise relevant issues for forensic patologist and odontologist both for the identif... more Burned bodies raise relevant issues for forensic patologist and odontologist both for the identification and the cause of death and possible vital burning.. The tongue protrusion is regularly investigated for the death caused by strangulation or hanging, whilst seems to be overlooked in case of charred remains as the significance of this sign is still discussed. Different mechanims are hypothized in literature to explain the toungue protrusion both for vital and non-vital burning. This paper retrospectively evaluates some cases of carbonized corpses examined at the Forensic Pathology service of the University of Florence. The tongue protrusion shows a high occurrence both in vital (100%) and non-vital fires (66%). The involvement of a forensic odontologist in the cadaver examination result to be limited to one third of the cases. In two non-vital cases the tongue was described as protruded and clenched between the dental arches. The rigor of the genioglossus induced by the heat coul...
International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2019
Sampling and storing insect evidence alive are important tasks in forensic entomology as it can i... more Sampling and storing insect evidence alive are important tasks in forensic entomology as it can impact survival and growth rates. To investigate the effect of cooling and storing of insect evidence before its arrival in the laboratory, samples of all three larval stages of the blow fly species Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina were analyzed. A first group was stored at room temperature and a second one in a refrigerator (~5°C) for 16 h, all without air, supply of food, and sawdust. Afterwards, they were kept at 6-8°C in a Styrofoam box for 8 h, simulating a transport situation. Mortality rate (MR) was calculated and 25% of the surviving larvae were killed and measured to check for interim growth. The remaining alive specimens were reared at 25°C until adult's eclosion for estimating a possible storage impact on survival during later development. The results were then compared with a control which was not temporarily stored and chilled but left feeding in boxes with an air-permeable lid on food substrate at 25°C. A 24-h temporary storage stopped the larval growth in comparison with the control especially in early larval stages in both species. A high MR of up to 100% for third instar (L3) larvae stored both at room temperature and in a cold environment without air supply was found. Oxygen supply can reduce significantly the MR at least for L3 larvae of L. sericata. Findings provide scientific evidence for the recommendation to store larval samples at cold temperatures with both oxygen and food supply. The high MR for samples of the last larval stage clearly shows the need for a fast delivery after sampling and a more sophisticated storage procedure like, e.g., providing air supply. Storing live samples at room temperature without air access should be avoided.
International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2017
One of the most common methods of maternal filicide is by fire. In this case study, a 40-year-old... more One of the most common methods of maternal filicide is by fire. In this case study, a 40-year-old female and her children were found completely burned in a burnt out car. All bodies showed a degree of destruction by fire consisting to a level 3 of the Crow-Glassman Scale (CGS) and early stage of insect activity. Toxicological analyses were performed on soft tissues and body fluids still available. The results were positive for diazepam and its metabolites only for children with blood concentrations consistent with therapeutic doses of benzodiazepines. Home video surveillance cameras confirmed sedation prior to death recording the mother while administering some drops of sedative drugs in a soft drink to the children just a couple of hours before setting fire to the car. Based on autopsy findings, all victims were still alive at the time of fire. The cause of death was determined as carbon monoxide poisoning and fatal thermal injuries by fire. This case study has a special focus on the entomotoxicology and the potential role of insects in death investigations of burnt bodies, supposed to be an inadequate substratum for insect colonization. It demonstrates that in burnt bodies, arthropod colonization can be quite immediate after fire is extinguished. Toxicological analyses performed on larvae actively feeding on the children's bodies were positive for diazepam and its metabolites in small amount compared with blood concentrations, whereas the larvae collected from the mother's body were totally negative. These data, according to the autopsy findings and the toxicological results from the victim's blood and tissues, supported the suspect of a non-lethal sedation prior to death, which is a common behaviour in maternal filicide.
Effects of different storage and measuring methods on larval length values for the blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina
Science & Justice, 2017
In forensic entomology, the methods of sampling, killing, and storing entomological samples can a... more In forensic entomology, the methods of sampling, killing, and storing entomological samples can affect larval age estimation, and, hence, the estimation of the minimum post-mortem interval. In the existing manuals, there is a certain amount of heterogeneity regarding methods and the recommendations for best practice in forensic entomology are insufficiently validated. This study evaluated three different length-measurement methods for larval stages and examined the influence of different killing and storing methods on the larval length of two forensically important blow flies, Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina. The three different measuring methods were a) a ruler with a 0.1mm scale, b) a geometrical micrometer, and c) a computer-aided stereomicroscope. They were used to measure the length of L1-L3C. vicina larvae and detect no significant differences. This supports the view that a simple tool like a geometrical micrometer can produce reliable results in forensic entomology. Newly hatched larvae of L. sericata and C. vicina were killed with hot water (HW) and divided into two equal subsamples. Lengths of all larvae were measured immediately after killing, then every 24h until day 4, and once more after 7days of storage in ≥70%-ethanol. L. sericata larvae only showed significant changes in length in the HW group stored at room temperature. After 4 and 7days of storage, these 24-h- and 72-h-old larvae showed a significant decrease in length compared with those in a fridge at 6°C. This decrease can, however, be considered a negligible natural variation without forensically relevant consequences for larval age estimation of L. sericata samples. For C. vicina, an increase in length was observed over time. This was significant only for younger larvae (24-48h old) stored in 70%-ethanol. This variance in length can lead to a wrong estimation of age; however, only for larvae stored in 70%-ethanol, not for those stored in 96%-ethanol. NOVELTY STATEMENT We examined the influence of different killing and storing methods on two forensically important blow flies, Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina. For the latter species we additionally were evaluating three different length measurement methods. The results of both experiments suggest that it is possible to kill and store fly larvae directly in (not hot) ≥70%-ethanol. This simplifies the sampling and storing of fly evidence at the crime scene. We also compared the influence of three different measuring methods for estimating the length of L1-L3 C. vicina larvae by using a) a ruler with a 0,1mm scaling, b) a geometrical micrometer and c) a computer-aided stereomicroscope. No significant differences were detected, supporting the view, that a simple tool like a geometrical micrometer can produce reliable results. This study helps to simplify the sampling and evaluation of entomological evidence and to backup or questioning existing guidelines and best practice recommendations.
The Relevance of a Multidisciplinary Approach in the Identification of Skeletal Remains: A Case Report
Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2019
Hanging deaths are common and characterized by their brief survival time. Macroscopic and histolo... more Hanging deaths are common and characterized by their brief survival time. Macroscopic and histological exams are frequently unable to distinguish vital lesions from post-mortem lesions. This pilot study investigates the dendritic and mast cells in hanging marks to establish vitality lesions. Skin specimens were taken from vital wounds, ligature marks, and post-mortem lesions. Cryosections were stained for haematoxylin eosin, avidin, CD1a and MHC class II+ antigens and examined under light or fluorescence microscopies. Using digitized photomicrographs the images were then analysed. Differences were found in the Langerhans cells and epidermal MHC density, the vital lesions and ligature marks and the other specimens. The results may prove useful in forensic practice when neither macro nor microscopic objective evidence of vitality is available. The results could very possibly support the hypothesis that the amount of time it takes to die from hanging is less than currently believed (< 5 min).
Scared to Death
JACC: Case Reports
Literature describe relatively few studies about accidental death in autoerotic maneuvers. Author... more Literature describe relatively few studies about accidental death in autoerotic maneuvers. Authors report three new cases on this topic that involved adult male individuals. The purpose of the paper is to increase the knowledge and the classification of the phenomenon and give a contribution for the forensic medicine and psychiatric implications. The dynamics of the investigation of the scene, the autopsy finding and the examination of the medical history are particularly important for forensic professionals that must classify the event as a suicide, homicide or as an accidental event. The Authors describe the phenomenon also from the epidemiological point of view that shows a high prevalence of men, even if in Italy there are not official estimates. Last but not least the Authors and take in consideration and discussed about the existence in the subject of a para-physiological habitude or a real type of pathology as paraphiliac disorders (masochism, fetishism, travestic
Scared to Death
JACC Case Reports, 2020
Myocardial infarction with nonobstructed coronary arteries (MINOCA) can be triggered by intense e... more Myocardial infarction with nonobstructed coronary arteries (MINOCA) can be triggered by intense emotions. We report 5 cases of emotional stress–related death where forensic examination attributed myocardial infarction to a coronary spasm, with the ultimate cause of death being arrhythmias in 4 cases and cardiac rupture in the fifth. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.)
International Journal of Legal Medicine
Background Illegal immigration to Europe is a well-known phenomenon whose numbers are being stead... more Background Illegal immigration to Europe is a well-known phenomenon whose numbers are being steadily increasing in recent years. Most of the immigrants in Italy come from war zones, and many of them submit an asylum application supported by the complaint to have been victims of persecutory acts in their home countries. Material and methods One hundred ninety-six medicolegal reports are analyzed considering the different country of origin, the type of the lesions claimed, tools used, evidenced effects, location of the perpetration of the physical abuses, and the possible motivation of the alleged torture. Results Greater than 80% of the assessed asylum seekers are over 18-year males coming from African countries. Fifty-eight percent of migrants were tortured or abused in countries of transit, 95% in Libya. Economic, familial, politic, and ethnic reasons prevail in some countries of origin, while tortures or abuses perpetrated in transit countries are mainly linked to forced labor and...
Forensic Science International, 2011
Advances in Entomotoxicology
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Papers by Valentina Bugelli