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The DNA contamination of evidentiary trace samples, included those collected in the autopsy room, has significant detrimental consequences for forensic genetics investigation. After the COVID-19 pandemic, methods to prevent environmental contamination in the autopsy room have been developed and intensified. This study aimed to evaluate the level of human DNA contamination of a postmortem examination facility before and after the introduction of COVID-19-related disinfection and cleaning procedures. Ninety-one swabs were collected from the surfaces and the dissecting instruments, analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR) and typed for 21 autosomal STRs. Sixty-seven out of 91 samples resulted in quantifiable human DNA, ranging from 1 pg/μl to 12.4 ng/μl, including all the samples collected before the implementation of COVID-19 cleaning procedures (n = 38) and 29 out of 53 (54.7%) samples taken afterward. All samples containing human DNA were amplified, resulting in mixed (83.6%), single (13.4%), and incomplete (3%) profiles. A statistically significant decrease in DNA contamination was found for dissecting instruments after treatment with chlorhexidine and autoclave (p 0.05). Environmental decontamination strategies adopted during COVID-19 pandemic only partially solved the long-standing issue of DNA contamination of postmortem examination facilities. The pandemic represents an opportunity to further stress the need for standardized evidence-based protocols targeted to overcome the problem of DNA contamination in the autopsy room.

Der sich seit Jahren durchgesetzte Begriff des Literaturtransfers wird hier aus verschiedenen Perspektiven besprochen. Es geht um die Möglichkeit der Erschließung von Texten, um die Rezeption seitens des Publikums, um das Editionswesen und nicht zuletzt um die Kunst des Übersetzens. Der achte Band enthält Beiträge zu folgenden Themen: - Der Taugenichts bei, vor und seit Eichendorff in Deutschland und anderswo; - Edition und Interpretation; - Übersetzungen literarischer Texte und deren Edition; - Modelle, Figuren und Praktiken des deutsch-italienischen Literaturtransfers; - Florenz und die Deutsch-Florentiner. Eine Austauschbühne zwischen Risorgimento und Gründerzeit

Das Schicksal der Flüchtlinge auf ihrem Weg über das Mittelmeer wird in Liebe deinen Nächsten (2017) lebhaft gezeigt, in dem Gaby von Borstel und Peter Eickmeyer ihre dreiwöchige Erfahrung auf einem Rettungsschiff wiedergeben. Die Spannung zwischen Sprache, Schrift und Bild, der wechselnde Gehalt des Pronomens ‚wir‘ und des Substantivs ‚Meer‘, die entscheidende Rolle des Erzählens, das Zusammenspiel zwischen dem Buch und dem Blog der Autoren, der praktische Nutzen des Bandes für eine Spendenaktion sind einige bedeutende Aspekte dieser Graphic Novel, die zeigen, wie vielseitig und kraftvoll die Darstellung der „fragmentierten Flucht nach Europa“ (B. Etzold) ist, die Liebe deinen Nächsten dem Leser anbietet.

Il rischio di esacerbazione della violenza domestica in epoca di pandemia COVID-19 è stato segnalato in sede nazionale e internazionale. Attraverso una revisione delle fonti ufficiali, della letteratura scientifica e delle fonti giornalistiche, è stato indagato il fenomeno per identificarne le peculiarità di interesse sanitario e medico-legale, nonché di evidenziare le attività di contrasto introdotte a livello nazionale e internazionale. Il nostro studio consente di confermare che la pandemia ha comportato un aumento dei casi di violenza a fronte, talora, di una riduzione delle nuove richieste di aiuto. La paucità di evidenze è risultata in particolar modo per il child abuse e l’elder abuse, problematiche particolarmente soggette ad under-reporting anche al di fuori del contesto COVID19. Si è inoltre dimostrato come l’infezione da COVID-19 e le misure di contrasto all’infezione possano associarsi ad una variazione delle caratteristiche della violenza domestica, con l’emergenza di elementi “nuovi”, di interesse per gli operatori sanitari e, in particolare, anche dei medici legali che in un prossimo futuro saranno chiamati ad intervenire e a fornire una valutazione sui casi di violenza. È emersa l’importanza non solo di consolidare le misure già presenti, ma anche di introdurre nuovi strumenti di contrasto, quali ad esempio la creazione di nuovi canali multimediali e punti di informazione dedicati e accessibili, date le restrizioni, per la denuncia dei casi di abuso domestico, la riorganizzazione delle case rifugio, l’utilizzo a scopo preventivo delle forze dell’ordine ed il coinvolgimento della comunità con la sensibilizzazione su questo problema, anch’esso principalmente di salute pubblica.

Fly artifacts resulting from insect activity could act as confounding factors on a crime scene and interfere with bloodstain pattern analysis interpretation. Several techniques have been proposed to distinguish fly artifacts from human bloodstains based on morphological approach and immunological assay, but a DNA-based method has not been developed so far. Even if in forensic genetic investigations the detection of human DNA is generally the primary goal, fly artifacts can provide useful information on the dynamics of crime events. The present study provides a molecular method to detect fly DNA from artifacts deposited by Calliphora vomitoria after feeding on human blood through the analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene subunit I (COI). Fly artifacts originated from digestive process and of different morphology spanning from red and brownish/light brown, circular and elliptical stains to artifacts with sperm-like tail or a tear-shaped body were collected. The COI amplification was successfully obtained in 94% of fly artifact samples. The method showed high sensitivity and reproducibility, and no human DNA contamination was observed, offering specificity for use in confirmatory test. This molecular approach permits the distinction of fly artifacts from genuine bloodstains and the identification of fly’s species through the COI region sequencing by protocols usually applied in forensic genetic laboratories. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00414-021-02643-7.

Femicide is defined as the gender-related killings of women and girls or as an any intentional murder of women and it represents a worldwide health issue. Although it has gained a growing attention across the public and the media, true data on its prevalence and a characterization of the phenomenon are still scarce. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics of female homicides and femicides, which are necessary to design and monitor effective preventive efforts. Post-mortem examination reports of female homicides occurred in the judicial district of Bologna over a period of 70 years were revised. Characteristics of victims and perpetrators, circumstantial and post-mortem data were extracted. Overall, 172 female homicides were observed, including 103 femicides, with no significant changes over time. The mean age of victims increased over time and showed a statistically significant association with the victim-perpetrator relationship. Homicides committed by non-intimate partner family members increased. Our study unveiled that, in the past decades, femicide was a hidden but constant social phenomenon, despite the social, cultural and juridical changes. The research in forensic pathology could help bring to light trends, characteristics and risk factors to be considered for strategies to counteract violence against women.

Fly artifacts (FA) are bloodstains resulting from insect activity at a crime scene, usually by feeding on human blood. Whether these artifactual stains might be useful for forensic toxicological investigations in cases of absence of conventional and unconventional matrices, for example, in cases concealment of the body or of extensive putrefaction, has not yet been investigated. The purpose of this study is to understand if FA trace evidence permits toxicological analysis when traditional matrices are not available. To this aim, FA experimentally produced by Calliphora vomitoria feeding on human blood of a cocaine and heroin user were collected from absorptive and non-absorptive material. FA material was analyzed by a new simple and fast LC-MS/MS method. Results were evaluated in terms of presence of the drug and relative amount of the detected molecules. From a qualitative point of view, the analysis of FA revealed all the substances originally detected in post-mortem blood in both cases. The ratios of cocaine/benzoylecgonine, codeine/morphine, and 6-monoacetylmorphine/morphine recovered in FA from cotton-textile materials and from non-absorptive surfaces were consistent with data resulted from original post-mortem blood. The preliminary study herein reported demonstrated that FA are extremely informative in case of cocaine and heroin users and merit further research in order to be applied in real caseworks.

The reconstruction of dynamic of traffic injuries remains a challenge in forensic pathology and is often based on circumstantial data. Dash Cams are digital video recorders which can be located inside a vehicle and continuously record the view through the windscreen, thus providing objective evidence. Here we present the case of a traffic crash in which a pedestrian was hit by an articulated lorry. The analysis of a video recorded from a Dash Cam retrieved inside the vehicle during the death scene investigation (DSI) was crucial in the reconstruction of the manner of death. Indeed, the death, which was initially assumed to be accidental, was finally deemed as a suicide on the basis of the video recording, which showed an intentional and sudden rush of the victim to the middle of the roadway. Advantages and disadvantages of the use of Dash Cams will be discussed, focusing on the profound differences in the related national and international regulations. Based on the present case, in traffic crashes, the search for Dash Cams during the DSI may be recommended and the video recordings should be analyzed in the setting of a multidisciplinary and multimodal evaluation of the case, for a proper reconstruction of the facts. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12024-021-00382-0.

An application of the innovative city planning method, developed within the EU FP7 project InSMART, is applied to the municipality of Cesena (Italy). A multi-model approach is used to explore and rank alternative plans (combinations of actions and measures) towards the sustainable development of the municipality, with a particular focus on the residential and transport sectors. On the basis of the possible space of decisions of the municipality (which can be seen as “urban planner”, as “regulator”, as “provider of support and information”, as “consumer” and as “supplier” of energy), alternative planning hypotheses have been prepared and tested making use of a city-energy system model and scenario analysis. Scenarios are built around different themes with the aim of exploring the potential benefits (or drawbacks) of the combination of specific “competitive” projects, actions, standards, targets. A reference development of the local system is assumed to be modified through six combinations of actions and measures aiming at representing six pillars of alternative pathways towards the sustainability. Figures below report the key themes and hypotheses taken into consideration in the planning exercise. Once the dynamic pictures of the urban system are produced (one per each alternative), a multi-criteria method is used to determine the ranking of the options, evaluated against a set of elements (technological, social, environmental, economic). This stage is still ongoing and will generate the whole dataset (weights, preference functions) required to rank the alternatives in the next few months. All these alternative strategies are designed with the involvement of the municipality of Cesena, to directly respond their needs of knowledge about potential impacts of different action plans. Compared to the existing city strategic energy action plans, the advantage of the outputs of this approach is the fact that multiple future energy scenarios are analysed and cross-compared and “integrated” strategies ranked.

Ein YouTube-Video über die Begegnung eines Kreuzfahrtschiffes mit einem Flüchtlingsboot hat der Schriftstellerin, Drehbuchautorin und Filmproduzentin Merle Kröger den Anlass zu ihrem Roman »Havarie« (2015) gegeben. Die Lebensabschnitte von elf Figuren (Migranten, Urlaubern, Kreuzfahrtschiffs-, Seenotrettungs- und Frachtarbeitern) kreuzen sich in einem Zeitraum von zwei Nächten und einem Tag im Mittelmeer; das Zusammenprallen unterschiedlicher Welten, das aus diesen Begegnungen entsteht, wird aus den sich abwechselnden Perspektiven aller Hauptfiguren nüchtern und schonungslos erzählt. »Havarie« ist aber nicht nur ein Roman der Jetztzeit, der die Migrantenwelle aus Afrika darstellt, sondern wegen seiner Anspielungen auf Konflikte u. a. in der Ukraine, Algerien, Syrien, Nordirland und in den Philippinen, die Schwarz-Weiß-Bilder am Ende des Bandes visuell darstellen, auch einer der jüngsten Weltgeschichte. Da Geschichte »nicht nur in der Zeit, sondern auch im Raum« spielt (Schlögel), gewinnt vor allem das Meer eine tragende Funktion, sowohl als permeabler Grenz- und Übergangsraum als auch als Landschaft mit unsichtbaren und trotzdem deutlichen Abgrenzungen, die zeigt, dass das besitzanzeigende Adjektiv in der Bezeichnung mare nostrum die Konnotation der Inklusion und der Gemeinsamkeit zugunsten der Exklusion und der Alterität verloren hat. Unter den Schiffen und Booten, die das Mittelmeer durchkreuzen, spielt das Kreuzfahrtschiff eine besonders wichtige Rolle: Es stellt einen mehrsprachigen Mikrokosmos dar, der - wie sein Name »The Spirit of Europe« verrät - das Wesen eines Erdteiles synthetisiert und die soziale Ungleichheit, die Ausbeutung, die Gleichgültigkeit, die Geldgier, die Kontaktarmut, die Oberflächigkeit und den Egoismus bloßstellt, die ihn kennzeichnen: Havariert ist also nicht nur das Schlauchboot der Flüchtlinge, sondern auch Europa und der Mensch. Wichtig ist schließlich die literarische Gattung, der »Havarie« angehört: Der Text ist ein Kriminalroman, der monatelang auf Platz 1 der Krimi-Bestenliste der Zeit stand. Vermisst wird Jo, ein philippinischer Sänger des Kreuzfahrtschiffes, aber der traditionelle Ablauf eines Krimis fehlt fast genauso wie die Ermittlung und die Ermittlerfigur. Das Verbrechen steht aber fest: mehrfacher Mord. An Jo (vielleicht), an den Flüchtlingen, die das Mittelmeer zum Massengrab werden lassen, und an der Menschlichkeit. Die zentrale Frage der Kriminalliteratur »whodunit?« (Alewyn) bleibt, und ihre Beantwortung wird dem Leser und seinem Gewissen überlassen. Ist aber der Leser als Europäer und Mensch nicht selber ein Mörder?

Auf der sprachgeschichtlichen Ebene erfullt Lingua Tertii Imperii. Notizbuch eines Philologen (1947) des judischen Wissenschaftlers Victor Klemperer eine grundlegende Funktion, denn kurz nach Kriegsende versucht dieses Werk, „das Gift der LTI deutlich zu machen und vor ihm zu warnen“ (LTI). Von der Kritik bisher wenig beachtet wurden aber die individuellen und kollektiven Gedachtnisinhalte des Werkes, die sich tagebuchartig als Anlass und Beweis philologischer Uberlegungen erweisen und zur Rekonstruktion der nahen Vergangenheit sowohl eines verfolgten deutschen Intellektuellen als auch eines in den nationalsozialistischen Rausch versetzten Volkes beitragen.

Il passaggio dal viaggio e dal soggiorno di tarda età moderna al turismo di metà Ottocento è un tema spesso non affrontato e di cui sono state date rare proposte di periodizzazione. Il capitolo propone una interpretazione e una periodizzazione delle pratiche di viaggio e soggiorno di primo Ottocento in rapporto alle pratiche precedenti di antico regime e a quelle moderne che andranno a confluire nel fenomeno turistico.

Tra la fine del Settecento e gli inizi dell’Ottocento, il mondo orientale, africano o più esotico, diviene un terreno di invenzione in cui gli scenografi, come tanti artisti del tempo, mischiano le conoscenze archeologiche con l’ecclettismo dell’immaginazione. E forse, sono proprio le vicende ambientate fuori dall’Europa quelle in cui meglio è possibile scorgere le caratteristiche della sensibilità di Antonio Basoli (1774-1843) e l’attenzione che egli riserva agli stimoli culturali della sua epoca e al nascente esotismo, inteso come attrazione esercitata da un passato lontano che può, per similitudine o opposizione, divenire modello per l’occidente. Basoli sente forte il fascino dei mondi lontani leggendo le fonti, che saranno indagate attraverso documenti inediti, che circolavano in Europa; ma questa fascinazione svela una profonda ambivalenza: è l’occhio di un artista dell’Occidente che interpreta la cultura artistica orientale con strumenti linguistici ancora legati ai canoni di una scienza prospettica, forse incapace di cogliere una percezione visiva del tempo e dello spazio profondamente diversa. Infatti, nelle tavole che conservano la memoria dei suoi allestimenti (Il tempio d’Osiri in Egitto, Piazza cinese, Pagoda indiana, Un serraglio di Sidi-Ali in Algeri, Tempio del Sole a Cuzco, ecc.) si può apprezzare la scrupolosa cura nel documentarsi circa usi, costumi e monumenti dei popoli e paesi dove si svolgono le storie che metterà in scena; nello stesso tempo si può notare, tuttavia, come non si trasformi mai in puro esercizio filologico, in quanto l’immaginazione permette a Basoli di scegliere tra le fonti iconografiche a sua disposizione, in modo tale da isolare alcuni caratteri particolarmente significativi che vengono assunti come cifra di un determinato ambiente. Nell’individuare gli elementi architettonici che permettono allo spettatore di riconoscere il luogo fisico in cui è ambientata la vicenda, lo scenografo, tuttavia, isolandoli attraverso un cannocchiale prospettico, ne ignora lo spazio antropologico rischiando di violarne l’identità. Between the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century, the Oriental world, both the African and the exotic one as well, becomes a land of inventions where set designers, as many artists of that time, mix their archeological knowledge with the ecleptism of imagination. And perhaps, it is easier to catch the features of Antonio Basoli's sensitivity in the events set out of Europe as well as the attention that he points out in the cultural incentives of his period and in the growing exoticism, meant to be an attraction carried out by a far away past which can, either for simile or opposition, become a pattern for the Western world. Basoli deeply feels the fascination of far away worlds by reading the sources, which will be searched out trough unpublished documents that where already circulating in Europe; however, this fascination reveals a strong ambivalence: it's the mind of a Western artist who interprets the Oriental artistic culture trough linguistic devices still bound to the rules of a prospective science, which is maybe unable to get a visual perception of time and space extremely different. As a matter of fact, in the panels that keep that memory of his exhibitions (The Temple od Osiris in Egypt, The Chinese Square, The Indian Pagoda, The Sidi-Ali menagerie in Algeri, The Temple of the Sun in Cuzco, etc.), you can appreciate the detailed attention he paid to research traditions, customs and monuments of the people and the countries where the stories he displays are set. In the meantime you can notice, however, how that never turns into philological practice, as imagination allows Basoli to choose among the iconographic sources he has at his disposal, in order to isolate some particularly meaningful features which will be understood as a deal of a specific environment. By identifying architectural elements which allow the visitor to recognize the physical place where the story is set, the set designer, although he isolates them through prospective binoculars, he ignores their anthropological space, risking therefore violating their identity.