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The purpose of the study: scientific evidence and development of accessible morphological criteria that allow to determine the duration of dying and the rate of dying.Materials and methods. The material of the main study included 206 identified deaths of persons with different pre-known processes of dying, which served as criterion for selection from1500 deaths (n=206, 14%). Of these, 110 cases were observed by the forensic medical expertize, 79 cases were revealed by the forensic medical examination of the dead body and 17 cases were included after the postmortem autopsy. The sample included from 30 to 57 cases subdivided in 5 groups. 53 cases were selected for the first time interval, 30 observations for the second one, 32 observations for the third one, 34 observations for the fourth one and 57 observations for the fifth time interval. The following methods were used to study the material: analysis of information about the circumstances of death (based on the records), retrospective clinical and anatomical analysis, the main (classical) method of autopsy of human corpses in sectional studies and histological examination. In addition, an immunohistochemical test, as well as morphometric, macroscopic and photographic methods were used. For the accuracy and reliability of the findings, morphological and statistical analysis was used, which included both statistical analysis of morphological characteristics and tanatogenetic analysis of the cases of the sampled material.Study results. We developed and scientifically proved a methodology for determining 5 rates of dying according to the morphological characteristics systematized in morphological complexes: fulminant rate ≤15-30 min; fast rate >30 min — ≤2 h; moderate rate >2 — ≤6 h; slow rate >6 — ≤12 h; lingering rate >12 h. Approbation of the proposed method on the gross experimental material allowed to set the diagnostic limit of the total significance for each morphological complex, and thereby, to improve the methodology of establishing the rate of dying in accordance to the morphological characteristics for the use in forensic practice.Conclusion. The morphological complexes of the rate of dying established in this work would serve as a base for further development of not only forensic thanatology, but also for the aim of improving the medical and preventive care.

The objective of the present study WaS to overview the current domestic and foreign literature concerning the up-to-date methods employed for the expert evaluation of intra-vitality of the strangulation mark. The secondary objective was to propose the new approaches for addressing this problem. The methods of expert diagnostics with a view to determining the time of infliction of injuries as exemplified by mechanical asphyxia are discussed. It is concluded that immunohistochemical and morphometric studies provide the most promising tools for the evaluation of intra-vitality of the strangulation mark for the purpose of forensic medical expertise.

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