Here, we aim to describe COVID-19 pathology across different tissues to clarify the disease’s pathophysiology. Lungs, kidneys, hearts, and brains from nine COVID-19 autopsies were compared by using antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, macrophages-microglia, T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, and activated platelets. Alzheimer’s Disease pathology was also assessed. PCR techniques were used to verify the presence of viral RNA. COVID-19 cases had a short clinical course (0–32 days) and their mean age was 77.4 y/o. Hypoxic changes and inflammatory infiltrates were present across all tissues. The lymphocytic component in the lungs and kidneys was predominant over that of other tissues (p < 0.001), with a significantly greater presence of T-lymphocytes in the lungs (p = 0.020), which showed the greatest presence of viral antigens. The heart showed scant SARS-CoV-2 traces in the endothelium–endocardium, foci of activated macrophages, and rare lymphocytes. The brain showed scarce SARS-CoV-2 traces, prominent microglial activation, and rare lymphocytes. The pons exhibited the highest microglial activation (p = 0.017). Microthrombosis was significantly higher in COVID-19 lungs (p = 0.023) compared with controls. The most characteristic pathological features of COVID-19 were an abundance of T-lymphocytes and microthrombosis in the lung and relevant microglial hyperactivation in the brainstem. This study suggests that the long-term sequelae of COVID-19 derive from persistent inflammation, rather than persistent viral replication.

It is known that death education and support helps in a number of ways those people involved in end-of-life and death-related working settings. This scoping review systematically maps the existing literature on death education programs, how they are delivered, and their psychosocial outcomes within different populations. The investigation was conducted using five databases (PubMed, PsychoInf, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL), and 45 studies matched the inclusion criteria for the study. The death education programs detailed in the studies were delivered online, in person, or in a hybrid way through different strategies, such as group discussions, lectures, and interactive activities. The psychosocial outcomes from the programs in the review indicated a higher willingness to discuss end-of-life decisions and decreased death anxiety, death avoidance, and fear of death.

Suicide is a public health concern, and prevention programs are fundamental to decreasing its rates. Suicide notes might be crucial to understanding motives associated with suicidal behaviours. In this way, it is necessary to understand the qualitative methods that are most frequently used to analyze this data. Investigating these factors is crucial for developing targeted and preventive interventions. This scoping review aimed to answer the question “What is the state of art about qualitative methods adopted to analyze suicide notes?” by systematically mapping the literature on this topic. This review adopted the JBI guidelines for Scoping Reviews and followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search strategy has been implemented across PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Grey literature was not included in this review. Eligible studies encompassed qualitative studies on suicide notes published in English. Two independent researchers screened titles and abstracts and subsequently conducted full-text assessments based on predefined inclusion criteria. Relevant data have been systematically extracted and tabulated. The findings were thematically organized and qualitatively summarized, with potential visual aids such as graphs and tables. The studies highlighted the most used qualitative methods to analyze suicide notes, such as LIWC, Leenar’s, Grounded Theory, Thematic Analysis and others. This study summarizes the current knowledge about qualitative methods to analyze suicide notes. Further research is necessary for the development of prevention programs destined for this population.

Introduction: The high rate of incarceration, now exceeding 11.5 million people worldwide, has raised concerns about the conditions within penal institutions, such as the consequences of incarceration on the person. This retrospective study aims to investigate the issue of death in custody, exploring the relationship between incarceration, health vulnerabilities, and death from the forensic pathologist’s point of view.Methods: We analyzed, from a forensic, clinical and toxicological perspective, 86 cases of deaths in detention facilities in North-Western Italy from 1999 to 2022.Results: The analysis has shown that suicide, mainly committed by hanging, plastic bag suffocation and butane intoxication, represents the leading type of violent death (52%), followed by accidental deaths (16%). On the other hand, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of natural deaths (42%), followed by infectious diseases (especially HIV-related).Discussion: The present study identifies the most frequent and critical situations and risk factors related to death in custody and the profile of the inmate who is at a higher risk of death, allowing to highlight the issues to be addressed from a public health point of view. On the whole, it calls for comprehensive reforms, aligned with international human rights standards, addressing mental and physical care gaps, improving correctional officers' education, and training, and focusing on rehabilitation with well-being and dignity.

Suicide is a major global public health concern, especially among young people. Given that digital surroundings are progressively influencing communication patterns, young people frequently communicate their feelings online, including suicidal thoughts. By promptly drawing attention to these posts, a crucial preventive measure could be taken. A scoping review guided by the research question “What is the current state of the art in detecting suicidal ideation in online posts?” following PRISMA guidelines. Out of the 1584 articles identified, only 48 met the inclusion criteria. The majority of articles were related to posts written in English on Reddit and Twitter. The main aim of the studies were interpretative (aim to explore how suicidal ideation is expressed in online environments) or predictive (aim to identify posts that may indicate suicidal ideation) and most of the posts were analyzed using artificial intelligence rather than traditional methods. Some, however, used mixed methods. Despite the potential of AI for rapidly processing and annotating suicidal notes, several hurdles remain, especially ethically obtained data sets and limited cross-cultural portability of models. Furthermore, current AI systems fail to interpret metaphors, irony, or context-specific meaning underscoring the requirement for hybrid models combining machine speed with human judgment.