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Urinary bladder distension is traditionally regarded as a sign of intoxication at autopsy, however, to date there is very little literature available to support this hypothesis. The purposes of our study were to correlate alcohol and/or toxicological analysis with calculated urinary bladder volumes and its sensitivity as well as to test the validity by using the radiologically calculated urinary bladder volumes (UBVs) from CT images. The study population was all the postmortem cases involving with blood and/or urine samples sent for alcohol and/or toxicology analysis in 2016 at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Out of that 485 cases, there were 127 postmortem cases retrieved with positive alcohol and/or toxicology results Positive toxicology results in this study was referring to drug of abuse (DoA) including amphetamine type stimulants, opiates, cannabis and ketamine. Urinary bladder volume (UBV) was calculated based on the equation used in ultrasonographic volumetry, V=axbxcx 0.5. These 3 parameters correlated well with the UBV and having a strong positive relationship. There was a significant positive correlation at low strength between alcohol concentrations with calculated UBV. There was statistical significant correlation between urinary bladder distension on postmortem CT and cases of intoxication especially more corresponding for positive alcohol detection. The average sensitivity was 35.65% whereby it was slightly lower than those reported in Rohner C, et al. In this study we have deduced that diuretics effect of alcohol was the main reason causing bigger urinary bladder or UBV and was more prominent than the influence of drug of abuse on the urinary bladder sphincter. The distension of urinary bladder should raise suspicion of intoxication, but would not provide information on the quantity of the intoxicating agent due to its significant but poor correlation. It was important to note that intoxication may also be present in cases with low urinary bladder volume. In conclusion, it is vital to consider circumstantial evidence, as well as the presence of additional findings on imaging before suggesting the diagnosis of intoxication based on urinary bladder distension on imaging. Currently, the use of CT bladder imaging should serve as a strong indication that the individual may be intoxicated but should be confirmed by a complete autopsy and a detailed toxicological analysis.

In the actual medical therapy of BPH, we can see: antibiotics, alpha blockers, 5-ARI, fitotherapeutics/natural products (Serenoa repens) with different which display clinical activities and other molecules such as FANS (local or systemic dosage forms) cortisones and others. Relationship between immune systems and chronic prostatitis are strictly involved in BPH progression. A vicious cycle that involve chronic flogosis, tissue remodeling, grow factors, inhibition of apoptosis, and other phenomena. Observing BPH pathogenesis under an immunologic point of view make possible to search new pharmacological strategies, to improve actual therapy. The aim of this work is to observe some relevant literature in our opinion related the management of BHP and its progression under a pharmaceutical and immunological point of view. A deep knowledge in the pharmaceutical properties of some molecules (antimicrobials, anti-phlogosis agents, Anti-androgenic agents, alpha blockers, 5-ARI and other treatments, techniques, interventions or instruments) can help the physicians to pick the right choice.

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a very common medical problem encountered in the acute care setting, and is a major cause of admission to hospitals with about 300,000 patients admitted annually. Obscure GI bleeding, defined as persistent or recurrent bleeding following initial negative upper and lower endoscopy, represents approximately 5% of all GI hemorrhages. The small bowel is the most common source for obscure GI bleeding. Variable lesions of the small bowel can cause obscure GI bleeding, with tumors, Crohn’s disease and Meckel’s diverticulum being more common in young age group. Meckel’s diverticulum, the most common GI congenital malformation, is usually asymptomatic and incidentally found. It can present with GI bleeding, seen more in pediatric patients, and rarely in adult patients. Herein, we present a 45 years old female patient, presenting with massive obscure GI bleeding due to Meckel’s diveticulum.

Radiofrequency proves to be a useful tool for snoring/ sleep apnoea cases. Its advantage includes relative precision in incision making, relative bloodless fields if used appropriately, decrease postoperative pain and excellent healing with fibrosis which aids in stiffening tissues. Radiofrequency is high frequency alternating current used to ablate (cut/coagulate) tissues. It can be applied to nasal turbinates, soft palate, tongue base, tonsils etc. and it can be used to perform various procedures in the cutting mode to improve obstructive sleep disordered breathing. The objective/aim was to assess efficacy of radiofrequency as a tool for procedures/surgeries for snoring/ sleep apnoea. The parameters assessed were post-op pain, post- op blood loss, reduction in subjective snoring sounds by patients and partner, reduction in AHI post operatively.

Age estimations process is not standardized worldwide. However, there is a wide agreement about the most suitable methods currently available. Up until now, the procedure of creating expert reports and to implement quality assurance in age estimation are variable. Aim: The aim of this paper was to examine expert age estimation reports from around the world and identify the similarities and shortcomings present, which will help in providing recommendations to improve the reporting to reach standardization in expert age estimation reports. Methods and Material: A questionnaire was developed to explore whether there is a universal consensus in writing age estimation reports. Countries participated in the survey were: Afghanistan, Australia, France, Indonesia, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Areas investigated by the survey included: Information about the individual in question and the entity requesting the assessment, if age interval is given along with if statistics were described in the report, if population reference data are used and reported and finally if the format of the report is standardized within each country. Results: The results of this survey suggest that there is a high degree of individual variation in age estimation reports, sometimes even within the same country. While the majority of participants report the main findings, some important information is still missing. The statistical information remains extremely varied. Conclusion: Although a resolution is not obvious, it is hoped that this study will promote further research and discussion on reporting age estimation. International guidelines on quality assurance in age estimation reports are urgently needed. Information to be reported should be specified on an international level and the exact report format to be used could be left to the national societies.

Contemporary forensic science hinges on DNA analysis to link an individual to a crime scene. Sources of DNA include bodily fluids, including saliva. Amylase is a primary enzyme in human saliva and thus, if detected, indicates possible presence of human saliva. Amylase paper can be used to map apparent saliva and thus provide a source from which DNA can be extracted and analyzed. In this study, the sensitivity of amylase paper was tested, firstly, using dilutions of an amylase standard and subsequently also tested using fresh human saliva. Three trials total were conducted, the first two using an amylase standard and a third using fresh saliva. The first two trials demonstrated firstly that detection of amylase is dependent on the material upon which amylase is deposited. The third trial demonstrated that amylase levels in human saliva may drop significantly somewhere around 48-72 hours. All trials were consistent in the concentration of amylase that Seratec Amylase Paper will detect.

There is evidence that complement components induce cell migration in mesenchymal stem cells and regulate cytokine production in osteoblastic cells thus playing a regulatory role in normal bone formation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the involvement of complement system in the differentiation of bone marrow cells in complement-depleted model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Arthritis was induced by intraarticular injection of zymosan in cobra venom factor (CVF)-treated mice depleted of functional complement. The expression of different markers by bone marrow [1], on fibroblasts (CD29), mesenchymal cells (CD105), dendritic cells (CD14, CD86), osteoclasts (CD265), cells expressing Dectin1 (CD369) and megakaryocytes (CD62P) was determined by flowcytometry. The lack of functional complement activity at the point of arthritis initiation (day 3) lead to an increase of fibroblast and megakaryocyte populations, to a decrease of mature and dectin1 positive populations, while the number of mesenchymal cells was not changed, all compared to arthritic mice. Immunohistochemical staining showed that low complement activity diminished arthritis-induced generation of megakaryocytes and platelets in BM. Chronic inflammation during erosive conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, leads to dysregulated differentiation and prolifеration of bone cells, inflammation of synovial membrane and bone marrow, and degradation of cartilage and bone. Present results point that the lack of functional complement changed the ratio between different cell populations that can be used for determining the development and stage of rheumatoid arthritis and can help finding of new therapeutic approaches.

What is called “idiopathic biliary duct system dilatation” or better to name it “un-explained biliary dilatation” is mostly following surgical procedures related to upper gastrointestinal and hepato-bilio-pancreatic systems. Having such situation, adaptive physiology of the biliary duct system has to be considered and rational has to be explained. The vast multimodal progress in techniques of investigations that has been applied on studying the hepato-bilio-pancreatic system has been utilized to clear the clinical ambiguity of biliary duct system dilatation for no logic reason but missing the correlation between both fields; the technical and the clinical ones. This clinical review is trying to fill this gap and introduce a comprehensive discussion of the subject. Mechanical, biochemical and immune causes constitute a wide diversity of etiology related to biliary system dilatation that in some situations is really difficult to verify clinically. On the least, even we could not verify the etiology we need to identify that reaching a closed road is different than postulating suspicions that never exist. This review is a trial collecting all subject-related data that might be related to etiology mechanisms and utilize to find a correlation rationale. At some point verification of such correlation is really a far target that might be even impossible clinically with availing technical tools and hope in the future could be achieved.

Pieces of evidence have continued to emerge, demonstrating the extensive efficiency and effectiveness of the DNA database in assisting criminal investigations around the world. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the awareness level on the prominent role of Forensic DNA Database on Crime Investigation in Nigeria: a case study of Benin City. In conducting this research, a total of 458 questionnaires were distributed around Benin City between the periods of 12th January 2020 to 21st March 2020, with a particular focus on security agents and students. The questionnaire comprised of three main categories: Socio-demographic characteristics, Information about the National Forensic DNA Database, and Information about DNA evidence, and Nigeria Criminal Justice system. For the analysis of data collected; the statistical tool used was also Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22 for windows. Responses were compared using chi-square and presented as counts and percentages. In determining the level of awareness, the following responses were obtained. Of the total population: 53.28% had no idea about forensics, 19.21% were uncertain and 27.54% knew about forensics. The same trend was observed with Forensic DNA profiling, 42.14% did not know, 22.27% were uncertain and 35.59% demonstrated good knowledge of Forensic DNA profiling. On the knowledge about the National Forensic DNA Database, 48.47% had no knowledge, 22.27% were uncertain and 29.26% were knowledgeable about it. The result of the present study revealed that the awareness level of the forensic DNA Database was found to be inadequate.

This study provides an update to a previous study exploring time to restoration of adjudicative competence within an Outpatient Competence Restoration Program (OCRP). Authors examined the probability of restoration for individuals referred for outpatient competence restoration in the U.S. capital, and revisited the requirements of American Law, taking a closer look at how programmatic changes improve restoration and encourage adherence. Competence to stand trial remains a critical screening function of the judicial system to ensure that defendants have a basic understanding of courtroom procedures. Competency restoration is therefore an attempt to protect both the integrity of the system and the rights of defendants. Aggregate data from the OCRP’s previous four years of competence restoration efforts were reviewed for demographic characteristics, restoration rates, and time to restoration. Poisson regression modeling identified probability differences in restoration between sequential restoration periods. Since our initial analysis, the DC OCRP has been successful in restoring 97 of 345 participants (28.1%), with referral rates increasing from year to year. 39.2% are now restored after the 3rd round of competency restoration. Poisson regression modeling of individuals attaining competence during six successive restoration periods showed that differences for the first five rounds of restoration were not statistically significant (p = 0.418). In the 6th round, however, the difference in percentage of restored participants was statistically significant compared to previous rounds (irr = 0.32; p = 0.0001). We discuss the policy implications, especially those that suggest that the DC OCRP has improved its ability to restore competence beyond the 1st round of restoration.

Death due to road traffic accident (RTA) was one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in India. In the present cross-sectional study, only the victim using two-wheelers, four-wheelers, and pedestrians were included for comparison to determine the pattern of injuries in these victims of the road traffic accident. There was a predominance of males in all three types of victims of RTA with a peak age of incidence seen in 21-30 years in two-wheeler victims, 41-50 years in four-wheeler victims, and 51-60 years in pedestrian victims. Four-wheeler (HMV/LMV) was the commonest type of offending vehicle involved in all types of victims with collision/ dash as the commonest manner of an accident. Head was the commonest region involved in pedestrian and two-wheeler victims as compared to the thorax in four-wheeler victims of accidents. Abrasion was the commonest surface injury in two-wheeler victims and pedestrians. The laceration was more common in two-wheeler victims as compared to crushed injury in pedestrian victims of road traffic accidents. The brain was the commonest organ involved in two-wheeler and pedestrian as compared to lungs in four-wheeler victims. The liver and spleen were more commonly involved in two-wheeler victims as compared to kidneys and bladder in pedestrian.

The economic inequalities associated with suicide risks among 50 states in the United States were identified in this paper to form the dynamic panel data set from 1981 to 2016. The effects of growing income inequalities on suicides in the Unites States were estimated using the Arellano–Bond method. This paper is the first to associate the social inequalities with suicides using the state-level dynamic panel data in America. It is found that the change of unemployment rates significantly and positively impact the changes of the overall suicides rates, female and male suicides rates. The changes of Top 10% income index are uniformly positive to the change of female, male and overall state-level suicide rates. The Gini index has positive correspondence within the overall and female groups, along with the insignificantly vague evidence within the male groups. The potential endogeneity problem inferring from the fixed effect estimation has been also investigated accordingly. JEL Classification: A13, A14, I18. 

The major use of alternative light sources (ALS) in the evaluation of bloodstains has been primarily focused on detection of whole blood, with relatively little attention to visualization of blood serum. Serum may become separated from blood pools during clotting, and because it is relatively invisible on certain backgrounds, go undetected by a perpetrator attempting to clean up a crime scene. Recently, Ultraviolet 365 (UV 365) was shown to be an effective tool in blood evaluation, useful for detection of even minute quantities of blood serum. Here the effects of environmental conditions on blood serum stain appearance were evaluated, including temperature, pH, protease sensitivity, solubility, and aging. Interestingly, it was found that the UV fluorescence of serum increases upon exposure to heat, which was accompanied by color changes under visible light and decreased solubility in multiple solvents. The efficiency of visualization of serum stains was somewhat variable, depending on the type of material on which it was dried. Finally, the current study documents the effect of heating on formation of fluorescent serum halo rings in dried bloodstains. Taken together, these data demonstrate that blood serum detection may be affected by certain conditions that influence its visualization under both visible and UV light.

Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that endothelial cell-derived microparticles (MPs) might contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Endothelial cell-derived MPs play a pivotal role in the regulation of the endogenous repair system, thrombosis, coagulation, inflammation, immunity and metabolic memory phenomenon. There is evidence that the MPs are secreted actively accompanied to other regulatory molecules. All these actively synthetizing and secreting factors include proteins, adhesion and intercellular signal molecules, peptides, lipids, free DNAs, microRNAs, and even microparticles (MPs) are defined as cellular secretome. The proteomic profile of secretome is under tightly control of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, which may altered a secretion of the proteins involved into MPs’ organization. Finally, this may contribute the modification of MP’s after their secretion and throughout transfer to the target cells. As a result, communicative ability of endothelial cell-derived MPs may sufficiently worse. Subsequently, cross talk between some components of secretome might modulate delivering cargos of MPs and their regenerative and proliferative capabilities via intercellular signaling networks. The aim of the review is to discuss the effect of various components of secretome on MP-dependent effects on endothelium.

Mast cells play a central role in the genesis and modulation of allergic and inflammatory responses. The general aim of the present work was to study the interaction between mast cells and the most common additives approved for use in foods. Dose-response studies about the effect of the main food additives (tartrazine, sodium bisulphite and sodium benzoate) on mast cell degranulation were carried out. Rat peritoneal mast cells were incubated with: 1) buffer solution or 2) stimulus. The stimuli were tartrazine, sodium benzoate, sodium bisulphite and the calcium ionophore A23187. A23187 was used as a reference mast cell secretagogue. Different doses and combinations of food additives were used. The viability of the mast cells was evaluated with trypan blue. In the incubation solutions, the release of β-hexosaminidase was quantified by colorimetric reaction and ELISA plate reader. The remaining β-hexosaminidase concentration (not released) was studied in the cells after the incubations, and morphology of the mast cells was analyzed by light microscopy with toluidine blue stain. The food additives tartrazine, sodium benzoate and sodium bisulphite did not stimulate the release of β-hexosaminidase from mast cells at any of the concentrations used. In contrast, tartrazine at concentrations of 0.1 μM and 1 μM, and sodium benzoate and sodium bisulphite at concentrations of 0.1 μM, 1 μM, 10 μM and 100 μM, significantly inhibited the basal release of β-hexosaminidase from mast cells. Considering these findings, we decided to determine the effect of these additives on the degranulation of mast cells induced by the calcium ionophore A23187. Sodium bisulphite inhibited mast cell activation induced by the calcium ionophore A23187 in this experimental model. The present study demonstrates that food additives of usual permitted use do not stimulate basal degranulation of mast cells in an in vitro model of peritoneal mast cells and that the additive sodium bisulphite inhibit mast cell activation induced by intracellular calcium increase. This food additive could represent an interesting alternative in the prevention of pathologies mediated by mast cells, as well as in the field of nutritional biochemistry.

The emergence and establishment of anthropological genetics as an interdisciplinary science is primarily, associated with the development of new genomic technologies. Precision genetic testing on the one hand, and the rapidly increasing number of genetic investigations on the other, have created a set of bioethical dilemmas for genetic and epidemiology research. Such research deals with persons who have the right to the protection of their personal information and confidentiality, and also concerns collective (village, region, ethnic group, state) consciousness, ethnic identity, and traditional culture, i.e., so called “ethnic pride”. In this regard, taking into consideration the results of ongoing field research, we make some recommendations for better management of relationships with individuals and communities and the preparation of questionnaires and informed consent forms that will facilitate similar research projects, especially in such an ethnically, linguistically and culturally diverse region such as the Caucasus.

Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is a multifactorial disease that is influenced by individual genetic background and various environmental factors, high altitude (HA) being the one. HA exposure may cause release of several damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which act as ligand for various immune receptors. Previous studies on western population involving SNPs analysis of TLRs demonstrated that TLRs are involved in development and progression of several cardiovascular diseases. But, no such study has been done in Indian population in context of HA exposure. TLRs, being receptors play a significant role in manifestation and elimination of diseases by recognition of specific ligands and downstream signal transduction therefore; the genetic variation in TLRs could be implicated for imparting varying response of individuals to discrete diseases. Therefore, in accordance with it, in present study changes in protein structures of TLR2 and TLR4 due to presence of SNP were accessed by in-silico tools to observe whether the mutation has effect on protein structure and integrity which further influencing its function. The results showed that SNP harbouring protein has decreased functional pockets, thus may be protective for disease. Taking this lead further to genotypic level, first time association between Toll-like receptor genes polymorphism and risk of high altitude induced venous thrombosis is analyzed in Indian population by PCR RFLP method. Though the result showed initial trend that TLR2 and TLR9 SNP are monomrphic in distribution and for TLR4 there was no significant difference in distribution of SNP between healthy and HA-DVT group, these SNPs have potential to be used as susceptibility markers if studied in large population size. 

Transglutaminases are a family of Ca2+-dependent enzymes which catalyze post-translational modifications of proteins. The main activity of these enzymes is the cross-linking of glutaminyl residues of a protein/peptide substrate to lysyl residues of a protein/peptide co-substrate. In addition to lysyl residues, other second nucleophilic co-substrates may include monoamines or polyamines (to form mono-or bi-substituted/crosslinked adducts) or -OH groups (to form ester linkages). In absence of co-substrates, the nucleophile may be water, resulting in the net deamidation of the glutaminyl residue. Transglutaminase activity has been suggested to be involved in molecular mechanisms responsible for both physiological and pathological processes. In particular, transglutaminase activity has been shown to be responsible for human autoimmune diseases, and Celiac Disease is just one of them. Interestingly, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, supranuclear palsy, Huntington’s disease and other polyglutamine diseases, are characterized in part by aberrant cerebral transglutaminase activity and by increased cross-linked proteins in affected brains. Here we describe the possible molecular mechanisms by which these enzymes could be responsible for such diseases and the possible use of transglutaminase inhibitors for patients with diseases characterized by aberrant transglutaminase activity.

Hemangiomas are known as congenital vascular malformations that can affect almost any organ or tissue, with the liver being the most common intra-abdominal organ to be involved. It is well known that hemangiomas are the most common benign tumours of the liver, and develop in about 4-20% of people, mainly young adult females. Recently, due to the dramatic rise in the use of imaging studies for different purposes, a parallel increase in the incidence of these tumours has been noticed. Most liver hemangiomas are small (less than 4cm in diameter), asymptomatic and found incidentally during abdominal operation for other indication or on radiologic studies. Giant liver hemangioma is defined as hemangioma with a diameter of more than 5cm. This unique and uncommon type of haemangioma usually poses therapeutic challenges for the treating physician, especially hepatic surgeons, due to the unclear natural history, and due to the risk of life threatening complications is yet to be established. While it is already proved by several studies that conservative management of giant hepatic hemangioma is safe, it is not known whether observation of the extremely large hepatic hemangioma (tumours larger than 10cm) is safe as well. The aim of this article is to review the English literature to find out if conservative management of the extremely giant liver hemangioma is safe and can be recommended.

A man I knew had an extreme allergy to poison ivy when he was a child. When he was about four-teen, he was hanging out with a group of his friends who dared him to eat some poison ivy. He did, and never got poison ivy again. Presumably, the ingestion of the allergen led to the development of immunity. This might be a pathway to eliminating allergies–ingest the allergen. For example, cutting up poison ivy leaves into small pieces and crushing them with a mortar and pestle should lead to some juice in the mortar. Allow that to evaporate and have a test subject ingest the resultant powder, which, like pollen, etc., could be compressed into a pill. Wait 48 hours, and then see if the subject gets a rash when a small, unimportant area of the body is exposed to poison ivy leaves–and have Ivy-Dry handy. This could be a way to eliminate allergies–ingestion of the allergen.