Comparative soil bacterial metabarcoding after aboveground vs. subsurface decomposition of Mus musculus.

Outdoor microcosms, metabarcoding with next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene, total body score (TBS) and physicochemical analyses were used to monitor Mus musculus decomposition aboveground (A) and in the subsurface (S), and compared to soil-only controls (C). As determined by MaAsLin2 analysis, significant shifts in bacterial communities at 30 cm depths within the A, S and C treatments distinguished control from experimental soils, and between aboveground and subsurface deposition, demonstrating the potential for gravesoil discrimination during the first 90 days. For example, Dokdonella (p = 0.

Deaths in jail: a retrospective analysis of autopsies performed at the Legal Medicine Unit of Pavia (1999-2022).

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.

Complexity of human death: its physiological, transcriptomic, and microbiological implications.

Human death is a complex, time-governed phenomenon that leads to the irreversible cessation of all bodily functions. Recent molecular and genetic studies have revealed remarkable experimental evidence of genetically programmed cellular death characterized by several physiological processes; however, the basic physiological function that occurs during the immediate postmortem period remains inadequately described. There is a paucity of knowledge connecting necrotic pathologies occurring in human organ tissues to complete functional loss of the human organism.

The smell of death. State-of-the-art and future research directions.

The decomposition of a body is inseparably associated with the release of several types of odors. This phenomenon has been used in the training of sniffer dogs for decades. The odor profile associated with decomposition consists of a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemical composition of which varies over time, temperature, environmental conditions, and the type of microorganisms, and insects colonizing the carcass.

COVID-19 and brain-heart-lung microbial fingerprints in Italian cadavers.

The fact that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that caused COVID-19, can translocate within days of infection to the brain and heart and that the virus can survive for months is well established. However, studies have not investigated the crosstalk between the brain, heart, and lungs regarding microbiota that simultaneously co-inhabit these organs during COVID-19 illness and subsequent death. Given the significant overlap of cause of death from or with SARS-CoV-2, we investigated the possibility of a microbial fingerprint regarding COVID-19 death.

Correlation between postmortem microbial signatures and substance abuse disorders.

The microbiota gut-brain-axis is a bidirectional circuit that links the neural, endocrine, and immunological systems with gut microbial communities. The gut microbiome plays significant roles in human mind and behavior, specifically pain perception, learning capacity, memory, and temperament. Studies have shown that disruptions in the gut microbiota have been associated with substance use disorders.

Bridging Disciplines: Applications of Forensic Science and Industrial Hemp.

Forensic laboratories are required to have analytical tools to confidently differentiate illegal substances such as marijuana from legal products (i.e., industrial hemp).

The roles of medical examiners in the COVID-19 era: a comparison between the United States and Italy.

Italy and the United States are two of the countries most affected by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), with more than 240,760 confirmed cases in Italy and 2,699,658 in the United States (as of July 2, 2020). The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial changes in many fields of medicine, specifically in the forensic discipline. Medicolegal activities related to conducting autopsies have been largely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concentrations of volatile substances in costal cartilage in relation to blood and urine - preliminary studies.

Aim: The study aimed to examine whether volatile substances (ethanol, isopropanol, and acetone) can be detected in costal cartilage and also if concentrations of detected substances reliably reflect their concentrations in the peripheral blood - the standard forensic material for toxicological analyses. Such knowledge can be useful in cases when a cadaver's blood is unavailable or contaminated.

Material And Methods: Ethanol, isopropanol, and acetone concentrations were determined in samples of unground costal cartilage (UCC), ground costal cartilage (GCC), femoral venous blood, and urine.

Effects of Extended Postmortem Interval on Microbial Communities in Organs of the Human Cadaver.

Human thanatomicrobiota studies have shown that microorganisms inhabit and proliferate externally and internally throughout the body and are the primary mediators of putrefaction after death. Yet little is known about the source and diversity of the thanatomicrobiome or the underlying factors leading to delayed decomposition exhibited by reproductive organs. The use of the V4 hypervariable region of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences for taxonomic classification ("barcoding") and phylogenetic analyses of human postmortem microbiota has recently emerged as a possible tool in forensic microbiology.

Conceptualization of the Holobiont Paradigm as It Pertains to Corals.

Corals' obligate association with unicellular dinoflagellates, family Symbiodiniaceae form the foundation of coral reefs. For nearly a century, researchers have delved into understanding the coral-algal mutualism from multiple levels of resolution and perspectives, and the questions and scope have evolved with each iteration of new techniques. Advances in genetic technologies not only aided in distinguishing between the multitude of Symbiodiniaceae but also illuminated the existence and diversity of other organisms constituting the coral microbiome.

Identification of cadaveric liver tissues using thanatotranscriptome biomarkers.

Thanatotranscriptome studies involve the examination of mRNA transcript abundance and gene expression patterns in the internal organs of deceased humans. Postmortem gene expression is indicative of the cellular status of a corpse at the time of death, a portion of which may represent a cascade of molecular events occasioned by death. Specific gene biomarkers identify perceptible transcriptional changes induced by stochastic responses to the cessation of biological functions.

A unique case of traumatic pulmonary food embolism.

We report a unique case of post-traumatic pulmonary food embolism, due to a lethal blunt force trauma occurred in a traffic accident. The subject was a 37-year old man, victim of a road traffic accident while he was riding his motorbike. A forensic autopsy, followed by histological examination, was ordered in order to find out the cause of death and to assess the compatibility of the lesions with the dinamic of the accident.

Life and death: A systematic comparison of antemortem and postmortem gene expression.

Gene expression is the process by which DNA is decoded to produce a functional transcript. The collection of all transcripts is referred to as the transcriptome and has extensively been used to evaluate differentially expressed genes in a certain cell or tissue type. In response to internal or external stimuli, the transcriptome is greatly regulated by epigenetic changes.

The Role of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Extracellular Vesicles in Cardiac Cell Death.

Exosomes play a crucial role in the progression of infectious diseases, as exosome release and biogenesis are affected by external factors, such as pathogenic infections. Pyrogens may aide in the progression of diseases by triggering inflammation, endothelial cell injury, and arterial plaque rupture, all of which can lead to acute coronary disease, resulting in cardiac tissue death and the onset of a cardiac event (CE). To better understand the effects of Gram-negative bacterial infections on exosome composition and biogenesis, we examined exosome characteristics after treatment of AC16 human cardiomyocytes with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which served as a model system for Gram-negative bacterial infection.

Impact of asbestos on public health: a retrospective study on a series of subjects with occupational and non-occupational exposure to asbestos during the activity of Fibronit plant (Broni, Italy).

The goal of this study is to understand more about the role of asbestos in causing human diseases, first of all mesothelioma, by investigating a large series of deaths due to asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). The main aim is to clarify if even very low amounts of asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other ARDs, as well as to find out if a different individual vulnerability can be important. This retrospective study included 188 subjects who died from asbestos related diseases in 2000-2017 in the area around Broni, Italy, where an important asbestos cement factory had been active from 1932 until 1993.

An interdisciplinary review of the thanatomicrobiome in human decomposition.

Death does not occur instantaneously and organs do not decompose at the same rate or in the same way. Nulligravid human uteri and prostate glands are the last internal organs to deteriorate during decomposition; however, the reason for this very important observation is still enigmatic. Recent studies have elucidated that the composition and abundance of microbes in the human thanatomicrobiome (microbiome of death) varies by organ and changes as a function of time and temperature.

The thanatotranscriptome: Gene expression of male reproductive organs after death.

The prostate gland is one of the last internal organs to deteriorate during human decomposition; however, this phenomenon is still mysterious. Gene expression in antemortem cases has been widely studied and a majority of the analyses concentrate on discovering basic physiological processes. The question of "What happens to gene expression after a human dies?" is a novel and emerging topic.

Cadaver Thanatomicrobiome Signatures: The Ubiquitous Nature of Species in Human Decomposition.

Human thanatomicrobiome studies have established that an abundant number of putrefactive bacteria within internal organs of decaying bodies are obligate anaerobes, spp. These microorganisms have been implicated as etiological agents in potentially life-threatening infections; notwithstanding, the scale and trajectory of these microbes after death have not been elucidated. We performed phylogenetic surveys of thanatomicrobiome signatures of cadavers' internal organs to compare the microbial diversity between the 16S rRNA gene V4 hypervariable region and V3-4 conjoined regions from livers and spleens of 45 cadavers undergoing forensic microbiological studies.

Erythroblast macrophage protein (Emp): Past, present, and future.

This review is a journey of the landmark erythroblast macrophage protein (Emp) discovered in 1994, and it walks chronologically through the progress that has been made in understanding the biological function of this protein. Historically, Emp was the first identified cell attachment molecule and is expressed in both erythroblasts and macrophages and mediates their attachments to form erythroblastic islands. The absence of Emp erythroblasts shows defects in differentiation and enucleation.

Postmortem microbial communities in burial soil layers of skeletonized humans.

Microorganisms are major ecological participants in the successional decomposition of vertebrates. The relative abundance, or the scarcity, of certain microbial taxa in gravesoil has the potential to determine the ecological status of skeletons. However, there are substantial knowledge gaps that warrant consideration in the context of the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem.

Talin: A potential protein biomarker in postmortem investigations.

The determination of the postmortem interval is of utmost importance in medicolegal death investigations. There are a number of ways to estimate the postmortem interval; however, the current established methods are susceptible to numerous biotic and abiotic factors. Previously published studies state that protein concentrations in postmortem brain tissues can detect protein changes via immunoblotting and densitometry techniques.

Novel interactions between erythroblast macrophage protein and cell migration.

Erythroblast macrophage protein is a novel protein known to mediate attachment of erythroid cells to macrophages to form erythroblastic islands in bone marrow during erythropoiesis. Emp-null macrophages are small with round morphologies, and lack cytoplasmic projections which imply immature structure. The role of Emp in macrophage development and function is not fully elucidated.

Human Thanatomicrobiome Succession and Time Since Death.

The thanatomicrobiome (thanatos, Greek for death) is a relatively new term and is the study of the microbes colonizing the internal organs and orifices after death. Recent scientific breakthroughs in an initial study of the thanatomicrobiome have revealed that a majority of the microbes within the human body are the obligate anaerobes, Clostridium spp., in the internal postmortem microbial communities.

Relationship Between Self-Injurious Behaviors and Levels of Aggression in Children and Adolescents Who Were Subject to Medicolegal Examination.

Aggression, which is defined as a behavior causing harm or pain, is a behavioral pattern typically expected in children and adolescents who are involved in criminal activities. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between aggression and self-injurious behavior (SIB) in children and adolescents. The study was performed in 295 cases which were sent for medicolegal examination.