Comprehensive study of various vitamin concentrations in the human postmortem blood with an autopsy case report of beriberi.

Using human cardiac blood from forensic autopsy cases, comprehensive measurements of albumin, vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, folate, and PIVKA-Ⅱ were performed. Of 128 cases, 83 were male, with an average age of 61.8 years and average postmortem interval of 44 h.

β stimulator induces upregulation of miR-27a in the rat heart one hour after the injection.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are non-coding small RNA containing 18 to 22 nucleotides, that post-transcriptionally regulates mRNA expression. Chronic injection of β stimulator is known to induce cardiac injury and change of miRs expression level in the heart with some pathological changes such as fibrosis, heart failure, myocardial infarction. We investigated the changes in the expression level of miRs in the rat heart one hour after isoproterenol (a β stimulator) injection.

Strong association between insufficient plasma exchange and fatal outcomes in Japanese patients with immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Plasma exchange (PEX) using fresh frozen plasma has considerably reduced the mortality rate in patients with immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP). However, some patients still do not survive even with treatment, but little information is available regarding which treatment these patients received. This study was conducted to obtain this information in 240 patients who met the current iTTP diagnostic criteria and completed at least 30 days of follow-up except for deceased cases.

An autopsy case: Unusual characteristics of stab wounds inflicted by a survival knife.

A woman was stabbed 10 times and killed. The suspect confessed that he had used a thick (0.7 cm), single-edged survival knife with a serrated spine.

Pattern recognition analysis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of postmortem cerebrospinal fluid from rats with drug-induced seizure or coma.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is routinely subjected to gross evaluation in postmortem investigations; however, its use in chemical evaluations has not been fully realized. Analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra with pattern recognition methods was applied to CSF samples. Rats were treated with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) to induce seizure or pentobarbital (PB) to induce coma, and postmortem CSF was collected after CO gas euthanization.

An Autopsy Case of a Pregnant Woman With Severe Placental and Fetal Damage From Domestic Violence.

We present an autopsy case of a pregnant woman who was a victim of domestic violence. The deceased showed injuries mainly to her head and abdomen. Postmortem examination revealed 1400 mL of abdominal hemorrhage, ablation of the perimetrium, placental avulsion, and intracranial hematoma.

High-resolution 3D-MRI of postmortem brain specimens fixed by formalin and gadoteridol.

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to compare magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (MP-RAGE) images with T1-weighted images (T1WI) and T2-weighted images (T1W2) of postmortem brain tissue fixed by admixtures of formalin and gadoteridol. We additionally sought to explore the feasibility of using fixed brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) in forensic practices.

Methods: Specimens included in the study were eight whole brains that had been removed during forensic autopsy.

An autopsy case of otogenic intracranial abscess and meningitis with Bezold's abscess: evaluation of inflammatory bone destruction by postmortem cone-beam CT.

The deceased was an unidentified young male found unconscious on a walkway. On autopsy, outer and inner fistulae of the left temporal bone, subcutaneous abscess in the left side of the neck and head, and an intracranial abscess were noted. A portion of the left temporal bone was removed and scanned by cone-beam computed tomography (CT) (normally used for dentistry applications) to evaluate the lesion.

A case of lethal soft tissue injuries due to assault.

A 42-year-old male had been assaulted by his family over the two previous days and went into a deep coma. When the emergency technician arrived, the patient was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest. On arrival, his electrocardiogram showed asystole.

Real-time PCR method for identification of Asian populations in forensic casework.

The priorities for mass disaster victim identification are rapid investigation turn-around time and low cost. We describe a DNA typing procedure to selectively identify members of Asian populations by a real-time PCR method using polymorphisms of the alpha2 chain of the type I collagen gene (COL1A2) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Among the 50 members of the Asian population included in the present study, 37 harbored a deleted allele in intron 33 of COL1A2 (26822-26823del) or the 10400C>T substitution mutation in mtDNA to give a probability of 0.

Application of SNPs in forensic casework: identification of pathological and autoptical specimens due to sample mix-up.

The analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) together with conventional short tandem repeat (STR) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) typing provide a forensic genetic approach for the identification of pathological and autoptical specimens in cases where the average length of DNA fragments is shorter than 150 bp in highly degraded samples. We applied a forensic genetic approach to digesta accidentally left after a training autopsy. PCR products were not amplified from samples containing the STR loci or common sequences used for mtDNA typing.

Identification using DNA from skin contact: case reports.

The DNA content of different types of forensic materials can vary substantially. "Trace DNA" is the minute quantity of DNA transferred through skin contact. Here, we report three cases of identification of trace DNA using conventional short tandem repeat (STR) or mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

Gas dispersal potential of bedding as a cause for sudden infant death.

We assessed the gas dispersal potential of bedding articles used by 14 infants diagnosed with sudden unexpected infant death at autopsy. Of these cases, eight exhibited FiCO(2) values greater than 10% within 2.5 min, six of which were found prone and two supine.

Adult autopsy case with marked myositis ossificans: association with repetitive physical assault and battery.

A man in his thirties was found dead in his room. The autopsy findings were as follows: multiple bruises and subdermal edema, small sized stab wounds, a number of skin scars, new and old rib fractures, mild liver contusion, and marked myositis ossificans traumatica (MOT) at both thighs. In particular, the MOT was closely associated with repetitive physical assault and battery.

Sudden infant death from dilated cardiomyopathy with endocardial fibroelastosis.

A four-month-old female with no previous medical history suddenly collapsed and failed to recover despite 2h of resuscitation. An autopsy showed marked cardiomegaly (88g) with prominent dilatation of the left ventricle and a whitish opacity on the endocardial surface. The ductus arteriosus was patent, but both orifices were severely stenosed.

Sudden collapse after minor head injury in an elderly man; association with cardiocerebral decompensation and fat embolism syndrome.

An 86-year-old man suffering from right hemiparesis and dementia fell from a stretcher and sustained laceration and bruising to his right eyebrow. He was brought to an emergency room, and his wounds were treated. Shortly after discharge, his respiratory and mental status dramatically declined.

Two small linear marks on a mandible: collaborative networking between forensic experts.

A human male mandible was found under the eaves of a house. There were no associated items that allowed for personal identification. An anthropologist, who voluntarily joined our forensics team to give an expert opinion, found two small linear marks of 0.

Brain death with calcium oxalate deposition in the kidney: clue to the diagnosis of ethylene glycol poisoning.

A young man presented to the emergency department with mental status changes, severe metabolic acidosis, and oliguria. Acute ethylene glycol intoxication was diagnosed. The patient suffered clinical brain death three days after admission despite intensive care and continuous hemodiafiltration.

Fatal cerebral injury from blows to the site of a nonadherent bone fragment from a previous craniotomy.

A young man with a prior left temporal craniotomy was brought to the emergency room after being beaten, including a blunt trauma to the head. After receiving a cranial X-ray, the patient was discharged home. He was found in a deep coma eight hours later.

Computer simulation for postmortem cooling processes in the outer ear.

Introduction: A simulation using a computer model was undertaken to investigate postmortem cooling patterns in the outer ear.

Methods: Cooling patterns were analyzed using a 3-dimensional head model built from brain CT images of a volunteer. The simulation was verified with a case subject under constant environmental conditions to obtain an appropriate heat transmission coefficient.

Automatic continuous monitoring of rectal temperature using a button-type thermo data logger.

We performed automatic continuous monitoring of rectal and ambient temperatures using button-type thermo data loggers in autopsy cases. The button-type data loggers have a battery-powered memory that can record 2048 temperature readings. The measurement intervals and other initial settings are determined by computer software, and the measurements were taken at 5-min intervals for this study.

Effects of rounding errors on postmortem temperature measurements caused by thermometer resolution.

Beginning 7 h after death, a datalogger was used to measure the temperature in the external auditory canal of an adult male body placed in a refrigerated room. The sequence of measured values approximated a single exponential function with a correlation coefficient of 0.998475.

The relationship between bedding and face-down death in infancy: mathematical analysis of a respiratory simulation system using an infant mannequin to assess gas diffusibility in bedding.

Rebreathing is a model for the relationship between a prone sleeping position and sudden infant death syndrome. This study used a mechanical simulation model to establish the relationship between types of bedding and rebreathing potential for an infant placed prone (face down) at different postnatal ages. The infant mannequin was connected to a respirator set to deliver physiologically appropriate combinations of tidal volume (V(T)) and respiratory rates (RR) across a range of postnatal ages (0-18 months).

Sudden infant death: lingual thyroglossal duct cyst versus environmental factors.

An 8-month-old female baby was found collapsed in the prone position 30 min after being positioned under soft-bedding. She was taken to the emergency room with cardiopulmonary arrest. Her heartbeat was recovered after resuscitation and continued for 20 h under artificial respiration, at which point the child died.