Multiple-probe thermography for estimating the postmortem interval: II. Practical versions of the triple-exponential formulae (TEF) for estimating the time of death in the field

A simple, reliable, and relatively accurate method for estimating the time since death is described. It is based on the Triple-Exponential Formulae (TEF), which are devised for the first time in this study. The postmortem cooling rate of the brain, liver, and rectum in 117 forensic cases were investigated (Part I). The method can be used in the field as a computer program, reference graph, or reference chart-ruler. The program is simple and can easily be run by any user. There are six reference graphs representing the average brain, liver, and rectal cooling curves for naked and covered body groups. The ruler is designed for the rectal cooling curves for covered and naked bodies. This method requires one temperature measurement of the chosen body site and the environment. The postmortem interval is estimated as a probable value ± a possible range of time estimates with a built-in confidence limit

Thinking out of the box - New approaches to controlling GVHD

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major limitation of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Despite major advances in the understanding of GVHD pathogenesis, standard GVHD prophylaxis regimens continue to bebased on the combination of a calcineurin inhibitor with an antimetabolite, while first line treatmentsstill relies on high-dose corticosteroids. Further, no second line treatment has emerged thus far in acute or chronic GVHD patients who failed on corticosteroids. After briefly reviewing current standards of GVHD prevention and treatment, this article will discuss recent approaches that might change GVHD prophylaxis / treatment in the next decades, with a special focus on recently developed immunoregulatory strategies based on infusion of mesenchymal stromal or regulatory T-cells, or on injection of lowdose interleukin-2