Neurotensin receptor 1 immunoreactivity in the peripheral ganglia and carotid body

In the present study we investigated, through immunohistochemistry, the presence and location of neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1) in the peripheral ganglia and carotid body of 16 humans and 5 rats. In both humans and rats, NTR1 immunostained ganglion cells were found in superior cervical ganglia (57.4±11.6% and 72.4±11.4%, respectively, p<0.05), enteric ganglia (51.9±10.4% and 64.6±6.1%, p<0.05), sensory ganglia (69.2±10.7% and 73.0±13.1%, p>0.05) and parasympathetic ganglia (52.1±14.1% and 59.4±14.0%, p>0.05), supporting a modulatory role for NT in these ganglia. Positivity was also detected in 45.6±9.2% and 50.8±6.8% of human and rat type I glomic cells, respectively, whereas type II cells were negative. Our findings suggest that NT produced by type I cells acts in an autocrine or paracrine way on the same cell type, playing a modulatory role on chemoception

IDENTIFICATION OF E. COLI O157 IN A BOVINE MILK FARM BY MULTIPLEX REAL-TIME PCR

Law provisions about direct sell of raw bovine milk require VTEC O157 monitoring in bovine milk farms (milk and faeces). It has been showed that culture-based methods used for this scope, besides being cumbersome and time-consuming, may be also less sensitive, compared to molecular approaches. In this study, a multiplex Real-Time PCR, able to identify VTEC O157, Salmonella spp and Listeria monocytogenes, has been used to analyse milk, filter, sewage and stool samples from a milk farm, in comparison with standard OIE methods. The performances of the molecular protocol have been preliminary assessed with lyophilized samples from proficiency testing VLA, showing 100% accordance. Results from field samples indicated the absence of the pathogen in milk, and the higher sensitivity of Real-Time PCR with other matrices, suggesting its potential use for fast VTEC O157 identification

Determinazione di residui di sparo in ferite d\u2019arma da fuoco putrefatte mediante Micro-TC

Introduzione: La Micro-TC \ue8 un mezzo rapido e preciso per la determinazione del gunshot-residue (GSR) su ferite d\u2019arma da fuoco ai fini della determinazione della distanza di sparo. \uc8 noto come la disepitelizzazione e la colliquazione della cute e del sottocute indotte dai fenomeni autolitici-putrefattivi rendano difficoltosa l\u2019analisi ispettiva delle ferite cutanee. Il presente studio si propone di testare l\u2019efficienza diagnostica della Micro-TC nell\u2019identificazione e quantificazione del GSR su ferite d\u2019arma da fuoco sottoposte a putrefazione standardizzata. Materiali e metodi: Previa autorizzazione del Comitato Etico, 10 gambe umane amputate chirurgicamente sono state sezionate in 3 segmenti di circa 6 cm (totale 30 segmenti) e sottoposte a prove di sparo da tre differenti distanze (5, 15 e 30 cm) mediante l\u2019utilizzo di una pistola semi-automatica calibro 7.65 mm fissata su un supporto rigido. I pezzi anatomici sono stati posti in cassette di legno, conservati all\u2019aria aperta per 10 giorni e successivamente fissati in formalina al 4%. Sono stati quindi ottenuti campioni cutanei di forma cubica (lato di cm 1) comprendenti il foro di ingresso o di uscita, il tramite e i tessuti molli circostanti. Ogni campione \ue8 stato sottoposto a esame con Micro-TC e ricostruito in 3D. La percentuale di GSR nella regione di interesse \ue8 stata calcolata mediante un software densitometrico analizzando solo particelle con densit\ue0 superiore a 1000 HU. La stima statistica del modello sulla base del campione rilevato \ue8 stata effettuata mediante la procedura PROC NLIN di SAS\uae. Risultati: L\u2019analisi ispettiva delle ferite immediatamente dopo le prove balistiche ha evidenziato una progressiva riduzione dell\u2019alone di affumicatura e del tatuaggio all\u2019aumentare della distanza di sparo. A distanza di 10 giorni le caratteristiche accessorie apparivano pi\uf9 sfumate a causa delle modificazioni post-mortali della cute associate alla presenza di larve e muffe. L\u2019analisi con micro-CT ha consentito di individuare residui di sparo sulla superficie cutanea, nel sottocute e lungo il tramite di tutte le ferite di ingresso. Tali residui erano invece sempre assenti a livello dei fori d\u2019uscita. La percentuale di GSR ha mostrato un decremento non lineare al crescere della distanza di sparo; nonostante ci\uf2, la variabilit\ue0 del fenomeno non ha permesso di evidenziare differenze statisticamente significative nella media e deviazione standard dei valori relativi alle diverse distanze testate. Conclusioni: L\u2019analisi con micro-TC di ferite d\u2019arma da fuoco prodotte da colpi esplosi a distanza medio-bassa (fino a 30 cm) consente di porre diagnosi differenziale tra foro di ingresso e di uscita. Le modificazioni cutanee indotte dai fenomeni autolitici e putrefattivi post-mortali inducono una tale variabilit\ue0 nei risultati tale da non permettere l\u2019utilizzo di tale tecnica nella determinazione della distanza di sparo

La TC multi-slice nella determinazione della distanza di sparo

Introduzione Ad oggi, tutte le procedure di analisi impiegate nella stima della distanza di sparo prevedono la valutazione della distribuzione, sulla superficie bersaglio, del gunshot residue (GSR). Presentiamo un approccio alla determinazione del firing range basato sull\u2019applicazione della TC spirale multi-slice su ferite d\u2019arma da fuoco prodotte sperimentalmente su cute umana. Materiali e metodi Campione casistico: 6 gambe umane di soggetti sottoposti in vita ad amputazione chirurgica, sezionate in segmenti di circa 6 cm di lunghezza. Prove di sparo: sono state eseguite utilizzando una pistola semiautomatica Beretta Mod.81 calibro 7.65mm; mediante supporti rigidi dell\u2019altezza di 5 cm, 15 cm e 30 cm, sono state effettuate 6 prove di sparo per distanza, per un totale di 18 prove. Ogni prova \ue8 stata eseguita su di un differente segmento di arto. Analisi radiologica: ogni segmento \ue8 stato scansionato con TC spirale multi-slice a 64 strati; le acquisizioni TC sono state ricostruite in 3D secondo diverse tecniche. Risultati: Nei colpi sparati a 5 cm di distanza \ue8 stato rilevato materiale radio-opaco localizzato concentricamente rispetto al foro d\u2019entrata; nei colpi sparati a 15 cm di distanza sono state rilevate aree radio-opache di aspetto puntiforme nell\u2019area circostante il foro d\u2019ingresso. Nei colpi sparati da 30 cm e in tutti i fori d\u2019uscita non sono stati rilevati residui radio-opachi. Le immagini 3D hanno permesso la ricostruzione dei tramiti prodotti dai proiettili. Conclusioni: L\u2019analisi con TC multi-slice consente di discriminare i colpi sparati a 5 cm da quelli sparati a 15 cm in base all\u2019entit\ue0 e alla morfologia dei depositi radio-opachi di GSR; costituisce, inoltre, un valido ausilio nell\u2019identificazione del foro d\u2019entrata. Tuttavia, gi\ue0 a 30 cm non e\u300 in grado di rilevare residui di sparo. Trattasi, pertanto, di una tecnica rapida e di facile esecuzione, spendibile nella determinazione della distanza di sparo per colpi d\u2019arma da fuoco esplosi da distanze ravvicinate, nonch\ue8 nella diagnosi differenziale tra foro d\u2019entrata e di uscita, sebbene presenti sensibilit\ue0 e specificit\ue0 inferiori rispetto ad analisi istochimiche, di microscopia elettronica e radiologiche

Sudden death and mitral valve prolapse

INTRODUCTION. The two presented cases of forensic interest demonstrate the important role of cardio-pathological examination in ascertaining cause of death. Case 1. A man of 25 was found dead inside his car, while changing a tyre. As there was reason to suspect third-party liability, a forensic autopsy was ordered, to identify the cause, means and dynamics of death. Case 2. A man of 43, stopped by police in a state of acute drunkenness, was detained in the police station and later underwent compulsory hospitalisation in a hospital. He was treated with psychoactive drugs, and died few hours later. A forensic autopsy was ordered to ascertain the professional liability of doctors or of police, regarding possible maltreatment in the police station. METHOD. In both cases, procedures for circumstantial-clinical-documentary and necroscopic ascertainments were applied, including external examination, autopsy, histopathological and chemico-toxicological analyses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Neither necroscopic ascertainments revealed extra-cardiac pathologies which might have caused the deaths. Macroscopic examination of both hearts revealed floppy and thickened mitral valve leaflets. The chordae tendineae were elongated, thickened but not ruptured. Hystopathologic examination revealed thickening of both spongiosa and fibrosa layers due to myxomatous infiltration and patchy fibrosis of the papillary muscles and of subendocardium. Chemico-toxicological analysis was negative in case 1, and showed therapeutic concentrations of psychoactive drugs in case 2. Analysis of circumstantial and clinical records showed that arrhythmia was triggered by physical effort in case 1 and by a combination of physical effort and emotional stress in case 2. Comparative analysis of the clinical, autoptic and chemico-toxicological results, in both cases, revealed arrhythmia due to ventricular fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS. Sudden cardiac death is the result of interaction between pathological substrate and an acute functional change, or trigger, eligible to cause an autonomic imbalance with increased adrenergic tone. In these cases, the pathological substrate, consisting of patchy-fibrosis of the myocardium, typical of mitral valve prolapse, involved dispersion of ventricular repolarisation. The trigger, acting on this substrate, led to a delayed after-depolarization and inhomogeneus electric cardiac response, with ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. In the ascertained absence of data indicating natural extra-cardiac, traumatic and/or toxic pathologies, these two cases demonstrate the important role of cardio-pathological examination in defining cause of death. In these contexts, it is essential to recognise mitral valve prolapse as the substrate eligible to trigger a lethal arrhythmia and to identify the triggers, their interaction, and the possible correlation with criminal dynamics

Influence of low molecular weight surfactants on the stability of model infant formula emulsions based on hydrolyzed rice protein

The emulsifying properties of rice protein ingredients, and their behaviour in the presence of other non-protein emulsifiers, are essential to support food applications. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of different low molecular weight surfactants (LMWS) on the stability of model infant formula emulsions (10 g protein L−1, 35 g soybean oil L−1, 50 g carbohydrate L−1) based on a rice protein hydrolyzate (RPH). Inclusion of CITREM and DATEM, at concentrations greater than 1 g L−1, gave emulsions with mean fat globule diameters (D[4,3]) less than 1 μm with good creaming stability, while lecithin was less effective across the concentration range tested (i.e., 1-3 g L−1). Coalescence of the control emulsion was observed upon both storage (10 d at 4 °C) and heat treatment (95 °C x 5 min). Increasing CITREM concentration increased storage and heat stability of the emulsions, while addition of CITREM at 2 g L−1 facilitated the formation of a very stable product. This study provides a first insight into the potential of hydrolyzed rice protein to be used as a value-added ingredient in the production of nutritional beverages such as infant formula emulsions, and the influence of LMWS on the stability of such products

Sudden death and mitral valve prolapse

INTRODUCTION. The two presented cases of forensic interest demonstrate the important role of cardio-pathological examination in ascertaining cause of death. Case 1. A man of 25 was found dead inside his car, while changing a tyre. As there was reason to suspect third-party liability, a forensic autopsy was ordered, to identify the cause, means and dynamics of death. Case 2. A man of 43, stopped by police in a state of acute drunkenness, was detained in the police station and later underwent compulsory hospitalisation in a hospital. He was treated with psychoactive drugs, and died few hours later. A forensic autopsy was ordered to ascertain the professional liability of doctors or of police, regarding possible maltreatment in the police station. METHOD. In both cases, procedures for circumstantial-clinical-documentary and necroscopic ascertainments were applied, including external examination, autopsy, histopathological and chemico-toxicological analyses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Neither necroscopic ascertainments revealed extra-cardiac pathologies which might have caused the deaths. Macroscopic examination of both hearts revealed floppy and thickened mitral valve leaflets. The chordae tendineae were elongated, thickened but not ruptured. Hystopathologic examination revealed thickening of both spongiosa and fibrosa layers due to myxomatous infiltration and patchy fibrosis of the papillary muscles and of subendocardium. Chemico-toxicological analysis was negative in case 1, and showed therapeutic concentrations of psychoactive drugs in case 2. Analysis of circumstantial and clinical records showed that arrhythmia was triggered by physical effort in case 1 and by a combination of physical effort and emotional stress in case 2. Comparative analysis of the clinical, autoptic and chemico-toxicological results, in both cases, revealed arrhythmia due to ventricular fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS. Sudden cardiac death is the result of interaction between pathological substrate and an acute functional change, or trigger, eligible to cause an autonomic imbalance with increased adrenergic tone. In these cases, the pathological substrate, consisting of patchy-fibrosis of the myocardium, typical of mitral valve prolapse, involved dispersion of ventricular repolarisation. The trigger, acting on this substrate, led to a delayed after-depolarization and inhomogeneus electric cardiac response, with ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. In the ascertained absence of data indicating natural extra-cardiac, traumatic and/or toxic pathologies, these two cases demonstrate the important role of cardio-pathological examination in defining cause of death. In these contexts, it is essential to recognise mitral valve prolapse as the substrate eligible to trigger a lethal arrhythmia and to identify the triggers, their interaction, and the possible correlation with criminal dynamics