Addendum to Additional Work Performed During the Years 1997 to 2000 on the Investigation of the Death of Marilyn Reese Sheppard by the Cuyahoga County Coroner\u27s Office

Dr. Balraj\u27s addendum to her initial report from January 14, 2000. She affirms that all of the experiments listed in said report were performed under her direction and supervision, and that she concurs with their results

Additional Work Performed During the Years 1997 to 2000 on the Investigation of the Death of Marilyn Reese Sheppard by the Cuyahoga County Coroner\u27s Office

Expert opinion of Elizabeth Balraj concerning the investigation of the death of Marilyn Reese Sheppard, as well as additional forensic analysis and experimentation performed by the Cuyahoga County Coroner\u27s Office under her supervision. Dr. Balraj states that cause of death was multiple blunt impacts to the head and time of death was likely between 3 and 4 am July 4, 1954. She says that the weapon was likely a blunt object, but not a 1950\u27s flashlight or medical instrument. Balraj does not believe that a sexual assault occurred. She opines that Marilyn\u27s torn fingernail and dental injuries were the result of blunt trauma, not injuries sustained in the course of attacking her assailant

Deposition of Dr. Elizabeth Balraj

Deposition of Dr. Elizabeth Balraj, Cuyahoga County Coroner, taken January 28, 2000. Dr. Balraj is under cross-examination from Plaintiff\u27s lawyer Terry Gilbert, while Dean Boland and Steven Dever represent the Defendant. Lines of questioning cover her education and experience, her Coroner\u27s Report on the case and it\u27s addendum, the whereabouts of pieces of evidence, and the professional opinions that she would give during her trial testimony

Additional Work Performed During the Years 1997 to 2000 on the Investigation of the Death of Marilyn Reese Sheppard by the Cuyahoga County Coroner\u27s Office

Expert opinion of Elizabeth Balraj concerning the investigation of the death of Marilyn Reese Sheppard, as well as additional forensic analysis and experimentation performed by the Cuyahoga County Coroner\u27s Office under her supervision. Dr. Balraj states that cause of death was multiple blunt impacts to the head and time of death was likely between 3 and 4 am July 4, 1954. She says that the weapon was likely a blunt object, but not a 1950\u27s flashlight or medical instrument. Balraj does not believe that a sexual assault occurred. She opines that Marilyn\u27s torn fingernail and dental injuries were the result of blunt trauma, not injuries sustained in the course of attacking her assailant

Description of Pillow Fold Experiments

This document describes the Cuyahoga County Coroner\u27s experiments performed on December 14, 1998, December 30, 1999 and January 5, 2000. These experiments attempted to determine what may have made the blood stain pattern on Marilyn\u27s pillow.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/forensic_testing_pillow/1015/thumbnail.jp

Description of Pillow Fold Experiments

This document describes the Cuyahoga County Coroner\u27s experiments performed on December 14, 1998, December 30, 1999 and January 5, 2000. These experiments attempted to determine what may have made the blood stain pattern on Marilyn\u27s pillow.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/forensic_testing_pillow/1015/thumbnail.jp

Fungal communities in the native New Zealand medicinal plant Pseudowintera colorata (Horopito) are determined by plant organ type and host maturity with key members promoting plant growth

The plant Pseudowintera colorata is well known for its antimicrobial and medicinal properties and is endemic to New Zealand. Using PCR‐Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), we investigated the factors influencing the composition of endophytic fungal communities in P. colorata from ten distinct sites across New Zealand. Our results showed that plant organs of P. colorata influenced the diversity and richness of endophytic fungi (PERMANOVA, p 10 mm) were sequenced and identified as Trichoderma harzianum, Pezicula neosporulosa, Fusarium tricinctum, Metarhizium sp., and Chaetomium sp. Applying selected endo-phytic fungi (n = 7) as soil drenchers significantly increased the growth of P. colorata seedlings and produced more internodes. Seedling shoots treated with Trichoderma sp. PRY2BA21 were 2.2 × longer (8.36 cm) than the untreated controls (3.72 cm). Our results elucidate the main plant factors influencing fungal community composition and demonstrate a role for endophytic fungi in P. colorata growth and further demonstrate that medicinal plants are a rich source of endophytes with potential as biocontrol agents

Obesity and diabetes are major risk factors for epicardial adipose tissue inflammation

BACKGROUND. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) directly overlies the myocardium, with changes in its morphology and volume associated with myriad cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, EAT's immune structure and cellular characterization remain incompletely described. We aimed to define the immune phenotype of EAT in humans and compare such profiles across lean, obese, and diabetic patients. METHODS. We recruited 152 patients undergoing open-chest coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve repair/replacement (VR) surgery, or combined CABG/VR. Patients' clinical and biochemical data and EAT, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and preoperative blood samples were collected. Immune cell profiling was evaluated by flow cytometry and complemented by gene expression studies of immune mediators. Bulk RNA-Seq was performed in EAT across metabolic profiles to assess whole-transcriptome changes observed in lean, obese, and diabetic groups. RESULTS. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated EAT was highly enriched in adaptive immune (T and B) cells. Although overweight/obese and diabetic patients had similar EAT cellular profiles to lean control patients, the EAT exhibited significantly (P ≤ 0.01) raised expression of immune mediators, including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. These changes were not observed in SAT or blood. Neither underlying coronary artery disease nor the presence of hypertension significantly altered the immune profiles observed. Bulk RNA-Seq demonstrated significant alterations in metabolic and inflammatory pathways in the EAT of overweight/obese patients compared with lean controls. CONCLUSION. Adaptive immune cells are the predominant immune cell constituent in human EAT and SAT. The presence of underlying cardiometabolic conditions, specifically obesity and diabetes, rather than cardiac disease phenotype appears to alter the inflammatory profile of EAT. Obese states markedly alter EAT metabolic and inflammatory signaling genes, underlining the impact of obesity on the EAT transcriptome profile

Addendum to Additional Work Performed During the Years 1997 to 2000 on the Investigation of the Death of Marilyn Reese Sheppard by the Cuyahoga County Coroner\u27s Office

Dr. Balraj\u27s addendum to her initial report from January 14, 2000. She affirms that all of the experiments listed in said report were performed under her direction and supervision, and that she concurs with their results