The immunohistochemical analysis of fibronectin, collagen type III, laminin, and cytokeratin 5 in putrified skin

Fibronectin, collagen type III, laminin, and cytokeratin 5 were visualized in normal skin and in skin showing early or advanced signs of autolytic decomposition to prove whether the immunohistochemical analysis of these antigens can provide useful information for an age-estimation of skin wounds obtained from putrified corpses. In cases with early signs of decomposition (visible course of veins, greenish discoloration) and without microscopic alterations like relaxation of the epidermal cell layers or destruction of the blood vessel structures, the staining pattern was identical to that found in normal, non-putrefied skin. In skin already showing microscopic alteration of the tissue structure, fibronectin and collagen type III could not be localized unambiguously. The distribution of laminin and cytokeratin 5, however, was well preserved. In advanced putrefied skin no reliable staining results could be obtained for fibronectin, collagen type III, and laminin. Even though cytokeratin 5 was still detectable in remnants of decomposition-resistant skin appendages, no information useful for an age-estimation of skin wounds can be obtained due to the autolytic detachment of the epidermal layers

Flood vulnerability, risk and social disadvantage: current and future patterns in the UK

Present day and future social vulnerability, flood risk and disadvantage across the UK are explored using the UK Future Flood Explorer. In doing so, new indices of neighbourhood flood vulnerability and social flood risk are introduced and used to provide a quantitative comparison of the flood risks faced by more and less socially vulnerable neighbourhoods. The results show the concentrated nature of geographic flood disadvantage. For example, ten local authorities account for fifty percent of the most socially vulnerable people that live in flood prone areas. The results also highlight the systematic nature of flood disadvantage. For example, flood risks are higher in socially vulnerable communities than elsewhere; this is shown to be particularly the case in coastal areas, economically struggling cities and dispersed rural communities. Results from a re-analysis of the Environment Agency’s Long-Term Investment Scenarios (for England) suggests a long-term economic case for improving the protection afforded to the most socially vulnerable communities; a finding that reinforces the need to develop a better understanding of flood risk in socially vulnerable communities if flood risk management efforts are to deliver fair outcomes. In response to these findings the paper advocates an approach to flood risk management that emphasizes Rawlsian principles of preferentially targeting risk reduction for the most socially vulnerable and avoids a process of prioritisation based upon strict utilitarian or purely egalitarian principles

Effects of Fasting on Ingestive Behaviour of Sheep Grazing Grass or White Clover Monocultures

Effects of fasting sheep for 24 h (F), compared with controls (NF), on their ingestive behaviour and particle size in extrusa was investigated using oesophageally fistulated animals, grazing monocultures of Lolium perenne (G) or Trifolium repens (C). Bite masses tended to be lower on G than C and tended to increase with fasting (40, 64, 61 and 70 mg DM bite-1) for treatments GNF, GF, CNF and CF, respectively. Prehension rate was lower (52 vs. 69 bites min-1) and masticating rate was higher (106 vs.86 mastications min- 1) for G and C treatments, respectively. Over 24 h following fasting, NF animals grazed less (458 vs. 578 min 24 h-1) and ruminated less (276 vs. 348 min 24 h-1) than F animals. Particles in extrusa \u3c 0.18 mm were 48 vs. 55 %, for G and F, and 49 vs.54% for F and NF treatments

Alveolar macrophages and the diagnosis of drowning

In the present study, we examined the number of alveolar macrophages in lung tissue from 17 cases of fresh water drowning, 22 cases of acute death and 6 cases of lung emphysema. When counting only the number of alveolar macrophages per alveolus without consideration of the alveolar size we found no relevant differences between the groups investigated. To exclude any influence of the alveolar size on the results the surface density of the alveolar macrophages and interstitial tissue was estimated and compared in the different groups. In cases of drowning, the lungs showed significantly lower values in both categories. The ratio of ‘alveolar macrophages/interstitial tissue’ was also reduced in cases of drowning in comparison to the other groups, however, without significant differences. These morphometrical results characterizing the ‘emphysema aquosum’ with almost ‘empty’ and dilated alveoli could be explained by a wash-out effect of the drowning fluid leading to a partial removal of the macrophages from the alveoli. This hypothesis was confirmed by the detection of alveolar macrophages in the drowning froth by immunohistochemical analysis. Even though alveolar macrophages were unambiguously identified in advanced putrefied lungs in HE-stained sections as well as by immunohistochemical staining, an estimation of the number of these cells cannot provide further information for the diagnosis of drowning in putrefied corpses due to the autolytic destruction of the lung architecture providing no reliable values

Climbing the water ladder: multiple-use water services for poverty reduction

Multiple use / Models / Water productivity / Research projects / Water supply / Domestic water / Irrigation water / Water governance / Poverty / Gender / Rural areas / Wells / Water harvesting / Runoff / Water storage / Water purification / Appropriate technology / Costs / Local government / Non governmental organizations / Case studies / Ehiopia / Nepal / Zimbabwe / Bolivia / India / Colombia / Thailand / South Africa

Melanoma-associated adhesion molecule MUC18/MCAM (CD146) and transcriptional regulator Mader in normal human CNS

The proteins MUC18 and Mader have been identified as markers of tumor progression in melanoma cells, MUC18, also known as MCAM (melanoma cell adhesion molecule) and as CD146 (endothelial antigen), is a cell adhesion molecule belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily, Mader is a transcriptional regulator shown to negatively regulate EGR-1. As it is known that neoplastic cells of neuroectodermal origin frequently express neuron-specific molecules, we studied whether these melanoma-associated antigens are found in normal CNS tissue. We investigated the expression of MUC18/MCAM and Mader in adult human post mortem CNS tissue by immunohistochemistry, immunoblot and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Our results show that Mader is preferentially expressed on neurons and glial cells and that the adhesion protein MUC18/MCAM is mainly expressed on vasculature within the CNS. These observations may have important implications for further studies investigating their possible roles in cell adhesion and proliferation control within the CNS

Pulmonary giant cells and their significance for the diagnosis of asphyxiation

This study was performed to prove whether the detection of polynuclear giant cells in lungs is useful for the diagnosis of asphyxiation due to throttling or strangulation. Therefore, lung specimens of 54 individuals with different natural and unnatural causes of death were investigated. In most lungs examined numerous alveolar macrophages with 1-2 nuclei were found. Polynuclear giant cells, which were arbitrarily defined as alveolar macrophages containing 3 or more nuclei, were observed in all groups investigated except in the cases of hypoxia due to covering the head with plastic bags. Apparent differences between the other groups in particular an increased number in cases of throttling or strangulation, could not be observed. Immunohistochemical investigations confirmed the hypothesis that the observed polynuclear giant cells were derived from alveolar macrophages. The immunohistochemical analysis of the proliferation marker antigen Ki 67 revealed no positive reaction in the nuclei of polynuclear giant cells indicating that these cells had not developed shortly before death by endomitosis as an adaptative change following reduction in oxygen supply. The results provide evidence that the detection of pulmonary polynuclear giant cells cannot be used as a practical indicator for death by asphyxiation due to throttling or strangulation