Postmortem Measurements Research Articles

RF26 HYDROGEL MYOCARDIAL INJECTION AS USEFUL STRATEGY TO PREVENT CARDIAC REMODELING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS, IN MODELS OF HEART FAILURE

Background: The main objective of this systematic review (PROSPERO ID 96223) is to determine the advantage in hydrogel-based treatment to achieve sustained improvement of cardiac function in heart failure (HF), compared to drug therapy or placebo in clinical and experimental models of HF. The association between different types of hydrogel and myocardial function impairment, performance status and injection-induced complications, is analysed. Methods: Literature search has been performed using computer-assisted databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and JBI database of systematic reviews and implementation reports). The search strategy and the search string (“hydrogel” AND “heart”) has been formulated following the PICO method. Outcomes aim to assess myocardial improved function as: myocardial thickness by post-mortem analysis measurement, end-diastolic volumes (left and right ventricles), 30 days mortality, post-mortem analysis of myocardial composition, dimensions and histological and immunohistochemical changes. A standardised, pre-piloted form has been used to extract data from the included studies for assessment of study quality and evidence synthesis. Risk of bias and study quality (ie. CAMARDES-checklist) have been assessed by two review authors and resolving incongruencies through discussion with a third author. Results: We provide a narrative synthesis of the findings from the included studies, structured around the type of intervention, target population characteristics, type of outcome and intervention content. Conclusions: Hydrogels injection for cardiac tissue repair seems to be a promising therapeutic approach in miocardial infarction (MI) treatment, nowadays under clinical evaluation. Hydrogels effectiveness in limiting extension and expansion of ischemic injury, resulting in improved MI survival rates, in now under investigation.

Prenatal assessment of cerebellar vermian lobulation: fetal MRI with 3-Tesla postmortem validation.

To optimize the imaging assessment of fetal hindbrain malformations, this observational magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study aimed to assess whether fetal vermian lobulation can be quantified accurately and whether the relative growth of vermian lobules is uniform. This retrospective study included singleton fetuses which underwent T2-weighted MRI in vivo with a 1.5-Tesla (T) scanner or within 24 h postmortem with a 3-T scanner between January 2007 and November 2016 at the Medical University of Vienna. We included only those showing normal structural brain development on ultrasound and MRI and which had image quality appropriate for quantitative analysis, i.e. good image quality and a precise midsagittal slice. Fetal brains were segmented and, for all discernible vermian lobules, we determined the mean relative area contribution (MRAC, the proportion of the lobule relative to the total vermian area, in terms of number of voxels). Inter- and intrarater measurement variability of a representative selection (21 cases) was determined by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for voxel-based differences. A linear regression model was used to assess the correlation between the relative size of each vermian lobule (i.e. MRAC) and gestational age. A total of 78 fetuses scanned in vivo aged 18-32 gestational weeks and seven fetuses scanned postmortem aged 16-30 weeks had a precise midsagittal slice and image quality sufficient for quantitative analysis. After 22 weeks of gestation, seven of the nine known vermian lobules could be discriminated reliably. The MRAC showed a mean ± SD difference of only 2.89 ± 3.01% between in-vivo and postmortem measurements. The ICC of voxel-based interrater differences was mean ± SD, 0.91 ± 0.05 and the intrarater ICC was 0.95 ± 0.03. Growth of cerebellar lobules was non-uniform: the MRAC of culmen and DFT (declive + folium + tuber) increased with gestational age, whereas that of lingula, centralis, pyramis and nodulus decreased. The growth of the uvula showed no significant correlation with gestational age. Fetal vermian lobulation can be assessed accurately and reliably after 22 weeks on precise midsagittal sequences with 1.5-T T2-weighted MRI. Fetal vermian lobules show non-uniform growth, with expansion of DFT and culmen at the expense of the other vermian lobules. Evaluation and elucidation of vermian lobulation in normal fetuses should enable better characterization of fetuses with hindbrain malformations. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Computational prediction of changes in brain metabolic fluxes during Parkinson's disease from mRNA expression.

BackgroundParkinson’s disease is a widespread neurodegenerative disorder which affects brain metabolism. Although changes in gene expression during disease are often measured, it is difficult to predict metabolic fluxes from gene expression data. Here we explore the hypothesis that changes in gene expression for enzymes tend to parallel flux changes in biochemical reaction pathways in the brain metabolic network. This hypothesis is the basis of a computational method to predict metabolic flux changes from post-mortem gene expression measurements in Parkinson’s disease (PD) brain.ResultsWe use a network model of central metabolism and optimize the correspondence between relative changes in fluxes and in gene expression. To this end we apply the Least-squares with Equalities and Inequalities algorithm integrated with Flux Balance Analysis (Lsei-FBA). We predict for PD (1) decreases in glycolytic rate and oxygen consumption and an increase in lactate production in brain cortex that correspond with measurements (2) relative flux decreases in ATP synthesis, in the malate-aspartate shuttle and midway in the TCA cycle that are substantially larger than relative changes in glucose uptake in the substantia nigra, dopaminergic neurons and most other brain regions (3) shifts in redox shuttles between cytosol and mitochondria (4) in contrast to Alzheimer’s disease: little activation of the gamma-aminobutyric acid shunt pathway in compensation for decreased alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activity (5) in the globus pallidus internus, metabolic fluxes are increased, reflecting increased functional activity.ConclusionOur method predicts metabolic changes from gene expression data that correspond in direction and order of magnitude with presently available experimental observations during Parkinson’s disease, indicating that the hypothesis may be useful for some biochemical pathways. Lsei-FBA generates predictions of flux distributions in neurons and small brain regions for which accurate metabolic flux measurements are not yet possible.

Algorithm for establishing the time of death of a dog based on temperature measurements in selected sites of the body during the early post-mortem period

Post-mortem measurements were made of the body temperature of dogs. The aim of the study was to evaluate and verify a reliable mathematical model that can be used to establish the time elapsed since the death of a dog during the initial post-mortem period at room temperature, using the eye (vitreous body), internal organs (heart, liver, kidney and lung), and rectum as sites for temperature measurement. The measurements were performed at six points in the body using an electronic thermometer in conjunction with a temperature probe. The method of temperature measurement is simple and does not cause perceptible macroscopic changes or disfigure the carcass. Multiple regression analysis was shown to be suitable for estimating the time elapsed from death to the discovery of the body for a period up to 12h post-mortem. The proposed multiple regression equation using body weight and the temperature at a specific site reduces manipulation of the carcass to a minimum and thus reduces error in establishing the time of death. The multiple regression model makes it possible to precisely estimate the time elapsed since the death of the animal.

Effect of slaughter season on postmortem metabolic characteristics of muscle in the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius)

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of slaughter season on the postmortem metabolic characteristics of dromedary camel longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. A total number of thirty male camels (5-7 years old) were included in this work. Ten camels were slaughtered according to season of the year (winter, spring and summer). The samples were analyzed for muscle pH, muscle temperature, electrical conductivity, drip loss (DL), cooking loss(CL) and thawing loss (TL). No significant (p> 0.05) effect of slaughter season on muscle pH and cooking loss was observed. However, slaughter season significantly (p< 0.05) influenced the electrical conductivity, muscle temperature, drip loss and thawing loss. All of these parameters were higher (p< 0.05) during summer as compared to winter and / or spring seasons. Moreover, several correlations between different studied parameters were reported. In conclusion, these findings indicated that slaughter season had a significant (p< 0.05) effect on several postmortem metabolic parameters of camels. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the electrical conductivity late postmortem measurement can be used as a suitable method for the evaluation of camel's meat quality.

Hollow carbon spheres with nanoporous shells and tailored chemical interfaces as sulfur host for long cycle life of lithium sulfur batteries

Lithium sulfur batteries suffer from poor cycle life mainly due to the shuttle effect of dissolved polysulfides and volume expansion of electrode. Herein, we report hollow carbon spheres with nanoporous shells and tailored chemical interfaces (PHCS) via annealing precursors under hydrogen contained inert gas as sulfur host to realize ultralong cycle life of lithium sulfur battery. The obtained PHCS has a larger pore volume, a higher specific surface area and less oxygen content compared to the conventional treated HCS. Benefiting from the combination of the unique pore structure and chemical interfaces which induce stronger polysulfides adsorption ability and less unwanted side reactions, which were confirmed by the ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy test and XPS measurement, the obtained PHCS/S cathode demonstrates excellent rate performance and ultralong cycle life. It delivers a high discharge capacity of 806.3 mAhg−1 at 4C rate and an ultralong cycle life with a low capacity decay rate of 0.037% after 1500 cycles at 2C rate. Moreover, it also supports high sulfur content (82%) and high sulfur loading (7.2 mg cm−2) with good electrochemical performance. The EIS analysis and post-mortem SEM measurements further confirm that the PHCS/S cathode electrode has more stable resistance and morphology characteristics, and the corresponding lithium anode suffers from less structural destruction and volume expansion, which may lead to the excellent battery performance.

Relationship between ultrasonographic and histopathological measurements of small intestinal wall layers in fresh cat cadavers

The relationship between histological and ultrasonographic thickness of the intestinal wall and its layers in cats is unknown so far. The aims of this study were to establish the relationship between ultrasonographic measurements in the transverse and longitudinal planes of the small intestine and to establish the agreement between ultrasonographic and histologic thickness of the overall intestinal wall and layers in cat cadavers. Seventeen adult cats were euthanased for reasons unrelated to gastrointestinal tract disease and ultrasonography was performed immediately after death using a high-frequency linear transducer. Ultrasound images of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and distal ileum were acquired in both the longitudinal and transverse planes. Small intestinal samples were collected close to where ultrasonographic images were obtained, fixed in formalin, and histological sections were obtained. Measurements of the intestinal layers and the overall wall thickness were performed on the ultrasonographic images and histological sections.No statistical differences were found between the ultrasonographic measurements of thickness obtained in the transverse and longitudinal planes except for the distal ileum (P<0.05). There was good agreement between the ultrasonographic and histologic measurements of the overall wall thickness and the layers of the different intestinal segments except at the submucosa and muscularis of the duodenum. Immediate postmortem ultrasonographic and histological thickness measurements of the different layers of the small intestine obtained in this study could serve as a reference for ultrasonographic scans and histological samples in cats.

The potential of non-invasive pre- and post-mortem carcass measurements to predict the contribution of carcass components to slaughter yield of guinea pigs

Guinea pig meat consumption is increasing exponentially worldwide. The evaluation of the contribution of carcass components to carcass quality potentially can allow for the estimation of the value added to food animal origin and make research in guinea pigs more practicable. The aim of this study was to propose a methodology for modelling the contribution of different carcass components to the overall carcass quality of guinea pigs by using non-invasive pre- and post mortem carcass measurements. The selection of predictors was developed through correlation analysis and statistical significance; whereas the prediction models were based on Multiple Linear Regression. The prediction results showed higher accuracy in the prediction of carcass component contribution expressed in grams, compared to when expressed as a percentage of carcass quality components. The proposed prediction models can be useful for the guinea pig meat industry and research institutions by using non-invasive and time- and cost-efficient carcass component measuring techniques.

Microanatomy of the digestive tract, hooves and some visceral organs of addax antelope (Addax nasomaculatus) following a concentrate or forage feeding regime.

Subacute ruminal acidosis is a common disease in captive non-domesticated ruminants and is mainly diagnosed by rumen fluid pH and rumen histology. Furthermore, differences in ruminant gastrointestinal histology have been hypothesized to correlate with the browser-grazer continuum. Twelve surplus addax antelope (Addax nasomaculatus) were divided into two groups, fed either their usual diet, consisting of a concentrate feed with a limited amount of hay, or a diet of unlimited hay only, for 3months. After culling, descriptive and morphometric histology and pH measurements were compared between groups. Significant variations in cellular subpopulations were noted between groups, with roughage-fed individuals presenting primarily with balloon cells of the Stratum corneum and living layer cell vacuolization, whereas parakeratosis and intermediate-type cells were more frequent in the concentrate-fed group. Lesions typical of subacute ruminal acidosis were significantly more pronounced in concentrate-fed individuals. Ruminal pH measurements did not differ significantly, but were more consistent in forage-fed individuals, indicating a more stable reticuloruminal environment. The results indicate that ruminal histology may be more appropriate in assessing ruminal health compared to a single post-mortem pH measurement. It is proposed that Stratum corneum balloon cells may indicate cell maturation and not, as previously assumed, hyperfunction. Concentrate-fed individuals scored higher on the presence of inflammatory cells on hoof corium histology. The study further emphasizes the adaptability of ruminant digestive tract microanatomy in adult animals even after a short period of time and the positive effects an increased roughage diet may have in populations of captive grazing ruminants.

In vivo ultrasound and biometric measurements predict the empty body chemical composition in Nellore cattle.

Evaluation of the body chemical composition of beef cattle can only be measured postmortem and those data cannot be used in real production scenarios to adjust nutritional plans. The objective of this study was to develop multiple linear regression equations from in vivo measurements, such as ultrasound parameters [backfat thickness (uBFT, mm), rump fat thickness (uRF, mm), and ribeye area (uLMA, cm2)], shrunk body weight (SBW, kg), age (AG, d), hip height (HH, m), as well as from postmortem measurements (composition of the 9th to 11th rib section) to predict the empty body and carcass chemical composition for Nellore cattle. Thirty-three young bulls were used (339 ± 36.15 kg and 448 ± 17.78 d for initial weight and age, respectively). Empty body chemical composition (protein, fat, water, and ash in kg) was obtained by combining noncarcass and carcass components. Data were analyzed using the PROC REG procedure of SAS software. Mallows' Cp values were close to the ideal value of number of independent variables in the prediction equations plus one. Equations to predict chemical components of both empty body and carcass using in vivo measurements presented higher R2 values than those determined by postmortem measurements. Chemical composition of the empty body using in vivo measurements was predicted with R2 > 0.73. Equations to predict chemical composition of the carcass from in vivo measurements showed R2 lower (R2< 0.68) than observed for empty body, except for the water (R2 = 0.84). The independent variables SBW, uRF, and AG were sufficient to predict the fat, water, energy components of the empty body, whereas for estimation of protein content the uRF, HH, and SBW were satisfactory. For the calculation of the ash, the SBW variable in the equation was sufficient. Chemical compounds from components of the empty body of Nellore cattle can be calculated by the following equations: protein (kg) = 47.92 + 0.18 × SBW - 1.46 × uRF - 30.72 × HH (R2 = 0.94, RMSPE = 1.79); fat (kg) = 11.33 + 0.16 × SBW + 2.09 × uRF - 0.06 × AG (R2 = 0.74, RMSPE = 4.18); water (kg) = - 34.00 + 0.55 × SBW + 0.10 × AG - 2.34 × uRF (R2 = 0.96, RMSPE = 5.47). In conclusion, the coefficients of determination (for determining the chemical composition of the empty body) of the equations derived from in vivo measures were higher than those of the equations obtained from rib section measurements taken postmortem, and better than coefficients of determination of the equations to predict the chemical composition of the carcass.

The Effects of Storage and Additives on Postmortem HbA1c Measurements.

HbA1c is used in forensic toxicology to identify undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) and those with poor glycemic control prior to death. HbA1c is typically measured in whole blood collected in tubes containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The effect of other additives, including sodium fluoride (NaF), is unclear. Furthermore, the assessment of short- and long-term stability of HbA1c has produced conflicting results. In this study, we collected paired postmortem blood samples in EDTA and NaF tubes (n=142) to assess their comparability for HbA1c measurement. Stability was assessed by measuring HbA1c at baseline, 2, 3, and 4weeks postcollection (stored at 4°C) and at 2, 4, 6, and 12months postcollection (stored at -20°C). We found no significant difference in HbA1c between the two preservatives at any of the time points indicating NaF is a suitable preservative for HbA1c measurement. We also determined that DM status, postmortem interval, and decomposition had no effect on stability.

Estimating Sex Using Metric Analysis of the Scapula by Postmortem Computed Tomography.

Postmortem computed tomography (CT) has been extensively used in the last decade for identification purposes and in various anthropologic studies. Postmortem CT measurements of scapulae, analyzed using logistic discriminant function developed in this study, showed 94.5% accuracy in estimating sex. Data analyzed using the Dabbs and Moore-Jansen (2010) discriminant function and the discriminant function generated in this study provided nearly identical results with disagreement in only one case. Height and weight were not statically significant in sex prediction. The results of this study show that data obtained from volume rendered postmortem CT images can be considered reliable and treated as a practical option to standard anthropological methods, especially in mass fatalities as a rapid triage tool for sex determination.

CYP2C19 variant mitigates Alzheimer disease pathophysiology in vivo and postmortem.

ObjectiveTo verify whether CYP polymorphisms are associated with amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology across the spectrum of clinical Alzheimer disease using in vivo and postmortem data from 2 independent cohorts.MethodsA candidate-gene approach tested the association between 5 genes (28 single nucleotide polymorphisms) and Aβ load measured in vivo by the global [18F]florbetapir PET standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) in 338 Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative participants. Significant results were then tested using plasma Aβ and CSF Aβ and Aβ/phosphorylated tau (Aβ/p-tau) ratio in the same cohort. The significant association was also generalized to postmortem Aβ load measurement in the Rush Religious Orders Study/Memory and Aging Project cohorts. In addition, global cognition was used as a phenotype in the analysis in both cohorts.ResultsAnalysis of Aβ PET identified a variant in the CYP2C19 gene (rs4388808; p = 0.0006), in which carriers of the minor allele (MA) had a lower global SUVR. A voxel-wise analysis revealed that the variant is associated with a lower Aβ load in the frontal, inferior temporal, and posterior cingulate cortices. MA carriers also had higher CSF Aβ (p = 0.003) and Aβ/p-tau ratio (p = 0.02) but had no association with Aβ plasma levels. In postmortem brains, MA carriers had a lower Aβ load (p = 0.03). Global cognition was higher in MA carriers, which was found to be mediated by Aβ.ConclusionsTogether, these findings point to an association between CYP2C19 polymorphism and Aβ pathology, suggesting a protective effect of the MA of rs4388808. Despite the several possibilities in which CYP2C19 affects brain Aβ, the biological mechanism by which this genetic variation may act as a protective factor merits further investigation.

Evaluation of the usefulness of the immunoradiometric method for post-mortem measurement of insulin concentration in the intraocular fluid: preliminary results.

In medicolegal practice, rare cases associated with suicidal, criminal or accidental overdose of insulin are both analytically and forensically challenging. The determination of insulin in post-mortem blood has limited diagnostic value, mainly on account of post-mortem chemical degradation processes (particularly hemolysis), and hence is not useful in medicolegal practice. The aims of the study were: 1) to assess the usefulness of the immunoradiometric method, used in clinical practice, for post-mortem measurement of insulin concentration in the intraocular fluid, 2) to preliminarily evaluate the usefulness of the obtained results for toxicological and medicolegal assessment, and 3) to verify on the basis of our own material the validity of the cited literature data on the effect of hemolysis on the result of insulin level determination in post-mortem blood. The study material consisted of 93 samples of intraocular fluid collected during consecutive medicolegal autopsies performed in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. In addition, 10 samples of peripheral blood taken from living people (5 women and 5 men) for clinical and diagnostic purposes were analyzed. Insulin(e) IRMA KIT from IMMUNOTECH was used for the analyses. In 86 (92.5%) samples, the insulin concentration was below the analytical sensitivity of the method (less than 0.5 μIU/ml), while in 7 cases it was in the range of 1.42-24.42 μIU/ml. Determination of the insulin level in the intraocular fluid by the immunoradiometric method provides an opportunity for objective verification of poisoning, however this claim requires further research.

Assessment of body fat composition in crossbred Angus × Nellore using biometric measurements.

This study was conducted to assess the body and empty body fat physical and chemical composition through biometric measurements (BM) as well as postmortem measurements taken in 40 F Angus × Nellore bulls and steers. The animals used were 12.5 ± 0.51 mo of age, with an average shrunk BW of 233 ± 23.5 and 238 ± 24.6 kg for bulls and steers, respectively. Animals were fed 60:40 ratio of corn silage to concentrate diets. Eight animals (4 bulls and 4 steers) were slaughtered at the beginning of the trial, and the remaining animals were randomly assigned to a 1 + 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (1 reference group, 2 sexes, and 3 slaughter weights). The remaining animals were slaughtered when the average BW of the group reached 380 ± 19.5 (6 bulls and 5 steers), 440 ± 19.2 (6 bulls and 5 steers), and 500 ± 19.5 kg (5 bulls and 5 steers). Before the slaughter, the animals were led through a squeeze chute in which BM were taken, including hook bone width (HBW), pin bone width, abdomen width (AW), body length (BL), rump height, height at the withers, pelvic girdle length (PGL), rib depth (RD), girth circumference (GC), rump depth, body diagonal length (BDL), and thorax width. Additionally, the following postmortem measurements were obtained: total body surface (TBS), body volume (BV), subcutaneous fat (SF), internal physical fat (InF), intermuscular fat, carcass physical fat (CF), empty body physically separable fat (EBF), carcass chemical fat (CFch), empty body chemical fat (EBFch), fat thickness in the 12th rib, and 9th to 11th rib section fat. The equations were developed using a stepwise procedure to select the variables that should enter into the model. The and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to account for precision and accuracy. The ranges for and RMSE were 0.852 to 0.946 and 0.0625 to 0.103 m, respectively for TBS; 0.942 to 0.998 and 0.004 to 0.022 m, respectively, for BV; 0.767 to 0.967 and 2.70 to 3.24 kg, respectively, for SF; 0.816 to 0.900 and 3.04 to 4.12 kg, respectively, for InF; 0.830 to 0.988 and 3.44 to 8.39 kg, respectively, for CF; 0.861 to 0.998 and 1.51 to 10.98 kg, respectively, for EBF; 0.825 to 0.985 and 5.96 to 8.46 kg, respectively, for CFch; and 0.862 to 0.992 and 5.54 to 12.19 kg, respectively, for EBFch. Our results indicated that BM that could accurately and precisely be used as alternatives to predict different fat depots of F Angus × Nellore bulls and steers are AW, GC, or PGL for CF estimation; HBW and RD for CFch estimation; and body lengths such as BL and BDL for InF and SF estimation, respectively.

Chronic deep brain stimulation in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model enhances memory and reduces pathological hallmarks

BackgroundAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disorder that currently remains extremely disabling. Recent work has shown that deep brain stimulation (DBS) has promising effects in AD patients. In parallel to the clinical trials, we investigated the impact of chronic DBS in 3xTg mice, a well-established animal model of AD. MethodsAD mice were assigned to control (Cont), non-stimulation (NS) and stimulation (DBS) groups, along with age matched wild type controls (WT-Cont). Bilateral electrodes were implanted in the entorhinal cortex to deliver chronic high frequency stimulation for 25 days. Animals were tested in memory behavioral tasks, with post-mortem measurements of pathological markers. ResultsWe found that chronic DBS in AD mice normalized their impaired performance in the Morris water maze task to that of the WT group in the probe test. In the novel object and novel place preference tasks, AD-DBS mice spent more time at the novel object and novice location compared to AD-NS mice. These cognitive improvements in AD-DBS mice were associated with DBS induced increased neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, a significant reduction in β−amyloid plaques, a reduction in CA-1 cellular β−amyloid-42 levels, decreased cortical total-tau and phosphorylated-tau, along with decreased hippocampal total-tau. ConclusionOverall, we show that chronic DBS of the entorhinal cortex in AD mice improves both memory and AD specific pathological markers. These results support further testing of DBS as a potential treatment in AD patients.

Measurement of Liver Stiffness Using Shear Wave Elastography in a Rat Model: Factors Impacting Stiffness Measurement with Multiple- and Single-Tracking-Location Techniques

The clinical use of elastography for monitoring fibrosis progression is challenged by the subtle changes in liver stiffness associated with early-stage fibrosis and the comparatively large variance in stiffness estimates provided by elastography. Single-tracking-location (STL) shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) is an ultrasound elastography technique previously found to provide improved estimate precision compared with multiple-tracking-location (MTL) SWEI. Because of the improved precision, it is reasonable to expect that STL-SWEI would provide improved ability to differentiate liver fibrosis stage compared with MTL-SWEI. However, this expectation has not been previously challenged rigorously. In this work, the performance of STL- and MTL-SWEI in the setting of a rat model of liver fibrosis is characterized, and the advantages of STL-SWEI in staging fibrosis are explored. The purpose of this study was to determine what advantages, if any, arise from using STL-SWEI instead of MTL-SWEI in the characterization of fibrotic liver. Thus, the ability of STL-SWEI to differentiate livers at various METAVIR fibrosis scores, for ex vivo postmortem measurements, is explored. In addition, we examined the effect of the common confounding factor of fluid versus solid boundary conditions in SWEI experiments. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with carbon tetrachloride over several weeks to produce liver disease of varying severity. STL and MTL stiffness measurements were performed ex vivo and compared with the METAVIR scores from histological analysis and the duration of treatment. A strong association was observed between liver stiffness and weeks of treatment with the liver toxin carbon tetrachloride. Direct comparison of STL- and MTL-SWEI measurements revealed no significant difference in ability to differentiate fibrosis stages based on SWEI mean values. However, image interquartile range was greatly improved in the case of STL-SWEI, compared with MTL-SWEI, at small beam spacing.

Postmortem evaluation of cholesterol, triglyceride, and apolipoprotein levels.

Cholesterol and triglyceride levels have been analyzed in the forensic setting and their values correlated with atherosclerotic lesions found at autopsy and histology. Nevertheless, the results of these investigations have provided diverging information on postmortem molecule stability and postmortem measurement reliability. The aim of this study was to determine triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B100, and apolipoprotein A-I in antemortem and postmortem serum samples in a series of cases (N=10, including cardiac and noncardiac deaths) that underwent forensic investigations and had both samples available, measure the same molecules in postmortem serum from femoral blood and pericardial and pleural fluids (N=39, including cardiac and noncardiac deaths), and evaluate whether different levels of these molecules could be observed in cases characterized by different degrees of coronary artery atherosclerosis (N=39, including cardiac and noncardiac deaths). Preliminary results indicated that total cholesterol and low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in postmortem serum samples tended to be lower than those in antemortem specimens, whereas triglyceride levels in postmortem serum samples tended to be higher than those in antemortem samples. No relationship could be found between postmortem serum and pericardial fluid levels or between postmortem serum and pleural fluid levels of all tested biomarkers. Lastly, cases characterized by severe coronary artery atherosclerosis revealed higher postmortem serum levels of total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. Globally considered, these data confirm that femoral blood postmortem serum levels of cholesterol and apolipoproteins may be considered suitable to estimate their antemortem values in forensic cases characterized by coronary artery atherosclerosis.

THE MAYAK WORKER DOSIMETRY SYSTEM-2013 (MWDS-2013): PHASE II-QUALITY ASSURANCE OF ORGAN DOSE CALCULATIONS.

In order to check developed software tools, it was necessary to compare estimates of statistical characteristics of annual absorbed plutonium internal doses obtained by PANDORA and IMBA software with the same original data. The results were compared from dose calculations of five cases with different initial data on plutonium inhalation intake, lifetime measurements of plutonium activity in daily urine and post-mortem measurements in lungs, lung lymph nodes, liver and skeleton. Estimates of geometric mean and geometric standard deviation of annual regionally weighted lung dose and bone surface dose were compared. Satisfactory agreements of the estimates of statistical characteristics of annual doses to two critical organs for the selected cases were shown. One hundred individual hyper-realizations (forward model evaluations) are sufficient to calculate MWDS-2013 if only measurements of plutonium activity in daily urine are used, and 2000 individual hyper-realizations if both urine and autopsy measurement results are used.

Validity of Postmortem Glycated Hemoglobin to Determine Status of Diabetes Mellitus in Corneal Donors.

To examine the stability of postmortem glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement and its relationship to premortem glycemia. Postmortem blood samples were obtained from 32 donors (8 known diabetic) and shipped on ice to a central laboratory to examine the stability of HbA1c measurements during the first 9 postmortem days. Thirty-nine other suspected diabetic donors underwent comparison of premortem and postmortem HbA1c measurements. Postmortem HbA1c measurements remained stable after 9 postmortem days (all measurements within ±0.2% from baseline with a mean difference of 0.02% ± 0.10%). Of the premortem measurements obtained within 90 days before death, 79% were within ±1.0% of the postmortem measurements compared with 40% for measurements more than 90 days apart. Three of the postmortem HbA1c measurements exceeded 6.5% (considered a threshold for diabetes diagnosis), although the medical histories did not indicate any previous diabetes diagnosis. Postmortem HbA1c testing is feasible with current eye bank procedures and is reflective of glycemic control of donors during 90 days before death. HbA1c testing could potentially be a useful adjunct to review of the medical history and records for donor assessment for endothelial keratoplasty suitability and long-term graft success.