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Macroscopic Analysis (macroscopic + analysis)
Selected AbstractsThe Effects of Soil Environment on Postmortem Interval: A Macroscopic AnalysisJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 6 2009Kimberley A. Jaggers H.B.Sc. Abstract:, Burial environment, in particular soil moisture, has a significant impact on the type, rate, and extent of bone degradation, which ultimately affects estimations of the postmortem interval (PMI). The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of soil moisture on the color, weight, condition, and texture of bone as it relates to the PMI. Bone changes occurring over two different time intervals (2 and 5 months) were examined using 120 sus scrofa leg bones. During each time interval bones were buried in two soil environments, one of which was drier than the other. The bones in both environments lost weight over time but the net weight loss was greater for bones in the higher moisture environment. There was no change in color, texture, or overall condition, indicating that 150 days is not long enough for such alterations to occur, regardless of the moisture level of the burial environment. [source] Reorganization of hair follicles in human skin organ culture induced by cultured human follicle-derived cellsEXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2005Walter Krugluger Abstract:, Studies of human hair follicle (HF) induction by follicle-derived cells have been limited due to a lack of suitable test systems. In this study, we established a skin organ culture system which supports HF formation by follicle-derived cells. Long-term skin organ cultures were set up from human retroauricular skin specimens and maintained in culture for up to 8 weeks. In vitro expanded human HF-derived cells from the dermal papilla (DP) and the outer root sheath (ORS) were injected together into the skin specimens and evaluated for their ability to induce reorganization of HFs. Macroscopic analysis of the cultured skin specimens demonstrated the growth of velus-like hair after 4 weeks in culture. Histologic evaluation of the cultured skin specimens after 8 weeks of culture revealed multiple miniaturized HFs with sebaceous glands. In addition, cell clusters of various differentiation stages could be demonstrated in serial sections of the cultured skin specimens. Labeling of HF-derived cells with the fluorescence dye CFDA-1 prior to injection suggested a de novo reorganization of HFs out of the injected cells. In conclusion, the study demonstrated HF formation by HF-derived cells in an in vitro skin organ culture model. [source] The dangers of multi-male groupings: trauma and healing in cercopithecoid monkeys from CameroonAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Tara J. Chapman Abstract This study examines the potential linkage between social organization and trauma in a sample of cercopithecids from Cameroon. Skeletal trauma is described in a museum collection of eight sympatric monkey species. Macroscopic analysis was carried out on a total of 139 complete skeletons of mangabeys, colobines and guenons. Species in multi-male groups were found to have higher fracture frequencies than those in uni-male groups. These higher frequencies may be related to intra-specific male,male aggression; however, similarities in fracture patterning between males and females in multi-male groups suggest that other factors may be involved. Although fracture etiology may not be identified with certainty, this study suggests that predation may indirectly be a cause of traumatic injuries in those species of cercopithecid monkeys displaying multi-male social organizations. The data presented also highlight the utility of museum collections as an additional resource in analyses of primate behavior, demonstrating that behavioral information does not die when the animal does. Am. J. Primatol. 71:567,573, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Left ventricular hypertrophy in rats with biliary cirrhosisHEPATOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Javier Inserte Portal hypertension induces neuroendocrine activation and a hyperkinetic circulation state. This study investigated the consequences of portal hypertension on heart structure and function. Intrahepatic portal hypertension was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by chronic bile duct ligation (CBDL). Six weeks later, CBDL rats showed higher plasma angiotensin-II and endothelin-1 (P < .01), 56% reduction in peripheral resistance and 73% reduction in pulmonary resistance (P < .01), 87% increase in cardiac index and 30% increase in heart weight (P < .01), and increased myocardial nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. In CBDL rats, macroscopic analysis demonstrated a 30% (P < .01) increase in cross-sectional area of the left ventricular (LV) wall without changes in the LV cavity or in the right ventricle (RV). Histomorphometric analysis revealed increased cell width (12%, P < .01) of cardiomyocytes from the LV of CBDL rats, but no differences in myocardial collagen content. Myocytes isolated from the LV were wider (12%) and longer (8%) than right ventricular myocytes (P < .01) in CBDL rats but not in controls. CBDL rats showed an increased expression of ANF and CK-B genes (P < .01). Isolated perfused CBDL hearts showed pressure/end-diastolic pressure curves and response to isoproterenol identical to sham hearts, although generated wall tension was reduced because of the increased wall thickness. Coronary resistance was markedly reduced. This reduction was abolished by inhibition of NO synthesis with N -nitro-L-arginine. Expression of eNOS was increased in CBDL hearts. In conclusion, portal hypertension associated to biliary cirrhosis induces marked LV hypertrophy and increased myocardial NO synthesis without detectable fibrosis or functional impairment. This observation could be relevant to patients with cirrhosis. [source] |