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Tomassini L, Lancia M, Scendoni R, Manta AM, Fruttini D, Terribile E, Gambelunghe C. Dating Skin Lesions of Forensic Interest by Immunohistochemistry and Immunofluorescence Techniques: A Scoping Literature Review. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:168. [PMID: 38248045 PMCID: PMC10814027 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Wound age estimation is a significant issue in forensic pathology. Although various methods have been evaluated, no gold standard system or model has been proposed, and accurate injury time estimation is still challenging. The distinction between vital skin wounds-i.e., ante-mortem lesions-and skin alterations that occur after death is a crucial goal in forensic pathology. Once the vitality of the wound has been confirmed, the assessment of the post-trauma interval (PTI) is also fundamental in establishing the causal relationship between the traumatic event and death. The most frequently used techniques in research studies are biochemistry, molecular biology, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Biochemical methods take advantage of the chemical and physical techniques. A systematic literature search of studies started on 18 February 2023. The search was conducted in the main databases for biomedical literature, i.e., PubMed and Scopus, for papers published between 1973 and 2022, focusing on different techniques of immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence (IF) for estimating the PTI of skin wounds. The present study involves a comprehensive and structured analysis of the existing literature to provide a detailed and comprehensive overview of the different IHC techniques used to date skin lesions, synthesize the available evidence, critically evaluate the methodologies, and eventually draw meaningful conclusions about the reliability and effectiveness of the different markers that have been discovered and used in wound age estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Tomassini
- International School of Advanced Studies, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Massimo Lancia
- Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (M.L.); (E.T.); (C.G.)
| | - Roberto Scendoni
- Department of Law, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy;
| | - Anna Maria Manta
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Daniela Fruttini
- Section of Internal Medicine and Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Erika Terribile
- Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (M.L.); (E.T.); (C.G.)
| | - Cristiana Gambelunghe
- Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (M.L.); (E.T.); (C.G.)
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Linares-Gonzalez L, Rodenas-Herranz T, Campos F, Ruiz-Villaverde R, Carriel V. Basic Quality Controls Used in Skin Tissue Engineering. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:1033. [PMID: 34685402 PMCID: PMC8541591 DOI: 10.3390/life11101033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Reconstruction of skin defects is often a challenging effort due to the currently limited reconstructive options. In this sense, tissue engineering has emerged as a possible alternative to replace or repair diseased or damaged tissues from the patient's own cells. A substantial number of tissue-engineered skin substitutes (TESSs) have been conceived and evaluated in vitro and in vivo showing promising results in the preclinical stage. However, only a few constructs have been used in the clinic. The lack of standardization in evaluation methods employed may in part be responsible for this discrepancy. This review covers the most well-known and up-to-date methods for evaluating the optimization of new TESSs and orientative guidelines for the evaluation of TESSs are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Linares-Gonzalez
- Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, 18016 Granada, Spain; (L.L.-G.); (T.R.-H.)
- Ibs. GRANADA, Instituto Biosanitario de Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (F.C.); (V.C.)
- Department of Histology, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Teresa Rodenas-Herranz
- Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, 18016 Granada, Spain; (L.L.-G.); (T.R.-H.)
- Ibs. GRANADA, Instituto Biosanitario de Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (F.C.); (V.C.)
- Department of Histology, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Fernando Campos
- Ibs. GRANADA, Instituto Biosanitario de Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (F.C.); (V.C.)
- Department of Histology, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Ricardo Ruiz-Villaverde
- Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, 18016 Granada, Spain; (L.L.-G.); (T.R.-H.)
- Ibs. GRANADA, Instituto Biosanitario de Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (F.C.); (V.C.)
- Department of Histology, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Víctor Carriel
- Ibs. GRANADA, Instituto Biosanitario de Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (F.C.); (V.C.)
- Department of Histology, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
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Grande L, Pedroarena I, Korili SA, Gil A. Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Biomass as One of the Most Promising Alternatives for the Synthesis of Advanced Liquid Biofuels: A Review. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:5286. [PMID: 34576508 DOI: 10.3390/ma14185286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The use of biofuels offers advantages over existing fuels because they come from renewable sources, they are biodegradable, their storage and transport are safer, and their emissions into the atmosphere are lower. Biomass is one of the most promising sustainable energy sources with a wide variety of organic materials as raw material. Chemical, biochemical, and thermochemical methods have been proposed to obtain biofuels from raw materials from biomass. In recent years, a thermochemical method that has generated great interest is hydrothermal liquefaction. In this paper, a brief review of the main sources for liquid biofuels and the synthesis processes is presented, with special emphasis on the production of biofuels using hydrothermal liquefaction by using waste generated by human activity as raw material.
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Osa M, Belo MC, Dela Merced Z, Villanueva AMG, Mauhay J, Celis A, Catli M, Suzuki S, Ukawa T, Tamaki S, Dhoubhadel BG, Ariyoshi K, Telan EFO, Umipig DV, Parry CM, Saito N, Smith C. Performance of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry in the Philippines. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:112. [PMID: 34206828 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6030112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of the causative pathogen in infectious diseases is important for surveillance and to guide treatment. In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), conventional culture and identification methods, including biochemical methods, are reference-standard. Biochemical methods can lack sensitivity and specificity and have slow turnaround times, causing delays in definitive therapy. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI–TOF MS) is a rapid and accurate diagnostic method. Most studies comparing MALDI–TOF MS and biochemical methods are from high-income countries, with few reports from LMIC with tropical climates. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of MALDI–TOF MS compared to conventional methods in the Philippines. Clinical bacterial or fungal isolates were identified by both MALDI–TOF MS and automated (VITEK2) or manual biochemical methods in the San Lazaro Hospital, Metro Manila, the Philippines. The concordance between MALDI–TOF MS and automated (VITEK2) or manual biochemical methods was analyzed at the species and genus levels. In total, 3530 bacterial or fungal isolates were analyzed. The concordance rate between MALDI–TOF MS and biochemical methods was 96.2% at the species level and 99.9% at the genus level. Twenty-three isolates could not be identified by MALDI–TOF MS. In this setting, MALDI–TOF MS was accurate compared with biochemical methods, at both the genus and the species level. Additionally, MALDI–TOF MS improved the turnaround time for results. These advantages could lead to improved infection management and infection control in low- and middle-income countries, even though the initial cost is high.
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Assinger A, Grasl M, Volf I. Distance teaching of experimental scientific methodology and scientific thinking. GMS J Med Educ 2021; 38:Doc15. [PMID: 33659620 PMCID: PMC7899117 DOI: 10.3205/zma001411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this project was to convert a traditional face-to-face seminar for the teaching of experimental scientific methodology to remote teaching in a timely manner due to the COVID-19 related restrictions to teaching in presence. Methodology: The main focus of the course was on flow cytometry. Basics were developed in a virtual presence phase. Specific teaching contents were taught by an interactive presentation, which came very close to the user experience of a flow cytometer and interactively illustrated the influence of different experimental conditions on the obtained results. Video sequences of authentic sample acquisitions were integrated into Adobe Captivate®. These "virtual acquisitions" were not distinguishable from the original procedure. For interpretation of the resulting diagrams, interactions were inserted, which allowed direct comparison of the obtained results. Implementation: A presentation with interactive elements and video sequences was created and used for the virtual presence phases. After publishing on a web server in HTML 5, contents were made available to the students for post-processing of learning contents by self-paced learning with full (interactive) functionality. Conclusion: Contributions elaborated by the students during the course demonstrate a learning outcome comparable to that archieved in the last years in presence mode. While implementation of this solution represented a highly time-consuming process, narrative feedback was consistently positive. Due to the short time available for implementation, no systematic evaluation could be conducted, which represents a clear limitation of this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Assinger
- Medizinische Universität Wien, Institut für Gefäßbiologie und Thromboseforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthäus Grasl
- Medizinische Universität Wien, Universitätsklinik für Hals- Nasen- und Ohrenkrankheiten, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ivo Volf
- Medizinische Universität Wien, Institut für Physiologie, Vienna, Austria
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Matveeva T, Khafizova G, Sokornova S. In Search of Herbal Anti-SARS-Cov2 Compounds. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:589998. [PMID: 33304368 PMCID: PMC7701093 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.589998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the spread of the new coronavirus had reached the stage of a pandemic. To date (23.10.2020), there are more than 40 million confirmed cases of the disease in the world, at the same time there is still no effective treatment for the disease. For management and treatment of SARS-Cov2, the development of an antiviral drug is needed. Since the representatives of all human cultures have used medicinal plants to treat viral diseases throughout their history, plants can be considered as sources of new antiviral drug compounds against emerging viruses. The huge metabolic potential of plants allows us to expect discovery of plant compounds for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus infection. This idea is supported by number of papers on the anti-SARS-Cov2 activity of plant extracts and specific compounds in the experiments in silico, in vitro, and in vivo. Here, we summarize information on methods and approaches aimed to search for anti-SARS-Cov2 compounds including cheminformatics, bioinformatics, genetic engineering of viral targets, interacting with drugs, biochemical approaches etc. Our mini-review may be useful for better planning future experiments (including rapid methods for screening compounds for antiviral activity, the initial assessment of the antiviral potential of various plant species in relation to certain pathogens, etc.) and giving a hand to those who are making first steps in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Matveeva
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Galina Khafizova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sofia Sokornova
- Department of Toxicology and Biotechnology, All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Zaręba-Kozioł M, Figiel I, Bartkowiak-Kaczmarek A, Włodarczyk J. Insights Into Protein S-Palmitoylation in Synaptic Plasticity and Neurological Disorders: Potential and Limitations of Methods for Detection and Analysis. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:175. [PMID: 29910712 PMCID: PMC5992399 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
S-palmitoylation (S-PALM) is a lipid modification that involves the linkage of a fatty acid chain to cysteine residues of the substrate protein. This common posttranslational modification (PTM) is unique among other lipid modifications because of its reversibility. Hence, like phosphorylation or ubiquitination, it can act as a switch that modulates various important physiological pathways within the cell. Numerous studies revealed that S-PALM plays a crucial role in protein trafficking and function throughout the nervous system. Notably, the dynamic turnover of palmitate on proteins at the synapse may provide a key mechanism for rapidly changing synaptic strength. Indeed, palmitate cycling on postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95), the major postsynaptic density protein at excitatory synapses, regulates the number of synaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) and thus affects synaptic transmission. Accumulating evidence suggests a relationship between impairments in S-PALM and severe neurological disorders. Therefore, determining the precise levels of S-PALM may be essential for understanding the ways in which this PTM is regulated in the brain and controls synaptic dynamics. Protein S-PALM can be characterized using metabolic labeling methods and biochemical tools. Both approaches are discussed herein in the context of specific methods and their advantages and disadvantages. This review clearly shows progress in the field, which has led to the development of new, more sensitive techniques that enable the detection of palmitoylated proteins and allow predictions of potential palmitate binding sites. Unfortunately, one significant limitation of these approaches continues to be the inability to use them in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Zaręba-Kozioł
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Figiel
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Bartkowiak-Kaczmarek
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Włodarczyk
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Abstract
Protein molecules often interact with other partner protein molecules in order to execute their vital functions in living organisms. Characterization of protein-protein interactions thus plays a central role in understanding the molecular mechanism of relevant protein molecules, elucidating the cellular processes and pathways relevant to health or disease for drug discovery, and charting large-scale interaction networks in systems biology research. A whole spectrum of methods, based on biophysical, biochemical, or genetic principles, have been developed to detect the time, space, and functional relevance of protein-protein interactions at various degrees of affinity and specificity. This article presents an overview of these experimental methods, outlining the principles, strengths and limitations, and recent developments of each type of method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Rd, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Rd, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Rd, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Macau, 999078, People's Republic of China.
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Zhou M, Li Q, Wang R. Current Experimental Methods for Characterizing Protein-Protein Interactions. ChemMedChem 2016. [PMID: 26864455 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500495.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Protein molecules often interact with other partner protein molecules in order to execute their vital functions in living organisms. Characterization of protein-protein interactions thus plays a central role in understanding the molecular mechanism of relevant protein molecules, elucidating the cellular processes and pathways relevant to health or disease for drug discovery, and charting large-scale interaction networks in systems biology research. A whole spectrum of methods, based on biophysical, biochemical, or genetic principles, have been developed to detect the time, space, and functional relevance of protein-protein interactions at various degrees of affinity and specificity. This article presents an overview of these experimental methods, outlining the principles, strengths and limitations, and recent developments of each type of method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Rd, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Rd, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Rd, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China. .,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Macau, 999078, People's Republic of China.
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