1,721,162 research outputs found
An unusual case of crossbow homicide.
No full textThe authors report the case of a man found
unresponsive in a wooded area with injuries on the face,
eyes, shoulders and back, probably produced by caustic
agents. A penetrating wound was noted in the left occipital
region. Four days after admission to an Intensive Care Unit
he died. No weapon was found at the crime scene. Autopsy
revealed an occipital bone defect in the wound area, and
cerebral haemorrhage in the left hemisphere in the absence
of an exit wound. Immunohistochemical staining of brain
samples for b-APP were critical establishing the extent of
the injury. The peculiarity of the wound and the lack of
circumstantial evidence made it necessary to conduct a
careful investigation to identify the weapon. Firing tests
performed on experimental cranial models established the
use of a crossbow weapon as a cause of the observed
wound
Radiological evidence of a modern 'martyr's crown': suicide by multiple self-inflicted nail gun shots.
Full text linkA man attempted suicide by shooting seven nails into his head with a nail gun; five in the right temporal region
and two in the left. He subsequently presented at the emergency department with complaints of headache. He was found
to be oriented in space and time, with no focal neurological deficits. The patient handed the nail gun to the doctors and
informed them that he had earlier attempted suicide. Radiological studies showed the presence of nails arranged like a
‘martyr’s crown’. The man died six days after the surgical removal of the nails. Autopsy was refused by Italian authorities.
We conclude that imaging techniques are an adjuvant to forensic medical diagnosis and forensic autopsies
AN EFFICIENT SYNTHETIC STRATEGY FOR THE FUNCTIONALIZATION OF 9-RIBOSYL PURINE (NEBULARINE)
Full text linkIn the last decades, many research groups have focused their attention to the preparation of new modified nucleosides and nucleotides to expand the pool of molecules with potential antineoplastic, antihypertensive and antiviral activities. In this context, efforts have been directed to the synthesis of sugar and/or base-modified nucleosides. Many nucleobase analogues exist and several nucleoside analogues have been employed against cancer and viral diseases. In addition, base modified nucleosides often show fluorescent properties, and can be used as fluorescent probes for the analysis of DNA and RNA structures as well as for analysing the interaction of DNA and RNA with binding proteins. Purine bases and nucleosides bearing a C or N-substituent at C2 and C6 positions represent an important class of compounds possessing a broad spectrum of biological effects including cytostatic, antiviral, antibacterial as well as receptor modulation activity. The reactivity imparted to purines and related nucleosides by halogenation at C6 and C2 positions has opened the way to the construction of new libraries of C6 and C2 modified nucleosides generally through direct aromatic nucleophilic substitution (SNAr), or metal-mediated cross-coupling processes. We have recently reported on the reactivity of 9-ribosyl purine (nebularine) N1-oxide demonstrating that its C6(C2)-N1-O- nitrone moiety can react with dipolarophiles and with Grignard reagents leading to their addition on the C6 or C2 carbons of the purine base. In particular, we observed that the sugar-protected nebularine N1-oxide can regioselectively react with Grignard reagents at the more electrophilic C6 position leading to an adduct, which re-aromatized by treatment with Ac2O/pyridine, furnishing the C6-substituted purine nucleoside in high yields. We have also shown that a second alkyl/aryl substituent can be introduced at C2 by a similar strategy, that is, by the addition of a Grignard reagent to the C6- substituted nebularine N1-oxides through the opening/reclosing of the pyrimidine ring induced by the Grignard reagent itself. Through this approach, we have synthesized new collections of 2,6-dialkyl(aryl)purine nucleosides. A slightly modified synthetic procedure allowed us also to insert pyridinyl residues at the C6 purine position to obtain the few explored C6-pyridinyl nucleosides. The last are appealing nucleoside analogues because the presence of a nitrogen atom in the C6 residue can potentially alter the hydrogen-bonding capabilities of the nucleoside as well as promote its coordination to biologically important metals, such as platinum and ruthenium. We have discovered that they can be easily accessed after bromine-magnesium exchange between bromopyridines and iPrMgCl
Fatal food-induced anaphylaxis: Determination of tryptase and specific IgE on cadaveric blood samples. What else for a better methodological standard?
Full text linkPost-mortem investigation in cases of fatal anaphylaxis is required to provide clarifications on the presence of macroscopic pathological changes, histological features, and immunohistochemical positivity suggestive of the diagnosis, on biochemical evidence of anaphylaxis and on the presence of serological data indicative of the allergen responsible for the anaphylactic reaction. We describe the case of a 16-year-old boy with a medical history of allergic asthma, celiac disease, and known food-induced allergy for fish, fresh milk, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, apples, kiwis, and peaches. Acute onset of dyspnea followed by cyanosis of the lips and respiratory failure was described immediately after having an ice cream sandwich. Unsuccessful rescues were immediately attempted with oral administration of betamethasone, intramuscular injection of adrenaline, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A complete post-mortem examination was performed. Serum dosage of mast cell beta-tryptase from femoral blood detecting serum values of 41.4 mg/l. Determination of specific IgE on cadaveric blood samples confirmed the anamnestic data related to sensitization for several food allergens, including cod parvalbumin, tropomyosin, brazil nut, omega-5-gliadin of foods derived from wheat and gluten. The cause of death was identified in a cardiorespiratory failure due to anaphylactic shock in a poly-allergic subject and anaphylaxis was ascribed to the wheat contained in the ice cream sandwich eaten immediately before the onset of respiratory symptoms. The need is to implement an interdisciplinary approach capable to ascertain the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic tests currently in use as well as to evaluate the possibility of introducing new biomarkers in practice
Regioselective Synthesis of bis α-Acyloxy 1,4- and 1,5-Diketones from 1,5- and 1,6-Dienes
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