Wound Vitality in Decomposed Bodies: New Frontiers Through Immunohistochemistry

Background: The question about wound vitality and the estimation of wound age of production are two of the classic investigation fields of forensic sciences. To answer this, the techniques most frequently used in research studies are immunohistochemistry (IHC), molecular biology, and biochemistry. Despite the great data on the literature about the usefulness of IHC in forensic pathology, there is always a request for further studies, especially on tissues altered by putrefactive phenomena. In fact, the degradation of the tissues is intended as the main limiting factor to the use of this technique.Scope: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical behavior of samples collected from decomposed bodies (in different putrefaction phases) and to relate these findings to wound vitality and postmortem interval.Materials and Methods: Samples of skin and soft tissues were collected during autopsies, which were executed on decomposed bodies, whose cause of death was concluded to be traumatic. An immunohistochemical study was performed using antibodies against CD15, CD45, IL-15, tryptase, and glycophorin-A MMPs (endopeptidases involved in degrading extracellular matrix proteins: MMP-9 and MMP-2). An immunohistochemistry (IHC) reaction was evaluated according to a qualitative method as the following legend: (0): not expressed, (+): isolated and disseminated expression, (++): expression in groups or widespread foci, and (+++): widespread expression.Results: Most of the tested markers (tryptase, glycophorin, IL15, CD 15, CD 45, and MMP9) showed to be highly expressed in the tissue of putrefied skin for 15 days.Discussion and Conclusion: Although certainly inconclusive, this experimental application demonstrated that a nonexclusive but combined use of multiple antibodies is appropriate to verify wound vitality in decomposed bodies. Among them, GPA exhibited major reliability.

Kinetostatic analysis, manufacturing, and experimental application of a press machine based on Stephenson II mechanism

Press machine tools are often used in important industrial establishments, such as automobiles, aerospace, and aviation; these machine tools must be produced with high precision. Therefore, studies related to improving press tools and enhancing their precision are being conducted. In this study, a press machine tool based on the Stephenson II mechanism is proposed. Compared to that of conventional crank presses, this mechanism increases the slider balance using a ternary link and unique connecting rods. Thus, the slider precision can be improved with a small addition to the mechanism, and load transmission can be ensured in a balanced manner. To test the contribution of the mechanism, dynamic analysis is performed using the kinetostatic method, and the dynamic data of the mechanism are obtained. Subsequently, a press machine prototype is designed and manufactured. The experimental results are verified against the theoretical results, confirming that the proposed press machine tool based on the Stephenson II mechanism has better characteristics than those of the conventional press machine owing to the favorable distribution of forces on the slide and lower reaction to the slide guides.

Stem Cell Secretome for Spinal Cord Repair: Is It More than Just a Random Baseline Set of Factors?

Hundreds of thousands of people suffer spinal cord injuries each year. The experimental application of stem cells following spinal cord injury has opened a new era to promote neuroprotection and neuroregeneration of damaged tissue. Currently, there is great interest in the intravenous administration of the secretome produced by mesenchymal stem cells in acute or subacute spinal cord injuries. However, it is important to highlight that undifferentiated neural stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells are able to adapt to the damaged environment and produce the so-called lesion-induced secretome. This review article focuses on current research related to the secretome and the lesion-induced secretome and their roles in modulating spinal cord injury symptoms and functional recovery, emphasizing different compositions of the lesion-induced secretome in various models of spinal cord injury.

Experimental Application of Bluetooth Low Energy Connectionless in Smart Cities

Communication networks are a key element in the development of Smart Cities. This field is a constantly evolving environment, for which new protocols are constantly appearing. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the technologies, the most appropriate candidate must be selected in order to get the best performance to satisfy the application requirements. One of these protocols is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), particularly with the upgrades introduced in version 5.x. Its new features are focused on providing increased range, improving robustness, and expanding beaconing capabilities. Connectionless applications such as information broadcasting in Smart Cities could take advantage of this protocol. Furthermore, the wide availability on common devices (mobile phones, car infotainment, etc.), the deployment of these applications can be carried out easily and at low cost. This paper presents an experimental evaluation of the new robust, long-range radio mode of BLE over a set of Smart Cities scenarios, taking into account different conditions such as wireless interference, distances, dynamicity, etc. The results show a promising performance of the protocol even with these constraints.

INTEGRATED METHODS FOR THE CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES. AN EXPERIMENTAL APPLICATION ON THE “BALNEUM” OF PIAZZA DANTE IN CATANIA (ITALY)

Archaeological sites in urban areas are often poorly integrated with the modern urban fabric and appear as “trenches” at a lower level than the road. They become neglected and unvalued places. The study of archaeological ruins in urban centres must involve archaeologists and architects to integrate restoration, enhancement and improvement of physical and visual accessibility projects. New digital technologies can improve these activities thanks to 3D models, “digital replicas” that allow even remote study (especially during a pandemic). The paper presents the case study of a private Roman-imperial bath in Catania. The open-air site is located at a depth of 3 metres above the road level and is not exploited. Our study consisted of historical-bibliographical research, direct and SfM surveys that allowed creating a high-resolution textured 3D model. We have extracted orthophotos and sections for geometric and technical-constructive analyses and recognition of decay from this model. We drew up an archaeological restoration and valorisation design. In addition, we imported the model into the Sketchfab portal. So, we enriched the mesh with information from the analyses employing specific tags about annotations, 2D drawings, historical and technical-scientific information. In this way, the model becomes an interactive document to monitor over time the conservation state, validate the restoration design and contribute to the valorisation of the site. This is an easy tool of exchange between all involved users (researchers, professions and students). Thus, the digital replica also represents a very high potential for dissemination purposes.

Implementation of Data Mining Using C4.5 Algorithm for Predicting Customer Loyalty of PT. Pegadaian (Persero) Pati Area Office

PT Pegadaian (Persero) is engaged in the business of providing credit services with pawn, non-pawning and gold investment products. One of the right marketing strategies to survive today's high competition is to maintain customer loyalty, researchers use several data variables available in the MIS (Management Information System) in the form of customer transaction frequency, how many products are taken by customers, customer satisfaction and direct interviews. to predict customer loyalty of PT Pegadaian (Persero) by implementing the c4.5 algorithm. The c4.5 algorithm is the algorithm used to create a decision tree. Decision trees are a very powerful and well-known method of classification and prediction. The decision tree method converts very large facts into a decision tree that represents the rule. Rules can be easily understood in natural language. This study aims to determine the accuracy of the C4.5 algorithm to predict customer loyalty of PT Pegadaian (Persero) and the most influential factors in loyalty. The results of the experimental application of the c4.5 algorithm show that the level of accuracy generated in predicting customer loyalty is quite high, namely 89.94% in data testing 1 and 94% in data testing 2. The application of the c4.5 algorithm in predicting customer loyalty of PT Pegadaian (Persero) can be well applied.