Impact of Nuclear Deformation and Pairing on the Charge Radii of Palladium Isotopes.

The impact of nuclear deformation can been seen in the systematics of nuclear charge radii, with radii generally expanding with increasing deformation. In this Letter, we present a detailed analysis of the precise relationship between nuclear quadrupole deformation and the nuclear size. Our approach combines the first measurements of the changes in the mean-square charge radii of well-deformed palladium isotopes between A=98 and A=118 with nuclear density functional calculations using Fayans functionals, specifically Fy(std) and Fy(Δr,HFB), and the UNEDF2 functional. The changes in mean-square charge radii are extracted from collinear laser spectroscopy measurements on the 4d^{9}5s ^{3}D_{3}→4d^{9}5p ^{3}P_{2} atomic transition. The analysis of the Fayans functional calculations reveals a clear link between a good reproduction of the charge radii for the neutron-rich Pd isotopes and the overestimated odd-even staggering: Both aspects can be attributed to the strength of the pairing correlations in the particular functional which we employ.

Nuclear Charge Radii of the Nickel Isotopes

Collinear laser spectroscopy is performed on the nickel isotopes ^{58-68,70}Ni, using a time-resolved photon counting system. From the measured isotope shifts, nuclear charge radii R_{c} are extracted and compared to theoretical results. Three ab initio approaches all employ, among others, the chiral interaction NNLO_{sat}, which allows an assessment of their accuracy. We find agreement with experiment in differential radii δ⟨r_{c}^{2}⟩ for all employed ab initio methods and interactions, while the absolute radii are consistent with data only for NNLO_{sat}. Within nuclear density functional theory, the Skyrme functional SV-min matches experiment more closely than the Fayans functional Fy(Δr,HFB).

Evidence of a sudden increase in the nuclear size of proton-rich silver-96.

Understanding the evolution of the nuclear charge radius is one of the long-standing challenges for nuclear theory. Recently, density functional theory calculations utilizing Fayans functionals have successfully reproduced the charge radii of a variety of exotic isotopes. However, difficulties in the isotope production have hindered testing these models in the immediate region of the nuclear chart below the heaviest self-conjugate doubly-magic nucleus 100Sn, where the near-equal number of protons (Z) and neutrons (N) lead to enhanced neutron-proton pairing. Here, we present an optical excursion into this region by crossing the N = 50 magic neutron number in the silver isotopic chain with the measurement of the charge radius of 96Ag (N = 49). The results provide a challenge for nuclear theory: calculations are unable to reproduce the pronounced discontinuity in the charge radii as one moves below N = 50. The technical advancements in this work open the N = Z region below 100Sn for further optical studies, which will lead to more comprehensive input for nuclear theory development.

Heterogeneous Reconstruction of Tracks and Primary Vertices With the CMS Pixel Tracker.

The High-Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will see the accelerator reach an instantaneous luminosity of 7 × 1034 cm-2 s-1 with an average pileup of 200 proton-proton collisions. These conditions will pose an unprecedented challenge to the online and offline reconstruction software developed by the experiments. The computational complexity will exceed by far the expected increase in processing power for conventional CPUs, demanding an alternative approach. Industry and High-Performance Computing (HPC) centers are successfully using heterogeneous computing platforms to achieve higher throughput and better energy efficiency by matching each job to the most appropriate architecture. In this paper we will describe the results of a heterogeneous implementation of pixel tracks and vertices reconstruction chain on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). The framework has been designed and developed to be integrated in the CMS reconstruction software, CMSSW. The speed up achieved by leveraging GPUs allows for more complex algorithms to be executed, obtaining better physics output and a higher throughput.

Incidence of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injuries after reduction in alcohol prices.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol may be involved in 40-50% of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In Finland, the cutting of alcohol taxes by one third in 2004 resulted in a marked increase in per capita alcohol consumption. We investigated the consequences of increased alcohol consumption on the incidence of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury among a defined population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We identified all residents of Northern Ostrobothia with acute moderate-to-severe TBI admitted to Oulu University Hospital in 1999 and in 2007 as well as those who died on the scene without being admitted to the hospital. Alcohol involvement was recorded by similar methods and equally often during both years. Incidence rates were calculated as number of subjects per 100,000 population. Logistic regression was performed to determine which factors predicted fatal TBI and associated with alcohol-related TBI. RESULTS: No significant increase from 1999 to 2007 occurred in the incidence of alcohol-related moderate-to-severe TBIs among the population of Northern Ostrobothnia. The total number of alcohol-related TBIs were 61/135 (45.2%) in 2007 and 52/126 (41.3%) 1999. Fall-related TBIs were more frequent in 2007 than in 1999. Alcohol and older age predicted fatal outcome. Alcohol was significantly (P < 0.001) more often present in fatal TBIs (83/156, 53.2%) than in non-fatal TBIs (30/105, 28.6%). Male sex, fall, suicide, and assault significantly associated with alcohol-related TBI. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in alcohol prices and the concomitant increase in alcohol consumption did not increase the incidence of alcohol-related moderate-to-severe TBI.

Precision mass measurements beyond 132Sn: anomalous behavior of odd-even staggering of binding energies.

Atomic masses of the neutron-rich isotopes (121-128)Cd, (129,131)In, (130-135)Sn, (131-136)Sb, and (132-140)Te have been measured with high precision (10 ppb) using the Penning-trap mass spectrometer JYFLTRAP. Among these, the masses of four r-process nuclei (135)Sn, (136)Sb, and (139,140)Te were measured for the first time. An empirical neutron pairing gap expressed as the odd-even staggering of isotopic masses shows a strong quenching across N = 82 for Sn, with a Z dependence that is unexplainable by the current theoretical models.

Causes of death in pedigrees with the 3243A>G mutation in mitochondrial DNA.

BACKGROUND: Causes of death of patients with the 3243A>G mutation have been described in case reports or case series with a limited number of subjects. METHODS: Eighty-two maternally related sibships of 11 families with 3243A>G were included in this survey. The lifespan of each subject in these families was compared with the life expectancy of the general population, adjusted with respect to year of birth and gender. Causes of death were determined among 3243A>G carriers and their first-degree maternal relatives. RESULTS: We identified 123 deceased subjects in families with 3243A>G and found an excess mortality during the early years of life and young adulthood. The median age at death for 3243A>G carriers and their first-degree maternal relatives was significantly lower than that of the general population. Neurological and cardiovascular diseases made up one-third of the causes of death. Sudden and unexpected death was not uncommon in patients with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: 3243A>G carriers and their first-degree maternal relatives died younger than was predicted by their life expectancy at birth. Neurological disease was the most common cause of death.

Estrogen receptor-1 genotype is related to coronary intima thickness in young to middle-aged women.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of coronary disease in premenopausal women is about one-half that in men of similar age. The estrogen receptor-1 (ESR1, c.454-397T>C) CC variant genotype is associated with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and an increased risk of myocardial infarction in men. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether this ESR1 CC variant also disposes to atherosclerosis in women in terms of increased total coronary artery intima thickness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 125 forensic autopsy cases of women aged 15 to 49 years were investigated. The thickness of the coronary intima, which reflects the severity of atherosclerosis, was measured by computerized image analysis. The ESR1 c.454-397T>C genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The mean intima thicknesses in the three genotype groups were 428+/-298 microm (TT), 494+/-371 microm (CT) and 636+/-436 microm (CC). We found that, on average, women with the CC genotype had a thicker coronary intima compared with that of women with the TT genotype, even after adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.030). The intermediate group (TC) did not significantly differ from either the CC or the TT genotype group in this respect. CONCLUSION: Our results point to the importance of ESR1 genotype in relation to cardiovascular disease susceptibility.

The -1C to T polymorphism in the annexin A5 gene is not associated with the risk of acute myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac death in middle-aged Finnish males.

OBJECTIVE: A common polymorphism (-1C to T) in the translation initiation sequence of annexin A5 (ANV) gene has recently been associated with a decreased risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of the present study was to analyze the association between the ANV genepolymorphism and the risk of AMI and ischemic sudden cardiac death (SCD) in middle-aged Finnish males. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A case-control study involving three distinct groups of subjects was carried out: (1) victims of SCD (n=98), (2) survivors of AMI (n=212), and (3) randomly selected control subjects without any history of coronary heart disease (n=243). The ANV polymorphism was genotyped in each study group. RESULTS: Among the control group of healthy Finnish males the prevalence rates of the CC, CT, and TT genotypes were 83.1%, 15.2%, and 1.6%, respectively. Among the survivors of AMI, the prevalence rates of CC, CT, and TT were 79.7%, 20.3%, and 0%, respectively, and among the victims of SCD 83.7%, 16.3%, and 0%, respectively. No significant differences in the genotype or allele distributions were observed between the study groups. CONCLUSION: The -1C to T polymorphism in the ANV gene is not associated with the risk of AMI or SCD in middle-aged Finnish males.

Expression of estrogen receptors in the coronary arteries of young and premenopausal women in relation to central obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of coronary estrogen receptor (ER) expression with atherosclerotic lesions and central fat accumulation in premenopausal women. SUBJECTS: A total of 52 female forensic autopsy cases aged between 18 and 49 y. METHODS: Height, body weight and waist and hip circumferences were measured and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. Intima thickness or maximal thickness of the plaque were measured from samples taken from the left anterior descending artery (LAD). Macrophage infiltration and smooth muscle cells were localized by immunostaining. ER was detected immunohistochemically and by Western blot analysis, and the ER immunopositive area in the intima was measured. RESULTS: ER immunoreactivity was observed in the intima in 60% of the samples, and it was most intense in the advanced plaques near the lipid core next to the maximal intensity of macrophage staining. The ER immunopositive area had a significant positive correlation with LAD intima thickness, which in turn was significantly correlated with waist circumference and WHR when adjusted for age and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Premenopausal women with the central type of fat accumulation have advanced coronary plaques in which ER expression is localized near the lipid-rich and macrophage-rich zone. The higher expression of ER in the arterial plaques may represent a compensatory mechanism against atherosclerosis.

Myocardial infarction and coronary pathology in severely obese people examined at autopsy.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and its relationship to body structure and adiposity in severely obese people with body mass index (BMI) > or = 35.0 kg/m(2) and to examine the incidence and characteristic features of myocardial infarction and other fatal coronary events in this population. DESIGN: Autopsy reports were analyzed, including data on age, height, weight, abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness, heart weight, coronary atherosclerosis, histopathology and toxicology. Myocardial collagen and arteriolar structure were examined by computerized image analysis. SUBJECTS: Forensic autopsy cases (n=166) with a BMI > or = 35.0 kg/m(2) examined in 1992-1998 were collected from the files of the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Oulu, Finland. RESULTS: In a large number of the severely obese individuals, the coronary arteries were either lesion-free or only fatty streaks were observed (38% of men, 44% of women) and coronary thrombosis was rare (3.8% of men and 1.6% of women). Cardiac causes of death predominated, cardiomyopathy being the commonest. Myocardial infarction was the immediate cause of death in 14.4% of men and 12.9% of the women, and it was associated with increased heart size in men. Coronary atherosclerosis without any infarction had been determined as the cause of death in 8.6% of the men and 8.1% of the women. Abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness had a significant negative association with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis in the women, and a decrease in the arteriolar media/lumen ratio with increasing BMI was observed in the men. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of severely obese people have only fatty streaks and no marked stenosis in their coronary arteries, even at an advanced age. The large amounts of subcutaneous adipose tissue in obese women may provide some protection against coronary lesion development, which could be an estrogen effect. Myocardial infarction in severely obese men is associated with cardiac hypertrophy. The significance of the BMI-related dilatation of the myocardial arterioles in men and its relationship to a remodelling of the epicardial arteries will require future investigations.

Visceral fat and coronary pathology in male adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To find out whether coronary atherosclerotic lesions and their precursors in male adolescents are associated with the amount of mesenteric and omental fat. SUBJECTS: A series of 40 forensic autopsy cases of ante-mortem healthy boys of 13-19 y of age were investigated. METHODS: Body height and weight, waist and hip circumferences and the thickness of the abdominal subcutaneous fat were measured, the body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated, and omental and mesenteric fat deposits were weighed. The intimal surface of the coronary arteries covered by lesions was measured by planimetry, and the thickness of the intima was measured by computerized image analysis. Intimal macrophage foam cells and smooth muscle cells were detected by immunohistochemisty, and macrophages were quantified. RESULTS: The intima thickness of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and in the thickest lesion varied significantly across the tertiles of visceral fat when adjusted for age, being highest when the sum weight of omental and mesenteric fat exceeded 358 g. The intima thickness of the circumflex artery (CX) varied significantly across the tertiles of waist circumference when adjusted for age. No statistically significant associations with other indicators of obesity were found. Macrophage foam cells were present in the lesions and their maximal density/mm(2) correlated significantly with intima thickness in the LAD and CX. The maximal density of macrophages in CX and the right coronary artery (RCA) and in the thickest lesion varied significantly across the tertiles of visceral fat when adjusted for age, being highest when the amount of fat exceeded 358 g. The macrophage density also varied significantly across the tertiles of waist circumference in all vessels. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that early macrophage-rich coronary lesions are associated with increased amounts of visceral fat in adolescent male individuals. This emphasizes the importance of effective prevention of weight gain in individuals with a tendency to accumulate visceral fat at an early age.

Coronary atherosclerosis associated with body structure and obesity in 599 women aged between 15 and 50 years.

OBJECTIVE: Few data are available on the actual degree of coronary atherosclerosis or its relationship to body composition in young women. The present study was carried out to identify, with the help of simple indicators of obesity and body structure, those women under 50 y of age who have the most advanced coronary lesions. DESIGN: Autopsy reports were analysed including age, height, weight, abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness, heart weight, liver and kidney weights, coronary atherosclerosis, and ovarial status. SUBJECTS: Female cases of sudden unexpected death (n = 599) aged between 15 and 50 y autopsied in 1973-1995 were collected from the files of the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Oulu, Finland. RESULTS: The percentage of individuals with coronary lesions was 50% in women over 41 years of age, 32% in women from 31 to 40, 17% in women from 21 to 30, and 6% in women under 20 y of age. 2.1% of the women had died from manifestations of coronary heart disease (CHD). The most severe lesions were found in women with body mass index (BMI) between 24.2 and 27.2 when adjusted for age, and when abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness exceeded 35 mm when adjusted for age and BMI. Heart weight indexed to body size increased with BMI and abdominal fat and was positively correlated with the degree of coronary atherosclerosis, which was also associated with short stature and high liver and kidney weights when adjusted for body size. CONCLUSION: Mild to moderate overweight, short stature, increased amounts of abdominal subcutaneous fat, increased components of fat free mass and myocardial hypertrophy are the physical characteristics that indicate more advanced coronary atherosclerosis in women under 50 y of age.

Extent and composition of coronary lesions in relation to fat distribution in women younger than 50 years of age.

To ascertain the relationship between the extent and composition of coronary arterial lesions and the regional distribution of fat in healthy women younger than 50 years of age, a series of 30 forensic autopsy cases were investigated. Body height and weight, waist and hip circumferences, and the thickness of the subscapular and abdominal subcutaneous fat were measured; the body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated, and omental and mesenteric fat deposits were weighed. The extent of coronary lesions was measured by planimetry, and the thickness of the intima-media was measured by computerized image analysis. Intimal macrophage foam cells and smooth muscle cells were detected by immunohistochemistry, and macrophages were quantified. The intima media thickness in the left anterior descending artery, circumflex artery, and right coronary artery varied significantly across the tertiles of WHR when age and BMI were adjusted, being highest when WHR exceeded 0.87. The thickest lesions also contained the largest numbers of macrophage foam cells. The intima-media thicknesses were highest with increased amounts of intraperitoneal fat. These results indicate that the severity of clinically silent coronary lesions in younger female individuals is associated with increased WHR and increased amounts of intraperitoneal fat. These results emphasize the importance of WHR as a coronary risk indicator in younger women.

Adiposity, cardiac size and precursors of coronary atherosclerosis in 5 to 15-year-old children: a retrospective study of 210 violent deaths.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between cardiac size and various measures of adiposity in children and the occurrence of coronary fatty streaks in relation to childhood obesity. DESIGN: A retrospective study based on 210 medico-legal autopsies of 5-15 y old children who had suffered violent death in the Province of Oulu, Finland, in 1970-1995. METHODS: Autopsy reports with attached clinical data and police records were recovered from the archives of the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Oulu, Finland. All 5-15 y old individuals who had died of external trauma and were not documented as having had any chronic illnesses were chosen for investigation. The following data were extracted from the papers: age, sex, height, body weight, heart weight, liver weight, total weight of the kidneys, thickness of the abdominal subcutaneous fat and description of the coronary arteries. Heart weight was indexed to height2.7, and liver weight and kidney weight were indexed to body weight, body surface area and height. The ponderal index (body weight/height3) was calculated, and relative body weight was determined as the percentage deviation of the weight from the mean weight for height according to a growth chart developed for Finnish children. RESULTS: The average absolute heart weight and heart weight/height2.7 were significantly higher in the boys than in the girls over 12 y of age. Abdominal subcutaneous fat was thicker in the girls, but there were no significant differences in the other indicators of obesity. After adjusting for age, there were significant positive correlations between the ponderal index and heart weight/height2.7 in both the boys (P = 0.000) and the girls (P = 0.038), between relative body weight and heart weight/height2.7 in the boys (P = 0.000) and the girls (P = 0.027), and between abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness and heart weight/height2.7 in the boys (P = 0.045) but not in the girls (P = 0.234). Multiple linear regression analysis showed the ponderal index to be a significant predictor of heart weight/height2.7. Coronary intimal fatty streaks were documented in six individuals (2.9%), five of them having a ponderal index above the average and all of them having a relative weight above the average. Kidney weights were higher in the boys and were positively correlated with the measures of obesity and with heart weight/height2.7. CONCLUSIONS: The results point to an important role of excess body weight and adiposity in the development of early myocardial and coronary changes in childhood: coronary fatty streaks were not found at all in the leanest individuals in this relatively large group and the cardiac size adjusted for body size indicated hypertrophy with increasing adiposity. Prospective autopsy studies are needed in order to determine whether adiposity and the regional distribution of fat, especially intra-abdominal fat accumulation, are associated with the earliest signs of myocardial hypertrophy and the initial phase of lesion development in the arterial intima of children.

Extent and composition of coronary lesions and degree of cardiac hypertrophy in relation to abdominal fatness in men under 40 years of age.

The relationship of the extent and composition of coronary lesions and the degree of cardiac hypertrophy to anthropometric indicators of abdominal fatness and the amount of intra-abdominal fat was investigated in a group of 32 forensic autopsy cases that consisted of sudden deaths from violent causes of previously healthy men under 40 years of age. Body height and weight, waist and hip circumferences, and the thickness of the subscapular and abdominal subcutaneous fat were measured; the body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated; and omental, mesenteric, and perirenal fat deposits and the heart were weighed. The degree of coronary narrowing was determined visually, and the extent of coronary lesions was measured by planimetry. The thickness of the intima and intima-media was measured by computerized image analysis. Intimal macrophage foam cells and smooth muscle cells were detected by immunohistochemistry. Significant positive correlations were found between WHR and the overall degree of coronary narrowing and the intima-media thicknesses of the left anterior descending artery and right coronary artery when adjusted for age. Intima-media thickness was also related to tertiles of WHR. Heart weight indexed to height showed a significant positive correlation with BMI, waist circumference, WHR, and the size of intra-abdominal fat deposits, of which WHR was the best predictor of mild cardiac hypertrophy. The results indicate that the severity of clinically silent lesions in the atherosclerosis-prone regions of the coronary arteries is associated with WHR in young male individuals who also have mild myocardial hypertrophy associated with abdominal fatness and an accumulation of intra-abdominal fat. These associations between fat distribution and early cardiovascular changes point to a powerful need for preventive action with respect to weight gain in young men to alleviate progression of the lesions.

Coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial hypertrophy in relation to body fat distribution in healthy women: an autopsy study on 33 violent deaths.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between cardiovascular pathology and body fat distribution in healthy women with no ante mortem clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease. SUBJECTS: Thirty-three female forensic autopsy cases of sudden death from violent causes. METHODS: Body height and weight, the circumferences of the waist and hip and the thicknesses of the subscapular and abdominal subcutaneous fat were measured, and Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-to-Hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. Omental, mesenterial and perirenal fat deposits were weighted. Heart weight was indexed to height (2.7), the degree of coronary narrowing was determined in each artery, and myocardial collagen volume fraction and myocyte cross-sectional area were measured. RESULTS: The degree of coronary narrowing, heart weight in absolute terms and indexed to height (2.7), myocyte cross-sectional area and all the measures of obesity were significantly positively correlated with age. Regression of coronary narrowing on measures of obesity indicated that a quadratic model fitted the data for BMI, waist circumference and intra-abdominal fat better than a linear one. After adjusting for age, the degree of coronary narrowing was related to tertiles of BMI, waist circumference, WHR and intra-abdominal fat, the severity of the narrowing being most marked in the second tertile of BMI (24.0-31.0), waist circumference (80-96 cm) and intra-abdominal fat (500-1700 g), but in the third tertile of WHR (over 0.92). Regression on heart weight/height (2.7) on the aforementioned measures of obesity indicated a clearly linear association and heart weight indexed to height (2.7) was related to tertiles of BMI, waist circumference and WHR, and also to tertiles of intra-abdominal fat. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that body fatness and abdominal accumulation of fat are associated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial hypertrophy in women with no clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease, but the relationship between coronary lesions and BMI is not linear. Both coronary lesions and myocardial hypertrophy are more advanced as the numerical value for WHR increases in women. Future autopsy studies should be directed at young women with increased WHR in order to determine their risk of developing life-threatening lesions in the atherosclerosis-prone regions of the coronary tree.

Pulmonary and serum surfactant phospholipids and serum catecholamines in strangulation. An experimental study on rats.

Elevations of phospholipid and catecholamine concentrations in the blood are regarded as the vital reactions in asphyxial deaths, which leave few or no morphological signs in the body. These vital reactions were tested here, under strict experimental conditions, employing rapid asphyxia. Rats anaesthetized with barbiturate were strangled with a rope 2 mm thick tightened with a force of 29.4 N (3 kp). The main surfactant components, phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanol amine, were measured in serum and lung samples, and catecholamines in the serum. The lungs were also investigated histologically. The serum phospholipid concentration in the strangulated rats was 1.36 +/- 0.32 g/l, versus 1.04 +/- 0.17 g/l in the controls (barbiturate intoxication), P < 0.001, but no change in their content was observed in the lungs (26.21 +/- 4.04 mg/g vs. 25.15 +/- 3.64 mg/g dry weight). Histologically, focal emphysema and tiny haemorrhages were seen in the lungs of both groups with similar frequency. Mean serum noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) concentrations were significantly higher in the strangulation group (NA = 5.4 +/- 2.6 ng/ml vs. 2.8 +/- 0.1 ng/ml, P < 0.001 and A = 6.0 +/- 3.4 ng/ml vs. 3.8 +/- 3.0 ng/ml, P < 0.05). The results support the notion that phospholipid and catecholamine concentrations are increased in the blood upon suffocation and could thus be taken as indicators of hypoxia. Further investigations into postmortem phospholipid change or stability are needed. There are reports that phospholipid concentration remain quite stable for two days post mortem, whereas catecholamine concentrations tend to rise quite soon after death.

Association between cardiac pathology and fat tissue distribution in an autopsy series of men without premortem evidence of cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between cardiovascular status and body fat tissue distribution in men without any premortem clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease. SUBJECTS: 30 forensic autopsy cases which consisted of sudden deaths resulting from accidental causes, suicides or homicides or from unexpected natural causes. METHODS: Body height and weight, the circumferences of the waist and hip and the thicknesses of the subscapular and abdominal subcutaneous fat were measured, and Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-to-Hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. Perirenal, omental and mesenterial fat deposits were weighed and supraclavicular-pericarotid and perirenal-periadrenal fat was excised and serial samples analyzed for brown adipose tissue (BAT) by computerized image analysis. The heart weight was indexed for height. The degree of coronary narrowing was determined in each artery, and myocardial collagen volume fraction and myocyte cross-sectional area were measured. RESULTS: There were significantly positive correlations between age and the degree of coronary arteriosclerosis and heart weight/height. After adjusting for age, BMI and waist circumference had a significant positive correlation with all the cardiac parameters. The degree of coronary narrowing and heart weight/height were related to tertiles of BMI and waist circumstance. The age-adjusted correlations between the subscapular fat thickness and cardiac parameters were significant and positive, and perirenal fat weight also had a significantly positive association with all the cardiac parameters. BAT decreased with age and when adjusted for age, the cervical BAT percentage had a significant negative correlation with waist circumference and WHR, and a significant negative correlation was also found between cervical BAT and the degree of coronary arteriosclerosis and between perirenal BAT and heart weight/height. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that body fatness is associated with coronary and myocardial pathology in men without any clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease. An abdominal accumulation of fat seems to be connected with both the severity of coronary lesions and myocardial hypertrophy in men, in whom there is also a connection between abdominal obesity and a relative scarcity of BAT. Future investigations will require more detailed analyses of the extent and ultrastructural of coronary artery lesions in order to obtain more specific information on the relationship of body fat distribution to the early asymptomatic phase of coronary disease in younger individuals.

Immunohistochemical detection of human brown adipose tissue uncoupling protein in an autopsy series.

We used an immunohistochemical method for the inner mitochondrial membrane uncoupling protein (UCP) to examine whether human brown adipose tissue UCP could be detected by an anti-rat UCP antibody. Samples of human brown adipose tissue were obtained at medicolegal autopsies. Fat tissue was excised from around the common carotid arteries and in the subscapular region and from around the thoracic aorta. The subjects were either known alcohol consumers, in which thermogenically active brown adipose tissue (BAT) is often found, or victims of sudden infant death syndrome (SID). UCP was detected in all the cases examined, even when the post-mortem time from death to autopsy reached several days, but the intensity of the immunostaining was variable. Intense staining was observed in three cases with a post-mortem time under 24 hr, but in the SID cases a strong positive staining was seen even with a post-mortem delay of 4 days. These results show that an anti-rat UCP antibody can be used for immunohistochemical detection of UCP in human brown adipose tissue and that it provides a useful method for distinguishing between white and brown fat in paraffin-embedded samples. It can be used to detect UCP in the BAT of obese and diabetic individuals and probably also in the histopathological diagnosis of brown adipose tissue lipoma, known as hibernoma.