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At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

SEM analysis of the integrity of resected root apices of cadaver and extracted teeth after ultrasonic root-end preparation at different intensities.

AIM: To compare the integrity of root apices of cadaver and extracted teeth after resection, ultrasonic root-end cavity preparation at medium and low ultrasonic power settings and retrieval. METHODOLOGY: Root canal treatment, perpendicular root-end resection and root-end preparation were performed on single-rooted anterior and premolar teeth (49 teeth in situ in maxillary and mandibular jaws from cadavers and 45 extracted teeth). Apical root-end cavities were prepared with the S12/90 degrees D tip and the Suni-Max ultrasonic unit (Satelec, Merignac, France) at the intensity prescribed by the manufacturer (power 7 at power mode S) (34 cadaver teeth, 30 extracted teeth) and at a lower intensity (power 4 at power mode S) (15 cadaver teeth, 15 extracted teeth). After ultrasonic preparation the cadaver teeth were retrieved from the jaws. Exaflex impressions (GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) were made of the root apices after resection, root-end preparation and retrieval. These impressions were processed for SEM analysis, and the recordings evaluated for cracks and marginal chipping. RESULTS: In general, extracted teeth showed significantly more cracks and chipping than cadaver teeth. Lowering the ultrasonic power from medium to low intensity resulted in equal scores for cracks on extracted teeth and for chipping on cadaver teeth, in higher scores for cracks on cadavers and in lower scores for chipping on extracted teeth. Complete cracks and cracks originating from the root surface occurred only in extracted teeth. CONCLUSIONS: The number of cracks and degree of chipping caused by ultrasonic root-end preparation was higher on extracted teeth than on cadaver teeth. Lowering the ultrasonic power from medium to low intensity cannot be recommended as it resulted in more cracks and equal chipping on cadaver teeth. Investigation of techniques and materials should be conducted in situ and not on extracted teeth.

Apicoectomy↗
PubMed2002

Cadaver donation: a retrospective review at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok.

Cadavers are a crucial resource for medical education. Currently, donation is the only means of obtaining cadavers for use in Thai medical schools. Some traditional beliefs result in an insufficient number of donated cadavers. This shortage of cadavers may affect the quality of medical training. We report on the present situation regarding the quantity and usage of donated cadavers in the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, during the eight years between 1993 and 2000. During this period, 19,674 cadavers became available (2.459.3 +/- 1,243.7 cadavers/year) as the result of advanced donation. However, only 619 cadavers (3.1%) were actually obtained. Poor preservation and delayed delivery contributed to the underutilization; furthermore, some cadavers were reclaimed. In order to increase the number of cadavers and maintain the quality of medical education, the appropriateness and importance of cadaver donation should be emphasized to the public.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2004

Strategies for compensating for the declining numbers of cadaver donor kidney transplants.

BACKGROUND: The living-donor and dual kidney transplantation programmes were initiated in the transplantation centre of Münster (TCM) as two approaches to compensate for the declining numbers of cadaver donor kidney transplants after the implementation of the new Eurotransplant Kidney Allocation System (ETKAS). We analysed the outcome of cadaver, living-donor and dual kidney transplantation and their effects on the waiting list in the TCM. METHODS: Between January 1990 and December 2000, 1184 kidney transplants were performed in the TCM. They were subdivided into cadaver, living-donor and dual kidney transplants and retrospectively analysed in terms of the number of kidney transplants performed, waiting time and waiting coefficient. In addition four representative groups were formed to reflect donor origin (I: cadaver kidney transplants allocated by the old ETKAS, n = 180; II: cadaver kidney transplants allocated by the new ETKAS, n = 139; III: living-donor kidney transplantation, n = 59; IV: dual kidney transplantation, n = 31) and compared according to graft function (initial diuresis, creatinine, 3-year graft function), patient survival and median waiting time. RESULTS: After the implementation of the new ETKAS, the number of cadaver donor kidney transplants at the TCM almost halved, but the proportion of living-donor kidney transplantations increased significantly by 12.8% and of dual kidney transplantations by 8.5%. Patients who had received kidneys from cadaver donors allocated by the new ETKAS (group II) had a better survival rate, short- and long-term function but a longer waiting time than in group I (old ETKAS). Patients with dual kidney transplants (group IV) showed the lowest survival and short-term function rate, but had long-term function equivalent to that of cadaver kidney transplants (groups I and II). Patients who had received kidneys from living donors (group III) had the best survival, and short- and long-term function rate as well as the shortest mean waiting time. CONCLUSIONS: Living-donor and dual kidney transplantation proved to be functionally equivalent alternatives and successful strategies for compensating the declining numbers of cadaver donor kidney transplants.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The left triangular ligament of the liver and the structures in its free edge (appendix fibrosa hepatis) in Chinese and Canadian cadavers.

The left triangular ligament of the liver was studied in 42 Chinese adult male cadavers and 50 Canadian adult cadavers. The free edge of the left triangular ligament was examined histologically in 37 of the Chinese and all 50 of the Canadian cadavers. The average length of the left triangular ligament in the 42 Chinese was 13.9 cm and 11.5 cm in the 50 Canadian. The Canadian sample was composed of 24 adult female cadavers with an average length of 10.7 cm and of 26 adult male cadavers with an average length of 12.3 cm. In a previous study (1980) of 58 Chinese adult male cadavers, the average length of the left triangular ligament was 12.7 cm. This resulted in an average length of 13.2 cm for the 100 Chinese cadavers. These findings greatly exceed the lengths given in the textbooks, and there is no significant difference between the male Chinese and Canadian cadavers. It was found that almost all the left triangular ligaments were attached to the superior surface of the left lobe of the liver. The left suprahepatic space was subdivided by this ligament into anterior and posterior spaces. Each of the left triangular ligaments had a long free edge which extended from the lateral extremity of the left lobe of the liver to the diaphragm. Histological examination of the free edges revealed the presence of blood vessels in all of the 37 Chinese suitable for study and the 50 Canadian cadavers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Femoral nerve "sheath" for inguinal paravascular lumbar plexus block is not found in human cadavers.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if a femoral nerve sheath capable of conveying local anesthetic to the lumbar plexus and the obturator nerve exists in human cadavers. DESIGN: Injection of methylene blue dye into the femoral nerves of human cadavers followed by dissection and observation of dye distribution. SETTING: University medical center pathology department autopsy room. PATIENTS: Six fresh adult cadavers about to undergo postmortem examination. INTERVENTIONS: Both femoral nerves of six fresh cadavers were injected with either 20 ml or 40 ml of dye. The abdomen was opened and distribution of the dye was observed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In all of the cadavers studied there was no evidence of a femoral nerve sheath capable of conveying methylene blue dye to the lumbar plexus. Both 20 ml and 40 ml of dye injected into the femoral nerve failed to reach the lumbar plexus or the obturator nerve. When 40 ml of dye was injected it always stained the femoral nerves, it usually stained the lateral femoral cutaneous nerves, but it never stained the obturator nerves. CONCLUSIONS: A femoral nerve sheath capable of conveying a solution to the cadaver lumbar plexus does not exist in human cadavers. Dye injected into the cadaver femoral nerve does not reach either the lumbar plexus or the obturator nerve. When 40 ml of methylene blue dye is injected into the cadaver femoral nerve, some dye usually diffuses under the iliacus muscle fascia to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. This study indicates that in patients the "3-in-1 block" always blocks the femoral nerve, it usually blocks the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, but it probably does not block the lumbar plexus or the obturator nerve.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Effects of temperature and relative humidity on sporulation of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum in mycosed cadavers of Schistocerca gregaria.

The effects of relative humidity (RH) and temperature on the sporulation of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum on mycosed cadavers of desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, were assessed in the laboratory. Quantitative assessments of conidial production over 10 days under constant conditions showed that sporulation was optimized at RH > 96% and at temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees C. Under both these conditions >10(9) conidia/cadaver were produced. At 25 degrees C, conidial yield was maximized under conditions in which cadavers remained in contact with damp substrate. Relatively little sporulation occurred at 15 degrees C (< 3 x 10(7) conidia/cadaver) and 40 degrees C (< 4 x 10(6) conidia/cadaver) and no sporulation occurred at 10 or 45 degrees C. Following incubation, conidial yield was closely related to the water content of locust cadavers. In separate tests, locust cadavers were incubated for 10 days under diurnally fluctuating temperature and RH that comprised favorable (25 degrees C/100% RH) alternating with unfavorable (40 degrees C/80% RH) conditions for sporulation. In this case, fewer conidia were produced compared with cadavers that were incubated under the favorable conditions for an equal period cumulatively but were not periodically exposed to unfavorable conditions. However, this reduced sporulation observed with the fluctuating condition was not observed when cadavers were similarly incubated under favorable/unfavorable conditions of temperature but were not periodically exposed to the low RH condition. This result implies that sporulation is a dynamic process, dependent not only on periodic exposure to favorable RH but also on the interrelation of this with low RH. Associated tests and the monitoring of changes in cadaver weights imply that the mechanism driving the reduced sporulation under fluctuating RH is the net water balance of cadavers, i.e. the cumulative ability of the fungus/cadaver to adsorb water necessary for sporulation at high RH is restricted by water loss associated with intermittent exposure to a low RH. The duration of daily exposure to high humidity appears to be a crucial constraint to the recycling ability of M. anisopliae var. acridum.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Cadaver dog and handler team capabilities in the recovery of buried human remains in the southeastern United States.

The detection of human remains that have been deliberately buried to escape detection is a problem for law enforcement. Sometimes the cadaver dog and handler teams are successful, while other times law enforcement and cadaver dog teams are frustrated in their search. Five field trials tested the ability of four cadaver dog and handler teams to detect buried human remains. Human and animal remains were buried in various forested areas during the summer months near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The remains ranged in decomposition from fresh to skeletonized. Cadaver dogs detected with varying success: buried human remains at different stages of decomposition, buried human remains at different depths, and buried decomposed human and animal remains. The results from these trials showed that some cadaver dogs were able to locate skeletonized remains buried at a significant depth. Fresh and skeletonized remains were found equally by the cadaver dogs along with some caveats. Dog handlers affected the reliability of the cadaver dog results. Observations and videotape of the cadaver dogs during field trials showed that they were reliable in finding buried human remains.

Alabama↗
PubMed1996

Use of RAPD analysis for in situ identification of Ascosphaera aggregata and Ascosphaera larvis in larval cadavers of the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata.

Chalkbrood of the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, is caused by the fungus Ascosphaera aggregata. We used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis for the in situ identification of A. aggregata and a related species, Ascosphaera larvis, in larval cadavers of M. rotundata. A simple DNA extraction method was developed to preferentially isolate DNA from fungal spores on the cadaver surface, or from ascocysts beneath the cuticle. Similar banding patterns were obtained in A. aggregata-infected larval cadavers from different sources and geographic areas. The RAPD banding pattern of cadavers infected with A. aggregata differed from that of healthy leafcutting bee prepupae. RAPD analyses of cadavers infected with A. aggregata and A. larvis resulted in similar banding profiles as those obtained from corresponding pure fungal cultures of the two species. This suggests that the RAPD bands of infected cadavers were amplified from fungal DNA, rather than from other DNA associated with the leafcutting bee cadaver. The banding patterns of "sporulating" and "non-sporulating" chalkbrood cadavers exhibited no differences; this provides the first definitive evidence that both forms of the disease result from infection with A. aggregata.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Role of larval cadavers in recycling processes of Bacillus sphaericus.

The influence of larval cadavers of Culex pipiens on recycling processes of Bacillus sphaericus was investigated by bioassays and spore counts in the laboratory. Studies conducted with 3 different B. sphaericus concentrations (0.005, 0.01, 0.05 mg B. sphaericus/liter) indicated that the presence of cadavers in the water contributed to the maintenance of toxic levels of B. sphaericus. Larval cadavers seem to contain all the nutrients necessary both for vegetative multiplication and for toxin synthesis associated with the sporulation process. Bioassays of B. sphaericus revealed that the mortality of Culex pipiens remained on a high level over a period of 26 days when larval cadavers were added every second day to the test vessels. This result was supported by a sharp increase in spore density when cadavers were added at the same interval. The test series showed B. sphaericus recycles in intact cadavers of Culex pipiens, whereas this phenomenon could not be observed when crushed cadavers were used in the trials. Therefore, our results demonstrated that for successful recycling processes it seems of crucial importance that infected cadavers remain intact at least for a certain time and also that the dosage of the applied B. sphaericus plays a major role in recycling processes whereas larval density is only of minor importance to these processes.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Attitudes of Turkish anatomists toward cadaver donation.

There is an insufficient number of cadavers in anatomy education in Turkey. This is because of decreased number of unclaimed bodies and very few cadaver donations. Increasing the number of cadaver donation is one of the probable solutions. Although anatomists encourage people to donate bodies, the attitudes of anatomists toward donating their own bodies for dissection is not well known. In this study, the attitudes of Turkish anatomists toward cadaver donation were evaluated. The questionnaires were sent to the anatomists in Turkey by mail and E-mail. Eighty-three anatomists replied to the questionnaire. The main solutions proposed for cadaver insufficiency included increasing the supply of unclaimed bodies (77.1%) and increasing body donation (78.3%). Further, 51.8% of the respondents thought that increasing body donation was a long-term solution. The general belief (83.1%) was that a campaign would help to increase body donation and 47% of respondents were willing to participate in such a campaign. Of the 83 anatomists, 20.5% of the respondents donated their organs and 49.4% were planning to donate them. Further, 15.7% were planning to donate their bodies; however, 63.9% did not consider donating. The main reasons of the respondents to object the donation were: to be dissected by a colleague (15.7%), the unacceptability of donation by family (26.5%), psychological reasons (43.4%), the anxiety of disrespectful behavior to cadavers (26.5%), and religious beliefs (3.6%). Although the majority of the respondents objected to donating their bodies due to psychological reasons, body donation was proposed as the main solution of cadaver insufficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Cricothyroidotomy training on cadavers - experiences in the education of medical students, anaesthetists, and emergency physicians].

OBJECTIVE: Should the technique of surgical cricothyroidotomy be practiced on cadavers and should it be a compulsory part of the teaching curriculum? Is it wise to use a speculum for the insertion of the endotracheal tube? What is the optimum size of the tube? METHODS: A surgical cricothyroidotomy with a speculum was carried out on 30 cadavers from the Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical School Hannover. This took place as part of a official and voluntary course for students of advanced semesters, anaesthetists and emergency doctors with the subjects "cricothyroidotomy, chest drainage and venous cut-down". The surgical cricothyroidotomy without the use of a speculum was carried out on 5 cadavers by two clinicians well practiced in this technique. The elapsed time between skin incision and the insertion of the endotracheal tube was measured on all five subjects. After the course the participants were asked if they were able to carry out a cricothyroidotomy in an emergency. They were also asked whether this course should be a compulsory part of their curriculum and whether practical sessions should take place. During autopsies at the Institute of Legal Medicine the length of the ligamentum conicum was measured on 40 corpses with reclined and non-reclined heads. RESULTS: The average time of storage of the cadavers was 4.2 days +/- 1.9 days. The cricothyroidotomy was possible on all 35 cadavers. In one case (3,3 %) the result was a complete rupture of the cricoid cartilage. In 5 cases (16.7 %) the horizontal incision was torn due to prising with the speculum. Difficult situations always occured when the skin incision was not exactly in the midline. The average time to place the endotracheal tube into the trachea by the surgical procedure of cricothyroidotomy was 22.4 seconds +/- 3.1 seconds (minimum 18 seconds, maximum 26 seconds). 10 % of the medical students and 50 % of the anaesthetists and emergency doctors felt they would be prepared to carry out a cricothyroidotomy in an emergency. 90 % of the students and respectively 80 % of the anaesthetists and emergency doctors stated that they would like to practice the technique on a cadaver again. Almost all participants were of the opinion that the course should be integrated as a compulsory course in a future educational curriculum. The average distance between the thyroid cartilage and the cricoid cartilage was 9.5 mm +/- 1.9 mm with non-reclined head (minimum 6 mm, maximum 14 mm) and 11.9 mm +/- 2.5 mm with reclined head (minimum 7 mm, maximum 18 mm). The average difference of distances was 2.4 mm +/- 1.2 mm (minimum 1 mm, maximum 6 mm) in reclined and non-reclined heads. CONCLUSIONS: In our opinion it is highly recommended that the technique of cricothyroidotomy should be practiced on cadavers and that the course should become a compulsory part in a future educational curriculum. In addition the incision of the ligamentum conicum using dilators or a speculum is not to be recommended from the point of view of this study. The tracheal tube used in this study (reinforced wire tube, ID 6.0) was best suited for surgical cricothyroidotomy.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed2006

The issue of "facial appearance and identity transfer" after mock transplantation: a cadaver study in preparation for facial allograft transplantation in humans.

The authors have assessed the facial "appearance" of recipient cadavers after mock facial transplantation, the "appearance" of donor facial flaps following transfer to artificial head models, and the "appearance" of donor flaps after replantation back to the same cadavers. Based on the results of different types of facial flap transplantation, the issue of "identity transfer" is discussed. Ten fresh human cadavers were dissected. In eight cadavers, the entire facial/scalp flap was harvested. Two cadavers served as recipients of the donor facial flaps. Two different types of artificial head models were used as the "recipients" for the harvested facial flaps. The facial appearance of the recipient cadavers after mock transplantation was a mixture of features of both the recipient and the donor. The appearance of the facial flaps mounted on the head models was close to the framework of the head models. When harvested facial flaps were transferred back to the original cadavers, the facial appearance was nearly the same as before transplant. Based on this study, the authors will be able to discuss the variation in post-transplant appearance with potential candidates for facial transplant. The issue of correlating facial appearance with "identity transfer" will be difficult to assess until the authors' first facial transplantation is performed.

Cadaver↗
PubMed1978

Critical comparison of renal transplant survival between recipients of live related donor and cadaver organs.

Survival statistics of 163 cadaver and 60 live related donor renal transplants from a single center were analyzed. Survival rates at one, two and three years for 38 first cadaver transplants matched for a haplotype and 34 first live related donor haplotype matched kidneys were virtually the same. In addition, nine, four antigen matched cadaver transplants had a comparable survival rate at one, two and three years to the larger group of 25 HL-A identical live related donor kidneys. When poor risk cadaver recipients were excluded from the entire cadaver group, the graft survival rate approached that of the live related group at one year but declined more rapidly at two and three years than did the live related donor group. Thus, cadaver renal transplantation in this series appears to be an alternative to comparably matched live related donor transplants. An increased effort should be made to identify and use brain death cadaver donors for transplantation. As more donors become available and national sharing systems are improved, a strong case can be made to avoid the use of live related donor kidneys, except in instances of a perfect match.

Brain Death↗
PubMed1998

Factors affecting conidial production of Beauveria bassiana from fungus-killed cadavers of Rhodnius prolixus.

The epizootic potential of Beauveria bassiana for control of the triatomine vectors of Chagas' disease was investigated by studying the effects of both biotic and abiotic factors on the recycling of a highly virulent fungal isolate from fungus-killed cadavers of Rhodnius prolixus. The conidial production of B. bassiana from mummified cadavers of R. prolixus required high RH levels of at least 96.5% RH. At 97% RH and 25 degrees C, the amount of conidia per insect ranged from 5.3 x 10(6) (on first-instar larval cadavers) to 1.7 x 10(8) (on adult cadavers) depending on the size of the different stages of development of the host. Under optimal conditions, B. bassiana sporulation from R. prolixus cadavers took place in 4 to 5 days after death. At a high humidity level (97% RH) the intensity of the conidial production from Rhodnius cadavers was little affected by temperature over a range from 15 to 25 degrees C, but it declined at 28-30 degrees C and was null at 35 degrees C. There was only a weak influence of the blood meal of nymphs and its timing on the conidial production from B. bassiana-killed cadavers. The recycling capacity of different B. bassiana isolates, selected for their pathogenic activity to R. prolixus, did not differ. From a vector control standpoint, high humidity appears to be the most crucial climatic constraint. The recycling ability of B. bassiana on fungus-killed R. prolixus might contribute to the regulation of triatomine vectors only after applications during the rainy seasons.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Prevalence and morphology of the vastus medialis oblique muscle in human cadavers.

BACKGROUND: The vastus medialis (VM) muscle has been described as being composed of two separate divisions: the vastus medialis longus (VML) proximally and the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) distally. The VML is reported to directly contribute to knee extension, while the VMO provides medial stabilization of the patella during knee extension. Despite the prevalence of literature describing the morphology and function of the VMO as an individual muscle, very little literature exists which actually substantiates the existence of the VMO as a separate, distinct muscle from the VML. The purpose of this study was to examine a sufficiently large sample of human cadavers to quantify and substantiate the existence of the VMO as a separate, distinct muscle from the VML, and to establish a statistical parameter representative of a normal adult population. METHODS: Three hundred seventy-four adult human cadaver lower extremities were dissected, exposing the entire anterior thigh from the anterior superior iliac spine to the tibial tubercle. Examination of the cadavers included goniometric measurement of the fiber angles of the VML and VMO, determination of the existence and location of a fascial plane, and determination of the maximum VM fiber angle in all cadaver specimens. Descriptive statistics were performed on all fiber angle measurements and frequency of fascial plane presence. Analysis of variance was performed on the maximal VM fiber angle between muscles with and without a definitive fascial plane. Intrarater reliability tests were performed on all measures to ensure the reliability and increase the validity of all of the measurements taken. RESULTS: A statistical parameter for the appearance of VMO features as originally defined was set at 21.65% of the sample. No statistically significant differences existed in the maximal VM fiber angle between the groups demonstrating the presence or absence of a VM fascial plane. None of the cadavers possessed an aponeurotic sheet of epimysium anatomically separating the VMO from the VML. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports earlier research reporting a difference in fiber orientation between the proximal and distal VM fibers; however, contrary to statements in published literature, the VMO does not appear to be an anatomically separate structure from the VML inherent throughout the human population. The results of this study do not support the concept that the VMO and VML exist as anatomically separate structures in a sample of human cadavers.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Infective agents in fixed human cadavers: a brief review and suggested guidelines.

Cadavers remain a principal teaching tool for anatomists and medical educators teaching gross anatomy. Infectious pathogens in cadavers that present particular risks include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, the AIDS virus HIV, and prions that cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS). It is often claimed that fixatives are effective in inactivation of these agents. Unfortunately cadavers, even though they are fixed, may still pose infection hazards to those who handle them. Specific safety precautions are necessary to avoid accidental disease transmission from cadavers before and during dissection and to decontaminate the local environment afterward. In this brief review, we describe the infectious pathogens that can be detected in cadavers and suggest safety guidelines for the protection of all who handle cadavers against infectious hazards.

Anatomy↗
PubMed1981

Experimental studies on cadaver pancreas preserved by perfusion.

pancreatic transplantation is the most effective therapy of advanced diabetes mellitus. However, the problem is whether the cadaver pancreas can be used as a donor, because the living pancreas cannot be used as a donor from an anatomical standpoint. In case of the cadaver pancreas another problem is coming up that the pancreas proceeds to rapid autolysis. So, brain death is recommended as the most available condition for this transplantation. In this study we investigated the viability of the cadaver pancreas from decapitated rats preserved by the cold perfusion method. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The perfusing time affected the ratio of degenerative islets/normal islets. A large number of degenerative islets appeared with long perfusion time. 2) The cold (4 degrees C) perfusion method could preserve cadaver pancreas for 5 hours. 3) Insulin-secretion of cadaver pancreatic islets preserved for 5 hours under cold perfusion was 60% or more of that of normal pancreatic islets. 4) Three hundred islets from cadaver pancreas preserved for 5 hours under cold perfusion were transplanted into the portal vein of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Four of these 11 rats recovered from diabetic state and maintained the non-diabetic state for 20 weeks after transplantation.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Cadaver decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems.

A dead mammal (i.e. cadaver) is a high quality resource (narrow carbon:nitrogen ratio, high water content) that releases an intense, localised pulse of carbon and nutrients into the soil upon decomposition. Despite the fact that as much as 5,000 kg of cadaver can be introduced to a square kilometre of terrestrial ecosystem each year, cadaver decomposition remains a neglected microsere. Here we review the processes associated with the introduction of cadaver-derived carbon and nutrients into soil from forensic and ecological settings to show that cadaver decomposition can have a greater, albeit localised, effect on belowground ecology than plant and faecal resources. Cadaveric materials are rapidly introduced to belowground floral and faunal communities, which results in the formation of a highly concentrated island of fertility, or cadaver decomposition island (CDI). CDIs are associated with increased soil microbial biomass, microbial activity (C mineralisation) and nematode abundance. Each CDI is an ephemeral natural disturbance that, in addition to releasing energy and nutrients to the wider ecosystem, acts as a hub by receiving these materials in the form of dead insects, exuvia and puparia, faecal matter (from scavengers, grazers and predators) and feathers (from avian scavengers and predators). As such, CDIs contribute to landscape heterogeneity. Furthermore, CDIs are a specialised habitat for a number of flies, beetles and pioneer vegetation, which enhances biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems.

Aged↗