Relevance of medical reports in criminal investigations of cases of suspected child abuse.

If a case of physical child abuse is suspected in Germany, the general feeling is often that "it does not matter whether you make a report or not" because, generally, no conviction is made anyway. This study investigates the juridical analysis of complaint cases of physical child abuse [criminal complaint parag. 225 StGB (German penal code) with filial victim]. It focuses on the doctor's role and the impact of their practice in relation to a later conviction. It is based on the analysis of 302 files of the enquiry from 2004-2009 from the department of public prosecution in Cologne, Germany. Besides general epidemiological data on the reporting person, the affected child and the presumed offender, the documents were reassessed for the relevance of medical reports for successful convictions. Only 7% (n = 21) of 302 complaints led to a conviction. In 38.1% (n = 8) of those cases, a medical report was mentioned as a piece of evidence, and just in two cases a (legal) medical report was quoted and mentioned as relevant for the conviction. 50% of the complaint cases with legal medical expertise led to a trial. In contrast, only 30.2% with a common medical report and 7.3% without a report led to a trial. The results show how a medical report existed in only a few cases. In those cases, the rate of performed trials was higher than for those without a medical report, but the report played a minor part when reasoning a verdict.

Single cell analysis in full body quartz glass chips with native UV laser-induced fluorescence detection.

In order to investigate the individual and inhomogenous cellular response, e.g. to external stimuli, single cell analysis is mandatory and may provide new cognitions in proteomics as well as in other fields of systems biology in the future. Here, we report on novel chip architectures for single cell analysis based on full body quartz glass microfluidic chips (QG chips) that extend our previous studies in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips, and enhance the detection sensitivity of native UV laser-induced fluorescence (UV-LIF) detection. Detection of a 10nM tryptophan solution with an S/N ratio of 11.9, which gives a theoretical limit of detection of 2.5 nM (with S/N=3), was possible. With these optimizations the three proteins alpha-chymotrypsinogen A, ovalbumin and catalase each at a concentration of 100 microg/mL (equal to 4 microM, 0.4 microM and 2.2 microM) were injected electrokinetically and could be separated with nearly baseline resolution. Furthermore, fluorescence spectra (excitation wavelength, lambda(ex) = 266 nm) clearly demonstrate the favourable properties like the very high UV transparency and the nearly vanishing background fluorescence of the QG chips as compared to PDMS chips and to PDMS quartz window (PQW) chips. Finally we exploit the improved sensitivity for single cell electropherograms of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells.

Systems nanobiology: from quantitative single molecule biophysics to microfluidic-based single cell analysis.

Detailed and quantitative information about structure-function relation, concentrations and interaction kinetics of biological molecules and subcellular components is a key prerequisite to understand and model cellular organisation and temporal dynamics. In systems nanobi-ology, cellular processes are quantitatively investigated at the sensitivity level of single molecules and cells. This approach provides direct access to biomolecular information without being statistically ensemble-averaged, their associated distribution functions, and possible subpopulations. Moreover at the single cell level, the interplay of regulated genomic information and proteomic variabilities can be investigated and attributed to functional peculiarities. These requirements necessitate the development of novel and ultrasensitive methods and instruments for single molecule detection, microscopy and spectroscopy for analysis without the need of amplification and preconcentration. In this chapter, we present three methodological applications that demonstrate how quantitative informations can be accessed that are representative for cellular processes or single cell analysis like gene expression regulation, intracellular protein translocation dynamics, and single cell protein fingerprinting. First, the interaction kinetics of transcriptionally regulated DNA-protein interaction can be quantitatively investigated with single molecule force spectroscopy allowing a molecular affinity ranking. Second, intracellular protein dynamics for a transcription regulator migrating form the nucleus to the cytoplasm can be quantitatively monitored by photoactivable GFP and two-photon laser scanning microscopy. And third, a microfluidic-based method for label-free single cell proteomics and fingerprinting and first label-free single cell electropherograms are presented which include the manipulation and steering of single cells in a microfluidic device.

Improved native UV laser induced fluorescence detection for single cell analysis in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices.

Single cell analytics is a key method in the framework of proteom research allowing analyses, which are not subjected to ensemble-averaging, cell-cycle or heterogeneous cell-population effects. Our previous studies on single cell analysis in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices with native label-free laser induced fluorescence detection [W. Hellmich, C. Pelargus, K. Leffhalm, A. Ros, D. Anselmetti, Electrophoresis 26 (2005) 3689] were extended in order to improve separation efficiency and detection sensitivity. Here, we particularly focus on the influence of poly(oxyethylene) based coatings on the separation performance. In addition, the influence on background fluorescence is studied by the variation of the incident laser power as well as the adaptation of the confocal volume to the microfluidic channel dimensions. Last but not least, the use of carbon black particles further enhanced the detection limit to 25 nM, thereby reaching the relevant concentration ranges necessary for the label-free detection of low abundant proteins in single cells. On the basis of these results, we demonstrate the first electropherogram from an individual Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cell with native label-free UV-LIF detection in a microfluidic chip.

Microfluidic carbon-blackened polydimethylsiloxane device with reduced ultra violet background fluorescence for simultaneous two-color ultra violet/visible-laser induced fluorescence detection in single cell analysis.

In single cell analysis (SCA), individual cell-specific properties and inhomogeneous cellular responses are being investigated that is not subjected to ensemble-averaging or heterogeneous cell population effects. For proteomic single cell analysis, ultra-sensitive and reproducible separation and detection techniques are essential. Microfluidic devices combined with UV laser induced fluorescence (UV-LIF) detection have been proposed to fulfill these requirements. Here, we report on a novel microfluidic chip fabrication procedure that combines straightforward production of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips with a reduced UV fluorescence background (83%-reduction) by using PDMS droplets with carbon black pigments (CBP) as additives. The CBP-droplet is placed at the point of detection, whereas the rest of the chip remains transparent, ensuring full optical control of the chip. We systematically studied the relation of the UV background fluorescence at CBP to PDMS ratios (varying from 1:10 to 1:1000) for different UV laser powers. Using a CBP/PDMS ratio of 1:20, detection of a 100 nM tryptophan solution (S/N = 3.5) was possible, providing a theoretical limit of detection of 86 nM (with S/N = 3). Via simultaneous two color UV/VIS-LIF detection, we were able to demonstrate the electrophoretic separation of an analyte mixture of 500 nM tryptophan (UV) and 5 nM fluorescein (VIS) within 30 s. As an application, two color LIF detection was also used for the electrophoretic separation of the protein content from a GFP-labeled single Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cell. Thereby just one single peak could be measured in the visible spectral range that could be correlated with one single peak among others in the ultraviolet spectra. This indicates an identification of the labeled protein γ-PKC and envisions a further feasible identification of more than one single protein in the future.

High resolution imaging of surface patterns of single bacterial cells.

We systematically studied the origin of surface patterns observed on single Sinorhizobium meliloti bacterial cells by comparing the complementary techniques atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Conditions ranged from living bacteria in liquid to fixed bacteria in high vacuum. Stepwise, we applied different sample modifications (fixation, drying, metal coating, etc.) and characterized the observed surface patterns. A detailed analysis revealed that the surface structure with wrinkled protrusions in SEM images were not generated de novo but most likely evolved from similar and naturally present structures on the surface of living bacteria. The influence of osmotic stress to the surface structure of living cells was evaluated and also the contribution of exopolysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by imaging two mutant strains of the bacterium under native conditions. AFM images of living bacteria in culture medium exhibited surface structures of the size of single proteins emphasizing the usefulness of AFM for high resolution cell imaging.

Space- and time-resolved protein dynamics in single bacterial cells observed on a chip.

Life cell imaging of bacterial cells over long times is very challenging because of the small dimensions and the need for a liquid environment assuring cell viability. In order to obtain space- and time-resolved information about protein dynamics, high resolution time-lapse fluorescence images (TLFI) of single bacterial cells were recorded in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic chip. A new gradient coating technique was applied to ensure cell loading. As a proof-of-concept, we monitored the evenly distributed cytoplasmic protein GcrA as well as the asymmetric localization of the DivK protein in cells of S. meliloti over at least two division cycles. Localization of DivK was characterized by dividing each bacterial cell into 4 sections with dimensions closely above the optical limit of resolution. This approach of generating spatio-temporal resolved information of protein dynamics in single bacterial cells is applicable to many problems.