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Research and development activity in the institute

The institute is engaged in development and research activities supporting expertise activities, as well as conducting applied research. A research and development committee (TAN) has been established based on the statute of the institute.

TAN brings together active representatives of various expertise fields; the heads of structural units make proposals for the appointment of members. TAN members, including the chairman and vice-chairman, are confirmed by the director's directive for three years.

The scope of TAN includes the presentation and discussion of articles on forensic science, the discussion of ongoing scientific works, published articles and projects of the institute's experts, providing reviews of the development and development of methodologies, guidelines, discussion of the institute's investment needs and plans, providing reviews of the implementation/validation of new equipment, the results of participation in more interesting competence tests introduction.

Research articles of EFSI experts over the years:

Articles 2009

Varvas, Külliki; Kurg, Reet; Hansen, Kristella; Järving, Reet; Järving, Ivar; Valmsen, Karin; Lõhelaid, Helike; Samel, Nigulas (2009). Direct evidence of the cyclooxygenase pathway of prostaglandin synthesis in arthropods: Genetic and biochemical characterization of two crustacean cyclooxygenases.
Insect Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Dec2009, Vol. 39 Issue 12, 851-860
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965174809001490?via%3Dihub

Must, A.; Kõks, S.; Vasar, E.; Tasa, G.; Lang, A.; Maron, E.; Väli, M (2009). Common Variations in 4p Locus are Related to Male Completed Suicide.
NeuroMolecular Medicine 11(1), 13 - 19
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12017-008-8056-8.pdf

Anne Must, Gunnar Tasa, Aavo Lang, Eero Vasar, Sulev Kõks, Eduard Maron, Marika Väli (2009). Variation in tryptophan hydroxylase-2 gene is not associated to male completed suicide in Estonian population.
Neuroscience Letters 453, 112–114
https://www.academia.edu/14104799/Variation_in_tryptophan_hydroxylase-2_gene_is_not_associated_to_male_completed_suicide_in_Estonian_population

Avi R, Huik K, Sadam M, Karki T, Krispin T, Ainsalu K, Paap P, Schmidt J, Nikitina N, Lutsar I. (2009). Absence of genotypic drug resistance and presence of several naturally occurring polymorphisms of human immunodeficiency virus-1 CRF06 cpx in treatment-naive patients in Estonia.
Journal of Medical Virology. 2009 Jun;81(6):953-8.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jmv.21482

Articles 2010

Huik K, Sadam M, Karki T, Avi R, Krispin T, Paap P, Rüütel K, Uusküla A, Talu A, Abel-Ollo K, Lutsar I (2010). CCL3L1 copy number is a strong genetic determinant of HIV seropositivity in Caucasian intravenous drug users.
Journal of Infectious Diseases 2010 Mar;201(5):730-9.
https://europepmc.org/article/med/20095832

Avi R, Huik K, Sadam M, Karki T, Krispin T, Ainsalu K, Paap P, Schmidt J, Nikitina N, Lutsar I (2010). Characterization of integrase region polymorphisms in HIV type 1 CRF06_cpx viruses in treatment-naive patients in Estonia.
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 2010 Oct;26(10):1109-13.
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aid.2010.0097

Tõnisson, M.; Tillmann, V.; Kuudeberg, A.; Väli, M. (2010). Plasma glucose, lactate, sodium and potassium levels in children hospitalised with acute alcohol intoxication.
Alcohol 6, 565 - 571.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0741832910000820?via%3Dihub

Lang, K., Pärna, K., Grjibovski, A.M., Väli, M. (2010). Deaths of infants subject to forensic autopsy in Estonia from 2001 to 2005: what can we learn from additional information?
Population Health Metrics 8, 27.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2984378/

Malin von Otter, Sara Landgren, Staffan Nilssonc, Madeleine Zetterberg, Dragana Celojevic, Petra Bergstrome, Lennart Minthon, Nenad Bogdanovic, Niels Andreasen, Deborah R. Gustafson, Ingmar Skoog, Anders Wallin, Gunnar Tasa, Kaj Blennow, Michael Nilsson, Ola Hammarsten, Henrik Zetterberg. Nrf2-encoding NFE2L2 haplotypes influence disease progression but not risk in Alzheimer's disease and age-related cataract.
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 131 (2010) 105–110.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047637410000023

Articles 2011

Töro, Klara; Szilvia, Feher; György, Dunay; Pauliukevicius, Alvydas; Caplinskiene, Marija; Raudys, Romas; Lepik, Delia;Tuusov, Jana; Väli, Marika (2011). Fatal traffic injuries among children and adolescents in three cities (Capital Budapest, Vilnius and Tallinn).
Journal of Forensic Science Volume 56, Issue 3, 617 – 620.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01674.x

Tõnisson, Mailis; Tillmann, Vallo; Kuudeberg, Anne; Väli, Marika (2011). Plasma cortisol, testosterone, estradiol and progesterone levels in children with acute alcohol intoxication.
Journal of Addiction Research and Therapy 2, 111, 1 - 16.
https://www.omicsonline.org/plasma-cortisol-testosterone-estradiol-and-progesterone-levels-in-children-with-acute-alcohol-intoxication-2155-6105.1000111.php?aid=10

Rudolph T, Sjölander A, Palmér MS, Minthon L, Wallin A, Andreasen N, Tasa G, Juronen E, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Zetterberg M (2011). Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal esterase L1 (UCHL1) S18Y polymorphism in patients with cataracts.
Ophthalmic Genetics 32(2):75-9.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3116718/

Articles 2012

Tuusov, Jana; Vals, Kaire; Tõnisson, Mailis; Riikoja, Aime; Denissov, Gleb; Väli, Marika (2012). Fatal poisoning in Estonia 2000-2009. Trends in illegal drug-related deaths.
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 20 (1): 51-56.
https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1752928X12000960?token=491BA0F4FFA4711A1ABE50EA5F8F35E7F24DA55B698BA4DC79A6F0C6BD006A2BB4AAE53297B6F7C9A96CDA55573FE143

Ringmets, I.; Tuusov, J.; Lang, K.; Väli, M.; Pärna, K.; Tõnisson, M.; Helander, A.; McKee, M.; Leon, DA (2012). Alcohol and premature death in Estonian men: a study of forensic autopsies using novel biomarkers and proxy informants.
BMC Public Health 27, 12, 46.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3328271/

Denissov, Gleb; Tuusov, Jana; Tõnisson, Mailis; Lepik, Delia; Väli, Marika (2012). The impact of changing classification of official fatal poisoning figures.
Romanian Journal of Legal Medicine, 20(3), 197 – 202.

Järving, Reet; Lõokene, Aivar; Kurg, Reet; Siimon, Liina; Järving, Ivar; Samel, Nigulas (2012). Activation of 11R-Lipoxygenase Is Fully Ca2+-Dependent and Controlled by the Phospholipid Composition of the Target Membrane.
Biochemistry. 4/17/2012, Vol. 51 Issue 15,3310-3320.

Kukk, Kaia; Järving, Reet; Samel, Nigulas (2012). Purification and characterization of the recombinant human prostaglandin H synthase-2 expressed in Pichia pastoris.
Protein Expression & Purification. Jun2012, Vol. 83 Issue 2, 182-189.

Eek, Priit; Järving, Reet; Järving, Ivar; Gilbert, Nathaniel C.; Newcomer, Marcia E.; Samel, Nigulas (2012). Structure of a Calcium-dependent 11R-Lipoxygenase Suggests a Mechanism for Ca2+ Regulation.
Journal of Biological Chemistry. 6/22/2012, Vol. 287 Issue 26, 22377-22386.

Articles 2013

Celojevic D, Nilsson S, Behndig A, Tasa G, Juronen E, Karlsson JO, Zetterberg H, Petersen A, Zetterberg M (2013). Superoxide dismutase gene polymorphisms in patients with age-related cataract.
Ophthalmic Genetic 34(3):140-5.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/13816810.2012.746377?scroll=top&needAccess=true

Mailis Tõnisson, Vallo Tillmann, Anne Kuudeberg, Delia Lepik and Marika Väli (2013). Acute Alcohol Intoxication Characteristics in Children.
Alcohol and Alcoholism 48 (4): 390-395.
https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/48/4/390/533922

S. Remmer, A. Kuudeberg, M. Tõnisson, D. Lepik, M. Väli (2013). Cardiac troponin T in forensic autopsy cases.
Forensic Science International 233, 154–157
https://docksci.com/cardiac-troponin-t-in-forensic-autopsy- cases_5cddfea4d64ab25e0933e415.html

Huik K, Avi R, Carrillo A, Harper N, Pauskar M, Sadam M, Karki T, Krispin T, Kongo UK, Jermilova T, Rüütel K, Talu A, Abel-Ollo K, Uusküla A, Ahuja SK, He W, Lutsar I (2013). CCR5 haplotypes influence HCV serostatus in Caucasian intravenous drug users.
PLoS One. 2013 Jul 25;8(7).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3723663/

Articles 2014

Jana Tuusov, Katrin Lang, Marika Väli, Kersti Pärna, Mailis Tõnisson, Inge Ringmets, Martin McKee, Anders Helander, David A Leon (2014). Prevalence of alcohol-related pathologies at autopsy: Estonian Forensic Study of Alcohol and Premature Death.
Addiction 109 (12): 2018–2026.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241049/

Celojevic D, Nilsson S, Kalaboukhova L, Tasa G, Juronen E, Sjölander A, Zetterberg H, Zetterberg M (2014). Genetic variation of superoxide dismutases in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.
Ophthalmic Genetics 35(2):79-84.

Articles 2015

Sadam M, Tasa G, Tiidla A, Lang A, Axelsson EP, Pajnič IZ (2015). Population data for 22 autosomal STR loci from Estonia.
International Journal Legal Medicine 129(6):1219-20.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00414-014-1089-7

P. Mangin, F. Bonbled, M. Väli, A. Luna, T. Bajanowski, H. P. Hougen, B. Ludes,D. Ferrara D. Cusack, E. Keller, N. Vieira (2015). European Council of Legal Medicine (ECLM) accreditation of forensic pathology services in Europe.
International Journal Legal Medicine 129:395–403.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-014-1041-x

Boglárka Marcsa, Krisztina Vörös, Aletta Váradi-T, Marika Väli, Péter Sótonyi, Katalin Kovács, Klára Törő (2015). Distribution Of Environmental-Related Death Cases Across Europe- Environmental Accidents.
Central European Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 21 (1-2),71.

Dragana Škiljić, Staffan Nilsson, Mona Seibt Palmér, Gunnar Tasa, Erkki Juronen, Anders Behndig, Jan-Olof Karlsson, Anne Petersen, Henrik Zetterberg & Madeleine Zetterberg (2015). Estrogen-related Polymorphisms in Estonian Patients with Age-related Cataract.
Ophthalmic Genetics, 36:2, 188-191
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/13816810.2015.1005316

Sabre, Liis; Remmer, Sünne; Adams, Anu; Väli, Marika; Rekand, Tiina; Asser, Toomas; Kõrv, Janika (2015). Impact of fatal cases on the epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Estonia.
European Journal of Neurology, 22 (5), 768−772.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ene.12478

Articles 2016

D. Cusack, S. D. Ferrara, E. Keller, B. Ludes, P. Mangi, M. Väli, N. Vieira (2017). European Council of Legal Medicine (ECLM) principles for on-site forensic and medico-legal scene and corpse investigation.
International Journal Legal Medicine 131, 1119–1122
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00414-016-1479-0

Celojevic D, Abramsson A, Seibt Palmér M, Tasa G, Juronen E, Zetterberg H, Zetterberg M (2016). EPHA2 polymorphisms in Estonian patients with age-related cataract.
Ophthalmic Genetic 37(1):14-8.

Articles 2017

Saar S, Lomp A, Laos J, Mihnovitš V, Šalkauskas R, Lustenberger T, Väli M, Lepner U, Talving P. Population-Based Autopsy Study of Traumatic Fatalities (2017).
World Journal of Surgery 41 (7), 1790−1795.

Articles 2018

Karis, Karina, Eskla, Kattri-Liis, Kaare, Maria, Taht, Karin, Tuusov, Jana, Visnapuu, Tanel, Innos, Jurgen, Jayaram, Mohan, Timmusk, Tonis, Weickert, Cynthia S, Väli, Marika, Vasar, Eero, Philips, Mari-Anne (2018). Altered Expression Profile of IgLON Family of Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Schizophrenic Patients.
Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 11, 8.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00008/full

Lepik,Delia; Tõnisson, Mailis; Kuudeberg, Anne; Väli, Marika (2018). Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) for post-mortem diagnosis of diabetes.
Forensic Sciences Research, Vol 3, 170-177.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6197130/

Articles 2019

Urb M, Anier K, Matsalu T, Aonurm-Helm A, Tasa G, Koppel I, Zharkovsky A, Timmusk T, Kalda A (2019). Glucocorticoid Receptor Stimulation Resulting from Early Life Stress Affects Expression of DNA Methyltransferases in Rat Prefrontal Cortex.
Journal Molecular Neuroscience, 68(1):99-110.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12031-019-01286-zay

Keller E, Santos C, Cusack D, Väli M, Ferrara D, Ludes B; Mangin P, Payne-James J.J, Viera D (2019). European council of legal medicine (ECLM) guidlines for the examination of suspected elder abuse (2019).
International Journal of Legal Medicine, 1,133
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-018-1880-y?shared-article-renderer

Articles 2020

Tõnisson M, Lepik D, Kuudeberg A, Riikoja A, Barndõk T and Väli M. Relationship between Blood Ethanol Concentration, Ethyl Glucuronide and Ethyl Sulfate and Clinical Signs of Alcohol Intoxication (2020).
Journal of Forensic Science & Criminology Volume 8 | Issue 1
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0b90/04b0e71fb35c8fe62278983d17f0d72f96a3.pdf

Ester Oras, Jaanika Anderson, Mari Tõrv, Signe Vahur, Riina Rammo, Sünne Remmer, Maarja Mölder, Martin Malve, Lehti Saag, Ragnar Saage, Anu Teearu-Ojaka, Pilleriin Peets, Kristiina Tambets, Mait Metspalu, David C. Lees, Maxwell V. L. Barclay, Martin J. R. HallISalima Ikram, Dario Piombino-Mascali. Multidisciplinary investigation of two Egyptian child mummies curated at the University of Tartu Art Museum, Estonia (Late/Graeco- Roman Periods).
PLoS One January 16, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227446

Sünne Remmer, Delia Lepik, Mailis Tõnisson, Anne Kuudeberg, MarikaVäli Alcohol, Cardiovascular Death and Postmortem Lipids (Total Cholesterol, HDL, Apo A1 And Apo B), A Case-Control Study (2020).
Journal of Forensic Research and Crime Studies 5:1-7

Articles 2021

Jelena Mõttus, Siim Maiste, Priit Eek, Erkki Truve,  Cecilia Sarmiento
Mutational Analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana ABCE2 Identifies Important Motifs for its RNA Silencing Suppressor Function
Plant Biology Volume23, Issue1 January 2021 Pages 21-31.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/plb.13193

Andreas-Christian Hade 1,2, Mari-Anne Philips 3,4,*, Ene Reimann 5, Toomas Jagomäe 3,4, Kattri-Liis Eskla 3,4, Tanel Traks 6, Ele Prans 7, Sulev Kõks 8,9, Eero Vasar 3,4 and Marika Väli 1,2. Chronic Alcohol Use Induces Molecular Genetic Changes in the Dorsomedial Thalamus of People with Alcohol-Related Disorders
Brain Sciences 11, no. 4: 435
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11040435

Anu Aaspõllu 1,*, Raili Allmäe 2, Fred Puss 3,4, Walther Parson 5,6, Küllike Pihkva 7, Kairi Kriiska-Maiväli 8 and Arnold Unt 9  The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of Independence
Genes 2021, 12(11), 1722
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/11/1722

Articles 2022

R. Cecchi 1,2, D. Cusack 3,4, B. Ludes 3,5, B. Madea 3,6, D. N. Vieira 3,7, E. Keller 3,8, J. Payne‑James 3,9, A. Sajantila 3,10, M. Vali 3, 11, R. Zoia 3,12, N. Cucurachi 1,2, M. L. Schirripa 1,2, F. Marezza 1,2, L. Anzillotti 1,2, L. Donato 1,2, C. Cattaneo 3, 12, D. Favretto 13,14, S. Pelotti 13,15, V. Pinchi 13,16, S. Vanin 13,17, M. Gherardi 1,18 European Council of Legal Medicine (ECLM) on‑site inspection forms for forensic pathology, anthropology, odontology, genetics, entomology and toxicology for forensic and medico‑legal scene and corpse investigation: the Parma form
International Journal of Legal Medicine, Published online: 11 January 2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00414-021-02734-5

Articles 2023

Sten Saar, Edgar Lipping, Artjom Bahhir, Maarja Talviste, Jaak Lepp, Marika Väli, Peep Talving „ Outcomes of resuscitative and emergent thoracotomies following injury at the largest trauma center in Estonia“. 
European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery (2023)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00068-023-02284-y

Articles 2024

Andreas-Christian Hade, Mari-Anne Philips, Liisi Promet, Toomas Jagomäe, Arpana Hanumantharaju, Liis Salumäe, Ene Reimann, Mario Plaas, Eero Vasar, Marika Väli "A cost-effective and efficient ex vivo, ex situ human whole brain perfusion protocol for immunohistochemistry"
Journal of Neuroscience Methods 404 (2024) 110059
A cost-effective and efficient ex vivo, ex situ human whole brain perfusion protocol for immunohistochemistry - ScienceDirect

F. Zampa, H. Bandey, A. B´ecue, E. Bouzaid, M.J. Branco, J. Bueglerf, M. Kambosos, S. Kneppers, K. Kriiska-Maivali, A. Mattei, L. Zatkalikova „ENFSI 2022 multidisciplinary collaborative exercise: organisation and outcomes”
Forensic Science International: Synergy 8 (2024) 100465
ENFSI 2022 multidisciplinary collaborative exercise: organisation and outcomes - ScienceDirect

Jason Payne‑James, Grace Payne‑James, Rossana Cecchi, Denis Cusack, Eva Keller, Bertrand Ludes, Burkhard Madea, Marika Väli, Duarte Nuno Vieira, Antti Sajantila "Current status of undergraduate teaching in forensic & legal medicine in Europe"
International Journal of Legal Medicine 22 March 2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03224-0

Marika Väli, Sünne Remmer, Delia Lepik, Mailis Tõnisson, Jana Tuusov “Forensic Medicine in Estonia”
Reference Module in Social Sciences 2024
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-21441-7.00254-5

Marion M. Friske, Eva C. Torrico, Maximilian J. W. Haas, Anna M. Borruto, Francesco Giannone, Andreas-Christian Hade, Yun Yu, Lina Gao, Greg T. Sutherland, Robert Hitzemann, Mari-Anne Philips, Suzanne S. Fei, Wolfgang H. Sommer, R. Dayne Mayfield & Rainer Spanagel A systematic review and meta-analysis on the transcriptomic signatures in alcohol use disorder”
Molecular Psychiatry 2024
A systematic review and meta-analysis on the transcriptomic signatures in alcohol use disorder | Molecular Psychiatry