Implantes dentales para la identificación forense en incineraciones: recomendaciones a partir de una revisión con búsqueda sistemática

La odontologı́a forense (OF) es reconocida como uno de los métodos primarios para identiicación forense. Aunque los dientes son estructuras resistentes a altas temperaturas, condiciones particulares pueden fragilizarlos considerablemente. Los implantes dentales (IDs), de gran empleo en la rehabilitación bucodental actual, son fabricados en materiales aloplásticos con base en titanio, de alta resistencia térmica. Se presenta una revisión con búsqueda sistemática para establecer el potencial uso de IDs en identiicación forense. Se identiicaron 10 artı́culos con una importante presencia de investigadores australianos y modelos de identiicación apoyados no solo en el cotejo de imágenes, sino también en el uso de software especı́ico o incluso en la implementación de números de serie asegurando su trazabilidad. Si bien la identiicación mediante IDs se ha propuesto como una alternativa promisoria, las realidades locales y la relación con las empresas fabricantes han condicionado de manera heterogénea estas posibilidades en OF

Morfología inusual de raíz y canales del primer molar mandibular, como indicación de tomografía computarizada de haz cónico: A propósito de un caso endodóntico “fronterizo

La Tomografía Computarizada de Haz Cónico (CBCT) representa una promisoria herramienta para la clínica odontológica. En Endodoncia, CBCT ofrece tridimensionalidad y resolución ima-genológica, potenciando el diagnóstico de diferentes condiciones patológicas. Sin embargo, su limitación por sobreexposición a radiación, ha llevado a directrices que recomiendan cautela para su indicación. Se presenta un caso infrecuente de un molar mandibular con una sola raíz y canal, y las circunstancias de uso de CBCT. Mujer de 48 años es derivada para endodoncia del primer molar mandibular izquierdo permanente. El examen radiográfico preoperatorio demos-tró el hallazgo inusual de un canal centrado en una única raíz. Con la información apropiada y el consentimiento de la paciente, la indicación de CBCT favoreció su diagnóstico y tratamiento. CBCT no debería ser utilizada rutinariamente para estos fines, pero podría justificarse en casos “fronterizos”. Se discuten su indicación e implementación clínica, siguiendo actuales recomenda-ciones y directrices

Implantes dentales para la identificación forense en incineraciones: recomendaciones a partir de una revisión con búsqueda sistemática

La odontologı́a forense (OF) es reconocida como uno de los métodos primarios para identificación forense. Aunque los dientes son estructuras resistentes a altas temperaturas, condiciones particulares pueden fragilizarlos considerablemente. Los implantes dentales (IDs), de gran empleo en la rehabilitación bucodental actual, son fabricados en materiales aloplásticos con base en titanio, de alta resistencia térmica. Se presenta una revisión con búsqueda sistemática para establecer el potencial uso de IDs en identificación forense. Se identificaron 10 artı́culos con una importante presencia de investigadores australianos y modelos de identificación apoyados no solo en el cotejo de imágenes, sino también en el uso de software especı́fico o incluso en la implementación de números de serie asegurando su trazabilidad. Si bien la identificación mediante IDs se ha propuesto como una alternativa promisoria, las realidades locales y la relación con las empresas fabricantes han condicionado de manera heterogénea estas posibilidades en OF

FOSFINA: RISCOS

A fosfina é amplamente utilizada para preservação de grãos armazenados em silos, sendo produzida no local da dedetização pela hidrólise dos fosfetos (fosfeto de alumínio, fosfeto de zinco, fosfeto de magnésio). Em conseqüência do número de óbitos registrados no IML - PR, nos últimos 2 anos por intoxicação com fosfina, pela ingestão proposital de pastilhas de fosfeto de alumínio, o presente trabalho foi desenvolvido com a finalidade de alertar sobre o uso indevido destas pastilhas. Neste artigo revemos os principais aspectos toxicológicos desta substância. PHOSPHINE: RISKS Abstract Phosphine is largely used for the preservation of stored grains in silos and it is produced in-situ through the hydrolysis of phosphides such as aluminum, zinc and magnesium phosphide. Phosphine is a gaseous substance that is extremely toxic to human beings and animals. As a result it is worth taking into consideration the number of phosphine-induced deaths that were registered during the last two years at the Institute for Legal Medicine, Paraná State. The present work was elaborated to draw attention at the misuse of aluminium phosphide pellets. Indeed, all the above reported phosphineinduced deaths were caused by the deliberate ingestion of aluminium phosphide. A review of the main toxicological aspects of phosphine is also presented

Analysis of tooth mark patterns on bone remains caused by wolves (Canis lupus) and domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) for taxonomic identification: A scoping review focused on their value as a forensic tool.

The interaction between canids and humans is not free of conflicts. In Europe, wolves and dogs' attacks on domestic animals cause social and financial damages. The governments spend significant sums in compensation payments. Some of the allegations of wolf attacks on livestock may be false or difficult to prove. The insufficient expertise and unreliable methods used during the investigations often make it difficult to achieve a successful perpetrator identification, which leads to the stigmatization of this species and wrong paid compensations. Comparative studies of wolf and dog bite marks and tooth marks, to identify a potential aggressor agent, are very limited. In our study, 12,120 records were reviewed and only 16 of them fulfilled the search criteria set by the authors. Only one article carried out, exclusively, a comparison of wolf and dog bite mark patterns. These studies are commonly used in archaeological, paleontological and taphonomic contexts, but not in forensics. Despite the notable advances in bite mark analysis, most studies were carried out comparing bite marks from wolves and/or dogs and taxa belonging to other families. Currently, in forensic context, there is inconclusive evidence to certainly distinguish if the cause of death was created by wolves or domestic dogs using the forensic analysis of tooth/bite marks patterns from both canids (beyond any reasonable doubt). New and complementary forensic tools must be developed to differentiate between these two subspecies with a higher degree of certainty. Forensic veterinary odontology could play an important role in fulfilling this goal. The aim of the present work is to review and evaluate the studies on the identification of tooth marks on bone remains caused by two subspecies belonging to the same genus, wolves and domestic dogs

On the Iwasawa-Taniguchi effect of radio-quiet AGN

The existence of an anti-correlation between the Equivalent Width (EW) of the neutral narrow core of the iron Kalpha emission line and the 2-10 keV luminosity (the so-called `X-ray Baldwin' or `Iwasawa-Taniguchi' effect) has been debated in the last years. We aim at testing this claim on the largest catalogue of radio quiet AGN high-quality X-ray spectra ever published. The final sample comprises 157 objects. We search for a relation of the iron line EW not only with the X-ray luminosity, but also with the Black Hole mass, the Eddington ratio and the cosmological distance. The data presented here were analyzed homogeneously, all spectra are from the same instrument and with high Signal-to-Noise Ratio. A linear censored fit on the EW versus 2-10 keV luminosity is highly significant and yields $\log(EW_{Fe}) = (1.73\pm0.03) + (-0.17\pm0.03) \log(L_{X,44})$, where $EW_{Fe}$ is the EW of the neutral iron Kalpha line in eV and $L_{x,44}$ is the 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity in units of $10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$. The anti-correlation with the Eddington ratio is also very significant, while no dependence of the iron EW on the BH mass is apparent.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics Letter

Phenology and Seasonal Ecosystem Productivity in an Amazonian Floodplain Forest

everal studies have explored the linkages between phenology and ecosystem productivity across the Amazon basin. However, few studies have focused on flooded forests, which correspond to c.a. 14% of the basin. In this study, we assessed the seasonality of ecosystem productivity (gross primary productivity, GPP) from eddy covariance measurements, environmental drivers and phenological patterns obtained from the field (leaf litter mass) and satellite measurements (enhanced vegetation index (EVI) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer/multi-angle implementation correction (MODIS/MAIAC)) in an Amazonian floodplain forest. We found that ecosystem productivity is limited by soil moisture in two different ways. During the flooded period, the excess of water limits GPP (Spearman’s correlation; rho = −0.22), while during non-flooded months, GPP is positively associated with soil moisture (rho = 0.34). However, GPP is maximized when cumulative water deficit (CWD) increases (rho = 0.81), indicating that GPP is dependent on the amount of water available. EVI was positively associated with leaf litter mass (Pearson’s correlation; r = 0.55) and with GPP (r = 0.50), suggesting a coupling between new leaf production and the phenology of photosynthetic capacity, decreasing both at the peak of the flooded period and at the end of the dry season. EVI was able to describe the inter-annual variations on forest responses to environmental drivers, which have changed during an observed El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) year (2015/2016)

Dental age estimation based on pulp chamber/crown volume ratio measured on CBCT images in a Spanish population

Dental age estimation in living individuals is one of the most frequent requests undertaken by forensic odontologists. The aim of this study was to estimate the dental age by pulp/tooth volume ratio, as measured on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, in a Spanish population. This study included 313 teeth from 107 adult individuals, 56 females and 51 males with a mean age of 44 ± 14 years. The statistical analysis of the results took account of clustering (multiple teeth in individuals). Linear regression models were constructed on the relationship between pulp/tooth volume ratio and chronological age for each tooth type. The highest coefficient of determination (R2) value was provided by the upper incisors (36.6%), and the difference between chronological and estimated age was less than 5 years in 31.3% of the sample and less than 10 years for 65.7%. CBCT is an accurate imaging technique to measure dental volume with a relatively low radiation dose, and it can be used to assess dental age in living adult individuals. Volumetric changes in the pulp cavity with increasing age proved valuable to estimate dental age in this Spanish populatio