A forensic geoscience framework and practice

Appropriate and correct collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of geoforensic evidence are contingent upon understanding the specific context of the particular forensic investigation undertaken. To achieve this, the role of experimental studies in forensic geoscience must not be underestimated. In this article, we present two experimental studies that assess the spatial distribution of pollen in a living room and the nature of subsequent transfer of pollen onto clothing. The presence of cut flowers in a living room are shown to lead to a distribution of pollen grains onto all types of surface in that room that exhibits a distance–decay pattern with the greatest numbers of grains found in close proximity to the flowers. Once the transfer of pollen grains from a source location onto clothing has taken place, our second study demonstrates the nature of the persistence of that evidence for dry and damp clothing under active and inactive conditions. The level of activity after transfer is shown to have far more influence upon the persistence of this form of geoforensic evidence in comparison to the damp or dry conditions of the garment. We argue that these findings have implications for all stages of the forensic investigation–from sampling protocols to the interpretation of the presence/absence of geoforensic evidence. Whilst every contact does indeed leave a trace, it is imperative that there is an appreciation of the context of each forensic investigation, meaningful science take place and accurate and helpful crime reconstructions to be achieved

Early Clinical and Subclinical Visual Evoked Potential and Humphrey's Visual Field Defects in Cryptococcal Meningitis.

Cryptococcal induced visual loss is a devastating complication in survivors of cryptococcal meningitis (CM). Early detection is paramount in prevention and treatment. Subclinical optic nerve dysfunction in CM has not hitherto been investigated by electrophysiological means. We undertook a prospective study on 90 HIV sero-positive patients with culture confirmed CM. Seventy-four patients underwent visual evoked potential (VEP) testing and 47 patients underwent Humphrey's visual field (HVF) testing. Decreased best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was detected in 46.5% of patients. VEP was abnormal in 51/74 (68.9%) right eyes and 50/74 (67.6%) left eyes. VEP P100 latency was the main abnormality with mean latency values of 118.9 (±16.5) ms and 119.8 (±15.7) ms for the right and left eyes respectively, mildly prolonged when compared to our laboratory references of 104 (±10) ms (p<0.001). Subclinical VEP abnormality was detected in 56.5% of normal eyes and constituted mostly latency abnormality. VEP amplitude was also significantly reduced in this cohort but minimally so in the visually unimpaired. HVF was abnormal in 36/47 (76.6%) right eyes and 32/45 (71.1%) left eyes. The predominant field defect was peripheral constriction with an enlarged blind spot suggesting the greater impact by raised intracranial pressure over that of optic neuritis. Whether this was due to papilloedema or a compartment syndrome is open to further investigation. Subclinical HVF abnormalities were minimal and therefore a poor screening test for early optic nerve dysfunction. However, early optic nerve dysfunction can be detected by testing of VEP P100 latency, which may precede the onset of visual loss in CM

Intra-individual variation in RMR in older people

In the factorial estimation of total energy expenditure it is assumed that the intra-individual variation in RMR is small. Little is known about the intra-individual variation of RMR in older subjects. The present study investigated the intra-individual variation in RMR in older people. Measurements of RMR were made in twenty-seven older subjects, mean age 71.6 (SD 6.1) years, on two separate occasions (T1 and T2) and on a third occasion (T3) in nineteen of the subjects. Measurements of height and weight were taken in all subjects. RMR measurements were made in the laboratory using a Deltatrac TM (ventilated-hood indirect calorimeter, Datex, Helsinki, Finland). All subjects had fasted overnight for 12 h and refrained from strenuous exercise before measurements. The intra-individual CV in RMR (kJ/d) after T1 and T2 was 2.5% in women and 3.6% in men and was 2.6% in women and 3.4% in men after all three sets of measurements. Although mean RMR did not vary across T1, T2 and T3, there was significant 'crossing tracks' across the three measurements occasions in some individuals, reflecting a high degree of within-subject variability. The methods used had a significant measurement error associated with them (high R value; significant F ratio in three-way ANOVA). In conclusion, the results from the present study indicate that intra-individual variation in RMR was low in older people. The intra-individual variation in the elderly is similar to that seen in younger age groups

Vegan diets : practical advice for athletes and exercisers.

With the growth of social media as a platform to share information, veganism is becoming more visible, and could be becoming more accepted in sports and in the health and fitness industry. However, to date, there appears to be a lack of literature that discusses how to manage vegan diets for athletic purposes. This article attempted to review literature in order to provide recommendations for how to construct a vegan diet for athletes and exercisers. While little data could be found in the sports nutrition literature specifically, it was revealed elsewhere that veganism creates challenges that need to be accounted for when designing a nutritious diet. This included the sufficiency of energy and protein; the adequacy of vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, iodine and vitamin D; and the lack of the long-chain n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in most plant-based sources. However, via the strategic management of food and appropriate supplementation, it is the contention of this article that a nutritive vegan diet can be designed to achieve the dietary needs of most athletes satisfactorily. Further, it was suggested here that creatine and β-alanine supplementation might be of particular use to vegan athletes, owing to vegetarian diets promoting lower muscle creatine and lower muscle carnosine levels in consumers. Empirical research is needed to examine the effects of vegan diets in athletic populations however, especially if this movement grows in popularity, to ensure that the health and performance of athletic vegans is optimised in accordance with developments in sports nutrition knowledge

Effect of the association of three drugs in the treatment of congestive heart failure in dogs with mitral myxomatosis

The authors studied the response in dogs with varying degrees of congestive heart failure due to\nmyxomatous valve disease the simultaneous administration of three drugs: spironolactone, benazepril\nand magnesium gluconate.\nThe studied patients (25) hadn?t received medication at the time of the first evaluation and that\nassociation was administered at dose of 2 mg / kg; 0.25 mg / kg and 7.5 mg / kg respectively every\n24 hours for a period of four months.\nThe data obtained were processed statistically by performing test for normality ( Shapiro-Wilks test\nand Wilcoxon) and inference based on two-sample (?t? for paired samples)\nThe results showed an overall clinical improvement, verified by history and clinical evaluation,\nimprovement in ECG parameters and significant differences in serum urea and creatinine, in\nthe regurgitate volume and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. No changes in two-dimensional\nechocardiographic parameters studied were observed.Fil: Buzzano, O. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela. Unidad de Cardiología; ArgentinaFil: Graziano, A. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela. Unidad de Cardiología; ArgentinaFil: Barrios, J. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela. Unidad de Cardiología; ArgentinaFil: Lightowler, C. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela. Unidad de Cardiología; ArgentinaLos autores estudiaron la respuesta de perros con distintos grados de insuficiencia cardiaca congestiva\nmotivada por mixomatosis de la válvula mitral a la administración simultánea de tres drogas:\nespironolactona, benazepril y gluconato de magnesio.\nLos pacientes estudiados (25) no habían recibido ninguna medicación a la fecha del inicio del\nestudio y la mencionada asociación se administró en dosis de 2 mg/kg; 0,25mg/kg y 7,5mg/kg\nrespectivamente, cada 24 horas, por un período de cuatro meses.\nLos datos obtenidos fueron procesados estadísticamente realizando prueba de normalidad ShapiroWilks,\ntest de Wilcoxon e inferencia basada en dos muestras (?t? para muestras apareadas).\nLos resultados obtenidos mostraron una mejoría clínica general, verificada por anamnesis y evaluación\nclínica, una mejoría en los parámetros electrocardiográficos y diferencias significativas en los valores\nde urea y creatinina, en el volumen regurgitante y en la tensión arterial sistólica y diastólica. No se\nobservaron modificaciones de los parámetros ecocardiográficos bidimensionales estudiados

Flujos atrioventriculares normales evaluados por la técnica Doppler espectral en caninos

Los autores realizaron un estudio de las posiciones más adecuadas para estudiar los flujos transmitral y transtricuspídeo por medio de Doppler espectral pulsado en caninos normales y determinar los valores medios de los siguientes parámetros: velocidad pico, velocidad media, gradiente pico de presión, gradiente medio de presión, integral tiempo–velocidad y relación entre ondas E y A. Las mejores posiciones para la obtención de valores del flujo mitral y tricuspídeo fueron la imagen apical de cinco cámaras captada desde la ventana paraesternal izquierda para la primera y la oblicua del tracto de entrada ventricular derecho en la misma ventana para la segunda

Atrioventricular normal flows evaluated by spectral doppler technique in dogs

Fil: Pérez Valega, E. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Maidana, Héctor Ricardo. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Kaenel, R. M. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Barrios, J. Hospital Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Lightowler, C. Hospital Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Los autores realizaron un estudio de las posiciones más adecuadas para estudiar los flujos transmitral y transtricuspídeo por medio de Doppler espectral pulsado en caninos normales y determinar los valores medios de los siguientes parámetros: velocidad pico, velocidad media, gradiente pico de presión, gradiente medio de presión, integral tiempo–velocidad y relación entre ondas E y A. Las mejores posiciones para la obtención de valores del flujo mitral y tricuspídeo fueron la imagen apical de cinco cámaras captada desde la ventana paraesternal izquierda para la primera y la oblicua del tracto de entrada ventricular derecho en la misma ventana para la segunda.A study was performed for the different echocardiography windows to evaluate the transmitral and transtricuspid flows through spectral Doppler in normal dogs and to determine the mean values of the following parameters: peak velocity, mean velocity, peak pressure gradient, mean pressure gradient, velocity–time integral and E/A ratio. The best positions for determine the mitral and tricuspid flows were the apical five chambers view obtained from the left parasternal window for the first one and the oblique view of the right ventricular inlet in the same window for the second

Glycaemic Index, Glycaemic Load and dietary fibre characteristics of two commercially available fruit smoothies

In light of the updated Eatwell Guide and the corresponding change in the consumption of fruit smoothies, the aim of this study was to measure the glycaemic index and load of two commercial fruit smoothies and to investigate the retention of dietary fibre following production. In vitro analysis was performed to identify fibre material (cellulose and pectins) using calcofluor staining and immunocytochemical labelling. A repeated measures crossover study was conducted (n 10) to determine the Glycaemic Index (GI) and Glycaemic Load (GL) of the smoothies. Results showed that dietary fibre was still present in the smoothies after processing (16.9-17.5% cellular material by dry weight). The GI was low for both smoothies (39 and 36), whereas the GL was medium and borderline-low, respectively (11.4 and 9.7). The retention of fibre in these smoothies may have a potential positive effect on glycaemic response and may contribute to daily fibre requirements