Genetica Forense, attualità di una risorsa

The large number of successful investigations ensured by the new capabilities of forensic genetics, had been followed whit great media attention,particularly since the early nineties; as a result, the role and potentialities of this subject often were distorted or misunderstood. Specifically, in the recent years, the general public, and not only, have started to assume that genetically-based personal identification techniques could be considered a sufficient and also necessary device in order to collect all the elements and evidences needed to solve a case. Through the reconstruction and analysis of three specific cases (Carretta, Bilancia and Novi Ligure) that were solved making use of genetic identification systems, the authorstry to propose a less sensational,but more likely and balanced evaluation of forensic genetics potentialities in its applications to the field of criminology. Infact, an accurate analysis of the general investigative context the contribution of forensic genetics is integrated in,on the one hand allows to remark the importance and indispensability of  traditional investigative methodologies, and, on the other hand, to point out certain forensic genetics application limits, from both a practical and theoretical point of view. Therefore, in the article the authors question the hypothesis according to which the introduction of the genetic test implies a revolution in the investigative methodologies. On the contrary they do state that the introduction of genetic analysis techniques of evidences simply has to be considered as the acquisition of a new and effective device that is meant to support and integrate the traditional ones, and not to replace themAl crescente numero di successi investigativi garantiti dall’inedito contributo della genetica forense, ha fatto riscontro, soprattutto a partire dagli anni novanta, un’enorme risonanza mediatica, il cui effetto, almeno presso il grande pubblico, ma non solo, è stato quello di favorire l’affermarsi di una valutazione distorta e fuorviante del ruolo e delle potenzialità di questa disciplina nelle sue applicazioni al campo dell’indagine criminologica.In particolar modo ad imporsi è stata l’idea per la quale le tecniche di identificazione personale su base genetica possano considerarsi uno strumento non solo sufficiente, ma  anche necessario, ai fini dell’acquisizione degli elementi e dei riscontri probatori investigativamente e processualmente imprescindibili per la risoluzione di un’indagine. Attraverso la ricostruzione ed analisi dei casi Carretta, Bilancia e Novi Ligure, in cui pure il ricorso alla prova genetica si è rivelato probatoriamente decisivo, gli autori si propongono l’obiettivo di offrire una valutazione meno sensazionalistica, ma certo più verosimile ed equilibrata, del contributo che la genetica forense offre ed è in grado di offrire all’indagine criminologica. Un’analisi accurata del contesto investigativo generale nel cui ambito si inserisce l’apporto delle tecniche della genetica forense consente infatti, da un lato, di rimarcare l’imprescindibilità ed irrinunciabilità del ruolo svolto dalle metodologie di indagine tradizionali, e dall’altro, di evidenziare alcuni dei limiti, sia pratici che teorici, di applicazione del test genetico. Nell’articolo gli autori contestano dunque l’ipotesi per la quale l’introduzione del test genetico possa configurare una rivoluzione delle metodologie investigative e ribadiscono piuttosto come l’applicazione delle tecniche di analisi genetica dei reperti al campo forense vada considerata come la semplice acquisizione di un nuovo e potente strumento in grado di affiancare ed integrare efficacemente, ma non certo sostituire, quelli tradizionali, e tutt’ora essenziali, della valutazione criminologica

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Practice of Forensic Medicine: An Overview

During the COVID-19 pandemic, forensic sciences, on the one hand, contributed to gaining knowledge about different aspects of the pandemic, while on the other hand, forensic professionals were called on to quickly adapt their activities to respond adequately to the changes imposed by the pandemic. This review aims to clarify the state of the art in forensic medicine at the time of COVID-19, discussing the following: the influence of external factors on forensic activities, the impact of autopsy practice on COVID-19 and vice-versa, the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in post-mortem samples, forensic personnel activities during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the global vaccination program and forensic sciences, forensic undergraduate education during and after the imposed COVID-19 lockdown, and the medico-legal implications in medical malpractice claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly influenced different aspects of human life, and, accordingly, the practical activities of forensic sciences that are defined as multidisciplinary, involving different expertise. Indeed, the activities are very different, including crime scene investigation (CSI), external examination, autopsy, and genetic and toxicological examinations of tissues and/or biological fluids. At the same time, forensic professionals may have direct contact with subjects in life, such as in the case of abuse victims (in some cases involving children), collecting biological samples from suspects, or visiting subjects in the case of physical examinations. In this scenario, forensic professionals are called on to implement methods to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, wearing adequate PPE, and working in environments with a reduced risk of infection. Consequently, in the pandemic era, the costs involved for forensic sciences were substantially increased

Protection of Prisoners with Mental Health Disorders in Italy: Lights and Shadows after the Abolition of Judicial Psychiatric Hospitals

In Italy, a person suffering from a mental disorder who commits a crime will be given a custodial security order and serve the period of admission at a Residenza per la esecuzione delle misure di sicurezza (REMS) (Residence for the Execution of Security Measures, hereinafter "REMS"). These institutions have been established recently and though equipped with the necessary safety measures, the focus is on psychiatric therapy. Despite being present on a national scale, access is very limited in terms of capacity. Immediate remedial measures are needed, so much so that the European Court of Human Rights recently condemned Italy for this very reason. This article, through a review of the constitutive principles of these institutions, shows how they have very positive aspects such as the attention to necessary psychotherapy in order to protect the right to health and the real taking charge of the fragility of the subjects; however, it is seen how there are many negative aspects linked above all to the scarce availability of places in these structures. The article provides suggestions on a more comprehensive strategy for facilities for detainees with mental disorders

A rare case of suicide by ingestion of phorate: A case report and a review of the literature

Phorate is a systemic organophosphorus pesticide (OP) that acts by inhibiting cholinesterases. Recent studies have reported that long-term low/moderate exposure to OP could be correlated with impaired cardiovascular and pulmonary function and other neurological effects. A 70-year-old farmer died after an intention ingestion of a granular powder mixed with water. He was employed on a farm for over 50 years producing fruit and vegetables, and for about 20 years, he had also applied pesticides. In the last 15 years, he used phorate predominantly. The Phorate concentration detected in gastric contents was 3.29 µg/mL. Chronic exposure to phorate is experimentally studied by histopathological changes observed in the kidney. In the light of current literature, our case confirms that there is an association between renal damage and chronic exposure to phorate in a subject exposed for years to the pesticide. Autopsies and toxicological analyses play a key role in the reconstruction of the dynamics, including the cause of the death

Smart drugs and neuroenhancement: what do we know?

Introduction: Smart drugs are among the most common drugs used by students. It is estimated that they are second in incidence after cannabis. Although they are usually used for diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dementia, in most cases the use of smart drugs is illegal and without a prescription. Methodological issues: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. SCOPUS, Medline (using PubMed as a search engine), Embase, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar were used as search engines from January 1, 1980 to June 1, 2021 to evaluate the association between smart drugs and neuro-enhancement. A total of 4715 articles were collected. Of these, 295 duplicates were removed. A total of 4380 articles did not meet the inclusion criteria. In conclusion, 48 articles were included in the present systematic review. Results: Most of the studies were survey studies, 1 was a prospective longitudinal study, 1 was a cross-over study, and 1 was an experimental study in an animal model (rats). The largest group of consumers was school or university students. The most frequent reasons for using smart drugs were: better concentration, neuro enhancement, stress reduction, time optimization, increased wake time, increased free time, and curiosity. There are conflicting opinions, in fact, regarding their actual functioning and benefit, it is not known whether the benefits reported by consumers are due to the drugs, the placebo effect or a combination of these. The real prevalence is underestimated: it is important that the scientific community focus on this issue with further studies on animal models to validate their efficacy

Review adverse effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids: A literature review

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) are a large group of molecules including endoge-nously produced androgens, such as testosterone, as well as synthetically manufactured derivatives. AAS use is widespread due to their ability to improve muscle growth for aesthetic purposes and athletes’ performance, minimizing androgenic effects. AAS use is very popular and 1–3% of US inhabitants have been estimated to be AAS users. However, AASs have side effects, involving all organs, tissues and body functions, especially long-term toxicity involving the cardiovascular system and the reproductive system, thereby, their abuse is considered a public health issue. The aim of the proposed review is to highlight the most recent evidence regarding the mechanisms of action of AASs and their unwanted effects on organs and lifestyle, as well as suggesting that AAS misuse and abuse lead to adverse effects in all body tissues and organs. Oxidative stress, apoptosis, and protein synthesis alteration are common mechanisms involved in AAS-related damage in the whole body. The cardiovascular system and the reproductive system are the most frequently involved apparatuses. Epidemiology as well as the molecular and pathological mechanisms involved in the neuropsychiatric side-effects of AAS abuse are still unclear, further research is needed in this field. In addition, diagnostically reliable tests for AAS abuse should be standardized. In this regard, to prevent the use of AASs, public health measures in all settings are crucial. These measures consist of improved knowledge among healthcare workers, proper doping screening tests, educational interventions, and updated legislation

Short-Term Physiological Effects of a Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet: Effects on Adiponectin Levels and Inflammatory States

Adipose tissue is a multifunctional organ involved in many physiological and metabolic processes through the production of adipokines and, in particular, adiponectin. Caloric restriction is one of the most important strategies against obesity today. The very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) represents a type of caloric restriction with very or extremely low daily food energy consumption. This study aimed to investigate the physiological effects of a VLCKD on anthropometric and biochemical parameters such as adiponectin levels, as well as analyzing oligomeric profiles and cytokine serum levels in obese subjects before and after a VLCKD. Twenty obese subjects were enrolled. At baseline and after eight weeks of intervention, anthropometric and biochemical parameters, such as adiponectin levels, were recorded. Our findings showed a significant change in the anthropometric and biochemical parameters of these obese subjects before and after a VLCKD. We found a negative correlation between adiponectin and lipid profile, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), which confirmed the important involvement of adiponectin in metabolic and inflammatory diseases. We demonstrated the beneficial short-term effects of a VLCKD not only in the treatment of obesity but also in the establishment of obesity-correlated diseases

Physical activity has numerous beneficial effects on metabolic and inflammatory processes

Obesity is a long-term multifactorial chronic disease, characterized by energy imbalance, due to an excess of caloric intake compared to energy expenditure and deregulation of other metabolic parameters, as, altered lipid profile, increased insulin resistance and chronic pro-inflammatory state. A healthy lifestyle, characterized by hypocaloric diet and physical activity, is important to reduce a chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and metabolic disorders typical of obesity. It is well known that the chronic inflammation state and oxidative stress are responsible for the aging and development of many diseases, such as cancer. In the light of these evidences, the aim of this study is to analyse body composition, metabolic profile and oxidative stress levels in obese patients subjected to a physical activity program before and after weight loss. We analysed the glycaemic and lipid profile, body composition such as visceral adipose tissue (VAT), fat mass (FM), and the dROMs serum levels via the Fenton's reaction. We found that in obese patients before physical activity intervention there are higher levels in dROMs serum levels, altered glycaemic and lipid profile and body composition compared to obese patients after physical activity intervention. In conclusion, the physical activity has numerous beneficial effects in obesity, modulating not only metabolic profile but also inflammatory and oxidative stress response

Storia e caratteristiche del progetto multicentrico di ricerca "International Self - Report Delinquency Study": il contributo della Criminologia italiana

The present paper reviews the history, the principal characteristics, the recent evolutions and the objectives of the international multi-centric study on juvenile self-report delinquency and victimization called ISRD, and describes the contribution of Italian criminology to the project. The most important international results of the first two waves of the research (ISRD 1 and ISRD2), and the innovations introduced in the planning of the third wave (ISRD3) are also described: The collection of data has been concluded in Italy, but not in all the 35 countries participating to the study

La violenza nelle relazioni affettive

Il fenomeno della violenza di genere, intesa come la violenza maschile agita sulle donne in quanto tali, è divenuto, da almeno vent’anni a questa parte, uno dei temi di dibattito più salienti in una pluralità di ambiti, da quello sociologico a quello giuridico e politico, da quello criminologico a quello psicologico, medico e sanitario. La violenza di genere è infatti un fenomeno globale, senza confini territoriali, culturali, sociali o di classe, che riguarda milioni di donne in tutto il mondo. Per un’analisi dettagliata delle relative evidenze statistiche, a livello globale e nazionale, rinviamo ai successivi contributi contenuti in questo volume (e in particolare a quelli della Prof.ssa Merzagora e a quello del Prof. Di Nunno), ma basta citare un solo dato per comprendere appieno le dimensioni del fenomeno in tutta la sua gravità: l’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità ha stimato che a livello mondiale il 35% delle donne ha subito almeno un episodio di violenza fisica e/o sessuale nel corso della sua vita. Né si deve pensare che la situazione sia migliore o differente in Italia, dove un’altra ricerca, condotta dall’Istat nel 2006, ha permesso di delineare un quadro altrettanto emergenziale, con un totale del 31,9% delle donne intervistate che si è dichiarato vittima di almeno un episodio di violenza fisica e/o sessuale nel corso della propria esistenza. Ad allarmare, poi, non è solo l’incidenza del fenomeno, ma anche la gravità delle sue conseguenze. Anche quando gli episodi di violenza non sfociano nel femminicidio (o femicidio che dir si voglia), infatti, comportano una serie di effetti diretti e indiretti che riguardano non solo la donna stessa, ma anche la sua famiglia, in particolare i figli, soprattutto se minori, e la comunità nel suo complesso. Un corpus sempre più nutrito di studi ha dimostrato come la violenza contro le donne, sia essa di tipo fisico, sessuale, psicologico o economico, ha pesanti ricadute a lungo termine sulla salute delle vittime; le donne che hanno subito abusi, infatti, patiscono non solo un’ampia gamma di conseguenze fisiche dirette (lesioni, fratture, disabilità di varia natura, disturbi ginecologici, malattie a trasmissione sessuale), ma sono altresì soggette a complicazioni concernenti la loro salute psicologica e mentale (depressione, tendenze suicidarie, disturbo post-traumatico da stress, abuso di alcoolici e sostanze stupefacenti, solo per citarne alcune). Altrettanto problematiche si rivelano le ripercussioni di tipo intergenerazionale, legate agli effetti della violenza assistita, che sono spesso destinate a incidere in maniera decisiva sullo sviluppo emotivo e lo stile di relazione dei minori appartenenti ai nuclei familiari in cui si verificano episodi di abuso. Il che ci porta infine a discutere del nucleo familiare quale teatro privilegiato delle violenze contro la donna. Tutte le ricerche dedicate all’argomento hanno infatti messo in luce come la violenza domestica, agita nel contesto familiare, e ancora più specificamente l’Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), ossia la violenza perpetrata da un uomo nei confronti della moglie o della compagna nell’ambito di una relazione di coppia, risultino di gran lunga le più comuni tra le forme di abuso che rientrano nella più generale categoria di violenza di genere. Un dato, questo, che contravviene alla comune nozione di famiglia quale nido degli affetti e delle cure, ma che pure, come detto, è ampiamente attestato e comprovato nella letteratura scientifica. Alla radice di questa problematica appare allora necessario individuare e indagare un’altra nozione: quella di conflitto. Il conflitto è un elemento caratterizzante di tutte le forme di relazione, a livello culturale o sociale quanto a livello inter-personale; in quanto tale è una componente ineliminabile di ogni forma di incontro e convivenza e proprio dalla capacità di risoluzione del conflitto dipende la stabilità del sistema di relazione. Una degenerazione del conflitto determinata dalla mancata, incompleta o disfunzionale risoluzione dello stesso è invariabilmente la causa della dissoluzione della relazione o dell’instaurarsi di dinamiche disfunzionali, tali da determinare tensioni e aggressività che nei peggiori dei casi finiscono poi con lo sfociare nell’esercizio della violenza. Comprendere le ragioni della violenza allo scopo di prevenirla, evitarne il ripetersi o mitigarne gli effetti negativi una volta che questa si sia manifestata (quelle che tecnicamente si definiscono prevenzione primaria, secondaria e terziaria), implica allora anche la necessità di comprendere le ragioni del conflitto e quella di addivenire a efficaci strategie di gestione, negoziazione e risoluzione dello stesso. Il contenuto di questo volume fa riferimento ad una serie di riflessioni e studi prodotti nell’ambito dell’attività di ricerca e didattica della cattedra di Criminologia dell’Università del Salento, che hanno trovato espressione nell’elaborazione di un cospicuo numero di tesi di laurea nonché nella promozione e partecipazione a numerosi convegni e iniziative culturali tra le quali, in particolare, il seminario di studi dall’omonimo titolo “La violenza nelle relazioni affettive”, presieduto dal Prof. Francesco Carrieri e tenutosi in Lecce nel giugno del 2013. Si è ritenuto opportuno rendere conto dell’evoluzione della giurisprudenza sull’argomento nelle more della pubblicazione