RESUMEN
The number of sexual crimes in Brazil, as in several other countries, is very high. In many of these crimes the women raped are murdered and their bodies are found days later, in an advanced state of decomposition, with intense cadaverous fauna. Forensic Entomology studies insects and other arthropods that can be used in the expert analysis of various types of crimes. Diptera, the order of insects that comprises the two-winged or true flies, represents one of the largest known groups of insects and is the principal source of cadaveric entomofauna. Members of its Calliphoridae family are observed in cadavers in all phases of decomposition. The retrieval and identification of human Y-STR DNA from the gastrointestinal tract of Calliphoridae species Chrysomya albiceps maggots and pupae can provide a good tool for the gathering of evidence in sexual crime investigations involving rape and death, in which the abandoned victim's body is found in a putrefied state. In this study, the animal model used was a female pig, Sus scrofa, which was sacrificed in a forested area with three shots from a 0.40 calibre Taurus pistol, and inoculated with semen to its anal and vaginal regions, simulating rape and homicide. During decomposition, 20-80 maggots were collected every 24 h and preserved in 70 % alcohol, totalling 289 maggots and 157 pupae (446 immatures) over a period of 14 days (336 h) of decomposition. Each maggot was then dissected for removal of the digestive tract, which was placed in extraction buffer. The molecular phase proceeded with extraction, quantification, amplification and capillary electrophoresis of samples, testing 16 STR loci of the Y chromosome. It was possible to establish a partial Y-STR DNA profile, with the amplification of up to eight sites, by considering a combination of the samples taken at hours 144 h, 168 h, 192 h, 216 h, 240 h, 288 h, 312 h and 336 h.
Asunto(s)
Dípteros/química , Homicidio , Violación , Semen/química , Animales , Brasil , ADN/análisis , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Femenino , Entomología Forense , Humanos , Larva/química , Masculino , Cambios Post Mortem , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , PorcinosRESUMEN
Cannabis sativa, known by the common name marijuana, is the psychoactive drug most widely distributed in the world. Identification of Cannabis cultivars may be useful for association to illegal crops, which may reveal trafficking routes and related criminal groups. This study provides evidence for the performance of a segment of the rbcL gene, through genetic signature, as a tool for identification for C. sativa samples apprehended by the Rio de Janeiro Police, Brazil. The PCR amplified and further sequenced the fragment of approximately 561 bp of 24 samples of C. sativa rbcL gene and showed the same nucleotide sequences, suggesting a possible genetic similarity or identical varieties. Comparing with other Cannabaceae family sequences, we have found 99% of similarity between the Rio de Janeiro sequence and three other C. sativa rbcL genes. These findings suggest that the fragment utilized at this study is efficient in identifying C. sativa samples, therefore, useful in genetic discrimination of samples seized in forensic cases.
Asunto(s)
Cannabis/genética , Tráfico de Drogas , Ribulosa-Bifosfato Carboxilasa/genética , Análisis de Secuencia de Proteína , Brasil , Humanos , Reacción en Cadena de la PolimerasaRESUMEN
Chlorthalidone is commonly used for blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. However, it increases sympathetic nervous system activity and insulin resistance. Both conditions are related with an elevated number of complications and worsen patients' prognosis. Recently has been demonstrated that these adverse effects are avoided with spironolactone administration. Mechanisms to explain increasing sympathetic nervous activity and insulin resistance with chlorthalidone, but not with spironolactone are unclear and under investigation. It should be necessary to continue medical investigation on this field with long-term studies, a larger number of patients and associated comorbidities. The aim should be to establish whether the association of both drugs could be an effective and safety choice to be implemented extensively in clinical practice. That possibility could represent a new alternative for patients' management.