A Case of Acute Plastic Deformation of the Forearm in a Medieval Hispano-Mudejar Skeleton (13-14th Centuries AD).

INTRODUCTION: Acute plastic deformation refers to a traumatic bending or bowing without a detectable cortical defect. CASE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION: We describe a rare case from an individual that was exhumed from the Hispano-Mudejar necropolis in Uceda (Guadalajara, Spain) dated between the 13th and 14th centuries AD. The case corresponds to an adult woman, with a bowing involvement of the left ulna and radius. After making the differential diagnosis with various pathologies likely to present with this alteration, we reached the diagnosis of acute plastic deformation of the forearm through external and radiological examination and comparison with the healthy contralateral forearm. CONCLUSIONS: Acute plastic deformation is a rare traumatic injury, not described until the last century and only rarely described in palaeopathological contexts. We contribute a new case, the first being sufficiently documented, contributing to the knowledge and diagnosis of this type of trauma in the ancient bone, while deepening the knowledge of the living conditions of the medieval Mudejar population of Uceda.

Measurement studies of personal exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: A systematic review.

The last 25 years have seen an increase in the number of radiofrequency sources with the global adoption of smartphones as primary connectivity devices. The objective of this work was to review and evaluate the measured studies of personal exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-RMF) and meet the basic quality criteria eligible for inclusion in this Review, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, following the eligibility criteria of the PECO (Population, Exposure, Comparator, and Outcome) methodology, and the instrument for critical reading Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Español (CASPe). We systematically reviewed the works published between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2021, yielding 56 publications. Of the different types of studies in which personal exposure to RF-EMF has been measured with two measurement methodologies can be highlighted: Personal measurements with volunteers and Personal measurements with a trained researcher (touring a specific area, one or several microenvironments, an entire city, walking or in some means of transport). Personal exposimeters were used in 83% of the studies. The lowest mean was measured in Egypt with a value of 0.00100 µW/m2 (1.00 nW/m2) in 2007 and the highest mean was measured in Belgium with a value of 285000 µW/m2 (0.285 W/m2) in 2019. The results of our study confirm that RF-EMF exposure levels are well below the maximum levels established by the ICNIRP guidelines.

Geometric Morphometrics of the human cervical vertebrae: sexual and population variations.

This study aims to carry out the first geometric morphometric analysis of the 3D size and shape of the full series of cervical vertebrae delving into variability related to sex and population background. For this reason, we analyzed the cervical vertebrae of both males and females belonging to Europeans, Africans, and Greenland Inuit. We 3D-scanned a total of 219 cervical vertebrae of males and females of three different modern human populations (European, African, and Inuit). A minimum of 72 landmarks and curve semilandmarks were positioned in each of the 3D vertebral models. Landmark configurations were analyzed following the standards of 3D Geometric Morphometrics to test for size and shape differences related to sex or population variation. Results show that male cervical vertebrae are consistently larger than in females while no regular shape differences are observed between males and females in any of the populations. Sex differences in cervical lordosis are thus not supported at the skeletal level of the 3D shape. On the other hand, there is no evidence for population-specific differences in size while shape does vary considerably, possibly also in relation to eco-geographic factors of overall trunk shape. Cervical vertebrae in cold-adapted Inuit were consistently shorter than in Europeans and Africans. The cervical spine may show a different pattern than the thoracic and lumbar spine, which might be related to stronger integration with the cranium, head mobility, and soft-tissue dependence. Our findings suggest that morpho-functional interpretations of the cervical spine based on vertebral skeletal morphology requires caution.

[Comparative normative on sanitary practices of cadaveric preservation in Spain]. / Normativa comparada sobre prácticas sanitarias de conservación cadavérica en Españ.

In this paper the current regulations on cadaveric preservation practices required for the transfer of corpses in the different Autonomous Communities -Reglamentos de Policía Sanitaria Mortuoria- and national legislation are compared. The criteria taken into account have been: a) which sanitary practices are included in the regulations, b) which ones can be carried out in corpses posing a health risk, c) when they are compulsory to be carried out, d) when they can be carried out after death, and e) what professionals can carry them out and/or take responsibility for them. At the time of finishing the paper, a new mortuary regulation is being passed in Andalusia, as well as a decree from the Ministry of Health on technical and sanitary requirements concerning international transfer of corpses and human remains.

Se comparan las normativas vigentes sobre prácticas sanitarias de conservación cadavérica requeridas para el traslado de cadáveres, en las diferentes Comunidades autónomas y la legislación estatal. Los criterios tenidos en cuenta han sido: qué prácticas sanitarias se incluyen en la normativa, cuáles pueden llevarse a cabo en cadáveres de riesgo sanitario, cuándo se requiere su realización, en qué momento tras el fallecimiento pueden realizarse y qué profesionales las pueden llevarlas a cabo y/o responsabilizarse de las mismas. En el momento de finalizar el artículo se está tramitando la publicación del nuevo decreto de sanidad mortuoria de Andalucía, así mismo se está elaborando, por parte del Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social, un Real Decreto sobre "Condiciones técnico sanitarias básicas en materia de traslado internacional de cadáveres, restos humanos y restos cadavéricos".

A meta-analytic review for the patella sexual dimorphism assessment / Una revisión meta-analítica para la evaluación del dimorfismo sexual de la patela

Sexual dimorphism is one of the most important ways to identify bone remains in mass disasters. Many of them have been used for this purpose; mainly skull, pelvis and long bones. However, only a few studies using the patella have been done and, to our knowledge, there are no assessments of previous results in the literature. Meta-analysis provides a useful strong tool to test, in a systematic way, the most relevant information about a given research field. The aim of this study is to apply the meta-analytic technique to assess the major studies concerning sexual dimorphism in the patella by measuring classical metric traits: maximum height and maximum width, with different techniques, such as caliper, radiography, tomography and magnetic resonance. The 17 papers found, involving a total sample size higher than 2600 patellae, showed a very high heterogeneity- around 93 % of I2 value, for height and width measurements when all the studies were analyzed together. Homogeneity increased when each study was classified according to the techniques used. In this case, a statistical difference appeared, among the several subgroups of techniques for the two measurements, suggesting the importance of the methodology used. Maximum height and maximum width were all showed to be statistically relevant in distinguishing both sexes.

El dimorfismo sexual es una de las formas más importantes para identificar restos óseos en desastres masivos. Se han utilizado huesos como cráneo, pelvis y huesos largos para la diferenciación sexual. Sin embargo, solo se han realizado unos pocos estudios con la patela y, hasta donde sabemos, no hay evaluaciones de resultados anteriores en la literatura. El meta-análisis proporciona una herramienta sólida y útil para probar, de manera sistemática, la información más relevante sobre un cierto campo de investigación. El objetivo de este estudio consiste en aplicar la técnica metaanalítica para evaluar los principales estudios sobre dimorfismo sexual en la patela midiendo los rasgos métricos clásicos: altura máxima y anchura máxima, con diferentes técnicas: calibre, radiografía, tomografía y resonancia magnética. Los 17 de documentos encontrados, con un tamaño de muestra total superior a 2600 patelas, mostraron una heterogeneidad muy alta, alrededor del 93 % del valor de I2, para mediciones de altura y anchura cuando todos los estudios se analizaron juntos. La homogeneidad aumentó cuando cada estudio se clasificó de acuerdo con las técnicas utilizadas. En este caso, se observó diferencias estadísticas, entre los subgrupos de técnicas para las dos mediciones, lo que sugiere la importancia de la metodología utilizada. La altura máxima y la anchura máxima mostraron ser estadísticamente relevantes para distinguir ambos sexos.