DSP2 for sex determination of miscegenated contemporary hip bones.

The bones of the human pelvis are used in sexual diagnosis generating a high level of accuracy for this type of identification. Morphological and/or morphometric methods are used in the identification of sex. Sexual dimorphism may be affected by ethnic differences in the population. One of the methods for determining sex using hip bone is the 'Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste (DSP)' or Probabilistic Sexual Diagnosis (DSP) method. The method presents a new version (Probabilistic Sexual Diagnosis v.2-DSP2) more advisable to be used because it has a more up-to-date database. The objective of this study is to investigate the applicability of the DSP2 method in a population in the Northeast region of Brazil. We used 128 hip bones, 50 female and 78 males, aged between 17 and 101 years, belonging to the Laboratory of Human Identification and Forensic Osteology of the University Federal Government of Pernambuco. The research was conducted between 2019 and 2020 and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Pernambuco no. 43228015.0.0000.5208. The probability equal to or greater than 0.95 was used as the limit for the determination of sex, and the results were compared with the actual sex of each bone. In the Brazilian collection study, it was observed that the percentage of sex estimation provided by the DSP2 tool using all reference samples was 71.09%, and accuracy was 64.06%. In the analysis of the gender estimate, 82.0% and 78% were obtained for females and males, respectively. Regarding accuracy, it was 64.10% and 55.13% for females and males, respectively. In the contemporary osteological collection of the Northeast region of Brazil, which presents immigrant peoples, we obtained a high index of assertiveness in the DSP2 method. The study concluded that the DSP2 method is important for determining the sex of human skeletons in a miscegenated population.

Differences in volume, density, electrolyte concentration, and total proteins in the fluid of the paranasal sinuses of freshwater and saltwater drowning victims: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study summarized the available evidence on the differences in volume, density, electrolyte concentration, and total proteins in paranasal sinus fluid between freshwater and saltwater drowning victims. A systematic search was conducted in electronic databases and gray literature, resulting in the inclusion of five studies with 234 drowning victims (92 saltwater incidents and 142 freshwater incidents). Meta-analyses using the inverse-of-variance method and a random-effects model were performed, reporting effect sizes as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The findings showed a significantly higher sinus density in saltwater drowning cases compared to freshwater drowning cases (SMD 0.91, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.32). However, no significant differences were observed in sinus fluid volume. Saltwater drowning victims exhibited higher electrolyte concentrations (sodium: SMD 3.77, 95% CI 3.07 to 4.48; potassium: SMD 0.78, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.49; chloride: SMD 3.48, 95% CI 2.65 to 4.31; magnesium: SMD 4.01, 95% CI 3.00 to 5.03) and lower total protein concentrations (SMD - 1.20, 95% CI - 1.82 to - 0.58) in sinus fluid compared to freshwater drowning victims. This meta-analysis highlights the importance of analyzing the characteristics and composition of sinus fluid in forensic investigations of drowning cases. While no differences were found in sinus fluid volume, saltwater drowning victims exhibited higher sinus density, elevated electrolyte concentrations, and lower total protein concentrations compared to freshwater drowning victims.

Temporal Analysis of Malaria Cases in the Brazilian Yanomami Pediatric Population: A Retrospective Ecologic Study From 2003 to 2022.

This retrospective ecological study investigated malaria incidence among Brazilian Yanomami children and adolescents from 2003 to 2022. Of the 145,573 recorded cases, 75.9% occurred in the Yanomami pediatric population. Moreover, an increase in the proportion of cases among the 10-19 age group has been observed, potentially associated with the recruitment of Indigenous adolescents to mining areas in recent years.

Is facial geometric morphometrics a useful method for age estimation in children and adolescents? Limited evidence and lack of studies leave us with an uncertain answer.

Facial geometric morphometrics is a non-invasive method that has recently shown potential applications, including age estimation, diagnosis of facial abnormalities, monitoring facial development, and evaluating treatment outcomes. A systematic review identified two studies that demonstrated the use of facial geometric morphometrics for age estimation in children and adolescents, showing promising results in terms of accuracy and error. This finding could be particularly relevant in forensic investigations. However, a research agenda should be established to prioritize the assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of facial morphometric geometrics in estimating age among children and adolescents.