Clinical characteristics and legal consequences of violent behavior: a case of bipolar disorder.

The main subject of criminal proceedings is that of criminal responsibility, from this point of view bipolar disorders sometimes seem to be a neglected subject in legal scholarship. Yet they may affect decision-making across the spectrum of the law, especially when manic and psychotic symptoms are implicated. This case studies a 37-year-old woman, diagnosed with bipolar affective in disorder, who attacked the neighbour of her ex-husband during a manic episode with psychotic symptoms. Two groups of those psychotic symptoms are especially remarkable: delusions and experiences of influences playing on her body and thought insertion (threat/control­override symptoms). Hostility against her ex-husband was also implicated in the attack. Researchers have pointed all those symptoms as important predictors of violence, and they have determinant legal correlates.

The use of Monte-Carlo simulation techniques for risk assessment: study of a municipal waste incinerator.

The incremental lifetime risks due to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) for the residents living in the surroundings of a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) have been assessed. Two different pathways of exposure to PCDD/Fs, ingestion through the diet and exposure from MSWI emissions, were compared. Monte-Carlo simulations were carried out to obtain variability and uncertainty propagation The joint analysis of uncertainty and variability included a sensitivity analysis that identified the contribution to variance by different inputs. In general terms, PCDD/F ingestion through the diet contributed with more than 99% of the total risk, whereas direct exposition to PCDD/F emissions from the MSWI was less than 1% The results show that the median (50% percentile) of non-carcinogenic risk due to PCDD/Fs in the population living in the surroundings of the MSWI was 0.72 and the ratio of the 95th percentile and fifth percentile was about 2. With respect to the total carcinogenic risk, the median increment in individual lifetime was 7.90 x 10(-5) while the ratio between the 95th percentile and the fifth percentile was about 1.5. In this analysis, a sequential structural decomposition of the relationships between the input variables has been used to partition the variance in the output (risk) in order to identify the most influential contributors to overall variance among them.

Levels of PCDD/Fs in soil samples in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were determined in 24 soil samples collected near a municipal solid waste incinerator (Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain). Soil samples were obtained at various sites within 1.5 km from the stack. Total PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 0.225 to 5.80 ng TEQ/kg dry matter (d.m.) with a median value of 0.799 ng TEQ/kg and a mean value of 1.080 ng TEQ/kg. No remarkable PCDD/F contamination was found. The results were consistent and even lower than those reported in other international studies. Principal Component Analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to compare these soil samples with a set of 10 additional samples collected outside the influence of the plant. Principal Component and hierarchical cluster analyses of soils in the vicinity of the incinerator provide patterns of PCDD/Fs quite similar from those obtained in soils collected far from the influence of that facility.

Data for Y-chromosome haplotypes in Fang and Bubi populations from Bioko (Equatorial Guinea).

Haplotype frequencies for 16 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (DYS456, DYS389I, DYS390, DYS389II, DYS458, DYS19, DYS385a/b, DYS393, DYS391, DYS439, DYS635, DYS392, Y GATA H4, DYS437, DYS438 and DYS448) loci, included in the AmpFLSTR Yfiler PCR Amplification Kit, were analysed in 110 Fang and 133 Bubi individuals from Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. The diversity was higher in Fang population, probably since they were originally from the mainland, with which they maintain tribal village and family links, and to which they travel frequently. Comparisons were made with previously published haplotype data on European and African populations, and significant differences were found between them.

Haplotype frequencies of 16 Y-chromosome STR loci in the Barcelona metropolitan area population using Y-Filer kit.

Haplotype frequencies for 16 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci, included in the Y-Filer kit, were determined in 247 unrelated healthy individuals from the Barcelona metropolitan area (Catalonia, NE Spain). After PCR amplification and denaturing PAGE electrophoresis, DYS456, DYS389I, DYS390, DYS389II, DYS458, DYS19, DYS385a/b, DYS393, DYS391, DYS439, DYS635, DYS392, Y GATA H4.1, DYS437, DYS438 and DYS448 loci were typed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance in our population of the 16 loci of the Y-chromosome present in the new Y-Filer commercial identification kit, and acquire haplotype frequencies for mathematic processing of the forensic diagnosis in our geographical working area. In this sample, all haplotypes were unique. From the forensic point of view, the combined polymorphisms of the Y-Filer kit provide a high diagnostic efficiency.

Agenesia de vena cava inferior en un caso de autopsia forense / Absence of the inferior cava vein in a case of forensic autopsy

La agenesia de vena cava inferior es una entidad congénita poco frecuente que a menudo se asocia con otras severas anomalías congénitas o malposiciones viscerales. También ha sido descrita como un factor de riesgo de trombosis venosa en pacientes jóvenes. La mayoría de los casos publicados proceden de estudios radiológicos y muy raramente aparece como hallazgo necrópsico. Presentamos un caso de agenesia de vena cava inferior, sin otras anomalías asociadas, que apareció como hallazgo incidental en una autopsia forense (AU)

The absence of the inferior vena cava is a rare congenital anomaly, often associated with severe congenital deformities and visceral position abnormalities. It has been described also as a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis in young patients. We present a case of congenital absence of inferior vena cava appeared as an incidental finding in a forensic autopsy (AU)

PCDD/Fs in soil samples collected in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator: human health risks.

The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) were determined in soil samples taken from 24 sites in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator (Montcada, Barcelona, Spain). Samples were collected within a radius of 3 km in each of the three main directions of the wind rose in that area. Hepta- and octa-CDDs were the predominant congeners and contributors to TEQ. PCDD/F levels ranged from 0.30 to 44.26 ng TEQ/kg (dry matter), with median and mean values of 3.52 and 6.91 ng TEQ/kg, respectively. The highest and lowest PCDD/F concentrations were found at 750 m (44.26 ng TEQ/kg) and 3000 m (0. 30 ng TEQ/kg) from the stack, while the PCDD/PCDF ratio was 1.78. The health risk analysis of the data shows that the PCDD/F intake from soils is substantially lower than the tolerable daily intake for toxicologic (other than cancer) effects of PCDD/Fs.

Haplotype frequencies of eight Y-chromosome STR loci in Barcelona (North-East Spain).

Haplotype frequencies for eight Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci were determined in paragraph signa population sample from Barcelona (NE Spain). After PCR amplification and denaturing PAGE electrophoresis, DYS19, DYS388, DYS389 I/II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392 and DYS393 loci were typed. Complete eight paragraph signY-chromosomal STRs haplotypes could be formed for 223 subjects, among which 137 different haplotypes were observed. The most common haplotype was shared by 13% of the sample, while 108 haplotypes were unique. The discrimination capacity was 61.5% and the gene diversity was 0.978. From the forensic point of view the combined polymorphisms provide a high diagnostic efficiency.

Population study of Aymara Amerindians for the PCR-DNA polymorphisms HUMTH01, HUMVWA31A, D3S1358, D8S1179, D18S51, D19S253, YNZ22 and HLA-DQalpha.

Allele and genotype frequencies for eight DNA polymorphisms (HUMTH01, HUMVWA31A, D3S1358, D8S1179, D18S51, D19S253, YNZ22 and HLA-DQalpha) were determined in a population sample of Aymara Indians from Bolivia using PCR. No deviations of the observed allelic frequencies from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were found for all the systems studied. Significant differences in the allele frequencies were found between the Aymara and Quechua populations only for HUMVWA31A, which suggests a certain degree of genetic differentiation between the two populations.

Características clínicas y consecuencias legales del comportamiento violento: un caso de trastorno bipolar / Clinical characteristics and legal consequences of violent behavior: a case of bipolar disorder

La cuestión principal en derecho penal es la responsabilidad criminal. Desde este punto de vista podemos señalar que en ocasiones el trastorno bipolar es el gran olvidado. Este trastorno puede afectar a la capacidad de decisión dentro del espectro contemplado por la ley, especialmente cuando los síntomas maniacos y psicóticos están presentes. Este caso estudia a una mujer de 37 años, diagnosticada de trastorno bipolar, que atacó a la vecina de su exmarido durante un episodio maniaco con síntomas psicóticos. Dos tipos de estos síntomas psicóticos merecen una especial mención: ideación de perjuicio y vivencias de pasividad/influencia corporal e inserción del pensamiento (síntomas de amenaza y control externo). La hostilidad hacia su exmarido también se considera relacionada con la agresión. Los investigadores han descrito todos estos síntomas como predictores importantes de violencia y tienen implicaciones médico-legales determinantes (AU)

The main subject of criminal proceedings is that of criminal responsibility, from this point of view bipolar disorders sometimes seem to be a neglected subject in legal scholarship. Yet they may affect decision-making across the spectrum of the law, especially when manic and psychotic symptoms are implicated. This case studies a 37-year-old woman, diagnosed with bipolar affective in disorder, who attacked the neighbour of her ex-husband during a manic episode with psychotic symptoms. Two groups of those psychotic symptoms are especially remarkable: delusions and experiences of influences playing on her body and thought insertion (threat/control–override symptoms). Hostility against her ex-husband was also implicated in the attack. Researchers have pointed all those symptoms as important predictors of violence, and they have determinant legal correlates (AU)