NATO,the EEC,Gibraltar, North Africa: Overlapping issues for Spain

Reversing the retreat of the Yeltsin era, Russia has returned to Central Asia proactively. Its presence is increasingly felt in the traditional–that is, security–field and in new fields of engagement, such as strategically-placed investment or construction of regionalism. The cultural and “civilisational” role has also gained more prominence. Moscow's policy reflects pragmatic opportunism, aimed at getting the utmost benefits for Russia from a region in which it holds many assets rather than at a revival of the former empire. There are limits however as to how far its engagement can go due to constraints posed by Central Asian realities and Russian domestic developments. So far, the advance has been greatly facilitated by the West's retreat, giving rise to perceptions of an unfolding “great game”, while in reality a record of both competition and cooperation between Russia, China and the West is a normal state of affairs. Although Central Asian elites find it easier to deal with Moscow in the current political climate, they view its assertive role with caution and may turn to a rival suitor should the price for the relationship with Russia become too high.     

Metacarpal sexual determination in a Spanish population

Anthropologists and forensic pathologist determine the sex of skeletons by analyzing quantitative and qualitative characters in the bone remains. Generally, the skull and os coxae are the elements most used, but they are not always preserved. In such cases, the investigator needs to have available other techniques based on different remains. The aim of the present work is to develop and describe discriminating functions for sex determination in a recent Spanish population using metacarpal morphology. A sample of bones corresponding to a contemporary Spanish population deposited at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) was analyzed. This sample comprised 697 metacarpals, corresponding to 79 adult individuals (37 men and 42 women). These allowed us to obtain 120 unifactorial discriminant functions. We selected the 10 equations, one for each metacarpal from both hands, that provided the best sexual discrimination. The correct sex classification rank progressed from 81%, for right (R) metacarpals IV and V, to 91%, for left (L) metacarpal II. The results suggest that metacarpals are structures that can be used for sex determination in paleoanthropological and forensic identifications.     

Particle Analysis for the Detection of Gunshot Residue (GSR) in Nasal Samples Using Scanning Laser Ablation and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (SLA-ICPMS)

Currently, aluminum stub with carbon adhesive devices are used to collect inorganic gunshot residues (GSR) from the hands of a shooter. In an ideal shooting case, the gunshot particles do not persist for more than 2 h in the hands of the shooter, provided that the hands have not been washed. However, for forensic analysis and inference, the extended persistence of GSR would be desirable. This study investigates a novel GSR sampling and detection protocol. Sampling was performed in the nostrils using swab devices impregnated in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The GSRs persisted for longer periods in nasal mucus than on the hands, and particles were detected 6 h after shooting occurred. The analytical determination was conducted by scanning laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SLA-ICPMS) which enable the identification of the number of particles and their elemental composition. Seventeen isotope signals corresponding to ¹³C, ²⁰⁵Tl and 15 analytes that are usually associated with the composition of GSR residues were monitored: ²⁷Al, ²⁹Si, ³¹P, ³³S, ³⁵Cl, ³⁹K, ⁴⁴Ca, ⁵⁷Fe, ⁶⁰Ni, ⁶³Cu, ⁶⁶Zn, ¹¹⁸Sn, ¹²¹Sb, ¹³⁷Ba, and ²⁰⁸Pb. The SLA technique enabled the reduction of the swab analysis time to 40 min. The effectiveness of this methodology was evaluated with two types of firearms: a pistol and a shotgun. The results indicated that the methodology proposed for the analysis of the nasal GSR was effective and that it can improve or complement the forensic analyses and inferences presented in a court.     

Screening and quantification of antipsychotic drugs in human brain tissue by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: application to postmortem diagnostics of forensic interest

A quantitative LC-MS/MS method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 17 antipsychotic drugs in human postmortem brain tissue. Sample preparation was performed using Hybrid Solid Phase Extraction-Precipitation technology for the removal of endogenous protein and phospholipid interferences. The chromatographic separation was performed for 16 min on a C8 column, which used a gradient elution of formate ammonium and acetonitrile, and a flow rate gradient. Triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was employed to generate tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) data of the target analytes to select the ion m/z signals. Quantitation of the analytes was performed by operating in the dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (dMRM) mode using an electrospray ionization interface. Calibration curves prepared in the spiked brain tissue were linear in the range 20-8000 ng/g (r(2)>0.993) for all drugs (except olanzapine). Within- and between-day coefficients of variation were lower than 25% for all drugs at the LOQ. The LOQ in the matrix ranged between 2 ng/g and 80 ng/g. The method was successfully applied to the unequivocal identification and accurate quantification of antipsychotic drugs in human postmortem brain tissues: therefore, this method can be used in forensic investigations.     

Population data for 16 Y-chromosome STRs in four populations from Pyrenees (Spain)

Population frequencies for the eight Y-STR loci included in the "minimal haplotype" from Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD) plus other eight Y-STRs (DYS434, DYS435, DYS436, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, GATA H4 and GATA A10) were obtained for a sample of 133 males from four main geographical areas in the Pyrenees (Spain): Vall D'Aran (Lérida), Cerdanya (Gerona), Alt Urgell (Lérida) and Jacetania (Huesca). Haplotype diversities were estimated in the four populations.     

Concurrent and Across-Time Relations between Mother/Father Hostility and Children’s Aggression: A Longitudinal Study

This study examined the concurrent and across-time relations between father/mother hostility and child aggression in a sample of 523 (58.7% girls) primary and secondary school children. Data were collected over a period of 3 years, in which the children’s mean age was 11.1, 12.17, and 13.19 years old, respectively. Correlational analyses and cross-sectional and longitudinal structural equation models showed significant relations between parental hostility (both father and mother) and child aggression. These relations, which mainly concerned mothers, predicted future child aggression 1 and 2 years later. Child aggression and parental hostility also elicited each other, thus providing evidence for family socialization as an interactive process. This study have been supported by the Vicerrectorado de Investigación UNED as part of the Research Promotion Plan.