Postmortem citalopram concentrations: alone or along with other compounds

Citalopram, an antidepressant whose use has become more widespread in Spain in recent years participates directly and indirectly in the lethal mechanism in voluntary and involuntary poisonings. There were 30 cases of autopsies in the Madrid region where citalopram and other psychoactive substances (psychotropic drugs, alcohol, opiates) were detected in the corpses. The postmortem citalopram levels in relation to the manner and mechanism of death were evaluated, and a significant difference between the toxic and nontoxic cases (p < 0.01) was found. We studied the citalopram blood levels alone and along with other psychoactive products, and these cases were then further divided into those where the compounds were at deadly levels and those which were not. We found a range of citalopram levels between 0.37 and 0.83 microg/mL in which some cases were associated with citalopram toxicity and others were not. Citalopram blood levels of less than 0.35 microg/mL did not lead to fatal poisoning when it was the sole substance detected.     

Results of the GEP-ISFG collaborative study on two Y-STRs tetraplexes: GEPY I (DYS461, GATA C4, DYS437 and DYS438) and GEPY II (DYS460, GATA A10, GATA H4 and DYS439)

A collaborative exercise was carried out by the Spanish and Portuguese ISFG Working Group (GEP-ISFG) in order to evaluate the performance of two Y-chromosome STR PCR tetraplexes, which include the loci DYS461, GATA C4, DYS437 and DYS438 (GEPY I), and DYS460, GATA A10, GATA H4 and DYS439 (GEPY II). The participating laboratories were asked to type three samples for the eight markers, using a specific amplification protocol. In addition, two control samples, with known haplotypes, were provided. The results obtained by the 13 different participating laboratories were identical, except for two laboratories that failed to type correctly the same two samples for GATA C4. By sequence analyses, two different GATA C4 allele structures were found. One control sample (allele 21) and two questioned samples (allele 22, correctly typed by all the laboratories, and allele 25) presented the following repeat structure: (TCTA)4(TGTA)2(TCTA)2(TGTA)2(TCTA)n, but different from the one found for allele 26 in one sample included in this exercise, as well as in the second control sample (allele 23), namely (TCTA)4(TGTA)2(TCTA)2(TGTA)2(TCTA)2(TGTA)2(TCTA)n. The collaborative exercise results proved that both Y-tetraplexes produce good amplification results, with the advantage of being efficiently typed using different separation and detection methodologies. However, since GATA C4 repeat presents a complex structure, with alleles differing in sequence structure, efficient denaturing conditions should be followed in order to avoid typing errors due to sizing problems.     

Genetic profile of the Ecuadorian Mestizo population (Ecuador-South America) by using the Power Plex 16 System Kit

Allele frequency data for the 15 STR systems and Amelogenine were determined in a population sample of healthy Mestizo unrelated individuals. All loci met Hardy-Weinberg expectations and the high discrimination power of combined system showed the forensic efficiency of these genetic markers. There is a lack of information on Ecuadorian population from a genetic point of view and therefore no previous publications on the distribution of STRs on Mestizos is available. Mestizos are descendents of Spanish and Amerindian people, however, significant differences were found between the former and the populations from Spanish peninsula, that have been analyzed for these genetic markers.     

Aging in rural areas of Spain: the influence of demography on care strategies

In the rural areas of Spain the aging population trend is particularly acute, and these regions are also characterized by high sex ratios. These are the demographic consequences of an intense rural exodus that started in 1950. This paper addresses the strategies that families from these areas have put in place to guarantee care for the elderly in these limited demographic contexts. It quantifies the demographic change from 1910 to 2010 and analyzes current mechanisms for organizing social care. The methodology includes semi-structured interviews and secondary information obtained from censuses. The results show the emergence of new care strategies, the diversification of social agents involved in care, and the transformation of traditional gender relations. All these changes are conceptualized as social adaptation strategies that increase resilience in rural areas.     

Sobre l’essència del gènere líric: una reflexió teòrica a l’entorn de la paraula poètica en el llindar de l’experimentació

Abstract

Aquest article defensa que la impossibilitat de definir el gènere líric deriva del mateix caràcter experimental de la praxi poètica, que indaga en els signes amb què opera en un context de màxima expressivitat, i amb independència de la conjuntura històrica i de les actituds deliberadament rupturistes. Així doncs, per bé que s’hi analitzen algunes de les pràctiques d’experimentació habituals – com l’acostament de la poesia a la pintura, la música, o la matemàtica –, el que es resol és que la mateixa tradició poètica suscita ja una fèrtil activitat exploratòria: promou, per una banda, la revisió de tipologies estereotipades; i per una altra, la indagació en la capacitat de la llengua d’expressar el no conscient, i de conceptualitzar la realitat tot reinterpretant-la. L’estudi para esment, però, en el territori català, i sobretot en el vessant poètic d’Albert Ràfols-Casamada, i en els poemes Uh, d’Enric Casasses, i Bratislava o Bucarest, de Manel Ollé.     

Y-chromosome STR haplotypes in three different population groups from Ecuador (South America)

POPULATIONS: Over 102 unrelated Mestizos, 102 Native Amerindian (Kichwas), and 102 African Americans who represent the three largest communities of the country Ecuador (South America).     

Private funding of microcredit schemes: Much ado about nothing?

Microcredit, defined as small loans to people who have no regular access to credit, is an innovative strategy in the fight against poverty. Microcredit institutions can obtain funding from private institutional investors (PIIs) that channel funds from donors, private lenders, and socially responsible investors. Private financing of development aid is likely to become more important and microcredit presents an investment opportunity within this context. Microcredit institutions (MCIs) need to become more transparent, however, and require more incentive to seek commercial funding rather than relying on subsidies. With better information about MCIs, PIIs could achieve more impact with their investment.     

Nuclear DNA typing from ancient teeth

Because of the adverse effects that diagenesis exert on ancient skeletal remains, DNA from these samples is often compromised to the point where genetic typing can be challenging. Nevertheless, robust and reliable methods are currently available to allow successful genotyping of ancient specimens. Here we report nuclear DNA-based methods and typing strategies used to analyze 2 human skeletons from a medieval burial. Reliable DNA nuclear profiles were obtained from teeth, whereas mitochondrial DNA analyses in bones were inconclusive. A complete nuclear mini short tandem repeat profile was obtained from a well-preserved premolar, but only a partial one from the femur. Increasing the sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction system allowed a full profile from the latter, but the presence of artifacts reinforced the idea that the interpretation of this kind of analysis must be performed with caution. The results presented here also indicate that DNA from dental pieces can be better preserved than from bones, even in the case of well-preserved long bones with thick cortical tissue such as the femurs, and have a better chance of successful genetic typing, probably because of the high degree of protection conferred to the DNA by the enamel.