Fingermarks and Other Impressions Left by the Human Body - A Review (August 2007-July 2010)

The purpose of this paper is to review the scientific literature from August 2007 to July 2010. The review is focused on more than 420 published papers. The review will not cover information coming from international meetings available only in abstract form. Fingermarks constitute an important chapter with coverage of the identification process as well as detection techniques on various surfaces. We note that the research has been very dense both at exploring and understanding current detection methods as well as bringing groundbreaking techniques to increase the number of marks detected from various objects. The recent report from the US National Research Council (NRC) is a milestone that has promoted a critical discussion on the state of forensic science and its associated research. We can expect a surge of interest in research in relation to cognitive aspect of mark and print comparison, establishment of relevant forensic error rates and statistical modelling of the selectivity of marks' attributes. Other biometric means of forensic identification such as footmarks or earmarks are also covered in the report. Compared to previous years, we noted a decrease in the number of submission in these areas. No doubt that the NRC report has set the seed for further investigation of these fields as well.

A contribution to the study of acute schistosomiasis (an experimental trial)

In an attempt to establish an experimental model of acute schistosomiasis, sequential histological changes were investigated in the skin, lung, liver and spleen of mice infected with 30 or 100 cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni according to four sets of experiments: single infection, repeated infections, unisexual infection and infection in mice born from infected mothers. Animals were killed every other day from exposure up to 50 days after infection. Only mild, isolated, focal inflammatory changes were found before the appearance of mature eggs in the liver, even when repeated infections were made. Severe changes of reactive hepatitis and splenitis appeared suddenly when the first mature eggs were deposited, around the 37th to 42nd day after infection. The mature eggs induced lytic and coagulative necrosis of hepatocytes around them which was soon followed by dense infiltration of eosinophils. So, mature egg-induced lesions appeared as the major factors in the pathogenesis of acute schistosomiasis in mice. Mice born from infected mothers were apparently able to rapidly modulate the egg-lesions, forming early fibrotic granulomas. The murine model of acute schistosomiasis appeared adequate for the study of pathology and pathogenesis of acute schistosomiasis.

Response of bat species to sylvo-pastoral abandonment

We assessed the effect of abandonment of sylvo-pastoral practices in chestnut orchards (Castanea sativa) on bats in southern Switzerland to determine practical recommendations for bat conservation. We compared bat species richness and foraging activities between traditionally managed and unmanaged chestnut orchards, testing the hypothesis that managed orchards provide better foraging opportunities and harbour more bat species. Echolocation calls of foraging bats were sampled simultaneously at paired sites of managed and unmanaged orchards using custom made recorders. Vegetation structure and aerial insect availability were sampled at the recording sites and used as explanatory variables in the model. In a paired sampling design, we found twice the number of bat species (12) and five times higher total foraging activity in the managed chestnut orchards compared to the unmanaged ones. Bat species with low flight manoeuvrability were 14 times more common in managed orchards, whereas bats with medium to high manoeuvrability were only 5 times more common than in abandoned orchards. The vegetation structure was less dense in managed orchards. However, management did not affect relative insect abundance. Bats primarily visited the most open orchards, free of undergrowth. As a result of restricted access into the overgrown forests, the abandonment of chestnut orchards leads to a decline in bat species richness and foraging activities. Continued management of chestnut orchards to maintain an open structure is important for the conservation of endangered bat species in the southern Swiss Alps.

Shallow-level migmatization of gabbros in a metamorphic contact aureole, Fuerteventura Basal Complex, Canary Islands

Migmatization of gabbroic rocks at 2-3 kbar has occurred in the metamorphic contact aureole of a mafic pluton in the Fuerteventura Basal Complex (Canary Island;). Migmatites are characterized by a dense network: of closely spaced millimetre-wide leucocratic veins with perfectly preserved igneous textures. They are all relatively enriched in Al, Na I: Sr Ba, Nb, Y and the rare earth elements compared with the unaffected country rock beyond the aureole. Migmatization under such low-pressure conditions war possible because of the unusual tectonic and magmatic contact in which ii occurred. Multiple basic intrusions associated with extrusive volcanic activity created high heat flow in a small area. Alkaline and metasomatized rocks present in the country rock of the intruding pluton were leached by high-temperature fluids during contact metamorphism. These enriched fluids then favoured partial melting of the host gabbroic rocks, and contaminated both the leucosomes and melanosomes. A transpressive tectonic setting at the time of intrusion created shearing along the contact between the intrusion and its host rock. This shearing enhanced circulation of the fluids and allowed segregation of the nea-formed melts from their restite by opening tension veins into which the melts migrated. Depending on the relative timing of melt segregation and recrystallization leucosomes range in composition from a 40-60% mixture of clinopyroxene (+/- amphibole) and plagioclase to almost pure feldspathic veins. Comparable occurrences of gabbros migmatized at low pressure are expected only at a snail scale in localized areas of high heat flow in the presence of fluids, such as in. mid-ocean ridges or ocean-islands.

Aplicació de la termoquimiolisi - cromatografia de gasos - espectrometria de masses a l'estudi de la matèria orgànica del sòl

Estudi realitzat a partir d’una estada a la Université de Poitiers, França, entre 2007 i 2009. El treball s'ha centrat en dues activitats bàsiques. El treball realitzat s’ha centrat en dues activitats bàsiques. D’una banda, la posada a punt d'un protocol de fraccionament de la matèria orgànica del sòl, per extraccions successives amb solvents alcalins després d'una seqüència de pretractaments al sòl: cap pretractament, atac amb àcid (per destruir els carbonats), atac amb ditionit (per reduir els òxids de Fe i Al i facilitar l'extracció de la matèria orgànica associada a aquests compostos). El protocol dóna una visió de conjunt de la situació de la matèria orgànica del sòl, combinant aspectes físics (protecció, precipitació, oclusió per carbonats) i químics (grau d'humificació). D’altra banda, l'aprenentatge de la tècnica de termoquimiolisi-cromatografia de gasos-espectrometria de masses. Aquest era l'objectiu de l'estada a Poitiers, al qual hem donat prioritat. Ens hem centrat en l'estudi de fraccions físiques (densimètriques) obtingudes en estudis anteriors sobre sòls forestals. Les fraccions considerades són: fracció lleugera (FL), tres fraccions ocluïdes (OC1, OC2 i OC3) i fracció densa (FD). L’aplicació de la termoquimiolisi permet de caracteritzar diversos grups de substàncies, de les quals ens hem centrat en alguns indicadors bioquímics: àcids grasos, alcohols, diàcids, productes fenòlics i altres productes aromàtics, derivats de carbohidrats. L’estudi de conjunt d’aquests productes indica que és a les fraccions ocluïdes (que solen ser minoritàries a tots els horitzons) on la matèria orgànica d’origen microbià és dominant, mentre que a les fraccions lleugera (FL) i densa (FD) la matèria orgànica d’origen vegetal sembla dominant. Es preveu aplicar aquesta tècnica a l’estudi de les fraccions obtingudes a la primera part del treball, actualment congelades i a l’espera de ser processades.

La reconversion du quartier Gare/Crêt-Taconnet à Neuchâtel: réflexions sur la densification qualifiée

La reconversion des friches industrielles des secteurs de gare est prometteuse dans l'optique d'un développement urbain dense alternatif à l'étalement. Elles constituent en effet une réserve foncière centrale et bien desservie par les transports publics. La densification de ces terrains stratégiques ne pourra cependant freiner l'étalement urbain qu'à condition d'offrir un cadre de vie attractif pour l'habitat. Notre hypothèse est que l'engagement des pouvoirs publics est déterminant pour assurer cette densification qualifiée. Brown fields regeneration in railway station areas is particularly promising in the perspective of a compact urban development alternative to sprawl. They indeed constitute a central land stock which is well connected to public transportation networks. However, the densification of these strategic lands will make it possible to moderate urban sprawl only by providing an attractive environment for residential activities. Our hypothesis is that public authorities involvement is decisive to ensure such a qualified densification. Die Umnutzung von Industriebrachen in Bahnhofsarealen scheint viel versprechend im Hinblick auf eine Stadtentwicklung nach innen als Alternative zur Ausbreitung. Zentralgelegen, stellen diese ungenutzten Flächen eine strategische Bodenreserve dar, welche gut an das öffentliche Verkehrsmittelnetz angeschlossen ist. Ihre Verdichtung kann jedoch die Stadtausbreitung nur eindämmen unter der Bedingung, einen attraktiven Lebens- und Wohnraum zu bieten. Unsere Hypothese lautet, dass das Ausmass des Engagements der öffentlichen Hand bestimmend ist um diese qualitative Verdichtung sicherzustellen.

Ultrastructure of Giardia duodenalis trophozoites group from hamster: some relevant aspects

Throphozoites of Giardia duodenalis group obtained from fragments or scratched of hamster's mucosa were examined by transission electron microscopy. The fine structure of the trophozoites are presented and comapred with those described for other animals. Some of the trophozoites present the cytoplasm full of glycogen, rough endoplasmic reticulum-like structures and homogeneous inclusions not enclosed by membranes, recognized as lipid drops, which had not been observed in Giardia from other animals. The adhesive disk is composed of a layer of microtubules, from which fibrous ribbons extend into the cytoplasm; these ribbons are linked by layer of crossbridge filaments that shows an intermediary dense band, described for the first time in this paper. The authors regard this band as the result of the cross-bridge filaments slinding in the medium region between adjacent fibrous ribbons, and suggest a contractile activity for them. The role of the adhesive disk on the trophozoite mechanism of attachment to host mucosa is also discussed.

Ecologie d'une population de Crocidura russula en milieu rural montagnard (Insectivora, Soricidae)

Crocidura russula is restricted to the vicinity of human dwellings in the northern parts of its range and in the mountain regions of Central and Western Europe. In order to better understand the causes of such a distribution, a population was studied in a rural mountain habitat (750 m above sea level), where the species was found almost exclusively in the neighbourhood of human dwellings. The study was conducted on a 2000 m2 area, over a period of 20 months, by live-trapping and radioactive tracking. The abundance, the local distribution and the behaviour of the shrews vary greatly throughout the year. In summer, they chiefly inhabit areas with a dense herbaceous cover or shruby vegetation; they are mainly active at ground level, in the litter. In autumn, changes in the environmental conditions (lowering of temperatures, subsidence of the herbaceous vegetation, presence of snow) create important energetic problems. At that time, the shrews gradually become more active around and inside compost-heaps and buildings. The microclimate of such environments is mild and prey are numerous. The winter population is reduced (reaching its lowest level in late winter) and consists only of shrews frequenting these sites. The observed spatial distribution is the result of the energetic dependence of the wintering shrews on human dwellings and their surroundings. This dependence is probably related to the physiological characteristics of the species. In the prospected region, Crocidura russula is the only shrew which regularly takes advantage of man-made habitats; the maintenance of the species in the rural mountain enviroment is probably favoured by the social organization of the populations in winter. The other native Soricids are observed only occasionaly int he neighbourhood of human dwellings.

Contribution of TIR domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-beta-mediated IL-18 release to LPS-induced liver injury in mice.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: After treatment with heat-killed Propionibacterium acnes mice show dense hepatic granuloma formation. Such mice develop liver injury in an interleukin (IL)-18-dependent manner after challenge with a sublethal dose LPS. As previously shown, LPS-stimulated Kupffer cells secrete IL-18 depending on caspase-1 and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 but independently of its signal adaptor myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), suggesting importance of another signal adaptor TIR domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-beta (TRIF). Nalp3 inflammasome reportedly controls caspase-1 activation. Here we investigated the roles of MyD88 and TRIF in P. acnes-induced hepatic granuloma formation and LPS-induced caspase-1 activation for IL-18 release. METHODS: Mice were sequentially treated with P. acnes and LPS, and their serum IL-18 levels and liver injuries were determined by ELISA and ALT/AST measurement, respectively. Active caspase-1 in LPS-stimulated Kupffer cells was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: Macrophage-ablated mice lacked P. acnes-induced hepatic granuloma formation and LPS-induced serum IL-18 elevation and liver injury. Myd88(-/-) Kupffer cells, but not Trif(-/-) cells, exhibited normal caspase-1 activation upon TLR4 engagement in vitro. Myd88(-/-) mice failed to develop hepatic granulomas after P. acnes treatment and liver injury induced by LPS challenge. In contrast, Trif(-/-) mice normally formed the hepatic granulomas, but could not release IL-18 or develop the liver injury. Nalp3(-/-) mice showed the same phenotypes of Trif(-/-) mice. CONCLUSIONS: Propionibacterium acnes treatment MyD88-dependently induced hepatic granuloma formation. Subsequent LPS TRIF-dependently activated caspase-1 via Nalp3 inflammasome and induced IL-18 release, eventually leading to the liver injury.

Análisis de prestaciones de procesadores multi-core y multi-thread

Los procesadores multi-core y el multi-threading por hardware permiten aumentar el rendimiento de las aplicaciones. Por un lado, los procesadores multi-core combinan 2 o más procesadores en un mismo chip. Por otro lado, el multi-threading por hardware es una técnica que incrementa la utilización de los recursos del procesador. Este trabajo presenta un análisis de rendimiento de los resultados obtenidos en dos aplicaciones, multiplicación de matrices densas y transformada rápida de Fourier. Ambas aplicaciones se han ejecutado en arquitecturas multi-core que explotan el paralelismo a nivel de thread pero con un modelo de multi-threading diferente. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la importancia de entender y saber analizar el efecto del multi-core y multi-threading en el rendimiento.

Morphological features of collagen degradation in advanced hepatic schistosomiasis of man

Optical and electron microscopical evidences of focal matrix degradation were frequently seen in liver sections taken from patients with periportal ("pipe-stem") fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis mansoni. Besides present of focal areas of rarefaction, fragmentation and dispersion of collagen fibers, the enlargend portal spaces also showed hyperplasia of elastic tisue and disarray of smooth muscle fibers following the destrution of portal vein branches. Ultrastructural cahnges represented by focal lytic and/or electron dense alterations of colagen fibrils were similar to those first seen in experimental material and designated as "chronic collagen degradation". Elastin and related microfibrils were also affected by focal condensation, fragmentation, distorsion and dissolution. Schistosome eggs were scanty in the tissue sections examined. Matrix degradation represented involuting changes related to the progressive diminution of parasite aggression, which occurs spontaneously with age or after cure by chemotherapy. Changes of focal matrix degradation now being described represent the basic morphological counterpart of periportal fibrosis involution documented clinically, especially by ultrasonography, in patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis submitted to curative chemotherapy.

Intermediate hosts of schistosoma mansoni in Brazil

The Brazilian planorbidical chart is slowly but progressively been increased by new data. Distribution of vector species of Schistosoma mansoni, according to Paraense, 1986, may be thus resumed: Biomphalaria glabrata - delimited by paralells 13 and 21-S and meridians 39 and 45-W, area of greater dominance (Southerst Bahia, oriental half of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo). It is observed along the coast line of the state of Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte. Starting from there, it is found towards the southwest, in the direction to the Sao Francisco River and South-Center of Minas Gerais. Isolated population may be observed in other states. Its presence is probably, associated to the transmission of schistosomiasis in all areas where it occurs. B. tenagophila - extends it self through a wide strip of coast-line the South of Bahia (17-45"S, 39-15'W), RS(33-41'S, 53-27'W). In Sao Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul states it is found further inland. It is important in schistosomiasis transmission in the Paraíba valley (SP). Isolated populations are observed in the Federal District and Minas Gerais state. B. straminea - better adapter species to climatic variation, having a more dense ditribution in the northeast (41-Wand 110-S), south of Bahia and northeast of Minas Gerais (150 and 180-S, 400 and 440-W) It is less susceptible than B. glabrata, being however the most important responsible for the transmission of S. mansoni in the northeast, chiefly in the northeastern dry area, where it is almost the only transmissive species.

Morphological characterization of the hemocytes of the pulmonate snail Biomphalaria tenagophila

The blood cells of the pulmonate snail Biomphalaria tenagophila, an important transmiter of the trematode Schistosoma mansoni in Brazil, were examined by ligth and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two hemocyte types were identified: hyalinocytes and granulocytes. Hyalinocytes are small young (immature), poorly spreading cells, which have a high nucleocytoplasmic ratio and are especially rich in free ribosomes. They do not appear to contain lysosome-like bodies and represent less than 10% of the circulating hemocytes. Granulocytes are larger hemocytes which readily spread on glass surface and which strongly react to the Gomori substrate, indicating the enzyme acid phosphatase usually found in lysosomes. Ultra-structurally, they contain a well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, dictyosomes and some some lysosome-like dense bodies. Granulocytes do not exhibit a characteristic granular aspect and the few granules observed in the cytoplasm should correspond to a lysosome system. They were named granulocytes instead of amoebocytes to use the same terminology adopted for Biomphalaria glabrata in order to make easier comparative studies. This is a preface study for more specific investigations on the functional activities of the blood cells of B. tenagophila and their interactions with the trematode parasite.

Introduction and spreading of Biomphalaria straminea (Dunker, 1848) (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Planorbidae) in Guadeloupe, French West Indies

The finding in 1985 of a well-established population of Biomphalaria straminea in a pond in Grande Terre of Guadeloupe constitutes a new species record for the freshwater molluscan fauna of that island. The following years a rapid extension of the species was documented on Grande Terre and Marie Galante. However, it was never found in the neighboring island of Basse Terre. The invasion of the whole hydrographic system of this island by Melanoides tuberculata during the last decade and the current presence of well-established and dense populations of this snail may explain the failure of the colonization by B. straminea.

The GTPase Rab37 Participates in the Control of Insulin Exocytosis.

Rab37 belongs to a subclass of Rab GTPases regulating exocytosis, including also Rab3a and Rab27a. Proteomic studies indicate that Rab37 is associated with insulin-containing large dense core granules of pancreatic β-cells. In agreement with these observations, we detected Rab37 in extracts of β-cell lines and human pancreatic islets and confirmed by confocal microscopy the localization of the GTPase on insulin-containing secretory granules. We found that, as is the case for Rab3a and Rab27a, reduction of Rab37 levels by RNA interference leads to impairment in glucose-induced insulin secretion and to a decrease in the number of granules in close apposition to the plasma membrane. Pull-down experiments revealed that, despite similar functional effects, Rab37 does not interact with known Rab3a or Rab27a effectors and is likely to operate through a different mechanism. Exposure of insulin-secreting cells to proinflammatory cytokines, fatty acids or oxidized low-density lipoproteins, mimicking physiopathological conditions that favor the development of diabetes, resulted in a decrease in Rab37 expression. Our data identify Rab37 as an additional component of the machinery governing exocytosis of β-cells and suggest that impaired expression of this GTPase may contribute to defective insulin release in pre-diabetic and diabetic conditions.