Accreditation of forensic pathology service: a priviledge or a nightmare?

Forensic experts play a major role in the legal process as they offer professional expert opinion and evidence within the criminal justice system adjudicating on the innocence or alleged guilt of an accused person. In this respect medico-legal examination is an essential part of the investigation process, determining in a scientific way, the cause(s) and manner of unexpected and/or unnatural death or bringing clinical evidence in case of physical, psychological or sexual abuse in living people. From a legal perspective, these types of investigation must meet international standards i-e it should be independent, effective and prompt. Ideally the investigations should be conducted by board certified experts in forensic medicine, endowed with a solid experience in this field, without any hierarchical relationship with the prosecuting authorities and having access to appropriate facilities in order to provide forensic reports of high quality. In this respect, there is a need for any private or public national or international authority including non-governmental organisations seeking experts qualified in forensic medicine,to have at disposal a list of specialists working in accordance with high standards of professional performance within forensic pathology services that have been successfully submitted to an official accreditation/certification process using valid and acceptable criteria. To reach this goal the National Association of Medical examiners (NAME) has elaborated an accreditation/certification check-list which should be served as decision-making support to assist inspectors appointed to evaluate applicants. In the same spirit than NAME Accreditation Standards, ECLM board decided to set up an ad hoc working group with the mission to elaborate an accreditation/certification procedure similar to the NAME's one but taking into account the realities of forensic medicine practices in Europe and restricted to post-mortem investigations. This accreditation process applies to services and not to individual practitioners by emphasizing policies and procedures rather than professional performance. In addition the standards to be complied with should be considered as the minimum standards needed to get the recognition of performing and reliable forensic pathology service.

Resolução espacial de um modelo digital de elevação definida pela função wavelet

O objetivo deste trabalho foi definir a resolução espacial mais apropriada para representar a variabilidade da elevação, declividade, curvatura em perfil e índice de umidade topográfica de um terreno, por meio de avaliações com a transformada wavelet. Os dados utilizados no estudo têm sua origem em três transectos de 27 km, posicionados em áreas do Planalto, Rebordo do Planalto e Depressão Central na região central do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. As variáveis - elevação, declividade, curvatura em perfil e índice de umidade topográfica - foram derivadas de um modelo digital de elevação Topodata com resolução de 30 m. A avaliação da resolução com a máxima variabilidade foi realizada pela aplicação da wavelet-mãe, denominada Morlet. Os resultados foram analisados a partir do isograma e do escalograma dos coeficientes wavelet e indicaram que sensores remotos com resolução espacial próxima a 32 e 40 m podem ser utilizados em pesquisas que considerem os atributos de terreno, como declividade, curvatura em perfil e índice de umidade topográfica, ou, ainda, fenômenos ambientais correlacionados a eles. No entanto, não foi possível estabelecer um valor conclusivo para a resolução espacial mais adequada para a variável elevação.

Projecte Digital Look

Projecte de final de carrera basat en la creació de 3 prototips (aplicació mòbil, web i software d'escriptori) per gestionar un centre d'estudis de perruqueria. El desenvolupament és sempre des del punt de vista del disseny centrat en l'usuari.

Obstrução do horizonte calculada a partir de modelo digital de elevação

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a exatidão do cálculo da obstrução do horizonte, a partir de um modelo digital de elevação (MDE), em diferentes situações topográficas. O material utilizado incluiu um MDE disponível para a região da Serra Gaúcha, RS, receptores GPS, câmera digital, lente grande‑angular e os programas Idrisi, Arcview/ArcGIS e Solar Analyst. Foram adquiridas fotografias hemisféricas, e coletadas as coordenadas de 16 locais na área de estudo. As coordenadas e o MDE foram utilizados para calcular a obstrução do horizonte com uso do algoritmo Solar Analyst. Foram comparadas a fração aberta do céu calculada e a obtida pelas fotografias hemisféricas. O coeficiente de determinação foi de 0,8428, tendo-se observado superestimativa média de 5,53% da fração aberta do céu. Os erros são atribuídos principalmente à obstrução pela vegetação, que não pode ser identificada pelo MDE. A obstrução do horizonte, causada pelo relevo na Serra Gaúcha, pode ser calculada satisfatoriamente pelo Solar Analyst, a partir de um MDE interpolado de cartas topográficas na escala 1:50.000.

Modelos de elevação para obtenção de atributos topográficos utilizados em mapeamento digital de solos

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar modelos digitais de elevação (MDE), obtidos por diferentes fontes de dados, e selecionar um deles para derivar variáveis morfométricas utilizadas em mapeamento digital de solos. O trabalho foi realizado na Bacia Guapi‑Macacu, RJ. Os dados primários utilizados nos modelos gerados por interpolação (MDE‑carta e MDE‑híbrido) foram: curvas de nível, drenagem, pontos cotados e dados de sensor remoto transformados em pontos. Utilizaram-se, na comparação, modelos obtidos por sensor remoto e por aerorrestituição (MDE SRTM e MDE IBGE). Todos os modelos apresentaram resolução espacial de 30 m. A avaliação dos modelos de elevação foi baseada na análise de: atributos derivados (declividade, aspecto e curvatura); depressões espúrias; comparação entre feições derivadas a partir dos modelos e as originais, oriundas de cartas planialtimétricas; e análise das bacias de contribuição derivadas. O modelo digital de elevação híbrido apresenta qualidade superior à dos demais modelos.

Diagnose nutricional de nitrogênio em folhas de feijoeiro pela análise digital de imagens

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso da análise digital de imagens na diagnose nutricional de N no feijoeiro. Foram avaliados quatro tratamentos, em que se combinaram duas doses de N e de P aplicadas ao solo. Na emissão de vagens, determinou-se o índice de clorofila Falker, digitalizaram-se as imagens dos trifólios e determinou-se o teor foliar de N. Nas imagens, foi atribuída uma nota com o programa AFSoft, baseada na área ocupada por padrões de verde. O teor foliar de N correlacionou-se ao índice de clorofila Falker e à nota atribuída com o AFSoft, mas a correlação entre o índice de clorofila e a nota AFSoft foi superior.

La influencia del género en la cultura digital del estudiantado universitario.

The main goal of this paper is to analyse gender differences in the use of ICT among university students. We present the results of a study about the uses and the perception in relation to ICT in everyday life and in academia. The study is based on a statistical simple of 1042 students from 5 different universities. The results show gender differences, both with respect to use as their perception of technology.

Beyond the Net Generation debate: A comparison between digital learners in face-to-face and virtual universities

This paper is based on the hypothesis that the use of technology to support learning is not related to whether a student belongs to the Net Generation, but that it is mainly influenced by the teaching model. The study compares behaviour and preferences towards ICT use in two groups of university students: face-to-face students and online students. A questionnaire was applied to asample of students from five universities with different characteristics (one offers online education and four offer face-to-face education with LMS teaching support).

La brecha digital, una brecha simbólica

Peer-reviewed

On the use of IRMS in forensic science: proposals for a methodological approach

The flourishing number of publications on the use of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) in forensicscience denotes the enthusiasm and the attraction generated by this technology. IRMS has demonstratedits potential to distinguish chemically identical compounds coming from different sources. Despite thenumerous applications of IRMS to a wide range of forensic materials, its implementation in a forensicframework is less straightforward than it appears. In addition, each laboratory has developed its ownstrategy of analysis on calibration, sequence design, standards utilisation and data treatment without aclear consensus.Through the experience acquired from research undertaken in different forensic fields, we propose amethodological framework of the whole process using IRMS methods. We emphasize the importance ofconsidering isotopic results as part of a whole approach, when applying this technology to a particularforensic issue. The process is divided into six different steps, which should be considered for a thoughtfuland relevant application. The dissection of this process into fundamental steps, further detailed, enablesa better understanding of the essential, though not exhaustive, factors that have to be considered in orderto obtain results of quality and sufficiently robust to proceed to retrospective analyses or interlaboratorycomparisons.

Combining Internet Monitoring Processes, Packaging and Isotopic Analyses to Determine The Market Structure: Example of Gamma Butyrolactone

The Internet is becoming more and more popular among drug users. The use of websites and forums to obtain illicit drugs and relevant information about the means of consumption is a growing phenomenon mainly for new synthetic drugs. Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), a chemical precursor of Gamma Hydroxy Butyric acid (GHB), is used as a "club drug" and also in drug facilitated sexual assaults. Its market takes place mainly on the Internet through online websites but the structure of the market remains unknown. This research aims to combine digital, physical and chemical information to help understand the distribution routes and the structure of the GBL market. Based on an Internet monitoring process, thirty-nine websites selling GBL, mainly in the Netherlands, were detected between January 2010 and December 2011. Seventeen websites were categorized into six groups based on digital traces (e.g. IP addresses and contact information). In parallel, twenty-five bulk GBL specimens were purchased from sixteen websites for packaging comparisons and carbon isotopic measurements. Packaging information showed a high correlation with digital data confirming the links previously established whereas chemical information revealed undetected links and provided complementary information. Indeed, while digital and packaging data give relevant information about the retailers, the supply routes and the distribution close to the consumer, the carbon isotopic data provides upstream information about the production level and in particular the synthesis pathways and the chemical precursors. A three-level structured market has been thereby identified with a production level mainly located in China and in Germany, an online distribution level mainly hosted in the Netherlands and the customers who order on the Internet.

A novel semi-fragile forensic watermarking scheme for remote sensing images

Peer-reviewed

Threading libraries performance when applied to image acquisition and processing in a forensic application

Peer-reviewed

Automated segmentation of multiple red blood cells with digital holographic microscopy.

We present a method to automatically segment red blood cells (RBCs) visualized by digital holographic microscopy (DHM), which is based on the marker-controlled watershed algorithm. Quantitative phase images of RBCs can be obtained by using off-axis DHM along to provide some important information about each RBC, including size, shape, volume, hemoglobin content, etc. The most important process of segmentation based on marker-controlled watershed is to perform an accurate localization of internal and external markers. Here, we first obtain the binary image via Otsu algorithm. Then, we apply morphological operations to the binary image to get the internal markers. We then apply the distance transform algorithm combined with the watershed algorithm to generate external markers based on internal markers. Finally, combining the internal and external markers, we modify the original gradient image and apply the watershed algorithm. By appropriately identifying the internal and external markers, the problems of oversegmentation and undersegmentation are avoided. Furthermore, the internal and external parts of the RBCs phase image can also be segmented by using the marker-controlled watershed combined with our method, which can identify the internal and external markers appropriately. Our experimental results show that the proposed method achieves good performance in terms of segmenting RBCs and could thus be helpful when combined with an automated classification of RBCs.

Error probability in synchronous digital circuits due to power supply noise

This paper presents a probabilistic approach to model the problem of power supply voltage fluctuations. Error probability calculations are shown for some 90-nm technology digital circuits.The analysis here considered gives the timing violation error probability as a new design quality factor in front of conventional techniques that assume the full perfection of the circuit. The evaluation of the error bound can be useful for new design paradigms where retry and self-recoveringtechniques are being applied to the design of high performance processors. The method here described allows to evaluate the performance of these techniques by means of calculating the expected error probability in terms of power supply distribution quality.