Eduardo Daruge

Analysis of the fluorescence of body fluids on different surfaces and times.

The use of screening techniques, such as an alternative light source (ALS), is important for finding biological evidence at a crime scene. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether biological fluid (blood, semen, saliva, and urine) deposited on different surfaces changes as a function of the age of the sample. Stains were illuminated with a Megamaxx™ ALS System and photographed with a Canon EOS Utility™ camera. Adobe Photoshop™ was utilized to prepare photographs for analysis, and then ImageJ™ was used to record the brightness values of pixels in the images. Data were submitted to analysis of variance using a generalized linear mixed model with two fixed effects (surface and fluid). Time was treated as a random effect (through repeated measures) with a first-order autoregressive covariance structure. Means of significant effects were compared by the Tukey test. The fluorescence of the analyzed biological material varied depending on the age of the sample. Fluorescence was lower when the samples were moist. Fluorescence remained constant when the sample was dry, up to the maximum period analyzed (60 days), independent of the substrate on which the fluid was deposited, showing the novelty of this study. Therefore, the forensic expert can detect biological fluids at the crime scene using an ALS even several days after a crime has occurred.

Positive identification of a burned body using an implanted orthopedic plate

Human identification is usually obtained by comparing fingerprints, antemortem and postmortem radiographs, dental records and also by DNA profiling. Sometimes forensic investigators come across some medical appliances such as orthopedic devices. These medical devices may be useful to achieve positive human identification. This paper aims to present a positive identification of a burned human body by tracking batch numbers engraved in an implanted orthopedic device found in the decedents left ulna bone. The examiners also collected and analyzed other valuable hints related to the case. Forensic examination can provide reliable positive human identification, even if few, but precise information can be obtained from antemortem and postmortem records. The present report illustrates a set of valuable techniques and how identifying numbers in orthopedic devices are helpful to determine positive human identification in cases of carbonization. As seen in this case, the forensic experts used low-cost identification procedures with accurate results, avoiding DNA profiling method that would be of higher cost and time consuming. Considering social and legal aspects, it is quite important that physicians and dentists understand that correct and accurate records of surgeries they perform, such as fixation of orthopedic devices and dental implants, are utterly relevant and helpful in cases of human identification.

Dental anthropology of a Brazilian sample: Frequency of nonmetric traits

Dental elements are valuable tools in a study of ancient populations and species, and key-features for human identification; among the dental anthropology field, nonmetric traits, standardized by ASUDAS, are closely related to ancestry. This study aimed to analyze the frequency of six nonmetric traits in a sample from Southeast Brazil, composed by 130 dental casts from individuals aged between 18 and 30, without foreign parents or grandparents. A single examiner observed the presence or absence of shoveling, Carabellis cusp, fifth cusp, 3-cusped UM2, sixth cusp, and 4-cusped LM2. The frequencies obtained were different from the ones shown by other researches to Amerindian and South American samples, and related to European and sub-Saharan frequencies, showing the influence of this groups in the current Brazilian population. Sexual dimorphism was found in the frequencies of Carabellis cusp, 3-cusped UM2, and sixth cusp.

Ethical and legal considerations on professional liability of the orthodontist

INTRODUCTION: After the enactment of Law 8078, of September 11, 1990, the Consumers Defense Code implied important alterations in Brazils legal scenario, providing a greater balance in the relationship between consumers and service providers. From this law, dental surgeons came to establish a consumer relationship with their clients. OBJECTIVE: Due to the ethical and legal issues against the dental professionals, this work makes general considerations about the nature of the dentist´s obligation in services, specifically in Orthodontics. CONCLUSION: The responsibility of the professional shall be restricted to predictable risks and undertaken obligations. When the professional warns the client in a correct, clear and express manner, it will lower the chances of being later charged.

CRITÉRIOS DE AVALIAÇÃO PENAL POR JUÍZES, PERITOS E ESPECIALISTAS EM ODONTOLOGIA LEGAL – PARTE I: LESÕES DENTAIS DECORRENTES DE AGRESSÃO

Com o passar dos anos tem se constatado um aumento da violencia, e como consequencia, do numero de exames de corpo de delito envolvendo a face e cavidade bucal. Mesmo existindo coeficientes dos indices estetico, mastigatorio e fonetico, nota-se uma evidente falta de padronizacao na avaliacao e enquadramento das lesoes dentais de acordo com o artigo 129 do Codigo Penal. Devido a este fato o presente estudo avaliou a maneira como os juizes, peritos dos Institutos Medico-Legais (IMLs), entre eles medicos e cirurgioes dentistas, e especialistas em Odontologia Legal, tipificam as lesoes dentais; assim como comparou as convergencias e divergencias das opinioes desses profissionais e discutiu os aspectos eticos e legais pertinentes ao tema. Nesse objetivo, foi confeccionado um questionario com questoes estruturadas, que foi entregue aos voluntarios, juntamente com duas copias do termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido (TCLE). O projeto da presente pesquisa foi aprovado pelo Comite de Etica em Pesquisa sob o protocolo no 076/2009. A amostra participante da pesquisa totalizou 82 profissionais, atuantes nos Estados de Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro e Mato Grosso, que qualificaram supostas lesoes dentais de acordo com o artigo 129 do Codigo Penal. Conclui-se que apesar da existencia de uma tendencia a convergencia nas opinioes dos profissionais, quando observadas as porcentagens maiores, existe uma oscilacao na interpretacao das questoes, fato que dificulta a aplicacao de um criterio unico. Pelo contrario, se existissem parâmetros para tal fim, diminuiriam as possibilidades de variacoes na forma de interpretacao entre profissionais diretamente ligados no processo, no tocante aos danos sofridos pela vitima.