Para a execução da etapa inicial da identificação médico-legal de restos humanos (antropometria e exame dos arcos dentários), faz-se necessária uma limpeza prévia da ossada, para a remoção de tecidos moles putrefeitos. Os casos não identificados por esses métodos tradicionais, poderão ser submetidos ao exame de DNA. No entanto, apesar do grande avanço da biologia molecular, utilizando a amplificação de DNA pela PCR, algumas limitações que afetam a habilidade de se obter DNA em restos humanos, permanecem. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi fornecer subsídios morfológicos para os analistas forenses, com ênfase na prática médico-legal, visando uma utilização mais eficiente do DNA obtido de osso compacto de restos humanos em decomposição ou já esqueletizados, sem tecidos moles aderidos. Foi realizado o estudo da microestrutura do tecido ósseo compacto femoral, de restos humanos em decomposição, ainda com tecidos moles, que foram limpos pela fervura em água (n = 7) e ossadas já esqueletizadas pela decomposição natural, que não foram fervidas (n = 8). Destes, seis ossadas foram provenientes de cemitério público regular, após 3 anos de inumação, 1 ossada proveniente da região amazônica, e 1 ossada de origem desconhecida. Estas duas ultimas, apresentado-se porosas ou quebradiças. As análises morfológicas de cortes histológicos foram coradas com hematoxilina e eosina e o DNA amplificado pela PCR para os loci CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, F13A0, FESFPS, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317 e amelogenina. Os resultados da análise desses dois grupos foram comparados com os de cadáveres frescos (n = 5) do Serviço de Verificação de Óbitos da Capital. A fervura dos ossos, do modo como é realizada no Instituto Médico Legal de São Paulo, pode aumentar a eosinofilia da matriz óssea e, em alguns casos, pode promover a desagregação dos ósteons. Tal procedimento pode remover células, mas pode também remover possíveis inibidores da PCR, favorecendo a análise do DNA obtido destas amostras. O fator limitante para a obtenção e análise de DNA, em amostras de ossos limpos por fervura, é a quantidade exígua de células. Ossos não submetidos à fervura, após inumação por três anos ou há mais tempo em contato com a terra, podem apresentar alterações da microestrutura. No entanto, a presença de hemácias preservadas e núcleos de osteócitos nestas amostras, indica melhor preservação de células em relação às amostras de ossos fervidos. O fator limitante para a análise de DNA nestas amostras é a presença sugestiva de inibidores da reação de amplificação pela PCR. Restos humanos, sem tecidos moles, macroscópicamente não preservados (porosos e quebradiços), e não submetidos à fervura, apresentam alterações de perda de matriz mineralizada; no entanto, nestas amostras ainda é possível encontrar células preservadas. Os resultados obtidos no neste trabalho permitem traçar algumas estratégias para uma melhor utilização nos protocolos de extração e análise do DNA em osso compacto de restos humanos. / To the first essential step to forensic identification of human remains (anthropological study of race, sex, age, etc) it is necessary a previous cleaning of the bones, to remove decomposing soft tissues. Medico-legal inconclusive or non identified cases, by using these traditional methods, could be subjected to DNA analysis. However, in spite of advances in human identification techniques, specially by PCR amplified DNA, some limitations that affect the ability to obtain DNA in human remains still persist. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide additional support from morphological analysis, to help forensic analysts personnel to utilise more efficiently the DNA, extracted from compact bones of human remains in decomposition or already skeletonized corpse, it means without soft tissues, with special emphasis in the legal-medicine practice. Femoral compact bones were obtained from: 7 human remains found on the ground, in different degree of decomposition which were cleaned by boiling to remove soft tissues; also studied were collections of bones from 8 corpses having undergone natural decomposition: 6 human remains exhumed after 3 years from a common public cemetery in São Paulo City; 1 case from amazon region and 1 case with no information, both cases remained from long time (more than 3 years) in contact with soil. All eight cases, were not boiled as no soft tissue were adhered. As a control, five cadavers 12 to 16 hours post mortem were also used. The compact bones histological sections were stained by haematoxilin and eosin and the loci CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, F13A01,FESFPS, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317 and amelogenin were amplified by PCR.The procedure for boiling the human remains utilised in the Legal Medicine Institute of São Paulo would have increased the eosinophily of bone matrix and, in some cases, promoted the desaggregation of the osteons. In addition these procedures would have removed the cells, but in some cases would have removed possible inhibitors of the PCR, favouring in this way the analysis of DNA obtained from these samples. The limiting factor to obtain successful analysis in bones submitted to boiling seem to be the low quantity of nuclei present in these samples. For the other hand, in bones not cleaned by boiling, the presence of preserved red cells and oscteocyte nuclei inside the lacunae indicates better preservation of cells in relation to those bones cleaned by boiling. The limiting factor to obtain successful DNA analysis in bones exhumed or in contact of soil, is the suggestive presence of inhibitors of PCR. Porous and brittle bones from human remains, without soft tissues that are not processed by boiling, present alterations through loss of mineralised matrix, although it is still possible to found preserved cells in these samples. The results presented in this work clarify concerns about viability of DNA for identification analysis. They also help to establish better strategies for optimisation of DNA extraction and analysis in compact bones of human remains.

Esta dissertação apresenta e discute resultados de pesquisa desenvolvida como pré-requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de mestre em Bioética, Ética Aplicada e Saúde Coletiva junto ao Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioética, Ética Aplicada e Saúde Coletiva da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, em regime de associação com a Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, a Fundação Oswaldo Cruz e a Universidade Federal Fluminense. A pesquisa de metodologia qualitativa analisou material empírico composto por amostra de registros da Ouvidoria da Previdência Social contendo reclamações sobre o atendimento médico-pericial. A Previdência integra o campo da seguridade social e tem a vida e suas intercorrências na população de segurados como seu objeto de cuidados e controles. O benefício auxílio-doença é o mais frequentemente concedido entre todos os benefícios da Previdência sendo devido somente a seus segurados em dupla condição de vulnerabilidade, doentes e incapazes para o trabalho. A verificação da condição de incapacidade para o trabalho é realizada pelos médicos peritos da Previdência Social como pré-requisito para acesso ao benefício e funciona como mecanismo de controle de custos. Os resultados do estudo evidenciam que a tarefa de controle de acesso, realizada na interface com o segurado, exige um deslocamento da atividade médica da função assistencial para a pericial em decorrência da natureza da tarefa médico-pericial, onde o lugar do controle é o da exceção beneficente. Tal atribuição condiciona um risco da atividade médico-pericial que entendemos ser de ordem moral. As reclamações sobre o atendimento médico na perícia previdenciária foram compreendidas como índices de disfunções nesta interface, assim como os registros de violência em torno desta atividade. Resultantes da prática de limites de acesso ao benefício, na forma em que estes limites estão colocados. A análise desta interface coloca em relevo o paradoxo da proteção securitária que funciona retirando da proteção partes de sua população e caracteriza a relação médico-paciente na perícia médica da Previdência Social como moralmente conflituosa. A pesquisa na linha de uma bioética crítica, que enfatiza as políticas públicas que afetam a vida, entendeu Previdência Social como biopolítica e a atividade médico-pericial como expressão de biopoder, nos termos da filosofia política de Michel Foucault. Cabe à sociedade refletir seriamente sobre essas práticas de controle e definir o alcance e a forma da proteção securitária tendo em vista que esta proteção tensiona necessidades individuais e coletivas. Cabe a todos e a cada um ter em mente a dimensão ética da política previdenciária. / This dissertation presents and discusses research results developed as prerequisite for obtaining the masters degree in Bioethics, applied Ethics and Public Health by the graduate program in Bioethics, applied Ethics and Public Health at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, in association with Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the Fluminense Federal University. The qualitative methodology research analyzed empirical material composed sample records of the Ombudsman of Brazilian`s Social Security System containing complaints about the medical examinations. The Social Security System has life and its complications in the population of insured persons as object of care and controls. The sick leave benefits is the most often granted between all social security benefits being due only to its policyholders in double condition of vulnerability, disease and work disability. The verification of incapacity to work is carried out by medical experts of Social Security as prerequisite for access to benefit and serves as a cost-control mechanism. The results of the study show that the task of access control, held at the interface with insured, requires an offset of medical care function as a result of the nature of medical-legal examinations, where place of the control is the beneficent exception. Such attributions determine a specific risk to the medical-legal examinations that we understand to be of moral order. The complaints about the medical work in Social Security were understood as dysfunctions index on this interface, as well as the records of violence around this activity. As results of the limits to access the benefits, in the form in which of these limits are placed. The analysis of this interface puts into sharp relief the paradox of social security protection that works by removing parts of its population under protection and characterizes the medicalpatient relationship in Medical Social Security expertise as morally conflictive. The research, in accordance with a critical bioethics approach, that emphasizes the public policies that affect the life, understands Social Security as Biopolitics and medical expertise as an expression of Biopower according political philosophy of Michel Foucault. Its up to society reflect seriously on these control practice and define the scope and form of social security protection considering that this protection produces tension between individual and collective needs. Its up to each and every one to keep in mind the ethical dimension of the social security policy.

Thesis (MMed (Pathology. Forensic Medicine))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background - The workload of the forensic pathologist and Forensic Pathology Services staff is increased by the referral of potentially unnecessary natural cases to the Forensic Pathology Services. The primary aims of the medico-legal autopsy are limited to establishing a cause of death in presumed unnatural cases, and to exclude criminality or negligence. Objective – To determine the final outcomes of forensic post-mortem examinations in “sudden and unexpected” adult deaths over a 5 year period. Methods - An observational, retrospective, descriptive study was conducted. ”Sudden and unexpected” adult deaths referred to Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Services between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2005 were reviewed. Data was collected from the autopsy reports, contemporaneous notes and hospital records. Findings – A total of 816 adult cases of sudden and unexpected death were referred to Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Services over the 5 year period studied. Complete autopsies had been performed in 74% (601/816) of cases. The presumed manner of death was natural in 79 % of cases, and an increase in the number of natural cases autopsied per year was noted over the 5-year study period. Diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems were responsible for the majority of natural deaths. Infectious diseases were responsible for most deaths in the youngest age group studied (18-29 years). Acute alcohol poisoning was responsible for the deaths of 35 (6%) cases, with an average blood alcohol concentration of 0.38g/100mL in these cases. Eight deaths were drug-/substance related. Waiting times for blood alcohol and toxicology results increased over the 5-year study period. No cause of death was found in 10.6% of cases. Conclusions -The questionnaire and interviewing structure could possibly be improved in order to obtain better pre-autopsy information and to reduce the number of “unnecessary” medicolegal autopsies, thereby reducing the burden of cost on the Forensic Pathology Services. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond – Die werkslading van die forensiese patoloog en ander personeel van die Forensiese Patologie Dienste word vermeerder deur die verwysing van moontlik onnodige natuurlike gevalle na die Forensiese Patologie Dienste. Die primêre doelwitte van die medies-geregtelike nadoodse ondersoek is beperk tot die bepaling van ‘n oorsaak van dood in vermoedelik onnatuurlike gevalle, en om nalatigheid of kriminele aksies uit te skakel. Doelwit – Om die finale uitkomste van medies-geregtelike nadoodse ondersoeke in “skielike en onverwagte” volwasse sterftes oor ‘n 5-jaar tydperk te bepaal. Metodes – ‘n Observasionele, retrospektiewe, beskrywende studie is uitgevoer. “Skielike en onverwagte” volwasse sterftes wat verwys is na Tygerberg Forensiese Patologie Dienste vanaf 1 Januarie 2001 tot 31 Desember 2005 is hersien. Inligting is versamel vanaf die nadoodse ondersoekverslae, kontemporêre notas en hospitaalnotas. Bevindinge – Agthonderd en sestien volwasse gevalle van skielike en onverwagte sterftes is oor die 5-jaar periode verwys na Tygerberg Forensiese Patologie Dienste. Volledige lykskouings is uitgevoer in 74% (601/816) van die gevalle. Die vermoedelike wyse van die sterfte was natuurlik in 79.04% en ‘n toename in die aantal natuurlike gevalle wat lykskouings ondergaan het, is waargeneem oor die 5-jaar studie tydperk. Siektes van die kardiovaskulêre, respiratoriese en sentrale senuweestelsel was verantwoordelik vir die meerderheid natuurlike sterftes. Infektiewe toestande was verantwoordelik vir die meeste sterftes in die jongste ouderdomsgroep (18-29 jaar) wat bestudeer is. Akute alkoholvergiftiging was verantwoordelik vir die sterftes van 35 (6%) gevalle, met ‘n gemiddelde bloed-alkohol-konsentrasie van 0.38g/100mL in hierdie gevalle. Agt sterftes was dwelm-/middelverwant. Die wagtyd vir bloed-alkohol en toksikologie resultate het vermeerder oof die 5-jaar studie tydperk. Die oorsaak van dood was nie gevind in 10.6% van gevalle. Afleidings – Die vraelys en onderhoud-struktuur kan moontlik verbeter word om sodoende beter inligting te verkry voor die uitvoering van ‘n lykskouing, en om die aantal “onnodige” medies-geregtelike nadoodse ondersoeke te verminder, en sodoende die kostedruk te verminder op die Forensiese Patologie Dienste.

Esta dissertação apresenta e discute resultados de pesquisa desenvolvida como pré-requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de mestre em Bioética, Ética Aplicada e Saúde Coletiva junto ao Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioética, Ética Aplicada e Saúde Coletiva da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, em regime de associação com a Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, a Fundação Oswaldo Cruz e a Universidade Federal Fluminense. A pesquisa de metodologia qualitativa analisou material empírico composto por amostra de registros da Ouvidoria da Previdência Social contendo reclamações sobre o atendimento médico-pericial. A Previdência integra o campo da seguridade social e tem a vida e suas intercorrências na população de segurados como seu objeto de cuidados e controles. O benefício auxílio-doença é o mais frequentemente concedido entre todos os benefícios da Previdência sendo devido somente a seus segurados em dupla condição de vulnerabilidade, doentes e incapazes para o trabalho. A verificação da condição de incapacidade para o trabalho é realizada pelos médicos peritos da Previdência Social como pré-requisito para acesso ao benefício e funciona como mecanismo de controle de custos. Os resultados do estudo evidenciam que a tarefa de controle de acesso, realizada na interface com o segurado, exige um deslocamento da atividade médica da função assistencial para a pericial em decorrência da natureza da tarefa médico-pericial, onde o lugar do controle é o da exceção beneficente. Tal atribuição condiciona um risco da atividade médico-pericial que entendemos ser de ordem moral. As reclamações sobre o atendimento médico na perícia previdenciária foram compreendidas como índices de disfunções nesta interface, assim como os registros de violência em torno desta atividade. Resultantes da prática de limites de acesso ao benefício, na forma em que estes limites estão colocados. A análise desta interface coloca em relevo o paradoxo da proteção securitária que funciona retirando da proteção partes de sua população e caracteriza a relação médico-paciente na perícia médica da Previdência Social como moralmente conflituosa. A pesquisa na linha de uma bioética crítica, que enfatiza as políticas públicas que afetam a vida, entendeu Previdência Social como biopolítica e a atividade médico-pericial como expressão de biopoder, nos termos da filosofia política de Michel Foucault. Cabe à sociedade refletir seriamente sobre essas práticas de controle e definir o alcance e a forma da proteção securitária tendo em vista que esta proteção tensiona necessidades individuais e coletivas. Cabe a todos e a cada um ter em mente a dimensão ética da política previdenciária. / This dissertation presents and discusses research results developed as prerequisite for obtaining the masters degree in Bioethics, applied Ethics and Public Health by the graduate program in Bioethics, applied Ethics and Public Health at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, in association with Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the Fluminense Federal University. The qualitative methodology research analyzed empirical material composed sample records of the Ombudsman of Brazilian`s Social Security System containing complaints about the medical examinations. The Social Security System has life and its complications in the population of insured persons as object of care and controls. The sick leave benefits is the most often granted between all social security benefits being due only to its policyholders in double condition of vulnerability, disease and work disability. The verification of incapacity to work is carried out by medical experts of Social Security as prerequisite for access to benefit and serves as a cost-control mechanism. The results of the study show that the task of access control, held at the interface with insured, requires an offset of medical care function as a result of the nature of medical-legal examinations, where place of the control is the beneficent exception. Such attributions determine a specific risk to the medical-legal examinations that we understand to be of moral order. The complaints about the medical work in Social Security were understood as dysfunctions index on this interface, as well as the records of violence around this activity. As results of the limits to access the benefits, in the form in which of these limits are placed. The analysis of this interface puts into sharp relief the paradox of social security protection that works by removing parts of its population under protection and characterizes the medicalpatient relationship in Medical Social Security expertise as morally conflictive. The research, in accordance with a critical bioethics approach, that emphasizes the public policies that affect the life, understands Social Security as Biopolitics and medical expertise as an expression of Biopower according political philosophy of Michel Foucault. Its up to society reflect seriously on these control practice and define the scope and form of social security protection considering that this protection produces tension between individual and collective needs. Its up to each and every one to keep in mind the ethical dimension of the social security policy.

Para a execução da etapa inicial da identificação médico-legal de restos humanos (antropometria e exame dos arcos dentários), faz-se necessária uma limpeza prévia da ossada, para a remoção de tecidos moles putrefeitos. Os casos não identificados por esses métodos tradicionais, poderão ser submetidos ao exame de DNA. No entanto, apesar do grande avanço da biologia molecular, utilizando a amplificação de DNA pela PCR, algumas limitações que afetam a habilidade de se obter DNA em restos humanos, permanecem. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi fornecer subsídios morfológicos para os analistas forenses, com ênfase na prática médico-legal, visando uma utilização mais eficiente do DNA obtido de osso compacto de restos humanos em decomposição ou já esqueletizados, sem tecidos moles aderidos. Foi realizado o estudo da microestrutura do tecido ósseo compacto femoral, de restos humanos em decomposição, ainda com tecidos moles, que foram limpos pela fervura em água (n = 7) e ossadas já esqueletizadas pela decomposição natural, que não foram fervidas (n = 8). Destes, seis ossadas foram provenientes de cemitério público regular, após 3 anos de inumação, 1 ossada proveniente da região amazônica, e 1 ossada de origem desconhecida. Estas duas ultimas, apresentado-se porosas ou quebradiças. As análises morfológicas de cortes histológicos foram coradas com hematoxilina e eosina e o DNA amplificado pela PCR para os loci CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, F13A0, FESFPS, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317 e amelogenina. Os resultados da análise desses dois grupos foram comparados com os de cadáveres frescos (n = 5) do Serviço de Verificação de Óbitos da Capital. A fervura dos ossos, do modo como é realizada no Instituto Médico Legal de São Paulo, pode aumentar a eosinofilia da matriz óssea e, em alguns casos, pode promover a desagregação dos ósteons. Tal procedimento pode remover células, mas pode também remover possíveis inibidores da PCR, favorecendo a análise do DNA obtido destas amostras. O fator limitante para a obtenção e análise de DNA, em amostras de ossos limpos por fervura, é a quantidade exígua de células. Ossos não submetidos à fervura, após inumação por três anos ou há mais tempo em contato com a terra, podem apresentar alterações da microestrutura. No entanto, a presença de hemácias preservadas e núcleos de osteócitos nestas amostras, indica melhor preservação de células em relação às amostras de ossos fervidos. O fator limitante para a análise de DNA nestas amostras é a presença sugestiva de inibidores da reação de amplificação pela PCR. Restos humanos, sem tecidos moles, macroscópicamente não preservados (porosos e quebradiços), e não submetidos à fervura, apresentam alterações de perda de matriz mineralizada; no entanto, nestas amostras ainda é possível encontrar células preservadas. Os resultados obtidos no neste trabalho permitem traçar algumas estratégias para uma melhor utilização nos protocolos de extração e análise do DNA em osso compacto de restos humanos. / To the first essential step to forensic identification of human remains (anthropological study of race, sex, age, etc) it is necessary a previous cleaning of the bones, to remove decomposing soft tissues. Medico-legal inconclusive or non identified cases, by using these traditional methods, could be subjected to DNA analysis. However, in spite of advances in human identification techniques, specially by PCR amplified DNA, some limitations that affect the ability to obtain DNA in human remains still persist. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide additional support from morphological analysis, to help forensic analysts personnel to utilise more efficiently the DNA, extracted from compact bones of human remains in decomposition or already skeletonized corpse, it means without soft tissues, with special emphasis in the legal-medicine practice. Femoral compact bones were obtained from: 7 human remains found on the ground, in different degree of decomposition which were cleaned by boiling to remove soft tissues; also studied were collections of bones from 8 corpses having undergone natural decomposition: 6 human remains exhumed after 3 years from a common public cemetery in São Paulo City; 1 case from amazon region and 1 case with no information, both cases remained from long time (more than 3 years) in contact with soil. All eight cases, were not boiled as no soft tissue were adhered. As a control, five cadavers 12 to 16 hours post mortem were also used. The compact bones histological sections were stained by haematoxilin and eosin and the loci CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, F13A01,FESFPS, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317 and amelogenin were amplified by PCR.The procedure for boiling the human remains utilised in the Legal Medicine Institute of São Paulo would have increased the eosinophily of bone matrix and, in some cases, promoted the desaggregation of the osteons. In addition these procedures would have removed the cells, but in some cases would have removed possible inhibitors of the PCR, favouring in this way the analysis of DNA obtained from these samples. The limiting factor to obtain successful analysis in bones submitted to boiling seem to be the low quantity of nuclei present in these samples. For the other hand, in bones not cleaned by boiling, the presence of preserved red cells and oscteocyte nuclei inside the lacunae indicates better preservation of cells in relation to those bones cleaned by boiling. The limiting factor to obtain successful DNA analysis in bones exhumed or in contact of soil, is the suggestive presence of inhibitors of PCR. Porous and brittle bones from human remains, without soft tissues that are not processed by boiling, present alterations through loss of mineralised matrix, although it is still possible to found preserved cells in these samples. The results presented in this work clarify concerns about viability of DNA for identification analysis. They also help to establish better strategies for optimisation of DNA extraction and analysis in compact bones of human remains.

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive process for identifying and addressing primarily constitutional, medico-legal and liability issues, and in addition ethical, social and scientific issues related to the psychiatric and psychology professions in South Africa. In fulfilling this purpose, a comprehensive search is conducted of relevant historical, ethical, philosophical and clinical aspects pertaining to psychiatry and psychology, as well as an evaluation of the current juridical framework regarding the legal liability of the psychiatrist and psychologist balanced against the constitutional rights of the mentally disordered patient in South Africa. Recommendations are made for the establishment of any new controls needed to mitigate and prevent the exposure of mentally disordered patients, further attempting to provide specific remedies to adapt the current juridical framework in South Africa. The examination is conducted within the framework of the South African and United Kingdom's legal systems. Focus is placed on aspects of medical law, human rights law (as envisaged in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996), criminal law and the law of delict and, to a lesser extent, administrative law and the law of evidence. / Law / LL.D.

<p>Ricin je prirodni protein, toksin koji spada među najpristupačnije i najsmrtonosnije otrove. Nalazi se u biljci Ricinus (Ricinus communis), sa najvećim sadržajem u semenu (1-5 %). Ricin se smatra potencijalnim bioterorističkim oružjem i prema riziku za ljudsko zdravlje svrstan je u B kategoriju biolo&scaron;kog oružja. U novije vreme kori&scaron;ćen je za konstruisanje imunotoksina protiv tumorskih ćelija u terapiji maligniteta. Dokumentovana su mnoga trovanja ricinom, kako zadesna, tako i samoubilačka i ubilačka. U tu svrhu koristilo se intaktno seme ricinusa ili ekstrahovani ricin. Osim ricina, u semenu ricinusa je prisutan toksični alkaloid ricinin u količini 0.3-0.8 %. Ricinus je jedini poznati prirodni izvor ricinina, koji se ko-ekstrahuje sa ricinom iz semena biljke. Ricinin se jednostavno detektuje u kliničkim uzoracima metodom tečne hromatografije i masene spektrometrije i, s obzirom na komplikovanu identifikaciju ricina u biolo&scaron;kim uzorcima, smatra se biomarkerom za intoksikaciju ricinusom, odnosno ricinom. Osnovni ciljevi ovog istraživanja su da se uz pomoć HS-GC metode i patohistolo&scaron;kom&nbsp; analizom dokaže prisustvo ricinina u krvi laboratorijskih pacova u odnosu na vremenski interval koji je protekao od oralne aplikacije suspenzije do vremena žtvovanja, da se odredi distribucija i koncentracija ricinina u organima laboratorijskih pacova u različitim vremenima žrtvovanja, kao i da se utvrdi da li postoji značajna razlika u razvoju patomorfolo&scaron;kih promena na organima laboratorijskih pacova u različitim vremenima žrtvovanja. Istraživanje je bilo otvoreno, randomizirano i prospektivnog tipa. Laboratorijski pacovi su u istom vremenu oralno tretirani suspenzijom koja je sadržaja subletalnu koncentraciju ricina. Nakon žrtvovanja u precizno definisanim vremenskim intervalima uzeti su uzorci krvi i unutra&scaron;njih organa radi daljih analiza. Odgovarajući uzorci su analizirani metodom HC-GS u cilju određivanja koncentracije i distribucije ricinina, kao pouzdanog markera trovanja ricinom, u krvi i unutra&scaron;njim organima. Takođe je izvr&scaron;ena patohistolo&scaron;ka analiza uzoraka tkiva unutra&scaron;njih organa u cilju utvrđivanja promena izazvanim delovanjem ricina u odnosu na vreme proteklo od aplikacije suspenzije. Dobijeni rezultati su obrađeni odgovarajućim statističkim metodama. Rezultati istraživanja omogućavaju standardizaciju postupaka odabira reprezentativnih uzoraka prilikom sumnje na trovanje ricinusom i metode dokazivanja akutnog trovanja. Na taj način može se pouzdano i efikasno dokazati trovanje ricinusom.</p> / <p>Ricin is a naturally occurring protein, a toxin which belongs to the category of the most accessible and the most lethal poisons. It is obtained from the castor oil plant ( Ricinus communis), whose seeds contain its highest content (1-5%). Ricin is also thought to be a potential weapon of bioterrorism and taking into account the risk for human health, it is classified as a biological weapon category B. Lately it has been used for the construction of the immunotoxins against tumor cells in the therapy of malignant diseases. Numerous poisonings using ricin have been documented, not only accidental poisoning, but also in case of suicides and homicides. In those cases, intact ricin seeds or extracted ricin were used. Apart from ricin, castor oil plants also contain a toxic alkaloid ricinine (0.3-0.8%). Castor oil plants are the only known natural source of ricinine, which is co-extracted with ricin from the seeds of this plant. Ricinine is simply detected in clinical samples by using the method of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Taking into account a complicated identification of ricin in biological samples, it is considered to be a biomarker for the intoxication by castor oil plant, or ricin itself. The main aim of this research is to use the HS-GC method and pathohistological analysis in proving the existence of ricinine in the blood of experimental rats in relation to the time interval between the oral application of solution of castor seeds in water and the time of sacrificing, to determine the distribution and concentration of ricinine in the organs of experimental rats, as well as to establish whether there was a significant difference in the development of pathomorphological changes on the organs of experimental rats at various points of sacrificing. The research was open, randomised and prospective. Experimental rats were simultaneously orally tested by the solution which contained sublethal concentration of ricin. After sacrificing, blood samples were taken from inner organs in specifically defined intervals of time and used for further analysis. The appropriate samples were analysed by HC-GS method in order to determine the concentration and distribution of ricinine as a reliable marker of ricin poisoning in blood and inner organs. Also, pathohistological analysis of the samples of inner organ tissues was made with the purpose of establishing the changes caused by the effects of ricinine in relation to time which passed from the application of the solution. The obtained results were processed by appropriate statistical methods. The results of this research allow for the standardisation of the actions in selecting the representative samples in case there is a possibility of ricin poisoning and the method of proving the acute poisoning. Following these steps, ricin poisoning can be proved in a reliable and an efficient way.</p>

Availability of digital cameras in various forms and user-friendly image editing softwares has enabled people to create and manipulate digital images easily. While image editing can be used for enhancing the quality of the images, it can also be used to tamper the images for malicious purposes. In this context, it is important to question the originality of digital images. Digital image forensics deals with the development of algorithms and systems to detect tampering in digital images. This thesis presents some simple algorithms which can be used to detect tampering in digital images. Out of the various kinds of image forgeries possible, the discussion is restricted to photo compositing (Photo montaging) and copy-paste forgeries. While creating photomontage, it is very likely that one of the images needs to be resampled and hence there will be an inconsistency in some of its underlying characteristics. So, detection of resampling in an image will give a clue to decide whether the image is tampered or not. Two pixel domain techniques to detect resampling have been presented. The rest of them exploits the property of periodic zeros that occur in the second divergences due to interpolation during resembling. It requires a special condition on the resembling factor to be met. The second technique is based on the periodic zero-crossings that occur in the second divergences, which does not require any special condition on the resembling factor. It has been noted that this is an important property of revamping and hence the decay of this technique against mild counter attacks such as JPEG compression and additive noise has been studied. This property has been repeatedly used throughout this thesis. It is a well known fact that interpolation is essentially low-pass filtering. In case of photomontage image which consists of resample and non resample portions, there will be an in consistency in the high-frequency content of the image. This can be demonstrated by a simple high-pass filtering of the image. This fact has also been exploited to detect photomontaging. One approach involves performing block wise DCT and reconstructing the image using only a few high-frequency coercions. Another elegant approach is to decompose the image using wavelets and reconstruct the image using only the diagonal detail coefficients. In both the cases mere visual inspection will reveal the forgery. The second part of the thesis is related to tamper detection in colour filter array (CFA) interpolated images. Digital cameras employ Bayer filters to efficiently capture the RGB components of an image. The output of Bayer filter are sub-sampled versions of R, G and B components and they are completed by using demosaicing algorithms. It has been shown that demos icing of the color components is equivalent to resembling the image by a factor of two. Hence, CFA interpolated images contain periodic zero-crossings in its second differences. Experimental demonstration of the presence of periodic zero-crossings in images captured using four digital cameras of deferent brands has been done. When such an image is tampered, these periodic zero-crossings are destroyed and hence the tampering can be detected. The utility of zero-crossings in detecting various kinds of forgeries on CFA interpolated images has been discussed. The next part of the thesis is a technique to detect copy-paste forgery in images. Generally, while an object or a portion if an image has to be erased from an image, the easiest way to do it is to copy a portion of background from the same image and paste it over the object. In such a case, there are two pixel wise identical regions in the same image, which when detected can serve as a clue of tampering. The use of Scale-Invariant-Feature-Transform (SIFT) in detecting this kind of forgery has been studied. Also certain modifications that can to be done to the image in order to get the SIFT working effectively has been proposed. Throughout the thesis, the importance of human intervention in making the final decision about the authenticity of an image has been highlighted and it has been concluded that the techniques presented in the thesis can effectively help the decision making process.

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive process for identifying and addressing primarily constitutional, medico-legal and liability issues, and in addition ethical, social and scientific issues related to the psychiatric and psychology professions in South Africa. In fulfilling this purpose, a comprehensive search is conducted of relevant historical, ethical, philosophical and clinical aspects pertaining to psychiatry and psychology, as well as an evaluation of the current juridical framework regarding the legal liability of the psychiatrist and psychologist balanced against the constitutional rights of the mentally disordered patient in South Africa. Recommendations are made for the establishment of any new controls needed to mitigate and prevent the exposure of mentally disordered patients, further attempting to provide specific remedies to adapt the current juridical framework in South Africa. The examination is conducted within the framework of the South African and United Kingdom's legal systems. Focus is placed on aspects of medical law, human rights law (as envisaged in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996), criminal law and the law of delict and, to a lesser extent, administrative law and the law of evidence. / Law / LL.D.

Les sutures crâniennes ont été régulièrement étudiées au fil des siècles puisque déjà Vésale établissait une relation entre l’âge et la synostose suturale. Leur imprécision a quelque peu confiné l’observation de ces sutures dans un certain oubli, justifié en partie. Il est clair que leur fiabilité quant à l’estimation de l’âge au décès reste discutable et ce, pour diverses raisons. Leur observation est difficile et dès lors sujette à subjectivité dans l’appréciation de leurs stades de fusion. De plus, leur apparence sur le crâne sec peut être altérée par divers artéfacts de conservation (cire, vernis…). Outre l’observation des classiques sutures ectocrâniennes de voûte et l’utilisation des méthodes habituelles en la matière (méthode de Acsádi et Nemeskéri, méthode de Masset), nous avons orienté notre étude vers des sutures peu voire pas exploitées, à savoir les sutures palatines, les sutures fronto-naso-maxillaires et les sutures de l’os zygomatique. Ces trois groupes suturaux ont la particularité d’évoluer de manière très lente vers la fusion, à tel point que peu d’individus en présentent une oblitération complète. Face au vieillissement de la population et de par notre expérience médico-légale et anthropologique d’étude de pièces osseuses de personnes âgées, nous avons estimé qu’il était utile de se pencher sur des collections particulières de sujets d’âge avancé, afin d’apprécier l’évolution morphologique de ces sutures faciales. Si certaines personnes fort âgées gardent malgré tout des caractéristiques suturales peu évoluées, il existe dans l’ensemble, une progression suturale quasiment constante en fonction de l’âge. Nous avons tenté de la cerner, en attribuant à ces sutures, des degrés bien définis de cette progressive fusion et par là, l’aboutissement à un coefficient moyen d’oblitération suturale, se traduisant aisément en pourcentage d’oblitération ou pouvant être introduit dans des équations de régression. Tout en connaissant les limites de cette approche, nous pouvons estimer qu’elle peut rendre des services lors de l’étude de restes humains squelettisés, notamment s’ils appartiennent à des personnes fort âgées, dès lors qu’à ces stades de vieillissement, peu de méthodes restent encore applicables. D’autre part, l’approche en pourcentage d’oblitération suturale rend également des services lorsque les crânes étudiés sont fragmentés. C’est la situation que nous rencontrons actuellement lors de l’étude d’une très importante collection anthropologique à l’Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique. Cette observation suturale pourra également – à l’avenir – trouver un terrain d’approche fort utile par l’étude des sutures en CT-Scan ou en micro-CT. Enfin, grâce à ces techniques modernes d’imagerie médicale, les sutures trouvent un regain d’intérêt dans une application toute particulière, qui est celle de l’identification comparative, puisqu’il apparaît que le « dessin sutural » s’avère tout à fait propre à chaque individu.