Browsing by Author "Carneiro, Cristiana"
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- Contributo para a estimativa da idade fetal à data da morte na população portuguesaPublication . Carneiro, Cristiana; Curate, Francisco; Borralho, Paula; Cunha, E.A estimativa da idade gestacional (IG) em restos cadavéricos fetais é importante em contextos forenses. Para esse efeito, os especialistas forenses recorrem à avaliação do padrão de calcificação dentária e/ou ao estudo do esqueleto. Neste último, o comprimento das diáfises de ossos longos é um dos métodos mais utilizados, sendo utilizadas equações de regressão de obras pouco atuais ou baseadas em dados ecográficos, cujas medições diferem das efetuadas diretamente no osso. Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal a obtenção de equações de regressão para a população Portuguesa, com base na medição das diáfises de fémur, tíbia e úmero, utilizando radiografias postmortem. A amostra é constituída por 80 fetos de IG conhecida. Tratando-se de um estudo retrospectivo, os casos foram selecionados com base nas informações clínicas e anatomopatológicas, excluindo-se aqueles cujo normal crescimento se encontrava efetiva ou potencialmente comprometido. Os resultados confirmaram uma forte correlação entre o comprimento das diáfises estudadas e a IG, apresentando o fémur a correlação mais forte (r=0.967; p <0,01). Assim, foi possível obter uma equação de regressão para cada um dos ossos estudados. Concluindo, os objetivos do estudo foram atingidos com a obtenção das equações de regressão para os ossos estudados. Pretende-se, futuramente, alargar a amostra para validar e consolidar os resultados obtidos neste estudo.
- Fetal age at death estimation on dry bone: testing the applicability of equations developed on a radiographic samplePublication . Carneiro, Cristiana; Curate, Francisco; Alemán, Inmaculada; Botella, Miguel; Cunha, EugéniaThe paucity of identified skeletal collections that include fetuses entails the need to pursue unconventional approaches and resources in order to investigate fetal anatomical variation. Radiographic analyses are being considered as a good alternative to data obtained in osteological collections. In previous work, we developed equations to estimate gestational age (GA) at death by measuring fetal long bones on x-rays. This study aims to test the applicability of these equations in dry bones and to assess its accuracy and bias. A test sample of 17 fetuses with known gestational age at death from the osteological collection of the Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology, and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Granada (Spain) was employed. Examined bones comprised the femur, tibia, humerus, and radius. The proposed models show high accuracy and low bias in the assessment of gestational age at death in a sample of fetal dry bones. The new equations, especially those obtained with classical calibration, are a valuable tool to estimate fetal gestational age at death in both forensic and archeological contexts.
- A method for estimating gestational age of fetal remains based on long bone lengthsPublication . Carneiro, Cristiana; Curate, Francisco; Cunha, EugéniaThe estimation of gestational age (GA) in fetal human remains is important in forensic settings, particularly to assess fetal viability, in addition to often being the only biological profile parameter that can be assessed with some accuracy for non-adults. The length of long bone diaphysis is one of the most frequently used methods for fetal age estimation. The main objective of this study was to present a simple and objective method for estimating GA based on the measurements of the diaphysis of the femur, tibia, fibula, humerus, ulna, and radius. Conventional least squares regression equations (classical and inverse calibration approaches) and quick reference tables were generated. A supplementary objective was to compare the performance of the new formulae against previously published models. The sample comprised 257 fetuses (136 females and 121 males) with known GA (between 12 and 40 weeks) and was selected based on clinical and pathological information. All measurements were performed on radiographic images acquired in anonymous clinical autopsy records from spontaneous and therapeutic abortions in two Portuguese hospitals. The proposed technique is straightforward and reproducible. The models for the GA estimation are exceedingly accurate and unbiased. Comparisons between inverse and classical calibration show that both perform exceptionally well, with high accuracy and low bias. Also, the newly developed equations generally outperform earlier methods of GA estimation in forensic contexts. Quick reference tables for each long bone are now available. The obtained models for the estimation of gestational age are of great applicability in forensic contexts.
- Osteometria radiográfica de fetos: contributo para a estimativa da idade à data da mortePublication . Carneiro, Cristiana; Curate, Francisco; Borralho, Paula; Santos, J. Costa; Cunha, EugéniaA estimativa da idade gestacional em restos cadavéricos de fetos é importante em contextos forenses. Para esse efeito, os especialistas forenses recorrem à avaliação do padrão de calcificação dentária e/ou ao estudo do esqueleto. Neste último, o comprimento das diáfises de ossos longos é um dos métodos mais utilizados, sendo utilizadas tabelas e equações de regressão de obras pouco actuais ou baseadas em dados ecográficos, cujas medições diferem das efectuadas directamente no osso. Este trabalho tem como objectivo principal a construção de tabelas e equações de regressão para a população Portuguesa, com base na medição das diáfises de fémur, tíbia e úmero, utilizando radiografias post-mortem, que não diferem muito das medições em osso. Pretende-se também determinar qual dos três ossos é mais credível e se existem diferenças significativas entre fetos de género feminino e de género masculino.
- Uma questão de método: a idade gestacional do feto do Paleolítico Superior de Ostuni (Itália)Publication . Carneiro, Cristiana; Cunha, Eugénia; Curate, FranciscoA análise de três dentes decíduos de restos fetais do enterramento de Ostuni I (Itália, circa 27.000 anos BP) através de histologia virtual permitiu refinar a estimativa da sua idade gestacional, que varia entre as 31 e as 33 semanas. Face aos resultados obtidos anteriormente a partir do comprimento da diáfise dos ossos longos – entre as 34 e as 36 semanas – os autores do estudo consideraram que a estimativa da idade gestacional em fetos pré-históricos não deverá fundamentar-se em referências modernas. Neste trabalho, estimou-se a idade gestacional do feto de Ostuni a partir de modelos de regressão produzidos numa amostra moderna de referência, obtendo-se um intervalo compreendido entre as 31,2 e as 33,6 semanas, bastante similar ao intervalo reportado por Nava et al.
- Radiographic fetal osteometry: approach on age estimation for the portuguese populationPublication . Carneiro, Cristiana; Curate, Francisco; Borralho, Paula; Cunha, EugéniaThe estimation of gestational age (GA) on fetal remains can be an important forensic issue. Forensic specialists usually use reference tables and regression equations derived from reference collections, which are quite rare in what fetuses are concerned. Since these tools are mostly grounded on ultrasonographic measurements, which are known to differ from real bones measurements or are based on ancient literature, this study aimed the construction of tables and regression equations for the Portuguese population on the basis of diaphyseal bone length measurements (femur, tibia and humerus) of 100 fetuses of known GA, using post-mortem radiographs. There is a strong correlation between the longitudinal length of studied bones and GA; the femur exhibits the strongest correlation (r=0.969; p=0.000), followed by the tibia (r=0.966; p=0.000) and the humerus (r=0.963; p=0.000). Therefore it was possible to obtain regression equations and to build tables with reference values for each of the diaphysis analyzed.
- Routine screening of harmful microorganisms in beach sands: implications to public healthPublication . Sabino, Raquel; Rodrigues, R.; Costa, I.; Carneiro, Cristiana; Cunha, M.; Duarte, A.; Faria, N.; Ferreira, F. C.; Gargaté, M. J.; Júlio, C.; Martins, M. L.; Nevers, M. B.; Oleastro, M.; Solo-Gabriele, H.; Veríssimo, C.; Viegas, Carla; Whitman, R. L.; Brandão, J.Beaches worldwide provide recreational opportunities to hundreds of millions of people and serve as important components of coastal economies. Beach water is often monitored for microbiological quality to detect the presence of indicators of human sewage contamination so as to prevent public health outbreaks associated with water contact. However, growing evidence suggests that beach sand can harbor microbes harmful to human health, often in concentrations greater than the beach water. Currently, there are no standards for monitoring, sampling, analyzing, or managing beach sand quality. In addition to indicator microbes, growing evidence has identified pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and fungi in a variety of beach sands worldwide. The public health threat associated with these populations through direct and indirect contact is unknown because so little research has been conducted relating to health outcomes associated with sand quality. In this manuscript, we present the consensus findings of a workshop of experts convened in Lisbon, Portugal to discuss the current state of knowledge on beach sand microbiological quality and to develop suggestions for standardizing the evaluation of sand at coastal beaches. The expert group at the "Microareias 2012" workshop recommends that 1) beach sand should be screened for a variety of pathogens harmful to human health, and sand monitoring should then be initiated alongside regular water monitoring; 2) sampling and analysis protocols should be standardized to allow proper comparisons among beach locations; and 3) further studies are needed to estimate human health risk with exposure to contaminated beach sand. Much of the manuscript is focused on research specific to Portugal, but similar results have been found elsewhere, and the findings have worldwide implications.