Biomedical subjects

Teresa Magalhães

Publications and source records attributed to Teresa Magalhães.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Establishing identity using cheiloscopy and palatoscopy.

Establishing a person's identity can be a very difficult process. Dental, fingerprint and DNA comparisons are probably the most common techniques used in this context, allowing fast and secure identification processes. However, since they cannot always be used, sometimes it is necessary to apply different and less known techniques. In this paper, the authors describe two unusual techniques: cheiloscopy and palatoscopy. It is known that due to their special features, both lip grooves and palatal rugae can be used successfully in human identification. This paper reviews the techniques of cheiloscopy and palatoscopy, and describes the different classifications and their advantages and limitations.

Forensic Medicine↗

PubMed2006

[The victim as object of the medico-legal intervention].

We present a reflection about the victim as the object of the medico-legal intervention, that opens perspectives not only to the evidence research (as a techno-scientific contribute to support Justice in what concerns bio-psycho-social questions), but also to the support of victims which, in a last analysis, is no more than another aspect of this the social contribution of this science to ensure the best interest of the victim. This reflection aims to contribute to a better knowledge of the victim in his/her various perspectives. Accordingly, during the exposition, we refer some contributes of Victimology towards the understanding of the victims' behaviour's. Afterwards, we focus on the problems related to the aetiologies (with a particular reference to trauma), levels and consequences (physical, psychological and socio-economical) of victimization, as well as the methodologies of victims approach, medico-legal evaluation and reparation. Considering victims as being not only those who suffer directly the consequences of the victimizing phenomena, but also those that suffer from it indirectly and even secondarily, we shall approach the topic regarding both perspectives. We highlight the importance of understanding the victim as a person, not just understanding him/her confined to the organic aspect (as it used to be until recently in certain fields of medico-legal intervention, and as it still happens due to some legal obligations, for instance in the Labour Law), but considering the person in a global way (body, capacities, life situations and subjectivity). In conclusion, we highlight the importance of this topic to the medico-legal mission, while taking part in various multidisciplinary interventions and being involved in strategies and measures which purpose is to prevent violence, promote safety, avoid secondary victimization and revictimization as well as guarantee the victims' protection and reintegration, in a work attitude that should happen, even more and more, as a real network.

Crime Victims↗

PubMed2005

Deaths from ischemic disease, anthropometry and cardiac biometry.

INTRODUCTION: The relation between body mass index (BMI)/obesity and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in ischemic heart disease (IHD) has not been completely established, based on postmortem studies. OBJECTIVE: To study necropsy data of deaths from cardiac ischemia and its relation to macroscopic data of the heart and anthropometry. METHOD: Retrospective study of necropsies conducted by the medical legal services of Porto in 2002-03, with a final diagnosis of "myocardial infarction" or "chronic ischemic heart disease" or with more than 50% obstructive coronary disease. An observation grid was compiled from the necropsy data, with emphasis on anthropometry and cardiac exam. Descriptive and inferential methods (Pearson's correlation, the chi-square test and stepwise multiple regression) were used for the statistical analysis (alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: Of the 231 selected cases, 75.3% were men, of whom 53.7% were diagnosed with myocardial infarction and 46.3% with IHD, with BMI of 26.9 +/- 5.1, body weight of 74.7 +/- 19.9 kg, left ventricular thickness of 16.9 +/- 4.7 mm, and cardiac weight of 517 +/- 163 g. Significant negative correlations (p < 0.001) were found between age, body weight (-0.33), height (-0.33), and BMI (-0.21) and positive correlations between cardiac weight, body weight (0.35), height (0.24), BMI (0.26), and LVH (0.29). Significant differences were found between genders with regard to age, weight, height and heart weight, but no differences in terms of years of education, BMI or left ventricular thickness. Stepwise regression found two predictive variables for heart weight: body weight, accounting for 12.1%, with age increasing this to 15.4%. CONCLUSION: These results seem to confirm objectively by postmortem examination that high values of BMI and body weight, left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac weight correlate with IHD, with important gender differences to be taken into consideration. Body weight and age are major predictive variables for heart weight. These findings have important public health implications in the prevention of overweight and ischemic heart disease.

Adult↗