Hepatitis C Virus as a Possible Helper Virus in Human Hepatitis Delta Virus Infection.

Previous studies reported that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) could help disseminate the hepatitis D virus (HDV) in vivo through hepatitis B virus (HBV)-unrelated ways, but with essentially inconclusive results. To try to shed light on this still-debated topic, 146 anti-HCV-positive subjects (of whom 91 HCV/HIV co-infected, and 43 with prior HCV eradication) were screened for anti-HDV antibodies (anti-HD), after careful selection for negativity to any serologic or virologic marker of current or past HBV infection. One single HCV/HIV co-infected patient (0.

Morphological variations of the anterior thoracic skeleton and their forensic significance: radiographic findings in a Spanish autopsy sample.

The anterior thoracic skeleton may exhibit a number of morphological variations or anomalies, including accessory ossicles, atypical fusion or nonfusion of bony segments, and accessory foramina. Awareness of these minor skeletal variants is important in forensic medicine given that they may be mistakenly identified as pathological or traumatic lesions. The identification of subtle morphological anomalies may also aid in the process of individualization by serving as points of similarity if their occurrence was recorded antemortem.

Stature estimation from radiographic sternum length in a contemporary Spanish population.

The ability to estimate stature from various parts of the body is essential in medicolegal investigations, particularly in cases in which human remains have been dismembered or mutilated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to generate linear regression models for predicting stature on the basis of sternum length in contemporary Spaniards. Sternal length, or the combined length of the manubrium and mesosternum, was recorded from digital radiographs of the chest plate for 65 males and 52 females.

Estimation of sex from sternal dimensions derived from chest plate radiographs in contemporary Spaniards.

A number of previous studies have demonstrated that osteometric analysis of the sternum provides a highly accurate method for discriminating adult sex in diverse population groups. In this study, sternal measurements were recorded from posteroanterior digital radiographs of the chest plate of 116 Spanish individuals (65 males and 51 females). Results demonstrated that all linear dimensions of the manubrium and mesosternum, sternal area, and sternal index were significantly sexually dimorphic in this population group.

Osteometric sex discrimination from the sternal extremity of the fourth rib in a recent forensic sample from Southwestern Spain.

The discrimination of sex is central to the process of establishing a personal identification from human skeletal remains. Previous study has demonstrated that osteometric analysis of the sternal extremity of the fourth rib provides a reasonably accurate method for assessing this biological attribute in diverse human groups. As metric standards are generally population-specific, the purpose of the current research was to evaluate the degree of sexual dimorphism present in the fourth rib among contemporary Spaniards, a group thus far not investigated, and generate discriminant function equations which can be used to estimate the sex of unidentified remains in this population.