Comparison of Different Swabs for Sampling Inorganic Gunshot Residue from Gunshot Wounds: Applicability and Reliability for the Determination of Firing Distance.

This study concentrates on samples of bare pork skin, with and without bristles, and dried bovine ribs shot with a semi-automatic pistol to find the best methodology and sampling surface in the search for inorganic gunshot residues (IGSR). Four quadrants of known surface areas were sampled at different distances from the bullet's hole with different swabs: tapes in graphite, Leukosilk® white tape, 3M® transparent tape, and a cotton swab to assess the technique able to collect the highest amounts of IGSR with the lowest contribution of the blank. The cotton swab wet in 10% HNO gave the best results.

[Coffee consumption in depressive disorders: it's not one size fits all].

Caffeine is considered the world's most popular psychoactive substance. Its actions on the central nervous system, mainly mediated by antagonism of adenosine receptors and subsequent modulation of dopaminergic activity, would be particularly sought by depressed patients, as an attempt of self-medication. However, published data suggested that coffee consumption may worsen psychopathological conditions in mood disorders.