The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) in the medial meta-epiphyseal region of clavicle (MERC) for adult age estimation. A total of 1064 chest MDCT scans from individuals aged 21 to 102 years were utilized to determine the MERC BMD. The Mimics software was used for the BMD measurements, and the average BMD of both MERC was also calculated. Regression analysis was conducted with chronological age as a dependent variable and MERC BMD as an independent variable to establish a mathematical model for age estimation. The mean absolute error (MAE) was calculated to evaluate the accuracy of the regression model using an independent validation sample. Among all the models, the cubic regression model showed the highest correlation between MERC BMD and chronological age and also provided the most accurate age prediction for both males and females (MAE = 9.41 for males, MAE = 10.38 for females). Our study suggests that BMD measured by MERC can be utilized for age estimation in adults when more reliable indicators are not available.
{"title":"Forensic age estimation in adults based on multidetector computed tomography analysis of bone density in the medial meta-epiphyseal region of clavicle.","authors":"Lei Shi, Shuai Luo, Meng Liu, Xing-Tao Zhang, Yu-Chi Zhou, Hui-Kun Yang, Zhen-Hua Deng, Meng-Jun Zhan, Yi-Jiu Chen","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03315-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03315-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) in the medial meta-epiphyseal region of clavicle (MERC) for adult age estimation. A total of 1064 chest MDCT scans from individuals aged 21 to 102 years were utilized to determine the MERC BMD. The Mimics software was used for the BMD measurements, and the average BMD of both MERC was also calculated. Regression analysis was conducted with chronological age as a dependent variable and MERC BMD as an independent variable to establish a mathematical model for age estimation. The mean absolute error (MAE) was calculated to evaluate the accuracy of the regression model using an independent validation sample. Among all the models, the cubic regression model showed the highest correlation between MERC BMD and chronological age and also provided the most accurate age prediction for both males and females (MAE = 9.41 for males, MAE = 10.38 for females). Our study suggests that BMD measured by MERC can be utilized for age estimation in adults when more reliable indicators are not available.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142008704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-21DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03307-y
Dorothee Geisenberger, Markus Große Perdekamp, Matthieu Glardon, Jan Kromeier, Stefan Pollak, Annette Thierauf-Emberger
In conventional gunshot injuries to targets containing bone the resulting osseous fragments do not precede but follow the bullet on its further way through adjacent soft tissues. The term "secondary projectiles" for the particles does not appear to be appropriate since they are not believed to have enough energy necessary for creating their own wound channels away from the temporary cavity. Former studies have shown that in angled shots to glass panes the bulk of splinters does not follow the bullet's trajectory: The majority of the glass fragments, especially the larger ones, move at right angles to the pane shot through. The aim of the presented study was to examine whether osseous fragments behave like glass splinters in angled shots to flat synthetic bone. In this context, it should also be assessed, whether the bone fragments might act as secondary projectiles in rare cases. To answer these questions, test shots were fired to composite models consisting of flat synthetic bone and ballistic gelatin. Pistol cartridges 9 mm Luger were used to fire the shots which were video-documented with a high-speed camera. Afterwards, the composite models underwent CT examination and macroscopic inspection. Video-documentation revealed that the larger bone particles from the perforation site move at a roughly right angle from the osseous sheet into the gelatin, causing an eccentric bulge of the temporary cavity. The smaller bone fragments were also lodged along the bullet's path, predominantly in the cracks radiating from the permanent wound channel.
{"title":"Distribution of bone fragments in angled shots: an experimental study conducted on composite models containing artificial bone plates.","authors":"Dorothee Geisenberger, Markus Große Perdekamp, Matthieu Glardon, Jan Kromeier, Stefan Pollak, Annette Thierauf-Emberger","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03307-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03307-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In conventional gunshot injuries to targets containing bone the resulting osseous fragments do not precede but follow the bullet on its further way through adjacent soft tissues. The term \"secondary projectiles\" for the particles does not appear to be appropriate since they are not believed to have enough energy necessary for creating their own wound channels away from the temporary cavity. Former studies have shown that in angled shots to glass panes the bulk of splinters does not follow the bullet's trajectory: The majority of the glass fragments, especially the larger ones, move at right angles to the pane shot through. The aim of the presented study was to examine whether osseous fragments behave like glass splinters in angled shots to flat synthetic bone. In this context, it should also be assessed, whether the bone fragments might act as secondary projectiles in rare cases. To answer these questions, test shots were fired to composite models consisting of flat synthetic bone and ballistic gelatin. Pistol cartridges 9 mm Luger were used to fire the shots which were video-documented with a high-speed camera. Afterwards, the composite models underwent CT examination and macroscopic inspection. Video-documentation revealed that the larger bone particles from the perforation site move at a roughly right angle from the osseous sheet into the gelatin, causing an eccentric bulge of the temporary cavity. The smaller bone fragments were also lodged along the bullet's path, predominantly in the cracks radiating from the permanent wound channel.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142008703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-21DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03317-w
Ran Li, Jingyi Yang, Nana Wang, Yu Zang, Jiajun Liu, Enlin Wu, Riga Wu, Hongyu Sun
The inference of body fluids and tissues is critical in reconstructing crime scenes and inferring criminal behaviors. Nevertheless, present methods are incompatible with conventional DNA genotyping, and additional testing might result in excessive consumption of forensic scene materials. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of distinguishing common body fluids/tissues through the difference in mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn). Four types of body fluids/tissues were analyzed in this study - hair, saliva, semen, and skeletal muscle. MtDNAcn was estimated by dividing the read counts of mitochondrial DNA to that of nuclear DNA (RRmt/nu). Results indicated that there were significant differences in RRmt/nu between different body fluids/tissues. Specifically, hair samples exhibited the highest RRmt/nu (log10RRmt/nu: 4.3 ± 0.28), while semen samples showed the lowest RRmt/nu (log10RRmt/nu: -0.1 ± 0.28). RRmt/nu values for DNA samples without extraction were notably higher (approximately 2.9 times) than those obtained after extraction. However, no significant difference in RRmt/nu was observed between various age and gender groups. Hierarchical clustering and Kmeans clustering analyses showed that body fluids/tissues of the same type clustered closely to each other and could be inferred with high accuracy. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the simultaneous detection of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA made it possible to perform conventional DNA analyses and body fluid/tissue inference at the same time, thus killing two birds with one stone. Furthermore, mtDNAcn has the potential to serve as a novel and promising biomarker for the identification of body fluids/tissues.
体液和组织的推断对于重建犯罪现场和推断犯罪行为至关重要。然而,目前的方法与传统的 DNA 基因分型不兼容,而且额外的检测可能会导致法医现场材料的过度消耗。本研究旨在探讨通过线粒体 DNA 拷贝数(mtDNAcn)的差异来区分常见体液/组织的可行性。本研究分析了四种体液/组织--毛发、唾液、精液和骨骼肌。线粒体 DNA 的读数除以核 DNA 的读数(RRmt/nu),即可估算出 mtDNAcn。结果表明,不同体液/组织之间的 RRmt/nu 存在显著差异。具体来说,头发样本的 RRmt/nu 值最高(log10RRmt/nu:4.3 ± 0.28),而精液样本的 RRmt/nu 值最低(log10RRmt/nu:-0.1 ± 0.28)。未提取 DNA 样本的 RRmt/nu 值明显高于提取后的样本(约 2.9 倍)。不过,不同年龄和性别组之间的 RRmt/nu 没有明显差异。层次聚类和 Kmeans 聚类分析显示,同类体液/组织之间的聚类关系密切,推断的准确性很高。总之,这项研究表明,同时检测核DNA和线粒体DNA可使传统的DNA分析和体液/组织推断同时进行,一举两得。此外,mtDNAcn 有可能成为一种新型的、有前途的生物标记物,用于体液/组织的鉴定。
{"title":"Inference of forensic body fluids/tissues based on mitochondrial DNA copy number: a preliminary study.","authors":"Ran Li, Jingyi Yang, Nana Wang, Yu Zang, Jiajun Liu, Enlin Wu, Riga Wu, Hongyu Sun","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03317-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03317-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The inference of body fluids and tissues is critical in reconstructing crime scenes and inferring criminal behaviors. Nevertheless, present methods are incompatible with conventional DNA genotyping, and additional testing might result in excessive consumption of forensic scene materials. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of distinguishing common body fluids/tissues through the difference in mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn). Four types of body fluids/tissues were analyzed in this study - hair, saliva, semen, and skeletal muscle. MtDNAcn was estimated by dividing the read counts of mitochondrial DNA to that of nuclear DNA (RR<sub>mt/nu</sub>). Results indicated that there were significant differences in RR<sub>mt/nu</sub> between different body fluids/tissues. Specifically, hair samples exhibited the highest RR<sub>mt/nu</sub> (log<sub>10</sub>RR<sub>mt/nu</sub>: 4.3 ± 0.28), while semen samples showed the lowest RR<sub>mt/nu</sub> (log<sub>10</sub>RR<sub>mt/nu</sub>: -0.1 ± 0.28). RR<sub>mt/nu</sub> values for DNA samples without extraction were notably higher (approximately 2.9 times) than those obtained after extraction. However, no significant difference in RR<sub>mt/nu</sub> was observed between various age and gender groups. Hierarchical clustering and Kmeans clustering analyses showed that body fluids/tissues of the same type clustered closely to each other and could be inferred with high accuracy. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the simultaneous detection of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA made it possible to perform conventional DNA analyses and body fluid/tissue inference at the same time, thus killing two birds with one stone. Furthermore, mtDNAcn has the potential to serve as a novel and promising biomarker for the identification of body fluids/tissues.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142008705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Age-at-death estimation is an important issue in forensic medicine and anthropology. Initially, methods relied on morphological criteria, but with the advancement of radiology, new techniques such as morphological studies on multi-slice computed tomography (CT) reconstructions have emerged. Recent studies have shown promising results by investigating the correlation between age and bone mineral density (BMD). However, there is currently a lack of data on post-mortem CTs (PMCT) involving decomposed bodies, and limited information exists regarding changes in Hounsfield Units measurement in a post-mortem context. In light of these gaps, our study aimed to examine the relationship between age at death and pubic and ilium BMD using a sample of forensic bodies. We also aimed to determine whether post-mortem processes, such as putrefaction, could interfere with this correlation. Our retrospective analysis encompassed 637 PMCTs conducted before medicolegal autopsies at Tours University Hospital. Utilizing simple and multiple linear regressions, we investigated the correlation between age and pubic and ilium BMD, as well as the relationship between BMD and the radiologic alteration index (RAI), a scale employed to quantify the degree of putrefaction. Our findings indicate promising outcomes in age-at-death estimation using pubic and/or ilium BMD for bodies exhibiting no or moderate decomposition (RAI < 80), particularly among individuals under 40 years old. However, for highly decomposed corpses (RAI ≥ 80), the presence of gas infiltration significantly influences the BMD of both the ilium and pubis. Consequently, we advocate for the incorporation of the RAI score into the age estimation equation to enhance the accuracy of our results in such cases. Further investigation involving a larger cohort of decomposed bodies could facilitate refinement and validation of our method within this specific population.
{"title":"Age estimation on post-mortem CT based on pelvic bone mineral density measurement and the state of putrefaction: a multivariate method.","authors":"Eulalie Pefferkorn, Ophélie Guillerme, Pauline Saint-Martin, Frédéric Savall, Fabrice Dedouit, Norbert Telmon","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03316-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03316-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Age-at-death estimation is an important issue in forensic medicine and anthropology. Initially, methods relied on morphological criteria, but with the advancement of radiology, new techniques such as morphological studies on multi-slice computed tomography (CT) reconstructions have emerged. Recent studies have shown promising results by investigating the correlation between age and bone mineral density (BMD). However, there is currently a lack of data on post-mortem CTs (PMCT) involving decomposed bodies, and limited information exists regarding changes in Hounsfield Units measurement in a post-mortem context. In light of these gaps, our study aimed to examine the relationship between age at death and pubic and ilium BMD using a sample of forensic bodies. We also aimed to determine whether post-mortem processes, such as putrefaction, could interfere with this correlation. Our retrospective analysis encompassed 637 PMCTs conducted before medicolegal autopsies at Tours University Hospital. Utilizing simple and multiple linear regressions, we investigated the correlation between age and pubic and ilium BMD, as well as the relationship between BMD and the radiologic alteration index (RAI), a scale employed to quantify the degree of putrefaction. Our findings indicate promising outcomes in age-at-death estimation using pubic and/or ilium BMD for bodies exhibiting no or moderate decomposition (RAI < 80), particularly among individuals under 40 years old. However, for highly decomposed corpses (RAI ≥ 80), the presence of gas infiltration significantly influences the BMD of both the ilium and pubis. Consequently, we advocate for the incorporation of the RAI score into the age estimation equation to enhance the accuracy of our results in such cases. Further investigation involving a larger cohort of decomposed bodies could facilitate refinement and validation of our method within this specific population.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142004138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-16DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03286-0
Caroline Wilkinson, Martina Pizzolato, Danilo De Angelis, Debora Mazzarelli, Annalisa D'Apuzzo, Jessica Ching Liu, Pasquale Poppa, Cristina Cattaneo
The identification of deceased migrants is a global challenge that is exacerbated by migration distance, post-mortem conditions, access to ante-mortem data for comparison, inconsistent international procedures and lack of communication between arrival and origin countries. Due to low technology requirements, fast speed analysis and ease of transferring digital data, facial image comparison is particularly beneficial in those contexts, especially in challenging scenarios when this may be the only initial ante-mortem data available to identify the deceased. The Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) professional guidelines for facial image comparison were developed for living facial appearance, and, therefore, a tailored protocol for the application of post-mortem to ante-mortem facial image comparison was proposed and evaluated in this research. The protocol was investigated via an inter-observer and an accuracy study, using 29 forensic cases (2001-2020) from the University of Milan, provided by the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology. In order to replicate a migrant identification scenario, each post-mortem subject was compared to all 29 ante-mortem targets (841 comparisons). The protocol guided the practitioner through stages of facial image comparison, from broad (phase 1) to more detailed (phase 3), eventually leading to a decision of 'exclusion' or 'potential match' for each post-mortem to ante-mortem case (phase 4). In phase 4, a support scale was also utilised to indicate the level of confidence in a potential match. Each post-mortem subject could be recorded with multiple potential matches. The protocol proved to be useful guide for facial image comparison, especially for less experienced practitioners and the inter-observer study suggested good reproducibility. The majority (82-96%) of ante-mortem subjects were excluded at the first stage of the protocol, and 71 full post-mortem to ante-mortem facial image comparisons were carried out. On average, two or three potential matches were recorded for each post-mortem subject. The overall accuracy rate was 85%, with the majority (79%) of ante-mortem non-targets correctly excluded from the identification process. An increased number and quality of available ante-mortem images produced more successful matches with higher levels of support. All potential matches involving non-targets received low levels of support, and for 73% of the post-mortem subjects, the ante-mortem target was the only recorded potential match. However, two ante-mortem targets were incorrectly excluded (one at the first stage of the protocol) and therefore changes to the protocol were implemented to mitigate these errors. A full protocol and a practical recording chart for practitioner use is included with this paper.
{"title":"Post-mortem to ante-mortem facial image comparison for deceased migrant identification.","authors":"Caroline Wilkinson, Martina Pizzolato, Danilo De Angelis, Debora Mazzarelli, Annalisa D'Apuzzo, Jessica Ching Liu, Pasquale Poppa, Cristina Cattaneo","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03286-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-024-03286-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The identification of deceased migrants is a global challenge that is exacerbated by migration distance, post-mortem conditions, access to ante-mortem data for comparison, inconsistent international procedures and lack of communication between arrival and origin countries. Due to low technology requirements, fast speed analysis and ease of transferring digital data, facial image comparison is particularly beneficial in those contexts, especially in challenging scenarios when this may be the only initial ante-mortem data available to identify the deceased. The Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) professional guidelines for facial image comparison were developed for living facial appearance, and, therefore, a tailored protocol for the application of post-mortem to ante-mortem facial image comparison was proposed and evaluated in this research. The protocol was investigated via an inter-observer and an accuracy study, using 29 forensic cases (2001-2020) from the University of Milan, provided by the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology. In order to replicate a migrant identification scenario, each post-mortem subject was compared to all 29 ante-mortem targets (841 comparisons). The protocol guided the practitioner through stages of facial image comparison, from broad (phase 1) to more detailed (phase 3), eventually leading to a decision of 'exclusion' or 'potential match' for each post-mortem to ante-mortem case (phase 4). In phase 4, a support scale was also utilised to indicate the level of confidence in a potential match. Each post-mortem subject could be recorded with multiple potential matches. The protocol proved to be useful guide for facial image comparison, especially for less experienced practitioners and the inter-observer study suggested good reproducibility. The majority (82-96%) of ante-mortem subjects were excluded at the first stage of the protocol, and 71 full post-mortem to ante-mortem facial image comparisons were carried out. On average, two or three potential matches were recorded for each post-mortem subject. The overall accuracy rate was 85%, with the majority (79%) of ante-mortem non-targets correctly excluded from the identification process. An increased number and quality of available ante-mortem images produced more successful matches with higher levels of support. All potential matches involving non-targets received low levels of support, and for 73% of the post-mortem subjects, the ante-mortem target was the only recorded potential match. However, two ante-mortem targets were incorrectly excluded (one at the first stage of the protocol) and therefore changes to the protocol were implemented to mitigate these errors. A full protocol and a practical recording chart for practitioner use is included with this paper.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141987924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-13DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03295-z
Ahed Alissa, Hans O Pinnschmidt, Hussam Mansour, Klaus Püschel
Dental age assessment based on evaluating dental mineralization status is one of the most common methods used in forensic practice. The aim of this study is to enhance the accuracy of age diagnostics and provide reference data from the Syrian population for forensic application. After several selection steps, a total of 280 orthopantomograms (OPGs) from 140 males and 140 females from the Syrian population divided into 14 age groups between 12 and 25 years were analysed. Based on Demirjian's classification system, the mineralization stages of third molars (18, 28, 38 and 48) as well as lower second molars (37 and 47) were evaluated. Statistical investigations and evaluations were carried out to estimate the marginal probabilities of the subjects having attained ages 14 and 18 by generalized estimating equation models. Our results show that no significant differences can be revealed in the mineralization status with respect to jaw side and sex. In the Syrian population, third molars showing mineralization stage G provide evidence of reaching the age of 14 years with the highest standard of proof ("beyond reasonable doubt"). A completed mineralization in lower second molars (stage H) provides very high marginal probabilities (more than 90%) of the subjects having attained age 14 years. Nevertheless, this cannot exclude an age under 14 years. For the age threshold of 18 years, third molars showing incomplete root development (G dental stage or lower) are associated with a low probability (less than 40%) of the subject having reached 18 years of age. A person's probability of having attained 18 years of age is very high (82- 95%) when the roots of third molars are fully developed (stage H). Nevertheless, third molars at stage H do not conclusively exclude an age under 18 years.
{"title":"Chronological age estimation based on dental mineralization for Syrian population.","authors":"Ahed Alissa, Hans O Pinnschmidt, Hussam Mansour, Klaus Püschel","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03295-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03295-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dental age assessment based on evaluating dental mineralization status is one of the most common methods used in forensic practice. The aim of this study is to enhance the accuracy of age diagnostics and provide reference data from the Syrian population for forensic application. After several selection steps, a total of 280 orthopantomograms (OPGs) from 140 males and 140 females from the Syrian population divided into 14 age groups between 12 and 25 years were analysed. Based on Demirjian's classification system, the mineralization stages of third molars (18, 28, 38 and 48) as well as lower second molars (37 and 47) were evaluated. Statistical investigations and evaluations were carried out to estimate the marginal probabilities of the subjects having attained ages 14 and 18 by generalized estimating equation models. Our results show that no significant differences can be revealed in the mineralization status with respect to jaw side and sex. In the Syrian population, third molars showing mineralization stage G provide evidence of reaching the age of 14 years with the highest standard of proof (\"beyond reasonable doubt\"). A completed mineralization in lower second molars (stage H) provides very high marginal probabilities (more than 90%) of the subjects having attained age 14 years. Nevertheless, this cannot exclude an age under 14 years. For the age threshold of 18 years, third molars showing incomplete root development (G dental stage or lower) are associated with a low probability (less than 40%) of the subject having reached 18 years of age. A person's probability of having attained 18 years of age is very high (82- 95%) when the roots of third molars are fully developed (stage H). Nevertheless, third molars at stage H do not conclusively exclude an age under 18 years.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141971099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-13DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03308-x
Weifeng Qu, Jinjie Liu, Lei Guo, Feng Wang, Zheng Gong, Yanan Liu, Yi Liu, Hongtao Jia, Haibo Rong, Mao Li, Penghua Wei, Dan Wen, Chudong Wang, Ruyi Xu, Xuan Tang, Siqi Chen, Xiaoyi Fu, Xue Li, Yue Wang, Yuepeng Wang, Tao Zhang, Yuguang Wang, Li Chen, Jienan Li, Ying Liu, Jifeng Cai, Bowei Jiang, Lagabaiyila Zha
The PowerPlex® 35GY System (Promega, USA) is an advanced eight-dye multiplex STR kit, incorporating twenty-three autosomal STR loci, eleven Y chromosome STR loci, one sex determining marker Amelogenin, and two quality indicators. This multiplex system includes 20 CODIS loci and up to 15 mini-STR loci with sizing values less than 250 bases. In this study, validation for PowerPlex® 35GY System was conducted following the guidelines of SWGDAM, encompassing sensitivity, precision, accuracy, concordance, species specificity, stutter, mixture, stability, and degraded DNA. The results from experiments demonstrated that the PowerPlex® 35GY System could effectively amplify DNA samples, with complete allele detection achieved at 125 pg. Moreover, over 90% of alleles from minor contributors were detected at a mixed ratio of 1:4. Additionally, the system was found to yield full profiles even in the presence of hematin, humic acid, and indigo. The PowerPlex® 35GY System demonstrated superior performance in the sensitivity and degraded DNA studies compared to a six-dye STR kit. Hence, it is evident that the PowerPlex® 35GY System is well-suited for forensic practice, whether in casework or for database samples. These findings provide strong support for the efficacy and reliability of the PowerPlex® 35GY System in forensic applications.
{"title":"Validation of the PowerPlex<sup>®</sup>35GY System: a novel eight-dye STR multiplex kit on the Spectrum Compact CE System.","authors":"Weifeng Qu, Jinjie Liu, Lei Guo, Feng Wang, Zheng Gong, Yanan Liu, Yi Liu, Hongtao Jia, Haibo Rong, Mao Li, Penghua Wei, Dan Wen, Chudong Wang, Ruyi Xu, Xuan Tang, Siqi Chen, Xiaoyi Fu, Xue Li, Yue Wang, Yuepeng Wang, Tao Zhang, Yuguang Wang, Li Chen, Jienan Li, Ying Liu, Jifeng Cai, Bowei Jiang, Lagabaiyila Zha","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03308-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03308-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The PowerPlex<sup>®</sup> 35GY System (Promega, USA) is an advanced eight-dye multiplex STR kit, incorporating twenty-three autosomal STR loci, eleven Y chromosome STR loci, one sex determining marker Amelogenin, and two quality indicators. This multiplex system includes 20 CODIS loci and up to 15 mini-STR loci with sizing values less than 250 bases. In this study, validation for PowerPlex<sup>®</sup> 35GY System was conducted following the guidelines of SWGDAM, encompassing sensitivity, precision, accuracy, concordance, species specificity, stutter, mixture, stability, and degraded DNA. The results from experiments demonstrated that the PowerPlex<sup>®</sup> 35GY System could effectively amplify DNA samples, with complete allele detection achieved at 125 pg. Moreover, over 90% of alleles from minor contributors were detected at a mixed ratio of 1:4. Additionally, the system was found to yield full profiles even in the presence of hematin, humic acid, and indigo. The PowerPlex<sup>®</sup> 35GY System demonstrated superior performance in the sensitivity and degraded DNA studies compared to a six-dye STR kit. Hence, it is evident that the PowerPlex<sup>®</sup> 35GY System is well-suited for forensic practice, whether in casework or for database samples. These findings provide strong support for the efficacy and reliability of the PowerPlex<sup>®</sup> 35GY System in forensic applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141971057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-12DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03311-2
Michal Kuchař, Anežka Pilmann Kotěrová, Alexander Morávek, Frédéric Santos, Katarína Harnádková, Petr Henyš, Eugénia Cunha, Jaroslav Brůžek
{"title":"Correction to: Automatic variable extraction from 3D coxal bone models for sex estimation using the DSP2 method.","authors":"Michal Kuchař, Anežka Pilmann Kotěrová, Alexander Morávek, Frédéric Santos, Katarína Harnádková, Petr Henyš, Eugénia Cunha, Jaroslav Brůžek","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03311-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-024-03311-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141916637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Facial approximation is a technique that involves constructing the facial muscles and applying a suitable facial soft tissue depth (FSTD) dataset. To date, several FSTD studies have been conducted for varying population groups. This study aims to establish a FSTD dataset of an adult Greek population sample for the first time. The facial depths of subjects were measured on 100 head CT scans of 50 male and 50 female subjects aged from 18 to 99. The 3D head and skull models of subjects were segmented in Amira 6.1 by using histogram method. FSTDs were measured at 22 cranial landmarks (5 mid-sagittal, 17 bilateral). The FSTD dataset was generated by considering the age and sex of subjects. The impact of age and sex on the FSTD was limited. Slight inter-population depth variations were reported. Facial asymmetry calculated between the bilateral landmarks was insignificant for both male and female subjects.
{"title":"Facial soft tissue depth of a contemporary adult Greek population.","authors":"Gülçin Coşkun, Marina Fasoula, Nikolaos Bontozoglou","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03305-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03305-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Facial approximation is a technique that involves constructing the facial muscles and applying a suitable facial soft tissue depth (FSTD) dataset. To date, several FSTD studies have been conducted for varying population groups. This study aims to establish a FSTD dataset of an adult Greek population sample for the first time. The facial depths of subjects were measured on 100 head CT scans of 50 male and 50 female subjects aged from 18 to 99. The 3D head and skull models of subjects were segmented in Amira 6.1 by using histogram method. FSTDs were measured at 22 cranial landmarks (5 mid-sagittal, 17 bilateral). The FSTD dataset was generated by considering the age and sex of subjects. The impact of age and sex on the FSTD was limited. Slight inter-population depth variations were reported. Facial asymmetry calculated between the bilateral landmarks was insignificant for both male and female subjects.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141912547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-08DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03304-1
Sandra López-Lázaro, Camila Castillo-Alonso
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between Total Body Score (TBS) and Accumulated Degree-Days (ADD) for estimating postmortem interval (PMI) using the decomposition quantification system by Megyesi et al. (Megyesi MS, Nawrocki SP, Haskell NH (2005) Using Accumulated Degree-Days to Estimate the Postmortem Interval from Decomposed Human Remains. J Forensic Sci 50:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1520/jfs2004017 ).
Design: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the QUADAS-2 scoring system. Statical tests, including I2 for heterogeneity assessment and subgroup analysis comparing human and pig proxies across different decomposition stages, were performed for meta-analysis.
Results: The search identified 25 studies that underwent qualitative evaluation, all of which were included for quantitative analysis. The findings indicate that the TBS formula tends to overestimate ADD with a moderate mean difference of 0.5758 overall. Specifically, in pigs, ADD is overestimated significantly (1.1128), while there is a slight underestimation in humans (-0.0038). Across decomposition stages, fresh body (0.0066) and early decomposition (0.0338) show an insignificant overestimation, whereas advanced decomposition reveals a slight underestimation (-0.3378) and skeletonization indicates a substantial overestimation (1.6583).
Conclusions: The relationship between TBS and ADD demonstrates high accuracy in humans during early decomposition stages, without differences in statistical significance. However, its accuracy diminishes as decomposition progresses, potentially leading to an overestimation of PMI.
研究目的本研究旨在评估总身体分数(TBS)和累积度日(ADD)之间的关系,以便使用 Megyesi 等人的分解量化系统估算死后间隔(PMI)(Megyesi MS, Nawrocki SP, Haskell NH (2005) Using Accumulated Degree-Days to Estimate the Postmortem Interval from Decomposed Human Remains.J Forensic Sci 50:1-9。https://doi.org/10.1520/jfs2004017 ).Design:按照《系统综述和元分析首选报告项目》(Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis,PRISMA)指南进行了系统综述。采用 QUADAS-2 评分系统对方法学质量和偏倚风险进行了评估。在进行荟萃分析时,还进行了统计检验,包括异质性评估的 I2 检验和在不同分解阶段比较人和猪代用品的亚组分析:搜索发现了 25 项进行了定性评估的研究,所有这些研究都纳入了定量分析。研究结果表明,TBS 公式倾向于高估 ADD,总体平均差为 0.5758。具体来说,猪的 ADD 被明显高估(1.1128),而人的 ADD 被轻微低估(-0.0038)。在不同的分解阶段,新鲜尸体(0.0066)和早期分解(0.0338)显示出不明显的高估,而晚期分解显示出轻微的低估(-0.3378),骨骼化则显示出大量的高估(1.6583):结论:TBS 和 ADD 之间的关系在人类早期分解阶段表现出很高的准确性,在统计意义上没有差异。结论:TBS 与 ADD 之间的关系在人类分解的早期阶段表现出较高的准确性,且无统计学意义上的差异,但随着分解的进行,其准确性会降低,从而可能导致 PMI 被高估。
{"title":"Accuracy of estimating postmortem interval using the relationship between total body score and accumulated degree-days: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Sandra López-Lázaro, Camila Castillo-Alonso","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03304-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03304-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to evaluate the relationship between Total Body Score (TBS) and Accumulated Degree-Days (ADD) for estimating postmortem interval (PMI) using the decomposition quantification system by Megyesi et al. (Megyesi MS, Nawrocki SP, Haskell NH (2005) Using Accumulated Degree-Days to Estimate the Postmortem Interval from Decomposed Human Remains. J Forensic Sci 50:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1520/jfs2004017 ).</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the QUADAS-2 scoring system. Statical tests, including I<sup>2</sup> for heterogeneity assessment and subgroup analysis comparing human and pig proxies across different decomposition stages, were performed for meta-analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The search identified 25 studies that underwent qualitative evaluation, all of which were included for quantitative analysis. The findings indicate that the TBS formula tends to overestimate ADD with a moderate mean difference of 0.5758 overall. Specifically, in pigs, ADD is overestimated significantly (1.1128), while there is a slight underestimation in humans (-0.0038). Across decomposition stages, fresh body (0.0066) and early decomposition (0.0338) show an insignificant overestimation, whereas advanced decomposition reveals a slight underestimation (-0.3378) and skeletonization indicates a substantial overestimation (1.6583).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The relationship between TBS and ADD demonstrates high accuracy in humans during early decomposition stages, without differences in statistical significance. However, its accuracy diminishes as decomposition progresses, potentially leading to an overestimation of PMI.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141901713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}