Journal of forensic sciences最新文献

Herniation of the temporal lobe through the tentorial notch often leads to compression of the ipsilateral posterior cerebral artery and stretching of the ipsilateral oculomotor nerve. Arterial compression classically results in infarcts of the inferior temporal and occipital lobes. Herniation of the cingulate gyrus beneath the falx cerebri often leads to compression of branches of the ipsilateral anterior cerebral artery, including the pericallosal artery, which classically results in infarcts of the cingulate gyrus and medial corpus callosum. A less common consequence of transtentorial herniation is compression of perforating branches from the internal carotid and anterior cerebral arteries supplying the inferomedial anterior basal ganglia. Compression of the anterior choroidal artery, a branch of the internal carotid, and the recurrent artery of Heubner, a branch of the anterior cerebral artery, can cause infarcts of the ipsilateral anteromedial striatum and globus pallidus, but these are rarely seen at autopsy. In this report, we present the case of a 51-year-old lady with a large left acute subdural hemorrhage (SDH). At autopsy, we observed left subfalcine and transtentorial herniations with a typical pattern of secondary infarcts due to compression of the posterior and anterior cerebral arteries. In addition, we observed cavitation of the left inferomedial anterior caudate and putamen and globus pallidus internus due to compression of perforating arteries, including the left anterior choroidal artery and the left recurrent artery of Heubner. This case illustrates perforating artery infarcts, an uncommon pattern of secondary ischemic injury, in the setting of SDH.

Understanding population diversity is necessary for the development of forensic anthropology methods that address population affinity. The commonly used age-at-death estimation methods for adult skeletal remains are based on American data sets, which include individuals with both European and African population affinities. Evaluating these methods on different skeletal collections worldwide is hampered by our incomplete understanding of population diversity. Hence, this study evaluated three methods of estimating age-at-death using the pubic symphyseal surface, auricular surface, and acetabulum regions on the os coxa. A total sample size of 143 os coxae from Black South African and White South African population groups was examined in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The accuracy (chi-squared test of independence), bias, absolute error (mean absolute error, Wilcoxon signed-rank test), interobserver, and intraobserver correlation coefficients (Cronbach's alpha test) were recorded for each method. The auricular surface method scored the highest accuracy; however, the reliability of this method is still questionable, as it also scored the highest absolute error and bias among the three methods on both population groups. Compared to the pubic symphyseal surface and auricular surface methods, the acetabulum method showed promise, as it maintained lower bias and absolute error and was consistent when re-evaluated in both populations. Laterality was insignificant for any of the three methods. Sex was insignificant for the acetabulum and auricular surface methods, but significant for the pubic symphyseal surface method in the White South African samples and insignificant in Black South African samples. These results demonstrated the need for creating population-specific standards, including precisely defined age ranges and reference samples catered to the diverse South African populations.

In typical inheritance, a child receives one chromosome of each pair from each parent. In rare cases, however, both chromosomes may be inherited from the same parent, a phenomenon known as uniparental disomy (UPD). In forensic kinship testing, UPD can lead to Mendelian inconsistencies between parent and child, increasing the risk of inconclusive or erroneous interpretations. In this case study, inconsistencies between the mother and child during paternity testing prompted further investigation. Parentage was confirmed (probability of maternity and paternity >99.99%), using autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) typing. Additional analyses were performed, including STR sequencing via next-generation sequencing (NGS) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray testing across all trio samples. A total of 4 STRs and 273 SNPs on Chromosome 3 were examined, confirming complete paternal isodisomy in the child. Alternative kinship scenarios were then evaluated to assess the impact of UPD on relationship testing. While paternity results remained conclusive, maternal and secondary relationship analyses produced inconclusive and false outcomes, even when up to 42 STR loci were included. This study highlights the importance of recognizing UPD and its genotypic features in forensic casework. To mitigate the risk of misinterpretation, forensic scientists should remain vigilant for multiple inconsistencies restricted to a single chromosome, supported by the implementation of software alerts designed to flag such patterns.