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Statistical Discrimination of Footwear: A Method for the Comparison of Accidentals on Shoe Outsoles Inspired by Facial Recognition Techniques.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study is intended to be a starting point for future research to build statistical models on the formation and evolution of accidental patterns. PMID: 19895540 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences)
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 5, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Petraco ND, Gambino C, Kubic TA, Olivio D, Petraco N Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The Intergenerational Cycle of Criminality-Association with Psychopathy*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Preventive interventions early in life are likely to lower the risk of intergenerational transmission of criminal behavior. We investigated if psychopathy among homicidal offenders is associated with criminal offending among the offenders' offspring. The basic sample consisted of consecutive Finnish homicide offenders (during 1995-2004) who had been subjected to a forensic psychiatric examination and rated for a file-based PCL-R, and their offspring. Criminal behavior among both genders of the offspring was more common than in the general population. In general, the offspring's crimes against others (e.g., threat, inti...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 5, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Repo-Tiihonen E, Tiihonen J, Lindberg N, Weizmann-Henelius G, Putkonen H, Häkkänen H Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Cardiac Injuries Caused by Blunt Trauma: An Autopsy Based Assessment of the Injury Pattern.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Nonpenetrating chest trauma with injury to the heart and aorta has become increasingly common, particularly as a result of rapid deceleration in high-speed vehicular accidents, over the past 2-3 decades. The high mortality rate of cardiac injuries and possible late onset complications make blunt cardiac injuries an important challenging point for legal medicine. One hundred and ninety cases with blunt cardiac injuries in a period of 3 years were analyzed retrospectively in terms of patterns of cardiac injury, survival times, and demographic profiles of the cases in this study. PMID: 19895542 [PubMed - as supplied b...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 5, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Turan AA, Karayel FA, Akyildiz E, Pakis I, Uzun I, Gurpinar K, Atılmıs U, Kir Z Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Debugging Decomposition Data-Comparative Taphonomic Studies and the Influence of Insects and Carcass Size on Decomposition Rate.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Comparison of data from a variety of environments and ambient temperatures has previously been difficult as few studies used standardized measures of time/temperature and decomposition. In this paper, data from previous studies and recent experiments are compared using simple conversions. These conversions allow comparison across multiple environments and experiments for the first time. Plotting decomposition score against logADD allows the exponential progression of decomposition to be expressed as a simple linear equation. Data comparison from many environments and temperatures shows no difference in decomposition pr...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 5, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Simmons T, Adlam RE, Moffatt C Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Study: The Lack of Significant Association of the Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) Gene Polymorphism in Violent Offenders with Mental Retardation.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, the COMT gene genotype distribution and allele frequency is not significantly different between the two groups (p > 0.05). This result suggests that the H/L polymorphism of the COMT gene does not show an association with the potential of "commits-violent offense" of Turkish subjects with mental retardation, compared with control group. PMID: 19895544 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences)
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 5, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Isir AB, Dai AI, Nacak M, Gorucu S Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The identification of a human skull recovered from an eBay sale.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A human skull seized by the State of Louisiana from an eBay sale is analyzed. Bioarchaeological analyses of age-at-death, sex, and population affinity suggest the individual represented by the skull was a middle-aged Native American female. The presence of intentional cranial modification independently supports the population affinity assessment while confounding the metric analyses. However, no further specificity as to population affinity could be inferred using existing methods and comparative databases. Sedimentological and palynological analyses were attempted to redress this impasse. The presence of fine-grained ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 1, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Seidemann RM, Stojanowski CM, Rich FJ Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Body height measurements in images.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
For any measurement of a person's height in an image, a difference exists between the actual height of the person and the image measurement. In order to gain knowledge about statistical behavior of differences between actual and measured heights it is necessary to make reference recordings, e.g., of test persons under the same recording conditions. To test whether the differences are dependent on camera and further circumstances, an experiment was set up which involved the measurement of 22 test persons using three cameras of varying quality. Reproducibility of measurements per image appears to be strongly dependent on...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 1, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Hoogeboom B, Alberink I, Goos M Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Morbidity involving the hallucinogenic designer amines MDA and 2C-I.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This report demonstrates the utility of testing for a wider menu of compounds using LC-MS/MS in order to better characterize the prevalence and toxicities of novel amines such as 2C-I. PMID: 19878416 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences)
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 1, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Drees JC, Stone JA, Wu AH Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Commentary on: Authors' response [J Forensic Sci 2009;54(2):501] to Wells' comments [J Forensic Sci 2009;54(2):500] regarding Krane DE, Ford S, Gilder JR, Inman K, Jamieson A, Koppl R, Kornfield IL, Risinger DM, Rudin N, Taylor MS, Thompson WC. Sequential unmasking: a means of minimizing observer effects in forensic DNA interpretation.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - November 1, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Authors' response [J Forensic Sci 2009;54(2):501] to Wells' comments [J Forensic Sci 2009;54(2):500] regarding Krane DE, Ford S, Gilder JR, Inman K, Jamieson A, Koppl R, Kornfield IL, Risinger DM, Rudin N, Taylor MS, Thompson WC. Sequential unmasking: a m Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Study of the Cytochrome b Gene Sequence in Populations of Taiwan.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, there are sufficient sequence polymorphisms of the MTCYB gene in individuals of different populations, which may be used in the analyses of human ethnic groups in forensic casework. PMID: 19874441 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences)
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 23, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Hwa HL, Ko TM, Chen YC, Chang YY, Tseng LH, Su YN, Lee JC Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Walk and Die: An Unusual Presentation of Head Injury.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We report three deaths in young adult males following closed blunt trauma to the head and face where the affected individuals were able to walk away from the incident, before subsequently collapsing and dying a short distance from the site of the assault. In each case, due to the rapidity of the posttrauma collapse, the pathologist was faced with a diagnostic difficulty at autopsy; the external examination revealed multiple injuries to the head and face, but internal examinations showed limited findings with no structural explanation for the death. We discuss possible mechanisms that could account for this scenario, the im...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 13, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Veevers AE, Lawler W, Rutty GN Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Fast Multiplexed Polymerase Chain Reaction for Conventional and Microfluidic Short Tandem Repeat Analysis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The time required for short tandem repeat (STR) amplification is determined by the temperature ramp rates of the thermal cycler, the components of the reaction mix, and the properties of the reaction vessel. Multiplex amplifications in microfluidic biochip-based and conventional tube-based thermal cyclers have been demonstrated in 17.3 and 19 min, respectively. Optimized 28-cycle amplification protocols generated alleles with signal strengths above calling thresholds, heterozygous peak height ratios of greater than 0.65, and incomplete nontemplate nucleotide addition and stutter of less than 15%. Full CODIS-compatible ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 13, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Giese H, Lam R, Selden R, Tan E Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Integrating DSM-IV Factors to Predict Violence in High-Risk Psychiatric Patients.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study incorporated Axis-II and Axis-IV factors in DSM-IV to test the relationship between predicted risk for violence assessed in the psychiatric emergency room and actual violence during hospitalization. Psychiatric nurses lack an objective instrument to use during the acute psychiatric assessment. The retrospective study comprised consecutive psychiatric admissions (n = 161) in one tertiary veterans' hospital. Statistical testing for the predictive power of risk factors, relationships between variables, and violent events included nonparametric tests, factor analysis, and logistic regression. Of the 32 patients who ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 13, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Lynch DM, Noel HC Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Anthropological and Radiographic Comparison of Antemortem Surgical Records for Identification of Skeletal Remains*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This case review illustrates the important contributions of forensic archeological methods and forensic anthropological analysis to the identification of found skeletal remains. After reassociation of skeletal remains found in two locations, anthropological analysis provided the basis for a presumptive identification and a request for antemortem medical records. Partial DNA profiles were supportive but not conclusive and antemortem dental records were not available. Comparison of antemortem traumas, skeletal morphology, and surgical artifacts with antemortem radiographs and surgical records led to positive identificati...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 9, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Scott AL, Congram D, Sweet D, Fonseca S, Skinner M Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

An Unusual Zip Gun Suicide-Medicolegal and Ballistic Examination.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article presents an unusual case of a suicide carried out by means of a fatal gunshot wound to the head using a home-made zip gun. A 49-year-old male, with a history of paranoid psychosis was found dead in the dwelling place of a family house. The investigation at the crime scene did not lead to suspicion of a gunshot wound because of the unusual nature of the firearm used. A medical examiner diagnosed an opened head injury as the primary cause of the victim's death. The autopsy findings provided immediate grounds for further inspection of the crime scene. Subsequently, a simple zip gun, which had been overlooked duri...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 9, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Hejna P, Safr M Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The Nocturnal Ovipositing Behavior of Carrion Flies in Cincinnati, Ohio.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The behavioral patterns of nocturnal oviposition represent a window of time that potentially has a large impact on postmortem interval estimations. We investigated the behavioral patterns of carrion flies at night by exposing euthanized rats between sunset and sunrise to see if carrion flies oviposited upon the carrion over two consecutive summers. We investigated urban and rural locations, in both lit and unlit conditions with n = 125. We found that nocturnal ovipositing did not occur in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. We conclude that nocturnal oviposition is an unlikely event in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 9, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Stamper T, Davis P, Debry RW Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

A Grass Molecular Identification System for Forensic Botany: A Critical Evaluation of the Strengths and Limitations*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Plant material is frequently encountered in criminal investigations but often overlooked as potential evidence. We designed a DNA-based molecular identification system for 100 Australian grasses that consisted of a series of polymerase chain reaction assays that enabled the progressive identification of grasses to different taxonomic levels. The identification system was based on DNA sequence variation at four chloroplast and two mitochondrial loci. Seventeen informative indels and 68 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were utilized as molecular markers for subfamily to species-level identification. To identify an unknown...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 9, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Ward J, Gilmore SR, Robertson J, Peakall R Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Characterization of the Products Formed by the Reaction of Trichlorocyanuric Acid with 2-Propanol.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We report a recent investigation into the death of a cat that was initially thought to involve intentionally burning the animal via the use of an ignitable liquid. The exposure of the animal to flame was ruled out. Instead, forensic investigation revealed the intentional mixing together of a common outdoor swimming pool chlorinator, trichlorocyanuric acid (TCCA), and 2-propanol (aka, isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol). The reaction of these two chemicals resulted in the formation of cyanuric acid residue, hydrochloric acid, and the evolution of a significant volume of chlorine gas. Further alpha-chlorination side reacti...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 9, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Sandercock PM, Barnett JS Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

DNA Preparation from Sexual Assault Cases by Selective Degradation of Contaminating DNA from the Victim.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The standard method to purify sperm DNA from vaginal swabs taken from rape victims is to selectively digest the victim's epithelial cells to solubilize the victim's DNA, and then separate the soluble DNA from the intact sperm by centrifugation. A different approach to removing the soluble victim's DNA is to selectively degrade it using a nuclease, DNase I. DNase I reduces the amount of soluble DNA by over 1000-fold, while having virtually no effect on the sperm DNA remaining in the sperm head and inaccessible to the enzyme. Nuclease inactivation and sperm lysis then yield a soluble, pure male DNA fraction. An aliquot o...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 9, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Garvin AM, Bottinelli M, Gola M, Conti A, Soldati G Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Age at Death Estimation in Adults by Computer-Assisted Histomorphometry of Decalcified Femur Cortex.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study was divided into two parts: in the first, we tested different decalcifying methods to determine the most appropriate for femoral bone; in the second part, we used computer-assisted histomorphometry to estimate age at death in 29 samples of femoral bone. We measured intact osteon density (N.On), fragmented osteon density (N.On.Fg) and percentage of lamellar bone surface per unit area (Lm.B.Ar) in the cortex of the femoral midshaft, on four or 20 fields per section. We found that 20% nitric acid solution at room temperature proved to be the best decalcifying method, with a mean decalcification duration of 1 week. ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 9, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Martrille L, Irinopoulou T, Bruneval P, Baccino E, Fornes P Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Assessment of Impulsive Aggression in Patients with Severe Mental Disorders and Demonstrated Violence: Inter-Rater Reliability of Rating Instrument.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Measurements of impulsive and premeditated aggression, developed recently, have been applied to prison and outpatient populations without severe mental disorders. Comparable measures of impulsive and premeditated aggression have not been developed for populations with a severe mental disorder. A practical difficulty is that seriously disturbed, thought-disordered patients are incapable of providing reliable historical information. The investigators adapted the Barratt-Stanford instrument for differentiating impulsive from premeditated aggression so that instead of serving as an interview schedule, it could be used to a...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 9, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Felthous AR, Weaver D, Evans R, Braik S, Stanford MS, Johnson R, Metzger C, Bazile A, Barratt E Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Evidentiary Standards for Forensic Anthropology*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
As issues of professional standards and error rates continue to be addressed in the courts, forensic anthropologists should be proactive by developing and adhering to professional standards of best practice. There has been recent increased awareness and interest in critically assessing some of the techniques used by forensic anthropologists, but issues such as validation, error rates, and professional standards have seldom been addressed. Here we explore the legal impetus for this trend and identify areas where we can improve regarding these issues. We also discuss the recent formation of a Scientific Working Group for...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Christensen AM, Crowder CM Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Fimag: The United Kingdom Disaster Victim/Forensic Identification Imaging System.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We present a new national disaster victim/forensic identification imaging system-Fimag-which is applicable for both contaminated and non-contaminated mass fatality imaging and addresses the issues of judicial reporting. We suggest this system opens a new era in radiological diagnostics for mass fatalities. PMID: 19804521 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences)
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Rutty GN, Robinson C, Morgan B, Black S, Adams C, Webster P Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The Teaching of Denture Marking Methods in Dental Schools in the United Kingdom and the United States.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Forensic organizations worldwide have recommended that dental prostheses should be marked with, at a minimum, the patient's name and preferably with further unique identifiers such as a social security number. The current study aimed to assess the denture marking practice of dental schools within the United States and the United Kingdom. A questionnaire-based survey was employed to gain both quantitative and qualitative data on the methods, practices, and ethos behind denture marking in 14 U.K. and 32 U.S. dental schools. One hundred percent of U.K. and 87.5% of U.S. schools returned surveys and the results suggest tha...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Richmond R, Pretty IA Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The Use of Hemastix(R) and the Subsequent Lack of DNA Recovery Using the Promega DNA IQ System.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Following implementation of our automated process incorporating the Promega DNA IQ(TM) system as a DNA extraction method, a large number of blood-containing exhibits failed to produce DNA. These exhibits had been tested with the Hemastix((R)) reagent strip, commonly used by police investigators and forensic laboratories as a screening test for blood. Some exhibits were even tainted green following transfer of the presumptive test reagents onto the samples. A series of experiments were carried out to examine the effect of the Hemastix((R)) chemistries on the DNA IQ(TM) system. Our results indicate that one or more chemi...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Poon H, Elliott J, Modler J, Frégeau C Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Santeria and Palo Mayombe: Skulls, Mercury, and Artifacts.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Santeria and Palo Mayombe are syncretic religions created in the New World based upon African religious beliefs combined with Christianity. The main worship of Palo Mayombe involves religious receptacles that may contain earth, sticks, varied artifacts, and animal and human remains. Due to the use of human and nonhuman remains, discovery of these items often leads to involvement by the police due to a concern of homicide. We review in detail the medical examiner records of two of these ritualistic cases including the autopsy, anthropology, police, and investigators' reports. For the human remains, careful consideration...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Gill JR, Rainwater CW, Adams BJ Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The Stable Isotope Ratios of Marijuana. II. Strontium Isotopes Relate to Geographic Origin.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Effectively addressing marijuana trade is aided by understanding marijuana geographic sources. We analyzed the (87)Sr/(86)Sr of marijuana samples grown in 79 counties across the United States to determine if a primary geologic signal is retained in marijuana, which could therefore be useful for geographic sourcing. The marijuana results were compared with modeled bedrock (87)Sr/(86)Sr values based on (87)Rb decay rates and a generalized geologic map of the U.S.A. A significant correlation was observed between marijuana (87)Sr/(86)Sr and modeled bedrock (87)Sr/(86)Sr. Although values clustered near the 1:1 relationship,...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: West JB, Hurley JM, Dudás FO, Ehleringer JR Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Forensic Terrestrial Photogrammetry from a Single Image.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Forensic terrestrial photogrammetry is one of the most valuable and low-cost resources of spatial data available today. Due to the ephemeral crime scene characteristics, these photographs can often capture information that is never to be seen again. This paper presents a novelty approach for the documentation, analysis, and visualization of crime scenes for which only a single perspective image is available. The photogrammetric process consists of a few well-known steps in close-range photogrammetry: features extraction, vanishing points computation, camera self-calibration, 3D metric reconstruction, dimensional analys...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Gonzalez-Aguilera D, Gomez-Lahoz J Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Skull Fracture with Brain Expulsion in a One-Level Jumping-Fall.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Here presented is the case of a one-level jumping-fall with extensive skull fractures and brain expulsion. The body was found on the basement floor at the foot of the stairs. At the autopsy, the skull was extensively fractured, with about half of the brain expulsed several feet away from the body. The cause of death was established as a craniocerebral trauma with brain expulsion. The circumstances and manner of death were still unclear at that time. A low fall seemed very unlikely considering the severity of the skull and brain damage. The police investigation clearly revealed that the man, in a paranoid psychotic stat...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Guyomarc'h P, Campagna-Vaillancourt M, Chaltchi A, Sauvageau A Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

An Amino Acid Model for Latent Fingerprints on Porous Surfaces*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Analytical standards are needed in latent fingerprint detection for research and development as well as for quality control in routine work because normal fingerprints are too varied for comparison studies and tests. One way is to create latent fingerprints. For the amino acid sensitive detection method this can be achieved by coating test items with an amino acid solution using a modified commercial office bubble jet printer. Besides low costs, fast and easy preparation, the main advantage of a bubble jet printer is that the amino acid loading per area on the test item can be calculated by weighing the cartridge on a ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Schwarz L Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Medicolegal Aspects of Posttraumatic Gastroduodenal Ulcers: A Retrospective Study*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Retrospective examination of 5-year autopsy material showed the presence of posttraumatic gastroduodenal ulcers (PGDU) in 17.7% of decedents deemed to be at risk. They were more common in males (77%) and in patients aged over 50. In the majority of cases (76%) the survival period was <12 days; in 16.5% it was < 48 h. PGDU developed most commonly in victims of polytrauma and isolated craniocerebral injury, with ISS values >/=16; patients with spinal cord injuries were at greatest risk. Most frequently affected was the stomach, exhibiting numerous, usually superficial lesions, while solitary acute and exacerbate...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Savic S, Stevanovic R, Alempijevic D, Petkovic S, Baralic I Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

A LDR-PCR Approach for Multiplex Polymorphisms Genotyping of Severely Degraded DNA with Fragment SizesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we present a multiplex typing method that couples ligase detection reaction with PCR that can be used to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms and small-scale insertion/deletions in a sample of severely fragmented DNA. This method adopts thermostable ligation for allele discrimination and subsequent PCR for signal enhancement. In this study, four polymorphic loci were used to assess the ability of this technique to discriminate alleles in an artificially degraded sample of DNA with fragment sizes <100 bp. Our results showed clear allelic discrimination of single or multiple loci, suggesting that this m...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Zhang Z, Wang BJ, Guan HY, Pang H, Xuan JF Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Subway Train-Related Fatalities in New York City: Accident versus Suicide*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined the characteristics of subway train-related fatalities in New York City between Jan. 1, 2003 and May 31, 2007 in order to determine which factors are useful in differentiating accident from suicide. Subway train-related deaths with homicide and undetermined manners also are included. During this period, there were 211 subway train-related fatalities. The manners of death were: suicide (n = 111), accident (n = 76), undetermined (n = 20), and homicide (n = 4). The causes of death were blunt trauma (n = 206) and electrocution (n = 5). Torso transection and extremity amputation were more frequent in suicides. Antid...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Lin PT, Gill JR Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Study of Short- and Long-Term Storage of Teeth and Its Influence on DNA.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study analyzed DNA degradation in 24 extracted teeth after storage at room temperature for 0, 2, 5, and 10 years. DNA concentration, quantified by dot-blot hybridization, declined significantly for the first 2 years, but there was no significant further degradation from the second to the tenth year of storage. COfiler analysis was used and the allelic dropout ratio for the amelogenin locus relative to CSF1PO locus was also estimated. Statistically significant differences were found between fresh teeth and teeth from the 2- and 5-year groups but not from the 10-year group. Under our storage conditions most of the DNA d...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - October 4, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Rubio L, Martinez LJ, Martinez E, de Las Heras SM Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Biting Through an Arteriovenous Hemodialysis Graft: An Unusual Method of Suicide.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We report a patient on chronic hemodialysis with a history of depression and suicidal ideation who bit into his forearm arteriovenous graft and exsanguinated. PMID: 19788702 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences)
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 24, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Charlot A, Deroux S Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Potentially Lethal Behaviors Associated With Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder: Review of the Literature and Forensic Implications.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study reviewed the literature on RBD with regard to potentially lethal behavior. A total of 39-41 clinical cases of RBD associated with potentially lethal behaviors to self and/or others were found, involving a child and adults of all age groups, that manifested as choking/headlock (n = 22-24), defenestration/near-defenestration (n = 7), and diving from bed (n = 10). A total of 80.8% (n = 21) were males; 19.2% (n = 5) were females; mean age was 65.6 +/- (SD) 13.8 years (range: 27-81 years, and a child). (Gender/age data were not listed in the remaining cases.) An etiologic association of RBD with a neurologic disorder...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 24, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Schenck CH, Lee SA, Bornemann MA, Mahowald MW Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Alcohol-Related Mortality Risk in Natural and Non-Natural Death Cases.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Determination of the associations between alcohol influence and sudden natural death represents challenges for medicolegal investigations. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of alcohol influence in medicolegal autopsies. In our study of natural and non-natural deaths cases (5496 total: 4045 males, 1451 females) were examined. Blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) were detected by headspace gas chromatographic method. We investigated the alcohol-related mortality using hierarchical log-linear statistical models. Severe BACs were detected among suicidal victims in the oldest age group (>65 years) (I...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 24, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Törő K, Dunay G, Róna K, Klausz G, Fehér S Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Computerized Image Analysis in Differentiation of Skin Lesions Caused by Electrocution, Flame Burns, and Abrasion.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, epidermal nuclear area, perimeter, nuclear form factor, nuclear minimum axes, nuclear maximum axes, and minimum axes/maximum axes ratio were measured. As a result, we think that computerized image analysis beside light microscopic examination can be useful in the differentiation of the electrocution, flame burn, and abrasion type lesions. PMID: 19788705 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences)
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 24, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Akyıldız E, Uzun I, Akif İnanıcı M, Baloglu H Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Soft Tissue Decomposition of Submerged, Dismembered Pig Limbs Enclosed in Plastic Bags*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study examines underwater soft tissue decomposition of dismembered pig limbs deposited in polyethylene plastic bags. The research evaluates the level of influence that disposal method has on underwater decomposition processes and details observations specific to this scenario. To our knowledge, no other study has yet investigated decomposing, dismembered, and enclosed remains in water environments. The total sample size consisted of 120 dismembered pig limbs, divided into a subsample of 30 pig limbs per recovery period (34 and 71 days) for each treatment. The two treatments simulated non-enclosed and plastic enclosed ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 15, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Pakosh CM, Rogers TL Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The Effects of Soil Environment on Postmortem Interval: A Macroscopic Analysis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Burial environment, in particular soil moisture, has a significant impact on the type, rate, and extent of bone degradation, which ultimately affects estimations of the postmortem interval (PMI). The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of soil moisture on the color, weight, condition, and texture of bone as it relates to the PMI. Bone changes occurring over two different time intervals (2 and 5 months) were examined using 120 sus scrofa leg bones. During each time interval bones were buried in two soil environments, one of which was drier than the other. The bones in both environments lost weight over ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 15, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Jaggers KA, Rogers TL Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Investigation Delayed Is Justice Denied: Proposals for Expediting Forensic Examinations of Digital Evidence*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There is an urgent need to reduce the growing backlog of forensic examinations in Digital Forensics Laboratories (DFLs). Currently, DFLs routinely create forensic duplicates and perform in-depth forensic examinations of all submitted media. This approach is rapidly becoming untenable as more cases involve increasing quantities of digital evidence. A more efficient and effective three-tiered strategy for performing forensic examinations will enable DFLs to produce useful results in a timely manner at different phases of an investigation, and will reduce unnecessary expenditure of resources on less serious matters. The t...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 15, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Casey E, Ferraro M, Nguyen L Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Trajectory Reconstruction Through Analysis of Trace Evidence in Bullet-Intermediate Target Interaction by SEM/EDX.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A young male was shot to death by a police officer with a Chinese Type 64 7.62 mm pistol when he was dealing with an aggravated assault arising from a traffic accident. By using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), trace deposits on the discharged bullet and the intermediate target, i.e., a concrete telegraph pole at the scene, were identified to be from each other. The result demonstrated the bullet causing the death ricocheted from the concrete telegraph pole before striking the victim, thus indicating the incident was accidental. The case report illustrates the evidential ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 7, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Hu S, Shen H, Wang S, Fang C Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Asphyxiation by Occlusion of Nose and Mouth by Duct Tape: Two Unusual Suicides.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We report two instances of a far less common method of suicidal asphyxiation, occlusion of the nose and mouth by duct tape. One was a 47-year-old man with a history of paranoid schizophrenia with suicidal ideation and the other was a 52-year-old man who was depressed due to gambling debts. The value of scene investigation, including review of available video surveillance to determine the manner of death is highlighted. PMID: 19737336 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences)
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 7, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Deroux S, Leffers B Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Estimating the Time of Death in Domestic Canines.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study, conducted indoors in still air at approximately room temperature, monitored the postmortem reduction in rectal, liver, brain, and aural temperatures in 16 dogs for 32 h after death. Graphs of temperature reduction were prepared to estimate the TOD of dogs within the first 32 h postmortem. Sex, body mass, and hair coat density did not affect the rate of body temperature reduction, but increased body weight and volume slowed it. Rectal temperature was the most convenient, reasonable site for measuring body temperature. Vitreous humor potassium ion concentration [K(+)] was measured in both eyes at c. 1.5 and 7 h a...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 7, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Proctor KW, Kelch WJ, New Jr JC Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The New Face of Terrorism in Turkey: Actor Unknown Political Murders.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we have analyzed the temporal and spatial trends in actor unknown political murders in Turkey. A total of 1852 cases, defined as actor unknown political murders, occurred in Turkey between 1975 and 2006, with the peak years being 1980 and 1994. Three different time frames could be defined: 1975-1993, 1994-1999, and 2000-2006. During the first period, cases were common all over Turkey, but during the second and third periods, they were more frequent in metropolitan areas and in the southeast. Incidents occurring during the first period could be attributed to the struggle between right- and left-wing supporter...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 7, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Toprak S Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

The Stability of Collected Human Scent Under Various Environmental Conditions*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Human scent evidence collected from objects at a crime scene is used for scent discrimination with specially trained canines. Storage of the scent evidence is usually required yet no optimized storage protocol has been determined. Storage containers including glass, polyethylene, and aluminized pouches were evaluated to determine the optimal medium for storing human scent evidence of which glass was determined to be the optimal storage matrix. Hand odor samples were collected on three different sorbent materials, sealed in glass vials and subjected to different storage environments including room temperature, -80 degre...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 7, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Hudson DT, Curran AM, Furton KG Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Determining an Optimal Sequence for Chemical Development of Latent Prints on Cartridge Casings and Shotgun Shells*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In developing latent prints on cartridge casings and shotgun shells, multiple chemical processes should be used in order to obtain the best results. In Phase I, this study established an optimal chemical sequence for both Brass and Nickel cartridge casings based on six sequences involving four chemicals: Cyanoacrylate, Black Powder, Rhodamine 6G and Acidified Hydrogen Peroxide. Phase II was a validation study of Phase I involving a random sample of both Brass and Nickel cartridge casings, which were processed according to the determined optimal sequences. In addition, ribbed shotgun shells were processed under Phase I ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 7, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Edmiston KE, Johnson J Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Upper-Bounding the Incidence Rate of Associations Between Camouflage Uniforms and Surveillance Images*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Camouflage garments can be associated with surveillance images of a crime scene even in the absence of unique wear marks or very high-quality images. However, the probability of an accidental association, or incidence rate, is significant. The present work describes and validates a method for estimating the incidence rate based on a statistical model of the garment manufacturing process. The model was developed primarily for use with the current U.S. Army Combat Uniform (ACU), but can be applied to any camouflage garment. Eight garment manufacturers were studied, and all sources of variation in the manufacturing proces...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 7, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Adams N, Perlin V, Rohde M, Gaffney R, Harmsen N, Kriigel C Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Blood and Tissue Spatter Associated with Chainsaw Dismemberment.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In response to the unexpected paucity of blood/tissue spatter at the site where a body of an adult woman was dismembered by an electric chainsaw, we dismembered two large pig carcasses with a small electric chainsaw in a controlled environment. These experiments demonstrated first that a large carcass could be easily dismembered by a small electric chainsaw. When the chainsaw bar is held parallel to the ground the majority of the blood and tissue is deposited directly beneath the saw and bar and very little elsewhere. If the discharge chute of the saw however is not oriented directly at the ground, larger amounts of bl...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - September 7, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Randall B Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals

Destruction of peroxide explosives.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Chemicals containing multiple peroxide functionalities, such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP), diacetone diperoxide (DADP), or hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), can be explosive. They are impractical and are not used by legitimate military groups because they are shock and heat sensitive compared to military explosives. They are attractive to terrorists because synthesis is straightforward, requiring only a few easily obtained ingredients. Physical removal of these synthesis products is highly hazardous. This paper discusses methods to degrade peroxide explosives chemically, at room temperature. A number of mix...
Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences - August 31, 2009 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Oxley JC, Smith JL, Huang J, Luo W Tags: J Forensic Sci Source Type: journals