Targeting relevant sampling areas for human biological traces: Where to sample displaced bodies for offender DNA?

Sampling strategy is one of the deciding factors in DNA typing success rates. Small amounts of bodily fluid traces and (skin) contact traces are currently not visualized in standard forensic practice. Trace recovery is usually based on the information available in a particular case and on the experience and ‘forensic common sense’ applied by the trace recovery expert. Interactions between an offender and a victim may have characteristic features, resulting in specific trace patterns. Understanding these interactions, and their resulting trace patterns, might improve crime related trace recovery as well as DNA typing success rates.In this study, we examined the interactions between offender and victim when a body has been relocated from one position/location to another. The contact between the hands of the offender and the body of the victim was visualized using a fluorescent dye in a lotion that was applied to the hands of the individual undertaking the relocation. The contact locations were scored and patterns were analyzed based on both victim and offender characteristics (height, weight, age, gender). The resulting patterns were compared to current trace recovery practices in the Netherlands. The results of this large-scale study facilitate evidence-based sampling supporting both investigative and evaluative forensic examinations.     

中国汉族男性肩胛骨测量值与身长的关系

目的　探讨中国汉族男性肩胛骨测量值与身长的关系。方法　测量了 2 0 7例已知身长的中国汉族男性肩胛骨的 14项指标 ,用测得的数据输入计算机 ,分 3个年龄段 ,运用多元线性回归分析法 ,求出肩胛骨测量值推算身长的方程式。结果　建立了用男性肩胛骨推算身长的 9个方程式 ,其复相关系数在 0 65 99至 0 5 192之间 ,标准差在 5 13 45至 6 3 93 1之间。结论　中国汉族男性肩胛骨测量值与身长呈现一定的相关关系。     

中国汉族成人胸骨多项测量值与身高关系的研究

目的 研究中国汉族成人胸骨多项测量值与身高的关系,建立以胸骨推算身高的方法。方法 测量135例(男100,女35)已知身高的中国汉族成年人干燥胸骨的全长、柄长、体长、柄最大宽、柄最小宽、体最大宽、体最大厚、柄厚、柄最大厚9项指标,采用多元逐步回归分析的方法,分别求出由男性(分年龄组)和女性胸骨的多项测量值推算身高的多元回归方程式。结果 所建立的4个男性(分年龄组)和1个女性胸骨推算身高的多元回归方程式,其复相关系数(R)在0.6237～0.7350之间,标准差(s)在4.5720—7.0348之间。结论 根据人体胸骨的多项测量值可以推算其身高,准确性略低于四肢长骨的同类推算;相同身高组的男女性胸骨多项测量值均存在明显的性别差异,胸骨柄长不能作为单因素推算身高的测量指标。     

Weight of evidence from mRNA data: Implementation of an LR-system for forensic body fluid identification in casework

After developing an LR-system to calculate weight of evidence from mRNA data [1] we here present how this LR-system is used in forensic casework. We aim to convey the weight of the evidence in forensic reports.     

Forensic anthropology in the global investigation of humanitarian and human rights abuse: Perspective from the published record

Forensic anthropologists have played key roles in the historical development of forensic science applications to global humanitarian and human rights issues. These anthropological initiatives can be traced back to the Smithsonian seminar organized by T. D. Stewart in 1968 and published in 1970. Key developments include the 1984 delegation sent by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to Argentina and the formation of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team. Subsequent highlights include major anthropological involvement in support of investigations by international criminal tribunals, formation of forensic anthropology teams in different countries and activities of the International Commission of Missing Persons and the forensic unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Recent developments feature the formation of the Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and its support of worthwhile projects in many countries. The published record provides historical perspective on these developments.     

The transfer and persistence of automotive carpet fibres on shoe soles

The transfer and persistence of automotive carpet fibres to shoe soles was investigated. It was found that fibres were transferred with the normal activity of a car passenger. Carpet type and shoe sole parameters were significant determinants in the number of fibres that transferred. The average number of fibres was between about one and 33 per sole. Fibres that had been transferred after normal activity only persisted for a few minutes after walking. A survey of the shoe soles of people about to leave their car showed that fibres were usually present. The majority of shoe soles surveyed had less than five fibres with the greatest number of fibres found being 14. The likelihood of finding a large number of fibres on such soles is rare. Fibre composition of automotive carpets showed a high degree of variation. Grey was seen to be a common colour irrespective of the colour of the vehicle body.     

Binary logistic regression models enable miRNA profiling to provide accurate identification of forensically relevant body fluids and tissues

Numerous studies have demonstrated the ability to identify the body fluid of origin of forensic biological stains using messenger (mRNA) profiling. However, the size of the amplification product used in these assays (100–400 bases) may not be ideal for use with environmentally degraded samples. MiRNA profiling represents a potential alternative to mRNA profiling, since the small size of the miRNAs (∼22 bases) might still permit their detection in degraded stains. Previously, we reported the first study involving the forensic use of microRNA (miRNA) profiling, which required screening of 452 candidates. Since our initial screening, hundreds of novel miRNAs have been identified. We have therefore evaluated additional miRNA candidates to further improve the sensitivity and specificity of the body fluid assays. Consequently we have expanded our body fluid identification panel to include 18 miRNAs (comprising 5 original and 13 novel miRNAs). This panel permits the identification of all forensically relevant body fluids and, uniquely, includes miRNAs for the identification of skin.Using normalized miRNA expression data, we constructed body fluid specific binary logistic regression models to permit an accurate identification of the body fluid of interest. Using the developed models, we have obtained 100% accuracy in predicting the body fluid of interest.     

放射影像学方法测量活体女性颈椎推算身高

目的测量颈椎高度建立四川汉族女性人群的身高推算方程，为法医学个人识别提供帮助。方法应用计算机X线摄影放射学方法，在209例四川汉族女性颈椎CR片上测量C3～C7椎体高度，并准确测量身高。按年龄是否大于45岁进行分组，对各颈椎的测量数据与身高进行线性回归分析，建立颈椎推算身高的回归方程。结果共建立一元回归方程36个，多元回归方程12个，所有回归方程经线性回归模型假设检验，均有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。所建立的回归方程的复相关系数（r）在0．628～0．280范围内，回归方程的标准误在4．03～5．03cm范围内。结论本研究所建立的回归方程，可用于四川汉族女性颈椎的身高推算。     

Drilling down into ethics: A thematic review of ethical considerations for the creation and use of 3D printed human remains in crime reconstruction

The existing literature contains some exploration of the ethics concerning human remains in forensic and virtual anthropology. However, previous work has stopped short of interrogating the underlying ethical concepts. The question of how people understand and apply these concepts in practice, and what it means to act ethically, remain underexplored. This thematic review explores the ethical considerations that contribute to the creation and use of 3D printed human remains for forensic purposes. The three main branches of ethical theory are outlined to explore how they may apply to forensic practice. Key themes relating to 3D printing human remains in forensic contexts were explored to better understand the ethics landscape, ethical challenges, and the current guidelines in place. Through this thematic review, nine ethics principles were identified as key principles for guiding best practice: anonymity, autonomy, beneficence, consent, context, justice, non-maleficence, proportionality, and transparency. It is suggested that these principles could be incorporated into adaptable guidelines going forward to support ethical practice. The findings also suggest that holistic ethics cognition training may have value in supporting forensic scientists in ethical decision-making, together with procedural and structural design that may promote best practice and reduce cognitive load.     

Age-related factors in the relationship between foot measurements and living stature and body weight

The measurements of feet and footprints are especially important in forensic identification, as they have been used to predict the body height and weight of victims or suspects. It can be observed that the subjects of forensic-oriented studies are generally young adults. That is to say, researchers rarely take into consideration the body's proportional changes with age. Hence, the aim of this study is to generate equations which take age and sex into consideration, when stature and body weight are estimated from foot and footprints dimensions. With this aim in mind, we measured the stature, body weight, foot length and breadth, heel breadth, footprint length and breadth, and footprint heel breadth of 516 volunteers (253 males and 263 females) aged between 17.6 and 82.9 years using standard measurement techniques. The sample population was divided randomly into two groups. Group 1, the study group, consisted of 80% of the sample (n = 406); the remaining 20% were assigned to the cross-validation group or Group 2 (n = 110). In the first stage of the study, we produced equations for estimating stature and weight using a stepwise regression technique. Then, their reliability was tested on Group 2 members. Statistical analyses showed that the ratios of foot dimensions to stature and body weight change considerably with age and sex. Consequently, the regression equations which include these variables yielded more reliable results. Our results indicated that age and sex should be taken into consideration when predicting human body height and weight for forensic purposes.     

A 1-year time course study of human RNA degradation in body fluids under dry and humid environmental conditions

Blood, saliva and semen are some of the forensically most relevant biological stains found at crime scenes. mRNA profiling is a reliable approach for the identification of the origin of an evidentiary trace. A stable set of markers and the knowledge about the effects of RNA degradation under different environmental conditions is necessary for the determination of an unknown biological stain. The aim of this work was to compare RNA degradation for human blood, semen and saliva at three different concentrations during a 1-year time period and exposed to dry and humid conditions. Also, this study addressed the question whether there are relevant differences in the efficiency of two RNA extraction methods.     

Multiplex high resolution melt (HRM) messenger RNA profiling assays for body fluid identification

Traditional body fluid identification methods use a variety of technologically diverse techniques that do not permit the identification of all body fluids. Definitive identification of the biological material present can be crucial to a fuller understanding of the circumstances pertaining to a crime. Thus definitive molecular based strategies for the conclusive identification of forensically relevant biological fluids need to be developed. Messenger (mRNA) profiling is an example of such a molecular based approach.Current mRNA body fluid identification assays typically involve either capillary electrophoresis (CE) or quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) platforms, each with its own limitations. Both platforms require the use of expensive fluorescently labeled primers or probes. CE-based assays require separate amplification and detection steps thus increasing the time required for analysis. For qRT-PCR assays, only 3 or 4 markers can be included in a single reaction since each requires a different fluorescent dye. To simplify mRNA profiling assays and to reduce the time and cost of analysis, we have developed multiplex high resolution melt (HRM) assays that provide an identification of all forensically relevant biological fluids and tissues.     

Sex determination from hand and foot dimensions in a North Indian population

Hands and feet are often recovered from the site of natural as well as man-made disasters because of bomb blasts, train accidents, plane crashes, or mass homicides. This study is intended to establish standards for determination of sex from the dimensions of hands and feet in a North Indian population. The data for this study comprise 123 men and 123 women aged between 17 and 20 years from the "Rajput" population of Himachal Pradesh in North India. Four anthropometric measurements viz. hand length, hand breadth, foot length, and foot breadth have been taken on both sides of each subject following international anthropometric standards. The hand index (hand breadth/hand length × 100) and the foot index (foot breadth/foot length × 100) were calculated. Sectioning points and regression models are derived for the hand and foot dimensions and the derived indices. The hand and foot dimensions show a higher accuracy in sex determination by sectioning point analysis when compared to hand and foot index. Of the hand and the foot dimensions, hand breadth and foot breadth showed better accuracy in sex determination. Hand index and foot index remain poor sex discriminators in the study.     

Percentage of body recovered and its effect on identification rates and cause and manner of death determination

Anthropologists frequently encounter cases in which only partial human remains are recovered. This study reports how the percentage of the body recovered affects identification (ID) rates and cause and manner of death determination. A total of 773 cases involving anthropology consults were drawn from the New Mexico medical examiner's office (1974-2006). Results indicate a significant correlation between body percent recovered and ID rates, which ranged from 89% for complete bodies to 56% when less than half the body was present. Similar patterns were evident in cause/manner determination, which were the highest (83% and 79%, respectively) in complete bodies but declined to 40% when less than half the body was found. The absence of a skull also negatively impacted ID and ruling rates. Findings are compared with general autopsy ID rates (94-96%) and cause/manner determination rates (96-99%) as well as prior published rates for individual casework and mass death events.     

Historical Trends in Graduate Research and Training of Diplomates of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology

The history of forensic anthropology has been documented by numerous scholars. These contributions have described the work of early pioneers in the field and have described important milestones, such as the founding of the Physical Anthropology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) in 1972 and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA) in 1977. This paper contributes to the growing literature on the history of forensic anthropology by documenting the academic training of all individuals who have been granted diplomate status by the ABFA (n = 115). Doctoral dissertation titles were queried to discern broad patterns of research foci. A total of 39 doctoral granting institutions have trained diplomates and 77.3% of board‐certified forensic anthropologists wrote dissertations involving skeletal biology, bioarchaeology, or forensic anthropology. Board‐certified forensic anthropologists are a broadly trained group of professionals with far‐reaching anthropological interests and expertise.