A new method of age determination by age-related changes in the hand bone

An anthropological method designed for determining the age is under discussion; it is based on the point-evaluation of age-related changes observed in the hand bones by X-Ray, i.e. osteophytes, osteoporosis, osteosclerosis and joint deformations. The method was made use of to elaborate a new modified point-based assessment of the above changes in the hand bones with respect to their severity.     

Limits of the Lamendin method in age determination.

This study shows that epithelial attachment level, used as age determination criterion in Lamendin's method, is not reliable for adults of either sex above the age of 49 years with periodontal diseases in any quadrant. The underestimation of calculated age increases from 7 to 19 years with chronological age. On the other hand, the present paper confirms the pertinence of dentin translucency as an age indicator in Lamendin's method.     

Frozen human bone: a microscopic investigation

The taphonomic effects of prolonged extreme cold and freezing on human bone have received little research attention. Questions of specific interest include whether previously frozen bone can be identified and whether freezing alters the structural integrity enough to prevent histological aging. There is no evidence from previous studies that freezing damages the structural integrity, and to date no research investigating the freezing process on bone microstructure has been undertaken. This research attempts to distinguish histologically previously frozen bone from nonfrozen bone by identifying patterned defects. To determine the effects of freezing in bone microstructure using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), several human bone sections were subjected to prolonged freezing and allowed to thaw before thin sectioning. Light microscopy failed to demonstrate statistically significant differences between frozen and nonfrozen specimens. SEM analysis revealed fractures, although these lacked pattern and did not occur systematically throughout the section. Evidence of microstructural changes caused by liquid expansion, however, was remarkable but did not alter the structural integrity of the microstructure. The results of this study suggest that freezing does not alter the process of histomorphological analysis.     

Morphometrics of the hyoid bone for human sex determination from digital photographs

The identification of unknown remains is very important. When unknown remains are found, anthropologists first determine their sex and age. The sex of most skeletons is determined by their shape. In the hyoid bone, the shape is sex related, so it can be used forensically to determine the sex. This study focused on sex-based morphometry of the hyoid bone in Koreans using digital photographs. Hyoid bones from 52 males and 33 females were examined. For each subject, we took 34 measurements from photographs using a computer program, and the data were analyzed statistically using SPSS 11.0. Twenty-one of 34 measurements had significant sex differences (p<0.05). The discriminant functions based on three measurements (X(1)-X(3)) were as follows: The accuracy of discriminant functions is 88.2% in both groups, so these can be used to distinguish males from females in a statistically significant manner.     

LC/MS分析血浆中丁丙诺啡

目的建立血浆中丁丙诺啡液相色谱/质谱（LC/MS）分析方法。方法在含有丁丙诺啡的血浆中,加入内标奋乃静,加pH10.8缓冲溶液,用401有机担体作吸附剂、三氯甲烷作洗脱剂固相萃取,N2挥干,用50μL流动相定容后进行LC/MS分析。色谱条件：Thermo Hypersil-HyPURITY C18（150×2.1mm,5μm）,柱温：40℃,流动相：10mmol/LNH4AC（pH3.4）∶甲醇∶乙腈=36∶52∶12,流速：0.22mL/min。结果方法的线性范围为0.05～5.0μg/L（r=0.9998）,定量限0.05μg/L,检出限0.01μg/L（S/N=3）;3个浓度的质量控制样品（0.1μg/L,0.5μg/L,2.0μg/L）平均回收率分别为86.40%,92.72%,92.57%,RSD分别为4.51%,3.34%,2.09%。结论该方法操作简便、灵敏度高,可用于涉毒案件血浆中丁丙诺啡的分析。     

Equations for estimating age at death from the pubic symphysis: a modification of the McKern-Stewart method

Morphological changes of the pubic symphysis provide an important means of estimating age at death in the adult skeleton. Today, the most widely used method of symphysial aging is the three-component system devised by McKern and Stewart for males and modified by Gilbert and McKern for females. Examination of the published data for both sexes reveals that the relationship of total symphysial score with predicted age and observed standard deviations can be expressed by a set of simple linear and polynomial equations. This approach is more statistically efficient since it uses the total data base rather then independently treated data subsets in predicting age from total symphysial score. It has the added advantage of providing a simple method of predicting symphysial age on small computers or programmable calculators.     

A method of age estimation using Raman microspectrometry imaging of the human dentin

The aim of this work is to establish a correlation between ageing and Raman spectra imaging of human teeth. Raman spectrum of an analysed sample is characteristic of its chemical components. By exploring the different dentinal areas on each tooth, we sought to find a correlation between noticeable variability on Raman spectra and the stages of dentinal evolution with advancing age. A study on 30 teeth analysed by Raman microspectrometry was used to select predictors of age, and it allowed us to determine a regression formula, with age as a dependent variable. Our data were computed by means of a statistical method called partial least squares (PLS) regression. This method was specially adapted for this kind of situation, where we have numerous predictors and relatively few observations. The regression formula was performed on a test sample of four more teeth, and we obtained a correct age estimation, with a mean error of more or less than 5 years. The main benefits of this method was a minimal and non-destructive tooth preparation, which led to an efficient age prediction, for any age group.     

Individual age determination using growth rings in the cementum of buried human teeth

Incremental lines of the dental cementum were used for individual age determination in 102 teeth. 66 of them come from different historic periods, 15 teeth were cremated. 36 modern teeth of known age were use as controls. The incremental lines were investigated by use of 100 microns thin cross-sections of the root. Age determination by this method was possible in every tooth, independent of incinaration of various burial conditions. The individual age was determined by adding the mean value of the repeatedly counted incremental lines to the sex-specific eruption age of the tooth in question. Since average deviation from known age is +/- 3.23 years only, counting the incremental lines represent a very advantageous, quantitative method for individual age determination.     

A simple spectrophotometric method for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin in blood

The spectrophotometric method for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) in blood reported by Fretwurst and Meinecke was modified so as to give the same values of percentage HbCO (HbCO%) as those determined by the oxygen electrode method. Values of HbCO% of nine practical samples determined by both the oxygen electrode method and the present method were nearly identical regardless of the presence of methemoglobin (Met-Hb) in blood. The present method is suitable for forensic practice.     

Determination of the human age based on the characteristics of the bone tissue

The principal characteristics of the investigations concerning estimation of the human age are presented. The new high-precision methods for the microosteometric determination of the biological age of man have been developed. The methodological basis for the application of microosteomeric data to the computer-assisted analysis of the images has been created. Taken together, the results of the present study guarantee the high accuracy of the measurements, save labour time, and expand the possibilities for the documentation and control of the experts' work.     

A method for the determination of MN antigens in dried blood

MN phenotypes of experimentally prepared dried blood samples, some as old as six months, were obtained using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels, electroblotting, and monoclonal antibodies.     

A microscopic comparison of fresh and burned bone.

Examination of the microstructure of human bone is useful in estimating age at death in forensic science cases. This technique has been tested and is well accepted, however samples of burned bone may complicate analysis because of possible changes in the microstructure occurring during the burning process. In a comparison of fresh and burned ground thin sections taken from midshaft femorae of eight dissecting-room cadavers of known age and sex, this study finds significant shrinkage of microstructural elements through the burning process. These results are compared to previous work on the subject, which found the microstructural elements to increase through the burning process.     

A new method of age estimation based on the changes in human non-collagenous proteins from dentin

The new method exploits the characteristic of staphylococcal protease V8, which specifically splits peptide bonds where l-glutamic or l-aspartic acid participate. Those peptide bonds where d-aspartic acid is present remain unsplit because of the stereospecifity of enzymes. In accordance with expectations, fewer peptide bonds are split by this protease at more advanced ages and larger peptide fragments are thus formed due to the higher content of d-amino acid residues in the proteins of older people. The samples of acid-extracted non-collagenous proteins from dentin were separated using high performance liquid chromatography after enzymatic hydrolysis. A peak with a retention time of 45.3 min was chosen and his enlarging area showed a linear correlation with increasing age. Although the linear correlation with age was proved, the scattering of values decreases the usefulness of the proposed method for age estimation.     

A more efficient extraction method of human bone resulting in improved DNA profiling

Eight human bone samples, from a forensic case, were extracted in parallel using our standard protocol with and without PTB in the buffer. Both methods were sometimes inadequate for (complete) STR profiling, while the presence of PTB even decreases the DNA yield.The complete decalcification of the bone extraction residues in an EDTA-solution with SDS recovered sufficient amounts of DNA, which resulted in complete STR profiling for all samples. Complete decalcification without SDS yielded even higher amounts of DNA and also complete STR profiling for all samples.Similar results were obtained for the DNA extraction from a human tooth.     

A solid-phase immunoenzyme method for the quantitative determination of ephedrine

Competitive ELISA method for ephedrine assay in biological fluids is developed. Anti-ephedrine antibodies obtained by rabbit immunization with conjugated antigen ephedrine-protein and ephedrine complex with horseradish peroxidase were used as reagents. ELISA in combination with chromatographic methods may be used in medicolegal and narcological practice.     

A method for the quantitative determination of nitrites in gunshot residue cases

This paper describes a method for the quantitative determination of nitrites present in gunshot residues, using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer routinely employed in colorimetric procedures. The method involves the quantitative formation of a chromophoric complex between the nitrites present in the extracted gunshot residue and the analytical reagents. The procedure has been found to be sensitive enough to detect sub-microgram quantities of nitrites in gunshot residues, and has been successfully employed in the determination of muzzle-to-target distances, a question asked often in forensic science cases.     

A rapid method for the determination of cocaine in brain tissue.

A rapid procedure is described for the extraction and analysis of brain samples for cocaine and benzoylecgonine. Human brain tissue was sectioned at autopsy, and samples were subjected to a lipase digestion, subsequent to solid-phase extraction. The distribution of cocaine and benzoylecgonine throughout different regions of the brain was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.