Y-chromosome STR haplotypes and alleles in the population sample of Old Believers residing in the Northeastern Poland

Haplotype and allele frequencies for eight Y-STRs were determined in a population sample of Old Believers residing in the Northeastern Poland. A total of 127 unrelated males produced 100 different haplotypes. The most common haplotype was shared by 3.97% of the sample, while 85 haplotypes were unique. The gene diversity was 0.99.     

尿液中常见毒品的联合分析方法

目的研究尿液中甲基苯丙胺、氯胺酮、吗啡、海洛因的检验方法;方法时间编程和串联质谱技术联合分析;结果分析时间被划分成4个阶段,在每个阶段按照目标物的结构和性质确定母离子和碰撞诱导电压得到相应的子离子碎片信息;结论串联质谱和时间编程的联合分析不仅能有效的排除体内大量内源物的干扰并能同时分析多种物质,此方法应用于实际检案中快速、灵敏。     

Forensic utility of the mitochondrial hypervariable region 1 of domestic dogs, in conjunction with breed and geographic information

The 608-bp hypervariable region 1 (HV1) sequences from 36 local dogs were analyzed to characterize the population genetic structure of canid mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Sixteen haplotypes were identified. A 417-bp segment of this sequence was compared with GenBank sequences from a geographically representative sample of 201 dogs, two coyotes, and two wolves. Sixty-six haplotypes were identified including 62 found only in domestic dogs. Fourteen of these correspond to the 16 local haplotypes and were among the most frequent haplotypes. The local sample was judged to be representative of the much broader geographic sample. No correlation was observed between local haplotypes and the owner's characterization of dog breed. A 60-bp variation "hotspot" within the canid HV1 was identified as a potentially valuable molecular tool, particularly for assaying limited or degraded DNA samples.     

Analysis of 16 Y STR loci in the Finnish population reveals a local reduction in the diversity of male lineages

We analysed samples of 400 Finnish males using nine Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci (minimal haplotype); for 200 of these subjects an additional seven Y-chromosomal STR loci were used. The geographical distribution of the observed haplotypes was determined from 200 individuals of known paternal origin within Finland. The observed number of alleles varied from 2 to 13 alleles per locus. A total of 146 minimal haplotypes were identified in our population sample. Interestingly, 90 (22.5%) individuals shared an identical haplotype. This haplotype was extremely frequent in the northern and eastern subpopulations of Savo, Pohjanmaa and Karjala (53, 42 and 37%, respectively). With the seven additional loci analysed in the sample of 200 individuals, 120 haplotypes were identified, and individuals sharing the most common haplotype decreased to 13.0%. However, in comparison to other European populations, the Finnish population showed decreased genetic diversity (GD) when the number of different minimal haplotypes in the population was divided by the sample size (36.5% in Finns versus 83.7% on average). Our results strongly support the earlier hypothesis of individual isolated Y-chromosomal lineages and population substructuring in Finland. For paternity testing, power of exclusion was 92% using minimal haplotype data, but including the seven additional loci this value increased to 97%.     

Osteometric analysis of sexual dimorphism in the sternal end of the rib in a west African population.

This study, and others, are being carried out in order to establish a Forensic Anthropology databank on age estimation and sex determination of skeletonized remains in Ghana. An osteometric study of sexual dimorphism in the sternal end of the right fourth rib on 346 consecutive coroner's autopsy cases (221 males, 125 females) of known age, sex, and race was conducted. The height and width of the sternal end of the rib were measured in each case. The sample was analyzed in three groups: young (< 30 years), old (> or = 30 years), and total sample (total group). Stepwise discriminant function analysis showed that the accuracy of sex determination varied from 80% in the young and 74% in the old groups to 78% for the total group. Statistical analysis of the results obtained when the functions derived from the study were tested using another batch of ribs showed the functions to be effective and reliable in determining sex. When functions derived from a previous study of American Whites were used to determine sex in our study sample, the vast majority of males were misclassified as females. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that a Black African population has been studied osteometrically to evaluate sexual dimorphism in the sternal end of the fourth rib.     

The use of capillary electrophoresis for the study of D13S317 and D7S820 microsatellites in Caucasian population of the Ural region of Russia

A method for the simultaneous amplification and typing of microsatellites D13S17 and D7S820 by using monocomplex sets GenePrint Fluorescent STR Systems ("Promega Corp.", USA) was worked out. The offered method is accurate, reproductive, sensitive and needs a short time for analysis. Allele frequencies D13S17 and D7S820 for the above mentioned Caucasians were determined on the population sample of 120 persons who were not relatives and who resided in the Ural region of Russia. The genotype frequencies of both locuses in this population sample did not differ statistically from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The aggregate discrimination factor for both locuses amounted to 0.995. The null hypothesis of independence among locuses D13S17 and D7S820 was checked by using an accurate test. No relation was found between alleles of the 2 tested locuses in the population sample of Ural Caucasians. The testing of the null hypothesis of the population homogeneity of allele frequencies of the examined locuses showed, among 5 Caucasian population samples, a reliable difference only for locus D7S802 in case of a couple of an Ural and Polish population sample. Allele frequencies for other couples were homogeneous.     

Three-dimensional modeling of the various volumes of canines to determine age and sex: a preliminary study

Canines are usually used in anthropological and forensic sciences for sex and age determination. The best methods to estimate age are based on secondary dentine apposition, evaluated from periapical X-rays. The aim of this study was to propose a new method of sex and age estimation using 3D models to obtain more precise predictions using tooth volumes. Fifty-eight dental CT scans of patients aged 14-74 with a well-balanced sex ratio composed the sample. One hundred and thirty-three healthy canines were modeled (Mimics 12.0). The sample was divided into a training sample and a validation sample. An age formula was determined using the "pulp volume/tooth volume" ratio. Sex prediction was adjusted with total volumes. Applying the equations to the validation sample, no significant difference was found between the real and predicted ages, and 100% of the sex predictions were correct. This preliminary study gives interesting results, and this method is worth being tested on a larger data sample.     

Analysis of the D1S80 (pMCT118) VNTR locus polymorphism in a native Kuwaiti population by the polymerase chain reaction

We have determined the allele and genotype frequencies at the hypervariable locus D1S80 in a native Kuwaiti population using the polymerase chain reaction technique and subsequent high resolution gel electrophoresis. In a sample of 200 individuals, 21 alleles and 57 genotypes were detected. The alleles with 18 and 24 repeat units were most common with frequencies of 0.188 and 0.408 respectively. The distribution of the observed genotypes was in agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium prediction. The observed heterozygosity for the population sample was 0.80 with the allelic diversity of 0.781 ± 0.029 and the power of discrimination was 0.94. The data obtained in this study are potentially useful for individual identification in forensic casework.     

Allele sharing in first-degree and unrelated pairs of individuals in the Ge F I AmpFlSTR Profiler Plus database

Eleven Italian forensic laboratories participated in a population study based on the AB Profiler Plus loci with proficiency testing. The validated database, including 1340 individuals, is available on-line. Tests for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, gametic unbalance, and heterogeneity of gene frequency were generally not significant. Gene frequencies at each locus were consistent with those of two previously published Italian studies, but different from a third. Individuals of each subsample were paired, and the total number of alleles shared across the nine loci was determined in each pair. The analysis was replicated over the total sample. In addition, two samples of mother-child pairs (N=315) and full-sib pairs (N=91) were subjected to allele sharing analysis. The resulting distributions were sufficiently distinct from the sample of unrelated pairs as to be of practical usefulness.     

中国黄种人与白种人脑颅骨特征差异初探

目的建立利用脑颅骨特征推断黄种人和白种人种族的判别方程,并评价其法医学意义。方法收集141例成年人脑颅骨样本,其中黄种人60例,白种人81例。选取脑颅骨lO项特征指标,对125例样本进行测量,运用SPSS16．0软件对指标数据进行t检验和Fisher判别分析,建立判别方程。并使用16例样本对方程的判别正确率进行盲测。结果本文选择的10项脑颅骨特征指标变量均具有显著性种族差异（P〈0．05）;建立了5组单项指标和4组多项指标进行种族推断的判别方程,综合判别率为74．4％～94．4％;随机选取16例样本的盲测结果,正确率为81．3％-100％。结论脑颅骨具有种族差异性,本文建立的判别方程可在黄种人和白种人的种族推断中选用。     

Moral Reasoning and the Use of Procedural Justice Rules in Hypothetical and Real-Life Dilemmas

The use of Leventhal's procedural justice rules in moral judgments was examined (1) in the match examples of the Colby and Kohlberg moral judgment interview manual (Study 1), (2) in hypothetical dilemmas given to a sample of 41 participants in professional ethics classes, and (3) in the real-life moral dilemmas produced by this sample (Study 2). Consistent support was found for the hypothesis that bias suppression is used more frequently at the higher moral reasoning stages. A higher number of justice rules were employed in solving a real-life than hypothetical moral problem, and most procedural justice rules were used more frequently in the real-life dilemma.     

A reevaluation of the sex prediction accuracy of the minimum supero-inferior femoral neck diameter for modern individuals

The results of an independent test of the minimum supero-inferior femoral neck diameter as a sex predictor are presented. Seidemann et al. (1) generated discriminant functions for Caucasians, African-Americans, and a combined race sample from the Hamann-Todd skeletal collection. Jackknifed classification matrices and the use of independent, random validation samples indicated a sex prediction accuracy in the 90% range. This, combined with a high rate of preservation, makes the femoral neck a significant measure for forensic applications. However, the method has not been evaluated on a truly modern sample. Data were collected for 94 males and 49 females from the Documented Collection at the University of New Mexico. The sample consists of 94 Caucasians, 33 African Americans, three modern Native Americans, two Hispanics, and 11 individuals of unknown ancestry. All individuals were born after the turn of the century. We evaluate the accuracy of the discriminant functions generated from the Hamann-Todd control sample. For Caucasians, 83% were correctly classified, for African Americans 97% were correctly classified and for the combined race function 85% were correctly classified. This decrease in accuracy is the result of the increase in African American male and all female sample means. This effectively decreases the separation between males and females for the femoral neck diameter. We generate new discriminant functions from the modern data and jackknife the classification matrices. The Caucasian function was 84% accurate, the African-American function was 82% accurate and the combined sample function was 85% accurate. The femoral neck may provide a useful alternative to multivariate techniques for individuals who are poorly preserved.     

Y-chromosome STR-haplotype typing in El Salvador

Eight Y-chromosome STRs were investigated in a male population sample from El Salvador. Complete Y-chromosomal STRs haplotypes were obtained in 121 individuals, among which 107 different haplotypes were observed. The two most common haplotypes were shared by approximately 4% of the sample, while 100 haplotypes were unique. The gene diversity was 0.9883 and the discrimination capacity was 0.8926. The combined Y-chromosome STR polymorphisms provide a powerful discrimination tool for routine forensic applications.     

Allele and genotype frequencies for D1S80 and 3'APOB in Recanati, Central Italy

The VNTR 3'APOB and D1S80 loci were studied in a sample of 179 individuals living in the Recanati Area (Central Italy). For 3'APOB, we found 34 genotypes and 11 alleles. The system was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.788 and 0.798 respectively. The discrimination power was 0.96, the a-priori paternity exclusion power was 0.619 and the polymorphism information content was 0.773. For D1S80, we found 45 genotypes and 18 alleles. The system deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.696 and 0.790 respectively. The discrimination power was 0.96, the a-priori paternity exclusion power was 0.617 and PIC was 0.767. The Recanati sample was compared with the general Italian frequencies for the 3'APOB locus. A difference of borderline significance was detected (P = 0.04). For D1S80, the sample was compared with a sample from Southern Italy and no significant difference was detected.     

New formulae for estimating stature in the Balkans

Recent studies of secular change and allometry have observed differential limb proportions between the sexes, among and within populations. These studies suggest that stature prediction formulae developed from American Whites may be inappropriate for European populations. The purpose of this investigation is to present more appropriate stature prediction equations for use in the Balkans to aid present-day identifications of the victims of genocide. The reference sample totals 545 white males obtained from World War II data. The Eastern European sample totals 177 males and includes both Bosnian and Croatian victims of the recent war. Mean stature for Eastern Europeans was obtained from the literature. Results show that formulae based on Trotter and Gleser systematically underestimate stature in the Balkans. Because Eastern Europeans are taller than American Whites it is appropriate to use this as an "informative prior" that can be applied to future cases. This informative prior can be used in predictive formulae, since it is probably similar to the sample from which the Balkan forensic cases were drawn. Based on Bayes' Theorem new predictive stature formulae are presented for Eastern Europeans.     

Human Y-specific STR haplotypes in the Western Croatian population sample

Nine Y-chromosome STR loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385 and YCAII) were analysed in a sample of 101 unrelated males from Croatia. Allelic frequencies and gene diversities for each Y-STR locus and haplotype diversity were determined. Ninety-one different haplotypes were obtained from 101 unrelated males and 84 haplotypes were unique. Three most common haplotypes were shared by 3% of the sample, one of them was not found in the online Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database (http://www.ystr.org/).     

Y-chromosome STR haplotypes and alleles in the ethnic group of Polish Tatars residing in the Northeastern Poland

Haplotype and allele frequencies for eight Y-STRs were determined in a population sample of the ethnic group of Polish Tatars residing in the Northeastern Poland. A total of 125 unrelated males produced 101 different haplotypes. Thirteen haplotypes occurred more than once, while 88 haplotypes were unique. The observed gene diversity was 0.9638. The ethnic group of Polish Tatars can be distinguished from the autochthonous Poles based on AMOVA estimates in all the analyzed systems except DYS385.     

Testing the Demirjian and the international Demirjian dental aging methods on a mixed ancestry urban American subadult sample from Detroit, MI

This paper tests the Demirjian and international Demirjian dental aging methods for forensic use when ancestry and ethnicity are unknown. A radiographic sample of 187 boys and girls was collected from the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Detroit Mercy and aged using both methods. The total sample and the sample by age categories (young, middle, and old) were analyzed using t-tests. The Demirjian method was found to better estimate age to a statistically significant degree for the total sample, as well as the middle and old age categories. The young category was aged better using the international Demirjian method. The results indicate that while the Demirjian method accurately estimates age, caution must be used with the method. Further research is needed to determine whether the international Demirjian method can be used for forensics in the U.S.     

Differences in the predictive validity of actuarial risk assessments in relation to sex offender type

This study seeks to expand on the previously reported validity of the Static-99, RRASOR, MnSOST-R, and SORAG in predicting sexual recidivism utilizing a regional sample of offenders. The predictive validity of each test was determined utilizing subgroups of the sample based on each offender's known offense history. The effectiveness of each instrument varied depending on offender type. The Static-99 and SORAG were both significantly predictive of sexual, violent, and any recidivism for extra-familial child molesters, and all four tests were predictive of violent or any recidivism in this subgroup. For incest offenders, all four tests were at least moderately predictive of sexual recidivism, whereas the Static-99 and the SORAG were highly predictive of violent or any recidivism. None of the four tests established consistent predictive validity across recidivism categories in regard to rapists or hands-off offenders, however, the Static-99 and the SORAG were significant in terms of sexual recidivism.