A simple and efficient method for extracting DNA from old and burned bone

It has been a challenge to extract DNA from bones previously soaked in water, burned, or buried for a long time, due to the reduced quality and quantity of DNA in the bone samples. The dramatic degradation of the DNA and the presence of PCR inhibitors in the collagen significantly complicate the process of DNA identification in dated and charred bones. In this article, we present a novel strategy to obtain DNA from bones based on the use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) lysis buffer and isoamyl alcohol-chloroform extraction with subsequent DNA purification using the DNA IQ System, or alternatively the QIAquick system. When applied to bones soaked, burned or buried for up to nine years, this method increases the purity and yield of DNA with respect to the traditional phenol-chloroform method and significantly improves multiplex STR genotyping using fluorescence-based methods. The results of this research will assist forensic scientists in the identification of DNA from victims whose bodies underwent significant trauma or burning, precluding the utilization of traditional forensic DNA identification techniques.     

STR polymorphism among two tribal populations of India

Two tribal populations of India, Bison Horn Maria and Muria from Bastar district of Madhya Pradesh in Central India were studied for DNA polymorphisms at tetranucleotide short tandem repeat (STR) loci (F13A01 and HUMvWA). A total of 63 random adult individuals for F13A01 locus and 53 samples for HUMvWA were analyzed in the present study.     

Dental maturity in South France: A comparison between Demirjian's method and polynomial functions

The dental maturity of 1031 healthy southern French subjects aged between 2 and 18 years was studied with dental panoramic tomograms. Demirjian's method based on seven and eight teeth has been used to determine maturity scores as a function of age and polynomial functions to determine age as a function of score. We give gender-specific tables of maturity scores and development graphs for each method. The goal of these methods is different because of the nature of the predictions. The percentiles give the dental maturity compared to a standard for a specific age, and polynomial functions give an age prediction with a confidence interval for age. The variations in dental maturity are specific to each population. Thus, the aim of this study is to give the dental maturity standards for southern French children and to compare both the efficiency and applicability of each method in several fields such as forensic sciences or dental health for the clinicians. The addition of the third molar increased the reliability and the capacity of prediction up to 18 years. The polynomial functions showed the best reliability (1.3% of misclassified) and the percentile methods the best accuracy (more or less 1.2 years, on average, between 2 and 18 years of age).     

The characteristics of a geographical sample of convicted rapists: sexual victimization and compliance in comparison to child molesters

The limited research literature that relates specifically to sexual offenders against adults (rapists) would suggest that they are more likely to demonstrate a greater criminogenic profile but to have experienced fewer childhood and adult psychological difficulties than child molesters. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of an urban sample of convicted rapists (n =80), comparing them to a sample of child molesters (n = 230) on background and offense-related variables. Although there were a number of similarities between the two groups, rapists were less likely to have been sexually victimized as a child. The sexual recidivism rate was low (5%) for rapists after an average time at risk of 3 years despite a trend toward them being less compliant in the community. This article comments on the treatment needs of those with a range of psychological difficulties and indicates future directions for research.     

Typologies of men who are maritally violent: scientific and clinical implications

Varying levels and types of husband violence may be conceptualized as typologies of maritally violent men. Across studies, batterer subtypes resembling those proposed by Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart (1994) have been identified and generally found to differ in predicted ways. Longitudinal data from this study suggests that the subgroups continued to differ over three years. Over time, however, the placement of individual men into some subtypes was not stable. Whether to best conceptualize the heterogeneity among maritally violent men as differing subtypes or as variability along dimensions is considered. Clinical issues regarding the typology are discussed, including concern that the use of absolute cut-off points to identify subtypes is premature and consideration of using the typology to predict treatment outcome and to match interventions to subtypes. Regarding future research ideas, it is time to consider more immediate, situational and dyadic, processes leading to violence perpetration within each subtype.