Discriminant function sexing of fragmentary and complete tibiae from medieval Croatian sites

Previous studies have demonstrated that populations differ from each other in size and proportion and that these differences can affect metric assessment of sex. This paper establishes standards for determining sex from fragmentary and complete tibiae in the medieval Croatian population. The sample is composed of 180 tibiae (96 males and 84 females) from six medieval archaeological sites in Croatia. Three of the sites were located in continental Croatia, three on the eastern Adriatic coast and its immediate hinterland. Six tibial dimensions were measured: (1) length of the tibia; (2) maximum epiphyseal breadth of the proximal tibia; (3) maximum epiphyseal breadth of the distal tibia; (4) maximum diameter of the tibia at the nutritient foramen; (5) transverse diameter of the tibia at the nutritient foramen; and (6) circumference of the tibia at the nutritient foramen. Unifactorial and multifactorial analyses were performed on the collected data. Six discriminant functions were generated, one using six variables, two using two variables, and three employing one variable. Results show that complete tibiae can be sexed with 92.2% accuracy. Slightly lower accuracies (91.7 and 87.8%) were achieved using a combination of two variables, while functions employing one variable were accurate from 85.6 to 81.7%. The results of this study show that the medieval Croatian tibia is a good skeletal component for determining sex. Standardized coefficients of the discriminant functions generated in this study support the results of previous studies that found that breadth dimensions provide better separation of the sexes than length.     

The reliability of sex determination of skeletons from forensic context in the Balkans

In this study we have tested the applicability of morphological methods for sex assessment, based on seven pelvic and nine cranial traits, using contemporary Balkans population. The material involved in the study comprises 262 pelvic bones and 180 skulls of male individuals from two mass graves in Serbia. The material was examined separately by an experienced and an inexperienced physical anthropologists. Sex was correctly estimated by the experienced anthropologist in 100% of individuals using all of the 16 pelvic and cranial criteria. In fact, sex differences in pelvic morphology were large enough to allow sexing the individuals with 100% accuracy. Among seven features observed on the pelvic bones, the least reliable single sex indicator was the width of the great sciatic notch (with accuracy of 79.15%). Looking at the skull alone, sex was correctly determined in 70.56% cases. It was shown that the most accurate single indicators among cranial methods was the robustness of the mandible (with accuracy of 70.93%), while the sharpness of the supraorbital margins was the least reliable indicator demonstrating accuracy in only 28.75% of crania. Examination of the sample by an individual with training in physical anthropology, but no case experience, suggests that experience is likely to contribute moderately to the accuracy of the sex determination. Namely, the inexperienced anthropologist accurately assessed the sex of the sample 95.04% of the time; 4.06% less accurate than the experienced anthropologist. The two anthropologists showed the least agreement in scoring the ventral arc and composite arc on the pelvic bones.     

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/).     

Evaluation of Y-STR variation in Bosnian and Herzegovinian population

Eight Y-STR polymorphisms (DYS19, DYS385, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392 and DYS393) were analyzed in the samples of 181 unrelated males from Bosnia and Herzegovinia. Observed STR allelic frequency pattern and locus diversity values in Bosnians and Herzegovinians correspond closer to neighboring southeastern European populations than previously reported (mostly western) European populations. One hundred and five haplotypes were identified and 78 haplotypes (74.3%) appeared in single copies. The most frequent haplotypes (DYS19-DYS385-DYS389I-DYS389II-DYS390-DYS391-DYS392-DYS393) were 16-14/15-13-31-24-11-11-13 (7.7%), 16-14/15-13-30-24-11-11-13 (7.7%) and 15-14/15-13-31-24-11-11-13 (5.5%). Total haplotype diversity was 0.9820 +/- 0.0040.     

Population data on 14 STR loci from population of Serbia and Montenegro (new and renewed data)

A renewed and new population study of fourteen short tandem repeat loci (TH01, TPOX, CSF1P0, vWA, FES/FPS, F13A01, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, LPL, F13B, CD4, D5S818 and D8S1179) were performed in a sample of 296-531 unrelated individuals from Serbia and Montenegro. Population data were compared to previously published data from Vojvodina province and neighboring Croatia.     

Iatrogenic tracheal laceration causing asphyxia

Endotracheal intubation is a simple, rapid, and safe technique that is being used as a standard procedure for airway management. However, airway injury during endotracheal intubation could be a significant source of morbidity or even mortality for patients and a source of liability for physicians as well. We report an unusual case of fatal tracheal occlusion by intraluminal blood clot complicating endotracheal intubation. The patient, a 62-year-old woman, with renovascular hypertension and incipient renal failure was scheduled for renal autotransplantation. The surgery was uneventful but the postoperative course was complicated with a lethal airway obstruction. At autopsy a linear longitudinal tracheal laceration was identified with an intraluminal blood clot obstructing the tracheal lumen. Tracheal laceration as a cause of death is a rare and potentially fatal complication of endotracheal intubation with intratracheal bleeding, clot formation, tracheal occlusion, and subsequent asphyxia.