STR data for the 15 AmpFlSTR identifiler loci in the Western Romanian population

Allele frequencies for the 15 tetranucleotide short tandem repeat loci contained in the AmpFlSTR Identifiler kit were obtained from a population sample of 219 unrelated individuals born in the western part of Romania.     

Age estimation by pulp/tooth ratio in canines by peri-apical X-rays

Estimation of age in individuals has received considerable attention in forensic science, in which it is a widely used method for individual identification, together with paleo-demographic analyses to establish mortality patterns in past populations. The present investigation, which is a continuation of a previously published pilot study, was conducted to examine the possible application of the pulp/tooth area ratio by peri-apical images as an indicator of age at death. A total of 200 peri-apical X-rays of upper and lower canines were assembled from 57 male and 43 female skeletons of Caucasian origin, aged between 20 and 79 years. They belong to the Frassetto osteological collection of Sassari (Sardinia) and are housed in the Museum of Anthropology, Department of Experimental and Evolutionistic Biology, University of Bologna. For each skeleton, dental maturity was evaluated by measuring the pulp/tooth area ratio on upper (x(1)) and lower (x(2)) canines. Very good agreement was found between intraobserver measurements. Statistical analysis was performed in order to obtain multiple regression formulae for dental age calculation, with chronological age as dependent variable, and gender, and upper and lower canines as independent variables. Stepwise regression analysis showed that gender did not contribute significantly to the fit (p=0.881) whereas variables x(1) and x(2) and the first-order interaction between them did. These two variables explained 92.5% of variations in estimated chronological age and the residual standard error was 4.06 years. Lastly, two simple linear regression equations were obtained for age estimation using canines from the maxilla and mandible separately. Both models explained 86% of variations in estimated chronological age and allowed an age-at-death estimate with a residual standard error of about 5.4 years.     

Psychological adjustment in a forensic sample: relationship with approach- and avoidance-coping typologies

Most studies that relate coping strategies with psychological symptoms usually consider a single coping dimension. This means that interpretation of the results is unclear and only partially true as subjects activate different types of coping strategies simultaneously when faced with a stressor. The objective of the present study is to analyze the relationships between coping and psychopathology in young inmates, taking into account the number of approach and avoidance answers simultaneously. The results show that the inmates with above-average scores in avoidance coping and below average in those of approach (coping responses inventory--adult form, [CRI-A]) show higher symptomatology (MMPI-2) than the inmates who obtain above-average scores in both avoidance and approach strategies. It can be deduced that it is not the high use of avoidance coping that is related to psychopathology, but rather the combined use of many avoidance strategies and few approach strategies. The convenience of jointly taking into account both types of coping is discussed.     

Age estimation by pulp/tooth ratio in canines by mesial and vestibular peri-apical X-rays

Changes in the size of the pulp canal, caused by apposition of secondary dentine, are the best morphometric parameters for estimating age by X-rays. The apposition of secondary dentine is the most frequently used method for age estimation in adult subjects. In two previous papers, we studied the application of the pulp/tooth area ratio by peri-apical X-rays as an indicator of age at death. The aim of the present study was to test the accuracy of age evaluation by combined analysis of labio-lingual and mesial peri-apical X-rays of lower and upper canines. A total of 200 such X-rays were assembled from 57 male and 43 female skeletons of Caucasian origin, aged between 20 and 79 years. For each skeleton, dental maturity was evaluated by measuring the pulp/tooth area ratio according to labio-lingual and mesial X-rays on upper (x(1), x(2)) and lower (x(3), x(4)) canines. Very good agreement was found between intra-observer measurements. Statistical analysis showed that all variables x(1), x(2), x(3), and x(4) and the first-order interaction between x(1) and x(3) contributed significantly to the fit, so that they were included in the regression model, yielding the following regression formula: Age = 120.737 - 337.112x(1) - 79.709x(2) - 364.534x(3) - 65.655x(4) + 1531.918x(1)x(3) . The residual standard error of estimated ages was 3.62 years, with 94 degrees of freedom, and the median of the residuals was -0.155 years, with an interquartile range of 4.96 years. The accuracy of the method was ME = 2.8 years, where ME is the mean prediction error. The model also explained 94% of total variance (R(2) = 0.94).     

Free Fatty Acids Composition in Adipocere of the Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchí Ancient Remains Found in a Glacier*

Abstract: Adipocere is a postmortem decomposition product consisting of mostly a mixture of free fatty acids (FFAs) that are formed because of the hydrolysis of triglycerides in adipose tissues. This article describes a simple and robust method for the extraction, identification, and quantification of FFA commonly found in adipocere using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This method was applied to analyze tissues from Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchí, ancient remains discovered in a retreating glacier in the Tatshenshini‐Alsek Park, British Columbia, Canada in August 1999. The lyophilized tissues were grinded and extracted with hexane. The trimethylsilyl fatty acid derivatives were analyzed by GC/MS, and the relative abundances of myristic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid were determined. Milligram per gram levels of saturated fatty acids were found in the tissues of the ancient remains, while the levels of unsaturated fatty acids, such as palmitoleic acid, were found to be negligible. The results provided further evidence of the existence of adipocere found during forensic examination of the Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchí ancient remains.     

Nachhaltigkeit in der Aquakultur – wo steht das Europarecht?

Mit der steigenden Bedeutung der Aquakultur wird international auch die Regulierung der damit verbundenen Umweltauswirkungen zunehmend diskutiert, insbesondere unter der Fragestellung, wie die Aquakultur mit Prinzipien der Nachhaltigkeit verbunden werden kann. Der folgende Beitrag arbeitet daher die aquakulturrelevanten Ans?tze des Europarechts heraus.     

National survey of the incidence of missing anterior teeth: Potential use in bite mark analysis in the Brazilian context

Bite mark analysis in forensic dentistry presupposes that the human dentition is unique and that its characteristics can be transferred precisely to several materials. The aim of the present study was to register the frequency of missing anterior teeth in the Brazilian adult population, discussing its potential importance in bite mark analysis. Data from the Brazilian Oral Health Survey were used; 13,431 male and female individuals aged 35 to 44 were examined according to the criteria of the World Health Organization. The analysis of Poisson regression was performed in order to calculate the rating ratios and the respective confidence interval at 95%. A total of 13,431 adults participated in the study. Among male individuals, 2063 (47.00%) were dentate and 2036 (46.40%) had at least one missing tooth. Only 254 (5.83%) were totally edentulous. A significant number of males and females presented 6 missing teeth in the same dental arch, revealing the poor state of oral health of adult Brazilians. Missing teeth were more frequent in the upper dental arch than in the lower arch. In the upper dental arch, the incisor group (central and lateral) was missing the most. In the lower dental arch, however, a certain lack of homogeneity was observed among the different dental groups as regards missing teeth. White individuals presented a smaller proportion of missing teeth compared to the other ethnic groups. Females were 1.61 (CI 1.50–1.73) times more likely than males to present missing teeth. The absence of upper teeth and the presence of lower teeth were observed in 16.10% of the individuals. Further research should also include an analysis of different age groups. This would increase the potential of applying this kind of information to bite mark analysis.     

In defense of human rights of indigenous people

The nations of the world are generally shaped by a cultural diversity, which must be preserved. This leads to a fundamental and essential defense of indigenous groups and their human rights. The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of defending human rights of indigenous cucapa, natives settled in the northeast of the state of Baja California in the Delta of the Colorado River, especially with regards to their fishing rights, which is their main source of food and survival. The environmental laws that have been issued in the country have greatly affected them, banning commercial fishing in some areas and totally in many other areas, adding to that a not to subtle performance by the appropriate regulation authorities, preventing them from fishing sea bass, hence their consumption and marketing, which is reflected in their socioeconomic status. For this reason and in response to this violation of their human rights, women have decided to enter a cucapa womb strike, which threatens the existence of the tribe by not reproducing.     

The feminist defense of law

The purpose of this essay is to highlight the fact that certain specific governing or guideline criteria are in fact necessary before one can establish cases in which it would be admissible to treat the genders unequally. Those criteria, insofar as women＇s rights are concerned, consist of the need to overcome a situation of inequality which arises due to cultural and social reasons. An analysis of the different types of feminist movements follows, concluding that feminism implies two types of hypotheses. On one level feminism can be said to be a theory for equality; on another level it is a theory which turns around the objectivity of law, although it does, in both cases, challenge classical political and iudicial theses.