Postmortem Detection of Hepatitis B,C, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Genomes in Blood Samples from Drug‐Related Deaths in Denmark*

Abstract: Blood‐borne viral infections are widespread among injecting drug users; however, it is difficult to include these patients in serological surveys. Therefore, we developed a national surveillance program based on postmortem testing of persons whose deaths were drug related. Blood collected at autopsy was tested for anti‐HBc, anti‐HBs, anti‐hepatits C virus (HCV), or anti‐human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies using commercial kits. Subsets of seropositive samples were screened for viral genomes using sensitive in‐house and commercial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was detected in 20% (3/15) of anti‐HBc‐positive/anti‐HBs‐negative samples, HCV RNA was found in 64% (16/25) of anti‐HCV‐positive samples, and HIV RNA was detected in 40% (6/15) of anti‐HIV‐positive samples. The postmortem and antemortem prevalences of HBV DNA and HCV RNA were similar. Postmortem HIV RNA testing was less sensitive than antemortem testing. Thus, postmortem PCR analysis for HBV and HBC infection is feasible and relevant for demonstrating ongoing infections at death or for transmission analysis during outbreaks.     

The influence of behavior on freefall injury patterns: possible implications for forensic anthropological investigations

Case studies of freefall injuries suggest that most falls from heights result in lower extremity, pelvic, and vertebral fractures. These injuries are largely a consequence of the fact that most falls are accidental with victims landing feet first. This study investigates whether human behavioral response affects body orientation at impact and whether the human body tends to align in a particular way as a result of physical laws. The investigation was undertaken by observing nine experimental falls of an anthropomorphic dummy from a height of 65 ft (9.8 m). In all nine falls, the dummy landed horizontally, suggesting that the human form has a tendency to align horizontally during freefall for falls greater than 50 ft (15.24 m). This has important implications for the potential use of injury patterns in the deduction of pre-fall circumstances, which are discussed here with respect to a case study of a fall victim.     

The Ada Sheriffs Youth Foundation: The development of a decentralized youth program

This article describes the Ada Sheriffs Youth Foundation (SYF), a program that provides after-school enrichment activities carried out by individual schools. At the time of evaluation, the Foundation had organized early intervention action (EIA) teams in thirty-one elementary schools. The teams identified and linked troubled youth to local community programs. The program, similar in principle to comprehensive prevention programs, differed in that decision making about participants was decentralized, youth were not grouped, and the participants themselves decided what programs they wanted to participate in. An analysis of youths' at-risk scores before and after program participation showed significant improvement in many dimensions of risk. The article concludes with a discussion of issues related to the integrity of program delivery.     

The impact of Daubert: implications for testimony and research in forensic anthropology (and the use of frontal sinuses in personal identification)

This paper emphasizes the need for objectivity and standardized methodologies in the forensic sciences, particularly physical anthropology. To this end, a review of important events in scientific evidence admissibility law, particularly the standards set in the case of Daubert v. Merrell-Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 1993, is presented. The method of confirming a putative identification by visual comparison of antemortem and postmortem frontal sinus radiographs is examined in light of current admissibility standards. The technique is revealed to have a number of shortcomings, including a lack of empirical testing, no estimates of potential error rates, no standards controlling the technique's operation, and no objective determination standards. These shortcomings may, in some instances, prevent resulting conclusions from being admissible evidence. It is suggested that some methods (including frontal sinus comparison) may require more rigorous testing in order to meet these new and stricter standards.     

Testing the reliability of frontal sinuses in positive identification

The use of frontal sinus radiographs in positive identification has become an increasingly applied and accepted technique among forensic anthropologists, radiologists, and pathologists. From an evidentiary standpoint, however, it is important to know whether frontal sinus radiographs are a reliable method for confirming or rejecting an identification, and standardized methods should be applied when making comparisons. The purpose of the following study is to develop an objective, standardized comparison method, and investigate the reliability of that method. Elliptic Fourier analysis (EFA) was used to assess the variation in 808 outlines of frontal sinuses by calculating likelihood ratios and posterior probabilities from EFA coefficients. Results show that using EFA coefficient comparison to estimate the probability of a correct identification is a reliable technique, and EFA comparison of frontal sinus outlines is recommended when it may be necessary to provide quantitative substantiation for a forensic identification based on these structures.