Superimposition of ante- and post-mortem photographs of tattoos as a means of identification--a case report

With the rising number of tattooed people tattoos have become increasingly important for the identification of unknown corpses. Tattoos can be helpful in both phases of the identification process, either by providing clues to the identity of an unknown person or body or as a means of verifying a postulated identity. In the presented case, an ante-mortem photograph of a tattoo was available although it was of poor quality. The respective skin region of the body was photographed from the same angle as the tattoo on the ante-mortem photograph. When superimposing the two photos, the tattoos were found to match and the identity of the body could be verified.     

An evaluation of non-metric cranial traits used to estimate ancestry in a South African sample

Establishing ancestry from a skeleton for forensic purposes has been shown to be difficult. The purpose of this paper is to address the application of thirteen non-metric traits to estimate ancestry in three South African groups, namely White, Black and "Coloured". In doing so, the frequency distribution of thirteen non-metric traits among South Africans are presented; the relationship of these non-metric traits with ancestry, sex, age at death are evaluated; and Kappa statistics are utilized to assess the inter and intra-rater reliability. Crania of 520 known individuals were obtained from four skeletal samples in South Africa: the Pretoria Bone Collection, the Raymond A. Dart Collection, the Kirsten Collection and the Student Bone Collection from the University of the Free State. Average age at death was 51, with an age range between 18 and 90. Thirteen commonly used non-metric traits from the face and jaw were scored; definition and illustrations were taken from Hefner, Bass and Hauser and De Stephano. Frequency distributions, ordinal regression and Cohen's Kappa statistics were performed as a means to assess population variation and repeatability. Frequency distributions were highly variable among South Africans. Twelve of the 13 variables had a statistically significant relationship with ancestry. Sex significantly affected only one variable, inter-orbital breadth, and age at death affected two (anterior nasal spine and alveolar prognathism). The interaction of ancestry and sex independently affected three variables (nasal bone contour, nasal breadth, and interorbital breadth). Seven traits had moderate to excellent repeatability, while poor scoring consistency was noted for six variables. Difficulties in repeating several of the trait scores may require either a need for refinement of the definitions, or these character states may not adequately describe the observable morphology in the population. The application of the traditional experience-based approach for estimating ancestry in forensic case work is problematic.     

ARPA-E and DARPA: Applying the DARPA model to energy innovation

ARPA-E offers a new innovation institutional model to meet energy technology challenges. Because it is explicitly based on DARPA, this article reviews the noted DARPA approach in detail. Briefly citing well-known features of DARPA, it explores a number of important features that have not been well discussed in the policy literature on DARPA. These include DARPA??s ability to undertake multigenerational technology thrusts, the synergies it has been able to create through complementary strategic technologies, its ability to build an advocate community, and connections it has built to larger innovation elements downstream from DARPA. It has also taken on incumbent technologies within both DOD and in the private sector, used ties to DOD leadership to press its advances, and supported initial market creation. The article then reviews the new ARPA-E model in detail, commenting first on how ARPA-E has adopted key DARPA approaches. It then discusses new features ARPA-E is adopting, driven by the unique demands of the complex, established energy sector. These include new ways: (1) to sharpen the research visioning, selection and support processes, (2) to build a community of support, important to its political survival, and (3) to implement technologies it supports. In addition, the further DARPA features enumerated above provide potentially useful future guideposts to ARPA-E. The paper closes with a discussion of the difficult technology implementation problems on the ??back end?? of the innovation system??including demonstrations, test beds, and initial markets. The article posits that both agencies must further address these implementation issues by fostering additional downstream partnerships, including between government and private sector.     

Parametric Insurance: Using Objective Measures to Address the Impacts of Natural Disasters and Climate Change

Parametric insurance is a promising alternative to traditional insurance when it comes to addressing catastrophic weather events and their impact on developing nations. Where available, traditional insurance is expensive and can involve protracted claim adjustment. Parametric insurance, on the other hand, provides coverage monies automatically upon the existence of certain objective weather-related parameters based upon a set formula. This model has been shown to work in the Caribbean Basin, but requires international cooperation in pooling, measuring, and managing risk. The immediate availability of emergency-response funds can be crucial in mitigating the impacts of climate change and related severe weather events.     

Individual and contextual variation in EU issue voting: The role of political information

Increasing politicization in EU member states about European issues can be expected to strengthen the impact of attitudes towards Europe on vote choice in European Parliament (EP) elections. At the same time this impact is likely to vary between voters and contexts as a function of political information. This study explores the role of political information in explaining individual and contextual heterogeneity in the degree of EU issue voting. Using a two-step hierarchical estimation procedure to explore both individual and contextual variation, we show that while EU issue voting in the 2009 EP elections is only slightly more pronounced among the politically sophisticated, it is clearly more extensive in contexts that provide higher levels of political information on European matters.     

A study to narrow down the time when a hyoid bone fracture was sustained

An unstable hyoid bone that can be loosely moved during autopsy is initial reason to suspect trauma to the neck. The question to be answered is whether the increased mobility is due to incomplete ossification of the hyoid, a postmortem injury (damage), or an ante-mortem injury, possibly related to the cause of death. This is the first study to systematically assess whether stereomicroscopic examinations and flat-panel CT-scans of isolated, unstable hyoid bones can add information to the macroscopic examination by helping to determine when the instability arose. Sixteen isolated hyoid bones (8 female, 8 male; 4-87 years-old) were examined after being macerated. Four of the hyoid bones were already classified as unstable during autopsy. Of the other 12, 7 were fractured immediately after autopsy before being macerated, and 5 were fractured after being macerated. There were, in total, six different diagnostic constellations. Stereo-microscopic examination did not yield additional information compared with the macroscopic examination. Flat-panel CT allowed distinction between an incomplete ossification of the hyoid and a fracture, but did not help in determining whether the fracture had been sustained peri- or postmortem.     

Ossification Degrees of Cranial Sutures Determined with Flat‐Panel Computed Tomography: Narrowing the Age Estimate with Extrema

Abstract: Since Broca’s time (1824–1880), ossification of the neurocranial sutures has been used as a characteristic of age. Current approaches include the visual macroscopic examination of ecto and endocranial sutures. The evaluation of the cross‐section of sutures usually necessitates the destruction of the neurocranium. In a nondestructive alternative approach that was tested within the context of the “Digital Forensic Osteology” project that ran in cooperation with the Virtopsy^®‐Project, it emerged that the resolution of conventional multi‐slice computed tomography data sets was not high enough to image sutures. Thus for the experiments presented here, the eXplore Locus Ultra flat‐panel computed tomography scanner from GE Healthcare was used. Calottes were scanned during autopsy and then immediately returned to the corpse. So far, the skullcaps of 221 individuals have been scanned. The cross‐sections of 14 suture segments could be assessed for seven previously defined stages of ossification. In a converse step, the 14 highest and lowest age estimate values corresponding to the individual stages of suture closure found were estimated for each calotte. The obtained ranges narrowing down the age estimate were evaluated with statistics. A mean value of 43.31 years for the range of narrowed age estimates shows that this method can be a useful aid in estimating age. The results of intra‐ and inter‐observer tests showed good overall agreement between the findings of three observers. This method is suitable for a nondestructive age estimation and can be used for the entire calotte.     

Validation of Ultrastructural Analysis of Mitochondrial Deposits in Cardiomyocytes as a Method of Detecting Early Acute Myocardial Infarction in Humans*

Abstract: In the present study, ultrastructural analysis of mitochondrial deposits (black dots within mitochondria) as a method for the detection of early acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was evaluated. In 24 patients with AMI and six controls, analysis was performed in the heart of infarcted patients and noninfarcted controls. In the infarction area in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)‐diagnosed AMI, the percentage of positive mitochondria was significantly higher compared to corresponding heart tissue in control patients and compared to noninfarcted areas within these patients. Also in patients with a clinically diagnosed AMI but no LDH decoloration, a significant higher percentage of positive mitochondria was found in the left ventricle compared to controls and noninfarcted areas. In patients with AMI, an increase in mitochondria with deposits was found in the infarction area compared to controls and noninfarcted tissue within the same patient, suggesting that electron microscopical changes in mitochondria can be used for the diagnosis of AMI less than 3 h old.     

Root Morphology and Anatomical Patterns in Forensic Dental Identification: A Comparison of Computer‐Aided Identification with Traditional Forensic Dental Identification*

Abstract: An online forensic dental identification exercise was conducted involving 24 antemortem–postmortem (AM–PM) dental radiograph pairs from actual forensic identification cases. Images had been digitally cropped to remove coronal tooth structure and dental restorations. Volunteer forensic odontologists were passively recruited to compare the AM–PM dental radiographs online and conclude identification status using the guidelines for identification from the American Board of Forensic Odontology. The mean accuracy rate for identification was 86.0% (standard deviation 9.2%). The same radiograph pairs were compared using a digital imaging software algorithm, which generated a normalized coefficient of similarity for each pair. Twenty of the radiograph pairs generated a mean accuracy of 85.0%. Four of the pairs could not be used to generate a coefficient of similarity. Receiver operator curve and area under the curve statistical analysis confirmed good discrimination abilities of both methods (online exercise = 0.978; UT‐ID index = 0.923) and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis (0.683) indicated good correlation between the results of both methods. Computer‐aided dental identification allows for an objective comparison of AM–PM radiographs and can be a useful tool to support a forensic dental identification conclusion.