The Use of Vertebral Osteoarthritis and Osteophytosis in Age Estimation*

Abstract: Previous research on age and vertebral degenerative change has focused on osteophytosis. The present study expands this research by examining the association between osteoarthritis and osteophytosis and by assessing their relationship to age. Researchers scored the bodies and facets in 104 individuals. Statistical analyses assessed relationships between age and degenerative change for the bodies and facets, both separately and combined, for all vertebrae collectively, and for subcategories of vertebral types. Separate analyses were conducted which included only regions that experience heavier stress loads. Results indicate that osteophytosis and osteoarthritis are not associated with each other for all subcategories of vertebrae. Also, the inclusion of osteoarthritis does not enhance the relationship between age and degenerative change, nor does limiting analyses to areas of heaver stress. Finally, although both conditions are significantly correlated with age, the relationship is not strong enough to yield predictive power for establishing age beyond a general estimate.     

Accuracy of Three Age Estimation Methods in Children by Measurements of Developing Teeth and Carpals and Epiphyses of the Ulna and Radius

Abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of three methods for age estimation in children: the measurements of open apices in tooth roots (T), the ratio between the total area of carpal bones and epiphyses of the ulna and radius (HW), and the combined method (THW). The sample consisted of 288 Caucasian Italian children (152 boys and 136 girls) aged between 5 and 15 years. Accuracy was determined as the difference between estimated age and chronological age, and accuracy was assessed by analyzing individuals’ orthopantomograms and hand‐wrist radiographs. Accuracies were 0.41 years for girls and 0.54 years for boys with the THW method; for the HW method, 1.00 years for girls and 0.92 years for boys; and for the T method, 0.62 years for girls and 0.71 years for boys. THW is the most accurate technique for age estimation in these children.     

中国豫北地区17～78岁人群锁骨骨骺愈合情况及年龄推断

目的通过观察分析锁骨内侧骨骺的愈合情况,评价其在年龄推断中的作用。方法收集343对已知年龄和性别的尸体锁骨,以1岁为组,观察分析锁骨内侧端骨骺愈合亭台变化,根据软骨细胞失去增值能力,骺软骨骨板被骨组织所代替情况进行分级分析,对所得数据进行统计学分析,按17～30岁和31岁以上年龄分组进行比较。结果男性和女性的锁骨最早于18岁开始愈合,22岁愈合完全。完全愈合时间在男性最迟为32岁,而女性为31岁。不同性别的骨骺愈合情况在两个年龄组中存在显著差异(P<0.01)。结论锁骨骨骺愈合情况随年龄的增长呈规律性变化,特别是17～32岁年龄段,根据锁骨骨骺愈合情况推断年龄,在法医学实践中有应用价值。     

耻骨年龄推断方法的研究进展

在法医实践中,利用耻骨联合推断年龄的方法得到了广泛应用和不断发展。从实体形态观察到影像资料分析,国内外学者通过不懈努力取得了一系列的研究成果,并不断探寻着更为精确便捷的推断方法。螺旋CT三维重建技术在法医学上具有广阔的应用前景,为耻骨年龄推断开辟了新的方向。本文综述了国内外研究耻骨联合与年龄关系的常见方法,展望了耻骨年龄推断的发展方向。     

应用放射影像技术进行牙龄推断

牙龄是年龄推断的重要方法之一，国外学者常将其与骨龄联合应用以提高年龄推断的准确性，但国内尚未普遍开展。大量研究表明，应用放射影像学这一无创的检查手段，可以准确观察牙齿的增龄性变化，如牙冠与牙根的发育程度、牙髓腔的变化等。目前应用放射影像学进行牙龄推断的主要方法有Gleiser和Hunt法、Demirjian法及牙髓腔测量法等。其中Demirjian法的准确性最高，但在推断法定敏感年龄时尚存在局限性。随着放射影像学的发展，尤其是CT的出现，依赖其高分辨率以及相匹配的测量软件，可提高牙龄推断的准确性与可靠性，有望成为今后推断活体年龄的重要手段。     

论后实证主义法学时代的刑事违法观

我国传统的刑事违法观具有鲜明的形式化色彩,违法性范畴在这一观念之下没有实质的功能可言。近年来我国刑事违法观出现了实质化的倾向,在后实证主义法学视野下,这一倾向明显具有法学思想史意义上的合理性。后实证主义法学时代的刑事违法观是辩证的刑事违法观,违法性应当成为独立于犯罪构成要件形式化判断之外的实质性犯罪判断阶段。     

Utility of the Frontonasal Suture for Estimating Age at Death in Human Skeletal Remains*

Abstract: This project evaluated the utility of the frontonasal suture for estimating age at death. Utilizing human remains of known age at death with varying degrees of fusion, curated at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, data were collected from the ectocranial surface of 522 crania; 68 of these were sagittally sectioned, allowing collection of internal data and observation of suture closure through the bone. Degree of ectocranial suture closure does not significantly predict age, even when sex and ancestry are accounted for. Suture closure progression data were converted into a Hershkovitz ratio (sum of the measurement of open portion divided by the total suture length), and regression models demonstrate that the effect of age accounts for only 13% of variation in suture closure.     

microRNAs及其法医学应用前景

microRNAs(miRNAs)是一类内源性的非编码小分子RNA,平均长度约22nt,广泛存在于各种真核细胞中,并参与调节细胞生长发育、分化、凋亡、衰老、疾病及肿瘤的发生等众多重要生命活动。基于其生物学功能,miRNAs可能在法医学体液来源鉴定、个体年龄推断、同卵双生子甄别等方面具有广阔的应用前景。     

正常人窦房结间质与年龄变化的相关研究

应用网格测微器，半定量测定106例无明显心脏疾病之人体窦房结（SAN）纵切最大面积区域间质所占百分比，旨在探讨SAN间质变化与年龄递增的相互关系。结果：小于10岁，间质极少；11～20岁，间质所占百分比小于10％；21～40岁，为11％～25％；41～50岁，为26％～50％；51～60岁，为51／～75％；61～83岁，多于75％。40岁之前，SAN实质细胞与间质（以胶原纤维为主）均随年龄递增而逐渐增多；40岁后，SAN结细胞逐渐减少，间质相对变多，脂肪开始出现，呈现增龄性生理变化。     

青少年活体年龄推断的方法比较

目的探讨准确推断青少年活体年龄的方法。方法对233名青少年活体年龄鉴定案所涉及的案件性质、作案距鉴定的间隔时间、自报年龄与鉴定年龄差距等进行归类、分析,并就其中130名骨骺尚未完全愈合的男性青少年的年龄,用多元回归方程法、CHN计分法和本文作者设计的综合法分别进行推断,统计前两个方法与综合法的符合率。结果 归类分析显示:本组资料,刑事案件当事人的涉案性质,抢劫、抢夺的占72.10％;作案距鉴定的间隔时间小于6个月的占75.10％;自报年龄小于鉴定年龄的占60.73％。用多元回归方程法、CHN计分法鉴定年龄与综合法鉴定年龄的符合率分别为90.77％与83.08％。结论活体年龄鉴定应在作案后尽早进行;用多元回归方程法鉴定18岁左右的年龄较CHN计分法准确,采用综合法鉴定年龄可能更好。