Validation of the InnoXtract™ DNA extraction method for bone,teeth, and rootless hair

Forensic casework samples often include human hairs, teeth, and bones. Hairs with roots are routinely processed for DNA analysis, while rootless hairs are either not tested or processed using mitochondrial DNA. Bones and teeth are submitted for human remains identifications for missing persons and mass disaster cases. DNA extraction from these low templates and degraded samples is challenging. The new InnoXtract DNA extraction method utilizes magnetic beads that are optimized to bind small DNA fragments, as small as 100 base pairs, to purify high-yield DNA from compromised samples. This validation study evaluates InnoXtract's ability to obtain amplifiable DNA from samples such as rootless hairs and skeletal remains. Studies performed include sensitivity, stability, repeatability, reproducibility, non-probative samples, and comparison to standard organic extractions. Sensitivity studies demonstrate average yield recoveries ranging from 53% to 100% and 73% to 85% for the InnoXtract hair and bone methods, respectively. Studies demonstrate consistent results across a range of sample types, such as insulted and un-insulted bone and teeth, as well as hair shafts from donors of various ages, gender, race, and hair characteristics. The InnoXtract bone method outperformed organic extraction. The method was successfully automated on a MagMAX™ Express-96, with recoveries over 70% relative to the manual version. InnoXtract has the potential as an automated high-throughput, high-yield bone extraction method with 6 h of total extraction time for up to 96 samples. The validation study results demonstrate that the InnoXtract kits produce high-yield and high-quality DNA from compromised bone, teeth, and hair shaft samples.     

舌骨假阳性骨折12例分析

目的 探讨舌骨假阳性骨折形成的原因以及法医学鉴定要点. 方法 整理12例在实际检案中舌骨假阳性骨折案例资料并分析其形成原因. 结果 舌骨假阳性骨折主要是由于检验时人为操作（4例）以及先天性分离型舌骨（8例）误判所致. 结论 通过骨折周缘肌肉、软组织出血以及骨折断端检验,可以对人为操作因素致舌骨骨折、分离型舌骨等舌骨假阳性骨折与真性骨折进行区分.     

丛状骨和骨单位带的种属特征及法医学应用价值

目的 探讨丛状骨和骨单位带的种属特征及其法医学应用价值。方法 人及猪、牛、羊、狗长骨中段横切磨片35张，在光学显微镜下观察骨组织中丛状骨和骨单位带的形态学特征。结果 丛状骨和骨单位带在猪、牛、羊、狗的密质骨中广泛存在，人骨组织中几乎不见；同种动物不同个体之间骨组织学结构也存在差异。结论 观察丛状骨和骨单位带是根据人骨鉴别种属的重要排除指标。     

男性上肢长骨的测量及其最大长推算

目的探讨用上肢长骨的残骨某一项指标建立肱骨、尺骨和桡骨最大长的回规方程,然后可根据所得值间接推算人体身高。方法选男性肱骨、尺骨和桡骨50例,左、右共100侧肢体。用人体测量仪器,按体质人类学测量方法进行各项指标测量,所得值经统计学分析后,分别与肱骨、尺骨和桡骨最大长建立直线回规方程。结果经相关分析建立了肱骨最大长回规方程17个,尺骨最大长回规方程8个,桡骨最大长回规方程11个。结论若能测得上肢长骨残骨的某一项指标,就可用所建立的回规方程推算该骨的最大长,这在法医学上具有一定的参考价值。     

Using the acetabulum to estimate age at death of adult males

The acetabular region is often present and adequately preserved in adult human skeletal remains. Close morphological examination of the 242 left male os coxae from the identified collection of Coimbra (Portugal) has enabled the recognition of seven variables that can be used to estimate age at death. This paper describes these variables and argues their appropriateness by analyzing the correlation between these criteria and the age, the intra- and interobserver consistence, and the accuracy in age prediction using Bayesian inference to estimate age of identified specimens. Results show significant close correlation between the acetabular criteria and age, nonsignificant differences in intra- and interobserver test, and 89% accuracy in Bayes prediction. Obtained estimated age of the specimens had similar accuracy in all ages. These results indicate that these seven variables, based on the acetabular area, are potentially useful to estimate age at death for adult specimens.     

女性11～16岁骨关节X线影像特征及其年龄推断

目的建立根据骨关节X线影像推断11～16岁女性年龄的方法。方法常规拍摄150名11-16岁女性肩、肘、腕手、髋、膝、踝等关节X线片,分别观察各关节不同部位的骨骺影像特征并分级,所得数据用SPSS软件包进行统计学处理。结果 150名11-16岁女性900张骨关节X线片,除锁骨肩峰端外,各关节27项不同部位骨骺的 X线影像特征,以及身高和体重与年龄呈现相关(r>0．3,P<0．001)或显著相关(r>0．7,P<0．001);建立的多元回归方程及逐步回归方程,其负相关系数为0．523～0．811,标准误为1．0763-0．68120结论根据骨关节X线影像的骨骺特征与年龄的相关关系建立多元及逐步回归方程可用于11～16岁女性的年龄判定。     

The genie in the bottle: The international regulation of genetically modified organisms

Abstract

This paper describes the circumstances surrounding charges laid against a retail vendor of Traditional Asian Medicinals under Canada's Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRI‐ITA). The vendor was charged with selling a product containing species listed as Appendix I under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).     

Alcohol‐Induced Osteopenia Among In‐Custody and Homicide Deaths from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences

Four cases of in‐custody or unlawful death are presented as examples of increased bone fragility with an associated increase in fracture rates due to ethanol‐induced osteopenia. In addition, one of the individuals suffered fractures several weeks premortem, allowing some healing to take place. Using radiographs and physical examination, the ribs from these individuals are compared with those retained from three individuals with no history of alcoholism to illustrate diagnostic characteristics that will be notable using standard autopsy and anthropological procedures. Trabecular bone mass is notably decreased in the alcoholic group leading to a greater chance of fracture occurring during conflict, including arrest and in‐custody situations. The average number of perimortem fractures among the alcoholic individuals is 15, while the control group is six. In the case of the individual with healing, the degree of bone repair on the ribs was less than is expected considering the interval between injury and death.     

DNA extraction of burnt bone and teeth casework samples using bead-beating homogenization technique

Sample disruption was a necessary step for DNA isolation. Bone and teeth were useful biological sources particular in human remains and advance decomposed bodies. The compact bone and teeth required several preparation steps prior to analyzing process. However, the methods in standard protocol were laborious and time consuming. An alternating pulverization, bead beating homogenizer, was purposed in its effectiveness for forensic casework. (1) Here, we applied this technique to the burnt cracked bone and tooth that recovered from house fire for forensic DNA analysis. After cleansed an external surface, the eight multidirectional motion tissue homogenizer, Precellys® evolution, was utilized to pulverize bone and tooth followed by a DNA extraction and amplification. For detection with a capillary electrophoresis, full profiles of autosomal STRs and Y-chromosomal STRs were recovered from tooth sample but the partial profile STR was demonstrated in bone sample. The new technique in bone homogenization was less time consuming (around 30 s), less exposure to chemical agents (no need of liquid nitrogen), high efficiency, with high-throughput productivity.     

数字X线测量上肢长骨推算身高

目的应用数字X线测量上肢长骨,建立适合当代中国四川汉族人群长骨推算身高的回归方程。方法按纳入标准对365例四川汉族正常人进行身高测量及上肢的数字X线检查,测量上肢各长骨不同标志点之间的长度,用SPSS统计软件对各测量值与身高进行相关回归分析,并对回归方程进行回代检验。结果共建立27个一元回归方程以及3个多元回归方程,各方程都具有统计学意义。上肢长骨中,尺骨相关性大于桡骨,男性相关性大于女性,多元回归方程的准确性高于一元回归方程。结论放射学方法测量长骨推算身高是一项简单、实用的方法,更适合上肢尸块的个人识别,值得进一步研究。