Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences

We offer a new typology of problems according to such attributes as the fuzzy set of possible solutions, the fuzzy set of properties a solution should have, the fuzzy set of knowledge necessary and sufficient to find a solution, deadlines and constraints. Problems are ranked by degree of 'structuredness' from well-structured to ill-defined. Some real problems are shown to be ill-defined and the causes of their inherent imprecision are traced. A model for coping with ill-defined problems enables us to estimate an optimal degree of precision in both dealing with the problem and in requesting information to help cope with it. This has interesting implications for the design of information systems.

The authors have considered routine exploitation of physical evidence from seized shipments of illicit drugs for intelligence purposes. Part 1 of this series addressed the identification of polymer type within the adhesive of packaging tapes and raised important issues with regard to how data should be collated in a database as a basis for reliable drug intelligence. This article expands on this topic by addressing the use of colour for achieving the same aim. By using a relatively simple instrumental technique to analyse opaque 'brown' packaging tapes, it was found that colour was an effective way to discriminate between different adhesive tape samples. However, initial results showed that the analysis of colour in packaging tapes was more complex than assigning semi-subjective names to particular hues (e.g. light brown, green brown, etc.). Instead, samples in the population often differed only slightly from one another and hence proved difficult to categorise. Thus, a database or analyst must avoid using such 'discrete' labels and instead make use of 'continuous' numerical data. Here, CIELab chromaticity coordinates were used to define representative colour spaces for each tape sample and these were then compared to determine whether two such volumes intersected. This process would decide whether or not the samples could be discriminated. While several sets of data were compared, further work needs to be carried out into the consistency of colour within single rolls of tape or batches of tape.

Lennard (2013) [Fingerprint identification: how far have we come? Aus J Forensic Sci. doi:10.1080/00450618.2012.752037] proposes that the numeric output of statistical models should not be presented in court (except ‘if necessary’/‘if required’). Instead, he argues in favour of an ‘expert opinion’ which may be informed by a statistical model but which is not itself the output of a statistical model. We argue that his proposed procedure lacks the transparency, the ease of testing of validity and reliability, and the relative robustness to cognitive bias that are the strengths of a likelihood-ratio approach based on relevant data, quantitative measurements, and statistical models, and that the latter is therefore preferable.

This paper describes the analysis of population data typed using the Promega PowerPlex 21 multiplex for the three major sub populations within Australia. Samples from 1427 declared Australian Aboriginal, 546 Pure Aboriginals from the Northern Territory, 990 Asian, and 1707 Caucasian individuals representing were analysed. Departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and linkage equilibrium (LE) were assessed using exact tests. The Aboriginal populations were shown to display significant departures from equilibrium. All four subpopulation databases are of suitable size for the purpose of estimating allele frequencies.

In this paper, the variability of peak heights for mixed DNA profiles separated on two different models of a capillary electrophoresis instrument is examined. The Applied Biosystems 3500xl instrument produces larger peaks than the 3130xl instrument. If the relative difference in peak heights between the two instruments was a constant factor then all relative heights should be preserved. However, if that factor differed, say, for small versus large peaks then relative heights would change. The effect of peak height and dye on the relative difference in peak height between injections of the same amplicon on a 3500xl and 3130xl instrument for a series of mixed DNA profiles using the Promega PowerPlex 21 multiplex is described. The ratio of peak heights between instrument models resulted in values up to four times higher on the 3500 compared with the 3130. The magnitude of this difference was shown to be dependent on the dye but not on the peak heights themselves. Relative parameters stutter, heterozygote balance, and mixture proportion were very similar between the two instrument models, indicating that the interpretation guidelines developed on one machine are likely to be transportable to different capillary electrophoresis instrument models and different machines of the same model.

In forensic cases, blood alcohol is routinely requested. Although the standard method for alcohol analysis is the gas chromatographic technique, the instrument is not available in some hospital laboratories. As a result, there is an attempt to use an automatic alcohol analyzer for preliminary testing. However, a barrier to application is the putrefactive changes of post-mortem specimens that might interfere with the analysis and cause false positive results. This study aims to determine the accuracy of an automatic VITROS alcohol analysis for post-mortem specimens. Blood and urine samples were modified to putrefactive appearances and analyzed for ethanol by VITROS. The measured amounts were compared with the added ethanol amounts. The results indicated that samples with fresh hemolysis and putrefactive volatile substances gave false high ethanol results. Plasma with a high glucose content in the presence of Escherichia coli or Candida albicans did not show neo-ethanol formation. Indeed, all samples left at room temperature prior to analysis showed false low detected ethanol amounts. Thus, VITROS alcohol analysis has limitations leading to inaccurate post-mortem specimen analysis. In addition, loss of alcohol from corpses and specimen containers also has an impact on the accuracy of alcohol results in post-mortem cases.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cephalometric nasal soft tissue and skeletal landmarks in adults. Lateral cephalograms from Japanese adults (30 men: mean age, 24.5 ± 4.9 years; 30 women: mean age, 20.3 ± 3.3 years; overall mean age, 22.4 ± 2.4 years) were used in this study. Twenty-two skeletal points and three soft tissue nasal points were marked on each subject’s lateral cephalogram, and the coordinates of all the points were systematically digitised and transformed to a standardised plane. A forward stepwise regression analysis determined how combinations of the skeletal landmarks predict the location of the nasal soft tissue landmarks. Based on the result of our research, the location of the nasal soft tissue cephalometric landmarks in our adult subjects may be predicted based on skeletal landmarks, and different skeletal landmarks predicted the position of each soft tissue landmark in the adult males and females in this study.

The stability of drugs proscribed under the Victorian Road Safety Act 1986 (MDMA, MA and THC) was determined in authentic drug-positive oral fluid following short-term storage at room temperature, 4ºC, fluctuating temperatures and long-term storage at –20 ºC. Following pH adjustment with ammonium carbonate solution, drugs were extracted using chloroform:isopropanol (9:1) and analysed by LC-MS/MS operating in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The results were analysed using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed ranks and interpreted in the context of AS4760:2006 cut-offs. For MA and MDMA only minor changes occurred following all storage conditions, but THC concentrations were reduced by 70–87% (n=10) following storage at fluctuating temperatures (room temperature to 60°C) for 2 weeks. Of the 10 samples that were positive for THC prior to storage, only one remained positive after 2 weeks. This has significant implications for the interpretation of THC concentrations in cases where the possibility exists that samples were stored at higher temperatures.

Threats of natural and deliberate biological agent release are very real and are of serious concern within Australia and internationally, having the potential to substantially impact human, plant and animal health as well as agriculture, trade relations, infrastructure and the economy. Biosecurity programmes and policies are essential for counteracting these threats and enabling a nation to effectively prevent and/or respond to the natural, accidental and deliberate release of a biological agent. The major biosecurity focus in Australia is the protection against invasive animal, plant and insect species; however, more recently, the threat of microbiological agents has become a priority for Australia’s national security. Australia’s biosecurity capabilities are maintained through a coordinated effort, involving national, state and local government and non-government agencies. Communication and collaboration between all parties, at both a national and international level, is the key to an effective response. The threat from biological agents is a very real concern and Australia must maintain its preparedness in order to ensure its capacity to respond to biological threats. This review provides a contemporary overview of biosecurity in Australia and the role of forensic science in the investigation of biosecurity incidents.

The ability of jurors and juries to comprehend and utilise scientific evidence in Australian criminal trials is discussed in the context of impediments which include legislation, proce-dural law, and the inherent scientific complexity of some evidence. Existing Australian and international literature on jury performance with expert evidence is examined, and recent doctoral research utilising mock juries, real jurors and forensic scientists, is highlighted. ?Good communication with the jury is afield in which anecdote, self-assurance and self-delusion abound, within the ranks of the legal profession and the judiciary.?

Considering the high incidence of deaths caused by firearms, forensic pathologists must possess a thorough understanding of the patterns of injuries caused by these weapons. Occasionally, distinguishing between entrance and exit gunshot wounds can be difficult. In our case, a 61-year-old man was killed by a 9 mm calibre gunshot wound to the head during a robbery. At the post-mortem examination the calvarium exhibited an atypical injury that showed both entrance and exit wound characteristics, compatible with a ‘keyhole’ defect of the skull. Keyhole fractures occur when a projectile strikes the cranium tangentially, owing to the vertical and horizontal forces usually generated by the fragmentation of the bullet. Atypically, in our case the bullet showed no fragmentation after the impact with the cranial bones and was still able to result in a keyhole defect. An accurate evaluation of the pattern of atypical lesions found in the post-mortem examination is necessary in order to evaluate the cause and the manner of death.

In South Australia it is mandatory to report to the Coroner any death that occurs during, as a result of, or within 24 h of a surgical or an invasive medical or diagnostic procedure. This study was performed to address the question of how often an autopsy directed by the Coroner will reveal death resulted from a complication of a surgical or an invasive medical or diagnostic procedure and to document the complications that were encountered relating to procedures that had been performed during admission to a hospital. A review of Coronial cases that had been investigated by post-mortem examination identified 35 deaths resulting from complications arising from 223 cases that had undergone an autopsy following death subsequent to a surgical or invasive medical or diagnostic procedure. However, due to case selection it was not possible to deduce overall rates of death arising from complications of procedures. Nonetheless, the study confirms the role of the autopsy in identifying or excluding procedure-related complications.

Extensive psychological research has confirmed that probabilistic statistical information that is mathematically equivalent, if presented in different linguistic forms, is not psychologically equivalent. Commentators have argued that certain forms of evidence are more prejudicial than probative and should be excluded from trial. In a recent homicide case based on circumstantial evidence, the sole evidence linking a suspect to crime scene was mitochondrial DNA profiling evidence derived from a single loose hair found at the crime scene. Variations in the form of the linguistic evidence presented by DNA forensic scientists and research about its differential impact were cited as the basis for appeal of the conviction to the Australian High Court. A review of the research revealed that presentation of statistical information using natural frequencies is a recommended best practice. Random match probabilities expressed as frequencies are less susceptible of misinterpretation by legal professionals and lay jurors, and lead to fewer false convictions.

The aim of this study was to develop regression equations for stature estimation using the lower limb bone in Korean individuals. A total of 105 samples (55 men and 50 women) obtained from cadavers were used for developing equations. Bones with obvious pathologies or healed fractures were excluded. The coefficient of determination (r 2) of the variables was generally higher in men than in women. Femur length (MLF) in men and the distance from most the proximal point of the intercondylar fossa to the midpoint of the lesser trochanter (IFLM) in women, were found to have the highest r 2 value. Moreover, the regression equation using a stepwise analysis in a sample of combined sex using partial segments was based on IFGP (distance from the most proximal point of the intercondylar fossa to the most proximal point of the greater trochanter) and EBF (epicondylar breadth of the femur) (r 2=0.760). This method can be used to estimate stature when unidentified human bones are found at excavation sites.

Age estimation in living individuals is an area of increasing importance for both radiology and forensic medicine. Owing to a relatively late completion of maturation, the ischial tuberosity can offer a valuable alternative for assessing 18 years of age. However, the ossification of the ischial tuberosity has rarely been investigated with respect to forensic requirements. The aim of the study was to clarify how strong the chronological age relates to the ossification of the ischial tuberosity in the West China Han group. Our results indicated that the ischial tuberosity ossification appears to begin from 15.34 to 16.17 years for males, and from 14.39 to 15.64 years for females. The apophyseal cartilage begins to ossify from 18.50 to 19.17 years for males, and 18.73 to 19.44 years for females, and has fully ossified from 22.93 to 23.30 years for males, and 23.62 to 24.07 years for females. The present study offers a valuable alternative for age estimation.

This article examines the potential for the Australian national criminal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) database in its application to high volume property crimes, such as burglaries and motor vehicle thefts, and is based primarily on UK data. The potential capacity for police to achieve convictions from reported property offences, and to lower crime levels, was assessed by analysing UK Forensic Science Service and Police inspection reports. The UK national criminal DNA database was selected for examination, as it is the world's longest established and claims the highest "match" rate. It was found that after the database had been in operation for more than seven years it was responsible on average for achieving convictions in close to one percent of reported burglaries, a figure that included the additional convictions developed from the intelligence that the database provided. Having funded a DNA regime from public monies, it may be time for policymakers in Australia to critically reassess expectations for the impact that DNA databases may have on volume crime levels and to focus efforts on those crimes most likely to be solved by the application of DNA testing. Yes Yes

4-Methylmethcathione (4-MMC or mephedrone) is a prevalent drug of abuse globally. 4-MMC is often marketed as 'bath salts' and is readily available over the internet. The need for a rapid universal technique capable of detecting an extensive range of drug compounds has become increasingly important with the continued emergence of novel drug analogues. Desorption electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) is a mass spectrometry technique that allows for the analysis of compounds directly from ambient surfaces, reducing or eliminating the need for sample preparation. Although 4-MMC has gained significant attention in recent years, the application of the DESI-MS technique to the fast presumptive detection and chemical analysis of this analogue has not been presented. In the present study, DESI-MS was applied to the rapid qualitative analysis of 4-MMC. A particularly suitable surface, semi-porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon) was utilised, as it generated the least variable signal and reproducibility compared to other surfaces (polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)). Selectivity of the technique to the detection of 4-MMC was evaluated by analysing a range of adulterated samples including mixtures containing caffeine, methylamphetamine, cathinone and paracetamol. Specificity based on tandem MS (MS/MS) was also demonstrated by analysing substances with the same molecular formula as 4-MMC. Accuracy (% RE) and precision (% RSD) of the method were found to be within 13% and 38%, respectively; and therefore the quantitative data provided by the DESI-MS method is limited compared to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS; accuracy < 13% and precision < 12%). The results suggest that DESI-MS can greatly aid in the rapid presumptive identification of 4-MMC and other similar novel drug analogues.

The detection, comparison and identification of fingerprints remains one of the best means of linking an individual with a scene or an item related to a criminal investigation. While many methods exist for the detection and enhancement of fingermark evidence on common substrates, significant ongoing research is being directed at improved sensitivity via new approaches or the optimisation of existing methods. Current techniques may be ineffective for the detection of weak fingermarks, or may not reveal sufficient ridge detail to permit an identification. In addition, surfaces still remain where fingermark detection is problematic (e.g. human skin). The identification of fingermarks has come under significant scrutiny over the last decade, particularly with respect to the perceived lack of fundamental research and the subjective nature of current fingermark identification practices. Significant effort is being directed at these issues by a number of research groups around the world. The International Fingerprint Research Group (IFRG) holds biennial meetings to discuss current research and present research findings related to fingermark evidence. The purpose of this article is to summarise the fingermark detection and identification research presented at the 2011 and 2013 meetings of this group.

Determination of age plays a pivotal role in identification of unknown skeletal remains. Changes at the sternal extremity of the fourth rib have already been established as reliable indicators of age at death. The İşcan ‘phase method’, based on the morphologic changes at the sternal extremity of the fourth rib, is one of the most effective techniques for age estimation at death. The present study was based on the component method developed by İşcan et al. for the white American population. The sample consisted of the fourth ribs on the right-hand side from 101 males of known age and race. Statistical analysis indicated that these changes were age related and also applicable to Indian males.

Expert evidence presented in the Gordon Wood murder trial is examined in the light of his subsequent acquittal by the appeal court. A case is made that the scientific evidence presented at the trial was valid but it was misinterpreted by the appeal court. The fundamental reason appears to be that lawyers in general, and the judges in particular, had no formal qualifications in the relevant scientific field, which in this case was physics. Specific examples from the judgment are analysed to illustrate the nature of the problem. It is concluded that the validity of scientific evidence cannot reliably be determined by people who have no qualifications in the relevant or a related science. That might be stating the obvious, but it is particularly relevant when lawyers are charged with these tasks.

Concern about contextual bias has led some authorities to recommend that forensic scientists know as little as possible about the facts of the underlying case when interpreting physical evidence; but concern about contextual ignorance has led other authorities to recommend, to the contrary, that forensic scientists know as much as possible in order to frame questions properly. This article recommends a case manager model that addresses both concerns. This article also responds to standard objections to the use of blind procedures in forensic science, explaining why contextual bias cannot be conquered through willpower; why use of domain-irrelevant contextual facts undermines the value of forensic evidence; how a well-known cognitive illusion (the "introspection illusion") can mislead forensic scientists into thinking they can control their biases, when they cannot; and how a paradoxical feature of forensic inference (the "criminalist’s paradox") can mislead analysts into thinking they should rely on contextual facts, when they should not.

Sixty-two individuals dying of hypothermia had their body mass indexes (BMIs) compared with a group of age- and sex-matched controls who had died of accidental trauma (age 30–89 yrs, average 67 yrs, M:F = 13:18). The hypothermic cases had BMIs ranging from 11.6–38.8, median 20.24, mean 21.59, which was significantly lower than the controls’ (p Keywords: BMI; death; frailty syndrome; hypothermia; sarcopenia Document Type: Research Article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2014.888476 Affiliations: The University of Adelaide, Pathology, Adelaide, Australia Publication date: October 2, 2014 $(document).ready(function() { var shortdescription = $(".originaldescription").text().replace(/\\&/g, '&').replace(/\\, '<').replace(/\\>/g, '>').replace(/\\t/g, ' ').replace(/\\n/g, ''); if (shortdescription.length > 350){ shortdescription = "" + shortdescription.substring(0,250) + "... more"; } $(".descriptionitem").prepend(shortdescription); $(".shortdescription a").click(function() { $(".shortdescription").hide(); $(".originaldescription").slideDown(); return false; }); }); Related content In this: publication By this: publisher By this author: Byard, Roger ; Bright, Fiona ; Winskog, Carl GA_googleFillSlot("Horizontal_banner_bottom");

Weusten and Herbergs11. Weusten J, Herbergs J. A stochastic model of the processes in PCR based amplification of STR DNA in forensic applications. Forensic Sci Int: Genetics. 2012; 6 : 17–25.10.1016/j.fsigen.2011.01.003 [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®]View all references proposed a simple and intuitive model for predicting the expected height of stutter peaks and the variance about this expectation. Empirical verification of this model is valuable both for the theoretical understanding of the PCR process and for the practical implementation of many interpretation models for DNA mixtures. This paper confirms Weusten and Herbergs’ prediction that the variance of stutter height is inversely proportional to template, with a study of 99 Identifiler profiles.

Confronting myths about rape is an essential component of rape prevention, and integral to changing attitudes about gender, power and misogyny. Easteal therefore challenges erroneous views of what rape is, who rapes, why men rape, and the impact of rape on the victim. She describes how these myths contribute to under reporting, and suggests reforms to different components of the criminal justice system.

Our aim is to analyse proximal tibial epiphysis and distal femoral epiphysis patterns according to the Dedouit staging method using 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with fast spin echo (FSE) for proton density images. In addition, we discuss the results in relation to the literature for forensic age estimation. In this study, images belonging to 195 female and 277 male patients ranging in age from 10 to 30 years who had a knee MRI for any reason in our Radiology Clinic between January 2014 and December 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. According to the Dedouit et al. five-stage method, they were evaluated by two radiologists. The κ value was calculated for intra-observer and inter-observer compliance. The evaluation of knee epiphysis patterns from MRI is an alternative, efficient, radiation-free and non-invasive method that is helpful in forensic age estimation. In particular, stage 5 in distal femoral epiphysis can determine the 21st year of life in both sexes, and proximal tibial epiphysis could present evidence of age 18 in males. It should be used for evaluation in addition to other methods for determining skeletal system maturity.

The Sakarya Field Battle was the last phase of the forward operation of the Greek Asia Minor Army, which started at the end of March 1921. Although there are contradictory numbers regarding the losses of the parties in the Sakarya Field Battle in the literature, it is generally accepted that the Turkish Army lost 5,713 martyrs. The Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) method was applied to determine the accuracy of findings observed on the surface and to determine burial sites. Geophysical anomalies were detected in 2D profiles from the obtained results. It was determined that the Turkish side buried the martyrs in east-west direction, depending on their religious traditions. The detected anomalies were evaluated in two and three dimensions and the boundaries of the burial areas and the approximate depths of the burials were obtained. The results obtained from data processing techniques showed that the GPR method is suitable for determining the locations of historical graves on battlefields. The new martyrs found as a result of the studies are thought to be soldiers whose fate was unknown, recorded as ‘missing’ in the records.

In this study, we investigate the existence of a possible genetic association between 1359 G/A polymorphism of the Central Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CNR1) Gene CNR1 (p.Thr453Thr; rs1049353) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and cannabis addiction. DNA samples used in this work are purified from venous leukocytes of 145 unrelated Turkish cannabis-dependent subjects and 140 Turkish control subjects. No significant difference is observed in genotype or allele frequencies of CNR1 1359 G/A polymorphism between these two groups. We also compared CNR1 1359 G/A polymorphism allele frequency distribution in our healthy Turkish population with other healthy populations. The comparison of healthy Turkish subjects with the healthy subjects from English-Irish, Chinese, European-American, African-American, Italian, German and Japanese populations revealed significant differences in allele frequencies. Data indicate that the 1359 G/A CNR1 polymorphism does not contribute to susceptibility to cannabinoid addiction in Turkish subjects. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on 1359 G/A CNR1 polymorphism in the Turkish population.

Little is known about the role of the second molar eruption in forensic age estimation; however, in countries where the legal age is 14-years-old, it can provide important information. This study aims to analyse whether the eruption stages of the second mandibular molar can be used for forensic age estimation purposes. The eruption stage of the second left mandibular molar was assessed and correlation between age and stage of eruption was evaluated using Spearman rank order correlation. A Chi-square test was used to assess the correlation between age equal or superior to 14 and stage C or D attainment. The level of significance was defined as p

Direct PCR can be used to successfully generate full STR profiles from latent DNA. However, some substrates have been shown to be more problematic and in some cases only partial profiles are recovered. As latent DNA is present on the surface of objects in very low quantity, and potentially low quality, the fragment lengths targeted by STR typing may be too large to successfully amplify all markers. As an alternative, QIAGEN have developed a 140-SNP multiplex that targets much shorter amplicons and generates extremely low probabilities of any two unrelated individuals having identical genotypes. Here, we present the first forensic identification SNP data from latent DNA using massively parallel sequencing. We applied the QIAGEN 140-SNP forensic identification multiplex to swabs collected from multiple substrates (including mobile phone, fingerprint, wire, zip-lock bag and SIM card) and multiple donors.

The goal of this paper is to explore whether combining dental and skeletal maturation data increases the reliability of determining whether an individual is 16 years old or older. This is tentatively done by building probabilistic models for age estimation based on dental and skeletal maturation using a longitudinal sample of eight males, with annual assessments between the ages of 13 and 19, totalling 56 observations. Skeletal maturity was assessed for the radius and ulna using the TW2 method, and dental maturity was assessed for the second and third molars using Demirjian’s scheme. Logistic regression was selected to determine the probability of an individual being 16 years of age and older, by combining dental and skeletal maturity scores and using them separately. The age estimation models combining dental and skeletal maturity scores seem to perform better than either dental or skeletal maturity in isolation. In addition, when in isolation or combination, models based on skeletal maturity scores seem to outperform models based on dental maturity scores. The findings seem to support the notion that dental development is less reliable than skeletal maturity for age estimation in adolescents, but these results have to be confirmed by further studies.

Forensic microbiology is widely applied to identify people at crime scenes and determine the cause and time of deaths by examination of trace evidence. In particular, identification of bacteria from post-mortem specimens is important because the cause of death could be an infection with clinically significant bacteria that results in a fatal outcome, such as sepsis. The MicroSEQ 500 16S rDNA Bacteria Identification system (MicroSeq ID) from Applied Biosystems is a molecular technique for profiling of bacteria isolated by cultures, based on Sanger sequencing of the bacterial 16S rDNA gene. The MiSeq Illumina platform uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) for metagenomic analysis of 16S rDNA and culture-independent identification of bacteria. In this study, we analysed 65 post-mortem specimens by both methods and compared the workflows involved with regard to methodology, time-efficiency, cost-efficiency, and performance to determine the limitations and benefits of these techniques for forensic application. We found that MiSeq is more time-efficient, and exhibits superior cost-efficiency when more than 30 samples are analysed. In addition, MiSeq has a number of other advantages over MicroSeq ID, including a simpler identification of bacteria that are difficult to culture and use of a larger library of 16S rDNA, allowing more precise identification of bacterial species.

The AGCU 6 Dye Mini STR kit is designed to amplify DNA from extracts as well as direct amplification from substrates. Through 6 dye (i.e. FAM, HEX, VIG550, VIG598, VIG618 and SIZ-500), this kit combines 15 autosomal STR loci (i.e. D3S1358, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, D2S1338, TH01, D18S51, TPOX, vWA, D21S11, D8S1179, D5S818, CSF1PO, D19S433, FGA) with a Y-STR locus (DYS391) and Amelogenin. Containing the most widely used autosomal STR loci, the new system can not only be well applied for actual cases, but also can help the establishment of STR database, especially for the amplification of degraded DNA or low-template DNA. According to the SWGDAM developmental validation guidelines, the new system was validated for the sensitivity detection, species specificity, inhibitor tolerance, DNA mixtures, casework samples, concordance studies. The results demonstrate that the AGCU 6 Dye Mini STR kit is an efficient and reliable amplification kit, which can be used for human identification testing.

The aim of this study was to test the performance of the third molar maturity index (I3M) for discriminating between adults and minors. Panoramic radiographs of 760 individuals aged 11 to 25 years were assessed and validity of I3M < 0.08 was tested. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and Youden’s index were used to test the performance of the method. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.554 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.487–0.619) and 0.962 (95% CI, 0.926–0.983) in females, 0.750 (95% CI, 0.666–0.829) and 0.949 (95% CI, 0.910–0.974) in males, respectively. The proportion of correctly classified individuals was 0.747 (95% CI, 0.703–0.786) and 0.884 (95% CI, 0.815–0.895) in females and males, respectively. In addition, an optimal cut-off value was determined as I3M < 0.19 for females. When we used this cut-off value in females, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were as follows: 0.820 (95% CI, 0.764–0.867), 0.833 (95% CI, 0.775–0.880) and 0.826 (95% 0.768–0.843). The I3M gave better results when using a sex-specific cut-off value in a Turkish sample.

Estimation of age in individuals, either living or dead, is a daunting task in forensic analyses. The relative visibility of the periodontal ligament of the mandibular third molars, after the root formation which is completed in four stages, has been identified as having the potential to classify the subject as being above or below 18 years. A total of 339 orthopantomograms (OPGs) (180 males, 159 females) from the Indian population belonging to the age group of 15–40 years, were evaluated for the stage of periodontal ligament visibility and scored. The chronological age and the periodontal ligament visibility staging (0, 1, 2, 3) demonstrated a strong positive correlation. The grading of Stages 1, 2 and 3 was evidenced at age >18 in both males and females with both right as well as left third molars with a classification accuracy of 100%. Among Indians, it can be preliminarily concluded that periodontal ligament visibility from Stage 1 onwards can be used to define the 18-year threshold, i.e. state that males or females are above 18 years of age.

From 1951–1955, the skeletal remains of United Nations casualties in the Korean War were processed for identification at the US Army Central Identification Unit (CIU) in Kokura, Japan. Anthropologists examined the remains to provide estimates of race, age, stature, and ante-mortem fractures or other individuating features. Initially, procedures followed those used in the earlier analysis of Second World War casualties, in which stature was estimated from long bone lengths using tables derived from work by Rollet and Krogman. However, in 1952, Trotter and Gleser published a study of stature estimation based on the skeletal remains of 1200 US Second World War casualties, and the next year the CIU shifted to using these formulae. After the conclusion of CIU operations, Trotter and Gleser analysed skeletal measurements from 5517 US Korean War casualties and published a new set of regression equations, which continue to be used by many anthropologists. Analysis of osteometric data for historically identified US Korean War casualties has illuminated the calculation and use of stature estimates at the CIU and the nature of the data available to Trotter and Gleser. In particular, it has revealed a shift in measurement techniques that accompanied the shift in regression formulae.

Gas chromatograms and E.I. mass spectra of the parent compounds and seven heptafluorobutyric anhydride derivatised, 4-substituted 2-(4-x-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]ethanamines (25X-NBOMe), (x = Br, Cl, Me, Et, I, NO2,SMe; X = B, C, D, E, I, N, T2), 2-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]ethanamine (25H-NBOMe) and six other analogues are reported. Derivatisation allows determination of the mass of the molecular ion, and observation of characteristic fragmentation patterns. All the NBOMe compounds studied showed a McLafferty rearrangement in the E.I. mass spectrum that is diagnostic of a hydrogen atom that is six atoms removed from a π-bonded hetero-atom. The ease of this protocol makes this an important tool for the routine analysis of appropriately-structured new psychoactive substances in crime laboratories.