Sex estimation from handprints in a Croatian population sample: developing a tool for sex identification in criminal investigations

Aim: To test if handprint measurements show sexual dimorphism in the Croatian population, and to develop population-specific sex estimation standards. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 adult volunteers from a Croatian population (50 males and 50 females) aged between 20 and 45 years. Using a fingerprint ink, we collected handprints of both hands on a paper sheet. We scanned handprints and took 13 measurements. Bilateral asymmetry and sexual dimorphism of the measurements was analyzed and sex estimation models were developed using linear discriminant analysis. Results: All measurements exhibited statistically significant sexual dimorphism (P<0.001). Univariate discriminant functions provided sexing accuracy from 75% to 92%. The highest accuracy rate (92%) and the lowest sexing bias (0%) was obtained using the handprint breadth. A multivariate discriminant function could estimate sex with 93% accuracy, but with more pronounced sexing bias (10%). Conclusion: We showed that handprint measurements could be used for sex estimation in the Croatian population with a high accuracy level. Therefore, they could serve as a valuable tool for biological profiling of perpetrators in criminal investigations when other evidence is not conclusive

Nadin – nekropola na ravnom

At University Center for Forensic Sciences, on kind request of prof. Sineva Kukoč, human osteological material from Liburnian-Roman Nadin flat necropolis, were delivered. In order of getting more information on finding site as well as populations that lived there during this time period, collaboration of University in Zadar and University Center for Forensic Sciences was successfully carried out. During archaeological researches, one grave cella with 18 graves was excavated. They were dated in 6th and 5th century BC. Only graves: 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18 and 18a were preserved in situ, while others were destroyed afterwords. Aim oft his research was getting results of anthropological analysis of Nadin flat necropolis. Regarding to the fact that Nadin flat necropolis and burial mound 13 that was anthropological processed by P. Rajić Šikanjić belong to the same Gradina in Nadin, results of these two anthropological analysis will be compared and we will try to give conclusions about similarities and differences in life condicitions and its quality in these two necropolisess. Anthropological analysis gives an insight in life quality of individuals, as well as whole community, through researche of diseases that were causes of death , food availability and quality, quality of medical care, average of estimated age at time of death, as well as social relations within populations. All those informations give an oportunity of better understanding of past including our ancessters’ way of life.Autori u ovom radu pokušavaju rasvijetliti kvalitetu i uvjete života, kao i opću demografsku strukturu stanovništva željeznog doba u Nadinu. Prilikom istraživanja 2005. godine u Nadinu istražena je cela 1 s 18 grobova, od kojih su samo neki sačuvani in situ. Nakon antropološke analize utvrđeno je da je minimalan broj sahranjenih osoba 45, od kojih 5 žena, 9 muškaraca, 22 djece te 9 odraslih osoba, kojima se zbog iznimne fragmentiranosti nije mogao odrediti spol. U ovoj celi prevladava obred pokapanja, a zastupljeno je i spaljivanje: naime, u šest grobova pronađene su kosti spaljenih pokojnika. Prosječna doživljena dob za muškarce iznosi 36,7 godina, a za žene 46 godina. Za 11 djece bilo je moguće odrediti prosječnu doživljenu dob u trenutku smrti koja je iznosila 8,5 godina. Usprkos većim postmortalnim oštećenjima korteksa, uočene su sljedeće patološke promjene: zubni karijes kod dvije osobe (42,9 %), odnosno u 16 % zubi, alveolarna resorpcija kod dvije osobe (28,6 %), odnosno 35,9 % zubi, hipoplazija zubne cakline kod dvije osobe (25 % ) , odnosno 33,87 % zubi. Od osoba koje su imale sačuvane kralješke, tri osobe (27,3 %) imale su vidljive Schmorlove defekte. Jedanaest osoba imalo je znakove osteoartritisa (50% od svih odraslih osoba) na očuvanim zglobnim plohama. Kod jedne odrasle osobe i jednog djeteta vidljiva je cribra orbitalia u sanaciji. Ujedno su ovo jedine dvije osobe sa sačuvanim orbitama. Znakovi periostitisa vidljivi su kod tri odrasle osobe, odnosno 13,6 % od ukupnog broja odraslih osoba. Kod devetero djece (40,9 % od ukupnog broja djece) vidljivi su znakovi aktivnog generaliziranog periostitisa. Osim ljudskog osteološkog materijala u 9 grobova pronađene su i životinjske kosti, od kojih je za ukupno 47 kostiju bilo moguće odrediti kojoj vrsti pripadaju i o kojoj se kosti radi. Popis zastupljenih životinja je sljedeći: ovca, koza, svinja, govedo, jelen i mačka. Također su pronađene i puževe kućice i školjke. Za daljnje rasvjetljavanje demografske strukture stanovništva potrebne su dodatne analize

Vredovanje morfoloških metoda za određivanje spola na lubanji

Vredovanje morfoloških metoda za određivanje spola na lubanj

Human Papillomavirus DNA Typing in the Cervical Specimens among Women of Split and Dalmatian County

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main cause of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide. More than 200 types of HPV have been described, and within this range more than 40 types attack epithelium of genital tract. The types that were most commonly related to the development of cervical cancer are called high-risk types (HR HPV). There are very few studies about HPV prevalence in Croatia and there is an absolute lack of data for Split and Dalmatian County. Therefore, during a 6 month period, we routinely screened 570 women for HPV DNA at the Educational Public Health Institute of Split and Dalmatian County. HR HPV was detected in cervical exfoliated cells, by using Hybrid Capture 2 HPV DNA test. Out of the total number of tested women, 200 (35%) of them were positive to HR HPV. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assays were employed for HR HPV genotyping in positive specimens. The following frequency was observed: HPV 16 in 10%, HPV 18 in 6.1%, HPV 31 in 2.6%, HPV 33 in 1.9%, HPV 52 in 1.4%, HPV 59 in 0.7%, HPV 45 in 0.4% specimens, while 11.9% of tested specimens currently remained untyped. It is necessary to expand this study to a larger number of women, in order to better evaluate genital HPV types distribution among women in this region

Future Perspectives of Personalized Oncology

Based upon an individual’s molecular make-up, personalized molecular medicine provides information regarding the origin of disease, its treatment and progression, while personalized molecular pharmacology advises on drug prescription and patient response to it, thus ensuring drug effectiveness and preventing drug toxicity or lack of response. Interindividual differences in drug responses are mostly due to structural variation in parts of genome, e.g. in genes participating in drug metabolism, transport or targeting. However, a wide variety of diseases and accompanying health conditions, including patient’s therapy or drug response, also have epigenetic or epigenomic etiology. High priority for personalized oncologic research stems from inter/intraindividual tumor heterogeneity provoked by gradual acquisition of multiple random, or programmed mutations and rearrangements as well as epigenetic alterations or by stochastic fluctuations in cell components, all in tight feedback interaction with tumor’s environmental or therapy conditions. Natural selection subsequently shapes inter/intraindividual tumor heterogeneity by promoting clonal expansion of cells that have acquired advantageous mutations for tumor population. Hence, the main rationale of personalized molecular oncology should focus on treating disease by relying on relevant structure and state of patient’s whole molecular network (genome/transcriptome/RNome/proteome/metabolome/metabonome) in interaction with its unique environmental conditions, thus implying right therapy for the right patient at the right dose and time. The future of personalized oncology should therefore rely on the methods of systems biology applied in cytology and pathology in order to develop and utilize the efficient and effective diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers, consequently providing the molecular information on tumor origin, its potential for metastasis, adequate therapy, tumor specific therapy responsiveness, and the probability of its recurrence

Vredovanje morfoloških metoda za određivanje spola na lubanji

Vredovanje morfoloških metoda za određivanje spola na lubanj

Rapid Extraction of Human DNA Containing Humic Acid

The identification process of dead bodies or human remains is nowadays conducted in numerous fields of forensic science, archeology and other judicial cases. A particular problem is the isolation and DNA typing of human remains found in mass graves, due to the degradation process, as well as post mortal DNA contamination with bacteria, fungi, humic acids, metals, etc. In this study, the influence of humic acid (HA) on the DNA extraction and typing is investigated. If present in the amplification reaction mix, humic acid inhibited DNA amplification, but the addition of 50 mg PVPP (polyvinil-polypyrrolidone) to the reaction mixture before extraction appeared to be optimal in overcoming this inhibition

Age Estimation in Forensic Examination of Child Pornography

Procjena dobi kod vještačenja dječje pornografije Sažetak Dječja pornografija kao pojava u društvu prisutna je od antičkih vremena, ali se razvojem računalne tehnologije i zahvaljujući sve većoj dostupnosti interneta njena fenomenologija promijenila što je uzrokovalo drastičan porast njene dostupnosti ali i kaznenih djela koja se čine u vezi s dječjom pornografijom. Međunarodnim i zakonodavnim naporima dječja pornografija definirana je te se provode različite mjere s ciljem prevencije i suzbijanja ove pojave te sankcioniranja počinitelja. U sudskim postupcima vezanim uz dječju pornografiju važnu ulogu imaju sudski vještaci koji radi zakonskih propisa trebaju procijeniti dob osoba prikazanih u spornim materijalima. U ovome radu opisana je bitna terminologija, relevantni međunarodni dokumenti i nacionalno zakonodavstvo, dostupni statistički podaci, trenutačno korištena metoda vještačenja pornografskog materijala kao i put prema novoj metodi vještačenja procjene dobi korištenjem mjera ljudskih lica, temeljenoj na fotoantropometriji. Na kraju rada opisane su smjernice za buduća istraživanja iz ovog područja pomoću kojih bi se nova metoda vještačenja mogla dalje razvijati i potencijalno rabiti u svrhe vještačenja.Child pornography as a social phenomenon has been present since Antiquity. With the development of computer technology and the increasing availability of the Internet, its phenomenology has changed, resulting in a drastic increase in its availability as well as criminal offenses related to child pornography. The international and legislative efforts were undertaken to define child pornography and various measures are being implemented to prevent and eradicate this phenomenon as well as to sanction the perpetrators. In court proceedings related to child pornography, witness experts have an important role of assessing the age of the persons depicted in the pornographic materials. This paper describes essential terminology, relevant international documents and national legislation, available statistical data, the age estimation method currently used in court proceedings, and the process of development of the new method of age estimation based on photo anthropometry. This paper also recommends guidelines for future researches that would further develop this method and potentially make it applicable in court proceedings

The Utilization of Frontal Sinuses in Forensics

Sažetak Individualizacija osoba i ljudskih ostataka jedan je od izazova s kojim se susreću forenzičari u svome radu u slučajevima poput masovnih katastrofa, požara i masovnih grobnica. Frontalni se sinusi pojavljuju kod većine ljudi te su kod svake osobe individualnog oblika i dimenzija. Koriste se za individualizaciju osoba kada nisu prisutni crteži papilarnih linija te kada DNK analiza nije moguća. U praksi se frontalni sinusi rabe za individualizaciju osoba od 20-ih godina 20. stoljeća. Određivanje spola prvi je korak u stvaranju biološkog profila ljudskih ostataka. U dosadašnjim istraživanjima spolnog dimorfizma frontalnih sinusa postotak pouzdanosti procjene spola iznosio je od 60 % do 85 %. Razlike u rezultatima autori objašnjavaju korištenjem različitih radioloških metoda kojima su napravljene snimke, veličinom uzorka te populacijskom specifičnošću. Za potrebe individualizacije osoba razvijeni su brojni kodni sustavi za klasifikaciju oblika i dimenzija frontalnih sinusa koji su u stvarnim slučajevima omogućili pozitivnu individualizaciju posmrtnih ostataka. Kodni sustavi polaze od ideje da će kombinacija koda biti jedinstvena ili dovoljno rijetka unutar promatrane populacije. Unatoč nedostacima, kodni sustavi klasifikacije frontalnih sinusa predstavljaju dobru pomoćnu metodu prilikom individualizacije osoba. Nijedno istraživanje proučavanjem populacijske specifičnosti te spolnoga dimorfizma frontalnih sinusa nije napravljeno na području Republike Hrvatske.Individualization of persons and human remains is one of the most common challenges forensic experts encounter during their work with cases such as mass disasters, fires and mass graves. Frontal sinuses are an anatomical structure with unique shape and dimensions that appears in almost the whole human population. They are used for personal identification when the fingerprints are not present and when the DNA analysis is impossible or financially unsuitable and time-consuming. Frontal sinuses have been in use as a mean of individualization since 1920\u27s. Sex determination is a first step in a process of biological profiling of human remains. Studies of sexual dimorphism of frontal sinuses resultet with the percentage of reliability of sex estimation ranging from 60% to 85%. The authors explain the differences in the results by using different radiological methods for recording, sample size and population specificity. For the purposes of individualization, a number of coding systems have been developed for the classification of the shape and dimensions of the frontal sinuses, which have provided a positive individualization of mortal remains in real cases. Coding systems are based on the idea that the code combination will be unique or rare enough within the observed population. Despite the disadvantages, coding systems for frontal sinus classification are a good auxiliary method when individualizing individuals. No research on the population\u27s specificity and the sexual dimorphism of the frontal sinuses was done on the territory of the Republic of Croatia

Split from the 16th to 19th century through the prism of anthropological research

U članku su prikazani rezultati antropološke analize koštanog materijala pronađenog u sondi 9 dominikanskog samostana sv. Katarine u Splitu. Kako se radi o zajedničkoj grobnoj komori s većim brojem pokojnika, primijenjene su forenzično–antropološke metode s ciljem utvrđivanja minimalnog broja osoba. Također su prikazana antropološka obilježja populacije, demografska struktura, kvaliteta i uvjeti života kasnosrednjovjekovne/novovjekovne populacije. Rezultati su uspoređeni s rezultatima lokaliteta iz Hrvatske i svijeta.This article presents the results of anthropological analysis of bone material that was discovered in trench 9 in the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine in Split. Due to the fact that it was a burial chamber with several skeletons, forensic–anthropological methods were applied with the aim to determine the minimal number of individuals. In addition, the anthropological characteristics of the population, the demographic structure, the quality of life and living conditions of the late mediaeval/ modern population were illustrated. The results were compared to the results of sites in Croatia and abroad