Article
Medicine, Legal
Khosit Elvezio Kasikam, D. Troy Case, Mayuree Kasikam, Sukon Prasitwattanaseree, Apichat Sinthubua, Phruksachat Singsuwan, Pasuk Mahakkanukrauh
Summary: This study analyzed 13 dimensions of the palate and cranial base in 200 Thai skulls, finding the distance from right to left mastoidale to be the most accurate for sex estimation. The combination of a triangle and the distance from posterior nasal spine to the right greater palatine foramen also improved accuracy, suggesting the cranial base can be useful in cases of poor preservation or taphonomic degradation.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Yasin Ertug Cekdemir, Uygar Mutlu, Gokce Karaman, Ali Balci
Summary: The study found that morphometric measurements on cranial CT images can accurately estimate gender, with significant differences between males and females. The most discriminatory parameters were bi-zygomatic breadth, maximum cranial length, and bi-mastoid diameter.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Angel DesMarais, Zuzana Obertova, Daniel Franklin
Summary: This study assesses the relationship between age and pelvic morphology in an Australian population and finds significant differences in the distribution and means of scores among age groups, but only in females. This suggests that age affects pelvic morphology and should be considered when estimating sex based on the pelvis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Manuel Partido Navadijo, Ignacio Fombuena Zapata, Erik Adrian Borja Miranda, Inmaculada Aleman Aguilera
Summary: This study successfully established discriminant functions for sex estimation based on the analysis and measurement of ribs from contemporary skeletons. The results showed good feasibility and success rates, with excellent reproducibility demonstrated in intra-/inter-observer error tests.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Yasin Ertug Cekdemir, Uygar Mutlu, Gokce Karaman, Ali Balci
Summary: The study found that morphometric measurements performed on CT images of the calcaneus can be effective for sex estimation, with all parameters significantly higher in men compared to women. The best performance for sex estimation was displayed by dorsal articular facet length and body height, while the simultaneous use of multiple variables can achieve gender discrimination accuracy as high as 96%.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Madalina Maria Diac, Tatiana Iov, Simona Irina Damian, Anton Knieling, Nona Girlescu, Codrin Lucasievici, Sofia David, Elena F. Kranioti, Diana Bulgaru Iliescu
Summary: The study aims to enhance forensic anthropology in Romania by creating a new regression formula for stature estimation using tibia length as a factor for Romanian adults. The research included 137 cases from a specific region in Romania and developed four regression formulae for stature estimation for males, females, and unknown sex, showing a high correlation between tibia length and stature. The results have good applicability in a forensic anthropological context and provide reliable estimates for estimating stature from tibia length in the Romanian adult population.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Patricia R. Avent, Cris E. Hughes, Heather M. Garvin
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of posterior probability-informed thresholds (PPITs) on sex estimation accuracy and found that using PPITs of at least 0.85 increased accuracy rates to over 92% while remaining inclusive of the sample. PPITs < 0.75 were not significantly higher than chance and should be reported as indeterminate. The 0.75-0.84 PPIT interval had an accuracy rate of 76% with lower confidence in the results.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Elizabeth A. DiGangi, Jonathan D. Bethard
Summary: Since the professionalization of US-based forensic anthropology in the 1970s, ancestry estimation has been a standard part of the biological profile, but has not fully considered the racist context of the criminal justice system. Despite ongoing criticisms from mainstream biological anthropology, forensic anthropologists have continued the practice of ancestry estimation, even developing new methods without considering the societal consequences. The lack of scientific support for these methods and the perpetuation of the biological race concept highlight the need for forensic anthropologists to abolish the practice of ancestry estimation.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Mariyam I. Isa, Todd W. Fenton, Alexis C. Goots, Elena O. Watson, Patrick E. Vaughan, Feng Wei
Summary: This study investigates the relationships between input energy, impactor shape, and fractures in human crania. The results show that different energy levels and impactor shapes can lead to different fracture patterns and locations. Higher energy impacts generally result in more impact site fractures and comminution, while different impactor shapes also contribute to varied fracture patterns.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Cristina M. Beltran-Aroca, Manuel Lopez-Alcaraz, Pablo Perez-Jorge, Jose L. Velazquez-Gomez, Pilar Font-Ugalde, Eloy Girela-Lopez
Summary: Post-mortem identification plays a significant role in death investigations for legal and humanitarian purposes. This study aimed to validate the Iscan method for age estimation in a Spanish forensic population by comparing estimates obtained from dry bones and 3D reconstructions. The results showed that virtual analysis using a surface scanner was a valid means of estimating age but recommended the joint use of different methods and anatomical sites due to considerable error values and confidence intervals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Catarina Ochoa Rodrigues, Maria Teresa Ferreira, Vitor Matos, David Goncalves
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of heat exposure on sex estimation based on morphological and metric features. Results showed that heat-induced changes affected scoring of features, especially at high temperatures, with caution advised during analysis of bones burnt at low-to-medium intensity burns.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Lauren Swift, Zuzana Obertova, Ambika Flavel, Kevin Murray, Daniel Franklin
Summary: This study presents the first morphometric cranial sexing standards specifically formulated for the contemporary Australian population. The findings indicate that cranial measurements can accurately estimate sex within the Australian population, thereby enhancing forensic practice and casework accuracy across the country.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Leila Siciliano-Martina, Jessica E. Light, A. Michelle Lawing
Summary: Research shows that captive canid populations, including both hypercarnivores and hypocarnivores, exhibit cranial shape changes, especially among hypercarnivorous species. These changes may affect the animals' ability to hunt and eat, potentially hindering their reintroduction success in the future.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Daniele Garcovich, Laura Albert Gasco, Alfonso Alvarado Lorenzo, Riccardo Aiuto, Milagros Adobes Martin
Summary: The study analyzed the sexual dimorphism of the frontal bone using a geometric morphometric approach to assess the accuracy of sex estimates. The results showed that this method can achieve high accuracy for sex estimates in post-pubertal subjects, but is not applicable in pre-pubertal ones.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Victoria Berezowski, Tracy Rogers, Eugene Liscio
Summary: This research developed a method combining morphological and metric cranial sex assessment using 3D technology, with a high overall accuracy rate. Although further testing is needed, this method enables forensic anthropologists to perform relatively easy measurements and conduct future analyses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Florian Kernen, Stefan Schlager, Veronica Seidel Alvarez, Juergen Mehrhof, Kirstin Vach, Ralf Kohal, Katja Nelson, Tabea Fluegge
Summary: The accuracy of intraoral scanners is crucial for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) dentistry. This clinical study compared the accuracy of intraoral scanning with different devices to extraoral scanning. The results showed that extraoral scans had higher precision and trueness compared to intraoral scans, except for complete-arch scans with one specific intraoral scanner. Short-span scans had higher precision and trueness compared to complete-arch scans.
JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Mathieu Gass, Marc Anton Fuessinger, Marc Christian Metzger, Steffen Schwarz, Johannes Daniel Baehr, Leonard Brandenburg, Julia Weingart, Stefan Schlager
Summary: Utilizing a statistical shape model (SSM) for orbital floor reconstruction results in higher accuracy compared to the conventional mirroring method. The SSM-based approach can better accommodate the natural asymmetry of the skull, achieving higher precision in reconstructing injured orbits.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Patricia R. Avent, Cris E. Hughes, Heather M. Garvin
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of posterior probability-informed thresholds (PPITs) on sex estimation accuracy and found that using PPITs of at least 0.85 increased accuracy rates to over 92% while remaining inclusive of the sample. PPITs < 0.75 were not significantly higher than chance and should be reported as indeterminate. The 0.75-0.84 PPIT interval had an accuracy rate of 76% with lower confidence in the results.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Heather M. Garvin, Rachel Dunn, Sabrina B. Sholts, M. Schuyler Litten, Merna Mohamed, Nathan Kuttickat, Noah Skantz
Summary: This study aimed to assess the utility of quantitative methods in distinguishing human from nonhuman remains and present additional resources for species identification. Through data analysis and the development of a web tool, the study achieved accurate differentiation between human and nonhuman species, providing important statistical support and resources for forensic anthropologists and other disciplines.
Article
Biology
Lauren N. Butaric, Allison Richman, Heather M. Garvin
Summary: This study investigates how slight deviations in radiographic orientations affect frontal sinus size and outline shape, potentially impacting identification. The study found that horizontal deviations had minimal impact on sinus breadth, while vertical deviations significantly affected sinus height. Smaller and/or discontinuous sinuses were more prone to alterations, highlighting the need for careful matching of radiographic orientation in frontal sinus identification.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Lauren N. Butaric, Jessica L. Campbell, Kristine M. Fischer, Heather M. Garvin
Summary: Frontal sinus morphology varies greatly between individuals and becomes more complex with age. The final shape of the frontal sinus is typically achieved by the age of 20, with females reaching this shape earlier than males. This study has significant implications for understanding the development of frontal sinuses, clinical applications, and forensic work.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Leonard Simon Brandenburg, Stefan Schlager, Lara Sophie Harzig, David Steybe, Rene Marcel Rothweiler, Felix Burkhardt, Benedikt Christopher Spies, Joachim Georgii, Marc Christian Metzger
Summary: Adequate soft-tissue dimensions are crucial for the success of dental implants. This study uses statistical shape models to calculate the mucogingival borderline and accurately reconstructs it using intra-oral scanner data and principal component analysis.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Mathematics
Valerio Varano, Stefano Gabriele, Franco Milicchio, Stefan Shlager, Ian Dryden, Paolo Piras
Summary: In shape analysis, the interpolation of shapes' trajectories is often done through geodesics in a chosen Riemannian Shape Space. A new Riemannian shape space called TPS Space based on the Thin Plate Spline interpolant is introduced, and its geodesic properties are characterized. Several applications demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed formulation in conserving important physical properties of deformation.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Alexis L. VanBaarle, Heather M. Garvin
Summary: This study investigated the measurement precision of minimum kerf width (MKW), which provides information about the tool used in cases of skeletal sharp force trauma. The results showed that measurements taken with internal calipers and a stereo microscope had the lowest error, while measurements taken with external calipers performed the worst.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Leonard Simon Brandenburg, Steffen Jochen Schwarz, Benedikt Christopher Spies, Julia Vera Weingart, Joachim Georgii, Britta A. Jung, Felix Burkhardt, Stefan Schlager, Marc Christian Metzger
Summary: This study presents a new method for automatically reconstructing missing teeth using a virtual wax-up. The accuracy of the method was evaluated and compared with the final prosthodontic work. The results showed that the reconstruction accuracy was close to the original in artificially generated tooth gaps. However, the method did not consider prosthodontic aspects and further improvements are needed for clinical use.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTERIZED DENTISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Leonard Simon Brandenburg, Lukas Berger, Steffen Jochen Schwarz, Hans Meine, Julia Vera Weingart, David Steybe, Benedikt Christopher Spies, Felix Burkhardt, Stefan Schlager, Marc Christian Metzger
Summary: This study examines the use of a statistical shape model (SSM) to compute the course of dental roots based on a surface scan. The SSM is generated using open-source software and allows for the estimation of tooth axes. The results show that the SSM can accurately predict the approximate course of dental roots and can be used as a reference for implant positioning.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED RADIOLOGY AND SURGERY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Anthropology
Patricia R. Avent, Jessica L. Campbell, Heather M. Garvin, Lauren N. Butaric
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Anthropology
Heather M. Garvin, Tanner Pulsipher
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Anthropology
Shawn D. Hurst, Ralph L. Holloway, Alannah Pearson, Grace Bocko, Heather M. Garvin, Lee R. Berger, John Hawks
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Shigeki Tsuneya, Makoto Nakajima, Maiko Yoshida, Yumi Hoshioka, Fumiko Chiba, Go Inokuchi, Suguru Torimitsu, Hirotaro Iwase
Summary: This case report highlights the detection of diatoms in a non-drowned human who had aspirated mud. Careful analysis of diatoms in various samples can help differentiate true drowning from false-positives in non-drowning cases.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Jessika Camatti, Ivan Galliani, Antonello Cirnelli, Rossana Cecchi
Summary: This article presents a case study on the evaluation of criminal responsibility of a murderer. The multidisciplinary approach was used to investigate and analyze the case, and through psychological tests and interviews, experts concluded that the accused cannot be exempted from criminal responsibility for the homicide.
