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Schmidt VM, Zelger P, Wöss C, Fodor M, Hautz T, Schneeberger S, Huck CW, Arora R, Brunner A, Zelger B, Schirmer M, Pallua JD. Handheld hyperspectral imaging as a tool for the post-mortem interval estimation of human skeletal remains. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25844. [PMID: 38375262 PMCID: PMC10875450 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In forensic medicine, estimating human skeletal remains' post-mortem interval (PMI) can be challenging. Following death, bones undergo a series of chemical and physical transformations due to their interactions with the surrounding environment. Post-mortem changes have been assessed using various methods, but estimating the PMI of skeletal remains could still be improved. We propose a new methodology with handheld hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system based on the first results from 104 human skeletal remains with PMIs ranging between 1 day and 2000 years. To differentiate between forensic and archaeological bone material, the Convolutional Neural Network analyzed 65.000 distinct diagnostic spectra: the classification accuracy was 0.58, 0.62, 0.73, 0.81, and 0.98 for PMIs of 0 week-2 weeks, 2 weeks-6 months, 6 months-1 year, 1 year-10 years, and >100 years, respectively. In conclusion, HSI can be used in forensic medicine to distinguish bone materials >100 years old from those <10 years old with an accuracy of 98%. The model has adequate predictive performance, and handheld HSI could serve as a novel approach to objectively and accurately determine the PMI of human skeletal remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena-Maria Schmidt
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Philipp Zelger
- University Clinic for Hearing, Voice and Speech Disorders, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Claudia Wöss
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Margot Fodor
- OrganLifeTM, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Theresa Hautz
- OrganLifeTM, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan Schneeberger
- OrganLifeTM, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Wolfgang Huck
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rohit Arora
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Andrea Brunner
- Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology, and Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bettina Zelger
- Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology, and Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Schirmer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes Dominikus Pallua
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Woess C, Huck CW, Badzoka J, Kappacher C, Arora R, Lindtner RA, Zelger P, Schirmer M, Rabl W, Pallua J. Raman spectroscopy for postmortem interval estimation of human skeletal remains: A scoping review. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2023; 16:e202300189. [PMID: 37494000 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202300189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Estimating postmortem intervals (PMI) is crucial in forensic investigations, providing insights into criminal cases and determining the time of death. PMI estimation relies on expert experience and a combination of thanatological data and environmental factors but is prone to errors. The lack of reliable methods for assessing PMI in bones and soft tissues necessitates a better understanding of bone decomposition. Several research groups have shown promise in PMI estimation in skeletal remains but lack valid data for forensic cases. Current methods are costly, time-consuming, and unreliable for PMIs over 5 years. Raman spectroscopy (RS) can potentially estimate PMI by studying chemical modifications in bones and teeth correlated with burial time. This review summarizes RS applications, highlighting its potential as an innovative, nondestructive, and fast technique for PMI estimation in forensic medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Woess
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian W Huck
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - J Badzoka
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - C Kappacher
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - R Arora
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - R A Lindtner
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Philipp Zelger
- University Clinic for Hearing, Voice and Speech Disorders, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - M Schirmer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - W Rabl
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes Pallua
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Lindtner R, Wurm A, Kugel K, Kühn J, Putzer D, Arora R, Coraça-Huber DC, Zelger P, Schirmer M, Badzoka J, Kappacher C, Huck CW, Pallua JD. Comparison of Mid-Infrared Handheld and Benchtop Spectrometers to Detect Staphylococcus epidermidis in Bone Grafts. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1018. [PMID: 37760120 PMCID: PMC10525239 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10091018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bone analyses using mid-infrared spectroscopy are gaining popularity, especially with handheld spectrometers that enable on-site testing as long as the data quality meets standards. In order to diagnose Staphylococcus epidermidis in human bone grafts, this study was carried out to compare the effectiveness of the Agilent 4300 Handheld Fourier-transform infrared with the Perkin Elmer Spectrum 100 attenuated-total-reflectance infrared spectroscopy benchtop instrument. The study analyzed 40 non-infected and 10 infected human bone samples with Staphylococcus epidermidis, collecting reflectance data between 650 cm-1 and 4000 cm-1, with a spectral resolution of 2 cm-1 (Agilent 4300 Handheld) and 0.5 cm-1 (Perkin Elmer Spectrum 100). The acquired spectral information was used for spectral and unsupervised classification, such as a principal component analysis. Both methods yielded significant results when using the recommended settings and data analysis strategies, detecting a loss in bone quality due to the infection. MIR spectroscopy provides a valuable diagnostic tool when there is a tissue shortage and time is of the essence. However, it is essential to conduct further research with larger sample sizes to verify its pros and cons thoroughly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Lindtner
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (R.L.); (K.K.); (J.K.); (D.P.); (R.A.); (D.C.C.-H.); (J.D.P.)
| | - Alexander Wurm
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (R.L.); (K.K.); (J.K.); (D.P.); (R.A.); (D.C.C.-H.); (J.D.P.)
- Praxis Dr. Med. Univ. Alexander Wurm FA für Orthopädie und Traumatologie, Koflerweg 7, 6275 Stumm, Austria
| | - Katrin Kugel
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (R.L.); (K.K.); (J.K.); (D.P.); (R.A.); (D.C.C.-H.); (J.D.P.)
| | - Julia Kühn
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (R.L.); (K.K.); (J.K.); (D.P.); (R.A.); (D.C.C.-H.); (J.D.P.)
| | - David Putzer
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (R.L.); (K.K.); (J.K.); (D.P.); (R.A.); (D.C.C.-H.); (J.D.P.)
| | - Rohit Arora
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (R.L.); (K.K.); (J.K.); (D.P.); (R.A.); (D.C.C.-H.); (J.D.P.)
| | - Débora Cristina Coraça-Huber
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (R.L.); (K.K.); (J.K.); (D.P.); (R.A.); (D.C.C.-H.); (J.D.P.)
| | - Philipp Zelger
- University Clinic for Hearing, Voice and Speech Disorders, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Michael Schirmer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Jovan Badzoka
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (J.B.); (C.K.); (C.W.H.)
| | - Christoph Kappacher
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (J.B.); (C.K.); (C.W.H.)
| | - Christian Wolfgang Huck
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (J.B.); (C.K.); (C.W.H.)
| | - Johannes Dominikus Pallua
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (R.L.); (K.K.); (J.K.); (D.P.); (R.A.); (D.C.C.-H.); (J.D.P.)
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Franceschetti L, Amadasi A, Bugelli V, Bolsi G, Tsokos M. Estimation of Late Postmortem Interval: Where Do We Stand? A Literature Review. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:783. [PMID: 37372068 PMCID: PMC10295266 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Estimating time since death can be challenging for forensic experts, and is one of the most challenging activities concerning the forensic world. Various methods have been assessed to calculate the postmortem interval on dead bodies in different stages of decomposition and are currently widely used. Nowadays, the only well-recognized dating technique is carbon-14 radioisotope measurement, whereas other methods have been tested throughout the years involving different disciplines with different and sometimes not univocal results. Today, there is no precise and secure method to precisely determine time since death, and late postmortem interval estimation remains one of the most debated topics in forensic pathology. Many proposed methods have shown promising results, and it is desirable that with further studies some of them might become acknowledged techniques to resolve such a difficult and important challenge. The present review aims at presenting studies about the different techniques that have been tested in order to find a valuable method for estimating time since death for skeletal remains. By providing a comprehensive overview, the purpose of this work is to offer readers new perspectives on postmortem interval estimation and to improve current practice in the management of skeletal remains and decomposed bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Franceschetti
- Istituto di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Alberto Amadasi
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Turmstr. 21 (Haus M), 10559 Berlin, Germany
| | - Valentina Bugelli
- South-East Tuscany Local Health Unit, Department of Legal Medicine, via Cimabue 109, 58100 Grosseto, Italy;
| | - Giulia Bolsi
- Istituto di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Michael Tsokos
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Turmstr. 21 (Haus M), 10559 Berlin, Germany
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Wurm A, Kühn J, Kugel K, Putzer D, Arora R, Coraça-Huber DC, Zelger P, Badzoka J, Kappacher C, Huck CW, Pallua JD. Raman microscopic spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool to detect Staphylococcus epidermidis in bone grafts. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 280:121570. [PMID: 35779474 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Raman microscopic spectroscopyis a new approach for further characterization and detection of molecular features in many pathological processes. This technique has been successfully applied to scrutinize the spatial distribution of small molecules and proteins within biological systems by in situ analysis. This study uses Raman microscopic spectroscopyto identify any in-depth benefits and drawbacks in diagnosing Staphylococcus epidermidis in human bone grafts. MATERIAL AND METHODS 40 non-infected human bone samples and 10 human bone samples infected with Staphylococcus epidermidis were analyzed using Raman microscopic spectroscopy. Reflectance data were collected between 200 cm-1 and 3600 cm-1 with a spectral resolution of 4 cm-1 using a Senterra II microscope (Bruker, Ettlingen, Germany). The acquired spectral information was used for spectral and unsupervised classification, such as principal component analysis. RESULTS Raman measurements produced distinct diagnostic spectra that were used to distinguish between non-infected human bone samples and Staphylococcus epidermidis infected human bone samples by spectral and principal component analyses. A substantial loss in bone quality and protein conformation was detected by human bone samples co-cultured with Staphylococcus epidermidis. The mineral-to-matrix ratio using the phosphate/Amide I ratio (p = 0.030) and carbonate/phosphate ratio (p = 0.001) indicates that the loss of relative mineral content in bones upon bacterial infection is higher than in non-infected human bones. Also, an increase of alterations in the collagen network (p = 0.048) and a decrease in the structural organization and relative collagen in infected human bone could be detected. Subsequent principal component analyses identified Staphylococcus epidermidis in different spectral regions, respectively, originating mainly from CH2 deformation (wagging) of protein (at 1450 cm-1) and bending and stretching modes of C-H groups (∼2800-3000 cm-1). CONCLUSION Raman microscopic spectroscopyis presented as a promising diagnostic tool to detect Staphylococcus epidermidis in human bone grafts. Further studies in human tissues are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Wurm
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - J Kühn
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - K Kugel
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - D Putzer
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - R Arora
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - D C Coraça-Huber
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - P Zelger
- University Clinic for Hearing, Voice and Speech Disorders, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - J Badzoka
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - C Kappacher
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - C W Huck
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - J D Pallua
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
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Franchetti G, Viel G, Fais P, Fichera G, Cecchin D, Cecchetto G, Giraudo C. Forensic applications of micro-computed tomography: a systematic review. Clin Transl Imaging 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40336-022-00510-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of micro-CT current applications in forensic pathology, anthropology, odontology, and neonatology.
Methods
A bibliographic research on the electronic databases Pubmed and Scopus was conducted in the time frame 01/01/2001–31/12/2021 without any language restrictions and applying the following free-text search strategy: “(micro-computed tomography OR micro-CT) AND (forensic OR legal)”. The following inclusion criteria were used: (A) English language; (B) Application of micro-CT to biological and/or non-biological materials to address at least one forensic issue (e.g., age estimation, identification of post-mortem interval). The papers selected by three independent investigators have been then classified according to the investigated materials.
Results
The bibliographic search provided 651 records, duplicates excluded. After screening for title and/or abstracts, according to criteria A and B, 157 full-text papers were evaluated for eligibility. Ninety-three papers, mostly (64) published between 2017 and 2021, were included; considering that two papers investigated several materials, an overall amount of 99 classifiable items was counted when referring to the materials investigated. It emerged that bones and cartilages (54.55%), followed by teeth (13.13%), were the most frequently analyzed materials. Moreover, micro-CT allowed the collection of structural, qualitative and/or quantitative information also for soft tissues, fetuses, insects, and foreign materials.
Conclusion
Forensic applications of micro-CT progressively increased in the last 5 years with very promising results. According to this evidence, we might expect in the near future a shift of its use from research purposes to clinical forensic cases.
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Schmidt VM, Zelger P, Woess C, Pallua AK, Arora R, Degenhart G, Brunner A, Zelger B, Schirmer M, Rabl W, Pallua JD. Application of Micro-Computed Tomography for the Estimation of the Post-Mortem Interval of Human Skeletal Remains. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081105. [PMID: 35892961 PMCID: PMC9331256 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
It is challenging to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) of skeletal remains within a forensic context. As a result of their interactions with the environment, bones undergo several chemical and physical changes after death. So far, multiple methods have been used to follow up on post-mortem changes. There is, however, no definitive way to estimate the PMI of skeletal remains. This research aimed to propose a methodology capable of estimating the PMI using micro-computed tomography measurements of 104 human skeletal remains with PMIs between one day and 2000 years. The present study indicates that micro-computed tomography could be considered an objective and precise method of PMI evaluation in forensic medicine. The measured parameters show a significant difference regarding the PMI for Cort Porosity p < 0.001, BV/TV p > 0.001, Mean1 p > 0.001 and Mean2 p > 0.005. Using a machine learning approach, the neural network showed an accuracy of 99% for distinguishing between samples with a PMI of less than 100 years and archaeological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena-Maria Schmidt
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (V.-M.S.); (C.W.); (W.R.)
| | - Philipp Zelger
- University Clinic for Hearing, Voice and Speech Disorders, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Claudia Woess
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (V.-M.S.); (C.W.); (W.R.)
| | - Anton K. Pallua
- Former Institute for Computed Tomography-Neuro CT, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Rohit Arora
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Gerald Degenhart
- Department of Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Andrea Brunner
- Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology, Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.B.); (B.Z.)
| | - Bettina Zelger
- Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology, Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.B.); (B.Z.)
| | - Michael Schirmer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Walter Rabl
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (V.-M.S.); (C.W.); (W.R.)
| | - Johannes D. Pallua
- University Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
- Correspondence:
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Post-Mortem Interval of Human Skeletal Remains Estimated with Handheld NIR Spectrometry. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11071020. [PMID: 36101401 PMCID: PMC9312135 DOI: 10.3390/biology11071020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI) of human skeletal remains is a critical issue of forensic analysis, with important limitations such as sample preparation and practicability. In this work, NIR spectroscopy (NIRONE® Sensor X; Spectral Engines, 61449, Germany) was applied to estimate the PMI of 104 human bone samples between 1 day and 2000 years. Reflectance data were repeatedly collected from eight independent spectrometers between 1950 and 1550 nm with a spectral resolution of 14 nm and a step size of 2 nm, each from the external and internal bone. An Artificial Neural Network was used to analyze the 66,560 distinct diagnostic spectra, and clearly distinguished between forensic and archaeological bone material: the classification accuracies for PMIs of 0−2 weeks, 2 weeks−6 months, 6 months−1 year, 1 year−10 years, and >100 years were 0.90, 0.94, 0.94, 0.93, and 1.00, respectively. PMI of archaeological bones could be determined with an accuracy of 100%, demonstrating the adequate predictive performance of the model. Applying a handheld NIR spectrometer to estimate the PMI of human skeletal remains is rapid and extends the repertoire of forensic analyses as a distinct, novel approach.
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Falgayrac G, Vitale R, Delannoy Y, Behal H, Penel G, Duponchel L, Colard T. Critical aspects of Raman spectroscopy as a tool for postmortem interval estimation. Talanta 2022; 249:123589. [PMID: 35691126 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) from skeletal remains represents a challenging task in forensic science. PMI is often influenced by extrinsic factors (humidity, dryness, scavengers, etc.) and intrinsic factors (age, sex, pathology, way of life, medical treatments, etc.). Raman spectroscopy combined with multivariate data analysis represents a promising tool for forensic anthropologists. Despite all the advantages of the technique, Raman spectra of skeletal remains are influenced by these extrinsic and intrinsic factors, which impairs precision and reproducibility. Both parameters have to reach a high level of confidence when such spectroscopy is used as a way to predict PMI. As a consequence, advanced multivariate data analysis is necessary to quantify the effect of all factors to improve the estimation of the PMI. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the Raman spectra of skeletal remains. We designed a protocol close to a real-world scenario. We used ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) to unmix and quantify the effect of 1 intrinsic (source body) and 1 extrinsic (burial time) factors on the Raman spectra. In our model, the burial time was found to generate the highest variability after the source body. ASCA showed that the variability due to the burial time has 2 mixed contributions. Seasonal variations are the first contribution. The second contribution is attributed to diagenesis. A decrease in the mineral bands and an increase in the organic bands are observed. The source body was also found to contribute to the variability in Raman spectra. ASCA showed that the source body induces variability related to the composition of bones. This quantification cannot be assessed by basic chemometrics methods such as PCA. The results of this study highlighted the need to use an advanced chemometric data analysis tool (like ASCA) combined with Raman spectroscopy to estimate the postmortem interval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Falgayrac
- Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, ULR 4490, MABLab- Adiposité Médullaire et Os, F-59000, Lille, France.
| | - Raffaele Vitale
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516, LASIRE, Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Intéractions la Réactivité et l'Environnement, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Yann Delannoy
- Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, ULR 4490, MABLab- Adiposité Médullaire et Os, F-59000, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, ULR 7367 - UTML&A - Unité de Taphonomie Médico-Légale & d'Anatomie, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Hélène Behal
- Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, ULR 2694, METRICS: Évaluation des technologies de santé et des pratiques médicales, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Guillaume Penel
- Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, ULR 4490, MABLab- Adiposité Médullaire et Os, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Ludovic Duponchel
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516, LASIRE, Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Intéractions la Réactivité et l'Environnement, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Thomas Colard
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, F-33600, Pessac, France; Department of Oral Radiology, University of Lille, Lille University Hospital, F-59000, Lille, France
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10
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Bonicelli A, Di Nunzio A, Di Nunzio C, Procopio N. Insights into the Differential Preservation of Bone Proteomes in Inhumed and Entombed Cadavers from Italian Forensic Caseworks. J Proteome Res 2022; 21:1285-1298. [PMID: 35316604 PMCID: PMC9087355 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.1c00904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Bone is a hard biological tissue and a precious reservoir of information in forensic investigations as it retains key biomolecules commonly used for identification purposes. Bone proteins have recently attracted significant interest for their potential in estimating post-mortem interval (PMI) and age at death (AAD). However, the preservation of such proteins is highly dependent on intrinsic and extrinsic factors that can hinder the potential application of molecular techniques to forensic sciences. The present study aims at investigating the effects that two commonly used types of burial practices (entombment and inhumation) have on bone protein survival. The sample consists of 14 exhumed individuals from cemeteries in Southern Italy with different AADs (29-85 years) and PMIs (1-37 years). LC-MS/MS analyses show that 16 proteins are better preserved under the entombed conditions and 4 proteins are better preserved under the inhumed conditions, whereas no clear differences are detected for post-translational protein modifications. Furthermore, several potential "stable" protein markers (i.e., proteins not affected by the burial environment) are identified for PMI and AAD estimation. Overall, these results show that the two burial environments play a role in the differential preservation of noncollagenous proteins, confirming the potential of LC-MS/MS-based proteomics in forensic sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bonicelli
- Forensic
Science Research Group, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Applied
Sciences, Northumbria University, NE1 8ST Newcastle
Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Aldo Di Nunzio
- Chemical
Sciences Department, University of Naples
Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Ciro Di Nunzio
- Legal
Medicine Department, University of Catanzaro
Magna Graecia, 88100 Germaneto, Italy
| | - Noemi Procopio
- Forensic
Science Research Group, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Applied
Sciences, Northumbria University, NE1 8ST Newcastle
Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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11
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Peng W, Chen S, Kong D, Zhou X, Lu X, Chang C. Grade classification of human glioma using a convolutional neural network based on mid-infrared spectroscopy mapping. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2022; 15:e202100313. [PMID: 34931464 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202100313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system for the grade classification of human glioma by using mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic mappings. Through data augmentation of pixels recombination, the mappings in the training set increased almost 161 times relative to the original mappings. The pixels of the recombined mappings in the training set came from all of the one-dimensional (1D) vibrational spectroscopy of 62 (almost 80% of all 77 patients) patients at specific bands. Compared with the performance of the CNN-CAD system based on the 1D vibrational spectroscopy, we found that the mean diagnostic accuracy of the recombined MIR spectroscopic mappings at peaks of 2917 cm-1 , 1539 cm-1 and 1234 cm-1 on the test set performed higher and the model also had more stable patterns. This research demonstrates that two-dimensional MIR mapping at a single frequency can be used by the CNN-CAD system for diagnosis and the research also gives a prompt that the mapping collection process can be replaced by a single-frequency IR imaging system, which is cheaper and more portable than a Fourier transform infrared microscopy and thus may be widely utilized in hospitals to provide meaningful assistance for pathologists in clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Peng
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Innovation Laboratory of Terahertz Biophysics, National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Chen
- Innovation Laboratory of Terahertz Biophysics, National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Dongsheng Kong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojie Zhou
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chao Chang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Innovation Laboratory of Terahertz Biophysics, National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Beijing, China
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12
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Ortiz-Herrero L, Uribe B, Armas LH, Alonso ML, Sarmiento A, Irurita J, Alonso RM, Maguregui MI, Etxeberria F, Bartolomé L. Estimation of the post-mortem interval of human skeletal remains using Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 329:111087. [PMID: 34736052 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
An important demand exists in the field of forensic analysis to objectively determine the post-mortem interval (PMI) when human skeletal remains are discovered. It is widely known that bones undergo different chemical and physical processes after death, mainly due to their interaction with the environment in which they are found, although it is not known exactly what these processes consist of. Multiple techniques have been used so far to follow up these and other post-mortem changes and thus establish the time elapsed since the individual's death, but they present important drawbacks in terms of reliability and accuracy. The aim of this research was to propose an analytical methodology capable of determining the PMI by using non-destructive Raman spectroscopy measurements of human skeletal remains. The recorded Raman spectra provided valuable and potentially useful information from which a multivariate study was performed by means of orthogonal partial least squares regression (OPLSR) in order to correlate the PMI with the detected spectral modifications. A collection of 53 real human skeletal remains with known PMI (15 years ≤ PMI ≤ 87 years) was analysed and used for building and validating the OPLS model. The PMI of 10 out of 14 validation samples could be determined with an accuracy error of less than 30%, demonstrating the adequate predictive performance of the OPLS model even in spite of the large inter-individual variability it handled. This opens up the possibility of applying the OPLS model in combination with non-destructive techniques to the determination of the PMI of human skeletal remains that have been buried in conditions similar or equal to those of cemetery niches and in a geographic location with a Mediterranean climate, which is an important achievement for forensic medicine and anthropology.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ortiz-Herrero
- Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - B Uribe
- Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - L Hidalgo Armas
- Advances Research Facilities (SGIker), Martina Casiano Technology Platform, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - M L Alonso
- Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - A Sarmiento
- Advances Research Facilities (SGIker), Coupled Multispectroscopy Singular Laboratory (Raman-LASPEA), Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - J Irurita
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Parque Tecnológico de la Salud, Av. de la Investigación 11, 18016 Granada, Spain.
| | - R M Alonso
- Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - M I Maguregui
- Painting Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - F Etxeberria
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Aranzadi Science Society, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain; Department of Legal and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Paseo Dr. J. Beguiristain 105, 20014 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - L Bartolomé
- Advances Research Facilities (SGIker), Martina Casiano Technology Platform, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
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13
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Peng W, Chen S, Kong D, Zhou X, Lu X, Chang C. Grade diagnosis of human glioma using Fourier transform infrared microscopy and artificial neural network. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2021; 260:119946. [PMID: 34049006 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.119946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) grade diagnosis of cancer is essential for surgical outcomes and patient treatment. Traditional pathological grading diagnosis depends on dyes or other histological approaches, and the result interpretation highly relies on the pathologists, making the process time-consuming (>60 min, including the steps of dewaxing to water and H&E staining), resource-wasting, and labor-intensive. In the present study, we report an alternative workflow that combines the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy and artificial neural network (ANN) to diagnose the grade of human glioma in a way that is faster (~20 min, including the processes of sample dewaxing, spectra acquisition and analysis), accurate (the prediction accuracy, specificity and sensitivity can reach above 99%), and without reagent. Moreover, this method is much superior to the common classification method of principal component analysis-linear discriminate analysis (PCA-LDA) (the prediction accuracy, specificity and sensitivity are only 87%, 89% and 86%, respectively). The ANN mainly learned the characteristic region of 800-1800 cm-1 to classify the major histopathologic classes of human glioma. These results demonstrate that the grade diagnosis of human glioma by FTIR microscopy plus ANN can be streamlined, and could serve as a complementary pathway that is independent of the traditional pathology laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Peng
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China; Innovation Laboratory of Terahertz Biophysics, National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Shuo Chen
- Innovation Laboratory of Terahertz Biophysics, National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Dongsheng Kong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojie Zhou
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiaoyun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Chao Chang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China; Innovation Laboratory of Terahertz Biophysics, National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Beijing 100071, China.
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14
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Baptista A, Pedrosa M, Curate F, Ferreira MT, Marques MPM. Estimation of the post-mortem interval in human bones by infrared spectroscopy. Int J Legal Med 2021; 136:309-317. [PMID: 34613463 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02641-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In forensic anthropology, there is an inherent difficulty in estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI). This study aimed to assess whether there is a correlation between changes in the bone mineral component and the PMI estimation. Samples of femur and humerus from 80 identified individuals with known post-mortem interval were analyzed. Infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR) was applied for this analysis, several indices having been obtained from the infrared bands most representative of the bone's relative contents in carbonate and phosphate. Specific relationships between sex/age and PMI were attained: for larger PMIs, there was an increase in the amount of B-type carbonate (BPI), A-type carbonates (API), and in the carbonate/phosphate (C/P) ratio, and a decrease of the crystallinity index (CI) and in the carbonate ratio (C/C). Two particular infrared indices (CI and C/C) were identified as the most suitable for post-mortem interval estimation, especially in females, controlling the effects of sex and age (in the statistical analysis).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Baptista
- Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Mariana Pedrosa
- Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco Curate
- Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal.,Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria Teresa Ferreira
- Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal.,Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal.,Centre for Functional Ecology, Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - M P M Marques
- Molecular Physical Chemistry" R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535, Coimbra, Portugal.,Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-456, Coimbra, Portugal
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15
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Leskovar T, Zupanič Pajnič I, Jerman I. Dealing with minor differences in bone matrix: can spectra follow the DNA preservation? AUST J FORENSIC SCI 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00450618.2021.1948102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ivan Jerman
- Department for Materials Chemistry, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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16
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Akbulut N, Çetin S, Bilecenoğlu B, Altan A, Ocak M, Şen E, Atakan C, Orhan K. Evaluation of the detectability of early mandible fracture healing findings in terms of vitality aspect by using micro-CT technology in postmortem interval. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2021; 52:101914. [PMID: 34091405 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2021.101914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the vitality aspect of mandibular fractures using micro-CT in the analysis of bone mineral density and other bone microstructure trabecular parameters in the postmortem interval. This study included 72 female Wistar rats. In the study groups, the rats' mandibles were first fractured and after three days of living, the rats were sacrificed. In the control groups, the rats were sacrificed first and then the mandibles were fractured. All rats were left for a natural putrefaction period according to their group's time as week-0, week-1, week-2, week-4, week-8, and week-12. All fractured hemi-mandibles were scanned by micro-CT and analyzed in terms of BMD and other bone trabecular microstructures. BMD and the other bone trabecular microstructures, such as bone volume, percent bone volume, trabecular separation, and trabecular pattern factor, showed statistically significant differences in both the study and control groups (p ≤ 0.05). There were statistically significant differences between the study and control groups in comparisons of BMD in groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, bone volume and percent bone volume in groups 1 and 3, bone surface and bone surface density in group 6, trabecular separation in group 1, and trabecular number, trabecular pattern factor, and structural model index in group 6. Micro-CT scanning and analysis of BMD and other bone trabecular microstructure parameters for evaluation of vitality aspects of mandible fractures in the PMI has various valuable results that should provide guidance for possible studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihat Akbulut
- Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Tokat, Turkey
| | - Selçuk Çetin
- Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Medicine, Forensic Medicine Department, Tokat, Turkey
| | - Burak Bilecenoğlu
- Ankara Medipol University, Faculty of Medicine, Anatomy Department, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Altan
- Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Tokat, Turkey.
| | - Mert Ocak
- Ankara University, Faculty of Dentistry, Anatomy Department, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Esengül Şen
- Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Tokat, Turkey
| | - Cemal Atakan
- Ankara University, Faculty of Sciences, Statistics Department, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kaan Orhan
- Ankara University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of DentoMaxillofacial Radiology, Ankara, Turkey
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17
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Evaluation of Parameters for Estimating the Postmortem Interval of Skeletal Remains Using Bovine Femurs: A Pilot Study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:diagnostics10121066. [PMID: 33317185 PMCID: PMC7764391 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10121066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The postmortem interval (PMI) of victims is a key parameter in criminal investigations. However, effective methods for estimating the PMI of skeletal remains have not been established because it is determined by various factors, including environmental conditions. To identify effective parameters for estimating the PMI of skeletal remains, we investigated the change in bone focusing on the amount of DNA, element concentrations, and bone density that occurred in the bone samples of bovine femurs, each maintained under one of five simulated environmental conditions (seawater, freshwater, underground, outdoors, and indoors) for 1 year. The amount of extracted mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA; 404 bp fragment) decreased over time, and significant DNA degradation (p < 0.01), as estimated by a comparison with amplification results for a shorter fragment (128 bp), was detected between 1 month and 3 months. Eleven of 30 elements were detected in samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and Na and Ba showed significant quantitative differences in terms of environmental conditions and time (p < 0.01). This preliminary study suggests that the level of DNA degradation determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and element concentrations determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission may be useful indices for estimating the PMI of victims under a wide range of environmental conditions. However, this study is a limited experimental research and not applicable to forensic cases as it is. Further studies of human bone with longer observation periods are required to verify these findings and to establish effective methods for PMI estimation.
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18
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Leskovar T, Zupanič Pajnič I, Jerman I, Črešnar M. Preservation state assessment and post-mortem interval estimation of human skeletal remains using ATR-FTIR spectra. AUST J FORENSIC SCI 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00450618.2020.1836254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ivan Jerman
- Department for Materials Chemistry, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matija Črešnar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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19
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Pedrosa M, Curate F, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Marques MPM, Ferreira MT. Beyond metrics and morphology: the potential of FTIR-ATR and chemometrics to estimate age-at-death in human bone. Int J Legal Med 2020; 134:1905-1914. [DOI: 10.1007/s00414-020-02310-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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20
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Mizukami H, Hathway B, Procopio N. Aquatic Decomposition of Mammalian Corpses: A Forensic Proteomic Approach. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:2122-2135. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Mizukami
- The Forensic Science Unit, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Ellison Building, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, U.K
| | - Bella Hathway
- The Forensic Science Unit, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Ellison Building, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, U.K
| | - Noemi Procopio
- The Forensic Science Unit, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Ellison Building, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, U.K
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21
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Wöss C, Unterberger SH, Degenhart G, Akolkar A, Traxl R, Kuhn V, Schirmer M, Pallua AK, Tappert R, Pallua JD. Comparison of structure and composition of a fossil Champsosaurus vertebra with modern Crocodylidae vertebrae: A multi-instrumental approach. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2020; 104:103668. [PMID: 32174426 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.103668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Information on the adaptation of bone structures during evolution is rare since histological data are limited. Micro- and nano-computed tomography of a fossilized vertebra from Champsosaurus sp., which has an estimated age of 70-73 million years, revealed lower porosity and higher bone density compared to modern Crocodylidae vertebrae. Mid-infrared reflectance and energy dispersive X-ray mapping excluded a petrification process, and demonstrated a typical carbonate apatite distribution, confirming histology in light- and electron microscopy of the preserved vertebra. As a consequence of this evolutionary process, the two vertebrae of modern Crocodylidae show reduced overall stiffness in the finite element analysis simulation compared to the fossilized Champsosaurus sp. vertebra, with predominant stiffness along the longitudinal z-axes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Wöss
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - S H Unterberger
- Unit for Material Technology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 13, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - G Degenhart
- Department of Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - A Akolkar
- Illwerke vkw Professorship for Energy Efficiency, Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstraße 1, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria; Josef Ressel Center for Applied Computational Science in Energy, Finance, and Logistics, Hochschulstraße 1, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria
| | - R Traxl
- Unit for Material Technology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 13, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - V Kuhn
- Department of Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - M Schirmer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - A K Pallua
- Former Institute for Computed Tomography-Neuro CT, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - R Tappert
- Hyperspectral Intelligence Inc., Box 851, Gibsons, British Columbia, V0N 1V0, Canada
| | - J D Pallua
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria; Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology and Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
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22
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Leskovar T, Zupanič Pajnič I, Jerman I, Črešnar M. Separating forensic, WWII, and archaeological human skeletal remains using ATR-FTIR spectra. Int J Legal Med 2019; 134:811-821. [PMID: 31172274 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-019-02079-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
ATR-FTIR spectroscopy is a fast and accessible, minimally or non-destructive technique which provides information on physiochemical characteristics of analyzed materials. In forensic and archaeological sciences, it is commonly used for answering numerous questions, including the archaeological or forensic context of the human skeletal remains. In this research, the accuracy of ATR-FTIR-obtained spectra for separation between forensic, WWII, and archaeological human skeletal remains was investigated. Building from the previously proposed methodological procedures, various ratio-based and whole spectra separation procedures were applied, carefully analyzed, and evaluated. Results showed that employing whole spectral domains works best for the separation of archaeological, WWII, and forensic samples, even with samples of highly variable origin. Principal component analysis (PCA) further highlighted the necessity of acknowledging all the major components in the remains: amides, phosphates, and carbonates for the separation. Most influential proved to be amide I, namely its secondary structure, which presented well-preserved and organized collagen structure in forensic and WWII samples, while highly degraded in archaeological samples. Using the whole spectral domain for separation between samples from different contexts proved to be fast and simple, with no manipulation beyond baseline correction and normalization of spectra necessary. However, a dataset with samples of known origin is required for the learning model and predictions. A less accurate alternative is separation based on combining ratios of peaks correlating to organics and minerals in the bone, which eliminated overlapping and managed to classify the majority of the samples correctly as archaeological, WWII, or forensic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Leskovar
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Zavetiška 5, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ivan Jerman
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matija Črešnar
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Zavetiška 5, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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23
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Retzmann A, Blanz M, Zitek A, Irrgeher J, Feldmann J, Teschler-Nicola M, Prohaska T. A combined chemical imaging approach using (MC) LA-ICP-MS and NIR-HSI to evaluate the diagenetic status of bone material for Sr isotope analysis. Anal Bioanal Chem 2018; 411:565-580. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-018-1489-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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24
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Marques MPM, Mamede AP, Vassalo AR, Makhoul C, Cunha E, Gonçalves D, Parker SF, Batista de Carvalho LAE. Heat-induced Bone Diagenesis Probed by Vibrational Spectroscopy. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15935. [PMID: 30374054 PMCID: PMC6206023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34376-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Complementary vibrational spectroscopic techniques - infrared, Raman and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) - were applied to the study of human bone burned under controlled conditions (400 to 1000 °C). This is an innovative way of tackling bone diagenesis upon burning, aiming at a quantitative evaluation of heat-induced dimensional changes allowing a reliable estimation of pre-burning skeletal dimensions. INS results allowed the concomitant observation of the hydroxyl libration (OHlibration), hydroxyl stretching (ν(OH)) and (OHlibration + ν(OH)) combination modes, leading to an unambiguous assignment of these INS features to bioapatite and confirming hydroxylation of bone's inorganic matrix. The OHlib, ν(OH) and ν4(PO43-) bands were identified as spectral biomarkers, which displayed clear quantitative relationships with temperature revealing heat-induced changes in bone's H-bonding pattern during the burning process. These results will enable the routine use of FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared-Attenuated Total Reflectance) for the analysis of burned skeletal remains, which will be of the utmost significance in forensic, bioanthropological and archaeological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P M Marques
- Molecular Physical Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A P Mamede
- Molecular Physical Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A R Vassalo
- Molecular Physical Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory. Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - C Makhoul
- Molecular Physical Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory. Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - E Cunha
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory. Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - D Gonçalves
- Laboratory. Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Archaeosciences Laboratory., Directorate General Cultural Heritage (LARC/CIBIO/InBIO), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - S F Parker
- ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, OX, 11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - L A E Batista de Carvalho
- Molecular Physical Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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25
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Pallua JD, Brunner A, Zelger B, Stalder R, Unterberger SH, Schirmer M, Tappert MC. Clinical infrared microscopic imaging: An overview. Pathol Res Pract 2018; 214:1532-1538. [PMID: 30220435 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2018.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
New developments in Mid-infrared microscopic imaging instrumentation and data analysis have turned this method into a conventional technique. This imaging method offers a global analysis of samples, with a resolution close to the cellular level enabling the acquisition of local molecular expression profiles. It is possible to get chemo-morphological information about the tissue status, which represents an essential benefit for future analytical interpretation of pathological changes of tissue. In this review, we give an overview of Mid-infrared microscopic imaging and its applications in clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Pallua
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria; Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - A Brunner
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - B Zelger
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - R Stalder
- Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, Leopold-Franzens University Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - S H Unterberger
- Material-Technology, Leopold-Franzens University Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 13, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - M Schirmer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - M C Tappert
- Hyperspectral Intelligence Inc., Box 851, V0N 1V0, Gibsons, Canada
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26
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Wang Q, Li W, Liu R, Zhang K, Zhang H, Fan S, Wang Z. Human and non-human bone identification using FTIR spectroscopy. Int J Legal Med 2018; 133:269-276. [PMID: 29549421 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-018-1822-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Human and non-human identification of unknown skeletal remains is of great importance in forensic and anthropologic contexts. However, the traditional morphological methods for bone species identification are subjective or time-consuming. Here, we utilized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and chemometric methods to determinate the spectral variances between human and non-human (i.e., pig, goat, and cow) bones. To simulate real forensic situations as much as possible, fresh, boiled, and decomposed bones were included in this study. Principal component analysis (PCA) results illustrated pig bones were more sensitive to the environmental and external factors than other species studied in this work. Thus, pig bone might not be a suitable proxy for human bone in the study of postmortem changes. More importantly, score plots of PCA results showed clear separation with a slight overlap between the human and non-human fresh bones, but it failed to distinguish the boiled and decomposed bones. Then, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was employed, and both internal and external validations were conducted to assess its classification ability, which resulted in 99.72 and 99.53% accuracy, respectively. According to the loading plots of PCA and PLS-DA, the spectral diversity was mainly due to the inorganic portion (i.e., carbonates and phosphates), which can remain relatively stable under various conditions. As such, our results illustrate that FTIR spectroscopy could serve as a reliable tool to assist in bone species determination and also has great potential in real forensic cases with natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Public Security Technology, Railway Police College, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Ruina Liu
- Department of Forensic Pathology, College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Haohui Zhang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shuanliang Fan
- Department of Forensic Pathology, College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Zhenyuan Wang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
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27
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Procopio N, Williams A, Chamberlain AT, Buckley M. Forensic proteomics for the evaluation of the post-mortem decay in bones. J Proteomics 2018; 177:21-30. [PMID: 29407476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2018.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Current methods for evaluation the of post-mortem interval (PMI) of skeletal remains suffer from poor accuracy due to the great number of variables that affect the diagenetic process and to the lack of specific guidelines to address this issue. During decomposition, proteins can undergo cumulative decay over the time, resulting in a decrease in the range and abundance of proteins present (i.e., the proteome) in different tissues as well as in an increase of post-translational modifications occurring in these proteins. In this study, we investigate the applicability of bone proteomic analyses to simulated forensic contexts, looking for specific biomarkers that may help the estimation of PMI, as well as evaluate a previously discovered marker for the estimation of biological age. We noticed a reduction of particular plasma and muscle proteins with increasing PMIs, as well as an increased deamidation of biglycan, a protein with a role in modulating bone growth and mineralization. We also corroborated our previous results regarding the use of fetuin-A as a potential biomarker for the estimation of age-at-death, demonstrating the applicability and the great potential that proteomics may have towards forensic sciences. SIGNIFICANCE The estimation of the post-mortem interval has a key role in forensic investigations, however nowadays it still suffers from poor reliability, especially when body tissues are heavily decomposed. Here we propose for the first time the application of bone proteomics to the estimation of the time elapsed since death and found several new potential biomarkers to address this, demonstrating the applicability of proteomic analyses to forensic sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Procopio
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Anna Williams
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK
| | - Andrew T Chamberlain
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Stopford Building, 99 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PG, UK
| | - Michael Buckley
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
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28
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Brown MA, Bunch AW, Froome C, Gerling R, Hennessy S, Ellison J. Citrate Content of Bone as a Measure of Postmortem Interval: An External Validation Study. J Forensic Sci 2017; 63:1479-1485. [PMID: 29278649 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The postmortem interval (PMI) of skeletal remains is a crucial piece of information that can help establish the time dimension in criminal cases. Unfortunately, the accurate and reliable determination of PMI from bone continues to evade forensic investigators despite concerted efforts over the past decades to develop suitable qualitative and quantitative methods. A relatively new PMI method based on the analysis of citrate content of bone was developed by Schwarcz et al. The main objective of our research was to determine whether this work could be externally validated. Thirty-one bone samples were obtained from the Forensic Anthropology Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office. Results from analyzing samples with PMI greater than 2 years suggest that the hypothetical relationship between the citrate content of bone and PMI is much weaker than reported. It was also observed that the average absolute error between the PMI value estimated using the equation proposed by Schwarcz et al. and the actual ("true") PMI of the sample was negative indicating an underestimation in PMI. These findings are identical to those reported by Kanz et al. Despite these results this method may still serve as a technique to sort ancient from more recent skeletal cases, after further, similar validation studies have been conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ann W Bunch
- College at Brockport, SUNY, Brockport, NY, 14420
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29
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Estimation of the late postmortem interval using FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics in human skeletal remains. Forensic Sci Int 2017; 281:113-120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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30
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Amadasi A, Cappella A, Cattaneo C, Cofrancesco P, Cucca L, Merli D, Milanese C, Pinto A, Profumo A, Scarpulla V, Sguazza E. Determination of the post mortem interval in skeletal remains by the comparative use of different physico-chemical methods: Are they reliable as an alternative to 14C? HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2017; 68:213-221. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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31
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Li C, Ma D, Deng K, Chen Y, Huang P, Wang Z. Application of MALDI-TOF MS for Estimating the Postmortem Interval in Rat Muscle Samples. J Forensic Sci 2017; 62:1345-1350. [DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chengzhi Li
- School of Forensic Science and Medicine; Xi'an Jiaotong University; Xi'an 710061 China
- Department of Forensic Pathology; Institute of Forensic Science; Ministry of Justice; Shanghai 200063 China
| | - Dong Ma
- Department of Forensic Pathology; Institute of Forensic Science; Ministry of Justice; Shanghai 200063 China
| | - Kaifei Deng
- Department of Forensic Pathology; Institute of Forensic Science; Ministry of Justice; Shanghai 200063 China
| | - Yijiu Chen
- Department of Forensic Pathology; Institute of Forensic Science; Ministry of Justice; Shanghai 200063 China
| | - Ping Huang
- Department of Forensic Pathology; Institute of Forensic Science; Ministry of Justice; Shanghai 200063 China
| | - Zhenyuan Wang
- School of Forensic Science and Medicine; Xi'an Jiaotong University; Xi'an 710061 China
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32
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Woess C, Unterberger SH, Roider C, Ritsch-Marte M, Pemberger N, Cemper-Kiesslich J, Hatzer-Grubwieser P, Parson W, Pallua JD. Assessing various Infrared (IR) microscopic imaging techniques for post-mortem interval evaluation of human skeletal remains. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174552. [PMID: 28334006 PMCID: PMC5363948 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the influence of many environmental processes, a precise determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI) of skeletal remains is known to be very complicated. Although methods for the investigation of the PMI exist, there still remains much room for improvement. In this study the applicability of infrared (IR) microscopic imaging techniques such as reflection-, ATR- and Raman- microscopic imaging for the estimation of the PMI of human skeletal remains was tested. PMI specific features were identified and visualized by overlaying IR imaging data with morphological tissue structures obtained using light microscopy to differentiate between forensic and archaeological bone samples. ATR and reflection spectra revealed that a more prominent peak at 1042 cm-1 (an indicator for bone mineralization) was observable in archeological bone material when compared with forensic samples. Moreover, in the case of the archaeological bone material, a reduction in the levels of phospholipids, proteins, nucleic acid sugars, complex carbohydrates as well as amorphous or fully hydrated sugars was detectable at (reciprocal wavelengths/energies) between 3000 cm-1 to 2800 cm-1. Raman spectra illustrated a similar picture with less ν2PO43-at 450 cm-1 and ν4PO43- from 590 cm-1 to 584 cm-1, amide III at 1272 cm-1 and protein CH2 deformation at 1446 cm-1 in archeological bone material/samples/sources. A semi-quantitative determination of various distributions of biomolecules by chemi-maps of reflection- and ATR- methods revealed that there were less carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates as well as amorphous or fully hydrated sugars in archaeological samples compared with forensic bone samples. Raman- microscopic imaging data showed a reduction in B-type carbonate and protein α-helices after a PMI of 3 years. The calculated mineral content ratio and the organic to mineral ratio displayed that the mineral content ratio increases, while the organic to mineral ratio decreases with time. Cluster-analyses of data from Raman microscopic imaging reconstructed histo-anatomical features in comparison to the light microscopic image and finally, by application of principal component analyses (PCA), it was possible to see a clear distinction between forensic and archaeological bone samples. Hence, the spectral characterization of inorganic and organic compounds by the afore mentioned techniques, followed by analyses such as multivariate imaging analysis (MIAs) and principal component analyses (PCA), appear to be suitable for the post mortem interval (PMI) estimation of human skeletal remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Woess
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Clemens Roider
- Division for Biomedical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Monika Ritsch-Marte
- Division for Biomedical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nadin Pemberger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, Leopold Franzens University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jan Cemper-Kiesslich
- Interfaculty Department of Legal Medicine, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Walther Parson
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes Dominikus Pallua
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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33
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Li C, Wang Q, Zhang Y, Lin H, Zhang J, Huang P, Wang Z. Research progress in the estimation of the postmortem interval by Chinese forensic scholars. Forensic Sci Res 2016; 1:3-13. [PMID: 30483604 PMCID: PMC6197124 DOI: 10.1080/20961790.2016.1229377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The determination of time since death or the postmortem interval (PMI) is one of the most important and frequently asked questions in forensic medicine. Medicolegal scholars and forensic pathologists around the world have studied the estimation of PMI extensively in the past, and many novel methods and advanced technologies have now been applied in the field. For several centuries, Chinese forensic examiners have also worked on the estimation of the PMI, and there are a large number of excellent studies published in Chinese rather than in English, and these are not easily accessible or known internationally. Therefore we have conducted a review of relevant studies published by Chinese forensic scholars in the last few decades. The scope of this review is to provide a concise summary of the current progress in the estimation of PMI by Chinese forensic researchers using molecular biology, spectroscopic technology, entomological methods, energy changes, thanatochemistry and other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengzhi Li
- School of Forensic Science and Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, PRC, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Forensic Science and Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yinming Zhang
- School of Forensic Science and Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hancheng Lin
- School of Forensic Science and Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ji Zhang
- School of Forensic Science and Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ping Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, PRC, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenyuan Wang
- School of Forensic Science and Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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34
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Woess C, Drach M, Villunger A, Tappert R, Stalder R, Pallua JD. Application of mid-infrared (MIR) microscopy imaging for discrimination between follicular hyperplasia and follicular lymphoma in transgenic mice. Analyst 2015; 140:6363-72. [PMID: 26236782 PMCID: PMC4562367 DOI: 10.1039/c5an01072a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Mid-infrared (MIR) microscopy imaging is a vibrational spectroscopic technique that uses infrared radiation to image molecules of interest in thin tissue sections. A major advantage of this technology is the acquisition of local molecular expression profiles, while maintaining the topographic integrity of the tissue. Therefore, this technology has become an essential tool for the detection and characterization of the molecular components of many biological processes. Using this method, it is possible to investigate the spatial distribution of proteins and small molecules within biological systems by in situ analysis. In this study, we have evaluated the potential of mid-infrared microscopy imaging to study biochemical changes which distinguish between reactive lymphadenopathy and cancer in genetically modified mice with different phenotypes. We were able to demonstrate that MIR microscopy imaging and multivariate image analyses of different mouse genotypes correlated well with the morphological tissue features derived from HE staining. Using principal component analyses, we were also able to distinguish spectral clusters from different phenotype samples, particularly from reactive lymphadenopathy (follicular hyperplasia) and cancer (follicular lymphoma).
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Affiliation(s)
- C Woess
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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