In forensic contexts, eliminating the ability for identification and/or discovery of victims is a priority for many individuals perpetrating a homicide. This can be achieved in a number of ways, but a common belief is that acidic products can accomplish both. The current study submerged twelve complete pig (Sus scrofa) heads in three different commercial products containing hydrochloric or sulfuric acid (n=4 for each product) in order to determine if complete liquefaction was possible. The product with 31.45% concentration of hydrochloric acid was able to liquefy each head in five days. Motor vehicle battery acid (37% concentration of sulfuric acid) was able to liquefy each head in five weeks. The product with the low concentration (5 – 10%) of hydrochloric acid was not able to remove the soft tissue, but did affect the structure and consistency of the bones and teeth. Some common chemicals therefore are effective tools in body disposal.

A component to some forensic cases is being able to identify tool class, whether it is a murder weapon or if a tool was used postmortem in dismemberment. The goal of the present study is to determine if it is possible to identify tool class macroscopically and/or what level of force was applied in cases involving hacking. Three hypotheses are proposed. The first is that the cutmarks would appear differently at the varying levels of impact force for the same implements, including patterns of fractures, number of fragments, size of fragments, and appearance of the cutmark, i.e., the kerf. The second hypothesis is that there would be observable macroscopic differences on the cutmarks between tool classes, and the ability to distinguish between tool classes will not be affected by the differences from various levels of force of impact. The third hypothesis is that these observable macroscopic differences can be used to create prediction tables that can be used for predicting tool class and the level of force applied. Using a device created to simulate hacking, the long bones of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), a chef’s knife, cleaver, machete, and axe were tested at three different impact forces each. The author examined the hack marks on the bones quantitatively by measuring the kerf width and depth, number of fragments present, as well as qualitatively by describing any fractures present and the appearance of the entrance and exits. It was found that there is a statistically significant relationship between the implement and the entrance width (p-value = 7.27e-13). There is a statistically significant relationship between the force of impact and the entrance width (p-value = 5.57-06), overall entrance appearance (clean cut: p-value = 2.40e-06; chattered: p-value = 0.004), and conchoidal flaking (p-value = 0.025). There is also a statistically significant relationship between the implement and the level of force as a combined influence, as opposed to separate influences, and if the overall appearance of the entrance is chattered (p-value = 0.017). These relationships support the first two proposed hypotheses. Recursive partition and regression trees were created for each implement to determine what characteristics may be used to create prediction guides based on the collected data. The results of the experiment were used in the creation of an implement prediction guide and force of impact prediction tables. A blind test showed that the implement prediction guide was accurate 50% of the time and that the force of impact prediction tables were accurate 10% of the time. While this is low accuracy, it indicates that this research has potential to help with hacking trauma analysis as a baseline for future research, but is not applicable at this time, accepting the null hypothesis for the third hypothesis.

The positive identification of a decedent is paramount to a forensic investigation in which human remains have been recovered and must be identified. Due to increasing global mobility in the world's populations, it is not inconceivable that an individual might die far away from his or her home. Pinpointing an individual's geographic origin may contribute to definitive forensic identification of contemporary human skeletal remains in cases where dental records and other means of identification are either unavailable to law enforcement personnel or do not yield immediate results. Stable isotope analysis of biogenic tissues such as tooth enamel and bone mineral has become a well‐recognized and increasingly important method for determining the provenance of human remains, and it has been used successfully in bioarchaeological studies as well as forensic investigations. Both 18O and 2H stable isotope signatures are well established proxies as environmental indicators of climate (temperature) and source water and are therefore considered reliable indicators of geographic life trajectories of animals and humans. Similarly, 13C and 15N abundance data have distinguished dietary preferences in ancient human populations, and have been used to qualify 2H and 18O geolocational data that may be consistent with more than one location. Few if any studies have systematically investigated the multi-isotopic signatures in human tooth enamel and dentin from living individuals. Since 18O abundance values obtained from tooth enamel of late-erupting molars are a source of information on geographic origin of an individual during adolescence when crown formation takes place, it was hypothesized that: 1) the stable isotope abundance of 2H, 18O, and 13C in human tooth enamel and dentin is consistent with self-reported residential history and dietary preferences data, and 2) the isotopic variability evident between individuals with shared residential history and nutrient intake is quantifiable, and indicative of intra-individual variability. Two pilot studies were conducted to: 1) evaluate the feasibility of extracting and measuring the 2H composition of human tooth enamel and its suitability as a proxy for human geographic provenance, and 2) compare the isotopic abundance of isotopic abundance of 2H and 13C in human crown dentin collagen obtained from archaeological and modern teeth with the 18O and 13C isotopic composition of the corresponding tooth enamel carbonate. A protocol for preparing tooth enamel for 2H analysis was successfully devised and implemented; however, no correlation was observed between tooth enamel 2H abundance values as measured plotted against source water 2H abundance values. While unexpectedly low rates of hydrogen exchange within mineral hydroxyl groups were documented, and it was possible to analyze tooth enamel for its 2H isotopic composition, the seemingly fixed nature of 2H abundance in tooth enamel means that the 2H isotopic signature of tooth enamel cannot be used as an indicator of geographic provenance. Conversely, positive correlations between collagen 2H abundance values of primary dentin with 2H abundance values for source water and also with enamel 18O abundance values suggests that primary dentin collagen 2H values are linked to the isotopic composition of source water. Third molar tooth enamel was sampled from 10 living volunteers undergoing routine tooth extractions at University of Toronto affiliated dental clinics in Ontario, Canada. The mixed-sex group of patients was given questionnaires in which they provided detailed residential history and answered questions pertaining to dietary preferences (e.g., vegetarian) prior to donating all four third molars. Enamel was drilled from the crown of two third molars from each subject, chemically cleaned, and subjected to an acid digest before being analyzed for its 18O and 13C composition using Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry. Herewith, isotope abundance values are presented using the delta notation as delta values in per mil (‰). Mean d13CVPDB values for all samples ranged from -9.47 ‰ to -11.31 ‰ (pooled mean = -10.37 ‰), which suggested a persistent C4 plant dietary influence at the time the sampled tooth enamel was forming and is consistent with the typical North American diet. While inter-subject variation contributed the largest proportion of total d13C variability, differences were not significant. The pooled mean d18OVSMOW value for enamel samples was 24.39 ‰, while individual subject mean d18OVSMOW values ranged from 23.76 ‰ to 25.18 ‰. Marked offsets (0.01 ‰ - 0.51 ‰) in mean d18OVSMOW values for each pair of third molars were observed. While subject variation was significant (p=0.0034), neither diet nor sex significantly influenced the oxygen (or carbon) isotope data. Following conversion of d18OVSMOW values to d18OPhosphate values, drinking water values were calculated using the Daux et al. (2008) equation, and compared to their corresponding regional estimated annual average d18O values in precipitation retrieved from the Online Isotopes in Precipitation Calculator (OIPC) (Bowen 2014). Despite observed correlations between the drinking water d18OWater values and d18OOIPC values of four subjects, no statistically significant correlations were evident between the two limited data sets. However, when the isotopically similar d18O values of Toronto area residents were averaged and combined with the remaining Canadian data and the 18O data from 5 enamel samples analyzed in the 2H enamel pilot study, strong positive correlations were evident between d18OPhosphate valuesand d18OOIPC values (R2 = 0.87). Moreover, an equally strong linear relationship was observed between modeled annual precipitation 18O and calculated source water 18O (R2 = 0.87). Based on the d2H, d18O, and d13C values measured in tooth enamel and dentin, it is possible to infer and confirm geographic provenance and dietary intake. However, while enamel carbonate d13C values were consistent with self-reported dietary intake information and residential history, as could be expected vegetarians could not be distinguished from those who consumed meat without determining C/N isotopic ratios in dentin collagen. Further, the presence of strong linear relationships between the 18O composition of enamel carbonate and modeled source water 18O in the merged dataset illustrates the importance of considering site-specific isotopic complexities and using multi-isotope data obtained from multiple tissues when investigating the geographic origins of humans in an archaeological or forensic context. It is not possible to quantify intra-individual isotopic variability without sampling from larger, geographically diverse populations and controlling for as many variables as possible. The construction of regional databases containing 18O and 2H isotopic data obtained from a variety of environmental and human and faunal tissue samples, and the application of such data to individual cases in which geographic origins are desired, is recommended provided the following caveats are considered: 1) whenever possible, d18OPhosphate values should be used when comparing d18O values in tooth enamel with those in precipitation in order to avoid the unmitigated error associated with the application of carbonate conversion equations to enamel phosphate d18O data, 2) the continuous consumption of food sourced elsewhere is liable to affect the overall enamel carbonate d18O values, 3) d18O values in precipitation are not inclusive of the variety of postprecipitation and hydrological processes unique to a particular location, nor are they an accurate representation of the isotopically mixed nature of tap water sourced from distant reservoirs. Hence, extrapolations should be made with caution. Enamel sequential microsampling methods may be advisable for narrowing down a geographic timeline if the overlapping of isotopic signals at various points along the tooth’s longitudinal plane can be quantified and validated. While standardization of analytical methodology is critical to appropriate interpretations of the data, stable isotope profiling is not a standalone method and should be used in conjunction with other lines of evidence in determinations of human provenance.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-09-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:05:36Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 marques_jam_dr_araca.pdf: 1077734 bytes, checksum: 69d5bccdcab64aafc3425a46d3b31a1d (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da UNESP (FUNDUNESP) / Um dos mais intrigantes, complexos e controversos desafios da Odontologia Legal é o reconhecimento, registro e análise de marcas de mordidas na pele. Este estudo teve como objetivos: abordar os aspectos relevantes sobre a importância do estudo das marcas de mordidas; produzir informações sobre a ocorrência de casos registrados no Instituto Médico Legal da cidade de Araçatuba-SP, nos últimos cinco anos, envolvendo lesões ocasionadas por mordidas humanas; avaliar comparativamente quatro materiais de moldagem para estudo de marcas de mordidas na pele e testar a aplicabilidade da técnica proposta, por meio de um caso simulado. Foram analisadas 7.550 ocorrências policiais do período de 2001 a 2005. Verificou-se: idade das vítimas, parentesco com o agressor e ocorrência de lesões produzidas por mordidas humanas, bem como, o local mais acometido por tal ferimento. Nas etapas laboratoriais foram utilizados cinco suínos abatidos, com idade média de oito semanas e pesando cerca de seis quilos. Eles foram divididos ao meio e, em seguida, entre dez voluntários foi feito um sorteio sendo que quatro sorteados morderam cada uma das partes, sem conhecimento do pesquisador. A análise das mordidas foi feita de acordo com as normas da ABFO. Foram utilizados os materiais de moldagem: Alginato, Poliéter, Silicone de Condensação e Silicone de Adição. Durante o estudo de caso, a partir dos modelos de gesso e das partes mordidas, foi feita a identificação dos agentes das mordidas, utilizando a técnica da Análise Métrica, e, como controle, a técnica de sobreposições de imagens com uso do Software Adobe Photoshop 7.0. Foram encontrados quarenta e dois casos envolvendo, dentre outros tipos de lesões, as marcas de mordidas. O total de lesões encontradas foi de cinqüenta e seis mordidas: trinta e três pessoas foram vítimas (31 do sexo feminino e 11 do sexo masculino) e oito foram os autores das agressões (todos homens). / One of the most intriguing, complex and controversial challenges of the Legal Odontology is the recognition, registers and analysis of bite mark. This study objectives was: observe the relevant aspects about bite marks analyses importance, using a literature review; demonstrate the prevalence of bite marks in domestic violence crimes involving physical aggression with were collected data in the Police Station of the Woman's Defense in Araçatuba (São Paulo/Brazil); evaluate comparatively four impressions materials for bite marks analysis on skin and test the proposed technique applicability, with a simulated case. 7.550 occurrences policemen of the period from 2001 to 2005 were analyzed. It was verified: the victims' age, relationship with the aggressor and occurrence of lesions produced for bitten human, as well as, the place more attacked by such wound. In the laboratorial phase, it was used five pigs, with eight weeks ages. They were cute, soon afterwards, among ten volunteers it was made a draw and four raffled they bit each one of the parts, without the researcher's knowledge. The analysis of the bites was made in agreement with the norms of ABFO. The molding materials were used: Alginate, Poliéter, Condensation Silicon and Addition Silicon. During the case study, starting from the models of plaster and of the bitten foods, it was made the agents' of the bites identification, using the technique of the Metric Analysis, and, as control, the technique to put upon of images with use of the Software Adobe Photoshop 7.0. They were found forty two cases involving, among other types of lesions, the marks of bitten. The total of found lesions was of fifty six bitten: thirty three people were victims (31 female and 11 male) and eight were the authors of the aggressions (all men).

Orientador: Cléa Adas Saliba Garbin / Banca: Eduardo Daruge Júnior / Banca: Alício Rosalino Garcia / Banca: Maocyr da Silva / Banca: Luís Carlos Cavalcante Galvão / Resumo: Um dos mais intrigantes, complexos e controversos desafios da Odontologia Legal é o reconhecimento, registro e análise de marcas de mordidas na pele. Este estudo teve como objetivos: abordar os aspectos relevantes sobre a importância do estudo das marcas de mordidas; produzir informações sobre a ocorrência de casos registrados no Instituto Médico Legal da cidade de Araçatuba-SP, nos últimos cinco anos, envolvendo lesões ocasionadas por mordidas humanas; avaliar comparativamente quatro materiais de moldagem para estudo de marcas de mordidas na pele e testar a aplicabilidade da técnica proposta, por meio de um caso simulado. Foram analisadas 7.550 ocorrências policiais do período de 2001 a 2005. Verificou-se: idade das vítimas, parentesco com o agressor e ocorrência de lesões produzidas por mordidas humanas, bem como, o local mais acometido por tal ferimento. Nas etapas laboratoriais foram utilizados cinco suínos abatidos, com idade média de oito semanas e pesando cerca de seis quilos. Eles foram divididos ao meio e, em seguida, entre dez voluntários foi feito um sorteio sendo que quatro sorteados morderam cada uma das partes, sem conhecimento do pesquisador. A análise das mordidas foi feita de acordo com as normas da ABFO. Foram utilizados os materiais de moldagem: Alginato, Poliéter, Silicone de Condensação e Silicone de Adição. Durante o estudo de caso, a partir dos modelos de gesso e das partes mordidas, foi feita a identificação dos agentes das mordidas, utilizando a técnica da Análise Métrica, e, como controle, a técnica de sobreposições de imagens com uso do Software Adobe Photoshop 7.0. Foram encontrados quarenta e dois casos envolvendo, dentre outros tipos de lesões, as marcas de mordidas. O total de lesões encontradas foi de cinqüenta e seis mordidas: trinta e três pessoas foram vítimas (31 do sexo feminino e 11 do sexo masculino) e oito foram os autores das agressões (todos homens). / Abstract: One of the most intriguing, complex and controversial challenges of the Legal Odontology is the recognition, registers and analysis of bite mark. This study objectives was: observe the relevant aspects about bite marks analyses importance, using a literature review; demonstrate the prevalence of bite marks in domestic violence crimes involving physical aggression with were collected data in the Police Station of the Woman's Defense in Araçatuba (São Paulo/Brazil); evaluate comparatively four impressions materials for bite marks analysis on skin and test the proposed technique applicability, with a simulated case. 7.550 occurrences policemen of the period from 2001 to 2005 were analyzed. It was verified: the victims' age, relationship with the aggressor and occurrence of lesions produced for bitten human, as well as, the place more attacked by such wound. In the laboratorial phase, it was used five pigs, with eight weeks ages. They were cute, soon afterwards, among ten volunteers it was made a draw and four raffled they bit each one of the parts, without the researcher's knowledge. The analysis of the bites was made in agreement with the norms of ABFO. The molding materials were used: Alginate, Poliéter, Condensation Silicon and Addition Silicon. During the case study, starting from the models of plaster and of the bitten foods, it was made the agents' of the bites identification, using the technique of the Metric Analysis, and, as control, the technique to put upon of images with use of the Software Adobe Photoshop 7.0. They were found forty two cases involving, among other types of lesions, the marks of bitten. The total of found lesions was of fifty six bitten: thirty three people were victims (31 female and 11 male) and eight were the authors of the aggressions (all men). / Doutor

Orientador: Sergio Roberto Peres Line / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T02:16:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ramenzoni_LizaLima_M.pdf: 5290352 bytes, checksum: 1818ddf6ffadc1647ac3b1313ce4f5e3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O esmalte dental é caracterizado por camadas de prismas em direções alternadas regularmente. Estas camadas sucessivas formam as Bandas de Hunter-Schreger (HSB) que aparecem como faixas claras e escuras quando vistas sob forte iluminação lateral. Neste presente trabalho avaliamos a singularidade das HSB em dentes humanos como um método biométrico para identificação pessoal, já que as diferenças no padrão das HSB em dentes ainda não foi estudada. A amostra foi composta de 274 incisivos inferiores. Os procedimentos seguintes foram executados: os dentes foram fotografados em uma lupa esteroscópica e fibra óptica acopladas. O contraste das imagens após digitalização, foi aumentado utilizando Corel Photo Paint 9® e então as mesmas imagens foram analisadas em software de identificação automatizado de base biométrica (Verifinger 4.2 SDK / Fingersec®). O software gerou uma lista de comparações de dados biométricos com uma medida de semelhança (comparações entre ¿minutias¿). As medidas de similaridade do banco de dados foram comparadas em uma matriz de semelhança. Analisamos também a variação das espessuras médias das Bandas desde que este parâmetro é muito variável e pode ser usado para confirmar a identificação. Os resultados demonstraram que o padrão de HSB é altamente variável e único para cada dente analisado. HSB não puderam ser observadas em 4,5% dos dentes examinados. Dentes sem HSB não foram incluídos no banco de dados. Dentes com 0 ou 1 minutias totalizaram 3,3% da amostra. Nestes casos, a distinção pode ser feita através de comparação visual simples. Assim, as medidas biométricas das HSB provaram ser um método com alta potencialidade para identificação pessoal, desde que o tecido do esmalte resiste condições ambientais extremas e as imagens são obtidas facilmente. Estas características fazem das HSB um modelo potencialmente útil para análise forense utilizando medidas físicas ou biológicas pessoais, dando uma descrição correta do indivíduo / Abstract: Dental enamel is characterized by layers of prisms with regularly alternating directions. These successive layers form Hunter-Schreger Bands (HSB) that appear as dark and light bands when viewed under strong illumination. In the present study, we evaluate the HSB singularity in human teeth as a biometric-based method for personal identification since differences in HSB patterns have never been studied. The sample was composed of 274 lower incisors. The following procedures were performed: the teeth were photographed at low magnification, the contrast of the captured images was increased using Corel Photo Paint 9® and then analyzed in automated biometrics-based identification software (Verifinger Demo 4.2 SDK / Fingersec®). The software generated a list of biometric data comparisons with a similarity measure (minutiae matching). The storage of database comparisons could be represented with a similarity matrix. We also analyzed the thickness of the bands since this parameter is very variable and could be used for the identification. The results demonstrated that the pattern of HSB is highly variable and unique for each tooth. HSB bands could not be observed in 4.5 % of the teeth examined. Teeth without HSB could not be included in the database. Teeth having 0 or 1 minutiae comprised 3.3% of our sample. In these cases, the inspection was simply done by visual comparison. Thus, the biometric measurements of HSB proved to be a valuable method for personal identification, since enamel can resist extreme environmental conditions and the images could be easily obtained. These characteristics make HSB a potentially useful model for personal physical or biological measurements to give a correct description of an individual / Mestrado / Histologia e Embriologia / Mestre em Biologia Buco-Dental

Orientador: Eduardo Daruge Junior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T05:39:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Machado_MarceloAfonso_M.pdf: 1707822 bytes, checksum: 9c8af380bc470aec6324d45e89b2d3aa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Introdução: As radiografias carpais e panorâmicas de crianças e adolescentes são importantes em identificação humana por serem simples de obter e por conterem quantidade significativa de estruturas que trazem informações relevantes sobre o desenvolvimento corporal. Muitas vezes é necessário estimar a idade pelo envolvimento dessas crianças em procedimentos cíveis e criminais. Várias técnicas existentes usam as informações destas radiografias mas, nem todas foram testadas em brasileiros. Objetivo: Este trabalho procurou validar em uma população brasileira três métodos que estimam a idade de crianças e adolescentes a partir de medidas nos dentes permanentes em desenvolvimento e nos ossos da região do carpo e compará-las. Material e método: Esse estudo usou radiografias de 234 crianças e adolescentes (126 meninas e 108 meninos) para validar o método numa população brasileira. Os dados obtidos a partir das radiografias foram inseridos nas fórmulas propostas e comparados com a idade conhecida de cada sujeito da pesquisa. A precisão dos métodos em estimar a idade foi analisada através do teste de regressão linear estatística (ANOVA). Resultados: A partir da comparação entre as três técnicas estudadas, foi encontrado um erro médio para a técnica da região dos dentes (RD) de -0,21 anos, sendo -0,14 anos para meninas e -0,28 anos para os meninos havendo tendência, então, de subestimar a idade. Para a técnica da região do carpo (RC) o erro médio encontrado foi 1,61 anos, sendo 1,89 anos para meninas e 1,29 anos para os meninos, superestimando a idade. Quando foram utilizadas informações dos ossos do carpo e dos dentes (RCD) simultaneamente, o erro médio encontrado foi 0,39 anos, sendo 0,54 anos para meninas e 0,21 anos para meninos, havendo uma tendência a superestimar a idade cronológica das crianças. Conclusão: As técnicas RD e RCD possuem boa acurácia para estimativa da idade numa população do sudeste do Brasil. O método mais preciso foi o RD, seguido pelo RCD e pelo RC / Abstract: Introduction: Hand-wrist and panoramic radiographs of children and adolescents are important in human identification because they are easily obtained and contain a significant amount of structures that provide important information about the body¿s development. It is often necessary to estimate the age of children involved in civil and criminal proceedings. Many methods use the information in these radiographs, but not all of them have been tested in Brazilians. Objective: This study attempted to validate, in a Brazilian population sample, three methods that estimate the ages of children and adolescents using measurements of developing permanent teeth and wrist bones, and to compare the methods. Materials and methods: This study used the radiographs of 234 children and adolescents (126 girls and 108 boys) to validate the methods in a Brazilian population sample. Age was estimated using radiographic data and the pertinent formulas, and compared with the known chronological age of each study subject. The methods¿ accuracy for estimating age was determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The mean error for the tooth region method (TR) was -0.21 years, -0.14 for girls and -0.28 for boys; therefore, this method underestimated chronological age. The mean error for the hand-wrist region method (HWR) was 1.61 years, 1.89 for girls and 1.29 for boys; hence, this method overestimated chronological age. When the two methods were used simultaneously (HWTR), the mean error was 0.39 years, 0.54 for girls and 0.21 for boys; thus, both methods combined overestimated chronological age. Conclusion: The TR and HWTR methods can estimate the chronological age of a population sample from Southeast Brazil with good accuracy. The most accurate method was TR, followed by HWTR and HWR / Mestrado / Odontologia Legal e Deontologia / Mestre em Biologia Buco-Dental

Orientador: Eduardo Daruge Junior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T18:33:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Machado_MarcosPauloSalles_M.pdf: 1542270 bytes, checksum: 2ded2442ee636b63adfcabdc553824aa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar a análise retrospectiva dos casos investigados nos dois primeiros anos de funcionamento do Serviço de Antropologia Forense (SAFO) do Rio de Janeiro. Foram recebidas 66 requisições de exames expedidas por autoridades policiais ou judiciárias e cada requisição deu origem a um laudo. Seis requisições continham ossos de origem não humana, três representavam materiais sem interesse forense, enquanto uma outra requisição solicitava exame complementar. As demais 56 requisições continham ossos de 74 diferentes indivíduos, pois nove requisições encaminhavam ossos de mais de uma pessoa. Cinco das 74 ossadas não deram entrada no laboratório do SAFO por terem sido identificados pelo Serviço de Odontologia Forense ou pelo Setor de Necropapiloscopia. Logo, 69 ossadas foram periciadas e o resultados desses exames compõe o presente estudo. Dentre as 56 requisições, 47 (83%) eram constituídas de remanescentes de um único indivíduo, enquanto 9 (17%) traziam ossos de mais de uma pessoa. Menos de 18,8% das 69 ossadas tiveram mais de 95% dos ossos do corpo recuperados, enquanto que apenas 10,14% das 47 ossadas encontradas completamente esqueletizadas tiveram mais de 50% dos seus ossos recuperados. O perfil biológico resultante dos exames das ossadas revelou que a amostra era predominantemente constituída por homens (80%), caucasoides (32%), adultos-jovens entre 21-50 anos (54%) constituindo o grupo de risco. O trauma mais frequentemente observado foi o contundente, correspondendo a 33,3% dos casos, seguido do perfurocontundente, observado em 31,4%. A região mais atingida foi a crânio-cervical, atingida em 42% dos traumas. A relação mais alta observada entre um tipo de trauma e uma região específica do corpo foi a ação perfurocontundente incidindo sobre a região crânio-cervical, correspondendo à 27,3%. 52,1% das ações perfurocontundentes foram observadas na região crânio-cervical. Por fim, a analise dos locais de encontro de ossadas evidenciou um grande número de encontro reduzido a poucas áreas da cidade, revelando que existe concentração da violência / Abstract: The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of the cases investigated in the first two years of the Forensic Anthropology Service (SAFO) of Rio de Janeiro. Over these two years the laboratory received 66 examination requisitions requested by police or judicial authorities and each of these requests has resulted in a report. Six corresponded to non-human material, other 3 represented material without forensic implications and another one corresponded to a complementary examination requisition. The remaining 56 requisitions comprised a total of 74 different individuals, once there were 9 cases with bones of more than one person. Five out of 74 skeletal remains did not enter the SAFO laboratory because they had been positively identified by the Forensic Dentistry Office or through Necropapiloscopy. Therefore 69 skeletal remains were examined and the resulting data compose the present study. Out of 56 requisitions, 47 (83%) presented skeletal remains of single individuals; whereas the other 9 (17%) conteined bones of more than one individual. Less than 18.8% of 69 skeletal remains recovered comprised more than 95% of body bones, wile only 10.14% of the 47 fully skeletonized remains had more than half of the bones recovered. The biological profile established after skeletal remains were investigated showed that the sample was made up mainly of male subjects (80%), caucasian (32%), young-adults ranging from ages 21-50 (54%), considered as the risk group. Injuries most frequently observed were blunt trauma (33.3%), followed by gunshot (31.4%). The most susceptible body regions were the head and neck, affected in 42% of cases. The highest correlation between type of trauma to a specific body part was observed with gunshot injuries to the head-neck region, corresponding to 27.3% of the cases. Gunshot trauma represented 52.1% of injuries found on the head and neck. Analysis of the places where the remains were recovered reveled a great number of cases restricted to a few areas of the city, which shows the violence is concentrated in these localities / Mestrado / Odontologia Legal e Deontologia / Mestre em Biologia Buco-Dental

Sexual dimorphism of the distal humerus has been used for the development of morphometric sex estimation methods in human identification. In particular, visual assessment of the olecranon fossa, trochlear shape, and medial epicondyle angle are variably successful in differentiating females and males in African, Asian, and European groups. However, the influence of other factors on the distal humerus has yet to be fully explored. This study utilizes elliptical Fourier analysis (EFA) to examine the shape of these three features for evidence of sexual dimorphism and the effects of age-at-death, stature, and humeral measurements in 261 modern Thai individuals (f=116; m=145), 20-97 years of age. Left humeri were measured, photographed, traced, and analyzed in SHAPE v. 1.3 for EFA. Chi-square, ANOVA, and principal component results indicate sexual dimorphism in the olecranon fossa and trochlear extension shapes, both of which are correlated with epicondylar breadth. Trochlear extension was also found to be correlated with minimum midshaft diameter, vertical head diameter, and stature. The medial epicondyle was not correlated with any of the other factors examined, and age was not correlated with any of the shapes. High rates of intra- and interobserver error were found in the tracings of the three features. While future research should assess methods that better capture the medial epicondyle and improve reliability, features of the distal humerus are sexually dimorphic and somewhat affected by stature and/or body size.

Digital Forensic investigations play a vital role in our technologically enhanced world, and it may incorporate a number of different types of evidence — ranging from digital to physical. During a Digital Forensics investigation an investigator may formulate a number of hypotheses, and in order to reason objectively about them, an investigator must take into account such evidence in its entirety, relying on multiple sources. When formulating such objective reasoning an investigator must take into account not only inculpatory evidence but also exculpatory evidence and evidence of tampering. In addition, the investigator must factor in the reliability of the evidence used, the potential for error (tool and human based) and they must factor in the certainty with which they can make various claims. By doing so and creating a detailed audit trail of all actions performed by the investigator they can be better prepared against challenges against their work when it is presented. An investigator must also take into account the dynamic aspects of an investigation, such as certain evidence no longer being admissible, and they must continuously factor these aspects into their reasoning, to ensure that their conclusions still hold. Investigations may draw over a large period of time, and should the relevant information not be captured in detail, it may be lost or forgotten, affecting the reliability of an investigator’s findings and affecting future investigators’ capability to build on and continue an investigator’s work. In this dissertation we investigate whether it is possible to provide a formalised means for capturing and encoding an investigator’s reasoning process, in a detailed and structured manner. By this we mean we would like to capture and encode an investigator’s hypotheses, their arguments, their conclusions and the certainty with which they can make such claims, as well as the various pieces of evidence (digital and physical) that they use as a foundation for their arguments. We also want to capture the steps an investigator took when formulating these arguments and the steps an investigator took in order to get evidence into its intended form. The capturing of such a detailed reasoning process helps to allow for a more thorough reconstruction of an investigator’s finding, further improving the reliability that can be placed in them. By encoding the investigator’s reasoning process, an investigator can more easily receive feedback on the impacts that the various dynamic aspects of an investigation have upon their reasoning. In order to achieve these goals, our dissertation presents a model, called the Chain of Findings, allowing investigators to formulate and capture their reasoning process throughout the investigation, using a combination of goal-driven and data-driven approaches. When formulating their reasoning, the model allows investigators to treat evidence, digital and physical, uniformly as building blocks for their arguments and capture detailed information of how and why they serve their role in an investigator’s reasoning process. In addition, the Chain of Findings offers a number of other uses and benefits including the training of investigators and Digital Forensic Readiness. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Computer Science / unrestricted