Dataset Information

Age related changes of rib cortical bone matrix and the application to forensic age-at-death estimation.

ABSTRACT: Forensic anthropology includes, amongst other applications, the positive identification of unknown human skeletal remains. The first step in this process is an assessment of the biological profile, that is: sex, age, stature and ancestry. In forensic contexts, age estimation is one of the main challenges in the process of identification. Recently established admissibility criteria are driving researchers towards standardisation of methodological procedures. Despite these changes, experience still plays a central role in anthropological examinations. In order to avoid this issue, age estimation procedures (i) must be presented to the scientific community and published in peer reviewed journals, (ii) accurately explained in terms of procedure and (iii) present clear information about the accuracy of the estimation and possible error rates. In order to fulfil all these requirements, a number of methods based on physiological processes which result in biochemical changes in various tissue structures at the molecular level, such as modifications in DNA-methylation and telomere shortening, racemization of proteins and stable isotopes analysis, have been developed. The current work proposes a new systematic approach in age estimation based on tracing physicochemical and mechanical degeneration of the rib cortical bone matrix. This study used autopsy material from 113 rib specimens. A set of 33 parameters were measured by standard bio-mechanical (nanoindentation and microindentation), physical (TGA/DSC, XRD and FTIR) and histomorphometry (porosity-ImageJ) methods. Stepwise regressions were used to create equations that would produce the best 'estimates of age at death' vs real age of the cadavers. Five equations were produced; in the best of cases an equation counting 7 parameters had an R²?=?0.863 and mean absolute error of 4.64 years. The present method meets all the admissibility criteria previously described. Furthermore, the method is experience-independent and as such can be performed without previous expert knowledge of forensic anthropology and human anatomy.

SUBMITTER: Bonicelli A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7822937 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Age related changes of rib cortical bone matrix and the application to forensic age-at-death estimation.

Bonicelli Andrea A Bonicelli Andrea A Zioupos Peter P Arnold Emily E Rogers Keith D KD Xhemali Bledar B Kranioti Elena F EF

Scientific reports 20210122 1

Forensic anthropology includes, amongst other applications, the positive identification of unknown human skeletal remains. The first step in this process is an assessment of the biological profile, that is: sex, age, stature and ancestry. In forensic contexts, age estimation is one of the main challenges in the process of identification. Recently established admissibility criteria are driving researchers towards standardisation of methodological procedures. Despite these changes, experience stil ...[more]

PMID: 33483587

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Project description:Rib bone growth in red deer stags - Abstract: In 'The Bone and Joint Decade' interest is focused on genetic factors causing bone disorders. Osteoporosis, attacking 10% of the population worldwide, is the most common metabolic bone disease, which is mimiced by several ovarectomised or genetically modified 'cascadeur' animal species, but none of them is able to remedy its pathologically porous bone tissue. Regeneration in skeletal elements is the curiosity of our newly investigated osteoporosis animal model, red deer (Cervus elaphus). The cyclic physiological osteoporosis in red deer stag is a consequence of the annual antler cycle. This phenomenon raises the possibility to explore new genes involved in regulating bone mineral density (BMD) and recovery of bone resorption on the basis of comparative genomics between deer and human. Here we compared the gene expression activities of osteoporotic and regenerating flying rib bone samples versus late autumn dwell control in red deer by heterologous microarray hybridization. Identified genes were tested on human femoral bone tissue from postmenopausal osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic patients. Expression data were evaluated by Principal Components Analysis and Discriminant Analysis. Keywords: Gene Expression experiment Approximately 2-3 g flying rib bone pieces in the entire cross section of bony rib were surgically removed from 3 anaesthetized [SBH-Ketamine (2.5 mg/kg live weight) combined with Xylazine (0.2 mg/kg live weight) i.m. injection] 6, 7 and 8 year old Cervus elaphus stags. (Cast antler pairs weighed 7-8 kg for each animal.) Removed rib pieces were extensively washed in PBS for eliminating blood and marrow contamination, than immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. The time of tissue collections were (i) within the period of the active mineralization of antler, at the beginning of June when skeletal osteoporosis takes place, (ii) in the fitness improvement period with velvet shedding in late July, that is the 'regenerating time' and (iii) in the period of late autumn dwell at the end of November when in the skeleton the mineral mobilization and deposition are dynamically equilibrated (BMD is in steady state). Each comparison performed on Platforms GPL4052 and GPL5352.

Dataset Information

Age related changes of rib cortical bone matrix and the application to forensic age-at-death estimation.

Publications

Age related changes of rib cortical bone matrix and the application to forensic age-at-death estimation.

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