Trauma in the courtroom: The role of prior trauma exposure and mental health on stress and emotional responses in jurors.

Objectives: Prior research indicates that jury duty can be distressing for some jurors. This study examined: (1) the influence of prior trauma characteristics (type, exposure, time since trauma), medical fear and mental health difficulties on stress and emotional responses during a mock trial and 1 week later; and (2) associations between early stress reactions during a trial on subsequent stress and emotional reactivity after exposure to skeletal evidence and 1 week later.

Methods: Mock jurors (n = 180) completed baseline self-report mental health measures, read a summary of a murder case and were then exposed to graphic skeletal evidence.

Sex estimation from virtual models: exploring the potential of stereolithic 3D crania models for morphoscopic trait scoring.

Unlabelled: Modern computed tomography (CT) databases are becoming an accepted resource for the practice and development of identification methods in forensic anthropology. However, the utility of 3D models created using free and open-source visualization software such as 3D Slicer has not yet been thoroughly assessed for morphoscopic biological profiling methods where virtual methods of analysis are becoming more common. This paper presents a study that builds on the initial findings from Robles et al.

Drilling down into ethics: A thematic review of ethical considerations for the creation and use of 3D printed human remains in crime reconstruction.

The existing literature contains some exploration of the ethics concerning human remains in forensic and virtual anthropology. However, previous work has stopped short of interrogating the underlying ethical concepts. The question of how people understand and apply these concepts in practice, and what it means to act ethically, remain underexplored.

A survey of case studies on the use of forensic three-dimensional printing in England and Wales.

3D printing has rapidly developed and been applied in forensic science due to its use in creating demonstrations for courts of law. Much of the literature on this specific topic has focused on the use of 3D printed models in academia, the potential influence on a jury, and its use as a long-term documentation process, but with few actual forensic case examples. This paper offers an insight into the development of 3D printing in forensic practice and how 3D printing is currently being used in the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

A multi-method assessment of 3D printed micromorphological osteological features.

The evaluation of 3D printed osteological materials has highlighted the difficulties associated with accurately representing fine surface details on printed bones. Moreover, there is an increasing need for reconstructions to be demonstrably accurate and reliable for use in the criminal justice system. The aim of this study was to assess the surface quality of 3D prints (n = 9) that presented with micromorphological alterations from trauma, taphonomy and pathology processes.

3D forensic science: A new field integrating 3D imaging and 3D printing in crime reconstruction.

3D techniques are increasingly being used by forensic scientists in crime reconstruction. The proliferation of 3D techniques, such as 3D imaging and printing being employed across the various stages of the forensic science process, means that the use of 3D should be considered as a distinct field within forensic science. '3D Forensic Science' ('3DFS') is therefore presented in this paper as a field that brings together a range of 3D techniques and approaches that have been developed within different areas of forensic science for achieving crime reconstructions and interpreting and presenting evidence.

Assessment of the accuracy of 3D printed teeth by various 3D printers in forensic odontology.

Additive manufacturing technology has benefited many sectors, and its use in forensic sciences has opened up a variety of new opportunities for analysing and exhibiting forensic materials. However, to perform analytical procedures on 3D printed bones and teeth in forensic odontology, the metric and morphological precision of the printed replicas must first be validated. To address this, the present study was undertaken using 12 extracted human teeth that were 3D printed using five different techniques.

An Overview of 3D Printing in Forensic Science: The Tangible Third-Dimension.

There has been a rapid development and utilization of three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies in engineering, health care, and dentistry. Like many technologies in overlapping disciplines, these techniques have proved to be useful and hence incorporated into the forensic sciences. Therefore, this paper describes how the potential of using 3D printing is being recognized within the various sub-disciplines of forensic science and suggests areas for future applications.

A Preliminary Investigation into the Accuracy of 3D Modeling and 3D Printing in Forensic Anthropology Evidence Reconstruction.

There is currently no published empirical evidence-base demonstrating 3D printing to be an accurate and reliable tool in forensic anthropology, despite 3D printed replicas being exhibited as demonstrative evidence in court. In this study, human bones (n = 3) scanned using computed tomography were reconstructed as virtual 3D models (n = 6), and 3D printed using six commercially available printers, with osteometric data recorded at each stage. Virtual models and 3D prints were on average accurate to the source bones, with mean differences from -0.

Precision of recumbent crown-heel length when using an infantometer.

Background: Crown-heel length (CHL) measurement is influenced by technique, training, experience and subject cooperation. We investigated whether extending one or both of an infant's legs affects the precision of CHL taken using an infantometer. The influence of staff training and infant cooperation were also examined.

IRS2 and PTEN are key molecules in controlling insulin sensitivity in podocytes.

Insulin signaling to the glomerular podocyte is important for normal kidney function and is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). This study determined the role of the insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) in this system. Conditionally immortalized murine podocytes were generated from wild-type (WT) and insulin receptor substrate 2-deficient mice (Irs2(-/-)).

Insulin receptor substrate-2 is expressed in kidney epithelium and up-regulated in diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a progressive fibrotic condition that may lead to end-stage renal disease and kidney failure. Transforming growth factor-β1 and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7) have been shown to induce DN-like changes in the kidney and protect the kidney from such changes, respectively. Recent data identified insulin action at the level of the nephron as a crucial factor in the development and progression of DN.

Suppression of microRNA-29 expression by TGF-β1 promotes collagen expression and renal fibrosis.

Synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the glomerulus and interstitium characterizes renal fibrosis, but the mechanisms underlying this process are incompletely understood. The profibrotic cytokine TGF-β1 modulates the expression of certain microRNAs (miRNAs), suggesting that miRNAs may have a role in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis. Here, we exposed proximal tubular cells, primary mesangial cells, and podocytes to TGF-β1 to examine its effect on miRNAs and subsequent collagen synthesis.

The role of EMT in renal fibrosis.

It is clear that the well-described phenomenon of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in embryonic development, wound healing, tissue regeneration, organ fibrosis and cancer progression. EMTs have been classified into three subtypes based on the functional consequences and biomarker context in which they are encountered. This review will highlight findings on type II EMT as a direct contributor to the kidney myofibroblast population in the development of renal fibrosis, specifically in diabetic nephropathy, the signalling molecules and the pathways involved in type II EMT and changes in the expression of specific miRNA with the EMT process.

Insulin receptor substrate 2 and FoxO3a signalling are involved in E-cadherin expression and transforming growth factor-β1-induced repression in kidney epithelial cells.

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins comprise a family of adaptor molecules that integrate extracellular signals from insulin and other ligands to intracellular effectors such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase. The predominant forms of IRS protein in humans, IRS1 and IRS2, are widely expressed. Despite structural similarities, IRS1 and IRS2 display distinct signalling modalities, and mice lacking these proteins present with distinct phenotypes.

Deletion of Irs2 causes reduced kidney size in mice: role for inhibition of GSK3beta?

Background: Male Irs2-/- mice develop fatal type 2 diabetes at 13-14 weeks. Defects in neuronal proliferation, pituitary development and photoreceptor cell survival manifest in Irs2-/- mice. We identify retarded renal growth in male and female Irs2-/- mice, independent of diabetes.

Ammonia emissions from livestock industries in Canada: feasibility of abatement strategies.

An updated national ammonia (NH(3)) emissions inventory was employed to study the relationship between NH(3) emissions and livestock industries in Canada. Emissions from animal agriculture accounted for 322kilotonnes (kt) or 64% of Canadian NH(3) emissions in 2002. Cattle and swine accounted for the bulk of livestock emissions.

Protein kinase B/Akt activity is involved in renal TGF-beta1-driven epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro and in vivo.

The molecular pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN), the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide, is complex and not fully understood. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta1) plays a critical role in many fibrotic disorders, including DN. In this study, we report protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) activation as a downstream event contributing to the pathophysiology of DN.