Rapidly mutating Y-STR analyses of compromised forensic samples.

Rapidly mutating Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (RM Y-STRs) were identified to improve differentiation of unrelated males and also to enable separating closely and distantly related males in human identity testing in forensic and other applications. RM-Yplex assay was developed as a single multiplex that is capable of simultaneously amplifying all currently known RM Y-STRs, and reproducibility and sensitivity testing were performed on reference samples. Additional analyses are necessary to test its suitability for analysing compromised forensic samples.

Prediction of autosomal STR typing success in ancient and Second World War bone samples.

Human-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) has been developed for forensic use in the last 10 years and is the preferred DNA quantification technique since it is very accurate, sensitive, objective, time-effective and automatable. The amount of information that can be gleaned from a single quantification reaction using commercially available quantification kits has increased from the quantity of nuclear DNA to the amount of male DNA, presence of inhibitors and, most recently, to the degree of DNA degradation. In skeletal remains samples from disaster victims, missing persons and war conflict victims, the DNA is usually degraded.

Searching for the mother missed since the Second World War.

The aim of the study was to perform the genetic identification of a human cranium from a Second World War gravesite in Slovenia and find out if it belonged to the mother of a woman used as a family reference. Both genetic and anthropological examinations were carried out. The genetic examination was performed on 2 molars and petrous bone.

Bringing colour back after 70 years: Predicting eye and hair colour from skeletal remains of World War II victims using the HIrisPlex system.

Retrieving information about externally visible characteristics from DNA can provide investigative leads to find unknown perpetrators, and can also help in disaster victim and other missing person identification cases. Aiming for the application to both types of forensic casework, we previously developed and forensically validated the HIrisPlex test system enabling parallel DNA prediction of eye and hair colour. Although a recent proof-of-principle study demonstrated the general suitability of the HIrisPlex system for successfully analysing DNA from bones and teeth of various storage times and conditions, practical case applications to human remains are scarce.

Highly efficient automated extraction of DNA from old and contemporary skeletal remains.

We optimised the automated extraction of DNA from old and contemporary skeletal remains using the AutoMate Express system and the PrepFiler BTA kit. 24 Contemporary and 25 old skeletal remains from WWII were analysed. For each skeleton, extraction using only 0.

Diffuse Axonal Injury-A Distinct Clinicopathological Entity in Closed Head Injuries.

The knowledge about the diffuse axonal injury (DAI) as a clinicopathological entity has matured in the last 30 years. It has been defined clinically (immediate and prolonged unconsciousness leading to death or severe disability) and pathologically (the triad of DAI specific changes). In terms of its biomechanics, DAI is occurring as a result of acceleration forces of longer duration and has been fully reproduced experimentally.

Frequency and number of resuscitation related rib and sternum fractures are higher than generally considered.

Aim Of The Study: This study aimed to establish the incidence, number and location of CPR-related skeletal chest injuries (SCI) and to investigate the influence of age, gender, changes in resuscitation guidelines and technique of resuscitation.

Methods: We analysed SCI in 2148 patients who had undergone resuscitation for non-traumatic cardiac arrest, as shown by autopsies performed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Ljubljana in the period 2004-2013.

Results: External cardiac massage caused SCI in 86% of males and in 91% of females; sternum fractures occurred in 59% of males and 79% of females, rib fractures in 77% of males and 85% of females and sternocostal separations in 33% of males and 12% of females.

Secular trends in body height in Balkan populations from 1945 to 1995.

The aim of this study was to look for any secular trend in the stature of Balkan populations from the time of World War II (1939-1945) to the Balkans War (1991-1995). The research was based on the examination of exhumed skeletons of 202 men killed in World War II in the area of the Republic of Slovenia, and 243 men killed in the Bosnian War in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The length measurements of the right and left humerus, femur, tibia and fibula were taken.

Slovenian population data for five new European Standard Set short tandem repeat loci and SE33 locus.

Aim: To establish the allele distribution and statistical parameters of forensic interest for the D10S1248, D22S1045, D2S441, D1S1656, D12S391, and SE33 loci in Slovenian population and to compare allele frequencies with those from other populations.

Methods: We analyzed blood and buccal swab samples from 333 unrelated, healthy Slovenian individuals. All samples were genotyped using the AmpFlSTR NGM Kit to obtain the allele frequency data for the loci D10S1248, D22S1045, D2S441, D1S1656, and D12S391.

Viability of human articular chondrocytes harvested postmortem: changes with time and temperature of in vitro culture conditions.

Different studies of long-term chondrocytes viability have shown a gradual reduction as a function of time and ambient temperature. The aim of our in vitro study was to establish chondrocyte postmortem viability curves for 4°C, 11°C, 23°C, 35°C during 63 days after the donors' death. Osteochondral cylinders were procured from the knees of 16 male donors (20-47 years), stored in preservation media that was not changed, and analyzed in 3-day intervals using a confocal laser scanning microscope.

Identical human papillomavirus (HPV) genomic variants persist in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis for up to 22 years.

Seventy initial and 125 follow-up tissue specimens of laryngeal papillomas, obtained from 70 patients who had had recurrent respiratory papillomatosis for from 1-22 years, were investigated for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and HPV E5a, LCR and/or full-length genomic variants. HPV-6 was found in 130/195, HPV-11 in 63/195, and HPV-6/HPV-11 in 2/195 samples. Within 67/70 (95.

The optimal combination of cartilage source and apparatus for long-term in vitro chondrocyte viability analysis.

Most studies of long-term chondrocytes survival were for tissue banks. They showed a gradual reduction in the viable chondrocytes percentage as a function of time and ambient temperature, but the samples were harvested under optimal conditions. The aim of our study was to determine the most reliable combination of cartilage source and assay for the in vitro postmortem chondrocyte viability analysis in the conditions that imitate a dead body.

Highly efficient nuclear DNA typing of the World War II skeletal remains using three new autosomal short tandem repeat amplification kits with the extended European Standard Set of loci.

Aim: To perform an efficiency study of three new amplification kits with the extended European Standard Set (ESS) of loci for autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) typing of skeletal remains excavated from the World War II mass graves in Slovenia.

Methods: In the beginning of the 2011, we analyzed 102 bones and teeth using the PowerPlex ESX 17 System (Promega), AmpFiSTR NGM PCR Amplification Kit (Applied Biosystems), and Investigator ESSplex Kit (Qiagen). We cleaned the bones and teeth, removed surface contamination, and ground them into a powder using liquid nitrogen.

An MRI study of the differences in the rate of thrombolysis between red blood cell-rich and platelet-rich components of venous thrombi ex vivo.

Purpose: To test whether T(1)-weighted MRI can detect the differences in the rate of thrombolysis induced by recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) between platelet-rich regions and red blood cell (RBC)-rich regions of venous thrombi ex vivo.

Materials And Methods: Each of 21 venous thrombi ex vivo (8 pulmonary emboli and 13 in situ thrombi) was dissected along the longitudinal axis. Half of it was analyzed for the presence of platelet, fibrin, and RBC components by immunohistochemistry and the other half was imaged serially by high-resolution T(1)-weighted three-dimensional MRI to assess the progression of thrombolysis.

Molecular genetic identification of skeletal remains from the Second World War Konfin I mass grave in Slovenia.

This paper describes molecular genetic identification of one third of the skeletal remains of 88 victims of postwar (June 1945) killings found in the Konfin I mass grave in Slovenia. Living relatives were traced for 36 victims. We analyzed 84 right femurs and compared their genetic profiles to the genetic material of living relatives.

Characteristics of the number of odontoblasts in human dental pulp post-mortem.

Estimation of the time since death is important in forensic medicine, and so far not much is known in employing dental pulp for such purposes. The tooth organ is the hardest organ in the human body, with a loose connective tissue of dental pulp situated within a rigid encasement of mineralized surrounding tissues. Human material was obtained from 31 corpses of people who died in car and train accidents and had healthy oral statuses.

Fingerprint recovery from human skin surfaces.

A study was conducted to investigate whether certain dactyloscopic powders and reagents can recover latent fingerprints on human skin surfaces. Four fingerprint powders, Magnetic Jet Black, Magnetic Silver, Silver Special, Swedish Black, and two other methods, cyanoacrylate fuming (CA) and Ruthenium tetroxide (RTX), were used. Having examined skin surfaces with a forensic light source, we observed that the fingerprint impressions remained visible up to 15 min after intentionally placing them on the skin surface of living subjects and dead bodies.

Genetic changes in Slovenian patients with gastric adenocarcinoma evaluated in terms of microsatellite DNA.

Objectives: Adenocarcinoma of the stomach is a relatively frequent malignant disease in Slovenia. We investigated the frequency of microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in gastric carcinomas from the Slovenian population to determine their prognostic significance.

Methods: We evaluated MSI of mismatch repair associated loci and LOH on loci associated with following tumour suppressors: APC, nm23, Rb and p53.

Expression of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 in the normal human heart and in myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Cyclooxygenase is a key enzyme in prostanoid synthesis. It exists in two isoforms: cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), which is constitutively expressed in cells and tissues maintaining normal homeostasis, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which is normally not present in most cells, but can be induced by various stimuli. Little is known about the significance of COX isoforms in the normal human heart and in myocardial infarction (MI).

Characterization of pulmonary emboli ex vivo by magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound.

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transesophageal ultrasound (US) are promising methods for detection and characterization of central pulmonary emboli. Both methods employ different physical principles. We tested how US and MRI characterized pulmonary emboli ex vivo.