Davor Strinović

Acetylcholinesterase in the human frontal associative cortex during the period of cognitive development: early laminar shifts and late innervation of pyramidal neurons

Laminar preferences in fibrillar acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining change dramatically in the human frontal cortex during the first postnatal year and perikaryal reactivity is found only in non-pyramidal neurons. The AChE reactivity of layer III pyramidal cell bodies and surrounding fibrillar network begins to develop after the first postnatal year, increases gradually and reaches its peak intensity in young adults, displaying a cluster-like arrangement. These data suggest that AChE-rich elements participate in the innervation of cortical associative neurons and layers during the cognitive development in man.

Odontological identification of human remains from mass graves in Croatia.

Abstract This paper reports the results and methods of dental identification of 1000 human remains exhumed from mass graves in Croatia up to July 1998. Personal identification of the victims was performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Criminology at the School of Medicine in Zagreb. A forensic odontologist participated in the identification process by carrying out the dental identification. A total of 824 victims were positively identified, while 176 victims remained unidentified. Dental identification based on available dental antemortem data was achieved in 25% of the cases. Dental identification based on dental charts was achieved in 35%, on x-rays in 15%, on photographs of teeth in 22%, on interviews in 18%, and on confirmation by odontologists in 10% of the cases. Teeth, in combination with anthropological parameters, age, sex and height, as well as other specific characteristics such as tattoos, personal identification cards, clothes, jewellery and DNA, were helpful for identification of 64% of the victims, but the significance for the identification was not dominant. Only in 11% of the cases was identification achieved by other relevant means and teeth not used at all. Identification procedures in Croatia will continue until another 1700 people who are still missing or kept as prisoners of war since the aggression on Croatia in 1991 are found and/or identified.

Prediction of Stature Based on Radiographic Measurements of Cadaver Long Bones: A Study of the Croatian Population†

ABSTRACT: We tested a new approach to the stature prediction that could be used in the identification process of human skeletal remains of unknown identity. The stature of 19 female and 21 male adult cadavers was measured within 24 h after death and considered to be equal to the living stature. The antero‐posterior radiographs of all limbs were taken, and the maximum length of the six long bones was measured from radiographs. There was a significant difference in the stature and maximum length of long bones between female and male cadavers (p<0.001 for all). The correlation between the stature and long bone length was the best for the humerus in females (r=0.792) and the tibia in males (r=0.891). Regression equations specific to the Croatian population were computed separately for each long bone in males and females and proven to be reliable in predicting the living stature of the individual.

Dental identification of war victims from Petrinja in Croatia

Abstract In this paper the authors report their experiences and problems encountered in the identification of war victims from Petrinja in Croatia. Soon after Croatian forces regained Petrinja in 1995, four mass graves were discovered from which the bodies of 46 civilians, 38 males and 8 females, were recovered. Identification of the victims was performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Criminology at the School of Medicine in Zagreb. A forensic odonto-stomatologist from the Department of Dental Anthropology of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Zagreb participated in the identification process by carrying out dental identifications. A total of 27 victims (59%) were identified, while 19 (41%) are at present still unidentified. Identification by supportive and anthropological evidence (e.g. sex, age, height, personal documents, dress, jewellery) was achieved in 43% of cases, while identification based only on dental records was achieved in 16%. The most useful dental characteristics for the purpose of identification were fixed and removable prosthetic appliances for oral rehabilitation. The reason for the low number of dental identifications was the lack of antemortem dental data which could be compared with postmortem dental records.

Sex determination by discriminant function analysis of the tibia for contemporary Croats

Previous studies have demonstrated that populations differ from each other in size and proportion, and that these differences can affect metric assessment of sex. This paper establishes standards for determining sex from fragmentary and complete tibiae in the modern Croatian population. Measurements were taken on 180 tibiae (109 male and 71 female) from positively identified victims of the 1991-1995 War in Croatia. Six standard dimensions: length of the tibia (CML), maximum epiphyseal breadth of the proximal tibia (MPEB), maximum epiphyseal breadth of the distal tibia (MDEB), maximum diameter of the tibia at the nutrient foramen (MDNF), transverse diameter of the tibia at the nutrient foramen (TDNF), and circumference of the tibia at the nutrient foramen (CNF), were taken and subjected to different discriminant function analyses. The highest level of accuracy (91.1%) in the analyzed data set was achieved employing the variables: maximum epiphyseal breadth of the proximal tibia, maximum epiphyseal breadth of the distal tibia, maximum diameter of the tibia at the nutrient foramen, transverse diameter of the tibia at the nutrient foramen, and circumference of the tibia at the nutrient foramen. The second highest level of accuracy (90.6%) was achieved using a combination of only three variables: maximum epiphyseal breadth of the proximal tibia, maximum diameter of the tibia at the nutrient foramen, and circumference of the tibia at the nutrient foramen. The lowest accuracy (84.4%) was obtained when only one variable (maximum diameter of the tibia at the nutrient foramen) was employed. The results of this study show that the modern Croatian tibia is a good skeletal component for determining sex. Standardized coefficients of the discriminant functions generated in this study support the results of previous studies that found that breadth dimensions provide better separation of the sexes than length.

Evaluation of population variation at 17 autosomal STR and 16 Y-STR haplotype loci in Croatians

Seventeen autosomal STR loci (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSF1PO, D3S1358, TH01, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, VWA, TPOX, D18S51, D5S818, FGA, Penta E and Penta D) and 16 Y-STR haplotype loci (DYS19, DYS385, DYS389I, DYS398II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635 and GATA H4.1) were analyzed in the sample of 200 unrelated Croatians. The agreement with HWE was confirmed for all autosomal STR loci. The combined power of discrimination (PD) and the combined power of exclusion (PE) for the 17 autosomal STR loci were 0.999999999999999999682299331476 and 0.99999995, respectively. Penta E proved to be the most informative autosomal STR locus. Among 200 Croatian males, 197 Y-STR haplotypes were identified and haplotype diversity was estimated at 0.9998+/-0.0005.

Identification of War Victims in Croatia

The intention of this paper is to describe the organizational principles and indicate the results already achieved in the identification of war victims in Croatia. By 25 February 1993, 6, 493 victims had been identified. A model is proposed that could be used in the course of identification processes, examining the methods and principles of identification which have been complicated by the time interval of more than a year from the time of death, for a presumed number of several thousand (up to 14, 000) unidentified victims, possibly in mass graves. Identification is further complicated by the lack of ante-mortem medical and dental records and the incapacity to utilize more expensive methods of identification. Attention is drawn to a group of more complex cases examined at the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Criminology.

Skeletal and dental indicators of health in the late mediaeval (12–15th century) population from Nin, southern Croatia

A comprehensive bioarchaeological study of the late mediaeval (12-15th century) skeletal sample from Nin was carried out in order to test the historically documented hypothesis that during the late mediaeval period Nin sustained a period of rapid development that resulted in it becoming one of the major urban centres on the eastern Adriatic coast. The analysed pathological changes (alveolar bone disease, dental caries, dental enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, periostitis, tuberculosis, Schmorls nodes, vertebral osteoarthritis, and bone fractures) indicate a relatively good quality of life for the majority of the population from this late mediaeval site. A low prevalence of dental pathologies suggests an adequate diet while a low frequency of long bone trauma testifies to a relatively peaceful life for the inhabitants of mediaeval Nin. Increased urban development during this period resulted in a worsening of sanitary conditions most likely caused by overcrowding, which is reflected in the presence of tuberculosis and the relatively high frequencies of dental enamel hypoplasia and cribra orbitalia. An additional health concern for the late mediaeval inhabitants of Nin may have been the presence of malaria, as recorded in numerous historical sources. Comparison with other Croatian mediaeval skeletal samples suggests that the inhabitants of late mediaeval Nin experienced somewhat better living conditions than their contemporaries from other parts of Croatia.

Short tandem repeat polymorphism at the HUMCD4 and HUMF13B loci in a Croatian population.

Abstract Population studies were carried out on unrelated individuals of Croatian ancestry. Genomic DNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at the polymorphic microsatellite loci HUMCD4 (n = 105 individuals) and HUMF13B (n = 108 individuals). After horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver staining 6 alleles and 12 genotypes were observed for HUMCD4 and 6 alleles and 13 genotypes could be identified for HUMF13B. Data obtained were in concordance with the prediction of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The allele frequency data were compared with Austrian and Italian population samples and no significant deviations between these populations were observed.

Shot through the heart: firepower and potential lethality of air weapons

Although certain air weapons attain muzzle velocities comparable to some firearms, their successful use for committing suicide is rarely seen. Herein, we report a case of a young female died shortly after urgent admission to the hospital with penetrating gunshot wound to the chest. The autopsy revealed perforation of the pericardium and two perforative defects to the right heart ventricle. Injury was inflicted by a 0.177 caliber pellet, fired from an air rifle found near her body. Investigation ruled the death as suicide. The used air rifle fired the pellet with the energy density of 1.9 J/mm2, substantially above the threshold for inflicting injury. The pellet penetrated through two layers of cotton fabric and several layers of tissue to inflict fatal injury to the heart. In addition, we provide an insight into the wounding potential of air weapons, which illustrates the need for greater caution in handling those devices.