New device for collecting intra-oral findings of unknown body.

In dental identification, the collection of intra-oral images is extremely important. We propose the Dental Watch(®) as a new device for collecting intra-oral findings in situations where sufficient jaw-opening or adequate lighting cannot be obtained in such cases of dead bodies within a day after death or burned bodies encountered in mass disaster. This device is an improved home video camera for taking intra-oral images. It is lightweight and cordless, allowing it to be operated with one hand, and an audio function allows comments to be made and recorded on obtaining findings at the same time as images are taken. In addition, this device allows images of the entire oral cavity to be taken comparatively easily, even when only a minimal degree of jaw movement is available. This device is extremely useful in situations where a single dentist inspector must obtain findings and make an accurate and detailed Dental Chart.

Development of vertically adjustable electrically-powered forensic dental examination table.

Dental evidence for post-mortem identification is often examined on a dissecting table through unavailability of an identification table. In mass disasters, however, this is often done on the ground, floor, or in a simple coffin through lack of adequate facilities. We have designed a vertically adjustable, electrically-powered forensic odontological table. Adjustable from a height of 200-1015 mm, compact and light, it offers portability, work efficiency and prevention of infection. Head position components are angle-adjustable and removable from the main body of the table. This table offers the following advantages: (1) Adjustable height enables improved comfort for each type of work according to examiner's height. This new table allows for the optimum posture for each examiner by easy adjustment to a comfortable height; (2) The detachable head component makes taking X-ray photos easy without having to rearrange the position of remains on the table; (3) Contamination of examiner's clothes or personal effects is prevented by virtue of minimally sized top board. Portability and cost performance are enhanced by miniaturization and, most importantly, the integrity and dignity of the remains are improved and preserved. This table is very useful for personal dental identification.

Collection of intraoral findings in corpse with small-scale color dental scanner system.

Together with X-ray radiography and the description in the dental chart (odontogram), the collection of intraoral images is extremely important in dental identification. Recently, thanks to advances in digital devices for taking images in the oral cavity, problems with developing images and images being lost due to scanning errors have been minimized. However, in corpses where postmortem rigidity has firmly set in and burned bodies where the jaw has to be forced open, it is difficult to open the jaw enough to allow images to be taken. In addition, collection of intraoral images requires skill. Our goal was to determine the efficacy of a newly developed, small-scale color dental scanner in collecting intraoral images. The results showed that it was comparatively easy to obtain an entire image of the oral cavity with even a minimum degree of jaw opening. This should enable even a non-expert to perform oral image collection.

Proposal for internet-based Digital Dental Chart for personal dental identification in forensics.

A dental chart is very useful as a standard source of evidence in the personal identification of bodies. However, the kind of dental chart available will often vary as a number of types of odontogram have been developed where the visual representation of dental conditions has relied on hand-drawn representation. We propose the Digital Dental Chart (DDC) as a new style of dental chart, especially for open investigations aimed at establishing the identity of unknown bodies. Each DDC is constructed using actual oral digital images and dental data, and is easy to upload onto an Internet website. The DDC is a more useful forensic resource than the standard types of dental chart in current use as it has several advantages, among which are its ability to carry a large volume of information and reproduce dental conditions clearly and in detail on a cost-effective basis.

All ZZ male Xenopus laevis provides a clear sex-reversal test for feminizing endocrine disruptors.

We investigated the possibility of using all ZZ male Xenopus laevis tadpoles produced by mating normal ZZ males with feminized ZZ males to detect estrogenic chemical activity. We examined the effects of 17beta-estradiol (E2) on sex differentiation by treating NF stage 49/50 to stage 57 tadpoles with 0.1, 1, 10, and 20 nM E2 for 4 weeks. Following this, the tadpoles were allowed to develop in clean water until the animals reached stage 66. Increased developmental abnormalities and mortality were not observed in all E2-exposed groups during metamorphosis. Feminization of gonads was detected at all E2 concentrations, whereas nonexposed controls developed testes. Morphological and histological analyses showed that feminized gonads were ovaries. Five and one hermaphroditic frogs were found in the 0.1 and 1 nM E2 groups, respectively, showing testicular as well as ovarian regions within one gonad. These results indicate that phenotypically normal females can be produced from genetic males and demonstrate the utility of a sex-reversal test based on all ZZ males for examining in vivo effects of chemicals with estrogenic activity. The testing of all ZZ male tadpoles might be a useful tool for assessment of feminizing compounds not only estrogenic substance.

Identification of unknown body using DNA analysis and dental characteristics in chest X-ray photograph.

An unknown skeletonized body was identified by DNA analysis and dental information. The body had already been cremated when a candidate for the unknown body was proposed. Therefore, for DNA analysis we used teeth that had been kept for a long time after use for serological examination. We also used a chest X-ray photograph of the candidate and photographs of dentition, as well as dental X-ray photographs taken when the unknown body was found. Because DNA obtained from teeth was highly degraded, we amplified three PCR fragments to determine the 766 bp mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence including HV1 and HV2. Polymorphism of the ABO locus was also analyzed using small PCR fragments. Although the isolated DNA was contaminated, probably with DNA from a different individual, DNA polymorphisms of mtDNA and the ABO locus could be analyzed. We discuss the reliability of our conclusions from the point of view of the necessity of constructing an accurate mtDNA database. Although a dentist who had treated the teeth of the unknown body could not be found, a chest X-ray photograph for medical diagnosis was very useful in comparing dental characteristics, as it included an image of the frontal part of the lower jaw and upper teeth.

Effect of bullfrog LH and FSH on newt testes under different temperatures.

Environmental temperature plays important roles for amphibian gonadal function. In this study, we examined the responses of testicular tissue of adult male newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster) to amphibian gonadotropins both in vitro and in vivo under different temperatures. When minced testes were incubated in vitro at different temperatures (8-37 degrees C) under an atmosphere of 95% O(2)-5% CO(2) for 3h with bullfrog luteinizing hormone (LH) or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), LH stimulated testosterone production more than FSH. The testosterone production increased as the incubation temperature increased. Hypophysectomized newts were injected with bullfrog LH or FSH and maintained at 8 or 18 degrees C. In the 18 degrees C group, the testicular weight of the hypophysectomized control decreased when compared with that of with the intact control. The testicular weight of the LH-treated hypophysectomized group decreased more than that of the hypophysectomized control, indicating that LH induced the evacuation of mature spermatozoa from the testes of LH-treated hypophysectomized newts. In the FSH-treated newts, the testicular weight was greater than that in the hypophysectomized control, and was maintained at a value similar to that of the intact control. In the 8 degrees C group, there was no significant difference in testicular size among the intact control, hypophysectomized control, and FSH-treated newts. LH strongly induced spermiation as it did at 18 degrees C. The plasma testosterone level in the hypophysectomized newts decreased dramatically, but LH was effective in restoring it. Its effect was more potent at 8 degrees C than at 18 degrees C. On the other hand, FSH did not induce a significant increase in the plasma testosterone levels at either temperatures. The results indicate a temperature-dependent difference in responsiveness of the testis both in vitro and in vivo to LH and FSH.

Development of radioimmunoassay for bullfrog thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH): effects of hypothalamic releasing hormones on the release of TSH from the pituitary in vitro.

A bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) beta-subunit (TSHbeta) antiserum was produced by employing a C-terminal peptide synthesized on the basis of the amino acid sequence deduced from bullfrog TSHbeta cDNA. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that the bullfrog adenohypophyseal cells that immunologically reacted with the anti-bullfrog TSHbeta corresponded to those positively stained with an antiserum against human (h) TSHbeta. The antiserum was used for the development of a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the measurement of bullfrog TSH. The sensitivity of the RIA was 0.75+/-0.07ng TSH/100microl assay buffer. The interassay and intraassay coefficients of variation were 7.6 and 5.3%, respectively. Several dilutions of pituitary homogenates of larval and adult bullfrogs, or medium in which bullfrog pituitary cells were cultured, yielded dose-response curves that were parallel to the standard curve. Bullfrog prolactin, growth hormone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and alpha-subunit derived from glycoprotein hormones did not react in this assay. Immunoassayable TSH in the pituitary culture medium was confirmed to exist in the form of TSHbeta coupled with the alpha-subunit by an immunoprecipitation experiment using the TSHbeta antiserum and an alpha-subunit antiserum. TSH released from pituitary cells into the medium was also confirmed to possess a considerable activity in stimulating the release of thyroxine from the thyroid glands of larval bullfrogs in vitro. The effects of hypothalamic hormones such as mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone (mGnRH), ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH), and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on the release of TSH by dispersed anterior pituitary cells of the bullfrog larvae and adults were also studied. CRH markedly stimulated the release of TSH from both adult and larval pituitary cells. Both TRH and GnRH moderately stimulated the release of TSH from adult pituitary cells but not from the larval cells. This is the first report on the development of an RIA for amphibian TSH, which has provided the direct evidence that the release of TSH from the amphibian pituitary is enhanced by the hypothalamic releasing hormones such as CRH, TRH, and GnRH.

DNA analysis of neonatal human remains wrapped and kept in a vinyl bag for 15 years.

DNA analysis of a newborn baby wrapped and kept in a vinyl bag for 15 years was performed. DNA isolated from the femur and humerus was used to determine the sex and kinship between the infant and the putative parents. Amplification of mtDNA, ABO, HLA, CST3, CST5, VWA, D12S66, D21S11, CSF1PO, TPOX, THO1 and 10Y polymorphisms and the amelogenin gene was carried out. Several mtDNA types were obtained, suggesting that the sample was contaminated by exogenous DNAs. One of the DNA samples obtained from the femur showed an identical mtDNA sequence to that of the mother except for one site, and this pattern was also found in another DNA sample. None of our laboratory personnel had that type, so we thought it was possible that this sample contained the target DNA. However, maternity was denied by the CST3 polymorphism. Finally, we concluded that the sample had been contaminated with exogenous DNA before we started to examine the body. Although it is difficult to determine the sources of this contamination, PCR amplification from highly degraded DNA is very sensitive to such contamination, and we must be even more careful in DNA analysis of such samples than in that of not so severely degraded specimens.

DIF-1, an anti-tumor substance found in Dictyostelium discoideum, inhibits progesterone-induced oocyte maturation in Xenopus laevis.

Differentiation-inducing factor-1 (DIF-1; 1-(3,5-dichloro-2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)hexan-1-one) is a putative morphogen that induces stalk-cell formation in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. DIF-1 has previously been shown to suppress cell growth in mammalian cells. In this study, we examined the effects of DIF-1 on the progesterone-induced germinal vesicle breakdown in Xenopus laevis, which is thought to be mediated by a decrease in intracellular cAMP and the subsequent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and maturation-promoting factor, a complex of cdc2 and cyclin B, which regulates germinal vesicle breakdown. DIF-1 at 10-40 microM inhibited progesterone-induced germinal vesicle breakdown in de-folliculated oocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Progesterone-induced cdc2 activation, MAPK activation, and c-Mos accumulation were inhibited by DIF-1. Furthermore, DIF-1 was found to inhibit the progesterone-induced cAMP decrease in the oocytes. These results indicate that DIF-1 inhibits progesterone-induced germinal vesicle breakdown possibly by blocking the progesterone-induced decrease in [cAMP](i) and the subsequent events in Xenopus oocytes.

Evaluation of intraoral CCD camera for dental examination in forensic inspection.

This study was performed to assess the effectiveness of an intraoral CCD camera for dental examinations when sufficient jaw opening or adequate lighting cannot be obtained. A handpiece-type intraoral CCD camera (Crystal Cam; GC Corp., Japan) was used for the study. Because a full view taken by the intraoral CCD camera covers only one or two teeth, all the teeth were individually photographed and a view of the dentition assembled on a personal computer. Assuming that the jaw could not be opened widely enough to inspect an occlusal view, a dry skull and a volunteer were restricted to open the mouth and all the teeth were photographed with an intraoral CCD camera. These were compared to intraoral photographs taken by the conventional method using a single-lens reflex camera and mirror. When the intraoral CCD camera was used to photograph teeth, the color tone of metal restorations could be readily identified, but special care was required to identify carious lesions, discoloration of tooth structure, and esthetic restorations. The dentition photographs assembled from the original intraoral CCD images were transferred via the Internet as e-mail attachment files to allow preparation of the dental chart at the destination. Based on the transferred images, it was possible to prepare a dental chart agreeing satisfactorily with actual oral conditions. The easy transfer of digital images provides various advantages in evaluating and discussing certain cases in cooperation with other forensic odontologists via the Internet. The camera may be made more effective or useful through improvement of the tip portion of the camera and the entire system to achieve a more compact design and better portability.