Traceology, criminalistics, and forensic science.

There is a serious issue within the forensic science community, which even extends outside of the field. The role of the scientist in the investigation of crime has been increasingly confined to the laboratory, which has been accompanied by the conflation of the terms forensic science and criminalistics. This unfortunate situation has been festering for years. To make matters worse, the era of the proactive, problem-defining, criminalist (generalist) is waning, and possibly over. Present-day "criminalists" are treated as little more than reactive, protocol-constrained, laboratory technicians, with few, if any, consequential crime scene roles. In most cases, these "criminalists" merely respond to routine requests from prosecutors and police. The absence of science at the front end of forensic investigations, i.e., the scene, has resulted in biased, ineffective, inefficient, and/or erroneous outcomes with immediate and long-term societal impacts. To disentangle this imbroglio, we propose the use of another term, traceology, which has seen limited use worldwide except in the field of archaeology. With respect to criminalistics, this term has been previously proposed by Margot (20-21). Traceology is an historical science, dealing with the examination, analysis, and scientific interpretation of event traces (signs or remnants) of earlier activities. In this commentary, we define and redefine familiar, but ambiguous, terms and concepts with the hope of recapturing the essence of criminalistics (32), which we suggest is best termed traceology.

Congenital Spinal Lipomatous Malformations. Part 2. Differentiation from Selected Closed Spinal Malformations.

BACKGROUND: Congenital spinal lipomatous malformations (spinal lipomas, lipomyeloceles, and lipomyelomeningoceles) are closed neural tube defects over the lower back. Differentiation from some other closed neural tube defects in this region can be problematic for pathologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review is based on PubMed searches of the embryology, gross and histopathologic findings, and laboratory reporting requisites for retained medullary spinal cords, coccygeal medullary vestiges and cysts, myelocystoceles, true human vestigial tails, and pseudotails for comparison with congenital spinal lipomatous malformations. RESULTS: Embryology, imaging, gross and histopathology of these closed neural tube lesions have different but overlapping features compared to congenital spinal lipomatous malformations, requiring context for diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The lipomyelocele spectrum and to some degree all of the malformations discussed, even though they may not share gross appearance, anatomic site, surgical approach, or prognosis, require clinical and histopathologic correlation for final diagnosis.

Forensic implications of the presence of chimerism after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Biological vestiges are used in forensic science to resolve a large number of cases by typing the genetic profile and identifying the individual to whom it belongs. However, chimeric persons that possess cells with two or more different DNA make these types of analyses difficult. This situation can occur naturally, by errors in the fertilization or early embryogenesis, or in an artificial way, for example after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), when host and donor cells coexist in the patient. In this paper, we will specially focus on the latter. The vestiges from transplant patients represent a challenge from a forensic perspective since the interpretation of the genetic fingerprint can be misleading because of the presence of chimerism. Due to the high number of transplant patients (and their increase over the years) and the existence of natural chimeras (probably many of them hidden), it is necessary to consider whether we are facing a possible chimeric person or someone who has been a donor of hematopoietic stem cells in a forensic context. In this review, the presence of donor bone marrow derived cells in some tissues of forensic interest will be discussed. Finally, to emphasize the importance of chimerism after HSCT in forensic genetics, some real-life cases will be examined.

Prenatal diagnosis of amniotic band syndrome - risk factors and ultrasonic signs.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe our experience with amniotic band syndrome (ABS), define specific sonographic characteristics and common features. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with ABS underwent detailed ultrasound evaluation at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up. Their ultrasound examinations and medical records concerning the current pregnancy and past medical records were analyzed. RESULTS: Ten pregnancies were diagnosed with ABS. Most pregnancies were diagnosed at the beginning of the second trimester. Two cases were bichorionic twin pregnancies involving one of the fetuses and these were the only women who continued their pregnancies to term. The other eight cases with ABS chose to terminate their pregnancies. One pregnancy was conceived following trachelectomy. We found a significantly higher rate of prior uterine surgeries (p = 0.008) in patient with ABS compared to control. In three cases, all above 15 weeks of gestation, a small vestige at the distal part of the amputated limb was observed. CONCLUSIONS: ABS diagnosed in early pregnancy can be a sporadic event. However, there is a higher risk of ABS in pregnancies preceded by uterine procedures. The ultrasonic vestige sign at the amputated limb may contribute to the diagnosis of ABS.

The shrinking anthropoid nose, the human vomeronasal organ, and the language of anatomical reduction.

Humans and most of our closest extant relatives, the anthropoids, are notable for their reduced "snout." The striking reduction in facial projection is only a superficial similarity. All anthropoids, including those with long faces (e.g., baboons), have lost numerous internal projections (turbinals) and spaces (recesses). In sum, this equates to the loss of certain regions of olfactory mucosa in anthropoids. In addition, an accessory olfactory organ, the vomeronasal organ, is non-functional or even absent in all catarrhine primates (humans, apes, monkeys). In this commentary, we revisit the concept of anatomical reductions as it pertains to the anthropoid nasal region. Certain nasal structures and spaces in anthropoids exhibit well-known attributes of other known vestiges, such as variability in form or number. The cupular recess (a vestige of the olfactory recess) and some rudimentary ethmoturbinals constitute reduced structures that presumably were fully functional in our ancestors. Humans and at least some apes retain a vestige that is bereft of chemosensory function (while in catarrhine monkeys it is completely absent). However, the function of the vomeronasal system also includes prenatal roles, which may be common to most or all mammals. Notably, neurons migrate to the brain along vomeronasal and terminal nerve axons during embryogenesis. The time-specific role of the VNO raises the possibility that our concept of functional reduction is too static. The vomeronasal system of humans and other catarrhine primates appears to qualify as a "chronological" vestige, one which fulfills part of its function during ontogeny, and then becomes lost or vestigial.

Vestigios de la transgresión en las celebraciones mexicanas / Vestígios da transgressão nas celebrações mexicanas / Vestiges of transgression at Mexican celebrations

Adscrito en la tradición de los llamados textos sociológicos el presente artículo constituye una reflexión en torno de trazos melancólicos mascarados en cada una de las celebraciones mexicanas. Con el objetivo de dar marco a las conjeturas aquí desarrolladas se revisaron fuentes psicoanalíticas y literarias para sustentar que además de unir pasado y memoria, cada celebración mexicana es atravesada por la herencia arcaica de un elemento transhistórico de alternancia maniaco-melancólica: vestigio de la transgresión. El análisis muestra que en las celebraciones mexicanas prevalecen intermitencias entre dos formas de repetición, por un lado júbilo de triunfo y por otro deshonra por violación. Se concluye que disfrazados de fiesta y júbilo se ocultan trazos melancólicos que enmascaran los vestigios de una transgresión.(AU)

Seguindo a tradição dos chamados textos sociológicos, o presente artigo constitui uma reflexão acerca dos traços melancólicos mascarados em cada uma das celebrações mexicanas. Com o objetivo de dar marco às conjecturas aqui desenvolvidas, revisaram-se fontes psicanalíticas e literárias para sustentar que além de unir passado e memória, cada celebração mexicana é atravessada pela herança arcaica de um elemento transhistórico de alternância maníacomelancólica: vestígio da transgressão. A análise mostra que nas celebrações mexicanas prevalecem intermitências entre duas formas de repetição, de um lado júbilo de triunfo e, de outro, desonra por violação. Conclui-se que disfarçados de festa e júbilo ocultam-se traços melancólicos que mascaram os vestígios de uma transgressão.(AU)

Following the tradition of sociological texts this article is a reflection on melancholy traces masked in each of the Mexican celebrations. In order to give context to the conjectures developed here, psychoanalytic and literary sources were revised, bringing theoretical support that they are commemorations in which past and memory have a fundamental role, and they are also crossed by the archaic heritage of one transhistorical element of maniacmelancholic alternance: vestige of the transgression. The analysis illustrates that in Mexican celebrations there are obvious intermittences between two forms of repetition, on the one hand joyous triumph and on the other dishonor from violation. It can be concluded that in disguise of party and joy there are melancholy traces that masks the vestiges of the transgression.(AU)