• BMB Reports
• /
• 제49권7호
• /
• pp.359-369
• /
• 2016

DNA methylation is emerging as an attractive marker providing investigative leads to solve crimes in forensic genetics. The identification of body fluids that utilizes tissue-specific DNA methylation can contribute to solving crimes by predicting activity related to the evidence material. The age estimation based on DNA methylation is expected to reduce the number of potential suspects, when the DNA profile from the evidence does not match with any known person, including those stored in the forensic database. Moreover, the variation in DNA implicates environmental exposure, such as cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, thereby suggesting the possibility to be used as a marker for predicting the lifestyle of potential suspect. In this review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of DNA methylation variations and the utility of DNA methylation as a forensic marker for advanced investigative leads from evidence materials.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제50권11호
• /
• pp.546-553
• /
• 2017

Aging is a natural and gradual process in human life. It is influenced by heredity, environment, lifestyle, and disease. DNA methylation varies with age, and the ability to predict the age of donor using DNA from evidence materials at a crime scene is of considerable value in forensic investigations. Recently, many studies have reported age prediction models based on DNA methylation from various tissues and body fluids. Those models seem to be very promising because of their high prediction accuracies. In this review, the changes of age-associated DNA methylation and the age prediction models for various tissues and body fluids were examined, and then the applicability of the DNA methylation-based age prediction method to the forensic investigations was discussed. This will improve the understandings about DNA methylation markers and their potential to be used as biomarkers in the forensic field, as well as the clinical field.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• 제46권4호
• /
• pp.125-130
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The dental age estimation of children is performed using dental maturity. Postmortem missing of the anterior teeth or the distortion of image of the anterior teeth in panoramic radiographs can make it difficult to analyze the development of the anterior teeth. This pilot study was conducted to derive a new age estimation method based only on the developmental stage of mandibular posterior teeth. Methods: This study was conducted using panoramic radiographs of 650 subjects aged 3 to 15 years old. The dental developmental stages of the lower left first premolar, second premolar, first molar and second molar were evaluated according to the Demirjian's criteria. The intra-/inter-observer reliability was evaluated, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed including the developmental stage of each tooth as an independent variable. Results: The intra-/inter-observer reliability was 0.9626 and 0.8877, respectively, and showed very high reproducibility. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed for males and females, and the age calculation table was derived by obtaining the intercept and the coefficient according to the development stage of each tooth. The coefficient of determination (r²) of the age calculation method was 0.9634 for male and 0.9570 for female subjects, and the mean difference between chronological age and estimated dental age was -0.42 and -0.21, respectively. Conclusions: This pilot study evaluated the developmental stages of four lower posterior teeth in the Korean group according to Demirjian's criteria, and derived age estimation method. The accuracy was lower than when more teeth were used, but it will be useful to estimate age of children when the anterior teeth are difficult to accurately analyze.

• The Korean Journal of Legal Medicine
• /
• 제42권4호
• /
• pp.153-158
• /
• 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is an important cause of human infections, and it is also a commensal that colonizes the nose, axillae, vagina, throat, or skin surfaces. S. aureus has increasingly been recognized as a cause of severe invasive illness, and individuals colonized with this pathogen are subsequently at increased risk of its infections. S. aureus infection is a major cause of skin, soft tissue, respiratory, bone, joint, and endovascular disorders, and staphylococcal bacteremia may cause abscess, endocarditis, pneumonia, metastatic infection, foreign body infection, or sepsis. The authors describe a case of a fisherman who died of sepsis on a fishing boat during sailing out for fish. The autopsy shows paravertebral abscess, pus in the pericardial sac, infective endocarditis with vegetation on the aortic valve cusp, myocarditis, pneumonia and nephritis with bacterial colonization, and also liver cirrhosis and multiple gastric ulcerations.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제45권10호
• /
• pp.545-553
• /
• 2012

Determination of the type and origin of the body fluids found at a crime scene can give important insights into crime scene reconstruction by supporting a link between sample donors and actual criminal acts. For more than a century, numerous types of body fluid identification methods have been developed, such as chemical tests, immunological tests, protein catalytic activity tests, spectroscopic methods and microscopy. However, these conventional body fluid identification methods are mostly presumptive, and are carried out for only one body fluid at a time. Therefore, the use of a molecular genetics-based approach using RNA profiling or DNA methylation detection has been recently proposed to supplant conventional body fluid identification methods. Several RNA markers and tDMRs (tissue-specific differentially methylated regions) which are specific to forensically relevant body fluids have been identified, and their specificities and sensitivities have been tested using various samples. In this review, we provide an overview of the present knowledge and the most recent developments in forensic body fluid identification and discuss its possible practical application to forensic casework.

• 한국방사선학회논문지
• /
• 제17권6호
• /
• pp.977-983
• /
• 2023

국내 경제 및 과학의 발전으로 인하여 국민의 생활 수준은 높아졌다. 그에 따라 생명의 질 향상을 원한다. 즉, 인권을 보장하고 인간으로서 존엄과 가치를 추구한다. 그러므로 의학계는 인간의 생명을 연장하며, 건강한 삶을 유지하기 위해 도움을 준다. 인권을 수호하는 사회의학은 법의학이다. 법의학은 법의방사선학 영상으로 사망자 식별 및 원인을 분석한다. 법의방사선학은 방사선사가 의료영상을 획득하여 제공하는 것이다. 그러므로 방사선사는 법의학 관련 교과목을 이수하여 전문성을 가져야 한다. 최근 의과대학 및 간호대학에서는 의과대학 및 간호대학에서는 법의학, 법의간호학 등 다양한 교과목을 개설하여 운영 중이다. 그러나 방사선학과는 법의학 관련 교과목을 개설한 학교가 단 하나뿐이다. 향후 방사선사 및 방사선학과의 발전과 모색을 위해서는 법의학 교육을 고려하여야 한다. 이를 위해 방사선학과 학부 및 대학원에 법의학 교육의 필요성과 요구도를 조사하였다. 방사선학과 재학생들의 법의학 인식도는 2.977점으로 나타났으나, 방사선사가 법의학 교육 필요성은 3.759점으로 높게 나타났다. 또한, 재학생들의 법의학 교과목 요구도는 84.1%로 높게 나타나 대다수가 개설 운영이 필요하다고 응답하였다. 본 연구는 방사선학과 학부 및 대학원 재학생들의 법의학 관련 교과목 요구도를 알 수 있었으며, 교육의 다양성과 전문성을 모색할 필요가 있다. 법의학 및 방사선학 발전에 기초자료로 활용되길 기대한다.

• 대한수사과학회지
• /
• 제1권1호
• /
• pp.5-10
• /
• 2006

In the era of Joseon Dynasty there was a national system of postmortem investigation with literatures of postmortem inspection. The author reviewed the postmortem findings in the literature(Shinjumoowonrok) to compare with recent knowledges of forensic medicine. Characteristics of old system of postmortem investigation was three instance investigation system and was carried out only with a postmortem inspection without autopsy. The postmortem findings described in the old literature were about various kinds of death, such as cases of suicide and homicide and natural and unnatural death. Most of postmortem findings in the Shinjumoowonrok were accurate and reasonable in the aspect of recent knowledges of forensic medicine.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
• /
• 제47권3호
• /
• pp.153-158
• /
• 2015

임상병리학과 학생들의 법의학 교육에 대한 인식개선의 방법을 개선하고, 활성화를 위한 방안을 제시할 목적으로 대구지역 대구보건대학교 임상병리학과 학생 100명을 대상으로 설문 조사를 실시하여 법의학 과목에 대한 인식 및 요구도에 대한 항목들을 빈도 분석하였다. 그 결과 대부분의 학생들이 법의학이라는 인식이 많이 높은 수준으로 조사되었다. 100 응답자 중, 법의학대한 인식 질문에 94 (94 %) 그것을 알고 있다고 조사되었으며 법의학에 대한 기대 또한 높게 조사되었다. 현재 임상병리과 학생들에게서는 법의학 교육의 인식 및 교육의 요구도가 매우 높았다. 따라서 대학 교육과정에 임상병리사가 되기 위한 중점과목에만 집중하는 것보다 전문적 영역 확대와 활성화를 위해 법의학 과목을 통해 특히 임상병리사의 취업을 위한 방안으로 소개하는 프로그램의 도입이 필요하다.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
• /
• 제7권2호
• /
• pp.75-93
• /
• 2019

Background: Since 2010, Korea has maintained a DNA database of those convicted of or awaiting trial for certain crimes. There have been proposals to expand the list of crimes included in this database, or conversely, omit certain crimes if they are committed during protests. An understanding of the feelings of the public as we consider the ethical, legal, and social aspects of a DNA database and as revisions to laws are made is required. Methodology: Questions related to the DNA database were included in the nationally representative Korean Academic Multimode Open Survey (KAMOS) panel (June-August 2016). Results: Of 2,000 randomly selected panel members, 1,013 respondents participated in this survey, including 89.2% who supported the existence of a criminal DNA database. The current system of storing DNA profiles until a suspect's acquittal or a convict's death was supported by 79.5% of respondents. In addition, 70.8% of respondents agreed with the expansion of crime categories included in the criminal database. Many (93.4%) respondents favored genetic testing and data storage to determine the identity and cause of death for people who die of unnatural causes. Some differences in attitude related to social class were noted, with those who self-identified as members of the upper class more likely to support the database and its expansion to include additional crimes than those who self-identified as middle or lower class. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Koreans generally support the criminal DNA database.

• The Korean Journal of Legal Medicine
• /
• 제39권4호
• /
• pp.115-119
• /
• 2015

We investigated event-related potentials (ERPs) to estimate the accuracy of eyewitness memories. Participants watched videos of vehicles being driven dangerously, from an anti-impaired driving initiative. The four-letter license plates of the vehicles were the target stimuli. Random numbers were presented while participants attempted to identify the license plate letters, and electroencephalograms were recorded. There was a significant difference in activity 300-500 milliseconds after stimulus onset, between target stimuli and random numbers. This finding contributes to establishing an eyewitness recognition model where different ERP components may reflect more explicit memory that is dissociable from recollection.