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Atwood L, Lain R, Kotzander J, McCardle P, Mason B, Raymond J, Sears A. A casework study: The effect of the porcine digestive process on animal carcasses and human teeth. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 345:111617. [PMID: 36893679 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
What happens if a human body is fed to pigs? Although a popular notion in the entertainment industry, no scientific published literature exists that documents this porcine feeding behaviour, nor, more importantly, what elements of the cadaver may survive such a process. A study conducted in 2020, born out of a casework enquiry, aimed to investigate the following two questions; Would pigs feed on a human body? And, if so, what could be recovered post feeding event? Kangaroo carcasses, porcine carcasses (as human analogues) and 90 human teeth were prepared, and fed, to two domestic pigs, in a variety of feed scenarios. Biological traces including bones, bone fragments, teeth and tooth fragments were recovered both post-digestion from the faeces of the pigs, as well as uneaten from the porcine enclosure. 29% of all human teeth were recovered from the study; 35% of which were recovered post-digestion from the faeces and 65% were recovered uneaten from the porcine enclosure, Of the recovered human teeth, 81% were deemed suitable for identification by a forensic odontologist. From the 447 bones recovered from the enclosure, 94% could be identified to a bone type and species. From all 3338 bone fragments recovered from the faeces of the pigs, none retained any morphological traits that would allow further intelligence to be generated. Overall, it was found that pigs will feed on human analogues and will consume soft tissue, bones, and human teeth. Biological traces in the form of bones, bone fragments, teeth and tooth fragments may be recovered both post-digestion from the faeces, or from the porcine enclosure. The biological traces can be used for identification of an individual via forensic odontology, identification of a species via forensic anthropology and may be suitable for DNA analysis. The outcomes of this study generated new avenues for investigation in the case and may be used to inform future operational resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Atwood
- Science and Research Unit, Forensic Evidence and Technical Services Command, New South Wales Police Force, Sydney, Australia.
| | | | - Jessica Kotzander
- Science and Research Unit, Forensic Evidence and Technical Services Command, New South Wales Police Force, Sydney, Australia; University of Technology Sydney, Centre for Forensic Science, Broadway 2007, Australia
| | - Penny McCardle
- Newcastle Department of Forensic Medicine, NSW/McCardle Cultural Heritage, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Brett Mason
- Criminal Groups Squad, State Crime Command, New South Wales Police Force, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jennifer Raymond
- Science and Research Unit, Forensic Evidence and Technical Services Command, New South Wales Police Force, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alison Sears
- Science and Research Unit, Forensic Evidence and Technical Services Command, New South Wales Police Force, Sydney, Australia
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MacGregor DM, Lain R, Bernie A, Cooper A, Dawe T, Donlon D, Fitzmaurice T, Kelly G, Heiman S, Lowe A, Manns B, Matic A, Mitchell N, Oakley D, Tutty M, White T, Williams G, Willis A, Wright K, Wu YH, Oxenham MF. "Lest we forget": An overview of Australia's response to the recovery and identification of unrecovered historic military remains. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 328:111042. [PMID: 34638089 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is responsible for the recovery and identification of its historic casualties. With over 30,000 still unrecovered from past conflicts including World War One (WW1) and World War Two (WWII), the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force have teams that research, recover, identify and oversee the burial (or reburial) of the remains of soldiers and airmen who continue to be found each year. The Royal Australian Navy is also responsible for its unrecovered casualties. Collectively the priorities of the various services within the ADF are the respectful recovery and treatment of the dead, thorough forensic identification efforts, resolution for families and honouring the ADF's proud history of service and sacrifice. What is unique about the approach of the ADF is that the respective services retain responsibility for their historic losses, while a joint approach is taken on policies and in the utilisation of the pool of forensic specialists. Section One describes the process undertaken by the Australian Army in the recovery, identification and burial or repatriation of soldiers through its specialised unit Unrecovered War Casualties - Army (UWC-A). Section Two describes the role of the Royal Australian Air Force in the recovery of aircraft and service personnel through their specialised unit Historic Unrecovered War Casualties - Air Force (HUWC-AF). An overview of the operations of each service and case studies is presented for each section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna M MacGregor
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Forensic Services Group, Queensland Police Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Environment and Science, Griffith Sciences, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Russell Lain
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Sydney Dental Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew Bernie
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Alan Cooper
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Tim Dawe
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Denise Donlon
- History and Heritage Branch, Historic Unrecovered War Casualties - Air Force, Canberra, ACT, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Grant Kelly
- History and Heritage Branch, Historic Unrecovered War Casualties - Air Force, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Scott Heiman
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Anthony Lowe
- History and Heritage Branch, Historic Unrecovered War Casualties - Air Force, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Brian Manns
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ashley Matic
- History and Heritage Branch, Historic Unrecovered War Casualties - Air Force, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Natasha Mitchell
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Forensic Science South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Dermot Oakley
- 3rd Health Support Battalion, Australian Army, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Victorian Police Airwing, Victorian Police Service, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Malcolm Tutty
- History and Heritage Branch, Historic Unrecovered War Casualties - Air Force, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Toni White
- Toni White, Toni White Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gregory Williams
- History and Heritage Branch, Historic Unrecovered War Casualties - Air Force, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Anna Willis
- College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Kirsty Wright
- History and Heritage Branch, Historic Unrecovered War Casualties - Air Force, Canberra, ACT, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Yuan-Heng Wu
- Unrecovered War Casualties - Army, Australian Army, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Marc F Oxenham
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
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Lain R, Ajwani S. Minor post-extraction complications other than BRONJ in older patients on oral bisphosphonates - a retrospective study. Gerodontology 2016; 34:171-179. [PMID: 27435574 DOI: 10.1111/ger.12239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oral bisphosphonates (BP) have been prescribed widely in osteoporosis patients. Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) has been reported as a major complication, but there is little information about minor complications. OBJECTIVE This retrospective study describes post-operative complications - other than BRONJ - associated with dental extractions in patients on oral BP and compares outcomes with patients not on oral BP. METHODS The study period was 2004-05 ending December 2005, prior to the introduction of protocols for minimising risks related to extractions in patients on BP therapy. Records of patients aged 60 years and over who underwent extractions during this period at Sydney Dental Hospital were examined and post-operative complications analysed. RESULTS There were 266 participants identified on oral BP therapy out of an available number of 3811 available files based retrospectively from records of 4126 participants who underwent extractions during the two-year period. In the oral BP group, 10% had complications compared with 2% in the non-oral BP group (p < 0.0001). This relationship remained significant even after adjusting for age, gender, operator, type and site of procedure. Delayed healing (36%) and exposed alveolar bone which required an intervention (31%) were the most common complications in the BP group. CONCLUSION The prevalence of minor post-operative complications among BP participants was significantly higher than in non-BP participants. The nature of the complications was in the range of pathology familiar to - and treatable by - the general dentist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Lain
- Sydney Local Health District Oral Health Service, Sydney Dental Hospital, Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Shilpi Ajwani
- Sydney Local Health District Oral Health Service, Sydney Dental Hospital, Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Australia
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