[The forensic medical identification of the members of the Demidov family].

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the genetic profiles of the biological materials taken from four graves in the Demidov family vault in order to establish kinship between its members. According to the archival documents, two graves contained the remains of Pyotr Grigor'evich Demidov, an adjutant-general for the emperor Aleksandr II, and his wife Elizaveta Nikolaevna Demidova (Bezobrazova). Also, it was supposed that two other graves contained the remains of Grigory Petrovich Demidov and Ekaterina Petrovna Demidova (married name princess Kudasheva), the son and the daughter of P.G. Demidov and E.N. Demidova. The bodies remained in the half-ruined crypt during approximately 150 years under conditions of enhanced humidity and seasonal temperature fluctuations which made their bone tissue virtually unsuitable for the genetic analysis. Genotyping was performed with the use of standard AmpF/STR Identifiler-TM and AmpF/STR Yfiler-TM kits ("Applied Biosystems", USA). As a result of the study, the skeletal remains of the boy from grave No2 were identified as actually belonging to the son of P.G. Demidov and E.N. Demidova with a probability of no less than 99.999999998%. whereas the girl buried in grave No4, was not the daughter of these parents.

Bodies of science and law: forensic DNA profiling, biological bodies, and biopower.

How is jurisdiction transferred from an individual's biological body to agents of power such as the police, public prosecutors, and the judiciary, and what happens to these biological bodies when transformed from private into public objects? These questions are examined by analysing bodies situated at the intersection of science and law. More specifically, the transformation of 'private bodies' into 'public bodies' is analysed by going into the details of forensic DNA profiling in the Dutch jurisdiction. It will be argued that various 'forensic genetic practices' enact different forensic genetic bodies'. These enacted forensic genetic bodies are connected with various infringements of civil rights, which become articulated in exploring these forensic genetic bodies''normative registers'.

[Genetic genealogy: history and methodology].

The review surveys the development and the current state of genetic genealogy, a branch of science dealing with the history of individuals, families, and kins using molecular genetic methods. The main milestones in the development of genetic genealogy are established: the appearance of essential prerequisites (development of DNA genotyping and forensic techniques of evaluating biological kinship); the first publications on the topic in the late 1990s; the establishment of commercial companies, periodicals, and noncommercial organizations dealing with this subject. The theory and practical applications of dating individuals back to the most recent common ancestors on the basis of Y-chromosomal amd mitochondrial DNA data are briefly considered.

Past, present and future of forensic DNA typing.

Recent advances in our ability to dissect the human genome and the availability of platforms for genome-wide analysis and whole-genome sequencing are expected to develop new tools for both biomedical and forensic DNA analyses. Nowadays, we can individualize single cells left at the crime scene or analyze ancient human remains. Here, we provide a general view on the past, current and likely future directions of forensic DNA analysis.

[The O. J. Simpson case. Guilty or innocent?]. / Sprawa O. J. Simpsona. Winny?

On October 3, 1995, one hundred million of Americans gathered at their TV sets to learn the verdict in the ex-football player O. J. Simpson case. The verdict was the consequence of a skilful defense and numerous mistakes made by prosecution. Despite copious evidence, including DNA test results indicating the guilt of thedefendant, the jury decided that O. J. Simpson was not guilty. The aim of this paper is to present the unique character of this trial and defense strategy used by a group of six attorneys, who worked on that case.

[Organic Law 10/2007, of October 8, regulating the police database on identifiers obtained from DNA: historic background and genetic view]. / Ley Orgánica 10/2007, de 8 de Octubre, reguladora de la base de datos policial sobre identificadores obtenidos a partir del ADN: antecedentes históricos y visión genética.

Recently, Basic Law 10/2007 of 8 October has entered into effect, which regulates the police database on identifiers that are obtained from DNA. In the following lines, the author reveals the process of approval of this law as well as approaching certain of its aspects from a genetic perspective.

DNA reviews: the national DNA database of the United Kingdom.

The national DNA database in United Kingdom has now been operational for over 10 years. This review looks at the history and development of this investigative resource. From the development of commercial DNA profiling kits to the current statistics for matches obtained in relation to criminal investigation in the United Kingdom, before moving onto discussing potential future direction that national DNA databases might take, including international collaboration on a European and global scale.

DNA fingerprinting on trial: the dramatic early history of a new forensic technique.

The early history of "DNA fingerprinting" in the UK might have been different were it not for the accounts of two dramatic courtroom trials, made by the participants and the media, in the mid-1980s. But these reports, which misrepresented the importance DNA evidence had in the trials, left a strong impression on the British public and on judges on both sides of the Atlantic. These trials, widely considered to be the first "victories" for DNA fingerprinting, have been frequently cited as proof of the utility and reliability of the technique, in both the UK and beyond. But in reality, it was the threat of DNA evidence being used rather than the integrity or validity of it that resolved these cases. At that time, DNA fingerprinting was still in its infancy, an untried and untested technology.

Encoded evidence: DNA in forensic analysis.

Sherlock Holmes said "it has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important", but never imagined that such a little thing, the DNA molecule, could become perhaps the most powerful single tool in the multifaceted fight against crime. Twenty years after the development of DNA fingerprinting, forensic DNA analysis is key to the conviction or exoneration of suspects and the identification of victims of crimes, accidents and disasters, driving the development of innovative methods in molecular genetics, statistics and the use of massive intelligence databases.

[The proof of paternity. An andrological-forensic challenge in historical perspective]. / Der Vaterschaftsnachweis. Eine andrologisch-rechtsmedizinische Herausforderung im Spiegel vergangener Zeiten.

For centuries, difficulties have occurred in determining unresolved paternities. In addition to the modern standard methods, such as the examination of DNA or serological proof, expert opinion on fertility once played an important role. The andrological difference between incapability to fertilise and the inability to participate in sexual intercourse was also distinguished historically. Of special significance was the discovery of spermatozoa by the medical student Johan Ham in 1677 and their further investigation by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek.Recently, modern DNA methods have also been applied for historical investigations. Illustrious examples are the DNA analysis in the case of Kaspar Hauser of Ansbach and the dispute about Thomas Jefferson, President of the U.S., fathering a child by one of his slaves. In this discourse, a medicinal-forensic review of the development of expert opinion, illustrated with historical case studies, is given.