The influence of age on greater sciatic notch morphology: testing the Walker method in an Australian population.

Sex estimation is an integral aspect of a forensic biological profile. The pelvis, being the most dimorphic part of the skeleton, has been studied in considerable detail relative to morphological and metric variation. However, empirical data on the effect of age on pelvic morphology relative to sex-specific morphological variation is limited, especially in regard to the estimation of skeletal sex. This study assesses whether there are age-related differences in the distribution of the Walker (2005) morphological scores for the greater sciatic notch (GSN) in an Australian population. Three-dimensional volumetric reconstructions derived from multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans of 567 pelves of 258 females and 309 males aged 18 to 96 years were scored following Walker (2005). Differences in score distributions and means by sex and age group were tested using Pearson's chi-squared test and ANOVA, respectively. The accuracy of sex estimates derived from logistic regression equations was explored using leave-one-out cross-validation. Significant differences were found in score distribution and means among age groups in females, but not in males. There was a tendency toward higher scores in older females. The overall sex estimation accuracy was 87.5%. When comparing age groups 18-49 and 70 + years, estimation accuracy decreased in females (99% vs. 91%), while the opposite was found for males (79% vs. 87%). These findings suggest that age affects GSN morphology. Higher mean scores in older females imply that, on average, the GSN becomes narrower with increasing age. It is thus recommended due consideration of estimated age when assessing sex based on the GSN in unidentified human remains.

Demonstrating the empirical effect of population specificity of anthropological standards in a contemporary Australian population.

The ability to differentiate individuals based on their biological sex is essential for the creation of an accurate anthropological assessment; it is therefore crucial that the standards that facilitate this are likewise accurate. Given the relative paucity of population-specific anthropological standards formulated specifically for application in the contemporary Australian population, forensic anthropological assessments have historically relied on the application of established methods developed using population geographically and/or temporally disparate. The aim of the present paper is, therefore, to assess the accuracy and reliability of established cranial sex estimation methods, developed from geographically distinct populations, as applied to the contemporary Australian population. Comparison between the original stated accuracy and sex bias values (where applicable) and those achieved after application to the Australian population provides insight into the importance of having anthropological standards optimised for application in specific jurisdictions. The sample analysed comprised computed tomographic (CT) cranial scans of 771 (385 female and 386 male) individuals collected from five Australian states/territories. Cranial CT scans were visualised as three-dimensional volume-rendered reconstructions using OsiriX®. On each cranium, 76 cranial landmarks were acquired, and 36 linear inter-landmark measurements were calculated using MorphDB. A total of 35 predictive models taken from Giles and Elliot (1963), Iscan et al. (1995), Ogawa et al. (2013), Steyn and Iscan (1998) and Kranioti et al. (2008) were tested. Application to the Australian population resulted in an average decrease in accuracy of 21.2%, with an associated sex bias range between - 64.0 and 99.7% (average sex bias value of 29.6%), relative to the original studies. The present investigation has highlighted the inherent inaccuracies of applying models derived from geographically and/or temporally disparate populations. It is, therefore, imperative that statistical models developed from a population consistent with the decedent be used for the estimation of sex in forensic casework.

Validation and recalibration of sex estimation methods using pubic nonmetric traits for the Chilean population.

Chile had a violent military coup (1973-1990) that resulted in 3,000 victims declared detained, missing or killed; many are still missing and unidentified. Currently, the Human Rights Unit of the Forensic Medical Service in Chile applies globally recognised forensic anthropological approaches, but many of these methods have not been validated in a Chilean sample. As current research has demonstrated population-specificity with extant methods, the present study aims to validate sex estimation methods in a Chilean population and thereafter establish population-specific equations. A sample of 265 os coxae of known age and sex of adult Chileans from the Santiago Subactual Osteology Collection were analysed. Visual assessment and scoring of the pelvic traits were performed in accordance with the Phenice (1969) and Klales et al. (2012) methods. The accuracy of Phenice (1969) in the Chilean sample was 96.98%, with a sex bias of 7.68%. Klales et al. (2012) achieved 87.17% accuracy with a sex bias of -15.39%. Although both methods showed acceptable classification accuracy, the associated sex bias values are unacceptable in forensic practice. Therefore, six univariate and eight multivariate predictive models were formulated for the Chilean population. The most accurate univariate model was the ventral arc at 96.6%, with a sex bias of 5.2%. Classification accuracy using all traits was 97.0%, with a sex bias of 7.7%. This study provides Chilean practitioners a population-specific morphoscopic standard with associated classification probabilities acceptable to accomplish legal admissibility requirements in human rights and criminal cases specific to the second half of the 20th century.

Validating the use of clinical MSCT scans for cranial nonmetric sex estimation in a contemporary Indonesian population.

There is renewed interest in Asia for the development of forensic anthropological standards, partly due to the need for population-specific models to maintain high classification accuracies. At present, there are no known studies utilising morphoscopic standards specific to the Indonesian population. Craniometric analyses can often be time-consuming; morphoscopic assessments are quicker and are also known to be reliable and accurate. One of the most utilised morphoscopic standards for the estimation of skeletal sex is that of Walker (2008). Its application across population groups demonstrated reduced accuracies outside of the United States; population-specific predictive models would thus serve to improve the identification process of unknown skeletal remains. Digital imaging also allows for the validation of standards on a contemporary population and is an appropriate proxy to physical skeletal material.The present study quantifies the applicability of the Walker standard to a contemporary Indonesian population. A total of 200 cranial MSCT scans from a hospital in Makassar were analysed using OsiriX®. Scoring was performed in accordance with the Walker standard. Five univariate and nine multivariate predictive models were derived using single trait and multi-trait combinations. The best performing univariate model included the glabella, with a total classification accuracy of 82.0% and a sex bias of 14.6%. Classification accuracy with all traits considered was at 95.2% for females and 82.8% for males with a sex bias of 12.5%. These results provide forensic practitioners in Indonesia with an appropriate morphoscopic sex estimation standard, strengthening their capabilities in the field and improving judicial outcomes.

Nonmetric sex estimation in a contemporary Indonesian population: a validation study using clinical pelvic MSCT scans.

Klales et al. (2012) is a popular standard for the estimation of skeletal sex. Since its publication, a number of studies have demonstrated that population-specific applications of Klales improve classification accuracy. However, it has also been shown that age appears to affect the expression of dimorphism in the pelvis across the lifespan. As such, the present study examines the accuracy of Klales, and the modified global standard of Kenyhercz et al. (2017), in a contemporary Indonesian population, including quantifying the effect of age. Pelvic multi-slice CT scans of 378 individuals (213 female; 165 male) were analysed in OsiriX®. Both standards were tested and Indonesian-specific models thereafter derived.When applied to the Indonesian sample, both the Klales and Kenyhercz standards resulted in lower classification accuracy relative to the original studies. In considering the Indonesian-specific models, the ventral arc was the most accurate for the classification of sex, at 93.3% with a - 3.0% sex bias. The accuracy of the three-trait model was 94.4%, with a - 5.5% sex bias. Age was shown to significantly affect the distribution of pelvic trait scores. As such, age-dependent models were also derived, with the standard for individuals between 30 and 49 years the most accurate, at 93.1% and a sex bias of - 4.0%. Accuracy was lower in individuals aged ≥ 50 years, at 91.3% and a sex bias of 4.1%. These findings support the importance of establishing population-specific standards and to facilitate improved accuracy and capabilities for forensic practitioners in Indonesia.

Estimation of ancestry from cranial measurements based on MDCT data acquired in a Japanese and Western Australian population.

The estimation of ancestry is important not only towards establishing identity but also as a required precursor to facilitating the accurate estimation of other attributes such as sex, age at death, and stature. The present study aims to analyze morphological variation in the crania of Japanese and Western Australian individuals and test predictive models based on machine learning for their potential forensic application. The Japanese and Western Australian samples comprise computed tomography (CT) scans of 230 (111 female; 119 male) and 225 adult individuals (112 female; 113 male), respectively. A total of 18 measurements were calculated, and machine learning methods (random forest modeling, RFM; support vector machine, SVM) were used to classify ancestry. The two-way unisex model achieved an overall accuracy of 93.2% for RFM and 97.1% for SVM, respectively. The four-way sex and ancestry model demonstrated an overall classification accuracy of 84.0% for RFM and 93.0% for SVM. The sex-specific models were most accurate in the female samples (♀ 95.1% for RFM and 100% for SVM; ♂91.4% for RFM and 97.4% for SVM). Our findings suggest that cranial measurements acquired in CT images can be used to accurately classify Japanese and Western Australian individuals into their respective population. This is the first study to assess the feasibility of ancestry estimation using three-dimensional CT images of the skull.

Estimation of population affinity using proximal femoral measurements based on computed tomographic images in the Japanese and western Australian populations.

The present study analyzes morphological differences femora of contemporary Japanese and Western Australian individuals and investigates the feasibility of population affinity estimation based on computed tomographic (CT) data. The latter is deemed to be of practical importance because most anthropological methods rely on the assessment of aspects of skull morphology, which when damaged and/or unavailable, often hampers attempts to estimate population affinity. The study sample comprised CT scans of 297 (146 females; 151 males) Japanese and 330 (145 females; 185 males) Western Australian adult individuals. A total of 10 measurements were acquired in two-dimensional CT images of the left and right femora; two machine learning methods (random forest modeling [RFM]) and support vector machine [SVM]) were then applied for population affinity classification. The accuracy of the two-way (sex-specific and sex-mixed) model was between 71.38 and 82.07% and 76.09-86.09% for RFM and SVM, respectively. Sex-specific (female and male) models were slightly more accurate compared to the sex-mixed models; there were no considerable differences in the correct classification rates between the female- and male-specific models. All the classification accuracies were higher in the Western Australian population, except for the male model using SVM. The four-way sex and population affinity model had an overall classification accuracy of 74.96% and 79.11% for RFM and SVM, respectively. The Western Australian females had the lowest correct classification rate followed by the Japanese males. Our data indicate that femoral measurements may be particularly useful for classification of Japanese and Western Australian individuals.

Population affinity estimation using pelvic measurements based on computed tomographic data acquired from Japanese and Western Australian populations.

The present study analyzes morphological differences in the pelvis of Japanese and Western Australian individuals and investigates the feasibility of population affinity classification based on computed tomography (CT) data. The Japanese and Western Australian samples comprise CT scans of 207 (103 females; 104 males) and 158 (78 females; 80 males) adult individuals, respectively. Following volumetric reconstruction, a total of 19 pelvic landmarks were obtained on each sample, and 11 measurements, including two angles, were calculated. Machine learning methods (random forest modeling [RFM] and support vector machine [SVM]) were used to classify population affinity. Classification accuracy of the two-way models was approximately 80% for RFM: the two-way sex-specific and sex-mixed models for SVM achieved > 90% and > 85%, respectively. The sex-specific models had higher accurate classification rates than the sex-mixed models, except for the Japanese male sample. The classification accuracy of the four-way sex and population affinity model had an overall classification accuracy of 76.71% for RFM and 87.67% for SVM. All the correct classification rates were higher in the Japanese relative to the Western Australian sample. Our data suggest that pelvic morphology is sufficiently distinct between Japanese and Western Australian individuals to facilitate the accurate classification of population affinity based on measurements acquired in CT images. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the feasibility of population affinity estimation based on CT images of the pelvis, which appears as a viable supplement to traditional approaches based on cranio-facial morphology.

Self-assembled plasmonics for angle-independent structural color displays with actively addressed black states.

Nanostructured plasmonic materials can lead to the extremely compact pixels and color filters needed for next-generation displays by interacting with light at fundamentally small length scales. However, previous demonstrations suffer from severe angle sensitivity, lack of saturated color, and absence of black/gray states and/or are impractical to integrate with actively addressed electronics. Here, we report a vivid self-assembled nanostructured system which overcomes these challenges via the multidimensional hybridization of plasmonic resonances. By exploiting the thin-film growth mechanisms of aluminum during ultrahigh vacuum physical vapor deposition, dense arrays of particles are created in near-field proximity to a mirror. The sub-10-nm gaps between adjacent particles and mirror lead to strong multidimensional coupling of localized plasmonic modes, resulting in a singular resonance with negligible angular dispersion and ∼98% absorption of incident light at a desired wavelength. The process is compatible with arbitrarily structured substrates and can produce wafer-scale, diffusive, angle-independent, and flexible plasmonic materials. We then demonstrate the unique capabilities of the strongly coupled plasmonic system via integration with an actively addressed reflective liquid crystal display with control over black states. The hybrid display is readily programmed to display images and video.

A wireless, skin-interfaced biosensor for cerebral hemodynamic monitoring in pediatric care.

The standard of clinical care in many pediatric and neonatal neurocritical care units involves continuous monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics using hard-wired devices that physically adhere to the skin and connect to base stations that commonly mount on an adjacent wall or stand. Risks of iatrogenic skin injuries associated with adhesives that bond such systems to the skin and entanglements of the patients and/or the healthcare professionals with the wires can impede clinical procedures and natural movements that are critical to the care, development, and recovery of pediatric patients. This paper presents a wireless, miniaturized, and mechanically soft, flexible device that supports measurements quantitatively comparable to existing clinical standards. The system features a multiphotodiode array and pair of light-emitting diodes for simultaneous monitoring of systemic and cerebral hemodynamics, with ability to measure cerebral oxygenation, heart rate, peripheral oxygenation, and potentially cerebral pulse pressure and vascular tone, through the utilization of multiwavelength reflectance-mode photoplethysmography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Monte Carlo optical simulations define the tissue-probing depths for source-detector distances and operating wavelengths of these systems using magnetic resonance images of the head of a representative pediatric patient to define the relevant geometries. Clinical studies on pediatric subjects with and without congenital central hypoventilation syndrome validate the feasibility for using this system in operating hospitals and define its advantages relative to established technologies. This platform has the potential to substantially enhance the quality of pediatric care across a wide range of conditions and use scenarios, not only in advanced hospital settings but also in clinics of lower- and middle-income countries.

A Wireless Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Device for Flap Monitoring: Proof of Concept in a Porcine Musculocutaneous Flap Model.

BACKGROUND: Current near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based systems for continuous flap monitoring are highly sensitive for detecting malperfusion. However, the clinical utility and user experience are limited by the wired connection between the sensor and bedside console. This wire leads to instability of the flap-sensor interface and may cause false alarms. METHODS: We present a novel wearable wireless NIRS sensor for continuous fasciocutaneous free flap monitoring. This waterproof silicone-encapsulated Bluetooth-enabled device contains two light-emitting diodes and two photodetectors in addition to a battery sufficient for 5 days of uninterrupted function. This novel device was compared with a ViOptix T.Ox monitor in a porcine rectus abdominus myocutaneous flap model of arterial and venous occlusions. RESULTS: Devices were tested in four flaps using three animals. Both devices produced very similar tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) tracings throughout the vascular clamping events, with obvious and parallel changes occurring on arterial clamping, arterial release, venous clamping, and venous release. Small interdevice variations in absolute StO2 value readings and magnitude of change were observed. The normalized cross-correlation at zero lag describing correspondence between the novel NIRS and T.Ox devices was >0.99 in each trial. CONCLUSION: The wireless NIRS flap monitor is capable of detecting StO2 changes resultant from arterial vascular occlusive events. In this porcine flap model, the functionality of this novel sensor closely mirrored that of the T.Ox wired platform. This device is waterproof, highly adhesive, skin conforming, and has sufficient battery life to function for 5 days. Clinical testing is necessary to determine if this wireless functionality translates into fewer false-positive alarms and a better user experience.

An examination of histomorphometric relationships in the anterior and posterior human femoral cortex.

INTRODUCTION: Static cortical bone histomorphometry utilised in forensic age-at-death estimation generally examines only the anterior femoral mid-shaft, as biomechanical strain at the posterior femur is thought to result in increased bone remodelling, osteon density and adversely affect age-at-death estimates. As osteon density increases there is a corresponding decrease in geometric variables, such as osteon area and Haversian canal diameter. The present study tests whether the inverse relationship between osteon density and osteon geometry is reflected in a modern documented Australian sample, and if this relationship differs between the anterior and posterior femoral mid-shaft. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample comprises 215 femoral microradiographs (117♂ 98♀) of recorded age (18‒97 years) from the Melbourne Femur Reference Collection (MFRC). The following variables were measured in Image J across six 1 mm2 regions of interest (ROIs) from the anterior and posterior; mean intact and fragmentary secondary osteon count, osteon population density, osteon and Haversian canal area, perimeter, and diameter. RESULTS: Osteon area was positively correlated with Haversian canal size and shape metrics, and negatively correlated with osteon density. Chronological age was significantly correlated with most variables. There were significant between-group effects between the youngest (18‒34 years) and all other age groups (35‒49, 50-74 and 75 + years) for both regions. CONCLUSION: Our findings support an increased rate of remodelling associated with decreases in osteon geometry in the anterior and posterior femur. Future studies should examine static osteon histomorphometry using anterior and posterior measurements in larger samples of documented age and sex.

Unbalanced Hybrid AOA/RSSI Localization for Simplified Wireless Sensor Networks.

Source positioning using hybrid angle-of-arrival (AOA) estimation and received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is attractive because no synchronization is required among unknown nodes and anchors. Conventionally, hybrid AOA/RSSI localization combines the same number of these measurements to estimate the agents' locations. However, since AOA estimation requires anchors to be equipped with large antenna arrays and complicated signal processing, this conventional combination makes the wireless sensor network (WSN) complicated. This paper proposes an unbalanced integration of the two measurements, called 1AOA/nRSSI, to simplify the WSN. Instead of using many anchors with large antenna arrays, the proposed method only requires one master anchor to provide one AOA estimation, while other anchors are simple single-antenna transceivers. By simply transforming the 1AOA/1RSSI information into two corresponding virtual anchors, the problem of integrating one AOA and N RSSI measurements is solved using the least square and subspace methods. The solutions are then evaluated to characterize the impact of angular and distance measurement errors. Simulation results show that the proposed network achieves the same level of precision as in a fully hybrid nAOA/nRSSI network with a slightly higher number of simple anchors.

Validation of the Iscan method in clinical MSCT scans specific to an Australian population.

The transposition of traditional biological profiling methods to virtual skeletal reconstructions represents a relatively novel practice that is proving to be versatile in a variety of forensic contexts. Widespread acknowledgement of the disadvantages associated with archaeological and/or other non-contemporary skeletal collections has prompted an increase in the use of medical imaging modalities for the purposes of formulating population-specific reference standards used to estimate characteristics such as chronological age. The primary aim of the present study is to statistically evaluate the reproducibility of assessment and thereafter develop age estimation standards based on the morphoscopic evaluation of the fourth right sternal rib following the phase ageing method developed as reported by Iscan et al. (J Forensic Sci 29:1094-1104, 1984, J Forensic Sci 30:853-863, 1985) in clinical multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) scans. A total of 335 MSCT scans representing Western Australian individuals between 10 and 80 years of age (179 male and 156 female) were retrospectively reconstructed and analysed in OsiriX following the Iscan et al. sex-specific standards (J Forensic Sci 29:1094-1104, 1984, J Forensic Sci 30:853-863, 1985) for the fourth right rib. Regression and transition analyses are employed to generate standards for the estimation of chronological age and modelling of thoracic senescence, respectively. The method was also applied to right ribs three and five to evaluate intercostal variance in age-related metamorphosis. Intra- and inter-observer accordance is 'substantial' (K = 0.76) and 'almost perfect' (K = 0.825), respectively. Intercostal variances between ribs three to five were observed in the male sample only. Multiple regression using phase scores from all three ribs produced models with the highest predictive accuracy (± 10.04 years for males and ± 9.81 years for females). The transition analyses demonstrate comparable levels of age-related morphological change across ribs and male and female samples. This study presents a novel set of reference standards for a contemporary Australian population and further demonstrates the utility of virtual analysis in forensic anthropology.

Occurrence of chlorophyll allomers during virus-induced mortality and population decline in the ubiquitous picoeukaryote Ostreococcus tauri.

During viral infection and growth limitation of the picoeukaryote Ostreococcus tauri, we examined the relationship between membrane permeability, oxidative stress and chlorophyll allomers (oxidation products). Chlorophyll allomers were measured in batch-cultures of O. tauri in parallel with maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry (Fv /Fm ), carotenoids, and reactive oxygen species and membrane permeability using fluorescent probes (CM-H2 DCFDA and SYTOX-Green). Viral infection led to mass cell lysis of the O. tauri cells within 48 h. The concentration of the allomer hydroxychlorophyll a peaked with a 16-fold increase (relative to chlorophyll-a) just after the major lysis event. In contrast, cell death due to growth limitation resulted in a twofold increase in allomer production, relative to chl-a. Two allomers were detected solely in association with O. tauri debris after viral lysis, and unlike other allomers were not observed before viral lysis, or during cell death due to growth limitation. Conversely, the component chl-aP276 was found in the highest concentrations relative to chl-a, in exponentially growing O. tauri. The components described have potential as indicators of mode of phytoplankton mortality, and of population growth.

Multi-spectral frequency selective mid-infrared microbolometers.

Frequency selective detection of low energy photons is a scientific challenge using natural materials. A hypothetical surface which functions like a light funnel with very low thermal mass in order to enhance photon collection and suppress background thermal noise is the ideal solution to address both low temperature and frequency selective detection limitations of present detection systems. Here, we present a cavity-coupled quasi-three dimensional plasmonic crystal which induces impedance matching to the free space giving rise to extraordinary transmission through the sub-wavelength aperture array like a "light funnel" in coupling low energy incident photons resulting in frequency selective perfect (~100%) absorption of the incident radiation and zero back reflection. The peak wavelength of absorption of the incident light is almost independent of the angle of incidence and remains within 20% of its maximum (100%) up to θi≤45˚. This perfect absorption results from the incident light-driven localized edge "micro-plasma" currents on the lossy metallic surfaces. The wide-angle light funneling is validated with experimental measurements. Further, a super-lattice based electronic biasing circuit converts the absorbed narrow linewidth (Δλ/λ0< 0.075) photon energy inside the sub-wavelength thick film (< λ/100) to voltage output with high signal to noise ratio close to the theoretical limit. Such artificial plasmonic surfaces enable flexible scaling of light funneling response to any wavelength range by simple dimensional changes paving the path towards room temperature frequency selective low energy photon detection.

Cavity-induced hybrid plasmon excitation for perfect infrared absorption.

Photonic microcavity coupling of a subwavelength hole-disk array, a two-element metal/dielectric composite structure with enhanced extraordinary transmission, leads to 100% coupling of incident light to the cavity system and subsequent absorption. This light-funneling process arises from the temporal and spatial coupling of the broadband localized surface plasmon resonance on the coupled hole-disk array and the photonic modes of the optical cavity, which induces spectral narrowing of the perfect absorption of light. A simple nanoimprint lithography-based large-area fabrication process paves the path towards practical implementation of plasmonic cavity-based devices and sensors.

A neural model of normal and abnormal learning and memory consolidation: adaptively timed conditioning, hippocampus, amnesia, neurotrophins, and consciousness.

How do the hippocampus and amygdala interact with thalamocortical systems to regulate cognitive and cognitive-emotional learning? Why do lesions of thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and cortex have differential effects depending on the phase of learning when they occur? In particular, why is the hippocampus typically needed for trace conditioning, but not delay conditioning, and what do the exceptions reveal? Why do amygdala lesions made before or immediately after training decelerate conditioning while those made later do not? Why do thalamic or sensory cortical lesions degrade trace conditioning more than delay conditioning? Why do hippocampal lesions during trace conditioning experiments degrade recent but not temporally remote learning? Why do orbitofrontal cortical lesions degrade temporally remote but not recent or post-lesion learning? How is temporally graded amnesia caused by ablation of prefrontal cortex after memory consolidation? How are attention and consciousness linked during conditioning? How do neurotrophins, notably brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), influence memory formation and consolidation? Is there a common output path for learned performance? A neural model proposes a unified answer to these questions that overcome problems of alternative memory models.

CT evaluation of timing for ossification of the medial clavicular epiphysis in a contemporary Western Australian population.

The clavicle is the first bone to ossify in the developing embryo and the last to complete epiphyseal union. It is the latter sustained period of growth that has attracted the interest of skeletal biologists and forensic practitioners alike, who collectively recognize the important opportunity this bone affords to estimate skeletal age across the prenatal to early adult lifespan. Current research is largely directed towards evaluating the applicability of assessing fusion in the medial epiphysis, specifically for determining age of majority in the living. This study aims to contribute further insights, and inform medicolegal practice, by evaluating the Schmeling five-stage system for the assessment of clavicular development in a Western Australian population. We retrospectively evaluated high-resolution multiple detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans of 388 individuals (210 male; 178 female) between 10 and 35 years of age. Scans are viewed in axial and multiplanar reconstructed (MPR) images using OsiriX®. Fusion status is scored according to a five-stage system. Transition analysis is used to calculate age ranges and determine the mean age for transition between an unfused, fusing and fused status. The maximum likelihood estimates (in years) for transition from unfused to fusing is 20.60 (male) and 19.19 (female); transition from fusing to complete fusion is 21.92 (male) and 21.47 (female). Results of the present study confirm the reliability of the assessed method and demonstrate remarkable consistency to data reported for other global populations.

Hybrid coupling mechanism in a system supporting high order diffraction, plasmonic, and cavity resonances.

The interactions between plasmonic and photonic modes of a cavity-coupled plasmonic crystal are studied in diffraction and diffractionless regimes, which lead us to the understanding of coherent interactions between electron plasma, higher order cavity, and diffraction modes. The strong interaction between plasmonic and photonic modes is shown to enhance as well as suppress surface plasmon resonance based on cavity phase relation. Numerical and analytical approaches are developed to accurately explain the physics of the interactions evident in their characteristic dispersion graphs. Further experimental measurements confirm the theoretical predictions.