Analogs of Ridge Skin and Papillary Patterns in the Nature and the Significance of Their Study for Forensic Science and Forensic Examination

Patterns similar to the papillary patterns of human fingers, palms, and soles can be found in living and inanimate nature. Studying such patterns and the structure of the ridged skin of humans and primates in comparison with similar formations on other objects is necessary for forensic science, forensic traceology, fingerprinting, and biometric identification. The article analyzes the history of the study of the ridged skin of humans, primates, and other animals by forensic scientists, zoologists, anthropologists, and representatives of other sciences.The author proposes systemizing and classifying the information about the analogs of papillary patterns and ridged skin on such grounds as the genus and type of carrier objects, relief structure, degree of comparability with the papillary pattern of human hands and soles.The article presents the most indicative varieties of analogs of papillary patterns in mammals, birds, fish, insects, corals, plants, and fungi. The author has studied and systemized structural features of the striped pattern of the skin of tigers and zebras, crests and stripes in corals, stripes and ridged patterns in fish. The data obtained on ridge formations, which are similar in structure and shape to the papillary patterns of human fingers and palms, will help to avoid expert errors during fingerprinting examination or erroneous placement of images of such formations in forensic databases.Knowledge of the structural features and properties of striped patterns of skins of specially protected wild animals, as well as the crest surface of paleontological museum objects, should be used for their identification by photo and video images in cases of embezzlement, smuggling, illegal hunting, and illegal trafficking.

Molecular and Mechanical Cues for Somite Periodicity

Somitogenesis refers to the segmentation of the paraxial mesoderm, a tissue located on the back of the embryo, into regularly spaced and sized pieces, i.e., the somites. This periodicity is important to assure, for example, the formation of a functional vertebral column. Prevailing models of somitogenesis are based on the existence of a gene regulatory network capable of generating a striped pattern of gene expression, which is subsequently translated into periodic tissue boundaries. An alternative view is that the pre-pattern that guides somitogenesis is not chemical, but of a mechanical origin. A striped pattern of mechanical strain can be formed in physically connected tissues expanding at different rates, as it occurs in the embryo. Here we argue that both molecular and mechanical cues could drive somite periodicity and suggest how they could be integrated.

Occipital Cortical Calcifications in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Background and Purpose: Cortical calcifications have been reported in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), although their prevalence and pathophysiology are unknown. We investigated the frequency of calcifications on computed tomography, their association with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and their coexistence with a striped pattern of the occipital cortex reflecting microcalcifications on ultra-high-field 7T-magnetic resonance imaging in Dutch-type hereditary CAA (D-CAA) and sporadic CAA. Methods: We included D-CAA mutation carriers with a proven APP (amyloid precursor protein) mutation or ≥1 lobar ICH and ≥1 first-degree relative with D-CAA and sporadic CAA patients with probable CAA according to the modified Boston criteria. D-CAA carriers were regarded symptomatic when they had a history of symptomatic ICH. We assessed the presence, location, and progression of calcifications and their association with ICH and the striped occipital cortex. Results: We found cortical calcifications in 15/81 (19% [95% CI, 11–29]) D-CAA mutation carriers (15/69 symptomatic and 0/12 presymptomatic) and in 1/59 (2% [95% CI, 0–9]) sporadic CAA patients. Calcifications were all bilateral located in the occipital lobes. In 3/15 (20%) of the symptomatic D-CAA patients the calcifications progressed over a period up to 10 years. There was evidence of an association between cortical calcifications and new ICH development (hazard ratio, 7.1 [95% CI, 0.9–54.9], log-rank P =0.03). In 7/25 D-CAA symptomatic carriers in whom a 7T-magnetic resonance imaging was performed, a striped pattern of the occipital cortex was present; in 3/3 (100%) of those with calcifications on computed tomography and 4/22 (18%) of those without calcifications. Conclusions: Occipital cortical calcifications are frequent in D-CAA but seem to be rare in sporadic CAA. Their absence in presymptomatic carriers and their association with ICH might suggest that they are a marker for advanced CAA. Cortical calcifications on computed tomography seem to be associated with the striped occipital cortex on 7T-magnetic resonance imaging which may possibly represent an early stage of calcification.

Eolian megaripple stripes

We present observations, measurements, and modeling of an enigmatic eolian bedform pattern of cross-wind alternating, wind-parallel corridors of megaripples and smaller bedforms (“megaripple stripes”). Megaripple corridors have taller bedforms, longer wavelengths, and coarser surface sediment than intervening smaller bedform corridors. We document examples from Earth (Argentina, Namibia, United States, Iran, Peru, and China) and Mars. Using a reduced complexity model, we show that megaripples and megaripple stripes initiate under the influence of two eolian transport length scales: long-hop saltons and short-hop reptons. The self-organizing stripe pattern manifests in a narrow range of repton concentrations and develops into more typical megaripples as the surface repton concentration increases. We show that the three-dimensional topography of simulated megaripple stripes closely resembles natural megaripple stripes at Oceano Dunes, California, USA. By tracking repton surface concentration and spatial autocorrelation during simulations, we show that the striped pattern initiates from local repton concentrations of sufficient size to serve as megaripple nuclei that seed the striped pattern. Results suggest that megaripple stripes may have a simple and robust formation mechanism.

Striped distribution pattern of Purkinje cells of different birthdates in the mouse cerebellar cortex studied with the Neurog2-CreER transgenic line

Heterogeneity of Purkinje cells (PCs) that are arranged into discrete longitudinal stripes in the cerebellar cortex is related to the timing of PC generation. To understand the cerebellar compartmental organization, we mapped the PC birthdate (or differentiation timing) in the entire cerebellar cortex. We used the birthdate-tagging system of neurog2-CreER (G2A) mice hybridized with the AldocV strain which clarifies the zebrin (aldolase C) longitudinal striped pattern.The pattern of the birthdate-dependent PC distribution was arranged consistently into longitudinally-oriented stripes throughout almost all lobules except for the nodulus, paraflocculus and flocculus, in which distinct stripes were observed.Boundaries of the PC birthdate stripes were found either in the middle or coincided with that of the zebrin stripes. PCs in each birthdate stripe were born in various periods between embryonic day (E) 10.0 and E 13.5.In the vermis, PCs were chronologically distributed from lateral to medial stripes. In the paravermis, PCs of early birthdates were distributed in the long lateral zebrin-positive stripe (stripe 4+//5+) and the medially neighboring narrow zebrin-negative substripe (3d-//e2-), while PCs of late birthdates were distributed in the rest of all paravermal areas. In the hemisphere, PCs of early and late birthdates were intermingled in the majority of areas.The results indicate that the birthdate of a PC is a partial determinant for the zebrin compartment in which it is located. However, the correlation between the PC birthdate and the zebrin compartmentalization is not simple, and distinct among the vermis, paravermis, hemisphere, nodulus, and flocculus.HighlightsBirthdates of Purkinje cells (PCs) were mapped on the cerebellar zebrin striped pattern by using Neurog2-CreER (G2A) mice.The vermis, paravermis, hemisphere, nodulus, and flocculus had distinct longitudinally-striped patterns of PC birthdate distribution.PCs in each birthdate stripe were born in various periods between embryonic day (E) 10.0 and E 13.5.Boundaries of PC birthdate distributions were located at the boundaries of zebrin stripes or in the middle of a zebrin stripe.The results indicate that the PC birthdate is a partial determinant for the zebrin compartment in which a PC is located.

600 mm-Wide Strip Casting Using Single Roll Caster Equipped with Scraper

The casting of a 600 mm-wide 5182 aluminum alloy strip was attempted using a single-roll caster equipped with a scraper. This caster could cast a strip at speeds ranging from 10 to 40 m/min. These casting speeds are much higher than that of a conventional twin-roll caster. The scraper load suitable for scribing the wide strip was investigated. The strip could be scribed at full width by the scraper. The mechanical properties of the strip were investigated using a tension test and a cup test. The tensile stress was 320 MPa and the elongation was 30%. When deep drawing was conducted, no striped pattern, which occurs via segregation, appeared when both surfaces were facing outside.

Gloss Evaluation of Hairline-Finished Metal Surface Using Patterned Area Illumination Method: Relationship between Gloss Evaluation and Surface Roughness for the Estimation of Surface Roughness

The gloss of a metal surface is an important aspect for product quality evaluation. In general, gloss is influenced by specular reflection of light on a metal surface. Therefore, evaluating the specular reflection is almost the same as evaluating the gloss. We propose a method that uses patterned area illumination to evaluate specular reflection. In specular reflection, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Consequently, when light (ray) of the area illumination, which has a striped pattern, are projected on a glossy metal surface, a striped pattern forms on the reflected image as a mirror-like reflection, and the sharpness of the striped pattern of the image provides information about the specular reflection on the surface. This characteristic is applied to a metal with a hairline surface finish. A hairline surface presents different glossiness at different viewpoints. When the direction of the striped pattern of illumination is changed, the sharpness of striped pattern on the reflected image varies owing to the surface roughness of the hairline finish. Therefore, we can evaluate the glossiness in various directions by rotating the pattern. The rough relationships between gloss evaluation value and surface roughness were indicated in our study. In order to make the relationship between gloss evaluation and surface roughness for the estimation of surface roughness, we had tried the comparison for the gloss evaluation value and the surface roughness. The more precise relationship for seven directions on hairline-finished metal surface was measured. This report describes the results and considers the possibility of estimation of surface roughness by the gloss evaluation value.