Kewal Krishan

Panjab University · Department of Anthropology

Sex estimation is considered as one of the essential parameters in forensic anthropology casework, and requires foremost consideration in the examination of skeletal remains. Forensic anthropologists frequently employ morphologic and metric methods for sex estimation of human remains. These methods are still very imperative in identification proces...

More than a year has passed since the mega quake hit Nepal. Although a lot is written about the lacunae in disaster preparedness, lessons learnt, and public health concerns after the aftermath, nothing much has been written about the fate of the deceased. Although saving takes priority after a disaster, the management of dead bodies also requires i...

An earprint is an impression of the external ear. House breakers may leave their earprints inadvertently when they listen at doors and windows to check if there is anyone inside before breaking and entering a premises. Owing to uniqueness and individualistic characteristics of the human ear, earprints can be used as evidence to link a criminal with...

A footprint is an impressed representation of the morphological features of the weight-bearing areas of the plantar surface of the foot. Studies have shown that a footprint is unique to a person. Whenever the plantar surface of the foot comes in contact with surfaces such as a hard or muddy floor, snow, etc., it leaves an impression with various mo...

Blood is the most commonly recovered and possibly the most important evidence utilized in criminal investigations. Though blood grouping has been replaced by DNA methods in most forensic laboratories throughout the world, it is still used as a reliable investigative tool in developing countries. In addition, blood grouping is performed for parentag...

Forensic Anthropology is the application of the science of anatomy, physical anthropology, archaeology, and taphonomy to aid the law enforcement agencies in recovery, examination, and identification of skeletal remains. It involves determination of whether the material recovered at a scene of crime is osteological, determination of species of origi...

Background Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of D...

Background Accurate assessments of current and future fertility-including overall trends and changing population age structures across countries and regions-are essential to help plan for the profound social, economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges that these changes will bring. Estimates and projections of fertility are necessary to i...

Background Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important follow...

Background Detailed, comprehensive, and timely reporting on population health by underlying causes of disability and premature death is crucial to understanding and responding to complex patterns of disease and injury burden over time and across age groups, sexes, and locations. The availability of disease burden estimates can promote evidence-base...

The science of fingerprints is very crucial in criminal investigation as it helps identify perpetrators or victims of a crime. Fingerprint ridge density (FPRD), which refers to the number of ridges within a specific area on the epidermal skin layer of the distal phalanges in humans, has been found to differ between males and females. This study att...

Background: Global evaluations of the progress towards the WHO End TB Strategy 2020 interim milestones on mortality (35% reduction) and incidence (20% reduction) have not been age specific. We aimed to assess global, regional, and national-level burdens of and trends in tuberculosis and its risk factors across five separate age groups, from 1990 to...

Background Disorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditio...

Background: To estimate global and regional trends from 2000 to 2020 of the number of persons visually impaired by cataract and their proportion of the total number of vision-impaired individuals. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of published population studies and gray literature from 2000 to 2020 was carried out to estimate global...

Background Neck pain is a highly prevalent condition that leads to considerable pain, disability, and economic cost. We present the most current estimates of neck pain prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) by age, sex, and location, with forecasted prevalence to...

The face is the most essential part of the human body, and because of its distinctive traits, it is crucial for recognizing people. Facial recognition technology (FRT) is one of the most successful and fascinating technologies of the modern times. The world is moving towards contactless FRT after the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to its contactless biomet...

Background Cancers represent a challenging public health threat in Asia. This study examines the temporal patterns of incidence, mortality, disability and risk factors of 29 cancers in Asia in the last three decades. Methods The age, sex and year-wise estimates of incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of 29 cancers for 4...

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) is a multinational collaborative research study with >10,000 collaborators around the world. GBD generates a time series of summary measures of health, including prevalence, cause-specific mortality (CSMR), years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disabi...

Fingerprints have been widely used and accepted as an effective method of human identification. This biometric tool aids in criminal investigations for personal identity for over a century. Whilst the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) has bolstered security efforts, it has also opened doors to potential scams, affecting both civili...

The ancestors of bamboo rats of south and south-east Asia and those of the root rats of Africa were quite com- mon in the Middle and Late Miocene Siwalik deposits of India and Pakistan. However, their diversity dropped significantly in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. A derived late Pliocene form of the extinct rhizomyine genus Rhizomyides was recogni...

Abstract Purpose Interpersonal violence is a leading cause of adolescent deaths and disability. This study investigates sex differences in burden of interpersonal violence for adolescents and explores associations with gender inequality. Method Using data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study, we report numbers, proportions, rates of inter...

Background Musculoskeletal disorders include more than 150 different conditions affecting joints, muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and the spine. To capture all health loss from death and disability due to musculoskeletal disorders, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) includes a residual musculoskeletal category...

Within the pelvis the iliac crest and ischial tuberosity display delayed ossification and fusion, thus, presenting as reliable maturity indicators. Amongst the different iliac crest and ischial tuberosity age estimation methods, the modified Kreitner-Kellinghaus stages constitute one of the more promising methods. The present study was directed tow...

Age estimation plays a crucial role in human identification. Amongst numerous age markers located throughout the skeletal framework, the auricular surface of the ilium presents as a resilient structure, with different methods for auricular age estimation currently in practice. Amongst these methods, the Osborne method is believed to permit accurate...

Background Peripheral artery disease is a growing public health problem. We aimed to estimate the global disease burden of peripheral artery disease, its risk factors, and temporospatial trends to inform policy and public measures. Methods Data on peripheral artery disease were modelled using the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor...

Summary Background Unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning is a largely preventable cause of death that has received insufficient attention. We aimed to conduct a comprehensive global analysis of the demographic, temporal, and geographical patterns of fatal unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning from 2000 to 2021. Methods As part of the latest Glo...

Introduction: The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has presented several opportunities to ease human work. AI applications are available for almost every domain of life. A new technology, Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT), was introduced by OpenAI in November 2022, and has become a topic of discussion across the world. Cha...

Background Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease associated with disability and premature death. Up-to-date estimates of the burden of rheumatoid arthritis are required for health-care planning, resource allocation, and prevention. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, we...

Background: Peripheral artery disease is a growing public health problem. We aimed to estimate the global disease burden of peripheral artery disease, its risk factors, and temporospatial trends to inform policy and public measures. Methods: Data on peripheral artery disease were modelled using the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Fact...

Background The causes for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are diverse and the incidence trends of IMIDs from specific causes are rarely studied. The study aims to investigate the pattern and trend of IMIDs from 1990 to 2019. Methods We collected detailed information on six major causes of IMIDs, including asthma, inflammatory bowel di...

Background The causes for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are diverse and the incidence trends of IMIDs from specific causes are rarely studied. The study aims to investigate the pattern and trend of IMIDs from 1990 to 2019. Methods We collected detailed information on six major causes of IMIDs, including asthma, inflammatory bowel d...

Age estimation constitutes an integral parameter of identification. In children, sub-adults, and young adults, accurate age estimation is vital on various aspects of civil, criminal, and immigration law. The iliac crest presents as a suitable age marker within these age cohorts, and the modified Risser method constitutes a relatively novel and unex...

Background Although meningitis is largely preventable, it still causes hundreds of thousands of deaths globally each year. WHO set ambitious goals to reduce meningitis cases by 2030, and assessing trends in the global meningitis burden can help track progress and identify gaps in achieving these goals. Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases,...

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to a group of technologies that enable people to perform a variety of activities, including observing, comprehending, analysing and translating data, among other things. Nowadays, practically every school of thought is interested in AI. One such innovation, a chatbot by the name of ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-Tr...

Background Anaemia is a major health problem worldwide. Global estimates of anaemia burden are crucial for developing appropriate interventions to meet current international targets for disease mitigation. We describe the prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends of anaemia and its underlying causes in 204 countries and territories. Metho...

Forensic odontology plays a crucial role in establishing the identity in mass disasters and criminal cases with high accuracy. Dental anomalies and features help in such situations. Congenital and developmental dental anomalies can be easily documented to establish distinctive and individualistic characteristics of an individual. The location, numb...

Age estimation occupies a prominent niche in the identification process. In cases where skeletal remains present for examination, age is often estimated from markers distributed throughout the skeletal framework. Within the pelvis, the pubic symphysis constitutes one of the more commonly utilized skeletal markers for age estimation, with the Suchey...

Background: Although meningitis is largely preventable, it still causes hundreds of thousands of deaths globally each year. WHO set ambitious goals to reduce meningitis cases by 2030, and assessing trends in the global meningitis burden can help track progress and identify gaps in achieving these goals. Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases...

Estimation of sex holds great significance in the field of Forensic Science since it helps establish the identity of an individual during a crime scene investigation. Sex differences in human behaviour are the result of natural selection. Sexually dimorphic stimuli of cognitive and behavioural activities may influence the phenotypic expression of o...

Background: Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and affects people regardless of country, age group, or sex. Using the most recent evidentiary and analytical framework from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD), we produced location-specific, age-specific, and sex-specific estimat...

Age of an individual constitutes a primary facet of human identification. In cases where skeletal remains present for examination, bony markers distributed throughout the skeletal framework are employed for age estimation. Amongst these markers, the pubic symphysis constitutes one of the more commonly utilized structures. Gilbert-McKern's pubic sym...

Background Previous global analyses, with known underdiagnosis and single cause per death attribution systems, provide only a small insight into the suspected high population health effect of sickle cell disease. Completed as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, this study delivers a comprehensive glob...

Background Previous global analyses, with known underdiagnosis and single cause per death attribution systems, provide only a small insight into the suspected high population health effect of sickle cell disease. Completed as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, this study delivers a comprehensive glob...

Age estimation constitutes one of the pillars of human identification. The auricular surface of the ilium presents as a durable and robust structure within the human skeletal framework, capable of enabling accurate age estimation in older adults. Amongst different documented auricular age estimation methods, the Buckberry-Chamberlain method offers...

Age estimation constitutes an important facet of human identification within forensic, bioarchaeological, repatriation, and humanitarian contexts. Within the human skeletal framework, the pubic symphysis comprises one of the more commonly utilized structures for age estimation. The present investigation was aimed at establishing the applicability o...

Background Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CR...

Background Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CR...

Summary Background Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burd...

Background Reducing the burden of death due to infection is an urgent global public health priority. Previous studies have estimated the number of deaths associated with drug-resistant infections and sepsis and found that infections remain a leading cause of death globally. Understanding the global burden of common bacterial pathogens (both suscept...

Ghosting is the phenomenon that exists when a footprint has a lighter area around the tip of one or more toes or a shadow-like area at the back of the heel. To date, ghosting has been considered primarily a finding of dynamic (walking) footprints, rather than static (standing) footprints. The prevalence of ghosting in static footprints is unknown,...

Facial reconstruction is the most frequently used method for human identification in forensic examinations. It is a complex and time-consuming technique and an actively growing field with a wide array of applications. The methods of forensic facial reconstruction are helpful in those cases where other methods of identification are not applicable. I...

Background Universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities is an essential human right, recognised in the Sustainable Development Goals as crucial for preventing disease and improving human wellbeing. Comprehensive, high-resolution estimates are important to inform progress towards achieving this goal. We aimed to produce high-res...

The tenacity of the fingerprint evidence for the identification of criminals has been well documented, but none of the research work so far focussed on unusual prints. Therefore, in the present study, we attempted to define rarely encountered fingerprints in a human population. Our purpose was to explore unusual pattern types on the finger balls an...

Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and 2026 Global Burden of Disease 2021 Health Financing Collaborator Network † Show footnotesOpen AccessPublished:January 24, 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00007-4 Summary Background The COVID-19 pandemic h...

Advances in science and technology result in continuous upgrading of the medical and clinical fields. These upgrades have been beneficial to many patients suffering from congenital and developmental diseases causing compromised functionality as well as the structural integrity of the affected organs. One such congenital anomaly is the microtia‐anot...

Background Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustaina...

Background and objective: Various aspects of fingerprint resarch were extensively explored in the past. However, the correlation between fingerprint ridge density and hand dimensions has not yet been documented. Therefore, the present study has investigated the relationship so that some conclusions regarding the association can be established. Me...

We propose a novel approach aimed at facial comparison in forensic context. We employed an automatic approach to detect facial landmarks, and then selected independent facial indices extracted from a subset of these landmarks. As it is difficult to compare the morphometric indices due to pose variations, so some statistically reliable method is req...

Despite substantial declines since 2000, lower respiratory infections (LRIs), diarrhoeal diseases, and malaria remain among the leading causes of nonfatal and fatal disease burden for children under 5 years of age (under 5), primarily in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The spatial burden of each of these diseases has been estimated subnationally across S...

The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of two multivariate statistical approaches for estimating sex from human external ear anthropometry, namely, discriminant function analysis (DFA) and binary logistic regression (BLR). A cross-sectional sample of 497 participants (233 males and 264 females) aged 18–35 years (24.42 ± 5.17) was obtai...

The Late Miocene hominid-bearing locality in Haritalyangar, India, has yielded remains of fossil lizards and snakes. The material consists of the following taxa: Varanus and an indeterminate anguimorph, Python, a colubrid and a natricid. These squamates are documented from this region for the first time. A co-existence of Varanus and Python, two ic...

Since December 2019, the global outbreak of coronavirus disease had a significant impact on humanity. Because of the large number of casualties worldwide, the WHO (World Health Organization) declared the coronavirus disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 a pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, facial masks have become essential as well as mandatory to p...

Background More than 3 billion people do not have access to clean energy and primarily use solid fuels to cook. Use of solid fuels generates household air pollution, which was associated with more than 2 million deaths in 2019. Although local patterns in cooking vary systematically, subnational trends in use of solid fuels have yet to be comprehens...

Snakebite envenoming is an important cause of preventable death. The World Health Organization (WHO) set a goal to halve snakebite mortality by 2030. We used verbal autopsy and vital registration data to model the proportion of venomous animal deaths due to snakes by location, age, year, and sex, and applied these proportions to venomous animal con...

Introduction and Objectives The human external ear has intricate anatomy due to the presence of elevated and depressed structures which form the morphological characteristics of the external ear. It has been observed that they have some form of interdependence. Therefore, the present study is aimed to investigate the association amongst the morphol...

Background Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent among the HIV-negative population and ranks first among the HIV-positive population. However, few studies have assessed tuberculosis trends in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) or with an emphasis on HIV status. This study assesses the time tren...

Background and aim: During the COVID-19 pandemic in India, an increase in the number of suicides was observed in India. Therefore, the present study aims to explore various factors affecting the mental health of an individual and their consequences. Moreover, it has been attempted to assess the suicidal risk in the population of North India by usi...

Background: Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods:...

Background: The global burden of lower respiratory infections (LRIs) and corresponding risk factors in children older than 5 years and adults has not been studied as comprehensively as it has been in children younger than 5 years. We assessed the burden and trends of LRIs and risk factors across all age groups by sex, for 204 countries and territor...

Background: Globally, transport and unintentional injuries persist as leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity for adolescents. We sought to report comprehensive trends in injury-related mortality and morbidity for adolescents aged 10-24 years during the past three decades. Methods: Using the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and...

Background The health risks associated with moderate alcohol consumption continue to be debated. Small amounts of alcohol might lower the risk of some health outcomes but increase the risk of others, suggesting that the overall risk depends, in part, on background disease rates, which vary by region, age, sex, and year. Methods For this analysis,...

Supplementary data

Age estimation is one of the prerequisites of human identification. Age-progressive changes in the pelvis offer useful evidence for forensic age estimation across all age groups. The acetabulum presents as a durable and taphonomic degradation resistant age marker, and, can be employed for analysing age-progressive changes described by Calce. The pr...

The acetabulum presents as a well-preserved evidence, resistant to taphonomic degradation changes and can thus aid in the age estimation process. A CT-based examination of the acetabulum can further help simplify the process of age estimation by overcoming the time-consuming process of maceration and by doing away with the interference resulting fr...

Background Human resources for health (HRH) include a range of occupations that aim to promote or improve human health. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO Health Workforce 2030 strategy have drawn attention to the importance of HRH for achieving policy priorities such as universal health coverage (UHC). Although previous resear...

Age estimation constitutes an important aspect of forensic research, investigation and human identification. For the purpose of age estimation, various markers within the skeletal framework are employed. Degenerative morphological changes in the skeleton can be used for age estimation in adults. Amongst the various bones, age-progressive changes in...

Age estimation is one of the essential criteria in the identification process. The method of age estimation employed depends on the availability of skeletal material brought for forensic examination. McKern and Stewart's method constitutes one of the principal approaches towards pubic symphyseal age estimation. The method entails evaluating morphol...