Medicine, Science and the Law最新文献

The phenomenon of missing persons draws the attention of authorities, who implement measures to address the issue. Missing Children Argentina (MCA) is a non-profit organization that supports the families of missing individuals in Argentina. MCA receives support with age progression techniques from the Italian non-profit organization Italian Missing Children (IMC). MCA and IMC have been collaborating since 2020, processing nine cases of digital aging. This paper presents the case of a missing girl, and her age progression is reported as an example to document the collaborative work between the two organizations. The age progression technique, performed due to photographs of the missing person's relatives, is based on scientific standards of facial aging. Through the use of Adobe Photoshop (2022^®), specific facial morphological features were identified in high-resolution reference photos and combined to create an updated image of the missing individual. The digitally aged image is then included in a poster and shared on social media. The poster includes the time and place of the disappearance, personal details of the missing person, contact information for potential sightings, original photos taken closest to the time of disappearance, and the digitally age-progressed images. It is crucial to inform the public about the possibility of requesting age progression for long-term missing persons. This technique can update the appearance of the individual and significantly support search efforts.

The microbiome has been at the center of a cross-section of disciplines with a wide range of applications and research methodologies, the impact of which is also reflected in forensic science. The skin microbiome is considered a "microbial fingerprint" due to its highly personalized characteristics and can be used for forensic individual identification. This narrative review systematically combs through the literature on skin microbiome and forensic applications, focusing on the characteristics, current applications, challenges, and future prospects of the skin microbiome in the field of forensic individual identification. It first explores host specificity, temporal stability, and marker characteristics. Then, by linking individuals with objects, individuals, and the environment, it analyzes the applications in forensic scenarios. It also introduces two commonly used main analytical techniques and their respective advantages and disadvantages. With the development of technology, machine learning has gradually been applied to forensic work. However, there are still four major challenges in practical application, namely ethical, technical, database and biological challenges. In this context, we provide a standardized process through a hypothetical case and propose a multi-omics collaborative analysis framework for the first time, combining metagenomics, metabolomics, and non-omics data (such as geographical information, image records) to illustrate its enhanced effects in scenarios such as sexual assault and disaster victim identification. Overall, despite the challenges, the application of skin microbiome in forensic science is promising and is expected to play an important role in the future of forensic practice.

Paper spray ionization (PSI) has emerged as a key ambient ionization technique in microanalysis over the past decade, valued for its ease of use and minimal sample preparation. This study reviews PSI's applications in forensic science, covering areas such as biomolecules, drugs of abuse, inks, explosives, toxicology, and trace evidence. To achieve these objectives, electronic searches were performed across several databases-Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, and PubMed-covering publications from 2010 through December 2023, with a focus on English-language articles. This search strategy yielded 40 relevant studies, which were reviewed to assess PSI-MS's current capabilities and advancements. The review underscores Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry's (PSI-MS) versatility, particularly its compatibility with various sampling methods like dried blood spots, which enhances its utility for rapid point-of-care (POC) analysis. This capability facilitates the efficient analysis of biochemical and forensic samples while bypassing lengthy separation procedures, marking a significant advancement in forensic analysis techniques.

Dental age (DA) estimation plays a crucial role in forensic investigations, clinical diagnosis, and treatment planning. It is considered more reliable than skeletal methods due to the predictable nature of dental development. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of three DA estimation methods-Nolla method, Cameriere-European formula, and Blenkin-Evans method-in Turkish children aged 6-14 years. A total of 1014 panoramic radiographs were analyzed. DA was estimated using the three methods and compared with chronological age (CA). Accuracy was assessed based on mean absolute error (MAE), mean difference (DA-CA), and correlation coefficients. Statistical analyses were performed to determine significant differences among methods. The Cameriere-European formula demonstrated the lowest MAE (0.44 for boys, 0.48 for girls, and 0.46 for all samples), indicating the highest accuracy, followed by the Blenkin-Evans (0.54 for boys, 0.53 for girls, and 0.54 for all samples) and Nolla (0.57 for boys, 0.65 for girls, and 0.61 for all samples) methods. However, the Cameriere-European formula slightly underestimated CA, particularly in older children. The Blenkin-Evans method showed relatively stable accuracy but overestimated CA in both sexes. The Nolla method generally underestimated CA, except in boys, where it slightly overestimated age. All three methods exhibited strong correlations with CA (Spearman rho correlation coefficients ranging from 0.953 to 0.970, all p < .001). The Cameriere-European formula provided the most accurate DA estimation method, followed by the Blenkin-Evans and Nolla methods for Turkish children from the Northwestern Anatolia. However, the observed biases highlight the need for population-specific calibrations.

People living in prisons have higher mortality rates compared to the general population. We undertook a retrospective analysis of deaths recorded between 2010 and 2018 at the sole prison hospital in Greece (Korydallos Prison Special Health Centre for men) to assess the causes of death overall and by type of offence (drug-related or other), sociodemographic characteristics by cause of death, and mortality trends over time. Permission to access forensic reports and criminal files was obtained from the relevant authorities. Deaths were categorized as either non-natural (drug overdose, suicide, and homicide) or natural (cardiovascular disease, cancer, and others). Between 2010 and 2018, 236 deaths were reported; 80.9% were natural deaths, and 19.1% were non-natural deaths. The primary causes of death were circulatory disease (34.7%), cancer (17.8%), suicide (10.2%), respiratory disease (8.9%), and overdose (6.4%). Suicide and overdose accounted for 53.3% and 33.3% of non-natural deaths, respectively. The mean (SD) age at death was 52.4 (16.2) years, with individuals experiencing non-natural deaths being significantly younger than those experiencing natural deaths [39.1 (10.5) vs. 55.5 (15.7), p < 0.001]. Among individuals incarcerated for drug-related offences, 23.8% died from non-natural causes, with drug overdose accounting for 60% of non-natural deaths. A significant peak in mortality was observed in 2013. This study emphasizes the need to closely monitor mortality rates, including drug-related fatalities, to implement suicide prevention training as well as measures to prevent deaths by overdose, including comprehensive harm reduction strategies, overdose education, and naloxone training.

Independent mental health homicide inquiries in England are required to comment on predictability and preventability and attribute causation. National commissioning bodies do not provide definitions. This study examines how predictability and preventability were determined, and causality attributed, by independent mental health homicide inquiries published in England between 2010 and 2023. The conceptual underpinnings of predictability and preventability in other specialities of medicine, and in suicide and homicide assessments in psychiatry are examined. We found 189 independent reports relating to mental health homicides, of which 162 independent homicide inquiries were included in the final analysis. No inquiry described how it attributed causation or addressed cognitive biases. A total of 130 of the 162 inquiries (80%) commented on either predictability or preventability: of these, only eight (6%) included a clear definition of predictability and preventability. Homicides were deemed predictable if the inquiry panel felt that the perpetrator's words or actions should have alerted professionals to a risk of significant violence; and preventable if the clinical team had knowledge, legal means, and opportunity to stop the homicide from occurring. 105 inquiries (81%) provided a firm view on both predictability and preventability. Of these, four homicides (4%) were deemed to be both predictable and preventable, ten (9%) were preventable but not predictable, five (5%) were predictable but not preventable, and 86 (82%) were neither predictable nor preventable. The implications of these findings are discussed, with recommendations to national commissioning bodies.

The incidence of fatal staircase accidents in Japanese households has remained consistent for several decades, with staircase dimension regulations seeing minimal revisions since their inception. Studies concurrently investigating the influence of staircase factors and user factors on staircase accidents, particularly in terms of severity, are lacking. This study examined how these factors influence the severity of accidents by means of an Internet-based questionnaire survey. A private company was tasked with conducting the survey, and logistic regression analysis, encompassing both staircase and user factors, was performed on 165 individuals in the mild injury group and 129 in the severe injury group from a pool of 6945 responses. The odds ratio (OR) of the severe injury group to the mild injury group was assessed. For staircase factors, the OR of severe injury was 2.16 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23-3.79) for straight stairs, with increased OR observed with a higher number of steps and wider staircases. Regarding user factors, the OR was 3.80 (95% CI: 1.29-11.14) for individuals with visual disturbance, with the OR escalating with age. This study suggests that in Japan, among the legally defined factors for stairways, limiting the installation of straight stairways and setting limits on stairway width can reduce the impact on the severity of accidents. And, of course, it is crucial to promote the use of alternatives, especially among high-risk users.

This article explores the development and application of Italian case law since 2005 regarding the criminal responsibility of individuals with mental disorders, focusing on the landmark decision by the Joint Chambers of the Court of Cassation in the Raso case. This ruling transformed the interpretation of mental illness in the context of criminal responsibility. The article examines the impact of this shift, identifying diagnostic ambiguities and the challenges of applying the new standards, as well as the significant increase in insanity-related acquittals and the growing use of noncustodial preventive measures. The aim is to provide a critical overview of the legal and social consequences of these decisions, offering reforms and recommendations to improve the consistency and fairness of the Italian judicial system.

A number of the issues raised by Professor Kopelman in his Viewpoint are discussed and used to make recommendations that should enable psychiatrists better to assist the courts, uphold the expert witness's expectation of integrity, reduce the risk of judicial criticism and adverse publicity, provide clarity as to how to proceed when there is, or is perceived to be, a conflict between the duty as a doctor and the duty as an expert, particularly in cases involving safeguarding issues, and promote the medicolegal discourse necessary for the medical and legal professions to work together harmoniously in the interests of justice.