Forensic Evaluation Research Articles

Актуальные проблемы экспертизы профессиональной нейросенсорной тугоухости у пилотов гражданской авиации

Occupational hearing loss in the civilian flight crew members prevails in the structure of occupational hearing loss. The study was aimed to assess errors made in forensic evaluation of flight personnel with hearing loss. A total of 213 definitive diagnoses of occupational hearing loss established in 2015–2021 were assessed. Expert errors were found in 73% of cases. The most common, typical errors were reported that were evident in 12 cases submitted for forensic evaluation. The main errors were as follows: incorrect assessment of the parameters of noise inside the aircraft cabin, lack of knowledge about the clinical and audiological features of noise-induced hearing loss, incorrect assessment of audiological indicators, underestimation of the role of comorbidities, etc. The findings showed that high proportion of occupational hearing loss in the civilian flight crew members was in large part due to imperfection of expert solutions resulting from the lack of knowledge about the basic criteria of the diagnosis and the relationship between the noise-induced hearing loss and profession. The major requirements for evaluation of the relationship between the noise-induced hearing loss and profession and the issues related to professional suitability set out in the current regulatory documents issued by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and seminal publications were not taken into account. The cornerstones of expert work on the issues of the relationship between the hearing organ disorder and profession in the civilian flight crew members were underestimated. This resulted in unsubstantiated professional unsuitability, disability among working-age people, and economic losses.

Contributions of Multimethod Personality Assessment in Indirect Evaluation

Indirect assessment is a useful tool in forensic evaluation, especially in cases of threat assessment. To this end, we illustrated the ability to conceptualize a complicated case (i.e., Theodore John Kaczynski) using an indirect approach, with a particular emphasis upon dimensional frameworks of personality. Raters who were unrelated to Mr. Kaczynski’s case and with expertise in relevant domains were asked to study information available in the public domain about Mr. Kaczynski and provide ratings using several assessment instruments. Our aim was not to provide a professional clinical opinion, but rather engage in scholarly discourse about the utility of instruments. Mr. Kaczynski was rated to demonstrate characteristics associated with lone actor terrorists. He showed an elevation on a measure of psychosis, and raters conceptualized trauma as an important aspect of his functioning. He demonstrated impairments in detachment and psychoticism (Criterion B of the AMPD) and interpersonal functioning (Criterion A of the AMPD). Clinical conceptualizations for Mr. Kaczynski emphasized schizotypal and paranoid personality disorders. This analysis of an infamous case about which considerable data are publicly available demonstrates the ease with which indirect and multimethod assessment can be applied and integrated in forensic assessment, using modern conceptualizations of personality pathology.

Forensic evaluation of cervical spine distortion injuries in non-fatal road traffic accidents: An observational study

Background. The study relevance is substantiated by the growing numbers of road vehicles and cervical spine traumas occurring among all spinal injuries. Currently, there is no common vision of the cervical trauma pathogenesis, diagnostic algorithm or treatment, which stipulates difficulties in the forensic evaluation of soft tissue injuries of the neck, especially combined with the head or spine traumas around neck, as well as certain diseases.Objectives. A study of the incidence of cervical spine distortion injuries and their clinical and forensic assessment for severity to human health.Methods. A retrospective selective single-stage trial and analysis of 32 forensic medical reports on road accident and physical injury administrative cases in 2017 (single year) have been conducted. Normally distributed data are presented as mean (M), standard deviation (SD) and percent shares. The significance of inter-share variation was estimated with Student’s t-test.Results. Cervical spine distortion injuries more frequently associated with traumas to drivers than passengers inside the salon (81.2%), especially in passenger vehicles, with front-seat travellers inflicted most often (60.0%). Cases of independent pathology were very rare. The most common were combinations with soft tissue injuries, combined blunt trauma to the head, torso and limbs, with craniocerebral or maxillofacial trauma. Cervical osteochondrosis was revealed in 18% cases. Primary diagnosis predominantly grounded on complaints and history (67%), with only 12% cases using a comprehensive neurological examination or instrumental methods. The severity was assessed in the context of concomitant injuries. Acute and moderate severity had equal rates of 6.2%, light severity — 37.5%, no damage — 9.3%. Non-qualified remained 39.8% cases due to a lack of full clinical and instrumental examination (66.7%) or the victim’s failure to appear (13.3%); 20% cases were expert-reported as uncertain for trauma circumstances and mechanism.Conclusion. Further research and systematisation of the data accumulated are necessary. The following clinical and forensic evaluation, as well as statistical analyses will facilitate common diagnostic and severity assessment algorithms to develop for mechanical soft tissue and ligament injuries of the cervical spine.

Translation, validity and reliability of decision style scale in forensic psychiatric setting in Indonesia

ObjectiveClinical reasoning as an essential skill for psychiatrists, especially in forensic psychiatry, relies on their thinking and decision-making skills. However, not all psychiatrists are aware of their decision-making styles. This study examines the validity and reliability of the Indonesian translation of the Decision Style Scale (DSS) instrument among general psychiatrists in the Indonesian forensic psychiatry setting. MethodThis is a cross-sectional study involving 32 general psychiatrists from all nine psychiatric residency training centers in Indonesia. The study was conducted between August 2020 and February 2021. The translation process involved certified independent translators. The validity was tested using Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI), Scale-Level Level Content Validity Index (S-CVI), and item-total correlation. Internal consistency reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha. ResultsAfter translation, the instrument was sent back and received feedback from the original authors of DSS. The final version of DSS was valid with an I-CVI score of 0.84–1 and an S-CVI score of 0.99. All but one item had a corrected item-total correlation of more than 0.30. The reliability test of DSS also showed acceptable results with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.43–0.83, and an overall internal consistency score of 0.83 and 0.62 for intuitive and rational scales, respectively. ConclusionDSS serves as a valid, reliable, and readily-available tool to measure psychiatrists' decision-making styles in forensic psychiatry settings. Enhancing psychiatrists’ awareness of their decision-making styles may help in mitigating the risk of bias in forensic psychiatry evaluations.

Forensic veterinary diagnosis of dog’s fatal poisoning with anticoagulant rodenticide – bromadiolone

One of the objects of the forensic veterinary examination is the animal’s corpses, the death of which occurred suddenly, or from violent actions, including cruel treatment. A variation of the manifestation of cruelty to animals is their deliberate poisoning. Among the wide variety of toxic substances, pesticides, including rodenticides, occupy a significant place. The aim of the study was to develop an algorithm for forensic veterinary diagnostics and evaluation of dog corpses in case of their sudden death from poisoning with anticoagulant rodenticide – bromadiolone. The objects of the study were the seven dog’s corpses, on which a forensic veterinary examination was carried out for the period from 2010 to 2021 with a clinical diagnosis of acute poisoning with lethal fleeting consequences from poisoning with anticoagulant rodenticide – bromadiolone, established during life. The article shows that the general algorithm for the forensic veterinary examination of the corpse of an animal whose death occurred from poisoning includes the following steps: establishing a list of objects provided for research and information about their condition, conditions for conducting forensic veterinary research, applied methods of studies, their registration numbers (if any); study of the case and the animal’s death anamnesis circumstances; study of veterinary documents and individual case materials related to the examination or provided to the expert additionally at his request; forensic veterinary examination of an animal corpse; study of registration data; external examination of the corpse of an animal; internal examination of an animal corpse; additional studies of the corpse: chemical-toxicological, histological (cytological), microbiological, etc.; forensic veterinary diagnosis; synthesizing research; formulation of conclusions (results); formulation an expert opinion. The forensic veterinary diagnosis, established on the basis of the results of a forensic veterinary examination of the corpses of the dogs under examination, is formulated according to the established rubric structure: the main nosologicalunit and its fatal complication(internal bleeding – hematoperitoneum, hemothorax, bilateral pulmonary edema); accompanying nosological units (acute hemorrhagic gastroenterocolitis, acute hemorrhagic endocarditis, general anemia, congestive venous hyperemia of the kidneys, liver and spleen); background nosological units (undifferentiated hepatopathy and nephropathy, chronic pancreatitis, polyarthritis). The positions of the formulated forensic veterinary diagnosis indicate that they are generally characteristic of acute poisoning. The cytogram data analyzed in the article coincide with the data obtained during the forensic veterinary autopsy of animal corpses, indicating that the poison, from which the death of the dogs under examination occurred, belongs to the group of hemolytic toxins. A chemical-toxicological investigation of the contents of the stomach of the corpses of the dogs under expert identified the poisonous substance of the second generation of rodenticides – bromadiolone at a concentration of 10 mg/kg. A complex of investigations has proved that there is a direct necessary causal relationship between the dog’s death and the nature of the poisoning. Key words: forensic veterinary examination, animals, intoxication, poisonous substances, autopsy, chemical and toxicological research, algorithm.

Commodity evaluation of historical, artistic and technical photos

Introduction. Photography is one of the most important sources of objective historical information. The modern market of historical and artistic photos is active according to the indicators of sales at auctions. Problem. The issue of developing unified regulations for the independent evaluation of historical and artistic photos is a topical task in forensic examination, evaluation activities and market trade. The aim of the article is to describe the author’s approach to the analysis of the state of the market of historical, artistic and technical photographs, the application of a set of criteria for their independent commodity assessment and cost forecasting. Methods. A database of initial data on the value of artistic, historical and scientific photographs put up for public sale at the Violity auction, which consists of 100 photos samples, has been created. To approximate the observed indicators of the cost of hotographs, the author’s mathematical model is proposed, according to which the estimated cost indicators for specific examples are calculated. Results. The distribution of cost indicators of artistic, technical and historical photographs on the Ukrainian market is analyzed, and also three intervals with different tendencies to increase their value during the auction are distinguished. The parameters of the regression equation for predicting the value of photographs in the tasks of expert evaluation are calculated and two examples of evaluation are given. Conclusions. Based on a set of criteria, the evaluation of photographs put up for public sale was carried out. In the tasks of forecasting the value of artistic, historical and scientific photographs, it is advisable to rely on the results of analysis of the market of such objects. The method of forecasting the value of photographs based on their qualitative characteristics is the most effective in applied tasks to determine the level of possible losses of the owner in case of loss, insurance amounts and liquidation value. The issue is especially acute in connection with the hostilities in Ukraine and the destruction of regional fund materials of national, historical and public importance.

Cognitive Correlates of Impaired Testamentary Capacity in Alzheimer's Dementia.

Testamentary capacity (TC) is a legal construct about the ability to make or change a will. Although studies of financial and medical capacities have noted a strong association between capacity and cognition, no study has examined the cognitive correlates of TC in Alzheimer's disease (ad). Study participants were 22 cognitively healthy controls and 20 persons with mild to moderate ad who were administered a neuropsychological battery and the Testamentary Capacity Instrument (TCI), a new performance-based measure of TC. Both TCI Element and TCI Total scores were calculated. TCI Total scores were calculated for the purposes of expanding correlational analyses (i.e., Pearson's product-moment) and are not intended for forensic TC evaluations. Final predictors were identified using linear and logistic regression modeling. All ad participants but one obtained TCI Totals that fell >2.5 standard deviations below the control group mean. Initial cognitive correlates of TCI performance were measures of general cognition, language, verbal memory, executive function, and processing speed. The four cognitive variables showing the highest t values and correlating with TCI Total score > 0.7 were entered into logistic and linear regression models. Final predictor models consisted of measures of verbal memory, executive function, and semantic knowledge and demonstrated shared variance of 0.71 (linear) and 0.82 (logistic). A diagnosis of ad dementia is associated with clinical impairment in TC and associated cognitive abilities and indicates that a legal assessment of TC is warranted. Second, the results offer insight into the cognitive basis of TC in persons with Alzheimer's dementia.

Vaginal injuries after consensual sexual intercourse — a survey among office-based gynecologists in Hamburg, Germany

Studies on the occurrence of injuries following consensual sexual intercourse (CSI) among patients treated by office-based gynecologists are lacking. This survey aimed to assess the presence and medical relevance of vaginal injuries after CSI in gynecological office-based practice, associated risk factors, and their significance for forensic medical assessment practice. All office-based gynecologists in Hamburg, Germany (n = 316), were asked to fill in a one-page questionnaire via a fax survey. The questionnaire covered various aspects such as having observed CSI-related injuries, injury severity, risk factors, and concomitant factors (bleeding, need for surgical care, hospitalization). Response rate was 43.2% (n = 115). Overall, 83.5% of office-based gynecologists reported having observed vaginal injuries after CSI at least once and 59.1% repeatedly. Regarding maximum injury severity, 52.1% observed mucosal erosions, 32.3% mucosa penetrating injuries, and 14.6% injuries penetrating the vagina. Having observed bleeding was reported by 56.3%, 28.1% had to perform surgical suture care, and hospital admission was initiated by 20.8%. Menopause (37.5%), use of objects (19.8%), alcohol, and/or drug use (16.7%) were reported as the most frequently observed associated risk factors. Vaginal injuries after CSI have been observed by the majority of office-based gynecologists in Hamburg involving a wide spectrum of severity, including the necessity of surgical care and hospital admission. Complementing published work in clinical and emergency medicine, these findings are highly relevant to the forensic evaluation of injuries in an allegation of sexual assault, as the severity of a vaginal injury in this setting does not necessarily support a conclusion on the issue of consent.

Extreme emotional disturbance: Legal frameworks and considerations for forensic evaluation.

A significant minority of jurisdictions in the United States offer extreme emotional disturbance (EED) as a partial defense to murder. The form of this defense, as established by statute and case law, varies widely among jurisdictions. Empirical research on EED is scant with little guidance to forensic mental health professionals on how to approach and conceptualize potential EED cases. This paper addresses these issues by being the first known published work to (1) set forth a contemporary map of the varying definitions and scope of EED across the United States, (2) translate legal terminology into constructs accessible to forensic evaluators, and (3) provide legal and clinical analyses of sample EED cases to highlight key differences in the form of the defense and the admissibility of evidence between jurisdictions.

Immigration Judges' Perceptionsof Telephonic and In-Person Forensic Mental Health Evaluations.

Clinicians affiliated with medical human rights programs throughout the United States perform forensic evaluations of asylum seekers. Much of the best practice literature reflects the perspectives of clinicians and attorneys, rather than the viewpoints of immigration judges who incorporate forensic reports into their decision-making. The purpose of this study was to assess former immigration judges' perspectives on forensic mental health evaluations of asylum seekers. We examined the factors that immigration judges use to assess the affidavits resulting from mental health evaluations and explored their attitudes toward telehealth evaluations. We conducted semistructured interviews in April and May 2020 with nine former judges and systematically analyzed them using consensual qualitative research methodology. Our findings were grouped in five domains: general preferences for affidavits; roles of affidavits in current legal climate; appraisal and comparison of sample affidavits; attitudes toward telephonic evaluations; and recommendations for telephonic evaluations. Forensic evaluators should consider the practice recommendations of judges, both for telephonic and in-person evaluations, which can bolster the usefulness of their evaluations in the adjudication process. To our knowledge, this is the first published study to incorporate immigration judges' perceptions of forensic mental health evaluations, and the first to assess judges' attitudes toward telephonic evaluations.

Emergency mental health care for chi̇ldren and adolescents outside of regular working hours: 7 years outcomes from a tertiary hospital.

This study aims to define the clinical characteristics and management strategies of children and adolescents presenting with psychiatric crises to the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary health care facility outside of working hours, and to identify predictors of multiple ED visits among them. From January 2012 to December 2018, retrospective records of patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms to the ED and examined by a child psychiatrist after 5p.m. on weekdays and for 24h on weekends and public holidays were analyzed. Our sample consisted of 1576 visits and 1364 patient (Female:Male=1.8:1, mean age=14.86±2.72). The most common reason for visits was self-injurious thought or behaviors (SITB), and the most common diagnosis was depression. While depression was statistically more common in girls, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and/or intellectual disability (ASD/ID), psychotic disorders, and bipolar disorder were more common in boys. The forensic evaluation was the most common reason for visits among children younger than 6 years old. Of visits, 23% transferred to hospitalization. A history of mental health contact was the lowest in depression (37.5%), psychosis (34.1%), and substance use disorders (33%). Of patients, 10.8% had multiple visits. A history of mental health contacts, conduct disorder, ASD/ID, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, and dissociative disorder were predictors of multiple visits to ED with psychiatric reasons. Emergency mental health care outside of regular working hours can be a critical step in the diagnosis and treatment of serious psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.

Occupational Hazards versus Professional Duty in Reviewing Potentially Traumatizing Evidence.

Electronic evidence, including real-time recordings of crimes by police cameras and smart phones, is becoming increasingly relevant to the practice of forensic psychiatry. A developing literature in fields parallel to our own has described vicarious trauma experienced by mental health and legal professionals exposed to traumatic material in the line of duty. The impact of potentially traumatizing media on the forensic psychiatric evaluation and on the individual forensic psychiatrist is unknown. Calling upon the research and practices of adjacent fields, as well as the personal experience of the authors, this article outlines the benefits and hazards of examining graphic media, addresses potential strategies to mitigate its traumatogenic potential (including among trainees), and suggests how future scholarship may improve understanding of these hazards and inform strategies to prevent them.

Depression Detection Using Convolutional Neural Network

Abstract: Clinical depression is a type of soft biometric trait that can be used to characterize a person. Because of its importance in a variety of legal situations, this mood illness can be included in forensic psychological evaluations. In recent years, research into the automatic detection of depression based on medical data has yielded a variety of algorithmic approaches and auditory indicators. Machine learning algorithms have recently been used successfully in a variety of applications. Automatic depression recognition - the recognition of expressions linked with sad behavior is one of the most important applications. Modern algorithms for detecting depression usually look at both geographical and temporal data separately. This research introduces a novel machine learning strategy for accurately representing face information associated to depressive behaviors from real-world medical data. Our suggested architecture outperforms state- of-the-art algorithms in automatic depression recognition, according to results from two benchmark datasets. Keywords: Depression recognition, deep learning, deep neural network.

The profile of offenders accused of rape referred to the Observation Ward of the Free State Psychiatric Complex, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2011-2015.

BackgroundSexual assault in South Africa has reached alarming proportions. Mental illness amongst offenders accused of rape is one of the complicating factors.AimTo describe the sociodemographic, clinical and forensic profile of alleged offenders accused of rape referred to a South African tertiary public psychiatric hospital for forensic evaluation, as well as describe the profile of the reported victims.SettingFree State Psychiatric Complex (FSPC) Observation Ward, Bloemfontein, South Africa.MethodsThis cross-sectional retrospective study compiled a sociodemographic, clinical and forensic profile of offenders accused of rape referred to the FSPC for forensic assessment between 2011 and 2015. The study population comprised 159 alleged offenders. Sociodemographic data, mental status, clinical diagnoses, comorbid substance use and forensic outcomes were collected from clinical files.ResultsAll accused offenders were male with a median age of 30 years. About half obtained primary school level education. Unemployment was common (37.3%) with 40% receiving government grants. Most accused offenders were single (78.0%). Clinically, schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders were the most common diagnoses (30.8%), followed by intellectual disability (16.3%). Almost a third of the accused offenders did not suffer from any mental illness. Alcohol (20.1%) and cannabis use disorders (12.6%) were dominant comorbidities. After a 30-day evaluation period, 53.2% of alleged offenders were found competent to stand trial. The verdict of criminal responsibility was made for 43.7% of this sample.ConclusionThis study contributes data on sociodemographics, psychiatric morbidities and comorbidities and forensic findings amongst alleged offenders of rape referred for forensic assessment.

A multidisciplinary approach in pre-pubertal child sexual assault cases – forensic evaluation and suggestions

BackgroundChild sexual assault is highly prevalent in India yet a handful cases are reported under POCSO (Protection against child sexual offenses) Act, 2012. Even though the victims’ testimony alone is enough to arrest accused as regulated by the Supreme Court but forensic evidence is still critical for sentencing rapists. A systematic evaluation of such cases will estimate impact of Child sexual assault (CSA) and pinpoint important aspects required for progression of prevention strategies and provision of support. Method and objectivePresent study reviewed cases pertaining pre-pubertal victims (up to 10 years age). Study included simple descriptive analysis of data highlighting significance of different variables in sexual assault cases involving child victims- perpetration, interventions, medical examination and forensic DNA analysis with the aim to improve primary preventive strategies and identify potential setbacks obstructing road to justice. ResultThe strengths and weaknesses of pre-pubertal sexual assault assessment were identified. This study analyzed socio-economic backgrounds, age of alleged accused and whether known to the victim. Frequently reported type of abuse was assessed and total reviewed cases that yielded DNA profile from exhibits of victims and alleged accused were determined. ConclusionAs emerged in present study, pre-pubertal CSA is a complicated phenomenon grounded in interplay between societal influences, family support, evidence collection, legal delays, and medical hindrances that greatly affect DNA analysis. Prevalence of CSA is evidently alarming and demands stringent measures to be taken to prevent and control it. Joint and multidisciplinary assessment is important for forensic reporting rather than solo assessment.

Analysis of the role of PMCT during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

ObjectivesDuring COVID-19 pandemic PMCT has been proposed as a forensic investigation method. This systematic review is aimed to systematize evidence and peer-reviewed opinions reported during the first two years of pandemic, to evaluate the role of PMCT during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methodsAn online literature search was performed to identify publications on PMCT during the COVID-19 pandemic between December 2019 and March 2022. For each publication included, the following data were collected: title and abstract, year of publication, type of article, number and type of individuals examined. The selected publications were also categorized based on PMCT findings, histopathological results, the comparison between PMCT and histopathological findings, cause of death and proposed role of PMCT during the pandemic.ResultsA total of 20 publications were included, mostly case reports (9/20). All cases examined included adults. The most frequent PMCT pattern in positive cases was diffuse mixed densities with prevalence of consolidations (pattern 1) (54%). In 97% of the cases where a comparison between PMCT and histological results was performed, a correspondence was found. In 82% of the cases the principal cause of death was COVID-19 pneumonia. PMCT has been proposed as a pre-autopsy screening tool in 62%, and as a method for augmenting post-mortem data in 50% of the papers reporting this issue.ConclusionThis systematic review suggests that PMCT should be regarded as a highly valuable investigative technique for the forensic evaluation of deaths with ascertained or suspected COVID-19 pneumonia.

Evaluation of maxillofacial traumatic injuries severity based on STL models

To verify the possibility of using *.stl models for the assessment of maxillofacial traumatic injuries by FISS and MFISS severity scores in the remote mode of forensic evaluation. Quantitative assessment of maxillofacial traumas was made by facial injury severity score (FISS) and maxillofacial injury severity score (MFISS) among 27 patients who have undergone CBCT after road-traffic accidents. Initially, FISS and MFISS scores were estimated based on clinical examination, medical documentation, and obtained X-ray data-sets (FISS1 and MFISS1). *.dcm-files of patients were converted into *.stl-files via InVesalius software (CTI, Brazil) and sent to the forensic dental experts with all the needed descriptive information regarding clinical characteristics of maxillofacial traumas, but without access to original *.dcm files. In remote mode, experts estimated injury severity by FISS2 and MFISS2 scores. Mean scores for maxillofacial traumatic injuries based on clinical examination, medical documentation, and obtained X-ray data-sets were following: 3.54±1.03 and 16.29±5.21 for FISS1 and MFISS1 respectively; while mean FISS2 and MFISS2 scores were 2.98±1.74 and 13.32±8.73, respectively. Statistical correspondence between FISS1 and FISS2 scores reached r=0.84 (р<0.05), while such correspondences between MFISS1 and MFISS2 scores reached 0.92 (р<0.05). Even though analysis of stl-files obtained from patients with maxillofacial traumatic injuries provoked underestimation of FISS and MFISS scores with an increase of standard errors deviations, such a digital approach also provides the possibility for quick assessment of preliminary trauma severity by a forensic dental expert in the remote mode of evaluation.

Evaluating an Expedited Process to Assess Fitness to Stand Trial in Canada

In this study, we investigated the potential benefits of using an alternative approach for completing court ordered fitness to stand trial assessments in a Canadian forensic mental health service. Using file information, court databases, and an economic analysis, we compared a hospital-based model of evaluation to a court clinic model in a sample of 96 accused persons from 2013 to 2017. Results revealed a significantly shorter time period for forensic report completion in the court clinic group, but no difference in criminal case processing time between groups. There was a higher rate of accused persons opined to be unfit to stand trial in the court clinic group (25.9%) compared to the hospital-based model (7.7%). Report quality varied somewhat between groups, with forensic assessment reports citing mental disorder and relevant case law more often in the court clinic model. Economic analyses indicated there was a marked cost savings associated with completing assessments at court instead of hospital. Our findings suggest there are several benefits for forensic mental health systems in utilizing community-based models of forensic evaluation.

Forensic neuropsychology: History and current status

Objective:This review provides a summary of historical details and current practice activities related to Forensic Neuropsychology (FN). Under the auspices of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN), the Forensic Neuropsychology Special Interest Group (FNSIG) views the FN as a subspecialty, which has developed over time as the straightforward result of more than 20 years of numerous publications, extensive continuing education, focused research and growth of forensic practice within neuropsychology. In this article, the FNSIG core work group documents and integrates information that is the basis of efforts to consolidate practice knowledge and facilitate attainment of forensic practice competencies by clinical neuropsychologists. Method:Overview of continuing education topics at professional conferences, search results that identify relevant books and peer-reviewed publications, as well as pertinent findings across years of large-scale national survey results. Results:Relevant evidence has shown for decades that FN is prominent within Clinical Neuropsychology as practiced in the United States and Canada. A majority of U.S. neuropsychologists have received FN training and provide forensic evaluation services. FN practice time per week is considerable for many practitioners, and across survey epochs has been shown to be increasing. Conclusion:The present review leads to the conclusion that in the interest of promoting the acquisition of competence, FN practice should remain a focal point of training and continuing education. Alternate routes to attain competence are discussed, as are ongoing professional activities that undoubtedly will ensure continued growth of, and interest in, the subspecialty of FN.

Isometric artifacts from polymerase chain reaction-massively parallel sequencing analysis of short tandem repeat loci: An emerging issue from a new technology?

The recent introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technologies in forensics has changed the approach to allelic short tandem repeat (STR) typing because sequencing cloned PCR fragments enables alleles with identical molecular weights to be distinguished based on their nucleotide sequences. Therefore, because PCR fidelity mainly depends on template integrity, new technical issues could arise in the interpretation of the results obtained from the degraded samples. In this work, a set of DNA samples degraded in vitro was used to investigate whether PCR‐MPS could generate “isometric drop‐ins” (IDIs; i.e., molecular products having the same length as the original allele but with a different nucleotide sequence within the repeated units). The Precision ID GlobalFiler NGS STR panel kit was used to analyze 0.5 and 1 ng of mock samples in duplicate tests (for a total of 16 PCR‐MPS analyses). As expected, several well‐known PCR artifacts (such as allelic dropout, stutters above the threshold) were scored; 95 IDIs with an average occurrence of 5.9 IDIs per test (min: 1, max: 11) were scored as well. In total, IDIs represented one of the most frequent artifacts. The coverage of these IDIs reached up to 981 reads (median: 239 reads), and the ratios with the coverage of the original allele ranged from 0.069 to 7.285 (median: 0.221). In addition, approximately 5.2% of the IDIs showed coverage higher than that of the original allele. Molecular analysis of these artifacts showed that they were generated in 96.8% of cases through a single nucleotide change event, with the C > T transition being the most frequent (85.7%). Thus, in a forensic evaluation of evidence, IDIs may represent an actual issue, particularly when DNA mixtures need to be interpreted because they could mislead the operator regarding the number of contributors. Overall, the molecular features of the IDIs described in this work, as well as the performance of duplicate tests, may be useful tools for managing this new class of artifacts otherwise not detected by capillary electrophoresis technology.