Forensic Medical Investigation Research Articles

FORENSIC MEDICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE VOLUME OF REPEATED TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (CASE FROM EXPERT PRACTICE)

Repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBI) pose a unique challenge for both clinical and forensic-medical investigations. The link between the consequences of repeated traumas and previous injuries can be extremely complex due to the similarity of symptoms and pathological changes observed in repeat injuries.
 Results. The case demonstrates that a severe closed TBI previously suffered by the victim could have contributed to the occurrence of intracranial complications upon subsequent TBI, leading to altered directions of cavitation waves as a result of head impacts and the formation of new contusional foci within previously affected areas, as well as the development of intracranial hemorrhages. The previously suffered severe traumatic brain injury should only be regarded as an unfavorable factor that did not serve as a condition for the development of the repeated TBI and was not causally linked to it but could have facilitated the formation of the extent of the repeated TBI.
 Conclusions. The presented case highlights that a comprehensive approach utilizing additional laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods allows for the differentiation of TBIs occurring at different time intervals. Further research on repeated traumatic brain injuries is necessary.

Automated wound segmentation and classification of seven common injuries in forensic medicine

In forensic medical investigations, physical injuries are documented with photographs accompanied by written reports. Automatic segmentation and classification of wounds on these photographs could provide forensic pathologists with a tool to improve the assessment of injuries and accelerate the reporting process. In this pilot study, we trained and compared several preexisting deep learning architectures for image segmentation and wound classification on forensically relevant photographs in our database. The best scores were a mean pixel accuracy of 69.4% and a mean intersection over union (IoU) of 48.6% when evaluating the trained models on our test set. The models had difficulty distinguishing the background from wounded areas. As an example, image pixels showing subcutaneous hematomas or skin abrasions were assigned to the background class in 31% of cases. Stab wounds, on the other hand, were reliably classified with a pixel accuracy of 93%. These results can be partially attributed to undefined wound boundaries for some types of injuries, such as subcutaneous hematoma. However, despite the large class imbalance, we demonstrate that the best trained models could reliably distinguish among seven of the most common wounds encountered in forensic medical investigations.

Prediction of criminal profiles based on forensic medical investigations in Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Background: Criminal profiles are also often referred to as psychological profiles or engagement profiles. Profile means a description the term profile to be discussed when discussing techniques and determining the possible characteristics of the debate about the results of research on crime itself. The following paper aims to present the case in predicting criminal profiles in Banda Aceh Indonesia based on forensic medical investigations. Case presentation: The victim is a male 16-year-old which is conducted a forensic medical examination. The result of forensic medical autopsy findings is the destruction of face-forming bones and skull fractures in the victim. According to the autopsy finding, the doctor concluded that the violence was carried out by someone who is powerful. The doctor states that the alleged criminal's profile consists of someone close to the victim, someone likely to be male, and someone who engaged in violence by using blunt objects. The police investigator is an Indonesian National Police in Banda Aceh district who has done the interview. The discussion with police investigators was conducted to predict the alleged perpetrator's profile. Based on the doctor's statement, the police conducted an investigation looking for the suspect, and the doctor's prediction was correct about the criminal profile of the perpetrator. During the trial, the panel of judges stated that the perpetrators used blunt objects to attack the victim. Conclusion: There is an association between the results of forensic medical examination, police investigations and facts at the trial in predicting the profiles of criminals.

The Case of the Peculiar Story: Medical Investigation and the Detective in Edgar Allan Poe and Marguerite Duras.

In "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), Poe invents the detective story in English, introducing his gentleman sleuth Auguste Dupin as he solves the locked-room mystery of two women found brutally murdered in a Paris apartment. In L'Amante Anglaise (1967), Duras revisits the detective form, fictionalizing the true 1949 crime of a woman murdering and dismembering her cousin in Viorne, France. These literary detective stories highlight the powerful but unspoken role of affective experience in driving what appears, on the surface, to be a forensic medical or psychological investigation. In both tales, peculiarity is an affective and cognitive force that, contrary to what the majority of affect literature argues, inherently moves toward resolution and closure. Using peculiarity as an analytical concept, we argue that the concealment / discovery binary must acknowledge its affective origins, breaking a barrier between narrative scholarship and medical practice.

Acute alcohol intoxication and alcohol expectancy effects on women's memory for consensual and non-consensual sexual activity.

To test whether acute alcohol intoxication and alcohol expectancy affects how accurately women remember consensual and non-consensual sexual activity that occurred during an interactive hypothetical dating scenario. A balanced placebo randomized study that varied alcohol dose (mean Breath Alcohol Content; BrAC = 0.06%) and alcohol expectancy prior to participants encoding a hypothetical interactive rape scenario was implemented. Participants could elect to consent to sexual activity with a male partner in the hypothetical scenario. If they stopped consenting, non-consensual sexual intercourse (i.e., rape) was described. Seven days later, participants' memory for consensual and non-consensual sexual activity in the scenario was tested. Memory accuracy, confidence, and feelings of intoxication. A total of 90 females (M age = 20.5, SD = 2.2) were tested regarding their memory accuracy for the consensual and non-consensual sexual activities in the scenario. A multi-level logistic regression predicting memory accuracy for the perpetrator's behaviors during the rape indicated no effect of alcohol intoxication. However, a main effect of alcohol expectancy was found, whereby participants who expected to consume alcohol, compared to those who did not, recalled the perpetrator's behaviors during the rape more accurately. A second regression predicting memory accuracy for consensual sexual activity found no main effects for alcohol intoxication or alcohol expectancy. Participants recalled consensual sexual activity with a high degree of accuracy. Calibration analyses indicated that accuracy increased with confidence level, regardless of intoxication level or alcohol expectancy condition, but that women tended to be overconfident in general. This study provides an important test of how accurately women remember consensual and non-consensual sexual activities. The accuracy of this information is important for forensic medical examinations and police investigations following an allegation of sexual assault. Increased memory accuracy was found for offence details when participants expected to consume alcohol, suggesting there may be important differences in attentional processes (e.g., hypervigilance) depending on whether threat is present. Further research is necessary to investigate memory for sexual violence in real-world settings and to test methods for ascertaining the most complete and reliable accounts.

Dynamics and structure of forensic medical investigations of violent death in St. Petersburg over the past 10 years

BACKGROUND: Among other things, changes in the structure of forensic medical expert material serve as an indicator of dynamic processes in society. The levels of injuries and violent and nonviolent death somehow depend on the state of the economy and health care in the region and the state as a whole. In recent years, the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was proclaimed as a pandemic with tangible social and economic damage to States, has been one of the determining factors. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of the volume and structure of violent death in the Russian Federation over the past 10 years, including the pandemic period, using the megalopolis example. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study reviewed the annual reports of the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination of St. Petersburg using data grouping, frequency analysis, correlation analysis, comparison, system analysis, and inductive generalization. RESULTS: Over the past 10 years, several significant changes have occurred in St. Petersburg in the scope and structure of forensic medical investigations of violent deaths. The main positive trend was a decreased absolute and relative number of cases of violent death. Statistically significantly (p 0.05) decreased number of cases of transport injuries, injuries resulting from the action of blunt and sharp objects, gunshot, thermal injury, and mechanical asphyxia, as well as poisoning with ethanol and carbon monoxide, significantly decreased infant mortality, and fewer unidentified and unclaimed corpses were observed. Additionally, a steady increase in the number of drug poisoning was found, and the fatal injury level due to falling from a height remained consistently high. The background incidence of COVID-19 in 2020 was 2.43.2%. CONCLUSION: The proportion of cases of falling from a height, thermal burns, and strangulation with a noose increased among the dead with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, and transport (primarily rail), gunshot and explosive injuries, cases of drowning, poisoning with drugs, and alcohol detection in the biological environments of the body of the victims were less common.

Role of the Health System and Forensic Medical Investigations in Proving Domestic Violence

Role of the Health System and Forensic Medical Investigations in Proving Domestic Violence

Pattern of mortality and pathomorphology patterns in lungs according to the materials of forensic medical examination of COVID-19 deceased (March-December 2020)

The objective was to study the pattern of mortality and pathomorphological changes in lungs according to the forensic medical investigation of the corpses of the persons who died at the age of 37 to 60 years and older from COVID-19 outside healthcare facilities with no symptoms according to the catamnesis data. Eighty-nine autopsy samples taken from patients with COVID-19 confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the Thanatology Department of the Republican Center of Forensic Medicine for March-December 2020 were analyzed. Pathomorphological changes in the lungs corresponded to different phases of diffuse alveolar injury (DAI) development. During the exudative phase, edema, sloughing of the alveolar epithelium, presence of hyaline membranes, and thrombohemorrhagic events were predominant. In the proliferative phase, fibrin and fibrin-like deposits in alveoli, interalveolar septa thickening, excessive growth of conjunctive tissue in the interalveolar septa, pronounced fatty liver dystrophy, severe myocardium edema were observed.

Examining the use of different sample types following decomposition to estimate year of death using bomb pulse dating

When human remains are discovered, confirming the identification of the decedent is the first part of the forensic medical investigation. In cases where the remains are skeletonised or badly decomposed, differential preservation often increases the difficulty of this task. Bomb pulse dating, which directly compares levels of 14 C within human tissues to atmospheric levels, can provide an estimate of the year of death, which may assist in the identification process. This study measured the 14 C content in samples of hair, nail and puparia collected from donors at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER). The radiocarbon results demonstrated that the nail samples provided the most accurate year of death estimation, with 91% correctly predicting YOD, closely followed by hair, with a 79% correct prediction rate, with both hair and nails having a lag time of 0–1 years. This is consistent with the time taken for atmospheric CO 2 to enter the food chain, and be taken in by humans. Puparia was found to have the highest levels of 14 C, and was the least consistent with the actual YOD (46% correct). However, predicted YOD ranges were still within 4 years of the actual YOD. Based on the results of this study, hair, nail and puparia should be considered as useful samples to obtain accurate estimates for YOD using bomb pulse dating.

Beyond the visible spectrum \u2013 applying 3D multispectral full-body imaging to the VirtoScan system

Multispectral photography offers a wide range of applications for forensic investigations. It is commonly used to detect latent evidence and to enhance the visibility of findings. Additionally, three-dimensional (3D) full-body documentation has become much easier and more affordable in recent years. However, the benefits of performing 3D imaging beyond the visible (VIS) spectrum are not well known, and the technique has not been widely used in forensic medical investigations. A multicamera setup was used to employ multispectral photogrammetry between 365 and 960 nm in postmortem investigations. The multicamera setup included four modified digital cameras, ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) light sources and supplemental lens filters. Full-body documentation was performed in conjunction with the use of a medical X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner to automate the imaging procedure. Textured 3D models based on multispectral datasets from four example cases were reconstructed successfully. The level of detail and overall quality of the 3D reconstructions varied depending on the spectral range of the image data. Generally, the NIR datasets showed enhanced visibility of vein patterns and specific injuries, whereas the UV-induced datasets highlighted foreign substances on the skin. Three-dimensional multispectral full-body imaging enables the detection of latent evidence that is invisible to the naked eye and allows visualization, documentation and analysis of evidence beyond the VIS spectrum.

Прагматическая специфика цветообозначений человеческого тела в тексте судебно-медицинского исследования

This article is devoted to the pragmatic specifics of the color designations of the human body in the text of a forensic medical investigation. The forensic post-mortem investigation text includes data on external and internal research, special attention is paid to the designation of the color of the human body, its parts, organs, injuries and other phenomena discovered during the research, because these data can be important for determining the cause of death, time of death and resolution of other questions posed to the expert. A reliable color identification of these objects and their sufficient description in the text of the conclusion is one of the criteria for the completeness of the forensic medical examination. Texts of this type, despite their great social significance, are insufficiently studied with regard to pragmatics and rarely become objects of linguistic research. The purpose of this article is to identify pragmatic specifics of the selection of human bodies’ color designations in the text of a forensic medical investigation through their structural and semantic analysis. The main research methods are the continuous sampling method for highlighting color designations; quantitative analysis to single out the most frequent lexemes, structural and semantic analysis. Out of 20 texts of forensic medical expertise, with the help of continuous sampling we found 1173 color designations represented by 204 different lexemes. The following colors turned out to be the most frequent: темно-красный (dark red, 152), серый (gray, 79), желтоватый (yellowish, 45), сероватый (grayish, 39), белесоватый (whitish, 36), краснокоричневый and жёлтый (red-brown and yellow, 35 for each), серо-розовый (gray-pink, 31), бледно-серый (pale gray, 27), тёмный (dark, 23). These colors were most widely distributed: тёмно-красный (dark red, in 20 texts), желтоватый (yellowish, in 17 ones), белесоватый, серый and жёлтый (whitish, gray and yellow, in 16 ones), краснокоричневый (red-brown, in 15 ones), сероватый (grayish, in 14 ones), серо-розовый (gray-pink, in 12 ones), синюшный and бледный (cyanotic and pale, in 11 ones). Structural analysis showed the predominance of hue color designations over absolute ones; two- and three-component terms over single-component ones, and the widespread use of formants that specify the color intensity. The semantic analysis showed an insignificant number of color terms that have a metaphorical meaning, as well as complete absence of “authorisms” and stylistically colored color terms. Two main pragmatic intentions were established that characterize the selection of color terms in this type of text: on the one hand, it is due to the referent and the need to convey its color as accurately as possible with the lexical means of the Russian language, and on the other, the need to use only common lexemes.

The socio-demographic, clinical and forensic medical investigation of suicide attempts over 18 years old presented to a training and research hospital's emergency department: Izmir example

The socio-demographic, clinical and forensic medical investigation of suicide attempts over 18 years old presented to a training and research hospital's emergency department: Izmir example

The socio-demographic, clinical and forensic medical investigation of suicide attempts over 18 years old presented to a training and research hospital's emergency department: Izmir example

The socio-demographic, clinical and forensic medical investigation of suicide attempts over 18 years old presented to a training and research hospital's emergency department: Izmir example

Some questions regarding the administration and conduct of comprehensive accident investigations and forensic medical examinations

The purpose of the study is to consider the theoretical and practical questions of the administration and conduct of comprehensive forensic medical accident investigations, and on the basis of a determination of their particular characteristics, to outline prospects for their further development. The record of investigations of transportation accidents which we studied demonstrates that comprehensive technical and medical forensic investigations are generally called for. In this regard there is a need for an expansion of knowledge of investigations of transportation accidents that are not only limited to the specified forensic investigations. Technical and forensic medical investigations in aviation, marine, and railroad accidents should also be developed.

The structure of the fatal mechanical injury in Russia (the analysis of the materials for the period from 2003 to 2017)

The objective of the present work was to analyze the results and efficiency of forensic medical expertises and investigations of the cases of the fatal mechanical injury in Russia carried out during the period from 2003 to 2017. The analysis included the data on the structure and personnel scheduling charts of the departments of forensic medical expertise of the corpses in the state-governed forensic medical expertise institutions. It was shown that the structure of the fatal mechanical injury differs in different regions of the country: some of them are characterized by the predominance of blunt traumas whereas road traffic injuries prevail in others. In addition, the analysis of the regional distribution of the gunshot injuries was carried out.

The dynamics of the dimensional characteristics of the sella turcica in the subjects above 20 years of age

The objective of the present study was to determine the biological age of the unidentified dead subjects based on the morphometric characteristics of the sella turcica in comparison with other methods available for the purpose in order to narrow the range of the alleged ages of the human remains being examined. The parameters of the sella turcica were measured in the corpses immediately after cephalotomy provided no pathological changes could be identified in the sellar region. A total of 86 skulls of the Caucasoid subjects representing the Eastern-Slavic group at the age varying from 22 to 87 years were available for the examination. The study has demonstrated the undulating dynamics of dimensional characteristics of the sellae turcica during the course of a lifetime. The regression analysis was employed to predict the age of the subjects above 22 years of age based on the measurements of the length and depth of the sella turcica and to classify the sample of interest within a given age period. It is concluded that the morphometric characteristics of the sells turcica can be used as the additional clues for the purpose of age determination in forensic medical investigations.

Forensic medical expertise in Saint-Petersburg in the period from the XVIII and the early XX centuries: the sources and organization of the forensic medical expert activity

This article contains information about the organization of the forensic medical expert investigation in the city of Saint-Petersburg since the time of its foundation. The sources of origin of the first Russian service of forensic medical expertise as a component of the state-supported healthcare system, as exemplified by the Saint-Petersburg state healthcare institution 'Bureau of Forensic Medical Expertise', are described.

The diagnostic value of forensic imaging in fatal gunshot incidents: A review of literature

Abstract Introduction Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) and post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMR) are frequently used as an addition to autopsy. However, there is no research that determined the diagnostic value of these imaging techniques in forensic cases. The aim of this review is to evaluate the available literature with regard to the correlation between autopsy and imaging findings in the forensic investigation of gunshot victims to arrive at an the diagnostic value of PMCT and PMMR. Materials & methods The review process was set out as a systematic review according to the Cochrane guidelines. A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify studies comparing autopsy and imaging techniques after fatal gunshot incidents. Autopsy and imaging techniques were compared for forensically relevant items: entrance wounds, exit wounds, trajectory of the bullet through the body, detection of metal fragments and identification of relevant injuries. The autopsy was the reference standard in all studies. Results In each study a minimum of one and a maximum of five items could be compared between the imaging techniques and the autopsy. In total seven studies complied with the inclusion criteria. The overall quality and level of detail of these studies did not allow for a formal meta-analysis. For the detection of the entrance wound five studies provide data and the correlation between imaging and autopsy was 100% in four studies, and 69.2% in one study. Five studies provide data on the exit wound and there was a 100% correlation in four, and 52.2% in one study. Six studies provide data on the bullet path and the correlation between techniques and autopsy was 100% in four studies and respectively 72.1% and 80% in the other two studies. For the detection of metal fragments three studies provide data and all these studies showed a 100% correlation between imaging and autopsy. Two studies provide data on detecting injuries with a correlation between imaging and autopsy of 100% and 87.2% respectively. Conclusion Despite the concerns on the quality of the reviewed studies, the literature shows that PMMCT has a high sensitivity in identifying the main forensic items in gunshot victims compared to the standard of reference; an autopsy. Forensic radiology and autopsy can be complementary in a forensic medical investigation.

TACTIC AND ALGORITHM OF FORENSIC MEDICAL INVESTIGATION IN CASES WITH MULTIPLE RIB FRACTURES. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Practical recommendations contains tactic and algorithm of forensic medical investigation in cases with multiple rib fractures

The efficient method for the forensic medical investigation of the thoracic wound channels for the reconstruction of the victim's body position at the moment of injury

The objective of the present study was the development of the expert action algorithm for the purpose of forensic medical expertise of a corpse with punctured, stab and slash, and gunshot wounds with the purpose of reconstruction of the victim's body position at the moment of injury. The following methods were proposed based on the results of the study: the method for the access to the internal organs of the corpse allowing to preserve the configuration of the thoracic wound channels during the full-scale autopsy for its subsequent evaluation and the method for the reconstruction of the initial shape of the wound channels in the body and the extremities and thereby to facilitate the forensic medical expertise examination of the corpse. In addition, the real-world examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach to the planning, organization, and performance of the expert actions for the purpose of the reconstruction of the victim's body position at the moment of injury.