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An effective method for preparing histological sections of blow fly intra-puparial stages for minimum PMI estimations
We present here an effective method for the preparation of histological sections of blow fly intra-puparial stages, maximising the paraffin infiltration while enabling the production of clean and entire sections that allow for the use of reliable age-specific morphological markers, thus improving the accuracy ofminPMI estimations when access to more costly techniques is not feasible. (Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine)
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - April 9, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

External post-mortem examination in virtual reality —scalability of a monocentric application
AbstractConducting external post-mortem examinations is an essential skill required of physicians in various countries, regardless of their specialization. However, the quality of these examinations has been a subject of continuous debates, and notable errors were reviled. In response to these shortcomings, a virtual reality (VR) application was developed at Halle's medical department in Germany, focusing on the scene of discovery and the completion of death certificates. The initial trial of this VR application in 2020 involved 39 students and 15 early-career professionals. Based on the feedback, the application underwent...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - April 9, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Prediction model for anabolic androgenic steroid positivity in forensic autopsy cases – a new tool to the autopsy room
AbstractNon-prescription use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) is associated with an increased risk of premature death. However, these substances are seldom screened in connection with forensic cause-of-death investigation, unless the forensic pathologist specifically suspects use, often based on a positive AAS use history. Since AAS use is often concealed from others, this practice may lead to mistargeting of these analyses and significant underestimation of the true number of AAS positive cases undergoing forensic autopsy. Thus, more accurate diagnostic tools are needed to identify these cases. The main objective of ...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - April 8, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Skin simulants for wound ballistic investigation – an experimental study
AbstractGunshot wound analysis is an important part of medicolegal practice, in both autopsies and examinations of living persons. Well-established and studied simulants exist that exhibit both physical and biomechanical properties of soft-tissues and bones. Current research literature on ballistic wounds focuses on the biomechanical properties of skin simulants. In our extensive experimental study, we tested numerous synthetic and natural materials, regarding their macromorphological bullet impact characteristics, and compared these data with those from real bullet injuries gathered from medicolegal practice. Over thirty ...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - April 3, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Development of a protocol for standardized use of a water-soluble contrast agent with polyethylene glycol in post-mortem CT angiography
AbstractComputed tomography angiography (PMCTA) is increasingly used in postmortem cases. Standardized validated protocols permit to compare different PMCTA images and make it more easily to defend a case in court. In addition to the well-known technique by Grabherr et al. (2011) which is using paraffin oil as a carrier substance, water-soluble polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200) can be used in combination with the contrast agent Accupaque ® 300. As to date, there exists no standardized protocol for the use of this contrast agent mixture, the aim of this study was to develop a protocol using it. Between 2012 and 2022, 23 PMC...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - April 3, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Longitudinal visibility of MRI findings in living victims of strangulation
AbstractInitial experiences with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of living strangulation victims demonstrated additional findings of internal injuries compared to the standard clinical forensic examination. However, existing studies on the use of MRI for this purpose mostly focused on the first 48  h after the incident. The aims of this study were (a) to evaluate the longitudinal visibility of MRI findings after violence against the neck by performing two MRI examinations within 12 days and a minimum of four days between both MRI scans and (b) to assess which MRI sequences were most helpful for the detection of injuries....
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - April 2, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

A critical review of “Artificial intelligence in the practice of forensic medicine: a scoping review”
(Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine)
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - April 1, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Prosecuting cases of abusive head trauma in Switzerland: a descriptive study of the impact of medical documentation and delay of reporting on judicial outcome
AbstractAbusive head trauma (AHT) is a criminal offence that is prosecuted ex officio, following report to the police from physicians or child protection services. The aim of this study was to assess whether the judicial outcome (dismissal vs indictment) was influenced by the quality of the medical documentation and/or the time span between AHT diagnosis and reporting child abuse to the police. The cohort was divided in two groups: 13/23 dismissals (57%) and 10/23 indictments (43%). The diagnostic probability of the AHT cases was certain for both groups. Nonetheless, in fraction of dismissed cases, alternative explanations...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - March 28, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Dental age assessment and dental scoring systems: combined different statistical methods
ConclusionA combination of the scoring systems as a protocol for dental age assessment in Portuguese nationality was established. Tables, for all the scoring systems used, were made with applicability in the Portuguese population. (Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine)
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - March 28, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Development of a screening system of gene sets for estimating the time of early skeletal muscle injury based on second-generation sequencing technology
This study demonstrates the advantages of the indicator screening system based on second-generation sequ encing technology and transcription factor level for wound age estimation. (Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine)
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - March 27, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Prioritizing a high posterior probability threshold leading to low error rate over high classification accuracy: the validity of MorphoPASSE software for cranial morphological sex estimation in a contemporary population
AbstractAn increasing number of software tools can be used in forensic anthropology to estimate a biological profile, but further studies in other populations are required for more robust validation. The present study aimed to evaluate the validity of MorphoPASSE software for sex estimation from sexually dimorphic cranial traits recorded on 3D CT models (n = 180) from three populations samples (Czech, French, and Egyptian). Two independent observers performed scoring of 4 cranial traits (2 of them bilateral) in each population sample of 30 males and 30 females. The accuracy of sex estimation using traditional posterior...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - March 26, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

New alginate-gelatine method for casting of staining inside firearm barrels
This study addresses this gap by searching for a suitable method to extract the traces within a casting. Using alginate or gelatine as suitable materials, the results were hampered by serious adhesion issues and their extraction out of the firearm barrel was impeded. Finally, the combination of 11% gelatine with 1% alginate, introduced into the barrel around a ‘central spine’, succeeded to consistently produce replicable castings. Experimental contact shots displayed a distinct staining gradient from the muzzle to the rear of the barrel, as revealed through endoscopy and proved in the macroscopic casting. The technique...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - March 23, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Immunohistochemical analysis of PDGFR- α for wound age determination
AbstractImmunohistochemical analysis of platelet-derived growth factor receptor- α (PDGFR-α) was performed on human skin wounds obtained from forensic autopsy cases. Thirty human skin wounds were collected at different post-infliction intervals as follows: Group I, 4 h to 3 days (n = 16); Group II, 4 to 7 days (n = 7); Group III, 9 to 10 days (n = 3); and Group IV, 14 to 20 days (n = 4). Immunopositive reactions for PDGFR-α were not observed in the uninjured human skin specimens. In a semi-quantitative morphometrical analysis, the number of PDGFR-α-positive cells was observed increased in Group II, wit...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - March 23, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Evaluation of the usefulness of insertion-null markers in critical skeletal remains
In conclusion, InnoTyper® 21 serves as a valuable complement to the analysis of challenging samples in cases where a poor or negative profile was obtained. (Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine)
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - March 20, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research

Commentary on Stigter H, Krap T, Gelderman T, Dijkhuizen L, Duijst WLJM. Technical note: practical application of post-mortem mechanical stimulation of skeletal muscle, a field study
(Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine)
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - March 20, 2024 Category: Medical Law Source Type: research