Search Results (386)

Background: Free fatal falls (FFF) represent a distinct form of blunt force trauma (BFT) that is frequently encountered in forensic practice. Distinguishing FFF injuries from other forms of BFT, such as motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), can pose challenges. Despite its growing usage, the role of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) in diagnosing FFF and its comparison with autopsy remains underexplored. Purpose: This review synthesizes fracture patterns in FFF, examining both extrinsic and intrinsic variables that influence skeletal injuries. It also compares PMCT and autopsy findings to establish a replicable database for forensic analysis. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were systematically searched by three independent reviewers. The inclusion criteria required studies to be published in English, report at least 10 cases, focus on fatal falls, and provide precise data on skeletal injuries. Studies lacking detailed descriptions, focusing on survivors, or involving non-free falls were excluded. Data extraction tables facilitated synthesis and analysis. Key Findings: FFF are characterized mainly by axial skeletal fractures, particularly of the chest, skull, and pelvis. A history of intoxication and psychiatric disorders often correlates with the manner of death. Fracture patterns vary by fall height, impact surface, and cause: accidental falls show greater chest and skull involvement, whereas suicidal falls present more pelvic and skull fractures. PMCT detects fractures more frequently than traditional autopsy. Conclusions: Distinct fracture patterns aid in differentiating suicidal from accidental FFF, shaped by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Given its superior fracture detection capabilities, PMCT should be integrated into forensic protocols for FFF investigations. Full article

Although cannabinoids have proven therapeutic benefits, they are increasingly known for their capacity to disturb cardiac electrophysiology, particularly in individuals with hidden genetic issues such as channelopathies. This review consolidates molecular, clinical, epidemiological, and forensic findings linking cannabinoid exposure to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. It examines how phytocannabinoids, synthetic analogs, and endocannabinoids influence calcium and potassium currents through cannabinoid receptor-dependent and -independent pathways, affect autonomic regulation, and contribute to adverse conditions such as oxidative stress and inflammation in heart tissue. Genetic variants in key genes linked to SCD (SCN5A, KCNH2, KCNQ1, RYR2, and NOS1AP) can reduce repolarization reserve, transforming otherwise subclinical mutations into lethal substrates when combined with cannabinoid-induced electrical disruptions. Forensic research highlights the importance of comprehensive toxicological testing and postmortem genetic analysis in distinguishing between actual causes and incidental findings. There is an urgent need to re-evaluate the cardiovascular safety of cannabinoids, and this is underscored by the findings presented. The merging of molecular, clinical, and forensic evidence reveals that cannabinoid exposure—especially from high-potency synthetic analogs—can reveal latent channelopathies and precipitate fatal arrhythmias. Accordingly, this review advocates for a paradigm shift toward personalized risk stratification. If genetic screening is integrated with ECG surveillance and controlled cannabinoid dosing, risk assessment can be personalized. Ultimately, forensic and epidemiological data highlight the heart’s vulnerability, emphasizing its role as a target of cannabinoid toxicity and as a crucial aspect of public health monitoring. Full article

Examiner overconfidence is a persistent challenge in the field of forensic science, where testimony overstating the validity of forensic techniques has contributed to numerous wrongful convictions. Scholars have proposed a new method for reducing examiner overconfidence (i.e., subjective confidence that exceeds objective accuracy): the forensic filler-control method. The forensic filler-control method, which includes known non-matching “filler” samples alongside the suspect’s sample, is theorized to reduce examiner overconfidence through the provision of immediate error feedback to examiners following match judgments on fillers. We conducted two experiments that failed to yield support for this claim. Among both an undergraduate student sample (Experiment 1) and a forensic science student sample (Experiment 2), the filler-control method was associated with worse calibration (C) and greater overconfidence (O/U) in affirmative match judgments than the standard method. Moreover, the filler-control method produced less accurate non-match judgments, undermining the exonerating value of forensic analysis (i.e., NPV). However, the filler-control method’s ability to draw false positive matches away from innocent-suspect samples and onto fillers produced more reliable incriminating evidence (i.e., PPV) compared to the standard procedure. Our findings suggest that neither the standard procedure nor the filler-control procedure offers a uniformly superior method of conducting forensic analysis. We suggest alternative procedures for enhancing both the inculpatory and exculpatory value of forensic analysis. Full article

Murder-suicide, also referred to as homicide-suicide, results in multiple casualties. The victims are typically human, and cases involving the inclusion of pets, sometimes termed “murder-suicide-peticide”, have been rarely reported worldwide. The aim of this study is to present and examine the characteristics of three forensic veterinary cases in which pets were found dead alongside human victims in suspected domestic murder-suicide incidents in Japan. We analyzed information provided by the police agency about the owners, families, and the animals, as well as necropsy findings of three cases. In all three cases, it was determined that both the human and animal victims died from the same cause, suggesting a tendency for perpetrators to kill pets using the same methods as those used on human victims. Murder-suicide is regarded as the most extreme form of domestic violence and abuse. Ongoing interdisciplinary research is essential for developing effective intervention strategies to protect vulnerable individuals, both human and non-human, within the household. Full article

Whether forensic disciplines have established foundational validity—sufficient empirical evidence that a method reliably produces a predictable level of performance—has become a question of growing interest among scientists and legal professionals. This paper evaluates the foundational validity of two sources of forensic evidence relied upon in criminal cases: eyewitness identification decisions and latent fingerprint examiners’ conclusions. Importantly, establishing foundational validity and estimating accuracy are conceptually and functionally different. Though eyewitnesses can often be mistaken, identification procedures recommended by researchers are grounded in decades of programmatic research that justifies the use of methods that improve the reliability of eyewitness decisions. In contrast, latent print research suggests that expert examiners can be very accurate, but foundational validity in this field is limited by an overreliance on a handful of black-box studies, the dismissal of smaller-scale, yet high-quality, research, and a tendency to treat foundational validity as a fixed destination rather than a continuum. Critically, the lack of a standardized method means that any estimates of examiner performance are not tied to any specific approach to latent print examination. Despite promising early work, until the field adopts and tests well-defined procedures, foundational validity in latent print examination will remain a goal still to be achieved. Full article

Personalized, scalable, and data-driven learning is now possible in cyber science education because of artificial intelligence (AI). This article examines how AI technologies, such as intelligent tutoring, adaptive learning, virtual labs, and AI assessments, are being included in cyber science curricula. Using examples and research studies published between 2020 and 2025 that have undergone peer review, this paper combines qualitative analysis and framework analysis to discover any similarities in how these policies were put into place and their effects. According to the findings, using AI in instruction boosts student interest, increases the number of courses finished, improves skills, and ensures clear instruction in areas such as cybersecurity, digital forensics, and incident response. Ethical issues related to privacy, bias in algorithms, and access issues are also covered in this paper. This study gives a useful approach that helps teachers, curriculum designers, and institution heads use AI in cyber education properly. Full article

Understanding human perceptual strategies in high-stakes environments, such as crime scene investigations, is essential for developing cognitive models that reflect expert decision-making. This study presents an immersive experimental framework that utilizes virtual reality (VR) and eye-tracking technologies to capture and analyze visual attention during simulated forensic tasks. A360° panoramic crime scene, constructed using the Nikon KeyMission 360 camera, was integrated into a VR system with HTC Vive and Tobii Pro eye-tracking components. A total of 46 undergraduate students aged 19 to 24–23, from the National University of Singapore in Singapore and 23 from the Central Police University in Taiwan—participated in the study, generating over 2.6 million gaze samples (IRB No. 23-095-B). The collected eye-tracking data were analyzed using statistical summarization, temporal alignment techniques (Earth Mover’s Distance and Needleman-Wunsch algorithms), and machine learning models, including K-means clustering, random forest regression, and support vector machines (SVMs). Clustering achieved a classification accuracy of 78.26%, revealing distinct visual behavior patterns across participant groups. Proficiency prediction models reached optimal performance with a random forest regression ($R^2$ = 0.7034), highlighting scan-path variability and fixation regularity as key predictive features. These findings demonstrate that eye-tracking metrics—particularly sequence-alignment-based features—can effectively capture differences linked to both experiential training and cultural context. Beyond its immediate forensic relevance, the study contributes a structured methodology for encoding visual attention strategies into analyzable formats, offering valuable insights for cognitive modeling, training systems, and human-centered design in future perceptual intelligence applications. Furthermore, our work advances the development of autonomous vehicles by modeling how humans visually interpret complex and potentially hazardous environments. By examining expert and novice gaze patterns during simulated forensic investigations, we provide insights that can inform the design of autonomous systems required to make rapid, safety-critical decisions in similarly unstructured settings. The extraction of human-like visual attention strategies not only enhances scene understanding, anomaly detection, and risk assessment in autonomous driving scenarios, but also supports accelerated learning of response patterns for rare, dangerous, or otherwise exceptional conditions—enabling autonomous driving systems to better anticipate and manage unexpected real-world challenges. Full article

Performance validity tests (PVTs) and symptom validity tests (SVTs) are central to evaluating neuropsychological test results in clinical adult ADHD assessments. Although their relationships have been widely examined, the constructs these measures assess remain poorly understood in applied contexts. This study investigates the conceptual similarities and distinctions of performance validity measures, i.e., the Groningen Effort Test (GET), the Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT), and the Amsterdam Short-Term Memory (ASTM) test, within a comprehensive diagnostic battery for adult ADHD. The diagnostic battery included symptom self-reports and a continuous performance test (CPT). Network and factor analyses investigated these relationships. A three-factor structure was hypothesized, consisting of (1) performance validity measures, (2) continuous performance measures, and (3) symptom reports (including embedded SVTs). Data from a large clinical referral sample (N = 461) of adults with suspected ADHD were analyzed to explore these constructs. Network analysis revealed that the PVTs did not form a cohesive network with CPT measures. Symptom reports, including embedded SVTs, formed their own cluster, separate from performance-based attention measures. Factor analysis rejected a unified construct of performance validity measures. Regression analysis showed that cognitive deficits, education level, and impulsivity predicted ASTM test performance, whilst the MSVT and GET did not. These findings suggest that PVTs should be interpreted in the context of ADHD assessment, particularly in high-stakes forensic evaluations, where the accuracy of performance evaluation is critical. Future research should explore multidimensional models of performance validity, addressing domain-specific underperformance and individual variability in ADHD evaluations. Full article

Background: In forensic anthropology, estimating stature is an essential part of constructing the biological profile of unknown individuals. While long bones are typically used for this purpose, they are often missing or incomplete in forensic contexts. Methods: This study examined the relationship between cranial and mandibular measurements and estimated stature in a sample of 84 identified adult (aged over 18 years) Portuguese skeletons (43 females and 41 males) from two osteological collections. Stature was estimated using Mendonça’s regression model based on humeral length. Four cranial and mandibular measurements were obtained, and intra- and interobserver reliability was assessed. Results: All variables showed statistically significant correlations with stature, although only the mandibular measurement—the distance between the mental symphysis and the mental foramen (SMFM)—and sex contributed significantly to the final regression model. The model explained 51.3% of the variance in stature. Conclusions: These findings suggest that SMFM, a stable mandibular marker, may serve as a useful supplementary indicator for stature estimation in cases where long bones are not available. Further studies with larger and more diverse samples are needed to validate these findings and evaluate their applicability across different populations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Substance use disorders and eating disorders frequently co-occur and are both associated with increased aggression. As a result, individuals with these conditions are overrepresented in prison populations. The present study investigated whether symptoms of eating disorders in male forensic psychiatric inpatients with substance use disorders are associated with heightened aggression. To this end, various forms of aggressive behavior—including spontaneous and reactive aggression, excitability, and violent offenses—were analyzed. Methods: Fifty-six male patients from two forensic psychiatric hospitals in Germany participated in the study. Symptoms of eating disorders were evaluated with the German version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), and aggression was measured with the Short Questionnaire for the Assessment of Aggression Factors (K-FAF) and by considering the violent index offense. Data were analyzed by generalized linear models, with age and body mass index (BMI) included as covariates. Results: Higher EDE-Q scores significantly predicted increased spontaneous aggression and excitability. However, no significant association was found between eating disorder symptoms and reactive aggression or the likelihood of a violent index offense. Age and BMI did not significantly influence any aggression subscales. Conclusions: The findings suggest that in patients with substance use disorder, eating disorder symptoms may be linked to heightened internalized forms of aggression. These results support the clinical relevance of screening for eating disorder symptoms in forensic psychiatric settings and integrating dietary interventions into therapeutic efforts to manage aggression. Full article

This paper examines Krivelj, a copper mining village in Serbia, as a critical yet overlooked node within global extractive networks. Despite supplying copper essential for renewable energy and sustainable architecture, Krivelj experiences severe ecological disruption, forced relocations, and socio-spatial destabilization, becoming a “sacrifice zone”—an area deliberately subjected to harm for broader economic interests. Employing a hybrid methodology that combines ethnographic fieldwork with Geographic Information Systems (GISs), this study spatializes narratives of extractive violence collected from residents through walking interviews, field sketches, and annotated aerial imagery. By integrating satellite data, legal documents, environmental sensors, and lived testimonies, it uncovers the concept of “slow violence,” where incremental harm occurs through bureaucratic neglect, ambient pollution, and legal ambiguity. Critiquing the abstraction of Planetary Urbanization theory, this research employs countertopography and forensic spatial analysis to propose a counter-cartographic framework that integrates geospatial analysis with local narratives. It demonstrates how global mining finance manifests locally through tangible experiences, such as respiratory illnesses and disrupted community relationships, emphasizing the potential of counter-cartography as a tool for visualizing and contesting systemic injustice. Full article

Background/Objectives: Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of death and disability. When traumatic brain injury is repeated over time, it can lead to the development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a chronic neurodegenerative disease commonly observed in individuals who engage in contact sports or military personnel involved in activities with a high risk of repeated head trauma. At autopsy, the examination of the brain reveals regional atrophy, corresponding to high concentrations of glutamate receptors. Microscopically, the primary findings are the deposition of neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads. The aim of this study is to highlight the clinical and histopathological characteristics of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, providing diagnostic support to forensic pathologists. Additionally, it seeks to aid in the differential diagnosis of similar conditions. Methods: A review of literature was conducted following the PRISMA criteria. Of 274 articles, 7 were selected. Results: According to these papers, most patients were male and exhibited neurological symptoms and neuropsychiatric impairments, and a proportion of them committed suicide or had aggressive behavior. Conclusions: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy remains largely underdiagnosed during life. The definitive diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is established post-mortem through the identification of pathognomonic tauopathy lesions. Early and accurate antemortem recognition, particularly in at-risk individuals, is highly valuable for its differentiation from other neurodegenerative conditions, thereby enabling appropriate clinical management and potential interventions. Full article

This study investigates the genetic diversity and population structure of Castanopsis tribuloides, a vital tree species in Asian forest ecosystems. Understanding the genetic patterns of keystone forest species provides critical insights into forest resilience and ecosystem function and informs conservation strategies. We analyzed population samples collected from three distinct locations within Doi Suthep Mountain in northern Thailand using Short Tandem Repeat (STR) markers to assess both intra- and inter-population genetic relationships. DNA was extracted from leaf samples and analyzed using a panel of polymorphic microsatellite loci specifically optimized for Castanopsis species. Statistical analyses included the assessment of forensic parameters (number of alleles, observed and expected heterozygosity, gene diversity, polymorphic information content), population differentiation metrics (G_ST), inbreeding coefficients (F_IS), and gene flow estimates (N_m). We further examined population history through bottleneck analysis using three models (IAM, SMM, and TPM) and visualized genetic relationships through principal coordinate analysis and cluster analysis. Our results revealed significant patterns of genetic structuring across the sampled populations, with genetic distance metrics showing statistically significant differentiation between certain population pairs. The PCA and cluster analyses confirmed distinct population groupings that correspond to geographic distribution patterns. These findings provide the first comprehensive assessment of C. tribuloides population genetics in this region, establishing baseline data for monitoring genetic diversity and informing conservation strategies. This research contributes to our understanding of how landscape features and ecological factors shape genetic diversity patterns in essential forest tree species, with implications for managing forest genetic resources in the face of environmental change. Full article

Background: Sexual dimorphism in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) is evident in external features, but skeletal differences remain underexplored. This study aimed to examine the skull, scapula, and pelvis using traditional morphometric methods to assess sex-related variation. Methods: Eleven skeletal specimens were analyzed, including nine skulls, eleven pelves, and eighteen scapulae. Linear measurements were obtained using measuring tape and calipers. Statistical analyses included Mann–Whitney U tests, Pearson’s correlation, and logistic regression for sex prediction. Results: No significant differences were found in skull measurements between sexes. However, the pelvis and scapula exhibited notable variation. Significant pelvic parameters included pelvic girdle length (p = 0.024), symphysis length (p = 0.012), and pubis shaft perimeter (p = 0.048). Scapular differences were observed in diagonal breadth, mediolateral width, and spine length. Logistic regression using pelvic measurements yielded 100% accuracy for female classification and 66.67% for males, with an overall prediction accuracy of 90.91%. Conclusions: The pelvis demonstrated the highest reliability for sex determination. These findings enhance the anatomical understanding of Asian elephants and support applications in conservation, forensic science, and population studies. Future research with larger sample sizes and advanced imaging may improve the precision of morphometric sex prediction models. Full article

The postmortem interval (PMI), defined as the time elapsed between death and the discovery or examination of the body, is a crucial parameter in forensic science for estimating the time of death. There are many ways to measure the PMI, such as Henssge’s nomogram, which uses rectal temperature measurement; livor mortis; rigor mortis; and forensic entomology. However, these methods are usually affected by various conditions in the surrounding environment. The purpose of the present study was to compare molecular genetics and histological changes in the brain and skeletal muscle tissues of SD rats over increasing periods of time after death. For the PMIs, we considered 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, 48 h, 4 days, 6 days, 8 days, 10 days, 14 days, and 21 days and compared them at 4 °C and 26 °C. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining was performed to observe tissue changes. Morphological tissue changes were observed in cells for up to 21 days at 4 °C, and cell destruction was visually confirmed after 14 days at 26 °C. Total RNA (tRNA) was isolated from each tissue sample, and complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesized. A reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) SYBR Green assay targeting three types of housekeeping genes, including Gapdh, Sort1, B2m, and 5S rRNA, was performed. The results showed that Gapdh and 5S rRNA were highly stable and could be better RNA targets for estimating the PMI in brain and skeletal muscle tissues. Conversely, Sort1 and B2m showed poor stability and low expression levels. In conclusion, these molecular biomarkers could be used as auxiliary indicators of the PMI in human, depending on the stability of the marker. Full article