Survey of forensic pathologists

A survey of board-certified forensic pathologists (from a list of board-certified forensic pathologists supplied by the American Board of Pathology) was conducted to determine their current practice situations. The purpose of the survey was to provide information useful to the public in general and to those organizations that represent forensic pathologists in particular to better understand and meet the needs of the forensic pathology community. A total of 773 surveys were mailed, and 18 were returned as undeliverable. There were 337 replies (45%). Responses were as follows: In terms of age, 7% were in their 30s; 32% were in their 40s; 29% were in their 50s; 19% were in their 60s; and 13% were 70 years of age or older. In terms of gender, 79% were male and 21% were female. For pathology practice status, 72% worked more than 30 hours per week; 11% between 5 and 30 hours per week; 5% less than 5 hours per week; and 12% no longer practice pathology. For percentage of pathology practice that is forensic pathology, 69% of respondents were more than 80%; 6% were 50%-80%; 5% were 25%-50%; 8% were 5%-25%; and 12% were less than 5%. In terms of forensic pathology practice setting, 54% were employed by medical examiner or coroner systems; 13% worked under contract to medical examiner or coroner systems; 27% worked in private practice or consultation; and 6% responded as "other."     

Analysis of the autopsy,toxicological, and psychiatric reports of Portugal’s first major forensic case: part III

This work presents an odd historical record obtained through more than 14 years of research regarding one of the first major European forensic cases. The presumed homicide of Mário Guilherme Augusto de Sampaio in 1890 was allegedly perpetrated by his uncle, the prestigious doctor Vicente Urbino de Freitas. This famous poisoning had international repercussions for decades, with the participation of several forensic experts that made the history of forensic sciences, namely forensic toxicology and pathology. This third work aims to collect, restore, and analyse all the forensic evidence, particularly from the autopsy, toxicological, and psychiatric forensic reports. Facts regarding the life of Vicente Urbino de Freitas during his exile in Brazil were also recovered, along with a vast and outstanding assortment of forensic medicine photographs from the 19th century.     

Extraction procedures for some common drugs in clinical and forensic toxicology.

The results of four extraction systems for 86 drugs are reported. These systems were investigated with the view to obtaining a rapid, reliable, and efficient extraction technique in clinical and forensic toxicology.     

法医毒物动力学

本文作者针对法医毒理学的任务、发展趋势和面临的挑战，提出将法医毒物动力学列为法医毒理学新的分支学科，并阐述了法医毒物动力学的概念、研究目的和任务、研究对象、研究内容、研究方法、研究方向及亟待解决的问题。内容涉及毒物动力学、死后分布、动态分布、死后再分布、死后弥散、毒物分解动力学、毒物死后产生情况等。法医毒物动力学研究将解决中毒法医学鉴定中的许多问题，如尸体或活体中毒当时机体内毒物浓度的推断、死后腐败产生毒物与生前服毒的区别、生前服毒与死后染毒的鉴别、毒物进入机体时间、途径和方式的确定。     

Sidney Kaye, Ph.D. Internationally renowned forensic toxicologist

The importance of Dr. Sidney Kaye's contributions in the field of forensic science cannot be over-emphasized. He can be called a pioneer in the field of forensic science and forensic toxicology because of the many contributions he has made to analysis, the literature and poison control, as well as activities in alcohol and drug analysis. He has been fortunate in being a part of history through his relationship, as a student, to Dr. Alexander Gettler, the founder of modern-day forensic toxicology, and by working with Dr. Gradwohl in Saint Louis, Missouri in the 1950s, when the American forensic sciences were being organized. Dr. Kaye is one of the founders of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the foremost and largest forensic science organization in the World. It is for these reasons that he received the Alexander O. Gettler Award by the Toxicology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, for outstanding analytical achievements in forensic toxicology, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 14, 1985.     

我国法医昆虫学的研究进展

法医昆虫学是应用昆虫学知识解决有关法律问题的法医学分支学科。在推断死亡时间等方面具有明显优势。本文在阐述法医昆虫学定义和研究内容基础上,综述尸体上的昆虫生态群落演替现象、昆虫发育形态学、DNA分析技术的应用、法医昆虫毒理学等法医昆虫学问题在我国的研究进展。     

虚拟解剖技术在法医学中的应用

虚拟解剖是一种非侵入性的新型“解剖”技术,它利用影像学技术构建人体器官组织的三维立体图像,为判断死亡原因和死亡方式提供线索。由于这一技术具有无侵入性、客观、准确的特点,目前已成为发达国家法医病理学的研究热点。本文对虚拟解剖技术的原理、优缺点、研究进展及在我国开展研究应用的可行性进行综述。     

1H-NMR of human saliva. An application of NMR spectroscopy in forensic science

1H-NMR was applied to the study of metabolites in human saliva specimens. Acetate, lactate, ethanol, glucose and some other substances were simultaneously identified and quantitated from the 1H-NMR spectra of saliva specimens treated with D2O. These experiments demonstrated the value of 1H-NMR as an analytical method in the field of forensic science and clinical pathology and toxicology.     

A brief history of the formation of DNA databases in forensic science within Europe

The introduction of DNA analysis to forensic science brought with it a number of choices for analysis, not all of which were compatible. As laboratories throughout Europe were eager to use the new technology different systems became routine in different laboratories and consequently, there was no basis for the exchange of results. A period of co-operation then started in which a nucleus of forensic scientists agreed on an uniform system. This collaboration spread to incorporate most of the established forensic science laboratories in Europe and continued through two major changes in the technology. At each step agreement was reached on which systems to use. From the beginning it was realised that DNA databases would provide the criminal justice systems with an efficient way of crime solving and consequently some local databases were created. It was not until the introduction of the amplification technology linked to the analysis of short tandem repeats that a sufficiently sensitive and robust system was available for the formation of efficient and effective DNA databases. Comprehensive legislation enacted in the UK in 1995 enabled forensic scientists to set up the first national DNA database which would hold both personal DNA profiles together with results obtained from crime scenes. Other countries quickly followed but in some the legislation has severely restricted the amount and type of data which can be retained and, therefore, effectiveness of the databases is limited. The widespread use of commercially produced multiplex kits has produced a situation in which nearly all European laboratories are using compatible systems and there is, therefore, the potential for the introduction of a pan-European DNA database. However, the exchange of results between countries is hampered by the various legislations which currently exist.     

代谢组学及其在法医毒理学中的应用

代谢组学是上世纪90年代中期发展起来的研究细胞和生物体的所有代谢中间体和终产物的一门新兴学科。其研究对象一般为分子量在1 000Da以下的小分子。代谢组学通过对生物体系中的小分子化合物进行定性定量分析,解析生物体系的代谢途径并揭示内源性小分子化合物与毒性、疾病、生命活动规律等的相互关系。本文综述代谢组学的概况及其在法医毒理学中的应用现状,为相关研究和应用提供参考。     

Automatic forensic face recognition from digital images.

Digital image evidence is now widely available from criminal investigations and surveillance operations, often captured by security and surveillance CCTV. This has resulted in a growing demand from law enforcement agencies for automatic person-recognition based on image data. In forensic science, a fundamental requirement for such automatic face recognition is to evaluate the weight that can justifiably be attached to this recognition evidence in a scientific framework. This paper describes a pilot study carried out by the Forensic Science Service (UK) which explores the use of digital facial images in forensic investigation. For the purpose of the experiment a specific software package was chosen (Image Metrics Optasia). The paper does not describe the techniques used by the software to reach its decision of probabilistic matches to facial images, but accepts the output of the software as though it were a 'black box'. In this way, the paper lays a foundation for how face recognition systems can be compared in a forensic framework. The aim of the paper is to explore how reliably and under what conditions digital facial images can be presented in evidence.     

域外毒品鉴定错案成因分析与防范借鉴

近年来,域外毒品鉴定错案高发,深刻暴露出毒品鉴定管理的内源性问题,值得我国相关领域工作人员借鉴。本文首先概述了毒品鉴定的特点;其次,根据近年来美国、加拿大、英国等地出现的典型毒品鉴定错案,对相关成因做系统梳理,为提升毒品鉴定管理质量、降低毒品鉴定错案的负面影响提供参考依据。本文将鉴定错案分为"错误"和"失误"两大类,并提出了通过提升实验室内部管理、加强实验室外部监督以及落实鉴定意见的质证认证等环节,预防毒品鉴定错案的系统方法。对于防范毒物毒品错案的发生具有重要的参照意义。     

Postmortem forensic toxicology of trazodone

Trazodone is a popular antidepressant medication that has been available for approximately 30 years. It has a reputation as a safe drug with relatively few reported fatalities attributed solely to it. We review the pharmacology and forensic toxicology of trazodone and report toxicology and cause and manner of death in a series of 37 deaths in which trazodone was detected. Although the normal upper therapeutic blood concentration for trazodone is about 2 mg/L, fatalities are rarely attributed solely to it at blood concentrations below 9 mg/L. Considering the pharmacology of the drug, potential interactions between other drugs with serotonin reuptake properties need to be considered, as does the increased susceptibility to the toxic effects in patients with pre-existing heart disease. In the cases reviewed, none were attributed solely to trazodone, although trazodone was frequently present together with other serotonergic drugs, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like fluoxetine and sertraline. Ten cases had blood trazodone concentrations above 2 mg/L. Of these cases, trazodone played a primary role in the death of three subjects, with blood concentrations all greater than 9 mg/L. We confirm the conclusions of others that trazodone is a relatively safe drug except in massive overdose, although its toxicity may be influenced by the presence of other drugs and underlying pathophysiology.     

Tasks of research in forensic medicine - different study types in clinical research and forensic medicine

In the last years the research output of forensic medicine has sometimes been regarded as insufficient and as of poor quality, especially when parameters as impact factors and external funding were taken into account. However, forensic medicine has different tasks compared to clinical medicine. The main difference between basic subjects, clinical and forensic medicine is not a lack of scientific efficiency in forensic medicine but is a result of the questions asked, the available methods and specific aims. In contrast to natural-scientific research, forensic science has furthermore important intersections with arts and socio-scientific disciplines. Etiologic and pathogenetic research is of only limited relevance in forensic medicine. Thus, forensic medicine is excluded from these research fields, which are mainly supported by external funding. In forensic medicine research mainly means applied research regarding findings, the probative value and reconstruction as well as examination at different points of intersection between medicine and law. Clinical types of research such as controlled randomised, prospective cross-sectional, cohort or case-control studies can only rarely be applied in forensic medicine due to the area specific research fields (e.g. thantatology, violent death, vitality, traffic medicine, analytical toxicology, hemogenetics and stain analysis). The types of studies which are successfully established in forensic medicine are comparison of methods, sensitivity studies, validation of methods, kinetic examinations etc. Tasks of research in forensic medicine and study types, which may be applied will be addressed.     

MDMA心肌毒性的法医毒理学研究进展

3,4-亚甲基二氧基甲基苯丙胺(MDMA)是近年来在全世界,特别是亚洲地区公共娱乐场所流行性滥用的"摇头丸"的主要药物成分。MDMA主要作用于人体神经系统从而表现出各种神经系统症状。目前的实验研究发现,MDMA对人体多个系统具有毒性作用,其中对心血管系统的毒性损害作用较为显著。本文就近年来针对MDMA心肌毒性机制的法医毒理学研究进展进行综述,为进一步深入研究提供理论信息。     

The United Kingdom and Ireland association of forensic toxicologists forensic toxicology laboratory guidelines (2018)

In 2010, the United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists (UKIAFT) created forensic toxicology laboratory guidelines. This represents a revision of those guidelines as a result of the changing toxicological and technical landscape.     

Which articles and which topics in the forensic sciences are most highly cited?

Forensic science is a multidisciplinary field, which covers many branches of the pure, the applied and the biomedical sciences. Writing-up and publishing research findings helps to enhance the reputation of the investigators and the laboratories where the work was done. The number of times an article is cited in the reference lists of other articles is generally accepted as a mark of distinction. Indeed, citation analysis has become widely used in research assessment of individual scientists, university departments and entire nations. This article concerns the most highly cited papers published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences (JFS) between 1956 and 2005. These were identified with the help of Web-of-Science, which is the on-line version of Science Citation Index, produced by Thomson Institute for Scientific Information (Thomson ISI) with head offices in Philadelphia, USA. This database tracks, among other things, the annual citation records of articles published in several thousand scientific journals worldwide. Those JFS articles accumulating 50 or more citations were identified and rank-ordered according to the total number of citations. These articles were also evaluated according to the name of first author, the subject category of the article, the country of origin and the pattern of co-authorship. This search strategy located 46 articles cited between 50 and 292 times since they first appeared in print. The most highly cited paper by far was by Kasai, Nakamura and White (USA and Japan) concerning DNA profiling and the application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in forensic science. Some forensic scientists appeared as first author on two to three highly cited articles, namely Wetli (USA), Budowle (USA) and Comey (USA). When the highly cited articles were sub-divided into subject category, 15 were identified as coming from toxicology, closely followed by criminalistics (14 articles), pathology (nine articles), physical anthropology (five articles), forensic psychiatry (two articles) and one from odontology. The number of co-authors on these highly cited articles ranged from one to nine and the names of some investigators appeared on as many as four highly cited papers. The vast majority of papers originated from US laboratories although five came from Japan, two each from Sweden and Canada and there was also a joint USA-Swiss collaboration. The Thompson ISI citation databases provide unique tools for tracking citations to individual articles and impact and citation records of scholarly journals.     

The forensic or medicolegal autopsy. Friend or foe?

The major issue in questioning the performance of general pathologists doing medicolegal or forensic autopsies is that they are very often without a firm basis for performing this task. With minimal training in medical school and minimal exposure during their residency, practicing general pathologists, although expected or even forced to do these cases, may face criticism after their performance in a case. The necessity for teaching forensic medicine and pathology in medical schools is obvious, and the necessity of there being more forensic pathology exposure in residency training programs in the United States and overseas is also obvious. Medical educators are responsible for all phases of medicine being taught to medical undergraduates and graduates and must be pressured to support the practice of all kinds of medicine in American communities, including legal or forensic medicine, in those cases in which questions arise that lead to the performance of postmortem examination.