Application of the Electrical Network Frequency (ENF) Criterion. A case of a digital recording

One of the new methods of investigating the authenticity of evidential digital audio recordings uses the Electrical Network Frequency (ENF) Criterion. It is based on analysing the signal corresponding to the fundamental frequency of the current in the electrical network, which is present in a recording and comparing it with appropriate, reliable reference. Studies carried out at the Institute of Forensic Research in Cracow were aimed at validating this method, that is, assessing its usefulness in forensic examinations of evidential digital recordings in Poland. These studies enabled us to develop and implement a procedure for using the ENF Criterion method to assess the integrity of digital recordings and to establish when these recordings were made.     

Three-dimensional computer visualization of forensic pathology data

Despite a decade of use in US courtrooms, it is only recently that forensic computer animations have become an increasingly important form of communication in legal spheres within the United Kingdom. Aims Research at the University of Nottingham has been influential in the critical investigation of forensic computer graphics reconstruction methodologies and techniques and in raising the profile of this novel form of data visualization within the United Kingdom. The case study presented demonstrates research undertaken by Aims Research and the Department of Forensic Pathology at the University of Sheffield, which aims to apply, evaluate, and develop novel 3-dimensional computer graphics (CG) visualization and virtual reality (VR) techniques in the presentation and investigation of forensic information concerning the human body. The inclusion of such visualizations within other CG or VR environments may ultimately provide the potential for alternative exploratory directions, processes, and results within forensic pathology investigations.     

Isolated peliosis of the spleen: report of 2 autopsy cases

Isolated peliosis of the spleen, characterized by the gross appearance of multiple cystlike, blood-filled cavities on cut surfaces of the organ, is a very rare pathologic entity that has been reported in 33 cases to date. We present 2 additional cases of isolated peliosis of the spleen observed at autopsy and confirmed by histology. In both cases investigated, cirrhosis of the liver was present. We hypothesize that local microcirculatory disturbances manifesting under altered local intravascular pressure conditions in the spleen may, at least to a certain degree, be responsible for the peliosis-associated vascular lesions. For the forensic pathologist, isolated peliosis of the spleen represents more than just another morphologic curiosity. The significance of peliosis lienalis lies in the potential of (1) overlooking the correct diagnosis as the cause of a spontaneous splenic rupture with intraabdominal hemorrhage, thus leading to the false conclusion of a violent death; and (2) misinterpreting the macromorphological appearance of this rare disease, also in the absence of splenic rupture, as a result of blunt force trauma.     

Study of the brainstem, particularly the arcuate nucleus, in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sudden intrauterine unexplained death (SIUD)

Complete examination of the brainstem involves transverse serial 5-microm sections made throughout the entire brainstem. The number of serial sections varies from 360 in sudden intrauterine unexplained death (SIUD) to 600 in term fetuses to over 1400 sections in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) victims. The procedure is not applicable in all histopathological laboratories, owing to the need for additional technical personnel. The simplified procedure allows a remarkable reduction of the number of sections. The brainstem is divided into 3 blocks. The first, cranial block, extends from the border between the medulla oblongata and pons up to the upper pole of the olivary nucleus. The second, intermediate block, corresponding to the submedian area of the inferior olivary nucleus, has as reference point the obex and extends 2 to 3 mm above and below the obex itself. The third, caudal block, includes the lower pole of the inferior olivary nucleus and the lower adjacent area of the medulla oblongata. Examinations of the brainstems from 106 SIDS victims, 30 controls, and 51 stillborns underlined a remarkable variability, particularly of the arcuate nucleus. The simplified examination of the brainstem makes it possible to evaluate the structures, examining 3 specific levels, defined by morphologic reference points.     

Explaining Sexual Harassment Judgments: Looking Beyond Gender of the Rater

Law and Human Behavior - In two decades of research on sexual harassment, one finding that appears repeatedly is that gender of the rater influences judgments about sexual harassment such that...     

The Effects of Prior Workplace Behavior on Subsequent Sexual Harassment Judgments

A dual processing model of sexual harassment judgments predicted that the behavior of a complainant in a prior case would influence evaluations in an unrelated subsequent case. In the first of two experimental scenarios depicting social-sexual conduct at work, the female complainant's conduct was manipulated to be aggressive, submissive, ambiguous, or neutral. Half of the participants were asked to reflect upon the first scenario after reading it and before answering responsibility questions. The other half simply reviewed the scenario and answered the questions. When the complainant acted aggressively, her behavior in the first scenario caused men who reflected on the fact pattern to find less evidence of harassment. Most interestingly, an aggressive complainant observed in the first scenario caused participants (especially women) to rate lower the likelihood that a neutral complainant in a second independent case was the victim of gender discrimination. Across cases, men found less evidence of harassment than did women.