Pore Sub‐Features Reproducibility in Direct Microscopic and Livescan Images—Their Reliability in Personal Identification

Abstract: Third level features have been reported to have equal discriminatory power as second level details in establishing personal identification. Pore area, as an extended set third level sub‐feature, has been studied by minimizing possible factors that could affect pore size. The reproducibility of pore surface area has been studied using direct microscopic and 500 ppi Livescan images. Direct microscopic pore area measurements indicated that the day on which the pore area was measured had a significant impact on the measured pore area. Pore area measurement was shown to be difficult to estimate in 500 ppi Livescan measurements owing to lack of resolution. It is not possible to reliably use pore area as an identifying feature in fingerprint examination.     

Root Morphology and Anatomical Patterns in Forensic Dental Identification: A Comparison of Computer‐Aided Identification with Traditional Forensic Dental Identification*

Abstract: An online forensic dental identification exercise was conducted involving 24 antemortem–postmortem (AM–PM) dental radiograph pairs from actual forensic identification cases. Images had been digitally cropped to remove coronal tooth structure and dental restorations. Volunteer forensic odontologists were passively recruited to compare the AM–PM dental radiographs online and conclude identification status using the guidelines for identification from the American Board of Forensic Odontology. The mean accuracy rate for identification was 86.0% (standard deviation 9.2%). The same radiograph pairs were compared using a digital imaging software algorithm, which generated a normalized coefficient of similarity for each pair. Twenty of the radiograph pairs generated a mean accuracy of 85.0%. Four of the pairs could not be used to generate a coefficient of similarity. Receiver operator curve and area under the curve statistical analysis confirmed good discrimination abilities of both methods (online exercise = 0.978; UT‐ID index = 0.923) and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis (0.683) indicated good correlation between the results of both methods. Computer‐aided dental identification allows for an objective comparison of AM–PM radiographs and can be a useful tool to support a forensic dental identification conclusion.     

The Reliability of Visually Comparing Small Frontal Sinuses*

Abstract: Several studies have investigated frontal sinus comparison for personal identification. One study addressed the statistical reliability of correct identification using automated digital methods and resulted in a 96% accuracy rate. Missed matches with the digital methods generally involved small, less featured sinuses. This study investigates the hypothesis that human examiners may be able to more accurately identify correct matches than digital methods, even when the comparisons involve small frontal sinuses. Participants were provided two sets of 28 radiographs and were instructed to identify matching radiographs and list the radiographs that did not have a corresponding match. Overall, error rates were low, with correct associations identified at a rate of 0.983. No incorrect associations (“false positives”) were made. Correct association rates were highest among participants “experienced” examining radiographs. Results support previous assertions that frontal sinus radiographs are a reliable means of personal identification even when the frontal sinuses are small.     

Speech Watermarking: An Approach for the Forensic Analysis of Digital Telephonic Recordings*

Abstract: In this article, the authors discuss the problem of forensic authentication of digital audio recordings. Although forensic audio has been addressed in several articles, the existing approaches are focused on analog magnetic recordings, which are less prevalent because of the large amount of digital recorders available on the market (optical, solid state, hard disks, etc.). An approach based on digital signal processing that consists of spread spectrum techniques for speech watermarking is presented. This approach presents the advantage that the authentication is based on the signal itself rather than the recording format. Thus, it is valid for usual recording devices in police‐controlled telephone intercepts. In addition, our proposal allows for the introduction of relevant information such as the recording date and time and all the relevant data (this is not always possible with classical systems). Our experimental results reveal that the speech watermarking procedure does not interfere in a significant way with the posterior forensic speaker identification.     

Body Height Estimation from Head and Face Dimensions: A Different Method*

Abstract: As there are cases brought for forensic examination where only the craniofacial region is available, estimation of stature from craniofacial dimensions is without doubt important in forensic cases. The study presented here attempts to estimate stature from craniofacial dimensions in the Turkish population. In the second phase of the study, the correlations between craniofacial dimensions and stature were also evaluated according to different head and face types. All measurements were taken from 286 healthy males with a mean age of 22.71 ± 4.86 years. The sample was then reclassified according to different head and face indexes. For the whole sample, correlation coefficients were low, changing only between 0.012 and 0.229. Thus, no significant increase in correlation coefficients was observed after the samples had been reevaluated according to different head and face types. As a conclusion, craniofacial dimensions are not good predictors for body height for the Turkish population.     

亲子关系诉讼中的血缘鉴定之强制性

在亲子关系纷争中,以血缘亲子关系是否真实存在为其主要争点,而这种真实性的确认通常需借助于血型或DNA等血缘鉴定等科学方式。然而,血缘鉴定需要相关当事人配合以提供血液或毛发等为科学鉴定之样本,如此就牵涉到当事人的人格权保护、血统真实主义、裁判公正需要等价值权衡下的选择、取舍。参仿国外并立足国情,以子女最佳利益保护为根本,适应诉讼上的真实发现与裁判公正之需要,对血缘鉴定于具体个案实践中的正当性与必要性两方面结合为考量,可以采用强度程度不一、具体方式多样对血缘鉴定对执行以灵活处理。     

MAO基因遗传多态性及与精神疾病相关性研究进展

单胺氧化酶(monoamine oxidase,MAO)是调控儿茶酚胺和5-羟色胺等单胺类氧化脱氨的一类重要酶,广泛分布于包括神经系统在内的人体各种组织中,具有多种生物学功能。MAO有两种类型,MAO-A和MAO-B。MAO基因具有遗传多态性,其中部分多态性位点与某些精神疾病如严重抑郁障碍、酒精中毒、反社会情感障碍及精神分裂症等有一定的相关性。MAO基因遗传多态性的研究,可能为法医学个人识别与亲权鉴定提供新的遗传标记,并为司法精神病鉴定提供参考性遗传学指标。     

身份证明与个人信息保护——我国居民身份证法律规制问题研究

信息社会人们之间的交往需要权威的身份证明,由公权力介入推行的身份证明制度满足了这种需要,并在社会生活中广泛应用.但是只有通过法律规制明确公民个人信息自决权,并设定政府不侵犯和保护个人信息的责任,才能真正发挥身份证证明身份的权威作用.我国日前身份证法律规制的弊端在于政府没有履行必要的个人信息保护职责,公民的个人信息主体地位缺失,导致了政府滥用职权和个人权益受到损害.所以必须以保护个人信息为核心完善我国的居民身份证法律规制制度.     

医疗纠纷中医疗事故技术鉴定研究

随着社会的发展,人们的法治意识不断的增强,医疗纠纷已成为当今世界一个无法忽视的问题之一。在医疗纠纷的解纷活动中,我们通常采用的鉴定分为由医学会组织进行鉴定活动的医疗事故技术鉴定,以及由专门鉴定机构组织以法医学专家为鉴定人的法医学鉴定。而医疗事故技术鉴定为医疗纠纷,特别是大型的医疗纠纷事实定性的首选程序,具有重要的影响作用。     

颅脑损伤致精神障碍的法医学鉴定

本文综述了国内外颅脑损伤致精神障碍的相关法医学现状,特别是对于鉴定中的常见问题进行了简要的综述。