Forensic human image identification using medical indicators

Diseases not only bring troubles to people’s body functions and mind but also influence the appearances and behaviours of human beings. Similarly, we can analyse the diseases from people’s appearances and behaviours and use the personal medical history for human identification. In this article, medical indicators presented in abnormal changes of human appearances and behaviours caused by physiological or psychological diseases were introduced, and were applied in the field of forensic identification of human images, which we called medical forensic identification of human images (mFIHI). The proposed method analysed the people’s medical signs by studying the appearance and behaviour characteristics depicted in images or videos, and made a comparative examination between the medical indicators of the questioned human images and the corresponding signs or medical history of suspects. Through a conformity and difference analysis on medical indicators and their indicated diseases, it would provide an important information for human identification from images or videos. A case study was carried out to demonstrate and verify the feasibility of the proposed method of mFIHI, and our results showed that it would be important contents and angles for forensic expert manual examination in forensic human image identification.     

中世纪欧洲法医学溯源

法医学是应用病理学、生物学、生物化学和其他医学科学理论和技能解决法律问题,为侦查和审判提供证据的科学。法医学学科属性是医学,其目的是解决法律问题,因而法医学同时具有自然科学和人文科学属性。现今,我们对于法医学的研究往往局限在自然科学领域,而对其人文学科属性却有所忽视。当代西方法医学起源自中世纪的欧洲大陆,当时罗马法和教会法占统治地位,它们没有设立陪审团制度,而且允许对嫌疑人进行刑讯逼供,而英美法系的司法审判程序设立了陪审团制度。在这两种司法体制下,法医医学证言、证词逐步形成了两种形式：英美法系控诉式诉讼体制下的言辞证据形式和罗马法诉讼中纠问体制下的书证形式。本文将对中世纪欧洲的法医学进行溯源研究,从欧洲法医学的起源和发展角度,完善法医学史研究内容,为世界法医学史比较研究提供借鉴。     

The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on the Health and Labor Supply of Older Adults: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Older adults are at elevated risk of reducing labor supply due to poor health, partly because of high rates of symptoms that may be alleviated by medical marijuana. Yet, surprisingly little is known about how this group responds to medical marijuana laws (MMLs). We quantify the effects of state medical marijuana laws on the health and labor supply of adults age 51 and older, focusing on the 55 percent with one or more medical conditions with symptoms that may respond to medical marijuana. We use longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study to estimate event study and differences‐in‐differences regression models. Three principle findings emerge from our analysis. First, active state medical marijuana laws lead to lower pain and better self‐assessed health among older adults. Second, state medical marijuana laws lead to increases in older adult labor supply, with effects concentrated on the intensive margin. Third, the effects of MMLs are largest among older adults with a health condition that would qualify for legal medical marijuana use under current state laws. Findings highlight the role of health policy in supporting work among older adults and the importance of including older adults in assessments of state medical marijuana laws.     

Climate change policy discontinuity and its effects on Australia's national electricity market

Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM) became unstable in 2016/2017 after 20 years of consistent performance. The South Australian grid collapsed on 28 September 2016 – Australia's first black system event since 1964. Wholesale prices in the region trebled to $120+/MWh; soon after Hazelwood power station announced its exit with just 5 months’ notice. The problem spread as prices elsewhere doubled to $89/MWh from a long‐run average of $42.50. The NEM is experiencing a supply‐side crisis. Consistent with the requirement to decarbonise the system, aged coal‐fired generators are exiting but decades of climate change policy discontinuity has frustrated the entry of new plant. Long‐dated capital‐intensive asset industries like electricity supply anticipate a conventional policy cycle. What they have experienced instead is consistent with garbage can theory. Policy clarity may be emerging for only the second time in two decades. As with the NEM, its durability will depend on cooperative federalism.     

Essential medicolegal death investigation services: standardization of a survey instrument based on the Essential Public Health Services

The National Academy of Sciences recommends that states assess the performance of medicolegal death investigation agencies. To aid in performance assessment, we adapted an instrument based on the CDC's 10 Essential Public Health Services by translating the terminology to that of essential medicolegal death investigation services. This produced a survey that could be used to standardize reporting practices and services of agencies. To validate the instrument, a stratified random sample of 12 death investigation chiefs in 12 states was interviewed. This sample represented both medical examiner and coroner jurisdictions within the varying medicolegal structures. A cognitive testing process elicited how well participants could respond to and interpret the survey questions. The response was favorable in that the respondents agreed that given specific revisions toward question clarification, the instrument would be a useful and relevant tool for assessing system performance.     

日本医师会医师赔偿责任保险制度介评

始建于1973年的日本医师会医师赔偿责任保险制度,经过近40年的发展,已成为日本医疗事故纠纷解决体系中的不可或缺的机制。该制度的实施不仅为医师供给了价格低廉的保险产品,还为医疗事故纠纷的解决提供便捷渠道。尽管这一制度还不尽完善,但这并不妨碍我们从中汲取经验和启示。     

论医疗损害责任抗辩事由及其法律完善

《中华人民共和国侵权责任法》第60条规定了医疗损害责任的抗辩事由,但法律规定不够完善,难以完全应对实践需要。因此,需要对第60条进行法律解释,并需丰富医疗损害责任抗辩事由体系,增加规定无因管理、医疗特权、意外事件、自甘冒险、损益相抵和并发症等抗辩事由。此外,结合我国医疗卫生事业体制和医学科学特点以及比较法的经验,应适当限制医疗损害责任赔偿。     

医疗损害赔偿诉讼难题及审判对策

《侵权责任法》第七章留下诸如当事人选择、案由确定、医疗过错和因果关系判断标准、病历证据属性、鉴定体制等许多实践操作的难题。对这些司法实践难题的解决,最高人民法院目前已经出台了部分司法解释,但实质性的问题都没有得到解决。由于最高人民法院出台司法解释有一个过程,在司法解释尚未出台之际,地方高级人民法院针对当地的司法实践的具体情况,可以因地适宜出台地方司法审判指导文件。我们现在看到的浙江、江苏、上海、北京四个省市的地方审判指导文件,解决了各地审理医疗损害赔偿纠纷案件中的一些难题,在制度上有创新之处,且具有极强的可操作性。地方司法审判指导文件的出台,既解决了当前地方上医疗损害赔偿案件审理的困境,也为最高人民法院制定司法解释积累经验。     

对当前我国医疗损害技术鉴定制度的思考

随着<侵权责任法>的实施,医疗纠纷司法鉴定将在医疗损害中起着越来越重要的作用.目前我国的医疗损害技术鉴定存在二元化的状态,有一定的优势也存在一定的弊端,建立统一、独立的医疗损害技术鉴定体系是非常必要的,这对切实保护医患双方的合法权益,依法公正解决医疗损害赔偿案件,构建和谐的医患关系有重要意义.     

医疗纠纷仲裁法律问题研究

我国现行医疗纠纷解决机制存在种种困境和缺陷,已无法有效化解医患矛盾、缓解医患关系。正因如此,在我国开展医疗纠纷仲裁,构建多元化纠纷解决机制实属必要。世界主要国家与地区在医疗仲裁方面的立法与实践为我国医疗纠纷仲裁制度的构建提供了新视角和新思路,具有重要的借鉴意义。我国将医疗纠纷纳入可仲裁范围,既符合我国《仲裁法》之规定,也契合国际社会仲裁制度的发展趋势。无论从仲裁的本质,还是从仲裁功能的有效发挥来看,以选择兼终局型的仲裁模式构建医疗纠纷仲裁制度更为可取;出于对患者权益的保护以及重建医患信任的考虑,医患双方在纠纷发生后经协商一致达成仲裁协议的方式更合情合理;鉴于医疗纠纷的专业特殊性,除双方当事人合议选择由独任仲裁庭审理案件以外,无论案件争议金额的多少,医疗纠纷仲裁庭的组织形式原则上应一律采用合议制。