bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biometric Devices
Authors: Zoun Rikkert 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
Biometric devices are used increasingly more often as an automated means of determining or verifying the identity of persons for access control of information systems and physical facilities. These devices may leave user traces. For such traces to be used in forensic investigations, their reliability must be investigated. One aspect of this that is of concern is that many biometric devices can be deceived by using fake biometric samples.

This article discusses the following:

a selection of common biometric device technologies;

potential security weaknesses of systems using biometric devices; and

practical examples of creating artificial biometric samples, potentially allowing unauthorized access to biometric systems.
Human Remains and Identity
Authors: Cattaneo Cristina , Salsarola Dominic 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBefore even studying human remains, it may be necessary to search for them. This implies using the discipline of forensic archaeology in order to detect anomalies which may indicate a burial site and subsequently dig that particular site and recover possible remains. Methods commonly applied for searching are aerial photography, field walking, cadaver dogs, and geophysical techniques. Once the remains have been found, recovery must occur according to archaeological techniques—not with shovels and picks but with trowels and brushes. This is crucial in order to subsequently register and preserve every single bone so that all possible diagnoses may be correctly performed (identification, possible cause of death, and time since death) along with proper interpretation of trauma. In case of charred bodies, bone fragments are often fragile and sometimes need specific treatment. In case of discovery of human remains in urban contexts, for example during the excavation of buildings, an on‐site assessment of the minimum number of individuals may already help to indicate whether the remains are of forensic interest or if they belong to an older burial contexts.
Species Determination of Osseous Remains
Authors: Cattaneo Cristina , Porta Davide 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
Species determination of skeletal remains can be easily assessed by the macroscopic observation of the morphology of bone and teeth fragments. However, the human origin of a small fragment of degraded or burnt bone may be particularly difficult to assess. In these cases, microscopy may be very helpful. The shape and size of the principal building blocks of bone, i.e., the osteons, visible in microscopy, can orient a diagnosis toward a human or nonhuman response. Regression formulae exist, which can aid in solving this problem by using diameters of osteons and of Haversian canals. Sometimes the simple design or pattern of the osteons may be indicative. Similar observations can be made for the microscopic structure of some dental tissues such as dentine. Protein analysis (by ELISA and other immunochemical methods) and DNA testing may also be useful. One should always consider, however, the possibility of contamination and degradation in such extreme cases, particularly in the case of DNA.
Visual Recognition Systems in Identification
Authors: Cattaneo Cristina , Angelis Danilo De 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe diffusion of video‐surveillance systems and increase of crimes more and more often requires the identification of represented subjects by anthropological techniques. Traditional methods for identifying human faces consist of the evaluation of morphological traits, anthropometric traits (indices, angles, etc.), and superimposition of two images (faces). The first two do not seem to be sufficient for juridical purposes. Recent technology allows us, however, to advance in a very difficult field by suggesting methods of superimposing 2D and 3D images, which may facilitate the comparison of facial traits. When the face (or ears—another highly distinctive anatomical structure) cannot be studied, details useful for verifying the exclusion of a suspect or a mere compatibility can be gait analysis and height determination of the represented subject, once again aided by new technology.
Geographical Identification by Viral Genotyping
Authors: Ikegaya Hiroshi , Saukko Pekka J. , Katsumata Yoshinao , Takatori Takehiko 
Published: September 2009

AbstractIllegal immigration and human trafficking in its various forms including sale of both children and adults into forced labor, prostitution or the buying or selling of human organs are growing problems worldwide. These frequently result in fatalities in which the identity of the victim is often unknown and the individual can never be identified by the use of traditional forensic methods due to lack of antemortem data. A relatively recent survey among European Union (EU) countries, to which only eight countries responded, showed that of the total of 3035 unidentified human remains during the 5‐year period between 1994 and 1998; altogether 807 cadavers remained unidentified, suggesting that this is a growing problem that may have been underestimated by the authorities. Therefore, the forensic community has been looking for new indicators that might help in the identifying process.
Crime Victims' Decision to Report Crime
Authors: Greenberg Martin S. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractMost crimes investigated by the police result from victim notification. For this reason, crime victims are considered the gatekeepers of the criminal justice system. Federally sponsored surveys of the general population consistently show that victims report fewer than half of the victimizations to the police. The data reveal that victim reporting appears to be more a function of the characteristics of the situation (e.g., type of crime, perceived seriousness) than characteristics of the victim. This article reviews the research on victim decision making and presents a broad theoretical model that attempts to integrate the findings. The model describes three stages of victim decision making: (i) defining the event as a crime, (ii) determining its seriousness, and (iii) deciding what to do. The model incorporates recent research concerning the role of affect and social influence on victim decision making.
Capacity for Independent Living
Authors: Braun Michelle 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
Issues regarding capacity for independent living are projected to increase as the older adult population doubles in the next few decades. When capacity is in question, clinical assessment is a helpful tool in determining the least restrictive alternatives to guardianship and balancing concerns regarding autonomy and safety. This article provides a synthesis of medicolegal information to help the lawyer or clinician think through core issues in capacity assessment, with a focus on maximizing quality of life for the client throughout the assessment process and after.
Recollective Accuracy of Traumatic Memories
Authors: Geraerts Elke , Mcnally Richard J. 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
How trauma victims remember—or forget—their most traumatic experiences has been a controversial issue in psychiatry and psychology for many years now. Whereas experts maintain that traumatic events are remembered all too well, traumatic amnesia theorists disagree. Although these theorists acknowledge that trauma is often seemingly engraved in memory, they nevertheless maintain that a significant minority of survivors are incapable of remembering their trauma. This article highlights several of the issues regarding traumatic memories and describes recent research on the recollective accuracy of recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse.
Natural Causes of Sudden Death: Noncardiac
Authors: Fineschi Vittorio , Turillazzi Emanuela 
Published: September 2009

AbstractSudden death is a devastating complication of many underlying disorders. Although cardiovascular disease accounts for most of these episodes of sudden natural death, many other causes contribute. Every organ system may be responsible for sudden death. Respiratory causes are considered focusing on the major causes such as pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. Rare but potentially fatal events, such as amniotic fluid embolism and fat embolism, are stressed too. Sudden deaths from hematological disorders include both hemoglobinopathies and leukemia. Sometimes no satisfactory cause of death could be found from the necropsy; the review of the medical history became of paramount importance. We refer to sudden and unexplained deaths in young patients with Type 1 DM. There is growing evidence of the so‐called dead‐in‐bed syndrome with diabetes. Other rare metabolic disorders, such as alcoholic ketoacidosis, hypoglycemia, thyroiditis are discussed. Sudden deaths also occurred in patients with a history of anaphylaxis in whom no satisfactory cause of death was found after extensive necropsy and toxicological examination. In these cases, no specific macroscopic or microscopic findings are detected at autopsy; so in the presence of a clinical history suggestive for anaphylaxis‐related death, postmortem measurement of serum tryptase levels can be a useful diagnostic aid. The role of massive adrenal hemorrhage (Waterhouse‐Friderichsen syndrome) in causing sudden death is also discussed.
Psychopathology: Terms and Trends
Authors: Yang Suzanne , Sauvagnat FRANÇois 
Published: September 2009

AbstractDetermination of the dividing line between mental health and mental illness is a complex task, resulting in a system of classification of disorders. Isolated symptoms must be assembled into clinically relevant syndromes for the purposes of research and treatment as well as legal adjudication. This article briefly outlines current debates regarding norms and classification and methods of diagnostic assessment. Possible future modifications in the theory and practice of assessment in psychopathology are summarized in view of implications for legal proceedings.
Neuropsychological Assessment
Authors: Walker James S. 
Published: September 2009

Abstract

Neuropsychological assessment is the use by neuropsychologists of standardized psychological measurement techniques in the assessment of individuals with brain dysfunction and serious mental illness. Neuropsychologists are increasingly being called upon to consult in legal cases involving alleged brain dysfunction and serious psychiatric problems. The choice of a neuropsychological expert is an important one that requires consideration of credentialing, qualification, and experience issues. Neuropsychological evidence is admissible in most jurisdictions in the United States, and neuropsychological evidence utilizing tried and true testing methods often meets
Daubert
standards for admissibility. Forensic neuropsychologists often are called upon to provide testimony in a wide variety of legal cases, including cases in both the criminal and civil arenas. Accepted neuropsychological tests include the Wechsler intelligence tests, screening measures for cognitive dysfunction, measures of attention/concentration, the Halstead‐Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery, the Wechsler Memory Scale, the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Issues of potential bias during the examination, particularly the possibility of patient malingering or faking of memory impairment or reasoning problems, must be taken into account in the forensic neuropsychological assessment, and carefully ruled out. The neuropsychologist has a wide range of tools at his or her disposal to identify potential distortion by patients, including one's knowledge of and experience with the disorder in question, and psychometric tools for identifying the malingering patient.
Interrogative Suggestibility
Authors: Frumkin I. Bruce , Lamendola Gretchen M. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractConfessions are a key piece of evidence to be used against a suspect in courtroom proceedings. Defense attorneys often attempt to suppress the confession at the pretrial stage by raising issues of an involuntaryMiranda waiveror an involuntary confession. At trial, the credibility of a defendant's statements to the police becomes an important issue. The interrogation of a highly suggestible suspect heightens the risk of false or less than accurate confession. Mental health testimony is often useful to the trier of fact at both the pretrial and trial stages. A comprehensive psychological assessment in this context includes the use of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales to supplement clinical interview information, third party data, and other psychological tests. An individual's interrogative suggestibility is influenced by age, intelligence, memory, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and previous criminal convictions.
Capacity to Waive Miranda Rights
Authors: Frumkin I. Bruce , Lamendola Gretchen M. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractMental health professionals have shown increasing involvement in providing expert testimony regarding a defendant's capacity to waive legal rights before and during an interrogation. In the 1966 Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona, the Court ruled that any statement arising from a custodial interrogation of a suspect would be presumed to be involuntary and not admissible unless the suspect is informed of his rights to remain silent, to avoid self‐incrimination, to obtain legal counsel before and during police questioning, and to obtain free legal counsel if indigent. This waiver of rights must be made knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily. A comprehensive psychological evaluation of a defendant's capacity to have waived the rights at the time of the time of police questioning provides the trier of fact useful information in determining the admissibility of a confession. The standard protocol for most evaluations functionally integrates a defendant's capacities with the legally relevant criteria espoused byMirandaand subsequent case law. The evaluation is comprised of a comprehensive clinical interview, psychological testing, including the use of specialized assessment procedures, and a review of third‐party data.
Battered Woman's Reality
Authors: Easteal Patricia 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThis article looks at why expert testimony is necessary in Australian trials of women who have killed a violent partner. It also overviews some concerns about syndromizing women's experiences and suggests how battered woman's reality could be argued instead. Situational expertise can explain how the abused woman's act could be self‐defense since it often does not take place immediately in response to violence, why the battered woman did not leave, and her possible absence of remorse.
Wood
Authors: Cowell Anthony M. 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
Wood and wood products are used universally. The forensic analysis of wood is important in both criminal and civil cases. The distribution and variation of timber sources are described. Ecological factors are reviewed. Timber can be identified by its origin, DNA, appearance, growth rings, and microscopic structure. Wood products such as paper, cardboard, and fiberboard retain some of the natural traits of the timber source. Such traits include fiber length and width that are critical to the engineering performance of the final product. Forensic analysis of fiber length is an invaluable tool for identifying and comparing wood‐based samples. A method for analyzing fiber length is described. This consists of the maceration of timber samples followed by the analysis of fiber length distribution. Methods using DNA profiling are also described.
Elderly in Court
Authors: Mueller‐Johnson Katrin 
Published: September 2009

AbstractOlder witnesses (age 60 and older) recall fewer details than young adults in free recall and when questioned. They have to be asked more questions to obtain comparable information, and have been found to be more suggestible to misinformation than younger adults. Taken together this means that interviewers should be particularly careful not to introduce misinformation. The cognitive interview can improve recall both for cognitively well‐functioning and cognitively impaired older adults.In person identification decisions, older adults perform similar to young adults when the perpetrator is present, but have higher rates of falsely identifying someone from the lineup when the perpetrator is absent.When witness statements are of the same quality, older witnesses, particularly older male witnesses, are rated more favorably than younger witnesses. Generally, however, older witnesses' statements are less detailed and accurate than those of younger witnesses. In such conditions older witnesses' statements are perceived to be less credible than those of younger witnesses. Aging does not affect everyone equally: some older adults do not show deficits until very old age, while others display an earlier onset. When assessing older witnesses' performance, it is, therefore, important to consider each person as an individual.
Juvenile Justice: Transfer to Adult
Authors: Fagan Jeffrey 
Published: September 2009

AbstractIn the past, judges have not been able to consistently identify the most serious offenders, and there has been a tendency toward harsher sentencing that often reflected racial discrimination. If new models are not offered to judges, the same problems will recur. What is needed is a better method to distinguish between cases in which the community must be protected from predatory youth and those in which delinquent youth must be protected from the negative effects of incarceration.
Neuropsychological Assessment: Child
Authors: Tramontana Michael G. 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
This article provides an overview of child neuropsychological assessment. It outlines the defining features of this type of assessment and how it contrasts with other types of psychological or neurodiagnostic methods for children. Various applications are discussed with different clinical populations of children. Current approaches to child neuropsychological assessment are described and compared, and examples of specific test methods are highlighted. Lastly, important conceptual and practical issues are examined, including the complexities involved in the neuropsychological assessment of children versus adults, as well as the special challenges that arise in the evaluation of particular categories of children.
Falsifiability Theory
Authors: Moenssens Andre 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
A theory propounded by Popper, a philosopher of science, suggests that the difference between true science and pseudoscience is that the former is testable, whereas the latter is not. In testing scientific hypotheses, researchers seek to prove it wrong (“falsify”). If efforts to falsify do not result in providing evidence of an inherent failing of the postulate, the premise is tentatively adopted as a workable hypothesis that may be applied to the future, like inquiries. This article discusses the degree of acceptance Popper's theory has among scientists as well as the manner in which it gained prominence among forensic scientists and some courts.
DNA: Degraded Samples
Authors: Gilder Jason R. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractDegradation and inhibition are phenomena that are frequently associated with evidence samples in forensic casework. Short Tandem Repeat (STR) DNA typing is able to obtain results from small amounts of starting material. However, environmental effects such as UV sunlight, moisture, and bacteria can break down the DNA in a sample. Impurities in a sample can lead to the inhibition of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA. When a DNA sample is degraded or inhibited, the signal associated with some of the typing loci (typically beginning with the loci corresponding to larger fragments of DNA) is reduced and can result in an only partial genotyping of samples. New technologies have been recently introduced to deal with the issue of degradation by examining smaller DNA fragment sizes.
DNA: an Overview
Authors: Graham Eleanor A.M. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractForensic DNA profiling has gone through several transformations since its initial conception, to become the flexible and powerful technique that is used world wide. By exonerating the innocent, implicating the guilty, identifying the deceased, and resolving paternity disputes, DNA profiling has forced its way to the forefront of public consciousness to become an almost ubiquitous part of criminal and civil investigations where the identity of key players is of importance. This article charts the history of DNA profiling, from the “Eureka” moment of Prof Sir Alec Jefferies to contemporary technologies before introducing the key laboratory techniques required to process biological samples from DNA extraction to profile production and interpretation.
Low Copy NumberDNA
Authors: Krane Dan E. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractPolymerase chain reaction‐based DNA tests have greatly improved the capabilities of forensic laboratories, allowing highly specific DNA profiles to be derived from tiny quantities of cellular material. The great successes of these tests have inevitably led to efforts to characterize very minute amounts of material. As the quantity of DNA template associated with a DNA profile test decreases, the likelihood that the results of the test will be compromised by stochastic effects (allelic drop‐in and drop‐out, exaggerated peak height imbalance, and stutter) increases. Even when minute quantities (i.e., that arising from fewer than 20 cells) do give rise to an interpretable test result, questions about the significance of result often remain due to the ease with which such tiny amounts of material can be transferred and DNA's known ability to persist on articles for long periods of time.
Ceiling Principle:
DNA
Authors: Walsh Simon J. 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
The “ceiling principle” was a controversial approach to DNA evidence interpretation recommended in the Report of the National Research Council (NRC) Committee on DNA Technology in Forensic Science in 1992. The intent of the recommendation was to ensure that the evidential strength of a DNA match was not overstated; however, it was heavily criticized for its lack of scientific or statistical foundation.
Parental Alienation
Authors: Kenan Joseph , Bernet William 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
This article summarizes parental alienation, a child's rejection of an appropriate parent in the context of a high‐conflict divorce. Mental health professionals are often asked to evaluate children of separated or divorced parents for the presence of parental alienation. This article explains the psychodynamics and etiology of parental alienation. Custody recommendations and treatment strategies are discussed to aid custody evaluators, judges, and lawyers, and guide families to address this very difficult problem that can destroy families and hurt children.
Treatment, Right to: Mental Health
Authors: Vitacco Michael J. , Erickson Steven K. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe right to treatment and its antithesis, the right to refuse treatment, are cornerstones of therapeutic jurisprudence. This article explores legal and clinical foundations for both adolescents and adults from the perspective of therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ). Such treatment rights decisions should be considered from a TJ perspective because they maximize constitutional protections and provide the most individualized treatment for people with mental disabilities.
Bomb‐Pulse Dating
Authors: Buchholz Bruce A. 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
Atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons during the 1950s and early 1960s doubled the concentration of carbon‐14 atmosphere and created a pulse that labeled everything alive in the past 50 years as carbon moved up the food chain. The variation in carbon‐14 concentration in time is well documented and can be used to chronologically date all biological materials since the mid‐1950s.