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Diagnostics
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Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0
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Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 29786

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Ikegaya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
Interests: personal identification; virology; geographic estimation; DNA typing; age estimation; stable isotope; computed tomography; machine learning; forensic anthropology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marco Di Paolo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor of Legal Medicine, Department of Surgical Pathology, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: forensic pathology; cardiopathology; sudden juvenile death
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forensic medicine came about with the formation of human society, and continues to be an indispensable medical subject. After World War II, forensic medicine made great progress with the introduction of blood typing. In recent years, diagnostic techniques have been further advanced by the introduction of DNA typing and CT machines.

Among forensic medicine, forensic pathology is a specific sector of pathology focalized on medico-legal investigations of sudden, unexpected, or unexplained death. The task of the forensic pathologist is primarily aimed at identifying causes of death and establishing the cause, circumstances, and time of death. Forensic pathology plays an important role in criminal investigation, and it classically involves the use of laboratory investigation (histopathology, immunohystochemistry, chemical analysis, genetic analysis DNA, entomological analysis, etc).

In recent years, great efforts have been made to identify and validate new reliable methods of investigation for an old problem, such as estimation of time of death (post-mortem interval (PMI)). Recent advances in molecular biology have led to various advances in the estimation of PMI. The degeneration of mRNA, DNA, and proteins are closely under investigation to outline their role in estimating PMI. Moreover, entomology analysis has been a routine practice for the estimation of PMI in the early and late postmortem periods.

On the other hand, great attention has been dedicated to the field of sudden juvenile death. Cardiac arrest in a young person can be caused by hereditary conditions, such as hypertrophic, dilated, and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies, or mutations that alter the proteins that control the heart rhythm causing diseases in which the patient’s heart, while appearing normal to clinical investigations, is predisposed to have serious arrhythmias (the so-called channelopathies: long QT syndrome and short QT, Brugada syndrome, and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia). In this specific area of research, the contribution of forensic pathologists has been particularly significant.

This Special Issue aims to gather reports that will help to progress forensic diagnosis in the following fields:

  • Pathology;
  • Odontology;
  • Radiology;
  • Anthropology;
  • Toxicology;
  • Body fluid analysis;
  • DNA analysis;
  • Traffic science.

Related Special issue "Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis" and previous papers:

Application of Innovative TGA/Chemometric Approach for Forensic Purposes: The Estimation of the Time since Death in Contaminated Specimens

Evaluation of Parameters for Estimating the Postmortem Interval of Skeletal Remains Using Bovine Femurs: A Pilot Study

Post-Mortem Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Spectrophotometric Color Measurement to Assess Temperature of Exposure in Cortical and Medullar Heated Human Bones: A Preliminary Study

Hypo-Expression of Flice-Inhibitory Protein and Activation of the Caspase-8 Apoptotic Pathways in the Death-Inducing Signaling Complex Due to Ischemia Induced by the Compression of the Asphyxiogenic Tool on the Skin in Hanging Cases

Proteomics in Deaths by Drowning: Diagnostic Efficacy of Apolipoprotein A1 and α-1 Antitrypsin, Pilot Study

Both Autopsy and Computed Tomography Are Necessary for Accurately Detecting Rib Fractures Due to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

A Proposed Procedure for Discriminating between Nasal Secretion and Saliva by RT-qPCR

Estimation of Cadaveric Age by Ultrasonography

Time Flies—Age Grading of Adult Flies for the Estimation of the Post-Mortem Interval

MicroRNAs as Useful Tools to Estimate Time Since Death. A Systematic Review of Current Literature

MicroRNAs: An Update of Applications in Forensic Science

Postmortem Protein Degradation as a Tool to Estimate the PMI: A Systematic Review

Current Methods for Body Fluid Identification Related to Sexual Crime: Focusing on Saliva, Semen, and Vaginal Fluid

New Frontiers and Old Challenges: How to Manage Incidental Findings When Forensic Diagnosis Goes Beyond

 

Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Ikegaya
Prof. Dr. Marco Di Paolo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cause of death
  • identification
  • crime scene
  • diagnosis
  • unnnatural death

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 4026 KiB  
Article
Application of the Kvaal Method in Age Estimation of the Serbian Population Based on Dental Radiographs
by Dejan Zdravkovic, Milica Jovanovic, Milos Papic, Vladimir Ristic, Andjela Milojevic Samanovic, Aleksandar Kocovic, Miroslav Sovrlic, Miona Vuletic, Aleksandra Misic, Rasa Mladenovic, Marko Milosavljevic and Jelena Todic
Diagnostics 2022, 12(4), 911; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics12040911 - 06 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1824
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Kvaal method in determining the age of a Serbian population. In this retrospective descriptive study, 170 dental patients (age range 16–77 years) were included. The measurements of six types of teeth were performed on [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Kvaal method in determining the age of a Serbian population. In this retrospective descriptive study, 170 dental patients (age range 16–77 years) were included. The measurements of six types of teeth were performed on digital orthopantomography radiographs according to the Kvaal method. Statistical inter-observer and intra-observer reliabilities were calculated to evaluate the reproducibility of the measurements, as well as to examine the correlation between chronological age and measured values. The evaluation revealed a substantial difference (over 12 years) between chronological and estimated age. The P ratio had the strongest correlation with chronological age for the maxillary central (r = ±0.293) and lateral incisors (r = ±0.240), whereas the pulp/root width ratio at level A had the strongest correlation for the mandibular first premolars (r = ±0.270). The lowest SD values, for measurements on teeth 15/25 (SD = 125,787), had the most accurate correlation with age. Thus, we can conclude that the original Kvaal method is not applicable in the age estimation of the Serbian population. For future research, we suggest using cone beam computer tomography as a precise technology to evaluate the applicability of Kvaal and other methods for age estimation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
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9 pages, 911 KiB  
Article
Analysis Comparison for Rapid Identification of Pathogenic Virus from Infected Tissue Samples
by Junji Hosokawa-Muto, Yukiko Sassa-O’Brien, Yoshihito Fujinami and Hiroaki Nakahara
Diagnostics 2022, 12(1), 196; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics12010196 - 14 Jan 2022
Viewed by 1508
Abstract
When examining infectious samples, rapid identification of the pathogenic agent is required for diagnosis and treatment or for investigating the cause of death. In our previous study, we applied exhaustive amplification using non-specific primers (the rapid determination system of viral genome sequences, the [...] Read more.
When examining infectious samples, rapid identification of the pathogenic agent is required for diagnosis and treatment or for investigating the cause of death. In our previous study, we applied exhaustive amplification using non-specific primers (the rapid determination system of viral genome sequences, the RDV method) to identify the causative virus via swab samples from a cat with a suspected viral infection. The purpose of the current study is to investigate suitable methods for the rapid identification of causative pathogens from infected tissue samples. First, the influenza virus was inoculated into mice to prepare infected tissue samples. RNA extracted from the mouse lung homogenates was transcribed into cDNA and then analyzed using the RDV method and next-generation sequencing, using MiSeq and MinION sequencers. The RDV method was unable to detect the influenza virus in the infected tissue samples. However, influenza virus reads were detected using next-generation sequencing. Comparing MiSeq and MinION, the time required for library and sequence preparation was shorter for MinION sequencing than for MiSeq sequencing. We conclude that when a causative virus needs to be rapidly identified from an infectious sample, MinION sequencing is currently the method of choice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
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11 pages, 1659 KiB  
Article
Caspase 9 and Caspase 3 Immunohistochemical Pattern in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscles at Different Times after Death: An Experimental Study on PMI Estimation
by Cristina Mondello, Chiara Stassi, Letteria Minutoli, Gennaro Baldino, Angela Alibrandi, Giovanni Francesco Spatola, Maria Laura Uzzo, Antonio Micali, Domenico Puzzolo, Alessio Asmundo and Elvira Ventura Spagnolo
Diagnostics 2021, 11(6), 1062; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics11061062 - 09 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1898
Abstract
(1) Background: The estimation of the post mortem interval (PMI) is a challenge for forensic pathologists because data emerging from methods commonly applied are not always conclusive, since several conditions exist that may affect the reliability of these parameters. Thus, new approaches have [...] Read more.
(1) Background: The estimation of the post mortem interval (PMI) is a challenge for forensic pathologists because data emerging from methods commonly applied are not always conclusive, since several conditions exist that may affect the reliability of these parameters. Thus, new approaches have been proposed to overcome such a limit. In recent years, several studies have been performed on proteins analyzing their expression/degradation patterns in relation to the progressing of the post mortem interval. (2) Methods: The immunoreactivity patterns of two apoptosis mediators—Caspase 9 and Caspase 3—have been tested in order to evaluate their potential role as markers of the post mortem interval. The immunohistochemical analysis was performed on samples of skeletal and cardiac muscles obtained from rats at 0, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 72 h after death. (3) Results: The observed immunoreactivity patterns of both Caspase 9 and Caspase 3 showed a significant correlation with increasing post mortem interval either in skeletal or cardiac muscles, while the comparison of the immunoreactivity patterns of the two apoptotic mediators within each tissue appeared consistent with a preliminary activation of the “initiator” Caspase 9, which, in turn, subsequently activates the “executioner” Caspase 3. (4) Conclusion: The different expressions and decrease immunohistochemically observed on both caspases with progressing PMI support the usefulness of the combined analysis for post mortem interval estimation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
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Review

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20 pages, 2466 KiB  
Review
Is Palatal Rugae Pattern a Reliable Tool for Personal Identification following Orthodontic Treatment? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Archana A. Gupta, Supriya Kheur, Abdulrahman Alshehri, Wael Awadh, Zeeshan Heera Ahmed, Shaikh Mohammed Abdul Feroz, Samar Saeed Khan, Shazia Mushtaq, Harisha Dewan, Zohaib Khurshid, Saranya Varadarajan, Govindarajan Sujatha, Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan and Shankargouda Patil
Diagnostics 2022, 12(2), 418; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics12020418 - 06 Feb 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2657
Abstract
Background: To qualitatively and quantitatively review the reliability of palatal rugae as a tool for personal identification following orthodontic treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective studies assessing the accuracy of matching palatal rugae pattern pre- and post-orthodontic treatment were identified from PubMed and SCOPUS databases. [...] Read more.
Background: To qualitatively and quantitatively review the reliability of palatal rugae as a tool for personal identification following orthodontic treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective studies assessing the accuracy of matching palatal rugae pattern pre- and post-orthodontic treatment were identified from PubMed and SCOPUS databases. The title and abstract of the articles identified in the search were screened for potential duplicates and relevancy to the topic of interest. The full text of the articles selected in the screening was analyzed using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quantitative analysis of the studies representing coherent data in terms of age and treatment choice was performed using RevMan software. Results: Out of 64 screened articles, only 18 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Out of these 18 articles, only 3 studies had data compatible with the quantitative analysis. Significant changes were noted in lateral first rugae in transverse bilateral direction (p = 0.02) and between second and third lateral rugae of the left side in the anteroposterior direction (p = 0.04). Despite the dimensional changes, observers in most studies were able to accurately (>90%) match the palatal rugae pre- and post-orthodontic treatment through visual observation. Conclusion: The accuracy of the visual matching, despite the significant dimensional changes, indicates that morphology could have potentially been the major matching factor. Thus, a combination of dimensional and morphological evaluation of the palatal rugae could potentially increase the accuracy of personal identification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
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18 pages, 1454 KiB  
Review
Analysis of Microbial Communities: An Emerging Tool in Forensic Sciences
by Audrey Gouello, Catherine Dunyach-Remy, Christian Siatka and Jean-Philippe Lavigne
Diagnostics 2022, 12(1), 1; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics12010001 - 21 Dec 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6512
Abstract
The objective of forensic sciences is to find clues in a crime scene in order to reconstruct the scenario. Classical samples include DNA or fingerprints, but both have inherent limitations and can be uninformative. Another type of sample has emerged recently in the [...] Read more.
The objective of forensic sciences is to find clues in a crime scene in order to reconstruct the scenario. Classical samples include DNA or fingerprints, but both have inherent limitations and can be uninformative. Another type of sample has emerged recently in the form of the microbiome. Supported by the Human Microbiome Project, the characteristics of the microbial communities provide real potential in forensics. They are highly specific and can be used to differentiate and classify the originating body site of a human biological trace. Skin microbiota is also highly specific and different between individuals, leading to its possibility as an identification tool. By extension, the possibilities of the microbial communities to be deposited on everyday objects has also been explored. Other uses include the determination of the post-mortem interval or the analysis of soil communities. One challenge is that the microbiome changes over time and can be influenced by many environmental and lifestyle factors. This review offers an overview of the main methods and applications to demonstrate the benefit of the microbiome to provide forensically relevant information. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
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11 pages, 288 KiB  
Review
Forensic Value of Genetic Variants Associated with Anti-Social Behavior
by Antonio Oliva, Simone Grassi, Massimo Zedda, Marco Molinari and Stefano Ferracuti
Diagnostics 2021, 11(12), 2386; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics11122386 - 17 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2990
Abstract
Insanity defense is sometimes invoked in criminal cases, and its demonstration is usually based on a multifactorial contribution of behavioural, clinical, and neurological elements. Neuroradiological evidence of structural alterations in cerebral areas that involve decision-making and moral reasoning is often accepted as a [...] Read more.
Insanity defense is sometimes invoked in criminal cases, and its demonstration is usually based on a multifactorial contribution of behavioural, clinical, and neurological elements. Neuroradiological evidence of structural alterations in cerebral areas that involve decision-making and moral reasoning is often accepted as a useful tool in these evaluations. On the other hand, the genetic predisposition to anti-social behavior is still controversial. In this paper, we describe two cases of violent crimes committed by young carriers of genetic variants associated with personality disorder; both the defendants claimed to be insane at the time of the crime. We discuss these cases and review the scientific literature regarding the relationship between legal incapacity/predisposition to criminal behavior and genetic mutations. In conclusion, despite some genetic variants being able to influence several cognitive processes (like moral judgement and impulse control), there is currently no evidence that carriers of these mutations are, per se, incapable of intentionally committing crimes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
13 pages, 794 KiB  
Review
Molecular Autopsy of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Genomics Era
by Vincenzo Castiglione, Martina Modena, Alberto Aimo, Enrica Chiti, Nicoletta Botto, Simona Vittorini, Benedetta Guidi, Giuseppe Vergaro, Andrea Barison, Andrea Rossi, Claudio Passino, Alberto Giannoni, Marco Di Paolo and Michele Emdin
Diagnostics 2021, 11(8), 1378; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics11081378 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3274
Abstract
Molecular autopsy is the process of investigating sudden death through genetic analysis. It is particularly useful in cases where traditional autopsy is negative or only shows non-diagnostic features, i.e., in sudden unexplained deaths (SUDs), which are often due to an underlying inherited arrhythmogenic [...] Read more.
Molecular autopsy is the process of investigating sudden death through genetic analysis. It is particularly useful in cases where traditional autopsy is negative or only shows non-diagnostic features, i.e., in sudden unexplained deaths (SUDs), which are often due to an underlying inherited arrhythmogenic cardiac disease. The final goal of molecular autopsy in SUD cases is to aid medico-legal inquiries and to guide cascade genetic screening of the victim’s relatives. Early attempts of molecular autopsy relied on Sanger sequencing, which, despite being accurate and easy to use, has a low throughput and can only be employed to analyse a small panel of genes. Conversely, the recent adoption of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has allowed exome/genome wide examination, providing an increase in detection of pathogenic variants and the discovery of newer genotype-phenotype associations. NGS has nonetheless brought new challenges to molecular autopsy, especially regarding the clinical interpretation of the large number of variants of unknown significance detected in each individual. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
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16 pages, 16514 KiB  
Review
Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma: A Systematic Review
by Aniello Maiese, Francesca Iannaccone, Andrea Scatena, Zoe Del Fante, Antonio Oliva, Paola Frati and Vittorio Fineschi
Diagnostics 2021, 11(4), 734; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics11040734 - 20 Apr 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4935
Abstract
Abusive head trauma (AHT) represents a commonly misdiagnosed condition. In fact, there is no pathognomonic sign that allows the diagnosis in children. Therefore, it is such an important medico-legal challenge to evaluate reliable diagnostic tools. The aim of this review is to evaluate [...] Read more.
Abusive head trauma (AHT) represents a commonly misdiagnosed condition. In fact, there is no pathognomonic sign that allows the diagnosis in children. Therefore, it is such an important medico-legal challenge to evaluate reliable diagnostic tools. The aim of this review is to evaluate the current scientific evidence to assess what the best practice is in order to diagnose AHT. We have focused particularly on evaluating the importance of circumstantial evidence, clinical history, the use of postmortem radiological examinations (such as CT and MRI), and the performance of the autopsy. After autopsy, histological examination of the eye and brain play an important role, with attention paid to correlation with symptoms found in vivo. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
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16 pages, 1515 KiB  
Systematic Review
Influencing Factors on Postmortem Protein Degradation for PMI Estimation: A Systematic Review
by Angela Zissler, Walter Stoiber, Janine Geissenberger, Peter Steinbacher, Fabio C. Monticelli and Stefan Pittner
Diagnostics 2021, 11(7), 1146; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics11071146 - 23 Jun 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2540
Abstract
The present review provides an overview of the current research status on the effects of influencing factors on postmortem protein degradation used to estimate the PMI (postmortem interval). Focus was set on characteristics of internal and external influencing factors and the respective susceptibility [...] Read more.
The present review provides an overview of the current research status on the effects of influencing factors on postmortem protein degradation used to estimate the PMI (postmortem interval). Focus was set on characteristics of internal and external influencing factors and the respective susceptibility and/or robustness of protein degradation. A systematic literature search up to December 2020 was conducted on the effect of influencing factors investigated in the context of postmortem protein degradation in the tissues of animals and humans using the scientific databases PubMed and Google Scholar, as well as the reference lists of eligible articles. We identified ten studies investigating a total of seven different influencing factors in degrading tissues/organs (n = 7) of humans and animals using six different methodological approaches. Although comparison of study outcomes was impeded by the high variety of investigated factors, and by high risk of bias appraisals, it was evident that the majority of the influencing factors concerned affected protein degradation, thus being able to modulate the precision of protein degradation-based PMI estimation. The results clearly highlight the need for a thorough screening for corresponding factors to enable the introduction of appropriate correction factors and exclusion criteria. This seems especially relevant for the protein degradation-based study of human PMI to increase the reliability and precision of the method and to facilitate a broader applicability in routine forensic casework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Forensic Diagnosis 2.0)
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