Search Results (1,738)

Food fraud and adulteration continue to threaten food safety, consumer confidence and international trade. The challenges of investigating food-forensics reliably are compounded by increasingly complex supply chains, changing deceptive practices and difficulties in interpreting high-dimensional analytical data. The review critically evaluates current analytical chemistry and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches for the detection of adulteration, authenticity verification and determination of geographical or botanical origin in seafood, spices, meat, dairy products, oils, honey and beverages, distinguishing between direct forensic applications and complementary studies of food quality. The methodological framework includes liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), Raman and near-infrared spectroscopy, and sensor arrays, chemometrics, machine learning (ML), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), and multimodal data fusion. The reviewed literature shows that classical chemometric approaches are still useful for the small datasets usually employed in food-forensic studies, while deep learning offers more advantages for larger or high-dimensional datasets but the reliability is dependent on appropriate validation, model interpretability and chemically meaningful features. Future research should be geared toward developing standardized cross-laboratory datasets, strong external validation, explainable and data-efficient models, multimodal data fusion, portable analytical tools and regulatory structures to promote transparent and defensible forensic choices. Full article

Interpretation of opioid-related toxicity and death requires integration of exposure, measured toxicology, individual susceptibility, and alternative causes. We systematically reviewed human pharmacogenetic/pharmacogenomic (PGx) and multi-omic studies published from 1 January 2008 to March 2026, identified through MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection. JBI tools informed risk-of-bias assessment, and findings underwent effect-size-oriented narrative synthesis and descriptive mapping. The 75-study corpus was predominantly PGx (51 studies, 68.0%); only 17 studies addressed transcriptomic/epigenetic, metabolomic, proteomic, or integrated approaches, and seven retained other molecular classifications. These domains therefore differ substantially in evidential maturity. The most coherent PGx findings concerned CYP2D6-dependent codeine and tramadol bioactivation, CYP2B6-dependent methadone disposition, and ABCB1-related tissue distribution. Omics findings were exploratory, with limited external validation and specificity for fatal causation; proteomics rested on a single investigation. Forensic interpretative directness was high or moderate in 36 studies and low or absent in 39. No nitazene-specific study met this review’s molecular eligibility criteria. Certainty was very low for the four outcome-focused bodies assessed with GRADE; integration utility and confounder control were appraised narratively. Molecular findings may explain discordance between inherited susceptibility, parent-drug/metabolite patterns, and the observed phenotype. Downstream signatures may also reflect chronic exposure, terminal hypoxia, or postmortem change. Neither the descriptive evidence-map scores nor individual molecular markers provide validated estimates of forensic risk or establish cause of death independently. Full article

Background/Objectives: Comparative evidence for GPR system selection in forensic search is scarce. This exploratory study assesses the short-term repeatability and inter-system concordance of two GPR acquisition–interpretation chains: the multi-frequency Cobra CBD and the lightweight single-frequency Zond Aero 500 NG. Methods: At a forensic test facility containing nine graves (six pig carcasses, three controls; burial depths 30–90 cm), of which five (one carcass grave per depth class) were traversed and scored, record windows (50, 100, 200 ns) were compared under harmonized settings. At an anonymized operational site (≈9 × 7 m), a cart-based grid protocol was executed in duplicate with both systems. Independently interpreted anomalies were compared via one-to-one centroid matching, endpoint offsets, and repeat-survey variability. Results: All five traversed graves were visually confirmed by both systems at 50 and 100 ns and none at 200 ns (unblinded assessment at known markers). One-to-one matching paired every Zond Aero 500 NG segment with a Cobra CBD segment within 1.5 m (medians 0.48 m longitudinal, 0.72 m transverse); surplus Cobra CBD segments (27–36%) reflect finer segmentation. Consensus re-interpretation of all datasets altered segmentation (33–27; 22–31 segments) more than localization. Between-system endpoint offsets (0.6–3.2 m) resembled repeat-survey offsets (1.1–2.9 m). Conclusions: The concordance characterizes complete acquisition–interpretation chains: sensor, survey, and interpreter effects cannot be separated, and without ground truth they quantify concordance, not detection accuracy. Within the tested cart-based configurations, no localization difference exceeding repeat-survey variability was resolved. Broader equipment-selection claims require ground-truthed, multi-site studies, and the record window should match expected burial depth. Full article

Gun violence is a leading cause of death among youth in the United States, and effective prevention requires community engagement and cultural alignment. This exploratory mixed-methods pilot study examined whether On Sight, a performance-based violence-prevention intervention guided by the Johnson Model of Forensic Sociology, could mobilize communities, identify indication needs, and demonstrate alignment before implementation. This study analyzed de-identified registration data from 1315 eligible adults and 34 adult post-event records. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson correlations, logistic regression, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Among adult registrants, 54.3% reported low emotional-regulation tools, 38.9% reported low violence-avoidance tools, 23.0% reported low confidence, and 61.1% reported at least one low skill or confidence indicator. Youths aged 18–25 and male respondents had higher odds of endorsing that youth need guns for safety, while both groups had lower odds of low confidence than their respective reference groups. Emotional-regulation tools, violence-avoidance tools, and confidence formed a connected skill-based indication profile, while youth gun-safety endorsement represented a distinct safety-belief domain. Qualitative themes included relational pedagogy, skill uptake, humor-mediated engagement, cultural and youth resonance, and perceived utility. Assessing Intervention Capital may help violence-prevention programs determine whether an intervention can mobilize communities, identify indication needs, and demonstrate alignment before implementation. Full article

This study investigates the development of an AI-driven document authentication framework for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) verification environments. Conventional manual inspection and rule-based verification techniques often fail to detect sophisticated forged identity documents containing subtle visual or semantic manipulations. To address this limitation, the proposed framework combines handcrafted forensic feature extraction, OCR-driven semantic analysis, rule-based semantic field extraction and Random Forest classification to identify inconsistencies within identity documents captured under realistic mobile imaging conditions. Experimental evaluation was conducted using selected MIDV-2020 identity document subsets consisting of Albanian identity cards, Latvian passports, and Slovakian identity cards. The proposed framework achieved a recall rate of 92.31% and an overall accuracy of 84.85% on the held-out test set, while maintaining interpretable forensic feature analysis suitable for regulated AML/KYC environments. The results demonstrate that lightweight and explainable machine learning approaches can provide effective forged-document detection without requiring computationally intensive deep learning architectures. Full article

This study examines how accounting professionals’ self-reported forensic-auditing capabilities relate to their attitudinal readiness to recognize suspicious anti-money-laundering (AML) indicators, using a transparent hybrid design that combines classical psychometrics, structural equation modeling (SEM), and leakage-controlled explainable machine learning (ML). A cross-sectional survey collected 700 valid responses from public accountants in Lima, Peru, with a 30-item, five-point Likert instrument (19 forensic-auditing items in three dimensions and 11 AML-recognition items). Reliability was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.935; McDonald’s ω = 0.935), but average variance extracted was below 0.50 in every block (0.329–0.449), and Fornell–Larcker testing showed that skills-and-knowledge and AML recognition were not discriminantly distinct (r = 0.673 > √AVE = 0.651/0.649). Responses showed a pronounced ceiling (51% of answers were the maximum), and 86 respondents (12.3%) answered all 30 items identically; removing them lowered the forensic-auditing–AML association from r = 0.731 to 0.630 and explained variance from 53.8% to 40.3%. Skills-and-knowledge remained the strongest predictor in SEM and HC3-robust regression (β = 0.478 and 0.425). Under a leakage-free protocol, ensemble models reached ROC-AUC ≈ 0.86 on held-out data, but threshold tuning did not improve F1 test, and item-level attributions were unstable (Spearman ρ = 0.28). Forensic-auditing capabilities are positively associated with declared AML-recognition readiness, driven by applied skills and knowledge; the evidence is attitudinal and correlational, and should not be read as real detection capability. Because professional experience, seniority, sector, and prior AML training were not measured, the reported associations may be partly confounded by unobserved professional background, and the dominance of skills-and-knowledge is therefore advanced as tentative, pending resolution of the skills-and-knowledge/AML-recognition discriminant-validity overlap. A second, procedural contribution is that the study reports the data-quality screening, the failed validity tests, and the explanation-stability diagnostics that survey-based forensic-accounting research rarely makes visible. Full article

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in forensic firearm evidence analysis to improve pattern recognition, automation, and analytical efficiency. Despite advances in machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), limitations in scientific validation, explainability, expert involvement, and judicial readiness constrain operational adoption. This review examines the evolution of computational and AI-assisted approaches and the factors influencing their integration into forensic practice. Methods: This PRISMA-ScR scoping review searched Wiley Library, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Scopus for literature published between 2000 and December 2025. Of 101 records identified, 3 duplicates were removed, leaving 98 unique records for title and abstract screening. Following screening, 47 records were excluded, and 51 studies met the inclusion criteria and were retained for qualitative synthesis. The findings were interpreted alongside complementary authoritative and foundational literature to support framework development. Results: The reviewed literature demonstrates advances in ML, DL, three-dimensional analysis, and automated comparison, particularly in feature extraction, pattern recognition, and similarity assessment. Persistent limitations concern dataset representativeness, external validation, uncertainty quantification, explainability, standardization, expert involvement, governance, and judicial considerations. Integration of these findings with foundational literature informed a Human-Centered Hybrid AI Framework combining scientific validity, computational intelligence, explainability, expert collaboration, governance, and judicial accountability. Conclusions: Computational performance alone is insufficient for scientifically reliable and judicially defensible AI-assisted firearm examination. The proposed framework positions AI as an explainable, governed decision-support capability operating with qualified forensic experts rather than as an autonomous decision-maker. It provides an evidence-informed reference architecture for future validation, standardization, system development, and responsible forensic implementation. Full article

Background and Clinical Significance: Matricide represents a rare and particularly complex form of intrafamilial homicide, situated at the intersection of forensic pathology, psychiatry, and criminology. Despite its major medico-legal implications, matricide remains insufficiently portrayed in the literature, especially regarding the correlation between injury patterns, mechanisms of death, and psychiatric profiles of perpetrators. This study presents four matricide cases investigated at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, highlighting their forensic and psychiatric heterogeneity. Case Presentation: A retrospective analysis of four matricide cases was performed using autopsy reports, histopathological examinations, toxicological findings, crime scene data, and forensic psychiatric evaluations. All victims were adult women killed by their sons in domestic settings. Fatal mechanisms included sharp-force cranio-cervical trauma with complete C2–C3 spinal transection, complex blunt cranio-maxillofacial trauma with cerebral destruction, mixed-mechanism mechanical asphyxia by manual strangulation and thoraco-abdominal compression, and acute respiratory failure caused by tracheo-broncho-pulmonary blood aspiration following facial trauma. Cranio-facial targeting predominated across all cases, while financial conflict represented the most frequent documented contextual factor (3 of 4 cases). Psychiatric findings ranged from dissocial personality disorder with preserved discernment to paranoid schizophrenia with absent discernment following treatment discontinuation. Simulation or deceptive behaviors were identified in two perpetrators. Conclusions: The presented cases illustrate the marked forensic and psychiatric heterogeneity of matricide, even within a limited regional series. The integration of detailed autopsy findings with forensic psychiatric evaluation provided a useful framework for reconstructing the mechanism of death, evaluating criminal responsibility, and interpreting post-offense behavior. These findings contribute additional empirical data to the limited literature on matricide and underline the importance of interdisciplinary medico-legal evaluation in intrafamilial homicide cases. Full article

Background/Objectives: Oral solid dosage (OSD) forms are historically categorized as low-risk vectors for leachables under the assumption that solid-state matrices impose severe kinetic barriers against migrant migration and reactivity. This study investigates an unexpected unknown impurity, detected as part of a routine ICH Q3B testing program to control drug product impurities in a blister-packed tablet. Since the impurity exceeded the ICH Q3B identification threshold applicable for this drug product (1.0% w/w relative to API or 5 µg total daily intake (TDI), whichever is lower), a forensic investigation into the origins and identity of the impurity was performed. Methods: Placebo and packaging line studies were performed to isolate the origin of the impurity. Systematic structure elucidation was carried out using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), isotopic fine structure analysis, and de novo chemical synthesis. To enable definitive characterization, preparative HPLC was utilized to isolate the compound for high-field 2D-NMR spectroscopy (801 MHz). Results: The impurity was proven to be independent of active pharmaceutical ingredient degradation, forming only when tablet excipients were stored in sealed PVC blister packaging. Co-incubation of the PVC heat stabilizer derivative dimethyltin bis(2-ethylhexyl mercaptoacetate) (DMTE) with pyrrolidin-2-one (a povidone excipient degradation product) generated an identical chromatographic and MS/MS spectral profile. NMR spectroscopy unambiguously identified the structure as 2-ethylhexyl 2-((5-oxopyrrolidin-2-yl)thio)acetate. Conclusions: This study provides the first direct evidence of an organotin-catalyzed solid-state reaction between a packaging leachable and a tablet excipient under 25 °C/60% RH storage conditions. While this implies that the impurity should not be evaluated under the ICH Q3B guidelines, the findings directly challenge the assumed “low-risk” status of OSD packaging regarding leachables and highlight the necessity for interaction-focused, chemistry-based risk assessments, as outlined in emerging ICH Q3E guidelines. Full article

Background: Fatal choking is a preventable cause of mechanical asphyxia that occurs more frequently among individuals with psychiatric disorders due to behavioural abnormalities, neurological comorbidities, and medication-related swallowing impairment. This review aims to highlight the clinical and forensic factors contributing to fatal choking and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to its investigation. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. In total, 25 studies describing fatal choking in adults with psychiatric disorders and including medico-legal investigations were selected and analyzed. Results: Schizophrenia was the most frequently reported psychiatric condition, followed by bipolar disorder, depression, and dementia. Antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and other psychotropic drugs were recurrently associated with dysphagia and reduced airway protective reflexes. Food boluses represented the predominant obstructive material, although several unusual foreign bodies were documented. Virtopsy, autopsy, histological, and toxicological investigations consistently proved essential for confirming airway obstruction, reconstructing the mechanism of death, and identifying contributing clinical and pharmacological factors. Conclusions: Fatal choking in psychiatric patients is a multifactorial event requiring early risk assessment, preventive strategies, and comprehensive forensic evaluation to improve patient safety and ensure accurate determination of the cause of death. Full article

Background/Objectives: Fictional portrayals of criminal investigation have long inflated public expectations of forensic science, in a phenomenon known as the CSI effect. As artificial intelligence, data science and three-dimensional reconstruction enter operational policing, that distortion extends into what we term the Digital CSI effect. This study examines how narrative-driven, interactive science communication can recalibrate such expectations while building technological and ethical literacy among adult audiences. Methods: Using a descriptive multiple-case design, we examined four deliveries of two workshops involving 98 adult participants across three audience types: general public, law enforcement practitioners and trainees, and postgraduate students. Workshop 1 addressed web scraping and data visualisation in homicide investigation, together with their legal and ethical limits. Workshop 2 introduced artificial intelligence and 3D crime scene reconstruction in an immersive virtual environment. Four propositions were formulated before delivery and examined at each case against facilitator observation, question-and-answer sessions and open-ended written feedback. Results: Participants reported increased familiarity with the demonstrated technologies and more realistic expectations of what those technologies can deliver. Unrealistic assumptions about the speed and clarity of evidence interpretation surfaced repeatedly, particularly among audiences without investigative experience, and were addressed directly during the sessions. Participants valued tailored content, hands-on interaction and narrative framing, and identified orientation in the virtual environment as the main practical barrier. Conclusions: Narrative-centred, interactive workshops offer a practical and transferable mechanism for mitigating the Digital CSI effect and for building ethical awareness among adult learners in and around forensic practice. Full article

Background/Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering clinical dentistry more quickly than the professional, ethical, and regulatory frameworks intended to govern it. Responsible implementation depends not only on diagnostic performance but on trust, professional autonomy, and clear accountability—dimensions rarely examined across the different stakeholder groups who shape dental care. This study assessed perceptions of trustworthy AI, accountability, and regulatory preparedness among dental and non-dental stakeholders in Romania. Methods: A multidisciplinary cross-sectional survey using purposive, non-probability sampling, reported in accordance with the CROSS guideline, was administered to dental professionals, legal professionals, forensic physicians, and other healthcare stakeholders. The instrument addressed AI literacy, governance and accountability, ethics and transparency, and clinical implementation. Responses were compared across professional groups using chi-square and Kruskal–Wallis tests with Benjamini–Hochberg or Holm correction, and the questionnaire structure was examined through an exploratory psychometric assessment. Of 304 submissions, 287 were retained for analysis. Results: Agreement on ethical and governance safeguards was high (84–91%), including testing on diverse populations, independent auditing, and patient disclosure. Between-group differences concentrated in AI awareness, literacy, and educational exposure, as well as in governance and accountability, whereas ethics and transparency items showed broad consensus. Respondents attributed responsibility for AI-related outcomes to clinicians (77.4%), developers (49.5%), and healthcare institutions (28.3%). Only a minority reported AI Act awareness (32.8%) or previous participation in AI-related courses or conferences (25.2%). Conclusions: Romanian stakeholders included in this multidisciplinary sample share strong normative expectations for trustworthy clinical AI but report limited regulatory awareness and educational exposure. These findings support the development of structured AI preparedness initiatives and clearer governance frameworks reflecting stakeholders’ perceptions of responsibility as extending across clinicians, developers, and healthcare institutions. Professional certification before clinical AI use emerged as a specific stakeholder preference. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pediatric forensic cases represent a growing public health concern and impose substantial burdens on emergency departments (EDs). However, data on operational predictors of ED length of stay (ED-LOS) in this specific population remain limited. We aimed to identify predictors of increased ED length of stay (ED-LOS) and evaluate clinical profiles of pediatric forensic cases. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 1113 pediatric forensic cases. Cox proportional hazards regression was used as the primary method to identify predictors of time-to-discharge. Firth’s penalized logistic regression and Random Forest (RF) were used for binary prediction based on a data-derived 45 min high-acuity threshold established via Reciever Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Performance was assessed via AUC, Brier score, bootstrap validation, and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA). Results: The cohort was predominantly adolescent (71.5%) and male (65.3%), with interpersonal assault (36.7%) and standard forensic examinations (26.7%) being the most frequent etiologies. In the Cox regression, lower clinical acuity (higher Emergency Severity Index [ESI] scores) significantly increased the hazard of discharge (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 1.954). Conversely, specific trauma mechanisms notably delayed discharge, particularly intoxication (HR: 0.126), burns (HR: 0.127), and out-of-vehicle traffic accidents (HR: 0.237). Parent-accompanied presentation was independently associated with faster ED processing (HR: 1.303), while ambulance arrival was not a significant independent driver of overall time-to-discharge (p = 0.176). RF confirmed that the ESI was the dominant operational predictor (37.0% importance; test AUC 0.906), and the Firth regression demonstrated that these same mechanisms were the strongest predictors. The model showed high Negative Predictive Value (96.9%) and DCA benefit. Conclusions: This study proposes a framework for predicting increased ED-LOS in pediatric forensic cases. Cox regression suggested that ESI and trauma mechanisms modulate discharge speed, reflecting operational patterns. The findings may support triage stratification and resource allocation, but external validation is needed. Full article

The archeological site of Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, houses the oldest fossils attributed to Homo sapiens, dated to approximately 315,000 years before present (BP). This study presents a forensic facial approximation based on data from a three-dimensional composite skull derived from Layer 7 of the site, with structural predominance of the Irhoud 1 fossil. The methodology employed open-source software tools, combining anatomical projections and the constrained anatomical deformation technique. Endocast segmentation yielded a volume of 1364 mL, a result fully compatible with measurements and segmentations obtained in previous studies directly from the fossil, while also aligning with the variation observed in modern populations. Two sets of images were produced: an objective approximation in grayscale, focused on osteological correspondence, and a colored artistic version featuring skin pigmentation and facial hair for scientific communication. The results reinforce the feasibility and reproducibility of open-access methodologies applied to paleoanthropology, offering an anatomically coherent representation of this Middle Pleistocene hominin. Full article

Dog tethering persists as a common management practice despite growing evidence of its negative welfare implications and increasing legislative recognition of animal sentience. Yet public support for its criminalization remains understudied. This study assessed public attitudes towards the criminalization of permanent dog tethering in Portugal and identified independent predictors of pro-criminalization attitudes. An anonymous cross-sectional online survey was administered to a sample of Portuguese adults. Of 471 respondents, 41.2% endorsed unconditional criminalization, 48.0% endorsed conditional criminalization, and 10.8% opposed it, with 9 in 10 respondents endorsing some form of legal prohibition. Anger upon witnessing a tethered dog was the dominant independent predictor of pro-criminalization attitude (OR = 81.06, 95% CI 6.56–1001.48) and of unconditional criminalization specifically. Affirming canine sentience independently predicted unconditional criminalization. The association between sex and pro-criminalization attitude was attenuated and became non-significant after controlling for emotional responses, consistent with, though not establishing, a relationship between sex and emotional reactivity. Although 81.7% of respondents considered tethering to constitute animal mistreatment, only 21.0% of the total sample had previously reported or intervened, though this figure rose to 48.1% among the subset of participants with local awareness of tethered dogs. Public support for criminalizing dog tethering was more strongly associated with emotional responses, particularly anger, than with the demographic or cognitive variables included in the models. These findings highlight the role of emotional engagement in shaping public concern for canine welfare and underscore the relevance of the human–animal bond to forensic and legislative responses to tethering. Full article