Predicting Serial Stranger Rapists: Developing a Statistical Model From Crime Scene Behaviors

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110449
Author(s):  
Meritxell Perez Ramirez ◽  
Andrea Gimenez-Salinas Framis ◽  
Jose Luis Gonzalez-Alvarez ◽  
Juan Enrique Soto Castro

Stranger rapes are the most difficult cases to solve for the police, especially when a serial rapist is involved. Recent research in offender profiling has focused on generating inferences between crime scene variables and offender characteristics to aid the police investigation. This study aims to develop an empirical model to predict a new case of a serial stranger rapist by analyzing a Spanish sample of 231 one-off and 38 serial sexual offenders. A multivariate logistic regression model that included eight significant crime-related variables was able to predict whether an unknown offender is a one-off or serial rapist based only on the victim’s account. The predictive validity of the model was tested using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the result of AUC value indicated a medium predictive capacity. The final model correctly classifies nearly 80% of serial stranger rapist cases. The implications of these findings for criminal investigation are discussed.

2003 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pekka Santtila ◽  
Helinä Häkkänen ◽  
Katarina Fritzon

The purpose of the present case study was to apply psychological models of offender behaviour in providing assistance to an ongoing police investigation of a series of arsons. After a general description of the series, the analysis of the crime scene and spatial behaviour of the offender were described followed by predictions concerning likely background characteristics and home location. The accuracy of these predictions was evaluated against information concerning the suspect in the case. The characteristics predicted, based on the findings of Canter and Fritzon (1998), were in good accordance with the actual characteristics of the suspect in the case. Also, it was possible to provide fairly good estimates of the home location of the suspect based on the crime locations. There was a difference between those predicted characteristics that were based strictly on the Canter and Fritzon model and the spatial predictions which were more accurate compared to predictions based on ‘common sense’.


Stroke ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 837-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlina E. van Donkelaar ◽  
Nicolaas A. Bakker ◽  
Jaqueline Birks ◽  
Nic J.G.M. Veeger ◽  
Jan D.M. Metzemaekers ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose— Early prediction of clinical outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is still lacking accuracy. In this observational cohort study, we aimed to develop and validate an accurate bedside prediction model for clinical outcome after aSAH, to aid decision-making at an early stage. Methods— For the development of the prediction model, a prospectively kept single-center cohort of 1215 aSAH patients, admitted between 1998 and 2014, was used. For temporal validation, a prospective cohort of 224 consecutive aSAH patients from the same center, admitted between 2015 and 2017, was used. External validation was performed using the ISAT (International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial) database (2143 patients). Primary outcome measure was poor functional outcome 2 months after aSAH, defined as modified Rankin Scale score 4–6. The model was constructed using multivariate regression analyses. Performance of the model was examined in terms of discrimination and calibration. Results— The final model included 4 predictors independently associated with poor outcome after 2 months: age, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade after resuscitation, aneurysm size, and Fisher grade. Temporal validation showed high discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.85–0.94), external validation showed fair to good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.70–0.76). The model showed satisfactory calibration in both validation cohorts. The SAFIRE grading scale was derived from the final model: size of the aneurysm, age, Fisher grade, world federation of neurosurgical societies after resuscitation. Conclusions— The SAFIRE grading scale is an accurate, generalizable, and easily applicable model for early prediction of clinical outcome after aSAH.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (23) ◽  
pp. 4922-4929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao-Chun Xu ◽  
Peng-Mian Feng ◽  
Hui Yang ◽  
Wang-Ren Qiu ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Motivation Dihydrouridine (D) is a common RNA post-transcriptional modification found in eukaryotes, bacteria and a few archaea. The modification can promote the conformational flexibility of individual nucleotide bases. And its levels are increased in cancerous tissues. Therefore, it is necessary to detect D in RNA for further understanding its functional roles. Since wet-experimental techniques for the aim are time-consuming and laborious, it is urgent to develop computational models to identify D modification sites in RNA. Results We constructed a predictor, called iRNAD, for identifying D modification sites in RNA sequence. In this predictor, the RNA samples derived from five species were encoded by nucleotide chemical property and nucleotide density. Support vector machine was utilized to perform the classification. The final model could produce the overall accuracy of 96.18% with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.9839 in jackknife cross-validation test. Furthermore, we performed a series of validations from several aspects and demonstrated the robustness and reliability of the proposed model. Availability and implementation A user-friendly web-server called iRNAD can be freely accessible at http://lin-group.cn/server/iRNAD, which will provide convenience and guide to users for further studying D modification.


2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051988852
Author(s):  
Louise Almond ◽  
Elias Matin ◽  
Michelle McManus

Offender profiling follows the idea that if offenders’ crime scene actions can be empirically linked to their background characteristics, it will be possible to predict one from the other. There is a lack of research exploring whether homicide offenders’ crime scene actions are predictive of their criminal histories, despite the potential utility of such information. The current study addresses this gap in the literature. A sample of 213 adult male-on-female homicides with sexual or unknown motive was drawn from a U.K.-wide database. Relationships between 13 preconviction variables and 29 crime scene behaviors were explored using a bivariate statistical approach. Subsequently, binary logistic regression models were used to predict the presence, or absence, of specific preconvictions based on a combination of offense behaviors. Analyses highlighted 16 statistically significant associations between key offense behaviors and previous convictions, these associations were often “less likely” to result in previous conviction. The analysis failed to find any association for various other variables, most notably sexual preconvictions. Results indicate offenders’ criminal histories can be predicted from their offense behaviors, though not all preconvictions may be similarly suited. Implications for practice are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania De Simone ◽  
Francesca Maglietta ◽  
Michela Ferrara ◽  
Lorenzo Spagnolo ◽  
Pietrantonio Ricci ◽  
...  

Crime scene investigation should be carried out using a critical forensic approach by an expert team. This provides essential tools in the research and collection of evidence and samples which must be integrated with the autopsy and the police officers’ investigations. This paper aims to highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to crime scene investigation and describes a very interesting criminal case. As demonstrated by this case, the evidence obtained from the crime scene analysis sheds light on difficult cases, such as murders staged as suicides or accidents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 168-188
Author(s):  
Valeria Abreu ◽  
Edward Barker ◽  
Hannah Dickson ◽  
Francois Husson ◽  
Sandra Flynn ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify offender typologies based on aspects of the offenders’ psychopathology and their associations with crime scene behaviours using data derived from the National Confidential Enquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health concerning homicides in England and Wales committed by offenders in contact with mental health services in the year preceding the offence (n=759). Design/methodology/approach The authors used multiple correspondence analysis to investigate the interrelationships between the variables and hierarchical agglomerative clustering to identify offender typologies. Variables describing: the offenders’ mental health histories; the offenders’ mental state at the time of offence; characteristics useful for police investigations; and patterns of crime scene behaviours were included. Findings Results showed differences in the offenders’ histories in relation to their crime scene behaviours. Further, analyses revealed three homicide typologies: externalising, psychosis and depression. Practical implications These typologies may assist the police during homicide investigations by: furthering their understanding of the crime or likely suspect; offering insights into crime patterns; provide advice as to what an offender’s offence behaviour might signify about his/her mental health background. Findings suggest information concerning offender psychopathology may be useful for offender profiling purposes in cases of homicide offenders with schizophrenia, depression and comorbid diagnosis of personality disorder and alcohol/drug dependence. Originality/value Empirical studies with an emphasis on offender profiling have almost exclusively focussed on the inference of offender demographic characteristics. This study provides a first step in the exploration of offender psychopathology and its integration to the multivariate analysis of offence information for the purposes of investigative profiling of homicide by identifying the dominant patterns of mental illness within homicidal behaviour.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 506-506
Author(s):  
Yanlei Ma ◽  
Sheng Zhang ◽  
Xinxiang Li ◽  
Tianye Niu

506 Background: This study evaluates the predictive performance of radiomic features in metastasis of T1 colorectal carcinoma (CRC) to lymph nodes. Methods: A total of 10 200 CRC patients from our clinical cancer center included in this analysis. 225 eligible cases diagnosed with T1 CRC were included and divided into two groups: computed tomography (CT) image group (n = 82) and magnetic resonance image (MRI) group (n = 143) based on the preoperative image data available. A total of 548 radiomic features were extracted from each case and analyzed, and then a panel of radiomic features associated with lymph node metastases (LNM) were selected using Mann-Whitney U test. Combining these selected radiomic features and clinical data, the predictive performance for LNM was calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: The prediction accuracy for LNM of T1 CRC could be improved to 0.88 by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) through integration of one radiomic feature and three clinical indicators in CT group. In the group of contrast enhanced T1-weighted MRI (T1w-MRI), combination of two radiomic features and three clinical parameters present an AUC value of 0.85. In the group of T2-weighted MRI (T2w-MRI), combination of four radiomic features and five clinical characteristics identified T1 tumors with LNM with an AUC value of 0.87. Conclusions: The current study present a good predictive performance of combination of radiomic features with clinic characteristic in identifying T1 CRC with LNM, which may provide an important opportunity for us to make clinical treatment decision-making for T1 CRC patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew E. Brankley

Behavioural crime scene analysis (BCSA) is a police tool used to reconstruct an offence based on behaviours. Recently, BCSA has demonstrated clinical utility by predicting recidivism and aiding case conceptualization. However, a systematic review of BCSA models showed a paucity of research evaluating which behaviours are necessary and sufficient to model sexual offences. Groth and Birnbaum’s sex offender typology, which is based on offence behaviours, provides a theoretical framework that integrates investigative information and clinical practice. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate statistical- and theory-based approaches to refine BCSA models that distinguish sexual offenders. In Studies 1 through 3, Multidimensional Scaling, Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis, and Latent Class Analysis were used to create statistically-driven and theory-driven behavioural models from 59 serial, stranger sexual offenders. Validity testing of the theory-driven model indicated that applying Groth and Birnbaum’s framework to BCSA could optimize both investigative efforts and clinical decision-making.


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 3925-3925
Author(s):  
Maria Queralt Salas ◽  
Luis Gerardo Rodríguez-Lobato ◽  
María Suárez-Lledó ◽  
Nuria Martínez-Cibrian ◽  
Teresa Solano ◽  
...  

Abstract INTRODUCTION The use of post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis has decreased the rates of this complication, resulting on an improvement of transplant-related toxicity and survival. Secondary to its efficacy, the use of PTCy has been almost universally integrated for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), independently of the selected donor source. Clinical decisions in alloHCT are supported by the use of prognostic scores for outcome prediction. However, capability of prediction by diverse scores can vary depending on their features and on the composition of the study cohort. Additionally, the continuous innovation on alloHCT techniques and practices leads to an ongoing need to update risk indices aimed at improving risk stratification of patients undergoing alloHCT. This study explores the predictive capacity of different prognostic scores routinely used in alloHCT, in a contemporaneous cohort of adults undergoing peripheral blood (PB) alloHCT using PTCy-based GvHD prophylaxis. METHODS Between 2014 and 2020, 230 consecutive adults with hematological malignancies underwent PB-alloHCT with PTCy-based GvHD prophylaxis at our Institution. Data related to Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI), Karnosfky Performance Status (KPS), Disease Risk Index (DRI), European Bone Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) score, and Endothelial Activation and Stress Index (EASIX) were collected retrospectively. Complete information was available for 216 patients. Overall survival (OS) was considered the main outcome variable. Patients were grouped into two risk groups based on the optimal cut-off value for each score. In the case of EASIX, 1.578 was the most discriminating cut-off for OS. The score discrimination for OS was measured independently for each index using the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and determined at different time-points after alloHCT. RESULTS Of the 216 patients included, the median age was 52 years (range: 18-70), acute myeloid leukemia (36.1%) was the most prevalent baseline diagnosis, 42.1% of adults underwent reduced-intensity conditioning alloHCT, 69.4% received grafts from unrelated donors, and 23.0% from haploidentical donors. With a median follow-up of 22.6 months, 24.1% patients relapsed, and 2-y OS and non-relapse mortality were 67.3% and 19.9%. DRI, HCT-CI, KPS, and EASIX successfully grouped patients into higher and lower risk strata, supporting their use for risk classification. HCT-CI [(score>3 (vs 0-3): HR 2.02, p<0.01], DRI [High - Very High risk (vs Low - Int): HR 2.08, p<0.01], and EASIX [>1.578 (vs ≤ 1.578): HR 1.73, p<0.02], maintained an optimal discrimination capacity during the entire post-transplant follow-up (median AUC ranges > 55%). DRI was the most accurate prognostic index during the entire post-transplant period (median AUC ranges > 60%). KPS score was found to be a useful predictor of mortality up to the first year after alloHCT and with the highest prognostic accuracy at 3 months (AUC 67.09%). HCT-CI score was found to present a better discrimination capacity once elapsed 6 months after alloHCT and with a peak of prediction capacity at 2 years (AUC 60.3%). EASIX, when measured at the pre-transplant evaluation, demonstrated to have acceptable predictive ability during the entire post-transplant period (median AUC > 55%), and with a peak of prediction at 3 months (AUC 62.6%). The EBMT score had the lowest predictive capacity in our analysis (Figure 1). CONCLUSION: This study validates, for the first time, the risk stratification capacity for OS of DRI, HCT-CI, KPS, and EASIX in PB-alloHCT with PCTy-based prophylaxis. Interestingly, the prediction accuracy of the prognostic scores differed depending on the time-period. This result can be taken into consideration to enhance the applicability of these scores and refine the clinical decisions taken based on the information provided from their use in routine clinical practice. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Lozano: Terumo BCT: Honoraria, Research Funding; Macopharma: Research Funding; Grifols: Honoraria. Rosinol: Janssen, Celgene, Amgen and Takeda: Honoraria. Esteve: Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Astellas: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Novartis: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb/Celgene: Consultancy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiji Naito ◽  
Roka Shimada ◽  
Masashi YUKI

Abstract Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes may be useful in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion (PE) and ascitic fluid (AF) etiologies in cats since tissue damage induces their release, thereby changing the pattern of their activity. The present study aimed to determine the diagnostic utility of measuring LDH levels and its isoenzyme activities in PE or AF in cats with malignancy. We measured LDH levels and its isoenzyme activities in serum, PE, and AF in 29 cats and compared the results between malignant, infectious diseases, and non-malignant, non-infectious diseases. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the accuracy of the tests in diagnosing feline malignancy. In PE or AF, significant differences were found in LDH levels and LDH isoenzymes activities among the three groups. The combination of LDH level and LDH-1 activity in PE or AF had the highest area under the ROC (AUC) value of 0.874 for discriminating malignant effusion from non-malignant effusion. The sensitivity and specificity of using the combination of LDH level (cutoff: <2,269 U/L) and LDH-1 activity (cutoff: <4.8%) in PE or AF for predicting malignancy with the highest AUC value were 94.4% and 72.7%, respectively. Our results suggest that the combination of LDH level and LDH-1 activity in PE or AF can potentially diagnose for malignancy. Considering that LDH isoenzymes can be measured inexpensively and easily, LDH tests can be readily accommodated in veterinary clinical practice.


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