Forensic Technologies in the Courtroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 15-28
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Antonio Sainato ◽  
Jessica A Giner

Forensic animation is the use of digital animation technologies to recreate or simulate an event for use as probative evidence in a court proceeding. Acceptance by courts of this technology varies by jurisdiction. Some courts disallow its use because of the technology's prejudicial impact when weighed against the probative value and perceived tendency to bias jurors; such courts typically do not consider the relevant legal psychology research. This article examines the body of scientific evidence with respect to value of the technology, with a focus on criminal proceedings. It concludes with a policy recommendation for courts to employ in light of these considerations.

Author(s):  
Vincenzo Antonio Sainato ◽  
Jessica A Giner

Forensic animation is the use of digital animation technologies to recreate or simulate an event for use as probative evidence in a court proceeding. Acceptance by courts of this technology varies by jurisdiction. Some courts disallow its use because of the technology's prejudicial impact when weighed against the probative value and perceived tendency to bias jurors; such courts typically do not consider the relevant legal psychology research. This article examines the body of scientific evidence with respect to value of the technology, with a focus on criminal proceedings. It concludes with a policy recommendation for courts to employ in light of these considerations.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 685
Author(s):  
Enerand Mackon ◽  
Yafei Ma ◽  
Guibeline Charlie Jeazet Dongho Epse Mackon ◽  
Qiufeng Li ◽  
Qiong Zhou ◽  
...  

Anthocyanins belong to the group of flavonoid compounds broadly distributed in plant species responsible for attractive colors. In black rice (Oryza sativa L.), they are present in the stems, leaves, stigmas, and caryopsis. However, there is still no scientific evidence supporting the existence of compartmentalization and trafficking of anthocyanin inside the cells. In the current study, we took advantage of autofluorescence with anthocyanin’s unique excitation/emission properties to elucidate the subcellular localization of anthocyanin and report on the in planta characterization of anthocyanin prevacuolar vesicles (APV) and anthocyanic vacuolar inclusion (AVI) structure. Protoplasts were isolated from the stigma of black and brown rice and imaging using a confocal microscope. Our result showed the fluorescence displaying magenta color in purple stigma and no fluorescence in white stigma when excitation was provided by a helium–neon 552 nm and emission long pass 610–670 nm laser. The fluorescence was distributed throughout the cell, mainly in the central vacuole. Fluorescent images revealed two pools of anthocyanin inside the cells. The diffuse pools were largely found inside the vacuole lumen, while the body structures could be observed mostly inside the cytoplasm (APV) and slightly inside the vacuole (AVI) with different shapes, sizes, and color intensity. Based on their sizes, AVI could be grouped into small (Ф < 0.5 um), middle (Ф between 0.5 and 1 um), and large size (Ф > 1 um). Together, these results provided evidence about the sequestration and trafficking of anthocyanin from the cytoplasm to the central vacuole and the existence of different transport mechanisms of anthocyanin. Our results suggest that stigma cells are an excellent system for in vivo studying of anthocyanin in rice and provide a good foundation for understanding anthocyanin metabolism in plants, sequestration, and trafficking in black rice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1708
Author(s):  
Saeedeh Darzi ◽  
Kallyanashis Paul ◽  
Shanilka Leitan ◽  
Jerome A. Werkmeister ◽  
Shayanti Mukherjee

Aloe vera (AV), a succulent plant belonging to the Liliaceae family, has been widely used for biomedical and pharmaceutical application. Its popularity stems from several of its bioactive components that have anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and even immunomodulatory effects. Given such unique multi-modal biological impact, AV has been considered as a biomaterial for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications, where tissue repair and neo-angiogenesis are vital. This review outlines the growing scientific evidence that demonstrates the advantage of AV as tissue engineering scaffolds. We particularly highlight the recent advances in the application of AV-based scaffolds. From a tissue engineering perspective, it is pivotal that the implanted scaffolds strike an appropriate foreign body response to be well-accepted in the body without complications. Herein, we highlight the key cellular processes that regulate the foreign body response to implanted scaffolds and underline the immunomodulatory effects incurred by AV on the innate and adaptive system. Given that AV has several beneficial components, we discuss the importance of delving deeper into uncovering its action mechanism and thereby improving material design strategies for better tissue engineering constructs for biomedical applications.


1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-140
Author(s):  
Thaddeus J. Trenn ◽  

The Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth with but a faint image, continues to capture the interest of many people of diverse beliefs. Although the measured age of the cloth is relatively recent, other scientific findings indicate an earlier provenance. Any firm conclusions regarding the cloth's history remain premature. No satisfactory explanation has been found as yet for how the image on the cloth was produced structurally or stylistically. Iconographic evidence suggests that the image was the source of facial peculiarities found in early works of religious art. The body image bears a striking yet preternatural correlation with Scriptural accounts of wounds. Curiously, the image on the cloth functions as a photographic negative, exhibiting a high degree of resolution, as if the original were produced in pixels. Despite serious efforts to discover some artistic origin md medium, scientific evidence points in the direction that it was not produced by hands. If it is tme that the medium is the message, as Marshall McLuhan wrote, then the Turin Shroud may be a parable for the modern age.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Carolyn Donohoe ◽  
Kate Frazer ◽  
Diarmuid Stokes ◽  
Thilo Kroll

Background: Strategy in hospitals is based on distinct principles and rules which lead organisations to act on chosen priorities. Hospitals are struggling to cope with increasing service demands and activity and need to become more responsive to changing environments while demonstrating effective use of resources. Strategizing involves the active process of sensing, planning, implementing and evaluating strategy. Strategy-as-practice is concerned with what people do about strategy in an organisation, as opposed to the traditional focus on what the organisation has as a strategy. It is recognised that there is a disconnection between strategic planning and implementation, however little is known about how organisational context influences the strategic process or how hospital personnel engage in strategic activities. The aim of this scoping review is to explore the literature on strategizing by hospital personnel in hospitals, and will include literature for hospital both professional and managerial backgrounds, to establish the extent and breadth of strategizing or as it is often termed ‘strategy-as-practice’ in hospitals. Methods: The systematic scoping review will search the literature within the databases of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ABI/INFORM (Proquest) and OpenGrey.net to explore the scientific evidence on strategizing in hospitals. The review will be based on the Arksey & O’Malley (2005) framework of five mandatory steps which was updated (Levac et al 2010, Colquhoun et al 2014 & Peters 2015) and is published online by the Joanna Briggs Institute. It will follow the PRISMA-ScP reporting guidelines. Conclusion: A scoping review methodology will provide a framework to explore strategizing in hospitals comprehensively and map the body of literature for this subject, which has not been conducted previously. This review will summarise the evidence on the use of strategy as practice in hospitals.  Based on the findings we will identify knowledge gaps and areas for future research.


Author(s):  
Irīna Poļevaja

A defence attorney is a significant and notable figure in criminal proceedings who for the whole procedural activity in a criminal case, in theory, should facilitate detecting and correcting possible judicial mistakes. In this respect, it is vital to conduct a series of research in order to highlight prevalent problems and issues of a defence attorney’s participation in criminal trials and to work out relevant recommendations for trial attorneys that would help to forestall, detect and prevent judicial mistakes. A specific condition of a defence attorney’s activity in the process of evidencing at a judicial examination is his awareness of the entire system of evidences presented by the prosecution and accusation conclusions in disputable classification situations. They should rely upon the fact that a judicial examination is performed under circumstances of direct examination of evidence, oral proceedings, publicity, invariability of the body of the court, as well as the fact that both the court and the representatives of the parties take part at the examination. Rather short deadlines of a judicial examination entails working under circumstances when decisions must be taken under extreme conditions, by applying tricks and methods that would allow examining all evidence in the most productive way. It makes sense for a defence attorney to state his activity position and determination of taking an active part in evidencing already at the beginning of court hearings, by filing a motion to summoning new witnesses, experts and specialists, disclosure of material evidence and documents or exclusion of evidence obtained in the way of violating the law. 
The author of the study applied general scientific methods of studying objective reality, peculiar to legal sciences: systematic document analysis, structural-functional analysis, critical approach, generalisation and prediction. As a result, the author provides numerous recommendations and rules for successful and immaculate defence in criminal trials. Aizstāvis ir nozīmīga, ievērojama figūra kriminālprocesā, jo aizstāvja procesuālajai darbībai krimināllietā teorētiski būtu jāatvieglo iespējamo tiesas kļūdu konstatēšana un labošana. Un šajā sakarā ir vitāli svarīgi veikt virkni pētījumu, lai izceltu problēmjautājumus, kas saistīti ar aizstāvja piedalīšanos krimināllietās, un izstrādātu tādas rekomendācijas aizstāvjiem, kas praktiskajā darbībā sekmētu tiesas kļūdu paredzēšanu, konstatēšanu un novēršanu. 
Par specifisku priekšnoteikumu aizstāvja darbībai pierādīšanas procesā tiesas izmeklēšanā ir uzskatāma viņa pilnā informētība par visu pierādījumu sistēmu lietā, kuru piedāvā valsts apsūdzība, un par valsts apsūdzības apsvērumiem strīdus krimināltiesiskās kvalifikācijas gadījumos. Aizstāvim jāņem vērā, ka tiesas izmeklēšana norit pierādījumu tiešas un nepastarpinātas pārbaudes apstākļos, ievērojot mutiskuma, publicitātes un tiesas sastāva nemainīguma principus. Pierādījumu pārbaudē piedalās gan tiesa, gan visi pārējie procesa dalībnieki, kas nav aizstāvības pusē. Likuma prasība ievērot saprātīgus lietas iztiesāšanas termiņus paredz saspringtu darbu, svarīgus lēmumus pieņemot ekstremālos procesuālos apstākļos, izmantojot tādus paņēmienus un metodes, kas veicinātu efektīvu pierādījumu kopuma pārbaudi un novērtēšanu. Aizstāvim būtu ieteicams deklarēt savu aktīvu procesuālo pozīciju un paust gatavību aktīvi piedalīties pierādīšanā jau tiesas izmeklēšanas sākumā, piesakot lūgumus par jauno liecinieku, ekspertu un/vai speciālistu aicināšanu uz tiesas sēdi, kā arī piesakot lūgumus par lietisko pierādījumu un/vai dokumentu pieprasīšanu un par pierādījumu, kas iegūti, pārkāpjot likumu, izslēgšanu no pierādījumu kopuma. 
Šajā pētījumā ir izmantotas vispārīgās zinātniskās metodes, kas sekmē objektīvās realitātes izzināšanu un ir raksturīgas tiesību zinātnei, proti: sistēmiskā dokumentu analīze, strukturāli funkcionālā analīze, kritiskā pieeja, vispārināšana un prognozēšana. Secinājumos tiek piedāvātas vairākas rekomendācijas veiksmīgai, efektīvai un nevainojamai aizstāvībai pirmās instances tiesā.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (02) ◽  
pp. 251-255
Author(s):  
Du Hyun Ro ◽  
Hyun Sik Gong

Homunculus is a term used to refer to any representation of a miniature human being. In scientific fields, the word homunculus has been used to refer to any scale model of the human body that represents physiological, psychological, or other human functions. The hand is thought as a homunculus of the body in Hand Acupuncture Therapy, a type of alternative medicine in Korea. Hand acupuncture therapists believe stimulating the hand can improve bodily health. Although there is a need for scientific evidence regarding this concept, those that perform hand acupuncture seem to recognize the importance of hand in our body.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farid Saei Hamedani ◽  
Monica Garcia-Buitrago

Neoplastic polypoid mucosal lesions of the gallbladder are increasingly being reported in cholecystectomy specimens. However, due to the absence of unified terminology and reporting criteria, the body of scientific evidence on their classification, prognosis, and management is scarce and sometimes controversial. While they have different histomorphologic features (gastric foveolar, gastric pyloric gland, biliary, and intestinal), a significant immunohistochemical overlap exists which highlights their mixed cell lineage with a dominant cell type in each, establishing the subcategory. Because of many shared attributes, intracholecystic papillary-tubular neoplasm (ICPN) has been introduced as an umbrella terminology. ICPNs of the pyloric subtype are lesions larger than 1 cm, as most of the smaller ones are clinically insignificant and represent polypoid hyperplasia rather than a true neoplasm. In this review, we will focus on the pyloric gland adenomas as the most frequent histologic subtype of ICPNs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-209
Author(s):  
Patrick Bishop

To claim that environmental law is heavily influenced by science is to make a rather trite assertion. Disputes about the probative value of scientific and technical evidence when used as the basis for a regulatory decision are therefore not uncommon. R. (on the application of Mott) v Environment Agency is an example of this phenomenon. In particular, the key issue was whether the Environment Agency had acted perversely (in judicial review terms) by relying on contested scientific evidence as the justification for imposing catch limitations designed to preserve salmon stocks in the river Wye. In finding for the Agency, the Court of Appeal restated and reaffirmed the established principle that decision makers ought to be afforded a wide margin of appreciation in such cases; a principle which reinforces the view that the courts are not an appropriate forum for the resolution of scientific and technical disputes. In commenting on this decision it is contended that the position of the courts in this regard has the potential to undermine the rationale of evidence-based decision making. However, it is impractical in most instances for a regulator to wait for a scientific consensus to emerge, particularly when acting to protect a threatened species. As a compromise solution, it is suggested that prior consultation at least has the potential to allow affected parties to scrutinise the available science, and offer alternative evidence prior to the final decision.


Author(s):  
Marcia Kiyomi Koike ◽  
Roberto Cardoso

AbstractCoronary heart disease is the major cause of global cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Lifestyle behaviour contributes as a risk factor: unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, tobacco, alcohol, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and psychosocial stress. Atherosclerosis pathologic mechanisms involving oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, inflammation and senescence are associated with arterial wall damage and plaque formation. Stress reduction was observed in several types of meditation. After meditation, hormonal orchestration modulates effects in the central nervous system and in the body. All types of meditation are associated with blood pressure control, enhancement in insulin resistance, reduction of lipid peroxidation and cellular senescence, independent of type of meditation. This review presents scientific evidence to explain how meditation can produce beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, and particularly regarding vascular aspects.


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