Eine Vaterschaftssache ist mit der gutachterlichen Stellungnahme nicht erschopft. Am Ende steht vielmehr die Entscheidung des Richters, der im Gegensatz zum Gut- achter aIle Fakten zu beriicksichtigen hat, die flir oder gegen die Vaterschaft eines Beklagten sprechen. Es ist daher von Interesse, die bei der Vaterschaftsdiagnostik verwendeten Verfahren vor dem Hintergrund der Entscheidungstheorie der mathe- matischen Statistik zu betrachten, ein Vorgehen, wie es bereits bei Walter (1971) zu finden ist. Zur Auswahl stehen die sog. Bayes- und Minimaxstrategien, die beide zu verschiedenen Anforderungen an den Gutachter flihren. Einer Theorie kann man die Analyse des Verhaltens eines Richters zugrunde legen und dieses durch Defini- tionen, Axiome und Regeln nachzubilden suchen - notwendigerweise vereinfacht, aber dadurch klarer und durchsichtiger -, oder man stellt Prinzipien auf, die zu ei- nem verniinftigen Entscheidungsverhalten flihren, das man zum MaBstab flir die kiinftige Arbeit machen kann. Die hier vorgestellte Entscheidungstheorie beschrei- tet den zweiten Weg. Sie dient nicht dem Zweck, die richterliche Funktion durch ein mathematisches Verfahren zu ersetzen, zeigt aber, welche GroBen bei einem op- timalen Entscheidungsverfahren zu beriicksichtigen sind. Ein ganz wesentlicher Bei- trag kommt hierbei yom Gutachter: das Likelihoodverhaltnis A = Y IX, in dem Zah- ler und Nenner die Terzettenwahrscheinlichkeiten bei Nichtvaterschaft (Y) und Vaterschaft (X) bedeuten. IgY IX + 10 ist in Anlehnung an Essen-MOller als EM- Wert bekannt. Wahrend die Bayessche Theorie mit A weiterarbeitet und A-priori- Wahrscheinlichkeiten einbezieht, wird bei der MinimaxlOsung auf diese Wahr- scheinlichkeiten verzichtet und A durch das Verhaltnis der zugehorigen Ober- bzw.

The field of forensic DNA analysis has grown immensely in the past two decades and genotyping of biological samples is now routinely performed in human identification (HID) laboratories. Application areas include paternity testing, forensic casework, family lineage studies, identification of human remains, and DNA databasing. Forensic DNA Analysis: Current Practices and Emerging Technologies explores the fundamental principles and the application of technologies for each aspect of forensic DNA analysis. The book begins by discussing the value of DNA evidence and how to properly recognize, document, collect, and store it. The remaining chapters examine: The most widely adopted methods and the best practices for DNA isolation from forensic biological samples and human remains Studies carried out on the use of both messenger RNA and small (micro) RNA profiling Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for quantification and assessment of human DNA prior to genotyping Capillary electrophoresis (CE) as a tool for forensic DNA analysis Next-generation short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping kits for forensic applications, the biological nature of STR loci, and Y-chromosome STRs (Y-STRs) Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analysis Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion polymorphisms (indels) in typing highly degraded DNA Deep-sequencing technologies The current state of integrated systems in forensic DNA analysis The book concludes by discussing various aspects of sample-processing training and the entities that provide such training programs. This volume is an essential resource for students, researchers, teaching faculties, and other professionals interested in human identification/forensic DNA analysis.

This book provides, in a single volume, an extensive, research-based evaluation of the most popular clinical assessment tools as applied in forensic settings. These widely used instruments often require important modifications in their administration and interpretation when used for forensic purposes, and it is vital that the clinician is intimately familiar with their correct application, as well as their limitations. The test instruments included are analyzed by senior figures in the field of psychological assessment who are uniquely qualified to discuss them because they have either had a crucial role in the development of the tests, or they have dedicated their careers to advancing our understanding of these clinical assessment measures. Each chapter begins with a summary of the development of the assessment instrument in its more traditional applications in clinical settings, and then considers its utilization in forensic settings. The types of forensic issues which have been addressed with that instrument are reviewed, and an illustrative case example is given which reflects the types of uses and limitations of the assessment technique when applied in a forensic context. New in this edition are a chapter on the MMPI-2-RF and separate chapters for the adult and youth versions of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. Psychologists using assessment instruments in applied forensic settings will find this to be a valuable and practical source of information, as will attorneys wishing to gain an understanding of the application of these psychological assessment approaches in the courtroom.

A unique book on recognition and investigation of criminal poisoning for investigators of all backgrounds and stages of their careers. Poisons: An Introduction for Forensic Investigators is a concise yet comprehensive overview of toxicants and unanticipated circumstances in which poisoning occurs. This book expands awareness of poisoning possibilities, heightens recognition of the toxic potential of many substances, and provides information to aid in focusing investigations. Poisons discusses life-threatening toxic substances and agents that modify behavior to achieve criminal goals. These include drugs that facilitate sexual assaults and robberies, and those found in medical child abuse and drug-product tampering. More than 230 case studies illustrate both unintentional and intentional poisoning and highlight situations where poisoning may not immediately be apparent. Information is included in pertinent criminal poisoning cases to illustrate the temperament of poisoners, their relationship to victims, their basis for poison selection, and their method of administration. Since Poisons is written by a single author, the discussions, format, educational level, and terminology remain consistent to aid crime scene investigators, homicide detectives, forensic scientists, death investigators, toxicologists, medical examiners, attorneys, and students. The book's more than 650 references are an asset to frame knowledge as well as a resource to return to again and again.

Through close examination of legal, historical, and medical sources, this volume sheds light on the evolution of U.S. law as it bears on bio-ethical issues, advances in medical technology, and the changing role of medicine in the American courtroom during the last 150 years. In doing so, it provides a clear, accessible introduction to such major medical and legal controversies as the "right to die," assisted suicide, bioengineering, reproductive rights, and DNA testing. An extensive collection of important documents is included, along with a glossary of key people, events, and concepts; a chronology; a table of cases cited; an annotated bibliography; and a comprehensive index.

Addressing the pathology of the heart and cardiovascular system from a forensic perspective, this book guides the pathologist toward the effective resolution of cases. It critically reviews pertinent facts by revisiting pathologic findings and comparing them to etiopathogenic hypotheses, proposing new ones substantiated by previously misinterpreted or ignored facts. Pathology of the Heart and Sudden Death in Forensic Investigations assists the forensic pathologist in the presentation and interpretation of the sequence of events regarding an inquiry to a court of law. It contains basic functional anatomy of the heart, combining views on examination from clinical and pathological perspectives. The book systematically treats patho-physiologic changes and specific heart diseases and explains the benefits of communication between forensic specialists and clinicians in determining cause of death. It also presents recent findings on pediatric pathology. Including 150 color photographs that show forensic aspects of cardiopathology, the book offers a single source of pertinent information that is essential for every forensic pathologist to have at the ready when investigating a case.

This open access handbook presents a trustable craniofacial superimposition methodological framework. It includes detailed technical and practical overviews, and discussions about the latest tools and open problems, covering the educational, technical, ethical, and security aspects of this forensic identification technique. The book will be of particular interest to researchers and practitioners in forensic anthropology and forensic ID, and also researchers in computational intelligence. It is the final result of a European project, New Methodologies and Protocols of Forensic Identification by Craniofacial Superimposition (MEPROCS). The project collaborators who contributed to this handbook are: S. Damas, O. Ibanez, M.I. Huete, T. Kahana, C. Wilkinson, E. Ferguson, C. Erolin, C. Cattaneo, P.T. Jayaprakash, R. Jankauskas, F. Cavalli, K. Imaizumi, R. Vicente, D. Navega, E. Cunha, A.H. Ross, E. Veselovskaya, A. Abramov, P. Leston, F. Molinero, E. Ruiz, F. Navarro, J. Cardoso, F. Viegas, D. Humpire, R. Hardiman, J. Clement, A. Valsecchi, B.R. Campomanes-Alvarez, C. Campomanes-Alvarez, A.S. Cagdir, T. Briers, M. Steyn, M. Viniero, D.N. Vieira, and O. Cordon.

Can today's innovative practices and molecular tools tame this ancient disease? One third of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis (TB), with about 10 million new cases annually. To combat TB and its agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the World Health Organization launched The End TB Strategy, which aims to slash the suffering and cost of TB by 2035. This makes the second edition of Tuberculosis and the Tubercle Bacillus, edited by Jacobs, McShane, Mizrahi, and Orme, an extremely valuable resource for scientists and clinicians. The editors have gathered their colleagues from around the world to present the latest on the molecular biology of M. tuberculosis and related species, the host-pathogen interactions that enable invasion, and the host's immune response to M. tuberculosis infection. The basic, clinical, and translational research presented in this book supports the goals of WHO's End TB Strategy by driving toward the development of effective vaccines, rapid molecular diagnostics, and anti-TB drugs. .

Death Investigation: Systems and Procedures is the first book dedicated to the topic of death investigation from a legal standpoint as well as the administrative and operational procedures that pertain to the medical examiner and the coroner system in the United States. Unique in its perspective, this book is the only one not concerned with instructing on investigatory conduct, autopsy procedure, pathology, or the solving of crimes. Instead, it explains the concepts and principles of death investigation established by governments, and outlines the legal and administrative steps that must be taken throughout the case. Beginning with an introduction to the basic types of death investigation, the text explains the circumstances and statutory basis for death investigation systems. The author provides specific details about the role of coroners, medical examiners, and other forensic scientists and personnel who may officially be a part of the investigation. The overall goals of the investigations are included along with case studies and examples illustrating the procedures used in each type. The author also adds a brief summary of the specific system employed by each state. A considerable portion of the book is devoted to practical considerations such as the contents of the autopsy report, the death certificate, principles and issues related to evidence and expert witnesses, as well as a description of a typical day at a medical examiner's or coroner's office. Well referenced with websites and sources of further information, Death Investigation: Systems and Procedures provides a comprehensive, concise procedural reference to students and professionals including lawyers, crime scene technicians, and anyone who works with death investigation data, or within the death investigation systems in the United States.

Key topics and basic laboratory training for beginning students This versatile laboratory manual is designed to support introductory undergraduate courses in forensic anthropology. Usable for both in-person and online classes and suitable to accompany any textbook or for use on its own as a text-lab manual hybrid, it provides basic training for beginner students in relevant methods of biological profile estimation and trauma assessment for use in medico-legal death investigations. Structured in a standard format for classes and existing texts, this manual offers a unique emphasis on lab exercises that align with general studies requirements and basic science competency. Each chapter begins with learning goals and an introductory section that outlines the topics to be covered. The discussion then leads students through the material, including periodic learning checks built into the structure of the chapter, followed by end-of-chapter exercises. Through clear explanations of fundamental principles, the complete medico-legal context is covered with respect to forensic anthropology. Basic information on bone biology, human osteology, and rules of evidence are also presented. Alongside its substantive text discussion of key topics, this manual's exercises can be used in in-person laboratory classes while its learning checks can be completed by online students without access to skeletal material or casts. This book offers the necessary content to teach forensic anthropology regardless of the experience or location of students or the resources of specific colleges and universities.

After the second edition was published (in 1994), a number of changes have taken place, including changes in the law, advances in treatment, and changes in the management of prisons and special hospitals.

The book remains essential reading for doctors taking the Membership examination of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, but also will be of interest to general psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, lawyers, probation officers and criminologists. The subject is set out clearly, logically and expertly and arranged for quick reference.

There is a dramatic rise of novel drug use due to the increased popularity of so-called designer drugs. These synthetic drugs can be illegal in some countries, but legal in others and novel compounds unknown to drug chemistry emerge monthly. This thoughtfully constructed edited reference presents the main chromatographic methodologies and strategies used to discover and analyze novel designer drugs contained in diverse biological materials. The methods are based on molecular characteristics of the drugs belonging to each individual class of compounds, so it will be clear how the current methods are adaptable to future new drugs that appear in the market.

Forensic Pathology, the latest volume in the Advanced Forensic Science series that grew out of the recommendations from the 2009 NAS Report serves as a graduate level text for those studying and teaching forensic pathology, and is an excellent reference for forensic pathologists' libraries or for use in their casework. Coverage includes postmortem interval, autopsy, trauma, causes of death, identification, and professional issues. Edited by a world-renowned leading forensic expert, this series provides a long overdue solution for the forensic science community.

Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Volumes 1-4, Second Edition is a pioneering four volume encyclopedia compiled by an international team of forensic specialists who explore the relationship between law, medicine, and science in the study of forensics. This important work includes over three hundred state-of-the-art chapters, with articles covering crime-solving techniques such as autopsies, ballistics, fingerprinting, hair and fiber analysis, and the sophisticated procedures associated with terrorism investigations, forensic chemistry, DNA, and immunoassays. Available online, and in four printed volumes, the encyclopedia is an essential reference for any practitioner in a forensic, medical, healthcare, legal, judicial, or investigative field looking for easily accessible and authoritative overviews on a wide range of topics. Chapters have been arranged in alphabetical order, and are written in a clear-and-concise manner, with definitions provided in the case of obscure terms and information supplemented with pictures, tables, and diagrams. Each topic includes cross-referencing to related articles and case studies where further explanation is required, along with references to external sources for further reading.

This book explores recent developments in forensic science research, including invisible radiation imaging, providing important insights into evidence normally beyond the visual experience of investigators. Additionally, establishing the interval between the time of death and when a body is found is one of the most complex questions to be answered by forensic scientists. The second chapter examines new approaches in postmortem interval (PMI) estimation. Finally, in forensic medicine, the diagnosis of a corpse immersed in water in which a differentiation must be made between death from drowning or dead on entering the water, is made mainly using the diatom test by acid digestion. The authors assess the 16S rDNA gene of picoplankton from tissues. The results verified that the detection of phytoplanton DNA in the liver and kidney is the most important evidence for the diagnosis of death from drowning.

The Analysis of Burned Human Remains, Second Edition, provides a primary source for osteologists and the medical/legal community for the understanding of burned bone remains in forensic or archaeological contexts. It describes in detail the changes in human bone and soft tissues as a body burns at both the chemical and gross levels and provides an overview of the current procedures in burned bone study. Case studies in forensic and archaeological settings aid those interested in the analysis of burned human bodies, from death scene investigators to biological anthropologists.

This book provides deep insight into the significance of various forensic techniques underlying the methodical approaches in criminal investigations. The book comprises numerous case studies, examples, and reference materials. It emphasizes on the better practices for criminal investigations including contemporary examinations. The book also describes various methods for investigation of crime scene and evidence collection including biological evidences to the resources of law enforcement agencies. This book encompasses the procedure for crime scene-documentation through photography, video, and diagrams and highlights the best practices of packaging the biological evidences at a crime scene. Further, it summarizes the role of forensic autopsy to the criminal investigation system. As such, the book is helpful for forensic scientists, medical practitioners, educators and law enforcement personnel.

All the tips and tools you need to start, grow, and sustain a successful forensic psychology practice
Getting Started in Forensic Psychology Practice is the first book of its kind aimed at those mental health professionals and recent graduates interested in entering the growing and lucrative field of forensic psychology. User-friendly and full of helpful tips, this handy guide provides you with tools and techniques for starting a thriving forensic psychology practice, or incorporating a forensic specialty into your current practice.
This comprehensive resource includes information on:
* The difference between clinical and forensic practice
* Advantages and disadvantages of forensic practice
* Preparing for forensic psychological practice
* Planning a forensic psychology business
* How to market your practice
* What lawyers look for in forensic psychologists as expert witnesses>
* Ethics, professional competence, and risk management issues
* Performing evaluations
* Testifying in court and depositions

In addition, Getting Started in Forensic Psychology Practice also features several helpful appendices that include sample evaluations and reports, as well as detailed discussions of child custody evaluation and assessment.
Covering everything from advice on how to dress for court to major concerns such as the problems of insanity defenses, Getting Started in Forensic Psychology Practice puts the best solutions and information at your fingertips. Whether you're a recent graduate or a seasoned practitioner, this invaluable resource will help you minimize the uncertainty of establishing your forensic practice while maximizing the rewards.

Handbook for Death Scene Investigators provides concise information in a handy, pocket-sized (3 1/2" x 6") format - perfect for on-the-scene reference.
Details about sudden natural deaths by disease and accidents are emphasized in this guidebook, complemented with practical information on:
· reviewing a medical chart
· collecting evidence
· obtaining a medical history
· interacting with other law enforcement personnel, witnesses, and relatives
Anyone responsible for investigating natural deaths - from police investigators to medical examiners - can go direct to the information they need at a moment's notice with the Handbook for Death Scene Investigators

Features

The definitive interdisciplinary reference work for wound ballistics Basics The book begins by providing the necessary basic knowledge about physics, ballistics and ammunition and weapons. Then it describes the behaviour of projectiles in humans and animals (the physics of gunshot injuries) and introduces the experimental simulation of gunshot wounds, including the materials suitable for this purpose. Applications These basic principles can be applied in forensic medicine and criminalistics. The gunshot wound provides some forensic traces and the experimental reconstruction helps to understand the dynamic crime process. The wounding potential of non-lethal weapons can be determined. In emergency and war surgery, injuries caused by small arms bullets and fragments as well as by gas jets (of gas weapons) can be assessed. International conventions could be freed from undefined terms (such as "unnecessary suffering") with the help of physical quantities. Reference work Detailed tables as e. g. ballistic data of numerous cartridge types, also older ones, material properties, as well as many otherwise difficult to access data and a trilingual glossary of ballistic and technical terms in the languages German, English and French. NEW Wound Ballistics of European Police ammunition References to recent research results Partly coloured illustrations Due to the increase in terrorist and criminal activities worldwide, it is not only members of the armed forces who are affected. Surgeons, forensic doctors, police officers and criminalists also need to know and be able to assess the specifics of gunshot wounds.

The benchmark first edition of Forensic Radiology, published in 1998, was a milestone in the forensic community -- a bestseller throughout the world and a standard reference for practitioners and educators alike. Like its predecessor, Brogdon's Forensic Radiology, Second Edition covers the entire scope of radiological applications in the forensic sciences, profiling current and anticipated uses of new modalities and techniques. Features: * Provides an introduction to forensic radiology, including historical perspectives and definitions used in the field * Offers instruction on trial preparation and effective courtroom testimony * Demonstrates the use of forensic radiology in identification of the dead * Explores the use of radiology to help in gunshot and abuse cases and in nonviolent crimes * Contains an entirely new section on virtual imaging and virtopsy * Examines technological and safety issues For radiologists, forensic scientists, forensic dentists, medical examiners, investigators, and attorneys Over the past twelve years, the fields of forensic science and radiology have developed considerably, necessitating a revision of this critical work. New Topics in this Edition include: * The radiologist as an expert witness * Modern cross-sectional imaging in anthropology * New approaches to radiology in mass casualty situations * The use of virtual imaging and virtopsy -- new modalities developed and advanced since the publication of the last edition * Forensic and clinical usage of x-rays in body packing for drug smuggling * Imaging in the medical examiner's facility and in the field * Radiology of special objects, antiquities, and mummies

The first book of its kind, Forensic Medicine in Western Society: A History draws on the most recent developments in the historiography, to provide an overview of the history of forensic medicine in the West from the medieval period to the present day. Taking an international, comparative perspective on the changing nature of the relationship between medicine, law and society, it examines the growth of medico-legal ideas, institutions and practices in Britain, Europe (principally France, Italy and Germany) and the United States. Following a thematic structure within a broad chronological framework, the book focuses on practitioners, the development of notions of 'expertise' and the rise of the expert, the main areas of the criminal law to which forensic medicine contributed, medical attitudes towards the victims and perpetrators of crime, and the wider influences such attitudes had. It thus develops an understanding of how medicine has played an active part in shaping legal, political and social change. Including case studies which provide a narrative context to tie forensic medicine to the societies in which it was practiced, and a further reading section at the end of each chapter, Katherine D. Watson creates a vivid portrait of a topic of relevance to social historians and students of the history of medicine, law and crime.

A rare and deadly disease, Ebola is one of a number of different viruses that have "jumped" from animals to humans. This informative book shows how scientists studied the virus and began working on treatments and vaccines that will not only make Ebola less deadly, but will further the knowledge of other diseases.