Light-induced magnetization from magnonic rectification.

Rectification describes the conversion of an oscillating field or current into a quasi-static one and the most basic example of a rectifier is an AC/DC converter in electronics. This principle can be translated to nonlinear light-matter interactions, where optical rectification converts the oscillating electric field component of light into a quasi-static polarization and phononic rectification converts a lattice vibration into a quasi-static structural distortion. Here, we present a rectification mechanism for magnetism that we call magnonic rectification, where a spin precession is converted into a quasi-static magnetization through the force exerted by a coupled chiral phonon mode.

Evaluating artificial intelligence for comparative radiography.

Introduction: Comparative radiography is a forensic identification and shortlisting technique based on the comparison of skeletal structures in ante-mortem and post-mortem images. The images (e.g.

Study on the performance of different craniofacial superimposition approaches (II): Best practices proposal.

Craniofacial superimposition, although existing for one century, is still a controversial technique within the scientific community. Objective and unbiased validation studies over a significant number of cases are required to establish a more solid picture on the reliability. However, there is lack of protocols and standards in the application of the technique leading to contradictory information concerning reliability.

Past, present, and future of craniofacial superimposition: Literature and international surveys.

In this manuscript, the past, present and future of the identification of human remains based on craniofacial superimposition is reviewed. An analysis of the different technological approaches developed over time is offered in conjunction with a new classification based on the technology implemented throughout the diverse phases of the process. The state of the art of the technique, in the academic and forensic realms, is reflected in an extensive international survey that includes over one hundred experts worldwide.

Antemortem and postmortem nonapposite data--a multidisciplinary identification strategy.

Identification of human remains is often achieved by comparing documented reference data with the same type of evidence obtained from the remains. We present a case of a decomposed unidentified body, whose identity was presumed but because of the low validity range of the available data, the identification process could not be completed. Antemortem radiographs of the teeth found in the house of the reputed victim could not be compared to the edentulous cadaver and the kinship between the victim and the only living relative that could provide DNA for comparison was too tenuous.

[Identification of unknown cadavers--multidisciplinary approach].

The comparison of fingerprints, dentition, genetic profile, imaging data and anthropological characteristics constitute the scientific basis for identification of unknown cadavers. The complexity of the identification process stems from a variety of factors such as the circumstances surrounding the death, the preservation state of the cadaver, availability of identification data and their quality, which affect the feasibility of the identification. This article reviews the most common identification techniques, the various sources of data accessible to the forensic scientist and the strategic decisions through which the unidentified body and the missing person are integrated.

Accidental fetal decapitation: a case of medical and ethical mishap.

Blunt trauma to the head and neck of a newborn during delivery process is a rare event. We report a peculiar case of decapitation of a live fetus during vacuum-assisted delivery, where excessive traction on the head of the full-term macrosomic fetus with shoulder dystocia resulted in overstretching of the neck up to the point of decapitation. The ethical considerations related to the case are discussed in light of the policy of complete transparency advocated by the medical profession.

The forensic expert witness--an issue of competency.

Scientists submitting expert opinions within the legal system are expected to be knowledgeable in the forensic aspects of their particular science, as well as to be ethical and unbiased. Scientists are seldom able to decline a request to provide an expert opinion in their field, even when their forensic expertise is minimal. The competence of scientists providing expert opinions in forensic cases is reviewed here.

Child neglect or tragic misadventure?

The body of a 2-month-old baby was found inside the pram where he had been left overnight. Initial assessment of the event by a paramedic unit seemed to indicate foul play, based on the presence of a prominent linear pressure mark on the child's scalp and face. Thorough police and medicolegal investigation cleared the suspect and disclosed that the death resulted from accidental positional asphyxia, related to a faulty mechanism of the pram.

Multidisciplinary forensic approach--investigation of a neonaticide and alleged concomitant rape.

In the case presented, a young woman claimed to have spontaneously aborted a 30-weeks old fetus conceived after being raped by her cousin. The police investigation was centred on a probable neonaticide, mitigated by a possible rape. In Israel, the crime of rape carries a heavy punishment similar to that of first degree murder.

Souvenir knife: a retained transcranial knife blade.

Upon necroscopic examination of a homeless male found comatose in the street and pronounced dead at a medical center 12 hours later, a sharp tip of a knife lodged in the right parietal region of his skull was incidentally discovered. The blade transected the diploe and penetrated the cerebral cortex. Subsequent police investigation revealed that this was the remnant of a stabbing attempt on his life several months prior to his death.

Fatal haemorrhage following male ritual circumcision.

Lethal complications following ritual circumcision are extremely rare, the most common being sepsis. We present here a case of fatal haemorrhage from a tiny incision of the glans, following a 'home' circumcision of a 6-week-old baby. The post-mortem examination disclosed idiopathic neonatal hepatitis.

Suprapelvic and pelvic phleboliths--a reliable radiographic marker for positive identification.

Identification of unknown human remains is often achieved by radiographic comparisons. Among the markers compared in antemortem and postmortem radiographs is the presence of concordant pelvic and supra-pelvic phleboliths which are calcified intravenous blood clots. An illustrative case is presented, where an unidentified decomposed cadaver of an elderly male was positively identified with the aid of medical data provided by the Israel National Police.

Estimation of age in adolescents --the basilar synchondrosis.

The state of fusion of the basilar synchondrosis as a biological age indicator was assessed in a sample of 91 cadavers of both sexes whose ages ranged between 8 and 26 years. The correlation between the degree of closure and chronological age was investigated. Although the female population sample was very small (n = 21), the data indicate a tendency of differences in age between the "open" and "closed" groups.

The medico-legal investigation of the El Aqsah Intifada.

Background: The majority (n = 445) of the Israeli and Palestinian fatal victims of the El Aqsah Intifada was examined at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. Analysis of the trauma sustained and the anthropologic profile of both the victims and the perpetrators elucidates the trends and contrasts them with the phenomenon in the past.

Objectives: The purpose of the forensic investigation of mass casualty incidents is manifold: establishing the minimal number of individuals involved, identifying the victims and perpetrators, collecting material evidence, and determining the modus operandi.

Personal identification based on radiographic vertebral features.

Personal identification of human remains constitutes about 10% of the normal caseload of any forensic medicine practice. Identification can be achieved by a variety of methods, one of which is the comparison of antemortem and postmortem radiographs. There are numerous accounts of cranial and dental radiographic features useful for identification, whereas the availability of postcranial radiographs and especially plates that depict the vertebral column is less widespread among the forensic community.

Confusing exit gunshot wound--"two for the price of one".

During the post-mortem examination of a 36-year-old shooting victim, two entrance gunshot wounds in the back and only one corresponding exit wound in the chest were detected. The likelihood of a retained fragmented or whole bullet, or an embolic phenomenon was eliminated by full body x-ray examination. The only remaining plausible explanation was that the two bullet tracts had converged within the thorax, eventually exiting through a common exit wound.

Fingerprinting the deceased: traditional and new techniques.

Identification of the deceased is an important task in medicolegal investigations. Fingerprints rank as the most widely used identification method, although obtaining the prints from the cadaver is not always easily accomplished. Various techniques for fingerprinting decomposed, mummified and burn victims have been suggested in the literature.

Marine taphonomy: adipocere formation in a series of bodies recovered from a single shipwreck.

Taphonomy of marine environments has been studied mostly from individual cases. The formation of adipocere, or "grave-wax," is an important indicator of the postmortem interval. In the present paper, the conditions and the timing of adipoceric formation are observed in a series of 15 cadavers recovered at different times, over a period of 433 days, from the same contained environment.

Forensic radiology.

Imaging techniques are a powerful tool in forensic science. Medical examiners and forensic anthropologists are less versed in the finer points of radiology than radiologists; nevertheless they are required to interpret findings from imaging studies to further medico-legal investigations. The forensic investigator often should call upon the radiologist whose expertise might prove invaluable in forensic consultations.

Quantitative assessment of trabecular bone pattern identification.

The results of the research described in this paper demonstrate that the trabecular architecture is unique to each individual and stable enough to be used as a forensic marker for positive identification of human remains. The trabecular bone architecture depicted on radiographs is often used as an individualizing forensic marker for positive identification of human remains. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the reliability of the trabecular pattern in forensic identification.