Injury Mechanisms of Aortic Ruptures to Vehicle Occupants and Vulnerable Road Users – An In-Depth-Investigation over Time

A rupture of the aorta was a common injury observed in the 60ies and 70ies regarding unprotected car occupants, reported in 10% to 15% of vehicle mortalities in the past. With this study it is investigated how often the Aortic Rupture can be observed in today´s traffic accident scene and what changes happened in the course of time history regarding different kinds of traffic participation and different kinds of injury mechanisms. Based on very well documented in-depth-accident cases by GIDAS (German-In-Depth-Accident-Study) a representative sample of all traffic accidents during a 40 year period (years 1973 to 2014) is available (n>100.000 involved persons) and the cases with Aortic ruptures AR (n=142) are analyzed in detail. The Aortic rupture can be observed in high speed accidents with high body deceleration and direct load to the thorax. Nearly always a high compression of the thorax is responsible for the load direction to the heart vessel.

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DNA Fingerprints: Advances in their Forensic Analysis Using Nanotechnology

For deciphering the secrets of forensic science, nanotechnology has quite extensively been utilized. Generally, for identifying the fingerprints, a lot of combinations of different materials and film assemblies have already been utilized. Since the mode of interaction between the nanoparticles and fingerprint marks, is still not clearly understood, fabricating the nanoparticle assemblies for their identification is quite challenging.

Complete identification of fingerprint marks which are generally because of a combination of some kind of proteins and fatty acids, is still a difficult task and is only partially being done with the help of different techniques. Nanotechnology has already shown immense potential in many fields like medicine,molecular biology, genetics, material science etc. and it has also marked promising potential even in forensic analysis studies. This review aims to discuss the details of the process of fingerprint formation, their role in forensic analysis along with the latest advances in the field of nanotechnology for their identification. This information may enhance our understanding about the progress in the forensic analysis of fingerprints, which may further be utilized in solving the puzzle of various criminal cases.

The Role of the Biomechanics Expert in Evaluating a Criminal Case of Vehicle Assault: A Case Study Addressing Fraud

This case involved two couples who lived and worked in a rural area. They were employed by the same company and shared the same work pickup truck during different work shifts. Grievances and animosity had developed between the two parties and therefore motivation to "get even" could be ascribed to both parties. 

One afternoon, the husband of one of the couples claimed that as he was walking to his mailbox, the female of the other couple purposely drove the company pickup truck off the road striking him and leaving him incapacitated for a period of time. He recalled that the female was smiling as she drove into him and then remembered her driving to and parking in the vehicle exchange spot near his house. The accused female perpetrator was allegedly then picked up by her boyfriend and the two drove away from the area.