{"title":"Comparison of classic Sanger and next generation sequencing mitotypes of second world war victims from Konfin I mass grave.","authors":"Marcel Obal, Irena Zupanič Pajnič","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03603-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03603-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rapid technological advancements have significantly enhanced DNA analysis. A key innovation is Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), also known as Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS), which followed classic Sanger (CS) sequencing. Compared to CS, NGS offers higher sensitivity, resolution, and throughput, making it particularly valuable for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis. The high copy number, matrilineal inheritance, and non-recombining nature of mtDNA, especially its hypervariable regions (HV), make it highly relevant in forensic investigations. NGS has introduced streamlined protocols and improved low-level heteroplasmy detection in mtDNA sequencing. However, with any new technology, its informativeness and authenticity must be evaluated against traditional methods. This study compared mitotypes from degraded WWII skeletal remains recovered from a Slovenian mass grave, using the same DNA extraction method to minimize pre-sequencing variability. Femurs were mechanically and chemically cleaned, pulverized, and fully demineralized. DNA was extracted and purified using EZ1 Advanced XL and quantified with an in-house protocol. CS sequencing was performed using BigDye Terminator Kit v1.1 and ABI PRISM™ 3130 Genetic Analyzer, while NGS was conducted with the Precision ID mtDNA Control Region Panel and Ion GeneStudio™ S5 System. Comparison of mitotypes revealed that NGS identified low-level heteroplasmies undetectable by CS, particularly in length heteroplasmy. However, since Ion Torrent™ Suite 5.10.1 is prone to errors, certain NGS variants had to be disregarded.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145064450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A preliminary study of insect, bacterial, and fungal communities associated with Sus scrofa carrion in a tropical rainforest.","authors":"Nur Adilla Zaini, Tania Ivorra, Norhidayah Rosman, Hiromu Kurahashi, Chong Chin Heo","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03598-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03598-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Carrion decomposition is an important component of the ecosystem and plays a significant ecological role in the food chain. During decomposition, arthropods and microorganisms help to decompose and recycle organic matter and nutrients. Although research has been conducted on microorganisms and arthropods associated with carrion across different biogeoclimatic ecoregions, no study has identified these communities from carrion placed under a tropical rainforest. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the arthropod, bacterial, and fungal communities associated with Sus scrofa Linnaeus. carrion placed in a tropical rainforest in Malaysia. Adult flies and maggots and other arthropods were collected during the forensic entomological survey. The specimens collected were killed, separated, preserved in 70% ethanol, and identified using a stereomicroscope in the laboratory. Swab samples were collected from the skin, anal, and oral cavity of the wild boar carrion. Both bacterial and fungal communities were identified using Sanger sequencing. Data on temperature and humidity were recorded with a data logger throughout the four-day experiment. The results demonstrated that the most isolated bacteria were those of uncultured_bacteria, Ignatzschineria sp. and Gram-negative bacteria, especially Acinetobacter sp., during the early stages of decomposition. Furthermore, the consistent presence of Ascomycota fungi, particularly Exophiala sp., Yarrowia sp., and Meyerozyma sp., suggests their unique occurrence specifically in the tropical rainforest. A total of 219 adult flies and about 9,200 larvae were collected from a wild boar carcass over three days, with Chrysomya pinguis and Chrysomya villeneuvi being the main species, and the latter displaying notable predatory behaviour. These results present for the first time the dominant arthropods, bacteria and fungi inhabiting the carrion in one of the oldest rainforests in the world. (Keyword: Carrion, decomposition, bacteria, fungi, arthropods, tropical rainforest, Malaysia).</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145064410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuhan Hu, Xuan Dai, Haoyu Wang, Yifan Wei, Yuntao Cai, Chun Yang, Qiang Zhu, Ji Zhang
{"title":"Population substructure affects kinship testing in multi-ethnic areas of China.","authors":"Yuhan Hu, Xuan Dai, Haoyu Wang, Yifan Wei, Yuntao Cai, Chun Yang, Qiang Zhu, Ji Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03572-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-025-03572-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The likelihood ratio (LR) is a recommended metric for assessing the strength of genetic information in relationship testing, one of the most important tasks in forensic science. LR calculation incorporate population frequencies, which is affected by population substructure. This study utilized population frequency data from 18 short tandem repeat (STR) loci across 13 Chinese populations, encompassing both majority and minority ethnic groups. Six kinship types were constructed for each population. To understand the impact of population substructure on kinship testing, LRs were calculated using various frequency data: population-specific allele frequencies, national allele frequencies, and national allele frequencies adjusted with overall national F<sub>ST</sub> or population-specific F<sub>ST</sub>. LRs were also compared using the cutoff and comparison methods. The study found that LRs calculated using national allele frequencies tend to be the largest, which could overestimate the degree of relatedness compared to population-specific allele frequencies. Fst correction decreased the LR values, resulting in more conservative outcomes and suggested more distant relationships. While the F<sub>ST</sub> correction had a minimal effect on the majority and some minority populations across different kinships, it was insufficiently conservative for more isolated minority populations when the overall national F<sub>ST</sub> was applied. In conclusion, for isolated subpopulations with F<sub>ST</sub> values above the national average, utilizing population-specific allele frequencies and applying higher F<sub>ST</sub> values (e.g. 0.03 or 0.05) leads to more accurate and conservative inferences of relatedness. In contrast, for other groups, national frequencies without F<sub>ST</sub> correction appear sufficient for relationship testing.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kim Wiskott, Virginie Magnin, Coraline Egger, Ruben Soto, Silke Grabherr, Tony Fracasso
{"title":"Diagnostic tips for multi-phase post-mortem computed tomography angiography interpretation in upper gastro-intestinal bleeding.","authors":"Kim Wiskott, Virginie Magnin, Coraline Egger, Ruben Soto, Silke Grabherr, Tony Fracasso","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03593-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03593-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the past 10 years, the Multi-phase Post-mortem Computed Tomography Angiography (MPMCTA) has considerably improved the quality and precision of postmortem diagnoses, particularly in cases with vascular implication. MPMCTA is known to have higher sensitivity for detecting the source of a hemorrhage than autopsy. Death by upper gastro-intestinal (GI) bleeding is not so uncommon in forensic practice. MPMCTA, like any other diagnostic test, can produce artifacts that must be recognized. Radiologists at our center have previously encountered images suggestive of upper GI bleeding that were ultimately identified as artifacts during autopsy. This is why we believe it is essential to establish criteria to differentiate true bleeding from artifacts. The aim of our study was to compare the diagnostic value of MPMCTA and autopsy in detecting and localizing sources of upper GI bleeding, and to establish diagnostic criteria to aid in the interpretation of upper GI contrast extravasation on angiography. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study, analyzing MPMCTA and autopsy data from 326 human bodies. In the GI tract, contrast extravasation should not be immediately interpreted as a sign of active bleeding. In cases of true GI hemorrhage, MPMCTA reveals specific features suggestive of bleeding, such as hyperdense material within the GI tract on native CT, and a focal contrast leakage during the arterial or venous phase. This article offers tips that may help radiologists and forensic pathologists distinguish true bleeding from artifacts when interpreting MPMCTA findings in the upper GI tract.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Combining machine learning algorithms to construct a new method for inferring dental age of children with missing teeth in southern China.","authors":"Xiaohong Liang, Chudong Wang, Dan Wen, Zhikai Tian, Yike Zhang, Lihua Hou, Bingxu Chen, Wenshuang Wu, Yali Wang, Lagabaiyila Zha, Ying Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03591-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-025-03591-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Age inference is a key focus of forensic work, and traditional dental age inference methods require individuals to have a complete dental arch. However, congenital or acquired tooth loss may lead to random tooth loss in individuals, resulting in bias in age prediction. To address this issue, we validated and modified Bedek's tooth age inference method (a method for inferring the age of a population with missing teeth) for the first time in the Chinese population of children with complete dentition, congenital tooth loss, and acquired tooth loss, and constructed two new machine learning based tooth age inference methods (unilateral mandible and bilateral mandible tooth age estimation models) in this population. The unilateral mandible model was constructed using the remaining five teeth of the left mandible, excluding the lateral incisor and the second premolar of congenital tooth loss, and the first premolars and first molars of the acquired tooth loss, to estimate chronological age (the two most common types of missing teeth in the Chinese population, respectively). However, the actual types of missing teeth in the population are varied, and the information on the location of missing teeth is often replaced by the developmental morphology of the contralateral teeth. In order to augment the predictive information available to model, we further constructed a bilateral mandible model containing 14 individual mandibular teeth by filling in missing values using datawig. In the male agenesis validation group, the MAE values of the best bilateral, unilateral mandible model, and modified Bedek model were 0.641, 0.715, and 0.920, respectively. In females, the MAE values were 0.763, 0.785, and 0.990, respectively. In the male acquired tooth loss validation group, the MAE values of the three models were 0.793, 0.728, and 1.376, respectively. In females, the MAE values were 0.744, 0.779, and 1.094, respectively. Collectively, these novel odontological age-estimation frameworks provide robust, flexible solutions for forensic casework involving partial dentitions. By accommodating variable patterns of congenital and acquired tooth loss without sacrificing predictive precision, they constitute a critical advancement in the forensic identification of unknown or disputed-age individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144953279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel Kane, James Walshe, Deirdra Richardson, Christine Pucillo, Wendy Ferguson, Sarah O Connor, Nicola Maher, Karen Flood, Maeve Eogan
{"title":"Genital and anal injury in women after sexual assault: prevalence rates and associated risk factors in 294 cases.","authors":"Daniel Kane, James Walshe, Deirdra Richardson, Christine Pucillo, Wendy Ferguson, Sarah O Connor, Nicola Maher, Karen Flood, Maeve Eogan","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03522-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-025-03522-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To investigate the prevalence of, and risk factors for, genito-anal injury in females who attended a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in a capital city following sexual assault.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Cross-sectional study.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>All females who underwent a genital and/or anal forensic examination between 1/1/2023 and 31/12/2023 were included. A standardised dataset of demographic and assault metrics was collated. Genito-anal injury data was contemporaneously collected by forensically trained specialist doctors and nurses using prescribed definitions and a standardised tool. Descriptive bivariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed on these data. Statistical significance was defined as a p-value < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the study period, 405 women accessed this SATU service of whom 294 (72.6%) underwent a forensic examination that included a genital and/or anal examination. The overall prevalence of genito-anal injury was 25.9% (n = 76/294), with those who reported completed vaginal penetration having a genito-anal injury prevalence rate of 31.1% (n = 65/209). Anal injury was observed in 20% (n = 8/40) of those who reported completed anal penetration. The most commonly injured genital site was the posterior fourchette (n = 29) followed by the fossa navicularis (n = 24) and the labia minora (n = 23), with the most common injury type being a laceration (n = 81) followed by an abrasion (n = 37). Genito-anal injury was significantly more likely to be present in women who disclosed a mental health history (OR1.94 CI1.11-3.39 p = 0.01), were certain that a sexual assault had taken place (OR2.91 CI1.31-6.45 p = 0.008), who disclosed genital bleeding after the incident (OR2.35 CI1.25-4.42 p = 0.007) and had extra-genital injuries (2.20 (1.27-3.80) p < 0.004). Absense of previous sexual activity (p = 0.39), menopausal status (p = 0.09), age (p = 0.64), assailant-survivor relationship (p = 0.07) or incident location (p = 0.17) did not have a significant association on the presence of genito-anal injury. Extra-genital/bodily injury was present in 53% (n = 156) of women who attended.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates the prevalence and patterns of genital and anal injuries in women presenting to a single unit following sexual assault, and provides valuable insights into the nature and extent of harm experienced by survivors when consistent data collection tools are used. The study also highlights how frequently injury is absent, even when penetration is disclosed. These findings contribute to the body of evidence guiding forensic examination protocols and care strategies, as well as to the evidence base considered during detection and prosecution of sexual crime.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"2549-2559"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12354621/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144136186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jane Moffat, Stefano Tambuzzi, Lorenzo Franceschetti, Francesca Magli, Cristina Cattaneo
{"title":"The migrant experience through the lens of forensic medicine: the multifaceted utility of asylum applicants' medico-legal narratives and forensic evidence analysed over time.","authors":"Jane Moffat, Stefano Tambuzzi, Lorenzo Franceschetti, Francesca Magli, Cristina Cattaneo","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03531-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-025-03531-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The comprehensive involvement of forensic practitioners in asylum cases aids the accurate identification and overall evaluation of asylum applications, with demonstrated direct associations between asylum assessment application outcomes and medico-legal conclusions. Forensic involvement is ever more urgent with the increasing migration flows. This paper examines the multifaceted utility of analysing migrant narratives together with forensic data over an extended period: A detailed qualitative secondary analysis of data collected between 2008 and 2021 by the Milan Institute of Forensic Medicine, which includes all migrants who underwent a forensic assessment as unaccompanied foreign minors or torture victims. This retrospective analysis revealed a disturbing trend of increased interpersonal violence and abuse against migrants, particularly pronounced amongst minors and those transiting Libya. The utility of this data analysis is manifold: it provides a comprehensive understanding of migrants' experiences by contextualising individual narratives within broader socio-political situations. It highlights emerging transit routes and abuse patterns, offering insights that facilitate thorough and focused medico-legal examinations. Additionally, it offers an evidence-based foundation for implementing national immigration laws and informing public policy, while also identifying gaps in the protection of unaccompanied minors and torture victims. This data enables targeted, effective medical, social, and legal interventions where urgently needed. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of early forensic evidence collection and preservation to support future legal proceedings, while emphasising the critical role of forensic practitioners in addressing torture cases under the Istanbul Protocol.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"2605-2620"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144199050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ana Julia Pereira, Silvina V Sonzogni, Néstor D Centeno, Natalia L Guiñazú
{"title":"Differential gene expression during intra-puparial period of Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) for improving minimum postmortem interval estimation.","authors":"Ana Julia Pereira, Silvina V Sonzogni, Néstor D Centeno, Natalia L Guiñazú","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03537-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-025-03537-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One of the main objectives of forensic entomology is to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin) by analyzing the size and duration of the immature stages of insects colonizing a cadaver. However, this estimation becomes difficult during the intra-puparial period due to the absence of significant visible morphological changes. This study explores the differential gene expression of Lucilia sericata (Calliphoridae) pupae as a molecular tool for PMImin estimation. Pupae were collected daily under controlled conditions at 23 °C, and RNA was extracted for gene expression analysis. Six target genes (ecdysone receptor, Hsp90, actin, regucalcin, wingless, and fat body protein 1) were identified and correlated with distinct different stages of intra-puparial development. Our results suggests that the combination of the expression levels of at least three genes, such as ecdysone receptor, regucalcin and wingless, is sufficient to infer the percentage of development throughout the entire intra-puparial period. Additionally, graphical tools were developed to facilitate the use of individual and grouped genes as markers for L. sericata age estimation. Since the intra-puparial period comprises approximately half of the Calliphoridae developmental cycle, these findings are particularly valuable when these stages represent the most advanced evidence recovered from a crime scene or autopsy.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"2457-2466"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144266173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Can studies and published findings on enamel rod-end patterns contribute to practical forensic dental identification?","authors":"Ashith B Acharya","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03534-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-025-03534-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"2633-2634"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144199049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Weihao Fan, Xinhua Dai, Yi Ye, Hongkun Yang, Yiming Sun, Jingting Wu, Yingqiang Fu, Kaiting Shi, Xiaogang Chen, Linchuan Liao
{"title":"Estimation of postmortem interval under different ambient temperatures based on multi-organ metabolomics and machine learning algorithm.","authors":"Weihao Fan, Xinhua Dai, Yi Ye, Hongkun Yang, Yiming Sun, Jingting Wu, Yingqiang Fu, Kaiting Shi, Xiaogang Chen, Linchuan Liao","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03523-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-025-03523-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In forensic practice, the estimation of postmortem interval has been a persistent challenge. Recently, there has been an increasing utilization of metabolomics techniques combined with machine learning methods for postmortem interval estimation. When examining metabolite changes from a global perspective, rather than relying on specific substance changes, estimating postmortem interval through machine learning methods is more precise and entails fewer errors. Prior studies have investigated the use of metabolomics to estimate postmortem interval. Nevertheless, most of them focused on analyzing the metabolomic properties of a single organ or biofluid concerning a specific temperature. In this study, we employ the GC-MS platform to identify metabolites in the liver, kidney, and quadriceps femoris muscle of mechanically suffocated Sprague Dawley rats at various temperatures. Multivariable statistical analysis was used to determine differential compounds from the original data. The machine learning method was used to establish models for the estimation of postmortem interval under various ambient temperatures. As indicated by the results, liver, kidney, and quadriceps femoris muscle samples were screened for 24, 18, and 19 differential metabolites respectively, associated with postmortem interval under various ambient temperatures. Based on the metabolites listed above, the support vector regression models were established by utilizing single-organ and multi-organ metabolomics data for postmortem interval estimation. The multi-organ model showed a higher estimation accuracy. Also, a comprehensive generalization postmortem interval estimation model was established with multi-organ metabolomics data and temperature variables, which can be used for the postmortem interval estimation within the temperature range of 5-35℃. These results demonstrate that a multi-organ model utilizing metabolomics techniques can accurately estimate the postmortem interval under various ambient temperatures. Meanwhile, this research establishes a strong foundation for the practical application of metabolomics in postmortem interval estimation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"2561-2575"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144150404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}