A three-dimensional analytical framework of “policy tools-subject matter of legal norms-validity of legal norms” is constructed to conduct a content analysis and quantitative evaluation of the legal normative texts on forensic appraisal at the national level in China. The findings reveal the following issues within the current legal norms: an imbalanced structure of policy tools; significant disparities in the regulatory focus across different subject matters; and a generally low level of normative validity coupled with insufficient systemic integration. To improve the system of legal norms for forensic appraisal and perfect the unified management system, the following recommendations are proposed: optimize the mix of policy tools to achieve a more balanced structure and enhance support for industry development; broaden the coverage of regulated subject matters while prioritizing breakthroughs in key areas; and transition from a fragmented approach to a systematic one, thereby strengthening the legal system in forensic appraisal.

 Forensic appraisal has become increasingly important in social governance, but the current system faces many problems in its interaction with social governance, such as the contradictions between its public-welfare nature and marketization, insufficient transparency in the appraisal process, relatively low credibility of appraisal opinions, and significant technological limitations. These problems hinder the full realization of forensic appraisal’s potential. Through in-depth analyses of the existing institutional mechanisms and specific case practices, this study proposes to: promote deep integration between forensic appraisal and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms; advance its public-interest-oriented management; expand its field of application and service scope; enhance its professionalism and credibility; and strengthen oversight and vocational education. These measures aim to further leverage the key role of forensic appraisal in social governance. Through concerted efforts, its function in social governance can be significantly improved, providing a solid guarantee for achieving social fairness, justice, harmony, and stability.

Objective To establish a real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR （qPCR） technology with integrated data analysis for accurately identifying the source of seven human tissues (liver, kidney, cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, brain, lung and adipose) and peripheral blood in forensic practice.  Methods qPCR technology was employed to systematically evaluate the expression profiles of thirteen candidate genes and one reference gene across seven human tissues and peripheral blood. Tissue-specific mRNA markers were screened through melting curve analysis and quantitative expression profiling, followed by the construction of a multi-tissues identification model. Results The thirteen identified mRNA markers with highly tissue-specific expression profiles comprehensively covered all target tissues types. An origin-tracing model based on a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm with leave-one-out cross-validation achieved 100% accuracy in tissue identification. Conclusion This study established a qPCR detection system with tissue-specific mRNA markers and a robust origin-tracing model, providing a reliable technique for determining tissue origins in forensic investigations.

Objective To investigate the detection efficacy and application potential of a microRNA (miRNA) five forensic body fluid identification system, originally constructed using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qPCR), when adapted to the droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) platform. Methods Stem-loop reverse transcription primers and specific PCR primers were designed to establish a ddPCR detection system targeting fourteen  body fluid-specific miRNA markers. Following data normalization and transformation, miRNA expression patterns and abundance obtained from ddPCR and qPCR platforms were comparatively analyzed. A multi-class support vector machine (MSVM) classifier was employed to infer the source of body fluid samples. Results A ddPCR detection system utilizing EvaGreen dye was successfully developed for quantifying fourteen body fluid-specific miRNA markers. The comparative analysis indicated good agreement between ddPCR absolute quantification and qPCR relative quantification platforms, with a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9. However, the MSVM model developed based on qPCR data demonstrated suboptimal classification accuracy when directly applied to ddPCR data. Conclusion The study preliminarily validated the performance and demonstrated considerable application potential of the ddPCR platform for forensic body fluid identification using miRNA markers. However, further optimization of the detection system and development of a ddPCR-specific body fluid classification model are still required.

Objective To develop a kit for rapid body fluid identification. Methods An experimental system based on one-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology, capable of simultaneously detecting 12 RNAs, was constructed by screening specific mRNA markers, designing multiplex primers, and optimizing the reaction system. The kit was validated for its sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability using 275 samples from 5 common forensic body fluids and 10 casework samples. Positive controls were prepared using synthetic plasmids to complete the kit components. Results The kit effectively detected all 12 target RNAs within approximately 3 hours. It demonstrated high sensitivity, with a detection limit as low as 0.02 ng for certain sample types, along with excellent repeatability. Furthermore, the kit successfully identified specific mRNAs of individual components in mixed samples and exhibited strong performance in casework applications. Conclusion  This kit can be used to identify 5 common body fluid stains—peripheral blood, menstrual blood, semen, saliva, and vaginal secretions—and offers advantages such as simple operation, short processing time, and strong ability to identify mixed samples. It shows promising potential for practical forensic applications.

Objective The aim of this study is to obtain expression profiles of long RNA of five forensic body fluids by transcriptome sequencing, and explore prospective RNA markers for body fluid identification (BFID) and individual identification of body fluid donors. Methods The long RNAs of peripheral blood, semen, vaginal secretion and menstrual blood samples collected from five volunteers and saliva collected from nine volunteers were enriched by rRNA depletion, followed by library preparation and sequencing. Differential gene expression analysis was performed between each two of the five body fluids to identify body fluid-specific genes which show expression difference with the others. The body fluid specificity of target genes was evaluated via real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR（qPCR）. Results The expression profiles of mRNA, lncRNA and circRNA were obtained from five body fluids, and a total of 19 942 mRNAs, 42 206 lncRNAs and 151 927 circRNAs were detected. The differential gene expression analysis indicates 4 091 mRNAs, 1 052 lncRNAs and 855 circRNAs with potential body fluid specificity. A total of 48 genes were selected with stable expression in target body fluid and significant differential expression with the others, and their specificity were validated by qPCR. Among these BFID markers, 38 were novel genes, including 23 specific mRNAs, 3 specific lncRNAs and 12 specific circRNAs. Conclusion Our study measures the long RNA expression profiles in five forensic body fluids, explores a series of novel RNA markers with body fluid specificity and abundant RNA polymorphisms, and provides a candidate gene list with cSNP for body fluid identification and individual identification in forensic medicine.

In the practice of forensic appraisal, accurate identification of body fluid stains and their tissue origin plays a key role in crime scene reconstruction and case solving. A systematic review of the advances in traceability technologies for common biological samples at the scene of a case is presented, including blood, saliva, semen, vaginal secretion, menstrual blood, etc. It focuses on the potential of recent research advances in precise traceability at the omics level, including transcriptomics (mRNA, circRNA, miRNA, and piRNA), epigenetics (tissue-specific DNA methylation profiles), microbiomics, and proteomics. This study further proposes that the synergistic development of the following areas represents the core direction for future development: introducing artificial intelligence algorithms, constructing a standardized testing system, integrating multi-omics data, and developing novel markers and on-site detection techniques. This integrated approach provides a systematic technical reference for the precise traceability of forensic body fluid stains.

The underlying reasons for appraisal institutions’ dismissal of cases stem not only from technical and other objective factors but also from their tendency to proactively avoid difficult and complex cases in pursuit of better evaluation performance. This paper reveals that the forensic appraisal dismissal process faces five key practical issues: a weak review mechanism for dismissals, a lack of collaboration between courts and appraisal institutions, insufficient supporting services, an absence of checks and balances, and poor coordination within the regulatory system. To address these problems, measures such as refining dismissal review standards, establishing a regular communication platform, strengthening technical support and resource allocation, and instituting a two-way accountability mechanism can be implemented. These steps will systematically improve the appraisal dismissal process, reduce unreasonable dismissals, and enhance the efficiency, transparency, and credibility of forensic appraisal work.

Ancient Chinese forensic examination held a leading position in the world for a long time but gradually declined in modern times and was eventually surpassed by the West, resulting in a lack of indigenous theories in China’s current forensic appraisal knowledge system. An analysis of historical materials reveals that ancient Chinese forensic examination was characterized by traits typical of natural history, emphasizing phenomenological recording and empirical accumulation while lacking systematic theoretical construction and scientific rigor. This model historically facilitated judicial practice but failed to promote the formation of a modern scientific system due to the absence of a spirit of in-depth inquiry. To establish an independent knowledge system of forensic scinece in China, it is necessary to proceed from four aspects: the interpretation of historical materials, talent cultivation, knowledge popularization, and the improvement of tradition, thereby promoting innovation in the disciplinary system. Specifically, the disciplinary system should be enhanced by integrating natural historical traditions with modern scientific rationality; a dual-system education approach should be adopted to cultivate both “engineer-type” and “scientist-type” talents, and forensic science content should be strengthened in legal education. Meanwhile, mathematical and logical thinking should be incorporated into technical methodology to advance the modern transformation of forensic science disciplines. The experiences and lessons of ancient Chinese forensic examination provide an important reference for the innovative development of contemporary forensic science knowledge. To build a forensic science disciplinary paradigm with Chinese characteristics, it is crucial to adhere to the essentials while seeking innovation, which will help enhance China’s capacity for constructing an autonomous knowledge system in forensic science.

The treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is highly urgent and risky. Consequently, related medical dispute cases are often highly contentious and specialized. To better protect patient rights and improve the success rate of claims, pinpointing medical malpractice is crucial. This study employs empirical analysis to identify frequent errors in medical behavior, such as procedural violations, subjective diagnostic errors, and failures to fulfill informed consent obligations. By addressing these identification challenges, the likelihood of successful claims can be increased, thereby maximizing the protection of patient rights. Therefore, claims for acute STEMI should be grounded in judicial appraisal rules and clinical practice guidelines, adhering to the principles of precise fault identification and legal accountability, to efficiently uphold patient rights and resolve doctor-patient conflicts.

The theory of common-sense appreciation capacity stands in contrast to the theory of substantial appreciation capacity. The former posits that common-sense appreciation capacity constitutes the requisite form of appreciation within the context of criminal law. Consequently, individuals with mental disorders who have lost substantial appreciation capacity but retain common-sense appreciation capacity may be assessed as having diminished criminal responsibility, rather than being found not criminally responsible. However, this theory lacks the necessary analytical framework to conduct a substantive examination based on pathological motives and related factors. Consequently, it proves difficult to effectively identify individuals with mental disorders who lack the “possibility of alternative lawful conduct” and should therefore be excused. The application of this theory thereby diminishes the assessment of culpability for such individuals, which conflicts with the principle of culpability. Therefore, China should adhere to the theory of substantial appreciation capacity in the evaluation of criminal responsibility.