A Retrospective Study of Findings and Challenges in Conduction of Covid-19-Positive Autopsies

Objectives: In this article, we report our observations as well as the innovations which were adapted in the resource-limited settings which are present in most parts of the country. The standard protocols were adopted for complete COVID-19 autopsies that were conducted. Method(s): The present retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Government Medical College, Amritsar. The medicolegal autopsies were conducted completely in confirmed positive COVID-19 cases. In the medicolegal cases, complete autopsies were conducted, where the investigating officers did not forgo the autopsy. A total of ten COVID-positive autopsies were conducted from July 2020 to August 2021. Result(s): Gross findings of various organs during autopsy include that of lungs showing relatively unremarkable lungs with mild edema and consolidation, brain showing edema, and subarachnoid hemorrhage, pancreas showing necrotic and hemorrhagic changes, and kidneys flea-bitten and were contracted. Conclusion(s): Although a complete autopsy is desired to provide the best possible understanding of the disease process, its variants, such as core biopsies and echopsies, can be taken up as safer alternatives, especially in resource-limited centres. Experience, preparation, and experience are the significant vital aspects which help in managing the COVID-19-positive autopsy. The institution needs to develop guidelines as well as standard operating procedures for the smooth and safe conduct of autopsies in COVID-19 dead bodies. Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd.

Technological Innovations in Forensic and Correctional Mental Health: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Although research on e-mental health in criminal justice settings continues to accumulate, the evidence base on this topic remains limited. In recent years, technological innovations have increasingly entered forensic and correctional mental health care, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated their diffusion. The present special issue aims to promote evidence-based best practices and inform clinical decision-making in criminal justice settings by presenting recent developments and findings relevant to the use of e-mental health. In this introduction, we summarize the eight articles in the special issue and discuss directions for future research.

Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers for the COVID-19 vaccine stance classification

Vaccine-related information is awash on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. One party supports vaccination, while the other opposes vaccination and promotes misconceptions and misleading information about the risks of vaccination. The analysis of social media posts can give significant information into public opinion on vaccines, which can help government authorities in decision-making. In this work, an ensemble-based BERT model has been proposed for the classification of COVID-19 vaccine-related tweets into AntiVax, ProVax, and neural sentiment classes. The proposed model performed significantly well with a micro F1-score of 0.532 and an accuracy of 0.532 and achieved the second rank in the shared competition. © 2021 Copyright for this paper by its authors.

International Survey on the Use of Emerging Technologies Among Forensic and Correctional Mental Health Professionals

Although the global diffusion of e-mental health has increased in recent years, research on the use of technologies in criminal justice settings is limited. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted an international online survey (N = 555) of forensic and correctional mental health professionals from Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and 20 additional countries. Telecommunication technologies and mental health platforms had the highest numbers of users, the broadest scope, and the largest increase in use due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In contrast, the use of social media and advanced technologies was lower, narrower in scope, and remained the same or decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents’ age, professional discipline, country, and clinical setting significantly predicted total technology use in clinical practice. The study findings provide an overview of the current patterns of technology use and point to opportunities for research and development. © 2021 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology.