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On our cover this month, forensic nurse and researcher Katherine N. Scafide (far left) demonstrates how an alternate light source can be used to detect evidence of bruising on a person with dark skin tone. To her left, looking on, is humanitarian and filmmaker Angelina Jolie, a vocal advocate for victims of domestic violence. Scafide, who has worked as a forensic nurse for many years, realized early on that bruising on the skin of trauma victims is not always easy to detect. Pigmentation in skin is closer to the skin's surface than a bruise, so in patients with darker skin tones, a bruise can be difficult or even impossible to detect. As a result, Scafide says that some victims of abuse may have challenges getting the justice they deserve in a court of law. To remedy this, Scafide has worked with colleagues across disciplines, including engineers, to find a light wavelength that would make bruise detection easier across diverse skin tones. In the photo, Scafide, Jolie, and a volunteer are wearing colored goggles that filter the reflected light from the alternate light source that Scafide is shining on the volunteer's arm. This allows them to see the areas of light absorption beneath the skin's surface caused by bruising. Scafide's research has garnered the attention of the forensic community, law enforcement, and the national media. That's where Jolie comes in. While advocating for Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act in 2022, Jolie used Scafide's research as a basis for requesting funding to study new technologies that improve bruise detection. For more, see this month's Guest Editorial by Angelina Jolie, and our Nurse Innovators column, which details Scafide's journey to finding new technologies to improve bruise detection across skin tones.-Amy M. Collins, managing editor

  
Figure. On our cover... - Click to enlarge in new windowFigure.