Forensic science international最新文献

{"title":"Do machine learning methods solve the main pitfall of linear regression in dental age estimation?","authors":"Andrea Faragalli ,&nbsp;Luigi Ferrante ,&nbsp;Nikolaos Angelakopoulos ,&nbsp;Roberto Cameriere ,&nbsp;Edlira Skrami","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Age estimation is crucial in forensic and anthropological fields. Teeth, are valued for their resilience to environmental factors and their preservation over time, making them essential for age estimation when other skeletal remains deteriorate. Recently, Machine Learning algorithms have been used in age estimation, demonstrating high levels of accuracy. However, their precision with respect to the trend of age estimation error, typical in some traditional methods like linear regression, has not been thoroughly investigated.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To evaluate and compare the performance of frequently used Machine Learning-assisted methods against two traditional age estimation methods, linear regression and the Segmented Normal Bayesian Calibration model.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Overall, 1.949 orthopantomographs from black and white South African children aged 5–14 years, with 49 % males, were evaluated. The performance of Random Forest, Support Vector Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors and the Gradient Boosting Method were compared against traditional linear regression and the Segmented Normal Bayesian Calibration model. The comparison was based on accuracy measures, including Mean Absolute Error and Root Mean Squared Error, and precision measures, including the Inter-Quartile Range of the error distribution and the slope of the estimated age error relative to chronological age.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The Machine Learning methods outperformed linear regression and the Segmented Normal Bayesian Calibration models in terms of accuracy, although the differences were small. Gradient Boosting Method and Support Vector Regression achieved the highest levels of accuracy (Mean Absolute Error: 0.69 years, Root Mean Squared Error: 0.85 years). All Machine Learning methods and linear regression exhibited significant bias in residuals, whereas the Segmented Normal Bayesian Calibration model showed no significant bias. Gender-stratified analyses revealed similar results in terms of the accuracy and precision of all considered models.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Although Machine Learning methods demonstrate high levels of accuracy, they may be prone to trends in error distribution when estimating dental age. Evaluating this error is crucial and should be an integral part of model performance evaluation. Future research should aim to improve accuracy while rigorously addressing systematic biases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112353"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142902653","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}

{"title":"From confiscation to conservation: Wildlife DNA forensic for species identification of confiscated Felidae in Indonesia","authors":"Dwi Sendi Priyono ,&nbsp;Hapiz Al Khairi ,&nbsp;Almas Lathifatul Ula ,&nbsp;Tuty Arisuryanti ,&nbsp;Raisa Tatum Saka ,&nbsp;Fairuz Fikri ,&nbsp;Anastasia Hengestu","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112362","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112362","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Illegal wildlife trade poses a significant threat to Indonesia’s biodiversity, especially among its diverse Felidae species (cats). While molecular methods have proven effective for identifying some Felidae species, there remains a gap in comparing these techniques across different endemic Felidae species in Indonesia, particularly in cases involving multiple species in confiscated wildlife products. This study applies DNA forensic techniques to analyze 38 confiscated Felidae samples, identifying four species: Sumatran tiger (<em>Panthera tigris sumatrae</em>), leopard (<em>Panthera pardus</em>), leopard cat (<em>Prionailurus bengalensis</em>), and clouded leopard (<em>Neofelis nebulosa</em>). Notably, 21 samples identified as Sumatran tigers showed 100 % similarity to the reference sequence, demonstrating the effectiveness of custom-designed primers. The analysis also revealed a diverse range of biological materials, supporting the robustness of DNA forensics in wildlife conservation. A Bayesian phylogenetic tree further confirmed species differentiation with strong bootstrap values. These findings underscore the importance of accurate species identification for prosecuting wildlife crimes and formulating targeted conservation strategies. Despite limitations, including sample size and reliance on existing reference data, the study emphasizes the crucial role of DNA forensics in combating illegal wildlife trade and highlights the need for improved genetic databases. Practical implications include establishing protocols for sample collection, DNA forensic training for law enforcement, and fostering collaboration between forensic laboratories and conservation organizations. Integrating these forensic techniques supports broader conservation goals by enabling targeted enforcement, effective prosecution, and informed conservation planning through accurate subspecies identification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112362"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142964435","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":"Enhanced detection of measurement anomalies in cartridge cases using 3D gray-level co-occurrence matrix","authors":"Yiyun Gan ,&nbsp;Linyu Huang ,&nbsp;Qian Ning ,&nbsp;Yong Guo ,&nbsp;Yongsheng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112366","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112366","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The firing pin impression left on the base of a cartridge case is a critical analytical feature in forensic science. To address the limitations of traditional manual trace analysis and mitigate the risk of secondary damage to physical evidence, we employ a line laser displacement sensor to capture and analyze three-dimensional (3D) traces of fired cartridge cases. However, when using laser displacement sensors to collect traces from metal cartridge cases, the high curvature and reflectivity of the metal surface can cause specular reflections, potentially leading to measurement anomalies in the firing pin impressions. To effectively identify these anomalies during automated trace analysis, this paper proposes an automated detection method. This method extends the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), which is traditionally used for two-dimensional (2D) images, to the 3D scenarios, enabling the extraction of texture features from the 3D traces of cartridge cases. A support vector machine (SVM) is then employed to detect and classify measurement anomalies. Experiments with 2038 sets of firing pin impression data from cartridge cases demonstrated a detection accuracy of 98.92 %, validating the effectiveness of the proposed method. We hope this method can be widely adopted in forensic laboratories to improve the reliability of evidence analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112366"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142983263","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":"NMR-based structure elucidation and chiral separation of N-cyclohexylmethylone, a novel designer drug","authors":"Elisabeth Seibert ,&nbsp;Olaf Kunert ,&nbsp;Eva-Maria Pferschy-Wenzig ,&nbsp;Martin G. Schmid","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112351","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112351","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Synthetic cathinones belong to one of the biggest and most popular classes of New Psychoactive Substances. Each year, new derivatives appear on the drug market, traded under various labels like “bath salts” or “legal highs”. In recent years, the emergence of new cathinone derivatives, containing a cyclohexyl residue, has been observed. Since 2021, threads about N-cyclohexylmethylone have been posted in various user forums. A powder sample of N-cyclohexylmethylone purchased by a client was collected in Austria in a local drug checking program and analyzed by GC-MS, LC-HRMS NMR spectroscopy and chiral HPLC. The aim of this study was to provide experimental NMR data of the compound and to determine the chiral status of the sample. Usually, cathinone derivatives are sold as racemic mixtures on the market. Investigation showed that in the sample both enantiomers were present.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112351"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142893236","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}

{"title":"Impact of thermal exposure on deciduous teeth: A comparative analysis with permanent teeth","authors":"Michal Peer ,&nbsp;Shir Amichai ,&nbsp;Ekaterina Kalugin ,&nbsp;Rachel Sarig","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Children are particularly vulnerable to fatalities from fire incidents, and the crucial role of dentition in the identification processes is well known. Despite this, research on burned deciduous teeth is lacking, often assuming similarities with burned permanent teeth, disregarding their morphological and chemical distinctions. This goal of this study was to investigate the effect of burning on deciduous teeth, focusing on post-burning tooth color assessment. Sixty deciduous teeth were divided into two temperature groups (400 °C and 700 °C), each further subdivided into three burn time subgroups. Data from a prior study on permanent maxillary molars was also included for comparison. Using quantitative color analysis, differences in color measurements were observed between unburned and burned deciduous teeth, as well as between burn times, at both temperatures. Crown and root color variations were significant between temperatures for all burn times, however, no significant differences in color were noted between various burn times. When comparing deciduous and permanent teeth burned at 400 °C, the sole significant difference was in crown color. Contrarily, for teeth burned at 700 °C, the only significant difference was in root color. Graphical analysis indicated comparable color changes between post-burn deciduous and permanent teeth, despite the statistical differences. Significantly, all permanent teeth subjected to 700 °C demonstrated extensive enamel fragmentation, whereas such damage occurred in only half of the deciduous teeth samples. These observations indicate that despite similar color changes in deciduous and permanent teeth upon heating, variations in fragmentation patterns suggest that differences in morphology and microstructure influence the resilience of teeth to thermal exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112361"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142947108","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":"Searching for a serial killer on a hospital ward","authors":"P.J. Karhunen ,&nbsp;R. Krohn ,&nbsp;A. Oksala ,&nbsp;A.-M. Louhelainen ,&nbsp;A. Kavanto ,&nbsp;A. Auvinen","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112337","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112337","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The recent case of Lucy Letby in the UK shows that exposing a serial killer in healthcare is challenging. Statistical evidence has been used in the courts, but the overturning of the life sentence of a Dutch nurse in 2008 due to inadequate data analysis suggests the need for objective statistical approaches. In our case, a nurse was convicted after injecting an infant with insulin following a dispute at a family party and killing a patient with insulin in an institute for disabled persons. The nurse had previously worked in a geriatric unit for seven months, during which 29 deaths occurred, some with suspicious features. We applied statistical methods developed for the evaluation of diagnostic tests to analyze the nurse’s possible involvement in these deaths. We searched for discrepancies in the death certificates and performed medico-legal autopsies on exhumed deceased patients. During the 7 months, 69 nurses and practical nurses at the geriatric ward completed 27,324 shifts. Of the deaths, 16/29 (55 %) occurred during night shifts. The convicted nurse had worked a clearly higher number of night shifts, in particular, than others. She was among the highest 10 % whose work shifts coincided with the deaths in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios. Of the deaths, 11/29 (38 %) occurred during or immediately after her shift. Unexplained suspicious blood glucose fluctuations or hypoglycemia-mimicking comas unrelated to known illnesses were reported in 6 (55 %) of the 11 deaths, and in one of these cases, the incident was supported by autopsy findings. Statistical methods for diagnostic accuracy may allow the targeting of the investigation when searching for a possible serial killer in a hospital. However, a statistical approach does not allow an unambiguous determination of a perpetrator nor does it replace a thorough examination of the circumstances and cause of death when investigating a small number of suspicious deaths among patients with serious illnesses and high mortality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112337"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142812312","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}

{"title":"Computational forensic identification of deceased using 3D bone segmentation and registration","authors":"Dominique Neuhaus ,&nbsp;Holger Wittig ,&nbsp;Eva Scheurer ,&nbsp;Claudia Lenz","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112380","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112380","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The identification of deceased with unknown identity is a key task in forensic investigations. Current radiologic identification approaches are often elaborative, lack statistical evidence, and are dependent on the examiner’s experience and expertise. Thus, the aim of this work was to develop a 3D computational and thus, more objective identification approach. An anonymised antemortem (AM) dataset consisting of 90 computed tomography (CT) scans containing the sternal bone and the fifth thoracic (T5) vertebra, as well as an anonymised postmortem (PM) dataset consisting of 40 CT scans containing the sternal bone and the T5 vertebra were included in this work. The PM data had corresponding AM data within the AM dataset. A custom-made python script was established to automatically perform 3D segmentation of the sternal bones and the T5 vertebrae, respectively, and to register the AM data to the PM data. The similarity between the registered AM data and the PM data was assessed via the Dice coefficient. The highest Dice score was intended to indicate a match. An accuracy of 86.7 % was achieved for the sternal bone, and 88.9 % for the T5 vertebra, respectively. In some cases, insufficient CT quality and altered bone morphology due to surgical interventions hindered correct matching. However, by combining the sternal bone and T5 vertebra for identification, the accuracy was increased to 97.8 %. Hence, the presented tool seems to be a promising 3D computational approach for objective identification of unknown deceased, which could be further adapted for other bone structures. The final tool is publicly available.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112380"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143037788","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}

{"title":"Development of a novel latent deoxyribonucleic acid detection technique for crime scene investigation using quartz tuning fork-based biosensor technology","authors":"Khalid Y. Alzahrani ,&nbsp;Yasmin A. Alfifi ,&nbsp;Hazem Ghneim ,&nbsp;Abdulaziz K. Assaifan ,&nbsp;Mahmoud Al-Gawati ,&nbsp;Hamad Albrithen ,&nbsp;Yazeed Alsheikh ,&nbsp;Abdullah N. Alodhayb","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The forensic Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) fingerprinting is a tool for investigating crime scenes by identifying/tracing criminals and linking crime scenes. However, in cases where experts are unable to detect and identify any biological traces or human-derived cells at the crime scene or while testing the samples in the laboratories, all the advantages offered by forensic laboratories lose their significance. It becomes a waste of time, effort, and resources allocated to these laboratories. Therefore, there is an urgent need for technology that enables crime scene experts to detect latent and concealed human traces before they leave the scene. This work aims to provide a novel qualitative and quantitative approach to tackle the challenges faced by crime scene experts in identifying challenging traces using instant, low-cost, uncomplicated, portable, sensitive detection technology by introducing the Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF)-based biosensor technology as an initial screening technique. A probe layer functionalized the QTF-based biosensor to capture DNA fragments. The response of the functionalized QTF sensor to different concentrations of DNA was measured as a resonance frequency shift, which increased as the concentration of DNA increased. The QTF response for DNA was also confirmed by measuring the resonance frequency of the functionalized QTF after capturing DNA and after washing with DNA removal solution (DNAZap). The resonance frequency of the QTF immersed in DNA was increased after immersion in the DNA removal solution. Finally, functionalized QTF showed a high sensitivity for the DNA fragments with a limit of detection of 140 pg/µl.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112360"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143097940","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":"Hyperspectral Raman imaging with multivariate curve resolution-alternating least square (MCR-ALS) analysis for xylazine-containing drug mixtures","authors":"Xuyang He","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Xylazine, increasingly implicated in illicit opioid overdose deaths, poses a significant public health threat due to its synergistic effects with fentanyl and resistance to naloxone reversal. Despite its rising prevalence, xylazine is not classified as a controlled substance, leading to its exclusion from routine forensic screening. This study introduces a novel analytical method combining Raman hyperspectral imaging with Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) to detect xylazine in drug mixtures containing common excipients such as acetaminophen, dipyrone, and mannitol. Utilizing only non-negativity constraints, MCR-ALS successfully resolved the Raman spectrum of xylazine at levels as low as 5 % without reference spectra. The method demonstrated robust performance, with percent variance explained (R²) values of 99.60 %, 99.80 %, and 99.91 % for the drug mixtures containing 25 %, 10 %, and 5 % xylazine, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112314"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142791490","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":"Indoor domestic canine scavenging: A literature review","authors":"Elena Giovannini ,&nbsp;Simone Santelli ,&nbsp;Carla Bini ,&nbsp;Mariana Roccaro ,&nbsp;Angelo Peli ,&nbsp;Susi Pelotti ,&nbsp;Paolo Fais","doi":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112341","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112341","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Scavenging occurs whenever a body is accessible to animals which depredate post-mortem, leading to tissue modification and consumption. In forensic investigations, the consequences of indoor scavenging are associated with the capacity of dogs to destroy or scatter body parts, creating post-mortem artefacts that pose challenges for forensic pathologists and veterinarians in determining the cause and dynamics of death and the time of death estimation. The purpose of this study is to provide a literature review on the forensic implications of indoor domestic dog scavenging, in order to discuss victim and dog characteristics, injury patterns, and identification methods. The literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from January 1950 to March 2024. Eligible studies have investigated issues of interest (forensic veterinary medicine, forensic pathology, forensic genetics). A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review and they were organized and discussed by issue of interest (Victim risk factors, assessment of canine behavioral and physical conditions, anatomical distribution of post-mortem injuries, assessment of ante-mortem injuries and setting, identification of scavenging dog). The findings of this systematic review underscore the importance of paying particular attention to the condition of the individuals involved, especially isolated elderly individuals, as well as to the results of physical examinations and autopsies. These may provide crucial information regarding the distribution and vitality of lesions. Additionally, the potential benefits of a multidisciplinary approach are emphasized, based on close cooperation between veterinarians, crime scene personnel, medicolegal experts, and prosecutors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12341,"journal":{"name":"Forensic science international","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 112341"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142817527","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}