Jose D. Chong MBBS, Neil E. I. Langlois MD, Roger W. Byard MD, PhD, DSc
{"title":"A retrospective search of postmortem examination reports indicates that death following chiropractic neck manipulation in Australia appears to be a rare event","authors":"Jose D. Chong MBBS, Neil E. I. Langlois MD, Roger W. Byard MD, PhD, DSc","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70007","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The aim of this study was to review the deaths associated with chiropractic treatment in Australia. The National Coronial Information System (NCIS) was searched for cases in Australia for which chiropractic treatment was determined to have contributed to death. Closed, completed Australian cases between 1 July 2000 and 31 December 2019 were evaluated (approximately 356,000 cases). This revealed only one case in which chiropractic treatment was considered to have contributed to death. The case was that of an adult male who died from a dissected left vertebral artery following chiropractic manipulation for neck pain. In addition, postmortem records at Forensic Science SA (FSSA) were searched for similar cases over the same time period (approximately 30,000 cases). No cases definitely attributable to chiropractic manipulation of the neck were found, but a case with thrombus in the left vertebral artery would not be entirely excluded as being related to chiropractic treatment. Deaths associated with chiropractic manipulation in Australia therefore appear rare. Although there is a reported incidence of stroke associated with vertebrobasilar artery system occlusion following chiropractic manipulation, stroke associated with vertebrobasilar artery occlusion has also been observed following a visit to a primary care physician. This could be explained by vertebrobasilar artery pathology causing neck pain that initiated consultation. Thus, the present study only demonstrates a rare temporal, but not causal, relationship between attending a chiropractor and vertebral artery dissection causing death. Non-lethal injuries were not assessed.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 3","pages":"1089-1093"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143485088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marco Ballotari PhD, Michael T. Truver PhD, Devin C. Baer, Sara C. Brogan BS, Jennifer L. Hoyer MS, Michele M. Crosby PhD, Bruce A. Goldberger PhD, Chris W. Chronister PhD
{"title":"Identifying bromazolam, etizolam, and flualprazolam in blood using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry","authors":"Marco Ballotari PhD, Michael T. Truver PhD, Devin C. Baer, Sara C. Brogan BS, Jennifer L. Hoyer MS, Michele M. Crosby PhD, Bruce A. Goldberger PhD, Chris W. Chronister PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70003","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Designer benzodiazepines are a commonly misused class of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) that present challenges for forensic toxicology laboratories and public health. Due to the difficulty in detection by routine toxicology methods, it is important to enhance the analytical methods for the identification and quantitation of designer benzodiazepines. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify designer benzodiazepines using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in postmortem blood specimens. A method originally validated to identify and quantitate alprazolam was modified to quantitate flualprazolam, etizolam, and bromazolam, as well as identify adinazolam and 4′-chloro-deschloroalprazolam. The method was subsequently used to analyze postmortem specimens (<i>n</i> = 35) from Medical Examiner Districts (<i>n</i> = 4) in Florida that screened positive for one or more designer benzodiazepines from February 2022 to December 2023. Among the screened samples, 21 tested positive for one or more designer benzodiazepines in the postmortem blood; 1 was positive for etizolam (90 ng/mL) and flualprazolam (<5.0 ng/mL), while 20 were positive for bromazolam. Bromazolam was the most frequently detected designer benzodiazepine, with a concentration range of 5.9–352 ng/mL (mean: 59.1 ng/mL; median: 28.5 ng/mL) for 18 decedents and <5.0 ng/mL for two decedents. Polydrug use was confirmed in all decedents. The most prevalent drugs found with bromazolam in the blood were fentanyl, methamphetamine and/or amphetamine, and cocaine. The optimized GC-MS method provides a way to identify and quantitate designer benzodiazepines in postmortem blood and to also qualitatively monitor two newer designer benzodiazepines: 4′-chloro-deschloroalprazolam and adinazolam.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 3","pages":"1105-1113"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143443065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Josep De Alcaraz-Fossoul PhD, Michelle V. Mancenido PhD
{"title":"Latent fingermark degradation processes by 3D imaging: The impact of substrate type and natural light on ridge height","authors":"Josep De Alcaraz-Fossoul PhD, Michelle V. Mancenido PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70000","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Friction ridge patterns, including those from latent fingermarks, are valuable physical evidence in the identification of individuals in criminal and humanitarian investigations. Although latent fingermarks may persist over extended periods, their time-dependent degradation remains poorly understood. Traditionally, aging studies have focused on two-dimensional (2D) ridge topography instead of more comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) examinations; but recent technological advancements have enabled the analysis of ridge height (z-dimension) and its modifications over time as a morphometric to describe aging patterns. This study assessed a 3D metric, <i>Sa</i> (i.e., average surface height), to monitor the natural degradation process of fingermarks from six donors (three males and three females) over 3 months. These were deposited on glass and plastic substrates and exposed to either natural light or complete darkness indoors, with temperature and humidity monitored but not controlled. Results revealed a “substrate effect” with a faster ridge height decrease on plastic under both lighting conditions. Interestingly, a “light effect” was less noticeable, and mostly for the plastic substrate. Although not the main focus of this analysis, a “biological sex effect” was also noticed, where female fingermarks degraded more slowly compared with males. This study showed the potential of the <i>Sa</i> metric to characterize the loss of ridge height under various indoor conditions. However, due to limitations such as a relatively small sample size, a standardized and accurate age determination of fingermarks is not yet feasible. Further research is necessary to refine 3D examinations and develop reliable models for estimating fingermark degradation.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 3","pages":"921-931"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143443068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ganchai Tanapornraweekit PhD, Thimira Abeysinghe MSc, Somnuk Tangtermsirikul DEng
{"title":"A forensic engineering technique for analysis of an explosion incident","authors":"Ganchai Tanapornraweekit PhD, Thimira Abeysinghe MSc, Somnuk Tangtermsirikul DEng","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70005","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article investigates the validity of current forensic practices to analyze an explosion event. The purpose of this study is to use forensic engineering techniques with the integrated models for the simulation of blast fragments and blast pressure to determine an explosive weight used in a bombing incident and later predict a lethal radius caused by blast pressure and a lethal zone caused by fragment impact. The real explosion incident at the Erawan shrine in central Bangkok on August 17, 2015, is selected as a case study. By comparing the structural damage at the blast site to the one obtained from finite element (FE) analyses, an estimated bare charge weight of TNT used in the incident can be obtained. It was found that an estimated bare charge of 3 kg TNT equivalent could have been used for the bomb. To confirm the validity of the calculated explosive weight, a combined lethal zone from blast pressure and scattered fragments was analyzed. Human damage due to the blast pressure is analyzed based on Bowen's lethality curves. The lethality zone from expelled fragments is drawn based on a 50% probability of lethality, which considers the hit density and kinetic energy of the fragment. The analyzed lethal zone agrees reasonably well with the actual observed human damage level. The proposed forensic engineering technique offers the potential for enhancing management and policies in homeland security, contributing to a safer community.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 3","pages":"1057-1073"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143434738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stephanie M. Betts MS, Ivette A. Espinoza Quiroga MS, Linda M. Otterstatter BS, Joseph Donfack PhD
{"title":"Hair root sonication washing impact on nuclei counts","authors":"Stephanie M. Betts MS, Ivette A. Espinoza Quiroga MS, Linda M. Otterstatter BS, Joseph Donfack PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70002","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In a previous study, hair samples were washed by sonication in Terg-a-zyme™ (Alconox, White Plaines, NY, USA) as part of the DNA extraction protocol. The sonication wash step was deemed necessary in the previous study because the DNA extracts could be used for both mitochondrial (mt) and nuclear(nu) DNA analyses. In the current study, the impact of the sonication wash on the persistence of nuclei was assessed. Scalp hair roots were stained using the DNA binding dye 4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and visible nuclei were counted. Hair roots that contained <50 visible nuclei were primarily used to monitor the change in the number of visible nuclei due to sonication. Hair roots with a larger number of nuclei counts (e.g., >100) were also included as comparative data. The selected hair samples were washed by sonication in Terg-a-zyme™. The number of nuclei detected in unwashed DAPI-stained hair roots was compared with the number in washed DAPI-stained hair roots. Intricacies that impeded visible nuclei counting in the same hair root were observed, such as orientation of the mounted hair root, hair root morphology, turgescence, and folding of soft tissue. Despite these challenges, this study showed the sonication wash of hair roots containing <50 visible nuclei might lead to a reduction of nuclei available for DNA extraction and short tandem repeat (STR) typing. However, for laboratories performing only nuDNA analysis, the sonication could be replaced with a less aggressive hair washing method such as briefly vortexing at low speed in saline followed by an ethanol rinse.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 3","pages":"1149-1156"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143434746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Keith L. Monson PhD, Erich D. Smith MSFS, Eugene M. Peters PhD
{"title":"The influence of perceived difficulty, availability of marks, and examination time on the conclusions of firearms examiners","authors":"Keith L. Monson PhD, Erich D. Smith MSFS, Eugene M. Peters PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70004","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70004","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Concurrent with studies on the accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of decisions based on comparisons of fired bullet and cartridge cases, we also collected the opinions of the participating examiners as to the characteristics of the specimens provided and the difficulty of making comparisons. Examiners rated the ease with which they determined every conclusion (easy, average, hard) and estimated qualitatively the amount of visual information available to them in determining a conclusion (limited, some, extensive). Comparisons deemed hard were perceived generally to have somewhat fewer markings conducive for assessment, while comparisons where the markings were limited produced a larger number of inconclusive determinations. Perceived difficulty increased with wider separation in firing order (within or between three defined segments of 700–850 total firings). The repeatability of these qualitative assessments exceeded 60% and their average reproducibility was ~50%. Examination times did not vary significantly when rendering decisions of identification, elimination, or inconclusive, although bullet identifications appear to have taken slightly longer than those for cartridge cases. Hard comparisons, where the amount of information was limited, were not treated substantially differently from any other types of comparison. No correlation was found between difficulty and number of comparisons attempted. These results tend to contradict assertions by critics that examiners are tempted to declare inconclusive decisions to save time and avoid rendering an elimination or identification conclusion, or that the results are non-representative of casework, or that perceived difficulty affected the degree of examiner participation.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 3","pages":"964-979"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143416488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Skeletal recovery rates in a New England environment","authors":"James T. Pokines PhD, Ashley Mainville MS","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.15706","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.15706","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The present research examined the recovery rates of skeletal elements from forensic anthropology case report inventories at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Massachusetts, with cases from 1979 through 2023 and from five contexts: terrestrial ground surface (<i>n</i> = 65), marine/freshwater (<i>n</i> = 49), cemetery burial (<i>n</i> = 67), recent burial (<i>n</i> = 5), and previous anatomical teaching specimens (<i>n</i> = 38). Element representation was highest in recent burial and terrestrial environments, followed by previous anatomical remains, marine/freshwater environments, and lowest in cemetery environments. The cranium was the highest represented element in all contexts (between 45.0% [marine] and 100.0% [burial]), and most contexts followed the same general patterns of element representation with high representation of the long bones, higher representation of the lower axial skeleton (os coxae, lumbar vertebrae) vs. the thoracic and cervical vertebrae, and overall low representation of the hyoid, sternal body, patellae, and elements of the hands and feet. These recovery rates are related to the typical taphonomic agencies encountered in these environments, recovery context and methods, and inherent bone properties. Knowledge of these differing patterns may aid in the determination of the origin of unknown remains, highlight recovery and identification methods in need of greater focus, and support the utilization of forensic anthropologists in medicolegal casework.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 2","pages":"669-683"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143384505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katie Pottage MSc, Peter Masters BA Hons, Nicholas Márquez-Grant PhD
{"title":"Redefining the documentation of outdoor surface scatter scenes using geographic information systems","authors":"Katie Pottage MSc, Peter Masters BA Hons, Nicholas Márquez-Grant PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.15698","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.15698","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The field of forensic archaeology has been primarily associated with the search, location, and excavation of clandestine graves, and thus, other deposition types have been commonly neglected in research. Current literature typically addresses the use of traditional methods implemented for the excavation and recovery of human remains from clandestine graves but fails to provide the same for surface scatter scenes. This study aimed to explore the documentation of such scenes through the integration of traditional archaeological techniques, geophysical surveying techniques, and GIS. A mixed method study was created and utilized in three different simulated scatter scenes, allowing the qualitative and quantitative scope of GIS to be examined and assessed. The techniques were utilized successively and iterated until all simulated scenes had been documented. Within this study, terrain was the independent variable—this was nonrandomized and chosen to best suit sites where scatter scenes are most prevalent. Results demonstrated GIS to be an effective method in the documentation of contextual data at a forensic surface scatter scene, providing both qualitative and quantitative data. Such findings aid in understanding the admissibility of each technique in court and its impact on a case when presented as evidence. This research revealed that further exploration of surveying techniques in sites other than clandestine graves is necessary for forensic archaeology practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 2","pages":"751-762"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1556-4029.15698","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143367118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Norah Rudin PhD, Keith Inman MCrim, Maher (Max) Noureddine PhD, MS
{"title":"Letter to the Editor — Documentation, investigation, and disclosure of contamination events","authors":"Norah Rudin PhD, Keith Inman MCrim, Maher (Max) Noureddine PhD, MS","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.15709","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.15709","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 2","pages":"815-819"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143367113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rhonda K. Roby PhD, MPH, Rosana A. Wiscovitch-Russo PhD, Rebecca Hart BA, Amanda E. Appel BA, Manija A. Kazmi MS, Thomas Huber PhD, Karina C. Åberg MFA, Thomas P. Sakmar MD, José A. Lorente MD, PhD, Norberto Gonzalez-Juarbe PhD
{"title":"Sampling techniques and genomic analysis of biological material from artworks","authors":"Rhonda K. Roby PhD, MPH, Rosana A. Wiscovitch-Russo PhD, Rebecca Hart BA, Amanda E. Appel BA, Manija A. Kazmi MS, Thomas Huber PhD, Karina C. Åberg MFA, Thomas P. Sakmar MD, José A. Lorente MD, PhD, Norberto Gonzalez-Juarbe PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.15701","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.15701","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The genomic analysis of biological material from artworks can be used to guide curation, preservation, and restoration. Additionally, human DNA recovered from artworks may provide other insights. However, the recovery of biological samples from artworks is dependent on the sampling technique used and the media from which the biological materials are recovered. The ideal sampling method should be noninvasive, yet robust. We studied five artworks on paper and compared three sampling methods, each with increasing degrees of invasiveness. Minimally invasive swabbing techniques collect samples from the surface, whereas more aggressive techniques such as wet vacuuming were expected to yield more biological material from within the support media and more likely to produce authentic DNA from the artwork. We report a comparison of collection techniques to generate microbial DNA sequence data, the conserved human gene RNase P, and Y-STRs from artworks on paper. We observed that wet vacuuming resulted in higher DNA recovery than double swabbing and core punches. Diverse microbial populations existed on the corners and centers of the five artworks studied, but the distribution of the total biomass was relatively even across the surfaces of the works sampled. Studies of peripheral regions, where sampling is less likely to cause alterations to the artwork, could thus yield useful results in microbiome and human DNA studies. These results provide a framework for sampling artworks on paper to obtain biological material. The methods described may provide microbiome identification to facilitate restoration and preservation, and might also contribute to the determination of provenance.</p>","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 2","pages":"476-489"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1556-4029.15701","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143367119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}