Forensic Science International: Synergy最新文献

{"title":"A transdisciplinary integrated approach to improve identification outcomes for decomposed decedents in medicolegal death investigations","authors":"Victoria E. Gibbon ,&nbsp;Laura J. Heathfield ,&nbsp;Kathryn Smith ,&nbsp;Judith C. Sealy ,&nbsp;Lorna J. Martin","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Successful identification of unidentified decedents is a priority to address the global burden and health crisis created by such deaths. A newly developed transdisciplinary and integrative approach is presented as a protocol. The aim is to facilitate forensic leads for medico-legal death investigations that utilize external expertise to provide additional information as an act of re-humanization of the decedent.</div></div><div><h3>Methods and analysis</h3><div>There are three critical phases to the protocol. This transdisciplinary research approach in sensitive medicolegal environments requires, first, establishment of a robust ethical framework (implementation of permissions, contracts, and ethics) to maintain evidentiary integrity and protect those involved. It also needs to facilitate dissemination of the generated facial depictions to the public to enable investigative leads. Second, it requires the identification of useful and available scientific analyses and establishment of the multi-disciplinary team. These include a medicolegal death investigation and a forensic pathology postmortem record review inclusive of forensic contextual and case data information (such as unique identifiers and personal belongings), radiographic analyses, osteobiography anthropological assessment, conventional and specialized forensic genetic analyses, and possibly stable isotope analyses to provide a richer picture and understanding of the person. Third, these multifactorial data need to be integrated into a narrative, including facial reconstruction and depiction to elicit memory and identification via public appeals for information on unresolved cases. Should an investigative lead be followed, and a possible forensic identification established, conventional methods to confirm identity can be applied (e.g. DNA profiling). While it is the first time this approach has been applied in an African context, this protocol can be replicated and adapted for other regions to improve medicolegal death investigations, Ultimately, facilitating and improving identification can provide social justice and familial closure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100579"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Manner of death prediction: A machine learning approach to classify suicide and non-suicide using blood metabolomics","authors":"Witchayawat Sunthon ,&nbsp;Thitiwat Sopananurakkul ,&nbsp;Giatgong Konguthaithip ,&nbsp;Yutti Amornlertwatana ,&nbsp;Somlada Watcharakhom ,&nbsp;Kanicnan Intui ,&nbsp;Churdsak Jaikang","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100580","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100580","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The classification of the manner of death (MOD) is a critical step in forensic investigations. The process is based on scene investigation, autopsy, histological and toxicological findings. However, in complex suicide cases, these findings may be insufficient to clearly establish the MOD and need potential biomarkers to assist judicial determinations. This study aims to identify specific biomarkers in the blood that could distinguish suicide from the non-suicidal deaths group. Heart blood samples were collected from suicide (n = 45) and non-suicide cases (n = 45) and metabolomic profiles were analyzed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Nineteen blood metabolites were significantly different between the groups (p &lt; 0.05); especially, 4-hydroxyproline, sarcosine and heparan sulfate emerged as potential biomarkers for differentiating between the groups. A logistic regression-based predictive model incorporating sarcosine and heparan sulfate achieved sensitivity and specificity values of 73 % and 72 %, respectively. The integration of machine learning with blood metabolomics holds significant potential in forensic science and may apply to the model to adopt in criminal justice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100580"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of harassment and bullying of forensic scientists on work performance, absenteeism, and intention to leave the workplace in the United States","authors":"Rana DellaRocco ,&nbsp;Ryan D. Krone ,&nbsp;Nancy L. Wayne","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purpose of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the extent and nature of harassment and bullying in forensic science laboratories associated with law enforcement in the United States. We hypothesized that the most common harassment would be that of male sworn civil servants <em>working in forensics</em> targeting women non-sworn forensic scientists. Further, we assessed whether levels of harassment were associated with workplace performance, absenteeism, and intention to leave. There were three types of self-reported harassment investigated: work performance-related, interpersonal, and physical intimidation. There were three categories of respondents: lab technician, manager/supervisor, and “Other” that included students, administrative support personnel, assistants, and consultants. Results showed that levels and types of harassment varied depending upon the inter-relationship between the harassed and the harasser, with higher levels of harassment reported by participants coming from harassers above them in authority. While the majority of harassment reported was between women, due to the overwhelmingly female respondent pool and gender of those employed in forensics, the effect of gender on harassment may be skewed. Work-related harassment was associated with a decrease in work performance and increased intention of participants to leave their agencies. Intention to leave was mitigated by the employee maintaining high work performance despite the harassment. This study can be valuable to forensic scientist employers seeking to identify those most likely to experience harassment so that agencies may intervene, prevent decreases in productivity and job satisfaction, and to address employee retention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100576"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143437114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digitalisation of forensic expert activity in Ukraine: Organisational and legal framework","authors":"Nataliia Martynenko","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100578","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The article examines the process of digitalisation of forensic expert activity through the prism of the State's policy aimed at creating a technologically advanced society. Proposals are made: on registration and identification of forensic experts of state specialised institutions in the Unified Judiciary Information Telecommunication System; on improvement of the functions of the Register of Certified Forensic Experts regarding the profile of a legal entity carrying out forensic activities and the profile of an individual forensic expert. A number of legislative amendments related to the field of forensic science have been proposed to ensure a balanced development of the Register of Certified Forensic Experts.</div><div>The introduction of the Forensic Expert e-Diary will facilitate the maintenance of the Register of Certified Forensic Experts in terms of displaying the number of expert examinations conducted by each forensic expert and the level of their workload based on the number of examinations and their complexity, calculated in expert hours.</div><div>It is proved that the Register of Certified Forensic Experts should be maintained in such a way that the profiles of employed experts are displayed and made available via the profile of their expert organisation. It is concluded that in order to ensure independence, objectivity, efficiency, and speed of forensic examinations, it is advisable to introduce the following model of automated appointment of an expert to conduct a particular study: the system pre-selects several candidates, after which the court selects from the list an expert who can be involved in the work. The article also raises the issues of information security and data confidentiality in the organisation of forensic expert activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100578"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143430280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forensic homicidal strangulation in women: Case series and systematic literature review","authors":"Ginevra Malta ,&nbsp;Maria Puntarello ,&nbsp;Mauro Midiri ,&nbsp;Tommaso D'Anna ,&nbsp;Stefania Zerbo ,&nbsp;Antonina Argo","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This systematic review explores women's homicidal strangulation using PRISMA method. A total of 40 Google Scholar, 26 PubMed and 4 manual searching articles were analyzed, while other sources were excluded due to lack of full texts, irrelevance, or outdated content. Review highlights gender violence as an underestimated issue and provides a socio-demographic analysis. Diagnosing strangulation can be challenging, particularly in absence of visible asphyxial signs in the external examination. Judicial authorities' collaboration and reliance on circumstantial evidence are crucial in forensic investigations. Strangulation is statistically prevalent in sexually motivated crimes and employs various methods. We reported four different strangulation cases at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Palermo, to emphasize findings, forensic characteristics, and interpretation difficulties. The primary goal of this review is to shed light on homicidal strangulation's specific characteristics, given its underreported nature, and to stress the importance of mechanical asphyxia in forensic differential diagnosis. Distinguishing strangulation from other asphyxial deaths is difficult, as is identifying potential third-party involvement. This review also aims to provide key indicators that assist forensic pathologists in differentiating strangulation from other asphyxial causes of death. Future perspectives highlight the use of specific protocols, using artificial intelligence (AI), and instrumental investigations to support forensic pathologists in performing differential diagnoses and providing compatibility assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100577"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Barriers to human remains identification using forensic odontology in resource-constrained settings","authors":"Ernest Joie T. Guzman ,&nbsp;Maria Corazon A. De Ungria","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100575","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100575","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An effective strategy for human remains identification with a high success rate and low cost is vital for low to low-middle-income countries. Prompt identification of human remains is essential for the swift recovery of families and communities affected by large-scale disasters. However, the systematic integration of forensic disciplines into standard practice remains to be implemented in many areas. Even countries like the Philippines – where over 20 typhoons occur annually, leaving numerous, even thousands of persons remain missing so many years after the disaster, institutions continue to struggle in adopting standard protocols for human remains identification (HRI). This paper examines the barriers to implementing such protocols and explores the feasibility of maximizing the use of forensic odontology in the identification process in resource-constrained settings. The discussion highlights the situation in the Philippines resulting from these barriers and provides actionable plans for overcoming these challenges. In doing this, we can maximize the use of available technologies such as forensic odontology when local resources are limited, trained professionals are scarce and a sustainable and efficient operational local framework to handle mass fatality incidents (MFI) is not in place.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100575"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fatal intoxication after oral ingestion of amphetamine: Two case reports","authors":"Evelyn Pawlik ,&nbsp;Felix Mayer ,&nbsp;Oliver Temme","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2024.100568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2024.100568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amphetamine is a stimulant that is abused worldwide and e.g. leads to hyperthermia [Brinkman et al., 2014], dizziness, insomnia, stomachaches and suppression of appetite [Callaway et al., 1994]. The most common production route of racemic (R-/S)-amphetamine is the Leuckart synthesis [United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2006, Hauser et al., 2018], where by-products like 4-methyl-5-phenylpyrimidine (4-M-5-PP), N,N-di (β-phenylisopropyl)amine (DPIA) and N-formylamphetamine (NFA) are incurred. We describe two cases in which 39 years old men died after oral intake of greater amounts of liquid amphetamine preparations. Body fluids (heart blood, femoral vein blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, vitreous humour, and stomach content), organ tissues (myocardium, lung, liver, gall bladder, brain and kidney) and skeletal muscle were examined for amphetamine and amphetamine by-products as well as for other substances e.g. alcohol and pharmaceuticals. Analysis were done via HPLC/DAD, LC/MS, GC/MS or GC/FID without or after fluid-fluid extraction. Amphetamine was detected in all biological materials, the highest concentrations were found in urine (2600 μg/ml, case 1) and stomach content (14,000 μg/g, case 2). The amphetamine by-product DPIA was found only in heart blood (case 2), while NFA and 4-M-5-PP could not be detected at all. Morphological findings and the toxicological results for (R-/S)- amphetamine, the amphetamine by-products, alcohol, other drugs and pharmaceuticals are shown for both cases. The amphetamine concentrations of both cases are compared and the distribution in the body is discussed. The toxicity of the amphetamine by-products on the human body remains unclear and is subject of further studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100568"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143181501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When insect development meets insect succession: Advantages of combining different methods and insect taxa in estimating the post-mortem interval","authors":"Szymon Matuszewski ,&nbsp;Anna Mądra-Bielewicz","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100574","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100574","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Insects are frequently used to estimate post-mortem interval (PMI). Experts usually base their estimates on a single insect taxon and use a single estimation method, even if multiple taxa are present on a cadaver or multiple methods can be applied. In this article we present a case report where multiple insect evidence and methods were used in a homicide case to estimate PMI. Since the true PMI was known, we were able to assess the estimation errors of each method as applied to particular insect evidence. The final grand PMI was derived from a developmental estimate based on third instar larvae of <em>Lucilia illustris</em>/<em>L. caesar</em> species group and a successional estimate based on adult <em>Thanatophilus rugosus</em> beetles. By averaging these estimates we got the grand PMI of almost perfect accuracy (1 % relative error, PMI range: 4.39 ± 0.77 days), which is of course an exceptional situation for entomological methods of estimating PMI. Furthermore, this was the first case report in which the presence and absence of subsequent life stages of carrion insects coupled with the estimation of their pre-appearance interval were used to estimate the PMI range. The results regarding the minimum PMI were fully consistent with the results obtained using the classical developmental method. This finding indicates that in some cases the presence/absence method can be used interchangeably with the developmental method. Finally, we discussed the prospects and limitations of combining insect evidence and methods of their analysis in estimating PMI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100574"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11788758/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143123760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The limitations of mouth alcohol detection systems in breath alcohol testing: Case reports","authors":"Aaron Olson","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100573","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100573","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Contamination of a person's breath alcohol with alcohol from sources other than the lungs can falsely elevate the results of a breath alcohol test. This is known as “mouth alcohol” contamination in breath alcohol testing. To combat the issue of mouth alcohol contamination, manufacturers of breath alcohol analyzers have incorporated slope detection algorithms into their devices known as “slope detectors.” Despite this effort, breath alcohol analyzers sometimes fail to detect mouth alcohol contamination. Three case reports presented in this paper strongly suggest undetected mouth alcohol contamination. The significant legal consequences of a falsely elevated breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) due to mouth alcohol contamination require further research into the ability of slope detectors to identify mouth alcohol. Greater transparency and independent scientific examination of the algorithms involved in mouth alcohol detection systems are needed to ensure accuracy and fairness in breath alcohol testing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100573"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11786920/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The comparative accuracy of handprints and footprints for stature and sex determination","authors":"Sara Gamal Abbas,&nbsp;Amany Elsayed Abdelrahman,&nbsp;Omneya Saad El-Oefy","doi":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>One of the main goals of forensic medicine is the successful identification of unidentified bodies. This is essential in mass disasters, criminal medicolegal investigations, and most cases of deaths with poorly preserved remains. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of anthropometric determination of handprint versus footprint dimensions for sex and stature estimation in a sample of the Egyptian population and to formulate equations for stature and sex determination using hand and footprint anthropometric measures. A total of two hundred adults, aged 21–40 years, of Egyptian descent were selected for the study. Stature, hand, and footprint dimensions were measured and analyzed. The current study revealed that hand and footprint lengths were the most significant estimators of stature for both sexes. However, footprint measures were significantly better for stature estimation than handprint measures in females, while handprint measures were statistically better estimators of stature than footprint measures in males. On the other hand, the most sexually dimorphic parameters were handprint length, handbreadth, T4, and T5. Importantly, hand parameters were better predictors of sex than foot parameters. In conclusion, footprint measurements were more accurate for estimating stature in females, while handprint measurements were more accurate for males. Additionally, handprint parameters were more effective for sex determination than footprint parameters. Regression equations were presented in this study to estimate the sex and stature of individuals of Egyptian descent from various hand and footprint dimensions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36925,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Science International: Synergy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100572"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11760282/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143047881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}