Forensic Sciences Research最新文献

{"title":"A consistent methodology for forensic photogrammetry scanning of human remains using a single handheld DSLR camera","authors":"Zsolt Ujvári, Máté Metzger, Gergely Gárdonyi","doi":"10.1093/fsr/owad036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owad036","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Due to increasingly capable algorithms and more available processing power, photogrammetry is becoming a simple, cheap and accurate alternative to 3D optical surface scanning. With adequate application, it can be a swift documentation technique for reconstructing the geometry and body surface of deceased persons in autopsies, or other forensic medical examinations. Sufficiently easy and swift 3D documentation techniques may allow 3D imaging technologies to become part of the daily routine of any forensic medical examiner or other medical personnel. This paper presents a consistent and systematic photographing methodology (as an alternative to automated or intuitive methods) for photogrammetry scanning of human remains. Although it requires manual photography, the methods presented in this paper offer a swift and easy way to capture an accurate 3D model of human remains under almost any conditions. Four different photographing procedures were tested on four subjects: ([DiMaio D, DiMaio VJM. Forensic Pathology: Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigations, second ed. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2001.]) a systematic circular technique with 100 photos, ([Prahlow JA. Forensic Pathology for Police, Death Investigators, Attorneys, and Forensic Scientists. New York (NY): Springer; 2010.]) a systematic circular technique with 50 photos, ([Shkrum MJ, Ramsay DA. Forensic Pathology of Trauma: Forensic Science and Medicine. Totova (NJ): Humana Press; 2006.]) a technique loosely mimicking cameras mounted on a postmortem CT device with 98 photos, and ([Urbanová P, Hejna P, Jurda M. Testing photogrammetry-based techniques for three-dimensional surface documentation in forensic pathology. Forensic Sci Int 2015;250:77–86.]) a technique mimicking cameras mounted on a postmortem CT device with 49 photos. Measurement accuracy was tested with the aid of six adhesive control points placed at approximately the same locations on each subject. Five different distances defined by these control points were measured and compared to the measurements taken by hand. 3D photogrammetry meshes created using these techniques were also compared with point clouds acquired using a 3D laser scanner. We found that a carefully composed, tested, and systematic photographing procedure significantly improved the quality of the photogrammetry models. In terms of relative difference compared to the hand measurements, both technique 1 and technique 2 produced close results, with an average relative difference of 0.160% and 0.197% and a maximum relative difference of 0.418% and 0.481% respectively, while models reconstructed from images taken using technique 3 and technique 4 seemed to be much less accurate, with an average relative difference of 0.398% and 0.391% and a maximums relative difference as high as 1.233% and 1.139% respectively. This study highlights the importance of a scientifically tested methodology for obtaining high-quality 3D models in forensic applicati","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135425279","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":"Ancestry estimation in forensic anthropology: accuracy of the AncesTrees software in a Brazilian sample","authors":"Victor Jacometti, Marco Aurelio Guimarães, Luis Otávio Carvalho xsde Moraes, Sérgio Ricardo Marques, Eugénia Cunha, Ricardo Henrique Alves da Silva","doi":"10.1093/fsr/owad030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owad030","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The objective of this study is to analyse the accuracy and applicability of the AncesTrees software with respect to a set of cranial measurements of a Brazilian sample consisting of 114 identified skulls from two osteological collections, predominantly composed of European (n = 59), African (n = 35), and admixed individuals (n = 20). Twenty-four different craniometric measurements are performed and input to AncesTrees via two algorithms, one of which is used in three configurations, with different ancestral groups integrated in the model. The software exhibits superior performance in the estimation of European individuals, reaching 73% accuracy, compared with 66% in the African individuals. Those individuals classified as admixed produce a variety of ancestral classifications, mainly European. Overall, the most accurate combination of AncesTrees is obtained using ancestralForest with only the European and African groups integrated into the algorithm, where the accuracy reaches 70%. The applicability of this software to a specific population is fragile because of the high admixing load, making it necessary to create a more representative anthropometric database of the Brazilian people.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136061439","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":"Children’s outcomes in road traffic accidents: challenges for personal injury assessment","authors":"Flávia Cunha-Diniz, Tiago Taveira-Gomes, José Manuel Teixeira, Teresa Magalhães","doi":"10.1093/fsr/owad034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owad034","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Children represent a specific group of road traffic accident (RTA) victims. Performing a personal injury assessment (PIA) for a child presents a significant challenge, especially when assessing permanent disabilities and needs. However, medico-legal recommendations for PIA in such cases are lacking. The main objective of this study was to analyse the differences between children and a young- and middle-aged adult population of RTA victims to contribute to the development of relevant guidelines. Secondary objectives were to identify and characterise specifics of children’s posttraumatic damages regarding: (a) temporary and permanent outcomes; and (b) medico-legal damage parameters in the Portuguese context. We performed a retrospective study of RTA victims by comparing two groups (n = 114 each) matched for acute injury severity (SD = 0.01): G1 (children) and G2 (young- and middle-aged adults). Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios. G1 presented a greater chance of evolving without or with less severe body, functional and situational outcomes (three-dimensional assessment methodology) and with lower permanent functional disability values than G2. Our findings suggest that childhood trauma generally has a better prognosis than trauma in young and middle-aged adults. This study generated evidence on the subject and highlighted the most significant difficulties encountered by medico-legal experts when performing PIA for children.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136061776","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":"Maternal ancestry and lineages diversity of the Santander population from Colombia","authors":"Adriana Castillo, Fernando Rondón, Gerardo Mantilla, Leonor Gusmão, Filipa Simão","doi":"10.1093/fsr/owad032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owad032","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Santander, located in the Andean region of Colombia, is one of the 32 departments of the country. Its population was shaped by intercontinental admixture between autochthonous Native Americans, European settlers, and African slaves. To establish forensic databases of haplotype frequencies, the evaluation of population substructure is crucial to capture the genetic diversity in admixed populations. Total control region mitochondrial DNA haplotypes were determined for 204 individuals born in the seven provinces across the department. The maternal Native heritage is highly preserved in Santander genetic background, with 90% of the haplotypes belonging to haplogroups inside A2, B4, C1, and D. Most native lineages are found broadly across the American continent, while some sub-branches are concentrated in Central America and north South America. Subtle European (6%) and African (4%) input was detected. In pairwise comparisons between provinces, relatively high FST values were found in some cases, although not statistically significant. Nonetheless, when provinces were grouped according to the PCA results, significant differences were detected between groups. The database on mtDNA CR haplotype frequencies established here can be further used for populational and forensic purposes.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136235528","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":"Comparison of decision tree and Naïve Bayes algorithms in detecting trace residue of gasoline based on GC–MS data","authors":"Md Gezani Bin Md Ghazi, Loong Chuen Lee, A S Samsudin, H Sino","doi":"10.1093/fsr/owad031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owad031","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Fire debris analysis aims to detect and identify any ignitable liquid residues in burnt residues collected at a fire scene. Typically, the burnt residues are analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and are manually interpreted. The interpretation process can be laborious due to the complexity and high dimensionality of the GC–MS data. Therefore, this study aims to compare the potential of classification and regression tree (CART) and naïve Bayes (NB) algorithms in analysing the pixel-level GC–MS data of fire debris. The data comprise 14 positive (i.e. fire debris with traces of gasoline) and 24 negative (i.e. fire debris without traces of gasoline) samples. The differences between the positive and negative samples were first inspected based on the mean chromatograms and scores plots of the principal component analysis technique. Then, CART and NB algorithms were independently applied to the GC–MS data. Stratified random resampling was applied to prepare three sets of 200 pairs of training and testing samples (i.e. split ratio of 7:3, 8:2, and 9:1) for estimating the prediction accuracies. Although both the positive and negative samples were hardly differentiated based on the mean chromatograms and scores plots of principal component analysis, the respective NB and CART predictive models produced satisfactory performances with the normalized GC–MS data, i.e. majority achieved prediction accuracy >70%. NB consistently outperformed CART based on the prediction accuracies of testing samples and the corresponding risk of overfitting except when evaluated using only 10% of samples. The accuracy of CART was found to be inversely proportional to the number of testing samples; meanwhile, NB demonstrated rather consistent performances across the three split ratios. In conclusion, NB seems to be much better than CART based on the robustness against the number of testing samples and the consistent lower risk of overfitting.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135061028","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":"Reproducibility of human landmark identification in morphological mandible prototypes: major parameters for a 3D CBCT approach","authors":"Rebeca Menezes Vaz Queiroz Fontes, Tiago Alves de Carvalho Nunes, Ricardo Filipe Santos Machado, Patricia Miranda Leite Ribeiro, Jeidson Antônio Morais Marques, Ana Corte-Real","doi":"10.1093/fsr/owad029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owad029","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The establishment of anthropometric measurements is of fundamental importance for the correct identification of human bodies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of two-dimensional craniometric landmarks obtained from three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) reconstructions for forensic identification of humans. CBCT images with voxel sizes of 0.25, 0.3, and 0.4 mm were obtained using i-CAT® three-dimensional equipment. Ten landmarks were randomly selected, and ten measurements were demarcated in the three-dimensional reconstruction to evaluate the mandibular condyle, ramus, and body. This study demonstrated that protocols with voxels of 0.3 mm should be preferentially indicated for the evaluation of linear and angular measurements. Implementing our methodology using prototypes for clinical and forensic simulations allows comparisons with human databases in identification issues.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"154 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135734983","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":"The Assembly of a New Human Osteological Collection: The XXI CEIC as a Forensic Pedagogical Tool","authors":"Inês Morais Caldas, Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira, Rui M. S. Azevedo, Áurea Madureira-Carvalho","doi":"10.3390/forensicsci3030036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci3030036","url":null,"abstract":"This technical note aims to characterize and contextualize the creation of a new collection of identified skeletons stored in the University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU. This project presents unique and innovative pedagogical opportunities, with students actively involved in the cleaning and processing of the bones and antemortem/postmortem information gathering, as well as in anthropology research projects. This XXI Century Identified Skeletal Collection is composed of 98 complete adult skeletons of both sexes and is still expanding, being the 10th contemporary collection available in Portugal. The skeletons consist exclusively of Portuguese nationals who died between 1946 and 2007, and the 42% that have been processed so far are in good preservation. Comparative learning outcomes after implementing this active learning strategy are not yet available. Improvements are expected since more participation and enthusiasm in classes and research were perceived.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"35 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136362685","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":"Missing persons patterns from Mexico: evidence of a forensic emergency crisis","authors":"Mirsha Quinto-Sanchez, Sofia N Huerta-Pacheco","doi":"10.1093/fsr/owad026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owad026","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The relatives of missing persons in Mexico have denounced the slowness with which a court prosecution file is created by the justice administration system. Theoretically, the search is immediate, but many cases must wait 72 h to build an investigation folder as a legal criterion. This standard has been copied from the UK and Australian police reports without adapting to the Mexican context. The analysis of disappearance reports between 2006 and 2018 shows that this timing criterion in Mexico is not supported. The analysed database (CENAPI) showed that in the 72-h range, only 34.53% of the people had been found alive or dead; figure far from 50%–80% of Europe or Australia. This fact shows that those searching officers, or the judicial bureaucracy can act as a factor that limits the search for missing persons. Additionally, there is a random pattern in the geospatial distribution of disappearance, with non-homogeneous frequencies per year. Results highlight the participation of families, the adoption of an evidence-based model, and the generation of geospatial forensic intelligence analysis to generate evidence-based public policies. The social demand of families to the government for not considering them takes relevance in forensic practice in Mexico, and the disappearance data supports this assertion.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"517 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135318785","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":"The role of microorganisms in the biotransformation of psychoactive substances and its forensic relevance: a critical interdisciplinary review","authors":"Eduardo G Campos, Otávio G G Almeida, Elaine C P De Martinis","doi":"10.1093/fsr/owad025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owad025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Microorganisms are widespread on the planet being able to adapt, persist and grow in diverse environments, either rich in nutrient sources or under harsh conditions. The comprehension of the interaction between microorganisms and drugs is relevant for forensic toxicology and forensic chemistry, elucidating potential pathways of microbial metabolism and their implications. Considering the described scenario, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive and critical review of the state of the art of interactions among microorganisms and common drugs of abuse. Additionally, other drugs of forensic interest are briefly discussed. This paper outlines the importance of this area of investigation, covering the intersections between forensic microbiology, forensic chemistry and forensic toxicology applied to drugs of abuse, and it also highlights research potentialities.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"2013 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135402441","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":"Haemorrhagic Artefacts Produced by Ant Activity on Human Cadavers in the Early Post-Mortem Period","authors":"Yogesh Kumar, E. E. Guareschi, H. Bharti, P. Magni","doi":"10.3390/forensicsci3030035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci3030035","url":null,"abstract":"Forensic entomology is primarily focused on using carrion blow flies and beetles (Diptera and Coleoptera) to estimate the time since death. However, insect artefacts, such as footprints, defecations, regurgitations, and splatters are also considered within the disciplines of bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA), and ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) have been studied in forensic pathology for their potential to alter bodies. Although ant activity has been mostly reported as “dry marks” (abrasions) on decomposing bodies, their colonisation of congested or hypostatic anatomical regions can produce alterations that mimic active or recent haemorrhages. Therefore, if a body exhibits external haemorrhage/s without any apparent origin, artefacts caused by insects, such as ants, should be considered. This study describes ten cases of post-mortem ant activity observed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India), and analyses the resulting external haemorrhagic artefacts, which exhibit different patterns of morphology, distribution, and location. The study proposes a classification system to aid in identifying bloodstain patterns caused by ant activity, assisting in determining the mechanism/s of the lesions, the original position of the body, and any subsequent interactions with the surrounding environment. Ultimately, this classification can improve the accuracy of reconstructing the events that occurred during the early post-mortem period, as well as the circumstances surrounding death.","PeriodicalId":45852,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Sciences Research","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73082178","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}