Science & Justice最新文献_第2页

Long-term qualitative analysis of clothing degradation associated with surface-decomposition in Cape Town, South Africa 南非开普敦与表面分解相关的服装降解的长期定性分析

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-04-18 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101258

Adeyemi Daniel Adetimehin , Maximilian Jan Spies , Devin Alexander Finaughty , Victoria Elaine Gibbon

{"title":"Long-term qualitative analysis of clothing degradation associated with surface-decomposition in Cape Town, South Africa","authors":"Adeyemi Daniel Adetimehin , Maximilian Jan Spies , Devin Alexander Finaughty , Victoria Elaine Gibbon","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101258","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101258","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effect of clothing on the decomposition process of human and non-human animal bodies has received considerable attention. Yet, little attention has been given to the effect of decomposing bodies on the integrity of carrion-associated clothing globally, with no data from Africa. We conducted a long-term (over three years) micro- and macroscopic qualitative analysis of the degradation of synthetic, natural, and mixed-fiber clothing associated with surface-decomposing porcine bodies in Cape Town, South Africa. Five porcine bodies dressed in seasonally appropriate clothing were surface deployed and allowed to decompose over multiple seasons in the thicketed Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, an environment of forensic interest in Cape Town. Microscopically, the yarns of synthetic (acrylic pullover jerseys), natural (cotton T-shirts), and mixed-fiber (denim jeans) clothing were distorted and degraded within two to six months, one to three months, and one and a half to two years, respectively. Macroscopically, synthetic, and mixed-fiber clothing showed no visible damage after three years and ten months. Conversely, damage in the form of multiple small holes was noticeable on the natural fiber clothing within two to seven months, with complete disintegration of the clothing evident within two and a half years or less. This study is the first to elucidate the degradation of clothing associated with surface-decomposing bodies in Africa. Our findings reveal that the yarns of synthetic, natural, and mixed-fiber clothing associated with surface-decomposing bodies will degrade over time in different ways and can be used as indicators of the minimum time-since-death of clothed deceased individuals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 3","pages":"Article 101258"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143868149","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}

引用次数: 0

Accurate forensic identification of asphyxial deaths: Differentiating strangulation and drowning using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy 窒息死亡的准确法医鉴定：利用ATR-FTIR光谱区分勒死和溺水

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-04-14 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101257

Hao Wu , Ruina Liu , Gongji Wang , Chen Shen , Xinggong Liang , Run Chen , Mingyan Deng , Shuo Wu , Kai Zhang , Zhenyuan Wang

{"title":"Accurate forensic identification of asphyxial deaths: Differentiating strangulation and drowning using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy","authors":"Hao Wu , Ruina Liu , Gongji Wang , Chen Shen , Xinggong Liang , Run Chen , Mingyan Deng , Shuo Wu , Kai Zhang , Zhenyuan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Asphyxial death is a leading cause of violent death, strangulation is more frequently seen in murder and domestic abuse cases, while drowning is one of the most common causes of accidental death. Therefore, studies on these two causes of death are beneficial to ensuring the administration of justice and increasing detection rate of criminal cases. This study investigated the viability of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy as a method for distinguishing between strangulation and drowning in autolysis and putrefaction cadavers of forensic cases. Utilizing C57BL/6 mice death models, lung tissue samples were analyzed post-mortem using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, alongside traditional histological methods such as Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA) were employed to enhance the spectral data interpretation, demonstrating high accuracy in distinguishing between the two causes of death. The PLSDA model showed a 100 % accuracy in external validations for strangulation and drowning cause of death identification, highlighting the potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with machine learning algorithms in forensic applications. The results revealed distinct biochemical signatures for strangulation and drowning, with significant changes observed in the spectral peaks associated with Amide band, protein secondary structures and nucleic acids. The integration of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy provides a non-destructive, rapid, and reliable method for forensic investigators, especially when traditional autopsy results are inconclusive due to autolysis and putrefaction. The study emphasizes how crucial it is to combine ATR-FTIR spectroscopic with histopathological examination and chemometrics to increase the precision and dependability of forensic investigations and support the administration of justice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 3","pages":"Article 101257"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143845115","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}

引用次数: 0

Evaluation of silver mirror chemical delamination on dusted fingermarks 银镜化学分层对沾尘手印的评价

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-04-10 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101256

R.J. Accioly , E.G. Silva , K.C. Mariotti , C. Fridman

引用次数: 0

A fast, low-cost, and nondestructive method using digital images to detect crossing pen ink lines in documents with old and recent writing 一种快速、低成本、无损的方法，使用数字图像检测文件中新旧文字的笔墨线

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-04-06 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101254

Bruna Ramos de Souza Gomes, Jandyson Machado Santos

{"title":"A fast, low-cost, and nondestructive method using digital images to detect crossing pen ink lines in documents with old and recent writing","authors":"Bruna Ramos de Souza Gomes, Jandyson Machado Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101254","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101254","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In forensic document examination, the analysis of pen ink is crucial for detecting fraud, particularly by evaluating crossing ink lines. In this study, a fast, simple, non-destructive method was developed for detecting crossing lines of blue pen inks in documents with old and recent writing, using smartphone-based digital images. Digital images of three different regions of interest (ROI) in the areas with pen writing were acquired for twenty-six real documents containing blue pen inks, dated between the years 1994 and 2023. The ROIs were defined as follows: I – Document Pen Ink (DPI), II – Intersection Pen Ink (IPI), and III – Overlay Pen Ink (OPI), representing different areas of the original and crossed pen ink lines. ColorGrab® free smartphone software was used to capture and process the values of the Red (R), Green (G), Blue (B), Hue (H), Saturation (S), and Value (V) channels for the digital images of the pen inks for each ROI. The R, G, B, and V channels provided the best analytical responses for identifying crossing lines in the OPI regions of the documents, enabling distinction of the regions after data normalization and principal component analysis (PCA). Application of k-means cluster analysis showed that the method was able to effectively distinguish between older and more recent writing at the crossing pen ink lines. The development of this nondestructive method offers a promising way to identify pen ink line crossing in old documents that may have been tampered with by the introduction of more recent writing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 3","pages":"Article 101254"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808260","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}

引用次数: 0

CORRECTION: Letter to the editor regarding the article “The final destination: Incorporating ‘Death by GPS’ into forensic and legal sciences” by Posey, B.M. (2023) 更正：关于Posey， B.M.（2023）的文章“最终目的地：将“GPS死亡”纳入法医和法律科学”的致编辑的信

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-03-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101249

Brianne M. Posey

引用次数: 0

Evaluation of the potential of serum cortisol level and expression of StAR gene as biomarkers to establish the nature of sexual act 评估血清皮质醇水平和StAR基因表达作为确定性行为性质的生物标志物的潜力

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-03-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101250

Hirak Ranjan Dash , Vinita Gupta , Palak Chaubey

{"title":"Evaluation of the potential of serum cortisol level and expression of StAR gene as biomarkers to establish the nature of sexual act","authors":"Hirak Ranjan Dash , Vinita Gupta , Palak Chaubey","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forensic investigation of sexual assault cases possesses huge challenges viz., limited sample quantity, attributing the partner, and identifying the nature of the sexual act. Though forensic DNA evidence might correctly identify an accused, its biggest limitation is to overcome the consent defense which holds significant legal implications. Routinely, the examination of anogenital injury establishes the nature of a sexual act. However, it suffers major limitations as the prevalence of anogenital injury has also been observed commonly after a consensual sexual act. The present study compared the perceived stress, serum cortisol level, and the expression level of the <em>StAR</em> gene in 20 survivors of sexual assault and 20 consensual sexual partners. The average perceived stress scale was observed to be 32.1 ± 1.3 and 17.6 ± 0.5 in sexual assault survivors and consensual partners, respectively. The serum cortisol level showed a 1.183 to 3.176 fold increase in the survivors of sexual assault compared to the partners of the consensual sexual act. Compared to the consensual partners, sexual assault survivors showed a 19.508 to 144.664 fold increase in the expression of the <em>StAR</em> gene in blood. Besides, a significant positive correlation was observed among the PSS, cortisol level, and expression level of the <em>StAR</em> gene (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.878) (P < 0.001). Thus, in addition to the external injury examination, other biochemical and molecular examinations such as PSS, serum cortisol level, and expression of <em>StAR</em> gene have shown the potential to establish the nature of a sexual act.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 3","pages":"Article 101250"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143680024","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}

引用次数: 0

The isotopic and elemental patterns of uranium ore as tools for its provenance determination: A systematic review 铀矿石同位素和元素模式作为确定其物源的工具：系统综述

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-03-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101252

Lazaro H. Meza , Mohamed S. Mazunga , John W. Kondoro , Iyabo T. Usman , Titus A. Msagati , Farai F. Mlambo , Innocent J. Lugendo , Mwingereza J. Kumwenda

{"title":"The isotopic and elemental patterns of uranium ore as tools for its provenance determination: A systematic review","authors":"Lazaro H. Meza , Mohamed S. Mazunga , John W. Kondoro , Iyabo T. Usman , Titus A. Msagati , Farai F. Mlambo , Innocent J. Lugendo , Mwingereza J. Kumwenda","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101252","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101252","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This systematic review explores the potential of isotopic and elemental analysis of uranium ore as tools for provenance determination. This capability is vital for effective criminal investigations involving illicit trafficking, environmental contamination, terrorism and nuclear proliferation. A comprehensive literature review was conducted across multiple databases, focusing on studies that utilized isotopic and elemental analysis techniques for uranium origin assessment. The included studies were critically evaluated for methodological rigor. The review found that both isotopic and elemental analysis provides valuable insights into the provenance of uranium ore. Isotopic analysis, in particular, has been established as a powerful tool for tracking the origin of uranium ore. It has potential applications in forensic investigations, nuclear security and safeguards. However, the full potential of elemental patterns remains underutilized. Integrating both techniques could enhance the discriminatory power of provenance assessments. Key challenges, such as limitations in existing databases, analytical techniques and sample contaminations, hinder the definitive determination of uranium origin. To address these challenges, the review emphasizes the need for collaboration between researchers and law enforcement agencies. This collaboration should focus on expanding geochemical databases, developing standardized methodologies, and fostering interdisciplinary cooperation. By overcoming these limitations, the forensic community can significantly improve its ability to investigate uranium-related crimes, contributing to national security, safeguards and environmental protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 3","pages":"Article 101252"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143706541","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}

引用次数: 0

Advancing forensic firearm examination protocol: Shotgun firing pin impressions 先进的法医枪支检查程序：霰弹枪的弹孔印

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-03-18 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101253

Aylin Yalçın Sarıbey , Rachel S. Bolton King , Ali Çetin , Serdar Uysal

{"title":"Advancing forensic firearm examination protocol: Shotgun firing pin impressions","authors":"Aylin Yalçın Sarıbey , Rachel S. Bolton King , Ali Çetin , Serdar Uysal","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101253","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101253","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The theory of forensic firearm examination relies on the assumption that of the two contacting surfaces, the harder surface leaves marks on the softer one. The class and individual characteristics left by firearm parts undergo change due to several key variables, including the ammunition, and the firearm themselves. Notably, the characteristics are subject to distinct or permanent change during the first few fires immediately after manufacturing. In contrast, alterations arising from the many other factors associated with the shooting process tend to develop with slight variations. Using four different shotgun, this study examined the distinct changes observed in the individual characteristics formed by firing pins on fired shotshell cases. Understanding the manufacturing processes and conducting elemental analysis on the firing pins was necessary during this examination. The choice of material used to construct the shotgun firing pin appears to be the main reason for the inconsistent and changing marks observed on the fired shotshell cases. Although the changing individual characteristics within firing pin impressions could hinder the forensic comparison and examination of the shotgun, this study demonstrates how an integrated, holistic approach can overcome this challenge through the comparison and analysis of other firearm parts’ marks. This study contributes to the scientific understanding of forensic firearm examination by evidencing the contribution and importance of the firearm part’s material composition and the need to document the part’s surface prior to test firing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 3","pages":"Article 101253"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679968","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}

引用次数: 0

An evaluation of the effect of powders on fingermarks developed with cyanoacrylate fuming 粉末对氰基丙烯酸酯熏烟手印效果的评价

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-03-18 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101251

Will Stoddart , Emily Blackman , Hannah Pearson , Paul Deacon , Rachel Armitage , Kevin J. Farrugia

{"title":"An evaluation of the effect of powders on fingermarks developed with cyanoacrylate fuming","authors":"Will Stoddart , Emily Blackman , Hannah Pearson , Paul Deacon , Rachel Armitage , Kevin J. Farrugia","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101251","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of cyanoacrylate (CA) fuming for the detection of fingermarks is generally followed by a secondary process such as dye staining or powdering. This study presents Phase 2 trials with planted fingermarks across five enhancement sequences comparing the use of basic yellow 40 (BY40) dye staining and a variety of powders (black magnetic powder, Bristol Black and <em>fp</em>Natural® 1 and 2) after CA fuming on two different types of plastic materials. Other variables included 10 fingermark donors, four ageing periods and 50 depletions. These trials were then followed by Phase 3 trials to assess whether the results observed in Phase 2 trials are replicated on similar plastic items typically submitted to forensic laboratories. For Phase 2 trials, the use of BY40 as a secondary process to CA fuming resulted in more high-quality graded marks when compared to powdering. The fingermark grading data from the five enhancement sequences showed a significant difference with a moderate effect size. With the exception of black magnetic powder, the powdering of CA-treated marks resulted in a detrimental effect due to infill of ridge detail. BY40 staining after the use of powders improved some of the detrimental effects; however, the use of BY40 without powders, in general, was more effective. Phase 3 trials yielded a correlation to Phase 2 trials whereby the two-step process of CA fuming with BY40 was the most effective enhancement sequence. It is therefore recommended that BY40 dye staining, rather than powders, is employed as a secondary process to CA fuming, unless the use of BY40 is not possible due to the porosity of the substrate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 3","pages":"Article 101251"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143747978","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}

引用次数: 0

Contacting surfaces are rarely DNA Free: Another look at transfer when both surfaces have DNA 接触面很少是无DNA的：当两个表面都有DNA时，再看看转移

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-03-14 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101248

Georga Sallows , Duncan Taylor , Roland A.H. van Oorschot , Mariya Goray

{"title":"Contacting surfaces are rarely DNA Free: Another look at transfer when both surfaces have DNA","authors":"Georga Sallows , Duncan Taylor , Roland A.H. van Oorschot , Mariya Goray","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.101248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding DNA transfer, persistence, prevalence, and recovery (TPPR) has become increasingly crucial in forensic investigations. Most DNA transfer studies have focused on one-way transfer, neglecting bi-directional exchange. This study examines two-way transfer of blood and touch DNA between plastic and cotton substrates under passive and friction conditions, using methods from previous unidirectional transfer experiments.</div><div>Our investigation established statistically significant correlations between bi-directional DNA transfer rates and manner of contact but not substrate type and type of biological material. While, in general, no significant differences were noted between bi-directional and unidirectional transfer rates, significant differences were observed for certain variable combinations where unidirectional transfer resulted in higher transfer rates. This research provides baseline data on bi-directional DNA transfer under semi-controlled conditions, complementing existing unidirectional transfer knowledge. Understanding bi-directional transfer is crucial for accurately modelling DNA transfer events in forensic scenarios, especially for activity level evaluations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 3","pages":"Article 101248"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679967","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}

引用次数: 0