{"title":"A comparative analysis of accuracy and sensitivity in semen testing: ABAcard p30™, RSID Semen™, and Seratec PSA™.","authors":"Heather Rogers, Rhonda C Williams","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70194","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Confirmatory semen tests are used to determine the possible presence of semen in an evidence sample. Current test kits target proteins like PSA and semenogelin, but these markers can yield false positive results when identifying potential semen evidence. This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of three rapid immunochromatographic semen detection kits: RSID™ Semen, Seratec™ PSA, and ABAcard™ p30. These kits are marketed as confirmatory tests for semen. Test samples included serial semen dilutions, bodily fluids, and materials previously shown to cause false positives. All tests were performed according to manufacturers' protocols. Combined test results indicated a 9.4% false positive rate. False positives occurred across all kits with absorbent hygiene products (e.g., tampons, menstrual pads, and diapers). RSID™ Semen failed to detect semen in a 1:10,000 dilution and when mixed with dirt, indicating a 3% false negative rate and a false positive rate of 9%. ABAcard™ p30 produced false positives with female urine. While Seratec™ PSA demonstrated the highest sensitivity with only a 1% false negative rate, its false positive rate (12%) was the highest observed. ABAcard™ p30 exhibited superior performance with the lowest false positive rate (6%) and a false negative rate of 2%. While most forensic labs have moved away from using these kits as confirmatory tests, it is vital to emphasize why reporting their results as definitive semen evidence is problematic. These tests cannot confirm semen presence and should not be used alone as confirmatory evidence in forensic reports.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145260300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Barbara Bertoglio, Matteo Di Maso, Debora Mazzarelli, Francesca Magli, Alessandra Mazzucchi, Michela Zana, Giulia Caccia, Cristina Cattaneo
{"title":"Cremation weights for an Italian contemporary sample.","authors":"Barbara Bertoglio, Matteo Di Maso, Debora Mazzarelli, Francesca Magli, Alessandra Mazzucchi, Michela Zana, Giulia Caccia, Cristina Cattaneo","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70181","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70181","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increased demand for the study of cremated remains, combined with their poor state of preservation, presents anthropologists with highly complex and challenging cases. In this context, cremains weight is considered a stable parameter, not influenced by the fragmentation state of the remains, useful in anthropological investigations. However, few data are available in the literature so far, and no study has been performed on the Italian population. To this purpose, the present study aims to provide cremains weights from a sample of 160 cremations belonging to Italian adult individuals, who were cremated at the Crematorium of Milan (Italy) recently (2012-2014). Mean weights were reported for both sexes, and the relationship with some anthropological and biological variables (i.e., age at death, height, body weight, and body mass index) was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. As expected, the results showed a significant negative relationship with age at death (p-value: <0.01) and a significant positive relationship with the remaining variables, especially in males (p-value: <0.01). Comparison with the literature showed a close similarity with Portuguese data and a midway position between Asian and American samples, thus suggesting an intercontinental variation. However, few pieces of information are available so far to understand such variation, and further analyses are needed to identify the factors able to explain the variation observed. This is the first study supplying cremains weights for a middle-aged and elderly Italian sample. This data could help anthropologists during the evaluation of human cremated remains by complementing or supporting other evidence.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rosanne H D de Roo, Lonneke Stevens, Christianne J de Poot
{"title":"The impact of institutional authority on forensic evidence evaluation by criminal justice professionals.","authors":"Rosanne H D de Roo, Lonneke Stevens, Christianne J de Poot","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70190","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70190","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate and reliable decision-making in the criminal justice system depends on accurate expert reporting and on the correct interpretation of evidence by the judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers. The present study aims to gain insight into the judiciary's capability to assess the accuracy and reliability of forensic expert reports by first examining the extent to which criminal justice professionals are able to differentiate between an accurate (or sound) expert report and an inaccurate (or unsound) expert report. In an online questionnaire, 133 participants assessed both a sound and an unsound expert report. The findings show that, on average, participants were unable to significantly distinguish between sound and unsound forensic expert reports. Second, the study explored the influence of institutional authority on the evaluation of forensic expert reports. Reports that were not recognized as flawed-particularly those originating from well-known and reputable institutions-were subjected to less critical examination, increasing the risk of evaluation errors. These results suggest that the perceived institutional authority influences the assessment of forensic evidence. The study highlights the need for tools to support criminal justice professionals in evaluating forensic evidence, particularly when experts are unregistered. Recommendations include adhering to established quality standards, consulting counter-expert evaluations, improving courtroom communication, and enhancing forensic knowledge through training. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of critical evidence evaluation to reduce the risk of misinterpretation and wrongful convictions in the judicial process.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145152489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yangbo Li, Baien Guo, Yao Shen, Shuliang Hu, Zhihui Li, Lei Yang, Yuxin Wei
{"title":"Cross-comparison of barefoot and sock-clad footprint evidence using an enhanced Siamese network approach.","authors":"Yangbo Li, Baien Guo, Yao Shen, Shuliang Hu, Zhihui Li, Lei Yang, Yuxin Wei","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70180","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70180","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditional barefoot impression examination faces significant limitations in comparing impressions with sock-clad impressions. This paper presents the first cross-comparison study of barefoot and sock-clad impressions in challenging mixed datasets. We propose an enhanced Siamese network approach for the cross-comparison of barefoot and sock-clad impression evidence. Our methodology employs a dual-branch feature extraction framework based on ResNet34, enhanced with a channel-level generalized mean (GeM) pooling strategy and metric learning through hard sample mining. Research utilized 800 right footprint samples from 800 participants, augmented with 800 left footprint samples generated through mirror transformation, totaling 1600 samples for evaluation. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves 63.4% Top-1 accuracy and 90.9% Top-10 accuracy in challenging mixed retrieval environments. The ResNet34 architecture with improved GeM pooling showed superior performance compared to alternative network architectures and pooling strategies. This research addresses critical challenges in the comparison of sock-clad impressions to barefoot impressions, particularly for cases where perpetrators wear socks to minimize distinctive impression evidence and sounds in burglary, homicide, and other crimes, providing a more objective, quantifiable automatic comparison method for barefoot and sock-clad impression identification with substantial practical value for criminal investigations.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145133260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A stochastic optimization approach for shredded document reconstruction in forensic investigations.","authors":"Aqi Dong, Volodymyr Melnykov","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70182","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Document shredding remains a common method for destroying sensitive information, creating significant challenges for forensic investigators seeking to recover such materials as evidence. This paper addresses shredded document reconstruction through a stochastic optimization approach inspired by Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. Unlike traditional approaches relying on physical edge matching-suitable for hand-torn documents but computationally prohibitive for cross-cut shredding-our method evaluates visual content matches through edge compatibility metrics. We develop a specialized acceptance criterion balancing exploration of diverse configurations with exploitation of promising solutions. The method employs gamma distribution modeling of edge deviations with maximum likelihood parameter estimation, providing an adaptive framework responsive to reconstruction progress. Through evaluation with over 1100 document instances spanning typed text, handwritten notes, photographs, and mixed-content materials, we demonstrate robust performance across diverse document types. Empirical comparisons reveal that while simulated annealing (SA) and genetic algorithms (GA) achieve only marginal cost reductions (1%-13%), our approach successfully reconstructs documents that these standard metaheuristics cannot solve. The algorithm handles intermixed fragments from multiple documents-common in forensic casework-with performance analysis showing content-rich regions assembling faster than uniform areas. Validation on physically shredded documents from the DARPA Shredder Challenge confirms practical utility where traditional methods fail. For complex reconstructions, our semi-automated approach incorporates human guidance at intermediate stages, reducing computation time while maintaining accuracy. This research advances forensic document examination capabilities, offering a flexible framework adaptable to various document types encountered in investigative practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145126859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of liner properties on the analysis of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) analogs.","authors":"Sarah A Shuda","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and analogs are psychedelic drugs commonly submitted to forensic chemistry laboratories. These drugs are often present on items of evidence at low concentrations, requiring sensitive analyses to positively identify their presence. The injection port of a gas chromatograph (GC) plays an important role in vaporizing and transferring substances to the column for separation and subsequent detection. The consumables in the inlet, specifically the liner, can influence the abundance and chromatography of compounds being analyzed. Twelve liners with varying geometries, packing materials, and deactivation chemistries were assessed by analyzing a mixture of eight LSD-related compounds and comparing the average peak areas. Liners containing packing materials yielded significantly higher peak areas as compared to those without. The geometry of the liner played a smaller role and affected results only with one deactivation when glass wool was not present. Base deactivation improved peak area when compared to standard and Topaz deactivation in straight liners with packing. Authentic samples were analyzed on liners with varying deactivation chemistries to determine the effect over a run of seven replicates of 10 street samples (70 sample injections). Peak area with base-deactivated liners and liners with standard deactivation remained consistent over time, whereas the liner with Topaz deactivation decreased in peak area 52-68% after the initial injection and demonstrated a decrease in peak area of 30-54% from the first injection to the final injection.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synthesis, characterization, and binding interactions of rhodanine-3-acetic acid-based compound for latent fingerprint development.","authors":"Varinder Singh, Pawan Mandal, Navalpreet Kaur, Debasis Bora, Ritu Gupta, Aditya Kumar, Meghna Sharma, Gaurav Sanghvi, Syed Ahmar Ali Hashmi, Sudhanshu Kumar Jha, Keshav Taruneshwar Jha","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Latent fingerprints constitute a cornerstone of forensic identification. However, their visualization is a technical challenge-highly dependent on the nature of the surface from where fingerprints are collected, environmental exposure, and the detection agent applied. Herein, we report the preparation of a new compound, [5-benzylidene-4-oxo-2-thioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl] acetic acid (compound 3), by Knoevenagel condensation and characterization by <sup>1</sup>H NMR and FTIR. Its ability to develop latent fingerprints was systematically assessed on a wide variety of surfaces, including marble, plywood, glass, plastic sheet, silver foil, human skin, rubber gloves, and thermocol. Theoretical studies (density functional theory and molecular docking analyses) explored interactions with serine, highlighting the role of specific binding interactions in fingerprint development. This innovative approach, blending synthetic chemistry, spectroscopic techniques, and theoretical studies, paves the way for the development of new latent fingerprint agents in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nese Kavruk Erdim, Gamze Bas, Alperen Bikmazer, Hasan Agritmis
{"title":"Sibling incest resulting in pregnancy: A forensic case study of paternal neglect and pornographic exposure.","authors":"Nese Kavruk Erdim, Gamze Bas, Alperen Bikmazer, Hasan Agritmis","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70187","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70187","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This case report presents a rare incident of sibling incest resulting in pregnancy, occurring within a context of paternal neglect and inadequate parental supervision. A 14-year-old boy, after unsupervised exposure to pornographic content on his father's mobile device, engaged in sexual intercourse with his 15-year-old sister. The case highlights the psychological and developmental risks posed by early and unregulated access to sexually explicit material. It also underscores the diagnostic, ethical, and legal challenges in the detection and forensic evaluation of intrafamilial sexual abuse. This report emphasizes the urgent need for preventive strategies, including parental controls, digital literacy training, and age-appropriate sexual education.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145071455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Salma Al-Antari, Zainab H Hussain, Mohamed O Amin, Bhavik Vyas, Igor K Lednev, Entesar Al-Hetlani
{"title":"Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and chemometric analysis for estimating time since deposition of bloodstains on fabrics under ambient conditions.","authors":"Salma Al-Antari, Zainab H Hussain, Mohamed O Amin, Bhavik Vyas, Igor K Lednev, Entesar Al-Hetlani","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present study expands upon previous studies by employing attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy as a nondestructive technique for estimating the time since deposition (TSD) of blood traces on common fabrics and household items. Initial analysis showed substrate contributions; however, these did not affect the amide I and II bands specific to blood proteins in infrared spectra. A comprehensive statistical analysis was conducted which was evaluated using external validation; this was done to ensure that model predictions remain reliable and to prevent overfitting, which can be introduced by internal validation methods. To identify relatively recent bloodstains, a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) classification model was developed to effectively distinguish between blood samples aged on cotton and polyester for ≤72 and >72 h. The external validation of these binary models yielded average prediction accuracies of 92% for bloodstains on polyester and 94% for those on cotton. A partial least squares regression (PLSR) combined with a genetic algorithm (GA) was used for building regression models with R<sup>2</sup> prediction values of 0.86 and 0.85 for polyester and cotton, respectively. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with advanced chemometrics enabled estimation of the time since deposition (TSD) of blood traces on cotton and polyester fabrics. Although the results are promising, the study involved a small number of donors and limited surface types; therefore, additional future research is needed to determine its broader applicability to a wider range of donors and surfaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145076747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lisa M Lorenz, Adam Lanzarotta, Brian Boyd, Anvi Patel
{"title":"Identification of N-pyrrolidino protonitazene in suspect tablets encountered at an international mail facility.","authors":"Lisa M Lorenz, Adam Lanzarotta, Brian Boyd, Anvi Patel","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70185","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One of the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) National Forensic Chemistry Center (NFCC) international mail facility (IMF) satellite laboratories received suspect light blue, round tablets debossed with \"PERCOCET 5\" on one side and half score on the other side. Although legitimate products with these characteristics contain acetaminophen and oxycodone, the suspect tablets examined in this study were found to contain caffeine by an FDA satellite laboratory. Based on the presence of this unlabeled ingredient and having markings that would indicate a controlled substance, the tablets were recommended for further analysis by NFCC's full-service laboratory. Preliminary analysis using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS), the full-service laboratory confirmed the presence of caffeine and also determined that the tablets contained a nitazene-type compound. Qualitative method development using LC-MS permitted the ability to identify this compound as N-pyrrolidino protonitazene, while ruling out closely related compounds N-pyrrolidino isotonitazene and N-piperidinyl etonitazene. Quantitative method development using LC-MS determined that the tablets contained an average of 99 ± 16 μg N-pyrrolidino protonitazene per tablet. This finding is alarming considering that this compound reportedly has 25 times the potency of fentanyl. Although this is not the first time this nitazene analog has been reported, this case study adds additional information for identifying this compound. Since first being identified in these tablets, N-pyrrolidino protonitazene has been encountered with increasing regularity by this laboratory in other tablets with different colors, shapes, and markings. This compound has also been identified in tablets containing other drug substances.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145076757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}