Journal of forensic sciences最新文献

{"title":"Distribution of amphetamine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in seven regions of the brain.","authors":"Grayce Behnke, Teresa R Gray, Pramod Gumpeni","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70450","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70450","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brain tissue is a potentially valuable postmortem specimen because of its relative anatomical isolation, reduced susceptibility to postmortem degradation, and relevance as the primary site of action for many drugs. Despite the frequent detection of stimulants and synthetic opioids in medicolegal death investigations, limited data exist regarding their regional distribution within the human brain. This study evaluated the distribution of amphetamine (AMP), methamphetamine (MAMP), cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, and fentanyl across seven anatomically distinct brain regions (basal ganglia, cerebellum, medulla, midbrain, occipital lobe, thalamus, and pons) in postmortem human cases. Brain samples were collected from cases screening positive for cocaine/benzoylecgonine or fentanyl using urine drug screening at autopsy. Brain homogenates were extracted in triplicate using solid-phase extraction followed by instrumental analysis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. To make comparisons between cases, concentrations were normalized to the occipital lobe. Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA determined that there were significant differences in concentrations within cases and normalized concentrations between cases. The basal ganglia had the highest concentrations for AMP, cocaethylene, cocaine, fentanyl, and MAMP. Benzoylecgonine concentrations were highest in the cerebellum. Concentrations of metabolite to parent compound showed that there were weak correlations between benzoylecgonine-to-cocaine, cocaethylene-to-cocaine, and AMP-to-MAMP. While there was heterogeneous distribution in the brain, any of the brain regions included in this study could have utility for postmortem toxicology testing as analytes were generally detected in all examined brain regions. The basal ganglia typically had highest concentrations in this study and therefore are recommended for collection.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148803816","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":"Commentary on: Pedraza N, Marciano MA. Simple and nondestructive method to access and process material on coverslipped slides. J Forensic Sci. 2025;70(5):2006-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70083.","authors":"Natalia Pedraza, Michael A Marciano","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70448","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70448","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148803811","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":"Ballistic gelatin as a soft tissue simulant: A systematic review of applications, calibration methods, and synthetic alternatives.","authors":"Beatriz Silva-Lopes, Manuela Oliveira, Albina D Resende, Luís Marques Fernandes","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70446","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70446","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ballistic gelatin is widely recognized as the primary soft-tissue simulant in forensic and biomedical ballistics. However, variability in preparation, calibration, and reporting methods, along with growing interest in synthetic alternatives, has raised concerns about methodological comparability and scientific validity. This systematic review, following PRISMA-2020 guidelines, searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Instituto de Defesa Nacional (IDN) databases for studies published from 2004 to 2025. Experimental studies utilizing gelatin or alternative soft-tissue simulants were included, whereas conference abstracts and purely numerical simulations were excluded. Sixty studies met the eligibility criteria and were evaluated for preparation methods, calibration procedures, aging conditions, testing protocols, and ballistic performance. Most studies used 10% or 20% Type A gelatin. Differences in bloom strength, concentration, mold geometry, temperature, and aging resulted in significant variation in penetration, yaw, and temporary cavities, limiting comparability. Few studies reported bullet ball calibration, though it is essential for verifying gelatin stiffness and for reliable comparisons. Synthetic simulants, such as SEBS elastomers and Clear Ballistics®, are easier to handle and more transparent, but often increase penetration, delay yaw, and pose calibration issues, limiting their forensic or medicolegal use. Properly formulated and calibrated 10% gelatin remains the best validated soft-tissue simulant for ballistic testing. Synthetic options show potential but do not yet consistently match real tissue in forensic or defense/wound ballistics work. Ongoing inconsistencies in preparation and reporting highlight the need for international standards in simulant design, calibration, and documentation to improve reproducibility and strengthen ballistic research.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148803827","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":"Comparison of delusional disorder and schizophrenia in cases lacking criminal responsibility: Sociodemographic, clinical and offense-related characteristics.","authors":"Ahmet Naim Namlı, Ömer Asan, Yasin Kavla, Mesut Keskin, Muhammed Emin Boylu, Yusuf Atan","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70454","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70454","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Criminal responsibility can be significantly impaired by psychotic disorders. Although delusional disorder (DD) is classified within the schizophrenia spectrum, it clinically differs from schizophrenia (SCH) in age at onset, functional level, and symptom profile. This retrospective study examined differences in sociodemographic, clinical, and criminal characteristics between DD and SCH cases adjudicated as completely lacking criminal responsibility under Article 32/1 of the Turkish Penal Code. A total of 387 cases evaluated by the Council of Forensic Medicine between 2019 and 2023 were reviewed. Statistical comparisons between the groups revealed that DD cases were diagnosed at a later age and exhibited fewer psychotic symptoms prior to the offense. The DD group also demonstrated higher marriage rates and more children. While victims in both groups were predominantly from the offenders' close social environments, offenses against spouses were significantly more frequent in DD, frequently occurring in the context of jealous delusions. Offense types also varied; verbal violence was more common in DD, whereas physical violence was more frequent in SCH. Conversely, SCH was characterized by earlier symptom onset, lower functional capacity, and more prominent positive symptoms. These associations, including spouse-directed offenses and verbal violence, persisted in logistic regression models adjusted for age at the time of the offense and sex. These findings indicate that DD and SCH present distinct clinical profiles and highlight the importance of considering diagnosis-specific clinical and offense-related patterns in forensic assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148803771","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":"The INTREPID program: Linking illicit fentanyl-containing tablets and powders seized at US borders to a common origin by combining physical/chemical identifiers and machine learning.","authors":"Adam Lanzarotta, Douglas Albright, JaCinta Batson, Brian Boyd, Jessica Carlotti, Terra Dassau, Jonathan C Dumke, Larry Fluty, Hannah Godschalk, Meredith Goebel, Grecia Gratacos, David Guthrie, Adrienne Helbock, David Jackson, Mary Jones, Dean Kirby, Caroline M Kelley, Martin Kimani, Kevin Kubachka, Lance Kvetko, Hannah LaRoy, Lisa Lorenz, John Lynch, Dennise Montero, Andrew Moore, Scott Oulton, Derek M Peloquin, Aine Ramirez, Nicola Ranieri, Allison Reimer, Robert Duane Satzger, Brian Scarpitti, Thomas Schoch, David Skelton, Megan E Sterling, Shelby Stotelmyer, Kristine Tanabe, Michael Thatcher, Sarah Voelker, Agnes Winokur, Mark Witkowski","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70423","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70423","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Three US government agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), established a collaborative program to leverage each agency's expertise and capabilities to characterize illicit fentanyl-containing tablets and powders collected at US ports of entry (POEs) for attribution and sourcing purposes. The Intelligence National Threat Response-El Paso Illicit Drug (INTREPID) program employed a proof-of-concept pilot study that combined physical and chemical analytical techniques with machine learning to establish comprehensive sample profiles. Samples were analyzed using complementary techniques including color imaging, three-dimensional surface analysis, and multi-technique chemical profiling (Raman, FT-IR, GC-MS, LC-MS, ICP-MS, ¹H NMR). Machine learning models were employed solely as screening tools to prioritize samples for detailed human analysis; all conclusions were based on direct analytical comparison, not on machine learning results. Physical analyses plausibly linked fentanyl tablet seizures from two different ports of entry collected 8 weeks apart based on consistent color characteristics and three-dimensional debossing patterns. Chemical analyses plausibly linked fentanyl powder seizures from the same port of entry collected 3 h apart with identical qualitative profiles and minimal quantitative variation (16.7% concentration error). Although alternative explanations for the similarities observed between these sample pairs cannot be excluded, these findings demonstrate the feasibility of using combined physical and chemical data within a forensic intelligence framework to generate actionable leads for law enforcement investigations of illicit fentanyl trafficking networks.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148765844","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":"Characterization and differentiation of aluminum powders used in improvised explosive devices-Part 4: Particle morphology and microanalysis of powders produced with different manufacturing methods.","authors":"JenaMarie Baldaino, Jack Hietpas, Kayla M Moquin, JoAnn Buscaglia","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70435","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70435","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many readily available online videos and instructional manuals provide information on how to manufacture aluminum (Al) powder, a component in pyrotechnics and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using common household materials. Given the ease in acquiring and producing Al powders, it is common to observe Al powder in IEDs. Thus, there is a need to characterize Al powders, in a forensic context, to determine whether there are signatures that could be used for sample differentiation and placing potential constraints on the method of Al powder production. In this study, samples of Al powder that were derived from industrial products (including end-use commercial products) and those made using amateur methods were analyzed. The powders were analyzed using a combination of morphology (viewed with light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)) and elemental profiling (using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)). The results demonstrate that Al powder manufactured by industrial processes can be readily differentiated from amateur methods. The gross microscopic morphology of the particles provided the basis for the recognition of several different particle types/classes. These types provide insight into their method of production. Of particular note is the ability of morphological characteristics to differentiate between flake-type powders, which are made by both industrial and amateur methods. This differentiation is primarily due to significant differences in the particle size distribution and the particle edge textures.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148764332","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":"Noncoronary sinus of Valsalva aneurysm with rupture into the right atrium.","authors":"Quan Liu, Xiaowei Zhou, Ming Lin, Daixin Wang","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70445","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is a rare cardiac anomaly, with autopsy-confirmed fatal cases remaining uncommon. This report presents a rare case of sudden death in a 13-year-old male adolescent caused by rupture of a noncoronary SVA into the right atrium, resulting in acute circulatory dysfunction, with vomiting as the only initial symptom. The cause of death was confirmed through comprehensive forensic autopsy, histological examination, and toxicological analysis. Additionally, a review of relevant autopsy case reports published in the past two decades on PubMed and Web of Science identified 13 cases of SVA-related mortality. We summarized the anatomical origin of aneurysms, gender distribution, clinical manifestations, rupture-associated fatal mechanisms, and pathological features observed in these cases. The findings indicated that in SVA-related fatal cases, the most common rupture sites were the right coronary sinus, left coronary sinus, and noncoronary sinus. The rupture typically occurred into the atrium or pericardium. Chest pain and vomiting were frequently reported as prodromal symptoms. Imaging techniques such as echocardiography and computed tomography were useful in aiding diagnosis. Cardiac pathology in these cases was often accompanied by additional abnormalities, including cardiomegaly, atherosclerosis, inflammation, or congenital defects. This report, in conjunction with the literature review, provides important reference material for forensic autopsy.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761118","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":"Development of latent fingermarks on the surfaces of photo paper.","authors":"Sungwook Hong, Bokchan Go, Chaewon Kim, Sangmi Park, Sik Yun, Chaelin Jung","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70449","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70449","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Photo paper is frequently encountered in forensic investigations; however, latent fingermark development remains challenging because its surface characteristics vary according to the manufacturing process and coating structure. This study investigated suitable methods for developing latent fingermarks on commercially available photo papers. Seventeen commercially available photo papers representing two manufacturing types, resin-coated papers (RCPs) and cast-coated papers (CCPs), were examined. Latent fingermarks were developed using 1,2-indanedione/zinc chloride (IND/Zn) under different heat development conditions, either alone or in combination with cyanoacrylate (CA) fuming. The results showed clear differences between RCPs and CCPs. For RCPs, the CA-masking method (CA fuming on the nonprinting surface while masking the printing surface, followed by IND/Zn treatment on the printing surface) was the most effective approach, whereas for CCPs, IND/Zn treatment alone was optimal for both surfaces, with heating at 110°C for 60 s recommended for both paper types. In contrast, IND/Zn alone was effective for both surfaces of CCPs. The proposed methods were also effective for naturally aged fingermarks. These findings provide practical guidance for selecting fingermark development procedures according to the manufacturing type and surface characteristics of photo paper.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148763039","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":"Comparison of automated and manual DNA differential extraction in mock vaginal sexual assault swabs.","authors":"April Stonehouse, Amanda Brasch, Pradhyumn Pradeep","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Differential extraction is a core forensic DNA technique separating sperm cells from epithelial cells in sexual assault evidence, facilitating recovery of male DNA profiles from mixed biological samples. Effective physical separation reduces the occurrence of mixed DNA profiles, simplifies interpretation, and conserves analyst time. This process is especially critical for samples with low sperm cell counts, where successful recovery of a probative male profile may be limited. This study evaluated and compared manual and robotic differential extraction methods using 30 mock forensic vaginal swabs with microscopic sperm ratings ranging from 4+ to <1+, representative of sexual assault samples encountered in forensic casework. Swabs were divided into equal portions and extracted in duplicate using both methods by two analysts for reproducibility. Manual and robotic differential extractions were performed using the Qiagen QIAamp® DNA Investigator Kit and standardized \"Isolation of Total DNA from Sexual Assault Specimens\" protocol for reagent and procedural consistency. Robotic extractions were conducted using the Qiagen QIAcube®. Performance metrics included DNA yield, DNA mixture incidence in epithelial and sperm fractions, and STR profile completeness. Robotic extraction demonstrated procedural consistency and reduced hands-on processing time. However, manual differential extraction produced superior separation performance, with a lower incidence of DNA mixtures in sperm fractions. Samples processed using robotic protocols were significantly more likely to exhibit epithelial carryover into sperm fractions, complicating interpretation and resulting in inconclusive results. In contrast, manual extraction yielded cleaner sperm fractions and improved recovery of single-source male DNA profiles, highlighting the trade-offs between automation and manual separation.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148763399","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":"Enhancing PRNU-based camera identification by denoising filters and similarity metrics.","authors":"Andrey A Kerov, Alexander V Kozlov, Pavel A Cheremkhin, Anna V Shifrina, Rostislav S Starikov, Vladislav G Rodin","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70428","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70428","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Source camera identification through photo response nonuniformity (PRNU) analysis is a well-established forensic technique, yet the choice of experimental conditions and parameters of the algorithms critically impacts identification reliability. For the first time, this study systematically evaluates 11 denoising filters (linear, nonlinear, and adaptive) for noise pattern extraction in conjunction with six similarity image metrics to establish an optimal framework for PRNU extraction and matching. To measure the PRNU patterns and analyze the identification reliability, a dataset of 4387 light uniform, dark, and natural images of three cameras was created (LDN dataset). Among similarity metrics, normalized standard deviation (NSTD) substantially outperforms Pearson's correlation coefficient (7.6× higher value of the comparison parameter), while peak-to-correlation energy, phase-only correlation, and structural similarity index measure exhibit negligible comparative utility. The Lee filter-originally designed for multiplicative speckle noise reduction-achieves an 8.6× higher comparison parameter over the Wiener filter and 12.1× higher comparison parameter over the median filter. This research establishes a comprehensive experimental framework for increasing the robustness of device-level identification in forensic investigations.</p>","PeriodicalId":94080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148765794","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}