Bruenisholz, E, Prakash, S, Ross, A, Morelato, M, O'Malley, T, Raymond, MA, Ribaux, O, Roux, CP & Walsh, S 2016, 'The Intelligent Use of Forensic Data: An Introduction to the Principles', Forensic Science Policy & Management: An International Journal, vol. 7, no. 1-2, pp. 21-29.
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For the past decade, the National Institute of Forensic Science (NIFS) has been involved in and committed to raising the awareness of forensic intelligence in Australia. In this context, a discussion paper was written and distributed across Australia and New Zealand covering forensic intelligence principles and offering a ‘quick reference’ guide. In addition, NIFS jointly facilitated a set of papers on forensic intelligence that was published in the Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences.
The implementation of forensic intelligence requires substantial planning and adaptation within an organization. There must be commitment within an agency to refocus outcomes so that crime prevention and disruption become priorities along with the traditional focus on the court. This implies many changes including a shift from a single case focus to a multi-case focus and a breaking down of existing interdisciplinary silos. At a time of budget restrictions, the resources to implement these changes are often difficult to identify. However, established intelligence cells within forensic science facilities are realizing the benefits to be gained from this approach.
The primary aim of this paper is to raise awareness on the principles and practice of forensic intelligence through the collation and integration of recently published findings and observations. It is intended to provide introductory principles to personnel of various levels and disciplines involved in law enforcement, including forensic scientists, police officers, and those involved in administering the criminal justice system.
Cawley, A, Pasin, D, Ganbat, N, Ennis, L, Smart, C, Greer, C, Keledjian, J, Fu, S & Chen, A 2016, 'The potential for complementary targeted/non-targeted screening of novel psychoactive substances in equine urine using liquid chromatography-high resolution accurate mass spectrometry', Analytical Methods, vol. 8, no. 8, pp. 1789-1797.
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The use of LC-HRAM spectrometry to identify ‘unknown’ compounds by non-targeted screening provides a potential advantage for forensic toxicology.
Evans, E, Costrino, C, do Lago, CL, Garcia, CD, Roux, C & Blanes, L 2016, 'Determination of Inorganic Ion Profiles of Illicit Drugs by Capillary Electrophoresis', Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 61, no. 6, pp. 1610-1614.
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AbstractA portable capillary electrophoresis instrument with dual capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D) was used to determine the inorganic ionic profiles of three pharmaceutical samples and precursors of two illicit drugs (contemporary samples of methylone and para‐methoxymethamphetamine). The LODs ranged from 0.10 μmol/L to 1.25 μmol/L for the 10 selected cations, and from 0.13 μmol/L to 1.03 μmol/L for the eight selected anions. All separations were performed in less than 6 min with migration times and peak area RSD values ranging from 2 to 7%. The results demonstrate the potential of the analysis of inorganic ionic species to aid in the identification and/or differentiation of unknown tablets, and real samples found in illicit drug manufacture scenarios. From the resulting ionic fingerprint, the unknown tablets and samples can be further classified.
Forbes, SL, Troobnikoff, AN, Ueland, M, Nizio, KD & Perrault, KA 2016, 'Profiling the decomposition odour at the grave surface before and after probing', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 259, pp. 193-199.
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© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Human remains detection (HRD) dogs are recognised as a valuable and non-invasive search method for remains concealed in many different environments, including clandestine graves. However, the search for buried remains can be a challenging task as minimal odour may be available at the grave surface for detection by the dogs. Handlers often use a soil probe during these searches in an attempt to increase the amount of odour available for detection, but soil probing is considered an invasive search technique. The aim of this study was to determine whether the soil probe assists with increasing the abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) available at the grave surface. A proof-of-concept method was developed using porcine remains to collect VOCs within the grave without disturbing the burial environment, and to compare their abundance at the grave surface before and after probing. Detection and identification of the VOC profiles required the use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) due to its superior sensitivity and selectivity for decomposition odour profiling. The abundance of decomposition VOCs was consistently higher within the grave environment compared to the grave surface, except when the grave surface had been disturbed, confirming the reduced availability of odour at the grave surface. Although probing appeared to increase the abundance of VOCs at the grave surface on many of the sampling days, there were no clear trends identified across the study and no direct relationships with the environmental variables measured. Typically, the decomposition VOCs that were most prevalent in the grave soil were the same VOCs detected at the grave surface, whereas the trace VOCs detected in these environments varied throughout the post-burial period. This study highlighted that probing the soil can assist with releasing decomposition VOCs but is likely correlated...
Guangwu, X, Chengjun, T, Zhiwen, W, Shanlin, F, Liang, L & Yun, K 2016, 'The expression difference of AChE, BChE, PON-1 and FOS mRNA in rats died of acute phorate poisoning', Chinese Journal of Forensic Medicine, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 249-252.
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Objective To investigate mRNA expression of the related genes (AChE,BChE,PON-1 and FOS) in SD rats died of acute phorate poisoning, and screen the significant organs and genes in the detection of death. Methods 12 grown-up female SD rats were divided into the acute poisoning group and the control group. Organ samples( heart, liver, lung, brain, small intestine) were collected respectively, and total RNA were isolated to be reversely transcribed to cDNA with gene primers of AChE, BChE, PON-1, FOS and interior label β-actin. The Real Time PCR was used to detect the comparative expression differences of them and the data of all the groups were analyzed statistically. Results In liver, the expression of AChE, BChE and FOS mRNA increased (P<0.05), while the expression of AChE mRNA decreased in lung and brain (P<0.05). Conclusion Liver and AChE could be served as the target organ and the gene expression mark for death by acute phorate poisoning respectively, which could also be set as the reference of the diagnose and death detection from acute phorate poisoning.
Ho, YYW, Evans, DM, Montgomery, GW, Henders, AK, Kemp, JP, Timpson, NJ, St. Pourcain, B, Heath, AC, Madden, PAF, Loesch, DZ, McNevin, D, Daniel, R, Davey-Smith, G, Martin, NG & Medland, SE 2016, 'Common Genetic Variants Influence Whorls in Fingerprint Patterns', Journal of Investigative Dermatology, vol. 136, no. 4, pp. 859-862.
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Jones, K, Benson, S & Roux, C 2016, 'The forensic analysis of office paper using oxygen Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry, part 2: Characterising the source materials and the effect of production and usage on the δ 18 O values of cellulose and paper', Forensic Science International, vol. 268, pp. 151-158.
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© 2016 For casework applications, understanding the source processes used to create a material and the effects of those sources on the results obtained by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) of a bulk material is important. Likewise, understanding the effect of environment, home/office printing processes and some forensic testing in at least a basic context, ensures that in casework, enough information on the effects of these variables is available during comparison and interpretation. In this study, which focuses on oxygen isotopic abundance measurements, both fractionation and mixing effects were observed within the pulping and production process. Also observed in the carbon isotopic experiments, sampling that included toner changed the measured isotopic abundance values of the paper and should be avoided in casework. Inkjet printing processes were not shown to have an effect on the paper oxygen abundance values. Samples that were treated for fingerprints using 1,2-Indandione-Zn prior to sampling showed the greatest risk for misinterpretation of whether two samples had originated from the same source. While this study provides a good basis and understanding of the effects of a range of factors on document paper oxygen isotope values, further testing for a range of specific casework scenarios is required and should be undertaken on a case by case basis as the need arises.
Jones, K, Benson, S & Roux, C 2016, 'The forensic analysis of office paper using oxygen isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Part 1: Understanding the background population and homogeneity of paper for the comparison and discrimination of samples', Forensic Science International, vol. 262, pp. 97-107.
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© 2016. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) using carbon isotopes has previously been shown to be a robust and discriminating technique for the comparison of document papers. This study aims to examine the inter and intra sample variability for oxygen isotopes measured in standard 80gsm white document papers, to inform the comparison of document papers in forensic casework.123 paper samples collected from Australia and New Zealand over a 24-month period were measured for their bulk oxygen isotopic abundance and were found to sit within a range of 15 ‰. A homogeneity study was undertaken which included examining the variability of samples at the sheet, ream and brand source levels. The results of this study were used to construct guidelines for sample comparison and as such, 95% confidence intervals were observed to be inappropriate for use given the high intra sample variability. Instead, a 1.4 ‰ discrimination range (0.7 ‰ either side of the measured value) was defined for use as a benchmark for discrimination when samples were measured in the same sequence. Utilising this value, 82% of the samples could be discriminated using a paired comparison, demonstrating a strong potential for use within forensic casework.
Khuu, A, Chadwick, S, Spindler, X, Lam, R, Moret, S & Roux, C 2016, 'Authors' response to comments on 'Evaluation of one-step luminescent cyanoacrylate fuming''', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 268, pp. E25-E26.
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Khuu, A, Chadwick, S, Spindler, X, Lam, R, Moret, S & Roux, C 2016, 'Evaluation of one-step luminescent cyanoacrylate fuming', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 263, pp. 126-131.
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© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. One-step luminescent cyanoacrylates have recently been introduced as an alternative to the conventional cyanoacrylate fuming methods. These new techniques do not require the application of a luminescent post-treatment in order to enhance cyanoacrylate-developed fingermarks. In this study, three one-step polymer cyanoacrylates: CN Yellow Crystals (Aneval Inc.), PolyCyano UV (Foster + Freeman Ltd.) and PECA Multiband (BVDA), and one monomer cyanoacrylate: Lumikit™ (Crime Scene Technology), were evaluated against a conventional two-step cyanoacrylate fuming method (Cyanobloom (Foster + Freeman Ltd.) with rhodamine 6G stain). The manufacturers' recommended conditions or conditions compatible with the MVC™ 1000/D (Foster + Freeman Ltd.) were assessed with fingermarks aged for up to 8 weeks on non-porous and semi-porous substrates. Under white light, Cyanobloom generally gave better development than the one-step treatments across the substrates. Similarly when viewed under the respective luminescent conditions, Cyanobloom with rhodamine 6G stain resulted in improved contrast against the one-step treatments except on polystyrene, where PolyCyano UV and PECA Multiband gave better visualisation. Rhodamine 6G post-treatment of one-step samples did not significantly enhance the contrast of any of the one-step treatments against Cyanobloom/rhodamine 6G-treated samples.
Lam, R, Hofstetter, O, Lennard, C, Roux, C & Spindler, X 2016, 'Evaluation of multi-target immunogenic reagents for the detection of latent and body fluid-contaminated fingermarks', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 264, pp. 168-175.
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© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd Fingermark enhancement reagents capable of molecular recognition offer a highly selective and sensitive method of detection. Antibodies and aptamers provide a high degree of adaptability for visualisation, allowing for the selection of the most appropriate visualisation wavelength for a particular substrate without the need for specialist equipment or image processing. However, the major hurdle to overcome is the balance between sensitivity and selectivity. Single-target molecular recognition is highly specific, purported to have better detection limits than chemical reactions or stains, and can provide information about the donor or activity, but often results in incomplete ridge pattern development. Consequently, the development and evaluation of multi-target biomolecular reagents for fingermark enhancement was investigated, with the focus on endogenous eccrine secretions. To assess the suitability of the immunogenic reagents for potential operational use, a variety of parameters (i.e., processing time, fixing and working solution conditions) were optimised on a wide range of non-porous and semi-porous substrates. The relative performance of immunogenic reagents was compared to that of routine techniques applied to latent marks and marks in blood, semen and saliva. The incorporation of these novel reagents into routine technique sequences was also investigated. The experimental results indicated that the multi-target immunogenic reagents were not a suitable alternative to routine detection methods or sequences, but may have promise as a “last resort” method for difficult substrates or cases.
Lewis, J, Molnar, A, Allsop, D, Copeland, J & Fu, S 2016, 'Rapid elimination of Carboxy-THC in a cohort of chronic cannabis users', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE, vol. 130, no. 1, pp. 147-152.
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© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Urinary 11-nor-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (Carboxy-THC) concentrations, normalised to creatinine output, have been demonstrated to be a useful tool in the interpretation of the results of a series of urine tests for cannabis. These tests, often termed historical data, can be used to identify potential chronic cannabis users who may present occupational health and safety risks within the workplace. Conversely, the data can also be used to support employee claims of previous regular, rather than recent, cannabis use. This study aimed at examining the mean elimination of Carboxy-THC in 37 chronic users undergoing voluntary abstinence over a 2-week period. Urine specimens were collected prior to the study and after 1 and 2 weeks of abstinence. Carboxy-THC levels in urine were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) following alkaline hydrolysis, organic solvent extraction and derivatisation to form its pentafluoropropionic derivative. The creatinine-normalised Carboxy-THC concentrations declined rapidly over the 2 weeks of abstinence period and the majority of chronic cannabis users (73 %) reduced their urinary Carboxy-THC levels to below the 15-μg/L confirmatory cutoff within that time. The study further highlights the value of historical urinary Carboxy-THC data as a means of identifying potential occupational health and safety risks among chronic cannabis users.
Li, M, Lele, W, Zheng, F, Zhiwen, W, Xin, Z, Shanlin, F, Liu, L & Yun, K 2016, 'Study on the postmortem redistribution of diazepam and nordiazepam in poisoned rats', Chinese Journal of Forensic Medicine, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 235-237.
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Objective To explore the postmortem redistribution of diazepam and nordiazepam in acute poisoned rats. Methods The 24 rats in experimental group were randomly divided into eight groups ,and given intragastric ministration of diazepam with a dose of 90 mg/kg, 2h later, they are executed by hypoxia method and then they are preserved at temperature of 10°C. Cardiac, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain and muscle are taken out to detect diazepam and nordiazepam at different times after death (0h, 2h, 4h, 8h, 12h, 24h, 48h, 96h ), which were then extracted with a solid phase extraction (SPE) and determined by HPLC-MS-MS. Results The distribution regularities of diazepam and nordiazepam of different visceras in acute poisoned rats would change by the time. Conclusion The diazepam and nordiazepam in acute poisoned rats could have the postmortem redistribution.
McElhone, RL, Meakin, GE, French, JC, Alexander, T & Morgan, RM 2016, 'Simulating forensic casework scenarios in experimental studies: The generation of footwear marks in blood', Forensic Science International, vol. 264, pp. 34-40.
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A study was designed to investigate the effects of external variables, including blood type, flooring surface, footwear tread depth and blood dryness, on the appearance of blood-based footwear marks, with particular reference to simulating a specific casework scenario. Results showed that footwear marks left in human blood tended to be of greater quality than those in equine blood, highlighting a potential issue in applying data generated with equine blood to human bloodstains in casework. Footwear tread effects were also dependent on blood type, but the type of flooring surface did not affect the appearance of the mark. Under some conditions, as the blood dried, the amount of detail retained from footwear contact decreased. These results provide the beginnings of an empirical evidence base to allow a more accurate interpretation of blood-based footwear marks in forensic casework. When applied to a disputed bloodstain in a specific case, these results also demonstrate the importance of such experiments in narrowing the range of explanations possible in the interpretation of forensic evidence.
McNevin, D 2016, 'Preservation of and DNA Extraction from Muscle Tissue', Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 1420, pp. 43-53.
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As well as protecting DNA for subsequent analysis, tissue preservation methods ideally should be safe, readily available, and easy to transport at relatively low cost. Formalin (formaldehyde solution), used extensively to preserve medical and museum specimens, irreparably damages DNA. We have found four tissue preservatives (solid salt, salt-saturated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-EDTA solution, ethanol solution, and ethanol-EDTA solution) that preserved muscle tissue at 35 °C for up to 1 month: full short tandem repeat (STR) profiles were obtained after preservation. In addition, salt-saturated DMSO-EDTA solution yielded full STR profiles from aliquots of the liquid preservative surrounding muscle tissue.
Meakin, GE & Jamieson, A 2016, 'A response to a response to Meakin and Jamieson DNA transfer: Review and implications for casework', Forensic Science International: Genetics, vol. 22, pp. e5-e6.
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Mohanty, M, Asghar, MR & Russello, G 2016, '<inline-formula> <tex-math notation='LaTeX'>$2DCrypt$ </tex-math> </inline-formula>: Image Scaling and Cropping in Encrypted Domains', IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, vol. 11, no. 11, pp. 2542-2555.
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© 2016 IEEE. The evolution of cloud computing and a drastic increase in image size are making the outsourcing of image storage and processing an attractive business model. Although this outsourcing has many advantages, ensuring data confidentiality in the cloud is one of the main concerns. There are state-of-the-art encryption schemes for ensuring confidentiality in the cloud. However, such schemes do not allow cloud datacenters to perform operations over encrypted images. In this paper, we address this concern by proposing 2DCrypt, a modified Paillier cryptosystem-based image scaling and cropping scheme for multi-user settings that allows cloud datacenters to scale and crop an image in the encrypted domain. To anticipate a high storage overhead resulted from the naive per-pixel encryption, we propose a space-efficient tiling scheme that allows tile-level image scaling and cropping operations. Basically, instead of encrypting each pixel individually, we are able to encrypt a tile of pixels. 2DCrypt is such that multiple users can view or process the images without sharing any encryption keys - a requirement desirable for practical deployments in real organizations. Our analysis and results show that 2DCrypt is INDistinguishable under Chosen Plaintext Attack secure and incurs an acceptable overhead. When scaling a 512 × 512 image by a factor of two, 2DCrypt requires an image user to download approximately 5.3 times more data than the un-encrypted scaling and need to work approximately 2.3 s more for obtaining the scaled image in a plaintext.
Mohanty, M, Ooi, WT & Atrey, PK 2016, 'Secret sharing approach for securing cloud-based pre-classification volume ray-casting', Multimedia Tools and Applications, vol. 75, no. 11, pp. 6207-6235.
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Molnar, A & Fu, S 2016, 'Techniques and technologies for the bioanalysis of Sativex®, metabolites and related compounds', Bioanalysis, vol. 8, no. 8, pp. 829-845.
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Sativex® is an oromucosal spray indicated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe spasticity in multiple sclerosis and is also an effective analgesic for advanced cancer patients. Sativex contains Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol in an approximately 1:1 ratio. The increasing prevalence of medicinal cannabis products highlights the importance of reliable bioanalysis and re-evaluation of the interpretation of positive test results for THC, as legal implications may arise in workplace, roadside and sports drug testing situations. This article summarizes published research on the bioanalysis of THC and cannabidiol, with particular focus on Sativex. Common screening and confirmatory testing of blood, urine, oral fluid and hair samples are outlined. Correlations between matrices and current analytical pitfalls are also addressed.
Nizio, KD, Perrault, KA, Troobnikoff, AN, Ueland, M, Shoma, S, Iredell, JR, Middleton, PG & Forbes, SL 2016, 'In vitrovolatile organic compound profiling using GC×GC-TOFMS to differentiate bacteria associated with lung infections: a proof-of-concept study', Journal of Breath Research, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 026008-026008.
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© 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd. Chronic pulmonary infections are the principal cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). Due to the polymicrobial nature of these infections, the identification of the particular bacterial species responsible is an essential step in diagnosis and treatment. Current diagnostic procedures are time-consuming, and can also be expensive, invasive and unpleasant in the absence of spontaneously expectorated sputum. The development of a rapid, non-invasive methodology capable of diagnosing and monitoring early bacterial infection is desired. Future visions of real-time, in situ diagnosis via exhaled breath testing rely on the differentiation of bacteria based on their volatile metabolites. The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to investigate whether a range of CF-associated bacterial species (i.e. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cenocepacia, Haemophilus influenzae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus milleri) could be differentiated based on their in vitro volatile metabolomic profiles. Headspace samples were collected using solid phase microextraction (SPME), analyzed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCGC-TOFMS) and evaluated using principal component analysis (PCA) in order to assess the multivariate structure of the data. Although it was not possible to effectively differentiate all six bacteria using this method, the results revealed that the presence of a particular pattern of VOCs (rather than a single VOC biomarker) is necessary for bacterial species identification. The particular pattern of VOCs was found to be dependent upon the bacterial growth phase (e.g. logarithmic versus stationary) and sample storage conditions (e.g. short-term versus long-term storage at -18 °C). Future studies of CF-associated bacteria and exhaled breath condensate will benefit from the approaches presented in t...
Philp, M, Shimmon, R, Tahtouh, M & Fu, S 2016, 'Development and validation of a presumptive color spot test method for the detection of synthetic cathinones in seized illicit materials', Forensic Chemistry, vol. 1, pp. 39-50.
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Ribaux, O, Crispino, F, Delemont, O & Roux, C 2016, 'The progressive opening of forensic science toward criminological concerns', SECURITY JOURNAL, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 543-560.
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© 2016 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Technology is increasingly offering new means of human behavior traceability. This situation is challenging the standing, scope and role of forensic science in the criminal Justice System. At the same time, criminology is developing methodologies that encompass virtual worlds, and deal with the increasing quantity of accessible digital data reflecting criminal behaviors. Identifying how these concerns overlap begs the question: should we reconsider the articulation of many aspects of both forensic science and criminology? This article proposes a progressive and systematic modeling activity along five steps: (i) the expression of the investigative logic of forensic science; (ii) the use of theories in environmental criminology; (iii) a more systematic search for associations between traces and between crime situations; (iv) the search for studies in diverse areas of criminology that actually or potentially rely on forensic case data and (v) the suggestion of models and methods for framing the approach.
Roux, C 2016, 'Professional membership for the ANZFSS – is it time?', Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 245-247.
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Schwendener, G, Moret, S, Cavanagh-Steer, K & Roux, C 2016, 'Can 'contamination' occur in body bags?-The example of background fibres in body bags used in Australia', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 266, pp. 517-526.
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Sorensen, A, Berry, C, Bruce, D, Gahan, ME, Hughes-Stamm, S & McNevin, D 2016, 'Direct-to-PCR tissue preservation for DNA profiling', International Journal of Legal Medicine, vol. 130, no. 3, pp. 607-613.
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Stuart, BH, Notter, SJ, Dent, B, Selvalatchmanan, J & Fu, S 2016, 'The formation of adipocere in model aquatic environments', International Journal of Legal Medicine, vol. 130, no. 1, pp. 281-286.
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An examination of the chemistry of adipocere formation in aquatic systems provides insight into how environmental factors affect the decomposition processes of human remains. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) have been employed to monitor the changes to the chemistry of adipocere formed in aquatic environments used to model seawater, river and chlorinated water systems. Seawater was shown to inhibit adipocere formation, and a distinctively different elemental composition was produced in this environment due to the high concentrations of salts. By comparison, river water has been shown to accelerate the formation of adipocere. Chlorinated water appears to significantly enhance adipocere formation, based on a comparison with established fatty acid concentration values. However, a competing reaction to form chlorohydrins in chlorinated water is believed to be responsible for the unusual findings in this environment. The application of the chemical characterisation of adipocere to an understanding of how this particular decomposition product forms in different water environments has been demonstrated, and there is potential to utilise this approach to identify the environment in which a body has been immersed.
Talbot-Wright, B, Baechler, S, Morelato, M, Ribaux, O & Roux, C 2016, 'Image processing of false identity documents for forensic intelligence', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 263, pp. 67-73.
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© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Forensic intelligence has recently gathered increasing attention as a potential expansion of forensic science that may contribute in a wider policing and security context. Whilst the new avenue is certainly promising, relatively few attempts to incorporate models, methods and techniques into practical projects are reported. This work reports a practical application of a generalised and transversal framework for developing forensic intelligence processes referred to here as the Transversal model adapted from previous work. Visual features present in the images of four datasets of false identity documents were systematically profiled and compared using image processing for the detection of a series of modus operandi (M.O.) actions. The nature of these series and their relation to the notion of common source was evaluated with respect to alternative known information and inferences drawn regarding respective crime systems. 439 documents seized by police and border guard authorities across 10 jurisdictions in Switzerland with known and unknown source level links formed the datasets for this study. Training sets were developed based on both known source level data, and visually supported relationships. Performance was evaluated through the use of intra-variability and inter-variability scores drawn from over 48,000 comparisons. The optimised method exhibited significant sensitivity combined with strong specificity and demonstrates its ability to support forensic intelligence efforts.
Taudte, RV, Roux, C, Blanes, L, Horder, M, Kirkbride, KP & Beavis, A 2016, 'The development and comparison of collection techniques for inorganic and organic gunshot residues', ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, vol. 408, no. 10, pp. 2567-2576.
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© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016. The detection and interpretation of gunshot residues (GSR) plays an important role in the investigation of firearm-related events. Commonly, the analysis focuses on inorganic particles incorporating elements derived from the primer. However, recent changes in ammunition formulations and possibility that particles from non-firearm sources can be indistinguishable from certain primer particles challenge the standard operational protocol and call for adjustments, namely the combination of inorganic and organic GSR analysis. Two protocols for the combined collection and subsequent analysis of inorganic and organic GSR were developed and optimised for 15 compounds potentially present in organic GSR (OGSR). These protocols were conceptualised to enable OGSR analysis by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with UV detection and triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (confirmation) and IGSR analysis by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Using liquid extraction, the extraction recoveries from spiked swabs and stubs were ∼80 % (50-98 % for swabs, 64-98 % for stubs). When the mixed OGSR standard was applied to the hands and recovered in the way that is usual for IGSR collection, GSR stubs performed significantly better than swabs (~30 %) for the collection of OGSR. The optimised protocols were tested and compared for combined OGSR and inorganic GSR analysis using samples taken at a shooting range. The most suitable protocol for combined collection and analysis of IGSR and OGSR involved collection using GSR stubs followed by SEM-EDX analysis and liquid extraction using acetone followed by analysis with UHPLC.
Ueland, M, Blanes, L, Taudte, RV, Stuart, BH, Cole, N, Willis, P, Roux, C & Doble, P 2016, 'Capillary-driven microfluidic paper-based analytical devices for lab on a chip screening of explosive residues in soil', Journal of Chromatography A, vol. 1436, pp. 28-33.
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© 2016 Elsevier B.V.. A novel microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) was designed to filter, extract, and pre-concentrate explosives from soil for direct analysis by a lab on a chip (LOC) device. The explosives were extracted via immersion of wax-printed μPADs directly into methanol soil suspensions for 10 min, whereby dissolved explosives travelled upwards into the μPAD circular sampling reservoir. A chad was punched from the sampling reservoir and inserted into a LOC well containing the separation buffer for direct analysis, avoiding any further extraction step. Eight target explosives were separated and identified by fluorescence quenching. The minimum detectable amounts for all eight explosives were between 1.4 and 5.6 ng with recoveries ranging from 53-82% from the paper chad, and 12-40% from soil. This method provides a robust and simple extraction method for rapid identification of explosives in complex soil samples.
Ueland, M, Ewart, K, Troobnikoff, AN, Frankham, G, Johnson, RN & Forbes, SL 2016, 'A rapid chemical odour profiling method for the identification of rhinoceros horns', Forensic Science International, vol. 266, pp. e99-e102.
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Illegal poaching causes great harm to species diversity and conservation. A vast amount of money is involved in the trade of illegal or forged animal parts worldwide. In many cases, the suspected animal part is unidentifiable and requires costly and invasive laboratory analysis such as isotopic fingerprinting or DNA testing. The lack of rapid and accurate methods to identify wildlife parts at the point of detection represents a major hindrance in the enforcement and prosecution of wildlife trafficking. The ability of wildlife detector dogs to alert to different wildlife species demonstrates that there is a detectable difference in scent profile of illegally traded animal parts. This difference was exploited to develop a rapid, non-invasive screening method for distinguishing rhinoceros horns of different species. The method involved the collection of volatile organic compounds (VOC) by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analysis by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography - time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). It was hypothesised that the use of the specific odour profile as a screening method could separate and differentiate geographic origin or exploit the difference in diets of different species within a family (such as white rhinoceros and black rhinoceros from the Rhinocerotidae family). Known black and white rhinoceros horn samples were analysed using HS-SPME-GC×GC-TOFMS and multivariate statistics were applied to identify groupings in the data set. The black rhinoceros horn samples were distinctly different from the white rhinoceros horn samples. This demonstrated that seized rhinoceros horn samples can be identified based on their distinct odour profiles. The chemical odour profiling method has great potential as a rapid and non-invasive screening method in order to combat and track illegal trafficking of wildlife parts.
Venables, SJ, Daniel, R, Sarre, SD, Soedarsono, N, Sudoyo, H, Suryadi, H, van Oorschot, RAH, Walsh, SJ, Widodo, PT & McNevin, D 2016, 'Allele frequency data for 15 autosomal STR loci in eight Indonesian subpopulations', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL-GENETICS, vol. 20, pp. 45-52.
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Watanabe, S, Kuzhiumparambil, U, Winiarski, Z & Fu, S 2016, 'Biotransformation of synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018, JWH-073 and AM2201 by Cunninghamella elegans', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 261, pp. 33-42.
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© 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Being marketed as 'legal' smoking blends or mixtures, synthetic cannabinoids are abused widely owing to its cannabis-like effect. Due to the rapid introduction of new generation analogues of synthetic cannabinoids to escape from legislative/judicial control, the investigation of the metabolic pathways of these substances is of particular importance for drug control, abstinence and forensic toxicology purposes. In this study, the in vitro metabolism of JWH-018, JWH-073 and AM2201 by the fungus Cunninghamella elagans has been investigated with the purpose of validating its potential as a complementary model for investigating synthetic cannabinoid metabolism. JWH-018, JWH-073 and AM2201 were incubated for 72 h with C. elegans. Detection of metabolites was based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and high resolution mass spectrometry analysis. C. elegans was found capable of producing the majority of the phase I metabolites observed in earlier in vitro and in vivo mammalian studies as a result of monohydroxylation, dihydroxylation, carboxylation, dehydrogenation, ketone formation, dihydrodiol formation, dihydrodiol formation with N-dealkylation and combinations thereof. C. elegans can thus be a useful and economic model for studying synthetic cannabinoid metabolism.
Watanabe, S, Kuzhiumparambil, U, Winiarski, Z & Fu, S 2016, 'Data on individual metabolites of synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018, JWH-073 and AM2201 by Cunninghamella elegans', Data in Brief, vol. 7, pp. 332-340.
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Synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018, JWH-073 and AM2201 were metabolised by the fungus Cunninghamella elegans. In this article, data on individual metabolites of their retention times, mass accuracies, major product ions and structures indicated by product ions are presented. The data in this article is related to “Biotransformation of synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018, JWH-073 and AM2201 by Cunninghamella elegans”
Wenholz, DS, Luong, S, Philp, M, Forbes, SL, Stuart, BH, Drummer, OH & Fu, S 2016, 'A study to model the post-mortem stability of 4-MMC, MDMA and BZP in putrefying remains', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 265, pp. 54-60.
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© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. There is currently limited data available on the stabilities of the three stimulants 4-methylmethcathinone (4-MMC), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and N-benzylpiperazine (BZP) in a putrefying matrix. A Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method to determine the concentration of the three drugs in putrefying porcine liver over a three month period was developed and validated. Both 4-MMC and BZP were found to be unstable, becoming undetectable and having an average recovery of 52% respectively after one month at ambient room temperature (20. °C). MDMA was found to be moderately stable, with an average recovery of 74% after three months at room temperature. This study indicated that the putrefaction process could have a significant impact on concentrations of 4-MMC and BZP in post-mortem cases involving putrefied remains.
