Baechler, S, Morelato, M, Gittelson, S, Walsh, S, Margot, P, Roux, C & Ribaux, O 2020, 'Breaking the barriers between intelligence, investigation and evaluation: A continuous approach to define the contribution and scope of forensic science', Forensic Science International, vol. 309, pp. 110213-110213.
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Forensic science has been evolving towards a separation of more and more specialised tasks, with forensic practitioners increasingly identifying themselves with only one sub-discipline or task of forensic science. Such divisions are viewed as a threat to the advancement of science because they tend to polarise researchers and tear apart scientific communities. The objective of this article is to highlight that a piece of information is not either intelligence or evidence, and that a forensic scientist is not either an investigator or an evaluator, but that these notions must all be applied in conjunction to successfully understand a criminal problem or solve a case. To capture the scope, strength and contribution of forensic science, this paper proposes a progressive but non-linear continuous model that could serve as a guide for forensic reasoning and processes. In this approach, hypothetico-deductive reasoning, iterative thinking and the notion of entropy are used to frame the continuum, situate forensic scientists' operating contexts and decision points. Situations and examples drawn from experience and practice are used to illustrate the approach. The authors argue that forensic science, as a discipline, should not be defined according to the context it serves (i.e. an investigation, a court decision or an intelligence process), but as a general, scientific and holistic trace-focused practice that contributes to a broad range of goals in various contexts. Since forensic science does not work in isolation, the approach also provides a useful basis as to how forensic scientists should contribute to collective and collaborative problem-solving to improve justice and security.
Baechler12, S, Morelato, M, Roux, C, Margot, P & Ribaux, O 2020, 'Un modèle continu, non linéaire et collaboratif de l’enquête', Criminologie, vol. 53, no. 2, pp. 43-76.
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L’article propose un modèle continu, non linéaire, itératif et collaboratif de l’enquête. Celui-ci décrit le processus d’enquête appliqué au traitement des problèmes criminels et sécuritaires, faisant appel à des notions clés telles que l’entropie, le raisonnement hypothético-déductif, la méthode scientifique et la pensée itérative. Le modèle se concentre sur la démarche inférentielle et intellectuelle de l’enquête plutôt que sur les aspects procéduraux, qui varient selon les pays et les juridictions ou selon les types de crime. Inspiré de théories préexistantes de l’enquête, ce modèle offre un cadre cohérent et intégratif aux différentes méthodes d’enquête qui concourent au traitement de l’information et à la compréhension des évènements et des phénomènes. Le modèle permet aux enquêteurs, au sens large, de guider leur raisonnement et leur prise de décisions, ainsi que de situer leurs contributions tout au long du processus d’enquête. Il facilite ainsi la collaboration entre tous les acteurs, à commencer par les inspecteurs, les analystes criminels, les investigateurs numériques et les criminalistes, pour atteindre leurs objectifs communs au service de la justice, de la sécurité et de la société. À l’appui d’exemples issus de notre pratique, nous traçons ici le cheminement intellectuel qui amène à poser ce modèle progressif et collaboratif. Cette vision, qui place les intersections en son centre, ébranle les barrières classiques érigées dans les théories et la pratique. Nous décrivons les enjeux, les avantages et les limites de ce modèle.
Barton, PS, Reboldi, A, Dawson, BM, Ueland, M, Strong, C & Wallman, JF 2020, 'Soil chemical markers distinguishing human and pig decomposition islands: a preliminary study', Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 605-612.
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The decomposition of vertebrate cadavers on the soil surface produces nutrient-rich fluids that enter the soil profile, leaving clear evidence of the presence of a cadaver decomposition island. Few studies, however, have described soil physicochemistry under human cadavers, or compared the soil between human and non-human animal models. In this study, we sampled soil to 5 cm depth at distances of 0 cm and 30 cm from cadavers, as well as from control sites 90 cm distant, from five human and three pig cadavers at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER). We found that soil moisture, electrical conductivity, nitrate, ammonium, and total phosphorus were higher in soil directly under cadavers (0 cm), with very limited lateral spread beyond 30 cm. These patterns lasted up to 700 days, indicating that key soil nutrients might be useful markers of the location of the decomposition island for up to 2 years. Soil phosphorus was always higher under pigs than humans, suggesting a possible difference in the decomposition and soil processes under these two cadaver types. Our preliminary study highlights the need for further experimental and replicated research to quantify variability in soil properties, and to identify when non-human animals are suitable analogues.
Ben-Nissan, I, Ueland, M, Taudte, V, Ben-Nissan, B & Zaslawski, C 2020, 'Is moxibustion safe? An analytic chemical analysis of moxa smoke', Integrative Medicine Research, vol. 9, pp. 100549-100549.
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Chadwick, S, Lo, M, Brack, F, Bunford, J, Hales, S & Roux, C 2020, 'Investigation into the effect of fingermark detection chemicals on the analysis and comparison of pressure-sensitive tapes', Forensic Science International, vol. 315, pp. 110454-110454.
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Pressure sensitive tapes such as duct tape are a common trace type sent for forensic analysis. The limited variation of tape backings and adhesives can provide valuable linkage evidence between a scene, a victim or a person of interest. Fingermarks are also often found on tapes and prioritised over tape analyses. This project aimed to investigate the effects of fingermark enhancement chemicals, namely Wet Powder™, cyanoacrylate and cyanoacrylate stained with rhodamine 6G, on various tapes and their comparison with untreated tapes. The changes in physical and optical features were observed using a Video Spectral Comparator (VSC) and microscopy. Chemical changes were analysed by Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Most physical and optical properties were not heavily affected by the treatments. An increase in fluorescence was observed with specimens stained with rhodamine 6G as might be expected. Significant chemical changes were observed in the FTIR spectra produced from cyanoacrylate fuming. Polyethylene backings and rubber adhesives were heavily affected while polypropylene backings were moderately affected. Cellulose backings, polyester and polyacrylate adhesives were not significantly affected. Wet Powder™ treatment proved useful for enhancing fingermarks on most adhesives while leaving behind little chemical residue that might interfere in a forensic comparison.
Chen, H, Li, G, Allam, VSRR, Wang, B, Chan, YL, Scarfo, C, Ueland, M, Shimmon, R, Fu, S, Foster, P & Oliver, BG 2020, 'Evidence from a mouse model on the dangers of thirdhand electronic cigarette exposure during early life', ERJ Open Research, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 00022-2020.
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Thirdhand exposure to e-cigarette residue is likely to have harmful effects in children http://bit.ly/38a2umw.
Collins, S, Stuart, B & Ueland, M 2020, 'Monitoring human decomposition products collected in clothing: an infrared spectroscopy study', Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 428-438.
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© 2019, © 2019 Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences. The ability to monitor changes in human decomposition chemistry provides a potentially valuable tool for an understanding of the fate of human remains. This study reports the findings of an experimental study of a decomposing human cadaver investigated using infrared spectroscopy. This study was carried out at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) with a donated human cadaver clothed in cotton. An examination of the fluid retained by the cotton revealed that lipids and proteins, and their corresponding decomposition products, could be identified for the different stages of decomposition. The mechanisms for the changes to the lipid and protein components can be inferred from the spectroscopic changes observed and correlated with the corresponding decay processes observed for the cadaver. This study demonstrated that the use of this non-destructive technique allows the components of the decomposition fluid produced by decaying remains to be simultaneously monitored over time.
Deo, A, Forbes, SL, Stuart, BH & Ueland, M 2020, 'Profiling the seasonal variability of decomposition odour from human remains in a temperate Australian environment', Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 654-664.
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© 2019, © 2019 Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences. This project aimed to collect and analyze odour profiles from whole human cadavers across various seasons, to contribute to the understanding of the different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced in human decomposition. This research will ultimately enhance our understanding of the key VOCs used by cadaver-detection dogs to locate human remains. VOCs were collected onto sorbent tubes and analyzed using two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight-mass-spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). Five trials were conducted at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) across various seasons including autumn, winter and spring. Analysis showed differentiation between compounds and compound classes produced by each donor. Cadavers placed during warmer weather showed higher variety and abundances of compounds and cadavers placed during cooler weather showed fewer VOCs with lower abundances. All seasonal trials showed variation, with no consistently recurring compound being identified. Further trials would need to be carried out in order to increase the VOC database, allowing for identification of key VOCs. This may consequently be used by cadaver-detection dogs for locating human remains at any time of the year.
Ho, YYW, Mina-Vargas, A, Zhu, G, Brims, M, McNevin, D, Montgomery, GW, Martin, NG, Medland, SE & Painter, JN 2020, 'Comparison of Genome-Wide Association Scans for Quantitative and Observational Measures of Human Hair Curvature', Twin Research and Human Genetics, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 271-277.
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AbstractPrevious genetic studies on hair morphology focused on the overall morphology of the hair using data collected by self-report or researcher observation. Here, we present the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a micro-level quantitative measure of hair curvature. We compare these results to GWAS results obtained using a macro-level classification of observable hair curvature performed in the same sample of twins and siblings of European descent. Observational data were collected by trained observers, while quantitative data were acquired using an Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser (OFDA). The GWAS for both the observational and quantitative measures of hair curvature resulted in genome-wide significant signals at chromosome 1q21.3 close to the trichohyalin (TCHH) gene, previously shown to harbor variants associated with straight hair morphology in Europeans. All genetic variants reaching genome-wide significance for both GWAS (quantitative measure lead single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] rs12130862, p = 9.5 × 10–09; observational measure lead SNP rs11803731, p = 2.1 × 10–17) were in moderate to very high linkage disequilibrium (LD) with each other (minimum r2 = .45), indicating they represent the same genetic locus. Conditional analyses confirmed the presence of only one signal associated with each measure at this locus. Results from the quantitative measures reconfirmed the accuracy of observational measures.
Iqbal, MA, Ueland, M & Forbes, SL 2020, 'Recent advances in the estimation of post-mortem interval in forensic taphonomy', Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 107-123.
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One of the key elements in a criminal death investigation is the estimation of time since death, as this information can assist with identifying the victim and prosecuting an offender. Estimating post-mortem interval (PMI) is a challenging task given the many variables that act on the rate and process of decomposition. This review presents current advances in estimating PMI in forensic taphonomy. The use of scoring systems based on visual observations and the development of empirical formulas have been proposed for soft tissue analysis. In the absence of soft tissue, the citrate content of bone and radiometric dating are recommended for PMI estimations of hard tissue. Recent studies have shown an increased focus on associated evidence found on or near the remains. This includes botanical and mycological evidence such as vegetation changes, the presence or absence of certain plant species, and fungal succession. Decomposition chemistry represents an emerging discipline where biomarkers can be analysed within different mediums such as tissue, soil associated with decomposing remains and decomposition fluid. Although advances are being made in these many taphonomic disciplines, the field still has a long way to go in terms of finding the elusive formula for accurately estimating PMI of decomposed remains
Khuu, A, Spindler, X & Roux, C 2020, 'Detection of latent fingermarks and cells on paper', Forensic Science International, vol. 309, pp. 110185-110185.
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Fingermarks and DNA are valuable traces in forensic investigations potentially allowing for the identification of the source of the trace or highlighting a link between a touched object and an individual. These traces are often latent and need to be detected before recovery. While a number of validated methods exist for fingermark detection, no routine method is in place for the detection of DNA. This study investigates the use of pdimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DMAB) in conjunction with indanedione zinc (IND-Zn) for the detection of latent cellular material and fingermarks on paper. The aim of this proof-of-concept study is to determine the successfulness of this reagent (DMAB-IND) in the detection of the respective traces and observe the impact it has on the resulting DNA profile. It was found that latent fingermarks and the associated cells could be visualised following treatment with the reagent. Samples treated with DMAB-IND showed a significantly higher percentage of alleles called compared to IND-Zn-treated and untreated samples due to the targeted recovery of cells. However, the reagent appears to degrade DNA at a rapid rate, requiring the treated samples to be processed for DNA on the day of treatment.
Lee, PLT, Kanodarwala, FK, Lennard, C, Spindler, X, Spikmans, V, Roux, C & Moret, S 2020, 'Latent fingermark detection using functionalised silicon oxide nanoparticles: Optimisation and comparison with cyanoacrylate fuming', Forensic Science International, vol. 315, pp. 110442-110442.
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Among the different types of nanoparticles (NPs) proposed for fingermark detection, silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) are arguably the most promising due to their unique characteristics. In this study, carboxyl-functionalised SiO2 NPs doped with luminescent ruthenium complex-RuBpy-doped CES-SiO2 NPs-were further studied to investigate their effectiveness for latent fingermark detection. A modified version of the functionalised SiO2 NPs with a lower amount of surface functionalisation is proposed for improved fingermark detection effectiveness. A shaking incubator was also incorporated into the fingermark detection process to offer a more viable treatment approach in comparison to the previously published method. The shaking incubator offered a more robust application approach, as well as improved fingermark detection quality. To gain an insight into fingermark detection effectiveness relative to benchmark techniques, the performance of the optimised RuBpy-doped CES-SiO2 NPs was compared to that of a benchmark fingermark detection method-cyanoacrylate fuming (CAF) followed by luminescent dye staining. Relative fingermark detection effectiveness across the two techniques was evaluated via the treatment of 1724 fingermark specimens. It was concluded that, in general, the benchmark method provided superior detection results. It was evident that the SiO2 NPs are less affected by donor variability but are more dependent on substrate types. Such characteristics are encouraging as they could be favourable to practitioners in casework scenarios where the substrate is known but donor variability is obscure prior to fingermark processing. It should be noted that the overall effectiveness of the proposed NP-based technique will need to be improved before it could be considered for operational implementation.
Lefrancois, E, Belackova, V, Silins, E, Latimer, J, Jauncey, M, Shimmon, R, Mozaner Bordin, D, Augsburger, M, Esseiva, P, Roux, C & Morelato, M 2020, 'Substances injected at the Sydney supervised injecting facility: A chemical analysis of used injecting equipment and comparison with self-reported drug type', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 209, pp. 107909-107909.
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Providing information about substances injected can reduce the negative impact of illicit drug consumption and support people who inject drugs to make informed decisions. In Australia, information about drugs injected relies largely on periodic self-report surveys. For the first time, the analysis of the residual content of used injecting equipment was conducted in a supervised injecting facility (SIF) located in Sydney, Australia. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the substances injected by clients through: (1) chemical analyses of the content of used syringes; (2) comparison of these results with clients' self-reported drug use; and (3) assessing the usefulness of analysing other injecting equipment to detect substances used. During one week in February 2019, syringes and other injecting equipment were collected at the Sydney SIF. Their residual content was analysed by gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry. Heroin was the most commonly detected substance (present in 51% of syringes), followed by methamphetamine (22%) and oxycodone (10%). In addition to the main psychoactive substance, cutting agents reported in the literature were also detected in used syringes. The main psychoactive substance identified by laboratory analysis reliably corresponded with users' self-reported drug type. Analytical confirmation of substances injected allows for the provision of better targeted harm reduction messaging based on timely and objective data. The approach used is amenable to clients and feasible in the Australian SIF context. Upscaling and wider implementation could be done through Needle and Syringe Programs, and would support the early detection of harmful substances entering drug markets and better inform harm reduction strategies.
Leong, HS, Philp, M, Simone, M, Witting, PK & Fu, S 2020, 'Synthetic Cathinones Induce Cell Death in Dopaminergic SH-SY5Y Cells via Stimulating Mitochondrial Dysfunction', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 1370-1370.
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Increasing reports of neurological and psychiatric complications due to psychostimulant synthetic cathinones (SCs) have recently raised public concern. However, the precise mechanism of SC toxicity is unclear. This paucity of understanding highlights the need to investigate the in-vitro toxicity and mechanistic pathways of three SCs: butylone, pentylone, and 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). Human neuronal cells of SH-SY5Y were cultured in supplemented DMEM/F12 media and differentiated to a neuronal phenotype using retinoic acid (10 μM) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (81 nM). Trypan blue and lactate dehydrogenase assays were utilized to assess the neurotoxicity potential and potency of these three SCs. To investigate the underlying neurotoxicity mechanisms, measurements included markers of oxidative stress, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and intracellular calcium (Ca2+), and cell death pathways were evaluated at two doses (EC15 and EC40), for each drug tested. Following 24 h of treatment, all three SCs exhibited a dose-dependent neurotoxicity, characterized by a significant (p < 0.0001 vs. control) production of reactive oxygen species, decreased mitochondrial bioenergetics, and increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. The activation of caspases 3 and 7 implicated the orchestration of mitochondrial-mediated neurotoxicity mechanisms for these SCs. Identifying novel therapeutic agents to enhance an altered mitochondrial function may help in the treatment of acute-neurological complications arising from the illicit use of these SCs.
Liu, T, Zhang, W, Yuwono, M, Zhang, M, Ueland, M, Forbes, SL & Su, SW 2020, 'A data-driven meat freshness monitoring and evaluation method using rapid centroid estimation and hidden Markov models', Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, vol. 311, pp. 127868-127868.
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McCabe, R, Spikmans, V, Wuhrer, R, Spindler, X & Lennard, C 2020, 'Evaluation of indanedione application methods for fingermark detection on paper: Conventional treatment, vacuum development, and dry-transfer', Journal of Forensic Identification, vol. 70, no. 1, pp. 37-58.
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1,2-Indanedione is considered the most sensitive amino acid reagent currently available for routine use as a fingermark detection technique on porous substrates. The method is generally applied by treating items with a solution of the reagent, followed by the application of heat to accelerate the reaction. Despite the high sensitivity demonstrated by this technique, the use of organic solvents and heat can be problematic for some substrates. For example, polar solvents and heat will darken thermal printer paper. Polar solvents will also diffuse writing inks on documents and may also remove other forensic traces such as explosive and illicit drug residues. The solvent-free application of amino acid reagents has been investigated by a number of research groups as a means of overcoming such issues. Examples include vacuum sublimation (low-pressure vaporization) and “dry-transfer” methods. For the latter, items to be treated are sandwiched between sheets of reagent-impregnated paper. Solventless methods can alleviate the need for the storage and use of large volumes of potentially hazardous solvents, including solvents that are being phased out because of their global warming potential. In this study, a method for applying indanedione under vacuum using a commercially available vacuum oven was optimized and applied to treat fingermarks on a range of substrates. The results were compared against those obtained using conventional and dry-transfer techniques. Although a vacuum method was found to be feasible, it was generally outperformed by conventional indanedione treatment. However, encouraging results were obtained on some nonporous surfaces, and this shows promise for future investigation.
McNevin, D 2020, 'Forensic inference of biogeographical ancestry from genotype: The Genetic Ancestry Lab', WIREs Forensic Science, vol. 2, no. 2.
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AbstractShort tandem repeat (STR) profiling of DNA has become ubiquitous in forensic practice and is used to associate people, objects, and places with each other and with crimes. STRs can include or exclude a suspect or victim as the donor of biological evidence. In the absence of a matching profile, however, STRs have limited value. It is possible, then, to extract other information from the DNA that might lead forensic investigators to an offender. Examples include biogeographical ancestry (BGA) and externally visible characteristics (EVCs). These require alternative genetic markers including single nucleotide polymorphisms and microhaplotypes which can be genotyped on many different platforms including capillary electrophoresis, microarrays, and massively parallel sequencing (MPS). The Genetic Ancestry Lab (GAL) in Australia provides estimates of BGA and EVCs derived from DNA that is extracted from biological evidence and then subjected to targeted amplicon enrichment and subsequent MPS. This review will describe the process of BGA prediction employed by the GAL as well as describing alternative practices. Limitations are addressed and future directions highlighted, including resolution of genetic admixture. It is highly likely that inference of BGA will become standard forensic practice, performed simultaneously with or in addition to STR profiling, and it is hoped that this review might provide a road map.This article is categorized under:Forensic Anthropology > Ancestry DeterminationForensic Science in Action/Crime Scene Investigation > From Traces to Intelligence and EvidenceForensic Biology > Ancestry Determination using DNA MethodsForensic Biology > Forensic DNA Technologies
Meng, L, Ren, Y, Zhou, Z, Li, C, Wang, C & Fu, S 2020, 'Monodisperse silica nanoparticle suspension for developing latent blood fingermarks', Forensic Sciences Research, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 38-46.
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Michelot, H, Chadwick, S, Morelato, M, Tahtouh, M & Roux, C 2020, 'The screening of identity documents at borders for forensic drug intelligence purpose', Forensic Chemistry, vol. 18, pp. 100228-100228.
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© 2020 Elsevier B.V. The need for law enforcement agencies to obtain results more rapidly has driven the increased use of field-deployable technology in the field. Currently used in a case-by-case approach, the potential of these new technologies, could go beyond the traditional objective of forensic science (i.e. characterisation and identification) and provide timely information about criminal phenomena (i.e. multi-case approach). The use of portable instrumentation could for instance provide rapid information to law enforcement agencies about drug prevalence and drug smuggling if used in a systematic manner. This paper outlines the potential of using portable instrumentation to gather information related to illicit drugs rapidly. An innovative concept is proposed to screen surfaces of passports for the detection of remnants of illicit substances using rapid equipment already deployed at border controls. An experimental procedure was built to determine if powdered drugs could be detected on the surface of contaminated passports. Various scenarios were tested, including transfer, activity and persistence parameters. Experiments were conducted employing two different instruments, i.e. Ion Mobility spectroscopy (IMS) and Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionisation coupled to an Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (APCI-ITMS). Promising results were obtained with the proposed method notably with the APCI-ITMS instrument as drugs were detected in minute amounts even after one hour of activity. High rates of false positives were obtained with the IMS contrary to APCI-ITMS. As a result, APCI-ITMS allows for the detection of remnants of illicit substances on passports’ surfaces and the approach employed in this proof of concept can be deployed in a real environment such as in airports.
Morelato, M, Medeiros Bozic, S, Rhumorbarbe, D, Broséus, J, Staehli, L, Esseiva, P, Roux, C & Rossy, Q 2020, 'An insight into the sale of prescription drugs and medicine on the AlphaBay cryptomarket', Journal of Drug Issues, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 15-34.
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Internet access has provided new ways to trade goods. Unlike conventional legal sale sites, cryptomarkets facilitate exchanges in a context where the anonymity of participants is warranted. The aim of this article was to obtain a better understanding of the trafficking of prescription drugs and medicine on the AlphaBay cryptomarket. The results showed that alprazolam, oxycodone, and Adderall were the most offered prescription drugs while alprazolam, diazepam, and oxycodone were the most sold substances. The sale was dominated by North America, Australia, and Western European countries. The revenue of prescription drugs was estimated to be more than US$65 million since the creation of AlphaBay, a small market in comparison with the worldwide legal pharmaceutical market’s estimate of US$1.3 trillion in 2020. Digital traces offer a complementary way to understand the trafficking of prescription drugs and medicine and to identify the most prolific vendors and their implication in this trafficking.
Morgan, RM, Meakin, GE, French, JC & Nakhaeizadeh, S 2020, 'Crime reconstruction and the role of trace materials from crime scene to court', WIREs Forensic Science, vol. 2, no. 1.
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AbstractCrime reconstruction takes place in a complex ecosystem and needs to be responsive to the context of each case. For accurate, reproducible and transparent crime reconstructions to take place, a holistic approach is needed that considers the different stakeholders, different types of trace material, integral human decision‐making and interconnected nature of the forensic science process. For robust reconstruction, there needs to be a consideration of both the distinctive types of trace material that can contribute to the reconstruction, and an understanding of the interplay of human decision‐making within reconstruction approaches. In addition, it is also necessary to consider source attribution of a trace material in addition to the activities that led to the generation, identification, transfer, and persistence of the trace. This requires explicit and tacit forms of knowledge, and an incorporation of the inherent uncertainty and risk in the reconstruction approach. The communication of conclusions reached in a crime reconstruction that address what the evidence means is also an important consideration given the different requirements of intelligence and evidence. Therefore, undertaking a crime reconstruction within a holistic framework that seeks to incorporate the complexity of the forensic science ecosystem is valuable for achieving a problem solving approach that offers reproducible, transparent reconstructions with a clear articulation of risk and uncertainty that can be of value to investigators and the courts.This article is categorized under:Forensic Science in Action/Crime Scene Investigation > Crime Scene ReconstructionForensic Science in Action/Crime Scene Investigation > From Traces to Intelligence and Evidence
Phan, K, Barash, M, Spindler, X, Gunn, P & Roux, C 2020, 'Retrieving forensic information about the donor through bacterial profiling', International Journal of Legal Medicine, vol. 134, no. 1, pp. 21-29.
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© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. When fingermarks are left on a surface, bacteria originating from the donor’s skin are also deposited. The skin microbiome is believed to be extremely diverse between individuals, allowing for potential matching between the bacterial communities and touched objects, known as “bacterial profiling”. This study stepped further and investigated how the bacterial profile could be used as an indicator of donor characteristics of potential forensic intelligence interest. Forty-five participants were asked to touch DNA-free playing cards with their dominant and non-dominant hands. Cards were swabbed and bacterial communities determined through 16S rRNA sequencing. Diversity and abundance of bacteria were compared to donor characteristics of gender, age, ethnicity, handedness, home location, sample location, occupation, diet type, use of moisturisers, use of hand sanitisers and use of public transport. Correlations between the bacterial profile with gender, ethnicity, diet type and hand sanitiser use were found. Specifically, the absence of Lactococcus indicated a primarily Chinese diet, while the absence of Alloiococcus indicated female gender, Asian ethnicity and hand sanitiser use. Testing of the prediction models demonstrated highest accuracy for gender estimation, while the prediction of other characteristics showed lower success. This study showed a correlation between the presence of certain bacterial species on donor’s hands and personal characteristics of potential forensic relevance, thus demonstrating a novel application of microbiome genotyping in forensic science.
Roux, C & Weyermann, C 2020, 'Can forensic science learn from the COVID-19 crisis?', Forensic Science International, vol. 316, pp. 110503-110503.
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This paper draws parallels between the current COVID-19 crisis and the apparent forensic science crisis. It investigates if shared approaches of the problem and solutions could emerge. Some relevant aspects of the medical system as it reacted to the pandemic crisis and the situation in forensic science are presented. Further, three main stages of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on individuals and society are proposed, highlighting similarities to the effects of forensic science. Finally, some lessons from COVID-19 for forensic science are identified and discussed. It is concluded that forensic science's best assurance to address current and future challenges, particularly in an increasingly digital environment, remains a sound scientific approach, including critical thinking and inter-disciplinary collaborations.
Rubab, A, Shafique, M, Javed, F, Saleem, S, Zahra, FT, McNevin, D & Shahid, AA 2020, 'Population genetic portrait of Pakistani Lahore-Christians based on 32 STR loci', Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 1.
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AbstractPhylogenetic relationship and the population structure of 500 individuals from the Christian community of Lahore, Pakistan, were examined based on 15 autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) using the AmpFℓSTR Identifiler Plus PCR Amplification Kit and our previously published Y-filer kit data (17 Y-STRs) of same samples. A total of 147 alleles were observed in 15 loci and allele 11 at the TPOX locus was the most frequent with frequency value (0.464). The data revealed that the Christian population has unique genetic characteristics with respect to a few unusual alleles and their frequencies relative to the other Pakistani population. Significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were found at two loci (D13S317, D18S51) after Boneferroni’s correction (p ≤ 0.003). The combined power of discrimination, combined power of exclusion and cumulative probability of matching were 0.999999999999999978430815060354, 0.999995039393942 and 2.15692 × 10−17, respectively. On the bases of genetic distances, PCA, phylogenetic and structure analysis Lahore-Christians appeared genetically more associated to south Asian particularly Indian populations like Tamil, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh than rest of global populations.
Scudder, N 2020, 'Privacy and the search for suspects using forensic genetic genealogy', Privacy Law Bulletin, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 78-81.
Scudder, N, Daniel, R, Raymond, J & Sears, A 2020, 'Operationalising forensic genetic genealogy in an Australian context', Forensic Science International, vol. 316, pp. 110543-110543.
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Scudder, N, Kelty, SF, Busby Grant, J, Montgomerie, C, Walsh, SJ, Robertson, J & McNevin, D 2020, 'Differing Perception of DNA Evidence and Intelligence Capabilities in Criminal Investigations', Police Science, vol. 4, no. 2.
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The ability to predict physical characteristics from DNA presents significant opportunities for forensic science. Giving scientists an ability to make predictions about the donor of genetic material at a crime scene can then give investigators new intelligence leads for cold cases where DNA evidence has not identified any person of interest. However, the interpretation of this new form of intelligence requires careful analysis. The responses to an online survey, conducted in 2018-19, were used to examine how actors in the criminal justice system assess and interpret different types of DNA evidence and intelligence. The groups of focus for the survey were investigators, legal practitioners and the general public (as potential jurors). Several statistically significant effects were identified based on occupation and whether an individual had prior exposure to new DNA technology. Monitoring how those involved in interpreting reports from different types of DNA evidence and intelligence interpret them helps to ensure that decisions are made based on a sound understanding of their capabilities and limitations and may inform broader training and awareness strategies.
Scudder, N, Robertson, J, Kelty, SF, Walsh, SJ & McNevin, D 2020, 'Crowdsourced and crowdfunded: the future of forensic DNA?', Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 235-241.
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© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group Forensic DNA analysis is dependent on comparing the known and the unknown. Expand the number of known profiles, and the likelihood of a successful match increases. Forensic use of DNA is moving towards comparing samples of unknown origin with publicly available genetic data, such as the records held by genetic genealogy providers. Use of forensic genetic genealogy has yielded a number of recent high-profile successes but has raised ethical and privacy concerns. Navigating family trees is complex, even more so when combined with a comparison of genetic relationships. This intelligence-gathering process has led to occasional false leads, and its use also risks a public backlash, similar to concerns over Cambridge Analytica. A cautious approach to use of this technique is therefore warranted.
Steiner, R, Moret, S & Roux, C 2020, 'Evaluation of the use of chemical pads to mimic latent fingermarks for research purposes', Forensic Science International, vol. 314, pp. 110411-110411.
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Fingermark detection is in constant evolution, with new techniques being developed and existing ones being continuously optimised. Recently, researchers have begun to express interest in artificial fingermark secretions to overcome the issues arising from the variability of fingermark composition. Some of these artificial secretions have started to appear on the market in the form of pads that can be used to deposit fingermarks with a known and controlled composition. This study aimed at assessing the reliability of three commercially-available pads by comparing the results to those obtained by real fingermarks, using six detection techniques (1,2-indanedione/zinc, ninhydrin, cyanoacrylate followed by rhodamine 6G staining, gold/zinc vacuum metal deposition, and physical developer) on five substrate types (copy and recycled paper, acetate, glass, and glossy paper). The results showed that the artificial fingermarks deposited with these pads reacted in an unreliable way, notably when treated with complex detection techniques such as Physical Developer. Further, the high concentration of some of the target compounds found in the artificial secretion led to an over performance of some detection techniques, which could mislead the operator to overestimating the efficiency of a given method. The resulting artificial fingermarks are considered too dissimilar to real fingermarks to be used as quality control standards and better simulants need to be found for a more efficient and realistic control of the variability.
Taspinar, S, Mohanty, M & Memon, N 2020, 'Camera Fingerprint Extraction via Spatial Domain Averaged Frames', IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, vol. 15, pp. 3270-3282.
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© 2005-2012 IEEE. Photo Response Non-Uniformity (PRNU) based camera attribution is an effective method to determine the source camera of a visual object (an image or a video). To apply this method, images or videos need to be obtained from a camera to create a 'camera fingerprint' which then can be compared against the PRNU of the query media whose origin is under question. The fingerprint extraction process can be time consuming when a large number of video frames or images have to be denoised. This may need to be done when the individual images have been subjected to high compression or other geometric processing such as video stabilization. This paper investigates a simple, yet effective and efficient technique to create a camera fingerprint when so many still images need to be denoised. The technique utilizes Spatial Domain Averaged (SDA) frames. An SDA-frame is the arithmetic mean of multiple still images. When it is used for fingerprint extraction, the number of denoising operations can be significantly decreased with little or no performance loss. Experimental results show that the proposed method can work more than 50 times faster than conventional methods while providing similar matching results.
Taspinar, S, Mohanty, M & Memon, N 2020, 'Camera identification of multi-format devices', Pattern Recognition Letters, vol. 140, pp. 288-294.
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Trujillo Uruena, M, York, R, Philp, M, Kuzhiumparambil, U, Wei, Z, Yun, K & Fu, S 2020, 'Identification of Unique 4-Methylmethcathinone (4-MMC) Degradation Markers in Putrefied Matrices†', Journal of Analytical Toxicology, vol. 44, no. 8, pp. 803-810.
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Abstract Drug degradation as a consequence of putrefactive bacterial activity is a well-known factor that affects the identification and quantitation of certain substances of forensic interest. Current knowledge on putrefaction-mediated degradation of drugs is, however, significantly lacking. This study aimed to investigate the degradation of 4-methylmethcathinone (4-MMC or mephedrone) and to detect its degradation products in putrefied biological matrices containing 4-MMC. The bacteria species Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus vulgaris were grown in brain-heart infusion broth, spiked with 4-MMC and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Postmortem human blood and fresh porcine liver macerate were also left to putrefy in sample tubes at room temperature for 1 week. Structural elucidation was based on modern spectroscopic analyses including the use of high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All four putrefactive bacteria were capable of degrading 4-MMC extensively under the experimental conditions explored. Of particular interest was the discovery of a novel degradation product common to all four bacterial species, which was assigned as 2-hydroxy-1-(4-methylphenyl)propan-1-one (HMP) based on the spectroscopic data. This degradation product was detectable in both postmortem human blood and porcine liver samples. The stability of the identified degradation products, especially HMP, should be further investigated to assess their validity of serving as marker analytes for monitoring 4-MMC in postmortem toxicology.
Ueland, M, Brown, A, Bartos, C, Frankham, GJ, Johnson, RN & Forbes, SL 2020, 'Profiling Volatilomes: A Novel Forensic Method for Identification of Confiscated Illegal Wildlife Items', Separations, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 5-5.
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Globally, the rapid decline in wildlife species has many causes. The illegal trafficking of fauna and flora is a major contributor to species decline and continues to grow at an alarming rate. To enable the prosecution of those involved in the trafficking of illegal wildlife, accurate and reliable identification is paramount. Traditionally, morphology and DNA amplification are used. This paper investigates a novel application of volatilome profiling using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time of flight mass spectrometry for wildlife sample detection. Known samples of elephant-derived ivory, other dentine samples, and bone (a common ivory substitute) were used as reference samples for volatilome profiling. Subsequently, specimens that were suspected ivory from border control seizures were obtained and analysed. Confirmatory DNA analyses were conducted on seized samples to establish the reliability parameters of volatilome profiling. The volatilome method correctly identified six of the eight seized samples as elephant ivory, which was confirmed through DNA analysis. There was also clear distinction of African elephant ivory parts from the bone and dentine samples from other species, as shown through PCA and discriminant analyses. These preliminary results establish volatilome profiling through GC×GC-TOFMS as a novel screening method used for the identification of unknown wildlife contraband.
Wyner, N, Barash, M & McNevin, D 2020, 'Forensic Autosomal Short Tandem Repeats and Their Potential Association With Phenotype', Frontiers in Genetics, vol. 11, p. 884.
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Forensic DNA profiling utilizes autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) markers to establish identity of missing persons, confirm familial relations, and link persons of interest to crime scenes. It is a widely accepted notion that genetic markers used in forensic applications are not predictive of phenotype. At present, there has been no demonstration of forensic STR variants directly causing or predicting disease. Such a demonstration would have many legal and ethical implications. For example, is there a duty to inform a DNA donor if a medical condition is discovered during routine analysis of their sample? In this review, we evaluate the possibility that forensic STRs could provide information beyond mere identity. An extensive search of the literature returned 107 articles associating a forensic STR with a trait. A total of 57 of these studies met our inclusion criteria: a reported link between a STR-inclusive gene and a phenotype and a statistical analysis reporting a p-value less than 0.05. A total of 50 unique traits were associated with the 24 markers included in the 57 studies. TH01 had the greatest number of associations with 27 traits reportedly linked to 40 different genotypes. Five of the articles associated TH01 with schizophrenia. None of the associations found were independently causative or predictive of disease. Regardless, the likelihood of identifying significant associations is increasing as the function of non-coding STRs in gene expression is steadily revealed. It is recommended that regular reviews take place in order to remain aware of future studies that identify a functional role for any forensic STRs.
Zhang, W, Liu, T, Ueland, M, Forbes, SL, Wang, RX & Su, SW 2020, 'Design of an efficient electronic nose system for odour analysis and assessment', Measurement, vol. 165, pp. 108089-108089.
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© 2020 Elsevier Ltd This paper presents an efficient electronic nose (e-nose) system, named “NOS.E”, for odour analysis and assessment. In addition to the reliable hardware and software designs, an airflow intake system is implemented to ensure the precise odour analysis procedure in the NOS.E system. Additionally, a particular control logic was introduced to improve the test efficiency of the NOS.E by reducing operation time. Furthermore, the fault detection and alarming design can generate a high-reliability performance by constantly monitoring its working status. To evaluate the performance of the NOS.E, three types of alcohols were tested by the NOS.E and compared to data collected by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). The results indicate that the NOS.E can successfully distinguish three different alcohols with high efficiency and low cost and has the potential to be a universal odour analysis platform implemented in various applications.
