Forensic Science International: Reports最新文献

Determining the sex from an unidentified fingerprint recovered from a crime scene can assist in narrowing down the pool of potential suspects. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining sex using fingerprint epidermal ridge sweat pore density among the Indian population. For this purpose, plain prints from both the left and right thumbs were obtained from a total of 396 participants (191 males and 205 females), aged between 18 and 35 years, who were randomly selected for the study. Sweat pores were counted in a region of 3 × 3 mm². Data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) version 26 for Windows and Microsoft Office Excel 365. The likelihood ratio (LR) was calculated to obtain the probability inferences of sex based on the number of sweat pores. Analysis revealed that a fingerprint containing ≤ 45 pores/9 mm² is more likely to be of male origin while one containing ≥ 49 pores/9 mm² is more likely to be of female origin. Moreover, the difference in the number of pores was found to be statistically significant between the two biological sexes. The methodology employed in this study helps demarcate a uniform region in all the samples thereby eliminating variability due to pattern type and recurving ridges.

Illegal activities associated with deforestation for the lumber and furniture industries pose significant threats to plant and animal biodiversity, as well as natural resources. Accurate identification of wood sources is vital, yet traditional laboratory techniques often fall short in precisely determining the chemical composition of samples for classification. This study aims to leverage ATR-FTIR spectroscopy alongside machine learning algorithms to construct a robust model for discerning the geographical origins of wood samples from India. By systematically comparing various machine learning classifiers, we address the limitations of subjective visual interpretation and evaluate their accuracy using wood spectral data. Logistic regression emerges as the most effective classifier for distinguishing Eucalyptus (75 % accuracy), Dalbergia (68 % accuracy), and Populus (81.5 % accuracy) species. Through a methodology encompassing data pre-processing, classifier selection, and performance evaluation, this research offers promising tools for combating challenges posed by illegal wood trafficking and transportation. The outcomes hold significant potential for enhancing wildlife crime prevention efforts by facilitating the tracing illicit timber sources, apprehension of perpetrators, and implementation of preventive measures.

Purpose

While illicit opioids have not been historically significant in Brazil, these numbers have increased in the last few years. This change in the drug scenario is mainly associated with synthetic opioids, a class of new psychoactive substances (NPS). In this context, the present article describes detailed information about the recent cases of synthetic opioids seized in Brazil, especially the nitazenes group.

Methods

All the analyses were carried out by the Superintendence of the Technical-Scientific Police - Narcotics Control Center (STSP-NCC) in São Paulo, between July 2022 and April 2023. The synthetic opioids were mainly found in herbal fragments.

Results

Nitazenes, were the most frequent drugs detected in the seizures that took place in the State of São Paulo. There was a total of 140 cases of opioids seizures and 95 % out of those belonging to the nitazene group, while only 5 % consisted of other opioids (morphine and fentanyl). Nitazenes were found 28.6 % isolated and 71.4 % mixed with other active compounds, being MDMB-4en-PINACA the most prevalent (30 % of the samples). Non-nitazenes were found 27.1 % mixed and 72.9 % isolated. Nitazenes and non-nitazene opioids were not found in association in any sample.

Conclusion

This is the first consistent report of nitazene opioids apprehensions in Brazil. Also, as far as we know, it is the first report in which nitazenes were detected in the form of herbal fragments. The effect of smoking a potent opioid together with synthetic cannabinoids is unpredictable and most users cannot be aware of what they are using.

One crucial aspect of a forensic procedure is sex estimation during individual identification. Hand and its remains are usually among the common body parts found in scenes of mass disasters during forensic investigations. Hand outlines are also important in several biomedical fields such as prosthetics, plastic surgery, and ergonomics. This cross-sectional study was done to investigate sexual dimorphism and discriminate sex using hand and hand print dimensions of 283 male and 317 female subjects who were randomly selected. Bare hand measurement and bilateral hand prints were obtained using Vernier caliper, inked pad, and A4 plain paper. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 IBM. Sexual dimorphism in all the hand dimensions and prints of both hands were observed. The binary logistic regression model showed that in the left hand, bare left-hand breadth (BLHB) was the single best variable to discriminate sex with a percentage accuracy of 69.5 %. Bare right-hand breadth (BRHB) was the best predictor in the right hand with a percentage accuracy of 71.8 %. The predicted probabilities of the binary logistic model (BLR) for the variables that contributed best to the prediction were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. It was observed that the BLHB and BRHB had the highest area under the curve (above 0.5) in the hand and print variables respectively. Sexual dimorphism and sex determination were established in this study using hand dimensions and prints. The BLHB and BRHB were the best sex determinants in this study. Although the accuracies of sex estimation from both hands in this study are low, it does confirm and support previous reports of handbreadth being the best variable for sex estimation.

Synthetic skin produced by SynDaver®, currently used primarily in medical testing and training applications, may be suitable as a surrogate for human skin in forensic investigations. To determine how accurately the company's synthetic skin, SynTissue®, could mimic the mechanical properties of human skin, tests were conducted to measure its elastic modulus and resistance to laceration. Test results were compared to published data acquired from tensile tests conducted on human scalp and impacts with blunt objects on porcine heads. The stress vs strain relation for SynTissue® 8 N corresponded closely to that of the human scalp. Deformations similar to skin lacerations were observed when SynTissue® was subjected to blunt object impacts, at forces in the range of those reported for lacerations of cadaver and porcine heads. However, the published data are insufficient to unequivocally assess the suitability of SynTissue® for forensic investigations of lacerations. Moreover, there are features of the SynTissue® impact deformations that can provide useful information even if the laceration threshold turns out to be lower than that of human skin.

This is a Letter to the Editor in response to Kariks J. Diaphragmatic muscle fibre necrosis in SIDS. Forensic Sci Int. 1989 Dec;43(3):281–91. doi: 10.1016/0379-0738(89)90156-4. PMID: 2613142.

Within the fields of forensic anthropology and forensic medicine in general, the ability to provide accurate estimates of time since death that minimize error, maximize precision, and consider a multitude of variables is a critical component of all forensic and medicolegal investigations that focus on the identification of human remains and the circumstances surrounding death. In comparison with many forensic cases where date of death is typically unknown, we begin with a known postmortem interval and progressively assess, through external testing measures (temperature, skin elasticity and skin color changes) followed by photography and videography, decompositional changes over time. This work seeks to provide well-described cases with documented biological parameters to propose hypotheses for future research. Field team members observe and record any decompositional changes associated with the states of algor, rigor, and livor mortis, as well as progressive changes in skin color and tissue integrity in an environment where variability in climate and ecological factors may vary from case to case. The two cases were followed for 31 (postmortem interval [PMI] 38) and 19 (PMI 27) days in humid subtropical and tropical monsoon Köppen-Geiger classified climatic zones, respectively, where delayed decompositional and putrefactive changes observed are at odds with the anticipated rate and expected suite of biological changes occurring within an indoor permeable setting following clinical death. Within this taphonomic context, we also address the value of describing and documenting postmortem intervals in a closed subpopulation from which some individuals are recognized for exhibiting attenuated decompositional changes. This study emphasizes the importance of addressing understudied and underrepresented regions, climates, and cultural contexts for furthering research into the factors that may contribute to the understanding of the early stages of the PMI period and improve the precision of PMI estimates more broadly.

As forensic anthropologists play a larger role in post-mortem examinations, the examination and interpretation of skeletal trauma resulting from sharp, blunt, projectile, and thermal injuries have become of critical importance and may assist in medicolegal death investigations. Although there is a plethora of research on sharp force trauma on bone, at present, there is little research regarding the striations produced by large bladed weapons on bone, whether those striations are weapon-specific, or whether they are the result of sharpening materials and methods. To test whether striations are weapon type specific, this study aimed to examine if different sharpening materials and methods produced different striations on the kerf walls of cut marks on bone produced by machetes. Or, if they do produce the previously identified ‘rolling hill’ striation pattern. Four factory machetes sharpened by the same manufacturer were re-sharpened using a wet stone, a bastard file, and a coarse and medium-grained machine grinder. The bones and casts were subjected to both macro and micro analyses, and the results identified clear differences in the shape of striation ridges and troughs, indicating that striation patterns are not weapon type-specific. The study's findings have opened up a new area of research into weapon types and the analysis of associated striation patterns and may aid in the identification of weapon types and the materials used for maintenance or sharpening, potentially offering additional evidentiary evidence.

The foramen magnum (FM) occupies a well-protected position, making it particularly intriguing for forensic research. The necessity for methods to estimate sex from cranial fragments becomes evident when only a partial skull is available for identification. The objective of this study was to assess sex differences in anthropometric measurements, including the length of the foramen magnum (FML), width of the foramen magnum (FMW), foramen magnum area (FMA), and circumference, with the aim of developing a binary logistic regression model in Thai cadaveric donors. Sixty adult dry skulls underwent both intraclass and interclass correlation analyses. Subsequently, 240 adult dry skulls of known sex (120 males and 120 females) were meticulously measured and analyzed to determine the optimal threshold for sex determination. Morphometric analysis of the FM was carried out using vernier calipers, and the area of the FM was precisely calculated. The FML, FMW, FMA, and circumference were all found to be significantly larger in males than in females. Furthermore, FM circumference exhibited an AUC (Area Under the Curve) value of 0.908, signifying it as an excellent parameter for sex discrimination. Lastly, binary logistic regression was executed. Significant sex differences in FM circumference were consistently observed, demonstrating an accuracy of 81.62% when validated in 120 dry skulls.