Forensic Sciences Research最新文献

In many countries, bare footprints collected from crime scenes can be used as evidence for forensic identification, which involves the linear measurement of quantitative characteristics. Compared with several other methods of footprint measurement, the Reel method has been proven to be reliable and has been used in many countries. The Chinese method for bare footprint measurement is the official method issued by Ministry of Public Security of China, but its reliability has not been tested. This study focuses on the reliability test of the Chinese method for bare footprint measurement, which can serve as a reference for the verification in the process of footprint identification. Sixty-four volunteers were randomly selected to make dust and inked footprints, and five metrics of each footprint were measured and re-measured by three raters to test the reliability. These metrics consisted of four main ones from the Chinese method, with one from the Reel method for comparison. Based on intraclass correlation coefficients, the standard error of measurement and 95% Bland-Altman limits of agreement, test-retest reliability, and rater reliability within and among three raters were analysed. The Chinese method finally demonstrated a high degree of reliability. Although the Reel method achieved a marginally higher reliability score, its advantage was slight. Furthermore, the Chinese method for bare footprint measurement is not only reliable but also simple to operate, making it a viable supplement to the Reel method in contexts outside of China. In the process of footprint identification in China, when footprints are re-measured or measured by different appraisers for verification, the reliability values given in this paper could be used as a reference.

Sex estimation is an essential part of anthropological analysis in both forensic and archaeological studies, as it is vital for the construction of biological profiles from skeletal remains. The last years have seen a steady increase in the development of alternative methodologies for sex estimation, which do not depend on strictly traditional osteometric measurements. The present study focuses on the evaluation of the sex diagnostic capacity of the diaphyseal cross-sectional geometric (CSG) properties of the ulna on 215 individuals (120 males, 95 females) from a contemporary Greek population sample, utilizing support vector machine supervised learning algorithms for the classification analysis. The correlation of age-at-death on the utilized CSG variables and the effect of bilateral asymmetry in the presence of sexual dimorphism were evaluated as well. The highest cross-validated accuracy reached was 98.15%, exceeding the accuracy achieved by standard ostemeotric measurements of the ulna, highlighting the importance of evaluating and, subsequently, incorporating alternative measurements in sex estimation practices. The optimal classification model is freely available as a standalone R function, in order to facilitate the utilization of the CSG properties in forensic context.

The analysis of the number of suicides in Poland in the years 1999-2023 done by the National Police Headquarters shows a range from 3 530 (in 2007) to 6 165 (in 2013), with a downward trend since 2013. The highest rates of suicides were noted among age groups of 55-64 years and 30-39 years. Males comprise the majority of suicide attempts (72%) and deaths (85%). Similar trends are observed in the territory of Tricity (an urban area consisting of three contiguous cities-Gdańsk, Sopot, and Gdynia) and Gdańsk County, where in the years 2010-2019, suicides were predominantly committed by middle-aged males. The purpose of this study was to analyze suicide deaths based on protocols of postmortem examinations done at the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Gdańsk in the years 2010-2023. The focus was on the annual number of deaths, suicide method, place of death, sex, age, season, history of psychiatric disorders, and the level of intoxication. The results of the analysis indicate an increased number of suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic, predominance of males and city residents among suicide victims, and hanging as the main method of suicide. An increase in intoxicated victims was noted during the pandemic, as well as a higher contribution of ethyl alcohol in male suicides. The highest number of positive results for psychoactive substances was for ethyl alcohol. Most of the suicide victims were aged from 42 to 50 years, with a downward trend from 2018 to 2023, when an increased number of suicides was noted among people up to 30 years of age.

Cardiac rupture in blunt cardiac injuries, though uncommon, can be fatal. A particularly rare occurrence is blunt cardiac rupture of the left ventricle without external chest injury. Herein, we report a case of cardiac rupture without external chest injuries in a 21-year-old man who died after a physical altercation. The cause of death was attributed to cardiac rupture caused by blunt force. We analysed the differential diagnoses of cardiac rupture with intact pericardium, including cardiac diseases, blunt chest injury, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Additionally, we discussed the relevant factors for cardiac rupture in this case, including sudden enormous force, cardiac cycle, chest wall compliance, and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, we highlighted that no explicable cause other than cardiac rupture accounted for the death.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1080/20961790.2020.1779967.][This retracts the article DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owae010.].

Forensic botany is the use of plant material as evidence to aid in forensic investigations. Bryology is the study of bryophytes, which consist of mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Botanical evidence as a whole, and more specifically potential bryophyte evidence, is an underused potential tool that can provide crucial information in criminal investigations. This paper (i) outlines a review of all bryophyte applications to forensic science, to the best of our knowledge, (ii) demonstrates the potential of using this type of evidence, (iii) presents details into each case, and (iv) highlights the various uses of bryophytes as forensic evidence. From our review, all cases have seemingly been limited to mosses. The overarching goal is for this review to be a resource that encourages law enforcement to search for plant fragments and microscopic bryophytes. Key PointsBryophytes are an underutilized potential tool within forensic science.Bryophytes are ubiquitous as well as have a number of unique features and can be found in almost every environment around the world.Many reported and published case reports exemplify the numerous applications for bryophytes and other botanical evidence within forensic science.

Pigeons (Columba livia) occupy an important place in pigeon racing due to their extraordinary flying and nesting abilities. In order to maintain fairness in these races through accurate individual identification of pigeons using forensic techniques, we developed a novel multiple genotyping system containing 23 pigeon short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms and a chromo-helicase DNA binding gene (CHD). This system underwent rigorous validation in accordance with the guidelines set by the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods, including species specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, reproducibility, size precision, and a population study of 219 unrelated individual pigeons. The results demonstrated that the novel pigeon STR system was specific, reproducible, accurate and consistent. Complete profiles were obtained with 62.5 pg of pigeon DNA input. Furthermore, the combined discrimination power of the 23 STR loci reached 1-3.666 4 × 10^-19, while the combined exclusion power was 1-6.596 8 × 10^-5. These findings underscore the high polymorphism and informativeness of pigeon STR genetic markers, making them ideal for pigeon individual identification and parentage testing.

Soil forensics examines edaphic properties of evidentiary value in the immediate vicinity of human remains in a region called the cadaver decomposition island (CDI). As a body decomposes, soil in the CDI is permeated with liquified human nutrients and becomes gravesoil. This study is the first to specifically investigate how stable isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) change in human gravesoils during decomposition over the postmortem interval (PMI). Gravesoil samples were analysed for %C, δ¹³C, %N, and δ¹⁵N in CDIs over the initial 30-d PMI (PMI₃₀) and over longer PMIs up to 900 d (PMI₉₀₀). Gravesoil %C and δ¹³C did not show any significant changes with decomposition progression in the PMI₃₀ study. By days 10-15, gravesoil mean %N more than doubled from 0.4% to 1.05%, while mean gravesoil δ¹⁵N increased from 3.3‰ to 8.2‰ by day 10, up to a high mean of 9.9‰ on day 20. Both %N and δ¹⁵N remained significantly elevated for the entire PMI₃₀ period. In the PMI₉₀₀ study, gravesoils increased from 0.2%-0.8% N to a high of 1.9% N after 2-3 months, then decreased to 0.5%-0.6% in the 600-900 d time frame. Gravesoil δ¹⁵N originating at 2‰-4‰ was enriched by 15‰-20‰ after the first month, eventually declining to 9‰-11‰ after 600-900 d. We conclude that δ¹⁵N in human gravesoils has promise as a forensic tool to detect a CDI and correlate it with decomposition stage that adds to existing methods in estimating PMI, even if the body is absent. Key Points  Soil forensics examines the products of human decomposition and their impacts on underlying gravesoil.Various forms of nitrogen and carbon have proven to be a useful indicator of the presence of gravesoils.%C, δ¹³C, %N, and δ¹⁵N in CDIs were measured at different depths and distances from the remains in the short PMI (30 d) and extended PMI (900 d).When compared to control soils, δ¹⁵N and %N levels in gravesoil increased by day 10, peaked by day 20, and remained high over the 30-d study. In the longer PMI study, %N returned to control levels in the 600-900 d time frame, while δ¹⁵N levels remained elevated at the end of the experiment.We conclude that δ¹⁵N is a useful indicator of not only the presence of a CDI but also has tangible use as a PMI estimation tool for forensic taphonomists.

Latent fingerprints are a valuable yet challenging source of both human and microbial DNA, especially when ridge patterns are of poor visual quality with little to no identification potential. The efficiency of DNA collection and extraction depends on the choice of the sampling technique and the specimen conditions. This study compared two swab types for collecting and extracting human and microbial DNA from the fingers and fingerprints of two participants: 4N6FLOQSwabs® Genetics (Copan Italia) and standard cotton swabs (Dealmed Cotton-Tipped Sterile Wood Applicators). Results revealed higher DNA recovery for one participant regardless of swab type, indicating variability likely due to individual differences in natural cell/DNA shedding. Microbial DNA recovery ranged from 100% (from fingers) to 30% (from fingerprints), implying a loss of DNA during deposition, with 4N6FLOQSwabs® generally outperforming cotton swabs. Total DNA recovery from fingerprints was ~57% of that from fingers, comparable between both swab types, though 4N6FLOQSwabs® yields were higher overall. STR profiling via direct PCR with MicroFLOQ® showed that 4N6FLOQSwabs® performance was also superior, successfully identifying STR loci from fingers in 74% of cases, compared to 54% with cotton swabs. This figure was similar when extracting DNA from fingerprints (~40%). This comparative study underscores the importance of selecting the appropriate swab type for optimal DNA extraction from fingers and latent fingerprints in forensic investigations. Key Points  4N6FLOQSwabs® more effectively collects DNA from fingers and fingerprints than cotton swabs.Direct PCR with MicroFLOQ® on 4N6FLOQSwabs® provides higher DNA quality as shown by STR profiling.4N6FLOQSwabs® and cotton swabs detect no influence of handedness in DNA recovery.