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The study is devoted to the analysis of the possibilities of using the Stable Diffusion neural network for visualizing crime scenes and modeling criminal events. Thanks to the model's ability to generate high-quality and realistic images based on textual descriptions or other raw data, it opens new horizons for forensic investigations. In particular, Stable Diffusion allows you to create accurate crime scene visualizations, recreating the events before, during, and after a crime is committed. This approach contributes to the improvement of the analysis of crime scenes, more effective planning of investigative actions and hypothetical modeling of possible scenarios of the development of events. One of the unique features of the neural network is the possibility of reconstructing scenes based on textual descriptions, which is especially useful in judicial and investigative practice for presenting the evidence base and visualizing criminal events to jurors. The model also allows the use of interactive tools for studying crime scenes in different dimensions, which increases the accuracy and efficiency of forensic investigations. The article discusses in detail the technical possibilities of Stable Diffusion, including the stages of image generation, from random noise to full-fledged visualization. The possibilities of integrating a neural network with virtual reality (VR) systems and 3D modeling programs are analyzed, which opens up new perspectives in creating full-fledged virtual reconstructions of crime scenes. At the same time, the main challenges and limitations are discussed, including the need for high computing power, legal justification, and ensuring data privacy. Advances in machine learning technologies make Stable Diffusion a promising tool for improving forensics investigations and training. The paper also provides examples of interactive work with virtual scenes, when investigators can change model parameters for a better understanding of events. This allows for a comprehensive analysis of the crime scene, including taking into account various variables, such as viewing angle, changing lighting or other seasons, which significantly improves the decision-making process during investigative activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fingerprints are one of the most important forms of physical evidence at crime scenes. In the face of difficult cases lacking key information, by inferring the remaining time of fingerprints, case handlers can delimit the time of suspect and further narrow the scope of detection. Therefore, inferring the residual time of fingerprints can play a huge role in the field of criminal investigation. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the research of inferring fingerprint residual time, and various fingerprint residual time prediction models have emerged one after another. This article reviews the research progress in the field of inferring fingerprint residual time in recent years, summarizes the main variables that interfere with the determination of fingerprint residual time (imprint human characteristics, imprint conditions, imprint body properties, environmental conditions, and display methods, etc.), and focuses on the methods and potential methods for inferring fingerprint residual time from three research directions： morphological characteristics, electrochemical characteristics and chemical composition. The challenges and future development directions for inferring fingerprint residual time are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematophagous mosquitoes are considered among the biological evidence that can be collected at the crime scene to identify missing persons, perpetrators, or victims. This study is to simulate what might be expected at a crime scene with an insect that took a human blood meal and then died after various time intervals of post-feeding and remained at the crime scene for more periods. It aimed to analyze the DNA profiling of the Culex pipiens human blood meal stored at room temperature for a week after 24-, 48-, 72- and 96-hours of post-feeding. The two hypervariable regions (HV1 and HV2) of the mtDNA D-loop region were also used to define the possible period for identifying a person at the crime scene. The DNA concentration showed degraded amounts between 8.9 to 0.00 pg/µL due to the long storage. A complete STR profile was possible by direct PCR at 48 hours of postfeeding, while a partial profile was obtained 72 hours of post-feeding. It was possible to amplify HV1 & HV2 up to 96 hours of post-feeding. A gradual decrease of STR allele appearance and mtDNA with time course of postfeeding was recorded. MtDNA is more efficient than STR as HV1 & HV2 regions were possible to be amplified up to 96 hours blood meal of postfeeding. Thus, we conclude that mtDNA is an efficient molecular marker for time course identification of human DNA from blood meals taken by the mosquito. Examination of the blood meal of insects collected from the crime scene over a sufficient period, potentially aids in the identification of suspects and victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invention of transistors in the 1940s marked the beginning of a technological revolution that has impacted every aspect of our lives. However, along with the positive advancements, the malicious use of computing technologies has become a serious concern. The international community has been actively collaborating to develop digital forensics techniques to combat the unlawful use of these technologies. However, the evolution of digital forensics has often lagged behind the rapid developments in computing technologies. In addition to their harmful use, computing devices are increasingly involved in crime scenes and accidents, necessitating digital forensics to reconstruct events. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the development of computing technologies from the 1940s to the present, highlighting the trends in their malicious use and the corresponding advancements in digital forensics. The paper also discusses various institutes, laboratories, organizations, and training setups established at national and international levels for digital forensics purposes. Furthermore, it explores the initial legislations related to computer-related crimes and the standards associated with digital forensics. These reviews and discussions conclude at identifying the shortfalls in digital forensics and proposes an all-inclusive digital forensics process model meeting these shortfalls while complying to international standards and meeting regulatory and legal requirements of digital forensics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violent crimes are often pigeon-holed by bloodstain found at the crime scene. The science of analysing the bloodstains found at the crime scene is referred to as bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). The bloodstain pattern analysis embraces analysts recognising and interpreting bloodstain patterns to uncover how they were bent, when they were created, who created them and what object was used. Bloodstain pattern analysis is an important technique for determining what happened at the crime scene and presenting answers to the crime that occurred. Bloodstain pattern analysis is a subfield of forensic science that utilises blood evidence to dive a conclusion about a crime and to illustrate the shadows of violent crimes. Though violent crime scenes that involve bloodshed often provide a prosperity of data in the form of the patterns, location, and possible causes of the bloodshed, it is unfortunate that such critical information can be missed and/or evidence demolished due to futile ways of protecting and preserving bloodstain patterns at the crime scene by the crime scene investigators from the Local Criminal Record Centre. The article took qualitative empirical approach where participants were interviewed with the permission obtain from South African police Services and ethical clearance acquired from the University of South Africa. Findings and recommendations in this article were significant for implementation by the police. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic microbiology is a subject of interest and research development across the forensic community. Studies of pathogen outbreaks, biocrime or bioterrorism attacks, and analyses of crime scenes fall within this field. Significant progress has been made in evolving DNA sequencing technologies in recent decades. These newly emerged transformative tools have become available to both biomedicine and forensics. Based on the published literature, this review provides an overview of the current trends and developments of NGS (next-generation sequencing) technologies applied to forensic microbiology. These new methods present numerous advantages over traditional sequencing technology and are useful in several practical applications within this forensic field. This article then examines the main challenges and limitations of this technology in forensics, providing a comprehensive review of NGS technology capabilities in expanding the precision and effectiveness of microbial forensic investigations—with the aim of inspiring scientists, forensic experts, lawyers, public health professionals, and policymakers alike to approach this newly powerful sequencing tool appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defense wounds generally occur when a victim attempts to protect vital organs and blood vessels during an assault, and are therefore typically located on the forearms or hands. Gunshot-induced defense wounds are less frequent compared to stab wounds, which have been extensively described in the literature. We present three cases where victims unsuccessfully attempted to defend themselves from gunshots, and where the detailed description of injuries played a key role in the reconstruction of the crime scenes. In the first case, a man was shot with a smooth-bore shotgun, presenting a "through-and-through" gunshot wound on the lateral surface of the left forearm and a large gaping wound on the posterior surface of the same forearm. The second and third cases involved two men who were shot with handguns. The first displayed an entrance wound on the dorsal surface of the right hand, with burned edges and smoke soiling, and an exit wound on the palmar surface. The second case involved two wounds on the left hand: one on the dorsum and the other on the palm. To the best of our knowledge, few studies in the literature emphasize the role of gunshot defense wounds in aiding the reconstruction of crime dynamics. The cases presented in this study highlight the importance of precisely defining the pathological and morphological features of the wounds, as well as the bullet trajectories, to accurately identify defense wounds. These findings are valuable for reconstructing the dynamics of the assault and providing critical information to the public prosecutor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Legal Medicine / Adli Tıp Bülteni is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Biological fluid stains can be instrumental in solving crimes. Identification of semen can help reconstruct events in sexual assault cases and identify suspects via DNA profiling. Current methods for semen identification suffer from limitations, including destruction of the sample and potential false positives. One of the main unsolved issues is the elimination of underlying substrate interference. In this paper, chemometric approaches were developed to isolate and identify a biofluid stain on interfering substrates using Raman spectroscopy. The first approach, called Multivariate Curve Resolution with the Addition Method, combines the standard addition method with multivariate curve resolution. The second one uses a criterion based on reducing the spectrum complexity when a spectral component is removed from a Raman spectrum of a multi-component sample entirely. The results demonstrate the superiority of the first approach relative to the second for both small volume fraction of the fluid stain compared to the substrate and random noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Etkileşim: Academic Journal of Uskudar University Faculty of Communication is the property of Etkilesim and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The important tenet of forensic science is personal identification based on DNA studies. The use of DNA has changed the specificity and sensitivity of victim identity tests associated with criminology, trauma, and natural disasters in Forensic Science. Blood is a proven source of DNA quantification for these analyses. The use of saliva, which can be acquired more easily in a simple and atraumatic method is gaining preference; as some of its advantages include – collection of larger sample numbers, easy replication of tests in duplicates and triplicates, and repetitions if advocated, can easily be performed. Though it yields a comparatively slightly lesser quantity of DNA, some of the samples – like dried blood and blood-tinged saliva, have the potential to be used in forensic sciences and provide a better result than simple saliva. Such samples are valuable sources of genetic material that can be utilized in crime and forensic investigations. The present study is one of few studies to be explored in this sphere as very few studies using blood-tinged saliva and dried blood have been conducted so far. Aims and Objectives: To determine if blood-tinged saliva or dried blood yields a good amount of DNA. To compare it with fresh blood samples for authentication. Materials and Methodology: The study groups: Group A – n = 20 normal blood samples, Group B – n = 20 of saliva-tinged blood samples and Group C – Dried Blood samples from the same subjects. DNA was isolated from these 60 samples using Xplorogen DNA isolation and extraction kit. The quality and quantity of DNA isolation were determined using a spectrophotometric technique using a Biospectrometer. Results: The extracted DNA was quantified and the yield was 83.3 ± 9.4, 55.1 ± 7.4, and 73.4 ± 8.7 μg/ml in fresh blood, dried blood, and blood-tinged saliva, respectively. Out of the 60 samples assessed, all 100% samples yielded a sufficiently good DNA content. Extraction from Blood tinged with saliva showed promising results when compared to dried blood and the levels obtained were closely comparable to whole blood (fresh). Conclusion: Blood is a standard sample for ample DNA yields in forensic studies. We conclude in this study, that blood-tinged saliva gives an equally good sample for utilization in DNA detection in those situations where such samples are traced (even at a later date) at the scene of crime, or mass disasters for forensic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stock theft is a persistent and widespread problem affecting farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This study aimed to explore farmers' perceptions of stock theft in the region. A mixed methods approach was used to collect data. 192 pre-tested questionnaires were collected from a sample of farmers in three districts in the province. The descriptive and chi-square test was used to test the associations between demographic profile statistically, knowledge of stock theft, reported stock theft cases, the economic impact of stock theft, and stock theft control. According to the findings, stock theft is significantly more likely to occur during the winter season (P < 0.05). About 94.8% of farmers are in the communal farming sector in the three districts visited. Furthermore, 81.2% of the respondents believe that the government needs to do more to combat the spread of stock theft. This study also revealed that most respondents (88.6%) agree that branding and tattooing should be made available to all registered farmers, while 53.1% believe that forensic deoxyribonucleic acid should not be used to control stock theft at crime scenes. This study highlights farmers' perceptions and knowledge of stock theft to enable policymakers to develop targeted interventions and strategies. Policing strategy must be adaptive and technology-driven to fast-track detection, prevention, and reduction of stuck theft crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the possibilities of working in a virtual high-dose rate field following a procedure developed at the Nuclear Security Department of the Centre for Energy Research (EK NSD) in Budapest. Real-life simulation of a radiation survey and a radiation risk assessment as well as searching for lost radioactive sources, monitoring surface contamination (SC), in addition to localizing and overseeing materials out of regulatory control (e.g., at a radiological crime scene) are only possible under inactive conditions or in low-dose rate environments in accordance with the as low as resonably achievable (ALARA) principle. A virtual radioactive source system (VRSS) developed at the Nuclear Security Department (NSD) makes it possible to simulate "measured" values very accurately, even in a high-dose rate environment, but without exposing trainees to radiation hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate classification of human activities in crime scenes during forensics (criminalistics) is of utmost importance in classifying suspicious and unlawful activities, easing their acceptability and interpretability by judges during legal procedures in courts or by other non-experts in the field of forensics. This paper implements machine learning (ML) algorithms: support vector machine (SVM) and decision tree (DT), to demonstrate with a high accuracy, how data emanating from smartphones' sensors reveal and isolate relevant information about static and dynamic human activities in criminalistics. Smartphones' data from five different sensors (accelerometer, gravity, orientation, Gyroscope and light), related to ten recurrent crime scenes activities, grouped into three classes of events (normal, felony and none-felony events) are classified by the proposed algorithms, with novelty being the classification decisions based on the entire period of the events and not instantaneous decision makings. Three independent data-subsets were made, with permutations done between them and at each time, two sets used for training and the third set used for testing. Time- and frequency-domain features were initially used separately and then combined for the model training and testing. The best average training accuracies of 100% and 97.8% were obtained for the DT and SVM, respectively, and the testing accuracies of 89.1% were obtained for both algorithms. We therefore believe that these results will serve as a solid persuasive and convincing argument to judges and non-experts of the field of forensics to accept and easily interpret computer-aided classification of suspicious activities emanating from criminalistic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is a one of the important physical evidence that could be encountered in any objects including car tire, shoes, or clothes. This study presents the comparison of the soils in Ömerli Dam, Istanbul-Türkiye. 35 of soil samples from 7 different regions have been collected around the lake. FTIR and ICP-OES have been utilized for structural analysis and detection of metal contect in soil samples. Moreover, textural analysis, pH, sedimentation, color tests have been systematically investigated. The image of soil samples is also captured under different light of sources by VSC 8000. The outcome shows that discrimination of soil samples could be studied using various techniques including FTIR, textural analysis, metal concentrations and their color. ICP-OES analysis showed that the soil have various elements such as Si, Fe, Mg, Ca, Cu with a different amounts which provide discrimination for soil samples. The natural pH of the samples varied between 6.1 and 8.3 that are from slightly acidic to moderately alkaline character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of technology and its developments have provided the forensic sciences with many cutting-edge tools, devices, and applications, allowing forensics a better and more accurate understanding of the crime scene, a better and optimal acquisition of data and information, and faster processing, allowing more reliable conclusions to be obtained and substantially improving the scientific investigation of crime. This article describes the technological advances, their impacts, and the challenges faced by forensic specialists in using and implementing these technologies as tools to strengthen their field and laboratory investigations. The systematic review of the scientific literature used the PRISMA® methodology, analyzing documents from databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, Taylor & Francis, PubMed, and ProQuest. Studies were selected using a Cohen Kappa coefficient of 0.463. In total, 63 reference articles were selected. The impact of technology on investigations by forensic science experts presents great benefits, such as a greater possibility of digitizing the crime scene, allowing remote analysis through extended reality technologies, improvements in the accuracy and identification of biometric characteristics, portable equipment for on-site analysis, and Internet of things devices that use artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. These alternatives improve forensic investigations without diminishing the investigator's prominence and responsibility in the resolution of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of science and technology, forensics has become a more attractive scientific subject to study, and the field of nanoforensic research has seen a lot of interest in nanomaterials. Fingerprints are crucial pieces of evidence at each crime scene, and future fingerprint investigations could greatly benefit from nano-based procedures. In terms of tangible evidence for proving a person's identity, fingerprints have historically been and now are considered to be the most valuable sort. The prints left behind at a crime scene are typically latent (invisible) fingerprints; therefore, the distinctive ridge details of fingerprints can be obtained by coating various object surfaces with various nanoparticles, with gold being the most popular choice. These nanoparticles include silver, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, gold, carbon, and silica. Latent fingerprints can be made better and more stable using nanoparticles. This review study concentrates on the employment of various nanomaterials in the creation and identification of latent fingerprints as a consequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) refers to the DNA that is left behind from skin cells when a person touches or comes into contact with an object. In crimes where the identification of suspects becomes a challenge, touch DNA has been a proven investigative tool. The present study aims to provide a systematic review of the role of touch DNA in criminal cases which discusses the nature and importance of touch DNA evidence at crime scenes; various phenomena including the transfer and persistence of touched samples; different factors affecting the touch sample deposition and DNA shedding; the best recovery methods and collection of samples from different substrates; and the interpretation of profiles through advanced techniques that identify the suspects. The present study also aims to optimize standard protocols in the laboratories for touched samples appropriate to the substrates that improve the success rate of profiles from touched items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of substances and samples obtained from a crime scene is very important in solving forensic cases. To determine the variables involved in a crime and to expedite the investigation process, the rapid analysis of body fluids in small quantities and within environments containing diverse components is particularly necessary. For this reason, it is of great importance to analyze biological fluids with rapid, noncontaminating, nondestructive, low-cost, and accurate techniques. In recent years, with advancements in laser technology, spectroscopic methods have been introduced as analytical techniques in forensic medicine and chemical studies. This study focuses on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to demonstrate the detection of blood samples in simulated crime scenes. To minimize the background signal from fluorescent biomolecules in blood, dilution was performed with two different components and Raman analysis was performed for four different concentrations of blood. In general, a decrease in noise in the spectra was observed as the blood was diluted. Crime scenes consisting of pure blood, blood diluted with ethanol and distilled water (1:2, 1:4, and 1:8), a blood--mineral water mixture, a blood--cherry juice mixture, and silver nanoparticle-added mixtures were simulated, and their spectra were examined. Chemometric analyses of the data were performed. Despite high noise and low peak intensities, blood-identifying signals were detected when examining different blood concentrations. It was observed that silver nanoparticles provided high enhancement of blood peaks thanks to their strong plasmonic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Determining the time and cause of death in forensic investigations is challenging when remains are highly decomposed, making traditional toxicological samples unreliable. Entomotoxicology, a controversial and underinvestigated field in forensic science, uses insect specimens from cadavers as alternative toxicological samples. Research has shown that insects feeding on decomposing tissues can serve as substrate for toxicological analyses, which can detect drugs, toxins, and elements even at low concentrations. Nevertheless, the correlation of drug concentrations between insects and conventional matrices is controversial due to unknown factors affecting drug metabolism. This paper examines four real cases where human cadavers were in advanced decomposition, and toxicological analyses were performed on both insect samples and available matrices. The findings provide insights into the correlation between larvae and human specimen results, adding to the limited literature on entomotoxicology in real cases. Additionally, this paper offers guidelines for collecting and preserving entomological evidence at crime scenes and during autopsies for use in entomotoxicological analyses. This advancement shows promise in enhancing forensic investigations, particularly in cases where traditional methods are inapplicable or require additional validation. In forensic investigation, determining the time and cause of death becomes challenging, especially in cases where the remains are found in advanced decomposition, rendering traditional toxicological samples unavailable or unreliable. Entomotoxicology, an emerging methodology within forensic science, leverages insect specimens collected from cadavers as alternative toxicological samples. Several laboratory and field research studies have highlighted the efficacy in detecting various drugs, toxins, and elements absorbed by insects feeding on cadaveric tissues, even at low concentrations. However, correlation studies between drug concentrations in conventional matrices and insects remain controversial due to unknown factors influencing drug metabolism and larval feeding activity. This paper presents four real cases in which human cadavers were discovered in advanced stages of decomposition, and toxicological analyses were performed on both insect samples and available matrices. The results presented complement the scant literature currently available on the application of entomotoxicology in real cases, providing insights into the correlation between larvae and human specimen results. Furthermore, guidelines to collect and preserve entomological evidence at the crime scene and during the autopsy for use in entomotoxicological analyses are provided. This advancement holds promise in aiding forensic investigations, particularly in cases where traditional methods cannot be applied or require supporting data for further validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bite mark analysis plays a pivotal role in forensic investigations, by helping to identify suspects and establish links between individuals and crime scenes. However, traditional bite mark methodologies face significant challenges due to issues with reliability and subjectivity. Recent advances in microbiome analysis, which involves identifying and characterizing the microbial communities found in bite marks, have led to the emergence of a promising tool for forensic investigations. The integration of microbiome analysis with conventional DNA profiling enables more accurate interpretation of bite mark evidence in forensic investigations. This review provides an in-depth look at the integration of bite mark microbiome analysis with forensic DNA profiling. It also addresses the challenges and strategies involved in microbiome-based bite mark analysis for forensic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At many crime scenes, investigators are able to trace and find traces of blood. For many years, it was believed that such traces could only be subjected to genetic investigations, such as those aimed at comparing DNA profiling with a suspect to verify his identity, and that it was therefore not possible to backdate the traces. In recent years, various works have used experimental models to investigate the possibility of identifying markers and methodologies for estimating the time since deposition (TSD) of bloodstains. Despite the results, these methods are still not part of standard procedures, and there is no univocal analysis methodology. In this work we carried out a systematic literature review of all the papers published in the last ten years on this topic, comparing the experimental models created. This review demonstrates the potential that different molecular approaches, such as transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, and spectrometry, can have in the analysis of TSD, with notable sensitivity and specificity. This paper also analyzes the intrinsic and extrinsic limits of these models and emphasizes the need to continue research work on this topic, considering the importance that this parameter can assume in forensic investigations against a suspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic chemistry plays a crucial role in aiding law enforcement investigations by applying analytical techniques for the analysis of evidence. While bloodstains are frequently encountered at crime scenes, distinguishing between peripheral and menstrual bloodstains presents a challenge. This is due to their similar appearance post-drying. Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a promising technique capable of discriminating between the two types of bloodstains, offering invaluable probative information. Moreover, estimating the time since deposition (TSD) of bloodstains aids in crime scene reconstruction and prioritizing what evidence to collect. Despite extensive research focusing on TSD estimations, primarily in peripheral bloodstains, a crucial gap exists in determining the TSD of menstrual bloodstains. This study demonstrates how Raman spectroscopy effectively analyzes biological samples like menstrual blood, showing similar aging patterns to those of peripheral blood and provides proof-of-concept models for determining the TSD of menstrual blood. While this work shows promising results for creating a universal model for bloodstain age determination, further testing with more donors needs to be conducted before the implementation of this method into forensic practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One potential application of forensic "brain reading" is to test whether a suspect has previously experienced a crime scene. Here, we investigated whether it is possible to decode real life autobiographic exposure to spatial locations using fMRI. In the first session, participants visited four out of eight possible rooms on a university campus. During a subsequent scanning session, subjects passively viewed pictures and videos from these eight possible rooms (four old, four novel) without giving any responses. A multivariate searchlight analysis was employed that trained a classifier to distinguish between "seen" versus "unseen" stimuli from a subset of six rooms. We found that bilateral precuneus encoded information that can be used to distinguish between previously seen and unseen rooms and that also generalized to the two stimuli left out from training. We conclude that activity in bilateral precuneus is associated with the memory of previously visited rooms, irrespective of the identity of the room, thus supporting a parietal contribution to episodic memory for spatial locations. Importantly, we could decode whether a room was visited in real life without the need of explicit judgments about the rooms. This suggests that recognition is an automatic response that can be decoded from fMRI data, thus potentially supporting forensic applications of concealed information tests for crime scene recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Socioloski Pregled is the property of Srpsko Sociolosko Drustvo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this work, we present a compact LIBS sensor developed for characterization of samples on a crime scene following requirements of law enforcement agencies involved in the project. The sensor operates both in a tabletop mode, for aside measurements of swabbed materials or taken fragments, and in handheld mode where the sensor head is pointed directly on targets at the scene. The sensor head is connected via an umbilical to an instrument box that could be battery-powered and contains also a color camera for sample visualization, illumination LEDs, and pointing system for placing the target in focus. Here we describe the sensor's architecture and functionalities, the optimization of the acquisition parameters, and the results of some LIBS measurements. On nano-plotted traces at silica wafer and in optimized conditions, for most of the elements the detection limits, in term of the absolute element masses, were found to be below 10 picograms. We also show results obtained on some representative materials, like fingerprints, swabbed soil and gunshot residue, varnishes on metal, and coated plastics. The last, solid samples were used to evaluate the depth profiling capabilities of the instrument, where the recognition of all four car paint layers was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body fluid identification is fundamental in forensic science as it links a specific biological source to a genetic profile, thus providing critical clues for crime scene reconstruction. Blood is one of the most common body fluids found on the crime scene, and several strategies have been developed for its identification in recent decades. Usually, after a preliminary (or presumptive) test to determine the presence of blood (both human and non-human), a confirmatory test is needed to prove that the sample is human blood. Out of the confirmatory tests, immunochromatographic (IC) assays are the most commonly and widely used. This work gives a review of the use of commercial kits specifically developed to detect human hemoglobin or glycophorin A (a surface protein of human red cells) in forensics. Claimed sensitivity varies broadly (ranging from 0.06 to 75 nanoliters of fresh blood), but different values (as low as 0.002 nL) were found during validation procedures. Specificities are high, and the possibility of cross-reaction (with the risk of false-positive results) is so low that it can be considered negligible. False-negative results, however, can be found due to the so-called "hook effect" as well as to the target degradation/modification, which interferes with the Ag-Ab binding. In addition, the chemical compositions of the presumptive test, detergents, and washing can also promote false negative outcomes in peculiar situations. Although IC assays are rapid, inexpensive, specific, and easy to use even on the crime scene, their major limitation is represented by the destructive approach required by this kind of confirmatory test. Since the final goal of the forensic investigation is the genetic typing of a bloodstain, we will describe the strategies developed for IC assays of faint stains as well as the strategies adopted to ensure that exactly the same sample undergoes human blood identification and DNA typing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting the optimal sampling method is an essential component of the DNA analysis process. Errors or omissions in targeting and gathering relevant samples can significantly reduce the likelihood of obtaining a valuable DNA profile, affecting the profile's quality and evidential value and ultimately hindering its ability to support the justice system. While DNA typing techniques have become significantly more sensitive in recent years, there is an ongoing need for further advancements in the recovery of DNA from crime scenes. It is essential to improve the accuracy and reliability of forensic investigations, particularly in cases where only tiny amounts of DNA are present, such as touch DNA samples or degraded forensic evidence. Parameters, including swab material, type of substrate, and swabbing protocol, that influence the efficiency of a swab are discussed in this review. This is followed by a literature review of studies that have compared swab types and/or other sampling conditions. While swabs are the most-used collection tools at a crime scene, alternatives are available. These alternatives are reviewed, including their advantages and disadvantages. A critical discussion and conclusions make clear that, unfortunately, neither swabs nor their alternatives are highly effective in recovering DNA from a substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood is one of the most commonly found biological fluids at crime scenes, with the detection and identification of blood holding a high degree of evidential value. It can provide not only information about the nature of the crime but can also lead to identification via DNA profiling. Presumptive tests for blood are usually sensitive but not specific, so small amounts of the substrate can be detected, but false-positive results are often encountered, which can be misleading. Novel methods for the detection of red blood cells based on aptamer–target interactions may be able to overcome these issues. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA sequences capable of undergoing selective antigen association due to three-dimensional structure formation. The use of aptamers as a target-specific moiety poses several advantages and has the potential to replace antibodies within immunoassays. Aptamers are cheaper to produce, display no batch-to-batch variation and can allow for a wide range of chemical modifications. They can help limit cross-reactivity, which is a hindrance to current forensic testing methods. Within this study, a modified Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) process was used to generate aptamers against whole red blood cells. Obtained aptamer pools were analysed via massively parallel sequencing to identify viable sequences that demonstrate a high affinity for the target. Using bioinformatics platforms, aptamer candidates were identified via their enrichment profiles. Binding characterisation was also conducted on two selected aptamer candidates via fluorescent microscopy and qPCR to visualise and quantify aptamer binding. The potential for these aptamers is broad as they can be utilised within a range of bioassays for not only forensic applications but also other analytical science and medical applications. Potential future work includes the incorporation of developed aptamers into a biosensing platform that can be used at crime scenes for the real-time detection of human blood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral flow immunochromatographic (LFI) tests are widely used in both biomedical and forensic sciences for different applications. In forensic sciences, their main use is to detect body fluids at crime scenes. However, there are situations in which the amount of potential biological evidence is so low that DNA extraction is favored with respect to the identification of body fluids. Here, an efficient and quick protocol is presented to integrate the detection of body fluids through LFI with DNA extraction from a sample swab and buffer, providing a complete characterization of the biological evidence. This protocol is a modification of a general DNA extraction silica-based kit, whose main application is for blood and tissues. Thus, it could be carried out in different settings (forensic labs, hospitals, other testing labs) without the necessity of buying a specific kit for swabs. The validation of this protocol is supported by the results presented here and previous publications from our group, obtaining DNA in good quantity and with good quality. This proves the potential application of the protocol in both forensic scenarios, to fully characterize biological evidence, and biomedical settings, to molecularly confirm the results of LFI tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial communities, demonstrating dynamic changes in cadavers and the surroundings, provide invaluable insights for forensic investigations. Conventional methodologies for microbiome sequencing data analysis face obstacles due to subjectivity and inefficiency. Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents an efficient and accurate tool, with the ability to autonomously process and analyze high-throughput data, and assimilate multi-omics data, encompassing metagenomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. This facilitates accurate and efficient estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI), detection of crime location, and elucidation of microbial functionalities. This review presents an overview of microorganisms from cadavers and crime scenes, emphasizes the importance of microbiome, and summarizes the application of AI in high-throughput microbiome data processing in forensic microbiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fingerprints are unique patterns used as biometric keys because they allow an individual to be unambiguously identified, making their application in the forensic field a common practice. The design of a system that can match the details of different images is still an open problem, especially when applied to large databases or, to real-time applications in forensic scenarios using mobile devices. Fingerprints collected at a crime scene are often manually processed to find those that are relevant to solving the crime. This work proposes an efficient methodology that can be applied in real time to reduce the manual work in crime scene investigations that consumes time and human resources. The proposed methodology includes four steps: (i) image pre-processing using oriented Gabor filters; (ii) the extraction of minutiae using a variant of the Crossing Numbers method which include a novel ROI definition through convex hull and erosion followed by replacing two or more very close minutiae with an average minutiae; (iii) the creation of a model that represents each minutia through the characteristics of a set of polygons including neighboring minutiae; (iv) the individual search of a match for each minutia in different images using metrics on the absolute and relative errors. While in the literature most methodologies look to validate the entire fingerprint model, connecting the minutiae or using minutiae triplets, we validate each minutia individually using n-vertex polygons whose vertices are neighbor minutiae that surround the reference. Our method also reveals robustness against false minutiae since several polygons are used to represent the same minutia, there is a possibility that even if there are false minutia, the true polygon is present and identified; in addition, our method is immune to rotations and translations. The results show that the proposed methodology can be applied in real time in standard hardware implementation, with images of arbitrary orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research objective was to analyze the irregular automobiles of foreign origin and their correlation with high social impact crimes in Baja California during 2010-2022. The methodology was exploratory because it observes and records official statistical data on the regularization of cars, recognizing that, although it is a phenomenon regularly present in the public agenda, but understudied even though the three branches of government note the presence of irregular cars in 80% of the crime scene. The results suggest that the linkage of irregular cars to the crime scene in the case study of Baja California, statistically was not significant. From the standpoint of international cooperation, the author suggests the alliance of California as a co-responsible partner in the comprehensive solution of what seems to be a “wicked problem”, without a final solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firearms violence results in hundreds of thousands of criminal investigations each year. To try to identify a culprit, firearms examiners seek to link fired shell casings or bullets from crime scene evidence to a particular firearm. The underlying assumption is that firearms impart unique marks on bullets and cartridge cases, and that trained examiners can identify these marks to determine which were fired by the same gun. For over a hundred years, firearms examiners have testified that they can conclusively identify the source of a bullet or cartridge case. In recent years, however, research scientists have called into question the validity and reliability of such testimony. Judges largely did not view such testimony with increased skepticism after the Supreme Court set out standards for screening expert evidence in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Instead, the surge in judicial rulings came more than a decade later, particularly after reports by scientists shed light on limitations of the evidence. In this Article, we detail over a century of case law and examine how judges have engaged with the changing practice and scientific understanding of firearms comparison evidence. We first describe how judges initially viewed firearms comparison evidence skeptically and thought jurors capable of making firearms comparisons themselves-without an expert. Next, judges embraced the testimony of experts who offered more specific and aggressive claims, and the work spread nationally. Finally, we explore the modern era of firearms case law and research. Judges increasingly express skepticism and adopt a range of approaches to limit in-court testimony by firearms examiners. In December 2023, Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence was amended, for the first time in over twenty years, specifically due to the Rules Committee's concern with the quality of federal rulings regarding forensic evidence, as well as the failure to engage with the ways that forensic experts express conclusions in court. There is perhaps no area in which judges, especially federal judges, have been more active than in the area of firearms evidence. Thus, the judging of firearms evidence has central significance for the direction that scientific evidence gatekeeping may take under the revised Rule 702 in federal, and then state courts. We conclude by examining lessons regarding the gradual judicial shift toward a more scientific approach. The more-than-a-century-long arc of judicial review of firearms evidence in the United States suggests that, over time, scientific research can displace tradition and precedent to improve the quality of justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hexagon OBTI test is a commercial kit made for the purpose of forensically identifying human blood. The test process is straightforward and does not need for a lab environment. To reduce between-sampling variation, all samples (blood) were taken from the researcher, a healthy male who was 33 at the time of collection. Blood thinners were created using liquid blood supplies and deionized water in the following dilutions: 1:10, 1:100, 1:1000, 1:100,000, 1:1,000,000, 1:10000000, and 1:100000000. The samples were analyzed by Hexagon OBTI and Kastel-Meyer, and the findings of both tests were positive up to a dilution of 1:1000 in the case of the former and 1:1000000 in the case of the latter. The result was a more sensitive OBTI test than Kastel-Meyer, the OBTI test is therefore suitable for identification of human blood at crime scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In forensic techniques, determining the age of human blood spots is crucial, but it can be challenging because there is no widely used, trusted method for doing so. An innovative technology called Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) was utilized to calculate the age of blood spots from one day to 42 days. Six healthy male and female donors provided six blood samples, the ages of the donors ranged from (14-32) years, and samples were taken at different times, the blood splatter storage conditions closely resembled actual crime scenes. When analyzing the samples, it was observed that there were peaks related to amide A, I, II and III in all samples, which are considered diagnostic features of human blood using the FTIR device. In samples 1, 2, and 3, it was observed that there were beaks (3564 – 3960) indicating the presence of moisture or water particles in the sample, and the reason for this may be due to the failure to dry the sample properly, or that it. It was also observed that there were beaks (1968 – 2973) related to lipids in plasma and (1055-1062) related to glucose in samples 1-2-3, which were preserved for a period of (10-42) days, and their absence in samples that were kept for a period of (1-3) days, and this may indicate decomposition of blood samples as time progressed and breakage. The fast, simple, and non-destructive properties of FTIR spectroscopy make it an excellent tool for forensic medicine. This is one of the most recent studies showing how FTIR spectroscopy can be a useful technique for determining the age of bloodstains in made-up crime scenes. Global bio spectral information from aging blood spots can be extracted and analyzed via chemical analysis, which has proven to be successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to establish the significance and impact of using DNA data in forensics. The study employed the anamnestic method, descriptive analysis, and forecasting. The conducted research identified the key problems of creating and using DNA databases, including insufficient logistical and laboratory support, understaffing, lack of special legislation, low level of security, slow filling of databases, disregard of the public position, and the need to establish international cooperation. It was established that DNA analysis enables identifying the identity of the deceased or a person who cannot identify himself; determining the number of persons at the crime scene; establishing whether DNA traces belong to a suspect; establishing a connection between several crimes by matching DNA samples taken from the scene; establishing those accused of crimes. It is proposed to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement activities through the development of an International Strategy for the Influence of the Use of DNA Databases and ensure international cooperation on the exchange of DNA information in forensics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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At the stage of investigation and consideration of the case in court, in order to identify criminals, great importance is attached to the identification of person, collection of evidence and research. The use of digital computer methods in forensic expertise is important and involves the entire system, from the crime scene to the court. These methods combine many capabilities which are the basis for better confrontation with new and evolving threats. On the other hand, these actions should be carried out without violating the fundamental principles of law, and on the other hand, research methodologies based on modern achievements of science should be used as much as possible. Advances in digital computer technology in criminalistic are mainly used for two purposes: for fixation and automated identification. During fixation, the crime scene, fact, object and traces are fixed, and during identification, the research objects are automatically being compared with each other. It is possible to intervene in the product created for fixation using fixation means only for better depiction of traces and other evidence. In the case of comparison systems, they reflect only approximate results about similar searched objects, which are finally checked by an expert and give a conclusion. According to the procedural legislation of the criminal law of Georgia, both the product obtained using the fixation means and the research results reflected in the expert document with the help of comparative systems are important for the investigation and the court, which means that they have the appropriate evidentiary value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fingerprint analysis has long been a cornerstone in criminal investigations for suspect identification. Beyond this conventional role, recent efforts have aimed to extract additional demographic information from fingerprints, such as gender, age, and nationality. While studies have demonstrated promising accuracy in gender classification based on fingerprints, practical implementation faces challenges, including the often low quality of crime scene fingerprints. This study presents a pioneering comparison of gender classification across diverse datasets, considering variations in fingerprint image quality. We examine the results from four databases, encompassing both public and private sources, employing state-of-the-art Data-Centric AI (DCAI) approaches for enhanced classification. Our findings reveal that a conservative Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)—specifically VGG—proves effective, achieving an accuracy ranging from 70% to 95% based on fingerprint quality. DCAI methods contribute a noteworthy 1–4% improvement. Notably, for partial or low-quality fingerprints, the periphery emerges as a critical determinant of gender classification. This study contributes insights into practical gender classification from fingerprints, emphasizing the significance of the fingerprint periphery. Furthermore, we provide the source code for future research and accessibility in real-world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabric is a commonly found piece of physical evidence at most crime scenes. Forensic analysis of fabric is typically performed via microscopic examination. This subjective approach is primarily based on pattern recognition and, therefore, is often inconclusive. Most of the fabric material found at crime scenes is colored. One may expect that a confirmatory identification of dyes can be used to enhance the reliability of the forensic analysis of fabric. In this study, we investigated the potential of near-infrared Raman spectroscopy (NIRS) in the confirmatory, non-invasive, and non-destructive identification of 15 different dyes on cotton. We found that NIRS was able to resolve the vibrational fingerprints of all 15 colorants. Using partial-squared discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), we showed that NIRS enabled ~100% accurate identification of dyes based on their vibrational signatures. These findings open a new avenue for the robust and reliable forensic analysis of dyes on fabric directly at crime scenes. Main conclusion: a hand-held Raman spectrometer and partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) approaches enable highly accurate identification of dyes on fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is commonly collected from an outdoor crime scene, and thus it is helpful in linking a suspect and a victim to a crime scene. The chemical profiles of soils can be acquired via chemical instruments such as Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC). However, the UPLC chromatogram often interferes with an unstable baseline. In this paper, we compared the performance of five baseline correction (BC) algorithms, i.e. asymmetric least squares (AsLS), fill peak, iterative restricted least squares, median window (MW), and modified polynomial fitting, in discriminating 30 chromatograms of brownish soils by five locations of origin, i.e. PP, HK, KU, BL, and KB. The performances of the preprocessed sub-datasets were first visually inspected through the mean chromatograms and then further explored via scores plots of principal component analysis (PCA). Eventually, the predictive performances of the partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models estimated from 1 000 pairs of training and testing samples (i.e. prepared via iterative random resampling split at 75:25) were studied to identify the best BC method. Mean raw chromatograms of the 10 soil samples were different from each other, with evident fluctuated baselines. AsLS and MW corrected chromatograms demonstrated the most significant improvement compared with the raw counterpart. Meanwhile, the scores plot of PCA revealed that most of the sub-datasets produced three separate clusters. Then, the sub-datasets were modelled via the PLS-DA technique. MW emerged as the excellent BC method based on the mean prediction accuracy estimated using 1 000 pairs of training and testing samples. In conclusion, MW outperformed the other BC methods in correcting the UPLC data of soil. Key points UPLC data of soil interfere with baseline drifts. BC can improve the quality of the pixel-level UPLC data. MW emerges as the most desired algorithm in improving the quality of UPLC data of soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current investigative process, digital technology has become an essential tool that helps forensic specialists and law enforcement organizations retrieve electronic evidence that is vital to solving crimes. Obtaining electronic evidence from crime scenes is seen as a challenging investigative task, particularly in light of the rise in cybercrime techniques. In order to find some hints or evidence or assess their significance using scientific and technical data that neither the judge nor the investigator have access to, it takes professional investigators and technical experts. This study examines the value of digital technology in the recovery of electronic evidence and its practical use at crime scenes. Through an analysis of many methodologies, instruments, and obstacles, this research illuminates the dynamic field of digital forensics and its function within the criminal justice structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One size does not fit all in assessment and intervention for people with convictions for sexual offences. Crime scene indicators and risk-related variables have been used to identify distinct clusters of people with convictions for sexual offences, but there is a need for more robust typologies that identify clusters based on psychologically meaningful risk factors that can be targeted in treatment. Aims: To use robust modelling techniques to identify latent profiles of people with convictions for sexual offences based on indicators of dynamic risk. Method: Adult male participants, who had been convicted for sexual offences and assessed for eligibility for the prison-based Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme delivered by His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (UK), were randomly allocated to a test (n = 1577: 70.2%) or validation (n = 668: 29.8%) data-set. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to select measures of dynamic risk from psychological test data. EFA indicated four factors, from which six measures were selected for inclusion in latent profile analysis. Results: Five latent profiles were identified in the test and validation data-sets. These were labelled low psychological impairment, impulsive, distorted thinker, rape preoccupied and child fantasist. Profiles varied in individual characteristics, offence histories, victim preferences and level of risk. Conclusions: Our findings should be used to guide assessment and intervention practices that are tailored to distinct psychological profiles consistent with principles of risk, need and responsivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of bite marks provides crucial elements that contribute towards identifying the biter. In many cases, it assumes importance when bite marks are detected on the body of a victim of violence, but it could also be relevant when the bite marks are seen on food substances at the crime scene. In both circumstances, comparing the bite marks with a suspect's dentition can be decisive in confirming or excluding the culpability. In this case report, a bun (bread roll) with the sign of a bite was found at the crime scene. We report a pilot study using 3D reproduction of the bite mark on the bun and dental models of the alleged biter and the victim. A reverse engineering process was used to obtain digital 3D models of the bitten bun and the dental models by taking numerous photographs and stitching them together using a software called Metashape by Agisoft. The last step was to compare the bitemark to the two dental models, evaluating the spatial distance, the degree of overlap, and the degree of interpenetration. The results confirmed the usefulness of reverse engineering in forensic investigations showing the compatibility between the victim's teeth and the bite mark on the bun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a crime scene, investigators are faced with a multitude of traces. Among them, biological traces are of primary interest for the rapid genetic-based identification of individuals. "Touch DNA" consists of invisible biological traces left by the simple contact of a person's skin with objects. To date, these traces remain undetectable with the current methods available in the field. This study proposes a proof-of-concept for the original detection of touch DNA by targeting cell-derived fragments in addition to DNA. More specifically, adhesive-structure proteins (laminin, keratin) as well as carbohydrate patterns (mannose, galactose) have been detected with keratinocyte cells derived from a skin and fingermark touch-DNA model over two months in outdoor conditions. Better still, this combinatory detection strategy is compatible with DNA profiling. This proof-of-concept work paves the way for the optimization of tools that can detect touch DNA, which remains a real challenge in helping investigators and the delivery of justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many new cultivars have been taken abroad illegally, which is now considered an international issue. Botanical evidence found at a crime scene provides valuable information about the origin of the sample. However, botanical resources for forensic evidence remain underutilized because molecular markers, such as microsatellites, are not available without a limited set of species. Multiplexed intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq) and its analysis method, identification of not applicable (iD-NA), have been used to determine several genome-wide genetic markers, making them applicable to all plant species, including those with limited available genetic information. Camellia cultivars are popular worldwide and are often planted in many gardens and bred to make new cultivars. In this study, we aimed to analyze Camellia cultivars/species through MIG-seq. MIG-seq could discriminate similar samples, such as bud mutants and closely related samples that could not be distinguished based on morphological features. This discrimination was consistent with that of a previous study that classified cultivars based on short tandem repeat (STR) markers, indicating that MIG-seq has the same or higher discrimination ability as STR markers. Furthermore, we observed unknown phylogenetic relationships. Because MIG-seq can be applied to unlimited species and low-quality DNA, it may be useful in various scientific fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]