Field Of Forensic Identification Research Articles

Research progress on the application of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and machine learning in forensic microbiome individual identification.

Forensic microbiome research is a field with a wide range of applications and a number of protocols have been developed for its use in this area of research. As individuals host radically different microbiota, the human microbiome is expected to become a new biomarker for forensic identification. To achieve an effective use of this procedure an understanding of factors which can alter the human microbiome and determinations of stable and changing elements will be critical in selecting appropriate targets for investigation. The 16S rRNA gene, which is notable for its conservation and specificity, represents a potentially ideal marker for forensic microbiome identification. Gene sequencing involving 16S rRNA is currently the method of choice for use in investigating microbiomes. While the sequencing involved with microbiome determinations can generate large multi-dimensional datasets that can be difficult to analyze and interpret, machine learning methods can be useful in surmounting this analytical challenge. In this review, we describe the research methods and related sequencing technologies currently available for application of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and machine learning in the field of forensic identification. In addition, we assess the potential value of 16S rRNA and machine learning in forensic microbiome science.

Forensic Human Identification for Cutaneous Microbiome, a Brief Review

Forensic Science compounds many study areas in context of solving crimes, one of which is the forensic microbiology. Combined with genomic approaches, microbiology has shown strong performance in studies regarding the relationship between microorganisms present on human skin and environment. The Human Microbiome Project (HMP) has contributed significantly to characterization of microbial complexity and their connection to human being. The purpose of this work consists of a historical overview of scientific articles, demonstrating the growth and possibility of using skin microbiome in forensic identification. Studies about use of cutaneous microbiome in human identification, as well its forensic approaches, were looked into for writing of this review. Comparisons among cutaneous microbial communities and manipulated objects have been tested using 16S rRNA, as well as a thorough sequencing of the bacterial genome. From use of ecological measures of distance to genetic markers with nucleotide variants and predictive algorithms, research has shown promising results for advances in field of forensic identification. The development of metagenomic microbial panel markers, named hidSkinPlax for targeted sequencing has been designed and tested with great results. Research results show satisfactory potential in human identification by cutaneous microbiome and the possibility for contributive use in elucidating crimes.

Research on the Application of Virtual Anatomy Technology in the Field of Forensic Identification in China

虚拟解剖；传统法医解剖；法医鉴定；标准化

THREE-DIMENSIONAL (3D) RECONSTRUCTIONS OF THE SKULL AND ITS VALUE IN THE FIELD OF FORENSIC MEDICINE

In this paper, the authors are presenting a case of forensic identification of a corpse found in advanced decay, which represents an example of good practice in the field of forensic identification. The paper illustrates images that are original from researches carried out by the authors. The authors are also presenting a literature review of the postmortem CT examination technique.

The Reliability of Facial Recognition of Deceased Persons on Photographs.

In humanitarian emergencies, such as the current deceased migrants in the Mediterranean, antemortem documentation needed for identification may be limited. The use of visual identification has been previously reported in cases of mass disasters such as Thai tsunami. This pilot study explores the ability of observers to match unfamiliar faces of living and dead persons and whether facial morphology can be used for identification. A questionnaire was given to 41 students and five professionals in the field of forensic identification with the task to choose whether a facial photograph corresponds to one of the five photographs in a lineup and to identify the most useful features used for recognition. Although the overall recognition score did not significantly differ between professionals and students, the median scores of 78.1% and 80.0%, respectively, were too low to consider this method as a reliable identification method and thus needs to be supported by other means.

Biometrics in Forensic Identification: Applications and Challenges

Accurate and efficient identification have become a vital requirement for forensic application due to diversities of criminal activities. A recent advancement in biometric technologywhich is equipped with computational intelligence techniques is replacing manual identification approaches in forensic science. Biometrics is a fundamental verification mechanism that identifies individuals on the basis of their physiological and behavioral features. These biometric expansions are easily observable in different forensic identification areas, e.g. face, fingerprint, iris, voice, handwriting, etc. The effectiveness of biometricssystem lies in different recognition processes which include feature extraction, feature robustness and feature matching. The emergence of forensic biometrics covers a wide range of applications for physical and cybercrime detection. Forensic Biometrics also overcomes the loopholes of traditional identification system that were based on personal probabilities. It is considered as a fundamental shift in the way criminals are detected. The present study describes the contribution and limitations of biometric science in the field of forensic identification.

Sexual and topological differences in palmprint and ridge density in the Caucasian Spanish population

Despite the fact that variation in ridge breadth is of biological, medical, and genetic interest, it has not received as much attention as other dermatoglyphic characteristics.Recently, sex differences in mean epidermal ridge breadth have been proposed in the field of forensic identification in order to infer gender from fingerprints found at the scene of a crime left by an unknown donor. The aim of this research was to analyze sexual, bimanual, and topological variations in epidermal ridge breadth on palmprints taken from a Spanish population sample for subsequent application in inferring gender from the palm marks.The material used in the present study was obtained from the palmprints of 200 individuals (100 males and 100 females) from the Caucasian Spanish. Since ridge breadth varies according to age, subjects of similar ages were recruited to ensure that growth had finished.Therefore, in order to assess topological variation in ridge density or number of ridges in a given space, the count was carried out for the five palmar areas: hypothenar, thenar/first interdigital, second interdigital, third interdigital, and fourth interdigital. This allowed the segmentation of 2000 ridge count areas for analysis. For this, two methods were used, one described by Cummins et al. (the ridge count was carried out along a 1cm line) and the other by Acree (the number of ridges per 25mm2 of surface area). The results obtained by the second method can be compared with those obtained for the ten fingers from this same sample and evaluated in a previous study.The results have demonstrated the existence of topological differences in ridge thickness on the epidermal palm surface; also females present a significantly higher ridge density than men and, therefore, have narrower ridges over the entire palmar surface. Those sexual differences found in the sample population can be used for inferring the gender from palm marks left by an unknown donor. The hypotheses that could explain the variability in ridge breadth are evaluated according to the obtained results.

Estimation of stature from static and dynamic footprints

The ability to estimate accurately from known parameters is a fundamental aspect of science and is evident as an emerging approach in the area of footprints and stature estimation within the field of forensic identification. There are numerous foot dimensions that have been measured in the literature to predict stature with varying degrees of confidence but few studies have tried to link the strength of estimation to anatomical landmarks. Such an approach is utilised in this study which estimates stature from the right footprints of sixty one adult male and female UK participants. Static and dynamic footprints were taken from each volunteer using the 'inkless paper system'. The prints were digitised and twelve length, width and angle measurements were chosen for the analysis. The highest correlations with stature were shown to be the heel to fourth toe print for the static group of footprints (r=0.786, p<0.01), and the heel to fifth toe print in the dynamic footprints (r=0.858, p<0.01). Collinearity statistics suggest the heel to fifth toe print length measurement is independent and not influenced by any other variables in the estimation of stature for the dynamic prints. Linear regression equations for this measurement presented the smallest standard error of estimate (SEE) and highest shared variance (R(2)) of all included variables (SEE 4.16, R(2) 0.74). Our study discusses a potential anatomical explanation as to why the lateral border of the foot and hence the impression it makes upon a hard surface, is a more stable indicator in the estimation of stature. The investigation recommends the use of Calc_A4 and Calc_A5 length measurements when estimating stature from footprint impressions.

Ear Piercing Affects Earprints: The Role of Ear Piercing in Human Identification

Previous research conducted into the use of the human ear in the field of forensic identification has focused upon the use of grids and manual methods to measure and catalogue the different anatomical features of the ear. To date, few have considered the importance of the presence of ear piercings and their possible role in human identification. This study aims to highlight the common distribution of piercings of both ears in both genders and to explore the effect of piercings on earprints. The presence of a piercing may, in part, help to explain why partial and not whole earprints are sometimes recovered from a scene of crime (suggesting that the offender's ears may be pierced). The presence of piercings through the tragus and the superior part of the helix are shown to be infrequent and thus may be used to assist the identification of a body, due to its relative rarity with respect to piercings found in other areas of the ear.