Forensic Field Research Articles

A radiomorphometric evaluation of age-related changes in mandibular morphology

AIMS: The main aim of this study was to determine, compare and differentiate the morphologically related changes of the mandible in dentate males and females among different age groups on digital panoramic images and to assess their authenticity in age estimations to provide evidence in forensics.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Digital panoramic images were made of 620 subjects, belonging to into four groups of ages ranging between 1218 years, 1940 years, 4160 years, and older than 60 years. Measurements such as gonial angle, condylar length, ramus length, cortical bone thickness, and ramal notch width were measured and evaluated. The data obtained was then subjected to descriptive statistical analysis followed by a Paired t-test and a Two-way ANOVA test to arrive at the results.
 RESULTS: On measuring an angular and four linear measurements a statistically significant differences were found among all the age groups with p 0.05 and also increased on aging except for the gonial angle. Among all the parameters, the gonial angle, ramus length, and ramal notch width depicted a statistically significant difference between the right and left sides and with p 0.05.
 CONCLUSION: Age estimation with linear and angular measurements of the mandible was possible among the study population. It is found that all parameters except gonial angle are reliable for age determination. It was found that as age increased, the mean value of all the parameters increased and showed a significant difference between all age groups except the gonial angle. Hence, this study positively recommends the use of all parameters except gonial angle for the purpose of age estimation in the field of forensics.

Machine Learning-Based Analytical Systems: Food Forensics.

Despite a large amount of money being spent on both food analyses and control measures, various food-borne illnesses associated with pathogens, toxins, pesticides, adulterants, colorants, and other contaminants pose a serious threat to human health, and thus food safety draws considerable attention in the modern pace of the world. The presence of various biogenic amines in processed food have been frequently considered as the primary quality parameter in order to check food freshness and spoilage of protein-rich food. Various conventional detection methods for detecting hazardous analytes including microscopy, nucleic acid, and immunoassay-based techniques have been employed; however, recently, array-based sensing strategies are becoming popular for the development of a highly accurate and precise analytical method. Array-based sensing is majorly facilitated by the advancements in multivariate analytical techniques as well as machine learning-based approaches. These techniques allow one to solve the typical problem associated with the interpretation of the complex response patterns generated in array-based strategies. Consequently, the machine learning-based neural networks enable the fast, robust, and accurate detection of analytes using sensor arrays. Thus, for commercial applications, most of the focus has shifted toward the development of analytical methods based on electrical and chemical sensor arrays. Therefore, herein, we briefly highlight and review the recently reported array-based sensor systems supported by machine learning and multivariate analytics to monitor food safety and quality in the field of food forensics.

Applications of artificial intelligence in forensic sciences: Current potential benefits, limitations and perspectives

In recent years, new studies based on artificial intelligence (AI) have been conducted in the forensic field, posing new challenges and demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of using AI methodologies to solve forensic well-known problems. Specifically, AI technology has tried to overcome the human subjective bias limitations of the traditional approach of the forensic sciences, which include sex prediction and age estimation from morphometric measurements in forensic anthropology or evaluating the third molar stage of development in forensic odontology. Likewise, AI has been studied as an assisting tool in forensic pathology for a quick and easy identification of the taxonomy of diatoms. The present systematic review follows the PRISMA 2020 statements and aims to explore an emerging topic that has been poorly analyzed in the forensic literature. Benefits, limitations, and forensic implications concerning AI are therefore highlighted, by providing an extensive critical review of its current applications on forensic sciences as well as its future directions. Results are divided into 5 subsections which included forensic anthropology, forensic odontology, forensic pathology, forensic genetics, and other forensic branches. The discussion offers a useful instrument to investigate the potential benefits of AI in the forensic fields as well as to point out the existing open questions and issues concerning its application on real-life scenarios. Procedural notes and technical aspects are also provided to the readers.

The concept of natural death today, between futility and ethical necessity. A concept for the 21st century

The concept of natural death has been present in philosophical, medical and social reflection for centuries, fulfilling a double function: understanding human finitude and hoping for a desirable way to reach the end of our days. Today, those goals have been blurred by the sense of control over death that comes from the high technology of medicine, the dreams of immortality nurtured by the media, and the confusing line drawn between autonomy and dignity. This article studies the concept of natural death that in the past 20th century was the subject of debate between health workers and bioethicists and that at the beginning of this 21st century has already begun to be questioned. The ″naturalness″ of death was intended to be a kind of ethical frontier in the face of any form of violence, injustice, excessive technicalization or interference with the human will. Today, many of these aspects are blurred in a context as unnatural as he hospital one. In addition, the forensic field has also encountered serious difficulties in excluding any human, voluntary or involuntary intervention, in a large part of the deaths, since there is little natural in what we breathe, eat or drink. Based on all this, a redefinition proposal is offered that responds to a double need: the social need to integrate the inevitable mortality and the shared personal need to reach the end after a humanizing process that excludes all human responsibility. It is anthropologically possible and ethically desirable natural death.

Artificial Intelligence: An Advanced Evolution In Forensic and Criminal Investigation

Abstract: It is aimed, with the use of modern sciences and technologies and also the use of new, latest and future technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to develop enhanced and extended ways to promote the technology for forensics of all its sectors (AI). A program or computer program is capable of carrying out human functions such as visual awareness, voice recognition, cognitive reasoning, strategic thinking, understanding from experiences, and solving complicated issues at a greater rate and with smaller mistake rates than humans. AI is also the most developing sector for advances in the field of forensics and the system of justice. In today's situation, specialists are faced with numerous problems because of enormous quantities of data, minute facts in the chaotic and complex environment, traditional lab architecture, and sometimes inadequate information, which might fail to do an inquiry or a miscarriage of justice. AI is a waffle to combat the difficulties of machine learning and profound learning. Case-based reasoning for error-free and objective outcomes in many forensic areas, neural networks, and reproductive results. The study discusses AI's current and potential future uses in forensic science. Artificial intelligence may be used in a variety of applications, including blood pattern recognition and analysis, crime scene reconstruction, digital forensics, image processing, and, of course, satellite monitoring.

Unmanned aerial vehicle as a forensic technical tool and object of forensic research

use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the detection, investigation, and prevention of criminal offences. The purpose of this study was to investigate topical issues of using UAVs in two aspects – as a technical forensic tool and as a tool and means of committing a criminal offence. The research methodology included a set of general scientific and special methods that allow assuming and concluding on the specific features of using a UAV in the detection, investigation, and prevention of criminal offences. Thus, this study was based on a diagnostic method for cognition of social and legal phenomena and concepts in their development and interdependence. Along with this, general and special research methods were used, namely comparative legal, system-structural, statistical, logical, and other modern methods of scientific cognition. The theoretical framework of this study included studies of scientists and practitioners in the field of criminal procedure and forensics. The regulatory framework of the study included the norms and provisions of current regulations and their practical implementation in the law enforcement sphere. The study examined topical issues related to the UAV as a modern technical forensic tool and object of forensic research. The paper considered certain aspects and features of the use of UAVs in the detection, investigation, and prevention of criminal offences. To this end, various aspects of the use of UAVs as modern technical forensic tools were comprehensively analysed, distinguishing theoretical foundations of application, statutory regulation, organizational, technological, and scientific-methodological support. The features of using UAVs as a tool and means of committing criminal offences were determined. The study investigated typical traces left as a result of using UAVs, features of their logging and seizure. Considering investigative situations, the sequence, and specifics of conducting an inspection and seizure of a UAV and its elements at the initial stage of the investigation were determined, as well as an indicative list of issues for their expert investigation was provided. The significance of the results and practical value of this paper is that it highlights the specific features of using a UAV as a technical forensic tool and object of forensic research, formulates scientific and methodological recommendations for the use of unmanned aerial systems in the investigation, solving, and prevention of criminal offences. The study also defines the areas for improving Ukrainian legislation to regulate legal relations in the field of criminal justice on the use of unmanned aerial systems by law enforcement agencies

Dataset: Digital Forensic Literature with a Focus on Software: Trends, Institutions, and Authors (2012-2022)

This data article presents a thorough examination of digital forensic literature with a focus on software from 2012 to 2022, retrieved from lens.org, with the aim of identifying the most influential institutions, authors, and research trends. Using keywords "digital forensic AND software," the data collection process involved filtering by date range, document type, and subject matter, resulting in 427 journal articles. The analysis highlights the most productive institutions, years, fields of study, active authors, and publishers. This data is valuable for researchers and practitioners in digital forensics, particularly those interested in software applications, providing insights into the most significant contributions and aiding future research development.
 Highlights:
 
 Research in the field of digital forensics is growing rapidly, with the Université de Lausanne being the leading institution in the number of publications.
 Computer science is the most popular field of study in digital forensics, with a focus on analysing software and file systems.
 Elsevier B.V. is the leading publisher in digital forensics, with the journal Digital Investigation as the main source of publications.
 

Methodological Guide to Forensic Hydrology

In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, geophysical, meteorological and hydrological disasters are increasing every year. With significantly limited resources, these countries are naturally forced to absorb lessons from these disasters. One of the fundamental activities during this learning task remains the need to standardize the forensic reporting process. Like all academic disciplines, engineering is exceptional in its application to the forensic field. This feature makes it a unique input to the investigation of hydrological and environmental catastrophes. Based on the fundamental concepts of forensic investigation, ten principles for properly conducting forensic hydrology studies are proposed. The ten principles proposed are: (i) Principle of use, (ii) production, (iii) principle of exchange, (iv) recognition, (v) correspondence, (vi) reconstruction, (vii) principle of probability, (viii) uncertainty, (ix) principle of certainty, and (x) conclusion principle. A hypothetical case of urban infrastructure failure is used to explain, in detail, each of the proposed principles. This paper proposes a methodology to be considered as a reference point for a forensic hydrological analysis to be used at the LAC region.

Identification of Source Camera by Amalgamation of PRNU and Noise Print Using Dimensionality Expansive Residual Network

It might be challenging in the field of image forensics to identify the source camera of a picture. This researchproposes a noise adaptable convolutional neural network-based technique for camera identification. For cameraidentification, the suggested solution combines Photo Response Non-Uniformity (PRNU) noise and Noiseprint.Three parallel dimensionality expanded residual networks with convolutional layers of kernel size 1x1 were puttogether for enhanced feature extraction. The experiment mentioned above uses pictures from the ”Vision Dataset”as its subject matter. The experimental findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested methodology inidentifying the source camera at the brand, model, and device levels. When two of the three networks were fedwith PRNU and one with noiseprint, the best performance was obtained.

Location of Latent Forensic Traces Using Multispectral Bands

In this paper, a conventional camera modified to capture multispectral images, has been used to locate latent forensic traces with a smart combination of wavelength filters, capturing angle, and illumination sources. There are commercial multispectral capture devices adapted to the specific tasks of the police, but due to their high cost and operation not well adapted to the field work in a crime scene, they are not currently used by forensic units. In our work, we have used a digital SLR camera modified to obtain a nominal sensitivity beyond the visible spectrum. The goal is to obtain forensic evidences from a crime scene using the multispectral camera by an expert in the field knowing which wavelength filters and correct illumination sources should be used, making visible latent evidences hidden from the human-eye. In this paper, we show a procedure to retrieve from latent forensic traces, showing the validity of the system in different real cases (blood stains, hidden/erased tattoos, unlocking patterns on mobile devices). This work opens the possibility of applying multispectral inspections in the forensic field specially for operational units for the location of latent through non-invasive optical procedures.

Validation of forensic tools and methods: A primer for the digital forensics examiner

AbstractReal‐world laboratory use, controlled internal tests utilizing scientific principles, and peer review should be leveraged in a proper validation test plan of digital and multimedia forensic tools and methods. As the field of digital and multimedia forensics continues to grow and evolve as a science, the importance of proper scientific validation of tools and methods, in addition to the fundamental understanding of its purpose and required elements, will be more critical than ever. As such, this primer article discusses the basic scientific foundations of forensic tool and method validations, in addition to the legal baselines for validations and how they are interpreted in the court of law. Lastly, the recommended steps of a forensically‐sound validation methodology are discussed.This article is categorized under: Digital and Multimedia Science > Mobile Forensics Digital and Multimedia Science > Multimedia Forensics Digital and Multimedia Science > Cybercrime Investigation

The variability of palm print ridge density among Egyptians regarding distribution and sex discrimination

BACKGROUND: Sex determination, as a part of the biological profile of a victim or assailant, plays an important role in resolving different forensic cases as it reduces susceptibility to its half (fifty percent). Previous studies highlighted the role of palm print in sex identification, however, these studies were little when compared to fingerprints.
 AIM: To estimate the density of palm print ridges and to make an equation for establishing gender using gender parameters for a specific population (Egyptians).
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 200 healthy young adults (113 males and 87 males, aged 1822 years) from Cairo city, Egypt. The palm prints were taken by inking method and four areas of the palm print were analyzed to count the ridge density of each palm print area.
 RESULTS: Females describe higher ridge density than males in all palm areas with a significant high statistical difference (p 0.001) for all areas of both hands. The areas of highest sexual discriminatory power for the right palm was Palmar area 4 (P4) and for the left palm was Palmar area 1 (P1) and sex could be accurately identified at an accuracy of 70%. In addition, there was a significant correlation for ridge density in each palm area and other palm areas.
 CONCLUSION: The current study raises hope for the usage of palm print a newly added tool for sex identification in the forensic field, thus decreasing suspicion by fifty percent.

THE COMPARATIVE STUDY ANALYSIS LOGICAL FILES RECOVERY AND LOW LEVEL FILES RECOVERY USING DIGITAL FORENSIC METHODS

The development of application and network technology is currently so rapid. This technology is widely used as a solution to overcome data inspection problems in the field of Digital Forensics. The importance of Digital Forensics as evidence, especially on computers and mobile devices, is increasing, along with the rapid use of these mobile devices in daily communication. Data and files on computers and smartphones can be deleted intentionally or unintentionally. To recover the data, it is necessary to have Files Recovery. Furthermore, Logical Files Recovery can be made through password encryption, obtained through hack/attack password applications such as Password or even hacked with the "RecoveryMyFile" application. In addition, a search with a file that has a password description can be done. One of the file recovery applications that can be used is the Agent ransack search application, which is more powerful and convenient than Windows Search, which is more complicated if you need to search faster, indexing needs to be done, and restarts. By using Files Recovery analysis, the development of file or data deletion crimes can be overcome with increasingly rapid and advanced information technology, in this case through applications that can be used for file recovery and to restore deleted files.

Methods to acquisition digital evidence for computer forensics

Computer forensics is a key science and competency in meeting the growing risks of cybercrime, as well as for criminal investigation generally. In order to provide irrefutable evidence of a potential crime, a specialist in the incident response team (e.g. an IT forensics specialist) must secure the digital evidence in accordance with the correct procedure. There are no strict guidelines on how to do this. It is known that the authenticity and fidelity of data must be preserved. This article will collect good practices developed by specialists in the field of computer forensics. The process of securing the evidence material from a digital data sources for later analysis will be presented.

Evaluation of a SNP-STR haplotype panel for forensic genotype imputation

Short tandem repeat polymorphism (STR)-based individual identification is a popular and reliable method in many forensic applications. However, STRs still frequently fail to find any matched records. In such cases, if known STRs could provide more information, it would be very helpful to solve specific problems. Genotype imputation has long been used in the study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and has recently been introduced into forensic fields. The idea is that, through a reference haplotype panel containing SNPs and STRs, we can obtain unknown genetic information through genotype imputation based on known STR or SNP genotypes. Several recent studies have already demonstrated this exciting idea, and a 1000 Genomes SNP-STR haplotype panel has also been released. To further study the performance of genotype imputation in forensic fields, we collected STR, microhaplotype (MH) and SNP array genotypes from Chinese Han population individuals and then performed genotype imputation analysis based on the released reference panel. As a result, the average locus imputation accuracy was ∼83 % (or ∼70 %) when SNPs in the SNP array (or MH SNPs) were imputed from STRs, and was ∼30 % when highly polymorphic markers (STRs and MHs) were imputed from each other. When STRs were imputed from SNP array, the average locus imputation accuracy increased to ∼48 %. After analyzing the match scores between real STRs and the STRs imputed from SNPs, ∼80 % of studied STR records can be connected to corresponding SNP records, which may help for individual identification. Our results indicate that genotype imputation has great potential for forensic applications.

Detection of audio copy-move-forgery with novel feature matching on Mel spectrogram

Audio copy-move-forgery created by copying one or more segments of an audio file and pasting it in a different position within the same audio is one of the most widely used methods in the field of audio forensics. This type of forgery is easy to apply but difficult to detect in the case of post-processing operations applied to forged speech to hide traces of forgeries. This paper proposes a robust method for the detection and localization of the audio copy-move forgery using a keypoint-based approach to the Mel spectrogram representation of audio. In the proposed method, first, the Mel spectrogram image is created from the input audio. Then, SIFT keypoints are obtained from each RGB color channel of this image. The obtained keypoints from each channel are matched via feature vectors to reveal the clues of the forgery regions, and the image sub-blocks whose keypoints are determined to be the center are labeled as forged blocks. Then the blocks in the neighborhood of the forged blocks are investigated whether forged or not. The proposed post-processing stage completes the determination of the forged regions. This stage eliminates the possible false positives and marks the forged areas in the spectrogram image. The forged segments are marked in the audio file by utilizing the positions of the forged regions in the spectrogram image. Experimental studies are carried out on two pitch-based datasets, using TIMIT and Arabic Speech Corpus. The paper presents the detailed performance results of popular referenced studies on these datasets. The performance results prove that the proposed method is more robust against common post-processing operations such as noise addition, filtering operation, and especially compression operation.

Psychological autopsy: Future implementation in Indonesia?

Psychological autopsy (PA) has been developed across many countries and contexts has proven beneficial during death investigations and in suicide cases. However, academics and practitioners in Indonesia doubt its reliability and efficacy in post-mortem examinations. Consequently, this piece discusses relevant literature, including empirical studies, reviews, and observations, to help contribute to the debate on the validity and feasibility of incorporating PAs in the Indonesian forensic field. In the authors' view, by adapting PA, which has been implemented in other regions, and adjusting it to relevant socio-cultural contexts, it may be considered a helpful procedure for forensic examination under the legal regulations and social frameworks of Indonesia.

Oral and skin microbiome as potential tools in forensic field

The interest in the analysis of the human microbiome for personal identification purposes is based on the microbial diversity amongst individuals. The oral cavity hosts one of the most diverse and abundant microbial communities in the human body; the skin instead is a complex living ecosystem with unique microbial niches at different sites. Both skin and oral microbiomes are highly individual and relatively stable over time. As saliva and skin debris are often found at crime scenes, the analysis of their microbiome may represent a potential tool for personal identification. However, there are some gaps in knowledge on how factors such as age, sex, geographic origin, diet and pathologies can affect the composition of the microbiome. The aim of this study is to improve the existing knowledge by examining oral and skin microbiomes from the same individuals and evaluating the variability between anatomical sites and donors. For this study, 50 individuals living in Italy donated oral swab samples and provided information regarding their diet, lifestyle, health status, antibiotic use, and other demographic data. Skin swabs from 11 of the 50 individuals were also analysed and compared to the oral swabs from the same donors. All analyses were done through metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA region of DNA extracted from the samples. This research outlines the potential use of oral and skin microbiome signatures as added evidence in personal identification, providing useful investigative clues for future forensic caseworks.

Current Issues and Challenges with Scientific Validation of Digital Evidence

Computer forensics is an important part of any cybercrime investigation because it allows law enforcement to collect and examine data that can be used to prove a cybercrime. Despite the occasionally justified use of proof, it is frequently met with skepticism and ambiguity in the courts. There is currently a moratorium on the use of untested forensic method in courtroom court cases, it is still difficult to consistently prove the proof obtained through this method. Because of the nature of electronic records and the privacy restrictions that surround them, it is no longer possible to rely solely on the information gathered through this process. The purpose of this article is to discuss current challenges and issues in the field of computer forensics that are impeding scientific validation of digital forensics.

Portable near infrared spectroscopy for the isomeric differentiation of new psychoactive substances

Rapid and efficient identification of the precise isomeric form of new psychoactive substances (NPS) by forensic casework laboratories is a relevant challenge in the forensic field. Differences in legal status occur for ring-isomeric species of the same class, thus leading to different penalties and judicial control. Portable systems such as near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy recently emerged as suitable techniques for the on-scene identification of common drugs of abuse such as cocaine, MDMA and amphetamine. This way, the overall forensic process becomes more efficient as relevant information on substance identity becomes available directly at the scene of crime. Currently, no NIR-based applications exist for the rapid, on-scene detection of NPS isomers. Herein, we present the differentiation of cathinone and phenethylamine-type NPS analogues based on their NIR spectrum recorded in 2 seconds on a portable 1350 – 2600 nm spectrometer. A prior developed data analysis model was found suitable for the identification of the methylmethcathinone (MMC) isomers 2-MMC, 3-MMC and 4-MMC. In 51 mixtures and 22 seized casework samples, the correct isomeric form was detected in all cases except for a few mixtures with an active ingredient content of 10 wt%. These results show the feasibility of on-site NPS detection as presumptive test performed directly at the scene of crime with a small size NIR-spectrometer. Additionally, in the illicit drug analysis laboratory the combination of NIR and GC–MS analysis might be suitable for robust identification of NPS isomers and analogues.