Comparison Of Fingerprints Research Articles

The low prevalence effect in fingerprint comparison amongst forensic science trainees and novices.

The low prevalence effect is a phenomenon whereby target prevalence affects performance in visual search (e.g., baggage screening) and comparison (e.g., fingerprint examination) tasks, such that people more often fail to detect infrequent target stimuli. For example, when exposed to higher base-rates of ‘matching’ (i.e., from the same person) than ‘non-matching’ (i.e., from different people) fingerprint pairs, people more often misjudge ‘non-matching’ pairs as ‘matches’–an error that can falsely implicate an innocent person for a crime they did not commit. In this paper, we investigated whether forensic science training may mitigate the low prevalence effect in fingerprint comparison. Forensic science trainees (n = 111) and untrained novices (n = 114) judged 100 fingerprint pairs as ‘matches’ or ‘non-matches’ where the matching pair occurrence was either high (90%) or equal (50%). Some participants were also asked to use a novel feature-comparison strategy as a potential attenuation technique for the low prevalence effect. Regardless of strategy, both trainees and novices were susceptible to the effect, such that they more often misjudged non-matching pairs as matches when non-matches were rare. These results support the robust nature of the low prevalence effect in visual comparison and have important applied implications for forensic decision-making in the criminal justice system.

Source identification and apportionment of the nitrogen in groundwater based on isotope methods in the Beilin region of Suihua basin, northeastern China.

Multi-isotope method was used to analyze the migration and transformation characteristics of nitrogen in groundwater in the center of a typical confined water basin, and a simplified isotope mixing model was established to quantify the contribution of potential nitrate sources in the center of the basin. Based on the water quality monitoring results, the contour map of nitrate concentration in groundwater in the center of the basin was drawn. The results showed that the nitrate concentration in groundwater in the center of the basin increased gradually from upstream to downstream. The high value area of nitrate concentration in phreatic water is mainly affected by agricultural activities and infiltration of sewage discharge from upstream urban areas. The high value area of nitrate concentration in confined water is mainly due to the water level depression funnel caused by large exploitation of confined water. The quantitative results of N-O isotope mixing model for potential nitrate sources show that the main recharge sources of groundwater in the center of the basin are atmospheric precipitation, agricultural irrigation water, and the lateral inflow of upstream groundwater. Agricultural irrigation water has the highest contribution rate of 67.01%. The main recharge sources of confined aquifer in the center of the basin are phreatic water leakage and lateral inflow of upstream confined water. The contribution rate of upstream confined water is between 45.55% and 56.35%, which is basically maintained at about 50%. Compared with the calculation results of D-O isotope mixing model, the accuracy of the established N-O isotope mixing model meets the basic requirements. The results of this study can provide technical reference and theoretical support for the identification and quantitative research of potential nitrate sources in groundwater under the same type of hydrogeological conditions. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Multiple isotope fingerprint comparison to identify nitrate source contribution ratio. Migration and transformation of nitrogen in the center of a typical confined water basin Simplified the traditional isotope mixing model to quickly quantify the source of contamination.

Comparison of DUS testing and SNP fingerprinting for variety identification in cucumber

Variety identification plays an important role in protecting the intellectual property of varieties, ensuring seed quality, and encouraging breeding innovation. Currently, morphological evaluation in the field, such as distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) testing, and DNA fingerprinting in the laboratory using molecular markers are two dominant methods used for variety identification. Few studies have compared the results of these approaches, and the relationship between the two methods is obscure. In this study, 134 dominant cucumber varieties were evaluated using 50 DUS testing traits and genotyped by 40 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The 40 SNPs were developed in our previous study and are well suited for variety identification. In the DUS testing, significant positive or negative correlations among 50 DUS traits were observed, and 20 core traits, including 15 fruit traits, were further selected to increase field inspection efficiency. This suggested that fruit shape plays an important role in variety identification. The ratio of fruit length/diameter was the most important trait, explaining 9.2% of the phenotypic variation. In the DNA fingerprinting test, the 40 SNPs were highly polymorphic and could distinguish all of the 134 cucumber varieties, and 14 core SNPs were selected to improve the identification rate. Interestingly, the population structure analysis of 134 cucumber varieties by phenotypic data in the DUS test was in accordance with the genotypic data from the DNA fingerprinting, indicating that all varieties could be divided into the same four subgroups: European type, North China type, South China type, and hybrids of the North China and South China types. Moreover, linear correlativity of distinguishment for each pair of varieties was observed between the DUS test and the DNA fingerprinting. These results indicated that these two methods have good application in future research, especially for the scaled-up analysis of hundreds of varieties.

Automated ‘lights-out’ searching of all recovered fingerprints: Review of the current workflow for latent fingerprint processing in Queensland, Australia

The process of linking an offender to a crime scene via their fingerprints has historically required significant human effort to compare latent fingerprints recovered from the scene with known fingerprints of a suspect. Increasing the speed of such comparisons, whilst maintaining accuracy and reliability and minimising error, is crucial for providing rapid intelligence to police investigators. One major opportunity for streamlining fingerprint examination is the adaptation of ‘lights-out’ technology to the comparison and matching of latent fingerprints. Here, we review the development, trial and validation process undertaken by the Queensland Police Service (QPS), Australia, to support implementation of a lights-out latent (LOL) workflow for automated latent fingerprint searching that is fully integrated with the existing case management systems. Targeted trials were undertaken using random selections of previously identified latent fingerprints that were searched using the LOL workflow against a local 10-print database. The results suggested that the LOL workflow could identify up to 44% of latent fingerprints with minimal human intervention and supported its implementation for all latent fingerprint comparisons in QPS casework. Review of LOL casework comparison outcomes for 2019 revealed that LOL-based identifications contributed approximately one quarter of all fingerprint identifications. Several procedural and technical factors that influenced the speed and efficiency of the LOL workflow are discussed, along with opportunities for improvement and future validation as an expert system.

Collaborative practise in forensic science and academia: The development of a documentation strategy for fingerprint examinations in an English fingerprint bureau in the ISO 17025 era

The mandatory introduction of ISO 17,025 accreditation to fingerprint comparisons forced changes to the documentation procedures. Academic and grey literature consistently suggest that the documentation should provide a sufficient auditable trail, yet there is some dissimilarity in the guidance relating to documentation content, and subjectivity with its interpretation. The accreditation body, UK Accreditation Service (UKAS), was not prescriptive in the methods required to produce working notes and were open to different practises, which has provided a useful opportunity to compare approaches to casework and to work with practitioners to inform effective practise.The research team carried out a gap analysis between pre-accreditation operational documentation practise and an ACE-V checklist, which was a summary of best practise guidance on documentation content. A white box study included thirty-one fingerprint examiners from six institutions, who were asked to undertake an ‘Analysis’ of eight friction ridge impressions. Participants were asked to produce working notes using their pre-accreditation documentation approach and a piece of software called ‘PiAnoS’, which prompted mark annotation and an assessment of mark quality. The notes were compared to the ACE-V checklist to determine which of the documentary suggestions were considered to obtain an understanding of experts’ decision making. The results were used to develop a documentation strategy for an operational English fingerprint bureau, referred to as a “Mark Analysis Form”. It consisted of content from the ACE-V checklist, supported by literature, and which received high response rates from experts alongside discussions by the research team to determine its relevance in the documentation strategy. The strategy met with the ISO 17,025 standard, evidenced by UKAS approval, and is currently used for casework.

Creating Awareness Regarding Forensic Odontology Among Non-Forensic Persons for Successful Dental Identifications

Visual Identification by next of kin is the most common method of identifying unknown bodies in India. However, this technique is unscientific and unreliable, especially if the remains recovered are decomposing, skeletonized, charred, mutilated, saponified. Primary identifiers recommended by higher authorities for scientific identification of unknown bodies include comparison of fingerprints, DNA, odontology or unique medical records such as implants. Forensic Odontology has played a major role in identifying victims of mass disasters around the world, and few examples of successful application of dental data in DVI situations include the South Asian Tsunami, 2004, Black Saturday bushfires, 2009, Australia, Christchurch earthquake, 2011, etc. However, the application of forensic odontology for positive identifications is extremely limited. A major reason for this is the unavailability and inaccessibility to quality dental records and ante mortem data. To improve the collection of ante mortem data, it is urgent that we create awareness among local on-ground investigating agencies, and stakeholders. For this purpose, an awareness campaign iDENTifyme from the University of Turin, Italy was launched in India in local languages, and has since successfully assisted in collection of ante mortem data for positive identification.

Exudates of Picea abies, Pinus nigra, and Larix decidua: Chromatographic Comparison and Pro-Migratory Effects on Keratinocytes In Vitro.

Balms and resins of Picea abies, Larix decidua, and Pinus nigra are traditionally used to treat wounds. Three chromatographic techniques differing in separation capacity and technical demands were employed to distinguish among these plant exudates. A TLC method was established for fingerprint comparison, providing a quick overview of a large number of samples at low cost. HPLC-DAD (RP18) and UHPSFC-DAD (Torus 2-Picolylamin), hyphenated to ESI-MS, represented orthogonal chromatographic systems with high separation performance. The developed methods allow for the separation and detection of major and minor constituents belonging to different compound classes (phenyl carboxylic acids, lignans, diterpene resin acids). The qualitative compositions of the diterpene resin acids, the main compounds in the exudates, were comparable in all three genera. Differences were detected in the distribution of hydroxylated diterpene resin acids, pinoresinol, and hydroxycinnamic acids. The three tested chromatographic systems with varying demands on lab equipment offer appropriate tools for the quality assessment of Picea abies, Larix decidua, and Pinus nigra. The extracts were furthermore tested at three different concentrations (10 µg/mL, 3 µg/mL, and 1 µg/mL) for boosted re-epithelialization, a crucial step in the wound-healing process, in an in vitro HaCaT keratinocyte-based scratch assay. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA, 10 µM) and extracts of several medicinal plants well known for their wound-healing properties (birch, marigold, St. John’s wort, manuka honey) were used as positive controls. Picea abies and Pinus nigra showed concentration dependency; significant activity was measured for Larix decidua at 3 µg/mL.

Vacuum-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry applied to source rock analysis

Abstract Vacuum-assisted headspace solid phase microextraction (Vac-HSSPME) with high temperature of extraction was used for source-rock analysis. Optimization of extraction conditions was performed by Doehlert experimental design (DD) in gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer detector (GC–MS). Samples from the same oil well were mixed to obtain a mean stratigraphic characteristic for extraction optimization. Source-rock samples were analyzed in the DD optimal conditions and the proposed Vac-HSSPME+GC–MS method was compared to the classical procedure (SARA). The identification of important biomarkers like steranes and pentacyclic terpanes was possible. Fingerprint comparison between both methods shows similarity for steranes profile of overall chromatographic signal and compounds distribution. Also, it was possible to assess theoretical kinetic considerations for the system, as it differs from most conditions reported in literature. Furthermore, no organic solvent was used during the extraction or analysis with Vac-HSSPME. Classifying the procedure as a green methodology, while being faster and cheaper for oil bearing source-rock analyses.

Preparation of Novel Magnetic Nanomaterials Based on "Facile Coprecipitation" for Developing Latent Fingerprints (LFP) in Crime Scenes.

Recently, the application of novel nanomaterials, especially magnetic nanomaterials in the development of latent fingerprints (LFP), has become the hot focus for forensic scientists and criminal investigators. As a type of recyclable, environment-friendly material, Fe3O4 nanoparticles achieve a wonderful effect in visualization of LFP. We first report the synthesis and encapsulation of nano-Fe3O4 through “facile coprecipitation”, (3-mercaptopropyl)triethoxysilane was covalently embedded into Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and the Fe3O4 core was encapsulated by the nanosilver to prepare novel magnetic nanomaterials (P-MNP@Ag) with the core–shell configuration. For comparison, the magnetic nanomaterials (S-MNP@Ag) were prepared by surface modification. Their composition, structure, and properties were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, IR, XPS, and VSM. Compared with commercially available gold powder, silver powder, bare magnetic powder, and prepared S-MNP@Ag, the development effect of LFP on different objects by using P-MNP@Ag had better performance, which presented the advantages of low background interference, high sensitivity, and clear secondary details in LFP. In the crime scenes of some influential cases, P-MNP@Ag had been applied to the visualization of LFP. The biometric identification of criminal suspects was confirmed through fingerprint comparison, which was highly affirmed by the public security department.

Comparison of Microsatellite DNA Fingerprints of Original Seed Files and Conserved Rice Germplasm Collections

The understanding of the genetic identity and composition of germplasm collections conserved in a genebank is vital for the proper management of germplasm resources and utilization in various plant breeding programs. A study was conducted at the Genebank of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to examine the genetic similarity of the original seed files (SF) and regenerated seeds conserved as an active collection (AC) using 18 microsatellite DNA markers and to explore their underlying intra-varietal heterogeneity. Here, 74 rice germplasm collections regenerated from 1992–2012 were randomly selected for the comparative DNA fingerprinting. The genetic similarity between the original SF and regenerated AC was examined through the Dice coefficient (DC) analysis, while the extent of intra-varietal genetic heterogeneity was determined via average-linkage cluster analysis based on binary genetic distance. Of the 74 collections studied, 68 showed paired clustering of SF and AC, indicating high genetic similarity. The DCs of these collections ranged from 0.79–1. On the other hand, SF and AC comparison of six germplasm collections yielded very low DCs ranging from 0.62–0.77, with their corresponding SF and AC pair dissociated in the dendrogram owing to their high intra-varietal genetic heterogeneity. The intra-varietal polymorphic alleles between SF and AC were observed in all markers analyzed – especially in RM562, RM547, and RM154 microsatellite markers –suggesting their potential use in assessing the levels of intra-varietal genetic heterogeneity in rice cultivars. This pilot study provides baseline information that may be used for potential integration of intra-varietal similarity or variability tests in the Genebank which are important aspects for effective germplasm conservation, management, and utilization. Also discussed in this paper are other insights regarding the intra-varietal genetic heterogeneity of the selected rice accessions.

NMR Fingerprint Comparison of Cultivated Sideritis spp. from Cyprus

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) play an essential role in global health systems, since more than 80% of population use natural products in primary healthcare. Given that the global use of herbal medicines is exponentially increasing, as well as many MAPs products are introduced into the market, many cultivation practices are applied to produce high quality and standardized plant raw materials. Thus, the present study focuses on the chemical fingerprints of two cultivated Sideritis species. In Cyprus, Sideritis cypria Post and S. perfoliata L. subsp. perfoliata are widely used in traditional medicine. To date, there is no research work presenting the comparative chemical profiling between the aforesaid species using NMR methods. In this study, 1D and 2D NMR experiments were used to compare the chemical fingerprints of these species originated from conventional cultivation practices. Iridoids (ajugol, monomelittoside, and melittoside) and one flavone (4′-methyl-isoscutellarein 7-O-[6‴-O-acetyl]-β-D-allosyl(1→2)glucoside) were present in the infusion of S. perfoliata subsp. perfoliata. The phenylethanoid glycoside, acteoside, was detected in both samples. The phytochemical profiles of these cultivated species were similar to those of Sideritis species, indicating the positive impact of cultivation practices in MAPs.

Analysis and comparison of normal and altered fingerprint using artificial neural networks

Fingerprint matching is based on the number of minute matches between two fingerprints. Implementation mainly includes image enhancement, segmentation, orientation histogram, etc., extraction (completeness) and corresponding minutiae. Finally, a matching score is generated that indicates whether two fingerprints coincide with the help of coding with MATLAB to find the matching score and simulation of Artificial Neural Network extending the feedback of the network. Using the artificial neural network tool, an important advantage is the similarity index between the sample data or unknown data. A neural network is a massively parallel distributed processor consisting of simple processing units that have a natural property to store knowledge and computer experiences are available for use. A fingerprint comparison essentially consists of two fingerprints to generate a fingerprint match score the match score is used to determine whether the two impressions they are of the same finger. The decision is made this study shows the comparison of normal and altered fingerprints using MATLAB coding and data used to study in the self-generated data using biometric scanner also the open source data available on the web is used for finding out matching score or similarity index, The study shows that there is hardly any matching between normal and altered fingerprints of the same person.

Structural diversity of organic contaminants in sewage sludge: a comparison of sewage fingerprints from Germany and China

Sewage sludge is formed during wastewater treatment and in recent years, the amount of sewage sludge increased rapidly all over the world. This sewage sludge is attractive for usage in agriculture as an inexpensive nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. However, there is only very limited knowledge about the spectrum of organic pollutants that might occur in sewage sludge and is probably posing a threat to the environment. We therefore conducted GC–MS based non-target screening analyses in order to identify a wide spectrum of organic contaminants in sludge samples from several wastewater treatment plants and to figure out corresponding finger-prints of pollution. The plants are located in Germany and China and have various capacities ranging from 35,000 to 1.1 million population equivalents. The special focus was to reveal information on the structural variety of individual organic compounds in sludge samples from the two countries. Several emerging pollutants including some fragrances, pharmaceutical educts, vitaminoids, technical additives were identified accompanied by compounds of biogenic origin. Some of these compounds have rarely been reported as constituents of sewage sludge to date and, consequently, are relevant candidates for more specific assessments including the ecotoxicological long-term effects. Based on the results of this study, it seems mandatory to establish non-target screening analyses on a regularly base as a tool for a comprehensive identification of the variety of anthropogenic organic constituents. Following, such contaminant spectrum can act as basis for further environmental risk assessments as well as to provide individual fingerprints for evaluation of impacts on ecosystems.

Management of The Dead and Missing People in the Easter Bombings in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Identification of the victims is considered as one of the most important initial steps in the management of a mass disaster. Comparison of ante-mortem and post-mortem fingerprints (ridgeology), dental data and DNA profiles have been recognized as primary identification methods for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). However, facial recognition and personal belongings are the widely used tools of identification in large disasters. A series of bombings hit Sri Lanka on the morning of 21 st of April 2019. In the city of Colombo around 131 people died. Most of the identifications were achieved through visual recognition, with a minor percentage by odontology, genetics and fingerprints. The procedure adopted in the response to the disaster is described in this paper highlighting the importance of advanced preparedness, inter-institutional cooperation, the empathetic approach in caring for the grieving families and the procedure to adopt in visual recognition in DVI.

Characterizing missed identifications and errors in latent fingerprint comparisons using eye-tracking data.

Latent fingerprint examiners sometimes come to different conclusions when comparing fingerprints, and eye-gaze behavior may help explain these outcomes. missed identifications (missed IDs) are inconclusive, exclusion, or No Value determinations reached when the consensus of other examiners is an identification. To determine the relation between examiner behavior and missed IDs, we collected eye-gaze data from 121 latent print examiners as they completed a total 1444 difficult (latent-exemplar) comparisons. We extracted metrics from the gaze data that serve as proxies for underlying perceptual and cognitive capacities. We used these metrics to characterize potential mechanisms of missed IDs: Cursory Comparison and Mislocalization. We find that missed IDs are associated with shorter comparison times, fewer regions visited, and fewer attempted correspondences between the compared images. Latent print comparisons resulting in erroneous exclusions (a subset of missed IDs) are also more likely to have fixations in different regions and less accurate correspondence attempts than those comparisons resulting in identifications. We also use our derived metrics to describe one atypical examiner who made six erroneous identifications, four of which were on comparisons intended to be straightforward exclusions. The present work helps identify the degree to which missed IDs can be explained using eye-gaze behavior, and the extent to which missed IDs depend on cognitive and decision-making factors outside the domain of eye-tracking methodologies.

What controls the remobilization and deformation of surficial sediment by seismic shaking? Linking lacustrine slope stratigraphy to great earthquakes in South-Central Chile.

Remobilization and deformation of surficial subaqueous slope sediments create turbidites and soft sediment deformation structures, which are common features in many depositional records. Palaeoseismic studies have used seismically‐induced turbidites and soft sediment deformation structures preserved in sedimentary sequences to reconstruct recurrence patterns and – in some cases – allow quantifying rupture location and magnitude of past earthquakes. However, current understanding of earthquake‐triggered remobilization and deformation lacks studies targeting where these processes take place, the subaqueous slope and involving direct comparison of sedimentary fingerprint with well‐documented historical earthquakes. This study investigates the sedimentary imprint of six megathrust earthquakes with varying rupture characteristics in 17 slope sediment cores from two Chilean lakes, Riñihue and Calafquén, and evaluates how it links to seismic intensity, peak ground acceleration, bracketed duration and slope angle. Centimetre‐scale stratigraphic gaps ranging from ca 1 to 20 cm – caused by remobilization of surficial slope sediment – were identified using high‐resolution multi‐proxy core correlation of slope to basin cores, and six types of soft sediment deformation structures ranging from ca 1 to 25 cm thickness using high‐resolution three‐dimensional X‐ray computed tomography data. Stratigraphic gaps occur on slope angles of ≥2.3°, whereas deformation already occurs from slope angle 0.2°. The thickness of both stratigraphic gaps and soft sediment deformation structures increases with slope angle, suggesting that increased gravitational shear stress promotes both surficial remobilization and deformation. Seismic shaking is the dominant trigger for surficial remobilization and deformation at the studied lakes. Total remobilization depth correlates best with bracketed duration and is highest in both lakes for the strongest earthquakes (M w ca 9.5). In lake Riñihue, soft sediment deformation structure thickness and type correlate best with peak ground acceleration providing the first field‐based evidence of progressive soft sediment deformation structure development with increasing peak ground acceleration for soft sediment deformation structures caused by Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability. The authors propose that long duration and low frequency content of seismic shaking favours surficial remobilization, whereas ground motion amplitude controls Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability‐related soft sediment deformation structure development.

Structural Analysis of an Antigen Chemically Coupled on Virus-Like Particles in Vaccine Formulation.

Structure determination of adjuvant-coupled antigens is essential for rational vaccine development but has so far been hampered by the relatively low antigen content in vaccine formulations and by their heterogeneous composition. Here we show that magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR can be used to assess the structure of the influenza virus hemagglutinin stalk long alpha helix antigen, both in its free, unformulated form and once chemically coupled to the surface of large virus-like particles (VLPs). The sensitivity boost provided by high-field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) and proton detection at fast MAS rates allows to overcome the penalty associated with the antigen dilution. Comparison of the MAS NMR fingerprints between the free and VLP-coupled forms of the antigen provides structural evidence of the conservation of its native fold upon bioconjugation. This work demonstrates that high-sensitivity MAS NMR is ripe to play a major role in vaccine design, formulation studies, and manufacturing process development.

A Power Customer Data Relational Algorithm Based on Magnanimity Fuzzy Address Matching

According to the short text and unstructured characteristics of customer address, a data association fusion method for address has been proposed. In this method, the address was mapped to a digital fingerprint by improved Simhash technology, which effectively reduced the dimension of massive addresses and simplified the similarity-matching process of multi-source heterogeneous addresses. Furthermore, the weight setting of the eigenvector of the simhash algorithm was improved by introducing special weight gain. A two-level index mechanism was established by the characteristics of address division and data structure of digital fingerprints; the time-consuming digital fingerprint comparison was greatly reduced. The experimental results showed that calculation efficiency was greatly optimized; accuracy and coverage of the comparison were ensured. Through address matching of different databases, information fusion can be completed and the goal which power customers' demands is connected to power grid equipment is achieved.

Comparing Virtual and Face-to-face Forensic Science Labs

CAROLINE THOMPSON, Dept of Forensic Science, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, 26554, and KRISTY HENSON, Dept of Forensic Science, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, 26554. Comparing Virtual and Face-to-face Forensic Science Labs. Due to Covid-19 and the recent demands for virtual options, this project was designed to investigate potential forensic science online resources and virtual labs and compare these to similar in-person classroom experiences, specifically with regard to student performance on assessments and student perceptions about learning. This project is being conducted by teaching middle schoolers, both in person and virtually, and comparing the different environments. Two virtual software programs are being compared; Learn Engine’s Diablo Highway and Cengage’s virtual forensic science lab. In addition, surveys have been given to participating students for them to provide feedback about the methods. This research found that students who were taught fully in person produced an average test score of 76.67% and lab assignment averages of 83.33% on glass fracture and hand writing analysis lessons; when the students were taught using Learn Engine Virtual on their own, they received an average quiz score of 81% and average lab score of 76% on blood typing and fingerprint comparison lessons; when students worked on Learn Engine virtual lessons with a teacher present, their average quiz score was 72.9% and the average lab score was 86.78% on hair analysis and DNA analysis lessons. The preliminary data suggests that teaching virtually obtains comparable results to teaching in person.

Characterization of flavor frame in shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) detected by HS-GC-IMS coupled with electronic tongue and sensory analysis: Influence of drying techniques

New insight was systematically elucidated on variations of overall flavor characteristics in shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) affected by different drying techniques (hot air-drying (HD), vacuum freeze-drying (VFD), and VFD combined with HD (VFD-HD)). The volatile fingerprints of shiitake mushrooms were successfully established by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), and taste profiles and concentrations of non-volatile substances in mushrooms were analyzed. Comparison of aroma fingerprints associated with three drying approaches demonstrated that HD caused considerable losses of volatile compounds except for volatile acids, while VFD and VFD-HD preserved aroma compounds effectively. By application of PLSR analysis, strong “seasoning-like” and “fruity” aromas of VFD-HD mushrooms were closely correlated with 2,6-dimethylpyrazine and esters respectively. Additionally, the umami intensity of VFD-HD mushrooms was similar to HD samples and significantly higher than VFD ones. Furthermore, the correlation between the electronic tongue and sensory attributes was explored. The results obtained from this study revealed that VFD-HD could combine the advantages of single HD and VFD, producing high flavor quality mushroom products.