Forensic Science Research Research Articles

The production of criminological experiments revisited: the nature and extent of federal support for experimental designs, 2001–2013

To assess the nature and extent of funding for randomized experiments in criminology and criminal justice from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) since 2000. Based on data from official records of grant awards made by NIJ between fiscal years 2001 and 2013, we categorized awards based on whether they were for randomized experiments, non-experimental evaluation research, non-evaluation social science research, social science program support, forensic science and technology research, or forensic science and technology support. While the bulk of NIJ funding goes to forensic science and technology support, among the 800 social science awards we found a total of 99 awards for experiments. Support for the use of experimental designs increased during this 13-year period and was substantially greater than the support for the use of experimental designs in the 1990s. The awards for experiments between 2001 and 2013 went to a variety of researchers and research organizations and addressed a wide array of criminal justice program areas. Our findings document a marked increase in funding for experiments in recent years compared to the 1991–2000 period, when just 21 awards were made for experimental work. These findings suggest that NIJ has responded to a series of critiques regarding the methodological quality of funded projects by placing a greater emphasis on high-quality social science research.

Indian Forensic Science Research Literature: A Bibliometric Study of its Growth, Authorship and Publication Patterns

A bibliometric analysis of the growth, authorship and publication patterns of forensic science literature for the period 2001 to 2013 was done using the data obtained from PubMed. MS-Excel worksheet was used for data analysis. The study revealed the exponential growth of forensic science literature. The relative growth rate fell from 0.83 in the year 2002 to 0.17 in the year 2013. The mean collaborative Index was 3.5; mean degree of collaboration was 0.89; mean collaborative coefficient was 0.6119 and mean modified collaborative coefficient was 0.6121 during the period of study. Forty one authors have contributed more than one percent of the total publication. Ten journals have contributed more than one percent of the total papers. Among these 'Journal of Forensic&Legal Medicine' ranks first with 16.10% papers. Cluster map of co-words was also created using VOSviewer.

Impact of collaboration on Indian forensic science research: A scientometric mapping from 1975 to 2012

Research collaboration is an essential component of research. Researchers, as well as the policy makers, are showing increasing interest in research collaboration. Forensic Science being multidisciplinary subject collaboration is essential. This study is an attempt to quantify and visualize the research collaboration in Indian Forensic Science and also to assess the impact of research collaboration. A total of 2096 bibliographic records pertaining to Indian Forensic Science literatures published during the period 1975–2012 are retrieved from the Scopus database. These data are analyzed and visualized using MS-Excel spreadsheets, VOSviewer, and Pajek software. It is found that the International Multilateral Collaborations are associated with greater citation impact. The study also reveals that the International Cooperation Index of India in Forensic Science research is 7.68. India has the highest Affinity Index value of 34.16 in Forensic Science with the USA. A new measure of international collaboration known as Authorship AFI is also proposed based on the number of collaborating authors.

A hydrologic retention system and water quality monitoring program for a human decomposition research facility: concept and design.

Forensic taphonomy is an essential research field; however, the decomposition of human cadavers at forensic science facilities may lead to nutrient loading and the introduction of unique biological compounds to adjacent areas. The infrastructure of a water retention system may provide a mechanism for the biogeochemical processing and retention of nutrients and compounds, ensuring the control of runoff from forensic facilities. This work provides a proof of concept for a hydrologic retention system and an autonomous water quality monitoring program designed to mitigate runoff from The Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility. Water samples collected along a sample transect were analyzed for total phosphorous, total nitrogen, NO3-, NO2-, NH4, F(-), and Cl(-). Preliminary water quality analyses confirm the overall effectiveness of the water retention system. These results are discussed with relation to how this infrastructure can be expanded upon to monitor additional, more novel, byproducts of forensic science research facilities.

Expanding forensic science through forensic intelligence.

Research and Development ('R&D') in forensic science currently focuses on innovative technologies improving the efficiency of existing forensic processes, from the detection of marks and traces at the scene, to their presentation in Court. R&D approached from this perspective provides no response to doubts raised by recent criminological studies, which question the effective contribution of forensic science to crime reduction, and to policing in general. Traces (i.e. forensic case data), as remnants of criminal activity are collected and used in various forms of crime monitoring and investigation. The aforementioned doubts therefore need to be addressed by expressing how information is conveyed by traces in these processes. Modelling from this standpoint expands the scope of forensic science and provides new R&D opportunities. Twelve propositions for R&D are stated in order to pave the way.

DNA detection in tooth exposed to different temperatures: An in vitro study

Introduction: Human identification is an important field of study and research in forensic science and aims at establishing human identity. Several biological materials such as bone, hair, a biopsy sample, saliva and blood have been employed in isolation of DNA for human identification. It is possible to obtain DNA from virtually all human body tissues with variations in the quantity and quality of the DNA extracted from each tissue. Aims and Objectives: A study was carried out in our department to detect the presence of DNA from burnt teeth samples at various temperatures and to highlight the importance of DNA obtained from tooth in identifying a deceased in fire accidents. Materials and Methods: The work included 13 extracted teeth of patients who were indicated for therapeutic extraction and those who were diagnosed clinically and radiographically with caries and periodontitis who were indicated for extraction. Out of the 13 extracted teeth, two were decayed (One had class I dental caries C 1 and the other was grossly decayed C 2 ), four were periodontally compromised teeth and the other seven were therapeutically extracted. The freshly extracted teeth were immediately subjected to varying temperatures, from 100°C to 800°C using a Delta burnout furnace for 15-20 minutes. They were cryogenically crushed using a mortar and pestle to make samples of the tooth, which were analysed for DNA. Results: When teeth were incinerated from 100°C-800°C, genomic DNA was obtained only between 100°C and 300°C whereas it was not obtained above this temperature. When the teeth were incinerated from 300°C to 800°C mtDNA was extracted from 300°C to 700°C, but no DNA was obtained above 700°C. Conclusion: Teeth are good sources for DNA, even in cases where the specimens are highly decomposed.

MtDNA Mutations and Their Role in Aging, Diseases and Forensic Sciences

Mitochondria are independent organelles with their own DNA. As a primary function, mitochondria produce the energy for the cell through Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in the Electron Transport Chain (ETC). One of the toxic products of this process is Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which can induce oxidative damage in macromolecules like lipids, proteins and DNA. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is less protected and has fewer reparation mechanisms than nuclear DNA (nDNA), and as such is more exposed to oxidative, mutation-inducing damage. This review analyzes the causes and consequences of mtDNA mutations and their relationship with the aging process. Neurodegenerative diseases, related with the aging, are consequences of mtDNA mutations resulting in a decrease in mitochondrial function. Also described are "mitochondrial diseases", pathologies produced by mtDNA mutations and whose symptoms are related with mitochondrial dysfunction. Finally, mtDNA haplogroups are defined in this review; these groups are important for determination of geographical origin of an individual. Additionally, different haplogroups exhibit variably longevity and risk of certain diseases. mtDNA mutations in aging and haplogroups are of special interest to forensic science research. Therefore this review will help to clarify the key role of mtDNA mutations in these processes and support further research in this area.

Forensic Science in Australia: Where does Australia sit in relation to Trends and Issues in the International Context?

In 2009, the National Academy of Science (NAS) in the United States released a controversial report on the forensic sciences that has stimulated a critical debate on the current status of the forensic sciences internationally. More recently, in the United Kingdom, the Home Office has published a review of research and development in forensic science conducted by Bernard Silverman, the Home Office Chief Scientific Adviser, with support from Andrew Rennison, the Forensic Science Regulator, and Iain Williams, the Head of the Home Office Science Secretariat. This comment will address some of the criticisms and concerns expressed in these reviews, and will suggest where and why some of these concerns are, and are not, relevant to the Australian context. It will provide an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of forensic science policies and practices in Australia with a view to strengthening the field in the future.

Use of DNA Technology in Forensic Dentistry

The discovery of DNA plays vital role in Human identification is one of the major fields of study and research in forensic science. This discovery was the basis for the development of techniques that allow characterizing each person’s individuality based on the DNA sequence. Individual identification of ancient human remains the most fundamental requisites for studies of paleo-population genetics, including kinship among ancient people, intra- and inter population structures in ancient times, and the origin of human populations. However, knowledge of these subjects has been based mainly on circumstantial archaeological evidence for kinship and intra population structure and on genetic studies of modern human populations. Tooth and several biological materials such as bone tissue, hair bulb, saliva, blood and other body tissues may be employed for isolation of DNA and accomplishment of laboratory tests for human identification. Here we describe individual identification of ancient humans by using short-nucleotide tandem repeats and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) extracted from a tooth as genetic markers. The application of this approach to kinship analysis shows clearly the presence or absence of kinship among the ancient remains examined.

Success in Forensic Science Research and Other Collaborative Projects: Meeting Your Partners’ Expectations

Abstract Forensic science is increasingly used in civil and criminal investigations and court proceedings. Over the past decade there has been a marked increase in the number of large collaborative and interagency research projects looking at the effectiveness of forensic science. Whether these large inter- agency projects will be successful is based on two fundamentals: whether the research produces quality outputs and, more importantly, whether the outputs match the expectations of research partners and stakeholders. We discuss the importance of understanding what partners and stakeholders expect and need from projects in which they invest. We explored expectations in a large Australian project assessing ‘The Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System’. This collaboration is between two Australian police forces, the National Institute of Forensic Science, and three Australian and one European university. We found that the way stakeholders interpreted the title of the project influe...

Global Forensic Science Collaboration: Standards and Research

Abstract This article is based on a presentation (Lucas 2011) by the author at a session organized by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) at the International Association of Forensic Sciences Meeting in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, on September 16, 2011. The title of the session was “Global Research: The Forensic Science Edge.” The “global” nature of AAFS, forensic science, and particularly forensic science research is discussed. Throughout, a broader definitions of “global” is used—”relating to or embracing the whole of something or of a group of things” (New Oxford 2005)—i.e., global not simply in the geographic sense but also in a professional sense covering a range of scientific disciplines.

Is there a way forward for forensic science research in the UK?

Two documents were released recently that provide, possibly for the first time, a level of detail which exposes the (self reported) forensic science research landscape within the United Kingdom. The Home Office document: Research and Development in Forensic Science: a Review[1] conducted by Professor Bernard Silverman with support from the Forensic Science Regulator and was published in conjunction with all of the written submissions from academia, individuals, industry and government.

Research on Selecting Region of Interest in the Application of Spectral Imaging in Forensic Science

Objectives Spectral imaging as the latest undestroyed identification method is being paid more and more attention by forensic science researchers ever since its introduction into the field. The general law of the selection of region of interest in spectral imaging technique makes the main purpose this paper tries to solve via experiments. In this study, spectral images were classified and analyzed under different regions of interest by specialist spectral imaging software. Tt was found that there are much more spectrum differences among various concentration regions even if the specimen is uniform. It’s clearly that selecting different regions of interest is quite important for forensic analysis and classification. It is summarized that imaging quality is affected by the selection of regions of interest and the concentration in visible scope.

Conference Scene: Laser microdissection: a day for answers

‘Laser microdissection: a day for answers conference,’ organized by EuroSciCon (Hertfordshire, UK), hosted a large group of scientists from across Europe. Laser-capture microdissection (LCM) is a state-of-the-art technique that has made a large impact amongst the scientific community in recent times. Despite the usefulness of this technique, LCM is still relatively underused and, thus, the main objective of this conference was to increase awareness, to provide a timely overview of the diverse applications of LCM in biological research and to discuss the potential future directions of this technique. Topics covered during the day included the application of LCM in parasitology, forensic science and oncological research. In this report, we present the key summary of the day’s events and the ensuing question and answer session.

The need for research in forensic science

Since the first episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” aired in 2000, numerous television shows with forensic science themes have appeared, including two further additions to the CSI franchise (CSI: Miami and CSI: NY). These shows remain popular today and continue to rank in the top 20 ratings for network primetime series. With this popularity, the so-called “CSI Effect” has evolved, in which jurors have higher, and sometimes unrealistic, expectations of the evidence presented at trial. For example, in a survey conducted by Shelton et al., 46% of prospective jurors expected scientific evidence in every criminal case, and 22% expected DNA evidence in every criminal case [1]. The recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward” provides a more realistic assessment of forensic science today [2]. The report highlights current deficiencies and limitations in the community and makes recommendations to secure the future of forensic science. To improve the field for the future, the development of new technologies and procedures is recommended, with the NAS calling for “more and better research” to ensure that practices are “strongly rooted in science”. With this special issue on forensic analysis, we aim to highlight emerging research in forensic chemistry. The selection of papers is broad in scope, covering not only new technologies for the analysis of trace evidence but also the application of chemometric procedures for data analysis and interpretation. The papers included are only a sample of the novel and exciting research that is currently being conducted in various academic, state, and federal research laboratories, aiming to enhance current techniques and methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of forensic evidence. We hope this special issue illustrates that the NAS recommendation of “more and better research” is currently in progress. With additional funding and resources, such research may be further developed and eventually incorporated into crime laboratories for routine analysis. We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all our contributors; this special issue would certainly not have been possible without them.

Does repeated burial of skeletal muscle tissue ( Ovis aries) in soil affect subsequent decomposition?

The repeated introduction of an organic resource to soil can result in its enhanced degradation. This phenomenon is of primary importance in agroecosystems, where the dynamics of repeated nutrient, pesticide, and herbicide amendment must be understood to achieve optimal yield. Although not yet investigated, the repeated introduction of cadaveric material is an important area of research in forensic science and cemetery planning. It is not currently understood what effects the repeated burial of cadaveric material has on cadaver decomposition or soil processes such as carbon mineralization. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a laboratory experiment using ovine ( Ovis aries) skeletal muscle tissue (striated muscle used for locomotion) and three contrasting soils (brown earth, rendzina, podsol) from Great Britain. This experiment comprised two stages. In Stage I skeletal muscle tissue (150 g as 1.5 g cubes) was buried in sieved (4.6 mm) soil (10 kg dry weight) calibrated to 60% water holding capacity and allowed to decompose in the dark for 70 days at 22 °C. Control samples comprised soil without skeletal muscle tissue. In Stage II, soils were weighed (100 g dry weight at 60% WHC) into 1285 ml incubation microcosms. Half of the soils were designated for a second tissue amendment, which comprised the burial (2.5 cm) of 1.5 g cube of skeletal muscle tissue. The remaining half of the samples did not receive tissue. Thus, four treatments were used in each soil, reflecting all possible combinations of tissue burial (+) and control (−). Subsequent measures of tissue mass loss, carbon dioxide-carbon evolution, soil microbial biomass carbon, metabolic quotient and soil pH show that repeated burial of skeletal muscle tissue was associated with a significantly greater rate of decomposition in all soils. However, soil microbial biomass following repeated burial was either not significantly different (brown earth, podsol) or significantly less (rendzina) than new gravesoil. Based on these results, we conclude that enhanced decomposition of skeletal muscle tissue was most likely due to the proliferation of zymogenous soil microbes able to better use cadaveric material re-introduced to the soil.

Forensics

Forensics

Systems biology in drug safety and metabolism: integration of microarray, real-time PCR and enzyme approaches

The last decade has seen a rapid expansion in the field of functional genomics, due mainly to the global gene expression profiling capabilities provided by techniques, such as microarray analysis. Application of these technologies in fields as diverse as plant research, to public health and environmental sciences, forensic science and drug research, shows the versatility of these tools and the promise they hold for revolutionizing research in the life sciences. In drug discovery, attempts have been made to use functional genomics in target identification and validation, lead selection and optimization, and in preclinical studies to predict clinical outcome. These studies have provided a plethora of data and undoubtedly expanded our understanding of genetic alterations in diseased and non-diseased states, but the benefits that these technologies hold have not yet been fully realized. This review discusses how a comprehensive approach to gene regulation studies, a 'systems biology' approach, is being applied in a drug development setting to address mechanism-based questions and issues raised by regulatory authorities.

PCR typing of DNA fragments of the short tandem repeat (STR) system HUMTH01 in Danes and Greenland Eskimos

DNA from the short tandem repeat (STR) system HUMTH01 was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analyzed by vertical electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels followed by silver staining. DNA samples from 100 unrelated Danes, 147 unrelated Greenland Eskimos, and 89 Danish mother/child pairs were analyzed. Significant differences were observed between the distribution of fragments (‘alleles’), whereby allele number 7 was considerably more frequent in Eskimos (0.687) than in Danes (0.201). The distributions of HUMTH01 phenotypes were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both the Eskimo and Danish populations. In the 89 Danish mother/child pairs, the segregation of the HUMTH01 genotypes was in accordance with the genetic model of co-dominant inheritance and no mutations were found. In a blind trial, DNA samples from 40 unrelated Danes were investigated by one of us in Copenhagen, at the FBI Forensic Science Research and Training Center (FSRTC), Quantico, and at the Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Münster, Germany. Concordant HUMTH01 types were found in 39 out of 40 individuals. The allele which led to discrepant typing results was assigned type 9.3 in two laboratories and type 10 in one laboratory.

Whatever Happened to Forensic Science Research Money?

Whatever Happened to Forensic Science Research Money?