Using plants in forensics: State-of-the-art and prospects.

The increasing use of plant evidence in forensic investigations gave rise to a powerful new discipline - Forensic Botany - that analyses micro- or macroscopic plant materials, such as the totality or fragments of an organ (i.e., leaves, stems, seeds, fruits, roots) and tissue (i.e., pollen grains, spores, fibers, cork) or its chemical composition (i. e., secondary metabolites, isotopes, DNA, starch grains). Forensic botanists frequently use microscopy, chemical analysis, and botanical expertise to identify and interpret evidence crucial to solving civil and criminal issues, collaborating in enforcing laws or regulations, and ensuring public health safeguards. The present work comprehensively examines the current state and future potential of Forensic Botany. The first section conveys the critical steps of plant evidence collection, documentation, and preservation, emphasizing the importance of these initial steps in maintaining the integrity of the items. It explores the different molecular analyses, covering the identification of plant species and varieties or cultivars, and discusses the limitations and challenges of these techniques in forensics. The subsequent section covers the diversity of Forensic Botany approaches, examining how plant evidence exposes food and pharmaceutical frauds, uncovers insufficient or erroneous labeling, traces illegal drug trafficking routes, and combats the illegal collection or trade of protected species and derivatives. National and global security issues, including the implications of biological warfare, bioterrorism, and biocrime are addressed, and a review of the contributions of plant evidence in crime scene investigations is provided, synthesizing a comprehensive overview of the diverse facets of Forensic Botany.

Identification of Human Body Fluid Stains and Non-Biological Stains by Three-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

OBJECTIVES: To establish a rapid and nondestructive identification method for human body fluid stains and non-biological stains using three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. METHODS: The collected three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum data of human saliva, 3% blood, coffee and Fanta® stains were processed with dimensionality reduction. After wavelet transform, spectral denoising and feature extraction, the classification formula was established. The Fisher discriminant was used for spectrum matching and recognition to establish the analysis method to distinguish stain types. RESULTS: According to the results of data training and comparison, all the recognition accuracies of Fanta®, coffee, saliva and blood were more than 91.39%. Among them, saliva reached 100% recognition accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy is a potential method for rapid and nondestructive identification of biological and non-biological stains.

Identification of Human Body Fluid Stains and Non-Biological Stains by Three-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To establish a rapid and nondestructive identification method for human body fluid stains and non-biological stains using three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy.@*METHODS@#The collected three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum data of human saliva, 3% blood, coffee and Fanta® stains were processed with dimensionality reduction. After wavelet transform, spectral denoising and feature extraction, the classification formula was established. The Fisher discriminant was used for spectrum matching and recognition to establish the analysis method to distinguish stain types.@*RESULTS@#According to the results of data training and comparison, all the recognition accuracies of Fanta®, coffee, saliva and blood were more than 91.39%. Among them, saliva reached 100% recognition accuracy.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy is a potential method for rapid and nondestructive identification of biological and non-biological stains.

[Finite element modeling of postmortem hyperthermia in the absence of internal heat sources]. / Konechno-elementnoe modelirovanie posmertnoi gipertermii pri otsutstvii vnutrennikh istochnikov teplovydeleniya.

The objective of the study is to develop a finite element model (FEM) of postmortem hyperthermia in the absence of internal and external heat sources and to clarify the conditions necessary for the occurrence of this phenomenon. ELCUT 6.5 software was used. We have developed a two-dimensional FEM of the postmortem temperature field of the head under convective heat exchange with the ambient air, taking into account the intensity of convective heat transfer and thermophysical parameters of anatomical layers of this body area. The possibility of postmortem heating of the surface and subsurface tissues of the corpse in the absence of internal and external heat sources was demonstrated. It was found that the occurrence of postmortem hyperthermia requires cooling the cadaver under low convective heat transfer with a small initial temperature gradient between the body surface and the ambient environment. It is recommended to take into account the possibility of postmortem hyperthermia and the conditions necessary for it in forensic medical practice when determining the time of death (TOD).

A case study in forensic soil comparison.

Soil examination can provide useful forensic information about the spatial location and suspect's activities. Many techniques have been applied for soil comparison and provenance determination in criminal investigations. Pollen and diatom identification, which has the potential to provide an independent ecological assessment of soil evidence, is currently underused in forensic soil analysis. This work presents a case study of application of these methods to help criminal investigation in a murder case, which happened in an irrigation ditch in Hunan Province, southern China. Soils from the suspect's clothes, the exact crime scene spot in the irrigation ditch, along the ditch and the reference ditches were collected and analyzed. In addition to the element and mineral analysis, pollen and diatom assemblages were analyzed for further comparison. The statistical methods of hierarchical cluster and cosine similarity analysis were carried out to assist in soil comparison and provenance determination. The results showed that soil on the suspect's clothes had a high probability to share the same source with the soil from the crime scene in the irrigation ditch. The suspect confessed to murder based largely on the soil examination result even without other evidences.

A Holistic Multi-Scale Approach to Using 3D Scanning Technology in Accident Reconstruction.

Three-dimensional scanning and documentation methods are becoming increasingly employed by law enforcement personnel for crime scene and accident scene recording. Three-dimensional documentation of the victim's body in such cases is also increasingly used as the field of forensic radiology and imaging is expanding rapidly. These scanning technologies enable a more complete and detailed documentation than standard autopsy. This was used to examine a fatal pedestrian-vehicle collision where the pedestrian was killed by a van while crossing the road. Two competing scenarios were considered for the vehicle speed calculation: the pedestrian being projected forward by the impact or the pedestrian being carried on the vehicle's bonnet. In order to assist with this, the impact area of the accident vehicle was scanned using laser surface scanning, the victim was scanned using postmortem CT and micro-CT and the data sets were combined to virtually match features of the vehicle to injuries on the victim. Micro-CT revealed additional injuries not previously detected, lending support to the pedestrian-carry theory.

State of the art forensic techniques reveal evidence of interpersonal violence ca. 30,000 years ago.

The Cioclovina (Romania) calvaria, dated to ca. 33 cal ka BP and thought to be associated with the Aurignacian lithic industry, is one of the few relatively well preserved representatives of the earliest modern Europeans. Two large fractures on this specimen have been described as taphonomic modifications. Here we used gross and virtual forensic criteria and experimental simulations on synthetic bone models, to investigate their nature. Both forensic trauma pattern analysis and experimental models exclude a postmortem origin for the Cioclovina fractures. Rather, they indicate two incidents of blunt force trauma, the second clearly inflicted with a club-like object. The magnitude and extent of the lesions and the lack of signs of healing indicate a fatal injury. The Upper Paleolithic period is noted for intensified technological innovation, increased symbolic behavior, and cultural complexity. We show that the behavioural repertoire of the earliest modern Europeans also comprised violent inter-personal interactions and murder.

The evaluation of Oryza sativa L (Black rice) extracts for detection of spermatozoa on the clothing and vaginal swab samples.

Investigation of sexual assault cases from the evidence involving vaginal swab, clothing and others is examined by a forensic scientist. The explanation of trace findings on spermatozoa on clothing is often problematic due to the use of different staining methods. Conventional staining method used either Papanicolaou (PAP) or Dip quick® stain as synthetic dyes which are expensive imported material and harmful to human health. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the ability of Oryza sativa L (black rice) extract as a natural dye to detect spermatozoa on the clothing and vaginal swab casework samples for routine forensic examination. Results revealed that black rice extract has a highly effective for detecting spermatozoa on cloth and vaginal swab casework samples. There was no significantly different in the detection of spermatozoa compared with rapid PAP stain and Dip quick® stain. Results also showed that the staining of vaginal swab casework with black rice extracted can be used for PCR amplification of centromeric alphoid repeat gene on chromosome Y for 60 days. Moreover, the DNA extracted from stained semen slide generates a full profile of 16 alleles of STR typing. The results indicate that a new natural staining dye which extracted from black rice can be used to detect spermatozoa and identify a person from the trace evidence. The application of natural dyes for routine staining of spermatozoa from forensic specimens will decrease the expense to be spent in purchasing the synthetic dye and reduce their side effects on human and environment.

Reducing of salivary α-amylase inhibition by using bovine serum albumin and calcium chloride for forensic saliva screening.

Inhibiting salivary α-amylase is a critical issue of forensic saliva identification using the catalytic method. This study aims to identify human α-amylase inhibitors in forensic saliva screening by using a blue starch amylase test and to measure the extent of enzyme inhibition. Thus, in order to demonstrate the presence of inhibitors, we prepared positively charged metal ion sources or chelators that were mixed into the saliva stains. The results of this study show that ferric chloride (FeCl3), magnesium chloride, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and citric acid significantly decrease the α-amylase activity of saliva stains. We also verified this approach using blood, a magnesium-containing liquid supplement, and two citric acid-containing soft drinks that were contaminated with saliva stains as forensic mock samples; these samples also showed a significant reduction in salivary α-amylase activity. To establish an inhibitor-resistant blue starch amylase test, we applied bovine serum albumin (BSA) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) to the reaction system. The results show that salivary α-amylase inhibition of the forensic mock samples occurred under normal test conditions (i.e., 300ng/µL BSA, 0mM CaCl2), and that inhibition was significantly relieved under the BSA+CaCl2 conditions (i.e., 1000ng/µL BSA, 5mM CaCl2). Therefore, the results of this study demonstrate that both BSA and CaCl2 can be utilized as reaction stabilizers in forensic saliva screening.

A 37-year-old woman found dead in a Jacuzzi: A case report.

One of the main problems in forensic medicine is the autopsy diagnosis of drowning, especially in the case of delay in the victim's recovery. The body of a 37-year-old woman was delivered to Kahrizak autopsy centre for post mortem. She was drowned in a public Jacuzzi because when she bent down to pick up her hairpin from the bottom of the Jacuzzi, her right arm became stuck in the drainage pipe and was sucked in. Unfortunately, she was not resuscitated after being pulled out of the Jacuzzi. The ambulance arrived too late, and she was already dead on arrival at the hospital. Her family pursued a claim against the managers and personnel of the pool for poor security management and failure to resuscitate. A forensic examination was needed to determine the manner of her death (natural, accidental, suicide and homicide).

[Falsified dietary food supplements for men: expertise difficulties and medical problems].

Falsified dietary food supplements for men: expertise difficulties and medical problems. According to numerous chemical-toxicological and forensic researches it have been sildenafil and tadalafil in a variety of dietary food supplements. Falsified dietary food supplements, are essentially a substitute for drugs - phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, but are produced with unknown composition and in unknown dose of synthetic pharmaceutical substances. This can cause consumers unpredictable nezative conseauences. including death.

Simple New Method of Detecting Lies By Identifying Invisible Unique Physiological Reflex Response Appearing Often Less Than 10-15 Seconds on the Specific Parts of Face of Lying Person; Quick Screening of Potential Murderers & Problematic Persons.

Frequently, we cannot find any significant visible changes when somebody lies, but we found there are significant invisible changes appearing in specific areas of the face when somebody lies and their location often depends on whether the lie is serious with or without physical violence involvement. These abnormalities were detected non-invasively at areas: 1) lobules and c) a small round area of each upper lateral side of forehead; 2) the skin between the base of the 2 orifices of the nose and the upper end of upper lip and 3) Alae of both sides of nose. These invisible significant changes usually last less than 15 seconds after telling a lie. In these areas, Bi-Digital O-Ring Test (BDORT), which received a U.S. Patent in 1993, became significantly weak with an abnormal value of (-)7 and TXB2, measured non-invasively, was increased from 0.125-0.5ng to 12.5-15ng (within the first 5 seconds) and then went back down to less than 1ng (after 15 seconds). These unique changes can be documented semi-permanently by taking photographs of the face of people who tell a lie, within as short as 10 seconds after saying a lying statement. These abnormal responses appear in one or more of the above-mentioned 3 areas 1), 2) & 3). At least one abnormal pupil with BDORT of (-)8-(-)12 & marked reduction in Acetylcholine and abnormal increase in any of 3 Alzheimer's disease associated factors Apolipoprotein (Apo) E4, ß-Amyloid (1-42), Tau protein, viral and bacterial infections were detected in both pupils and forehead of murderers and people who often have problems with others. Analysis of well-known typical examples of recent mass murderers was presented as examples. Using these findings, potential murderers and people who are very likely to develop problems with others can be screened within 5-10 minutes by examining their facial photographs and signatures before school admission or employment.

[Simulation and Observation of Vertical Cast-off Bloodstain Pattern].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the characteristics of vertical cast-off bloodstain pattern by different hitting-tools. METHODS: The regular hitting tools, a kitchen knife, a dirk, a plane set-hammer and an iron pipe, were selected. At a distance of 30 cm away from the wall, the hitting tool with 5 mL fresh chicken blood made the cast-off bloodstain from top to bottom. Then the holistic distribution characteristics (length, width and density) of cast-off bloodstain and morphology characteristics (length, width and contact angle) of first single cast-off bloodstain were analyzed. RESULTS: The distribution length of cast-off bloodstain formed by dirk was minimum (P < 0.05). The distribution width of cast-off bloodstain formed by kitchen knife was minimum (P < 0.05). Except the pair of kitchen knife and plane set-hammer, the distribution density between each two tools had statistical differences (P < 0.05). The length of first single cast-off bloodstain formed by plane set-hammer was longest compared (P < 0.05). The width of first single cast-off bloodstain had statistical differences between kitchen knife and plane set-hammer, and between dirk and plane set-hammer (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The type of hitting tool could be inferred by the specific characteristics of cast-off bloodstain pattern formed by every specific type of hitting tool in crime scene.

Simulation and Observation of Vertical Cast-off Bloodstain Pattern / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the characteristics of vertical cast-off bloodstain pattern by different hitting-tools.@*METHODS@#The regular hitting tools, a kitchen knife, a dirk, a plane set-hammer and an iron pipe, were selected. At a distance of 30 cm away from the wall, the hitting tool with 5 mL fresh chicken blood made the cast-off bloodstain from top to bottom. Then the holistic distribution characteristics (length, width and density) of cast-off bloodstain and morphology characteristics (length, width and contact angle) of first single cast-off bloodstain were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The distribution length of cast-off bloodstain formed by dirk was minimum (P < 0.05). The distribution width of cast-off bloodstain formed by kitchen knife was minimum (P < 0.05). Except the pair of kitchen knife and plane set-hammer, the distribution density between each two tools had statistical differences (P < 0.05). The length of first single cast-off bloodstain formed by plane set-hammer was longest compared (P < 0.05). The width of first single cast-off bloodstain had statistical differences between kitchen knife and plane set-hammer, and between dirk and plane set-hammer (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The type of hitting tool could be inferred by the specific characteristics of cast-off bloodstain pattern formed by every specific type of hitting tool in crime scene.

Criterios medicolegales en la valoración de la responsabilidad profesional médica / Medicolegal criteria in the assessment of medical professional liability

Las denuncias contra médicos por presunta mala praxis son relativamente frecuentes en nuestro medio judicial, su abordaje jurídico y medicolegal es complejo, y los informes periciales solicitados constituyen un reto para la medicina legal y forense. En este trabajo se revisan los principales estudios realizados sobre los denominados efectos adversos en el medio hospitalario, se diferencian de los errores y de las imprudencias, y se comenta que las edades extremas de la vida, la asistencia compleja o urgente y la estancia hospitalaria prolongada son algunas de las circunstancias que favorecen su presentación. Se explica la intervención del médico forense en estos casos y se describen los elementos necesarios para la valoración pericial. Finalmente, se ofrecen unos consejos prácticos para la elaboración del informe pericial, haciendo énfasis en la crucial importancia de tener una sólida formación medicolegal para realizar dichos informes, además de tener amplios conocimientos en la materia médica a peritar (AU)

Professional liability claims against physicians for supposed medical malpractice are relatively common in our country, their legal and medicolegal approach is complex and the expert reports requested constitute a challenge for forensic medicine. In this paper we review the main studies carried out about hospitalized patients adverse events, we distinguish between adverse events, errors and negligence and we comment that extremes of age, complex care, urgent care and a prolonged hospital stay are associated with them. We explain what the forensic physician role in these cases is and we describe the necessary requirements for the expert report. Finally we give practical advice for doing the medicolegal report. The expert or consultant in a judicial setting needs a sound medicolegal training to do these reports, besides to have an extensive knowledge in the specific medical specialty concerned (AU)

[National organization of forensic medicine in France]. / Organisation nationale de la médecine légale en France.

Forensic medicine has long been characterized, in France, by diverse medical practices, which affected its recognition and development. A change was needed, Harmonization procedure includes the development of professional guidelines and allows forensic medicine to look at itself. However, the implementation of the recommendations is still far from complete. A national reform came into effect on 15 January 2011 and has defined a national reform of forensic medicine which includes funding by global budgets instead of fee-for-service. This reform allows easier organization and identification of forensic medicine units. One year later, tangible results are mixed. Forensic medicine is now more clearly identified but properly defined funding criteria are still lacking.

Enhanced characterization of the smell of death by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS).

Soon after death, the decay process of mammalian soft tissues begins and leads to the release of cadaveric volatile compounds in the surrounding environment. The study of postmortem decomposition products is an emerging field of study in forensic science. However, a better knowledge of the smell of death and its volatile constituents may have many applications in forensic sciences. Domestic pigs are the most widely used human body analogues in forensic experiments, mainly due to ethical restrictions. Indeed, decomposition trials on human corpses are restricted in many countries worldwide. This article reports on the use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS) for thanatochemistry applications. A total of 832 VOCs released by a decaying pig carcass in terrestrial ecosystem, i.e. a forest biotope, were identified by GCxGC-TOFMS. These postmortem compounds belong to many kinds of chemical class, mainly oxygen compounds (alcohols, acids, ketones, aldehydes, esters), sulfur and nitrogen compounds, aromatic compounds such as phenolic molecules and hydrocarbons. The use of GCxGC-TOFMS in study of postmortem volatile compounds instead of conventional GC-MS was successful.

[Forensic medical identification of 355 cases with hearing impairment].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the difference of subjective hearing threshold and objective hearing threshold, and to discuss the importance of standard for hearing evaluation in forensic medicine. METHODS: Three hundred and fifty-five cases (387 ears) of forensic medical identification with hearing impairment were retrospectively analyzed including the items entrusted and hearing test results. All cases were collected from 2004 to 2012 in the forensic science center. RESULTS: In the 387 ears, 218 ears (56.3%) were evaluated the degree of disability and 106 ears (27.4%) were identified the degree of damage. In the disability degree evaluation, the subjective hearing threshold and the objective hearing threshold were significant different in 120 ears (55.0%), while in damage degree evaluation, the subjective hearing threshold and the objective hearing threshold were significant different in 69 ears (65.1%). CONCLUSION: Because of camouflaging or exaggerating the hearing impairment by the wounded, the subjective hearing threshold can't accurately assess the existence and the degree of hearing impairment. In the forensic identification, auditory brainstem response, 40 Hz auditory event related potential and auditory steady-state response should be combined in the application to evaluate the hearing impairment for the wounded in order to ensure the reliability of the evaluation of hearing impairment.

Forensic medical identification of 355 cases with hearing impairment / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the difference of subjective hearing threshold and objective hearing threshold, and to discuss the importance of standard for hearing evaluation in forensic medicine.@*METHODS@#Three hundred and fifty-five cases (387 ears) of forensic medical identification with hearing impairment were retrospectively analyzed including the items entrusted and hearing test results. All cases were collected from 2004 to 2012 in the forensic science center.@*RESULTS@#In the 387 ears, 218 ears (56.3%) were evaluated the degree of disability and 106 ears (27.4%) were identified the degree of damage. In the disability degree evaluation, the subjective hearing threshold and the objective hearing threshold were significant different in 120 ears (55.0%), while in damage degree evaluation, the subjective hearing threshold and the objective hearing threshold were significant different in 69 ears (65.1%).@*CONCLUSION@#Because of camouflaging or exaggerating the hearing impairment by the wounded, the subjective hearing threshold can't accurately assess the existence and the degree of hearing impairment. In the forensic identification, auditory brainstem response, 40 Hz auditory event related potential and auditory steady-state response should be combined in the application to evaluate the hearing impairment for the wounded in order to ensure the reliability of the evaluation of hearing impairment.