Showing papers in "Science & Justice in 2010"

TL;DR: This study establishes a reliable two-dimensional measuring technique that could be used for footprint comparison in further research and investigates the reliability of the chosen measuring method.

TL;DR: The morphology, thickness, coverage and composition of the aluminosilicates are the primary differences between the white powder formulations and could be related to variation in the efficacy of print development.

TL;DR: The UK and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Guidelines (version 2010) are intended to assist laboratories engaged in the practice of forensic toxicology in achieving future goals.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated here that stable isotope ratio analysis of marijuana seizures can significantly improve the understanding of marijuana distribution networks and it is for that purpose that these models were developed.

TL;DR: Geophysics may assist scent dogs and divers in the search of water bodies for human and animal remains, contraband, weapons and explosives by surveying large areas rapidly and identifying targets or environmental hazards, saving time and effort.

TL;DR: It is reported that a PCR assay, designed to detect salivary bacteria, can amplify streptococcal DNA from saliva stains applied to fabrics for at least 62 days after seeding and may have application in the identification of expirated bloodstains in forensic case-work.

TL;DR: The majority (78%) of high level profiles obtained were associated with recent intimate contact, however, highlevel profiles were also obtained from the fingernails of individuals who shared accommodation with their partner, flatmates and/or children.

TL;DR: A recent case where a very small dried skin piece with just one small trimmed guard hair was received for species identification, it is found that automatic extraction method of Biorobot EZ1 (Qiagen) is quite useful with less amount of sample (much below recommended amount).

TL;DR: It was demonstrated that reincorporation of trace particulates occurs from upper to lower parts of the same garment and also from upper garments to lower garments and that folding and packaging items of clothing leads to a redistribution of any trace particulate evidence that is present thereby eliciting an alteration in the spatial distribution of that evidence.

TL;DR: A practical method is proposed to assess the shedding potential of textile materials using the use of adhesive tapes and on comparison, using three different sheddability scales for cotton, wool and fine man-made fibres.

TL;DR: It is argued that the trace evidence discipline needs to learn from past experience and that serious coordinated action is required at an international level if trace evidence is to continue to meet the standards expected of forensic science in the future.

TL;DR: One route to admitting less-than-perfect findings from forensic science is via a reevaluation of the role of expert evidence and in particular pre-trial meetings between experts.

TL;DR: This work reports on the use of an alginate material to recover the impressed footwear marks made in blood and deposited on a range of fabric types and colours using a new method for the lifting and recovery of blood impressions in situ from crime scene followed by subsequent mark enhancement of the lifted impression.

TL;DR: Ten bases for estimating measurement uncertainty are summarized: proficiency tests; readability limits; independent reference materials; operational limits applied during calibration; expert judgment; precision control samples without and with extramural sources of error; and historical performance.

TL;DR: The number of flock fibres present on the front seats varied greatly from car to car but did not appear to be dependant on the type of seat fabric or on which areas in the car were flocked.

TL;DR: The aim of this study was to assess colour variations that occur in several types of textiles and their constituent fibres, resulting from the long-term influence of various laundry detergents.

TL;DR: This study suggests that incorporating chemical data obtained from GC-FID/GC-MS and ICP-OES into a case involving PF could be advantageous, as this will enable the forensic scientist to broaden the comparison between control and recovered fragments, and further assess the strength of the evidence.

TL;DR: This article compares the skill with which a large sample of Arabic writers was able to simulate different handwriting elements in two Arabic signatures to agree with the consensus of experts about Roman script: Form is significantly better simulated than Proportion, and Proportion is significantlybetter simulated than Line Quality.

TL;DR: The NRC report as discussed by the authors exposes the soft underbelly of a range of technologies, the organizational problems with the institutions that generate forensic science evidence, and the timidity of the courts in pushing for better science.

TL;DR: A method is described, incorporating a flow chart and reference tables that facilitate manual calculations of the likelihood ratio for several postulated genetic relationships, in the case where the defence proposition is that the unknown contributor is genetically related to the suspect.

TL;DR: In criminal cases, where science has the potential to have a significant influence, the legal actors, police and individuals who form the jury as well as the accused and victim, all need advice that presents with accuracy the level of confidence, and the degree of uncertainty relating to the scientific arguments presented before them by the experts.

TL;DR: The concept of flashburning, the laboratory methodology used to identify it and how an assessment on the overall distribution of that damage may allow a scientist to evaluate its evidential significance are described.

TL;DR: Methods and technology are presented that are based on the widespread availability of video footage from CCTV systems and phone cams, and intelligence such as cell phone traffic data, and use of 2-D maps, aerial photography, and 3-D city and terrain models to carry out forensic investigations of disasters.

TL;DR: This study demonstrates that the background population of foam fragments on an outer-garment consists of low numbers representing various colours, therefore, finding a large population of microscopically indistinguishable fragments within a casework situation has the potential to be considered highly significant evidentially.