Browsing: Research & Publications

Stay informed with the latest research, scholarly articles, and academic papers across diverse fields, advancing knowledge and driving innovation.

Forensic scientists have for the first time shown that DNA can be recovered from the surface of capsules after just 15 seconds of contact by drug manufacturers and dealers—making it possible for law enforcement agencies to track down criminal syndicates around the world. In a new study, published in Forensic Science International: Genetics, Flinders University researchers have demonstrated that DNA from criminals who may have handled the capsules during production, assembly and distribution of illegal drugs can be identified if matched to a profile of a suspect, or one already on a DNA database. Ph.D. candidate Amy Griffin from the College…

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Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed an innovative tool to aid in the investigation of how we perceive and remember visual experiences. The new tool, referred to as a “scene wheel,” will help researchers study how accurately we construct mental representations of visual experiences for later retrieval—for example, how well an eyewitness recalls details of a crime or accident. “We know that eyewitness testimony is not reliable,” says Gaeun Son. “With the new scene wheel, we can start to characterize the specific nature of those memory failures.” Son is a Ph.D. student in the department of psychology and…

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Duct tape and items retrieved from water are common pieces of evidence in forensic casework. However, there is little research uniting DNA recovery from immersed tape evidence. A new study examines the feasibility of the recovery of DNA from water-logged duct tape. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Forensic Genomics, evaluated the effects of submersion duration and initial cellular concentration on the ability to recover DNA and produce Short Tandem Repeat (STR) profile from folded duct tape has been submerged in ocean water for up to 2 weeks. In the article Joseph Donfack from the Federal Bureau of Investigation…

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In the study, renowned cognitive bias expert Itiel Dror and co-author Nina Sunde illustrated that experts tended to find more or less evidence on a suspect’s computer hard drive to implicate or exonerate them depending on the contextual information about the investigation that they were given. Moreover, even those presented with the same information often reached different conclusions about the evidence.

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Scientists have taken the first steps in developing a new method of identifying the movements of criminals using chemical analysis of soil and dust found on equipment, clothing and cars. The locating system allows police or security services to match soil remnants found on personal items to regional soil samples, to either implicate or eliminate presence at a crime scene. The work is presented as a Keynote Lecture at the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference, after recent publication.

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DNA is composed of nucleobases represented by the letters A, T, G and C. They form the basis of the genetic code and are present in all living beings. But in a bacteriophage, another base, represented by the letter Z, exists. This exception, the only one observed to date, has long remained a mystery. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, in collaboration with the CEA, have now elucidated the biosynthesis pathway of this base. This work has been published in the April 30th, 2021 issue of Science.

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Ecologists from the Conservation Forensics Laboratory of the Research Division for Ecology and Biodiversity at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have applied stable isotope techniques to determine whether birds in the pet trade are captive or wild-caught, a key piece of evidence required in many cases to determine whether a trade is legal or not

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Date: Thursday, July 8th, 2021 Source: Boston University School of Medicine As analytical instrumentation (gas- and liquid-chromatographs coupled with mass spectrometers) increase in sensitivity and speed, forensic scientists may find themselves still hindered by the process of preparing samples (blood, urine, etc.) for analysis and seeking more efficient approaches. In an article in WIRES Forensic Science, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine’s (BUSM) Biomedical Forensic Sciences program, provide an overview of sample preparation techniques and information on routine sample types that may be encountered in forensic toxicology cases. Forensic toxicology encompasses a large variety of scenarios including drug-facilitated crimes, understanding…

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In 2009, music producer Phil Spector was convicted for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson, who was shot in the face from a very short distance. He was dressed in white clothes, but no bloodstains were found on his clothing — even though significant backward blood spatter occurred. How could his clothing remain clean if he was the shooter? This real-life forensic puzzle inspired University of Illinois at Chicago and Iowa State University researchers to explore the fluid physics involved. This real-life forensic puzzle inspired researchers to explore the physics involved.  In Physics of Fluids, from AIP Publishing, the…

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National Institute of Justice-supported researchers from RTI International recently published the results of their research showing that field sobriety tests and THC levels are unreliable indicators of marijuana intoxication. The full study can be read here. A summary of the research is available here and provided the following take-aways that will be of interest for DWI attorneys: The researchers reported that the one leg stand, walk and turn, and modified Romberg balance tests were not sensitive to cannabis intoxication for any of the study participants.Results from the toxicology tests showed that the levels of all three targeted cannabis components (THC, cannabidiol, and cannabinol)…

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