Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
George W Adams
National Missing and Unidentified Persons, USA
Keynote: Leading the renaissance of forensic science: Integrity, transparency and technology
Time : 10:00-10:30
Biography:
George W Adams is a former National Director of National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs, 2011/2015), Program Manager at University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (2005/2011) and the author of “Utilizing Forensic Technologies for Unidentified Human Remains: Death Investigation Resources, Strategies, and Disconnects” (Taylor & Francis, 2015). He holds a Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice (UTA -2013) and Bachelor of Business Administration (1972), and a member of Texas Municipal Police Officers Association. His research pursues two vectors – unbiased understanding of forensic DNA application and elevating the empirical nature of criminal investigations
Abstract:
The cyclical transformation of forensic science may be conceptualized as being similar to social transformation – from dissonance to integrity and transparency of enlightenment, to the status quo agendas of elitism, to dissonance as reality interjects its trinity – integrity, transparency and truth –a precursor to its renaissance (rebirth). The original gestation of forensic science was approximately two and a half centuries. Francis Bacon first planted the principled seeds of forensic science in the early 17th century as a heretic who dared to challenge the insular agendas of elitism with what is known as the “scientific method” to get as near the truth as possible. Though there were many previous contractions, the birth of forensic science was delivered with Dr. Alexandre Lacassange’s 1889 autopsy of an unidentified murder victim – Tussaint-Augustin Gouffé. Many forensic science disciplines flourished over the century reaching its pinnacle in 1989 with the DNA case of People v. Castro, when technology became reality’s truth crusader and DNA its guidon. As elitism took the leading role as forensic science’s protectorate, the status quo became an intractable obstacle to the implementation of innovative technologies. The dissonance among all forensic disciplines increased over years; not until 2009 and a National Academies of Science’s report did that discordance to the dais – excluding DNA. It would be an innocuous request for re-analysis of a DNA sample by a Texas District Attorney that would the catalyst for opening the leading the renaissance of forensic science and opening opportunities for future cutting edge technologies.
- Forensic Chemistry | Forensic DNA Analysis | Forensic Engineering | Digital Forensics | Computational Forensics | Forensic Geology & Geophysics | Forensic Genetics
Session Introduction
Marcelo de Oliveira
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Title: A simple methodology for voltammetric quantification of LSD in seized samples
Time : 10:30-10:55
Biography:
Marcelo Firmino de Oliveira has completed his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Universidade Estadual Paulista – Instituto de Química, Brazil. He is a Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Universidade de São Paulo – Departamento de Química - FFCLRP, Brazil. He has published 51 papers in reputed journals. His research group – GEEQFOr – works with electrochemical analysis and the development of new sensors for illicit drugs.
Abstract:
LSD is the abbreviation of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, a hallucinogenic commonly found in blotter, whose numbers associated to its consumption are rising, mainly in internet market. Despite of various studies in the electrochemical detection for seized drugs, LSD has not been widely explored. Voltammetric determination provides specific and reliable results, with a simple experimental procedure. In the present study, we analyzed LSD by Cyclic Voltammetry, with a glassy carbon as working electrode without any surface modification, using ammonium perchlorate in methanol in the presence of water, composing the supporting electrolyte solution, in the proportion 95:5 v/v in a potential range from -0.5 V to 1.8 V. From this condition, it was possible to establish a linear relation between the oxidation peak and the concentration of LSD, with a Limit of Quantification equal to 1.64 x 10-6 mol L-1, equivalent to a blotter with just 3.18 µg. After all validation process was applied, it was possible to obtain the quantification of LSD in a seized sample from the police laboratory. Voltammetric determination might be seen as a promissive alternative for drug analysis, with portability and quickness as some characteristics for its quantification. From the analytical point of view, the present methodology ensures trustful and specific results.
Pierrick Nun
University of Nantes, France
Title: Isotopic quantitative NMR as a tool for authentication and traceability of drugs
Time : 11:10-11:35
Biography:
Pierrick NUN has completed his PhD in 2009 from Montpellier University, France, where he worked on the application of alternative methodologies as mechanochemistry in organic solvent-free synthesis. After Post-doctoral positions at St. Andrews University, Scotland, on gold catalysis and University of Caen, France, on phosphine-boranes reactivity, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in Nantes in 2012. He is currently working on applications of iqNMR in environmental and pharmaceutical sciences and has published 27 papers and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals.
Abstract:
Isotopic quantitative NMR (iqNMR) has been successfully applied to 2H since the 80’s (SNIF-NMR). Recently, EBSI team has been able to extend it to 13C.1 It is now possible to measure with a precision as low as 1‰, the 13C/12C ratio on each carbon (δ13Ci), giving a lot more information than the global 13C/12C ratio on the whole molecule (δ13Cg) obtained from isotope ratio measurement by mass spectrometry (irm-MS). Indeed, only knowing the mean δ13Cg could be misleading. If the measured value is null, is it because there is no fractionation or because there is counteractive normal and inverse isotopic effects on different positions? Quantitative 13C NMR has already been successfully applied to a range of molecules including glucose, vanillin, paracetamol and aspirin and used to show the position-dependent isotopic fractionation occurring during reactions or purifications. We developed new applications of this powerful technique. In environmental studies, 13C iqNMR can be used to study the fate of pollutants. As an example, oxidation of a fuel additive, Methyl tert-butyl ether has been done. MTBE was oxidized by potassium permanganate and the eventuality of a position-specific fractionation has been investigated. In the actual debate around the origin of Tramadol, natural or anthropogenic, mean values cannot give a clear answer and 13C iqNMR can help to establish a possible biosynthetic pathway. The isotopic fingerprint could provide a unique tool for the authentication of drugs, depending of their synthesis, manufacturer or the origin of reactants
George W. Adams
Former national director of operations: National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, USA
Title: Oral Presentation: Principle-based ethics in forensic science: Rise, fall and impact of combined probability of inclusion/exclusion (CPI/E) in DNA mixtures
Time : 11:35-12:00
Biography:
George W Adams is a former National Director of National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs, 2011/2015), Program Manager at University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (2005/2011) and the author of “Utilizing Forensic Technologies for Unidentified Human Remains: Death Investigation Resources, Strategies, and Disconnects” (Taylor & Francis, 2015). He holds a Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice (UTA -2013) and Bachelor of Business Administration (1972), and a member of Texas Municipal Police Officers Association. His research pursues two vectors – unbiased understanding of forensic DNA application and elevating the empirical nature of criminal investigations
Abstract:
There appears to be little understanding of the necessity of principle-based ethics in forensic science, and its application is uncommon. Literature is replete with discussions of forensic science ethical practices and exemplars in general and within specific disciplines. Current literature and discussions focus mainly on codes of conduct of associations, organizations and roles of scientific, technical working groups. Ethical codes of conduct are thus established on organizational mandates, rules, competency/proficiency guidelines, legal interpretations, and negotiated guidelines of credentialing or authoritative entities. It is additionally argued that the current status ethics in forensic science is of a values-based nature, void of necessary foundational principles (as presented). Values-based ethics are subjective in nature that morphs via specific discipline, circumstance, or resulting outcomes – right or wrong depending on one’s values or culture. As such forensic science has suffered a loss of confidence with its application in the criminal justice system by the public with recent revelations of problems with hair analysis, bite mark testimony, bullet lead analysis, CODIS allele frequency errors, and DNA mixture interpretations. Principles are objective natural laws of the human experience that do not change with situation, time, culture or circumstance, and are at the core of every successful individual, entity and institution. The rise, fall and impact of CPI/E in DNA mixture interpretation will be presented from the perspective of principle-based ethics that have been known for hundreds of years to help restore the public’s confidence in the application of forensic science in the criminal justice environment.
Yeonhee Lee
Korea Institute of Science & Technology, South Korea
Title: Trace Chemical Investigation for Forensic Science Using TOF-SIMS
Time : 12:00-12:25
Biography:
Yeonhee Lee is a researcher of Analytical Chemistry at Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) since 1995. She has completed her PhD at University of Pittsburgh and a Post-doctorate at the Argonne National Laboratory. Her research interests are in surface modification and characterization of various materials. She is also investigating the applications of TOF-SIMS in the analysis of the archeological materials and forensic trace evidences. In Korean SIMS community, she currently serves as an organizing committee from 2002.
Abstract:
Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is well established surface technique which provides both elemental and molecular information from several monolayers of a sample surface while also allowing depth profiling or element mapping to be carried out. The use of TOF mass analyzer has improved the mass range, surface sensitivity, and mass resolution of SIMS. The static TOF-SIMS with these improved performances has expanded the application of SIMS to the study of a variety of organic, biological, and forensic materials. The TOF-SIMS analyses of Asian sealing-inks on paper surfaces were investigated. TOF-SIMS spectra were employed to identify elements and organic compounds in Asian sealing-inks. An analysis was performed on thirteen sealing-inks of red and purple color manufactured in Korea, Japan, and China. Overlapped area of sealing-ink, ball point pen, and laser toner in the document was also investigated to determine the order of recording. TOF-SIMS also provides a method of elemental and organic analysis that can distinguish between cosmetic samples of the same or nearly the same color. TOF-SIMS is a reliable, micro-destructive, and small area analyzing method for characterization of the elemental and organic composition of cosmetic smears. TOF-SIMS spectra and images were used to characterize different types of hair products and their results were compared with the conventional analysis. Therefore, a systematic study of various trace evidences via TOF-SIMS and other surface techniques can provide critical information in forensic laboratories for criminal cases.
Djillali Benouar
USTHB, Algeria
Title: A preliminary post-event investigation of disasters: A case study of the 2008 Ghardaia (Algeria) flood and debris flow
Time : 12:25-12:50
Biography:
Djillali Benouar is Professor of Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Risk Management at the Faculty of Civil Engineering USTHB. He obtained his PhD at Imperial College, University of London (England) and his Master’s in Stanford University, California (USA) and completed his Postdoctoral studies at the University of Tokyo (Japan). He received two international awards for his research from UNESCO and Thomson Reuters. He has published 40 publications in internationally reputed journals and has over 100 papers in international conferences. He is a founding member of the Algerian Academy of Science and Technology (AAST).
Abstract:
This paper attempts, as a case study, to investigate, in a forensic style, the Ghardaia (Algeria) floods and debris flows of 1 October 2008 of which the official assessment of the catastrophe is very significant. Eight of the 13 districts of the surrounding Ghardaia province have been affected by the floods and 600 homes have been inundated in the town. However, considering the scale of the disaster – eight willayas were affected in a diameter of 30 kms along the River M’Zab and approximately 2,000 families in need. The floods also left about a 1,000 of people homeless and many other people are missing. Hundreds of people had to be rescued by helicopters and up to 600 houses are estimated to be destroyed in the rains of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It was reported in the press that 80 % of human and material losses, caused by the flood, are mainly due to human error. It affirms, in this connection, it is the collapse of the walls of the dam of El Djarref Adira, 25 km distant from the town of Ghardaia, which caused the death of 44 people and the disappearance of dozens of other. Heavy rains have caused the accumulation of water on over two kilometers in the dam. The water pressure caused a 70 meter opening in the dam and the flood run at more 1200 m3/s on Ghardaia city. This is a huge quantity of water. It was an exceptional flood as it reached sebkhet Sefioune which is over 180 km far from Ghardaia city. At Metlili city, a height of 6 m was recorded, while downstream of Ghardaia city, it was just under 8 m. It is recommended to make a detailed analysis to determine the causes and reasons that led to the collapse of the walls of the dam of El Djerraf built there barely ten years. Regarding flooding of the river, it was reported that the enterprise which made the development works of the river has seriously damaged the natural course of the river and its banks, without any preliminary planning made. Furthermore than the dam failure, the M'Zab Valley has to be considered in its entirety in order to explain the combination of failures that produced this scale damage. There is also the fact that all the rivers operated at full capacity this: rivers Labiod, Erguedane, Laadiret, Noumirt and Nssa. At the time of the surge, the waters in their have encountered sewage system filled of garbage, tree trunks, plastic bottle and bags, etc. Urban fabric has been involved seriously in the amplification of this disaster as well as the lack of a warning system as the huge amount of water came from the city of Hassi Rmel at 126 kms of the site of Ghardaia. A catastrophe of such a scope cannot have a single cause. It can be only the result of several failures and thus need a forensic style of investigations to determine the root causes of the disaster.
Majdah Alotaibi
University of Bath, UK
Title: Forensic analysis of a Glastonbury amnesty bin: Evaluation of compact spectrometer techniques compared to NMR
Time : 13:35-14:00
Biography:
Majdah Alotaibi is an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia and is in the final year of her PhD at University of Bath, UK. Her project is focused on “impurity profiling of illicit drugs” using different techniques, e.g. HPLC, NMR, EA-IRMS, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS and Polarography. She has 3 years experience in the quantitative analysis of illicit drugs.
Abstract:
Forensic analysis of amnesty bins provides reliable and quantitative data on identity and purity of drug substances. Identification of cutting agents and their ratios can help link directly to a manufacturer or trafficking network. ATR-FTIR equipped with the TICTAC drug identification database was evaluated in this study and compared to NMR to provide a rapid, precise test for identifying substances and their impurities in an amnesty bin. The Glastonbury music festival (2013) amnesty bin samples were obtained from the Drug Expert Action Team (DEAT), Avon and Somerset Constabulary, UK. ATR-FTIR spectroscopic analysis was performed on a Bruker FT-IR spectrometer (ALPHA Bruker Optics, Billerica, MA, USA). 1H NMR data were collected on a Bruker 500 MHz NMR spectrometer and NMReady-60 PRO (Nanalysis Corp., Canada). ATR-IR was successfully used to identify a wide variety of illicit drug samples, e.g. ketamine (22), mephedrone (33), flephedrone (4), cocaine (13), heroin (10), MDMA (76), methylone (1), and popper (14). Both ATR-IR and NMR discriminated between mephedrone and flephedrone, but benzocaine as a cutting agent was not recognized by ATR-IR. The possible diversion of street ketamine samples from legal sources was investigated by detecting the low levels of preservatives, down to 5µg/mL, present in pharmaceutical formulations using 1H NMR when ATR-IR could not detect such concentrations of these preservatives. Although ATR-IR provides a quick non-destructive method to identify illicit drugs in seized samples, NMR provides rapid and quantitative information on drugs, preservatives, cutting agents, and impurities.
Stephanie Giles
Thames Valley Police, UK
Title: The validity of osteoarthritic markers to contribute to age-at-death estimation in forensic anthropology: Employing an Eastern American sample
Time : 14:00-14:25
Biography:
Giles S is a Crime Scene Investigator for Thames Valley Police, the largest non-metropolitan police force in the UK and a part-time Forensic Anthropology PhD student at Cranfield University, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. She has been an operational Crime Scene Investigator since February 2014 and has so far examined approximately 600 crime scenes. She holds a distinction MSc in Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology and a First Class BSc in Medical Sciences from the University of Leeds. During her MSc, she secured a research scholarship at the Anthropology Research Facility (“The Body Farm”), Knoxville, University of Tennessee. Here she developed a new method to estimate the time since death from decomposition states and conducted research utilising the William Bass Skeletal Collection. Following her Master’s, she was awarded the “Forensic Science Society Prize”, “Head of School Prize”, “Inforce Prize”, “Top Student on the Forensic Programme Award” and the “Cranfield Forensic Institute Distinction Prize”. She holds Assosicate Membership of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.
Abstract:
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease affecting the human skeleton. A growing body of literature has assessed the use of osteoarthritic markers to assist in the estimation of age-at-death in physical or forensic anthropology. Current aging methods in adults include the observation of the pubic symphysis, the auricular surface of the ilium, and sternal rib ends, which often result in broad age ranges encompassing young as well as older adult individuals, and have decreasing predictive power as age increases. The prevalence or absence of osteoarthritis in the human skeleton could assist in providing more accurate age estimations after the fourth decade of life and may have useful applications to partially recovered remains in a forensic setting. This study aimed to assess the presence of osteoarthritis in a sample of 120 skeletonised individuals with known age-at-death between 25 and 99 years from the William M Bass Donated Skeleton Collection house at the University of Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Center (FAC). Using a modified version of a previously published osteoarthritis scoring system, evidence of osteoarthritic markers were recorded of the hip, knee and shoulder joints, totaling 1852 observations. A Bayesian network was used to produce a novel tool for estimating the age-at-death in unknown cases. Preliminary results suggest that osteoarthritic markers are strongly correlated with age, with a presence in the >40 year old and therefore may serve, once again, as a useful complimentary method to assist in the estimation of age-at-death in a forensic context.
Margarita Garcia Corro
Moscow State Medical University, Russian Federation
Title: Age determination using bone structures of skull base In forensic personal identification
Time : 14:25-14:50
Biography:
M A Garcia Corro graduated from I M Sechenov First, Moscow State Medical University in 2013 and has completed Master’s degree in Forensic Medicine. Currently, she works in Moscow Bureau of Forensic Medicine in Criminology laboratory. Also she conducts research in age changes of sella turcica, frontal and sphenoid sinuses.
Abstract:
The report focuses on the importance of skull base study in personal identification, abilities of determining age by morphological and morphometric features of skull base bone structures, using the main reference points such as the sella turcica, clivus, frontal and sphenoid sinuses. 223 computer-aided tomography scanning images were selected for the analysis of skull base bone structures in lateral projection. Also a morphometric study of sella turcica was done on 103 cadavers prepared for autopsy with sectional sawing of the skull. No pathology was revealed of skull base bones of selected material. The age range was from 18 to 88 years. For measurements on Ct-scanning images EFILM Workstation 3.4 and Ðdobe Ð hotoshop CS5 extended have been used, on cadavers-caliper with scale 0.1 mm. Morphology and morphometry of sella turcica, clivus and sinuses are very individual, nevertheless were observed features of these structures that vary in regular manner with age. Differences in development of postnatal ontogenesis of the frontal and the sphenoid sinuses allow establish correlations in age using the ratio of measurements of the frontal sinus to sphenoid sinus to determine the age period. The combined quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the individual features of skull base bone structures: sella turcica, clivus, frontal and sphenoid sinuses can be used as points for identification, also their configuration slightly changes with age. The stability of some features and variability of the other throughout life enables to develop new diagnostic criteria for the purposes of personal identification, particularly human biological age.
Hongxia Hao
China University of Political Science and Law, China
Title: TNT detection based on aptamers and gold nanoparticles-enhanced surface plasmon resonance biosensor
Time : 14:50-15:15
Biography:
Hongxia Hao is an Assistant Professor of China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), a member of the “2011 Plan” of the PRC national government. She has a BSc in Chemistry and received MSc and PhD in Medicine and Toxicology analysis from the Chinese People’s Public Security University. In 2012, she worked in the University of Toronto as a Visiting Scholar. She currently is in charge of Forensic Science Instrument Research Center, developing the technologies of on-the-spot quick detection on drug and explosives, also with 8 patents and 40 published papers about surface plasmon resonance sensor, immunoassay and biosensor.
Abstract:
At present, there are varied detection methods for TNT, which can be mainly divided into the traditional technology and new type of micro trace detection technology. The common ways of bulk explosive quick detecting technology are X-ray detection technology, THZ spectroscopy, ion mobility spectrometry, portable Raman spectroscopy and so on, which generally have flaws like high costs, weak sensitivity, defeating in recognize the mixture and complex, a false positive or false negative, bulky, expensive. Herein, a novel quick testing method was developed using DNA aptamer and surface plasma resonance technology (SPR). The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used to enhance the surface plasma resonance signal (SESS), so that TNT can be detected directly and rapidly by highly sensitive SPR sensor. TNT aptamer screened by System ligand evolution technology (SELEX) was added to modify on AuNPs. Based on adapter competition between TNT and TNP–gly, microtrace of TNT in the solution can be detected with LOD of 10-9M. The linear ship of TNT concentration is 10-9-10-6M (r2=0.989). Herein it is the first time that aptamer was used with SPR sensor chip modified by nanoparticles to detect TNT. This method help forensic scientist discover trace explosive with portable instrument.
Stephanie Giles
Thames Valley Police, UK
Title: Estimating the post-mortem interval in forensic practice
Time : 15:15-15:40
Biography:
Giles S is a Crime Scene Investigator for Thames Valley Police, the largest non-metropolitan police force in the UK and a part-time Forensic Anthropology PhD student at Cranfield University, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. She has been an operational Crime Scene Investigator since February 2014 and has so far examined approximately 600 crime scenes. She holds a distinction MSc in Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology and a First Class BSc in Medical Sciences from the University of Leeds. During her MSc, she secured a research scholarship at the Anthropology Research Facility (“The Body Farm”), Knoxville, University of Tennessee. Here she developed a new method to estimate the time since death from decomposition states and conducted research utilising the William Bass Skeletal Collection. Following her Master’s, she was awarded the “Forensic Science Society Prize”, “Head of School Prize”, “Inforce Prize”, “Top Student on the Forensic Programme Award” and the “Cranfield Forensic Institute Distinction Prize”. She holds Assosicate Membership of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.
Abstract:
Current methods to estimate the time since death focus heavily on indicators of early decomposition and have proved fairly accurate at estimating the time-since death in the early post-mortem period under experimental conditions. Translation of these methods into forensic practice has proved difficult and as it stands there is no standard methodology to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) for forensic investigators to use when they encounter decomposed remains at unexplained death scenes. This study used photographs and daily recordings to assess the early to moderate decomposition states of 13 cadavers placed at varying time intervals between July and October 2015 at the Anthropology Research Facility at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Preliminary results suggest that variability in the decay rate is dependent on both accumulated-degree days and intrinsic body factors. These findings assisted in the development of the Giles-Harrison (GH) Decomposition Scale which can be used by forensic investigators to assist in their estimation of the PMI when dealing with early to moderate decomposed remains.
Zabihollah Rezaee
The University of Memphis, USA
Title: The use of big data and data science methods in forensic accounting for detecting financial statement fraud
Biography:
Zabihollah Rezaee is the Thompson-Hill Chair of Excellence and Professor of Accountancy at the University of Memphis. He received his BS degree from the Iranian Institute of Advanced Accounting, his MBA from Tarleton State University in Texas, and his PhD from the University of Mississippi. Dr. Rezaee holds ten certifications including CPA and CFE, published 11 books, more than 215 articles in business and accounting and 11 book chapters. His recent books and articles are in the areas of business sustainability, corporate governance, forensic accounting and professional ethics.
Abstract:
We examine the adoption of the Big Data Framework in forensic accounting for detecting financial statement fraud (FSF) and the relevance and efficacy of Data Science principles and predictive algorithms in detecting, predicting, and preventing FSF. Business organizations lose about 5% of their revenues to fraud each year, which can exceed 3.5 trillion (USD) worldwide. The existence and persistence of financial statement fraud (FSF) is detrimental to the safety, soundness, and efficiency of our financial markets. Our study is intended to improve audit efficacy in discovering FSF by using Big Data and data analytics and algorithms. We conduct our analyses in four stages. In the first stage, we capture as much data as possible from a variety of sources to identify factors and potential signals that can lead to FSF. In the second stage we focus on identifying specific phenomena, characteristics, and symptoms that could trigger fraudulent incidents. In the third stage, we process the data using the Big Data Apache Spark platform to process the captured data and turn them into usable and relevant information in predicting and detecting FSF. In the fourth stage we use a Data Science approach and develop a suite of machine learning algorithms to estimate the probability of FSF occurrence. Big Data requires the use of sophisticated analytical tools and platforms such as Apache Spark to effectively and accurately identify potential risks that may trigger FSF. Corporations should proactively search for irregularities in Big Data and manage their risk profile in discovering FSF