http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706112601.htm
As we all know from doing the sex identification lab, there are many ways to find out whether a skeleton is male or female, black, white, or Asian. However, scientists have recently discovered a new way to identify the sex of a skeleton. Scientists are now using three-dimensional imaging technology to effectively quantify the specific characteristics of the os coax (pelvis) that differentiate males from females. This scientific breakthrough is being lead by Dr. Ann Ross, a doctor as North Carolina State University. This technology was originally going to be used to identify skeletons that had been smashed and un-identifiable in natural disasters or massive accidents. However, recently forensics scientists have began to take an interest in this technology to help better identify victims in cases. This method is not merely helpful for identifying remains, but is much more accurate than being done by a human because the computers can make much more exact calculations. Dr. Ross and many of her associates hope that forensic scientists will begin to use this machine regularly some time in the near future.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Forensic Metal Fingerprinting: Simple, Handheld Device Which Can Measure Corrosion on Machine Parts
University of Leicester. "Forensic metal fingerprinting: Simple, handheld device which can measure corrosion on machine parts." ScienceDaily 22 October 2010. 16 December 2010 .
Recently there has been research into fingerprint detection. There is a new device that can help determine an identity of a person using forensic metal fingerprinting. This device has been created at the University of Leicester. Dr John Bond's method of identifying fingerprints on brass bullet-casings, even after they have been wiped clean, was based on the minuscule amounts of corrosion which can be caused by sweat. Now Dr. Bond is applying this new technique to the industry by creating a machine which can measure corrosion. Corrosion is a process in which a solid is eaten away and changed by a chemical action. An example of corrosion would be as in the oxidation of iron in the presence of water by an electrolytic process. There is much research on inhibiting the corrosion of brass because of its use in heat exchangers and industrial pipe work, this technique enables the degree of corrosion to be easily measured.
This new technique affects humanity because this device makes it easier to measure corrosion on machine parts as well as making it easier for fingerprint analysis. Fingerprint analysis can be difficult to determine in some instances, but with this new device, fingerprint analysis can be determined earlier in the process.
Overall, I thought that this article was very interesting because there are many new developments in fingerprint analysis recently. I liked when Dr. Bond stated: "This is a new, quick, cheap and easy way of measuring the extent of corrosion on copper and copper based alloys, such as brass,”. This quote explains how this new machine effects humanity as well as why he created this device. I think that this article was well written as well as explained the process of fingerprint analysis with this new tool.
Recently there has been research into fingerprint detection. There is a new device that can help determine an identity of a person using forensic metal fingerprinting. This device has been created at the University of Leicester. Dr John Bond's method of identifying fingerprints on brass bullet-casings, even after they have been wiped clean, was based on the minuscule amounts of corrosion which can be caused by sweat. Now Dr. Bond is applying this new technique to the industry by creating a machine which can measure corrosion. Corrosion is a process in which a solid is eaten away and changed by a chemical action. An example of corrosion would be as in the oxidation of iron in the presence of water by an electrolytic process. There is much research on inhibiting the corrosion of brass because of its use in heat exchangers and industrial pipe work, this technique enables the degree of corrosion to be easily measured.
This new technique affects humanity because this device makes it easier to measure corrosion on machine parts as well as making it easier for fingerprint analysis. Fingerprint analysis can be difficult to determine in some instances, but with this new device, fingerprint analysis can be determined earlier in the process.
Overall, I thought that this article was very interesting because there are many new developments in fingerprint analysis recently. I liked when Dr. Bond stated: "This is a new, quick, cheap and easy way of measuring the extent of corrosion on copper and copper based alloys, such as brass,”. This quote explains how this new machine effects humanity as well as why he created this device. I think that this article was well written as well as explained the process of fingerprint analysis with this new tool.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Facial Recognition: A Valuable Tool For Law Enforcement
Facial recognition has been around longer than most people think. It all started with Bertillon when he worked on face classification. Bertillon developed means by which portraits could be sorted by common morphological characteristics, the specific shapes of the different parts of the face, and therefore an individual’s photo could be found without having to resort to browsing through large collections of portraits. This is known as portrait parlé or spoken portrait. Facial recognition is also involved in identification line-up techniques in which a witness is confronted with a group of physically similar people, one of whom is a suspect. The witness must then decide whether one of the persons in the group was present at the scene of the crime or not. Today, police officers equipped with PDAs can quickly capture facial images and submit search requests to remote facial recognition systems, quickly determining whether an individual is known to law enforcement. These computers are very accurate; pierce county sheriff’s office in Washington State has demonstrated an accuracy rate of 94%. This is still not as accurate as fingerprint analysis but it can be very useful when fingerprint data does not exist or when multiple independent verification methods are desired.
This is very important because facial recognition can help police with identification. It also provides another resource for scientists to use instead of just fingerprint analysis. Facial recognition can provide law enforcement agencies with a valuable tool for multiple public safety applications.
This article was written very well. I liked how the article was broken into sections such as, background, general facial recognition, and criminal prevention.
http://www.forensicmag.com/article/facial-recognition-valuable-tool-law-enforcement?page=0,1
Age Estimation from Blood
Recently scientists have been able to determine the age of a person from there blood. This is possible because the method in which this is preformed takes advantage of T-cells, which are fundamental in the immune system. When DNA cells and T-Cells come together they form circular DNA cells and which are known as TCR cells. These TCR cells decline at a constant rate with age. This method was crated by Manfred Kayser of the Erasmus MC University Medical Center.
This will help forensic science because it gives investigators another means of identification besides bone and teeth marks. Also if a criminal or missing person was bleeding at the crime scene it would be easier to find their age with the blood instead of other techniques. Another reason why this method helps benefit Forensic science is that if a criminal is not in the DNA database then there is not information on them. However using this technique one can find out the age of the criminal or missing person.
I found this article to be very interesting because it shows us another one of the many Forensics techniques. One thing that would have been better about this article would be if they gave an example of when this method was used, and proven helpful. But over all I think that this was a good article.
Putting a Living Face on the Nameless Dead
“Putting a Living Face on the Nameless Dead”
By Shoshanaa Walter
Two farmers at Watsonville Farm stopped to find an anonymous body found in a ditch. The body was expected to be an illegal immigrant who was killed and then put on this road. The only identifiable body parts were the skull and some teeth. Investigators wanted to know who this body was so they called a forensic artist, Gloria Nusse, to draw his face. In order to make this man’s face, Ms. Nusse formed a resin casting over its face. His face was now visible; the man was John Doe. Ms. Nusse then worked on three other unknown Hispanic bodies. To begin identifying the faces, she places 20 needles in different locations of the skull to indicate the tissue depth, measures the angle of the nasal spine and cavity to determine the protrusion of the nose, and measures the width of the lips by their proportion of their eyes sockets. Ms. Nusse says it’s all about reading the skull in order to remake the face. One of the bodies was Yesenia Nungaray, a 16 year old girl who left her town with an older man. How Ms. Nusse displayed Ms. Nungray was incredible accurate to what she actually looked like. A way in which she tries to make the bodies easily identifiable is by extenuating their unique features.
These sculptures of the unknown bodies are very helpful for identifying the bodies that may never have been identified if it weren’t for these sculptures. Since the United States does not have DNA or any way of identifying illegal immigrants, this is really the best way of figuring out who these people are. They send the sculptures down to the country where they are presumably from and then hope for someone, a relative or friend, to come up and identify them.
One critique I have for this article is that it is way too boring. I thought the topic would be interesting originally, but more I read on, there was no real direction in the topic. I wish it was either more directed towards this sculpture technique and the three bodies or more on Ms. Nusse and other success she has had with these sculptures.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/05bcclay.html?_r=1&ref=forensic_science
By Shoshanaa Walter
Two farmers at Watsonville Farm stopped to find an anonymous body found in a ditch. The body was expected to be an illegal immigrant who was killed and then put on this road. The only identifiable body parts were the skull and some teeth. Investigators wanted to know who this body was so they called a forensic artist, Gloria Nusse, to draw his face. In order to make this man’s face, Ms. Nusse formed a resin casting over its face. His face was now visible; the man was John Doe. Ms. Nusse then worked on three other unknown Hispanic bodies. To begin identifying the faces, she places 20 needles in different locations of the skull to indicate the tissue depth, measures the angle of the nasal spine and cavity to determine the protrusion of the nose, and measures the width of the lips by their proportion of their eyes sockets. Ms. Nusse says it’s all about reading the skull in order to remake the face. One of the bodies was Yesenia Nungaray, a 16 year old girl who left her town with an older man. How Ms. Nusse displayed Ms. Nungray was incredible accurate to what she actually looked like. A way in which she tries to make the bodies easily identifiable is by extenuating their unique features.
These sculptures of the unknown bodies are very helpful for identifying the bodies that may never have been identified if it weren’t for these sculptures. Since the United States does not have DNA or any way of identifying illegal immigrants, this is really the best way of figuring out who these people are. They send the sculptures down to the country where they are presumably from and then hope for someone, a relative or friend, to come up and identify them.
One critique I have for this article is that it is way too boring. I thought the topic would be interesting originally, but more I read on, there was no real direction in the topic. I wish it was either more directed towards this sculpture technique and the three bodies or more on Ms. Nusse and other success she has had with these sculptures.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/05bcclay.html?_r=1&ref=forensic_science
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Explosives
For almost a decade Christine Mahoney and a team of scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have been working towards stopping the threat of terrorist-based attacks. They are doing this by creating a sound measurement and a standard infrastructure. One of the measurement techniques is called Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and it is proving to be critical in identifying the various components of explosives. This technique is mass spectrometric-based imaging that can detect components like binders, oils, and the explosives themselves. This is better than gas or liquid chromatography because it can provide a partial analysis of extracted samples. ToF-SIMS provides rapid identification of both organic and inorganic constituents. It is also well0suited for direct analysis of small explosive particles collected directly in the field and sent to the lab. Mahoney says that the laboratory technique is sensitive enough to detect bits of explosive material scattered in a fingerprint. The ultimate goal of this technology is to use it to create standardized reference samples.
This article is important to today’s forensic world because it has provided a whole new technology for explosives. This technology is much faster and much more accurate in identifying explosives and their different components. Also once it is used to create reference samples it will make examining explosives much easier and faster.
This was a very good and informational article. It presented a new break through in forensic technology very well. It could use an example or something like that but it was still a very good and important article.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
New Forensic Camera Can Spot Bloodstains
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/11/12/Forensic-camera-can-spot-bloodstains/UPI-69511289608295/
Recently, U.S. researchers claimed to have developed a new camera allowing criminalists to scan a crime scene for bloodstains without altering or destroying valuable evidence. The researchers that developed the camera prototype can detect bloodstains even when the sample has been diluted to a great extent. Usually, bloodstains are detected by spraying a chemical called luminol around the crime scene that reacts with the iron in any blood present to emit a blue glow that can be seen in the dark. However, luminol is toxic, and can dilute blood samples making the DNA difficult to recover, and can smear blood spatter patterns that often tell how the victim died. In addition, it can produce false positives by reacting with things like bleach, rust, carbonated soft drinks and coffee. In spite of this, This new camera can distinguish between blood and all four of those substances, the researchers say. The way the camera works is when it take an image of a scene, it beams pulses of infrared light on a surface and then detects the infrared light that is reflected back off it. A special filter placed in front of the camera's detector can make a diluted blood stain show up against its surroundings by filtering out wavelengths that aren't characteristic of blood proteins. Researchers say that different filters could detect contrasts between a surface and any type of stain, such as sweat and lipids in fingerprints not visible to the naked eye.
This is a breakthrough in forensic science for the reason that this special camera can identify blood stains in a crime scene without tampering with any valuable evidence, therefore making the evidence authentic and accurate
Overall, i thought this article was interesting because of how this breakthrough can change so much in forensic sciences and make the blood stain detection method faster,accurate, and reliable
Recently, U.S. researchers claimed to have developed a new camera allowing criminalists to scan a crime scene for bloodstains without altering or destroying valuable evidence. The researchers that developed the camera prototype can detect bloodstains even when the sample has been diluted to a great extent. Usually, bloodstains are detected by spraying a chemical called luminol around the crime scene that reacts with the iron in any blood present to emit a blue glow that can be seen in the dark. However, luminol is toxic, and can dilute blood samples making the DNA difficult to recover, and can smear blood spatter patterns that often tell how the victim died. In addition, it can produce false positives by reacting with things like bleach, rust, carbonated soft drinks and coffee. In spite of this, This new camera can distinguish between blood and all four of those substances, the researchers say. The way the camera works is when it take an image of a scene, it beams pulses of infrared light on a surface and then detects the infrared light that is reflected back off it. A special filter placed in front of the camera's detector can make a diluted blood stain show up against its surroundings by filtering out wavelengths that aren't characteristic of blood proteins. Researchers say that different filters could detect contrasts between a surface and any type of stain, such as sweat and lipids in fingerprints not visible to the naked eye.
This is a breakthrough in forensic science for the reason that this special camera can identify blood stains in a crime scene without tampering with any valuable evidence, therefore making the evidence authentic and accurate
Overall, i thought this article was interesting because of how this breakthrough can change so much in forensic sciences and make the blood stain detection method faster,accurate, and reliable
Forensic Accounting
Article found at: http://www.theforensicexaminer.com/articles/news/11/15/Fishbowl-the-Forensic-Accountant-A-Closer-Look-at-the-Skills-Forensic-Accounting-Education-Should-Emphasize
The article was about the skills a good forensic accountant needs, but first it told exactly what a forensic accountant does. Forensic accountants are tasked with tracing the bank accounts of criminals and terrorists to find where they have hidden stolen money or were they are hiding. They also try to figure out whether or not a person or company has committed fraud. Companies also hire forensic accountants to evaluate their assets before making a big decision.
The article then went on to describe qualities that a good forensic accountant needs and cited a survey of forensic accounting practitioners and educators. The skills they seemed to think were most important for a for forensic accountant were deductive analysis, critical thinking, unstructured problem solving, investigative flexibility, analytical proficiency, oral communication, written communication, specific legal knowledge, and composure. It ended with suggestions on how these skills can be integrated into a forensic accounting curriculum.
I liked this article in general because it gave a good summary of what exactly a forensic accountant is and what they need to do that job well. It also gave good suggestions on how to teach forensic accounting. The one thing I didn’t like was the way they presented the survey results. It got very repetitive as those surveyed all answered the questions in exactly the same way. They made a new paragraph for each question and all the paragraphs seemed the same.I choose this article because I don’t know much about forensic accounting and I wanted to know more. It impressed me because I didn’t realize how important forensic accounting is for things like tracking down terrorists.
The article was about the skills a good forensic accountant needs, but first it told exactly what a forensic accountant does. Forensic accountants are tasked with tracing the bank accounts of criminals and terrorists to find where they have hidden stolen money or were they are hiding. They also try to figure out whether or not a person or company has committed fraud. Companies also hire forensic accountants to evaluate their assets before making a big decision.
The article then went on to describe qualities that a good forensic accountant needs and cited a survey of forensic accounting practitioners and educators. The skills they seemed to think were most important for a for forensic accountant were deductive analysis, critical thinking, unstructured problem solving, investigative flexibility, analytical proficiency, oral communication, written communication, specific legal knowledge, and composure. It ended with suggestions on how these skills can be integrated into a forensic accounting curriculum.
I liked this article in general because it gave a good summary of what exactly a forensic accountant is and what they need to do that job well. It also gave good suggestions on how to teach forensic accounting. The one thing I didn’t like was the way they presented the survey results. It got very repetitive as those surveyed all answered the questions in exactly the same way. They made a new paragraph for each question and all the paragraphs seemed the same.I choose this article because I don’t know much about forensic accounting and I wanted to know more. It impressed me because I didn’t realize how important forensic accounting is for things like tracking down terrorists.
Monday, November 1, 2010
$18 Million to Man Wrongly Imprisoned
Kip Stack
Forensics C Block Mr. Ippolito
Just recently a man who was wrongly accused of rape, robbery, and assault was let out of prison. He was let out due to testing of his
This article may change how forensic science is conducted because the
Overall I think the article was well written, but there are a few areas of it where the author could have improved. I think it could have been better if he expanded more about the forensic science part. Another area where I think there could have been improvement was talk a little less on what he has been up to lately.
Spontaneous Combustion
This article gives an explanation of the term, “spontaneous combustion” and explains the factors that contribute to this action. Combustion happens when materials heat up to the point of burning without the absorbing heat from its surroundings. This act most commonly happens amongst paints, oils, sawdust, hay, waste paper, coal and charcoal. One exception is when levels of oxidations or heat drawn in are minimal like in rusty iron. The levels of heat supply and oxidation are important because in order for the reaction to be successful, it is often very hard to study the causes and properties of this reaction because there are usually no remaining materials. There are two forms of detection in this case, one is to determine the increased burning in the center of the object versus the outside; and another form of detection is to justify that after attempts to put out a flame, the results were to only to light up in flames again.
This article is important to society because spontaneous combustion is a frequently talk about topic; however, there is frequently no definite answer. These studies to try an understand combustion is going to help give us a better understanding of what combustion is, and could later on eliminate arson suspected crimes if there were ways to rule out a person starting a fire instead of natural causes.
I think the article was well written and somewhat informative; however, more information on why it is a useful form of research would have been beneficial. Also, more knowledge on who is studying combustion and for what reasons seem to be an important factor for this topic since there is really no presentation of background information on who is doing these studies and the purposes.
"Forensic Biology » Articles » Anthropology » "Truth In Bones"" The Bronx High School of Science. Web. 01 Nov. 2010.
Posted for A. Sher
This article is important to society because spontaneous combustion is a frequently talk about topic; however, there is frequently no definite answer. These studies to try an understand combustion is going to help give us a better understanding of what combustion is, and could later on eliminate arson suspected crimes if there were ways to rule out a person starting a fire instead of natural causes.
I think the article was well written and somewhat informative; however, more information on why it is a useful form of research would have been beneficial. Also, more knowledge on who is studying combustion and for what reasons seem to be an important factor for this topic since there is really no presentation of background information on who is doing these studies and the purposes.
"Forensic Biology » Articles » Anthropology » "Truth In Bones"" The Bronx High School of Science. Web. 01 Nov. 2010.
Posted for A. Sher
After 15 years in prison, Montgomery man is cleared of murder.
Jermaine Arrington, who has been incarcerated for the past 15 years, was just released last week after being exonerated of 2nd Degree Murder. In 1994, two groups of friends were attending a cookout in Montgomery County when a dispute erupted between the two groups. Paul Simmons was stabbed and Jermaine Arrington was accused of the stabbing, five witnesses claiming that he had done it—two saying they had seen Arrington stab Simmons and three saying that they had heard Arrington claim they had stabbed Simmons. Prosecutors were bolstered in their argument by the testimony of a forensic chemist. The scientist claimed that the blood found on the sweatpants of Jermaine Arrington was a match to Paul Simmons’ blood through various enzyme tests. 15 years later and the enzyme tests and the testimony from the witnesses are being brought into question. Arrington and his lawyer had ordered a new blood test while Arrington was behind bars and the results stated that the blood found on Jermaine Arrington’s sweatpants was not that of Paul Simmons but of some unknown individual. This was very heartening for the defense and another trial was ordered. Now Arrington is a free man and just wants to put the last 15 years of his life behind him.
This incident is important because it is a sobering thought about forensic science and how much stock society throws into a sometimes-haphazard process. Because the test results were one thing and not the other a man went to jail for 15 years of his life and was then subsequently released from jail. The article was almost a comment on how much more rigorous testing needs to be in question of forensic evidence because one wrong test result could ruin any given suspect’s life and could make a guilty person free. All in the entire article was comprehensive and a good summary of a pretty unfortunate incident. Jermaine Arrington is now free and the family of Paul Simmons is mournful, still believing that Arrington is the killer and that this is no justice for Simmons’ memory.
Works Cited
Posted for J. O'Neill
Friday, October 15, 2010
Research Will Help ID Bodies Left Behind by Chilean Earthquake, Pinochet Regime
Forensics Kathleen Moriarty
Current Event article 10/13/10
Research Will Help ID Bodies Left Behind by Chilean Earthquake, Pinochet Regime
ScienceDaily.com (Sep. 14, 2010) — New research from North Carolina State University will help medical examiners and others identify human remains of those killed during the recent earthquake in Chile, as well as the bodies of the "disappeared" who were killed during the Pinochet administration. "We have developed population-specific identification criteria for the Chilean population, which will help us determine the stature and biological sex of skeletal remains," says Dr. Ann Ross, an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the research.
"My vision for this work is to help identify the remains of victims of political violence that occurred under the Pinochet regime," says Ross, whose mother is Chilean. "This will also help in contemporary body identification efforts in Chile. For example, in the event of a mass fatality -- such as the February earthquake in Chile -- this will help authorities identify recovered remains." For the past decade, forensic researchers -- such as Ross -- have been developing population-specific identification criteria that account for variations in height, build and other characteristics that can be critical when attempting to identify human remains. "This is important," Ross explains, "because populations vary. Identifying characteristics such as height and sex can be significantly different from population to population."
For this study, the researchers evaluated remains from a 20th century Chilean cemetery in order to accurately characterize Chilean skeletal features. They were then able to develop stature criteria that can help researchers arrive at an accurate height for an individual based on an analysis of his or her long bones, including the femur and tibia.
The researchers were able to develop criteria to determine a body's biological sex based on measurements of the articulation of the upper arm bone (the humerus) and the femur.
The paper, "New identification criteria for the Chilean population: Estimation of sex and stature," was co-authored by Maria Jose Manneschi of the Universidad de Chile. The paper will be published in a forthcoming issue of Forensic Science International. The research was made possible by support from NC State.
NC State's Department of Sociology and Anthropology is a joint department under the university's College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Source: Earthquake, Pinochet Regime." ScienceDaily 14 September 2010. 15 October 2010.
Summary:
On September 14, 2010, new research from North Carolina State University grabbed the attention of medical examiners and other forensic scientists involved in the reconstruction of Chile, where a massive earthquake had occurred. According to Dr. Ann Ross, an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at NC State, not everyone was killed in the earthquake. In fact, some residents of Chile had disappeared from the scene. Closer looks at the remains of dead Chilean bodies reveal the unique and distinctive traits in their bones. These traits are not present in the skeletons of Caucasoids (Whites), Mongoloids (Asians), or Negroids (Blacks). To put it mildly, Chileans fall into the category of Hispanics (because Spanish is the most common language in Chile); they have different skeletons than the other ethnic groups.
I thought this article was attention-grabbing, especially because I was learning about the same things that the investigators were studying in Chile. Although I don’t know the scientific term for Hispanic skeletons, which I assume is “Hispanoids” (please correct me if I’m wrong), I still find this article to be relevant and worthy of my research. And if I said anything racist about Hispanic skeletons, I apologize.
The reason I chose this article is because I am interested in news outside the United States. I love to learn about foreign cultures. I particularly find Asian cultures (Japanese and Chinese) interesting, as well as Spanish cultures because I am almost fluent in Spanish. In addition, I enjoy learning about forensics. Therefore, this article caught my attention.
Despite the pros of this article, I also noticed some cons. This article is written in English, which, to us, seems like a no-brainer. But what about the Chileans, who might not speak English? Suppose a Chilean man (or woman) wants to read this article, but he/she can’t understand it. I think this article should have a “Translate” button that links you to the Spanish version of the article when you click on it. My other criticism is that the Pinochet regime wasn’t discussed enough in this article. Therefore, I think that part is extraneous (unnecessary). In closing, I hope you liked my article. Be sure to leave comments! (Just don’t write anything inappropriate.) Thank you!
Current Event article 10/13/10
Research Will Help ID Bodies Left Behind by Chilean Earthquake, Pinochet Regime
ScienceDaily.com (Sep. 14, 2010) — New research from North Carolina State University will help medical examiners and others identify human remains of those killed during the recent earthquake in Chile, as well as the bodies of the "disappeared" who were killed during the Pinochet administration. "We have developed population-specific identification criteria for the Chilean population, which will help us determine the stature and biological sex of skeletal remains," says Dr. Ann Ross, an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the research.
"My vision for this work is to help identify the remains of victims of political violence that occurred under the Pinochet regime," says Ross, whose mother is Chilean. "This will also help in contemporary body identification efforts in Chile. For example, in the event of a mass fatality -- such as the February earthquake in Chile -- this will help authorities identify recovered remains." For the past decade, forensic researchers -- such as Ross -- have been developing population-specific identification criteria that account for variations in height, build and other characteristics that can be critical when attempting to identify human remains. "This is important," Ross explains, "because populations vary. Identifying characteristics such as height and sex can be significantly different from population to population."
For this study, the researchers evaluated remains from a 20th century Chilean cemetery in order to accurately characterize Chilean skeletal features. They were then able to develop stature criteria that can help researchers arrive at an accurate height for an individual based on an analysis of his or her long bones, including the femur and tibia.
The researchers were able to develop criteria to determine a body's biological sex based on measurements of the articulation of the upper arm bone (the humerus) and the femur.
The paper, "New identification criteria for the Chilean population: Estimation of sex and stature," was co-authored by Maria Jose Manneschi of the Universidad de Chile. The paper will be published in a forthcoming issue of Forensic Science International. The research was made possible by support from NC State.
NC State's Department of Sociology and Anthropology is a joint department under the university's College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Source: Earthquake, Pinochet Regime." ScienceDaily 14 September 2010. 15 October 2010
Summary:
On September 14, 2010, new research from North Carolina State University grabbed the attention of medical examiners and other forensic scientists involved in the reconstruction of Chile, where a massive earthquake had occurred. According to Dr. Ann Ross, an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at NC State, not everyone was killed in the earthquake. In fact, some residents of Chile had disappeared from the scene. Closer looks at the remains of dead Chilean bodies reveal the unique and distinctive traits in their bones. These traits are not present in the skeletons of Caucasoids (Whites), Mongoloids (Asians), or Negroids (Blacks). To put it mildly, Chileans fall into the category of Hispanics (because Spanish is the most common language in Chile); they have different skeletons than the other ethnic groups.
I thought this article was attention-grabbing, especially because I was learning about the same things that the investigators were studying in Chile. Although I don’t know the scientific term for Hispanic skeletons, which I assume is “Hispanoids” (please correct me if I’m wrong), I still find this article to be relevant and worthy of my research. And if I said anything racist about Hispanic skeletons, I apologize.
The reason I chose this article is because I am interested in news outside the United States. I love to learn about foreign cultures. I particularly find Asian cultures (Japanese and Chinese) interesting, as well as Spanish cultures because I am almost fluent in Spanish. In addition, I enjoy learning about forensics. Therefore, this article caught my attention.
Despite the pros of this article, I also noticed some cons. This article is written in English, which, to us, seems like a no-brainer. But what about the Chileans, who might not speak English? Suppose a Chilean man (or woman) wants to read this article, but he/she can’t understand it. I think this article should have a “Translate” button that links you to the Spanish version of the article when you click on it. My other criticism is that the Pinochet regime wasn’t discussed enough in this article. Therefore, I think that part is extraneous (unnecessary). In closing, I hope you liked my article. Be sure to leave comments! (Just don’t write anything inappropriate.) Thank you!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Research Will Help ID Bodies Left Behind by Chilean Earthquake, Pinochet Regime
ScienceDaily.com (Sep. 14, 2010) — New research from North Carolina State University will help medical examiners and others identify human remains of those killed during the recent earthquake in Chile, as well as the bodies of the "disappeared" who were killed during the Pinochet administration. "We have developed population-specific identification criteria for the Chilean population, which will help us determine the stature and biological sex of skeletal remains," says Dr. Ann Ross, an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the research.
"My vision for this work is to help identify the remains of victims of political violence that occurred under the Pinochet regime," says Ross, whose mother is Chilean. "This will also help in contemporary body identification efforts in Chile. For example, in the event of a mass fatality -- such as the February earthquake in Chile -- this will help authorities identify recovered remains." For the past decade, forensic researchers -- such as Ross -- have been developing population-specific identification criteria that account for variations in height, build and other characteristics that can be critical when attempting to identify human remains. "This is important," Ross explains, "because populations vary. Identifying characteristics such as height and sex can be significantly different from population to population."
For this study, the researchers evaluated remains from a 20th century Chilean cemetery in order to accurately characterize Chilean skeletal features. They were then able to develop stature criteria that can help researchers arrive at an accurate height for an individual based on an analysis of his or her long bones, including the femur and tibia.
The researchers were able to develop criteria to determine a body's biological sex based on measurements of the articulation of the upper arm bone (the humerus) and the femur.
The paper, "New identification criteria for the Chilean population: Estimation of sex and stature," was co-authored by Maria Jose Manneschi of the Universidad de Chile. The paper will be published in a forthcoming issue of Forensic Science International. The research was made possible by support from NC State.
NC State's Department of Sociology and Anthropology is a joint department under the university's College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Submitted by K. Moriarty
Fast Forensic Test Can Match Suspects' DNA With Crime Samples in Four Hours
Over the past few months, scientists have been working on developing a new method for DNA profiling. This newly developed method, has made checking DNA collected from people that were arrested for crime with DNA samples from crime scenes stored in forensic databases, essentially as simple and quick as matching fingerprints. The new method allows for the law enforcements to check if a person’s DNA matches other DNA found at past crime scenes, while suspects are being processed and remain in jail. The quickness and efficiency of this new test ensures that criminals are not pre-maturely released on bail. Andre Hopwood, a forensics scientists stated that frequently “criminals are arrested, spend less than a day in jail, and then commit crimes while they are out on bail.” Currently, most DNA tests take any where from 24-72 hours to complete. In order to mitigate the amount of time this process takes, scientists have built a chip that can copy and analyze DNA samples taken from a cotton swab. DNA may be collected from suspects by swabbing their mouth. After the sample is collected, it is then mixed with some chemicals and warmed up. This whole process only take four hours to complete, a number far less than current methods. This is a very beneficial method because police can correctly check and match DNA with suspects from a crime scene before they are released on bail.
This article is very important to society because it can potentially prevent other crimes from being committed by identifying suspects DNA correctly, before they are released on bail and free to commit crimes. This process should be used because it can effectively reduce the amount of time DNA profiling takes.
I chose this article because I was unaware of this new method. I was very interested in the advances forensic scientists have made in their field. This new method could be immensely beneficial for the law enforcement. I thought this article was pretty well written, but I thought it could have included more details regarding the topic.
Submitted by R. Minetti
In Scandal’s Wake, Police Turn to Quick, Cheap Test for Drugs
Nearly 700 officers were trained to use portable kits to test for cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. The “presumptive” tests, which cost about $1 each, were introduced into the field in April. Police officials hope that they will reduce the need for more comprehensive drug testing, which is now being outsourced to Alameda County at a cost to the city of $155 per case.
Presumptive tests have been standard practice for decades at police departments across the country, including ones in Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. But critics are concerned that the San Francisco police may be moving from one scandal to another. The city’s public defender’s office says the tests could lead to false arrests because some legal substances are known to yield a positive result for illegal narcotics.
In addition, with set time limits to complete the test and myriad ways to interpret the colors, experts say field-testing can be difficult to perform, especially under the often-stressful conditions of police work. The department has issued a seven-page manual to help officers with the portable kits.
The agency responsible for the lab’s accreditation discovered other problems: a short staff, outdated equipment and testing procedures, inconsistent record-keeping, even a family of feral cats living at the facility.
An audit by the United States Department of Justice and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office concluded that the drug analysis staff of three was overworked, handling about 14,000 cases a year. Technicians were struggling to process the caseload under a tight deadline — within 48 hours, the time allotted for prosecutors to file charges after a suspect’s arrest.
Chief George Gascon shuttered the drug-analysis section of the lab and introduced presumptive testing in the hope that it would sharply reduce the number of cases sent out for lab work. Since more than 90 percent of drug cases in San Francisco are resolved with plea agreements or dropped charges, officials reasoned, they would need fewer lab tests, which prosecutors rely on in a jury trial to prove cases beyond a reasonable doubt.
Police officials say field testing could lead to a reduction in lab tests to 4,000 a year, from 14,000. Moving forward from the scandal, police officials have said a reconstituted crime lab could easily handle the smaller caseload, an argument they have presented to the Board of Supervisors in pushing for a new facility.
Submitted by I. Markota
Monday, October 4, 2010
New Method Developed to Capture Fingerprints on Difficult Surfaces
Penn State. "New Method Developed to Capture Fingerprints on Difficult Surfaces." ScienceDaily 11 May 2010. 4 October 2010 .
Recently, a process developed by Penn State professors can reveal hard- to develop fingerprints on complicated surfaces without altering the chemistry of the print. This conflict occurs due to the techniques beign used for developing fingerprints, not the chemistry of the prints. Infrared and x-ray imaging also aim towards the chemicals behind the outer layer of the skin. Researchers believe that even after the fingerprints are created, forensic specialists could test the fingerprint material to determine specifics about the person's prints. The researchers used a type of vapor deposition which is a method that uses a vacuum and allows vaporized materials to condense on the surface creating a thin film. The deposition process would usually require exceptionally clean surfaces because any unnecessary items would create a problem in the fingerprint results when the results would be seen. One benefit of this approach would be the ability to retrieve fingerprints off fragments from incendiary ir explosive devices and still able to analyze the chemicals used in the device.
I think that this article is important to society because research has been done to have this problem not be a prominent problem for crime scene investigation. This process may be effective than the original way of creating fingerprints because the method would not take as long as the old way. This development would affect society becuase there will be less unidentified issues in a crime scene due to this procedure. I chose this article because there are so many advances in technology in science. I thought that this article was very interesting becuase I did not realize that this issue would be so prominent in crime scene investigations.
I thought that this article was written well, but I think that the article went too much in depth about the writers and not enough on this new development. Also, I think that this article went into too much detail about fingerprints in general and not enough on the acutal procedure about the new ways to capture fingerprints.
Recently, a process developed by Penn State professors can reveal hard- to develop fingerprints on complicated surfaces without altering the chemistry of the print. This conflict occurs due to the techniques beign used for developing fingerprints, not the chemistry of the prints. Infrared and x-ray imaging also aim towards the chemicals behind the outer layer of the skin. Researchers believe that even after the fingerprints are created, forensic specialists could test the fingerprint material to determine specifics about the person's prints. The researchers used a type of vapor deposition which is a method that uses a vacuum and allows vaporized materials to condense on the surface creating a thin film. The deposition process would usually require exceptionally clean surfaces because any unnecessary items would create a problem in the fingerprint results when the results would be seen. One benefit of this approach would be the ability to retrieve fingerprints off fragments from incendiary ir explosive devices and still able to analyze the chemicals used in the device.
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