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Full-Text Articles in Forensic Science and Technology

Reproducibility Of Individual Dna Deposits Detected Through Cellular Fluorescence, Natalee Small-Davidson Dec 2021

Reproducibility Of Individual Dna Deposits Detected Through Cellular Fluorescence, Natalee Small-Davidson

Student Theses

Contact traces are an important part of DNA casework, but the probative value of any identified associations depends on the possibility of passive transfer. There is known individual variation in DNA left behind during contact, this DNA shedding propensity has an effect on whose DNA is detected. This study evaluated this variability using a cell staining approach. Volunteers were asked to deposit a fingerprint on a clean glass slide, then wash their hands and deposit a second fingerprint after a 30-minute wait without touching anything. Three sets of samples were collected over three consecutive weeks. Fingerprints were stained with a …


Dna Extraction And Genotyping From Burned Skeletal Remains, Kayla M. Rooney Dec 2021

Dna Extraction And Genotyping From Burned Skeletal Remains, Kayla M. Rooney

Student Theses

In this research, bovine leg bones were burned, both with and without meat intact, in order to determine if it was possible to extract and amplify DNA to obtain profiles. The meat was burned over an open flame and the DNA was extracted using the Qiagen DNeasy Blood & Tissue Mini Kit, quantified with the NanoDrop, and amplified using the Bovine Genotypes Panel 3.1 Kit, and separated using the 3500 Genetic Analyzer. Profiles were analyzed using the Thermo Fisher Cloud Microsatellite Analysis software. The samples burned with the meat intact produced lower quantities of DNA than the bones burned with …


Correlation Between Tooth Root Translucency, Crystallinity, And Dna Preservation In Teeth For Unidentified Human Remains (Uhr) Investigations, Paul Yount May 2021

Correlation Between Tooth Root Translucency, Crystallinity, And Dna Preservation In Teeth For Unidentified Human Remains (Uhr) Investigations, Paul Yount

Master's Theses

Endogenous genetic material protected by the rigid, mineralized hard tissues of bones and teeth is often targeted for forensic DNA testing in missing persons and unidentified human remains (UHR) investigations. Although standard approaches have narrowed sample selection to a few optimal skeletal elements (i.e., weight-bearing long bones, teeth), subsampling and decisions beyond this can be challenging due to the non-uniform, heterogeneous pattern of postmortem diagenesis. One particular component of skeletal microstructure — the inorganic mineral matrix [hydroxyapatite (HAp), Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] — is purported to play a major role in DNA preservation. The potential correlation between molecular changes to skeletal microstructure and …


The Absence Or Misuse Of Statistics In Forensic Science As A Contributor To Wrongful Convictions: From Pattern Matching To Medical Opinions About Child Abuse, Keith A. Findley Apr 2021

The Absence Or Misuse Of Statistics In Forensic Science As A Contributor To Wrongful Convictions: From Pattern Matching To Medical Opinions About Child Abuse, Keith A. Findley

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

The new scrutiny that has been applied to the forensic sciences since the emergence of DNA profiling as the gold standard three decades ago has identified numerous concerns about the absence of a solid scientific footing for most disciplines. This article examines one of the lesser-considered problems that afflicts virtually all of the pattern-matching (or “individualization”) disciplines (largely apart from DNA), and even undermines the validity of other forensic disciplines like forensic pathology and medical determinations about child abuse, particularly Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT). That problem is the absence or misuse of statistics. This article begins by applying …