Forensic Science and Technology Commons^™

Investigation Of Palatal Rugoscopy For Forensic Human Identification, Cameron Filipe

Honors Theses

Human identification is critical to the field of forensic science as well as in many sub-disciplines, including forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, and forensic odontology. While few widely-accepted methods of identification dominate the discipline (primarily fingerprint and dental record analysis), the study of palatal rugae patterns (rugoscopy) is an emerging tool in human identification. Some studies suggest that patterns of the palatal rugae are an individualizing characteristic among humans. While the use of rugoscopy for identification has been explored as an identifying marker in the dental and orthodontic communities, its use for forensic applications is not widely recognized. Also, while some …

The Opportunities And Challenges Of Internet Of Things Evidence In Regard To Criminal Investigations, Nathan Mcclaran

Honors Theses

As internet-connected devices become more prevalent, the need for police and law enforcement to be able to utilize these devices when solving crimes steadily increases. Law enforcement agencies are already aware of the opportunities and challenges when interacting with computers and mobile cellular devices, but many agencies are unable to utilize these avenues of evidence because of limited access to resources able to forensically examine computing devices. In addition, the introduction of internet of things devices, such as Amazon Alexa and other microphone or camera connected devices, allows new opportunities for law enforcement agencies to gather digital forensic evidence either …

Cyberbullying: Its Social And Psychological Harms Among Schoolers, Hyeyoung Lim, Hannarae Lee

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Criminal justice around the world has prioritized the prevention and protection of bullying and its victims due to the rapid increases in peer violence. Nevertheless, relatively few studies have examined what treatments or assistance are effective for peer victims to reduce and recover from their social and psychological suffering, especially in cyberbullying cases. Using data derived from the National Crime Victimization Survey-School Crime Supplement data in 2011 and 2013 (N=823), the current study examined the impact of two emotional support groups (i.e., adult and peer groups) on cyberbullying victims' social and psychological harm. The findings indicated that both adult and …

Cyber-Victimization Trends In Trinidad & Tobago: The Results Of An Empirical Research, Troy Smith, Nikolaos Stamatakis

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Cybertechnology has brought benefits to the Caribbean in the form of new regional economic and social growth. In the last years, Caribbean countries have also become attractive targets for cybercrime due to increased economic success and online presence with a low level of cyber resilience. This study examines the online-related activities that affect cybercrime victimization by using the Routine Activity Theory (RAT). The present study seeks to identify activities that contribute to different forms of cybercrime victimization and develop risk models for these crimes, particularly the understudied cyber-dependent crimes of Hacking and Malware. It also aims to explore if there …

Assessing The Credibility Of Cyber Adversaries, Jenny A. Wells, Dana S. Lafon, Margaret Gratian

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Online communications are ever increasing, and we are constantly faced with the challenge of whether online information is credible or not. Being able to assess the credibility of others was once the work solely of intelligence agencies. In the current times of disinformation and misinformation, understanding what we are reading and to who we are paying attention to is essential for us to make considered, informed, and accurate decisions, and it has become everyone’s business. This paper employs a literature review to examine the empirical evidence across online credibility, trust, deception, and fraud detection in an effort to consolidate this …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2021, 141st Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-First Annual Meeting, April 23-24, 2021

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Anthropology

Applied Science and Technology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Earth Sciences

Environmental Sciences

General Chemistry

General Physics

Teaching of Science and Mathematics

Friend of Science Award: Paul Karr

Cultivation Effects From Television Crime Dramas To Forensic Practices, Stephanie P. Mobley

Honors Theses

Television and its effects have been frequently studied due to the prevalence of television in today’s society. Cultivation theory examines these effects by claiming that people’s perceptions of the real world are shaped by the social reality portrayed on television. This paper used this theory to examine a link between college student’s viewership of television crime dramas and their opinions about forensic practices. It used quantitative survey questions and previous research to come to conclusions for the research questions. The three research questions asked whether frequent viewing of crime dramas cultivated false beliefs about three forensic practices, (fingerprint analysis, polygraph …

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 …

The Challenges Of Identifying Dangers Online And Predictors Of Victimization, Catherine D. Marcum

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

This short paper will provide an overview of the impressive pieces included in this issue of the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime. This issue includes articles on the following pertinent topic, utilizing a range of approaches and methodologies: 1) online credibility; 2) cyberbullying; and 3) unauthorized access of information. An emphasis on the importance of policy development and better protection of potential victims is a common thread throughout the issue.

How To Get Away With Murder: The Effectiveness Of Blood Detectors On Surfaces Cleaned Of Blood, Grace Cavanaugh

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this experiment was to test blood detectors against household cleaners. Similar experiments have been run before, but not on the selected surfaces. It is important to understand what one is looking for at a crime scene, and what a cleaned surface may look like. Four surfaces were chosen for this experiment: ceramic tile as a control, concrete, laminated wood flooring, and drywall. For each surface, 0.5mL of pig’s blood was allowed to dry before being cleaned off with either Clorox bleach, Dawn soap and hot water, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, or Mrs. Meyer’s Multi-Purpose Concentrate. Bluestar …

Pornography: Social, Emotional And Mental Implications Among Adolescents, William Kelly Canady

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will explain the historical development of pornography. It will highlight four segments: 1- Porn’s impact on brain development of reward pathways, ultimately increasing the appetite for more porn. 2- Porn can be a false substitute for real intimacy, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction with a real person and increased verbal and physical aggression. 3- Porn promotes sex trafficking, promotes multiple sex partners and reduced STD prevention. 4- A review of interventions available to assist clients in navigating a lifestyle away from pornography.

Zooming Into The Pandemic! A Forensic Analysis Of The Zoom Application, Andrew Mahr, Meghan Cichon, Sophia Mateo, Cinthya Grajeda, Ibrahim Baggili

Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has turned the spotlight on video conferencing applications like never before. In this critical time, applications such as Zoom have experienced a surge in its user base jump over the 300 million daily mark (ZoomBlog, 2020). The increase in use has led malicious actors to exploit the application, and in many cases perform Zoom Bombings. Therefore forensically examining Zoom is inevitable. Our work details the primary disk, network, and memory forensic analysis of the Zoom video conferencing application. Results demonstrate it is possible to find users' critical information in plain text and/or encrypted/encoded, such …

Effect Of Age And Sex On The Discrimination Of Monozygotic Twins Using Cg18562578 Dna Methylation In Saliva, Carla Pierre Louis

Student Theses

DNA methylation is a type of epigenetic modification that impacts gene expression without disturbing the genetic nucleotide sequence. DNA methylation has the potential to be included in the daily forensic analysis because among other uses, it has the potential to be applied to discrimination of monozygotic (MZ) twins that currently cannot be differentiated via forensic DNA profiling. In previous research, our group showed that DNA methylation at the cg18562578 site in chromosome 3 could be used to discriminate MZ twins. Because studies have shown that DNA methylation measures can be influenced by demographic factors such as sex and age; here, …

Analysis Of Lubricants At Trace Levels Using Infrared Spectroscopy, Tanmai Bandarupalli

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Analysis of trace evidence involved in sexual assault investigations holds considerable potential as a newer avenue of identification when bulk, larger evidence is not found or unreliable. Trace analysis of forensic materials involves common findings such as strands of hair, residues left on clothing, shards of paint or glass, etc. In recent research focused on the analysis of trace materials found as evidence in a sexual assault, there has been promise in condom and bottled lubricant classification based on their chemical profiles that can provide an associative link in an investigation. Few studies have considered the examination of lubricant evidence …

Oil And Canvas Art: Recovery And Analysis Of Unidentified Remains Recovered 2004, Dan Magelinski

Spectrum

No abstract provided.

Sex Vs Gender In A Forensic Anthropological Analysis, Erik M. Schulz

Nebraska Anthropologist

This paper will be discussing the topic of gender identification in a forensic anthropology outcome. The purpose will be to see if a forensic anthropologist should determine the gender of an individual or just biological sex when talking about identifying a body. To support this argument, the following topics will be evaluated: looking at the current methods used for identifying sex of an individual, looking at reconstruction and modification practices, looking at documentation aspects in a forensic report, biological profile make up, and cultural significance. The conclusion will state that anthropologists should make a case for sex, but that gender …

Method Validation Of Headspace Gas Chromatography With Dual Flame Ionization Detection For Analysis Of Blood Alcohol Concentration And Other Volatile Organic Compounds, Caroline A. Fudala

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Ethanol is one of the most commonly encountered substances in toxicology analysis and is the most misused substance. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) analysis is performed for a variety of scenarios, including cases of driving under the influence, drug facilitated crimes, intoxication deaths, workplace drug testing, substance use treatment centers, probation/parole, and other clinical settings. Due to the high prevalence of ethanol in forensic and clinical casework a fast, accurate, and cost effective method for BAC analysis is critical. Headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (HS-GC-FID) is the standard for BAC analysis. This is due to its ease of use, …

Creation And Optimization Of An Optical Trapping Microfluidic Device For The Separation Of Mock Forensic Sexual Assault Samples, Mackenzie Lally

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Cell mixtures are often seen in forensic samples and commonly involve sexual assault cases where mixtures of sperm cells and vaginal epithelial cells are frequently encountered. This produces challenges in downstream analysis in the form of STR mixture profiles. The only method currently in use in crime laboratories for front-end sperm and epithelial cell separation is differential extraction. This method often results in STR mixture profiles due to carryover into both the male and female fractions and suffers from a wide range of efficiency depending on the laboratory or individual processing the sample. Optical trapping offers an alternative method for …

The Impact Of Latent Print Processing On Firing Pin And Breechface Impressions During Firearm Examination, Brittany B. Harrington

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Latent prints can be a valuable source of forensic evidence when solving a crime. They can verify if a person was at a specific scene, identify unknown individuals to connect them to a scene, and help to corroborate eyewitness accounts. Latent prints, however, are not always visible until they have undergone enhancement or visualization techniques. When fired cartridge cases are suspected of containing latent prints, they are brought in for latent print processing before any firearm analysis is performed. As a result, these cartridges are often coated in various residues or dyes when they arrive for firearm examination. In response, …

Powerplex® Fusion 6c System Versus Powerplex® Fusion 5c: A Comparison Of Performance Metrics, Caitlin M. Mccaughan

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Following the FBI mandated expansion of the CODIS core loci from 13 to 20, several manufacturers developed short tandem repeat (STR) typing kits in response to the new criteria. One such manufacturer was the Promega Corporation, which released the PowerPlex® Fusion 5C megaplex STR typing kit (Fusion 5C) in 2012. Currently, the Virginia Department of Forensic Science (VDFS) utilizes this amplification kit for both casework and database applications. In 2015, Promega released the PowerPlex® Fusion 6C STR typing kit (Fusion 6C), which contains three additional loci beyond those included in PowerPlex® Fusion 5C, and a sixth color channel. The power …

The Efficacy Of Recovering Latent Fingerprints From Fired Cartridge Cases By Way Of Cyanoacrylate Fuming Combined With Basic Yellow Dye Staining, Lily Mantz

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

This experiment attempted to tackle the long-standing struggle to consistently recover latent fingerprints from fired cartridges. With an emphasis on realistic handling of high volume of samples combined with Cyanoacrylate fuming followed by Basic Yellow dye staining, a total of 740 cartridges were examined. These included fired and unfired brass and nickel case 9mm Luger and 40 S&W cartridges. The cartridges were divided into five different groups; each were treated differently prior to cyanoacrylate fuming and dye staining, which was conducted in the same manner for the groups. The groups included the positive and negative controls, loaded, cycled, and fired. …

Differentiation Between Peripheral Blood And Menstrual Blood Using Mirna Markers, Anaya Valentine

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Abstract

In forensic investigations, body fluids can provide crucial information and is helpful for corroborating the circumstance of the case. For cases of sexual assaults or homicides, being able to differentiate if the blood is peripheral blood or menstrual blood is important. Peripheral blood can be indicative of a traumatic event, while menstrual blood is of a natural cause. Currently, serology based methods are used for body fluid identification, however, their lack of sensitivity and specificity remains an issue. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-protein coding nucleic acids that are able to be co-extracted with DNA, and their small …

Evaluation Of Dna Extraction Efficiencies Of Promega’S Dna Iq™ Methods And Casework Extraction Kit For Low Template Samples, Emily M. Anderson

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Biological evidence from crime scene samples frequently contain low levels of DNA, such as the most predominant form of evidence, which is DNA deposited by handling objects or “touch evidence”. To maximize the DNA yield recovered from theses challenging samples, forensic laboratories must optimize the extraction methods utilized to isolate and purify DNA for downstream short tandem repeat (STR) amplifications. Currently, the Virginia Department of Forensic Science (VADFS) uses a DNA IQ™ System (DNA IQ) extraction method for isolation of DNA from most forensic samples. This extraction procedure, which combines DNA IQ™ lysis buffer and Dithiothreitol (DTT), has been validated …

Testing The Efficacy Of Surface Swab Sampling To Determine Post-Mortem Submersion Interval (Pmsi), Using The Microbiome Colonization Of Skeletal Remains Submerged In A Lotic Environment, Sarah Rose

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Estimating the post-mortem submersion interval (PMSI) can provide a valuable forensic tool for medicolegal death investigations involving victims discovered in aquatic environments. Previous studies conducted by Cartozzo et al. (2021) successfully demonstrated the use of microbial succession to create predictive models for the estimation of PMSI from submerged bone. Though effective, bone sampling requires time consuming processing techniques that result in destruction of decedent tissue. This study investigates the use of bone surface swabbing as an effective alternative method to bone sampling, with the goal of predicting PMSI using a simpler, non-invasive sampling technique. Porcine (Sus scrofa) skeletal remains (rib …

Development Of A Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Gc/Ms) Method For The Quantification Of Vitamin E And Vitamin E Acetate In Electronic Cigarettes, Matthew Adreance

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are a medium of facilitating drug use that is gaining notoriety in the public eyes. E-cigs were originally designed to be “safer” alternatives to traditional cigarettes, providing the same or similar nicotine dosage without the other side compounds found in tobacco and traditional cigarettes. Typical e-cigs use e-liquids composed of propylene glycol (PG) and/or vegetable glycerin (VG) bases, various flavoring agents, and varying concentrations of nicotine depending on manufacturer or use. With the advent of the growing legalization of cannabis and CBD/THC products in many states and jurisdictions, e-cigs have become a popular medium to ingest these …

Comparison Of The Bacterial Community Structure Of Bone Swabs To Ground Bone Recovered From Waterlogged Skeletal Remains From A Lentic Environment For Postmortem Submersion Interval (Pmsi) Estimation, Hannah Johnson

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) is an essential factor when recovering bodies from aquatic environments. Although several studies exist on postmortem interval (PMI) estimation of mammalian cadavers in terrestrial systems, the same is not true for the aquatic systems. Cartozzo et al. (11) developed PMSI prediction models using bacterial succession data associated with waterlogged skeletal remains. This study is a continuation of the Cartozzo et al. (11) study, but the aim of this study is to compare the bacterial DNA (16S rDNA) community found on the surface of swabs recovered from waterlogged bones to the bacterial DNA obtained from ground bone …

Evaluation Of Cell Lysis Techniques For Direct Amplification Of Sexual Assault Samples, Sarah Schellhammer

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Sexual assault is one of the most common crimes committed today with a delay in sample processing, resulting in the “rape kit backlog”. The traditional method to extract DNA from these samples containing both male and female DNA is a differential extraction; taking hours to process. This study examined a variety of different cell lysis techniques to develop a method which can consistently generate high-quality profiles at a fast rate and with low volumes when compared to the currently used method in our laboratory.

Six lysis methods, in addition to the currently used forensicGEM™ Sperm kit, were performed on …

Development Of An Analytical Method And Sample Preparation Technique For The Analysis Of Sulfur-Containing Fentanyl Analogs By Uplcmsms, And The Application To Forensic Science, Amber D. Budmark

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In February 2018, the US DEA Agency released a statement of the emergency scheduling (Schedule 1) of all fentanyl analogs not already regulated by the CSA due to an alarming increase in overdose deaths linked to synthetic opioids. Fentanyl analogs are pharmacologically similar to fentanyl, but often more potent. This increased potency can create problems with proper dosing of fentanyl analogs leading to untoward effects including an increase in overdoses and deaths. Since 2018, there has been a 38.4% increase in illicitly manufactured fentanyl overdose deaths leading the CDC to make available the FAS Kit and Emergent Panels containing previously …

Evaluating The Impact Of Sandbox Applications On Live Digital Forensics Investigation, Reem Bashir, Helge Janicke, Wen Zeng

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Sandbox applications can be used as anti-forensics techniques to hide important evidence in the digital forensics investigation. There is limited research on sandboxing technologies, and the existing researches on sandboxing are focusing on the technology itself. The impact of sandbox applications on live digital forensics investigation has not been systematically analysed and documented. In this study, we proposed a methodology to analyse sandbox applications on Windows systems. The impact of having standalone sandbox applications on Windows operating systems image was evaluated. Experiments were conducted to examine the artefacts of three sandbox applications: Sandboxie, BufferZone and ToolWiz Time Freeze on Windows …

Digital Forensic Readiness Intelligence Crime Repository, Victor R. Kebande, Nickson M. Karie, Kim-Kwang R. Choo, Sadi Alawadi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

It may not always be possible to conduct a digital (forensic) investigation post-event if there is no process in place to preserve potential digital evidence. This study posits the importance of digital forensic readiness, or forensic-by-design, and presents an approach that can be used to construct a Digital Forensic Readiness Intelligence Repository (DFRIR). Based on the concept of knowledge sharing, the authors leverage this premise to suggest an intelligence repository. Such a repository can be used to cross-reference potential digital evidence (PDE) sources that may help digital investigators during the process. This approach employs a technique of capturing PDE from …