Forensic Science and Technology Commons^™

Comparing Bone Histology, Topography, And Other Physical Attributes To The Presence Of Viable Dna After Interval Cremation, Eldad Cano Jr

Student Theses

This research aims to compare the resulting characteristics caused by thermal exposure to bone samples – such as physical composition, microscopic histology, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis – to the qualitative and quantitative DNA analysis within the samples. By using kilns to cremate sus scrofa domesticus bone samples at five different temperatures, cortical and cancellous bones of the tibia, humerus, femur, and fibula will be analyzed and compared to determine any correlation with these factors and the presence of viable DNA. This contribution to research within the realm of forensic anthropology can grant a better understanding of how bone …

Who Owns Children’S Dna?, Nila Bala

Michigan Law Review

In recent years, DNA has become increasingly easy to collect, test, and sequence, making it far more accessible to law enforcement. While legal scholars have examined this phenomenon generally, this Article examines the control and use of children’s DNA, asking who ultimately owns children’s DNA. I explore two common ways parents—currently considered “owners” of children’s DNA— might turn over children’s DNA to law enforcement: (1) “consensual” searches and (2) direct-to-consumer testing. My fundamental thesis is that parental consent is an insufficient safeguard to protect a child’s DNA from law enforcement. At present, the law leaves parents in complete control of …

Dna Analysis: The Answer For Unsolved Cases?, Sarah Hetchler

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

DNA analysis has become a crucial part of solving cases. It has developed significantly since its creation in the mid-1980s. The longing for answers within unsolved cases is historically lengthy, leaving traces of distrust and injustice. Criminologists offer a potential solution to the mess created by connecting DNA analysis to protect victims and communities. DNA evidence and analysis can assist in solving cases and provide answers for exonerees. Like public genealogy websites, law enforcement agencies must acknowledge new methods to solve issues. Not only could law enforcement agencies solve and arrest suspects through DNA analysis, but DNA could also provide …

Cheiloscopy Examination And Classification Of Lip Prints With And Without Parafunctional Oral Habits: A Cross-Sectional Observation Study, Emily Smith Regan

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Problem: Lip prints are unique and have potential for use as a human identifier. The purpose of this study was to observe possible cheiloscopy differences of individuals with and without parafunctional oral habits. Additionally, inter-rater reliability (IRR) of lip print examiners was observed. Methods: This IRB approved blinded cross-sectional observational study collected lip prints from sixty-six individuals using lipstick and adhesive tape to transfer lip prints to white bond paper for viewing purposes. Each set of included lip prints was divided into quadrants and dichotomized as those with or without an oral parafunctional habit. Each quadrant sample was manually analyzed …

Advancements In Technology Empower Loss Prevention Professionals In Security Investigations, Alan Saquella

Publications

In recent years, the field of security investigations has witnessed a profound transformation, owing to the rapid integration of technology. Loss Prevention professionals have been at the forefront of this revolution, harnessing advanced tools and capabilities that have greatly enhanced their effectiveness in preventing and resolving criminal activities. This article explores how the use of technology, including drones, cameras, AI, video analytics, and intelligence software, has reshaped security investigations and how staying on the cutting edge of these advancements is crucial for the future of this field.

Quality Management And Oversight Of Texas Forensic Science Service Providers, Sarah P. Chu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Forensic science oversight in the U.S. largely relies upon voluntary third-party forensic laboratory accreditation programs. Without a national system of regulation and given the highly fragmented local systems of control, few forensic science service providers (FSSPs) are subject to regulatory oversight beyond their third-party accreditors. Texas is unique in its establishment of a robust statewide oversight system and a strong governmental culture of transparency, permitting this study of forensic quality management. This study consisted of two parts. The first part of this dissertation characterized and analyzed quality incident reports (QIRs) published by the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory …

Understanding The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In Cybercrime, Katalin Parti, Thomas Dearden, Sinyong Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Artificial intelligence is one of the newest innovations which offenders exploit to satisfy their criminal desires. Although understanding cybercrime that is associated with this relatively new technology is essential in developing proper preventive measures, little has been done to examine this area. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of the two articles featured in the special issue of the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime, one about deepfakes in the metaverse and the other about social engineering attacks. The articles were written by the winners of the student paper competition at the 2023 International White Hat Conference.

Victimization By Deepfake In The Metaverse: Building A Practical Management Framework, Julia Stavola, Kyung-Shick Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Deepfake is digitally altered media aimed to deceive online users for political favor, monetary gain, extortion, and more. Deepfakes are the prevalent issues of impersonation, privacy, and fake news that cause substantial damage to individuals, groups, and organizations. The metaverse is an emerging 3-dimensional virtual platform led by AI and blockchain technology where users freely interact with each other. The purpose of this study is to identify the use of illicit deep fakes which can potentially contribute to cybercrime victimization in the metaverse. The data will be derived from expert interviews (n=8) and online open sources to design a framework …

Harnessing Large Language Models To Simulate Realistic Human Responses To Social Engineering Attacks: A Case Study, Mohammad Asfour, Juan Carlos Murillo

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

The research publication, “Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior,” by Stanford and Google in 2023 established that large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 can generate interactive agents with credible and emergent human-like behaviors. However, their application in simulating human responses in cybersecurity scenarios, particularly in social engineering attacks, remains unexplored. In addressing that gap, this study explores the potential of LLMs, specifically the Open AI GPT-4 model, to simulate a broad spectrum of human responses to social engineering attacks that exploit human social behaviors, framing our primary research question: How does the simulated behavior of human targets, based …

A Manual For The Recovery Of Cbrne (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, And Explosive) Contaminated Human Remains, Patrick Barchett

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Despite many international agreements and treaties prohibiting the use of CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) weaponry, the proliferation of contaminated human remains displays the historic and continued use of inhumane war efforts. Due to the complications of recovery, contaminated human remains are often left unrecovered and unidentified. This thesis works to create a framework for the recovery of contaminated human remains for organizations with a focus on creating safe and sustainable working environments for those conducting the recovery. Much of this thesis assumes the remains are being recovered from interred mass graves. This thesis provides an introduction to …

Investigation Into The Utility Of The Submaxillary Gland Androgen-Regulated Protein 3b (Smr3b) As A Normalizing Factor In Oral Fluid, Alejandro Ocampo

Student Theses

Oral fluid is a biological sample of increasing interest in clinical and forensic toxicology. This matrix is easy to obtain, it shows a low biohazard risk, and it reflects recent drug exposure. However, the interpretation of its quantitative values is limited, due to the high inter- and intraindividual variability. The investigation of normalization factors in this biological matrix may improve the interpretation value of oral fluid. This study investigated the potential of two signature peptides from the submaxillary gland androgen-regulated protein 3B (SMR3B) as normalization factors in oral fluid. SMR3B was digested in trypsin and the signature peptides SMR3B-1 and …

Method Development And Validation Of Controlled Substances On A Gas Chromatography - Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer, Regina E. Filus

Student Theses

The goal of this project was to perform a validation and a method development for an Agilent 7890 Gas Chromatograph connected to a Thermo iS50 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer in order to put the instrument into functional and operational use. Both instruments are connected via an interface allowing for simultaneous analysis of a sample. A custom-made in-house library was created in order to search and compare to future unknown case samples. Reference materials were run and reviewed in order to determine which method and concentrations would provide the best infrared scans, and the sample repeatability runs were used to develop …

The Effect Of Resource Quality And Species Interactions On Dermestes Maculatus, Sarah Aliahmad

Student Theses

Forensic entomology is the use and application of insect information in legal matters, particularly in death investigations as insects utilize decomposing remains as a food source to complete their life cycle. Dermestes maculatus (DeGeer), larder beetles belonging to the family Dermestidae, are of considerable forensic importance since their larvae are typically found on human corpses during the later stages of decomposition – the advanced and dry/skeletal stages. Dermestes maculatus can be useful in estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI) of a cadaver with advanced decomposition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the colonization (egg-laying) behavior of D. maculatus; …

Dna Shedding Propensity And Individual Characteristics, Genesis Echavarria

Student Theses

This study attempted to correlate individual biological characteristics to the amount of DNA recovered from a person’s hands (representative of shedding propensity). We used adhesive D-Squame tape to collect DNA from the fingers of more than 100 volunteers with and without controlled activity after handwashing. Two no-activity samples were taken after 30 min from the non-dominant hand and two samples from the dominant hand were collected after 60 min of controlled activity. Involuntary touches during the 60-min activity period were counted. All samples were extracted for DNA, quantitated, and genotyped to detect mixtures. Skin measurements for hydration, sebum, and melanin …

Extraction Of Challenging Forensic Samples Using The Microgem Dna Extraction Kit, Falyn R. Vega

Student Theses

In forensic science, DNA extraction can be a tedious and resource-intensive process. Extraction with Proteinase K is an industry standard but has its drawbacks, such as requiring multiple ionic detergents and washing steps. MicroGEM has developed a new enzyme called forensicGEM that is temperature-dependent and compatible with mesophilic enzymes, offering complete DNA extraction in about 20 minutes in a single tube, limiting contamination, loss of sample, and working time. ForensicGEM can extract DNA from highly degraded samples, potentially leading to more complete STR profiles. Highly degraded tissue and bone samples were collected and extracted with the forensicGEM …

Comparison Of Hydrolysis Efficiency And Performance Of Four Recombinant Β- Glucuronidase Enzymes For The Detection Of Opioids In Urine Samples By Lc-Ms/Ms, Christina Fernandez

Student Theses

The United States has been experiencing a nationwide public health crisis since introducing prescription opioids in the 1990s. A central problem with opioids is their highly addictive nature causing a dose-dependent respiratory depression leading to overdoses and deaths. Drug overdose deaths have risen in the past two decades, with opioids being the dominant driver of this epidemic. Given the circumstances, accurate and efficient confirmatory analysis of opioids in urine is essential to monitoring patients’ compliance and preventing drug diversion in clinical and forensic settings. The development of recombinant β-glucuronidases allows for the hydrolysis of glucuronidated opioids using a shorter incubation …

Detection Of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol And Cannabidiol In Utero Exposure By Umbilical Cord Analysis, Emily Pagano

Student Theses

With the rising consumption of cannabis and cannabinoid-containing products among different demographics, including pregnant women, it is increasingly necessary to develop analytical tools to be able to determine prenatal cannabis exposure. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a sensitive and specific method, using umbilical cord, to determine in utero exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). After homogenization and hydrolysis, samples were extracted using liquid-liquid extraction and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS). MS analysis was performed in electrospray ionization negative mode and two multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions were monitored per analyte. The linearity …

Identification Of Different Hair Dyes In Dyed Hair Using Attenuated Total Reflectance (Atr Ft-Ir), Surface Enhancing Raman Spectroscopy (Sers) Techniques, Nicholas Lovera

Student Theses

This investigation compares the ability of Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR) and Surface Enhance Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to identify and differentiate different hair dye brands on dyed hair samples. Hair is a common type of trace evidence found at crime scenes and can provide numerous information through forensic hair analysis. Cosmetic hair treatment such as dying the hair different colors has grown and became popular, thus it can be a very common type of trace evidence. This study can provide a forensic scientist an additional method for analyzing dyed hair samples. The goal was to compare …

Impact Of Blood Preservatives And Anticoagulants On Cannabinoid Quantitative Analysis, Bridget O'Leary

Student Theses

The expanded use of recreational and medicinal cannabis products, as well as the appearance of new cannabinoid derivatives, increases the importance of implementing pre-analytical (sample collection) protocols and the development of recommendations for cannabinoid testing in biological samples. The accurate quantification of cannabinoids in biological samples is critical for providing a correct result interpretation, especially if specific thresholds have been legally set, as in drugs and driving cases in certain states. Previous studies have mainly focused on the impact of time and temperature on the stability of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC) and metabolites in blood samples; however, the influence of the type …

Open Fire: The Expansion Of 9mm Hollow Point Bullets In Relation To Tissue Thickness, Abigail Wilson

Student Theses

Bullets can be broadly differentiated into jacketed and unjacketed groups. Jacketed ammunition can be further broken down based on the bullet’s design, one of which is hollow points. This research examines a representative brand of jacketed hollow point bullets used in a common caliber cartridge, the 9mm Luger. A jacketed hollow point bullet is designed to expand when it encounters a viscous medium such as tissue. This experiment simulated tissue using ballistic gelatin and simulated skin using a chamois overlay. As a positive and negative control, a series of bullets were fired into a full-size block of gelatin to achieve …

Discovering A Pathway To Reestablishing Policing By Consent In The United States, Everett Glynn

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Policing in the 21^st century faces issues with leadership and accountability within officer ranks. Police organizations increasingly resemble paramilitary organizations, from their hierarchy to their eagerness to use force. Investigations into the conduct of the Minneapolis, Chicago, and Ferguson police departments uncover widespread, paternal issues of abuse from police officers. The abuse includes paternal excessive force, discrimination, and even the social media targeting of community members of color Solutions proposed from President Obama’s Task Force on 21^st Century Policing, combined with a proposition to espouse Sir Robert Peel’s Principles of community policing, offer a pathway toward regaining the …

Advancements In Technology To Solve Cold Cases, Melissa Hernandez

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the crisis of cold case investigations and discuss the advancements being made in this area over the last four decades. Technology such as CCTV cameras, DNA Phenotyping, and Genetic Genealogy have allowed many cases to be reopened but there are still not enough resources or funds to close the immense number of unsolved cases. There are also ethical concerns being addressed to allow for this technology to continue to be applicable. In some instances, it takes a combination of preexisting technology and new applications to work around previous barriers in investigations. Despite …

Examining The Relationship Between Legal Systems And Forensic Science: Current Issues And Proposed Solutions, Rowan Dunton

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Forensics and legal systems are often seen working together, but the relationship between the two disciplines is thornier and more complex than it may appear on the surface. This paper will examine why courtrooms struggle to accommodate forensic fields, how the nature of science can impede its utilization in court, and where legal education may fall short in educating students about the forensic sciences. After the literature is reviewed, solutions will be proposed to address each area of concern. Where possible, these solutions expand on existing infrastructure and ideas to make them easier to incorporate. Since the greater-scope issue is …

Blood’S Evidentiary Value Based On Its Biological And Physical Properties, Samantha Boman

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Prior to 1955, bloodstain evidence was considered to be unreliable and therefore inadmissible in a court of law. Today, DNA profiles can be derived from leukocytes, which comprise less than 1% of our total blood volume. Aside from genetic profiles, the biological and physical properties of blood can reveal a great deal to investigators. The first landmark case to utilize blood’s class characteristics reliably was in the State of Ohio vs. Samuel Sheppard. This paper explains how viscosity, surface tension, flow, velocity, and Newtonian laws of motion can be used to determine: the relative locations of victims and offenders, handedness …

The Crisis Of Femicides In Mexico, Alejandra Vela

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Femicides are a growing issue in Mexico. These murders are intertwined with the incompetence of authorities, poverty, corruption, and organized crime. Authorities tend to blame victims by not taking missing reports seriously, nor do they conduct searches in these urgent situations. Authorities do not have DNA databases, space in morgues, and have little forensic science training. Ways of identifying remains involve odontology, bitemarks, and saliva. These provide a means of identifying through individual characteristics and DNA. Evidence is usually mishandled and not tested, or purposely lost to stop the investigation, thus, involving corruption. Criminal organizations, known as cartels, bribe authorities …

Structural Integrity And Stability Of Dna In Ionic Liquid And Near-Infrared Indolizine Squaraine Dye, Ember Yeji Suh

Honors Theses

Luminol, the most common presumptive test for blood at a crime scene, has multiple issues, such as false positive results with chemical agents, no luminescence due to “active oxygen” cleaning agents on bloodstains, and inability to penetrate textile materials. A combination of indolizine squaraine dye and ionic liquid (IL), or Dye Enhanced Textile Emission for Crime Tracking (DETECT), have shown potential to address these issues. The purpose of this study was to assess the binding mechanism of CG (1:1) and SO₃SQ dye to HSA and how the mechanism can explain the W214 fluorescence quenching effect and to determine …

An Evaluation Of The Effect Of Degradation On Irisplex Snps, Maria Gruber

Master's Theses

The information from short tandem repeats (STRs), the current standard forensic DNA typing technology, does not always result in identification. In these cases, there are other informative markers in DNA that can be used to help generate investigative leads, one of which is single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). One of the uses of SNPs is for phenotype determination. Among the phenotypic characteristics that can be predicted is eye color. A commonly used tool for eye color prediction is the free, online statistical prediction model IrisPlex, which includes 6 SNPs known to control eye color.

While SNPs can be useful, they, like …

Trace Dna Detection Using Diamond Dye: A Recovery Technique To Yield More Dna, Leah Davis

Master's Theses

This study aspires to find a new screening approach to trace DNA recovery techniques to yield a higher quantity of trace DNA from larger items of evidence. It takes the path of visualizing trace DNA on items of evidence with potential DNA so analysts can swab a more localized area rather than attempting to recover trace DNA through the general swabbing technique currently used for trace DNA recovery. The first and second parts consisted of observing trace DNA interaction with Diamond Dye on porous and non-porous surfaces.

The third part involved applying the Diamond Dye solution by spraying it onto …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2023, 143rd Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Third Annual Meeting, April 21, 2023

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Humans Past and Present

Applied Science and Technology Section

Biology

Biomedical Sciences

Chemistry

Earth Sciences

Environmental Science

Physics

Science Education

2023 Maiben Lecture: Jason Bartz

2023 Friend of Science Award: Ray Ward and Jim Lewis

The Effect Of Henna And Bleach Treatments On Cocaine Hair External Contamination, Alexandra Dombroski

Student Theses

Hair external contamination is a challenging phenomenon that may compromise hair testing interpretation. Previous research has found that cosmetic hair treatments can decrease concentrations of drugs that are already present in the hair shaft, however little is known about the impact of these treatments on the hair when the drugs are deposited externally. The aims of the present study were to explore how henna and bleach treatments influence cocaine external contamination. Sixteen authentic hair samples were collected from volunteers with varying hair colors and shapes and were confirmed negative for cocaine and benzoylecgonine by a fully validated LC-MS/MS method. Each …