Discrimination Of Soil Organic Matter Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance In Conjunction With Principal Component Analysis,
2020
CUNY John Jay College
Discrimination Of Soil Organic Matter Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance In Conjunction With Principal Component Analysis, Victoria G. Hsieh
Student Theses
The characterization of trace evidence is key to the field of forensic science. Trace evidence can take many forms, such as glass, fiber, and soil. Traditionally, forensic soil analysis has been painted as one of the more tedious applications, which conventionally studies the mineral composition of soil samples. In this study, we present another avenue of soil analysis that takes advantage of understudied factor of soil: soil organic matter (SOM). Using both proton (1H NMR) and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) separately and applying principal component analysis (PCA) to both types of spectra, we sought …
The Ability Of Vitreous Metabolite Concentration To Determine Time Of Death,
2020
San Jose State University
The Ability Of Vitreous Metabolite Concentration To Determine Time Of Death, Victoria Wiggins
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
This paper analyzes the ability of vitreous fluid to determine time of death. The high variability in current methods used to establish post-mortem interval (PMI), or the amount of time between death and post-mortem examination make it difficult to obtain an accurate estimation. The concentration of metabolites found within vitreous fluid, such as potassium (K+), hypoxanthine (Hx), and magnesium (Mg), are the most researched alternatives to traditional methods in PMI determination because of the relative isolation of vitreous within the body and its ability to withstand degradation. There is no clear consensus on which metabolite provides the most accurate data …
Analyses Of Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In Mississippi: Evaluating Proposals To Address Misconduct And Abuse,
2020
University of Mississippi
Analyses Of Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In Mississippi: Evaluating Proposals To Address Misconduct And Abuse, Lucy Pruitt
Honors Theses
This thesis seeks to create a policy proposal in order to address incidences of prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of discretion in the Mississippi criminal justice system. To do so, the author has summarized and analyzed seven criminal cases in which defendants have become victims of prosecutorial misconduct in order to shed light on the lack of prosecutorial accountability in the state’s criminal justice system. In an attempt to solve the problem, the author has developed a novel grading rubric in order to objectively and systematically analyze and evaluate previously proposed policy recommendations by legal experts and justice organizations. The successes …
Digital Forensic Readiness: An Examination Of Law Enforcement Agencies In The State Of Maryland,
2020
Dakota State University
Digital Forensic Readiness: An Examination Of Law Enforcement Agencies In The State Of Maryland, James B. Mcnicholas Iii
Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations
Digital forensic readiness within the law enforcement community, especially at the local level, has gone mostly unexplored. As a result, a current lack of data exists that examines the digital forensic readiness of individual agencies, the possibility of proximity relationships, and correlations between readiness and backlogs. This quantitative, crosssectional research study sought to explore these issues by focusing on the state of Maryland. The study resulted in the creation of a digital forensic readiness scoring model that was then used to assign digital forensic readiness scores to thirty (30) of the one-hundred-forty-one (141) law enforcement agencies throughout Maryland. It was …
Digital Forensics Tools Integration,
2020
Air Force Institute of Technology
Digital Forensics Tools Integration, Alexander D. Kim
Theses and Dissertations
As technology has become pervasive in our lives we record our daily activities both intentionally and unintentionally. Because of this, the amount of potential evidence found on digital media is staggering. Investigators have had to adapt and change their methods of conducting investigations to address the data volume. Digital forensics examiners current process consists of performing string searches to identify potential evidentiary items. Items of interest must then go through association, target comparison, and event reconstruction processes. These are manual and time consuming tasks for an examiner. This thesis presents a user interface that combines both the string searching capabilities …
The Effects Of The Evidence Preservation System (Eps) On The Storage Of Dna Samples,
2020
Duquesne University
The Effects Of The Evidence Preservation System (Eps) On The Storage Of Dna Samples, Devin Doyle
Graduate Student Research Symposium
Storage of collected samples is a concern for all disciplines of forensic science. Without proper storage, especially DNA samples, the DNA will become unusable as it could become degraded, cross contaminated with other samples, etc. Much of the preliminary research revealed that there were very few studies on the storage of forensic samples regarding ideal protocols, let alone those that involved combining as many controlled storage aspects such as temperature, humidity, and UV exposure. This research focuses on the Evidence Preservation System (EPS) by Forensic Solutions, Inc., which is a controlled environment able to be programmed to control temperature and …
Illegal Gambling And Its Operation Via The Darknet And Bitcoin: An Application Of Routine Activity Theory,
2020
Bridgewater State University
Illegal Gambling And Its Operation Via The Darknet And Bitcoin: An Application Of Routine Activity Theory, Sinyong Choi, Kyung-Shick Choi, Yesim Sungu-Eryilmaz, Hee-Kyung Park
International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime
The Darknet and Bitcoins have been widely utilized by those who wish to anonymously perform illegal activities in cyberspace. Restricted in many countries, gambling websites utilize Bitcoin payments that allow users to freely engage in illegal gambling activities with the absence of a formal capable guardian. Despite the urgency and limited knowledge available to law enforcement regarding this issue, few empirical studies have focused on illegal gambling websites. The current study attempts to examine the characteristics and operations of online gambling websites on both the Darknet and Surface Web, which allow Bitcoin payments. The findings suggest that both websites on …
An Empirical Study To Determine The Role Of File-System In Modification Of Hash Value,
2020
Bridgewater State University
An Empirical Study To Determine The Role Of File-System In Modification Of Hash Value, Kumarshankar Raychaudhuri, M. George Christopher
International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime
In digital forensics, maintaining the integrity of digital exhibits is an essential aspect of the entire investigation and examination process, which is established using the technique of hashing. Lack of knowledge, while handling digital exhibits, might lead to unintentional alteration of computed hash, rendering the exhibit unacceptable in the court of Law. The hash value of a physical drive does not solely depend upon the data files present in it but also its file-system. Therefore, any change to the file-system might result in the change of the disk hash, even when the data files within it remain untouched. In this …
A Reverse Digital Divide: Comparing Information Security Behaviors Of Generation Y And Generation Z Adults,
2020
Bridgewater State University
A Reverse Digital Divide: Comparing Information Security Behaviors Of Generation Y And Generation Z Adults, Scott M. Debb, Daniel R. Schaffer, Darlene G. Colson
International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime
How individuals conceptualize their accountability related to digital technology. There may also be age-based vulnerabilities resulting from personal perceptions about the importance of engaging in best-practices. However, age may not be as critical as experience when it comes to implementation of these behaviors. Using the Cybersecurity Behaviors subscale of the Online Security Behaviors and Beliefs Questionnaire (OSBBQ), this study compared the self-reported cybersecurity attitudes and behaviors across college-aged individuals from Generation Y and Generation Z. Data were derived from a convenience sample of predominantly African-American and Caucasian respondents (N=593) recruited from two public universities in Virginia, USA. Four of the …
Book Review: The Cyber Risk Handbook By Domenic Antonucci,
2020
Bridgewater State University
Book Review: The Cyber Risk Handbook By Domenic Antonucci, Stanley Mierzwa
International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime
No abstract provided.
Review Of Fundamental To Know About The Future,
2020
Marywood University, U.S.A
Review Of Fundamental To Know About The Future, Hannarae Lee
International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime
What we consider fundamental elements can be easily overlooked or perceived as facts without the process of empirical testing. Especially in the field of cybercrime and cybersecurity, there are more speculations regarding the prevalence and the scope of harm carried out by wrongdoers than empirically tested studies. To fill the void, three articles included in the current issue addresses empirical findings of fundamental concerns and knowledge in the field of cybercrime and cybersecurity.
Investigating The Potential And Pitfalls Of Ev-Encapsulated Micrornas As Circulating Biomarkers Of Breast Cancer,
2020
National University of Ireland, Galway
Investigating The Potential And Pitfalls Of Ev-Encapsulated Micrornas As Circulating Biomarkers Of Breast Cancer, Brian M. Moloney, Katie E. Gilligan, Doireann P. Joyce, Clodagh P. O'Neill, Killian P. O'Brien, Sonja Khan, Claire L. Glynn, Ronan M. Waldron, Ciarán M. Maguire, Emma Holian, Erin Naughton, Mohamed Elhadi, Andrea B. Grealish, Carmel Malone, Emma Mcdermott, Peter Dockery, Thomas Ritter, Adriele Prina-Mello, Michael J. Kerin, Róisín M. Dwyer
Forensic Science Publications
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) shuttle microRNA (miRNA) throughout the circulation and are believed to represent a fingerprint of the releasing cell. We isolated and characterized serum EVs of breast tumour-bearing animals, breast cancer (BC) patients, and healthy controls. EVs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), protein quantification, western blotting, and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Absolute quantitative (AQ)-PCR was employed to analyse EV-miR-451a expression. Isolated EVs had the appropriate morphology and size. Patient sera contained significantly more EVs than did healthy controls. In tumour-bearing animals, a correlation between serum EV number and tumour burden was observed. There was no significant relationship …
The Effect Of Time And Temperature On The Quality Of Latent Fingerprints On Incandescent Lightbulbs, Varying Donors Age And Sex,
2020
Virginia Commonwealth University
The Effect Of Time And Temperature On The Quality Of Latent Fingerprints On Incandescent Lightbulbs, Varying Donors Age And Sex, Kinaysha M. Collazo Maldonado
Theses and Dissertations
Fingerprints are used as a means of identification, but there are no established methodologies to determine time since deposition of latent fingerprints by visual means alone. This research considered the influence of age and sex on the quality of recovered latent prints from lit and unlit lightbulbs from 1 to 10 days, using accumulated degree hours (ADH) to account for both heat and time simultaneously. Two male and two female donors (one of each aged <40 and >40 years) were used. A thermal imaging camera was used to monitor the lightbulbs top and middle regions, which were significantly different (p≤0.05) for the …
Validation Of The 4-Aminophenol Chemical Test And Analytical Testing Scheme To Distinguish Marijuana And Hemp,
2020
Virginia Commonwealth University
Validation Of The 4-Aminophenol Chemical Test And Analytical Testing Scheme To Distinguish Marijuana And Hemp, Kenna Lewis
Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects
With the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp, law enforcement agencies and forensic laboratories needed a more efficient testing scheme to differentiate marijuana and hemp Cannabis plants. The validation of the 4-aminophenol chemical test and the subsequent analytical scheme allows for this differentiation to be performed. The evaluation of eighteen different cannabinoids, including acids, demonstrated that compounds with structures similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) produced a blue result and compounds with structures similar to cannabidiol (CBD) produced a pink result. Several titration curves with varying concentrations of cannabinoids indicated a pink result when the THC concentration was less …
The Costs And Benefits Of Forensics,
2020
Duke Law School
The Costs And Benefits Of Forensics, Brandon L. Garrett
Faculty Scholarship
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously wrote that states can be laboratories for experimentation in law and policy. Disappointingly, however, the actual laboratories that states and local governments run are not a home for experimentation. We do not have adequate information about either the costs or the benefits of forensic testing or allocation of resources. Increased spending and expansion of crime laboratories has perversely accompanied growing backlogs. Poor quality control has resulted in a series of audits and even closures of crime laboratories. In response to these problems, however, some laboratories and some entire states have developed new approaches toward …
From The Legal Literature: Automating Police,
2020
Montclair State University
From The Legal Literature: Automating Police, Francesca Laguardia
Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
No abstract provided.
Analysis Of Pellet Patterns And Gsr Produced From Judge Taurus Revolvers,
2020
Virginia Commonwealth University
Analysis Of Pellet Patterns And Gsr Produced From Judge Taurus Revolvers, Donald Poon
Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects
The Taurus Judge is a five-shot revolver designed to fire both 410 Bore shotshells and caliber 45 (Long) Colt cartridges. It is marketed as a self-defense firearm by Taurus. As of 2010, the Taurus Judge was “quickly becoming a popular personal defense firearm”.1 Although it has become somewhat popular, the Taurus Judge and its various models have not had many distance determination studies completed and there is still a dearth of information on how these handguns compare with shotguns when looking at range of fire determinations. This study focused on: how barrel length affected pellet spread patterns produced by …
Potential Applications Of Microrna Profiling To Forensic Investigations,
2020
University of New Haven
Potential Applications Of Microrna Profiling To Forensic Investigations, Claire L. Glynn
Forensic Science Publications
Within the forensic science community, there is a continued push to develop novel tools to aid in criminal investigations. microRNA (miRNA) analysis has been the focus of many researcher’s attention in the biomedical field since its discovery in 1993; however, the forensic application of miRNA analysis has only been suggested within the last 10 years and has been gaining considerable traction recently. The primary focus of the forensic application of miRNA analysis has been on body fluid identification to provide confirmatory universal analysis of unknown biological stains obtained from crime scenes or evidence items. There are, however, other forensic applications …
Statistical Assessment Of The Significance Of Fracture Fits In Trace Evidence,
2020
West Virginia University
Statistical Assessment Of The Significance Of Fracture Fits In Trace Evidence, Evie K. Brooks
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Fracture fits are often regarded as the highest degree of association of trace materials due to the common belief that inherently random fracturing events produce individualizing patterns. Often referred to as physical matches, fracture matches, or physical fits, these assessments consist of the realignment of two or more items with distinctive features and edge morphologies to demonstrate they were once part of the same object. Separated materials may provide a valuable link between items, individuals, or locations in forensic casework in a variety of criminal situations. Physical fit examinations require the use of the examiner’s judgment, which rarely can be …
Statistical Evaluation Of Randomly Acquired Characteristics On Outsoles With Implications Regarding Chance Co-Occurrence And Spatial Randomness,
2020
West Virginia University
Statistical Evaluation Of Randomly Acquired Characteristics On Outsoles With Implications Regarding Chance Co-Occurrence And Spatial Randomness, Nicole Richetelli
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Footwear evidence holds tremendous forensic value, owing to its ability to formulate linkages between victims, suspects and scenes. Naturally, the strength of these linkages is a function of the perceived clarity, quality and rarity of class, subclass and randomly acquired characteristics (RACs), which are the fundamental outsole features used to formulate source associations. In order to reach a conclusion when performing a footwear comparison, forensic examiners must assign value to the observed similarities and differences that exist between questioned crime scene and test impressions. Embedded within this process is an evaluation of the random association between unrelated shoes as a …
