Forensic Science and Technology Commons^™

Is Forensic Science In Danger Of Extinction?, David San Pietro, Brooke Weinger Kammrath, Peter R. De Forest

Forensic Science Publications

Observations of modern day forensic science has prompted asking the question of whether this field is in danger of extinction. Although there have undoubtedly been meaningful advancements in analytical capabilities, we have overlooked several unintended practical and philosophical consequences. This article addresses three main areas of concern: the declining role of the generalist in an era of increased specialization, the role of education in preparing the next generation of forensic scientists, and the implementation of advanced instrumentation with a focus on statistical significance and field deployable instrumentation.

Introduction: Symposium On “Forensics, Statistics, And Law”, Brandon L. Garrett

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Oil Dries: A New Absorbent Material For Collection Of Ignitable Liquids From Semi-Porous Material, Jessica Sosa

Online Theses and Dissertations

Extraction of an ignitable liquid sample from a semi-porous surface such as concrete is especially difficult. For this purpose, two different solid oil dry absorbent materials, Instazorb and MAXXAbsorb, were researched for use of collection of ignitable liquid samples at a fire scene. These oil dries were spiked with different ignitable liquids (Coleman fuel, gasoline, kerosene, and diesel). Isolation of the ignitable liquid from the oil dry absorbent was accomplished by passive headspace isolation. Data was obtained by gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Chromatograms obtained from both oil dries …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2018, 138th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twenty-Eighth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Chemistry and Physics>/p>

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Learn to Print 3-D Models for Your Classroom Workshop

Aeronautics and Space Science Poster Session

Maiben Memorial Lecture: Thomas Clemente

Anthropology

Applied Science and Technology

Earth Science

Environmental Sciences

Teaching of Science and Mathematics

Friend of Science Award: Mary Kalen Romjue and Michael Sibbernsen

Qualitative And Quantitative Elemental Composition Analysis Of The Surrounding Pollen Coating Via Icp-Ms, Brandy Voyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pollen evidence has proven to be a powerful forensic tool to trace a suspect or item to a victim or a crime scene. This is possible because it is microscopic, abundant in nature, resistant to degradation and decay; it presents dispersal patterns that can be used to generate a 'fingerprint' within specific areas, and has illustrated a unique morphology that can be used to classify species. While the pollen grain morphology has been extensively used to characterize the specific species, not much has been investigated as pertains to the coating that surrounds the pollen grain aside from it being categorized …

If I Had A Million Cryptos: Cryptowallet Application Analysis And A Trojan Proof-Of-Concept, Trevor Haigh, Frank Breitinger, Ibrahim Baggili

Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

Cryptocurrencies have gained wide adoption by enthusiasts and investors. In this work, we examine seven different Android cryptowallet applications for forensic artifacts, but we also assess their security against tampering and reverse engineering. Some of the biggest benefits of cryptocurrency is its security and relative anonymity. For this reason it is vital that wallet applications share the same properties. Our work, however, indicates that this is not the case. Five of the seven applications we tested do not implement basic security measures against reverse engineering. Three of the applications stored sensitive information, like wallet private keys, insecurely and one was …

Forensic Markers Of Lampricide Toxicity In Oncorhynchsus Mykiss, Chris White

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) has been used for decades to control invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) populations in the Great Lakes, normally with little harm to other fish populations. However, due to the nature of lampricide treatments and the chemical properties of TFM, adverse effects to non-target fishes and non-target mortality occasionally occur. However, investigations of non-target mortality can be complex, particularly if fish deaths are not noticed immediately, due to decomposition of the carcasses. The objectives of this thesis were to expose rainbow trout (Oncorhynchsus mykiss) to TFM in order to: (i) identify forensic markers …

Morphologically-Directed Raman Spectroscopy For Forensic Soil Analysis, Brooke Weinger Kammrath, Andrew Koutrakos, Josemar A. Castillo, Cathryn Langley, Debbie Huck-Jones

Forensic Science Publications

Morphologically-directed Raman spectroscopy (MDRS) is a novel yet reliable analytical technique that can be used for a variety of forensic applications, enabling scientists to gain more information from samples than they obtain using more traditional methods. In soil forensics, MDRS delivers particle size distribution and microscopic morphological characteristics for the particles present, and at the same time allows secure mineral identification. In this article, we explore the benefits of utilizing soil in forensic investigations, and demonstrate the value of applying MDRS. Two case studies illustrate the real-life potential and applications of this technology.

Digital Forensic Readiness In Organizations: Issues And Challenges, Nickson Menza Karie, Simon Maina Karume Dr.

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

With the evolution in digital technologies, organizations have been forced to change the way they plan, develop, and enact their information technology strategies. This is because modern digital technologies do not only present new opportunities to business organizations but also a different set of issues and challenges that need to be resolved. With the rising threats of cybercrimes, for example, which have been accelerated by the emergence of new digital technologies, many organizations as well as law enforcement agencies globally are now erecting proactive measures as a way to increase their ability to respond to security incidents as well as …

Forming Community Partnerships, Lori Foley

CHAR

In the event of a disaster, regardless of the type or scope, the first response is always local. For the institutions and organizations charged with safeguarding the nation’s cultural and historic resources – museums, historical societies, libraries, and municipal offices, to name just a few – building relationships with local first responders and emergency managers before disaster strikes is key to ensuring the safety of staff and collections. State emergency management agencies are also collaborating with their state cultural agencies to protect these valuable and vulnerable resources. The resulting emergency networks better position the local community and the state to …

Lessons Learned From Culture In Crisis; Or Protecting The Past To Save The Future, Laurie Rush

CHAR

At the midpoint of the second decade of the 21^st century, the world is experiencing deliberate destruction of cultural property at a scale not seen since the Second World War. Future protection and preservation of cultural heritage depends on learning from tragedy and applying these lessons as pro-actively as possible. First, we are discovering that no matter the threat, there are people who risk their lives to save artifacts and features of their culture, and the motives for this courage are retrospectively clear. For a community to survive a conflict or disaster as a corporate entity, elements of shared …

Keynote Address - When Violent Nonstate Actors Target Cultural Heritage Sites, Victor Asal

CHAR

Why would organizations attack or kill people at cultural heritage sites or destroy such sites? Using data from the Big Allied and Dangerous insurgent dataset that has data on 140 insurgent organizations from 1998-2012, and data from the Global Terrorism Database, this presentation examines the factors that make insurgent groups more likely to attack such sites or kill people at such sites. We look at the impact of organizational ideology, organizational structure and power as well as country level factors.

Mitigation, Response And Recovery, Richard Lord

CHAR

Abstract: Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas and Louisiana nearly five years after Superstorm Sandy devastated the East Coast and caused 53 deaths, destroyed or severely damaged 100,000 Long Island homes, and left an estimated $42 billion in damages across New York State.

This session will provide an overview of the disaster relief and assistance programs available under the Stafford Act, when they are triggered, and how private non-profit and cultural institutions can plan for natural hazards and take full advantage of available aid. There will also be discussion of the NYS Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Community Risk and Resiliency Act, and …

Informing Responders Using Gis And Gps, Deidre Mccarthy

CHAR

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005 and created the single largest disaster for cultural resources that the United States has witnessed since the inception of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) in 1966. Notably, the NHPA created the National Register of Historic Places, our nation’s catalog of important cultural resources. The NHPA also stipulates that any federal undertaking which may adversely affect National Register eligible resources be mitigated. For the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Katrina created the largest compliance project ever under Section 106 of the NHPA.

Although causing a great deal of damage, Katrina also …

Keynote Address: Climate Change: From Global To New York Scale, Christopher D. Thorncroft

CHAR

This talk is concerned with the science and impacts of climate change from global to New York scales. It will provide an assessment of how the climate has changed over the past Century based on a purely observational perspective. The scientific basis for anthroprogenic climate change will be explained and discussed including a description of the “greenhouse effect” and why it is important for life on this planet. We will briefly discuss global and local consequences of a warmer climate and what we need to be prepared for going forward in the coming decades.

Opening Keynote Address: Using Data To Understand Cultural Destruction, Brian I. Daniels

CHAR

Brian I. Daniels, Ph.D, Penn Cultural Heritage Center, University of Pennsylvania Museum.

Why is cultural heritage targeted in conflict? Under what circumstances? By whom? Today, due in part to the recent notorious instances of cultural destruction in the Middle East and North Africa, there is perhaps more attention among the broader scientific community than ever before about the phenomenon of cultural loss. At the same time, there are many significant data and analytical gaps. Little social science literature about cultural destruction exists and many critical questions—and avenues of research—are, as of yet, unstudied. A primary reason for this lack …

Palladium Catalyzed Cascade Reaction With N-Tosylhydrazones, Michelle Pyz, Monique Uppal

Discovery Day (formerly Post & Beyond)

Virtually all of the top pharmaceuticals sold today require the use of organic

synthesis, the development of new strategies to construct complex molecules

from readily synthesized starting materials is essential to the field

of organic chemistry and drug design. In pharmaceutical design there is a

continuing trend toward precise synthetic operations because single atoms

and single functional groups often make the difference between benefit and

harm. The overarching goal of this research project is to develop a novel,

precise, and powerful method for the construction of carbon-carbon bonds.

In particular, our research focuses on using palladium metal as catalyst in …

Development Of Supported Zn-Cu Bimetallic And Zn-Cu-Mo Trimetallic Heterogeneous Catalysts For Dry Reforming Of Co2 With Methane, Erin Gordon

Discovery Day (formerly Post & Beyond)

Development of Supported Zn-Cu Bimetallic and Zn-Cu-Mo Trimetallic

Heterogeneous Catalysts for Dry Reforming of CO₂ with Methane

Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emission has been becoming

more of an issue as the years progress. CO₂ and methane are two major

greenhouse gas and methane is a major component of the aboundant natural

gas. Combinng CO2 and CH4 in a single process to produce value added

chemicals is very desirable. The primary objective of this study is to develope

novel Zn based catalysts to enhance the reaction of CO₂ with CH₄. The

heterogeneous Zn-based bimetallic …

Forensic Linguist Tej Bhatia On The Hunt For The Unabomber, Tej K. Bhatia

Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - All Scholarship

From article: [Editor’s note: Discovery Channel’s new 8-part series MANHUNT: UNABOMBER is about the FBI investigator Jim Fitzgerald who identified the Unabomber as Ted Kaczynski based on his writings–pioneering the use of what is now called forensic linguistics. The series stars Sam Worthington and Paul Bettany, and also features Chris Noth, Elizabeth Reaser, and Brian F. O’Byrne. Science & Film commissioned Syracuse University linguistics professor Dr. Tej Bhatia to write about the case. The series is available via Netflix and Amazon.]

Use Of Soil Chemical Analysis To Detect Commercial Wildlife Game Baits, Aaron Haines, Angela Fetterolf, Meta Griffin, Tristan Conrad, Steven Kennedy

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Hunters and poachers often use commercially-available, nutrient-rich baits to attract wildlife game animals. We used atomic absorption spectroscopy and ion selective electrochemical analysis techniques to determine whether two common proprietary baits (Deer Cane and Acorn Rage) would leave detectable chemical signatures in soil (i.e., Na⁺, Cl^-, and Ca⁺²). Our goal was to evaluate low cost tests which could be replicated by wildlife conservation officers in the field. To complete the evaluation we randomly placed two commercial baits on 3 sites in The Millersville University Biological Preserve in Millersville, PA. We collected soils samples from …