Predatory journals and meetings in forensic sciences:what every expert needs to know about this“parasitic”publishing model

The emergence of the internet has transformed all areas of society.This includes the universe of scientific publications,with several publishers now exclusively focusing on the electronic format and open access model while expanding to a megajournal scope.in this context,the pandemic of predatory open access journals(POAJs)and meetings are of grave concern to the academic and research community.This new shift within academia produces a variety of new victims;namely,the authors themselves.in turn,scientific knowledge is often discredited,with the public placing less trust in science.Now more than ever,performing research with integrity and selecting a journal in which to publish requires close attention and expertise.The“predatory movement”has developed increasingly sophisticated techniques for misleading people into believing what seem to be credible professional layouts and legitimate invitations.initiatives such as the Jeffrey Beall’s list,the Cabell’s Scholarly Analytics and Think.Check.Submit offer some guidance to uncover the“parasitic”intervention of predatory journals and meetings,but specific education in this field is sorely needed.This work aims to review the main characteristics of predatory journals and meetings and to analyze this topic in the context of forensic and legal medicine research.

LC-MS/MS analysis of 2-aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid as a forensic biomarker for cyanide poisoning

AIM: To demonstrate the potential of using 2-aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid(ATCA) as a novel biomarker/forensic biomarker for cyanide poisoning. METHODS: A sensitive method was developed and employed for the identification and quantification of ATCA in biological samples, where the sample extraction and clean up were achieved by solid phase extraction(SPE). After optimization of SPE procedures, ATCA was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry. ATCA levels following the administration of different doses of potassium cyanide(KCN) to mice were measured and compared to endogenous ATCA levels in order to study the significance of using ATCA as a biomarker for cyanide poisoning.RESULTS: A custom made analytical method was established for a new(mice) model when animals were exposed to increasing KCN doses. The application of this method provided important new information on ATCA as a potential cyanide biomarker. ATCA concentration in mice plasma samples were increased from 189 ± 28 ng/mL(n = 3) to 413 ± 66 ng/mL(n = 3) following a 10 mg/kg body weight dose of KCN introduced subcutaneously. The sensitivity of this analytical method proved to be a tool for measuring endogenous level of ATCA in mice organs as follows: 1.2 ± 0.1 μg/g for kidney samples, 1.6 ± 0.1 μg/g for brain samples, 1.8 ± 0.2 μg/g for lung samples, 2.9 ± 0.1 μg/g for heart samples, and 3.6 ± 0.9 μg/g for liver samples. CONCLUSION: This finding suggests that ATCA has the potential to serve as a plasma biomarker / forensic biomarker for cyanide poisoning.

A Modified Shannon Trap for Use in Forensic Entomology

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a modified Shannon trap to capture adult insects that are involved in cadaveric decomposition processes. The Shannon trap proposed here is composed of a thin fabric tent with a top formed by a transparent bottle containing a compartment filled with alcohol gel on which the captured insects are affixed. The trap was effective both for weather resistance and the quantity, quality and diversity of insects caught.

Analyzing Brazilian Driver’s License Authenticity by Easy Ambient Sonic-Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Fast and unequivocal methods of questioned document analysis are essential in forensic science. Here, a desorption/ionization technique, EASI-MS, was assessed for its ability to investigate questioned driver’s licenses (DL). Two suspects DL, displaying the same personal data in the proper fields (name and ID numbers), but with different individual photos, showing similar impressions on microscopic analysis, and authentic standards documents specimens were used as test cases. Profiles from authentic DL surface were dominated by a set of few minor ions, mainly from the plasticizers bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and dibutylphthalate. The seized suspect counterfeit DL on points from personal data and photo were, however, dominated by abundant diagnostic ions of m/z 463, 507, 551, 595, 639, 683, which confirmed counterfeiting. Surfynol® and Nonoxynol-9®, which are common constituents of inkjet printing, were detected in the counterfeiting areas by high-accuracy EASI(+)-FT-ICR MS. The EASI-MS technique is shown therefore to offer an attractive tool for forensic investigation of questioned documents.

Estimation of Accumulated Degree Day Value of Six Landmarks within the Pupal Stage of Lucilia sericata

The present paper investigates the pupal development times ofLucilia sericata which were studied in the laboratory at six different constant temperatures （20, 22, 24, 26, 28 ℃ each ± ℃）. Lower thresholds （tL） for development were estimated from the linear regression of the developmental rates on each temperature. These data have made it possible to calculate the ADD （Accumulated Degree-Days） necessary for L. sericata to complete the larval stage and to achieve adult emergence. The minimal duration of development from oviposition to adult emergence was found to be inversely related to temperature. Additionally, six landmarks in pupal development are showed and for each of the landmarks the ADD value was calculated for every rearing temperature involved. These data assist in calculating the duration of the pupal stage based on morphological characteristics and would be of great value for future forensic entomological casework.

国际司法鉴定标准化研究热点探讨--基于文献计量学方法的分析

In order to study the development of forensic science standardization,this paper,based on the bibliometric method,analyzes the paper database of forensic science standardization.The research shows that the quantity and quality of papers have a stable growth tendency and the hotspot in the field of forensic science is the technical innovation and multidisciplinary research.The standardization construction of forensic science in China is in the forefront of the world in terms of scientific research investment,but there is still a gap in organizational capacity and influence,which is reflected in the lack of international cooperation.China should strengthen the standardization of forensic science and explore new development modes constantly.

The influence of the eruption of mandibular third molars on the craniofacial morphology in Han youth of North China

Teeth affect not only oral problems but also facial morphology.In China,there are few reports about the influence of the third molars on the craniofacial morphology of Han youths.Using in vivo imaging software,3D reconstruction of craniofacial CTs were performed on 32 Chinese Han youths without mandibular third molars and 25 Chinese Han youth with full mandibular third molars.The morphology of their mandible and mandibular tissue was measured to identify differences.Among the morphological characteristics of hard tissues,except for∠ANB,people with a full eruption of the mandibular third molars had statistically significantly larger angle indicators than people without the eruption of the third molars.The soft tissue indicators also showed statistically significant discrepancies in terms of morphological facial height,mouth to gnathion distance,lip height,and mouth breadth.The most influential index for mandibular third molars was length of symphysis,followed by the four indicators of soft tissue and mandible length and height.Morphology facial height,mouth to gnathion distance,lip height,and height of symphysis were moderately correlated.The experimental results show that among Han youth in North China,the third molar eruption has a widespread influence on mandibular morphology,especially in angle,length,and height indicators.It also has a certain influence on maxillofacial soft tissue morphology.These results can be applied to future clinical risk assessment of the wisdom teeth and forensic personal identification of the cranial and maxillofacial region.

Geoforensic Methods for Detecting Clandestine Graves and Buried Forensic Objects in Criminal Investigations - A Review

Geoforensic techniques are being deployed in searches for hidden objects to counteract the shortcomings of conventional blunderbuss methods.Processing of crime scenes during searches for clandestine graves and buried objects is often destructive.Manual excavation and other invasive methods are restricted in many contemporary situations,and the location of a body is essential for forensic investigations.Geoforensics and geophysical surveys are important tools for assisting law enforcement agencies in locating crime scenes,clandestine graves,drugs,artifacts,hazardous waste,and illegal weapons and ammunitions stored underground in preparation for terrorist attacks.Geoscience search techniques such as the geoforensic search strategy are among many models used to help find mass graves,locate missing persons,and verify information acquired from incomplete intelligence.Trace amounts of soils,sediments,and other geological materials can provide geolocations and aid in the development of a primary search area.Forensic geoscience techniques and equipment such as metal detectors,magnetic surveys,electromagnetic conductivity surveys,ground penetrating radar surveys,augering(probing),detector dogs surveys,and gravity and seismic fluctuation monitoring are discussed in this paper.In addition to the location of potential graves and ambush sites,the soil beneath the decomposing cadavers can be used to predict the postmortem interval for the deceased.Soil information and geo-mapping data can provide productive intelligence for military and national security agencies.Antiquities crimes and crimes involving gemstones in which the evidence passes through many hands can be traced back to the place of origin by checking for their geo-morphology.Serious crimes,including murder,genocide,and terrorism,can be prevented by the use of operational and decisive geoforensic techniques.This paper highlights the multidisciplinary information exchange that occurs between forensic burial science,forensic geology,and trace evidence in criminal investigations.The paper also focuses on geoforensic approaches to clandestine grave searching,underwater investigations,forensic engineering fallacies,military intelligence,ambush detection,and weapons mining.

Sports-related sudden cardiac death due to myocardial diseases on a population from 1-35 years: a multicentre forensic study in Spain

This is a multicentre forensic study that identifies all sports-related sudden deaths (SRSDs) in young people,due to myocardial diseases (MDs) that occurred in a large area of Spain.The aim of the study is to assess the epidemiology,causes of death,and sport activities associated with these fatalities.This is a retrospective study based on forensic autopsies performed in the provinces of Biscay,Seville,Valencia and in the jurisdiction covered by the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences in Madrid (Spain).The retrospective study encompasses from 2010 to 2017.All sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) in persons 1-35years old were selected.The total number of SCDs were divided into death occurred during exercise (SRSD) and death during rest,sleep or normal activities (non-SRSD).Each of these two groups was subdivided according to the cause of death into MD (primary cardiomyopathies and myocarditis) and non-MD.Clinic-pathological,toxicological and genetic characteristics of SRSD due to MD were analysed.Over the 8-year study period,we identified 645 cases of SCD in the young: 75 SRSD (11.6%) and 570 non-SRSD (88.4%).MD was diagnosed in 33 (44.0%) of the SRSD and in 112 (19.6%) of the non-SRSD cases.All cases of SRSD due to MD were males (mean age (24.0±7.6) years) practicing recreational sports (85%).SRSDs were more frequent in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) (37%) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (24%),followed by myocarditis (15%) and idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophy (ILVH) (9%).Only in five cases of SRSD the MD responsible of death (HCM) had been diagnosed in life.Cardiovascular symptoms related to the disease were present in other seven patients (six of them with ACM).Postmortem genetic studies were performed in 15/28 (54%) primary cardiomyopathies with positive results in 12 (80%) cases.The most frequent sports disciplines were football (49%) followed by gymnastics (15%) and running (12%).In Spain,SRSD in young people due to MDs occurs in males who perform a recreational activity.Compared with control group we observed a strong association between MDs and exertion.One in three SRSDs are due to cardiomyopathy,especially ACM,which reinforces the need for preparticipation screening to detect these pathologies in recreational sport athletes.Further studies are warranted to understand the causes and circumstances of sudden death to facilitate the development of preventive strategies.

Recent applications of isotope analysis to forensic anthropology

Isotope analysis has become an increasingly valuable tool in forensic anthropology case-work over the past decade. Modern-day isotopic investigations on human remains have integrated the use of multi-isotope profiles (e.g. C, N, O, H, S, Sr, and Pb) as well as iso-topic landscapes ("isoscapes") from multiple body tissues (e.g. teeth, bone, hair, and nails) to predict possible region-of-origin of unidentified human remains. Together, data from various isotope analyses provide additional lines of evidence for human identification, including a decedent's possible region-of-birth, long-term adult residence, recent travel history, and dietary choices. Here, we present the basic principles of isotope analysis and provide a brief overview of instrumentation, analytical standards, sample selection, and sample quality measures. Finally, we present case studies that reflect the diverse applications of isotope analysis to the medicolegal system before describing some future research directions. As shown herein, isotope analysis is a flexible and powerful geolocation tool that can provide new investigative leads for unidentified human remains cases.

Forensic odontology in DVI:current practice and recent advances

Forensic odontology frequently plays a significant role in identification of the victims of multi-fatality disasters,but not in all.It depends on adequate dental remains surviving the disaster and on the availability of dental records to be successful.This paper describes current practice in the techniques of identification in forensic odontology and outlines recent advances that are moving into the mainstream.

DNA recovery and analysis from skeletal material in modern forensic contexts

The generation of a DNA profile from skeletal remains is an important part of the identifica-tion process in both mass disaster and unidentified person cases. Since bones and teeth are often the only biological materials remaining after exposure to environmental conditions, intense heat, certain traumatic events and in cases where a significant amount of time has passed since the death of the individual, the ability to purify large quantities of informative DNA from these hard tissues would be beneficial. Since sampling the hard tissues for gen-etic analysis is a destructive process, it is important to understand those environmental and intrinsic factors that contribute to DNA preservation. This will serve as a brief introduction to these topics, since skeletal sampling strategies and molecular taphonomy have been dis-cussed in depth elsewhere. Additionally advances in skeletal DNA extraction and analysis will be discussed. Currently there is great variation in the DNA isolation methods used by laboratories to purify DNA from the hard tissues;however, a standardized set of short tan-dem repeat (STR) loci is analyzed by many US laboratories to allow for comparisons across samples and jurisdictions. Recent advances have allowed for the generation of DNA profiles from smaller quantities of template DNA and have expanded the number of loci analyzed for greater discriminatory power and predictions regarding the geographic ancestry and phenotype of the individual. Finally, utilizing databases and expanding the number of com-parison samples will be discussed in light of their role in the identification process.

Research advances in forensic diatom testing

In forensic practice,it is difficult to determine whether a dead body in the water resulted from drowning or from disposal after death.Diatom testing is currently an important supporting technique for the determination of death by drowning and of drowning sites,even though it is a time-consuming and laborious task.This article reviews the development of diatom testing over the decades and discusses a new method for the potential application of deep learning in diatom testing.

Forensic odontology identification response to terrorist attacks in Paris November 2015

The terrorist attacks of November 2015 led to the immediate death of 129 victims admitted to the Legal and Forensic Medicine Institute of Paris,including 41 unidentified.During the Disaster Victim Identification(DVI)operations,22 bodies were examined by the postmortem(PM)dental team with the aim of establishing PM odontograms.At the same time,the dental expert in the antemortem(AM)unit collected a large number of dental files,progressively filtered as the list of missing persons became reduced.Feedback from these events has highlighted the difficulties of implementing the DVI chain principles in a legal framework,published the day before the attacks,and also the technical complexity of collecting dental data on a week end of terror.The return on experience after this event has represented a paradigm shift on previous methods of DVI in Paris and even more in France.Indeed,the victim identification procedure was redesigned,integrating new technical means such as a CT scan directly on spot,allowing the extraction of maxillofacial data as soon as possible in order to support the PM dental examination team.Moreover,the National Dental Council proceeded to the overall remodeling of the dental identification unit,which is composed of trained members,from local,regional and national aspects.These forensic experts are dedicated,at the request of the legal authorities,to DVI operations and deployed throughout the country capable of managing AM and PM data.This unit aims also to share experiences and awarenessraising among health professionals and investigators in order to optimize a better submission of AM elements and also to enhance the major interest of odontology as a primary identifier in disaster.

Current status of hair analysis in forensic toxicology in China

Hair analysis has been mainly used to document drug use history in abusers,drug-facilitated crime cases,doping control analysis and postmortem toxicology in the fields of forensic toxicology,clinical toxicology,and doping control.Hair analysis has also gained more attention in the last 30 years in China.Relevant technology has been promoted as more research has appeared concerning hair analysis,and consensus has been sought among forensic toxicologists regarding aspects such as hair decontamination treatment,detection of abused substances in hair,segmental hair analysis and interpretation of analytical results.However,there are still some limitations in the estimation of drug intake time and frequency by segmental hair analysis due to the different growth cycles evident within a bundle of hairs,the drug incorporation mechanism and sampling errors.Microsampling and imaging mass spectrometry(iMS)technology based on a single hair may be a good choice to estimate drug intake time more accurately.Analysis of hair root samples may also be used to document acute poisoning in postmortem toxicology,and the analysis of the hair shaft can document long-term use of drugs depending on the length of the hair being evaluated.

The use of wastewater analysis in forensic intelligence:drug consumption comparison between Sydney and different European cities

Wastewater analysis offers objective and complementary information to illicit drug agencies by monitoring patterns of illicit drug consumption.In this study,wastewater samples from three different wastewater treatment plants in Sydney,Australia were collected in March 2016.Ten targeted drugs were analysed and temporal and geographical analyses were performed to obtain a better understanding of the type and amount of illicit drugs consumed in Sydney in comparison with similar studies conducted around Australia and in Europe.Among the targeted drugs,methamphetamine was consumed the most,followed by cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine(MDMA).Weekly patterns were observed where a peak during the weekend was present.The geographical analysis showed differences between the regions targeted.This observation may be related to socio-demographic aspects.The comparison of our study to other data sources from Australia showed a high consumption of methamphetamine in Sydney and Western Australia.The comparison between Sydney and different European cities revealed a difference in consumption,which is in line with traditional market indicators.The information obtained through wastewater analysis provides complementary information regarding illicit drug consumption,the size,and the evolution of the illicit drug market.This,ultimately,will assist authorities in making informed decisions.

Current state and progress of research on forensic biomechanics in China

Forensic biomechanics gradually has become a significant component of forensic science.Forensic biomechanics is evidence-based science that applies biomechanical principles and methods to forensic practice,which has constituted one of the most potential research areas.in this review,we introduce how finite element techniques can be used to simulate forensic cases,how injury criteria and injury scales can be used to describe injury severity,and how tests of postmortem human subjects and dummy can be used to provide essential validation data.This review also describes research progress and new applications of forensic biomechanics in China.

Use of deep learning in forensic sex estimation of virtual pelvic models from the Han population

Accurate sex estimation is crucial to determine the identity of human skeletal remains effectively.Here,we developed convolutional neural network(CNN)models for sex estimation on virtual hemi-pelvic regions,including the ventral pubis(VP),dorsal pubis(DP),greater sciatic notch(GSN),pelvic inlet(PI),ischium,and acetabulum from the Han population and compared these models with two experienced forensic anthropologists using morphological methods.A Computed Tomography(CT)dataset of 862 individuals was divided into the subgroups of training,validation,and testing,respectively.The CT-based virtual hemi-pelvises from the training and validation groups were used to calibrate sex estimation models;and then a testing dataset was used to evaluate the performance of the trained models and two human experts on the sex estimation of specific pelvic regions in terms of overall accuracy,sensitivity,specificity,F1 score,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Except for the ischium and acetabulum,the CNN models trained with the VP,DP,GSN,and PI images achieved excellent results with all the prediction metrics over 0.9.All accuracies were superior to those of the two forensic anthropologists in the independent testing.Notably,the heatmap results confirmed that the trained CNN models were focused on traditional sexual anatomic traits for sex classification.This study demonstrates the potential of AI techniques based on the radiological dataset in sex estimation of virtual pelvic models.The excellent sex estimation performance obtained by the CNN models indicates that this method is valuable to proceed with in prospective forensic trials.

An overview of forensic operations performed following the terrorist attacks on November 13,2015,in Paris

On the evening of November 13,2015,the city of Paris and its surroundings was hit by a series of attacks committed by terrorist groups,using firearms and explosives.The final toll was 140 people deceased(130 victims and 10 terrorists or their relatives)and more than 413 injured,making these attacks the worst mass killings ever recorded in Paris in peacetime.This article presents the forensic operations carried out at the Medicolegal Institute of Paris(MLIP)following these attacks.A total of 68 autopsies of bodies or body fragments and 83 external examinations were performed within 7 days,and the overall forensic operations(including formal identification of the latest victims)were completed 10 days after the attacks.Over this period,156 body presentations(some bodies were presented several times)were provided to families or relatives.Regarding the 130 civilian casualties,129 died from firearm wounds and one died from blast injuries after an explosion.Of the 10 terrorists or their relatives who were killed,eight died from suicide bombing,one was shot by police and one died from crush injuries due to partial collapse of a building following the police raid against a terrorist’s hideout after the attacks.All mass shootings were perpetrated with AK-47 or Zastava M70 assault rifles using 7.62mm39mm cartridges.In the case of ballistic injuries,death was most often obviously caused by craniocerebral injuries,extensive organ lacerations and/or massive haemorrhage.Among the terrorists killed by bombing,the lesion patterns were body transection,multiple amputations,extreme organ lacerations and the presence of foreign bodies owing to the shrapnel load(steel nuts,glass fragments)or the explosive charge fastening system of the devices.This discussion highlights the particular difficulties of interpretation encountered within the framework of ballistic injuries,a conclusion that should lead to a modest and realistic approach in these exceptional situations where forensic operations involve a very large number of victims in a constrained time.

Contributions of forensic anthropology to positive scientific identification:a critical Review

This review covers previous and current literature on the impact of forensic anthropologists on the positive scientific identification of human remains and aims to provide an under-standing of what information a forensic anthropologist can contribute to an investigation. Forensic anthropologists looking to identify human remains study traits of the skeleton and any orthopedic devices present. In order to obtain a positive scientific identification, evi-dence that is both sufficiently unique to the individual and comparable to available ante-mortem data from that individual must be found. The increased availability of radiographs, scans and implants in recent decades has facilitated the identification process. When these records are unavailable, other techniques, such as craniofacial superimposition and facial approximation, can be employed. While these methods may assist the identification process, they are most useful for exclusion of certain individuals and gathering leads from the public. Forensic anthropologists have heavily relied on the skull and its complexities for identifica-tion – typically focusing on the frontal sinus and other unique traits. Post-cranial remains can provide important information about bone density, possible disease and other character-istics that may also be utilized. Techniques used to positively identify individuals are not limited to medicolegal death investigations, and have been useful in other legal contexts. In the future, a team approach, utilizing all the information gathered by multiple forensic scientists–including forensic anthropologists–will most likely become more common.