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Nagesh D, Nagarajamurthy B. Estimation of Time-Since-Deposition of bloodstains on different surfaces using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2024:10.1007/s12024-024-00849-w. [PMID: 39023692 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-024-00849-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Blood is commonly discovered at crime scenes in various forms, including stains, dried residue, pools, and fingerprints on assorted surfaces. Estimating the age of bloodstains is a crucial aspect of reconstructing crime scenes. This research aimed to investigate how the nature of different surfaces affects the estimation of bloodstain age, utilizing a reliable and non-destructive approach. The study employed ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in conjunction with Chemometric techniques such as PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and OPLSR (Orthogonal Signal Correction Partial Least Square Regression Analysis) to analyze spectral data and develop regression models for estimating bloodstain age on cement, metal, and wooden surfaces for up to eleven days. The chemometric models for bloodstains on all three substrates demonstrated strong performance, with predictive Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values ranging from 1.1 to 1.43 and R2 values from 0.84 to 0.89. Notably, the model developed for metal surfaces was found to be the most accurate with minimal prediction error. The findings of the study showed that the porosity of the substrates upon which bloodstains were found had a discernible influence on the age-related transformations observed in bloodstains; the majority of which occured within the spectral range of 2800 cm- 1 to 3500 cm- 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepthi Nagesh
- Department of Studies in Criminology and Forensic Science, Maharaja's College, University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
| | - B Nagarajamurthy
- Department of Studies in Criminology and Forensic Science, Maharaja's College, University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
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2
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Tan C, Chen H, Xie F, Huang Y. Feasibility study on identifying the source of cigarette ash based on infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 311:124042. [PMID: 38354675 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.124042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Crime scene investigation is a key step in collecting and identifying physical evidence that may be closely related to the crime. The size of physical evidence can range from macro to micro. Cigarettes are a type of popular consumables, and their burned ashes are valuable resources of physical evidence since they contain important information such as brand preferences. This work explores the feasibility of using attenuated total reflection mid-infrared (ATR-MIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics to achieve cigarette brand recognition from burned ash. A total of 600 cigarette samples from ten brands were collected for experiments, and the samples were divided into a training set and a testing set in a 2:1 ratio. The Relief-F algorithm was used to sort variables and the forward search was used to further optimize variables to obtain the optimal subset of variables. Based on this, a partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model was established, achieving a total accuracy of 97% on the test set. As a reference, the maximum correlation coefficient method was also used for classification, with an accuracy of only 73%. It seems that using the variable selection and modeling scheme proposed in this article is feasible for identifying cigarette brands from burned ash.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Tan
- Key Lab of Process Analysis and Control of Sichuan Universities, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China; College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China.
| | - Hui Chen
- Key Lab of Process Analysis and Control of Sichuan Universities, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China; Hospital, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China
| | - Fan Xie
- Key Lab of Process Analysis and Control of Sichuan Universities, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China; College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China
| | - Yushuang Huang
- Key Lab of Process Analysis and Control of Sichuan Universities, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China; College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China
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3
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Wei CT, You JL, Weng SK, Jian SY, Lee JCL, Chiang TL. Enhancing forensic investigations: Identifying bloodstains on various substrates through ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with machine learning algorithms. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 308:123755. [PMID: 38101254 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.123755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The forensic analysis of bloodstains on various substrates plays a crucial role in criminal investigations. This study presents a novel approach for analyzing bloodstains using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) in combination with machine learning. ATR-FTIR offers non-destructive and non-invasive advantages, requiring minimal sample preparation. By detecting specific chemical bonds in blood components, it enables the differentiation of various body fluids. However, the subjective interpretation of the spectra poses challenges in distinguishing different fluids. To address this, we employ machine learning techniques. Machine learning is extensively used in chemometrics to analyze chemical data, build models, and extract useful information. This includes both unsupervised learning and supervised learning methods, which provide objective characterization and differentiation. The focus of this study was to identify human and porcine blood on substrates using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The substrates included paper, plastic, cloth, and wood. Data preprocessing was performed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce dimensionality and analyze latent variables. Subsequently, six machine learning algorithms were used to build classification models and compare their performance. These algorithms comprise Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), Decision Trees (DT), Logistic Regression (LR), Naive Bayes Classifier (NBC), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Neural Network (NN). The results indicate that the PCA-NN model provides the optimal solution on most substrates. Although ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with machine learning effectively identifies bloodstains on substrates, the performance of different identification models still varies based on the type of substrate. The integration of these disciplines enables researchers to harness the power of data-driven approaches for solving complex forensic problems. The objective differentiation of bloodstains using machine learning holds significant implications for criminal investigations. This technique offers a non-destructive, simple, selective, and rapid approach for forensic analysis, thereby assisting forensic scientists and investigators in determining crucial evidence related to bloodstains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ta Wei
- School of Defense Science, Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense University, Taoyuan 335009, Taiwan
| | - Jhu-Lin You
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense University, Taoyuan 335009, Taiwan; System Engineering and Technology Program, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300093, Taiwan
| | - Shiuh-Ku Weng
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Chien Hsin University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan 320678, Taiwan.
| | - Shun-Yi Jian
- Department of Material Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei 243303, Taiwan; Center for Plasma and Thin Film Technologies, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei 243303, Taiwan.
| | - Jeff Cheng-Lung Lee
- Department of Criminal Investigation, Taiwan Police College, Taipei 116078, Taiwan
| | - Tang-Lun Chiang
- School of Defense Science, Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense University, Taoyuan 335009, Taiwan
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Chen H, Tian L, Sun X, Liu L, Ma R, Zhang M. Alkaline Phosphatase for Estimating the Time since Deposition of Blood Fingerprints by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy. Anal Chem 2023; 95:18470-18478. [PMID: 38051701 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Blood is one of the most frequent and valuable traces encountered at crime scenes, where knowing the time since deposition (TSD) of bloodstains tremendously assists forensic experts to screen out crime-related evidence and aids in the reconstruction of the event sequence. Although increasing proof-of-concept methodologies for investigating the TSD of bloodstains have been reported, there is still no accepted strategy in forensic practice as the aging mechanism involves complex components, leading to the inaccuracy of the estimation results. Herein, an endogenous biomarker of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was chosen to investigate the TSD by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Results demonstrate that the ALP activity acquired via SECM lateral scan assay exhibited a clear decrease over time, and a similar trend was observed on both poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane and glass, with the aging kinetics on PVDF membrane being faster than glass. By means of quantitatively calculating the flux of generated p-aminophenol (PAP), we established the aging curve and realized the TSD estimation of blood fingerprints (BFPs) that was unable to be distinguished via optical measurements. Intriguingly, the as-obtained estimation accuracy ranged from 74.6 to 93.7%, proving the possibility of using an ALP biomarker and SECM. More appealingly, the predicted TSDs were capable of accurately differentiating the deposition sequence of overlapping BFPs, which was hardly achieved by optical means. Therefore, this proof-of-concept strategy demonstrates the value of SECM as a forensic tool and opens possibilities for revealing multidimensional information about crime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Lu Tian
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiangyu Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Rongliang Ma
- Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Meiqin Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
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Cano-Trujillo C, García-Ruiz C, Ortega-Ojeda FE, Romolo F, Montalvo G. Forensic analysis of biological fluid stains on substrates by spectroscopic approaches and chemometrics: A review. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1282:341841. [PMID: 37923402 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bodily fluid stains are one of the most relevant evidence that can be found at the crime scene as it provides a wealth of information to the investigators. They help to report on the individuals involved in the crime, to check alibis, or to determine the type of crime that has been committed. They appear as stains in different types of substrates, some of them porous, which can interfere in the analysis. The spectroscopy techniques combined with chemometrics are showing increasing potential for their use in the analysis of such samples due to them being fast, sensitive, and non-destructive. FINDINGS This is a comprehensive review of the studies that used different spectroscopic techniques followed by chemometrics for analysing biological fluid stains on several surfaces, and under various conditions. It focuses on the bodily fluid stains and the most suitable spectroscopic techniques to study forensic scientific problems such as the substrate's characteristics, the influence of ambient conditions, the aging process of the bodily fluids, the presence of animal bodily fluids and non-biological fluids (interfering substances), and the bodily fluid mixtures. The most widely used techniques were Raman spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FTIR). Nonetheless, other non-destructive techniques have been also used, like near infrared hyperspectral imaging (HSI-NIR) or surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), among others. This work provides the criteria for the selection of the most promising non-destructive techniques for the effective in situ detection of biological fluid stains at crime scene investigations. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY The use of the proper spectroscopic and chemometric approaches on the crime scene is expected to improve the support of forensic sciences to criminal investigations. Evidence may be analysed in a non-destructive manner and kept intact for further analysis. They will also speed up forensic investigations by allowing the selection of relevant samples from occupational ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cano-Trujillo
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales, Libreros 27, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen García-Ruiz
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales, Libreros 27, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando E Ortega-Ojeda
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales, Libreros 27, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesco Romolo
- Università degli Studi di Bergamo, Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza, Via Moroni 255, 24127, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Gemma Montalvo
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales, Libreros 27, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
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Fonseca ACS, Pereira JFQ, Honorato RS, Bro R, Pimentel MF. Classification of bloodstains deposited at different times on floor tiles using hierarchical modelling and a handheld NIR spectrometer. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2023; 15:5459-5465. [PMID: 37728415 DOI: 10.1039/d3ay01204b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Bloodstains are commonly encountered at crime scenes, especially on floor tiles, and can be deposited over different periods and intervals. Therefore, it is crucial to develop techniques that can accurately identify bloodstains deposited at different times. This study builds upon a previous investigation and aims to enhance the performance of three distinct hierarchical models (HMs) designed to differentiate and identify stains of human blood (HB), animal blood (AB), and common false positives (CFPs) on nine different types of floor tiles. Soft Independent Modeling Class Analogies (SIMCA), and Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) were employed as decision rules in this process. The originally published model was constructed using a training set that included samples with a known time of deposit of six days. This model was then tested to predict samples with various deposition times, including human blood samples aged for 0, 1, 9, 20, 30, and 162 days, as well as animal blood samples aged for 0, 1, 10, 13, 20, 29, 105, and 176 days. To improve the identification of human blood, the models were modified by adding zero-day and one-day-old bloodstains to the original training set. All models showed improvement when fresher samples were included in the training set. The best results were achieved with the hierarchical model that used partial least squares-discriminant analysis as the second decision rule and incorporated one-day-old samples in the training set. This model yielded sensitivity values above 0.92 and specificity values above 0.7 for samples aged between zero and 30 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline C S Fonseca
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Jornalista An í bal Fernandes , Cidade Universitária, 50.740-560, Recife, Brazil
| | - José F Q Pereira
- Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada Academic Unit, Av. Gregório Ferraz Nogueira, s/n, Serra Talhada, PE, 56909-535, Brazil
| | | | - Rasmus Bro
- Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, DK-1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Maria Fernanda Pimentel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. dos Economistas, Cidade Universitária, s/n, 50.740-590, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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7
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Qu J, Meador W, Cheah P, Tanner EEL, Delcamp J, Zhao Y. Latent bloodstain detection using a selective turn-on NIR fluorescence dye responsive to serum albumin. RSC Adv 2023; 13:27549-27557. [PMID: 37720829 PMCID: PMC10502805 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra04320g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bloodstain detection can provide crucial information and evidence at a crime scene; however, the ability to selectively detect bloodstains in a non-destructive manner with high sensitivity and low background is limited. This study reports a fluorescent dye (sulfonate indolizine squaraine, SO3SQ) for bloodstain visualization under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. While the dye itself is minimally fluorescent in aqueous solution, it exhibits a "turn-on" mechanism upon binding with human serum albumin (HSA) as the fluorescence intensity increases over 160 times with strong absorption and emission at 693 nm and 758 nm, respectively. Bloodstains can be visualized on a surface even after being diluted 1000 times, and washed latent bloodstains can be detected with high sensitivity. Further, the turn-on fluorescent emission lasts for a minimum of seven days, allowing adequate time for detection. This study also indicates that the SO3SQ can sensitively detect bloodstain after the bloodstain aged for one week. Furthermore, the detection of latent blood fingerprint patterns from colorful backgrounds is demonstrated using this non-destructive method. The selective turn-on fluorescent dye with NIR excitation and emission is highly suitable in forensic science for bloodstain visualization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Qu
- Department of Chemistry, Physics & Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University Jackson MS 39217 USA
| | - William Meador
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University MS 38677 USA
| | - Pohlee Cheah
- Department of Chemistry, Physics & Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University Jackson MS 39217 USA
| | - Eden E L Tanner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University MS 38677 USA
| | - Jared Delcamp
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University MS 38677 USA
| | - Yongfeng Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Physics & Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University Jackson MS 39217 USA
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Menżyk A, Martyna A, Damin A, Vincenti M, Zadora G. Breaking with trends in forensic dating: A likelihood ratio-based comparison approach. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 349:111763. [PMID: 37356322 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Further steps toward understanding the time-related information contained within bloodstains found at the crime scene are rightly considered a top priority in forensic science. Contrary to widely held assumptions, the reason for the delayed exploitation of bloodstains dating methods in practice is not the lack of suitable analytical techniques for monitoring degradation processes. The problem lies in the variability of the environmental and circumstantial conditions, playing a vital role in the degradation kinetics of blood deposits. The present article demonstrates the possibility of breaking with current approaches based on absolute age estimations to finally answer time-centered questions in real forensic scenarios. The proposed novel framework for situating forensic traces in time is based on the likelihood ratio assessment of the (dis)similarity between the evidence decomposition and sets of reference materials obtained through supervised aging. In such a strategy, every dating procedure is constructed on a case-by-case basis to fit examined blood traces, thereby limiting the adverse influence of external factors on the validity of age estimations and providing a way for future crime scene implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Menżyk
- Forensic Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of Silesia in Katowice, Szkolna 9, 40-006 Katowice, Poland; Institute of Forensic Research in Krakow, Westerplatte 9, 31-003, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Martyna
- Forensic Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of Silesia in Katowice, Szkolna 9, 40-006 Katowice, Poland
| | - Alessandro Damin
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Marco Vincenti
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy; Centro Regionale Antidoping e di Tossicologia "A. Bertinaria", Regione Gonzole 10/1, Orbassano, 10043 Torino, Italy
| | - Grzegorz Zadora
- Forensic Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of Silesia in Katowice, Szkolna 9, 40-006 Katowice, Poland; Institute of Forensic Research in Krakow, Westerplatte 9, 31-003, Krakow, Poland
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Cano-Trujillo C, García-Ruiz C, Ortega-Ojeda FE, Montalvo G. Differentiation of blood and environmental interfering stains on substrates by Chemometrics-Assisted ATR FTIR spectroscopy. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2023; 292:122409. [PMID: 36720190 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.122409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Blood is the most common and relevant bodily fluid that can be found in crime scenes. It is critical to correctly identify it, and to be able to differentiate it from other substances that may also appear at the crime scene. In this work, several stains of blood, chocolate, ketchup, and tomato sauce on five different substrates (plywood, metal, gauze, denim, and glass) were analysed by ATR FTIR spectroscopy assisted with orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models. It was possible to differentiate blood from the environmental interfering substances independently of the substrate they were on, and to differentiate bloodstains according to the substrate they were deposited on. These results represent a proof-of-concept that open new horizons to differentiate bloodstains from other interfering substances on common substrates present in crime scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cano-Trujillo
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España; Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales (IUICP), Calle Libreros 27, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España
| | - Carmen García-Ruiz
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España; Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales (IUICP), Calle Libreros 27, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España
| | - Fernando E Ortega-Ojeda
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España; Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales (IUICP), Calle Libreros 27, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España; Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España
| | - Gemma Montalvo
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33,6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España; Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales (IUICP), Calle Libreros 27, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España.
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10
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Zhang R, Wang P, Chen J, Tian Y, Gao J. Age estimation of bloodstains based on Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2023; 290:122284. [PMID: 36592590 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.122284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The accurate estimation of the bloodstain age, which is one of the important biological evidence of crime scene, can provide a lot of information related to crime. How to extract the information quickly and accurately from bloodstains without damage has been a focused problem. In this study, a bloodstains age estimation method based on Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics was developed. As many as 11 simulated environments based on different temperature and humidity were constructed in the method, and bloodstains of three species including human were studied. The influence of environmental factors such as temperature and humidity on the variation of Raman spectral peaks during the aging process of bloodstains was analyzed using the e-index fitting. When the humidity was kept constant, the increase of temperature generally promoted the changes of the spectral peaks. When the temperature was kept constant, the increase of humidity generally slowed the changes of spectral peaks. These works provide data support for the further development of Raman spectroscopy for bloodstain age estimation and could accelerate its application in actual scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
| | - Jiansheng Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Yubing Tian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Jing Gao
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
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11
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Yildirim MŞ, Akçan R, Aras S, Tamer U, Evran E, Taştekin B, Aydogan C, Boyaci İH. Overcoming obstacles: Analysis of blood and semen stains washed with different chemicals with ATR-FTIR. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 344:111607. [PMID: 36801543 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Blood and semen stains are the most common biological stains encountered at crime scenes. The washing of biological stains is a common application that perpetrators use to spoil the crime scene. With a structured experiment approach, this study aims to investigate the effects of washing with various chemicals on the ATR-FTIR detection of blood and semen stains on cotton. MATERIALS AND METHODS On cotton pieces, a total of 78 blood and 78 semen stains were applied, and each group of six stains was immersed or mechanically cleaned in water, 40% methanol, 5% sodium hypochlorite solution, 5% hypochlorous acid solution, 5 g/L soap dissolved pure water, and 5 g/L dishwashing detergent dissolved water. ATR-FTIR spectra gathered from all stains and analyzed with chemometric tools. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION According to performance parameters of developed models, PLS-DA is a powerful tool for discrimination of washing chemical for both washed blood and semen stains. Results from this study show that FTIR is promising for use in detecting blood and semen stains that have become invisible to the naked eye due to washing of the findings. CONCLUSION Our approach allows blood and semen to be detected on cotton pieces using FTIR combined with chemometrics, even though it is not visible to the naked eye. Washing chemicals also can be distinguished via FTIR spectra of stains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmut Şerif Yildirim
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
| | - Ramazan Akçan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sümer Aras
- Department of Biotechnology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Uğur Tamer
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Eylül Evran
- Department of Food Engineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Burak Taştekin
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Canberk Aydogan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Gülhane Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
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12
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Weber A, Hoplight B, Ogilvie R, Muro C, Khandasammy SR, Pérez-Almodóvar L, Sears S, Lednev IK. Innovative Vibrational Spectroscopy Research for Forensic Application. Anal Chem 2023; 95:167-205. [PMID: 36625116 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Weber
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States.,SupreMEtric LLC, 7 University Pl. B210, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Bailey Hoplight
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States
| | - Rhilynn Ogilvie
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States
| | - Claire Muro
- New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center, Building #30, Campus Access Rd., Albany, New York 12203, United States
| | - Shelby R Khandasammy
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States
| | - Luis Pérez-Almodóvar
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States
| | - Samuel Sears
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States
| | - Igor K Lednev
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States.,SupreMEtric LLC, 7 University Pl. B210, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
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13
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Forensic Analysis of Cigarette Filter using non-destructive ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometric Methods. Forensic Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forc.2023.100465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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14
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Lee S, Mun S, Lee YR, Lee J, Kang HG. Validation of the Metabolite Ergothioneine as a Forensic Marker in Bloodstains. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27248885. [PMID: 36558018 PMCID: PMC9786767 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ergothioneine, which is a naturally occurring metabolite, generally accumulates in tissues and cells subjected to oxidative stress, owing to its structural stability at physiological pH; therefore, it has been attracting attention in various biomedical fields. Ergothioneine has also been suggested as a potential forensic marker, but its applicability has not yet been quantitatively validated. In this study, quantitative analysis of ergothioneine in bloodstains was conducted to estimate the age of bloodstains and that of bloodstain donors. Blood from youth and elderly participants was used to generate bloodstains. After extracting metabolites from the bloodstains under prevalent age conditions, ergothioneine levels were quantified by mass spectrometry via multiple reaction monitoring. The concentration of ergothioneine in day 0 bloodstains (fresh blood), was significantly higher in the elderly group than in the youth group, but it did not differ by sex. Statistically significant differences were observed between the samples from the two age groups on days 0, 5 and 7, and on days 2 and 3 compared with day 0. The findings suggest that ergothioneine can be used to estimate the age of bloodstains and of the donor; it could be useful as a potential marker in reconstructing crime scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungyeon Lee
- Department of Senior Healthcare, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu 11759, Republic of Korea
| | - Sora Mun
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Eulji University, Seongnam 13135, Republic of Korea
| | - You-Rim Lee
- Department of Senior Healthcare, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu 11759, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeong Lee
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Health Science, Eulji University, Uijeongbu 11759, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (H.-G.K.); Tel.: +82-31-951-3862 (J.L.); +82-31-740-7315 (H.-G.K.)
| | - Hee-Gyoo Kang
- Department of Senior Healthcare, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu 11759, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Eulji University, Seongnam 13135, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (H.-G.K.); Tel.: +82-31-951-3862 (J.L.); +82-31-740-7315 (H.-G.K.)
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15
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Wang G, Wu H, Yang C, Li Z, Chen R, Liang X, Yu K, Li H, Shen C, Liu R, Wei X, Sun Q, Zhang K, Wang Z. An Emerging Strategy for Muscle Evanescent Trauma Discrimination by Spectroscopy and Chemometrics. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113489. [PMID: 36362276 PMCID: PMC9658611 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Trauma is one of the most common conditions in the biomedical field. It is important to identify it quickly and accurately. However, when evanescent trauma occurs, it presents a great challenge to professionals. There are few reports on the establishment of a rapid and accurate trauma identification and prediction model. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and microscopic spectroscopy (micro-IR) combined with chemometrics were used to establish prediction models for the rapid identification of muscle trauma in humans and rats. The results of the average spectrum, principal component analysis (PCA) and loading maps showed that the differences between the rat muscle trauma group and the rat control group were mainly related to biological macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates. The differences between the human muscle trauma group and the human control group were mainly related to proteins, polysaccharides, phospholipids and phosphates. Then, a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to evaluate the classification ability of the training and test datasets. The classification accuracies were 99.10% and 93.69%, respectively. Moreover, a trauma classification and recognition model of human muscle tissue was constructed, and a good classification effect was obtained. The classification accuracies were 99.52% and 91.95%. In conclusion, spectroscopy and stoichiometry have the advantages of being rapid, accurate and objective and of having high resolution and a strong recognition ability, and they are emerging strategies for the identification of evanescent trauma. In addition, the combination of spectroscopy and stoichiometry has great potential in the application of medicine and criminal law under practical conditions.
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16
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Alkhuder K. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: a universal analytical technique with promising applications in forensic analyses. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:1717-1736. [PMID: 36050421 PMCID: PMC9436726 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02882-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Contemporary criminal investigations are based on the statements made by the victim and the eyewitnesses. They also rely on the physical evidences found in the crime scene. These evidences, and more particularly biological ones, have a great judicial value in the courtroom. They are usually used to revoke the suspect’s allegations and confirm or refute the statements made by the victim and the witnesses. Stains of body fluids are biological evidences highly sought by forensic investigators. In many criminal cases, the success of the investigation relies on the correct identification and classification of these stains. Therefore, the adoption of reliable and accurate forensic analytical methods seems to be of vital importance to attain this objective. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) is a modern and universal analytical technique capable of fingerprint recognition of the analyte using minimal amount of the test sample. The current systematic review aims to through light on the fundamentals of this technique and to illustrate its wide range of applications in forensic investigations. ATR-FTIR is a nondestructive technique which has demonstrated an exceptional efficiency in detecting, identifying and discriminating between stains of various types of body fluids usually encountered in crime scenes. The ATR-FTIR spectral data generated from bloodstains can be used to deduce a wealth of information related to the donor species, age, gender, and race. These data can also be exploited to discriminate between stains of different types of bloods including menstrual and peripheral bloods. In addition, ATR-FTIR has a great utility in the postmortem investigations. More particularly, in estimating the postmortem interval and diagnosing death caused by extreme weather conditions. It is also useful in diagnosing some ambiguous death causes such as fatal anaphylactic shock and diabetic ketoacidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled Alkhuder
- Division of Microbial Disease, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8LD, UK.
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17
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He H, Qingxia Z, Qing N, Yeming L, Qifan S, Dong Z. Estimating bloodstain formation time by quantitative analysis of mtDNA degradation. Forensic Sci Int 2022; 339:111411. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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18
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Sharma A, Sharma V. Forensic analysis of cigarette ash using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometric methods. Microchem J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2022.107406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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19
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Takamura A, Ozawa T. Recent advances of vibrational spectroscopy and chemometrics for forensic biological analysis. Analyst 2021; 146:7431-7449. [PMID: 34813634 DOI: 10.1039/d1an01637g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Biological materials found at a crime scene are crucially important evidence for forensic investigation because they provide contextual information about a crime and can be linked to the donor-individuals through combination with DNA analysis. Applications of vibrational spectroscopy to forensic biological analysis have been emerging because of its advantageous characteristics such as the non-destructivity, rapid measurement, and quantitative evaluation, compared to most current methods based on histological observation or biochemical techniques. This review presents an overview of recent developments in vibrational spectroscopy for forensic biological analysis. We also emphasize chemometric techniques, which can elicit reliable and advanced analytical outputs from highly complex spectral data from forensic biological materials. The analytical subjects addressed herein include body fluids, hair, soft tissue, bones, and bioagents. Promising applications for various analytical purposes in forensic biology are presented. Simultaneously, future avenues of study requiring further investigation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayari Takamura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. .,RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.
| | - Takeaki Ozawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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20
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Short and Long Time Bloodstains Age Determination by Colorimetric Analysis: A Pilot Study. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26206272. [PMID: 34684853 PMCID: PMC8540217 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26206272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bloodstains found at crime scenes represent a crucial source of information for investigative purposes. However, in forensic practice, no technique is currently used to estimate the time from deposition of bloodstains. This preliminary study focuses on the age estimation of bloodstains by exploiting the color variations over time due to the oxidation of the blood. For this purpose, we used a colorimetric methodology in order to easily obtain objective, univocal and reproducible results. We developed two bloodstain age prediction algorithms: a short-term and a long-term useful model for the first 24h and 60 days, respectively. Both models showed high levels of classification accuracy, particularly for the long-term model. Although a small-scale study, these results improve the potential application of colorimetric analysis in the time-line reconstruction of violent criminal events.
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21
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ATR-FTIR spectroscopy probing of structural alterations in the cellular membrane of abscopal liver cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183726. [PMID: 34375629 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we utilize ATR-FTIR spectroscopy to investigate the structural damages in the cell membrane lipids and proteins as a result of the oxidative stress in abscopal liver tissue of rats either whole-body, cranially or lower limb irradiated as compared with sham-irradiated group. We also question whether the original irradiation region would influence the induction of the abscopal effect. The data present compelling evidence that an abscopal effect was induced in the liver tissue following both cranial and lower limb irradiations, marked by damage in the membrane-associated lipids and proteins. Lipid damage manifestation is evident by; 1) decrease in the lipid/protein ratio. 2) Degradation of lipid as marked by the decrease in the area ratio CH 2 asymmetric/CH 3 asymmetric stretching bands. 3) Increase in the carbonyl content evident by the increase in the band area ratio of carbonyl ester/lipid. 4) Increase in the degree of methylation as indicated by the increase in the band area ratio of CH3/lipid. 5) Disorder in the phospholipid acyl chains marked by the shift in the CH2 asymmetric stretching and olefinic HCCH absorption bands. Protein damage was indicated by 1) Shifts in the position of amide I and amide II bands. 2) Decrease in the area ratio amide I/amide II. 3) Broadening in amide II band. Our data strongly suggest similar induction of the abscopal effect as a result of either cranial or lower limb irradiation, which means that the original irradiation region did not influence the induced abscopal effect in the examined system.
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22
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Non-destructive characterization and discrimination of vehicle bumpers fragments in forensic science using molecular spectral fusion analysis and chemometrics. Microchem J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2021.106299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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23
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24
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Zulfiqar M, Ahmad M, Sohaib A, Mazzara M, Distefano S. Hyperspectral Imaging for Bloodstain Identification. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21093045. [PMID: 33925330 PMCID: PMC8123592 DOI: 10.3390/s21093045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Blood is key evidence to reconstruct crime scenes in forensic sciences. Blood identification can help to confirm a suspect, and for that reason, several chemical methods are used to reconstruct the crime scene however, these methods can affect subsequent DNA analysis. Therefore, this study presents a non-destructive method for bloodstain identification using Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI, 397-1000 nm range). The proposed method is based on the visualization of heme-components bands in the 500-700 nm spectral range. For experimental and validation purposes, a total of 225 blood (different donors) and non-blood (protein-based ketchup, rust acrylic paint, red acrylic paint, brown acrylic paint, red nail polish, rust nail polish, fake blood, and red ink) samples (HSI cubes, each cube is of size 1000 × 512 × 224, in which 1000 × 512 are the spatial dimensions and 224 spectral bands) were deposited on three substrates (white cotton fabric, white tile, and PVC wall sheet). The samples are imaged for up to three days to include aging. Savitzky Golay filtering has been used to highlight the subtle bands of all samples, particularly the aged ones. Based on the derivative spectrum, important spectral bands were selected to train five different classifiers (SVM, ANN, KNN, Random Forest, and Decision Tree). The comparative analysis reveals that the proposed method outperformed several state-of-the-art methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maheen Zulfiqar
- Department of Computer Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan; (M.Z.); (A.S.)
| | - Muhammad Ahmad
- Department of Computer Science, National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Islamabad, Chiniot-Faisalabad Campus, Chiniot 35400, Pakistan
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica-MIFT, University of Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Ahmed Sohaib
- Department of Computer Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan; (M.Z.); (A.S.)
| | - Manuel Mazzara
- Institute of Software Development and Engineering, Innopolis University, 420500 Innopolis, Russia;
| | - Salvatore Distefano
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica-MIFT, University of Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy;
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