Preliminary Studies on the Absorbance Ratio Method Used to Determining the Age of Stamp‐pad Ink Seal

Stamp‐pad ink seals are often placed on important documents, and determining the dating of stamp‐pad ink seal is important to assess the authenticity of a document. In this study, 20 different brands and types of stamp‐pad inks were classified by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer. Six different brands and types of papers were classified by micro‐Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and visual spectral comparator 6000. Three different brands of stamp‐pad inks and two different types of paper were used to make diachronic samples of the seals. A method was employed to date the stamp‐pad seals by comparing absorbance ratios and inks of known age. Curves were created to show the relationship between the absorbance ratio of ink and the age of the seals. The experimental results showed that the absorbance ratio method was applicable for the relative dating of stamp‐pad ink seals in some cases where the seal was placed on the document within 10 weeks.     

Dating of Inkpad Seals Using the Extraction Rate Method: Preliminary Findings

Inkpad seals are often placed on important documents, and determining the date when a seal was affixed can be important to assess the authenticity of a document. In this study, three different brands of inkpads and four different types of paper were used to make diachronic samples of the seals. A double‐solvent extraction method was employed to date the inkpad seals by comparing extraction rates with inks of known age. Cyclohexane was selected as a weak solvent, and chlorobenzene was selected as a strong solvent. After testing, curves were created to show the relationship between the extraction percentage of ink and the date of the seals. The experimental results showed that the extraction rate method was applicable for the relative dating of inkpad seals in some cases where the seal was placed on the document within 6 months.     

Controlling the variable of pressure in the production of test footwear impressions

Footwear impression lifting and enhancement techniques may be affected by several variables introduced during the production of test footwear impressions, thus limiting the usefulness of enhancement technique comparisons and the results obtained. One such variable is the force applied when the impressed mark is being made. Producing consistent test impressions for research into footwear enhancement techniques would therefore be beneficial. This study was designed to control pressure in the production of test footwear impressions when mimicking a stamping action. Twenty-seven volunteers were asked to stamp on two different surfaces and the average stamping force was recorded. Information from the data obtained was used to design and build a mechanical device which could be calibrated to consistently deliver footwear impressions with the same force onto a receiving surface. Preliminary experiments using this device and different contaminants on the footwear sole have yielded consistent and repeatable impressions. Controlling the variable of pressure for the production of test impressions in this study demonstrated that the differences observed were visual (due to the amount of contaminant transferred and subsequent enhancement) and did not affect the replication of outer sole characteristics. This paper reports the development of the device and illustrates the quality of the impressions produced.     

公章抗辩的类型与处理

公章的意义在于使特定的意思表示与特定的主体相联结,是书面法律行为的重要标识方式。因经济活动中存在真公章无权使用和假公章冒用等现象,公章名义人因此或借此对公章真假及使用效力提出抗辩。但实践中对公章效力的判定却常有偏差,其重要原因之一就是对公章抗辩缺乏系统有效的处理规则。公章抗辩包括公章确认抗辩和公章效力抗辩,公章效力抗辩又可分为真公章效力抗辩和假公章效力抗辩。不同类型的公章抗辩在抗辩事由、举证责任等方面,均有不同的规则内容与处理要点。实务中对公章抗辩的处理与认定,应当有效把握不同公章抗辩类型的基本规则与特殊情形,并妥当辨识及运用公章效力与表见代理或表见代表之间的互证关系。     

Forged seal detection based on the seal overlay metric

This paper describes a method for verifying the authenticity of a seal impression imprinted on a document based on the seal overlay metric, which refers to the ratio of an effective seal impression pattern and the noise in the neighborhood of the reference impression region. A reference seal pattern is obtained by taking the average of a number of high-quality impressions of a genuine seal. A target seal impression to be examined, often on paper with some background texts and lines, is segmented out from the background by an adaptive threshold applied to the histogram of color components. The segmented target seal impression is then spatially aligned with the reference by maximizing the count of matching pixels. Then the seal overlay metric is computed for the reference and the target. If the overlay metric of a target seal is below a predetermined limit for the similarity to the genuine, then the target is classified as a forged seal. To further reduce the misclassification rate, the seal overlay metric is adjusted by the filling rate, which reflects the quality of inked pattern of the target seal. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method can detect elaborate seal impressions created by advanced forgery techniques such as lithography and computer-aided manufacturing.     

A comparison of three shoe sole impression lifting methods at high substrate temperatures

Footwear impressions are a common form of evidence found at crime scenes, and the accurate recovery and recording of such impressions is critical for shoe sole comparison and identification. The lifting of shoe sole impressions from hot surfaces (>30°C/86°F) and in hot environments has received little attention in the literature, particularly in relation to the recovery of class and randomly acquired characteristics (RACs) required for accurate comparisons. This study addressed this knowledge gap by comparing the performance of three common impression lifters (gelatin, adhesive, and vinyl static cling film) at recovering shoe sole impressions in dust from hot flooring substrates. Dry origin dust shoe sole impressions were made on ceramic tile, galvanized metal, and laminated wood flooring using a shoe that possessed two RACs and five class characteristics present on the sole. Substrates were left in direct full sun for five hours during a summer day prior to lifting. Performance was measured by the proportion of RACs and class characteristics visible in each lifted impression. Results demonstrated that the vinyl static cling film tested performed poorly across all substrates, particularly for metal (23.8% marks recovered), including notable shrinkage of the lifted impression. In contrast, adhesive (~96% marks recovered over all substrates), and to a lesser extent gelatin (~85%), lifts were highly successful on hot substrates. These data suggest that adhesive lifts can consistently and accurately recover shoe sole impressions from hot substrates. This study contributes critical information for crime scene examiners to improve and expand evidence recovery in hot environments.     

同源激光雕刻橡塑印章印文的鉴别方法

目的找出同源激光雕刻橡塑印章印文之间的特征差异,建立检验鉴定此类印章印文的鉴别方法。方法制作14枚同源激光雕刻橡塑印章,借助文件仪、显微数字分析仪等仪器观察分析其盖印的印文样本。结果找出了各种细节特征差异。结论同源性激光雕刻橡塑印章因其规格性特征符合很好,检验鉴定要以细节特征比对为主。     

When the butcher calls the hunter foul,and the muddied politics which follow: speciesism and the EU opposition to the Swedish wolf hunt

Abstract

Rarely does the death of animals cause conflict between governments. However, the killing of some animals, such as seals, wolves, and other exotic wildlife, can cause heated conflict over whether the act of killing is itself justifiable. This paper provides an overview of a recent disagreement along these lines: between the EU and Sweden over the management of wolves. It juxtaposes the recent politicalization of the wolf hunt with an overview of two very different moral frameworks that humans use to conceive of the value of animals. This paper argues that these two moral frameworks share in employing a human-centrism which consequently restricts how the issue of justice can be introduced into policy discussions regarding the treatment of animals. However, the primary assertion made here is that while these two frameworks are constituted by speciesism, they represent two different positions which as is illustrated by the debate surrounding the justifiability of the wolf hunt, provide very different points to which questions of justice are truncated or introduced. Therefore, the assertion made in this paper is that the conflict between the EU and Sweden, over the justifiability of the wolf hunt stems from competing speciesist positions.     

Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis of Red Seal Inks on Questioned Document

Seals are traditionally used in the Far East Asia to stamp an impression on a document in place of a signature. In this study, an accuser claimed that a personal contract regarding mining development rights acquired by a defendant was devolved to the accuser because the defendant stamped the devolvement contract in the presence of the accuser and a witness. The accuser further stated that the seal ink stamped on the devolvement contract was the same as that stamped on the development rights application document. To verify this, the seals used in two documents were analyzed using micro‐attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and infrared spectra. The findings revealed that the seals originated from different manufacturers. Thus, the accuser's claim on the existence of a devolvement contract was proved to be false.     

激光显微共聚焦拉曼光谱仪对红色墨迹的研究

目的利用激光显微共聚焦拉曼光谱仪对文书中常见的红色墨迹材料进行表征,研究该方法对红色墨迹材料的区分能力。方法在785nm激发波长,50倍物镜条件下,对49种红色印文,以及9种彩色喷墨打印和13种彩色激光打印的红色墨迹材料进行拉曼光谱表征。结果通过对71种墨迹样品的谱图进行分析,可以发现,红色印文墨迹、喷墨打印红色墨迹及激光打印红色墨迹的拉曼光谱间均存在差异,同时,拉曼光谱可将这三种墨迹材料分别进一步区分。结论显微共聚焦激光拉曼光谱可对红色墨迹材料进行有效表征和区分。这一方法可对红色印文墨迹进行识别,并且可实现对伪造印文文件的鉴别。     

Dating of Seals Produced with Stamp‐Pad Ink Using Gas Chromatography Method

Seals are often placed on important documents, and determining the date when a seal was affixed can be important to assess the authenticity of a document. In this study, thirty‐seven different brands of stamp‐pad inks and three different types of paper were used to make diachronic samples of the seals. The volatile components of stamp‐pad ink were determined, and the stamp‐pad ink was classified by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. Calibration curves were created to show the relationship between the content of volatile stamp‐pad ink components and the age of stamp‐pad ink entries stored under natural aging, UV‐induced aging, and heating aging conditions. The experimental results showed that GC was useful in the analysis of stamp‐pad ink and applicable for determining the relative age of stamp‐pad ink entries in some cases where the seal was placed on the document within 3 months.     

Forensic Identification of Seal Oils Using Lipid Profiles and Statistical Models

Seal blubber oils are used as a source of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in Canada but prohibited in the United States and (FA) European Union. Thus, a reliable method is needed to identify oils originating from seals versus fish. Two lipid profiling methods, fatty acid analysis using gas chromatography and triacylglycerol (TAG) analysis using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, were applied with statistical models to discriminate commercial oils and blubber samples harvested from marine fish and seals. Significant differences were observed among FA profiles, and seal samples differed from each of the fish oils (p ≤ 0.001). FA and TAG profiles were used to discriminate sample groups using a random forest classifier; all samples were classified correctly as seals versus fish using both methods. We propose a two‐step method for the accurate identification of seal oils, with preliminary identification based on FA profile analysis and confirmation with TAG profiles.     

A new method for the recovery and evidential comparison of footwear impressions using 3D structured light scanning

Footwear impressions are one of the most common forms of evidence to be found at a crime scene, and can potentially offer the investigator a wealth of intelligence. Our aim is to highlight a new and improved technique for the recovery of footwear impressions, using three-dimensional structured light scanning. Results from this preliminary study demonstrate that this new approach is non-destructive, safe to use and is fast, reliable and accurate. Further, since this is a digital method, there is also the option of digital comparison between items of footwear and footwear impressions, and an increased ability to share recovered footwear impressions between forensic staff thus speeding up the investigation.     

自然人书面契约取信方式研究

印章文化在我国源远流长,其中公章自古至今为实用而治,私章则经历了一个从实用到艺术的转变过程。我国古代书面契约的取信方式历经变化,但私章讫未成为公认的取信手段。西方国家在法律史上曾有盖印取信的制度,但当今通行的法定取信手段则是签名。我国现行法上的书面契约取信方式兼采签名和盖章。私章自身的内在局限及签名取信的多维优势,决定了签名取代私章的必然。自然人主体书面契约的取信方式统一于签名,是法律体系内部相协调的需要,并可以获得法律解释理论上的有力支撑。     

Chemical enhancement of footwear impressions in blood on fabric — Part 2: Peroxidase reagents

This study investigates the optimisation of peroxidase based enhancement techniques for footwear impressions made in blood on various fabric surfaces. Four different haem reagents: leuco crystal violet (LCV), leuco malachite green (LMG), fluorescein and luminol were used to enhance the blood contaminated impressions.The enhancement techniques in this study were used successfully to enhance the impressions in blood on light coloured surfaces, however, only fluorescent and/or chemiluminescent techniques allowed visualisation on dark coloured fabrics, denim and leather. Luminol was the only technique to enhance footwear impressions made in blood on all the fabrics investigated in this study.     

3D documentation of footwear impressions and tyre tracks in snow with high resolution optical surface scanning

The three-dimensional documentation of footwear and tyre impressions in snow offers an opportunity to capture additional fine detail for the identification as present photographs. For this approach, up to now, different casting methods have been used. Casting of footwear impressions in snow has always been a difficult assignment. This work demonstrates that for the three-dimensional documentation of impressions in snow the non-destructive method of 3D optical surface scanning is suitable. The new method delivers more detailed results of higher accuracy than the conventional casting techniques. The results of this easy to use and mobile 3D optical surface scanner were very satisfactory in different meteorological and snow conditions. The method is also suitable for impressions in soil, sand or other materials. In addition to the side by side comparison, the automatic comparison of the 3D models and the computation of deviations and accuracy of the data simplify the examination and delivers objective and secure results. The results can be visualized efficiently. Data exchange between investigating authorities at a national or an international level can be achieved easily with electronic data carriers.     

司法实践中伪造、变造国家机关公文、证件、印章罪若干问题研究

我国《刑法》伪造、变造、买卖国家机关公文、证件、印章罪的描述是简单罪状,并没有就该罪的法定构成要件进行具体规定。另外,因为证件、印章与公众的社会生活息息相关,求学、入职、考试等皆有广泛的需求市场,这必然导致该罪的危害行为和表现方式多种多样,日趋复杂化,也增强了司法实践中认定的难度。我们应在充分分析本罪构成要件的理论基础上,进一步从定性和定量角度界定本罪的罪与非罪,并且结合司法实务,探讨本罪在司法实践中的难题。     

Morphological pattern of palatal rugae in children of Davangere

The aim of this study was to identify and compare the rugae pattern between males and females of two different communities in the city of Davangere, Karnataka, India, which may be an additional method of identification in cases of crimes or communal riots. Elastomeric impressions of the maxillary arch of 100 selected children were made; casts were poured in Type IV stone. The method of identification of rugae pattern followed was that of Lysell and Thomas and Kotze, which includes the number, shape, direction, and unification of rugae. The study revealed no significant difference in the total number or length of rugae between the two communities and sexes. However, with regard to shape and unification, females showed a significantly higher diverging rugae type while males had a significant number of circular and converging type of rugae. Also, discrimination function analysis allowed a moderate differentiation of the population. Hence, the rugae pattern can be an additional method of differentiation in conjunction with the other methods such as visual, fingerprints, and dental characteristics in forensic sciences.     

非对等咬合钳具形成痕迹特点的研究

根据大量的实验事实,通过材料的变形分析,对非对等咬合的钳类工具所形成的痕迹进行研究,阐述了不同坡面上的变形性质和痕迹特点,总结了痕迹与工具的对应关系,为工作实践指出了分析和检验鉴定的方法,同时对钳类工具痕迹的形成原理作出了补充和修正。