Bioterrorism: processing contaminated evidence, the effects of formaldehyde gas on the recovery of latent fingermarks

In the present age of heightened emphasis on counter terrorism, law enforcement and forensic science are constantly evolving and adapting to the motivations and capabilities of terrorist groups and individuals. The use of biological agents on a population, such as anthrax spores, presents unique challenges to the forensic investigator, and the processing of contaminated evidence. In this research, a number of porous and nonporous items were contaminated with viable anthrax spores and marked with latent fingermarks. The test samples were then subjected to a standard formulation of formaldehyde gas. Latent fingermarks were then recovered post decontamination using a range of methods. Standard fumigation, while effective at destroying viable spores, contributed to the degradation of amino acids leading to loss of ridge detail. A new protocol for formaldehyde gas decontamination was developed which allows for the destruction of viable spores and the successful recovery of latent marks, all within a rapid response time of less than 1 h.     

论电子商务中的电子证据

本文对电子证据与传统证据进行了分析对比,指出了电子证据的特征,提出了对电子证据的可采纳性与证明力,以及在诉讼和仲裁中如何审查判断、使用电子证据等,发表了有见地的观点,对立法机关和司法实践都有一定的参考价值.     

电子物证检验

目的阐述电子物证检验技术的专业内容和组成,以及开展电子物证检验的作用和重要意义;方法研究美国、欧洲和国内电子证据及其检验鉴定的数据资料,结合国内物证检验技术发展现状和需求,论证电子物证检验技术;结果提出了电子物证检验定义、检验对象、技术方法、特点作用以及尽快在国内建立电子物证检验专业等观点;结论电子物证检验是关于识别、发现、提取、保存、恢复、展示、分析和鉴定电子设备中存在的电子信息(电子证据)的科学技术,其检验结果可以作案件侦查线索或法庭证据。开展电子物证检验可以有效提高犯罪侦查效率。     

Legal admissibility of electronic evidence1

The use of computers and digital media in unlawful activities has increased so dramatically that investigation of any criminal activity may nowadays produce electronic evidence. However, the rapid growth in the number of criminal cases involving electronic evidence has all‐too‐often found law enforcement and the judiciary badly prepared to deal with the new issues created by this evidence. The gathering, conservation, communication and presentation of the computer‐derived evidence must fulfil legal requirements with regard to the admissibility of the evidence. Electronic evidence that was gathered in a way that was not in accordance with the law will be declared inadmissible and be ruled out of court. This report aims to briefly present the core principles of the law when handling electronic evidence. Therefore, this paper examines the conditions of admissibility of evidence in four European countries. In order to be complete and to give an interesting pan‐European view on the question, the English law system has been chosen to illustrate the functioning of the rules relating to the evidence in a country ruled by common law.     

网络电子证据取证技术综述

本文综述了网络电子证据的相关概念、特点、取证技术以及发展趋势。     

Visualization of biological traces on evidence by ninhydrin

Because of possible contamination of samples with PCR inhibitors and to avoid the typing of mixed profiles the source material for forensic DNA investigations should be collected as directly and securely as possible from the evidence. This approach requires a detectability of the source material which is often not given. The procedure introduced here using selected cases enables visualization of DNA-containing materials on evidence and hence controlled analysis. For this purpose the specimen is treated with ninhydrin. A following dye reaction verifies the presence of biological material, which possibly contains DNA. An impact on subsequent STR-analysis was not observed.     

The impact of licensed-knowledge attributes on the innovation performance of licensee firms: evidence from the Chinese electronic industry

In this article, we provide a compelling case for demonstrating “learning-by-licensing,” and we further investigate the moderating effect of specific licensed-knowledge attributes on the innovation performance of licensee firms. This case is based on a unique dataset from the China State of Intellectual Property Office regarding technology-licensing activities and spanning the years 2000–2010. Using this dataset we make a longitudinal analysis of the lagging learning effect that transferee firms experience when they in-license technology. The empirical results from 71 Chinese electronic-industry firms reconfirm the concept of “learning-by-licensing.” Moreover, the results also indicate that both technology complexity and technology generality, which are attributes of licensed knowledge, have positive moderating effects on the relationship between technology in-licensing and the subsequent innovation performance of licensee firms. However, such a positive moderating effect was not found for the newness of technology.     

Planning the archaeological recovery of evidence from recent mass graves

Mass graves commonly contain hundreds of putrefying bodies, which bear evidence of torture and extrajudicial execution. These require careful excavation using archaeological techniques to recover the bodies for identification and to obtain associated evidence which document human rights abuses. In order to derive forensically defensible conclusions, exhumation of a mass grave may take weeks or months. Specialized protective suits and breathing apparatus will permit the investigating team to take the time required to retrieve even subtle evidence from repellent remains. Strategies for sampling tissues and bodies which reduce the magnitude of the recovery operation are described.     

我国法医物证鉴定领域标准化问题及对策研究

标准化体系可以提高法医物证鉴定的质量,提高鉴定的公信力。法医物证鉴定标准化是开展鉴定业务、推广DNA新技术和我国法律的要求。标准化体系的建设和完善需要集思广益、群策群力,需要加强部门及地区之间合作交流,做好研制、培训和执行标准化文件的工作。标准化不能代替法庭审查,鉴定意见书仍需要法庭质证。     

一种水下金属物证探测器的设计

目的 设计一种水下金属物证探测器,用于公安人员在池塘、沟渠、水井等水域中搜寻金属类物证.方法 采用金属探测技术、水下视频采集技术和无线传输技术相结合,实现探测器的多功能特性.结果 在深度不超过4m的水域中,借助探测器可以准确搜寻到金属物证.结论 该探测器具有金属探测以及视频图像采集、无线发送和保存的功能,能满足一定范围内搜寻水下金属物证的工作需求.     

论电子数据提取笔录的属性与适用

电子数据的获取程序是否规范直接影响电子数据真实性的认定。电子数据提取笔录由于能够客观反映电子数据获取的过程而成为对电子数据进行鉴真的重要依据,它既能够连接电子数据与案件事实,又反映了取证过程的合法性和保管链条的完整性。从属性上看,电子数据提取笔录具有独立的证据属性,它不仅有别于物证、书证和证人证言,而且有别于其他笔录类证据。对电子数据提取笔录的证据资格和证明力的判断也具有特殊性。当前,可通过同步录音录像、引入外部监督、明确制作人员义务等方式规范电子数据提取笔录的适用。     

Identifying background microbiomes in an evidence recovery laboratory: A preliminary study

16S rRNA profiling of bacterial communities may have forensic utility in the identification or association of individuals involved with criminal activities. Microbial profiling of evidence may, in the future, be performed within environments currently utilised for human DNA recovery, such as a forensic biology laboratory. It would be important to establish the background microbiome of such an environment to determine the potential presence of human or environmental microbial signatures to assist forensic scientists in the appropriate interpretation of target microbial communities. This study sampled various surfaces of an Evidence Recovery Laboratory (ERL) on three occasions including (a) before a monthly deep-clean, (b) immediately following the deep-clean, and (c) immediately after the laboratory’s use by a single participant for the purposes of routine item examinations. Microbial profiles were also generated for the involved participant and researcher for comparison purposes. Additionally, human nuclear DNA was profiled for each of the samples collected, using standard forensic profiling techniques, to provide a prospective link to the presence or absence of a background microbial signature within the ERL after its use. Taxonomic distributions across ERL samples revealed no consistent signature of any of the items sampled over time, however, major phyla noted within all ERL samples across the three timepoints were consistent with those found in human skin microbiomes. PCoA plots based on the Unweighted Unifrac metric revealed some clustering between participant microbial reference samples and surfaces of the ERL after use, suggesting that despite a lack of direct contact, and adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) suitable for human DNA recovery, microbiomes may be deposited into a forensic setting over time. The reference samples collected from the involved participant and researcher generated full STR profiles. Human DNA was observed to varying degrees in samples taken from the ERL across each of the sampling timepoints. There was no correlation observed between samples that contained or did not contain detectable quantities of human nuclear DNA and microbial profile outputs.     

The effects of judicial admonitions on hearsay evidence

Using a simulated civil case, this experiment investigated whether mock jurors: (a) are able to disregard hearsay evidence when admonished to do so, (b) experience psychological reactance and "backfire effects" in proportion to the strength of judicial admonition instructing them to disregard hearsay evidence, and (c) are able to recognize and disregard hearsay evidence without judicial instructions. Results indicate that jurors were unable to disregard inadmissible hearsay testimony in some legal decisions regardless of whether there were judicial instructions to do so. Jurors exhibited backfire effects paying more attention to inadmissible hearsay evidence when they were strongly instructed to disregard it. More specifically, juror backfire effects were evident in both their confidence in their liability verdicts and in their punitive damage awards. The legal and policy implications of these findings are discussed.     

The economic effects of judicial accountability: cross-country evidence

Judicial independence is not only a necessary condition for the impartiality of judges, it can also endanger it: judges that are independent could have incentives to remain uninformed, become lazy or even corrupt. It is therefore often argued that judicial independence and judicial accountability are competing ends. In this paper, it is hypothesized that they can be complementary means towards achieving impartiality and, in turn, the rule of law. It is further argued that judicial accountability can increase per capita income through various channels one of which is the reduction of corruption. First tests concerning the economic effects of JA are carried out and on the basis of 75 countries, these proxies are highly significant for explaining differences in per capita income drawing both on OLS as well as TSLS.

The identification investigation of the material evidence of biological origin after multifactorial exposure

The possibility of investigating pieces of material evidence of biological origin after exposure to various factors is evaluated. The possibility of detecting proteins of liquid media of human organism by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide denatured gel is investigated. The method is intended for identification of biological material in a state of grave destruction. Methodology of such studies is proposed. The data indicate that the structural integrity and qualitative composition of the spectrum of main serum proteins are retained after combined exposure to damaging factors and complete destruction of blood cells.     

法医物证DNA自动化检验技术体系的研究

目的建立自动化工作站同步提取不同种类涉案法医生物检材DNA的新方法。方法选用TECAN Freedom EVO100．4、75—2型自动化提取、加样工作站,采用磁珠法及Chelex-100法对各类涉案生物检材进行DNA提取、PCR扩增、毛细管电泳检测其STR分型,进行比较测试。在“全国公安机关DNA数据库应用系统”中建立并应用实验室信息管理系统（LIMS）模拟实施规范化DNA检案。结果1552份各类检材,采用工作站-磁珠法提取DNA效果最佳,STR检测成功率为95％,工作站-Chelex法为88％;二者分别与其手工提取法比较,成功率无明显差异。92个样本同期检测,自动化工作站较手工操作DNA检案时间可缩减1．25倍。结论工作站域珠法提取涉案检材DNA,可获得满意的STR分型结果。应用LIMS管控,可有效防控污染,明显提高检案效率及鉴定质量。     

The recovery of pollen evidence from documents and its forensic implications

Three experiments were undertaken to establish the potential for forensic palynological analysis in cases of suspected document fraud. The first study tested 6 different types of paper and 9 different types of ink (n = 54) and it was established that the best retainer of particulates (in this case a proxy was used in the form of UV powder) was medium biro ink and Wove and Connoisseur paper. It was found that for the different paper types 42–52% of the particulates collected were found in the ink and thus both the paper and the ink are potentially valuable sources of trace evidence in a forensic investigation. The second study sought to address the differences in the spatial distribution of particulates on documents when writing took place before or after the paper was treated with UV particulates. Ninety-six observations were made for each piece of paper tested and it was found that when the writing took place after the particulates were applied to the paper; more particulates were retained on the paper in contrast to when the writing took place before the particulate treatment. The spatial distribution of particulates was also affected, with particulates being retained in the folds of the paper when the writing took place before particulate treatment in contrast to a more erratic pattern that emerged due to the pressure of the hand of the writer when the writing took place after the particulate treatment. The third study utilised lily (Lilium) pollen grains and the findings broadly concurred with the second study. The main difference identified was when the writing took place before the particulates were applied; when UV powder was used the particulates were retained in the folds of the paper whereas this pattern was not seen to the same degree when pollen grains were used due to their ‘stickier’ nature. Envelopes and the pen nibs were also found to be rich sources of pollen grains after the experiments were undertaken.These studies have implications for the application of forensic palynology in cases of suspected document fraud. Pollen grains may well be present, and their analysis has the potential to reveal not only the timing of the generation of the document, but the spatial trends revealed indicate that it may well be possible to establish the sequence of significant events for forensic reconstruction. As such forensic palynology is demonstrated to have great potential in aiding forensic investigations, and is as yet an under-utilised form of trace evidence.