Article
Microbiology
Fan Yang, Xiangyan Zhang, Sheng Hu, Hao Nie, Peng Gui, Zengtao Zhong, Yadong Guo, Xingchun Zhao
Summary: Microbial communities undergo successional changes during decay and decomposition, providing valuable insights for estimating the postmortem interval (PMI). The abundance of bacterial communities decreases over time, and there are significant differences in microbial diversity before and after rupture. Using genus as a biomarker can help estimate the PMI.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Clement Martin, Philippe Maesen, Damien Minchilli, Frederic Francis, Francois Verheggen
Summary: The study investigates the effects of decomposing buried animals on soil physico-chemical properties, finding that decaying animals are associated with changes in soil chemical characteristics, with the most pronounced changes occurring in soil layers closest to the cadavers.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Fuyuan Zhang, Pengfei Wang, Kuo Zeng, Huiya Yuan, Ziwei Wang, Xinjie Li, Haomiao Yuan, Shukui Du, Dawei Guan, Linlin Wang, Rui Zhao
Summary: Microbial community succession during decomposition has been shown to be a useful tool for estimating postmortem interval (PMI). This study investigated the postmortem pattern of intestinal microbial community succession in corpses retrieved from water and explored its potential application in forensic investigations. The results demonstrated that the chronological changes in intestinal bacterial communities were similar between drowning and postmortem submersion groups. A regression model was established to estimate postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) based on the succession of postmortem microbiota. Overall, this study provides evidence that intestinal microbial community succession can be a valuable marker for estimating PMSI in submerged corpses.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Legal
Rishi Sharma, Diksha, Ashish Ramesh Bhute, Binaya Kumar Bastia
Summary: This systematic review evaluates the application and performance of AI technology in postmortem interval (PMI) prediction. The studies show that machine learning models have demonstrated accuracy, precision, and the ability to overcome human errors and bias in PMI estimation. However, the research is limited to small, selected populations, and further large-scale population-based studies are needed to fully understand the integration of ML models.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Na Li, Xin-rui Liang, Shi-dong Zhou, Li-hong Dang, Jian Li, Guo-shuai An, Kang Ren, Qian-qian Jin, Xin-hua Liang, Jie Cao, Qiu-xiang Du, Ying-yuan Wang, Jun-hong Sun
Summary: The study investigates the principles governing microbial community succession during decomposition of rat and human corpse, and explores their potential use for post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation. The results demonstrate that microbial succession is predictable and can be developed into a forensic tool for estimating PMI.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL-GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Clara Alfsdotter, Anja Petaros
Summary: The study found differences in decomposition patterns between aquatic and surface remains, suggesting that geographically adapted equations hold promise for assessing PMI. However, the model fit was poor for aquatic cases, potentially due to difficulties in obtaining reliable data and issues with the scoring system.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Melanie Loiseau, Pascal Guerard, Francois Paraf, Irene Francois-Purssell, Severine Gilard-Pioc
Summary: This article discusses the phenomenon of denial of pregnancy and the increased risk of infant death associated with it, as well as the importance of forensic examinations in legal proceedings. The case of a 32-year-old woman is presented as an example. The authors emphasize the need for vigilance and comprehensive management, including psychiatric care, in cases of late discovery of pregnancy.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Chunhong Cui, Yang Song, Dongmei Mao, Yajun Cao, Bowen Qiu, Peng Gui, Hui Wang, Xingchun Zhao, Zhi Huang, Liqiong Sun, Zengtao Zhong
Summary: This study investigated the succession of bacterial communities associated with the decomposition of mouse cadavers and identified important biomarker taxa for estimating postmortem intervals (PMIs). The results showed that certain bacterial groups, such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, increased in abundance during decomposition, while others, such as Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria, decreased. Soil temperature and nutrient levels were significantly related to bacterial community composition. Random forest models accurately predicted PMIs within 36 days of decomposition and identified important biomarker taxa.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jacobo Pardo-Seco, Xabier Bello, Alberto Gomez-Carballa, Federico Martinon-Torres, Jose Ignacio Munoz-Barus, Antonio Salas
Summary: Establishing a predictive model for the circulation timeframe of a virus in a population has applications in various fields, including microbiology and forensic medicine, and can be achieved by utilizing a robust reference genome database and sampling dates. These predictions can be easily obtained using phylogenetic models based on evolutionary rates and mutational differences between queried and reference genomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Catarina Ermida, Eugenia Cunha, Maria Teresa Ferreira
Summary: Estimating the postmortem interval is challenging for forensic anthropologists, and the Luminol technique shows promise but is influenced by various taphonomic factors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Federica Dell'Annunziata, Martora Francesca, Maria Elena Della Pepa, Veronica Folliero, Livio Luongo, Serena Bocelli, Francesca Guida, Pasquale Mascolo, Carlo Pietro Campobasso, Sabatino Maione, Gianluigi Franci, Marilena Galdiero
Summary: This study evaluated the use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in identifying species associated with thanatomicrobiota and epinecrotic communities on 10 murine cadavers. It found that postmortem microbiota in external cavities changed over time with reduced taxonomic diversity, while internal organs showed signs of microbial invasion at specific time points. MALDI-TOF showed promise in estimating postmortem interval and introducing a simple strategy for PMI estimation in forensic applications.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Law
Ye-Hui Lv, Zhuo-Qun Wang, Qiang Lei, Jiu-Hong Zhao, Zhi-Fang Yang
Summary: This review discusses the use of specific RNA molecules for estimating Postmortem interval (PMI), highlighting methods, existing challenges, and future trends in the field. It provides technical references for relevant studies and practices in the estimation of PMI using non-coding RNAs.
MEDICINE SCIENCE AND THE LAW
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Ruonan Zhang, Gengwang Hu, Yinghui Wang, Liangliang Li, Yi Guo, Yu Wang, Luyang Tao
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of forensic entomological evidence using P. regina and provide developmental models for accurate estimation of the minimum postmortem interval.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Yu Wang, Man Wang, Wang Xu, Yinghui Wang, Yanan Zhang, Jiangfeng Wang
Summary: Accurately estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) of a carcass in water is crucial for homicide investigations. This study explored various factors, including carrion insects, brain tissue RNA, bacterial biofilm, and algae, to estimate the PMI of rat carcasses in a river. The results showed that carrion insects may not be suitable for PMI estimation in water, but brain tissue RNA, bacterial biofilm, and algae demonstrated promising potential.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biology
Lorenzo Franceschetti, Alberto Amadasi, Valentina Bugelli, Giulia Bolsi, Michael Tsokos
Summary: Estimating time of death can be challenging for forensic experts, especially when dealing with highly decomposed or skeletal remains. Factors such as decomposition process, taphonomic changes, and environmental conditions can affect the accuracy of estimation. Various methods, including post-mortem changes examination, bone structure analysis, and instrumental and molecular approaches, have been used, but accurate estimation remains difficult.
Article
Entomology
Julie-Eleonore Maisonhaute, Shari L. Forbes
Summary: Laboratory experiments and field observations from August 2019 to April 2020 in Quebec, Canada showed that skipper flies overwinter as larvae and likely undergo a mandatory winter diapause. This overwintering behavior of skipper flies inside an animal carcass is significant for forensic entomology in estimating the postmortem interval.
CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Christopher J. Watson, Maiken Ueland, Eline M. J. Schotsmans, Jon Sterenberg, Shari L. Forbes, Soren Blau
Summary: The study found that surface anomalies of grave sites gradually increased in recovery rate over time following disturbance, but remained lower than undisturbed areas. Observations showed that larger graves exhibited more pronounced surface anomalies, while smaller graves were difficult to detect beyond 20 months. Environmental factors and vegetation establishment processes can affect the detection window for grave sites.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hayley L. Mickleburgh, Edward C. Schwalbe, Andrea Bonicelli, Haruka Mizukami, Federica Sellitto, Sefora Starace, Daniel J. Wescott, David O. Carter, Noemi Procopio
Summary: Bone proteomic studies on human remains throughout decomposition outdoors found significant roles of taphonomic and biological variables in protein survival, as well as the impact of bone mineral density on protein survival. Specific proteins with mineral-binding properties were identified as potential biomarkers for PMI and AAD estimation. Future research in forensic bone proteomics should focus on standard measurement of BMD and utilization of a combination of different biomarkers.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Maiken Ueland, Scott Harris, Shari L. Forbes
Summary: The study investigated human decomposition and VOC production in two simulated disaster scenarios, finding that the location of bodies in the disaster area impacted the decomposition process. A detectable change in the VOC profile showed that the decomposition process had occurred, informing the training of cadaver detection dogs for unique scenarios.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Maiken Ueland, Sharni Collins, Luca Maestrini, Shari L. Forbes, Susan Luong
Summary: This study investigated lipids extracted from decomposing human tissue as potential soft-tissue biomarkers of post-mortem interval. Analysis using GC-MS/MS showed significant differences in fatty acid analytes and highlighted the stability of sterol compounds over time. The fresh and frozen donor showed differences in fatty acids, with the fresh donor displaying more distinct stages of decomposition.
FORENSIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Wentian Zhang, Taoping Liu, Amber Brown, Maiken Ueland, Shari L. Forbes, Steven Weidong Su
Summary: The whisky market is prone to fraudulent activities, and it is challenging for most consumers to distinguish fraudulent beverages. A new electronic nose prototype called NOS.E has been developed to identify the differences between whiskies based on their odour. This study demonstrates the high accuracy of the proposed e-nose solution in brand name, region, and style classification, which was further validated using GC x GC-TOFMS.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Karelle Seguin, Ariane Durand-Guevin, Catherine Lavallee, Frederique Ouimet, Julie-eleonore Maisonhaute, Christopher J. Watson, Shari L. Forbes
Summary: The decomposition of human remains is a complex process affected by various factors, including scavenger activity. This study in southern Quebec aimed to determine the scavenger guilds impacting decomposition, finding that vertebrate scavengers were more intense in grassland habitats while invertebrate scavengers were more active in forest habitats. Certain scavengers were identified to have a greater taphonomic impact on remains, emphasizing the importance of considering scavenger behavior when searching for human remains.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Alexandra L. Emmons, Amy Z. Mundorff, Katharina M. Hoeland, Jonathan Davoren, Sarah W. Keenan, David O. Carter, Shawn R. Campagna, Jennifer M. DeBruyn
Summary: Microbial communities in postmortem bone are different from those in soil and human gut, with depositional environment influencing the bone microbiome.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Shari L. Forbes, Clifford Samson, Christopher J. Watson
Summary: The study examines the impact of vertebrate scavengers on the decomposition of bodies in central and northern Ontario, Canada. It identifies the most prevalent vertebrate scavengers and their feeding behavior, highlighting the importance of considering these agents during the search and recovery of human remains.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Taoping Liu, Wentian Zhang, Jun Li, Maiken Ueland, Shari L. Forbes, Wei Xing Zheng, Steven Weidong Su
Summary: This article proposes a stable feature extraction algorithm for electronic noses using the impulse response as the feature and a multiscale wavelet kernel regularization matrix to combat noise. Numerical and field experiments demonstrate the performance and accuracy of this feature extraction method, showcasing its potential in the field of electronic noses.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SYSTEMS MAN CYBERNETICS-SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Julie-Eleonore Maisonhaute, Shari L. Forbes
Summary: Forensic entomology has been applied globally in criminal investigations. However, there have been limited studies on human cadavers in humid climates. This research focused on documenting the diversity and succession of insects associated with decomposed human bodies in a humid, continental climate in Quebec, Canada. The study revealed that the decomposition process in Quebec is heterogeneous and complex, with precocious desiccation/mummification and the presence of superficial skin lesions accelerating the colonization of blow flies. The study also reported the first observation of Cochliomyia macellaria in Quebec, providing valuable information for medico-legal death investigations.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Agathe Ribereau-Gayon, David O. Carter, Shari Forbes
Summary: This study addresses the lack of methods to evaluate decomposition patterns and estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) in humid, continental climates. The researchers conducted a 12-month study at a human taphonomy facility in Canada and developed a new scoring system to evaluate decomposition based on observed changes. The study provides new insights into the decomposition patterns in southern Quebec and similar climates.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Medicine, Legal
Blake M. Dawson, Maiken Ueland, David O. Carter, Donna Mclntyre, Philip S. Barton
Summary: Knowledge of the decomposition of vertebrate animals has advanced considerably in recent years, but has not been fully incorporated into research or models of the postmortem interval (PMI). We propose using recent advances in decomposition theory to guide forensic research and understanding of the PMI. To improve in this area, a conceptual framework is introduced that highlights the multiple interdependencies affecting decay rates and calls for a multidisciplinary approach and an adaptive research cycle.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Criminology & Penology
Rushali Dargan, Shari L. Forbes
Summary: Cadaver-detection dogs (CDDs) are trained on a variety of natural and synthetic training aids containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) resembling those produced by decomposing bodies. However, it is unknown if CDDs respond to specific VOCs or a suite of decomposition-related VOCs as their target odor. This review summarizes the VOCs found in various CDD training aids and discusses the response of CDDs to these compounds, aiming to understand their variability and determine if there is a specific training aid to which CDDs preferentially respond.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS: FORENSIC SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Julie-Eleonore Maisonhaute, Shari L. Forbes
Summary: This study evaluated the diversity of arthropods associated with pig carcasses in Quebec and determined the colonization sequence of different families/species throughout the decomposition process. Five species of blow fly were found to lay eggs on the carcasses, with some species only present in the early stages of decomposition and others throughout the entire process. Coleoptera were observed throughout the experiment, with certain families/species associated with different stages of decomposition.
CANADIAN SOCIETY OF FORENSIC SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Heitor S. D. Correa, Ivano Alessandri, Andrea Verzeletti
Summary: This research assessed the usefulness of Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in analyzing bones. The techniques were found to be useful in molecular taphonomy studies and forensic genetics.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2024)
