The use of Automated Fingerprint Identification System in identifying fraudulent voters’ registration in Lesotho

The research was prompted by constant criticism of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) because of its poor voter registration and voters’ roll. Free and fair elections are the strong arm of democracy. The identified research problem was investigated by means of qualitative research. A thorough literature study from various sources of information, a case file analysis and structured interviews were used to gather the required data. The interviews were conducted with fingerprint experts, a data processor and constituency electoral assistants from the Lesotho Mounted Police Service, the National Identity and Civil Registry at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the IEC respectively. It was found that using fingerprints and the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) can assist in investigations and in combating voter’s fraud, as fingerprints are unique. AFIS can be utilised for various purposes by institutions in the private and public sectors. Like any apparatus, AFIS has its own strengths and weaknesses.Criminology and Security ScienceM. Tech. (Forensic investigation

Prevalence of Pores in Latent Fingerprints

Of the many biometric traits recognized today, fingerprints are the most prevalent and familiar. The analysis of fingerprints involves level 1, level 2, and/or level 3 detail in the identification of a potential match. Traditionally, fingerprint matching was completely performed by hand, utilizing the ACE-V method. Thanks to the development of rapidly evolving technology, fingerprint matching has become an automated procedure through the use of fingerprint matching algorithms. In the literature, there has been an increase in the interest of developing Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) algorithms that include level 3 details in the matching process. These studies have utilized live scanned and/or inked fingerprints, rather than latent fingerprints. However, practical use of AFIS algorithms involves unknown fingerprints, such as those collected at crime scenes, which are often latent in nature. In addition, research has also found that there is a wide variety in size and shape of pore structure, making automatic detection of pores difficult. The resultant quality of latent fingerprints is subject to various factors at the time of deposition, such as the deposition surface, environmental conditions, and composition of the fingerprint itself. Consequently, these factors, in addition to the inherent variance in pore structure, may very well affect the observance and use of level 3 details within a fingerprint. If the prevalence of pores proves to be unreliable and inconsistent in latent fingerprints, the push for including level 3 detail in the AFIS matching process may all be for nothing. For this reason, the effects of latent fingerprint deposition factors on pore identification needs to be considered and currently appears to be greatly under studied. In effort to begin to fill this gap in the current research, newly deposited latent fingerprints were collected and developed using both black fingerprint powder and cyanoacrylate fuming. Developed fingerprints were subsequently imaged via digital scan or digital camera, and enhanced using either Image J or Adobe\textsuperscript{\textregistered} Photoshop\textsuperscript{\textregistered}. Following image enhancement, pores were manually identified and marked using the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) developed Universal Latent Workstation (ULW) software. Qualitative assessment of the 633 fingerprints collected resulted in 380 usable fingerprints for the remainder of the study. Observations regarding pore count within the replicate fingerprint sets indicated that total pore count/presence was not consistent. The Mann Whitney U test indicated that neither development method, black fingerprint powder nor cyanoacrylate fuming, produced pore data any better or worse than the other. Lastly, assessment of pore location resulted in a greater number of similarity scores being lower than the established threshold, indicating that pore location is not as easily assessed nor interpreted as hoped

Latent Print Examination and Human Factors: Improving the Practice Through a Systems Approach: The Report of the Expert Working Group on Human Factors in Latent Print Analysis

Fingerprints have provided a valuable method of personal identification in forensic science and criminal investigations for more than 100 years. Fingerprints left at crime scenes generally are latent prints—unintentional reproductions of the arrangement of ridges on the skin made by the transfer of materials (such as amino acids, proteins, polypeptides, and salts) to a surface. Palms and the soles of feet also have friction ridge skin that can leave latent prints. The examination of a latent print consists of a series of steps involving a comparison of the latent print to a known (or exemplar) print. Courts have accepted latent print evidence for the past century. However, several high-profile cases in the United States and abroad have highlighted the fact that human errors can occur, and litigation and expressions of concern over the evidentiary reliability of latent print examinations and other forensic identification procedures has increased in the last decade. “Human factors” issues can arise in any experience- and judgment-based analytical process such as latent print examination. Inadequate training, extraneous knowledge about the suspects in the case or other matters, poor judgment, health problems, limitations of vision, complex technology, and stress are but a few factors that can contribute to errors. A lack of standards or quality control, poor management, insufficient resources, and substandard working conditions constitute other potentially contributing factors

The use of serface fuintionalised silica nano-particlate powders for the identification of gunshot residues from fingerprints

Gunshot residue (GSR) mixture consists of partially burned particles of propellant and characteristic particles of elements originating from the primer, bullet, propellant and some additives in the propellant. Since Harrison and Gillory [1] drew forensic scientists’ attention to the fact that GSR contained trace amounts of inorganic compounds such as lead, barium and antimony, a number of analytical techniques have been tested trying to find and establish sensitive, selective and reliable methods to identify and analyse gunshot residues. The standard procedure for the analysis of gunshot residues involves imaging these small metallic particles using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and subsequent compositional analysis using Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX). This study focuses on the analysis organic compounds in GSR. It is motivated by the increasing need to overcome the problems with the analysis of lead-free ammunitions. A comprehensive literature review was performed in order to determine the most commonly encountered organic compounds in GSR. These compounds include diphenylamine, methylcentralite, ethylcentralite, nitroglycerine, 2-nitrodiphenylamine and 4-nitrodiphenylamine. It has been clearly demonstrated using standard materials and appropriate calibration curves that gas chromatograph and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is capable of providing limits of detection that are consistent with the concentrations of the key organic constituents found in gunshot residues. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the relative concentrations of seven key components can be used to provide branding information on the shotgun cartridges. A strong relationship was found between the chemical composition of fired and unfired powder. Therefore, it is possible to differentiate between two ammunition brands through the analysis of the organic constituents. Traditional fingerprint powders such as titanium dioxide, aluminium, carbon black, iron oxide, lycopodium spores and rosin are used to enhance fingerprint left at the scene of crime. More recently nanoparticles have been demonstrated to be highly effective for the enhancement of the fingerprints [2]. Silica nano-particulates of defined size and shape were synthesised and functionalised with two different functional groups (phenyl and long chain hydrocarbon) using a Tri- phasic Reverse Emulsion (TPRE) method. These nano-particulates were characterised using scan electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, particles size analyser, BET surface area and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. These powders were used as an effective agent to visualise latent fingerprints on different surfaces. Furthermore, they have been utilised to absorb any organic materials within the fingerprint from the discharged of weapon. Analyses of the adsorbed organic residues were performed using GC/MS and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the synthesised silica nano-particulate fingerprint powder gave better result in term of their ability to absorb organic materials in GSR and enhance the visualisation of the latent fingerprint compared to a single commercial powder

Topological coding of single fingerprints

The motivation for seeking topological descriptions of single fingerprints is provided by the elasticity of the human skin; successive impressions from the same finger will in-variably have suffered a degree of relative distortion (translation, rotation and stretching). Topology based systems should be free from the detrimental effects of plastic distortion. This thesis is divided into three parts: part I outlines the traditional use of fingerprints as a basis for personal identification and gives detailed explanation of the arguments in favour of topological coding. Methods for the extraction of topology based digital codes are suggested and the ‘placing of lines’ is introduced as an effective means of ordering topological information. In part II specific systems are described for the extraction of simple topological codes from rolled impressions of the pattern types ‘ loops’ , ‘whorls’ and ‘arches’ . The generated codes take the form of vectors or simple digital arrays. The nature and frequency of changes that may occur in such codes is investigated and fingerprint comparison algorithms, based on these topological codes, are developed. The objective of such algorithms is to draw a score derived from the degree of ‘nearness’ of the topological codes in such a manner that it intelligently reflects similarity or dissimilarity in the two prints under comparison. Part III examines the special problems relating to fragmentary ‘scenes-of-crime’ marks. It describes methods of coding fingerprint patterns by a variety of ‘topological coordinate schemes’ , with fingerprint comparison being performed on the basis of localised topological information which is extracted from the recorded coordinate sets. Furthermore, a method for pictorial reconstruction of a complete fingerprint, from its coordinate representation, is demonstrated. Comparison of fingerprints on the basis of digital topological descriptions is shown to offer a substantial improvement in performance over existing (spatial) techniques

Creation of Functional Replica Roman and Late Antique Musical Instruments through 3D Scanning and Printing Technology, and their use in research and museum education

Replica artefacts are a well-established feature of Roman archaeology, particularly as used in experimental archaeology, by re-enactors, and in museum education. 3D scanning offers a new methodology for the accurate production of such artefacts, which can then be used both in scholarly research and in public engagement activities. This paper describes methodologies for 3D scanning and 3D printing, together with appropriate craft techniques, in the creation of replica musical instruments from the collection of UCL's Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London. While there were some challenges in replica creation, discussed below in further detail, 'functional replicas' were successfully made, that, we argue, replicate sufficiently accurately those features of the objects under investigation from a research perspective. These were the decibel levels (sound power levels), and, for some objects, frequency (pitch) ranges produced, and the variety of sounds which they could produce. This evidence makes an important contribution to our understanding of the contexts of use of the original instruments. Sound recordings virtually modelled in a likely use location, the courtyard of a typical house from Roman period Egypt, were also produced and assist in our conceptualisation of the wider acoustic environment. Sound recordings and replicas were additionally used for public engagement purposes in a temporary exhibition at the Petrie Museum, and their contribution to museum education is assessed. 3D scanning and printing technology are demonstrated to be valuable techniques for the production of accurate replicas, which can be used successfully to contribute to scholarly research and museum education in new ways. Appendices include .stl files which may be downloaded and 3D printed, to make copies of the replicas for use in new research and education projects

A critical review of the current state of forensic science knowledge and its integration in legal systems

Forensic science has a significant historical and contemporary relationship with the criminal justice system. It is a relationship between two disciplines whose origins stem from different backgrounds. It is trite that effective communication assist in resolving underlying problems in any given context. However, a lack of communication continues to characterise the intersection between law and science. As recently as 2019, a six-part symposium on the use of forensic science in the criminal justice system again posed the question on how the justice system could ensure the reliability of forensic science evidence presented during trials. As the law demands finality, science is always evolving and can never be considered finite or final. Legal systems do not always adapt to the nature of scientific knowledge, and are not willing to abandon finality when that scientific knowledge shifts. Advocacy plays an important role in the promotion of forensic science, particularly advocacy to the broader scientific community for financial support, much needed research and more testing. However, despite its important function, advocacy should not be conflated with science. The foundation of advocacy is a cause; whereas the foundation of science is fact. The objective of this research was to conduct a qualitative literature review of the field of forensic science; to identify gaps in the knowledge of forensic science and its integration in the criminal justice system. The literature review will provide researchers within the field of forensic science with suggested research topics requiring further examination and research. To achieve its objective, the study critically analysed the historical development of, and evaluated the use of forensic science evidence in legal systems generally, including its role regarding the admissibility or inadmissibility of the evidence in the courtroom. In conclusion, it was determined that the breadth of forensic scientific knowledge is comprehensive but scattered. The foundational underpinning of the four disciplines, discussed in this dissertation, has been put to the legal test on countless occasions. Some gaps still remain that require further research in order to strengthen the foundation of the disciplines. Human influence will always be present in examinations and interpretations and will lean towards subjective decision making.JurisprudenceD. Phil

Computational Methods on Study of Differentially Expressed Proteins in Maize Proteomes Associated with Resistance to Aflatoxin Accumulation

Plant breeders have focused on improving maize resistance to Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin accumulation by breeding with genotypes having the desirable traits. Various maize inbred lines have been developed for the breeding of resistance. Identification of differentially expressed proteins among such maize inbred lines will facilitate the development of gene markers and expedite the breeding process. Computational biology and proteomics approaches on the investigation of differentially expressed proteins were explored in this research. The major research objectives included 1) application of computational methods in homology and comparative modeling to study 3D protein structures and identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in changes of protein structures and functions, which can in turn increase the efficiency of the development of DNA markers; 2) investigation of methods on total protein profiling including purification, separation, visualization, and computational analysis at the proteome level. Special research goals were set on the development of open source computational methods using Matlab image processing tools to quantify and compare protein expression levels visualized by 2D protein electrophoresis gel techniques

Electronic Imaging & the Visual Arts. EVA 2012 Florence

The key aim of this Event is to provide a forum for the user, supplier and scientific research communities to meet and exchange experiences, ideas and plans in the wide area of Culture & Technology. Participants receive up to date news on new EC and international arts computing & telecommunications initiatives as well as on Projects in the visual arts field, in archaeology and history. Working Groups and new Projects are promoted. Scientific and technical demonstrations are presented