Taphonomic mycota: fungi with forensic potential

Forensic archaeologists and criminal investigators employ many different techniques for the location, recovery, and analysis of clandestine graves. Many of these techniques are based upon the premise that a grave is an anomaly and therefore differs physically, biologically, or chemically from its surroundings. The work reviewed in this communication demonstrates how and why field mycology might provide a further tool towards the investigation of scenes of crime concealed in forest ecosystems. The fruiting structures of certain fungi, the ammonia and the postputrefaction fungi, have been recorded repeatedly in association with decomposed mammalian cadavers in disparate regions of the world. The ecology and physiology of these fungi are reviewed briefly with a view to their potential as a forensic tool. This application of mycology is at an interface with forensic archaeology and forensic taphonomy and may provide a means to detect graves and has the potential to estimate postburial interval.

Rapid selective separation of americium/curium from simulated nuclear forensic matrices using triazine ligands

In analysis of complex nuclear forensic samples containing lanthanides, actinides and matrix elements, rapid selective extraction of Am/Cm for quantification is challenging, in particular due the difficult separation of Am/Cm from lanthanides. Here we present a separation process for Am/Cm(III) which is achieved using a combination of AG1-X8 chromatography followed by Am/Cm extraction with a triazine ligand. The ligands tested in our process were CyMe4-BTPhen, CyMe4- BTBP, CA-BTP and CA-BTPhen. Our process allows for purification and quantification of Am and Cm (recoveries 80%–100%) and other major actinides in < 2d without the use of multiple columns or thiocyanate. The process is unaffected by high level Ca(II)/Fe(III)/Al(III) (10mg mL−1) and thus requires little pre-treatment of samples.

Towards Qualitative Approaches to Bayesian Evidential Reasoning

A crucial aspect of evidential reasoning in crime investigation involves comparing the support that evidence provides for alternative hypotheses. Recent work in forensic statistics has shown how Bayesian Networks (BNs) can be employed for this purpose. However, the specification of BNs requires conditional probability tables describing the uncertain processes under evaluation. When these processes are poorly understood, it is necessary to rely on subjective probabilities provided by experts. Accurate probabilities of this type are normally hard to acquire from experts. Recent work in qualitative reasoning has developed methods to perform probabilistic reasoning using coarser representations. However, the latter types of approaches are too imprecise to compare the likelihood of alternative hypotheses. This paper examines this shortcoming of the qualitative approaches when applied to the aforementioned problem, and identifies and integrates techniques to refine them.

On Qualitative Probabilities for Legal Reasoning about Evidence

A crucial aspect of evidential reasoning in crime investigation involves comparing the support that evidence provides for alternative hypotheses. Recent work in forensic statistics has shown how Bayesian Networks (BNs) can be employed for this purpose. However, the specification of BNs requires conditional probability tables describing the uncertain processes under evaluation. When these processes are poorly understood, it is necessary to rely on subjective probabilities provided by experts. Accurate probabilities of this type are normally hard to acquire from experts. Recent work in qualitative reasoning has developed methods to perform probabilistic reasoning using coarser representations. However, the latter types of approaches are too imprecise to compare the likelihood of alternative hypotheses. This paper examines this shortcoming of the qualitative approaches when applied to the aforementioned problem, and identifies and integrates techniques to refine them.

A Complexity Based Model for Quantifying Forensic Evidential Probabilities

An operational complexity model (OCM) is proposed to enable the complexity of both the cognitive and the computational components of a process to be determined. From the complexity of formation of a set of traces via a specified route a measure of the probability of that route can be determined. By determining the complexities of alternative routes leading to the formation of the same set of traces, the odds ratio indicating the relative plausibility of the alternative routes can be found. An illustrative application to a BitTorrent piracy case is presented, and the results obtained suggest that the OCM is capable of providing a realistic estimate of the odds ratio for two competing hypotheses. It is also demonstrated that the OCM can be straightforwardly refined to encompass a variety of circumstances.

January 2001: Experts Debate Cyberage Issues; Civil War Letters

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Como tomadores de decisão experts percebem cenários complexos?

In this thesis, the basic research of Chase and Simon (1973) is questioned, and we seek new results by analyzing the errors of experts and beginners chess players in experiments to reproduce chess positions. Chess players with different levels of expertise participated in the study. The results were analyzed by a Brazilian grandmaster, and quantitative analysis was performed with the use of statistical methods data mining. The results challenge significantly, the current theories of expertise, memory and decision making in this area, because the present theory predicts piece on square encoding, in which players can recognize the strategic situation reproducing it faithfully, but commit several errors that the theory can¿t explain. The current theory can¿t fully explain the encoding used by players to register a board. The errors of intermediary players preserved fragments of the strategic situation, although they have committed a series of errors in the reconstruction of the positions. The encoding of chunks therefore includes more information than that predicted by current theories. Currently, research on perception, trial and decision is heavily concentrated on the idea of pattern recognition". Based on the results of this research, we explore a change of perspective. The idea of "pattern recognition" presupposes that the processing of relevant information is on "patterns" (or data) that exist independently of any interpretation. We propose that the theory suggests the vision of decision-making via the recognition of experience.

Competências e habilidades relevantes para um chefe de unidade descentralizada de perícia da Polícia Federal

Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo apreender e analisar o perfil profissional dos que exercem funções de Chefia nas Unidades descentralizadas de Criminalística da Polícia Federal no Brasil, especificamente nos Setores Técnico-Científicos (SETECs) e nas Unidades Técnico-Científicas (UTECs), segundo a teoria de competências e habilidades. A releitura desses fundamentos, incluindo habilidades sociais nesse escopo, fortaleceu o embasamento teórico para análise dos resultados da etapa empírica desta dissertação. Essa postura, pode contribuir, na prática, para a construção de uma política de gestão de pessoas, baseada em competências, alinhada com o planejamento estratégico em desenvolvimento na organização, otimizando a designação para os cargos de liderança, sobretudo na área de Criminalística com suas especificidades. Além disso, as opções metodológicas qualitativas levaram a perceber tanto lacunas referentes às potencialidades de atuação dos profissionais sujeitos do estudo, quanto competências relevantes e presentes no perfil dos mesmos. Os resultados, ainda, favoreceram clarificar algumas competências técnicas e habilidades como sendo mais relevantes do que outras, diante das exigências peculiares ao exercício da função de Chefe do Setor de Perícia. A articulação das pesquisas bibliográfica, documental, de campo e o procedimento de triangulação de dados de entrevistas, análise documental, observação e aplicação de questionário - por meio do qual foi levantada a percepção dos sujeitos sobre suas funções – possibilitaram conclusões relevantes. Na teoria, ocorreu devido à melhor compreensão das relações entre competências e habilidades e, na prática, por esclarecer o panorama de avanços e limitações na gestão estudada. Conclui-se, pois que o Governo Federal promoveu avanços na política de recursos humanos do Serviço Público, no entanto, a implementação de um sistema moderno de gestão de pessoas ainda não foi consolidado, no Departamento de Polícia Federal. Isso fica evidenciado pela carência de competências primordiais para que os Chefes exerçam com excelência a função de gestores de Unidades de Perícia Técnica.

Autonomia e futuro da perícia oficial na percepção dos peritos criminais

Este estudo teve como objetivo levantar a visão de futuro da Criminalistiea brasileira conforme as pereepçõcs autonómieas de peritos oficiais empregando como parad igma os efeitos da Lei 12.03012009, que atribuiu a autonomia técnica, científica ti funcional " estes profissionais. Para isso, rea lizou-se uma pesquisa bibliográfica c de campo. O univcrso da pesquisa foi os Peritos Oficiai , . /\ amo,tra foi fommda por 39 peritos Criminais, um grupo principal COl1lpo~to por 31 peritos de carreira incluindo gestores locais de Instituições Federais (Polícia FctJeral, Polícia do Distrito Federal) e c.s tadoaiS (Polícia Civil e Secretaria de Scgurança Pública) c um grupo complcnlenlar composto por Gestores (04) c Lideranças (04) Nacionai~ destes órgãos. Ao grupo principal foi aplicado um testc de evocação com as palavras "Autonomia" e "Pcricia". como fase preparatória às entrevistas semi cSlrutura