Illicit drug use is a concern the world over and shows no signs of stopping its upward trends of usage. However, researchers in Amsterdam have developed a new quantitative method to track detailed drug use throughout the city. Continue reading Overflowing with Information: Tracking Illicit Drugs in Amsterdam’s Sewers
Researchers searching for a way to track antidepressant usage from postmortem hair find that hair color influences drug retention more than time or length of hair.
Continue reading Using Hair as an Indicator of Antidepressant Use Post-Mortem
Counterfeit medication poses a series threat to patient safety and public health. How can pharmaceutical companies guarantee their product is making it into patient hands? New work shows how companies can subtly mark their true products with edible silk “tags” inscribed with an invisible fluorescent code. Continue reading New research combats counterfeit medication with edible silk tags
Researchers from the University of Central Florida determine a quicker way to use paint chip analysis for the investigation of vehicular crimes. Continue reading Faster Ways Of Making Paint Chips Tell It All
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Medical Center investigate whether a commonly used urine drug test yields false positives for the opioid Methadone. Continue reading Testing Positive for the Opioid Methadone Without Ever Using It
While carbon monoxide is generally considered the major lethal agent in smoke inhalation, a case study of an elderly Romanian gentlemen highlights the contribution of another less-known killer – hydrogen cyanide. Continue reading A new indicator of fire-related fatalities: hydrogen cyanide
Pelleti’s team at the University of Bologna developed a straightforward way to distinguish fly artifacts from real bloodstains using electron microscopy. Continue reading Fly Be-Gone: Discerning Bloodstains from Fly Stains with Electron Microscopy
Scientists discover that blowfly eggs may develop earlier than previously thought, calling into question the accuracy of time of death calculations from forensic entomologists. Continue reading Premature blowfly egg development leads to inaccurate time since death estimations
The close, physical contact during a violent crime leads to transfer of materials from victims to perpetrators (and vice versa) such as DNA. Researchers at the University of Central Florida recently showed that two unusual types of physical evidence, glitter and shimmer, have the potential to link individuals as well. Continue reading Body glitter and shimmer can aid sexual assault investigation
Researchers from Florida International University investigate if they can use SERS to rapidly detect synthetic cannabinoids in oral fluid. Continue reading Can metal nanoparticles and portable lasers detect synthetic cannabinoids in saliva?
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