The number of sexual crimes in Brazil, as in several other countries, is very high. In many of these crimes the women raped are murdered and their bodies are found days later, in an advanced state of decomposition, with intense cadaverous fauna. Forensic Entomology studies insects and other arthropods that can be used in the expert analysis of various types of crimes. Diptera, the order of insects that comprises the two-winged or true flies, represents one of the largest known groups of insects and is the principal source of cadaveric entomofauna. Members of its Calliphoridae family are observed in cadavers in all phases of decomposition. The retrieval and identification of human Y-STR DNA from the gastrointestinal tract of Calliphoridae species Chrysomya albiceps maggots and pupae can provide a good tool for the gathering of evidence in sexual crime investigations involving rape and death, in which the abandoned victims body is found in a putrefied state. In this study, the animal model used was a female pig, Sus scrofa, which was sacrificed in a forested area with three shots from a 0.40 calibre Taurus pistol, and inoculated with semen to its anal and vaginal regions, simulating rape and homicide. During decomposition, 20–80 maggots were collected every 24 h and preserved in 70 % alcohol, totalling 289 maggots and 157 pupae (446 immatures) over a period of 14 days (336 h) of decomposition. Each maggot was then dissected for removal of the digestive tract, which was placed in extraction buffer. The molecular phase proceeded with extraction, quantification, amplification and capillary electrophoresis of samples, testing 16 STR loci of the Y chromosome. It was possible to establish a partial Y-STR DNA profile, with the amplification of up to eight sites, by considering a combination of the samples taken at hours 144 h, 168 h, 192 h, 216 h, 240 h, 288 h, 312 h and 336 h..
Keywords: Forensic entomology | Forensic genetics | Sex crimes | Rape | Murder | Criminal profiling

Crime scene investigation protocols and procedures are well established when concerning terrestrial environments, but are limited when associated with aquatic environments. In aquatic contexts, the soil, sediments and microscopic algae (e.g. diatoms) may all be used as sources of trace evidence for criminal investigations. Diatoms are one such source that can be used to support the diagnosis of death by drowning and can be used to verify contact between a suspect and a specific water body. For the latter, diatoms can be collected from clothing and shoes for forensic comparisons. Over the years, there have been several methods proposed for the extraction of diatoms from clothing, however, a best practice method is yet to be established and is still open to debate. The present research represents the first investigation that evaluates four different methods for the extraction of native and common Australian diatom species from four different types of fabrics. Diatoms of two different species and shape (pennate and centric) were cultivated in stimulated experimental waters – prepared using either monocultures or mixed cultures of the selected diatoms. Diatom concentrations were set to mimic the natural population (low to bloom events) as commonly found in the Swan River Estuary of Western Australia. Cotton, denim, blend, and acrylic fabric types were placed in experimental waters. Diatom extraction was attempted using methods already proposed in the literature, these include: rinsing with ethanol (RE); rinsing with ethanol together with the application of centrifugal force (RECF); digestion with hydrogen peroxide (H); and a new method of ashing that has never been tested before (dry ash, DA). Results of this research showed that a) the type and the concentration of the mono and mix diatom mixtures significantly affects the transfer and extraction from different types of fabric; b) a noticeable extraction difference is observed between the fabrics, establishing denim, acrylic and blend fabrics as possessing the better extraction rates; c) H treatment had the highest extraction rate of diatoms; d) the application of centrifugal force on the RE method significantly improved the extraction of diatoms; e) DA is a potential method for the extraction of pennate-shaped diatoms from all of the tested fabrics, however, does have a tendency to induce modifications of the morphological structure of the diatoms. Overall, the application of different extraction methods is suggested to maximise the extraction of diatoms that would closely reflect their natural assemblage in the water body under investigation.
Keywords: Diatoms | Fabrics | Transfer | Extraction | Australia

Information system development (ISD) projects are an ever-growing field of project management (PM) with their unique features, and project failures in ISD are relatively common. In the broader context of PM, uncertainty is a studied, yet mercurial phenomenon. By contrast, uncertainty in ISD projects has received relatively little attention from scholars, and PM literature has not systematically focused on uncertainty in ISD from a viewpoint other than that of project managers. In order to understand uncertainties in ISD projects, we need to first understand the causes behind them, their effects on everyday ISD work, and share coping mechanisms utilized among industry professionals. In the context of ISD projects, we set out to explore what causes uncertainty, what are the effects of uncertainty, and how software industry professionals cope with uncertainty. We conducted eleven semi-structured interviews with a diverse range of ISD professionals, and analyzed the interviews using conventional content analysis. Our results extend and complement current knowledge on the causes, effects, and coping mechanisms of uncertainty, especially in the context of ISD. Additionally, we present practical considerations on how to implement our findings into ISD industry and education.
Keywords: Uncertainty | Risk | Information system development | Cause | Effect | Coping mechanism

Ephedrine/pseudoephedrine (EPH) is the most common precursor for the manufacture of methamphetamine and is controlled within China via criminal law and government regulations. Therefore, it is of great significance to systematically study the cases of illicit production of EPH in order to aid timely investigation into the production of precursor drugs. According to the literature, there are no comprehensive case studies on the illicit production of EPH. To address this, 50 cases involving the illicit production of EPH from Fujian Province in China were comprehensively explored and the quantitative data of the 762 collected samples were directly compared. In terms of the timeframe these cases occurred in, the results show that the number of such cases in Fujian Province increased significantly from 2012 to 2013 (10 cases -15 cases), but the number of cases decreased rapidly in 2016 (4 cases). Across the region of interest, the illegal production of EPH was mainly observed in Longyan, accounting for 32 cases (64.0 % of the total cases). Forty-two cases (84.0 % of the total cases) were located in remote mountains, abandoned pig farms, chicken farms and factories. In terms of the synthetic methodology used, initially (up until 2013) only the extraction of EPH from the ephedra plant and from commercially available tablets was observed. The manufacture of EPH via a direct chemical synthesis was only observed in this region after 2013 at which point a significant drop in the extraction methodologies was identified. The quality of the samples and the appearance of semi-finished products was shown to vary significantly across the cases with sample color ranging from light yellow, brown, tan for both seized solids and liquids. This data set gives some insights into the local issues specifically around EPH production in Chinese provinces and goes some way to help inform policing strategies.
Keywords: Case studies | Illegal production | Ephedrine/pseudoephedrine | Seizure samples