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Macturk EL, Hayes K, O'Sullivan G, Perrault Uptmor KA. Are We Ready for It? A Review of Forensic Applications and Readiness for Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography in Routine Forensic Analysis. J Sep Sci 2025; 48:e70138. [PMID: 40259530 PMCID: PMC12012292 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.70138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2025] [Revised: 03/11/2025] [Accepted: 04/02/2025] [Indexed: 04/23/2025]
Abstract
Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) has been explored in forensic research to provide advanced chromatographic separation for forensic evidence, including illicit drugs, fingerprint residue, chemical, biological, nuclear, and radioactive (CBNR) substances, toxicological evidence, odor decomposition, and petroleum analysis for arson investigations and oil spill tracing. In GC×GC, the separation and analysis of analytes is similar to one-dimensional GC, but the primary column is connected to a secondary column via a modulator to provide two independent separation mechanisms, thus increasing the peak capacity of the analysis. The goal of implementing GC×GC in forensic studies is often to increase the separation and detectability of analytes and has most often been applied in nontargeted forensic applications where a wide range of analytes must be analyzed simultaneously. To date, there has been no summary of the current state of forensic research that evaluates both analytical and legal readiness for routine use. For these analytical methods to be adopted into forensic laboratories and be used in evidence analysis, they must meet rigorous analytical standards. In addition, new analytical methods for evidence analysis must adhere to standards laid out by the legal system, including the Frye Standard, Daubert Standard, and Federal Rule of Evidence 702 in the United States and the Mohan Criteria in Canada. Current research on GC×GC use for forensic applications was summarized and reviewed for analytical advances and technology readiness to provide a comprehensive view of GC×GC use for future routine implementation. A technology readiness scale, with levels from 1 to 4, was used to characterize the advancement of research in each individual application area. Seven forensic chemistry applications are discussed related to courtroom criteria and categorized into technology readiness levels based on current literature as of 2024. Future directions for all applications should place a focus on increased intra- and inter-laboratory validation, error rate analysis, and standardization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Macturk
- Chemistry Department, William & MaryNontargeted Separations LaboratoryWilliamsburgVirginiaUSA
| | - Kevin Hayes
- Environmental Forensics and Arson LaboratoryDepartment of Earth and Environmental ScienceMount Royal UniversityCalgaryCanada
| | - Gwen O'Sullivan
- Environmental Forensics and Arson LaboratoryDepartment of Earth and Environmental ScienceMount Royal UniversityCalgaryCanada
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2
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Kilic MD, Yayla M, Mercan S. Detection of gasoline residues on household materials up to 60 days: Comparison of two extinguishing methods. Forensic Sci Int 2024; 364:112222. [PMID: 39276628 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024]
Abstract
Detection of ignitable liquid residues in a fire scene is essential for determining the origin. Although studies are focused on the detection of residues of accelerants depending on time or matrices, the time-dependent effect of the water extinguishing method in a fire has not yet been investigated. Experimental studies are needed to determine how long ignitable liquid residues can be detected in water-extinguished evidence compared to the smothering method. In this study, the effects of both extinguishing methods on gasoline residues were investigated after burning of carpet, sofa fabric, tablecloth, and towel by Solid Phase Micro Extraction- Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) technique. Four mandatory and 14 additional compounds were considered to prove the gasoline residue after the monitoring of possible interferences. Results showed that gasoline residues on the burned carpet and sofa fabric samples were successfully detected in both extinguishing methods up to 60 and 30 days after fire exposure, respectively due to multi-layered structures of related substrates. Additionally, the prolonged detection time of the water-extinguishing method made it particularly beneficial for single-layered products like tablecloths, where gasoline residues were found after an hour in this substrate. This is the first study investigating the effects of the extinguishing methods depending on time for textile products, which are the most used materials in houses. In addition, the fact that acrylamide-containing sofa fabric was investigated for the first time and that gasoline residues in carpet samples can be detected up to 60 days makes this study stand out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihriban Dilan Kilic
- Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa Institute of Forensic Sciences and Legal Medicine Department of Science, Buyukcekmece, Istanbul 34500, Turkiye
| | - Murat Yayla
- Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa Institute of Forensic Sciences and Legal Medicine Department of Science, Buyukcekmece, Istanbul 34500, Turkiye
| | - Selda Mercan
- Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa Institute of Forensic Sciences and Legal Medicine Department of Science, Buyukcekmece, Istanbul 34500, Turkiye.
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3
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Decision Theory and Linear Sequential Unmasking in Forensic Fire Debris Analysis: A Proposed Workflow. Forensic Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forc.2022.100426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Cain CN, Trinklein TJ, Ochoa GS, Synovec RE. Tile-Based Pairwise Analysis of GC × GC-TOFMS Data to Facilitate Analyte Discovery and Mass Spectrum Purification. Anal Chem 2022; 94:5658-5666. [PMID: 35347985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A new tile-based pairwise analysis workflow, termed 1v1 analysis, is presented to discover and identify analytes that differentiate two chromatograms collected using comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS). Tile-based 1v1 analysis easily discovered all 18 non-native analytes spiked in diesel fuel within the top 30 hits, outperforming standard pairwise chromatographic analyses. However, eight spiked analytes could not be identified with multivariate curve resolution-alternating least-squares (MCR-ALS) nor parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) due to background contamination. Analyte identification was achieved with class comparison enabled-mass spectrum purification (CCE-MSP), which obtains a pure analyte spectrum by normalizing the spectra to an interferent mass channel (m/z) identified from 1v1 analysis and subtracting the two spectra. This report also details the development of CCE-MSP assisted MCR-ALS, which removes the identified interferent m/z from the data prior to decomposition. In total, 17 out of 18 spiked analytes had a match value (MV) > 800 with both versions of CCE-MSP. For example, MCR-ALS and PARAFAC were unable to decompose the pure spectrum of methyl decanoate (MVs < 200) due to its low 2D chromatographic resolution (∼0.34) and high interferent-to-analyte signal ratio (∼30:1). By leveraging information gained from 1v1 analysis, CCE-MSP and CCE-MSP assisted MCR-ALS obtained a pure spectrum with an average MV of 908 and 964, respectively. Furthermore, tile-based 1v1 analysis was applied to track moisture damage in cacao beans, where 86 analytes with at least a 2-fold concentration change were discovered between the unmolded and molded samples. This 1v1 analysis workflow is beneficial for studies where multiple replicates are either unavailable or undesirable to save analysis time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin N Cain
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700, United States
| | - Timothy J Trinklein
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700, United States
| | - Grant S Ochoa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700, United States
| | - Robert E Synovec
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700, United States
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Boegelsack N, Sandau C, McMartin DW, Withey JM, O'Sullivan G. Development of retention time indices for comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography and application to ignitable liquid residue mapping in wildfire investigations. J Chromatogr A 2020; 1635:461717. [PMID: 33254004 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2020.461717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we introduce a simple three-step workflow for a universally applicable RI system, to be used in GC×GC analysis of ignitable liquid residue (ILR) for arson investigations. The proposed RI system applies a combination of two well-established GC RI systems: non-isothermal Kovats (K) index in the first dimension and Lee (L) index in the second dimension. The proposed KLI RI system showed very good correlations when compared with predicted values and existing RI systems (r2 = 0.97 in first dimension, r2 = 0.99 in second dimension) and was valid for a wide range of analyte concentrations and operational settings (coefficient of variance (CV) < 1% in first dimension, < 10% in second dimension). Using the KLI RI, an ILR classification contour map was created to assist with the identification of ILR types within ASTM E1618. The contour map was successfully applied to neat fuels and a fire scene sample, highlighting the application to wildfire investigation. Standardizing the RI process and establishing acceptable error margins allows the exploration and comparison of comprehensive data generated from GC×GC analysis of ILRs regardless of location, time, or system, further enhancing comprehensive and tenable chemometric analyses of samples. Overall, the KLI workflow was inexpensive, quick to apply, and user-friendly with its simple 3-step design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadin Boegelsack
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, AB Canada, T3E 6K6; Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK Canada, S7N 5A9.
| | - Court Sandau
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, AB Canada, T3E 6K6; Chemistry Matters Inc., 104-1240 Kensington Rd NW Suite 405, Calgary, AB Canada, T2N 3P7
| | - Dena W McMartin
- Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK Canada, S7N 5A9
| | - Jonathan M Withey
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, AB Canada, T3E 6K6
| | - Gwen O'Sullivan
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, AB Canada, T3E 6K6
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Yadav VK, Nigam K, Srivastava A. Forensic investigation of arson residue by infrared and Raman spectroscopy: From conventional to non-destructive techniques. MEDICINE, SCIENCE, AND THE LAW 2020; 60:206-215. [PMID: 32279580 DOI: 10.1177/0025802420914807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Arson can result in highly challenging and complicated crime scenes. Much physical evidence undergoes chemical degradation because of the destructive nature of fire, while accelerants either completely burn or evaporate, and may be present in traces within any of the decomposed materials. To identify the original material and the accelerant involved, it is necessary to use advanced analytical techniques. Gas chromatography, with different detectors, is one of the most frequently used instruments in fire debris and accelerant analysis. Among other instruments, capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced thermal desorption Fourier transform mass spectrometry are two major contributors. Vibrational spectroscopy, including infrared absorption and Raman scattering, is one of the major non-destructive tools for the analysis of evidence because of its advantages over other spectroscopic techniques. Most studies involving vibrational spectroscopy (i.e. infrared and Raman spectroscopy) have focused on the identification of commonly found household materials, while very few studies have considered the identification of ignitable liquids. This article reviews studies based on an analysis of fire debris and accelerants by vibrational spectroscopic techniques and considers the limitations and future perspectives of arson investigations in forensic science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar Yadav
- Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology, Bundelkhand University, India
| | - Kriti Nigam
- Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology, Bundelkhand University, India
| | - Ankit Srivastava
- Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology, Bundelkhand University, India
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Stauffer É. Interpol review of fire investigation 2016–2019. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2020; 2:368-381. [PMID: 33385136 PMCID: PMC7770412 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
This review paper covers the forensic-relevant literature in fire analysis and investigation sciences from 2016 to 2019 as a part of the 19th Interpol International Forensic Science Managers Symposium. The review papers are also available at the Interpol website at: https://www.interpol.int/content/download/14458/file/Interpol%20Review%20Papers%202019.pdf.
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Aliaño-González MJ, Ferreiro-González M, Barbero GF, Palma M. Novel method based on ion mobility spectrometry sum spectrum for the characterization of ignitable liquids in fire debris. Talanta 2019; 199:189-194. [PMID: 30952245 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.02.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The destructive nature of fire together with a variety of interfering products from pyrolysis or background compounds among others, still offer a challenge on the proper identification of ignitable liquid residues (ILRs) in fire investigations. Nowadays, analysts use chromatography-mass spectrometry to try and classify ignitable liquids (IL) into one of the classes in the American Standards Testing Material method (ASTM E1618). In this study, an alternative approach is proposed to such analysis of fire debris. The proposed method would be based on ion mobility spectrometry sum spectrum (IMSSS) from headspace analysis, in combination with pattern recognition tools (Linear Discriminant Analysis, LDA). Four different substrates (pinewood, cork, paper, and cotton sheet) were burnt with and without different ILs (gasoline, diesel, ethanol, and paraffin). According to LDA, 100% of fire debris samples were correctly classified for presence/absence and type of IL. A characteristic fingerprint for each ILR was created for quick discrimination. These results demonstrate the potential of using IMSSS for a fast, objective and easy interpretation of fire debris data. In addition, ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) presents some advantages over traditional techniques such as its real-time monitoring capability and its capacity to work at atmospheric pressure, which allow the development of portable devices that would perform the analysis at the fire scene.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Aliaño-González
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, IVAGRO, ceiA3, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Marta Ferreiro-González
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, IVAGRO, ceiA3, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Gerardo F Barbero
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, IVAGRO, ceiA3, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Miguel Palma
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, IVAGRO, ceiA3, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
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de Figueiredo M, Cordella CB, Jouan-Rimbaud Bouveresse D, Archer X, Bégué JM, Rutledge DN. Evaluation of an untargeted chemometric approach for the source inference of ignitable liquids in forensic science. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 295:8-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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10
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Detection and Characterization of Ignitable Liquid Residues in Forensic Fire Debris Samples by Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography. SEPARATIONS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/separations5030043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study covers an extensive experimental design that was developed for creating simulated fire debris samples under controlled conditions for the detection and identification of ignitable liquids (IL) residues. This design included 19 different substrates, 45 substrate combinations with and without ignitable liquids, and 45 different ILs from three classes (i.e., white spirit, gasoline, and lamp oil). Chemical analysis was performed with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) for improved separation and compound identification. The enhanced peak capacity offered by GC×GC-TOFMS allowed the use of a target compound list in combination with a simple binary decision model to arrive at quite acceptable results with respect to IL detection (89% true positive and 7% false positive rate) and classification (100% correct white spirit, 79% correct gasoline, and 77% correct lamp oil assignment). Although these results were obtained in a limited set of laboratory controlled fire experiments including only three IL classes, this study confirms the conclusions of other studies that GC×GC-TOFMS can be a powerful tool in the challenging task of forensic fire debris analysis.
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11
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Gruber B, Weggler B, Jaramillo R, Murrell K, Piotrowski P, Dorman F. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography in forensic science: A critical review of recent trends. Trends Analyt Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2018.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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12
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Prebihalo SE, Berrier KL, Freye CE, Bahaghighat HD, Moore NR, Pinkerton DK, Synovec RE. Multidimensional Gas Chromatography: Advances in Instrumentation, Chemometrics, and Applications. Anal Chem 2017; 90:505-532. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b04226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Prebihalo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Kelsey L. Berrier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Chris E. Freye
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - H. Daniel Bahaghighat
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Nicholas R. Moore
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - David K. Pinkerton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Robert E. Synovec
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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Adutwum LA, Abel RJ, Harynuk J. Total Ion Spectra versus Segmented Total Ion Spectra as Preprocessing Tools for Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry Data. J Forensic Sci 2017; 63:1059-1068. [PMID: 29023723 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Alignment of fire debris data from GC-MS for chemometric analysis is challenged by highly variable, uncontrolled sample and matrix composition. The total ion spectrum (TIS) obviates the need for alignment but loses all separation information. We introduce the segmented total ion spectrum (STIS), which retains the advantages of TIS while retaining some retention information. We compare the performance of STIS with TIS for the classification of casework fire debris samples. TIS and STIS achieve good model prediction accuracies of 96% and 98%, respectively. Baseline removal improved model prediction accuracies for both TIS and STIS to 97% and 99%, respectively. The importance of maintaining some chromatographic information to aid in deciphering the underlying chemistry of the results and reasons for false positive/negative results was also examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence A Adutwum
- Department of Chemistry, Univeristy of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Robin J Abel
- Department of Chemistry, Univeristy of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - James Harynuk
- Department of Chemistry, Univeristy of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Adutwum LA, de la Mata AP, Bean HD, Hill JE, Harynuk JJ. Estimation of start and stop numbers for cluster resolution feature selection algorithm: an empirical approach using null distribution analysis of Fisher ratios. Anal Bioanal Chem 2017; 409:6699-6708. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-017-0628-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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15
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Menżyk A, Martyna A, Zadora G. Evidential value of polymeric materials—chemometric tactics for spectral data compression combined with likelihood ratio approach. Analyst 2017; 142:3867-3888. [DOI: 10.1039/c7an00236j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Fusion of an LR framework and chemometrics successfully targets a niche in the sphere of forensic evaluation of spectroscopic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Menżyk
- Institute of Chemistry
- University of Silesia
- Katowice
- Poland
| | - A. Martyna
- Institute of Chemistry
- University of Silesia
- Katowice
- Poland
| | - G. Zadora
- Institute of Chemistry
- University of Silesia
- Katowice
- Poland
- Institute of Forensic Research
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