Papers by Dr. Niha Ansari
CRC Press eBooks, Jun 6, 2022
Electron Microscopy
Criminal activities have their footprints from time immemorial and nature of crime has drasticall... more Criminal activities have their footprints from time immemorial and nature of crime has drastically changed over a period of time. There is neither a geographical boundary, nor technical limitations. Moreover terrorist’s activities, drug trafficking eco-crimes, high-profile crimes, robbery hit and run cases, building collapse, petroleum products adulteration are some of latest forms of crimes. In last 20 years, scanning probe microscopes have emerged as an essential technique in various fields, and atomic force microscope (AFM) is most commonly used scanning probe technique which has shown its wide range of application in examination of various evidences encountered on crime scene. Major advantages of AFM involve its high resolution in three dimensions, and sample is not necessary to be conductive and it does not need to be operated within a vacuum. It helps in studying a large range of topographies and many types of materials can be imaged under it. Evidences such as blood, fibers, ...
Autopsy - What Do We Learn from Corpses? [Working Title]
In the field of forensic science, autopsy that is postmortem examination involves a thorough corp... more In the field of forensic science, autopsy that is postmortem examination involves a thorough corpse examination done in order to determine the cause and manner of the death by invasive method. With the advancement of technology a new term: “Virtopsy” meaning virtual autopsy employs the application of imaging techniques namely computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven its advantages in the forensic field. It involves the scanning of dead bodies in a non-invasive manner. It a great alternative to the traditional autopsy as it provides wide-range and systemic examination of the whole body in a less time duration, benefits in diagnosis as well as renders respect to religious sentiments. Method is more specific, sensitive, & precise and accurately reflect soft tissue injuries, organ damage, wound extent, fractures which provides instinctive and powerful court evidence for forensic identification. The chapter will be describing the importance of “Virtopsy” i...
International Journal of Nanoscience
Synthesis of metal nanoparticles using efficient, eco-friendly green chemistry methods is widely ... more Synthesis of metal nanoparticles using efficient, eco-friendly green chemistry methods is widely applied nowadays. Use of plant extract is one of the most considered methods as it is more stable and the rate of synthesis is faster. In this study, for the first time, we synthesized biocompatible, eco-friendly and cost-effective copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) using a well-characterized plant Citrus limon, a natural product, which acts as a reducing agent. The synthesized CuNPs were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering and were applied to investigate the antibacterial and antifungal activities along with their fluorescent properties. The microwave-assisted green CuNPs-treated cotton fabric exhibited high efficiency against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The particles showed highest activity against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. In future, the in vivo toxicity studies of these nanomaterials will allow the formulation of new...
Peer Reviewed Journal of Forensic & Genetic Sciences, 2018
Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid (DNA) is unique to each and every individual and it remains constant thr... more Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid (DNA) is unique to each and every individual and it remains constant throughout the life as it follows the laws of Mendelian inheritance. However DNA analysis is widely accepted techniques for personal identification. DNA extraction and isolation from ancient bone samples, degraded body parts etc. is still quite difficult and challenging task for forensic scientist. But new upcoming technology like nanotechnology will help for analysis of such samples for DNA. Hence, in this review article we are short listed some of the research articles which used the different nanoparticles for DNA extraction. Where different nanoparticles used for the DNA extraction were cited and explained in brief.
Analytical Methods, 2017
In recent years, the use of benzodiazepines has increased in the commission of crime, homicide, s... more In recent years, the use of benzodiazepines has increased in the commission of crime, homicide, suicide, drugs overdoses, robbery, and drug-facilitated sexual assault.
Journal of Forensic Psychology, 2016
The psychologist and legal professional have an interest as important study of lie detection whic... more The psychologist and legal professional have an interest as important study of lie detection which revolves as one of the foremost areas of applied psychology. Indeed, in legal settings, police offices, and attorneys are among those make sure with the responsibility to determine clues which is important to know whether someone is lying or telling the truth in investigations, court trials, border control interviews and intelligence interviews. Therefore, psychologists and practitioners have developed various lie detection tools which cover entire possible range from observing behavior, analyzing speech, and measuring peripheral physiological responses to recording brain activity. This article will bring in the reader to the main lie detection tools and theories that underpinned to date in reference to deception.
Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences
European Journal of Forensic Sciences
Forensic Science and Criminology
Tigers are on the brink of extinction. The greatest threat comes from criminals who control an il... more Tigers are on the brink of extinction. The greatest threat comes from criminals who control an illegal trade spanning countries and continents. Those animals are illegally killed or poached owing to the high value of their fleece on the black market, and their body parts are used in traditional medicines and jewellery articles. The illegal trade in tiger and lion are one of the most high profile, destructive and urgent forms of wildlife crime. The enforcement response needs to employ advanced, intelligence-led methods of investigation and the engagement of the whole criminal justice system. The response must target the individuals who control this lucrative trade and bring them to justice, and also seize any assets obtained through their crimes. Tiger nail evidence as one of such criteria can provide important information for crime investigation. The present study deals with the new non-destructive technique namely FTIR-ATR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-Attenuated total reflection) and VSC (video spectral comparator) analysis of the Royal Bengal Tiger claw (nail) applied for the first time in wildlife crime investigation especially in a forensic context.
Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2017
Determination of time since death (TSD) plays very important role in forensic examination as it n... more Determination of time since death (TSD) plays very important role in forensic examination as it narrows down field of suspects and aids in deceased identification. This study utilizes the fluorescence property of vitreous humor (VH) tryptophan to determine TSD using o-phthalaldehyde (OPA). The detection limit of these fluorometric studies was found to be 8 ppb indicating sensitivity and high accuracy in TSD determination. The study was performed on selected 76 cadaver with known TSD ranging from 3 to 90 h. Excellent correlation between VH tryptophan and TSD was obtained with a coefficient of correlation R(2) = 0.9590. Results showed statistically significant increase in vitreous tryptophan with TSD up to 90 h, and the proposed method was efficaciously applied for prediction of TSD as no systematic error exist. The regression equation obtained from the study is [Trp] = 2.21 + 2.98 * TSD.
Forensic Science International, 2016
Present study represents a novel approach of PCR ready-human DNA extraction method from skeletal ... more Present study represents a novel approach of PCR ready-human DNA extraction method from skeletal remains using copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) for personnel identification. To achieve rapid, cost effective, sensitive and non-hazardous method for DNA extraction we utilized CuNPs synthesized using microwave. The applicability of this approach was first tested in blood samples and afterwards, this system was extended to skeletal remains' samples also. This method yields good quality DNA that are ready for PCR reactions from small quantities of blood and skeletal remains. Consequently, even small quantities of nanoparticles could be potentially utilized for a highly efficient isolation of DNA from skeletal remains as well as from ancient archaeological samples. The present method has the advantages that it is quick with high yield, inexpensive, robust, environment friendly and does not require use of hazardous organic solvents.
Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2016
In this work, we report the smart application of AgNPs based sensors for determination of time si... more In this work, we report the smart application of AgNPs based sensors for determination of time since death (TSD) via recognition and quantification of vitreous humor (VH) cystine as well as provide the portability for on spot determination of TSD. The lower detection limit was found to be 7.0ng/ml with prominent selectivity. It was found that there is a linear correlation between the VH cystine concentration and TSD as the concentration of cystine increases up to 96h±3.9h. Further for the first time TSD determination is given a smart approach and it proves to have a great utility up to 24h±2.6h. The linear regression equation between TSD (the dependent variable), RGB intensity of cystine concentration till 24h (the independent variable) was found to be TSD=26.69+-0.05*x. The proposed method gives the smart detection, portability, rapidity, sensitivity, selectivity as well as cost effectiveness for determination of time since death.
Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2015
Anal. Methods, 2015
In the present investigation, we report the development of lab-on-phone, specific and sensitive c... more In the present investigation, we report the development of lab-on-phone, specific and sensitive citrate-capped silver nanosensor for lidocaine hydrochloride detection.
Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences
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Papers by Dr. Niha Ansari