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Human beings have certain uniqueness in their voices that helps determine their individuality. The most important characteristic of voice is the Pitch. The average vocal range for masculine voice ranges from 90-150 Hz and for feminine voice, it ranges from 190-240 Hz. This pitch is decided by the development of the vocal tract during puberty by the effect of testosterone hormone i.e. Longer the tract, lower the pitch and vice versa. However, for people belonging to the intersex community, the low production of testosterone causes the vocal tract to develop differently than males and females. Because of this reason, their pitch has its own individual range and hoarseness of quality. This study was aimed to evaluate the difference in intersex population voice characteristics as compared to normal adult males and females. It was found that intersex voice has a distinctive Pitch range of 150-190 Hz with the mean frequency being 167 Hz. It was also discovered that due the peculiar dialect practiced by the intersex community, especially in the western part of the Indian subcontinent, there is a noticeable difference in the time duration for pronouncing various vowels from the time duration taken by males and females to pronounce the same vowels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cheiloscopy, the study of lip prints, is a tool in forensic investigation technique that deals with identification of individuals based on lips patterns. The objective of this study is to determine predominant lip print pattern found among the Gujarati population, to evaluate whether any sex difference exists and to study the permanence of the pattern over 6 months duration. The study comprised of 100 healthy individuals (50 males and 50 females), in the age group of 18-25 years of Gujarati population of the Gandhinagar region of the Gujarat state, India. By using Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification, Lip prints were then divided into four quadrants and also classified on the basis of peripheral shape of the lips. Materials used to record the lip prints were dark brown colored lipstick, cellophane tape and white bond paper. Lipstick was applied uniformly and Lip prints were taken on the glued portion of cellophane tape and then stuck on to a white bond paper. These lip prints were analyzed with magnifying lens and virtually with stereo microscope. On the analysis of the subject population, results showed Branched pattern Type II (29.57%) to be most predominant in the Gujarati population. Branched pattern Type II (35.60%) and long verticalType I (28.28%) were most prevalent in males and females respectively and Large Full lips were most predominantly present in both the sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Criminal investigation always involves the identification of individuals. Identification of individual is based on the available physical evidences. The most conventional method of identification of individuals is based on the fingerprints. There are certain instances wherein the identity of individual would be possible with the anthropometric data such as measurements of various body parts although the complete identification is possible with fingerprints and DNA analysis4,5,6. Still the primary characteristics of identification such as stature and sex can be determined with the available data. In this study, an attempt has been made to establish the possible correlation between the palm lengths with the stature of individual. To get scrupulous results, the study has been done on the young adult population in the age range of 21-25 years6. A total number of 500 subjects were considered for the study that includes 200 boys and 300 girls. It was possible to deduce the correlation coefficient and multiplication factor for estimation of stature from palm length. The multiplication factor so deduced has been applied and regression analysis was done and was found to be significant and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic science has been playing an important role in the justice administration system1,2. Some of the most important evidences such as fingerprints, blood and semen have been easily detected with the available techniques2,3. There are certain conditions in which these are beyond the ability of the human eye for the purpose of visualization and analysis. These could be made visible with the application of nanoparticles6,7. In this study, an effort has been made to make the latent prints visible by using silver chloride nanoparticles. Though silver compounds are costlier, they could be used for this purpose as they are more effective in such circumstances wherein the evidences are well diluted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A suburban train (electric motor unit, EMU) was allegedly hijacked by a young man from Chennai central railway station on 29th April 2009 at 5am in the morning. He had started the train from the Chennai central railway station which was stationed at that time. He accelerated its speed and had driven the train in a wrong track i.e. the track which is meant for the downward (returning) trains. But within a distance of about 3 kilometers the train had collided with another goods train which was stationed in the same track of the Vyasarpadi ( next station for stoppage from the central station railway station). The alleged hijacker lost his life with multiple injuries while attempting to escape from that train just before the collision with the goods train. The case was resolved on the basis of the external findings of the victim's body and other circumstantial evidences. Though the victims' body was intact the identity of the victim is still unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]