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Cosmetics such as makeup or other personal products are widely used and easily transferred upon physical contact. As such, they may be used as trace evidence to link people to each other or to places in criminal investigations. To maximize their probative value, it is important to understand the variability among representative market products and the way in which they transfer to, or persist on various surfaces. Additionally, it is required that analysis techniques be non‐destructive, readily available and relatively inexpensive. Raman spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance—Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) are powerful tools for probing the chemistry of trace cosmetics. As well as fitting the criteria above, they offer the capability of studying a wide range of sample types with minimal prior preparation. The complementary information derived from these techniques can help analysts to understand and visualize spectral variability, potentially enabling discrimination between samples. However, the move from academic research toward forensic casework is not without challenges. In this article, we provide a focused exploration of the current state‐of‐the‐art in forensic cosmetic research; providing context for how we may begin to address these challenges to more effectively exploit cosmetic traces for criminal investigation. This article is categorized under:Forensic Chemistry and Trace Evidence > Emerging Technologies and MethodsForensic Chemistry and Trace Evidence > Trace Evidence [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serge Jaroff's Don Cossack Choir was an improbable phenomenon. Founded at a miserable Turkish internment camp in 1920, it drew members from Don Cossack regiments expelled from Russia after the Russian Civil War. Jaroff, a detainee who had attended the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing in Moscow, was ordered to establish and conduct it. He arranged repertoire from memory and turned thirty-six amateur singers into a world-class a cappella ensemble. Once liberated, they concertized throughout the non-Soviet world and enjoyed longterm success. Banned from Russia forever, they eventually became American citizens. Except for recent Dutch and Russian research they have received little scholarly attention, and there are no major studies about them in English. This essay describes their history, seeking to identify key components of their artistic excellence and commercial success, and advocates for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins of room-temperature ferromagnetism in GeMn nanowires (NWs) and the influence of annealing on the magnetic properties of [Ge.sub.1-x][Mn.sub.x] NWs are examined. The results have ruled out the vital role of oxygen in the magnetic properties of [Ge.sub.1-x][Mn.sub.x] NWs.

Possible origins of room-temperature ferromagnetism in GeMn nanowires (NWs) are investigated. Arrays of Ge1-xMnx NWs and Ge/Ge1-xMnx nanocables (NCs) (x=1%–5%) have been synthesized within the pores of anodized alumina oxide (AAO) membranes. The influence of annealing on the magnetic properties of Ge1-xMnx NWs is studied. The room-temperature ferromagnetism is preserved after the postfabrication annealing in inert atmosphere (Tann=750 °C) demonstrating overall compatibility of Ge1-xMnx NWs with conventional complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology. The role of oxygen in high-TC ferromagnetic ordering is investigated in double-phased NCs with a Ge sheath. Despite a barrier to oxygen migration from the AAO membrane, samples still display room-temperature ferromagnetism, hence, ruling out any significant role of oxygen in the explanation of the high TC in the system. The magnetic properties of the one-dimensional Ge1-xMnx nanostructures can be understood by considering interface related phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ca2Mn3O8 exhibits a complex layered structure comprised of Mn3O84− layers separated by Ca2+ ions. In contrast with the more traditional triangular delafossite layered materials the Mn3O84− layers additionally exhibit an ordered vacancy, which forms a ‘bow-tie’ like arrangement of the Mn4+ ions. We report a comprehensive study of the magnetic properties of a series of Ca2Mn3O8 materials with different morphologies. EXAFS and XANES analysis confirm no differences in either manganese environment or oxidation state between materials. Apparent differences in magnetic order from SQUID magnetometry can be rationalised by uncompensated surface spins arising as a result of changes to the surface to volume ratio between morphologies. Furthermore, these data suggest these materials are potentially frustrated in nature, due to the triangular connectivity of Mn4+ spins, with a simple ‘spin-up/spin-down’ (↑↓) antiferromagnetic model unable to explain the data collected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]