TY - JOUR
T1 - Using an interaction timeline to investigate factors related to shedder status
AU - Taylor, Duncan
AU - Cahill, Amy
AU - van Oorschot, Roland A.H.
AU - Volgin, Luke
AU - Goray, Mariya
PY - 2025/3
Y1 - 2025/3
N2 - A major factor that influences DNA transfer is the propensity of individuals to ‘shed’ DNA, commonly referred to as their ‘shedder status’. In this work we provide a novel method to analyse and interrogate DNA transfer data from a largely uncontrolled study that tracks the movements and actions of a group of individuals over the course of an hour. By setting up a model that provides a simplistic description of the world, parameters within the model that represent properties of interest can be iteratively refined until the model can sufficiently describe a set of final DNA observations. Because the model describing reality can be constructed and parametrised in any desired configuration, aspects that may be difficult to traditionally test together can be investigated. To that end, we use a 60-min timeline of activity between four individuals and use DNA profiling results from objects taken at the conclusion of the hour to investigate factors that may affect shedder status. We simultaneously consider factors of: the amount of DNA transferred per contact, the rate of self-DNA regeneration, the capacity of hands to hold DNA, and the rate of non-self-DNA removal, all of which may ultimately contribute to someone's shedder status.
AB - A major factor that influences DNA transfer is the propensity of individuals to ‘shed’ DNA, commonly referred to as their ‘shedder status’. In this work we provide a novel method to analyse and interrogate DNA transfer data from a largely uncontrolled study that tracks the movements and actions of a group of individuals over the course of an hour. By setting up a model that provides a simplistic description of the world, parameters within the model that represent properties of interest can be iteratively refined until the model can sufficiently describe a set of final DNA observations. Because the model describing reality can be constructed and parametrised in any desired configuration, aspects that may be difficult to traditionally test together can be investigated. To that end, we use a 60-min timeline of activity between four individuals and use DNA profiling results from objects taken at the conclusion of the hour to investigate factors that may affect shedder status. We simultaneously consider factors of: the amount of DNA transferred per contact, the rate of self-DNA regeneration, the capacity of hands to hold DNA, and the rate of non-self-DNA removal, all of which may ultimately contribute to someone's shedder status.
KW - DNA transfer
KW - MCMC
KW - Persistence
KW - Shedder status
KW - Trace DNA
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85211069989&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103205
DO - 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103205
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85211069989
SN - 1872-4973
VL - 76
JO - Forensic Science International: Genetics
JF - Forensic Science International: Genetics
M1 - 103205
ER -