OSAC Lexicon
The OSAC Lexicon is a compendium of forensic science terms and definitions. This terminology tool was created to help bring consistency and understanding to the way terms are used by the various forensic science. Use of the OSAC Lexicon does not replace the need to reference the original published source.
The terms and definitions in the OSAC Lexicon come from the published literature, including documentary standards and technical reports. It is continually updated with the latest work from OSAC units, as well as terms from newly published documentary standards and standards elevated to the OSAC Registry.
Gradually terms are evaluated and harmonized by the OSAC to a single term. This process results in an OSAC Preferred Term. An OSAC Preferred Term is a term, along with its definition, that has undergone review and evaluation by the FSSB Terminology Task Group and has been approved by the FSSB. The FSSB recommends that subcommittees use OSAC Preferred Terms when drafting standards.
The OSAC Lexicon should be the primary resource for terminology and used when drafting and editing forensic science standards and other OSAC work products.
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The American Dental Association
any substance added in a small quantity to improve properties; additives include substances such as driers, corrosion inhibitors, catalysts, ultraviolet absorbers, and plasticizers.
any substance added in a small quantity to improve properties. Additives can include substances such as driers, corrosion inhibitors, catalysts, ultraviolet absorbers, plasticizers, etc.
materials that are included in adhesive or backing formulations to increase overall volume, impart color, or provide other desired properties.
a material that holds two or more objects together solely by intimate surface contact.
Any material coated with a tacky substance for the purpose of lifting impressions.
Any material coated with a tacky substance for the purpose of lifting impressions.
Any material coated with a tacky substance for the purpose of lifting impressions.
Semi-solid/liquid (cheesy) decomposition product of human remains.
set of operations carried out on a measuring system so that it provides prescribed indications corresponding to given values of the quantity to be measuredc
c: Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM), International vocabulary of metrology - Basic and general concepts and associated terms (VIM) (Sèvres, France: International Bureau of Weights and Measures [BIPM]- JCGM 200) available from: https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/guides.
Records—such as evidence receipts, chain of custody, and submission forms (electronic or hard copy)—that do not constitute data or information resulting from examination work.
An evaluation of the report and supporting documentation for consistency with laboratory policies and for editorial correctness.
Also referenced in ANSI/ASB 143 Standard for Technical Review in Friction Ridge Examination.
The individual who oversees, but does not participate in, the evaluation; this will usually be, but is not restricted to, the technical leader.
A court determination whether the trier of fact may hear and consider the proffered evidence.
A witness that has been deemed to have done something wrong.
Accessory visual structures.
The interval in human dental development that begins after all primary teeth are normally shed, and the permanent teeth are developing or developed. The adolescent interval ends when all permanent teeth present are fully developed. Note: During the adolescent and adult dental age intervals, primary teeth may be atypically retained for various reasons, including congenital absence or ectopic eruption of the permanent teeth that would typically replace them.
the stationary phase for adsorption TLC.
a substance that has the ability to condense or hold molecules of other substances on its surface.
Discussion—Activated carbon, activated alumina, silica gels, Tenax, and some stationary phase-coated SPME fibers are examples of adsorbents or adsorbent devices.
adherence of atoms, ions, or molecules of a gas or liquid to the surface of another substance.
The interval begins when human dental development ends and all permanent teeth have completely formed crowns and roots and continues throughout life. Note: During the adolescent and adult dental age intervals, primary teeth may be atypically retained for various reasons, including congenital absence or ectopic eruption of the permanent teeth that would typically replace them.
Observable response(s) that reinforce social bonds within a group/promote group cohesion (e.g., relaxed, neutral body language and related tail position and movement, willingness and ability to engage in safe, positive interactions with people and other dogs; play with, grooming or licking of others, attention-solicitation).
Automated Fingerprint Identification System
Automatic gain control is an adaptive system that effectively reduces the amplitude orenergy of an audio signal if it is strong and raises it when it is weaker.
Automatic Gain Control. A closed-loop regulating circuit which provides a controlled signal amplitude at its output,despite variation of the amplitude in the input signal.
Information that can be processed to generate normal distribution data or percentile data and assembled to create a reference data set.
The estimated age and estimated age interval derived from the dental developmental stage or stages present at the time an individual's estimated age is calculated by the forensic dental age assessment practitioner. (For example, the mean age for a subject with observed dental characteristics similar to the individual being evaluated is estimated to be 10.34 years with a minimum and maximum age distribution of 8.67 to 14.33 years on the day of assessment).
The estimation of chronological age from osseous, dental, and/or cartilaginous material, reported as an interval.
A phenomenon that occurs when means and confidence intervals for particular features/phases are calculated directly from the ages of individuals with those features in the reference sample, resulting in a method that produces results more influenced by the composition of the reference sample than the true age distribution of the features in the population.
Specific human scent that has been present for a period longer than 24 hours
Specific human scent that has been present for a period longer than 24 hours.
Specific human scent that has been present for a period longer than 24 hours.
A specific human scent pathway that has been present for a period longer than 24 hours.
A specific human scent pathway that has been present for a period longer than 24 hours.
A specific human scent pathway that has been present for a period longer than 24 hours.
agency An entity such as an individual, a law enforcement department, a private company, or a government or private laboratory that in this context provides BPA as one of its functions.
An entity such as an individual, a law enforcement department, a private company, or a government or private laboratory that in this context provides BPA as one of its functions.
a group of soil particles that cohere to each other more strongly than to other surrounding particles.
Discussion—Soil aggregates can be natural (a ped) or formed by human activities (a clod). Often the genesis of evidentiary soil aggregates is unknown, so aggregate is often a preferred term in
descriptions of soil evidence.
Discussion—This use of the term aggregate is distinct from this term’s use in construction as the sand or crushed rock mixed with cement to form mortar, grout, or concrete.
a group of soil particles that cohere to each other more strongly than to other surrounding particles.
Discussion—Soil aggregates can be natural (a ped) or formed by human activities (a clod). Often the genesis of evidentiary soil aggregates is unknown, so aggregate is often a preferred term in descriptions of soil evidence.
the collecting of units or parts into a mass or whole.
Description of an act of a canine that is an outcome of an agonistic interaction. It can be appropriate or inappropriate, and involve a threat, challenge or contest. NOTE: The word 'aggressive' is often used as a descriptive term for intense, enthusiastic, or forceful behavior of any kind, and these canines may not be truly aggressive or possess aggression.
Behavioral response(s) communicating threat of harm or behaviors that could inflict harm toward another individual. It can be appropriate or inappropriate, and involve a threat, challenge or contest. NOTE The word 'aggressive' is often used incorrectly as a descriptive term for intense, enthusiastic, or forceful behavior of any kind, and these canines may not be truly aggressive or possess aggression.
Observation of pattern type, ridge flow, and friction ridge features in sequence, of the same or similar type, in the same relative position to each other, with associated intervening ridge counts. An accumulation of similarities between two impressions resulting in overall conformity.
The Audio Interchange File Format stores audio data in uncompressed pulse-codemodulation (PCM). The file extensions commonly used are '.aiff' and 'aif'. There is acompressed variant which has the extension '.aifc', but in reality, sometimes acompressed version is stored with the file extension '.aiff'.
A technique used by a canine to locate a target odor/scent. The canine searches for the target odor/scent on wind/air currents and attempts to identify/work on an odor/scent cone to the source of the odor/scent.
A characteristic change in ongoing behavior in response to a trained odor/scent, as interpreted by the canine handler. The components of the alert may include: change of behavior (COB), interest, and final response or indication. . (See final response, and indication.)
A characteristic change in ongoing behavior in response to a trained scent, as recognized by the canine handler. The components of the alert may include: change of behavior (COB), interest, and final response or indication. (See 3.31 final response.)