A Comparison of Fingerprint Sweat Corrosion of Different Alloys of Brass

Fingerprint sweat from 40 donors was deposited onto samples of five α and α + β phase brasses, comprising five alloys with different copper and zinc concentrations, two of which also had the addition of small concentrations of lead. Visual grading of the visibility of the corrosion revealed that brasses with the least amount of zinc produced the most visible and fully formed fingerprints from the most donors. Consideration of previously reported mechanisms for the corrosion of brass suggests red copper (I) oxide as a likely corrosion product for low zinc brasses, and a consideration of the color, composition, and solubility of fingerprint sweat corrosion products suggests that copper (I) oxide produces good contrast and visibility with the brass substrate. Scanning electron microscope images of the corrosion of all five alloys confirmed the enhanced contrast between corroded and uncorroded areas for low zinc alloys.     

Changes in Fingerprints Depending on Physiological Factors

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of gender, body mass index, and time on the width of friction ridge impressions in fingerprints and the content of sweat and sebum forming the print. The research showed that the friction ridge impressions of women are significantly wider than those of men, and this tendency persists throughout the existence of the print. The differences may result from the anatomical structure of the skin, as well as from the use of protective products such as creams, which are used more often by women. The width of friction ridge impression is similar in underweight and overweight people, but greater than in those with normal body weight, and the amount of sweat and sebum increases with body weight. The passage of time significantly reduces both the width of the friction ridge impression and the content of sweat and sebum secretions in the print.     

The significance of drug analysis of sweat in respect to rapid screening for drug abuse.

Morphine and methamphetamine, which are excreted in the sweat, are detected by the use of routine serological and physicochemical techniques for urinary examinations. Screening for drug abuse can be done with the same accuracy of that of urine. Rapid excretion of the drug via kidney (within one day) is followed by a slow but steady excretion of the sweat gland. Methamphetamine given orally in a dose of 10 mg is excreted in the sweat at a constant rate (1.4 microgram/ml). No significant difference of the amount excreted by both systems is found. Alveolar lining seems to prevent the elimination of the volatile methamphetamine via respiration. Not only narcotics and stimulants, but also many alkaloids and barbituarates are excreted in the sweat and detected quantitatively by the same principles. The toxicological analysis of the sweat promises a new scope of forensic investigation.     

汗潜指印的STR分型检测

目的探索汗潜指印的荧光STR复合扩增检测的方法。方法采用Chelex-100和Microco-100浓缩柱,提取汗潜指印中DNA,STR复合扩增荧光电泳检测。结果 105例汗潜指纹STR分型可明确判读5个以上基因座的占30.3％,个体之间的差异、捺印指印时用力大小以及指印遗留在客体上时间的长短均影响检测成功率。结论该汗潜指印的DNA提取方法步骤简单,方法较为稳定,使单枚汗潜指印可望获得DNA分型。     

Comparison of urine to sweat patch test results in court ordered testing

A former cocaine and methamphetamine abuser was continuously monitored with both sweat patch and urine testing for approximately 6 months. Thirteen sweat patches were applied and collected, five were positive for cocaine and/or methamphetamine, but all the urine specimens collected were negative at the analytical cut-off levels. The high incidence of false positive sweat patch tests in relation to the sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of the sweat patch assay is discussed. Possible mechanisms, which can lead to false positive results, are presented. The results of our study raise further questions about the preferential use of the sweat patch in detecting new episodes of drug use in formerly chronic drug users.     

短波紫外照射对汗潜手印DNA检测的影响初探

目的探测短波紫外灯的照射是否会对汗潜手印DNA检测产生影响。方法由每名志愿者在纸张上捺印4枚拇指指印使每枚指印的脱落细胞量保持基本相同,抽取每名志愿者所捺印的一枚指印作为一组,共有四组,将三组指印置于短波紫外灯的照射下,照射时间分别设置为10min﹑30min和1h,还有一组不照射,然后用磁珠法对所有指印提取DNA并进行定量。结果短波紫外灯的照射会对汗潜手印中的DNA造成减损,照射时间越长,减损得越多。结论尽量减少短波紫外灯对汗潜手印照射的时间(可控制在10min内),以保证汗潜手印有足够量的DNA而能被用于STR分型检测。     

Dehydration and heat-related death: sweat lodge syndrome

A 37-year-old Caucasian male died of dehydration and heat exposure following a sweat lodge ceremony in outback Australia. The case demonstrates difficulties that may arise in the determination of the cause of death at autopsy due to nonspecific pathologic findings in hyperthermic deaths. There are also a number of features that characterize this particular "sweat lodge syndrome," including prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures in a relatively uncontrolled environment, failure to ensure adequate hydration, failure to appreciate the significance of loss of consciousness, use of ineffective alternative methods of treatment, and delay in seeking appropriate medical care. Unfortunately, the adoption of rituals and practice from other cultures may not be a completely safe undertaking. Participants in this type of activity must be cognizant of the types of medical problems that may arise. Individuals with significant cardiovascular disease, those who are taking certain medications that predispose to hyperthermia, or those who have had large amounts of alcohol should not enter sweat lodges.     

微晶荧光乳浊液显现血、汗指纹的研究

目的　显现非渗透性和半渗透性客体上的血指纹、汗潜指纹。方法　应用微晶小颗粒荧光乳浊液显现血、汗指纹。结果　对常见的各种非渗透性和半渗透性客体上的新鲜和陈旧的血、汗指纹均可显出。结论　该方法与传统的物理显现方法相比较在于显出效果基本不受指纹遗留时间和客体的性质及表面颜色的影响 ,并且此方法实用、可靠 ,同时该配方还可用于非渗透性和半渗透性客体上涉油指纹的显现 ,是常见客体上血、汗指纹显现的一个重要突破     

Breaking the cycle demonstration project: using a quasi-experimental analysis to test the “worst of both worlds” hypothesis and risk principle

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to test the “worst of both worlds” hypothesis and the risk principle in a sample of drug-involved offenders enrolled in the Breaking the Cycle (BTC) demonstration project, an intensive drug intervention implemented in Birmingham, Alabama, Jacksonville, Florida, and Tacoma, Washington.

Methods

A group of 1081 drug-involved offenders enrolled in BTC were compared to 934 drug-involved offenders (pre-BTC) who processed through the regular court system of each city 1 year prior to implementation of BTC. Participants from both groups were divided into risk levels based on scores from the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) Drug (D) and Legal (L) scales. Individuals who scored at or above the mean on both the ASI-D and ASI-L were identified as high risk, individuals who scored at or above the mean on either the ASI-D or ASI-L but not both were identified as moderate risk, and individuals who scored below the mean on both the ASI-D and ASI-L were identified as low risk.

Results

Consistent with the risk principle, high-risk BTC participants displayed significant improvements in subsequent drug problem days, criminal offending, and days spent in jail relative to high-risk pre-BTC participants. There was no apparent benefit of BTC enrollment for moderate- and low-risk participants.

Conclusions

These results indicate that drug–crime comorbidity can be used to assess risk and that individuals identified as high risk are more likely to benefit from higher-intensity forms of intervention than moderate- or low-risk individuals.

     

Differential Effects of Parental Controls on Adolescent Substance Use: For Whom is the Family Most Important?

Objective

Social control theory assumes that the ability of social constraints to deter juvenile delinquency will be invariant across individuals. This paper tests this hypothesis and examines the degree to which there are differential effects of parental controls on adolescent substance use.

Methods

Analyses are based on self-reported data from 7,349 10th-grade students and rely on regression mixture models to identify latent classes of individuals who may vary in the effects of parental controls on drug use.

Results

All parental controls were significantly related to adolescent drug use, with higher levels of control associated with less drug use. The effects of instrumental parental controls (e.g., parental management strategies) on drug use were shown to vary across individuals, while expressive controls (e.g., parent/child attachment) had uniform effects in reducing drug use. Specifically, poor family management and more favorable parental attitudes regarding children’s drug use and delinquency had stronger effects on drug use for students who reported greater attachment to their neighborhoods, less acceptance of adolescent drug use by neighborhood residents, and fewer delinquent peers, compared to those with greater community and peer risk exposure. Parental influences were also stronger for Caucasian students versus those from other racial/ethnic groups, but no differences in effects were found based on students’ gender or commitment to school.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate support for social control theory, and also help to refine and add precision to this perspective by identifying groups of individuals for whom parental controls are most influential. Further, they offer an innovative methodology that can be applied to any criminological theory to examine the complex forces that result in illegal behavior.     

Symmetrical "mirror-image" injuries and the "chessboard" pattern: useful markers of self-mutilation

The evaluation of injuries due to self-mutilation may be complicated by atypical lesions and fabricated histories of the causative events. Four cases are described where one of the most striking findings was the presence of "mirror-image" injuries and/or a "chessboard" pattern of intersecting parallel lines from self-inflicted incised wounds. Case 1: A 32-year-old man was dead in his burnt-out car, with symmetrical, "mirror-image", circular burns from the car cigarette lighter over his forehead, cheeks, ears, upper and lower arms, the dorsal and palmar aspects of the hands, the anterior chest wall including the nipples, the anterior abdomen, thighs, lower legs, and the back of his neck. The deceased had a history of psychotic depression and had died of burns and inhalation of products of combustion. Case 2: A 19-year-old woman who fabricated a history of assault demonstrated multiple, superficial, "mirror-image" injuries of her thighs and forearms. Case 3: A 32-year-old man who exsanguinated from cut wrists showed multiple, superficial, and "mirror-image" incised wounds of the wrists, with a "chessboard" pattern. Case 4: A 26-year-old man died after jumping from a building. He had multiple superficial, "mirror-image" incised wounds of his anterior chest and thighs, with a typical "chessboard" pattern. Given the difficulties that sometimes arise in determining whether injuries have been self-inflicted or not, the finding of symmetrical "mirror-image" injuries, and/or a "chessboard" pattern formed by 2 groups of regular, parallel, superficial incised wounds running at right angles to each other provides compelling evidence of self-mutilation, unless a plausible alternative explanation is available.     

8种方法显现的汗潜指印STR分型研究

目的研究常见指印显现方法对指印STR检验的影响。方法采用Invisorb spin forensic试剂盒提取纯化人汗潜指印DNA,低拷贝模板(LCN)STR复合扩增,荧光电泳检验。结果用铜粉、铝粉、荧光粉、黑磁粉、"502"胶、茚三酮、磺酸双三嗪荧光显色液显现的玻片、纸张和胶带纸粘面上的汗潜指印可成功进行STR分型。结论常见指印显现方法不影响指印STR检验。     

Electrical and thermal injuries in pig skin — Evaluated and compared by light microscopy

The morphology of pig skin after electrical (el) and thermal exposure was studied in order to find methods applicable for disclosing electrical torture.Biopsies from pig skin exposed 24 hours earlier to either heat or electrical current under general anesthesia were studied by light microscopy. The amount of energy used of either type ranged from about 6 to about 100 joule deposited on two circular areas of the skin measuring 12 mm in diameter.In sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin alterations were found in heat-influenced specimens following the administration of moderate and large doses of energy. Changes were observed in el-influenced specimens also after the administration of low amounts of energy, which did not lead to macroscopical changes in the skin. The two types of energy induced different patterns of alterations inside the epidermis. The most characteristic change following heat exposure was the presence of a granular or fibrillar eosinophilic cytoplasm and subepidermal clefts, while el-expoure often produced white homogeneous cytoplasm and shadowy nuclei (“white necrosis”) in the attached epidermis. The individual changes could be produced by both types of injury, but to a highly different degree. However, the alteration classified as “vesicular nuclei” was only observed in el-damaged skin. The dermis from the more severely injured skin of both groups showed a homogeneous appearance (“necrosis”). While the changes of epidermis and dermis in response to heat were diffusely distributed, the changes created by electrical injury were often present in segments. By electrical damage homogeneous areas with loss of stainability and shadowy nuclei were occasionally observed in sweat glands, hair sheaths and in vessel walls, structures which are suggested to serve as conductors for the electrical current. “Vesicular nuclei” were observed in similar structures.Some of the findings may be associated with differences in intensity of energy during exposure to heat and electricity. Furthermore, the existence of different biological patterns following the two types of exposure should be considered. The studies are being continued to elucidate these basic questions, and to study further the medical diagnostic potential of examining skin biopsies from tortured individuals.     

Exploring the forensic use of the emotional recognition test (ERT)

General "hypo-emotionality" has now become a broadly accepted concept as one of the conspicuous psychological characteristics of repetitive, violent offenders. Numerous psychophysiological studies have verified this premise. The current study sought to examine the applicability of the Emotional Recognition Test (ERT) in a sample of 85 Korean inmates in a maximum-security prison. Two additional criterion groups were included for comparison: normal controls and schizophrenic inpatients. Because the ERT consists of problem-solving items, it is relatively free from response biases and is more efficient than measuring physiological responses. Results indicated that all criterion groups scored significantly differently on the ERT total and subscale scores. Additionally, similar to the physiological emotion-specific findings, emotion-specific subscales of the ERT indicated that offenders had significantly more difficulty in recognizing negative emotional stimuli, particularly sadness.     

Comparison of daily urine,sweat, and skin swabs among cocaine users

This study (1) compares urine, skin swabs, and PharmChek sweat patches for monitoring drug use; (2) measures possible environmental contamination in recent cocaine (COC) users; and (3) evaluates various immunoassays (IA) for screening COC in diverse matrices. Unique aspects include daily urine monitoring of 10 participants for 4 weeks, multiple monitoring methods, analysis for all specimens by IA and gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS), and the potential for continued illicit drug use by participants. Urine served as the "gold standard" specimen for determining drug use. Only cocaine and related substances were detected.Trace amounts of drugs were found on the skin (<50 ng per swab) of urine-negative participants' hands or forehead. In contrast, larger quantities of COC were found on the skin of individuals with BE-positive urines or individuals living with drug users (up to 20 microg per swab). Patch COC amounts among the three regular users (250-9000, 0-240, 160-22,000 ng per patch) exceeded BE (50-950, none, 30-2200 ng per patch). Pre-swabs, valuable for interpreting the source or time frame of positive patch results, contained substantial COC (38-1160, 0-152, 34-762 ng per swab) prior to patch application; therefore, patch results may represent current use, prior use, contamination, or a combination. In three individuals with no indication of cocaine use, false positives (defined as sweat patch positive when urine specimens were <300ng BE/ml) occurred at a 7% rate. Proposed cut-off concentrations of 75 ng cocaine per patch and 300 ng BE/ml urine curtail the incidence of false positives in this limited population. Three immunoassays were compared to screen specimens for cocaine: a modified, manual Microgenics CEDIA; a Cozart ELISA; and an OraSure ELISA. CEDIA's limit of detection (LOD) was 81ng/ml, compared with LODs of 4 ng/ml for the Cozart ELISA and 1.5 ng/ml for the OraSure ELISA. Cozart correlated with OraSure results for COC concentrations <2000 ng per swab (n=117), r(2)=0.79.     

Susceptibility of PharmChek drugs of abuse patch to environmental contamination

The key component of the PharmChek sweat patch, the membrane, has been tested for the passage of externally applied materials. Drugs in the uncharged state rapidly penetrated the membrane but charged species were greatly slowed. In basic media, detectable concentrations of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin were observed at the earliest collection time (ca. 30 s), after drugs were placed on the outside of the membrane. Drug concentrations increased over the 2 h time course, when amounts detected (1710 ng cocaine, 1060 ng methamphetamine, 550 ng heroin per pad at 2 h) represented 5-17% of the drug deposited on the surface of the sweat patch.Drugs externally applied to human skin were shown to bind readily. Drugs deposited on the skin of drug-free volunteers several days prior to application of the sweat patch were not completely removed by normal hygiene or the cleaning procedures recommended before application of the sweat patch. Even 6 days of normal hygiene did not remove all drugs from externally contaminated skin and positive sweat patches resulted. A mechanism for passage of drugs through the sweat patch membrane, a mechanism for retention of drugs on skin, and a redesign of the sweat patch and modification of its use to reduce external contamination are proposed. Appropriate care should be taken in the interpretation of positive results from a sweat patch test until more research is conducted.     

Understanding the Structure of a Large Heroin Distribution Network: A Quantitative Analysis of Qualitative Data

An analysis is reported of 2,408 wiretap conversations gathered in the course of prosecuting a heroin dealing organization in New York City in the 1990s. The five-step analysis, which included a social network analysis of phone contacts, revealed a large, loosely structured group of 294 individuals, most of whom had very limited contacts with others in the group. The group’s active core comprised 38 individuals with extended contacts, little status differentiation and some task specialization. A smaller more tightly connected group of 22 individuals was somewhat independent of the remainder of the core and appeared to constitute a “communal business”. The existence was not confirmed of the large criminal conspiracy described by the prosecution that operated at all levels of trafficking and dealing, from wholesale distribution to street sales. Rather, it appeared that the 294 individuals comprised one segment of the heroin market in the city. However, the discrepancy could be due to the fact that the prosecution drew upon a wider set of information about the individuals concerned than provided by the wiretap data. The study supports recent analyses that see organized crimes, such as drug trafficking, as mostly the work of small groups of loosely linked entrepreneurs rather than large, highly structured criminal syndicates.

The cutaneous ink sign: a tipoff to suicide or suicide notes

The presence of smeared or unsmeared ink on the skin resulting from the writing process has been observed in a number of suicide victims who have left suicide notes. The authors report a case of a palmar "cutaneous ink sign" and discuss its forensic science import.     

Enhancement of an insufficient dye-formation in the ninhydrin reaction by a suitable post treatment process

A study of the reaction between ninhydrin and alanine has been carried out taking into account that, adhered on the surface of a dry porous medium such as paper, a quasi-heterogeneous reaction has to take place. Instead of amino acids released from human sweat glands, aqueous solutions of alanine were taken to deliver a given amount of amino acid to the sample. The dye density, obtained after using a standard development process, could noticeably be increased by setting a drop of water on the dye dot, thus indicating that not all the alanine had been used for dye formation during the usually applied process. The incomplete reaction can be explained by the problem of bringing the reactants into contact with each other when both are in the solid phase in the porous surrounding. The temporary presence of water allows a reorientation of the insoluble reactants. With fingerprints an increase in both the rate of development and the final dye density could be obtained when the sample was post treated after the developing process with the blank solvent, thus also the background coloration could be decreased. The ideas presented in this paper may form the basis for a modification of developing processes with ninhydrin in order to increase the proportion of amino acids present (in the sample) used in dye formation without data loss.     

Forensic genetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA hypervariable region I/II sequences: an expanded Korean population database

We have analyzed variation of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable segments I and II (HVS-I and HVS-II) in 185 randomly chosen individuals from Korea to provide an expanded and reliable Korean database. Combined sequence comparison of HVS-I and HVS-II led to the identification of 167 different haplotypes characterized by 154 variable sites. One hundred and fifty-one of the haplotypes were individual-specific, 14 were found in two individuals and 2 were found in three individuals. A pairwise comparison of the 185 HVS-I/II sequences found an average of 10.11 +/- 4.63 differences between individuals. The random match probability and gene diversity for the combined hypervariable regions were estimated at 0.66% and 0.9988, respectively. Analyzing the expanded database including three previously reported data sets and the present data using haplogroup-based comparisons and comparison with closely related sequences allowed errors to be detected and eliminated, thus considerably improving data quality. Sample division comparisons based on PhiST genetic distance measures revealed no significant population differentiation in the distribution of mtDNA sequence variations between the present data set and a database in The Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM), but did indicate differences from other sets of data. Based on the results of mtDNA profiles, almost all of the mtDNA types studied here could be classified into subsets of haplogroups common in east Asia, and show that the Koreans possess lineages from both the southern and the northern haplogroup complexes of east Asian populations. The new data, combined with other mtDNA sequences, demonstrate how useful comparison with closely related mtDNA sequences can be for improving database quality, as well as providing haplotype information for forensic and population genetic analyses in the Korean population.