Surgical Sutures as a Means of Identifying Human Remains*

Abstract: The Food and Drug Administration does not require surgical sutures to be tracked by manufacturer, physician, or patient; thereby, surgical sutures have been of little use to forensic practitioners who are tasked with establishing a positive identification with biological evidence. This study demonstrates the investigative process used to pinpoint suture manufacturers by presenting a case where surgical sutures were a distinctive characteristic that aided in the positive identification of skeletal remains. The suture’s manufacturer, construction material and structure, size, and medical use was determined by contacting a local surgical suture and orthopedic implant manufacturer and utilizing publicly available manufacturer websites, which provide catalogs and specific product details. This research was one of many lines of evidence used to establish the positive identification of a 47‐year‐old male.     

Classification and individualization of black ballpoint pen inks using principal component analysis of UV-vis absorption spectra

The technique of principal component analysis has been applied to the UV-vis spectra of inks obtained from a wide range of black ballpoint pens available in the UK market. Both the pen ink and material extracted from the ink line on paper have been examined. Here, principal component analysis characterised each spectrum within a group through the numerical loadings attached to the first few principal components. Analysis of the spectra from multiple measurements on the same brand of pen showed excellent reproducibility and clear discrimination between inks that was supported by statistical analysis. Indeed it was possible to discriminate between the pen ink and the ink line from all brands examined in this way, suggesting that the solvent extraction process may have an influence on these results. For the complete set of 25 pens, interpretation of the loadings for the first few principal components showed that both the pen inks and the extracted ink lines may be classified in an objective manner and in agreement with the results of parallel thin layer chromatography studies. Within each class almost all inks could be individualised. Further work has shown that principal component analysis may be used to identify a particular ink from a database of reference UV-vis spectra and a strategy for developing this approach is suggested.     

Screening of gunshot residues using desorption electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS)

Several studies have indicated that there are potential environmental sources of particles resembling inorganic primer found in gunshot residues (GSR); as a consequence examiners are reluctant to unambiguously assign the origin of inorganic particles. If organic gunshot residues (OGSR) were found in combination with inorganic particles, the possibility of environmental sources could be potentially eliminated, thereby significantly enhancing the strength of the evidence. Methods have been previously described whereby GSR specimens can be analysed for the presence of OGSR or inorganic GRS (IGSR). However, no methods have been reported that allow the analysis of both OGSR and IGSR on the same specimen. Described in this article is a direct method using desorption electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) for the detection of methyl centralite (MC), ethyl centralite (EC) and diphenylamine (DPA) on adhesive tape GSR stubs typically used for scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis. The optimisation of numerous parameters was conducted using an experimental design. The results indicate that direct analysis of these organic components of GSR is possible although some limitations were also identified. This initial investigation has also indicated that subjecting stubs to DESI analysis does not interfere with subsequent SEM-EDX analysis of primer residues; therefore the technique described herein allows a comprehensive examination of GSR that would be highly probative in the event that both OGSR and IGSR are detected in the same specimen.     

Is there a magical time boundary for diagnosing eyewitness identification accuracy in sequential line‐ups?

We examined whether eyewitness identification latencies for sequential line‐up decisions indicate an optimum time boundary that reliably discriminates accurate from inaccurate decisions. Participants (N = 381) observed a crime simulation and attempted two separate identifications from target‐present or target‐absent sequential line‐ups. As has previously been found with simultaneous line‐ups, the optimum time boundary identified did not reliably discriminate accurate from inaccurate identifications for both line‐up targets. Diagnosticity for choosers was, however, much higher at very high confidence levels than at lower levels. Possible reasons for why one index of signal strength (confidence), but not another (latency), might postdict accuracy within the sequential framework were presented.     

Intracranial sewing needle in a man with seizure: a case of child abuse?

Physical abuse in infancy can cause persistent neurological deficits. Although intracranial foreign bodies are generally secondary to penetrating trauma or surgical procedures, rarely they also occur as a result of child abuse. A 32-year-old man presented with the complaint of generalized tonic clonic seizures to the Neurology Department of Marmara, University Hospital. Computerized tomography (CT) scan revealed a sewing needle located within the temporal lobe. The location and the position of the needle suggested that it must have been introduced in infancy through the lamdoid suture before the closure of it, as an unsuccessful deliberate homicide attempt or accidental injury.     

Embolization of cotton pledgets following insertion of porcine cardiac valve bioprostheses

A variety of complications involving heart valve implants have been documented. Embolism originating from thrombosis of the valve has been a recurrent problem in mechanical and to a lesser extent porcine implants. We report two accidental deaths as a result of embolization of cotton pledgets from porcine valves. Hospital personnel failed to remove this cotton material from the valves before surgical placement. In the first case, when portions of the pledgets embolized to both carotid arteries, fatal cerebral infarction occurred. In the second case, portions of the pledgets embolized to a coronary artery producing severe left ventricular failure.     

Maxillary suture obliteration: a test of the Mann method

The degree of obliteration of the maxillary sutures has recently been presented as a useful technique for predicting the age at death of adult skeletal remains. A replicative study of the method on a sample of male skeletons of verified age was undertaken to test its accuracy. Results indicated that the variability in predicted age, as reflected by the total suture score, was too great to recommend use of the method for age determination in individual forensic science cases.     

颅内外骨缝推断年龄的探讨

本文报告16～92岁的140例颅骨的颅内外冠状缝、矢状缝、人字缝的愈合情况。骨缝愈合的主要影响因素为身长、颅外冠状缝右侧第3部(P相似文献   

A test of the effectiveness of the revised maxillary suture obliteration method in estimating adult age at death

The effectiveness of the original maxillary suture method for estimating age at death, introduced in 1987 by Mann and colleagues, has been tested, but their revised maxillary suture method (1991) has not been subject to similar scrutiny. The purpose of this study is to test the accuracy of the revised maxillary suture method in estimating age at death on a genetically diverse skeletal sample of 155 maxillae (96 males, 59 females, aged 26 to 100 years) of known age at death from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Results from a prior study of the original maxillary suture method will be compared. With age category correctly estimated for 83% of this sample, the results of this study indicate that the revised method is more effective in estimating age at death than the original method. The revised method appears to perform best for older individuals and tends to underestimate age for individuals of all age groups. The results suggest that the revised method is useful as a method for age estimation when it is used conjunction with other estimators.     

Examining the Use of Police in Schools: How Roles may Impact Responses to Student Misconduct

Prior research has suggested that the use of police in schools has resulted in negative outcomes for students; however, this line of research has failed to consider other factors that may influence an officer’s response outside of their mere presence. Over time, the roles and duties of police in a school setting have continued to expand as a result of social and political shifts in criminal justice and education policy. Paralleling this expansion has been the development of a more punitive school discipline environment where students are more likely to be suspended, expelled, a ticketed, and/or arrested. As these two separate bodies of research have been tangentially related, in this study, we use role theory as a guiding framework to connect these two bodies of research and examine how officers’ roles may influence their responses to student misconduct. Data was collected via an online survey distributed to a sample of commissioned law enforcement officers working in Texas schools. The survey included measures of officer roles as well as vignettes to assess how officers would respond to specific situations involving students. Results of this study suggest that an officer’s role may influence how they respond to student misconduct, and therefore, may be an important piece of information for both researchers and practitioners when looking to minimize the potential negative impacts of using police in schools. These findings related to officer roles are discussed in terms of both practice and future research, while considering the larger discipline environment of schools.     

Potentiality of 3D laser profilometry to determine the sequence of homogenous crossing lines on questioned documents

The determination of the sequence of line crossings is still a current problem in the field of forensic documents examination. Optical examination, lifting technique, ESDA technique, and electron microscopy are the most widely used methods for the determination of the writing order of crossing texts. However, at present many examinations of intersecting lines result in an inconclusive opinion, particularly if the same type and colour of ink is involved. This paper presents the potentiality of the 3D laser profilometry, which has been to determine the chronological sequence of homogenous "crossing lines". The laser profilometry, illustrated in this paper, has been developed on a conoscopic holography based system. It is a non-contact three-dimensional measuring system that allows producing holograms, even with incoherent light, with fringe periods that can be measured precisely to determine the exact distance to the point measured. This technique is suitable to obtain a 3D micro-topography with high resolution also on surfaces with unevenness reflectivity (usual for the paper surface). The proposed technique is able to obtained 3D profile in non-invading way. Therefore, the original draft are not physically or chemically modified, allowing a multi-analysis in different times. The experiments performed with line crossings database show that the proposed method is able of "positive identification" of writing sequence in the majority of the tests. In absence of a positive identification, the result has been "inconclusive" (no false determination did occur in this work).     

Medical devices; reclassification and codification of absorbable poly(glycolide/L-lactide) surgical suture--FDA. Final rule

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the reclassification and codification of the absorbable poly(glycolide/L-lactide) surgical suture (PGL suture). FDA issued an order in the form of a letter to the manufacturer reclassifying the PGL suture from class III into class II.     

Small area analysis: a review and analysis of the North American literature

Variations in health service use rates by geographic area have long interested researchers and policymakers. Typically, investigators comparing population-based health care utilization rates among geographic areas have demonstrated substantial variations in use among seemingly similar communities. One method of investigation is "small area analysis." Numerous areas in North America have been studied extensively using this technique. This research has attempted to document the amount of variation found in health care use rates among areas; determine whether or not there is a pattern to such use in high- versus low-use areas; and identify the variables that are associated with the variation and explain a portion of the variation. Beyond this, many researchers have attempted to ascertain whether such variables are associated with characteristics of the population, whether they reflect differences in access and need, or whether a substantial portion of the variation is associated with differences in the medical care system itself. This review discusses the methods used to define the areas, the dependent variables that have been studied and the patterns found within them, the independent variables that have been tested, the statistical methods and analysis procedures used, the results of each study, and the policy recommendations emanating from the research. More importantly, based on what has been learned, the paper provides researchers in small area analysis with a set of recommendations for both analyzing and reporting results. These recommendations are designed to facilitate the development of a common research methodology, increase the comparability across studies, and enhance the use of this technique in the health policy formulation process.     

Costly Signals: Voter Responses to Parliamentary Dissent in Austria,Britain, and Germany

When Members of Parliament (MPs) disagree publicly with their party, this provides a signal to voters regarding both their political views and their character valence. We argue that the strength of this signal to voters depends on the personal career costs an MP incurs by dissenting. The greater the perceived costs of dissent to the MP, the more positively voters should react to dissent. In line with this theory, we use a series of conjoint analysis experiments in Britain, Germany, and Austria to show that: (1) dissent has a more positive effect on voter evaluations in systems where the costs of dissent are higher, and (2) more costly types of dissent have a greater impact on voter evaluations. These findings have important implications for understanding how voter evaluations of MPs depend on beliefs about parliamentary systems and how parliamentary institutions condition the link between voters and MPs.     

Putrefaction and wound dehiscence: a potentially confusing postmortem phenomenon

The decomposed body of a 49-year-old man was found at his home address. At autopsy, 3 incised wounds of the lower abdomen and groins were identified, raising the possibility of some form of inflicted injury. Further dissection revealed that the wounds were healing surgical incisions that had been forced open by putrefactive tissue breakdown, swelling, and gas formation. Death was due to ischemic heart disease. Putrefaction is a common problem encountered in forensic practice that may result in considerable distortion and modification of tissues. Unusual skin lesions caused by the disruption and dehiscence of healing surgical wounds may be created by decomposition. This possibility should be considered when symmetrical, cleanly incised wounds are identified.     

Cranial suture eccentricities: a case in which precocious closure complicated determination of sex and commingling

The union of the cranial sutures can follow a somewhat erratic course. While it is recognized that this can cause inaccuracies in estimating age at death, deviant closure patterns can influence assessments other than age. Premature or eccentrically fusing sutures can alter cranial growth and, therefore, shape. Such modified growth vectors can significantly influence metric analysis. A case is described in which precocious synostosis of the sagittal suture complicated determination of sex in a set of skeletalized remains. Features of the cranium and post-cranial skeleton indicated the individual was male, while the mandible, both metrically and morphologically, appeared to have come from a female. This led to the question of commingling. Techniques are described which were used to resolve these issues.     

Can Criteria-Based Content Analysis Distinguish Between True and False Statements of African-American Speakers?

The Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) technique is the core component of the Statement Validity Assessment (SVA), an interviewing process that attempts to judge allegations of child sexual abuse for truthfulness. As the nucleus of the SVA, the CBCA has been promoted as a way to detect truth by analyzing the verbal content of such an allegation. However, all conclusions of the CBCA's usefulness as an indicator of truth have been based on European and/or White perspectives, and this is the first study to address the implications of probable differences of verbal content meaning across ethnic groups. The results failed to support the hypotheses that Black speakers' truthful statements contained fewer criteria than Whites' statements, or that CBCA training would only enhance truth detection of White speakers. First, in contrast to earlier work, the present study found that, despite the fact that true and false statements contained criteria to differing degrees, the total number of CBCA criteria in an adult's statement was uncorrelated with truthfulness for statements made by Blacks or by Whites. A discriminant analysis showed that CBCA verbal content criteria did, in fact, have different significance for Whites than for Blacks. Certain CBCA criteria were stronger predictors of truth for one ethnic group than for the other. It is suggested that more research is needed before the CBCA is relied upon in criminal investigations.     

论我国股票期权法律制度

首先对我国企业界的股票期权实践进行了评析,指出我国实施的股票期权本质已蜕变为一种股票购买方案,不能起到其应有的激励作用,之后分析了产生这种变异的原因,最后,结合股票期权在我国面临的法律障碍,对建立我国股票期权法律制度提出了几条立法建议。     

Social Disorganization and Neighborhood Fear: Examining the Intersection of Individual,Community, and County Characteristics

Fear has long been studied as a consequence of crime given the consistent and ubiquitous nature of fear as a reaction and the systematic variations in its consequences. Past research has shown significant variations in fear of crime at both the individual and ecological level. Here we implement a multi-level approach to understanding potential interactions between perceived safety in one’s neighborhood in relation to social disorganization indicators at the neighborhood level and crime rates at the county level. The nationally representative sample data (n = 2,610) used in this analysis combines individual level data collected in 2006 from the Panel Study of Religion and Ethnicity (PS-ARE) with ecological level data at the tract and county level from the 2000 US Census. The findings suggest a three level interaction negating the well known protection hypothesis of marriage and crime; this essentially means that as being married or cohabitating decreases the negative effects of being in a community with a high level of familial disruption (percent of divorced) increases, but that effect is substantively negatively tempered as the violent crime rate of the county rises.