A solid-phase immunoenzyme method for the quantitative determination of ephedrine

Competitive ELISA method for ephedrine assay in biological fluids is developed. Anti-ephedrine antibodies obtained by rabbit immunization with conjugated antigen ephedrine-protein and ephedrine complex with horseradish peroxidase were used as reagents. ELISA in combination with chromatographic methods may be used in medicolegal and narcological practice.     

The use of immunoenzyme analysis for determining ABH antigens in traces of saliva and sperm]

The authors suggest a simple sensitive technique for enzyme immunoassay (EIA) of ABH antigens in saliva and semen. A two-staged dot blot solid-phase EIA on nitrocellulose membranes was employed with anti-ABH monoclonal antibodies obtained in immunization of mice with human red cells. 4-chloro-1-naphthol substrate solution was used to visualize the peroxidase label. The results of analysis of salivary and spermatic samples obtained from donors of various groups evidence that this EIA variant may be useful in forensic medicine.     

A method for determining arsenic in biological material]

Method of extraction-atomic absorption detection of arsenic in biologic material using naphthenic acid was developed and tested. Method can be used for arsenic detection in postmortem material. It differs from the known method by its accuracy, reliability and simple use.     

Evaluation of Purkait's triangle method for determining sexual dimorphism

The identification of sex from the skeleton is an important demographic assessment in medicolegal investigations. Rama Purkait developed a method for estimating sex using measurements from a triangle defined by three points on the proximal end of the femur using skeletal material from Bhopal, India. This method was tested with measurements on 200 Indo-European and African American adult femora from the Terry collection using discriminant function analysis to determine if Purkait's method was valuable for determining sex in Americans. A side-by-side analysis was conducted of Purkait's "triangle method" and the maximum diameter of the femoral head to determine their relative value in assessing sexual dimorphism. In the study sample a single variable from Purkait's method provided 85.5% prediction accuracy, similar to 87% for the head diameter. Combining threshold values for a single variable from Purkait's method and the femoral head diameter raised the predictability to greater than 90% for both sexes.     

A gas chromatographic method for determining acetaldehyde in cadaver blood

Gas-chromatographic method of acetaldehyde detection in blood of subjects who died of alcoholic intoxication is suggested. Method is simple, does not require additional expenses, can be readily used in medicolegal practice and in difficult cases it may help the expert to make an objective conclusion on the cause of death.     

A microthermal resistance method for determining the species specificity of protein

Microthermal method was used for objective registration of the course of precipitation reaction in determination of species specificity of human and animal protein. This method allows one to carry out species identification using blood protein dilution with 0.9% solution of natrium chloride in correlation from 1:100 up to 1:100,000. Method is simple in use, it can be operated on the apparatus of home production. Analysis with two control tests may be performed within 10 min. The results of reaction are successfully registered as thermistograms subjoined to the expert conclusion.     

A complex method for determining age by tooth status using analog computers]

Combination of roentgenography with direct image magnification and its analysis by medical iconics methods increase significantly possibility of age determination by teeth status (prediction accuracy by upper canine tooth is 99.8% +/- 0.81 year). Adaptive character of change in teeth density over the period of their functioning was detected. Integrative metric index--age metric index--is an objective criterion of age status of a tooth.     

Geometric method for determining the skull-portrait aspect in craniofacial identification of the body

Correspondence of the reference graphic images by the aspect is an important condition of craniofacial personality identification. The authors propose methods of determining the skull-portrait aspect by X and Y axes simultaneously. This allows 2 potentialities of comparing the photograph and the skull picture: 1) positioning the skull in a strictly determined aspect estimated by analysis of coordinates of reference points on the photoportrait and 2) positioning the skull and re-estimation of the photoportrait coordinates into the "zero" aspect (zero turning, inclination, and lateral deviation). Hence, all coordinates of the reference points of examined graphic images in the database can be estimated for the zero position and the same scale, which helps automate the search for analogs.     

A method for determining molybdenum in cadaveric material by using alkylphenylcyclohexylcarboxylic acid]

Alkylphenylcyclohexylcarboxylic acid was found to be an efficient extractant to extract molybdenum from the cadaveric material. Method suggested is simple enough for use and doesn't require considerable amounts of chemical reagents.     

Odontometrical method useful in determining gender and dental alignment

Rao et al.'s method of sex determination, which considers the mandibular canine index (MCI) is one giving satisfactory results. However, they did not take occlusion into consideration. The aim of this study, therefore, was to evaluate the effectiveness of this method with respect to tooth alignment.The study population involved the students enrolled in the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis. Two hundred and ten girls and 214 boys were randomly sampled (1/20). Both tooth sizes and dental arches were measured using a vernier calliper to calculate MCI for both sexes. The results were compared to standard MCI, taking into account tooth alignment.Rao et al.'s method can only be used in the case of correct lower-anterior dental alignment and by using the standard MCI of the local population.     

Test of an alternative method for determining sex from the os coxae: applications for modern Americans

A recently proposed method for determining sex from the os coxae reports a 98% success rate using European collections. The purposes of the present study are to (1) evaluate the success rate of this proposed method using modern American os coxae from different population subgroups; (2) compare the success rate of the new method with that obtained using traditional techniques; and (3) determine replicability of the new method and interobserver error. Eight hundred and seventy-six adult left os coxae were independently evaluated by both authors. Summary statistics for sex classifications were calculated for the total sample and for a random sample of 400 individuals. The impact of sex and ancestry on the success of each method was calculated on the random sample using Pearson's chi2 values. Results demonstrate that for modern American os coxae, neither sex nor race have a significant impact on the success rate for either the new or traditional methods (p < 0.01). Additionally, the success rate of the new method is comparable with that obtained using traditional techniques. Finally, interobserver error using the new method for overall sex determination is low.     

Heroin abuse and a gas chromatographic method for determining illicit heroin samples in Singapore.

The abuse of heroin (diacetylmorphine) in Singapore escalated sharply in 1975 and 1976, as indicated by the 35-fold increase in the number of heroin seizures and the 20-fold increase in the urine samples containing morphine since 1974. A rapid and simple GC method has been described to estimate diacetylmorphine (and caffeine). Monoacetylmorphine and acetylcodeine may be ascertained by an additional step involving acetylation. All gas chromatograms of a large number of samples analyzed consistently had the same pattern, indicating that they possibly had a common origin. This GC "fingerprint," together with the quantitative data, appears to be characteristic of the illicit Asian or Chinese type of heroin found in Singapore. The proportions of the four major ingredients in some twelve typical samples have been tabulated. Statistical data confirming the accuracy and reproducibility of the analytical method have also been presented.     

A laboratory incubation method for determining the rate of microbiological degradation of skeletal muscle tissue in soil

A controlled laboratory experiment is described, in principle and practice, which can be used for the of determination the rate of tissue decomposition in soil. By way of example, an experiment was conducted to determine the effect of temperature (12 degrees, 22 degrees C) on the aerobic decomposition of skeletal muscle tissue (Organic Texel x Suffolk lamb (Ovis aries)) in a sandy loam soil. Measurements of decomposition processes included muscle tissue mass loss, microbial CO2 respiration, and muscle tissue carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Muscle tissue mass loss at 22 degrees C always was greater than at 12 degrees C (p < 0.001). Microbial respiration was greater in samples incubated at 22 degrees C for the initial 21 days of burial (p < 0.01). All buried muscle tissue samples demonstrated changes in C and N content at the end of the experiment. A significant correlation (p < 0.001) was demonstrated between the loss of muscle tissue-derived C (Ct) and microbially-respired C (Cm) demonstrating CO2 respiration may be used to predict mass loss and hence biodegradation. In this experiment Q10 (12 degrees C-22 degrees C) = 2.0. This method is recommended as a useful tool in determing the effect of environmental variables on the rate of decomposition of various tissues and associated materials.