Morphological characteristics of head hairs and hairs from other parts of the body in the population of Asia

The paper describes specific morphological features of hairs from the head, beard, chest, axilla, pubis of the native population of Syria, India, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Nepal, Palestine, Bahrain, Iraq and some residents of the Eastern Europe (Russians, Belorussians, Ukrainians). The hairs were studied macroscopically and microscopically (light microscopy). Digital data on hair thickness and number of lines of cuticula pattern were analysed using methods of variance statistics. Original information on some macro- and microscopic characteristics of hair has been obtained for citizens of the above countries.     

Structure of hair on the head and other parts fo body in Latin Americans

The structure of hairs from the head, chest, armpits, and pubis of residents of Latin America (Bolivia, Salvador, Panama, Ecuador, Chile, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Peru, Brasil, and Mexico) has been studied. New data on macro- and microscopic characteristics of hairs of the population of the above countries were obtained (color, shape, length, thickness of hair; number of cuticle lines; characteristics of hair layers, shapes of transverse sections, etc.).     

Glyoxalase I typing and phosphoglucomutase-1 subtyping of a single hair

A technique is described for the typing of glyoxalase I (GLO I) and the subtyping of phosphoglucomutase-1 (PGM-1) from the root sheath cells of a single forcibly removed hair. This procedure does not require sample preparation and does not alter the morphological characteristics of the hair. The combined discrimination probability (DP) of the two markers taken together is 0.90 for whites and 0.89 for blacks. GLO I can be typed after four weeks, and PGM-1 can be typed after eight to fifteen weeks in hairs maintained at room temperature. Hairs mounted with Permount showed loss of enzyme activity and loss of band sharpness.     

An STR database on the Volga-Ural population

This work develops a reference STR database on the Volga-Ural population, Russia, comprised of 640 individuals that were sampled from eight ethnic groups (Finno-Ugric Mari, Mordva-Moksha, Mordva-Erzja, Komi-Permjak, and Udmurt, and Turkic-speaking Bashkir, Tatar-Mishary, and Chuvash) and typed with 10 autosomal STR markers: TH01, CSF1P0, FGA, vWA, D3S1358, TPOX, D16S539, D8S1179, D13S317, FES. The groups differentiate in allele frequencies, and therefore we computed θ-values between allele frequencies in each ethnic groups and those in the database as a measure of their differentiation. Nevertheless, the Volga-Ural ethnic groups form a relatively compact cluster that greatly deviate from the Romanic Moldovans and the Turkic Yakuts, taken for comparison, and are closer to the Slavic Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians, although significantly differ from those as well.     

Morphology of hairs on the head and other parts of the body in the residents of Africa

The morphology of hairs from the head, beard, chest, armpits, and pubis was studied in indigenous population of Sudan, Sierra-Leone, Cote d'Ivoir, Ruanda, Nigeria, Gambia, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Zaire, Southern African Republic, Angola, Benin, and Guinea Bissau. A total of 327 hair specimens were examined. A number of new parameters of hairs were determined: thickness, number of cuticle pattern lines per mm, optic edge pattern, cuticle patterns, methods for detecting the cortical and medullar layers, width of hair layers and their transverse sections. The resultant morphological signs are new specific signs for African residents (Negroid) which can be used in forensic medical studies for identifying the race appurtenance of hairs.     

同一个体发毛角蛋白电泳谱型的分析

用SDS -PAGGE对收集到的 2 0例人体表毛发 (头发、阴毛、腋毛、腿毛 )角蛋白组分进行了分析。结果表明 ,同一个体毛发角蛋白电泳谱型基本相同 ,用激光光密度仪对电泳凝胶板扫描后证实 ,同一个体毛发角蛋白组分相对百分含量也无明显差异 ;人头部不同部位 (顶部、左侧、右侧、额部、枕部 )头发角蛋白的电泳谱型和角蛋白组分相对百分含量也基本相同。同一个体毛发角蛋白组分的分析 ,可为法医物证学鉴定中的毛发个人识别提供重要的依据。     

Characterization of Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Heteroplasmy in Blood Tissue and Hair as a Function of Hair Morphology*,†,‡

Abstract: This study characterizes mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence heteroplasmy in blood tissue and hair as a function of hair morphology. Bloodstains (127 individuals) and head hairs (128 individuals) were typed using the mtDNA LINEAR ARRAY? assay. A total of 1589 hairs were interpreted: 1478 (93%) were homoplasmic and 111 (7%) exhibited heteroplasmy at one or more positions. Seventy‐one percent (82/116) of individuals were homoplasmic, whereas 29% (34/116) exhibited heteroplasmy in at least one hair. The results demonstrate intra‐ and inter‐tissue differences in heteroplasmy within individuals. Sequence heteroplasmy among hairs from each individual varied from 0 to 90%; the frequency does not differ significantly with population group, cosmetic treatment, age, gender, medulla morphology, region of the scalp, hair growth phase, or, when comparing living and deceased donors. However, the results support a correlation between heteroplasmy and hair pigmentation; typically, lighter‐pigmented hairs exhibit a higher incidence of sequence heteroplasmy compared to darker hairs.     

Study of cuticle patterns of head hairs by scanning electron microscopy

Cuticle patterns of 5 subjects living in different countries have been studied under a scanning electron microscope. Hair cuticle pattern in different individuals can be complex, simple, or mixed type. The most incident is the complex type of hair cuticle pattern (75-80%), while the simple type is much more rare (15-20%) and the mixed type still more rare (2-5%). Variation statistical analysis helped differentiate hairs from aborigines of some countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and East Europe by the number of cuticle pattern lines. High efficiency of scanning electron microscopy in studies of hair cuticle patterns is shown.     

Validation of the InnoXtract™ DNA extraction method for bone,teeth, and rootless hair

Forensic casework samples often include human hairs, teeth, and bones. Hairs with roots are routinely processed for DNA analysis, while rootless hairs are either not tested or processed using mitochondrial DNA. Bones and teeth are submitted for human remains identifications for missing persons and mass disaster cases. DNA extraction from these low templates and degraded samples is challenging. The new InnoXtract DNA extraction method utilizes magnetic beads that are optimized to bind small DNA fragments, as small as 100 base pairs, to purify high-yield DNA from compromised samples. This validation study evaluates InnoXtract's ability to obtain amplifiable DNA from samples such as rootless hairs and skeletal remains. Studies performed include sensitivity, stability, repeatability, reproducibility, non-probative samples, and comparison to standard organic extractions. Sensitivity studies demonstrate average yield recoveries ranging from 53% to 100% and 73% to 85% for the InnoXtract hair and bone methods, respectively. Studies demonstrate consistent results across a range of sample types, such as insulted and un-insulted bone and teeth, as well as hair shafts from donors of various ages, gender, race, and hair characteristics. The InnoXtract bone method outperformed organic extraction. The method was successfully automated on a MagMAX™ Express-96, with recoveries over 70% relative to the manual version. InnoXtract has the potential as an automated high-throughput, high-yield bone extraction method with 6 h of total extraction time for up to 96 samples. The validation study results demonstrate that the InnoXtract kits produce high-yield and high-quality DNA from compromised bone, teeth, and hair shaft samples.     

Results of a collaborative study of the EDNAP group regarding mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy and segregation in hair shafts

A collaborative exercise was carried out by the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP) in order to evaluate the distribution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy amongst the hairs of an individual who displays point heteroplasmy in blood and buccal cells. A second aim of the exercise was to study reproducibility of mtDNA sequencing of hairs between laboratories using differing chemistries, further to the first mtDNA reproducibility study carried out by the EDNAP group. Laboratories were asked to type 2 sections from each of 10 hairs, such that each hair was typed by at least two laboratories. Ten laboratories participated in the study, and a total of 55 hairs were typed. The results showed that the C/T point heteroplasmy observed in blood and buccal cells at position 16234 segregated differentially between hairs, such that some hairs showed only C, others only T and the remainder, C/T heteroplasmy at varying ratios. Additionally, differential segregation of heteroplasmic variants was confirmed in independent extracts at positions 16093 and the poly(C) tract at 302-309, whilst a complete A-G transition was confirmed at position 16129 in one hair. Heteroplasmy was observed at position 16195 on both strands of a single extract from one hair segment, but was not observed in the extracts from any other segment of the same hair. Similarly, heteroplasmy at position 16304 was observed on both strands of a single extract from one hair. Additional variants at positions 73, 249 and the HVII poly(C) region were reported by one laboratory; as these were not confirmed in independent extracts, the possibility of contamination cannot be excluded. Additionally, the electrophoresis and detection equipment used by this laboratory was different to those of the other laboratories, and the discrepancies at position 249 and the HVII poly(C) region appear to be due to reading errors that may be associated with this technology. The results, and their implications for forensic mtDNA typing, are discussed in the light of the biology of hair formation.     

人与动物毛发角蛋白组分的等电聚焦图谱分析

本文用聚丙烯酰胺等电聚焦(PAGIEF)对来自6个目、15个科、20种动物毛发角蛋白组分进行了研究。发现人与动物毛发角蛋白组分的PAGIEF谱型有显著差异;不同种属的动物毛发角蛋白组分的PAGIEF谱型也互不相同,它们各自都有独特的角蛋白PAGIEF谱型。作者认为,本方法可用于鉴定毛发的种属。     

Resolving Problems among Neighbors in Post‐Soviet Russia: Uncovering the Norms of the Pod”ezd

The article presents findings from a qualitative study of how Russians deal with neighbors who have leaked water onto them. In the Russian context, this is neither an uncommon nor a small problem. Building on US‐based studies of neighborhood relations, the article lays out three alternative strategies: avoidance, self‐help, and third‐party intervention. The Russian participants lived in close proximity to one another and had little opportunity for exit. The study documents a strong preference for self‐help, confirming the potency of the relational distance hypothesis for Russia. In contrast to their US counterparts, the Russian participants' lack of exit did not give rise to more intense and prolonged disputes. The findings suggest that there is a strong informal norm in favor of neighbors resolving disputes among themselves and that the residents who share common entryways (pod”ezdy) work out the parameters of acceptable behavior over time. These informal norms shape Russians' legal consciousness.     

Preliminary study of hair form of Japanese head hairs using image analysis

The use of average curvature measurements for the forensic comparison of curly hairs has been reported, but a method, in which various types of hair form are quantitatively examined and objectively interpreted for hair comparison, has not been reported to date. In the present study, numerical data on hair form from Japanese subjects were obtained by image analysis and a morphological comparison of these head hairs was investigated. Head hairs obtained from eight Japanese males were measured for length (L), distance (D) and area (A) using a Kontron Imaging System KS400. From the three measurements mentioned above, three indexes, L/D, A/D and 2(A/L), were examined. The inter-individual variations for each value were investigated by a t-test and the availability of six values for the forensic comparison of hair form was evaluated by a stepwise linear discrimination analysis. Six values obtained from hair form by an image analysis showed large intra-individual variations. However, these six values were found to be useful for discriminating between two individuals, since the six values showed larger inter-individual variations than intra-individual variations. Discrimination on each comparison using a stepwise linear discrimination analysis was performed for some of the values and the results indicated conspicuous inter-individual variations between the two individuals. On 11 of 28 comparisons, 30 hairs from one individual could be completely distinguished from hairs of another individual, when a two-way comparison was employed. These results confirm that hair form could be quite useful in the forensic comparison of hair morphology, and suggest that numerical data obtained from hair form by image analysis are very important values for constructing a screening procedure for evidential hairs. The use of an objective measure of hair form will be especially useful for Japanese head hairs since they are generally thought to show very limited variation in morphological features.     

Public Beliefs in the Causes of Wealth and Poverty and Legitimization of Inequalities in Russia and Estonia

The article analyzes the attributions of the causes of poverty and wealth in Russia and Estonia in 1991 and 1996 and their determinants. Among the latter are the perceived actual justice of the society, the perceived size of the middle class, and the personal position in the system of inequalities. Despite the economic hardships and a rise in inequalities in both countries, individualistic explanations of wealth and poverty have increased over the 5 years between the surveys. At the same time respondents in both countries demonstrated a growing awareness of the importance of starting positions and connections to achieve wealth. The perceived middle class has a significant effect on attributions of poverty but not on wealth. Russians in Estonia have a particular bias against wealth, whereas non-Russians in Russia are more likely to justify wealth on the basis of individual merit. Explanations of poverty and wealth in Estonia are more rooted in the factors of socialization (age, education, and gender), whereas in Russia they are more rooted in the changes in the family financial circumstances between 1991 and 1996. There was a general increase in support for government intervention in distribution in both countries.     

Statistical comparison of dog and cat guard hairs using numerical morphology

Numerical features obtained from the guard hairs of dogs and cats (total 300 hairs per dog or cat) were statistically compared, in an attempt to discriminate between them. Using hairs from each of five mongrel dogs and cats, eight measurements (length (Len), maximum width (MaxWid), cross sectional maximum diameter, cross sectional minimum diameter, cuticular thickness of the cross section and three scale counts per 100 microm length (observed at three positions: distal third (disSC), middle (midSC) and the proximal third (proSC) portions) and five indexes (hair width index (HWI), medulla index (MI), hair index, cuticle index and the difference in scale counts between the distal and proximal parts (defSC)) were examined. The range for each numerical feature overlapped each other extensively, and none of the features permitted a discrimination between dog and cat hairs, based on the values obtained. However, 12 numerical features, except for the midSC, showed a statistically significant difference between dog and cat hairs, as evidenced by a t-test. For the purpose of comprehensively comparing numerical features and statistically discriminating between dog and cat hairs, a discriminant analysis between the two were carried out using a multiple regression analysis. Four types of discriminant functions produced by combining over five numerical features were examined. Dog and cat hairs could clearly be discriminated using any of the discriminant functions. Species discrimination using the discriminant function permitted the species of a dog or cat to be determined, based on the overall morphologies of various numerical features. When experimentally collected test samples were investigated using the discriminant function using Combination-2, consisting of eight numerical features (Len, MaxWid, MI, HWI, disSC, midSC, proSC and defSC), all 10 cat hairs were correctly determined to be cat hair and 22 of 23 dog hairs were correctly identified. This discriminant function produced good results for species discrimination between dog and cat hairs.     

Correlation of microscopic and mitochondrial DNA hair comparisons

Expert opinions regarding the microscopic comparison of human hairs have been accepted routinely in courts for decades. However, with the advent of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing, an assessment can be made of the association by microscopic hair comparisons in casework between a questioned hair and reference hairs from an individual. While each method can be used separately, the two analytical methods can be complementary and together can provide additional information regarding source association. Human hairs submitted to the FBI Laboratory for analysis between 1996 and 2000 were reviewed. Of 170 hair examinations, there were 80 microscopic associations; of these, only nine were excluded by mtDNA. Importantly, 66 hairs that were considered either unsuitable for microscopic examinations or yielded inconclusive microscopic associations provided mtDNA results. Only six hairs did not provide sufficient mtDNA, and only three yielded inconclusive results. Consistency was observed in exculpatory results with the two procedures. This study demonstrates the utility of microscopic hair examinations and the strength of combining microscopic analysis with mtDNA sequencing.     

Using typologies of victimization worry to create strategies for reducing fear of crime

The purpose of this paper is to develop actionable strategies designed for law enforcement agencies seeking to reduce fear of crime among those living within their jurisdictions. A conjunctive analysis of case configurations is conducted on data collected from residents living in southeast Queensland (Australia) (N = 713) in order to identify context-specific typologies of victimization worry. Main effects for each component of the typologies are examined in order to identify the impact each has on reducing negative attitudes towards crime. Current findings suggest that agencies will likely reduce fear of crime among community residents the most by focusing on decreasing concerns related to the consequences of victimization. Results are consistent for both crimes against persons and property offenses.     

Barcelona 2002: law, ethics, and human rights. Using the law to improve access to treatments

The XIII International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa in July 2000 focused worldwide attention on the problem of accessing treatments in developing countries. In the interim, thanks to the work of activists - from demonstrations to court cases, and from acts of public courage by people living with HIV/AIDS to ongoing lobbying of politicians and trade negotiators - some very significant developments have occurred. But the reality is that the vast majority of people living with HIV/AIDS still lack access to affordable, quality medicines. This article, a summary of a paper presented at "Putting Third First: Vaccines, Access to Treatments and the Law," a satellite meeting held at Barcelona on 5 July 2002 and organized by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, the AIDS Law Project, South Africa, and the Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit, India, explores three approaches for improving access. In the first part, Richard Elliott provides an overview of the state of the right to health as embodied in international human rights law; comments on the experience to date in litigating claims to the right to health; and identifies potential strategies activists can adopt to advance recognition of the right to health. In the second part, Sharan Parmar and Vivek Divan describe price-control and drug-financing mechanisms used by industrialized countries to increase the affordability of medicines; and discuss how some of these mechanisms could be adapted for use in developing countries. Finally, Jonathan Berger describes the use of litigation in the courts by the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa.     

Organizational cultures as agents of differential association: explaining the variation in bribery practices in Ukrainian universities

This article explores the variation in bureaucratic bribery practices of ordinary Ukrainians. Despite common arguments about corruption-generating structural constraints of economic transition and about the regional culture of corruption in Eastern Europe, interviews with university-affiliated Ukrainians reveal significant variation in rates and patterns of their engagement in bribery. This article shows that participation in corruption is closely associated with actors' exposure to organizational cultures. It uses Edwin Sutherland's differential association theory of crime to argue that the acquisition of definitions that are either favorable or unfavorable to bribery through exposure to different organizational cultures of universities leads Ukrainians to either commit or avoid bribery. Students and professors acquire crime-related definitions through (1) encounters with institutionalized bribery mechanisms, (2) conversations with peers and colleagues with more substantial experience within specific universities; and (3) observations of other students and instructors. Karl Weick's notion of organizational enactment is argued to be the mechanism whereby these learned definitions translate into specific bribery-related behaviors. Inasmuch as acting against these definitions may lead to academic or professional failure, testing their validity is risky for university members. The processes of organizational enactment of bribery-related definitions are, therefore, at the core of organizations' role as agents of differential association. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the potential synthesis of differential association and organizational theories as a powerful tool for the study of bureaucratic corruption.     

Experimental statistical studies on the evaluation of the value of evidence in the comparison of human hair

In this paper a statistical experiment is presented which allows to estimate the evidential value of human head hair comparison. The procedure described in detail was essentially the same as in case-work. Questioned hairs were taken randomly from 20 different persons out of a pool of 111 individuals. From each of the 20 persons one, three an five hairs respectively were compared consectively with samples from 100 different individuals. The results were classified as follows: a) "matching" and b) "similar" - if the hair(s) may originate form that person; c) "not matching" - if an individual is excluded as possible source. In our experiment about 95% of the samples (persons) were excluded as possible source of a questioned hair on the average. This is a mean value which may vary considerably in a distinct case. The experiment, its results and problems are discussed.