Rapid detection of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists impregnated into paper by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The last few years have witnessed the change in the modalities of smuggling of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) by impregnating them in mail envelopes and fast parcels. Considering the aforementioned scenario, it is important to develop a portable technique to identifying SCRAs through packages. The purpose of this research was to detect SCRAs impregnated into substrates of paper using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Three SCRAs that included 5F-PB-22, AB-FUBINACA and AKB-48 were purchased from Sigma Aldrich. The three SCRAs and four cutting agents were impregnated into paper of variable thickness at four concentrations (10, 15, 20, and 25 mg/mL). Spectra were collected over the wavenumber range of 650–4000 cm⁻¹ using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and were exported to Matlab 2020b where data analysis was applied. The FTIR spectral data was able to show the three SCRAs could be detected on paper using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and quantitatively modeled using the partial least squares regression algorithm. Principal component analysis showed separate clustering for the compounds that crystallized (5F-PB-22, AB-FUBINACA and caffeine) onto the papers surface from those impregnated into the bulk of the paper (AKB-48 and procaine) with the latter situated near blank papers in score plots. In summary, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy has proven to be a successful non-destructive technique in detecting and quantifying a selection of SCRAs impregnated into paper.     

USB Storage Device Forensics for Windows 10

Significantly increased use of USB devices due to their user‐friendliness and large storage capacities poses various threats for many users/companies in terms of data theft that becomes easier due to their efficient mobility. Investigations for such data theft activities would require gathering critical digital information capable of recovering digital forensics artifacts like date, time, and device information. This research gathers three sets of registry and logs data: first, before insertion; second, during insertion; and the third, after removal of a USB device. These sets are analyzed to gather evidentiary information from Registry and Windows Event log that helps in tracking a USB device. This research furthers the prior research on earlier versions of Microsoft Windows and compares it with latest Windows 10 system. Comparison of Windows 8 and Windows 10 does not show much difference except for new subkey under USB Key in registry. However, comparison of Windows 7 with latest version indicates significant variances.     

Citizenship as Targeted Behavior: Responses to Organizational Justice and the Role of Culture

The study aimed at reviewing citizenship as targeted behavior in response to justice perceptions and investigating the role of within-culture differences on citizenship responses to organizational fairness perceptions. Data were solicited from 150 employees and their supervisors representing various public sector entities of Pakistan. Results showed that distributive and interactional fairness predict interpersonal organizational citizenship behavior. Organizational fairness did not predict citizenship behavior targeted at organizations. Organizational justice had negative values of citizenship behavior for higher values of collectivism. Findings and implications for human resource management practitioners and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Crimes of Terrorism on Innocent Iraqis from (2014) to (2016): A Semiotic Study

Terrorist organisations have increased and widened in Iraq in particular and the world in general in recent years. People have suffered a lot from these terrorist organisations due to their thirst for killing innocent civilians. The study aims to convey the suffering of innocent Iraqis caused by terrorist acts to the world. In order to achieve the aim, the research adopted Barthes’s (1964) framework to analyse the selected photographs. The researchers have selected (13) iconic photographs for the analysis. The photographs are taken from the main websites of the local, Arabic, and foreign media. The study found out that terrorism is the brutal enemy of all Iraqi societies including Sunnis, Shia, Kurds, Christians, and Yazidis. This research is a clear example that shows the world the extent of the suffering, pain, and fear Iraqi people are facing because of terrorism.

     

General-Purpose Local Government Defaults: Type,Trend, and Impact

Local governments default on bonds when they fail to comply with the monetary and nonmonetary aspects of the debt contracts. Analyses of defaults have relied on reports from credit rating agencies, which include only rated bonds undergoing monetary defaults. Using a unique and comprehensive dataset of defaults, we examine all general-purpose government defaults from 2009 to 2015 and find defaults to be more common than previously reported. We present a typology of defaults and characteristics of defaulted bonds. Most defaults occur among nongeneral obligation bonds and did not affect the yield of future, unrelated credits of the same issuer, providing support to the credit segmentation hypothesis.