Preparation and application of a fortified hair reference material for the determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine

Quality assurance is one of the major issues in forensic analytical laboratories, where the need for a reference material (RM) has rapidly increased. RMs are very useful for method development and validation, internal quality control or proficiency tests. In the present study, we prepared a RM using drug-free hair for the determination of methamphetamine (MA) and its main metabolite, amphetamine (AP) according to the recommendations of ISO Guide 35. The concentrations of MA and AP were determined using two extraction methods, agitation with 1% HCl in methanol at 38 degrees C and ultrasonication with methanol/5M HCl (20:1), followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) after derivatization with trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA). The assignment of values was conducted through the homogeneity study and characterization of the material. Furthermore, an internal proficiency test was performed with the prepared RM, of which the results were compared with those of the authentic hair RM prepared in our previous study. As a result, a hair RM containing MA and AP was prepared at the level of 4.86+/-0.69 ng/mg and 4.63+/-0.44 ng/mg, respectively. Most participants showed satisfactory performances in the internal proficiency test with the both RMs. The hair RM prepared in this study demonstrated its suitability for quality assurance in forensic laboratories.     

Study of the Behaviors of Gunshot Residues from Spent Cartridges by Headspace Solid‐Phase Microextraction–Gas Chromatographic Techniques

Gunshot residues, produced after shooting activity, have acquired their importance in analysis due to the notoriety of firearms‐related crimes. In this study, solid‐phase microextraction was performed to extract the headspace composition of spent cartridges using 85‐μm polyacrylate fiber at 66°C for 21 min. Organic compounds, that is, naphthalene, 2,6‐dinitrotoluene, 2,4‐dinitrotoluene, diphenylamine, and dibutyl phthalate were detected and analyzed by gas chromatography‐flame ionization detection technique. Evaluation of chromatograms for diphenylamine, dibutyl phthalate, and naphthalene indicates the period after a gunshot was discharged, whether it was 1 days, 2–4 days, <5 days, 10 days, 20 days, or more than 30 days ago. This study revealed the potential effects of environmental factors such as occasional wind blow and direct sunlight on the estimation of time after spent cartridges were discharged. In conclusion, we proposed reliable alternative in analyzing the headspace composition of spent cartridges in a simulated crime scene.     

Comparison of Four Saliva Detection Methods to Identify Expectorated Blood Spatter

Blood spatter analysis is an important step for crime scene reconstruction. The presence of saliva in blood spatter could indicate expectorated blood which is difficult to distinguish from impact spatter. In this study, four saliva test methods (SALIgAE^®, Phadebas^® sheet, RSID^™-Saliva kit, and starch gel diffusion) were compared to identify the best method for detecting expectorated blood spatter. The RSID^™-Saliva kit showed the highest sensitivity even when saliva was mixed with blood, and was not inhibited by the presence of blood. The SALIgAE^® test provided easy and rapid results, but the yellow color of a positive reaction was overwhelmed by the red color of the blood. The starch gel diffusion method and the Phadebas^® sheet exhibited relatively low sensitivity and the assay took a long time. When using the RSID^™-Saliva kit for identifying saliva in blood, results should be read within 10 min.     

The “Nanny”, the “Fighter,” and the “Puppet”: a Brief Political Biographical History of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor Including the Earliest Days of Her Chief Executive Appointment

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has broken many ceilings as Hong Kong’s first female Chief Executive and the first post-Occupy Central leader. The mission of the political biographer is to contextualize Lam’s policies in the circumstances that she was put into and/or inherited from previous administrations without any value judgments (or highly minimized ones). The purpose is to recognize Lam as a complex entity characterized by a triad of images that include caring a senior civil servant, a tough-talking iron lady (nicknamed “The Fighter”) and a compliant Beijing loyalist (nicknamed “The Puppet” or “CY Leung 2.0”). The readers are the ultimate arbiters and evaluators of these narratives and perceptions to craft their own impression of Lam. The writing is organized into sections analyzing Lam’s family background, her rise in the civil service, her appointment as Chief Secretary, and her current tenure as the Chief Executive. The significance of this writing is an early assessment of Lam’s achievements and policy direction and a recount of her initiatives when she was Chief Secretary that can later be compared to post-administration retirement biographical writings for a full understanding of her political achievements and failures. Taken together, these accounts can then be a combined diachronic and synchronic historical biographical accounts of Lam.     

Collaborative research as an anti-poverty tool: a research partnership between police and indigenous Australians

This paper reports on a collaborative research project that shows how participatory social research can be used as a strategy for combating social exclusion. The Crime Prevention Partnership Project brought together dominant and disempowered groups to explore social issues of mutual concern and identify potential solutions. Indigenous Australian undergraduate students played a central role in this project, working with the police as customer service trainees and with the university as members of a project research group. This project became an opportunity to train and empower new researchers who, as people from disadvantaged groups, brought their own knowledge, concerns, and worldviews to a research process that they helped design and carry out themselves. The result was a learning process for all involved, referred to here as multi-directional empowerment. It led to tangible bridge building between mainstream, powerful institutions and a disadvantaged community. The project process offers a model for using participatory research as a framework in which to address development issues.