Spectral enhancement of leucocrystal violet treated footwear impression evidence in blood

The results presented demonstrate the capacity for spectral enhancement to substantially improve the forensic examination of footwear impressions in blood treated with leucocrystal violet (LCV). The UV-Vis absorption spectra were generated of (i) an aqueous solution of leucocrystal violet, (ii) leucocrystal violet in 3% H(2)O(2), (iii) LCV working solution and (iv) whole blood added to LCV working solution. The resultant fluorescence emission spectra were subsequently generated (lambda(ex)=630nm, lambda(em)=661-900nm). The results indicate that the UV-Vis absorption spectra of an unbuffered solution of whole blood with LCV working solution produces a strong absorbance curve with a maxima at 630nm. Subsequent excitation at this wavelength and generation of the emission spectrum in the fluorescence mode indicates that a solution of whole blood added to LCV working solution is an extremely weak fluorophore. Therefore, to enable an adequate and timely enhancement of blood impression evidence treated with LCV utilising either visible fluorescence or infrared luminescence requires (i) selection of the most appropriate excitation wavelength (lambda(ex)) and emission wavelength (lambda(em)) with extremely narrow band pass filters, which in the absence of substrate matrix interference is excitation at 630nm producing the emission maxima at 665nm and (ii) a visual enhancement system such as a CCD colour IR video camera with image integration.     

Confidence and accuracy of eyewitness identification from lineups

Recent studies of confidence-accuracy correlations in eyewitness-identification experiments have produced highly variable results (Deffenbacher, 1980; Wells & Murray, 1984) with some correlations near 0 (Malpass & Devine, 1981) and others as high as 0.5 (Brigham et al., 1982). Much of this variability may be accounted for by differences, in the design of the research. Specifically, lineup experiments in which the to-be-identified person (target) is always present tend to produce higher confidence-accuracy correlations than studies also providing blank or target-absent lineups replacing the target with a lookalike. A reanalysis of previously collected data (Lindsay & Wells, 1980; Wallbridge & Lindsay, 1982) revealed that lineup foils (nontargets) were identified with significantly less confidence than targets or lookalikes but that targets and lookalikes were identified with equal confidence. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that confidence of identification is a function of the similarity of the identified person to the original target. The first experiment using nonstudent subjects (n=53) and multiple targets (n=14) to increase generalizability, demonstrated that the person in the lineup who most closely resembled the target was identified with the highest mean level of confidence. The second experiment examined confidence in identification following a crime staged for 260 introductory psychology students. The results indicated that the similarity of foils to the target (established by independent ratings) was predictive of both the frequency and confidence of identification of faces.     

新疆部分地区牛新孢子虫病的血清学调查

应用间接免疫荧光抗体试验、酶联免疫吸附试验、斑点酶联免疫吸附试验3种检测方法,对新疆地区部分牛和牦牛的血清样品进行新孢子虫病抗体检测.结果显示,298头份牛血清全部为阴性,4份牦牛血清1份为阳性.     

Malaysia: The anxieties of success

Malaysia is a complex social and political phenomenon that could easily have become mired in ethnic conflict and economic stagnation. Malaysia has had to manage a shift from a natural resource-based economy to an export-oriented manufacturing system while balancing delicate racial and religious divisions in a democratic, constitutional federation. A proud and nationalist history has been confronted by global economic interdependence. Malaysia’s political leadership has been able to balance competing and almost contradictory domestic and international demands to carve out a prominent position for the country in world affairs while bringing forth a progressive economic entity. That success is neither accidental nor incidental.     

Witnessing-Condition Heterogeneity and Witnesses' Versus Investigators' Confidence in the Accuracy of Witnesses' Identification Decisions

Undergraduate participants were tested in 144 pairs, with one member of each pair randomly assigned to a witness role and the other to an :investigator role. Each witness viewed a target person on video under good or poor witnessing conditions and was then interviewed by an investigator, who administered a photo lineup and rated his or her confidence in the witness. Witnesses also (separately) rated their own confidence. Investigators discriminated between accurate and inaccurate witnesses, but did so less well than witnesses' own confidence ratings and were biased toward accepting witnesses' decisions. Moreover, investigators' confidence made no unique contribution to the prediction of witnesses' accuracy. Witnesses' confidence and accuracy were affected in the same direction by witnessing conditions, and there was a substantial confidence–accuracy correlation when data were collapsed across witnessing conditions. Confidence can be strongly indicative of accuracy when witnessing conditions vary widely, and witnesses' confidence may be a better indicator than investigators'