Nanotechnology for forensic sciences: Analysis of PDMS replica of the case head of spent cartridges by optical microscopy, SEM and AFM for the ballistic identification of individual characteristic features of firearms

A novel application of replica molding to a forensic problem, viz. the accurate reproduction of the case head of gun and rifle cartridges, prior and after been shot, is presented. The fabrication of an arbitrary number of identical copies of the region hit by the firing pin and by the breech face is described. The replicas can be (i) handled without damaging the original evidence, (ii) distributed to different law enforcement agencies for comparison against other evidences found on crime scenes or ballistic tests of seized firearms, (iii) maintained on a file by the laboratories. A detailed analysis of the morphological features of the replicas has been carried out by standard microscopy techniques as well as by advanced microscopy such as scanning probe and scanning electron leading to a quantitative morphological characterization of the case heads down to the nanometer scale. The assignment of the cartridge replicas to the shooting weapon is demonstrated to hold below the micron scale, while it is hindered at the nanometer level both by the manufacturing differences and by eventual modifications occurring on the firing pin.     

Offender Presence, Available Victims, Social Disorganization and Sex Offense Rates

The present study examines the utility of social disorganization theory for identifying community characteristics associated with varying rates of sex offenses both in general and against children. Measures of economic deprivation, community stability, cohesion, informal social control, presence of known offenders, and available opportunities are used in one urban county (Louisville, KY) to identify characteristics of census tracts with high rates of sex offenses. Results show that social disorganization theory is a moderately useful explanation for sexual offenses against adults, but not for sexual offenses against children.     

Age of First Arrest,Sex, and Drug Use as Correlates of Adult Risk Behaviors Among Rural Women in Jails

Incarcerated women frequently report initiation of substance use and sexual encounters at an early age, and often engage in high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors as adults. This study examined the timing of first sex, drug use, and arrest, as well as their unique influences on specific risky behaviors in adulthood, among a high-risk population of rural women recruited from jails. Ages of initiation were all positively and significantly correlated, and each independently increased the likelihood of several risky behaviors in adulthood. Implications are discussed for screening, intervention, and treatment targeting high-risk women and girls in rural areas, particularly within criminal justice settings.     

Stalking by law: damaging victims and rewarding offenders

The introduction of anti-stalking statutes throughout Australia and much of the Western world has brought greater protection for the victims of various forms of harassment and intrusions. However, despite these new provisions, the legal system is failing some victims of stalking. This article examines those areas of the justice system that are particularly susceptible to manipulation by stalkers and the impact of these abuses on stalking victims. It also presents ways in which the problems encountered by stalking victims may be frustrated rather than alleviated by specific aspects of the enforcement of anti-stalking laws and of the functioning of certain courts and tribunals. Approaches that prevent or discourage the perpetuation of harassment and damage to victims of stalking within the legal system are discussed.     

THE TRANSSEXUAL IN SOCIETY

Because transsexuals possess bodies that their minds cannot accept, they are trapped between society's demand to conform to the anatomical self thrust on them by birth and their own desire to conform to a different interior self, Although the transsexual dresses and behaves as a member of the morphologically opposite sex, this is neither a case of transvestism nor homosexualiy. Psyahologically. the transsexual is a female within a male body, or a male within a female body. In the past these distinctions were virtually ignored by the medical world. Recently, however, attempts have been made, particularly at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, to determine precisely what constitutes transsexualism and to treat surgically those suffering from it. As important as the need to identify and heat the problem itself is the need to combat the emotionalism and prejudice surrounding the subject, which hamper serious research [Green and Money, 1969: Inside cover notes].     

Death following atypical compression of the neck

The authors present 3 cases of asphyxia caused by atypical compression of the neck by the metal bed bars fitted at the sides of the bed to prevent falling out. These occurred in 3 elderly women living in nursing homes, confined to bed by severe neuropsychiatric disturbances. In all 3 cases, the minor nature of the skin lesions and absence of blood infiltrations in the anatomic structures of the neck had made it difficult to diagnose the cause of death. Inspection of the rest homes, together with the autopsy findings (acute pulmonary emphysema, conjunctival petechiae, and dark, fluid blood), enabled identification of asphyxia as the cause of death and its causal agent as the bed bars.