Criminalistic identification of PGM-containing products of mining and metallurgical companies

In early 1990 s some organized criminal groups started to develop a new field of illegal business, which involved thefts of intermediary products from mining and metal-producing plants in Russia and in the south of Africa. Since local sulfide copper/nickel ores contain certain concentrations of precious and platinum group metals (PGMs), the intermediary products recovered at different stages of metallurgical transformation of these ores are materials of high commercial value. Illicit transportation and refining of these materials in Western Europe and North America has evolved into a large-scale business, where a lot of unlawful revenues are being laundered. The most important tasks in combating this organized crime are as follows: to establish the facts when some PGM-containing semi-products had been received at certain refineries; to carry out the identification of these semi-products; and to prove that these semi-products had been produced by a certain company. As a rule, it is not difficult to establish the identity of a "clean product". However, when a material is a mix of several semi-products or a mix of some semi-product with masking substances, the identification of individual components becomes an extremely complicated task. The purpose of developing the "complex procedure for establishing the nature and source of origin of precious metal-bearing products of mining and metallurgical operations" was to make possible the identification of complex mixes comprised of various metallurgical semi-products. In the complex procedure that we have developed to characterize dispersed materials, distribution of particles by their elemental composition (the so-called "pseudophase" composition) was used instead of mineralogical composition. To determine the "pseudophase" composition by the method of scanning electron microscopy with X-ray spectral microanalysis (SEM-EDX), a representative sample of material containing not less than 1000 particles was analyzed. All microparticles can be divided into several types. Each type is characterized by an association of chemical elements contained. The first stage includes the study of elemental composition by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry; and the study of phase composition by X-ray diffractometry. The results of each study are compared with data in the Data Base. In case of coincidence with one of the products with respect to all diagnostic features, the type of product and its source of origin are defined accordingly. If the features of the sample under analysis detected by the aforementioned methods do not coincide with any of the product types represented in Data Base, it is necessary to examine elemental composition and morphology of separate particle contained in the substance using SEM-EDX. If some particles characterized by features coinciding with features of particles belonging to any product or products from Data Base are found, this product or a mixture of products is assumed to be present in the composition of the substance under analysis. The assumption that the substance is a mixture can be verified by juxtaposing all previously determined features of the analyzed sample with the features of the pattern mixture (superposition) of the appropriate types of products represented in Data Base. Depending on the results of this verification the corresponding conclusion can be made.     

Death related to nasal surgery: case report with review of therapy-related deaths

The investigation of deaths that are suspected to be related to medical therapy present several challenges for the forensic pathologist. In all such cases, it is important for the pathologist to understand the therapy/procedure that may have played a role in death. As such, review of medical records and possible consultation with various medical specialists before autopsy can provide valuable information to ensure proper evaluation in any given case.Herein, we describe a rare death occurring as a complication of septoplasty, nasal polypectomy, and intranasal endoscopic ethmoidectomy, which are common surgical procedures performed by otolaryngology/head and neck surgeons. An otherwise healthy 58-year-old woman underwent the elective surgical procedures for a deviated nasal septum, multiple nasal polyps, and chronic ethmoid sinusitis. Following surgery, the patient never awoke from general anesthesia, and further evaluation before death revealed a basilar subarachnoid hemorrhage. Autopsy disclosed basilar subarachnoid hemorrhage, a traumatic defect of the right cribiform plate, and associated anterior cerebral artery injury with frontal lobe damage. No vascular anomalies were present. The cause of death was attributed to complications related to nasal surgery, and the manner of death was ruled "accident."Following the presentation of this case, the authors discuss these common nasal surgical procedures, including a summary of their known complications. In addition, the authors address and review the topic of deaths related to medical therapy.     

Extending the General Theory of Crime to “The East:” Low Self-Control in Japanese Late Adolescents

This study examined the measurement of low self-control as well as the low self-control-deviance relationship in a sample of N = 335 Japanese late adolescents. Participants completed the Grasmick et al. low self-control instrument and the Normative Deviance Scale (NDS). Findings indicated that the low self-control measure was a valid and reliable indicator of low self-control among male and female Japanese late adolescents and that it was multi-dimensional. Furthermore, the study provided evidence that low self-control was consistently related to diverse measures of deviance, ranging from trivial to more serious norm-violating behaviors (e.g., assault). Finally, in a series of comparisons of partial unstandardized regression coefficients between Japanese and U.S. late adolescents, the study found that the low self-control-deviance relationship was invariant across all measures of deviance with the exception of alcohol use. Findings are discussed in terms of their importance for cross-cultural/cross-national predictions made by the General Theory of Crime.     

Wife-battering — An Australian perspective

This article examines the leading definitions of wife-battering and questions the emphasis on physical rather than nonphysical abuse. All dimensions of these definitions are analyzed, namely the form of abuse, severity, frequency, intention, and meaning. The final definition formulated is derived from these dimensions and from the accounts and experiences of battered women themselves. The incidence and etiology of wife-battering is then examined from an Australian perspective. Theories which concentrate either specifically on the profiles of the victim and perpetrator or on the family unit or external factors are discussed. Finally, women do remain in violent relationships and their reasons for doing so are considered.