Observations and statistics relating to suicide weapons

The weapon at the scene of a suicide provides a resource in addressing such questions as frequency of blood in or on the weapon, location of the weapon with respect to the body, and evidence of firearm discharge residues on the hand. The first 195 weapons were tested for blood by a technique different from the following 202 weapons. Results were obtained which caused procedural changes in blood detection. Data are presented for frequency of blood in and on the muzzle of weapons, relative frequency of location of suicidal gunshot wound, and percent "positive" findings of gunshot residue metals on the hands. It was found that suicidal gunshot wounds were 3 times more frequent to the head than the chest, and that no significant difference was noted between males and females in this study. Scene photographs reveal that the suicide weapon is in or resting on the hand of the decedent 20% of the time with handguns and 11% of the time with long guns.     

Coverage and quality of the registration of perinatal deaths occurring in health institutions in the Federal District

"This paper presents the results of the first direct attempt at evaluating the coverage of the perinatal death registration in the Distrito Federal [of Mexico]; this study is based on the information gathered from 574 deaths which took place in 23 hospitals in the Distrito Federal during a three month period in 1984. Both the causes of the failure to register many of these deaths and the quality of the information presented in perinatal death certificates are pointed out and discussed here. According to the evidence analyzed, it is clear that underregistration in the Distrito Federal is extremely marked.... The paper suggests the possibility of establishing a hospital registration system which would keep a record of both deaths and births. It also stresses the need for establishing rules to detect fetal deaths plus the need for unifying criteria regarding the definition of 'live birth'." (SUMMARY IN ENG)     

The statistical prediction of violent behavior

Considerable attention in the popular and professional literature has focused on the relative costs and benefits of using public protectionist versus civil libertarian models of social control. In this article, we develop statistical analogs of these models to predict violent behavior among samples of defendants found incompetent to stand trial in New York State. The societal and personal costs (errors of prediction) of each model are compared and their implications for clinical practice and social policy are discussed.This research was supported in part by PHS Grant MH 20367 from the NIMH Center for Studies of Crime and Delinquency. The assistance of Thomas Arvanites in data analysis and the comments of Monroe Lefkowitz and Mary Evans Melick on earlier drafts of this paper are gratefully acknowledged.     

Some measurements of achievement orientation

A series of interrelated studies of achievement orientation, stemming from theoretical work by Kluckhohn and Parsons, are compared. It is found that this orientation consists of at least four separate components: (1) “activism” or “mastery”; (2) “trust”; (3) “independence of family”; and (4) “occupational primacy” or “accomplishment.” The first three are positively correlated with one another and with socioeconomic status; the fourth is negatively correlated with the others and with status. The findings are interpreted in the light of theoretical problems about achievement orientation, social mobility, and economic development.     

The primary investigation of material evidence and the evaluation of its suitability for expert biological identification by genomic "dactyloscopy"

Use of DNA "fingerprinting" method for biological analysis of material evidences exhibit new potentials for making concrete expert conclusions. But such expertise is time consuming and difficult to perform that's why it is important to evaluate fitness of expert material for DNA fingerprinting at early stages of object investigation. Method of preliminary treatment of objects sent for DNA fingerprint expertise in case of sexual assault is suggested and tested. This method allows one to evaluate objects easily from the standpoint of possibility to perform such investigation.