Improvement in Latent Fingerprint Detection on Thermal Paper Using a One‐Step Ninhydrin Treatment with Polyvinylpyrrolidones (PVP)

Abstract: Most thermosensitive surfaces of thermal paper turn black when they come into contact with polar organic solvents such as are used in ninhydrin petroleum benzin solution. This dark staining reduces the contrast between the developed fingerprint and the background to such an extent that the identification process becomes very difficult. Integrating polyvinylpyrrolidones (PVP) into a ninhydrin solution prevents the black staining, and the developed fingerprints appear in clear contrast to the background. The new ninhydrin solution containing PVP is successful compared to the two‐step ninhydrin–acetone washing method for thermal paper which is popular in Germany.     

Visualizing Indented Writing on Thermal Paper by the Controlled Application of Heat

Indented writing on thermal paper made with either one, two, or three sheets of paper above the thermal paper has been visualized by the controlled application of heat to the thermal paper at temperatures below the paper's normal color change temperature. Indentations created by applying a variable pressure to a steel letter stamp showed that, with one sheet above the thermal paper, indentations were more visible at lower pressures than with either two or three sheets above. Handwriting from 20 volunteers produced indented writing graded with most of the text clear and easy to read for all samples with one sheet above, half the samples with two sheets above and eight samples with three sheets above. Comparison with ESDA showed that, with three sheets above, there was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.01), with heating producing more samples than ESDA with most of the text clear and easy to read.     

Fatal Folic Acid Toxicity in Humans

Folic acid is B‐9 vitamin. Folic acid is prescribed commonly for pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects in the fetus, patients under chemotherapy, pernicious anemia and to reduce the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Acute or chronic ingestion of a large dose of folic acid generally manifests as neurological complications, which are reversible. In this present case, a 23‐year‐old pregnant woman committed suicide by consuming folic acid tablets and succumbed to death within 36 h. Postmortem toxicological analysis detected folic acid in viscera. Death following acute consumption of folic acid is rare and has been not reported in the literature, to the best of our knowledge.     

Police services detention centres: a proposed solution for action

Police services face daily challenges dealing with the health issues displayed by individuals in their custody. They often find themselves isolated from the services that can help the most. This paper scopes relevant literature on these challenges and some of the interprofessional interventions which have emerged to address them, such as the diversionary practices of crisis intervention teams, street triage, nurses in custody suites, and court liaison and diversion. Remote presence technology is proposed to be an innovative solution that can help to provide more efficient and effective pathways for care in Police Detention Centres. Remote presence technology has the ability to significantly affect the way interprofessional collaboration can take place for those in police custody.     

A Study of Background Levels of Antimony,Barium, and Lead on Vehicle Surface Samples by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption

Law enforcement agencies routinely sample for gunshot residue (GSR) by bulk techniques and often submit swabs taken from other surfaces besides the hands of the suspect shooter. This study aims to establish the prevalence of antimony, barium, and lead on normally handled automobile surfaces by graphite furnace atomic absorption analysis. No positives were determined on 50 sampled automobile surfaces above cutoff (positive) from background levels. Transfers of GSR particles from shooter hands to automobile surfaces were found to potentially allow for positive GSR determinations, but such transfers seem to be dependent on the shooting conditions and length of GSR exposure. We determined that our bulk analysis method yields an overall 87.94 ± 5.52% extraction efficiency from cotton swabs, while the LOQ determinations strengthening the fact that bulk analysis methods are valid and valuable tools for GSR investigations.     

Fate and Behavior of Gunshot Residue: Recreational Shooter Vehicle Distribution

The susceptibility for recreational shooters to transfer gunshot residue (GSR) to both the interior and exterior of a vehicle is investigated. A comprehensive sampling protocol was used to assess the most likely areas of GSR transfer from recreational shooter contact, such as the steering wheel and the area, the firearms were stored (the trunk). Up to 315 characteristic GSR, particles were found in several locations throughout the interior of a vehicle. As many as 876 characteristic particles were found throughout a single vehicle. The data indicate that vehicles frequently occupied by firearms users are a potential source for inadvertent transfer of GSR to persons unrelated to firearm activity. In criminal cases where vehicles have been used, such transfer processes for GSR need to be considered within the context of any case interpretation. The implications for subsequent contamination and transfer processes from such vehicles require further investigation.