Infanticide in Malaysia: two case reports and a review of literature

In a strict and conservative society like Malaysia, the number of cases of infanticide has continued to occur. The authors present two typical cases of infanticide in Malaysia. Case 1 concerned a body of a fully mature newborn fetus disposed in a rubbish bin. The head was traumatically amputated by the rubbish truck's compactor. The umbilical cord was still attached to the body, with no reddening around the insertion. The severed neck showed features consistent with post-mortem amputation. The significant finding was expanded crepitant lungs, which floated in water. The histology of the lungs showed expanded alveoli. It was concluded that the baby had been born alive, but no cause of death could be elicited. Case 2 concerned a decomposed mature newborn found in a scrub forest. The internal organs showed advanced putrefaction, the lungs being collapsed, congested, and hemorrhagic, typical of decomposed lungs. No conclusion could be made about the state of birth or the cause of death because of the putrefied state of the body. The two cases illustrate the typical cases and problems faced by pathologists locally and probably elsewhere in the world. Most of the bodies are found in a putrefied state. Pathologists have to ascertain not only maturity and live birth but also the cause of death, which may be very subtle or masked by putrefaction. The problems of diagnosis of live birth are discussed.     

STR genotyping and mtDNA sequencing of latent fingerprint on paper

A systematic study was conducted to investigate whether DNA can be successfully extracted from latent fingerprints deposited on ordinary paper and analysed using short tandem repeat profiling and mitochondrial DNA sequencing. In order to evaluate the performance of latent fingerprint analysis in a criminal case, experiments with varying conditions were carried out to improve our understanding of low copy number (LCN) DNA typing. After optimising the extraction methods to achieve increased sensitivity, the examination of touched paper can routinely yield the STR profile of the individual who has touched it. A fingerprint can therefore be considered as a potential source of DNA for genetic identification. Nevertheless, the findings of our "after enhancement experiment" (using chemically or physically pre-treated fingerprints), and our "mixture experiment" (using fingerprints from three to four people on the same sheet of paper) help to define the limitations of the low copy number PCR technique in forensic casework.     

Bite mark documentation and analysis: the forensic 3D/CAD supported photogrammetry approach

Bite mark identification is based on the individuality of a dentition, which is used to match a bite mark to a suspected perpetrator. This matching is based on a tooth-by-tooth and arch-to-arch comparison utilising parameters of size, shape and alignment. The most common method used to analyse bite mark are carried out in 2D space. That means that the 3D information is preserved only two dimensionally with distortions. This paper presents a new 3D documentation, analysis and visualisation approach based on forensic 3D/CAD supported photogrammetry (FPHG) and the use of a 3D surface scanner. Our photogrammetric approach and the used visualisation method is, to the best to our knowledge, the first 3D approach for bite mark analysis in an actual case. The documentation has no distortion artifacts as can be found with standard photography. All the data are documented with a metric 3D measurement, orientation and subsequent analysis in 3D space. Beside the metrical analysis between bite mark and cast, it is possible using our method to utilise the topographical 3D feature of each individual tooth. This means that the 3D features of the biting surfaces and edges of each teeth are respected which is--as shown in our case--very important especially in the front teeth which have the first contact to the skin. Based upon the 3D detailed representation of the cast with the 3D topographic characteristics of the teeth, the interaction with the 3D documented skin can be visualised and analysed on the computer screen.     

Polymerase slippage in relation to the uniformity of tetrameric repeat stretches

The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that polymerase slippage correlates to the length of repeat stretches consisting of uniform repeats against the alternative hypothesis that the total number of repeats is most relevant. Two short tetrameric short tandem repeats (STRs) with different repeat structures were investigated: D3S1545 containing only homogeneous (GATA)n repeat stretches and D7S1517 with compound repeat arrays of GAAA and CAAA repeats. Additionally two different polymerases (Herculase and AmpliTaq Gold) were used which gave comparable results. No correlation was found for the hypothesis "total repeat number against percent of stutter"; in contrast, the other hypothesis that the number of uniform repeats is relevant for the degree of stutter gave a strong positive correlation (0.82 for selected D7S1517 alleles) which confirmed the hypothesis that polymerase slippage correlates to the length of repeat stretches consisting of uniform repeats.     

The time-dependent expression of fibronectin,MRP8, MRP14 and defensin in surgically treated human skin wounds

Fibronectin, MRP8, MRP14 and defensin were detected immunohistochemically in 46 surgically treated, fresh (hours old) human wounds and in wounds of 13 individuals who died immediately from fatal trauma (airplane crashes or train rollovers). In immediate fatal trauma, it was not possible to detect fibronectin outside of bleeding areas nor could inflammatory cells be visualized in the interstitium using MRP8, MRP14, or defensin antibodies. Fibronectin staining could be regularly demonstrated in wounds at least 20 min-old. Granulocytic infiltrates limited to the perivasal space could be detected 20-30 min after infliction of the wound expressing MRP8, MRP14 and defensin. It was also possible to detect fibronectin networks and MRP8-, MRP14-, and defensin-positive granulocytes and macrophages in particular wounds up to 30 days-old. No differences between the expression of MRP8 and MRP14 could be demonstrated in the wounds, the majority of which were only several hours old. As wound age increased, the number of defensin-positive granulocytes detected decreased. The immunohistochemical detection of fibronectin is a useful way to demonstrate vitality in fresh wounds, beginning about 20-30 min post-trauma. However, detection of MRP8, MRP14 and defensin provides no advantage over the routine histological detection of granulocytes and macrophages in wounds under 1-2 days old.     

Complex suicides by self-incineration

Among the few cases of suicidal self-incineration primary or secondary complex suicides are a rarity. Accordingly the number of reports on this subject in the forensic literature is small. In a retrospective analysis of the Freiburg and Berlin autopsy material, four cases were found within an observation period of 11 years. These are described together with seven other cases reported in the literature. Altogether most of these suicides are primary combinations, especially with falls from a height. Other combinations include hanging or the infliction of stabs, cuts or gunshot injuries. The sex and age distribution is similar to that found for suicide by self-incineration alone.     

Classification of premium and regular gasoline by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry,principal component analysis and artificial neural networks

Detection and correct classification of gasoline is important for both arson and fuel spill investigation. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to classify premium and regular gasolines from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) spectral data obtained from gasoline sold in Canada over one calendar year. Depending upon the dataset used for training and tests, around 80-93% of the samples were correctly classified as either premium or regular gasoline using the Mahalanobis distances calculated from the principal components scores. Only 48-62% of the samples were correctly classified when the premium and regular gasoline samples were divided further into their winter/summer sub-groups. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were trained to recognise premium and regular gasolines from the same GC-MS data. The best-performing ANN correctly identified all samples as either a premium or regular grade. Approximately 97% of the premium and regular samples were correctly classified according to their winter or summer sub-group.     

Leading the health policy orchestra: the need for an intergovernmental partnership

The past decade provides a useful window through which to examine whether states are likely to provide health care leadership. During this era, states were given increased discretion to set health care policy, they had the financial resources to encourage innovation, and their administrative capacity was at its strongest ever. Despite the favorable conditions, however, states were reluctant to spend their own funds on programs for the uninsured, their efforts to make private insurance more affordable for the small business community were disappointing, and their efforts to regulate the managed care industry fell short. At the same time, though, the most promising innovations over the past decade were in programs financed primarily with federal dollars, administered primarily by state officials, and advanced by an intergovernmental partnership in which administrators at different levels of government prod each other to try and do more. This sort of intergovernmental partnership provides the best model for innovative health policy leadership.     

Automated headspace solid-phase dynamic extraction for the determination of cannabinoids in hair samples

This article describes a fully automated procedure for detecting cannabinoids in human hair samples. The procedure uses alkaline hydrolysis and headspace solid-phase dynamic extraction (HS-SPDE), followed by on-coating derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). SPDE is a further development of solid-phase microextraction (SPME), based on an inside needle capillary absorption trap. It uses a hollow needle with an internal coating of polydimethylsiloxane as extraction and pre-concentration medium.Ten mg of hair were washed with deionised water, petroleum ether and dichloromethane. After adding deuterated internal standards, the sample was hydrolyzed with sodium hydroxide and directly submitted to HS-SPDE. After absorption of analytes for an on-coating derivatization procedure, the SPDE-needle was directly placed into the headspace of a second vial containing N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide before GC-MS analysis. The limit of detection was 0.14 ng/mg for Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, 0.09 ng/mg for cannabidiol, and 0.12ng/mg for cannabinol. Absolute recoveries were in the range of 0.6 to 8.4%. Linearity was verified over a range from 0.2 to 20 ng/mg, with coefficients of correlation between 0.998 and 0.999. Intra- and inter-day precision were determined at two different concentrations and resulted in ranges between 2.3 and 6.0% (intra-day) and 3.3 and 7.6% (inter-day). Compared with conventional methods of hair analysis, this automated HS-SPDE-GC-MS procedure is substantially faster. It is easy to perform without using solvents and with minimal sample quantities, and it yields the same sensitivity and reproducibility. Compared to SPME, we found a higher extraction rate, coupled with a faster automated operation and greater stability of the device.