Preliminary investigations into tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) ruthenium III as a chemiluminescent reagent for the detection of 3,6-diacetylmorphine (heroin) on surfaces

The use of tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) ruthenium (III) as a chemiluminescent spray reagent spot-test for heroin is discussed. Two forms of the reagent are investigated an aqueous and an anhydrous where both were found to give vastly different results. The aqueous reagent giving slow, low intensity chemiluminescence whilst the anhydrous reagent gave a fast, bright response in the presence of 3,6-diacetylmorphine. The anhydrous reagent is less sensitive the slow, intensity response is characteristic of only two opiates tested 3,6-diacetylmorphine and 3-monoacetylmorphine.     

Jhering's Philosophy of Authority

This article offers a critical reassessment of the jurisprudenceof Rudolf von Jhering. During the 20th century, Anglo-Americanlegal philosophers who drew inspiration from Jhering's workusually lauded him either as a German forerunner to Americanlegal realism or as an early proponent of a jurisprudence ofinterests. These representations of his work do not do justiceto Jhering's jurisprudential project. This study demonstratesthat he sought to explain how legal systems originate and howthey maintain authority. It is shown that his explanation oflegal authority depends not only upon familiar jurisprudentialnotions such as reciprocity and positional duty, but also uponthe concept of Rechtsgefühl—namely, the idea thatauthority is conditioned by citizens’ feelings of whatis right or just. Jhering, it is demonstrated, believed thatthe authority of a legal system depends very much on its abilityto negotiate and accommodate struggles based upon feelings ofright—struggles between citizens, between citizens andState, and between States. It is also argued that the mannerin which Jhering relies on the idea of Rechtsgefühl underminesthe received wisdom that he was an interest theorist.     

Properties of novel and widely studied Y-STR loci in three South African populations

The objective of the present study was to examine the properties of a set of single-copy Y-STR loci to assess their suitability for forensic casework in three South African populations. Three criteria were used to select markers for assessment. Firstly, the single-copy markers of the minimal haplotype were selected based on their established use in forensic studies. Secondly, 8 markers were selected on the basis of high gene diversity values reported for several population studies, and thirdly 19 markers were chosen from a survey of Y-chromosome sequence with selections made primarily on the basis of the number of repeated elements present. Samples were typed from 101 English-speaking Caucasians, 88 Xhosa individuals and 77 Asian Indians. Gene diversity values, the number of alleles identified and the average stutter was determined for each locus.     

The Effect of Survey Mode and Sampling on Inferences about Political Attitudes and Behavior: Comparing the 2000 and 2004 ANES to Internet Surveys with Nonprobability Samples

Jon A. Krosnick Departments of Communication, Political Science, and Psychology, Stanford University, 434 McClatchy Hall, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305 e-mail: krosnick{at}stanford.edu e-mail: neilm{at}stanford.edu (corresponding author) Since the inception of the American National Election Study(ANES) in the 1940s, data have been collected via face-to-faceinterviewing in the homes of members of area probability samplesof American adults, the same gold-standard approach used bythe U.S. Census Bureau, other federal agencies, and some nongovernmentresearchers for many of the most high-profile surveys conductedtoday. This paper explores whether comparable findings aboutvoters and elections would be obtained by a different, considerablyless expensive method: Internet data collection from nonprobabilitysamples of volunteer respondents. Comparisons of the 2000 and2004 ANES data (collected via face-to-face interviewing withnational probability samples) with simultaneous Internet surveysof volunteer samples yielded many differences in the distributionsof variables and in the associations between variables (evencontrolling for differences between the samples in reportedinterest in politics). Accuracy was higher for the face-to-face/probabilitysample data than for the Internet/volunteer sample data in 88%of the possible comparisons. This suggests that researchersinterested in assuring the accuracy of their findings in describingpopulations should rely on face-to-face surveys of probabilitysamples rather than Internet samples of volunteer respondents. Authors' note: We thank Randy Thomas of Harris Interactive andMorris Fiorina for very helpful suggestions. Jon Krosnick isUniversity Fellow at Resources for the Future.     

Femoral artery pseudoaneurysm and sudden death

Pseudoaneurysm formation may be a late complication of vascular grafting. A case of sudden death in an 83-year-old woman with a previous aortobifemoral bypass graft is reported that was due to spontaneous hemorrhage from a pseudoaneurysm of the graft site that had eroded through the overlying skin and subcutaneous tissues. Pseudoaneuryms do not have to be of a particularly large size for rupture to occur. Social isolation and age-related cognitive impairment may delay treatment in older individuals resulting in a lethal outcome. The elderly are also more vulnerable to serious morbidity and death under these circumstances owing to significant underlying cardiovascular and respiratory disease and/or anticoagulant medication. Rarer conditions that may cause pseudoaneurysms include tumors and vasculidites. The possibility of an infectious contribution to the pseudoaneurysm should be considered and microbiological sampling undertaken.     

Arterial Perfusion—A Useful Technique for Evaluating Incised Wounds

A 54‐year‐old woman was found deceased with incised wounds of both sides of her neck and both wrists. Postmortem CT scanning revealed air in the heart and in the dural veins in continuity with air in the right jugular vein. Death was due to incised wounds of the wrist and neck with blood loss and air embolism. The manner of death was suicide. At autopsy, perfusion of the thoracic ascending aorta produced a fine stream of water emanating from an incised wound of the right ulnar artery with no significant leakage of water from the wound of the left wrist. There was also leakage from the facial artery branch of the right external carotid artery. Perfusion testing can be used as a screening test prior to formal dissection and also to identify small vessels that may not be obvious on standard examination of an exsanguinated field.     

Souvenir knife: a retained transcranial knife blade

Upon necroscopic examination of a homeless male found comatose in the street and pronounced dead at a medical center 12 hours later, a sharp tip of a knife lodged in the right parietal region of his skull was incidentally discovered. The blade transected the diploe and penetrated the cerebral cortex. Subsequent police investigation revealed that this was the remnant of a stabbing attempt on his life several months prior to his death. The cause of death was determined to be unrelated to the metallic blade fragment, thus making it a truly incidental and rare finding of a "souvenir knife." Nevertheless, since the injury sustained in the stabbing was potentially life threatening, the investigation into that assault was reopened.A case report is presented, along with a brief review of the literature on "souvenir objects."     

The identification of the emulsifier component of emulsion explosives by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

ABSTRACT: The widespread availability of emulsion explosives for commercial blasting has inevitably lead to their diversion for criminal misuse. Present techniques for the characterization of emulsion explosives and their residues is generally based on the detection and identification of the oxidizer and the hydrocarbon components. Use of these components is problematic for residue identification because ammonium nitrate, waxes, and oils are relatively common in the urban environment and even their co-detection does not exclude them being sourced from materials other than explosives. The detection of the emulsifier component offers increased evidential value as certain emulsifiers used in explosive formulations are manufactured for that specific use, or have limited environmental distribution. In the current study liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was utilized for the characterization of two emulsifiers in common use; ethanolamine adducts of polyisobutylene succinic anhydride and sorbitol mono-oleate (SMO). The LC-MS technique enabled the detection of both emulsifiers in preblast samples; however, only SMO was detected in postblast residues. The analysis of the hydrocarbon component by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was achieved in the same procedure.