Associations of dating violence victimization with lifetime participation, co-occurrence, and early initiation of risk behaviors among U.S. high school students

This study examined the association of victimization in a physically violent dating relationship with risk behaviors, age of risk behavior initiation, and co-occurrence of risk behaviors among students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States. Data were from the 2003 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Nearly 9% of students reported experiencing dating violence victimization. Dating violence victimization was associated with alcohol use, marijuana use, and having ever had sexual intercourse among female students and having ever had sexual intercourse among male students. Dating violence victimization also was associated with early initiation of alcohol use among female students. The odds of dating violence victimization increased as the number of risk behaviors increased and as the number of lifetime sexual partners increased. These risk behavior patterns should serve as warning signs of elevated risk for dating violence victimization and may be helpful in identifying adolescents who could benefit from targeted, preventive interventions.     

MiniSTR multiplex systems based on non-CODIS loci for analysis of degraded DNA samples

We describe two short amplicon autosomal short tandem repeat (miniSTR) quadruplex systems for eight loci D1S1171, D2S1242, D3S1545, D4S2366, D12S391, D16S3253, D20S161, and D21S1437, unlinked from the combined DNA index system (non-CODIS) loci, using newly designed primer sets. The results of an assay of 411 Japanese individuals showed that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products within the eight loci were less than 150bp in size, without the seven additional bases for adenylation. The frequency distributions in the loci showed no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations. The accumulated power of discrimination and power of exclusion for the eight loci were 0.9999999991 and 0.998, respectively. For assay of highly degraded DNA, including artificially degraded samples and the degraded forensic casework samples assessed with the present miniSTR quadruplex systems, the systems proved quite effective in analyzing degraded DNA.     

Supreme Court Ruling Creates More Standing Room in the Already Heated Global Greenhouse Gas Movement

This article reviews the recent April 2, 2007 Supreme Court decision in the Massachusetts v. EPA, a highly important case regarding greenhouse gases. The case centered on the Court's review of EPA's denial of a petition to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles. The Court required EPA to reconsider its denial. The Court found that. 1) the petitioners have standing to challenge EPA's denial of their petition; 2) the Court has the authority to review the denial of the petition; and 3) the Clean Air Act authorizes EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles. This article looks specifically at the Court's analysis of standing and jurisdiction by Justice Stevens, who wrote the Court's majority opinion, and two dissenting opinions by Justices Roberts and Scalia. Most interesting is how the closely divided Justices (5 to 4 decision) viewed, very differently, the issues regarding standing, the evidence that emissions from new motor vehicles are causing global warming and harm to Massachusetts, and the agency's judgment in denying the petition. Lastly, the article speculates on the impact of the decision and the current activities taking place at the state and regulated community level involving future regulation, litigation, and opportunities by various companies and coalitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The article then presents five broad areas where companies that emit greenhouse gases should need to maintain or increase awareness to better position themselves in the global greenhouse gas movement.     

The effect of sodium fluoride preservative and storage temperature on the stability of 6-acetylmorphine in horse blood, sheep vitreous and deer muscle

This study examined the in vitro stability of 6-acetylmorphine (6AM) in horse blood, sheep vitreous humour (VH) and homogenised deer muscle stored under different storage conditions. The stability of 6AM in horse blood is of interest because many toxicological laboratories utilise this matrix for the preparation of blood calibration and check standards and the latter are typically stored during routine use. Data on the storage stability of 6AM in human VH is extremely limited and no data has been reported in muscle. In the absence of human samples, 6AM stability was demonstrated in sheep vitreous and deer muscle. Blood and VH were stored with and without NaF at room temperature (RT), 4 and -18°C for 84 days. Muscle tissue homogenates were prepared in water with and without NaF and also in phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) containing NaF. Homogenates were stored for 31 days at RT, 4 and -18°C. Morphine and 6AM were extracted using SPE and quantified by GC-ion trap-MS/MS. In the absence of NaF, 6AM could not be detected after 7 and 14 days in blood stored at RT and 4°C, respectively. Although at -18°C 6AM was stable for 7 days (12% loss), only 54% was detected by day 84. The addition of NaF to horse blood increased 6AM stability substantially at every temperature. Further, the rate of degradation was found to be significantly slower in blood preserved with 2% NaF compared with 1% NaF (p=.05). 6AM was stable for the study period in preserved blood (1 and 2% NaF) stored at -18°C. For laboratories utilising horse blood in the preparation of standards, preservation with 1% NaF (minimum) and storage at -18°C is recommended. The addition of NaF to VH was essential for 6AM stability. Irrespective of temperature substantial losses (≥ 42%) were observed in unpreserved sheep VH by day 7. In preserved VH the concentration declined by only 22% on day 7 following storage at RT and no loss observed in VH stored at 4 and -18°C at the same time. In muscle, 6AM was stable for 7 days in preserved samples stored at RT and in all samples stored at 4°C and below. The addition of NaF increased the stability of 6AM substantially in muscle. The increased stability of 6AM in VH and muscle preserved with fluoride was attributed to inhibition of bacterial action and the subsequent reduction in the rate of putrefaction of these tissues.     

Identification of a corpse using autosomal and gonosomal STR markers

The identification of unidentified corpses poses an exceptional challenge in the field of forensic medicine, because visual traits are often unspecific. Forensic genetics offer a reliable means to determine the identity of a corpse unambiguously. In the process, Y and X chromosomal markers play an important role. Here, we report about a case out of the ordinary where a corpse was properly identified using forensic genetic methods.     

The use of the likelihood ratio for evaluative and investigative purposes in comparative forensic handwriting examination

This paper extends previous research and discussion on the use of multivariate continuous data, which are about to become more prevalent in forensic science. As an illustrative example, attention is drawn here on the area of comparative handwriting examinations. Multivariate continuous data can be obtained in this field by analysing the contour shape of loop characters through Fourier analysis. This methodology, based on existing research in this area, allows one describe in detail the morphology of character contours throughout a set of variables. This paper uses data collected from female and male writers to conduct a comparative analysis of likelihood ratio based evidence assessment procedures in both, evaluative and investigative proceedings. While the use of likelihood ratios in the former situation is now rather well established (typically, in order to discriminate between propositions of authorship of a given individual versus another, unknown individual), focus on the investigative setting still remains rather beyond considerations in practice. This paper seeks to highlight that investigative settings, too, can represent an area of application for which the likelihood ratio can offer a logical support. As an example, the inference of gender of the writer of an incriminated handwritten text is forwarded, analysed and discussed in this paper. The more general viewpoint according to which likelihood ratio analyses can be helpful for investigative proceedings is supported here through various simulations. These offer a characterisation of the robustness of the proposed likelihood ratio methodology.     

Further investigations into the speed of cerebral swelling following blunt cranial trauma

An anesthetized sheep model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been developed to assess early changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) following closed head injury. Immediately after TBI, a transient (<10 min) hypertensive response occurred, followed by significant and prolonged systemic hypotension. ICP demonstrated a biphasic response, being seven times baseline values of 8 ± 2 mm Hg 10 min after injury, decreasing to 25 ± 2 mm Hg by 30 min, and then increasing to values exceeding 30 mm Hg by 4 h postinjury. ICP was always significantly higher than baseline values, which combined with hypotension, reduced cerebral perfusion pressure to less than 60% of normal. This early and sustained increase in ICP after craniocerebral trauma acutely alters cerebral perfusion pressure and brain oxygenation and provides a potential pathophysiological explanation for immediate clinical manifestations in humans following significant TBI.     

Detection of hemorrhage source: The diagnostic value of post-mortem CT-angiography

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of post-mortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) to conventional, ante-mortem computed tomography (CT)-scan, CT-angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the detection and localization of the source of bleeding in cases of acute hemorrhage with fatal outcomes. The medical records and imaging scans of nine individuals who underwent a conventional, ante-mortem CT-scan, CTA or DSA and later died in the hospital as a result of an acute hemorrhage were reviewed. Post-mortem computed tomography angiography, using multi-phase post-mortem CTA, as well as medico-legal autopsies were performed. Localization accuracy of the bleeding was assessed by comparing the diagnostic findings of the different techniques. The results revealed that data from ante-mortem and post-mortem radiological examinations were similar, though the PMCTA showed a higher sensitivity for detecting the hemorrhage source than did ante-mortem radiological investigations. By comparing the results of PMCTA and conventional autopsy, much higher sensitivity was noted in PMCTA in identifying the source of the bleeding. In fact, the vessels involved were identified in eight out of nine cases using PMCTA and only in three cases through conventional autopsy. Our study showed that PMCTA, similar to clinical radiological investigations, is able to precisely identify lesions of arterial and/or venous vessels and thus determine the source of bleeding in cases of acute hemorrhages with fatal outcomes.