Evaluation of the possibility of differentiation between various types of ammunition by means of GSR examination with SEM-EDX method.

Gunshot residues originating from six types of pistol ammunition were studied. Six persons who normally have no contact with weapons fired three times, each person from a different pistol. Samples of gunshot residues were collected from the shooters' hands using aluminium stubs with black carbon adhesive tabs and subjected to examinations of their morphology and elemental content by means of a scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer in an automatic manner. In a comparative study of the samples, only primer residues were taken into account. The frequency of occurrence of particles representing a certain chemical class against the total number of detected particles was expressed as a percentage. Mutual relations between the frequencies of occurrence of the residues of particular chemical content were found to be different for most of the studied ammunition types using a non-statistical approach--and by means of non-parametric statistical methods (R-Spearman and tau-Kendall correlation coefficients), it was possible to differentiate one ammunition type from each of the other ammunition types examined. The performed examinations have revealed some differences in the frequencies of occurrence of certain chemical classes of primer residues, observed for various types of ammunition. These differences could constitute a valuable contribution to group identifications of ammunition made on the basis of physical and chemical examinations of gunshot residues.     

日本新任首相鸠山由纪夫

今年9月16日,日本国会"首相指名选举"确定民主党代表(即党首)鸠山由纪夫当选日本第93届、第60位首相.胜选后,缺乏执政经验的鸠山由纪夫能否胜任首相一职,引起国际舆论的极大关注.     

The stability of tetramine, morphine and meperidine in formalin solution.

The stability of tetramine, morphine and meperidine in formalin solution is an important factor for drug analysis in forensic investigation. In this paper, the tissues (liver, kidney, lung and heart) from poisoned rabbits were immersed in 50 ml 10% formalin solutions for 4 months before examination. We compared the levels of tetramine, morphine, meperidine and the main metabolite normeperidine, measured by GC/NPD or GC-MS, in frozen rabbit tissues, formalin-fixed rabbit tissues, and formalin solution. There was a decrease in the levels of tetramine, morphine, meperidine in formalin-preserved tissues compared with the levels of these drugs in the frozen tissues. It is suggested that the formalin-fixed tissues and formalin solution should be analyzed at the same time to assure the accurate results.     

英国大学的技术转移及知识产权管理

高等院校的科研力量及其科研成果在一国的技术创新中占有重要地位。它们的科研成果的管理及转移,在为社会创造财富的同时,也提高了一国的技术创新能力,是各国必须解决的问题。笔者在英国爱丁堡大学学习期间,与负责该大学科研立项及技术转移的校属研究与创新公司(ERI-EdinburghResearchandInnovation)进行了多次密切的接触,对英国大学的知识产权及科技管理有了较深入的了解。现将该校的技术转移及知识产权管理的情况介绍出来,管中窥豹,希望给     

An attempt to objectify the condition of cervical spine distortion injury in traffic accident victims for court purposes

Introduction

According to morphological criteria, cervical spine injuries include, among others, contusion, distortion, luxation and fracture. Distortion of the intervertebral articulations occurs when the force of movement exceeds the physiological range, and the articular/joint capsule, cartilage and ligaments are damaged. While within the articulation a haematoma is formed, which produces clinical manifestations such as localised idiopathic pain, tenderness to palpation and analgesic limitation on both the passive and active joint mobility (i.e., a syndrome of subjective painfulness), as reported by the patient, the diagnostic imaging techniques (i.e., regular radiograph pictures) typically applied in such cases do not show any post-traumatic changes. Distortion of the cervical spine, resulting in a post-traumatic feeling of pain, usually occurs indirectly as a result of transmission of the force of injury onto the spine, as in the case of a traffic accident. Frequently, in cases of abuse, arriving at a hasty clinical diagnosis of post-traumatic cervical spine distortion apparently presents a serious problem in giving medical opinions for court purposes; thus encouraging the authors to attempt objectifying the condition of cervical spine distortion.

Methods

In a retrospective investigation, the authors analysed the medical opinions given by the Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Silesia, for court purposes.

Results

Among nearly 5500 opinions in the past 5-year period, we analysed 167 cases related to cervical spine injury.

Conclusions

An attempt is made to either substantiate or negate the clinical diagnosis issued for court purposes by assessing the following: the findings of the physical examination of the person involved, the condition of the person involved in the accident from the period prior to accident (radiograph findings confirming the level of the already existing degenerative changes; age and sex of the person involved; positive or negative history of injuries sustained prior to accident), the course of treatment after the accident (character of symptoms reported and their evolution with time; co-existence of other bodily injuries; outpatient treatment instituted, including the application of Schantze collar, rehabilitation) and also the circumstances in which the accident occurred.     

Influence of rain and malathion on the oviposition and development of blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) infesting rabbit carcasses in Kelantan, Malaysia

The influence of rain and malathion on the initial oviposition as well as development of blowfly species infesting rabbit carcasses decomposing in sunlit and shaded habitats were studied over a period of 1 year in Kelantan, Malaysia. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) was the most dominant species that infested the carcasses, followed by Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart). In general, rain, depending on its intensity, delayed initial oviposition by 1–2 days and prolonged the pupation period by 1–3 days. The presence of malathion in the carcasses delayed initial oviposition by 1–3 days and prolonged the pupation period by 2–3 days. These findings deserve consideration while estimating postmortem interval since rain is a commonplace occurrence in Malaysia and malathion is one of the common poisons as an agent for choice to commit suicide.