Validation of the PowerPlex 1.1 loci for use in human identification

STR typing is now the favored method of DNA analysis for the purposes of human identification in the forensic community. The Forensic Services Division of the Detroit Police Department has completed its validation of the PowerPlex 1.1 loci (CSF1PO, TPOX, THO1, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317, and D5S818) for use in forensic casework. Detroit Metro Area Red Cross samples were typed from each of five racial/ethnic groups--the Hispanic, Caucasian, African American, Asian, and American Indian populations--and allele and genotype frequencies were calculated. A rare off-ladder variant (9.1 allele at D7S820) was identified among the database samples. A number of validation studies were performed. DNA was extracted from different substrates and typed as expected, except for the DNA extracted from leather (signal absent from the D16S539, D7S820, D13S317, CSF1PO, and TPOX loci) and from dirt (no PCR product generated). The minor contributor in the mixture study (250 pg input DNA) was facile to discern. The Concordance study, the variety of fluids from the same individual, and NIST standards studies all produced the expected results. Finally, STR data confirmed previous DNA typing results from adjudicated casework samples.     

Tearing of knicker fabrics

In Dunedin (South Island, New Zealand), a sexual assault is reported to police approximately once every two to three weeks, with some reports fictitious. Identifying a fictitious claim is difficult, and damage to apparel, especially knickers, may be the only form of evidence. In this paper, the tear behaviour of three knit fabrics, typical of those used to manufacture knickers is reported: the effect of laundering prior to tearing was considered. Tearing behaviour was determined using an Instron universal testing machine (Model 4464) operating in tensile mode to eliminate variability which is inevitable with human participants. Cotton and cotton-rich fabrics were more difficult to tear than modal-rich fabrics: the addition of elastane increased the time for the tear initiation as elastane fibres allowed the fabric to extend more before breaking. Specimens behaved differently depending on which direction they were torn (course-direction specimens down the length of the specimen, wale-direction specimens 50% down the length, 50% across the specimen). Laundered fabrics required less force to tear than new fabrics, therefore, when examining torn apparel, the fibre content and age of the garment need to be considered. Torn fibre ends appeared similar to those damaged by other means (e.g. knife, screwdriver) and no features visible under FESEM could be attributed solely to tearing damage in the fabrics studied.     

What Have We Learned about the Performance of Council‐Manager Government? A Review and Synthesis of the Research

The 100th anniversary of the International City/County Management Association provides an excellent point to review and assess research on the performance of the council‐manager form of government. The development of the council‐manager form arguably has been the most important innovation in American local government over the last century, yet its impact on the performance of municipal governments is not well understood. This article reviews and assesses the empirical evidence for 10 propositions that council‐manager governments perform better than mayor‐council governments. This evidence indicates that although progress has been made on demonstrating differences in representation and functionality, the proposition that council‐manager governments are better managed than mayor‐council governments has yet to be seriously engaged in this literature. Filling this critical gap requires progress in two areas: the development of theory to explain why council‐manager governments are better‐managed organizations and the production of evidence assessing the major propositions of this theory.     

Female inmates, family caregivers, and young children's adjustment: A research agenda and implications for corrections programming

Attendant to the exponential increase in rates of incarceration of mothers with young children in the United States, programming has been established to help mothers attend to parenting skills and other family concerns while incarcerated. Unfortunately, most programs overlook the important, ongoing relationship between incarcerated mothers and family members caring for their children—most often, the inmates' own mothers. Research reveals that children's behavior problems escalate when different co-caregivers fail to coordinate parenting efforts and interventions, work in opposition, or disparage or undermine one another. This article presents relevant research on co-caregiving and child adjustment, highlights major knowledge gaps in need of study to better understand incarcerated mothers and their families, and proposes that existing interventions with such mothers can be strengthened through targeting and cultivating functional coparenting alliances in families.