Detection of fingermarks by colloidal gold (MMD/SMD)--beyond the pH 3 limit

Dust was investigated for its ability to retain source attribution profiles (SAPs) after chemical exposure. Three distinct sources of the organophosphate pesticide acephate were investigated as a proof-of-concept model. In addition, attribution profiles were created and tested using compounds related to chemical warfare agents (CWAs), specifically VX and G-series agents: O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate (EMPTA), N,N-diisopropylmethylamine (DIPMA), N,N-diisopropylethylamine (DIEA), diisopropylamine (DIPA), diethyl aniline (DEA), diethyl ethyl phosphonate (DEEP), trimethyl phosphite (TMP), dimethyl hydrogen phosphite (DMHP), diethyl hydrogen phosphite (DEHP), triethyl phosphate (TEP), ethyl methylphosphonate (EMPA), and diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP). Dust was collected from a storage shed, aliquots deposited on carpet and loaded with distinct chemical profiles using an exposure chamber and aerosolizer. After a given period of time (1h, 24h, or 72 h), the dust was extracted and its SAP analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and/or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to determine the association of dust exposed to the same and different chemical sources. PCA results demonstrate that dust samples exposed to distinct chemical sources are clearly differentiated from one another across all collection times. Furthermore, dust aliquots exposed to the same source can be clearly associated with one another across all collection times. When the CWA-related compounds were subjected to elevated temperature (90°C) conditions, it was found that the signature was stable at the 1h and 24h collections. At 72 h and elevated temperature, larger deviations from the control were observed for some compounds. Elevated pH (10) affected the profile to a lesser degree than elevated temperature. Overall, dust is found to be an effective media for the in situ collection of source attribution profiles.     

Traumatic bilateral vertebral artery dissection

Traumatic vertebral artery dissection is not often seen by forensic pathologists, and cases investigated are scarce in the forensic literature. We present the case of a 40-year-old woman cyclist who was struck by a car while wearing a helmet, and was neurologically near normal immediately thereafter at Emergency. She presented 48 h later with acute right hemiparesis, decreasing level of consciousness, and unsteadiness. CT revealed massive cerebellar infarction. CT angiography was normal. The patient died in coma 7 days after injury and autopsy revealed bilateral edematous cerebellar infarction and bilateral vertebral artery dissection. Rotational neck injury and mural tear in the wall of the Atlantic parts of both vertebral arteries is suggested as the possible mechanism of the arterial injury. Head and neck injuries are reported as a precipitating cause of vertebral artery injury. The possible influence of trauma may be further underestimated if longer intervals between vessel dissection and ischemia occur. The current case illustrates that "talk-and-die" syndrome may be due to occult vertebral artery dissection, possibly bilateral. In forensic cases of delayed death after mild trauma to the head and neck, the vertebral arteries should be examined for the cause of death.     

Beyond COVID-19: Five commentaries on expert knowledge,executive action,and accountability in governance and public administration

Several Canadian and international scholars offer commentaries on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for governments and public service institutions, and fruitful directions for public administration research and practice. This first suite of commentaries focuses on the executive branch, variously considering: the challenge for governments to balance demands for accountability and learning while rethinking policy mixes as social solidarity and expert knowledge increasingly get challenged; how the policy-advisory systems of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and United Kingdom were structured and performed in response to the COVID-19 crisis; whether there are better ways to suspend the accountability repertoires of Parliamentary systems than the multiparty agreement struck by the minority Liberal government with several opposition parties; comparing the Canadian government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Global Financial Crisis and how each has brought the challenge of inequality to the fore; and whether the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated or disrupted digital government initiatives, reinforced traditional public administration values or more open government.     

Young and armed: a cross-sectional study on weapon carrying among adolescents

The purpose of this study was to identify empirically, for the first time in France, the prevalence of adolescent weapon carrying with particular focus on the contribution of a broad range of social bonding, strain, social learning, and sociodemographic predictors. A multivariate logistic regression model was conducted using a backward elimination procedure to identify the significant predictors of weapon carrying controlling for age, gender, and SES in a sample of 12,706 French youth aged 11–19 years. Results revealed that the odds of weapon carrying increased among adolescents who suffered from past victimization, who had a negative relationship with their mother, and who repeated a grade at school. Moreover, holding pro-delinquent beliefs and having delinquent peers also increased the odds of weapon carrying. Our findings highlight the importance of the interpersonal and social context when examining the determinants of weapon carrying and showed a unique contribution of components of social bonding, strain, and social learning in weapon carrying among adolescents.     

Contribution of parkland trees to farmers’ livelihoods: a case study from Mali

Native species of trees and shrubs contribute significantly to farmers' livelihoods by supplying food, medicinal products, fodder, and wood. In the case study reported in this article, this contribution to farmers' annual revenue varied from 26 per cent to 73 per cent, and was as high as US$ 650 a year for households for which agroforestry products were the primary source of revenue. Household consumption was not quantified in the study, but farmers' comments confirmed that native trees also played an important role in assuring food security, especially in the ‘hunger period’ when grain stores are low and farmers are waiting for the next harvest.     

Scanning electron microscopy analysis of experimental bone hacking trauma of the mandible

The authors report on a macroscopic and microscopic study of human mandible bone lesions achieved by a single-blade knife and a hatchet. The aim of this work was to complete the previous data (scanning electron microscopy analysis of bone lesions made by a single-blade knife and a hatchet, on human femurs) and to compare the lesions of the femur with those of the mandible. The results indicate that the mandible is a more fragile bone, but the features observed on the mandible are quite similar to those previously observed on the femur. This work spells out the main scanning electron microscopy characteristics of sharp (bone cutting) and blunt (exerting a pressure on the bone) mechanisms on human bone. Weapon characteristics serve to explain all of these features.     

Arts Organizations and Branding: Creating a New Joint Brand for Three Arts Organizations

This article investigates brand architecture by analyzing stakeholder perceptions of brand images when a new joint brand is created for the existing brands of three arts organizations. The theoretical framework is based on previous literature on brand architecture and brand image. The empirical study is based on a quantitative, 418-respondent survey among stakeholders of these three arts organizations. The study makes two major theoretical contributions. First, the results show that the new joint brand can be endorsed by the existing sub-brands, contrary to brand-architecture literature. Second, even in the case of a new brand, stakeholders perceive the functional attributes as important.     

Pregnancy,Cesarean, and Pheochromocytoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

A 43‐year‐old full‐term pregnant woman (gravida 2, para 1, medical history of gestational diabetes mellitus) developed a sudden and malignant hypertension with hemoptysis, sweat, and tachycardia during a scheduled C‐section. A dead newborn was delivered and was successfully resuscitated. The mother died after resistant cardiac arrest. Autopsy and pathological analyses revealed an acute pulmonary edema and a necrotic and hemorrhagic voluminous tumor of the left adrenal gland, which was a pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor of the adrenal glands which secretes catecholamines. In pregnant women, its symptoms can mimic gestational hypertension, preeclampsia or eclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus. The gestational diabetes mellitus was presumed to be a symptom of the pheochromocytoma, and cardiopulmonary failure the result from the necrosis of the tumor provoked by gravid uterus compression. From a medico‐legal point of view, the tumor could not have been suspected during the pregnancy.     

Odontological Approach to Sexual Dimorphism in Southeastern France

Abstract: The aim of this study was to establish a prediction formula to allow for the determination of sex among the southeastern French population using dental measurements. The sample consisted of 105 individuals (57 males and 48 females, aged between 18 and 25 years). Dental measurements were calculated using Euclidean distances, in three‐dimensional space, from point coordinates obtained by a Microscribe. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to establish the prediction formula. Among 12 selected dental distances, a stepwise logistic regression analysis highlighted the two most significant discriminate predictors of sex: one located at the mandible and the other at the maxilla. A cutpoint was proposed to prediction of true sex. The prediction formula was then tested on a validation sample (20 males and 34 females, aged between 18 and 62 years and with a history of orthodontics or restorative care) to evaluate the accuracy of the method.