Selective detection of trace nitroaromatic, nitramine, and nitrate ester explosive residues using a three-step fluorimetric sensing process: a tandem turn-off, turn-on sensor

Detection of trace quantities of explosive residues plays a key role in military, civilian, and counter-terrorism applications. To advance explosives sensor technology, current methods will need to become cheaper and portable while maintaining sensitivity and selectivity. The detection of common explosives including trinitrotoluene (TNT), cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-N-methylnitramine, and trinitroglycerin may be carried out using a three-step process combining "turn-off" and "turn-on" fluorimetric sensing. This process first detects nitroaromatic explosives by their quenching of green luminescence of polymetalloles (lambda em approximately 400-510 nm). The second step places down a thin film of 2,3-diaminonaphthalene (DAN) while "erasing" the polymetallole luminescence. The final step completes the reaction of the nitramines and/or nitrate esters with DAN resulting in the formation of a blue luminescent traizole complex (lambda(em) = 450 nm) providing a "turn-on" response for nitramine and nitrate ester-based explosives. Detection limits as low as 2 ng are observed. Solid-state detection of production line explosives demonstrates the applicability of this method to real world situations. This method offers a sensitive and selective detection process for a diverse group of the most common high explosives used in military and terrorist applications today.     

Mission impossible? Assessing the veracity of a mental health problem as result of a road traffic accident: a preliminary review of UK experts’ practices

The number of people claiming for personal injury after being involved in a road traffic accident (RTA) in the UK continues to soar. In April 2015, the UK Government intervened to implement measures aimed at reducing the prevalence of fraud within such personal injury claims. However, these reforms did not include claims for mental disorder that arise because of a RTA despite being responsible for substantially larger payouts in comparison with claims for whiplash. The present study examines the assessment practice for detecting fraudulent claims of this nature using a mixed methods survey analysing UK medico-legal professionals’ assessment methodologies (N = 37). The findings suggest comprehensively that assessment practices in this field are idiosyncratic. The findings evidence limitations in all aspects of the assessment process from medico-legal assessors being asked to undertake examinations without the presence of medical records to 44% of examiners being unaware of the three types of malingering. The article concludes with recommendations for improving both assessments and the assessment process for assessing RTA claimants in the UK.     

Forensic Radiology Pitfalls: CT Imaging in Gunshot Wounds of the Head

Computed tomography (CT) imaging is increasingly used in emergency departments and trauma services and is being offered as a supplemental tool with autopsy in coroner's and medical examiner's offices throughout the United States. The availability of CT images in lieu of traditional X‐rays for medicolegal autopsies may lead to misinterpretation of images for forensic pathologists who are not familiar with these types of images. Forensic pathologists must become familiar with CT imaging, the basis of CT image formation and how to interpret CT images appropriately. We highlight potential pitfalls of CT image interpretation through two cases of fatal gunshot wounds of the head. Antemortem CT imaging available at the time of autopsy led to discrepancy between the initial image findings and the autopsy due to inexperienced manipulation of the images. With appropriate understanding of CT image interpretation and manipulation, forensic personnel should be able to avoid most sources of misinterpretation.     

Intergenerational Transmission of Violence: the Influence of Self-Appraisals,Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse

Although research has demonstrated connections between experiencing abuse as a child and being in a violent relationship as an adult, the specific mechanisms through which this transmission occurs are unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between certain personal factors (self-appraisals and mental/substance use disorders) and experiencing violence as an adult. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) 1990–1992 were utilized. Respondents who reported experiencing childhood abuse or victimization and were in a current intimate partnership (N = 590) were selected for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that low self-esteem, past year PTSD, and past year alcohol dependence were significantly associated with intimate partner violence after controlling for other self-appraisals and mental disorders.     

The effectiveness of supermarket posters in helping to find missing children

One approach used to help find missing children is to place posters of them at the exits of supermarkets. The present research addresses the question of how effective that approach is likely to be. Posters of 8 missing children were displayed on a bulletin board at a cooperating grocery store. Customers leaving the store completed a survey and took a recognition memory test for the children. Most customers thought the problem of missing children was an important issue. However, the majority of customers also reported either not looking at the posters or only briefly looking at the posters. Recognition memory for children depicted in the posters did not reliably differ from chance. It appears that there is much room for improvement when it comes to increasing the attention paid to posters meant to help find missing children.     

Forms of Civil War Violence and Their Consequences for Future Public Health

Previous research concerning the relationship between conflict and public health finds that countries emerging from war face greater challenges in ensuring the well-being of their populations in comparison with states that have enjoyed political stability. This study seeks to extend this insight by considering how different civil war conflict strategies influence post-conflict public health. Drawing a distinction between deaths attributable to battle and those fatalities resulting from genocide/politicide, we find that the magnitude of genocide/politicide proves the more effective and consistent predictor of future rates of disability and death in the aftermath of civil war. The implications of this research are twofold. First, it lends support to an emerging literature suggesting that important distinctions exist between the forms of violence occurring during civil war. Second, of particular interest to policymakers, it identifies post-civil war states that have experienced the highest rates of genocide/politicide as the countries most in need of assistance in the aftermath of conflict.