The forensic analysis of thermal transfer printing

Thermal transfer printing refers to printing processes that utilize heat to produce an image by either physical or chemical means or by a combination of both. As the technology has improved and the supplies have become less expensive, the use of thermal printing in the personal and business markets has increased significantly. Specifically, dye diffusion thermal transfer and thermal mass transfer have become predominant in the production of counterfeit credit cards, drivers' licenses, and other types of documents produced on plastic media. Chemical analysis by means of thin layer chromatography (TLC) has proven to be useful in characterizing various types of inks (e.g., writing and inkjet inks). In this study, the authors examined 81 different samples that included a total of 54 printer samples (43 photographic prints on paper and eleven plastic card samples) and 27 printer ribbons. A new TLC method was developed and tested utilizing a solvent system (80% n-hexane, 3% methyl ethyl ketone, and 17% ethyl acetate) that is capable of producing excellent resolution.     

Measures of aggression and mood changes in male weightlifters with and without androgenic anabolic steroid use

Supraphysiologic doses of testosterone are associated with increased aggression that is hypothesized to be a function of testosterone serum concentrations, mood, and personality. The study attempted to characterize this relationship among weightlifters who were users (n = 10) and nonusers (n = 18) of anabolic steroids. Participants were interviewed using the Modified Mania Rating Scale and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression to assess mood, the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI) and Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) to assess aggression, and the Personality Disorder Questionnaire (PDQ-R) to assess personality. Blood samples were obtained for the determination of total, free, and weakly bound testosterone. Comparisons of continuous variables between testosterone users and non-users were performed with a parametric (unpaired t-test) or non-parametric (Mann-Whitney) test where appropriate. Correlations with testosterone were examined separately for testosterone users and non-users, using Spearman rank correlation. The subjective (BDHI) and objective (PSAP) assessments of aggression found that supranormal testosterone concentrations were associated with increased aggression. However, the PDQ-R results suggest that this finding was confounded by the personality disorder profile of the steroid users, because steroid users demonstrated Cluster B personality disorder traits for antisocial, borderline, and histrionic personality disorder.     

Fatal diphenhydramine intoxication in infants

Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine available in numerous over-the-counter preparations. Often used for its sedative effects in adults, it can cause paradoxical central nervous system stimulation in children, with effects ranging from excitation to seizures and death. Reports of fatal intoxications in young children are rare. We present five cases of fatal intoxication in infants 6, 8, 9, 12, and 12 weeks old. Postmortem blood diphenhydramine levels in the cases were 1.6, 1.5, 1.6, 1.1 and 1.1 mg/L, respectively. Anatomic findings in each case were normal. In one case the child's father admitted giving the infant diphenhydramine in an attempt to induce the infant to sleep; in another case, a daycare provider admitted putting diphenhydramine in a baby bottle. Two cases remain unsolved; one case remains under investigation. The postmortem drug levels in these cases are lower than seen in adult fatalities. We review the literature on diphenhydramine toxicity, particularly as it pertains to small children, and discuss the rationale for treating these cases as fatal intoxications.     

STR DNA typing: increased sensitivity and efficient sample consumption using reduced PCR reaction volumes

Improvements in detection limits/sensitivity and lower sample consumption are potential benefits of reducing PCR reaction volumes used in forensic DNA typing of crime scene samples. This premise was studied first with experimental mixtures and a nine-loci megaplex, which demonstrated stochiometric amplification and accurate detection. Next, adjudicated casework samples were subjected to amplification under 15 different template DNA to PCR reaction volume ratios. Reduction of PCR reaction volume and DNA down to 10 microL and 0.500 ng, respectively, produced identical profiles with the same signal intensity and heterozygous allele peak height ratio (HR). Reduction to 5 microL and 0.063 ng yielded HR values that were slightly affected in one to three STR loci. PCR reaction volume reduction can enhance detection and sensitivity while reducing the consumption of irreplaceable crime scene samples.     

宪法监督制度及其完善——《监督法》草案有关宪法监督制度缺位之思考

2002年8月底首次提交人大审议的<监督法>草案,标志着人大对"一府两院"监督的法制化和规范化,但其仍然还有许多议题未获得明确和解决;其中宪法监督制度的缺位就是一大遗憾.建立宪法监督机构本应是<监督法>的首要解决问题,如果监督法回避这个问题,就不能起到其应有的作用,究其原因主要为,如果在人大内设立一个专门委员会,就会出现一个理论上的矛盾,当权力机关自身违宪,这个委员会该怎么处理.按照现行宪法的规.定,专门委员会不能对权力机关实施监督,也不能对违宪问题作出处理.同时,如果在全国人大之外或之上设立这样的机构,显然有违现行体制,原因在于人大本身就是负责监督宪法和法律实施,怎么可能在其之上或之外再设立一个机关?笔者以为,宜在我国设立全国人民代表大会领导下的与人大常委并列的宪法监督委员会,实施宪法监督职能;在三者职权划分上,全国人民代表大会仅负责宪法的制定、修改与废除以及其他立法之外的职能,其他立法职能委托全国人大常务委员会执行;全国人大宪法监督委员会负责实施宪法监督.     

关于盗窃罪司法解释中累犯适用的评析——兼论从重处罚的基本原则

刑法中对于累犯在量刑时的规定是一种应当从重处罚的情形,而有关司法解释却将盗窃中的累犯与"数额较大"和"数额巨大"的情节相结合,升格为更为严格的情节加重犯,从而适用更重的法定刑幅度,本人对此规定的合理性进行了研究和评析.     

Public Opinion on Federalism in Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2003

This research reports on public opinion surveys on intergovernmentaland federal issues conducted in Canada, Mexico, and the UnitedStates in March and April 2003. In all three countries, respondentsmost often see their federal government as being the least effective,least efficient, and least trustworthy. Respondents from Canadaappear least supportive of their federal government and mostsupportive of their local governments; those from Mexico appearmost supportive of their state governments; respondents fromthe United States appear more "balanced" in their support ofthe various orders of government. Also, far greater regionaldifferences in opinion exist in Canada than in Mexico or theUnited States. Support for more decentralized federalism isfound to be strong in all these federal countries. This researchalso updates long-term trend data for the United States. Comparedwith respondents from previous years, U.S. respondents in 2003showed a measurable uplick in support for the federal government,compared with state and local governments. This support seemsto be a carryover from the terrorist attacks of 11 September2001.