Evaluation of Cross‐contamination of Nylon Bags with Heavy‐loaded Gasoline Fire Debris and with Automotive Paint Thinner

Nylon bags are used for packaging fire debris in several countries, particularly in Europe. The possibility of cross‐contamination during transport from the fire scene to the laboratory, in normal casework conditions in the U.K., was studied for two brands of nylon bags, using simulated heavy‐loaded fire debris. Three experiments were carried out with each brand, using as sample a piece of cotton fabric soaked with gasoline. One experiment was carried out using automotive paint thinner (oxygenated solvent). Each sample was sealed in a nylon bag and stored in contact with eight empty bags. The empty bags were analysed at regular intervals for a period of time up to 8 weeks, using SPME and GC/MS. Cross‐contamination was found for components of gasoline (toluene and C₂‐alkylbenzenes) in the two brands of nylon bags used, after 4 days and 2 weeks. Cross‐contamination using automotive topcoat thinner was detected after 2 days.     

Evaluation of Internal Standards for the Analysis of Ignitable Liquids in Fire Debris

Abstract:  An evaluation of eight compounds for use as an internal standard in fire debris analysis was conducted. Tests were conducted on tetrachloroethylene, chlorobenzene, n-octylbenzene, 3-phenyltolune, and deuterated compounds toluene-d8, styrene-d8, naphthalene-d8, and diphenyl-d10 to measure the extraction efficiency of each compound in the presence of an interfering volatile compound (carbon disulfide). Other tests were conducted to evaluate whether or not the presence of an ignitable liquid or pyrolysis/combustion products from fire debris would interfere with the identification of these compounds when used as an internal standard. The results showed that while any of the eight compounds could be used as an internal standard in fire debris analysis, the more volatile compounds (toluene-d8, tetrachloroethylene, chlorobenzene, and styrene-d8) showed better extraction efficiencies at room temperature than when heated to 60°C. Each of the less volatile compounds (naphthalene-d8, diphenyl-d10, n-octylbenzene, and 3-phenyltolune) performed well during extraction at 60°C, while naphthalene-d8 showed better extraction efficiency in the presence of competing volatiles when extracted at room temperature.     

消防行政处罚中听证程序的价值和功能

程序是行政法的核心,也是公安消防机构依法行政的核心,它直接影响到消防执法的公正和效力。目前,部分基层消防监督执法人员认为《消防法》处罚程序繁琐,难以惩戒违法行为的思想普遍存在。笔者认为,在消防执法中,尤其在消防行政处罚中,听证程序具有重要的功能和价值。     

Pliant and Compliant: Colonial Indian Art and Postcolonial Cinema

Walter Benjamin's signature hypothesis of 'dialectics at a standstill' rehearsed in his 'Theoretics of Knowledge, Theories of Progress' permits visual images to be elasticized from a then condition in history and culture to a now site of contemporary reality in order to be critiqued in their entirety. Putting this hypothesis to the test, Rajan juxtaposes two late eighteenth-century works of art by East India Company Painters with two late twentieth-century films by Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta to trace trajectories of orientalized desire and unspeakable pleasure as relayed along a woman's body. In all four instances, the central image of woman continues to be an insistent signifier that embodies social values, cultural prejudices and artistic ideals, which, in turn, provide critical, valuable insights into constructions of gendered, aestheticized and sexualized femininity. The image of woman , thus dialectically read, reveals that it is not simply the male colonizer who is always already the oppressor, as is the common assumption, but rather that woman as an abject signifier can be merchandised even by enlightened, postcolonial women. Such a ravaged image of woman remains, therefore, a fixed trope in the hands of male and female artists, traversing coloniality and postcoloniality, and crossing over from art to cinema, with little chance of emancipation. One strategy to grant woman full agency requires the contemporary, feminist viewer to take responsibility and couple aesthetics with an ethical tenor. According to Benjamin, ethics thus defined is a matter of personalized aesthetics. This means that each one of us is entrusted with the responsibility of demanding accountability in the creation of visual culture such that images that demean femininity, disembody female subjectivity, objectify female pleasure and delegitimize desire be judged inappropriate, as incorrect or unappealing visual images and as unavailable for appropriation.     

‘Opening up’ policy to reflexive appraisal: a role for Q Methodology? A case study of fire management in Cape York,Australia

Recent decades have witnessed increasing attention in theory and practice to participatory approaches to policy appraisal, in part due to the potential of such approaches to facilitate reflexive policy appraisal. It has been observed, however, that in practice these approaches are often as prone as traditional, non-participatory appraisal techniques to being limited in the extent to which that can achieve reflexivity e.g. due to the influence of interests and power and problems of representation. This article explores the extent to which Q Methodology, or ‘Q’, can play a role in ‘opening up’ (Stirling Science, Technology & Human Values, 33, 262–294, 2008) policy to reflexive appraisal. A Q study of fire management discourses in Cape York, northern Australia is presented which exposes the existence of four key discourses in the region: discourse A—rational fire management; discourse B—fire-free conservation; discourse C—pragmatic, locally controlled burning; and discourse D—indigenous controlled land management. At present only discourses A and C are reflected in policy. Appraising existing policy on the basis of the different constructions articulated by discourses B and D of the purpose of and practices involved in fire management, is successful in opening up existing policy to reflexive appraisal. In the face of considerable scientific uncertainty as to the ecological impacts of different burning regimes in northern Australia, this process of opening up has important potential for appraising the social desirability of existing policy and practice in the region. This analysis provides a practical demonstration of the wider potential of Q Methodology in opening up other important contemporary policy issues to reflexive appraisal. It also provides the basis for recommending the expansion of participatory processes for facilitating stakeholder engagement in fire management policy and practice in Cape York.

火针治疗中枢性面瘫54例

目的 观察运用火针治疗中枢性面瘫的临床疗效,并探讨其作用机制。方法 按照随机数字表法随机选取108例中枢性面瘫患者,将其分为对照组（普通针刺疗法）和治疗组（火针疗法）,每组54例。比较两组患者临床疗效,治疗前后分别采用修订的面神经功能量表（modified house-brackmann,MHBN）和面部残疾指数（face disability index,FDI）评价面部神经功能。结果 两组临床疗效的分布比较,差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。两组患者治疗后MHBN评分均较治疗前显著提高（P＜0.05）,且治疗组治疗后MHBN评分提高程度高于对照组（P＜0.05）。两组患者治疗后各项评分较治疗前均明显提高（P＜0.05）,且治疗组在进食困难、喝饮料困难、流泪困难、刷牙或漱口困难的改善程度上优于对照组（P＜0.05）。结论 与普通针刺法相比,火针法能更有效地改善中枢性面瘫后面部的感觉及运动功能,更有利于面神经功能的恢复,尤其适用于难治性面瘫患者。     

火针为主综合治疗非哺乳期乳腺炎30例

目的 观察以火针为主的综合疗法对非哺乳期乳腺炎的临床疗效。方法 选取非哺乳期乳腺炎脓肿期或溃后期患者60例,将其随机分为治疗组30例和对照组30例。其中治疗组采用火针排脓祛腐法治疗,对照组采用切开排脓法治疗,两组均口服浆乳2号方,疗程2个月。比较两组患者的治疗效果。结果 两组患者临床疗效比较,差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）;与对照组比较,治疗组患者伤口愈合时间明显降低（P＜0.05）,瘢痕直径与脓肿长轴直径比值显著缩小（P＜0.05）,治疗组患者治疗后乳房外观评分和满意度评分均显著增加（P<0.05）;与治疗前比较,两组患者治疗后肿块面积和溃口面积显著缩小（P<0.05）,但治疗组溃口面积缩小程度优于对照组（P<0.05）。结论 火针为主综合治疗非哺乳期乳腺炎不仅有良好的临床疗效,而且治疗周期短,能维持乳房外形的美观,患者满意度较高,是临床有效可行的方法。     

Comparison of the effectiveness of Tenax TA and Carbotrap 300 in concentration of flammable liquids compounds

The aim of research was to compare two adsorbents, Tenax TA and Carbotrap 300, to evaluate their usefulness as passive adsorbents of flammable liquids compounds. It was also to determine whether Carbotrap 300 could be used in a passive adsorption mode, contrary to manufacturer recommendations. To compare the adsorption properties and the thermal desorption efficiency for Tenax TA and Carbotrap, the components of test mixture were adsorbed and then chromatographically analyzed. The analysis was conducted by means of an automated thermal desorber coupled with a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer. This research established that although these adsorbents significantly differ from each other in adsorption properties, each of them can be successfully used for passive adsorption of ignitable liquids compounds. Tenax TA turned out to be more effective for the adsorption of nonpolar, high-boiling compounds, whereas Carbotrap is more effective for polar and volatile compounds. The examined adsorbents differ in their susceptibility to thermal desorption. For Carbotrap 300, after the analysis an additional treatment is required to remove the remnants of adsorbed compounds. With Tenax TA, this additional step is not necessary because the thermal desorption is sufficiently effective that this product is immediately ready for re-use.     

Performance Testing of the New AMPAC Fire Debris Bag Against Three Other Commercial Fire Debris Bags(*)

Abstract: Fire debris evidence is collected and stored in a wide range of containers, including various polymer bags. Four different polymer bags have been investigated, including the NYLON, DUO, ALU, and AMPAC bags. The latter is the successor of the Kapak Fire DebrisPAK^?. Microscopy and infrared spectroscopy were used to elucidate the composition of the bags. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to investigate performance parameters such as background volatiles, leak rate, cross‐contamination, recovery, and sorption. The NYLON bag was susceptible for leakage and cross‐contamination and showed decreased recoveries. The DUO and ALU bags showed some background volatiles, sorption, and poor recoveries. The AMPAC bag performed excellent: low background, no leakage or cross‐contamination, good recoveries, and only traces of sorption. Heat sealing proved to be the best method of closure. Preliminary studies on AMPAC bags showed that polyethylene clamps are easy to use on‐site and preserve ignitable liquids adequately for a limited period of time.