Digital traces and physical activities: opportunities,challenges and pitfalls

The strong integration of consumer electronics in everyday life offers many new investigative opportunities. In particular, digital traces from smartphones, smartwatches and activity trackers can now increasingly be used to infer information about actions performed by their users in the physical world that might not be obtainable from any other types of forensic evidence.While potentially very valuable from an investigative perspective, making forensically justifiable statements about such traces can sometimes be more difficult than expected. Requirements for this have not yet received much attention in the digital forensic literature. To help filling this gap, we describe the principles we use in determining the evidential value of such traces, which emphasize the need for experimental verification. For such research, aimed at determining the evidential value of these traces, we coin the term data2activity.In this paper, we devote attention to the potential and limitations of data2activity traces, focusing on challenges and giving two examples to illustrate potential pitfalls in interpreting data. Finally, future research directions into data2activity traces are indicated that, in our opinion, should be given attention. These include development of future-proof data acquisition and storage methodology, enabling division-of-effort and sharing of information, as well as development of labeling methodology for free-living experiments.     

补阳还五汤对全脑缺血再灌注不同时点大鼠皮质神经细胞谷氨酸受体2表达的影响

目的 研究补阳还五汤抗全脑缺血后再灌注损伤的分子机制。方法 将SD大鼠随机分为3组，即正常组、模型组和药物组（补阳还五汤预干预），模型组和药物组再分别设置2、12、24、48、72 h五个观察时间点。连续给药5 d后，采用改良的Pulsinelli四血管闭塞法复制全脑缺血大鼠模型，再灌注后2、12、24、48、72 h分别检测各组大鼠皮质神经细胞谷氨酸受体2（glutamate receptor 2， GluR2）的表达水平。结果 与正常组比较，再灌注各时点模型组大鼠大脑皮质神经细胞GluR2表达水平显著降低（P<0.01）；与模型组比较，再灌注各时点药物组GluR2表达水平显著升高（P<0.01）；与再灌注2 h比较，再灌注12、24、48、72 h药物组GluR2表达水平显著升高（P<0.01）。结论 补阳还五汤可预防大鼠脑缺血再灌注引起的GluR2表达减少，且在再灌注2 h后这种抑制作用更强。     

电针足三里对应激性胃粘膜损伤的保护作用

目的；研究电针足三里穴对大鼠应激性胃粘膜损伤的保护作用。方法；将１８只大鼠随机分为３组，即正常对照组，模型组，电针组，采用束缚－冷应激胃粘膜损伤模型，观察电针足三里穴后胃粘膜损伤情况，以及胃粘膜血流量，血浆中肿瘤坏死因子，前列环素／血栓素含量变化。结果：电针后，胃粘膜电流量增加，肿瘤坏死因子和血栓素含量下降，前列环素含量增加。结论：电针足三里穴对胃粘膜损伤有保护作用，肿瘤坏死因子在其中是重要介质。     

Lipidic compounds found in soils surrounding human decomposing bodies and its use in forensic investigations – A narrative review

Following decomposition of a human body, a variety of decomposition products, such as lipids, are released into the surrounding environment, e.g. soils. The long-lasting preservation in soils and their high diagnostic potential have been neglected in forensic research. Furthermore, little is known about the preservation, chemical transformation, or degradation of those human derived lipids in soils. To date, several studies identified various lipids such as long-chain free fatty acids and steroids in soils that contained decomposition fluids. Those lipids are preserved in soils over time and could serve as markers of human decomposition in forensic investigations, e.g. for estimating the post-mortem interval or identifying the burial location of a human body. Therefore, this review focuses on the current literature regarding fatty acid and steroid that have been detected in soils and associated with human body decomposition. After a short introduction about human decomposition processes, this review summarises fatty acid and steroid analysis applied in current case studies and studies related to taphonomic research. This review provides an overview of the available studies that have used fatty acids and steroids as identifiers of human decomposition fluid in soils in a forensic context and discusses the potential for developing this innovative field of research with direct application in a forensic context.     

Informing regional taphonomy research using retrospective forensic anthropology cases in the Western Cape,South Africa

The post-mortem interval (PMI) is important in death investigations as it can assist in reconstructing the context of the case and the identification of the unknown individual. However, in some instances the PMI is challenging to estimate due to the absence of regional taphonomy standards. To conduct accurate and locally relevant forensic taphonomy research, investigators require insight into the regional hotspot recovery areas. Thus, forensic cases examined by the Forensic Anthropology Cape Town (FACT) in the Western Cape (WC) province of South Africa between 2006 and 2018 (n = 172 cases; n = 174 individuals) were retrospectively reviewed. In our study, a considerable number of individuals did not have the PMI estimations (31 %; 54/174) and the ability to estimate a PMI was significantly associated with skeletal completeness, unburnt remains, absence of clothing and the absence of entomological evidence (p < 0.05 for each). Significantly fewer cases had the PMI estimated after FACT was formalised in 2014 (p < 0.0001). One third of cases with PMI estimations were made with large open-ended ranges, making them less informative. Factors significantly associated with these broad PMI ranges were fragmented remains, absence of clothing and absence of entomological evidence (p < 0.05 for each). Most decedents (51 %; 87/174) were discovered in police precincts from high crime areas, yet a considerable number (47 %; 81/174) were also found in low crime and sparsely populated areas regularly used for recreational activities. Common sites of body discovery were vegetated areas (23 %; 40/174), followed by the roadside (15 %; 29/174), aquatic environments (11 %; 20/174) and farms (11 %; 19/174). Decedents were discovered exposed (35 %; 62/174), covered with items such as bedding or shrubs (14 %; 25/174) or buried (10 %; 17/174). Our data highlight gaps in forensic taphonomy studies and clearly informs what regional research is needed. Overall, our study demonstrates how forensic case information can inform regional forensic taphonomy studies to locate common areas and contexts for the discovery of decomposed bodies and encourages similar studies in other areas of the world.     

虎杖黄芪合用抗HSV-2药效分析

目的 :为了得到新的抗HSV中药方剂的最佳配方比 ,我们进行了此项研究。方法 :我们以阿昔洛韦 (ACV)为阳性对照 ,采用空斑减数实验 ,观察了虎杖、黄芪单用及合用抗HSV- 2 333株的药效 ,用中效作用原理对药效进行了分析。结果 :在HEp 2 细胞系统中 ,ACV对HSV- 2 333株直接杀灭、增殖抑制、感染阻断的ED50 依次为 16 .4 5、10 .85、18.6 2 μg/ml,虎杖黄芪合用比为 1(Dm )虎杖 / 1(Dm )黄芪时 ,相应数值分别为 2 .2 7、2 .0 4、1.32 μg/ml。与ACV相比 ,药效比ACV强 ,而且合用指数 (CI)平均值最小 ,协同作用最明显。结论 :上述合用比对HSV- 2 333株直接杀灭、增殖抑制、感染阻断的治疗指数 (TI )是ACV的 72 6、52 5、140 0倍 ,是组方时的最佳配比。     

针刺对2型糖尿病大鼠脂肪组织INSR基因表达的影响

目的探讨针刺对2型糖尿病(type 2 diabetes mellitus,T2DM)机体脂肪组织胰岛素受体(insulinreceptor,INSR)基因表达的影响。方法给食源性肥胖大鼠腹腔注射小剂量链脲佐菌素复制T2DM模型,随机分为针刺组、优降糖组和模型组,设正常对照组。处理4周后,采用罗氏活力型血糖仪测空腹血糖(fast-ing blood sugar,FBS),采用放射免疫法检测空腹胰岛素(fastinginsulin,FINS),采用原位杂交检测脂肪细胞INSRmRNA表达,计算胰岛素敏感性指数(insulin sensitivity index,ISI)和稳态模型评估胰岛素抵抗(homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance,Homa-IR)指数。结果与正常组比较,模型组FBS、FINS、ISI、Homa-IR水平显著上升(P<0.01),INSR基因水平表达显著降低(P<0.01);与模型组比较,治疗后优降糖组和针刺组FBS、FINS、ISI、Homa-IR显著下降(P<0.05,或P<0.01),INSR基因表达显著升高(P<0.01)。...