Proficiency testing (external quality assessment) of drug detection in oral fluid

Eighteen external quality assessment (proficiency testing) samples were prepared from client specimens collected with the Intercept^® oral fluid collection device and by spiking drug-free oral fluid. Samples were circulated in pairs at quarterly intervals to 13 UK and USA based laboratories for analysis by a panel of OraSure micro-plate Intercept^® enzyme immunoassay kits and hyphenated mass spectrophotometric techniques. During the survey, there was a single case of non-specificity in a false report for methadone. The major errors were of lack of sensitivity relative to the concentration thresholds specified for the immunoassays. The sensitivity for overall ‘present’/‘not found’ reports calculated as true positives/(true positives + false negatives) were for the amfetamine specific assay 50%, methyl-amfetamines 93%, barbiturates 64%, cannabinoids 73%, cocaine and metabolites 100%, benzodiazepines 69%, methadone 95%, opiates 79% (opiates excluding oxycodone 93%), phencyclidine 93% and human gamma-globulin 97%. A small number of the sensitivity errors were attributable to errors in chromatographic confirmation techniques.     

Determination of MDMA, MDA, MDEA and MBDB in oral fluid using high performance liquid chromatography with native fluorescence detection

This paper describes the analytical methodology for the determination of MDMA, MDA, MDEA and MBDB in oral fluid. After a liquid–liquid extraction, the analysis was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with fluorescence detection. The detector wavelength was fixed at 285 nm for excitation and 320 nm for emission. The mobile phase, a mixture of phosphate buffer (pH = 5) and acetonitrile (75:25), and the column, Kromasil 100 C8 5 μm 250 mm × 4.6 mm, allowed good separation of the compounds in an isocratic mode in only 10 min. The method was validated and showed good limits of detection (2 ng/mL) and quantitation (10 ng/mL) for all the amphetamine derivatives. No interfering substances were detected. A stability study of these compounds in oral fluid stored at three different temperatures (−18, 4 and 20 °C) over 10 weeks was conducted, showing a time-dependent degradation of the four compounds.     

Analysis of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol in oral fluid samples using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

An analytical method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) has been developed and validated for the confirmation of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in oral fluid samples. Oral fluid was extracted using Bond Elut LRC-Certify solid-phase extraction columns (10 cm³, 300 mg) and elution performed with n-hexane/ethyl acetate. Quantitation made use of the selected ion-recording mode (SIR) using the most abundant characteristic ion [THC + H⁺], m/z 315.31 and the fragment ion, m/z 193.13 for confirmation, and m/z 318.00 for the protonated internal standard, [d₃-THC + H⁺]. The method proved to be precise for THC, in terms of both intra-day and inter-day analyses, with coefficients of variation less than 10%, and the calculated extraction efficiencies for THC ranged from 76 to 83%. Calibration standards spiked with THC between 2 and 100 ng/mL showed a linear relationship (r² = 0.999). The method presented was applied to the oral fluid samples taken from the volunteers during the largest music event in Portugal, named Rock in Rio-Lisboa. Oral fluid was collected from 40 persons by expectoration and with Salivette^®. In 55% of the samples obtained by expectorating, THC was detected with concentration ranges from 1033 to 6552 ng/mL and in 45% of cases THC was detected at concentrations between 51 and 937 ng/mL. However, using Salivette^® collection, 26 of the 40 cases had an undetectable THC.     

办理民事抗诉案件调查取证问题探研

一直以来,我国法律对于检察机关在民事抗诉中的调查取证问题没有给予明确的规定,因此,在司法实践中,检察机关、审判机关对此问题存在较大分歧。对检察机关审查过程中取得的证据效力如何认定各地法院做法也不尽一致。文章仅就检察机关在办理民事抗诉案件中的调查取证问题略作探讨和研究。     

刑法主观主义之生成根基

刑法主观主义生成的根本推动力是经济因素。经济结构的变迁引起社会结构的变迁,而伴随社会结构的变迁,犯罪必然呈现出新特征,最终导致刑事犯罪治理策略取向由个人本位转向社会本位,从而导致刑法主观主义生成并渐趋强势。刑法主观主义并非只是为了作为客观主义的对立面而生成,而是对时代变迁的必然回应,是时代的必然产物。     

论我国刑事诉讼证据种类的完善

我国刑事诉讼法所规定的证据种类不能全面概括司法实践中起证明作用的材料,建议立法补充相应的证据种类。刑事诉讼法规定的各种证据的归类和排序存在缺乏逻辑性和实用性的问题,必须加以调整。     

对鉴定人资格的思考

目前中国的鉴定人体制尚不完善,对鉴定人的管理较为混乱,从事鉴定工作的人员业务水平参差不齐。所以有必要制定详细具体的鉴定人资格审定考核标准,对于鉴定人不仅要规定其法律地位,在诉讼中的权利和义务;还要制定相应的规章制度和实际工作的操作规程,尽可能对其专业技能水平作出具体细致的规定,并为从事专项鉴定的人员提供合理的健康、安全方面的保护。使我国的鉴定人体制早日健全完善。     

论口供

口供作为刑事证据之一 ,在案件侦查和审理中所发挥的作用 ,历来为广大办案人员所重视。本文拟对口供的概念、历史、现状、属性、举证责任等进行论述。     

澳大利亚《信息技术证据管理指引》述评

在实行诉讼对抗制的国家，人们可以通过以下三种方法使信息技术证据成为保护企业利益的一种工具：(1)起诉，包括刑事诉讼；(2)法庭辩护；(3)为规则制定者和企业作出重要决策提供依据。然而，对于什么样的信息技术证据具有可采信性，人们仍有质疑。计算机法学正是研究如何确定、保存、分析及如何提交数字证据的一门新兴的学科。尽管传统上计算机法学被认为是一门滞后的学科，但是澳大利亚《信息技术证据管理指引》还是前瞻性地规定了能使电子证据效力最大化的系统生存周期的一些重要原则。     

行政诉讼与民事诉讼的举证责任分配比较

举证责任是证据制度的核心内容 ,在我国 ,行政诉讼脱胎于民事诉讼 ,行政诉讼与民事诉讼的举证责任既有联系又有区别 ,其主要特征体现在原、被告的举证责任分配上