Evaluating the sensitivity,stability, and cross-reactivity of commercial fentanyl immunoassay test strips

Illicit fentanyl has flooded the United States' drug market, increasing the risk of overdose and poisonings throughout the general population and accidental exposure among law enforcement officers confiscating the increasing number of seizures. Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are used to obtain presumptive information about the presence of fentanyl in a suspected sample. However, their adoption by law enforcement personnel and seized-drug analysts has been limited because most products are advertised for urine testing, not for assays using water solutions. This study presents an evaluation of four commercial FTS: Rapid Response from BTNX, Inc.; T-Dip Fentanyl (FTY) Urine Dip Cards obtained from Amazon.com ; Premier BioDip FYL10 from Premier Biotech Inc.; and MobileDetect Fentanyl strips from DetectaChem, Inc. Performance characteristics curves were used to compare the products' sensitivity, showing that all can reliably detect fentanyl in aqueous solutions at concentrations below 1 μg/mL, with some of the tests able to reliably detect the drug at 200 ng/mL. A stability study demonstrates the performance of all four FTS brands was only slightly affected after 30 days of storage at two extreme environmental conditions. Fentanyl-related substances are also evaluated using the Rapid Response FTS, which showed high cross-reactivity with para-fluorofentanyl and acetylfentanyl, but lower with ortho-chlorofentanyl, carfentanil, and 4-ANPP. Users should be aware that FTS may give false-negative results even when potentially dangerous levels of carfentanil are present. When testing other common drugs, adulterants, and diluents frequently encountered in seized tablets, concentration-dependent results were obtained and multiple instances of false positives were recorded.     

ID‐Check: Online Concealed Information Test Reveals True Identity

The Internet has already changed people's lives considerably and is likely to drastically change forensic research. We developed a web‐based test to reveal concealed autobiographical information. Initial studies identified a number of conditions that affect diagnostic efficiency. By combining these moderators, this study investigated the full potential of the online ID‐check. Participants (n = 101) tried to hide their identity and claimed a false identity in a reaction time‐based Concealed Information Test. Half of the participants were presented with personal details (e.g., first name, last name, birthday), whereas the others only saw irrelevant details. Results showed that participants′ true identity could be detected with high accuracy (AUC = 0.98; overall accuracy: 86–94%). Online memory detection can reliably and validly detect whether someone is hiding their true identity. This suggests that online memory detection might become a valuable tool for forensic applications.     

Detection of Diatoms by a Combination of Membrane Filtration and Transparentness,

Diagnosis of drowning remains a difficult issue in current forensic sciences. A large number of diatoms were lost by removing the supernatant after centrifugation in the conventional forensic diatom test. We developed a novel membrane filtration method to enrich diatoms from samples. A new solution using different ratios of acetic acid and eugenol is prepared to make the membrane transparent. These processes allow the diatom‐containing membrane to be visualized and identified easily by light microscopy. The tissues contaminated by water rich in diatoms were detected by the new method for the recovery of diatoms. Eleven drowning cases were analyzed by both the new method and the conventional method to compare the sensitivity of both methods. The recovery of the novel diatom test method was 54.2 ± 23.1%. The positive rate of the novel method has been proven to be superior to the conventional method in the diagnosis of drowning.     

Vertical Lip Position and Thickness in Facial Reconstruction: A Validation of Commonly Used Methods for Predicting the Position and Size of Lips

This study examined several methods used to estimate oral fissure position, lip margin position, and lip thickness recommended by Angel, George, Lebedinskaya, Taylor, Wilkinson et al., Balueva and Veselovskaya. A sample of 86 lateral head cephalograms of adult subjects from central Europe were measured and the actual and predicted dimensions were compared. The best estimation for oral fissure position was “opposite the lower ¾ mark of maxillary incisors” (error of 1.3 mm). Upper lip margin was predicted best by “upper ¼ mark of maxillary incisors” (error of 1.7 mm), and lower lip margin by “cementum‐enamel junction of mandibular incisors” (error of 2.3 mm). The regression equations of Wilkinson et al. displayed least error (1.3 mm and 1.8 mm, respectively) for upper and lower lip thickness, and method of George (error of 3.4 mm) for total lip thickness.     

人隐瞒信息状态下多通道事件相关电位的研究

目的采用隐瞒信息测试(concealed informationtest,CIT)模式和多通道事件相关电位(event related potential,ERP)技术,对人类大脑在不同刺激下各脑区域活动情况和活跃程度进行对比,从神经电生理学层面揭示CIT模式隐瞒信息状态下视觉刺激人类大脑认知相关脑功能区特征。方法参考犯罪知情测试模式(GKT)的CIT模式,选用传统扑克牌,对17名被试人员进行视觉刺激,包括:靶、探测、无关和中立刺激,获得29通道ERP波。结果靶、探测和无关刺激平均按键反应时间:775ms、774ms和720ms;探测和无关刺激各通道P300峰潜伏期配对t检验,有统计学意义(P0.05)的通道有4个;探测和无关刺激各通道P300平均波幅(400~700ms)进行配对t检验,有统计学意义(P0.05)的通道有19个。结论隐瞒知晓信息是一个由多个脑功能皮质共同完成的复杂过程,与诚实反应抑制有密切关系,与额叶前部和上部皮质、前扣带回皮质(ACC)和缘上回等脑功能皮质特异相关。     

检察证据学学科建设的困境与出路

随着法学理论研究的深入,特别是检察实践的需要,检察机关运用证据的问题越来越受到人们的关注,于是检察证据问题开始进入人们的视野,而检察证据学作为一个全新的概念也有人提及。那么检察证据学作为一门学科能否成立?其有没有存在的现实基础和可能性?其成为一门独立的学科目前面临怎样的困难?本文针对这些问题作一些初步的探讨。     

犯罪心理测试的证据属性研究

犯罪心理测试技术是一项新兴的先进司法应用技术。此项技术主要运用心理学中有关记忆的原理,通过检测犯罪嫌疑人有无涉案的犯罪心理痕迹,达到区分作案者与无辜者的目的。目前,此项技术主要运用于我国刑事司法领域,尤其在侦查阶段发挥着重要作用。尽管此项技术具有一定的局限性,但其原理的科学性与结论的可靠性已得到实践的证实。在肯定犯罪心理测试价值的基础上,进一步分析测试结论的证据属性。当前我国犯罪心理测试制度存在不科学、不完善等问题,应从立法与司法角度规范此制度,从而促进其得到正确运用和健康发展。     

唐代试判之起始与情状初探

唐代判文也是唐代文学的一部分,它是唐代吏部铨试的一种应试文体。由于它不仅有实用性的要求,而且有美的要求,好的判文必须是文理与辞采都具备,于是它也就同时具有了文学性。梳理唐代试判的发展状况,从文学的角度加以审视,认识其文学价值,以及它对后世考试文学的影响,也是唐代文学研究中应有之义,并且有着比较重要的文学史认识意义。     

单亲案的亲权概率的计算及认定标准

确定单亲案的亲权概率计算方法和认定标准。用多基因座DNA分析方法和计算多基因座累积平均非父排除率计算公式。检测8个以上的DNA多态性基因座,在等位基因的遗传不违反孟德尔规律的前提下,父权概率都可达到或超过0.9990的标准;对不存在亲生关系的案例,在用本方法时,都有3个或更多的基因座的等位基因遗传违反孟德尔规律。对单亲案的亲权鉴定,检测的多态性基因座要在8个以上。在肯定亲生关系时,父权概率要达到或超过0.9990;在否定亲生关系时,必须有3个以上或更多的基因座违反孟德尔遗传规律。     

从国际金融危机的影响机制看扩大内需的必要性及其路径选择

国际金融危机对各国经济的影响机制不尽相同,相应的治理机制也会有很大变化。与美国相比,国际金融危机对我国经济的影响机制几乎完全相反,主要表现为从实体经济向金融系统传导,从下游产业向上游产业渗透,从国外向国内、从沿海向内地扩散。相应地,应对国际金融危机,我们不会以金融治理为重点,而是以实体经济为重点、重心下移。在应对的内容和措施方面,必须综合治理,出台扩大内需的系统化解决方案。