Nondestructive Biological Evidence Collection with Alternative Swabs and Adhesive Lifters

In forensic science, biological material is typically collected from evidence via wet/dry double swabbing with cotton swabs, which is effective but can visibly damage an item's surface. When an item's appearance must be maintained, dry swabbing and tape‐lifting may be employed as collection techniques that are visually nondestructive to substrates' surfaces. This study examined the efficacy of alternative swab matrices and adhesive lifters when collecting blood and fingerprints from glass, painted drywall, 100% cotton, and copy paper. Data were evaluated by determining the percent profile and quality score for each STR profile generated. Hydraflock^® swabs, BVDA Gellifters^®, and Scenesafe FAST? tape performed as well as or better than cotton swabs when collecting fingerprints from painted drywall and 100% cotton. Collection success was also dependent on the type of biological material sampled and the substrate on which it was deposited. These results demonstrated that alternative swabs and adhesive lifters can be effective for nondestructive DNA collection from various substrates.     

DNA recovery after sequential processing of latent fingerprints on copy paper

Forensic examiners must determine whether both latent fingerprint development and DNA profiling can be performed on the same area of an evidence item and, if only one is possible, which examination offers the best chance for identification. Latent fingerprints can be enhanced by targeting different components of fingerprint residues with sequential chemical treatments. This study investigated the effects of single-reagent and sequential latent fingerprint development processes on downstream DNA analysis to determine the point at which latent fingerprint development should be stopped to allow for DNA recovery. Latent fingerprints deposited on copy paper by one donor were developed using three sequential processes: 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) → ninhydrin → physical developer (PD); 1,2-indanedione-zinc (IND-Zn) → ninhydrin → PD; and IND-Zn → ninhydrin → Oil Red O (ORO) → PD. Samples were examined after the addition of each chemical treatment. DNA was collected with cotton swabs, extracted, quantified, and amplified. DNA yields, peak heights, number of alleles obtained, and percentage of DNA profiles eligible for CODIS upload were examined. DNA profiles were obtained with varying degrees of success, depending on the number and type of treatments used for latent fingerprint development. The treatments that were found to be the least harmful to downstream DNA analysis were IND-Zn and IND-Zn/laser, and the most detrimental treatments were DFO, DFO/laser, and PD. In general, as the number of treatments increase, the opportunities for DNA loss or damage also increase, and it is preferable to use fewer treatments when developing latent fingerprints prior to downstream DNA processing.     

Child protective intervention in the context of welfare reform: The effects of work and welfare on maltreatment reports

Recent changes in welfare policy have produced changes in parental work and welfare receipt. These factors are assessed in relation to investigated reports of child abuse and neglect using survey data on 1998 welfare recipients in nine Illinois counties, in conjunction with longitudinal administrative data on cash welfare benefits, employment, and child abuse and neglect reports. Trend analyses show that rates of child maltreatment reports among welfare recipients have risen since the passage of PRWORA in 1996. Findings from multivariate analyses indicate that parental employment has a protective effect on reports to child protection systems (CPS), that this effect is greatest when combined with welfare receipt, and that this effect becomes stronger over time. Those who receive welfare in the absence of employment face a significantly greater risk of CPS involvement, even compared with those who neither work nor receive welfare. © 2003 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management     

LOCAL TAXES AND LOCAL EXPENDITURES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: STRENGTHENING THE WICKSELLIAN CONNECTION

Many countries are decentralizing in various ways. Decentralization is often intended at least partly to make government more efficient, flexible, and responsive. Many studies have evaluated the effects of decentralization on the provision of such services as health and education as well as on corruption, stability, and growth. Because what governments do and how well they do it is inseparably entangled with the question of how they are financed, this article outlines why and how a key element in a sound decentralization program should be to strengthen the linkage between local expenditures and local revenues—called here the Wicksellian Connection. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detecting children's false allegations and recantations of a crime

This study examined adults’ abilities to detect the veracity of children's (ages 6–11) initial disclosures and their later recantations about a crime. Children (N?=?32) were asked to make a false denial or a false accusation of an alleged theft, while some were asked to tell the truth. Afterwards, children recanted their initial statements in a second interview; thus, children who initially denied the theft accused a researcher of the transgression in the second interview, and vice-versa. Adult raters (ages 18–25; N?=?108) watched both interviews and completed a questionnaire that required them to determine the veracity (i.e. whether the report was true or false) and credibility of the disclosure. Adults accurately detected the veracity of children's reports 53% of the time (55% of original reports, 50% of recantations). Raters were more accurate when detecting false denials than false accusations in the children's original and recanted reports. Despite being more difficult to detect, children's recanted denials that became accusations were rated as the least credible. Furthermore, self-reported level of experience with children and ratings confidence were not significant predictors of truth/lie detection accuracy.     

Can property taxes be reformed ? - reflections on the Ontario experience

Abstract. The history of property tax reform in Ontario dates back to 1967 when it was recommended, among other things, that real property be assessed at market value. Since that time, several studies have been undertaken, culminating in, the June 1978 announcement of the Treasurer that property tax reform would not be implemented. Some subsequent reform measures have been introduced, however. This article provides a review and appraisal of the process of property tax reform in Ontario. It looks at the history of reform and the trends in property taxes over the last decade. The strong opposition to property tax reform is particularly interesting given that property taxes actually declined throughout much of this period. In evaluating the reform process, the article considers a number of issues: the role of Toronto versus the rest of the province, the resistance to market value assessment, the perception of the property tax as a provincial tax and the favourable treatment of residential property. The article concludes that, given the resistance to property tax reform, it is unlikely that market value assessment will be implemented in Ontario in the near future. Sommaire. L'histoire de la réforme de l'impôt foncier, en Ontario, remonte à 1967, époque à laquelle on avait recommandé, entre autres choses, l‘évaluation des propriétés immobilières aux prix du marché. On a procédé depuis à différentes études sur cette réforme pour aboutir, en juin 1978, à la déclaration du trésorier annonçant qu'elle n'aurait pas lieu; ce qui n'a pas empêché, toutefois, l'introduction par la suite de certaines mesures. Les auteurs de cet article font un examen et une évaluation du processus deréforme de l'impôt foncier en Ontario. Ils considbrent l'histoire de cette réforme et les tendances dans l'application de cet impôt au cours de la dernière décennie. Il est intéressant de noter la forte réaction contre la réforme de l'impôt foncier alors que cet impôt a, en fait, proportionnellement diminué pendant la plus grande partie de cette période. En évaluant le processus de réforme, les auteurs considèrent un certain nombre de questions: le rôle de Toronto par rapport au reste de la province, la résistance à une évaluation aux prix du marché, la perception de l'impôt foncier comme étant un impôt provincial et le traitement privilégié de la propriété résidentielle. Ils concluent qu'étant donné la résistance que rencontre la réforme de l'impôt foncier, il y a peu de chance, en Ontario, que les évaluations se fassent aux prix du marché dans un proche avenir.