Fingerprint analysis for the determination of hand origin (right/left) using the axis slant in whorl patterns

Fingerprints are frequently encountered during both civil and criminal investigations. Fingerprints possess numerous characteristics that assist with personal identification. Determining the hand of origin (right or left) for an individual fingerprint would help reduce investigation time and potentially eliminate certain suspects. In this study, we collected a total of 2 900 single digit fingerprints from 290 individuals, and the whorl axis slant was examined in the 743 whorl pattern fingerprints (385 from the right hand and 358 from the left hand). A slant towards the right side was present in 81.82% of samples from the right hand, while a slant towards the left side was observed in 80.73% of samples from the left hand. After applying a chi-square test to the dataset, the results were found to be statistically significant for the determination of hand origin. Our results suggest that the whorl axis slant in a fingerprint is indicative of hand origin (right or left).

Key points

• Single digit fingerprints with whorl pattern were analyzed.
• Whorl “axis slant” was used to determine the hand origin.
• Right axis slant would indicate the right hand of the print.
• Left axis slant would indicate the left hand of the print.

     

Fifteen minutes of glory: A Burkean analysis of press coverage of Oliver north's testimony

Public esteem for Lt. Col. Oliver North prior to his testimony before the Iran‐contra Committee was low. As he testified, his popularity and support soared, and then tailed off after he left the witness stand. This analysis suggests that these dramatic shifts in audience response to the drama of Oliver North are attributable to the evocation of different audience values before, during, and after his testimony by press coverage of his story which placed differential emphasis on the elements of Kenneth Burke's dramatistical pentad. The differential impacts of print and electronic media to these audience effects are assessed through content analysis. Implications for political processes in general in our media society are discussed.     

Research on the local regional similarity of automatic fingerprint identification system fingerprints based on close non-matches in a ten million people database—Taking the central region of whorl as an example

The local regional similarity of fingerprints has always been a hot issue in the field of fingerprint research. With the increasing size of ten-print databases, the appearance of close non-matches (CNMs) in automatic fingerprint identification system (AFIS) candidate lists has attracted increasing attention from forensic science departments worldwide. In this study, three categories (high-, medium-, and low-level) of standards for CNMs were established and 60 whorl samples were marked with different numbers of minutiae to explore the occurrence and influencing factors of CNMs in AFIS candidate lists based on a ten million people database. The results showed that all prints could be found with their corresponding CNMs. The average occurrence rate of CNMs for every query was 52.7% in the top 100 lists, and the most similar CNM was exactly the same in the local area of 12 coincidence points. CNMs appeared more in the middle and lower parts of the central region of the whorl. Moreover, shorter C2C distances and the same finger number and hand led to more CNMs being inspected. CNMs with higher similarity required a more extensive regional area and smaller minutiae density. We concluded that CNMs have a high occurrence rate in large-scale databases and many factors are closely related to them. Fingerprint examiners and researchers need to strengthen their understanding of CNMs to avoid the occurrence of misidentification like the Madrid bombings.     

The (Partisan) Role of the Press in Direct Democratic Campaigns: Evidence from a Swiss Vote on European Integration

Abstract: This article analyzes the role of the press in direct democratic campaigns. The paper argues the press has a dual role: On news pages, newspapers ought to inform citizens about the issue positions and frames of the pro and con camps in a balanced way. In editorials, newspapers act as political advocates that promote their own issue frames and try to shape public opinion through voting recommendations. Comparing the issue positions and frames in editorials and news reports in the run‐up to the vote on the popular initiative “Yes to Europe” in Switzerland, this article shows that newspapers give similar visibility to the pro and con camps regardless of the papers’ own editorial position. However, some newspapers favor issue frames that are in line with their editorial perspectives. In conclusion, newspapers are more similar in news report content than in editorial views.     

Can Renal Acute Tubular Necrosis Be Differentiated from Autolysis at Autopsy?*

Abstract: We investigate the morphological characteristics that may differentiate between ischemic acute tubular necrosis (ATN) and autolysis in postmortem samples. Renal tissue from 57 postmortem cases with an antemortem diagnosis of ATN and 57 age-/sex-matched control cases were examined for 10 morphological characteristics: epithelial proliferation (Ki-67 immunoperoxidase positivity), fibrin thrombi, tubular epithelial whorls, mitoses, casts, autolysis, tubulorrhexis, epithelial flattening, interstitial inflammation, and interstitial expansion. Tubular epithelial whorls were found in 16 ATN cases and were absent in controls. These findings suggest that specific morphological criteria may distinguish ischemic ATN from autolysis. Diagnoses of ATN may be confirmed using these combined criteria as contributing to cause of death and/or to ascertain previously undiagnosed cases of ATN postmortem.     

Do National Economic and Political Conditions Affect Ideological Media Slant?

Political scientists are interested in the influence of the news media on politics. However, relatively few studies investigate whether or not ideological slant in news coverage changes systematically over time. If it changes systematically, what factors explain the changes? This study argues that external conditions, such as national political and economic situations, influence ideological media slant at the aggregate level. To examine this argument, “macro media bias” is measured quarterly by gauging the relative size of liberal and conservative news stories regarding domestic issues from 1958 through 2004. Utilizing ARIMA models, this study reveals that the news media tend to negatively react to government spending. Also, economic conditions, such as unemployment and inflation, significantly explain changes in the relative number of liberal and conservative news stories.

[Supplementary material is available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Political Communication for the following free supplemental resource(s): the coding keywords, detailed coding rules, and alternative regression results.]