bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Electrocution Death of an Infant Who Had Received an Electric Shock from an Uncovered Oval Shaped Lamp Switch in His Mouth while in a Hospital
Authors: Yamazaki M , Bai H , Tun Z , Ogura Y , Wakasugi C
Published: August 2015

A male infant aged one year and nine months was found dead on a bed after admission to hospital with suspected pneumonia. The patient apparently put an uncovered oval shaped lamp switch (pendant switch) into his mouth and died of electric shock after contacting the exposed wires of the switch (100 V, 60 Hz alternating current). There were extensive first- to fourth-degree burns on the inner surface of the both lips. Because the histological findings were consistent with electric burns and the burns showed vital reactions, electric shock was judged to be the cause of death. The pendant switch is normally a very convenient piece of bedside equipment for inpatients. However, when the patient is an infant who naturally puts all the objects into the mouth, such a switch should be placed out of reach, and it should be certain that the cap is not loose.
Detection of Alprazolam in Three Cases of Methadone/Benzodiazepine Overdose
Authors: Rogers WO , Hall MA , Brissie RM , Robinson CA
Published: August 2015

Benzodiazepine abuse is common among clients at methadone maintenance clinics. Diazepam and lorazepam are readily detected by immunological screening methods and confirmed by GC/MS. Alprazolam has been relatively difficult to confirm. We recently reported a modification of an existing serum HPLC procedure which allows us to analyze whole blood. We report here three cases of fatal drug overdose caused by co-ingestion of methadone and alprazolam. In all three cases, alprazolam was detected by HPLC and could not be identified by alkaline extraction GC/MS. Postmortem blood concentrations of methadone were at the lower range or below the concentrations previously identified in methadone overdose fatalities, suggesting an increased risk from co-ingestion of methadone and alprazolam.
Fatal Ephedrine Intoxication
Authors: Backer R , Tautman D , Lowry S , Harvey CM , Poklis A
Published: August 2015

A 28-year-old white female with a history of two prior suicide attempts was found dead in her home by her common law husband. Autopsy findings were unremarkable except for partially dissolved ephedrine tablets in the stomach contents. Quantitation of ephedrine was by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) following liquid/liquid extraction from alkaline samples and pentafluoropropionic acid derivatization. Significant toxicological finding included ephedrine; blood, 11 mg/L; liver, 24 mg/kg; kidney, 14 mg/kg; brain, 8.9 mg/kg; and amitriptyline; blood, 0.33 mg/kg; liver 7.8 mg/kg. The ephedrine values found far exceed those associated with therapeutic administration and are consistent with the few reported cases of severe ephedrine intoxication. The cause of death was determined to be fatal ephedrine intoxication and manner of death suicide.
Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D., Honoree of the 1996 Career Achievements Award, New York Society of Forensic Sciences at Lehman College
Authors: Taff ML , Boglioli LR
Published: August 2015

In honor of the 65th meeting of the New York Society of Forensic Sciences (NYSFS) at Lehman College, Bronx, New York on April 17, 1996, Dr. Cyril H. Wecht was the recipient of the 6th career achievements award for his contributions to forensic pathology and legal medicine (Fig. 1). About 50 members of the organization turned out for the dinner and lecture in honor of Dr. Wecht.
Review of Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases (Fourth Edition)
Authors: Snyder JW
Published: August 2015

Media coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial focused global attention on the forensic sciences and the role of scientific and medical evidence in the courtroom. There was little discussion, however, of books that present a scholarly overview of the subject. Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases is one of those texts. Now in its fourth edition, this treatise has more than doubled in size, scope, and value since publication of the original manuscript by Moenssens, Moses, and Inban in 1973. Substantial additions and revisions in the 1995 text appropriately reflect not only developments in the field but also the wisdom and insight gained from the authors' nearly 100 years of combined experience in legal practice and scholarship.
Review of Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man (Fourth Edition)
Authors: Levine B
Published: August 2015

It has been over 15 years since the first edition of Baselt's “Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man” was published and it is hard to imagine the practice of forensic toxicology without this valuable resource. Over the years, from the first edition to the current fourth edition, several changes have occurred. The organization of the book has changed, from a two volume set divided into centrally acting drugs and peripherally acting/other toxicants to its current alphabetical listing of toxicants. Beginning with the third edition and continuing with this edition, Robert Cravey has joined Dr. Baselt as a co-editor. Most dramatically, the number of toxic substances has more than doubled, from less than 200 in the first edition to over 400 in the fourth edition.
Review of Genetic Data Analysis II. Method for Discrete Population Genetic Data, (Bruce Weir) (Second Edition)
Authors: Wenk RE
Published: August 2015

The second, expanded edition of this single-authored treatise was written to serve geneticists who have limited statistical training and for statisticians who have been asked to apply quantitative methods to the rapid advances in fields such as molecular, population and evolutionary genetics, genomic mapping, sequencing and linkage analyses and forensic sciences. The paperback book is also a shelf reference and serves as a simple and useful review of concepts and applications. The book appears to be well-edited and without errors of notation, logic or typography because the prepublished material was already extensively reviewed by experts, and the author's students.
Review of Studies in Crime: An Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
Authors: Froede SM
Published: August 2015

The subject of this book, written primarily by members of the faculty of Bradford University in England, is the value of archaeological and anthropological techniques in the field of forensic science. Although not a step-by-step guide of procedures, the methods used in forensic archaeology and forensic anthropology are thoroughly discussed. Though most case examples are from the United Kingdom, the information may have world wide application. This book could be useful to a university anthropology department library, especially one called upon by law enforcement agencies to aid in locating and/or recovering and identifying human remains. It might also be a useful reference for medical examiner/coroner offices.
Attribution of Foot Bones to Sex and Population Groups
Authors: Smith SL
Published: August 2015

Although cranial and pelvic bones are the preferred skeletal material used by forensic anthropologists to assign unknown individuals to their most probable sex and population (racial) groups, these remains may be unavailable. This paper presents models for classification using metatarsals, proximal pedal phalanges, and the first distal phalanx of the foot. Measurements include lengths and mediolateral and dorsoplantar widths of these foot bones. Four samples of 40 individuals each (black and white males and females) comprise the dataset. Models were developed separately for right and left sides. Three models are provided for each side: a metatarsal model, a proximal phalangeal model, and a combination model involving selected metatarsal and phalangeal measurements. A stepwise discriminant procedure was used for variable selection, with some highly correlated (r > 0.85) variables subsequently removed. The metatarsal models correctly assign approximately 77–84% of individuals to their correct sex and population groups; proximal phalangeal models yield correct assignments in 70–72% of cases, and the combination models give correct classifications in 87% of cases. Models exchanging variables selected from one side for corresponding variables on the other show discriminating power ranging from approximately 67–86%. More conservative “jackknife” estimates give correct assignments in 64–82% of cases. When these models are used for classification of sex alone, 86.2–93.7% (“jackknife” range, 84.3–91.2%) of cases are correctly classified; for race alone, 78.6–96.2% (“jackknife” range, 75.5–92.4%).
Skeletal Evidence for Child Abuse: A Physical Anthropological Perspective
Authors: Walker PL , Cook DC , Lambert PM
Published: August 2015

Analysis of the skeletal remains of abused children can prove challenging for forensic pathologists and radiographers who are inexperienced in the direct examination of bones. In such cases, radiographically invisible skeletal lesions that document a history of trauma can often be identified by a physical anthropologist with appropriate osteological experience. This is illustrated by cases in which skeletal remains of four murdered children and a mentally handicapped adult produced evidence of antemortem trauma and perimortem injuries that was critical in developing murder cases against the assailants. In these cases, well-healed areas of subperiosteal new bone formation were identified that were below the threshold of radiographic detection. Such injuries provide strong evidence for a history of physical abuse.
The Search for Father Bachelot: First Catholic Missionary to the Hawaiian Islands (1827–1837)
Authors: Pietrusewsky M , Willacker LM
Published: August 2015

The main objective of this study is to determine if the remains of Father Bachelot, leader of the first Catholic missionary group to the Hawaiian Islands, can be identified among the commingled human skeletal remains brought back from Pohnpei, Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, in 1977. An osteological/forensic examination of these remains, a review of the literature, interviews with leaders of the expedition, and ancillary considerations suggest that, in all probability, none of the skeletal remains from Pohnpei are those of Father Bachelot.

Father Alexis Bachelot, born in France, in 1796, was leader of the first Catholic missionary group to the Hawaiian Islands. He died in 1837, after being exiled from the Hawaiian Kingdom. His remains were buried on the small islet of Na, off the coast of Pohnpei, the same year. An expedition to Pohnpei in 1977, to recover the remains of Father Bachelot, resulted in the recovery of several sets of commingled remains which are the subject of this study.

A detailed osteological/forensic study of these remains indicates the presence of at least ten individuals, including two subadults, two adult females, and six adult males. Stature estimates, the presence of osseous changes suggestive of treponemal disease, and other cranial, dental, and skeletal features are more consistent with Pohnpean than European ancestry. The presence of shell beads and other mortuary features strengthens this assertion. Recommendations for any future attempts to recover the remains of this famous personage are made.
Evaluation of Independence Assumptions for PCR-Based and Protein-Based Genetic Markers in New Jersey Caucasians
Authors: Budowle B , Jankowski LB , Corey HW , Swec NT , Freck-Tootell S , Pino JA , Schwartz R , Kelley CA , Tarver ML
Published: August 2015

Allele frequencies for six PCR-based loci and three protein-based (i.e., enzyme systems) loci were determined in a Caucasian sample population from New Jersey. The loci are LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, Gc, HLA-DQA1, PGM1, ESD, and EAP. All loci meet Hardy-Weinberg expectations. In addition, there is little evidence for association of alleles among the nine loci. The allelic frequency data generally are similar to another Caucasian population database.
The Effect of Ethnic and Racial Population Substructuring on the Estimation of Multi-Locus Fixed-Bin VNTR RFLP Genotype Probabilities
Authors: Hartmann JM , Houlihan BT , Keister RS , Buse EL
Published: August 2015

Four East Asian ethnic and four racial VNTR RFLP Southern California databases were used to determine the impact of population substructure on fixed-bin genotype probability estimates. Two calculations were used for population-level probabilities: Stratified sampling, which takes substructuring into account, and pooling, which ignores it. Using 1000 four-locus genotypes, the relative difference between probabilities calculated with the stratified and the pooled methods did not exceed one order of magnitude out of about 11 orders of magnitude for East-Asian racial genotypes. Pooled estimates differed from cognate ethnic values by less than one order of magnitude out of about six. These findings suggest substructuring of races by major ethnic groups does not lead to large errors. Racial genotype probability variances were on average about twice the ethnic variances. Multi-racial total population probabilities calculated by the pooled and stratified methods differed by less than one order of magnitude out of five.
The Effect of Sampling Error and Measurement Error and Its Correlation on the Estimation of Multi-Locus Fixed-Bin VNTR RFLP Genotype Probabilities
Authors: Hartmann JM , Houlihan BT , Thompson LD , Chan C , Baldwin RA , Buse EL
Published: August 2015

Bootstrapping was used to examine the effect of sampling error and measurement error and its correlation on fixedbin genotype probabilities. Bootstrap confidence intervals (CIs) were made relative to the point estimate using the log of the inverse of the probabilities. From databases of 200–250 genotypes, sampling error alone yielded median relative 95% CIs of from one order of magnitude out of five for one locus to one out of ten for four loci. Measurement error of the test genotype fragments increased the latter to about one order of magnitude out of eight. Database measurement error and its correlation had only a slight effect on multi-locus probability uncertainty. Together, these uncertainties are several orders of magnitude greater than error due to population substructuring of a race by its major component ethnic groups.
Lesser Alkaloids of Cocaine-Bearing Plants. Part I: Nicotinoyl-, 2′-Pyrroloyl, and 2′- and 3′-Furanoylecgonine Methyl Ester—Isolation and Mass Spectral Characterization of Four New Alkaloids of South American Erythroxylum coca Var. coca
Authors: Moore JM , Casale JF
Published: August 2015

Four new trace-level alkaloids of South American coca leaf, Erythroxylum coca var. coca, have been isolated from the bulk leaf/alkaloids matrix and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and synthesis. These alkaloids, nicotinoyl-, 2′-pyrroloyl- and 2′- and 3′-furanoylecgonine methyl ester, were detected in Peruvian coca leaf and/or in a commercial, industrial-grade extract of South American coca. Alkaloid isolation methodology included toluene extraction of the leaf followed by dilute acid/Celite and alumina column chromatography and recrystallization. This methodology also allowed for the detection and partial characterization of an additional 125–150 new tropane alkaloids in coca leaf. Forensic implications are discussed.
The Filtering Effects of Various Household Fabrics on the Pollen Content of Hash Oil (Cannabis Extract)
Authors: Horrocks M , Bedford KR , Morgan-Smith RK
Published: August 2015

Hash oil samples were analyzed for pollen before and after filtration through 12 different household fabrics, to determine to what extent such samples can be shown to have come from the same source despite having undergone these different treatments. Unfiltered hash oil samples extracted from the same batch of cannabis leaf material showed similar pollen values. An unstirred portion of the extraction solution showed differences in some pollen values to those of stirred samples, suggesting differential rates of pollen settling. However, the presence of some of the same uncommon pollen types in unstirred and stirred samples suggests a common source. Of 12 filter fabrics, ten (a bath towel, two tea towels, a bedsheet, two pillowcases, three stockings and a t-shirt) had a minor effect on the pollen content of the hash oil by slightly reducing the frequencies of some of the larger sized pollen types. Only two of the fabrics had a major effect on the pollen content of the hash oil. The nappy markedly reduced the proportion of the larger sized pollen types resulting in a marked increase in the proportion of some smaller pollen types whereas the calico filtered out virtually all pollen. Illicit hash oil samples recovered from different people or places may therefore in many cases be compared to determine a common source despite samples from the same batch having undergone different filtration treatments and despite differential settling rates of pollen. Also, hash oil samples may be compared to samples of untreated cannabis leaf material to establish a common source.
Suicidal Terrorist Bombings in Israel—Identification of Human Remains
Authors: Kahana T , Freund M , Hiss J
Published: August 2015

Positive identification of human remains is one of the most important tasks in mass disaster investigations. Religious and jurisdictional demands in Israel, require the identification process to be completed in the shortest possible time. In the 18 suicidal terrorist bombings that took place in Israel between the years 1993–1996, 127 victims and 19 perpetrators were killed, and their severely fragmented bodies were identified within 24 h. The efficient completion of the identification endeavor was enabled by the implementation of a variety of techniques and the close collaboration in the investigation between the different emergency and forensic agencies. This paper presents the mass disaster identification policy and techniques currently used in Israel. The importance of an interdisciplinary approach for the identification of extremely fragmented human remains from mass disasters and the creation of a central data bank of fingerprints and genetic markers is emphasized.
Death Registration: History, Methods, and Legal Issues
Authors: Hanzlick R
Published: August 2015

This article includes a brief discussion of the evolution death registration as it changed from records of church burial ceremonies to the recording of vital events by government in defined registration areas; today's death registration system in the United States; classification and coding procedures; limitations of data derived from death registration; educational materials; legal issues involving death certificates; and the re-engineering of the death registration process.
A National Survey of Autopsy Cost and Workload
Authors: Jason DR , Lantz PE , Preisser JS
Published: August 2015

We mailed survey questionnaires to a random sample of medicolegal offices throughout the USA. The survey asked how many forensic pathologists were used, their American Board of Pathology forensic examination (Board) status, how many autopsies they performed, and, if payment were fee-for-service, what fees were paid for medicolegal autopsies.

Response rate was 61%, with 188 offices returning questionnaires. The average fee, was $518 with a standard error of $27. The number of fee-for-service autopsies was split evenly between Board qualified and Board ineligible pathologists, accounting for about one-third of medicolegal autopsies nationwide. Although smaller offices used more pathologists ineligible for forensic Boards, they paid a premium for such qualification. Larger offices used more forensic Board qualified pathologists, but paid them less than those ineligible to take the examination! Overall there was no significant premium paid for Board qualification.

The average fee paid is far less than the published estimates of the cost of an autopsy. The low fees paid may reflect: (1) the value of the teaching experience supplied to medical students and/or residents; (2) pathologists performing medico-legal examinations as community service; and (3) the lower marginal cost of additional autopsies.
Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine in Decomposing Tissues on the Development of Parasarcophaga ruficornis (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) and Detection of the Drug in Postmortem Blood, Liver Tissue, Larvae, and Puparia
Authors: Lee Goff M , Miller ML , Paulson JD , Lord WD , Richards E , Omori AI
Published: August 2015

Larvae of Parasarcophaga ruficornis (Fabricius) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) were reared on tissues from rabbits administered different dosages of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine to study the effects of this drug on the development of this insect species. The rabbits were given 11, 22.5, and 67 mg of the drug via ear vein infusion. These dosages correspond to a 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 median lethal dose. Larvae from colonies fed on tissues from the rabbit receiving 67 mg and the control developed more rapidly from hours 24 through 114. The period required for completion of larval development was significantly shorter for the larvae from the colony fed on liver tissues from the rabbit receiving the 67 mg dosage. This colony also had the lowest total mortality rate during development. No significant differences were observed among the colonies in the duration of the puparial period. Analyses by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of the larvae and empty puparial cases following base extraction detected the drug in quantities directly related to the dosage of the drug administered to the rabbits serving as a food source. These results have implications for the determination of time since death when gaged by the development of this insect species.
The Diagnostic Value of the Diatom Test for Drowning, I. Utility: A Retrospective Analysis of 771 Cases of Drowning in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Pollanen MS , Cheung C , Chiasson DA
Published: August 2015

The utility and validity of the diatom test for drowning was studied using a retrospective analysis of 771 cases of drowning mostly from Ontario, Canada, over the period 1977 to 1993. In this article (part one), the utility of the test was assessed using an analysis of test outcomes. In the companion article (part two), the validity of the test was assessed by analyzing the relationship between test outcome and characteristics of diatoms in the bone marrow and samples of putative drowning medium. In the present study, freshwater drownings accounted for 738 of the cases and 33 cases were drownings in bathtubs, pools, or toilets. Diatoms were recovered from the femoral bone marrow of 205 cases (28%) of freshwater drowning and four cases (12%) of domestic water drowning. There was a monthly variation in the frequency of positive test outcomes that could not be explained by seasonal differences in the total number of drownings. However, the monthly variation was strongly correlated with the periodic cycle of diatom blooms that occurs in freshwater. Positive diatom tests were characterized by a limited number of distinctive diatom species per case, and a restricted quantity and size range of diatom frustules. These results indicate that the diatom test for drowning will identify approximately one in three victims of freshwater drowning and may be useful in the assessment of deaths occurring in bathtubs. The correlation of the outcome of the diatom test for drowning with diatom blooms provides further evidence for the reliability of the test.
The Diagnostic Value of the Diatom Test for Drowning, II. Validity: Analysis of Diatoms in Bone Marrow and Drowning Medium
Authors: Pollanen MS
Published: August 2015

In part two of this series, we investigated the characteristics of diatom frustules recovered from bone marrow and samples of putative drowning medium in case of freshwater drownings. A total of 52 cases of freshwater drowning with diatoms in the femoral bone marrow in which a sample of the putative drowning medium was also collected were available for analysis. The same types of diatoms were found in the bone marrow and putative drowning medium in 47 cases (90%) indicating that the water samples were representative of the site of drowning in at least 90% of freshwater drownings. In the remaining 5 cases (10%), the diatoms in the water samples did not match those in the bone marrow indicating that the site of body and water sample recovery were likely geographically remote from the site of drowning. In cases with matching diatoms in the bone marrow and drowning medium, the diatoms were consistently the smallest and most abundant types represented in the water samples. In addition, there were highly stereotyped physical characteristics of typical “drowning-associated” diatoms with small pennate diatoms representing the most common type of frustule found in the bone marrow. In an additional 34 cases of putative drowning in water that lacked detectable diatoms, 29 cases (85%) lacked diatoms in the bone marrow. Analysis of the diatom content of samples of putative drowning medium by month revealed that winter months had the highest frequency of samples devoid of diatoms. These data indicate that the true positive rate of the diatom test for drowning is at least 90% and that small pennate frustules are most commonly associated with drowning, particular in non winter months.
Enantioselective Separation of Methadone and Its Main Metabolite in Human Hair by Liquid Chromatography/Ion Spray-Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Kintz P , Eser HP , Tracqui A , Moeller M , Cirimele V , Mangin P
Published: August 2015

Optical isomers exhibit significant differences in their affinities for receptor sites, biotransformation and binding to serum and tissue proteins. Methadone has been used for the substitution of heroin addicts since 1964. The racemic form is used, i.e., a mixture of the biologically active R-form and the practically inactive S-form. To investigate methadone distribution, a chiral separation of the isomers was developed in human hair samples. The method involves decontamination of hair with water and acetone, pulverization in a ball mill, enzymatic hydrolysis in presence of deuterated internal standards, solid-phase extraction, and liquid chromatography/ion spray-mass spectrometry. Enantioselective separation of methadone and its main metabolite, EDDP, was obtained using an alphal-acid glycoprotein column (100 by 4 mm ID). In all nine specimens obtained from subjects under racemic methadone treatment in a detoxification center, R- and S-enantiomers of methadone and EDDP were identified with the following concentrations: 2.58–10.22, 1.89–9.53, 0.42–1.73, and 0.40–2.10 ng/mg for R-methadone, S-methadone, R-EDDP, and S-EDDP, respectively. Results are suggestive of a predominance of the R-enantiomer of methadone in human hair.
Postmortem Diffusion of Tracheal Lidocaine into Heart Blood Following Intubation for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Authors: Moriya F , Hashimoto Y
Published: August 2015

This study investigated the postmortem diffusion of tracheal lidocaine into the blood after intubation in three individuals whose heart beat was not restored by cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The results are compared with those obtained in animal experiments using rabbits.

The first human subject was a 3.5-month-old female baby who died of sudden infant death syndrome. She was autopsied approximately 20 h after death. A toxicological examination revealed the presence of 0.349 mg/L and 0.102 mg/L of lidocaine in the blood in the left and right ventricles of the heart, respectively. No lidocaine was detected in the cerebrum, liver, or right femoral muscle. The second subject was a 44-year-old man who died of brain swelling due to head injuries, and was autopsied approximately 20 h after death. Lidocaine concentrations in the hili of the left and right lungs were 10.9 mg/kg and 2.65 mg/kg, respectively, and 1.02 mg/L and 0.209 mg/L in the blood in the left and right ventricles of the heart, respectively. The right femoral vein blood contained only a trace amount of lidocaine; no lidocaine was detected in the cerebrum, liver, or right femoral muscle of this subject. The third subject was a 38-year-old man who died of bleeding due to a stab wound to the left thigh, and was autopsied approximately 20 h after death. Lidocaine concentrations were 1.41 mg/kg and 1.37 mg/kg in the hili of the left and right lungs, respectively, and 0.642 mg/L and 0.746 mg/L in the blood in the thoracic aorta and superior vena cava, respectively. No lidocaine was detected in the right femoral vein blood, cerebrum, liver or right femoral muscle.

In the animal experiments, rabbits carcasses were left in the supine position at an ambient temperature following application of 1 mg/kg lidocaine hydrochloride into the trachea just above the bifurcation. Lidocaine concentrations of 0.550–4.03 mg/L and 3.05–7.30 mg/L were detected in the heart blood, one and three days after the lidocaine treatment, respectively; neither the cerebrum nor right femoral muscle contained detectable amounts of lidocaine. The pH values of body fluids and tissues of the human and animal corpses were below 7.0. This study has demonstrated that following intubation, tracheal lidocaine diffuses into surrounding fluids and tissues, and that this is attributable to postmortem acidosis. We suggest that, in subjects who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation with intra-tracheal intubation, heart blood and femoral vein blood should be analyzed for lidocaine. In addition, the pattern of distribution of lidocaine in the surrounding tissues may provide some information on the state of victims during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
A Fraudulent Case Involving Novel Ink Eradicating Methods
Authors: Abulafia A , Brown S , Abramovich-Bar S
Published: August 2015

A case involving two stain removers and a paint remover to eradicate inks on checks led to an evaluation of the effect of these and some other traditional ink eradicating products on removing ink. Thirteen products were tested on fourteen inks applied to both regular white paper and to four bank's checks. The effect of the eradicating products on the background print of these checks was also noted.
The Effects of Fingermark Enhancement Light Sources on Subsequent PCR-STR DNA Analysis of Fresh Bloodstains
Authors: Andersen J , Bramble S
Published: August 2015

This paper describes a study designed to investigate the effects of light sources used to enhance fingermarks on the subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-short tandem repeat (STR) analysis of bloodstains. Dried bloodstains on glass were exposed for up to 30 min to five different light sources: Argon ion laser, Polilight UV, Polilight green, Superlite, and shortwave UV. The bloodstains were subsequently analyzed using a quadruplex PCR system. It was found that treating the bloodstains with four of the five light sources had no appreciable effect on the results obtained from subsequent PCR analysis. However, exposure of the bloodstains to shortwave UV light for more than 30 s precluded the acquisition of results from PCR testing. Therefore, under casework conditions, it would be preferable to avoid exposing bloodstains, on which PCR typing is to be performed, to shortwave UV.
Characterization of Lachrymators by Ambient Temperature Ion Mobility Spectrometry
Authors: Allinson G , McLeod CW
Published: August 2015

Current methods for the detection of tear gas residues require extensive sample preparation before spectral measurement. This contrasts with the present work in which a new detection method for the active ingredients of CN (α-chloroacetophenone), CS (2-chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile), and pepper sprays (capsaicin and crude pepper extracts) based on ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure ion mobility spectrometry has been developed. The minimum determinable limits were: α-chloroacetophenone 0.1 μg, 2-chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile 25 mg, and cayenne pepper 5 mg. These limits were dependent on the vapor pressure, proton affinity and electronegativity of the target molecule.
Effects of Toluidine Blue and Destaining Reagents Used in Sexual Assault Examinations on the Ability to Obtain DNA Profiles from Postcoital Vaginal Swabs
Authors: Hochmeister MN , Whelan M , Borer UV , Gehrig C , Binda S , Berzlanovich A , Rauch E , Dirnhofer R
Published: August 2015

Toluidine blue is an important tool to detect and document genital and perianal injuries following sexual assault. Application of toluidine blue dye and its subsequent removal from unstained areas by means of a destaining reagent, such as diluted acetic acid or a lubricant has been shown to increase the detection rate of posterior fourchette lacerations from 16% to 40% in adult rape victims. Currently, limited information on toluidine blue positive findings in sexually active control groups imposes some limitation on the interpretation of these injuries. Because injuries could otherwise be attributed to improper handling of an examination speculum or the improper insertion of the examining finger, the toluidine blue test should be performed prior to any digital or speculum examination and thus prior to the collection of forensic evidence. For forensic DNA identity testing, it becomes pertinent to determine whether toluidine blue and the destaining reagents used in a sexual assault examination have an adverse effect on the recovery of high molecular weight DNA from postcoital vaginal swabs and thereby have an impact on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis or PCR-based tests. It is known that some of the lubricants used can have a destructive effect on sperm motility. In order to investigate the potential effects, postcoital vaginal swabs were taken 6 h after sexual intercourse and exposed directly to 1% toluidine blue in aqueous solution, 1–10% acetic acid, and various surgical and vaginal lubricants. Subsequently, the DNA was isolated and DNA identity typing (RFLP and PCR-based) was performed. The results demonstrate, that these reagents have no negative effect on the ability to obtain DNA profiles, either RFLP or PCR-based, from shallow and deep vaginal swabs. The quantity and quality of extractable high molecular weight DNA obtained was comparable with that from uncontaminated postcoital vaginal swabs. RFLP patterns and PCR-based typing results on the D1S80, HUMTH01, TPOX, and CSF1PO loci were consistent with the uncontaminated control swabs and the corresponding whole blood samples of the donors. Therefore, evidentiary material inadvertently contaminated with these reagents can be successfully typed.
An Improved Method to Recover Saliva from Human Skin: The Double Swab Technique
Authors: Sweet D , Lorente M , Lorente JA , Valenzuela A , Villanueva E
Published: August 2015

Human bite mark evidence is often found in violent crimes. Due to the difficulties of physically comparing an injury site on elastic and curved skin surfaces to the teeth of a suspect, the authors have considered using salivary DNA evidence to identify the bite perpetrator. Several techniques were evaluated to determine the best method of recovering saliva from human skin before extracting genomic DNA from the collection substrate. A classical stain recovery technique using a wet cotton swab was tested against one utilizing a wet filter paper. Additionally, a new method, referred to as the double swab technique, using a wet cotton swab followed by a dry cotton swab was also evaluated. After recovering a dried saliva stain, DNA was extracted using the modified Chelex method, quantified using the slot-blot procedure, and amplified at three polymorphic loci. The double swab technique showed the highest percentage recovery of saliva from human skin among the three methods studied. This technique is suggested as an improvement over the classical single wet cotton swab technique.
An Indoor Air Quality-Pharmacokinetic Simulation of Passive Inhalation of Marijuana Smoke and the Resultant Buildup of 11-Nor-Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-9-Carboxylic Acid in Urine
Authors: Giardino NJ
Published: August 2015

In military courts of law, the good soldier defense is often used by the defendant to explain the presence of 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid in urine (hereafter referred to as THCA) above the Department of Defense (DOD) established limit of 15 ng/mL. The defense will contend the defendant unwittingly breathed side-stream marijuana smoke, thus resulting in the presence of THCA in the defendant's urine. The purpose of this work was to link an indoor air quality model (IAQ) with a pharmacokinetic (PK) model to predict a passive marijuana smoker's resultant concentration of the major urinary metabolite THCA.
Predatory Violence During Mass Murder
Authors: Reid Meloy J
Published: August 2015

A case of mass murder by a 35-year old male is reported. Following a week of separation from his spouse and temporary loss of custody of his son, the subject went to his wife's worksite and murdered her and the store manager, wounded a passerby in a car, and murdered a police officer arriving on the scene. Weapons used were a .32 caliber revolver, a 9-mm pistol, a 7.62-mm assault rifle, and a .50-caliber rifle. The fact pattern of the case is shown to be quite consistent with a predatory mode of aggression—violence that is planned, purposeful, emotionless, and not preceded by autonomic arousal. The forensic importance of considering mode of violence, whether predatory or affective, independently of psychiatric diagnosis, is emphasized.
Sudden Cardiac Death During Exercise Due to an Isolated Multiple Anomaly of the Left Coronary Artery in a 12-Year-Old Girl: Clinicopathologic Findings
Authors: Garfia A , Rodriguez M , Chavarria H , Garrido M
Published: August 2015

A 12-year-old girl was taken to the Virgen Macarena University Hospital in Seville, Spain, complaining of abdominal pain, nausea, palpitations, and difficulty in breathing. Her school teacher informed that the girl collapsed after a 100-m race at sports in school.

Emergency rescue personnel found the patient pale, in a cold sweat, with low peripheral perfusion. Initial ECF revealed supraventricular tachycardia (150 bpm), right bundle branch block and left anterior hemiblock that, eventually, progressed to full cardiac arrest. At autopsy, an isolated multiple congenital anomaly of the left coronary artery was found (initial segment anomaly; course anomaly and tunneled coronary artery anomaly).

In our opinion, this appears to be the first reported case of exercise-related sudden cardiac death, due to an isolated multiple congenital anomaly of the left coronary artery (at the origin, on the course and at the termination).
Zopiclone Fatality in a Hospitalized Patient
Authors: Meatherall RC
Published: August 2015

The death of a 72-year-old man is described who overdosed himself while in hospital. The man was being treated for lung cancer and ingested 90 mg of zopiclone in a suicide attempt. He died between 4 and 10 h after the ingestion. Zopiclone, quantitated by GC-MS in the femoral blood, cardiac blood, vitreous humor, urine and bile was found to be 254, 408, 94, 7,330, and 114,700 ng/mL, respectively. Considering the man's weakened physical condition, 90 mg could represent a minimum lethal zopiclone dose.
Diethyl Ether, a Chemical Asphyxiant Used as a Prelude to Homicide: A Report of Three Cases
Authors: Ward ME , Meyerhein RF
Published: August 2015

Homicides in which the victims are first subdued with a chemical asphyxiant are unusual and quite rare. We report three cases in which victims were first overcome by ether containing compounds and then killed by other means of asphyxiation. The ether containing compounds used in these three cases were readily available commercial products. In two cases, the distinctive spectra of the volatile compounds in the decedents' blood, from the gas chromatograph and from the gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, were compared with suspect ether containing products recovered during the scene investigations. In one case, an identical match was obtained. In the other case, the chromatographic spectra differed slightly from the compounds found at the scene, but the difference was explainable by metabolic breakdown of the compounds in vivo.
Introduction to the Symposium Papers
Authors: Graham A
Published: August 2015

The genesis of this symposium was the biological, chemical, and soil evidence presented as part of court proceedings involving a private plane crash near Ruidoso, New Mexico in December, 1989 (Brunk, this series). The plaintiffs claimed that a flaw in the engine design allowed debris to enter and accumulate in a fuel component causing it to malfunction. This biological material included trichomes (plant hairs; Bates, Anderson, and Lee), pollen, (Lewis; A. Graham), and insects (Rozen and Eickwort). Chemical analyses aided in identifying an amorphous substance associated with the trichomes, pollen, and insect remains (Liddell). The evi- dence from soil analyses proved important in addressing another contention by the plaintiffs that soil, in addition to biological matter, was part of the engine contaminants that caused the crash (Daugherty). Although biological evidence in the form of DNA “fingerprinting” is well known, a significant part of the evidence presented here derived from a broad array of other organic materi- als, which although less widely used, proved central in deciding the outcome of the case.
Forensic Botany: An Under-Utilized Resource
Authors: Bock JH , Norris DO
Published: August 2015

Plants have long been used as both weapons and evidence in criminal investigations. The proceedings of Socrates' trial and subsequent adjudicated suicide by means of Conium brew are in the botanical folklore. In this country, plants as poisoning agents have always been well known, but only since the Lindbergh kidnapping trial have other kinds of botanical evidence gained legal sanction. Botanical resources for forensic evidence remain underutilized because of the lack of botanical knowledge among most people involved in criminal investigations. However, resourceful investigators and scientists with initiative are beginning to change this. Now, evidence from plant systematics, palynology, plant anatomy, plant ecology, and related fields is acceptable. The moving forces behind increasing the uses of non-traditional scientific fields in criminal investigations continue to be innovative criminal investigators and imaginative scientists willing to contribute their talents to forensic efforts.
Anatomy of the Lindbergh Kidnapping
Authors: Graham SA
Published: August 2015

The kidnapping and death of American aviator hero Charles Lindbergh's young son in 1932 was labeled the “Crime of the Century.” A hand-made wooden ladder left at the scene provided some of the most critical evidence connecting Bruno Richard Hauptmann to the crime. The information was supplied by Arthur Koehler, wood technologist for the U.S. Forest Service who, with remarkable tenacity and by meticulously detailed studies, was able to provide three lines of plant anatomical evidence crucial to Hauptmann's conviction and subsequent execution. Koehler traced part of the ladder's wood from its mill source to a lumberyard near the kidnapper's home through faint machine planing marks even before the suspect was known. After Hauptmann's arrest, Koehler demonstrated by wood anatomical comparisons that one of the side rails of the ladder previously had been part of a floorboard in Hauptmann's attic. Finally, he established that Hauptmann's hand plane had been used to dress the edges of several ladder parts. Koehler's testimony in this important trial was a turning point in the acceptance of botanical evidence as expert scientific evidence in the courts. In spite of the direct connection to Hauptmann indicated by the wood anatomical structure and markings from the ladder, Hauptmann maintained his innocence until the end. The case has been reexamined in recent years by several groups and individuals. Although some believe in Hauptmann's innocence, the wood anatomical evidence remains unchallenged in incontrovertibly linking Hauptmann to the crime.
The Ruidoso Plane Crash—The Background and the Trial Verdict
Authors: Brunk SK
Published: August 2015

The circumstances surrounding the December, 1989, Ruidoso, NM plane crash that prompted a number of the investigations in this symposium, and subsequent litigation, is described.
Forensic Botany: Trichome Evidence
Authors: Bates DM , Anderson GJ , Lee RD
Published: August 2015

Stellate trichomes (epidermal, star-shaped plant hairs) recovered from the stored wreckage of an aircraft's engine were used as a basis for arguing that faulty engine design led to the plane's crash near Ruidoso, New Mexico. Light and scanning electron microscope analyses of the trichomes recovered from the engine wreckage and other associated debris, when compared with trichome samples taken from the nightshade (Solanaceae) and cotton (Malvaceae) families about the storage site and elsewhere, provided positive identification of the trichome source. These data, when interpreted in relation to basic ecological and plant life cycle information, confirmed that the trichome presence was the result of post-crash rather than pre-crash events.
Pollen Composition in a Crashed Plane's Engine
Authors: Lewis WH
Published: August 2015

Pollen removed from engine tubing of a crashed plane near Ruidoso, New Mexico, which had been stored outdoors in partially broken boxes from May to October following a December crash, consisted almost entirely of insect-pollinated types at the near exclusion of wind-pollinated pollen. Plants producing both groups of pollen were found immediately adjacent to the stored engine parts, with many wind-pollinated species shedding abundant atmospheric pollen during the flowering season. There is no known mechanism whereby insect-pollinated types could selectively have been filtered from the air at the exclusion of the predominant wind-pollinated ones. Thus, the pollen part of the mass found in the tubing could not have accumulated either suddenly or over time while the plane was in operation, and therefore the mass must have been a post-crash accumulation. Furthermore, pollen taken from the same mass initiated pollen tube expansion in a sucrose solution and both pollen cytoplasm and walls appeared normal in TEM sections in contrast to pollen charred for only 5 min at 250°C (the crashed engine burned for many hours reaching at least 1000°C). Pollen examined from the engine tubing could only have been deposited after the crash occurred.
Forensic Palynology and the Ruidoso, New Mexico Plane Crash—The Pollen Evidence II
Authors: Graham A
Published: August 2015

The crash of a private plane near Ruidoso, New Mexico in 1989 resulted in an investigation of a small mass of biological material isolated from a tubular component of the fuel assembly. Part of the biological material consisted of a small pellet of pollen. The pollen grains were glistening, bright yellow in color, and surrounded by a moist hyaline substance that formed thin strands connecting the individual grains. If the grains had accumulated over time, some would have been subjected to an air temperature of about 500° F (190°C) for the operational life of the fuel component. If they were present before the crash, they also would have been exposed to a post-crash fire that distorted aluminum parts and melted resin/fiberglass construction material. Experiments with fresh pollen demonstrated that the grains darkened significantly with moderate heating for short periods, and that the connecting strands disappeared. The conclusion, consistent with other biological, chemical, and soil evidence, was that the biological mass was a post-crash accumulation unrelated to the accident.