bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Alternative, Effective Substrate for Erythrocyte Acid Phosphatase Phenotype Determinations
Authors: Budowle B , Gambel AM
Published: August 2015

A method is described for obtaining nondiffusing, nonfading fluorogenic zymograms for erythrocyte acid phosphatase variants separated by isoelectric focusing. The synthetic substrate 4-trifluoromethylcoumarin phosphate was impregnated into cellulose diacetate membranes and air-dried overnight. After isoelectric focusing. the substrate overlay membrane was rehydrated in 0.05M citrate buffer, pH 4.0, lightly blotted, and overlayed on the gel. A 5- to 10-min incubation at 37°C produced intensely fluorescing, light-blue bands on the diacetate membrane. Interaction of the trifluoromethyl group on the substrate with hydrophobic regions of the diacetate membrane impeded diffusion, yielding a permanent zymogram. There were no discrepancies in phenotype determinations using this method when compared with the 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate assay approach. Further, an increased number of conclusive calls were obtained (91.8 versus 79.5% and 54.1 versus 34.9%) with this new assay when compared with the 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate substrate on known liquid bloods and questioned dried bloodstains, respectively.
Bite Mark Impressions: A Review of Techniques and Materials
Authors: Benson BW , Cottone JA , Bomberg TJ , Sperber ND
Published: August 2015

Many techniques are described in the literature for use in making impressions of bite mark indentations. A representative technique is presented in detail. Several types of dental materials common to many impression techniques are reviewed with regard to their accuracy, ease of use, and dimensional stability over time. Adherence of materials and a model pouring technique are also discussed.
A Technique to Enhance Fingerprinting of Mummified Fingers
Authors: Haglund WD
Published: August 2015

This report details a fingerprinting technique for softening mummified fingers and hands using Metaflow and Restorative, a fluid for rehydration of desiccated tissue. This procedure has proven successful in cases of extreme desiecation and has allowed for good fingerprint detail to be developed.
A Photographic Technique for the Restoration of Damaged Radiographs
Authors: Dailey JC , Furue T
Published: August 2015

Occasionally during identification efforts, the forensic science team will encounter radiographs needed for comparisons that are damaged and seemingly useless. The simplified darkroom technique presented will facilitate the recovery of useful information from such compromised radiographs on film.
A Review of Geriatric Psychiatry and the Law
Authors: Bloomingdale LM
Published: August 2015

This volume, part of a series derived from annual lectures presented to members of the Tri-State Chapter of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, is divided into six sections: I—Fundamentals, II—Competency and Informed Consent, III—The End of Life, IV—Diagnostic and Clinical Factors, VAdministrative and Social Policy Issues, and VI—Ethnic Considerations: Overcoming Potential Bias. This is the first volume of the series devoted to a common theme and represents an invaluable source book to forensic psychiatrists. The book consists of 21 chapters, and each chapter is worth reviewing when a psychiatrist is confronted with an elderly patient whose case involves any of the specific chapters.
The Evolution of Questioned Document Examination in the Last 50 Years
Authors: Hilton O
Published: August 2015

The last 50 years have seen significant changes and growth in questioned document problems. New writing instruments have come into use affecting handwriting identification and the detection of forgery. Electronic typewriters and word-processing systems have been developed, increasing the difficulty in establishing the source of “typewritten” material. Various new office machines, especially copiers, produce documents very different from those of the 1930s. With all of these problems, there has been an evolution and development of new methods for examining documents and new equipment to assist the examiner. Also throughout this period, certain office machines created challenging problems for several years but subsequently have been replaced for the most part by contemporary equipment. They too are considered since the problems of the 1930s as well as those of the intervening years can still be encountered occasionally.
Incidence of Cannabinoids in Medical Examiner Urine Specimens
Authors: Isenschmid DS , Caplan YH
Published: August 2015

Cannabinoid use was studied in a nonspecific population of postmortem urine specimens in the State of Maryland. Of 500 sequential specimens screened for cannabinoids by enzyme multiplied immunoassay EMIT®, 63 (13%) were initially positive and 58 (12%) were confirmed positive (92%). It was observed that geographic location and race did not correlate with cannabinoid prevalence. Cannabinoid use was observed to be strongly age related, with peak use by the 21- to 25-year-old age group where 22% of the cases were positive. Use of cannabinoids was also closely linked to homicides, which represented nearly half of the positive cases but only 13% of the total cases. When comparing manner of death, the greatest percent of confirmed positives was seen in homicide (26%) and drug-related (17%) deaths. The incidence of cannabinoid use was found to be more than 3 times as great in drug-related (17%) as compared to natural deaths (5%). The percent of cannabinoid-positive cases from vehicle-related accidents was low (6%) and that from nonvehicle-related accidents somewhat higher (10%).

Other drugs appeared in cannabinoid-positive cases. Most prevalent was ethanol N = 18, followed by morphine (from heroin, N = 11), quinine N = 11, and cocaine N = 11. Phencyclidine (PCP) occurred twice and several other drugs were reported only once. Of the 25 homicide cases screened for drugs, 64% were positive for some drug including ethyl alcohol. Thus it appears that a high percentage of homicide cases are drug related. Males greatly outnumbered females (56:2) in positive cases, but the number of female specimens received was small.
Excluding a Psychoactive Substance Use Disorder in Forensic Psychiatric Evaluations
Authors: Lacoursiere RB
Published: August 2015

The forensic psychiatrist is sometimes asked to exclude that a person has a psychoactive substance use disorder, for example, in a security worker who has access to weapons, in a health care professional who may be alcohol/drug impaired, or in a parent, in a deprived child or custody hearing matter. After examining the data that are leading to the evaluation, these evaluations require corroborated background information to look for developmental and genetic antecedents that might be consistent with substance abuse and dependence; inquiry into the history of substance use; and an examination of areas, in which problems from substance use can occur, namely in family and other social relationships, at work, in legal settings, in physical health, and in personal and psychiatric reactions, for example, in suicidal behavior. Then a physical exam and laboratory evaluation are conducted to look for medical evidence of substance use and complications therefrom, and a mental status exam is performed and psychological testing is obtained as required, for example, a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) or neuropsychological testing. When such an evaluation is essentially negative, the examiner can say, within the limits of the evaluation, that a psychoactive substance use disorder does not exist.
Individual Identification from Semen by the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Fingerprint Technique
Authors: Honma M , Yoshii T , Ishiyama I , Mitani K , Kominami R , Muramatsu M
Published: August 2015

For individual identification from semen, the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprint technique was used. In a blind trial, we succeeded in determining the semen donors among several volunteers comparing the DNA fingerprints of the blood and semen samples, respectively. Thereafter, we examined semen in a condom left beside a naked female dead body. The DNA fingerprint of the semen was recognized to be identical to that of the blood from a suspected man arrested later. This is the first report that the DNA fingerprint technique was practically used in a criminal investigation in Japan.
Toolmarks and Peculiar Blunt Force Injuries Related to an Adjustable Wrench
Authors: Takizawa H , Nakamura I , Hashimoto M , Maekawa N , Yamamura M
Published: August 2015

A factory hand troubled a housewife with a money matter, and in the end he beat her to death with an adjustable wrench. The toolmarks found at the crime scene and the patterned injuries on the victim are shown in this article.
A Review of The Lindbergh Case
Authors: Doud D
Published: August 2015

The Lindbergh Case is a painstakingly researched, immensely readable account of the “Crime of the Century” from the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby in 1932 to Richard Hauptmann's conviction and execution some four years later. It's author, Jim Fisher, Professor of Criminal Justice at Edinboro University, Edinboro, Pennsylvania, states that he spent over four years on researching the case, and I can believe it. The vast amount of background material that he reviewed and catalogued by computer includes some 7500 pages of trial transcripts and literally thousands of other documents maintained in the Lindbergh case archives in West Trenton, New Jersey, such as affidavits, memos, letters, logs, statements, photographs, press clippings, trial exhibits, and material from the Governor Hoffman file. Fisher also examined the physical evidence itself including the fourteen ransom notes, Hauptmann's known handwriting, the kidnap ladder, and the baby's sleeping suit.
A Review of Interviewing, An Introduction to Interrogation
Authors: Labowitz DI
Published: August 2015

In his introductory remarks, the author states that he would like to conduct training seminars on his theories of interviewing as a form of interrogation, and being unable to do so he has put his theories into this book to allow others to teach his theories. I do wish that he had included some form of teaching guide as the major portion of the text is not decipherable as any form of instructional material. Without aid, it would be of little use to the inexperienced student because of the unnecessarily complex manner in which ideas are presented. The experienced interviewer might gain some knowledge from the text but the majority of it would be of little use.
The Status of Training for Questioned Document Examiners in the United States
Authors: Behrendt JE
Published: August 2015

Questioned document examination has traditionally used on-the-job training as its primary instructional method. There are several deficiencies inherent in this method of training, however. Some of these deficiencies are the lack of a standardized course of instruction, the inability to evaluate the quality of the training received by an individual, the absence of any criteria establishing minimum levels of competency, and the length of time required which results in a reluctance to hire trainees. These and other shortcomings in on-the-job training are discussed in view of a survey that was conducted of 249 document examiners associated with federal, state, county, local, and private laboratories. Some possible remedies to correct the weaknesses in the current approach to training are offered.
Upper Cervical Trauma in Motor Vehicle Collisions
Authors: Shkrum MJ , Green RN , Nowak ES
Published: August 2015

Motor vehicle collisions can cause a variety of injuries in pedestrians and vehicle occupants. Fatal and nonfatal trauma to the upper cervical spine, that is, atlanto-occipital junction, atlas and axis, can be part of this spectrum. Certain distinctive injuries (for example, “hangman's fracture”) which occur result from the unique anatomic structure of this area and the various disruptive forces such as extension, distraction (tension), compression (axial loading), shear, and inertia generated during collision. Correlation of autopsy findings or radiological information of these cervical injuries or both with scene investigation can be informative not only in the determination of morbidity and mortality, but also in the assessment of injury mechanisms and improvements in occupant protection.
The Epidemiology of Fatal Burn Injuries
Authors: Parks JG , Noguchi TT , Klatt EC
Published: August 2015

The paper retrospectively reviews 80 burn fatalities from accidents or attempted suicides with patients admitted to the LAC-USC Medical Center from 1983 to 1987 to determine demographic factors, etiology of the burn injury, and existence of predisposing risk factors. The average age of fatal burn victims was 44 years; 74% were males, 39% were Caucasian, 35% were black, 21% were Hispanic, and 5% were of Asian descent. Blacks and Caucasians were overrepresented and Hispanics underrepresented in relation to all autopsy cases. Major etiologic factors included suicide, falling asleep while smoking, accidents while working with volatile solvents, housefires, scalds, cooking accidents, and accidents involving motor vehicles. Gasoline was the commonest solvent involved with burn fatalities. Significant risk factors for burn fatality were substance abuse (25% of cases) and impaired mental function (19% of cases).
Writer's Palmar Impressions
Authors: Shimoda SC , Franck FE
Published: August 2015

In questioned document cases in which the writing cannot be positively identified, “writer's palm print(s)” can sometimes be developed below the questioned handwriting. The position of a writer's palm print can be used to infer that both the palm print and the handwriting originate from the same hand.
Craniofacial Dysmorphism in Mozart's Skull
Authors: Puech B , Puech P-F , Tichy G , Dhellemmes P , Cianfarani F
Published: August 2015

Mozart's craniofacial dysmorphism shown in his portraits and in the skull held by the Mozarteum in Salzburg (Austria) helps to document the role of pathology in human identification. The specific syndrome is formed by a premature synostosis of the metopic suture (PSMS) in association with an abnormally shaped skull.
A Comfort for the Bad Cop—A Challenge for the Good Forensic Scientist
Authors: Wecht CH
Published: August 2015

On 28 Nov. 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that failure by the police to preserve physical evidence that could prove a defendant's innocence does not violate the constitutional right to due process of law unless it can be proved that the police acted in “bad faith.” In the case of Arizona v. Youngblood, the state's Court of Appeals had overturned Larry Youngblood's conviction for the kidnapping and sodomy of a ten-year-old boy on the ground that the police neglected to test semen stains on the victim's clothing, or to preserve that evidence by storing it in their freezer, thereby precluding the opportunity to compare the assailant's blood type with the defendant's when he was arrested a few weeks later. The State of Arizona appealed that ruling, and the Supreme Court, by a 6 to 3 vote, in an opinion written by a former Arizonian, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, reinstated Mr. Youngblood's conviction.
Canid Scavenging/Disarticulation Sequence of Human Remains in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Haglund WD , Reay DT , Swindler DR
Published: August 2015

Greater understanding of animal scavenging of human remains can assist forensic science investigators in locating and recovering dispersed skeletal elements, in recognizing damage produced by scavengers, and in making more informed estimates of the postmortem interval. The pattern of skeletal damage can indicate whether the body was scavenged while intact or at some time after other natural processes of disarticulation had begun.

This study analyzed thirty partially to fully skeletonized human remains with respect to scavenging at the time of body discovery in order to determine if a patterned consumption sequence existed. The scavengers were primarily coyotes (Canis latrans) and domestic dogs (C. familiaris). Sixteen non-carnivore-scavenged remains were also examined and contrasted with the carnivore-scavenged sample.

Observed postmortem intervals from death to recovery ranged from 4 h to 52 months. Results demonstrate that canid scavenging of human remains takes place in sequential stages: Stage 0 = no bony involvement; Stage 1 = ventral thorax damaged and one or both upper extremities removed; Stage 2 = lower extremity involvement; Stage 3 = only vertebral segments remain articulated; and Stage 4 = total disarticulation. Results revealed a clear correspondence between observed stages of disarticulation and the postmortem interval.
Surface Analysis of Electrical Arc Residues in Fire Investigation
Authors: Anderson RN
Published: August 2015

Fires caused by electrical shorting are difficult to identify with certainty from fire pattern analysis alone. Surface analysis techniques, such as electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and auger electron spectroscopy (AES), can be used to determine the history of an electrical short circuit by characterizing the environment in which the electrical arc residues were formed. In a fire that destroys insulation, the surface of the arc bead formed from the resultant electrical short circuit would show the presence of combustion products. If the electrical short circuit occurred before the fire had started, then arc bead analysis would show the absence of combustion products.
Multivariate Analysis of Typeface Damage Frequencies
Authors: Stoney DA , Thornton JI
Published: August 2015

To explore possible deterministic factors in typeface damage, multivariate analysis was performed on data developed by Dr. David Crown in his doctoral dissertation on typewriter individuality. Crown observed a slow increase in collective typeface damage with the duration of typewriter use, but found no apparent increase in damage correlated with individual letter use frequencies. These findings seemed peculiar and were the initial motivation for the present study.

For multivariate analysis, three groups of dependent variables were defined: those based on letter use frequencies; those based on letter form; and those based on basket or keyboard position. Both letter-use frequency and letter area showed statistically significant positive correlation with typeface damage frequencies. Together, these two variables accounted for 42% of the observed variation in damage frequencies. None of the other variables tested was able to explain any statistically significant portion of the remaining variation. These variables included use frequencies associated with difficult finger movements, vertical extension of letters, basket position, and keyboard row.

The 58% residual variation must be combined with additional variation introduced by the form and position of typeface damage. With this amount of variation left unexplained, the deterministic factors identified in this study are of little significance in the interpretation of typewriting comparisons.
Fatal Thrombosis of Internal Carotid Artery Following Minor Blunt Trauma to the Neck
Authors: An TL
Published: August 2015

Fatal traumatic thrombosis of the left internal carotid artery occurred in a 38-year-old man following minor blunt cervical trauma during an altercation. There was no external injury observed on the head, face, or neck. Neurologic deficit developed soon after the injury, which progressed to right hemiplegia. His condition deteriorated and he expired on the sixth hospital day. The gross and microscopic findings of the internal carotid artery are presented and the significance of minor cervical blunt trauma and the possible mechanism for the vascular lesion are discussed.
The Ethical Responsibilities of the Forensic Scientist: Exploring the Limits
Authors: Lucas DM
Published: August 2015

This paper explores the ethical conflicts which confront the scientist working in the criminal justice field. Pressures to expand the sphere of conduct considered ethical may come from involvement with law enforcement and with the adversary system. Limits to this sphere, it is argued, are imposed by the ethics of science and individual morality.
Evidentiary and Procedural Rules Governing Expert Testimony
Authors: Giannelli PC
Published: August 2015

Expert testimony plays a critical role in criminal litigation. The legal system has developed both evidentiary and procedural rules to govern the use of experts. The rules of evidence specify the conditions under which expert testimony may be admitted at trial and thus considered by the trier of fact. The rules of procedure cover related issues, such as pretrial discovery of scientific reports and the appointment of defense experts. This article explains and critiques these legal rules. The concluding section recommends ways in which these rules can be improved.
Canid Modification of Human Remains: Implications for Time-Since-Death Estimations
Authors: Willey P , Snyder LM
Published: August 2015

Time-since-death estimations are usually based on physical decomposition of the corpse, insect succession, and contextual associations. The rates of change and succession are based on decomposition studies, most of which control access of scavengers to the corpse; however, many naturally exposed corpses are subject to scavenger modification. These modifications change the rate of decomposition, the pattern of insect succession, and the context of associations, thus altering estimations of time since death. A controlled feeding study with captive wolves and road-killed deer is pertinent to understanding canid scavenging and how scavenging may alter postmortem changes. During feeding, the wolves commonly dismember and devour the deer in a predictable sequence. Although there are some variations in the usual sequence, the carcass is always moved, and skeletal elements are separated, diminished in size and scattered. Scavenging must, therefore, be considered in estimating time since death.
Variations in the Infrared Spectra of Heroin Base
Authors: Ravreby M , Gorski A
Published: August 2015

The infrared spectrum of the heroin base standard supplied with the Georgia State Crime Laboratory (GSCL) library index has a carbonyl doublet with absorbance maxima at 1756.6 and 1728.3 cm−1. Most heroin base samples from actual cases have carbonyl absorbance maxima at 1761.3 and 1741.1 cm−1 with additional differences in the spectra at 2800 to 3200 cm−1 and in the fingerprint region. These differences could not be accounted for as a result of impurities, decomposition products, additives, or diluents. At least two polymorphic forms of heroin base exist with various crystal habits. The main parameters determining which polymorph and crystal habit are obtained are the temperature conditions and solvent used for crystallization.
Sex Determination of Bloodstains by the Use of a Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) Probe
Authors: Kobayashi R , Matsuzawa S
Published: August 2015

An asymmetric ribonucleic acid (RNA) probe, which represents a Y-chromosome specific nucleotide sequence, was applied to the sex origin of bloodstains by using a nonisotopic Southern hybridization method. The RNA probe was in vitro transcribed from the recombinant of the Y-chromosome specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence and transcription-vector Bluescript SK M13+. The use of this RNA probe can lower the detection limit of the nonisotopic DNA analyzing method to ⅛ of that reached by our previously reported method in which a DNA probe was used.
Analysis of Carboxyhemoglobin and Cyanide in Blood from Victims of the Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire in Puerto Rico
Authors: Levin BC , Rechani PR , Gurman JL , Landron F , Clark HM , Yoklavich MF , Rodriguez JR , Droz L , de Cabrera FM , Kaye S
Published: August 2015

Ninety-seven people died from a fire that occurred in the Dupont Plaza Hotel in Puerto Rico on 31 Dec. 1986. All, except four who died later in the hospital, were found dead at the scene. All of the fatalities at the hotel (except for eight) were burned beyond recognition. Blood from seventy-eight of the victims was screened for carboxyhemoglobin at the Institute for Forensic Sciences in Puerto Rico and was then sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, for analysis of carboxyhemoglobin and cyanide concentrations. The blood data indicated that carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, singly or combined, were probably not responsible for the majority of the deaths that occurred in the badly burned victims. On the other hand, the significantly higher carboxyhemoglobin in the nonburned victims indicated that carbon monoxide alone or combined with hydrogen cyanide probably played a major role in the cause of their deaths.
Death Following Accidental Sodium Azide Ingestion
Authors: Howard JD , Skogerboe KJ , Case GA , Raisys VA , Lacsina EQ
Published: August 2015

Two college students developed symptoms of poisoning following ingestion of a salt solution during a college physiology laboratory exercise. Symptoms included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and altered consciousness. The ingested solution was identified as isotonic buffered saline containing sodium azide in a concentration of 1.0 g/L. The solution was commercially prepared for instrumentation use only and was used inadvertently for the exercise instead of freshly preparing sodium chloride in water. One student drank three sips of the solution and survived. The other student drank 700 to 800 mL and over several days became progressively ill, suffering myocardial damage and cardiac dysrhythmias, and, finally, died. Toxicologic studies confirmed the presence of azide in an antemortem urine sample from the deceased. Sodium azide is an uncommon but potent poison which can cause serious illness and death.
A Review of Road Accident Statistics
Authors: Lund AK
Published: August 2015

The author, T. P. Hutchinson, states that Road Accident Statistics “is an account of the methods of collecting and processing data about the occurrence and consequences of road accidents, and gives numerous statistical tables as examples of the findings.” An experienced researcher in the motor vehicle safety field, Hutchinson discusses in detail the serious limitations inherent in the two major sources of motor vehicle crash death and injury data: police reports of crashes and death certificates. He also discusses the problem of different definitions of such basic concepts as “road accident deaths” and how these differences can affect crash statistics. Issues of injury classification covered in the book range from descriptions of different classification systems and their purposes to consideration of the kinds of coding and analysis problems inherent in each. Throughout the presentation, Hutchinson sprinkles examples of data from different countries and includes replicas of the data forms used by representative jurisdictions to record them.
The Use of Isoelectric Focusing to Identify Rhinoceros Keratins
Authors: Butler DJ , De Forest PR , Kobilinsky L
Published: August 2015

Keratins represent the principal structural proteins of hair. They are also found in horn, nail, claw, hoof, and feather. Hair and nail samples from human and canine sources and hair samples from mule deer, white tail deer, cat, moose, elk, antelope, caribou, raccoon, and goat were studied. Parrot and goose feathers were also analyzed. Keratins are polymorphic, and species differences are known to exist. Proteinaceous extracts of deer and antelope antlers and bovine and rhinoceros horn were prepared by solubilizing 10 mg of horn sample in 200 µL of a solution containing 12M urea, 74mM Trizma base, and 78mM dithiothreitol (DTT). Extraction took place over a 48-h period. A 25-µL aliquot of extract was removed and incubated with 5 µL of 0.1M DTT for 10 min at 25°C. Keratins were then separated by isoelectric focusing (IEF) on 5.2% polyacrylamide gels for 3 h and visualized using silver staining. At least 20 bands could be observed for each species studied. However, band patterns differed in the position of each band, in the number of bands, and in band coloration resulting from the silver staining process. Horn from two species of rhinoceros was examined. For both specimens, most bands occurred in the pH range of 4 to 5. Although similar patterns for both species were observed, they differed sufficiently to differentiate one from the other. As might be expected, the closer two species are related phylogenetically, the greater the similarity in the IEF pattern produced from their solubilized keratin. Ten samples were removed from each species item under study and every sample was extracted and run on an IEF gel. Approximately 50 keratin extracts from each species were analyzed by IEF.
A Review of Explaining Criminal Behavior
Authors: Travin S
Published: August 2015

Explaining Criminal Behavior grew out of a symposium of “Explaining Crime: Interdisciplinary Approaches” that took place at the Criminological Institute of Leiden (The Netherlands) in 1986. The chapters that make up this book are organized into four general sections: “Theories of Delinquency,” “Precursors of Delinquency and Crime,” “Mental Illness and Crime,” and “Studies of Deterrence.” The authors and editors bring to this subject a common interest in and emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to the study of antisocial behavior and criminality.
Limitations of ZAF Correction Factors in the Determination of Calcium/Phosphorus Ratios: Important Forensic Science Considerations Relevant to the Analysis of Bone Fragments Using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis
Authors: Payne CM , Cromey DW
Published: August 2015

A series of calcium phosphate standards having calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) molar ratios of 0.50, 1.00, 1.34, 1.50, and 1.67, respectively, was prepared for bulk specimen analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXA). The standards were mounted on carbon planchettes as either pure crystals or crystals embedded in epoxy resin. Ten different samples of each embedded and non-embedded standard were analyzed in a JEOL 100 CX electron microscope interfaced with a Kevex 8000 EDXA system using a lithium-drifted silicon detector and a multichannel analyzer. The Ca/P ratios were determined by calculating both net peak intensities without matrix corrections and atomic k-ratios using the MAGIC V computer program with ZAF correction factors for quantitative analysis. There was such extensive absorption of phosphorus X-rays in standards embedded in an epoxy matrix that the observed Ca/P ratios were statistically compatible with four different standards ranging in theoretical Ca/P ratios from 1.0 to 1.67. Although the non-embedded crystals showed a greater separation in the Ca/P ratios, both methods of preparation produced serious flaws in analysis. Direct application of the discovery of this caveat to the identification of suspected bone fragments for forensic science purposes is discussed.
Some Effects of Mechanical Trauma on the Development of Primary Cancers and Their Metastases
Authors: Weiss L
Published: August 2015

Posttraumatic inflammation and, much less commonly, mechanical trauma itself may affect the clinical course of cancer. There is no evidence that a single incident of trauma can cause cancer, although posttraumatic chronic inflammation may be associated with carcinogenesis. In patients with cancer at the time of trauma, inflammation and repair processes may inhibit or enhance cancer growth, and trauma and its sequelae may increase the rates of invasion and dissemination.
Sampling of Multi-Unit Drug Exhibits
Authors: Clark AB , Clark CC
Published: August 2015

The total number of drug exhibits submitted to forensic science laboratories continues to grow markedly, and increasingly, these exhibits are composed of ever larger numbers of units. These facts make the use of a sampling plan, which applies some limitations to the number of units sampled, highly desirable. A sampling plan assumes that the characteristics of the nonexamined units are the same as those in all of the examined units. This paper examines the validity of this assumption by the use of mathematical concepts. Various sampling plans, exhibit sizes, and sample sizes are used as examples. The effect of sample size on quantitative accuracy is also discussed.
Interlaboratory Reproducibility of Retention Indices in Capillary Gas Chromatography
Authors: Franke J-P , Wijsbeek J , de Zeeuw RA
Published: August 2015

Because of the temperature-dependent behavior of Kovat's retention indices (RI), based on straight-chain alkane homologues and a liquid phase such as SE-30. OV-1. or methyl silicone, the interlaboratory reproducibility of these RIs determined on capillary columns is comparable to those determined on packed columns. Other homologue series investigated—including diisopropyl-n-alkylamines (DIPA), tri-n-alkylamines (TAA), and 1-nitro-n-alkanes (NIA)—showed the same phenomenon. However, by using a carefully selected reference drug mixture, a dramatic gain in the interlaboratory reproducibility of RI values can be obtained, even under vastly different operational conditions. This allows a search window of ±25 RI units for capillary methyl silicone columns, which is much better than the ±60 RI units that must be applied when using alkane or substituted alkane homologues.
Inconclusive Opinions: Refuge of the Questioned Document Examiner
Authors: Whiting FI
Published: August 2015

Document examiners are frequently accused of abdicating their responsibility by too often declaring that they can neither identify nor eliminate an individual as the author of the questioned handwriting. It is the author's contention that characteristics of handwriting comparisons often thwart one's ability to form specific conclusions for the following reasons: 1. Handwriting comparisons usually consist of open sets rather than closed sets. In closed sets, it is known that a match exists and the only requirement is to select the proper one. In open sets, it is not known if a match exists and a more stringent standard of accountability is required. 2. The quality and quantity of the evidence may be inadequate. 3. The process of elimination of possible writers frequently is not amenable to definitive conclusions. The lack of similarity between the questioned and known samples is not a sufficient basis for concluding that they came from different sources.
Methods for Physical Stabilization of Ashed Teeth in Incinerated Remains
Authors: Mincer HH , Berryman HE , Murray GA , Dickens RL
Published: August 2015

Methods for physically stabilizing the extremely fragile ashed teeth that are often encountered in incinerated human remains were investigated.

Results of a questionnaire sent to forensic anthropologists and forensic odontologists disclosed that, for these two groups, the most popular methods currently used are impregnation with a solution of polyvinyl acetate or application of cyanoacrylate cement, respectively.

In addition, extracted human teeth were incinerated in the laboratory and impregnated with commercially available preparations of either cyanoacrylate cement, clear acrylic spray paint, hair spray, spray furniture varnish, clear fingernail polish, quick-setting epoxy cement. Duco® household cement, polyvinyl acetate polymer in acetone, or self-curing clear dental acrylic resin. Every substance tested successfully stabilized the incinerated teeth. Clear acrylic spray paint was judged the most efficacious overall because of its ease of application, availability, inexpensiveness, and rapidity of setting.
Pete Maravich's Incredible Heart
Authors: Choi JH , Kornblum RN
Published: August 2015

Postmortem examination of a former professional basketball player revealed an abnormal heart, most notably a single coronary artery. The literature on single coronary arteries is briefly reviewed, and the possible mechanism which caused the patient's condition is considered. This case is particularly unusual because of the patient's profession, which is so physically demanding.
A Review of Unnatural Death—Confessions of a Medical Examiner
Authors: Mittleman RE
Published: August 2015

Unnatural Death is a mini-primer on forensic pathology for the general public. All kinds of death and medicolegal investigation are presented, chiefly from Dr. Baden's personal experience and consultative work, which includes the deaths of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr.. and John Belushi; the trials of Claus Von Bulow and Dr. Carl Coppolino; and the Attica, New York, prison riot of 1971. Appropriate emphasis is placed on the terminal circumstances, the scene, the toxicology, and the autopsy so that the reader will appreciate that the medical examiner does not work in a vacuum and that the autopsy findings are often consistent with the various manners of death. A drug-dump death looking like a homicide, an alcohol overdose simulating a strangulation, and certified crib deaths that are actually murders give the reader a true sense of the problems associated with such investigations. Dr. Baden also criticizes forensic and medical experts for inappropriate conclusions based upon incomplete consideration of the preponderance of the evidence as well as for basic misinterpretations of the facts.
The Archaeological Water Separation Machine in Fire Investigation
Authors: Bailey JW
Published: August 2015

Archaeologists use water separation to improve the recovery of small items from prehistoric sites. These small items have proven to be an important part of the archaeological record. A simple experiment shows that the water separation machine might also be used to improve the recovery of small evidence at the fire scene. Four samples from three residential structure fires have been cycled through a modified Shell Mound Archaeological Project (SMAP) water separation machine and a variety of small items have been recovered.
Effects of Cytosine Methylation at Restriction Sites on Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Typing
Authors: Washio K , Ueda S , Misawa S
Published: August 2015

The effects of endogenous 5-methylcytosines on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprints were studied. Analysis with methylation-sensitive restriction endonuclease Sau3AI and its methylation-insensitive isoschizomer MboI showed some differences in the patterns generated as a result of 5-methylcytosines at the recognition sites. Moreover, a few bands of sperm DNA did not match those of blood DNA from the same individual, a phenomenon only observed in the digests of methylation-sensitive endonucleases. These findings indicate the unsuitability of methylation-sensitive restriction endonucleases for DNA fingerprinting and other forms of DNA typing, because of the tissue-specific status of the methylation.
Capillary Gas-Liquid Chromatography Separation of Phenethylamines in Amphetamine-Positive Urine Samples
Authors: DePace A , Verebey K , ElSohly M
Published: August 2015

Good gas chromatography (GC) separation of molecules is essential for clean gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) confirmation of compounds. The trifluoro derivatives of ephedrine (E) and methamphetamine (MA) coelute on dimethyl silicone capillary columns, such as DB-1, which are most commonly used by chromatographers. Methods are described to separate E and MA to aid GC/MS confirmations of methamphetamine, ephedrine, or both E and MA together, whichever may be present in Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA)-analyzed amphetamine-positive urine samples. The use of the heptafluoro derivatives of E and MA on a DB-1 column, or the trifluoro derivatives of E and MA on a DB-17 column, is suggested for good gas chromatographic separation.
A Review of Strategic Use of Scientific Evidence
Authors: Starrs JE
Published: August 2015

This is a bad book, a book which I nevertheless review with much hesitancy and considerable trepidation. In this hesitance, there is only a seeming paradox. Reviewing a bad book can be akin to picketing an objectionable movie. It can give currency, notoriety, and a false prominence to a book that should, by all rights, be consigned to the abyss.
A Review of Sex Murder and Sex Aggression: Phenomenology, Psychopathology, Psychodynamics and Prognosis
Authors: Kaye NS
Published: August 2015

Revitch and Schlesinger have set out to cover a broad topic, as the title alone suggests. They begin in Chapter 1 by defining gynocide as anger directed toward the mother but displaced onto another female, resulting in sexual homicide in the continuum of sexual aggression. They then develop the classification of catathymic and compulsive gynocide, each in its own chapter. Chapter 4 is devoted to psychodynamics, psychopathology, and differential diagnosis, while Chapter 5 is entitled Prognostic Considerations.
Coordination of Resources in Officer-Involved Shootings
Authors: Stone IC , Holt J , Gillett M
Published: August 2015

The use of deadly force by police officers has come under critical review by law enforcement agencies, the media, and the legal profession. The authors describe procedures that have evolved and that serve to preserve the scene and witnesses' accounts, while marshaling the resources to document the circumstances. Evidence obtained through early response by specially trained homicide and physical evidence investigators is supported by a non-sworn scientist at the shooting scene. There is separate responsibility, as well as an overlap of responsibility, which must proceed concomitantly, as there are potentially both criminal and civil issues involved. Expeditious handling of the investigation tends to result in all fatal shootings being referred to a grand jury for review.
Skeletal Muscle as an Alternative Specimen for Alcohol and Drug Analysis
Authors: Garriott JC
Published: August 2015

In a random group of medical examiner cases, muscle tissue, as well as blood and vitreous humor, was analyzed for ethyl alcohol, and the results were compared. When the blood concentration was greater than 0.10 g/dL, the muscle to blood ratio was 1.00 or less (average 0.94), and when the blood concentration was less than 0.10 g/dL, this ratio was greater than 1.00 (average 1.48). The author proposes that this ratio is dependent upon the time course of absorption and distribution, as has been observed for vitreous humor, but with a more rapid equilibration.

Muscle tissue was also analyzed in another group of cases found to be positive for one or more drugs in blood. The concentrations of the drugs in muscle varied from none detected to 6.5 times those in blood and seemed to be dependent on the time course between ingestion and death, as well as on the nature of the drug. For most common basic drugs, the ratios were often near unity. Muscle is proposed as a useful alternative specimen to postmortem blood.
Hair Analysis for Drug Abuse: I. Determination of Methamphetamine and Amphetamine in Hair by Stable Isotope Dilution Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Method
Authors: Nakahara Y , Takahashi K , Shimamine M , Takeda Y
Published: August 2015

Determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine in hair was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using stable isotope-labeled internal standards, 2-methylamino-1-phenylpropane-2,3,3,3-d4 and 2-amino-1-phenylpropane-2,3,3,3-d4. Extraction of hair with methanol/5M hydrochloric acid (20:1) using ultrasonication was chosen as the standard method. The calibration curves for amphetamines in the hair were linear from 1 to 100 ng/mg (r > 0.99). The detection limit was 0.5 ng/mg at the 95% confidence level. The coefficients of variation (CV) (n = 8) of analysis using the spiked hair with methamphetamine were from 0.7 to 6%. The CV (n = 8) of analysis of the methamphetamine abuser's hair was 17.5%. Sectional analysis of monkey and human hair after methamphetamine ingestion suggested a good correlation between the duration of drug use and drug distribution in the hair.
The Relationship Between the Court and the Doctor on the Issue of an Inpatient's Refusal of Psychotropic Medication
Authors: Sauvayre P
Published: August 2015

New procedures, tailored after such court decisions as Rogers v. Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, have restricted the doctor's ability to treat psychiatric inpatients with psychotropic medication and have increased the protection of a competent patient's right to refuse. This study investigates how the relationship between the doctor and the court has adapted to these new procedures. All 40 court cases of a maximum security forensic hospital over a two-year period were reviewed. Results suggest that the new procedures have had no dramatic effect upon either the treatment patients receive or the doctor court relationship. While abstract arguments both in favor of and against these new procedures can be drawn from the same data, the concrete relationship still remains poorly understood.
The Identification of Fragmented Vietnam War Remains Utilizing a Healing Extraction Site
Authors: Dailey JC
Published: August 2015

A difficult dental identification of fragmented Vietnam War remains was made without the benefit of roentgenogram comparisons. The identification was strengthened by the highly unusual finding of a healing extraction site.
Analysis of Six Vietnamese Trophy Skulls
Authors: Sledzik PS , Ousley S
Published: August 2015

This report presents morphologic, metric, and contextual information on six documented trophy skull specimens confiscated from U.S. servicemen during the Victnam War. Additional information on the history and occurrence of trophy skull collecting is provided. This sample, consisting mostly of young Vietnamese males, exhibits graffiti, painting, and other evidence of postmortem decorative modification. Identification of trophy skulls is important to medicolegal and anthropological researchers in distinguishing trophy remains from archacological and forensic specimens.
A Review of Law Enforcement: A Human Relations Approach
Authors: Labowitz DI
Published: August 2015

The author fails to set forth in the Preface to this book who the target audience is. After a review of the material, I was unable to determine what types of individuals such an audience should consist of. The topics are too general for its utilization as a text for a police course and too specific in some areas for a survey work. Perhaps that is the reason for my disappointment with an author who is an expert in this field yet appears to have let my expectations down.
Misdentified Political Figures: An Underappreciated Danger
Authors: Silva JA , Leong GB , Weinstock R , Ferrari MM
Published: August 2015

A series of twelve patients is presented in which each patient suffered from one or more misidentification syndromes and also misidentified one or more political figures. The fact that misidentification syndromes have been associated with physical violence and that the majority of the patients studied had a history of physical violence suggests that these individuals could pose a significant danger of physical harm to others, including political figures. Persons who threaten political figures should be evaluated for misidentification syndromes.
Incidental Cardiac Rhabdomyomas: A Significant Finding Necessitating Additional Investigation at the Time of Autopsy
Authors: Byard RW , Smith NM , Bourne AJ
Published: August 2015

Cardiac rhabdomyomas are rare lesions forming part of the tuberous sclerosis complex that may be responsible for sudden death. As well as remaining clinically occult for variable periods of time, they may, along with other manifestations of tuberous sclerosis, be quite difficult to detect clinically and pathologically. A patient is described in whom multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas were an incidental finding at autopsy following fatal potassium fluoride poisoning. Other gross pathological lesions typical of tuberous sclerosis were present but were quite subtle in appearance. Awareness of the association of cardiac rhabdomyomas with tuberous sclerosis is important so that full examination of organ systems for characteristic lesions can be undertaken during the autopsy, and so that fresh and frozen tissue can be obtained at the time of dissection for further investigation.