bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pseudonecrophilia Following Spousal Homicide
Authors: Reid Meloy J 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
A case of pseudonecrophilia by a 26-year-old male following the multiple stabbing death of his wife is reported. Intoxicated with alcohol at the time, the man positioned the corpse of his spouse to facilitate vaginal intercourse with her in the lithotomy position while he viewed soft core pornography on television. Clinical interview, a review of history, and psychological testing revealed diagnoses of antisocial personality disorder and major depression (DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994). There was no evidence of psychosis, but some indices of mild neuropsychological impairment. The motivations for this rare case of pseudonecrophilia are discussed in relation to extant research, and a cautionary note is offered in assuming sexual causality in the investigation of homicides when there is evidence of sexual arousal or activity by the perpetrator.
Economic Dimensions of Slip and Fall Injuries
Authors: Englander F , Hodson TJ , Terregrossa RA 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
This paper provides an update of annual economic costs imposed by fall injuries. Such costs include medical, rehabilitation, hospital costs, and the costs of morbidity and mortality. These costs are projected to the year 2020, based on changing demographic trends.
The market for slip and fall injury prevention is analyzed for the elderly and for those in the workplace—two high risk groups. Questions as to whether this market operates in a socially desirable manner, or whether government intervention is justified on efficiency grounds, are considered.
Essential aspects of cost-benefit analysis are reviewed in the context of a prospective evaluation of interventions to prevent slip and fall injuries. The cost-benefit analysis framework is applied to part of the FICSIT experiment (a major intervention to reduce falls among the elderly) and to recent revisions in Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations directed at reducing workplace falls.
The Application of Forensic Biomechanics to the Resolution of Unwitnessed Falling Accidents
Authors: Sacher A 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Following a brief review of the biomechanics of walking and slipping, vis-à-vis, tripping and stumbling, the application of forensic methodology is demonstrated in an alleged slip and fall accident. The three types of missteps which lead to falls, viz., slips, trips and stumbles, are defined and clearly distinguished, not only by mode of initiation, but also by the termination step, i.e., the direction of fall, the landing distance from misstep initiation, the ground and body impact sites, the body's final position/orientation, and the nature and severity of the injuries. Such detailed information, rarely appreciated or volunteered by a plaintiff, must be painstakingly elicited or developed independently by scrupulous investigation. Further, it is important to determine whether a plaintiff's initial description of an accident to medical providers (EMS, ER nurse, and physician) is reasonably consistent with the litigation version, and also, our current understanding of the biomechanics of falling accidents. In this instance, an elderly female purportedly slipped and fell on a wet floor and sustained a severe neck injury which resulted in quadriplegia. The prima facie evidence produced by the victim's expert, a consulting engineer, was compelling, albeit simplistically limited to a comparison of the “wet” and “dry” static coefficient of friction of the subject floor with “Industry Standards.” The author's examination of other salient contributory factors provided a more defensible rationale with respect to the proximate cause of the plaintiff's falling accident. After reviewing the usual litigation documents and measurements of the subject floor's dimensions and slip resistance, the investigation focused on the plaintiff's footwear, medical records, and rather limited recall or awareness of actually slipping or even falling. The author concluded that the probability was extremely small that this partly witnessed “fall” was the product of a “slip” on a wet surface, especially when compared with established biomechanical models. Instead, it is suggested that the “fall” stemmed from either a trip/stumble or a “collapse”—the sequela of the “victim's” chronic, serious medical problems and recognized age-related locomotor deficiencies.
The Role of Forensic Anthropology in the Recovery and Analysis of Branch Davidian Compound Victims: Assessing the Accuracy of Age Estimations
Authors: Houck MM , Ubelaker D , Owsley D , Craig E , Grant W , Fram R , Woltanski T , Sandness K 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Age-at-death estimations of 44 individuals (27 adults, 17 children) from the Branch Davidian sample were compared with their actual ages. Estimations were evaluated for bias and accuracy for the actual age at death. Although the overall average estimates correlated well with the actual ages (r = 0.946), several individuals displayed high residual requiring further analysis and review. These individuals displayed age-related features that did not correspond with the expected morphology for individuals of their ages. Several age estimation techniques scored these individuals with all bias in the same direction. These examples should serve as cautionary reminders that biology does not always correlate with expected outcomes, particularly in such multifaceted traits such as age.
Identification and Quantitation of Source from Hemoglobin of Blood and Blood Mixtures by High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Espinoza EO , Kirms MA , Filipek MS 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The described technique offers a sensitive and reproducible method for inferring the source of over 50 different animal species from bloodstains and blood mixtures. Hemoglobins from each of the species were examined using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in chromatographic times of less than 25 mins. The HPLC method complements and furthers current methodology for identification of species of origin. HPLC analysis is particularly well suited for the quantitative analysis of blood and blood mixtures and is applicable to species for which antisera are unavailable. The sensitivity of the method (hemoglobin amounts down to 1.2 µg) lends itself to the analysis of blood mixtures in which only a small percentage of the mixture represents blood from a given species. Such resolution and quantitation is applicable to wildlife forensic casework.
Microreflectance FTIR Techniques Applied to Materials Encountered in Forensic Examination of Documents
Authors: Andrasko J 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Microreflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) has been applied to the forensic examination of documents. The materials examined were black printing inks, paper, plastics, photocopy toners, and transfer letters (Letra set). Good discrimination was achieved between different samples of these materials. Euclidean distances were calculated on the bases of first derivatives of measured FTIR reflectance spectra. Some results were compared with those obtained by diffuse reflectance FTIR. Microreflectance FTIR is nondestructive to the materials and may be used as a complement to optical techniques for examination of documents.
Repeat Visitors to a Pediatric Forensic Medicine Program
Authors: Handy TC , Nichols GR , Smock WS 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Since the inception in 1990 of a Clinical Forensic Medicine Program at the Louisville Office of the Kentucky Medical Examiner Program, six children have undergone repeat evaluations for physical injuries. Herein, we examine the overall number of cases from January 1991 through December 1994, and the circumstances and outcomes of the six children undergoing reevaluation. Despite the implementation of an organized Forensic Medicine Program, some children in our area suffer repeated episodes of recognized abuse and death.
The Storage of Forensic Urine Drug Specimens as Dry Stains: Recovery and Stability
Authors: DuBey IS , Caplan YH 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The feasibility of storing forensic urine drug specimens as dry stains on Whatman #3 paper was studied by evaluating the stability of the drugs and recovery from the stains. Drug stains prepared from urine (3 mL) were stored at − 20°C, 4°C, and at room temperature for a period of 12 weeks. The study included: amphetamine, benzoylecgonine, 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabino-9-carboxylic acid (THC-COOH), morphine, and phencyclidine (PCP) as examples of the HHS regulated drug classes. Drugs were eluted from the stains as follows: methanol:saline (1:1) for PCP and THC-COOH, saline for benzoylecgonine and carbonate/bicarbonate buffer pH 9.2 for amphetamine and morphine. Stains were eluted from the support matrix (Whatman #3 filter paper), extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. All drugs were stable under all of the storage conditions except the THC-COOH urine stain stored at room temperature that degraded to zero after 12 weeks. Therefore, drug stains when kept frozen or refrigerated appear to provide a viable means for storing positive urine specimens.
Analysis of the VNTR Locus DXS52 by the Amp-FLP Technique
Authors: Yun WM , Yun SG 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The locus DXS52 is useful genetic marker system for forensic analysis. It consists of a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and can be analyzed by the Amp-FLP technique. As accurate data about the distribution of the alleles are among the most important prerequisites for the application in forensic biology, we studied the allele distribution of DXS52 locus in a Chinese population and applied the established technique to paternity testing.
Effect of Background Interference on Accelerant Detection by Canines
Authors: Kurz ME , Schultz S , Griffith J , Broadus K , Sparks J , Dabdoub G , Brock J 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Additional studies were performed with respect to examining the lower limits at which canines can reliably detect products commonly used as accelerants and distinguish them from pyrolysis products or background hydrocarbons. As part of a testing exercise performed in conjunction with a national conference of the Canine Accelerant Detection Association (CADA), 34 canines were subjected to a series of tests, some of them were a recertification proficiency. In one of the tests, the dogs were nearly unanimously successful in locating one can (out of five) containing 50% evaporated gasoline at the 5 μL level on a burnt carpet matrix, and pinpointing the 6-in. square sector on a piece of plain carpeting where the same amount of gasoline (5 μL) was applied. However, only half were able to detect a second doped sample containing a lesser amount (0.05, 0.1, or 0.2 μL) of gasoline, and registered a number of alerts on samples containing only burnt carpeting material. The dogs were also tested on measured amounts (2 or 5 μL) of a variety of other light, medium, and heavy petroleum products applied to a variety of substances containing significant pyrolysis products. As a group, the canines were much less successful in pinpointing these products than they were with gasoline at this same level, and again registered a number of alerts on cans containing only pyrolysis products. The significant number of alerts by canines on samples not containing gasoline or other products points out the importance of obtaining laboratory confirmation on samples on which dogs alert, and on keeping accurate field and training records of the canines to establish their credibility.
Determination of Hydrocodone in Tussionex® Extended-Release Suspension by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Authors: Hadzija BW , Shrewsbury RP 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method presented is a simple and rapid analytical procedure for the determination of hydrocodone in Tussionex Pennkinetic® extended-release suspension in the presence of chlorpheniramine and several excipients. Hydrocodone was extracted and separated from the suspension with methylene chloride under alkaline pH conditions. Sample recoveries were from 99.6 to 104.3%. Satisfactory resolution was obtained using a C8 column (Alltech 10μM, 25-cm by 4.6-mm inside diameter) and a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile buffered at pH 4.5 (0.01M KH2PO4 and 0.05M KNO3) maintaining a flow rate of 1.4 mL/min. Corresponding run time for the complete separation of hydrocodone was around 14 min. The method was used to determine the concentration of HCD in five Tussionex® extended-release suspension samples that have been tampered with and in one control sample.
A Review of “Crime Scene”
Authors: Fitzpatrick FA 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
This paperback book is described in the introduction as “an encyclopedia of forensic science information.” It is directed to the “interested layman” and “also for the police officers and attorneys 9 and crime writers.” It has 23 photographs and several drawings. The author, Larry Ragle, is the former Director of Forensic Science Services for the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department in California, a long-time Academy fellow, and, as the book jacket reminds us, he lent his expertise to the O. J. Simpson defense team. I have had the pleasure of knowing him for the last 22 years.
Ethical Practice in the Forensic Sciences and Justification of Ethical Codes
Authors: Rosner R 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
“Ethical Practice in the Forensic Sciences” is both the theme for the AAFS convention in New York City in February 1997 and the focus of considerable media concern about our profession. It is common for discussions about professional ethics to be more notable for heat than for light. Everyone tends to be certain of his/her own ethical probity, and to feel certain that he/she needs minimal or no further formal training in ethics. Nevertheless, conceptual clarity and sound reasoning are often lacking in ethical discourse. This will provide a brief introduction to thinking more clearly about the subject.
Site to Site Variability of Postmortem Drug Concentrations in Liver and Lung
Authors: Pounder DJ , Adams E , Fuke C , Langford AM 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
We evaluated postmortem diffusion of gastric drug residue into tissues and blood in eight suicidal overdoses. Analyses were performed on liver (five sites), lung (four sites), spleen, psoas muscle and kidney (left and right), blood (peripheral and torso), vitreous, pericardial fluid, bile and, urine as well as residual gastric contents. Standard anlytical techniques and instrumentation gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer and high performance liquid chromatography (GC-MS and HPLC) were used throughout. These case studies confirm previous studies of an animal and human cadaver model of gastric diffusion, in that in several instances there was drug accumulation in the left posterior margin of the liver and, to a lesser extent, the left basal lobe of the lung. Uncontrollable variables, such as postmortem interval, refrigeration before autopsy, and position of the body appear to influence significantly drug accumulation in a specific site. We suggest that autopsy sampling techniques should be standardized on blood taken from a ligated peripheral (preferably femoral or external iliac) vein, and liver from deep within the right lobe.
Preliminary Practical Findings on Drug Monitoring by a Transcutaneous Collection Device
Authors: Skopp G , Pötsch L , Eser H-P , Möller MR 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
A noninvasive and nonocclusive skin patch (Sudormed™) was investigated for the systematic collection of drugs of abuse over a period of several days. First, the applicability and user friendliness were tested by volunteers. The permeability of the polyurethane dressing from the outside to the inside for an aqueous solution was shown by incubating the outside layer with Rhodamine B. No fluorescence could be detected in the cotton pad beneath. A single dose experiment using theophylline as a model compound showed that there was a delay in time before the substance could be determined in the pad. The drug content decreased with increasing time of patch application. When eight volunteers participating in a methadone treatment were monitored, the substitute drug could always be detected in the patch associated with a minor concentration of EDDP. Besides, in some of the patches investigated, indications for an abuse of cocaine and heroin were found. The so-called sweat patch appears to be a valuable tool in clinical and forensic toxicology, as it offers a longer and prospective surveillance period compared with blood and urine testing.
Family Background of Drug-Related Deaths: A Descriptive Study Based on Interviews with Relatives of Deceased Drug Users
Authors: Risser D , Bönsch A , Schneider B 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Drug abuse and problems arising from it are increasing all over the world. Most of the research concerning substance abuse has focused on three dimensions: sociocultural influences, personal characteristics, and interpersonal factors. The aim of this descriptive study was to describe family characteristics of drug-related deaths examined at the Viennese Institute of Forensic Medicine in 1993. Furthermore, it was of interest to analyze the onset of substance use as well as traumatic life events during childhood. For this purpose, relatives or partners for life of drug-related deaths, examined from 1 Jan. to 30 June 1993 at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Vienna, were interviewed using a semistructured technique. Eighty percent of drug users were reported to have experienced a traumatic event during their childhood. In the majority, this was the parents' divorce or the death of a parent. Male drug users were significantly younger at time of this event than females. The first signs of smoking and alcohol drinking of examined drug users, as recognized by the interviewees, occurred at the age of about 15. Those who experienced a traumatic event during their childhood started to smoke at a significantly lower age. In ¾ of investigated cases, parents also were smokers, and more than one third of families had a problem drinker, mostly the father. In 16% of drug users, a mental disturbance concerning the mother was reported, and in 14%, prescribed psychoactive drugs were regularly used. Physical violence, generally by the father, was a common phenomenon in 20% of investigated families. About 45% of the victims were from families having more than one of these factors present.
The Possibility of Using Elemental Analysis to Identify Debris from the Cutting of Mild Steel
Authors: Poolman DG , Chris Pistorius P 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The debris produced by abrasive and oxygen-acetylene cutting of mild steel has been examined by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction, to establish which of these techniques are useful to test whether debris originated from a given source. Because of its poor sensitivity to trace amounts of elements, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis cannot be used for this purpose. However, when analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, the line intensities from chromium, nickel, cadmium, zinc, and copper in debris were mostly within 30% of the intensities for the source of the debris (with the intensities expressed relative to that from manganese). It was found that the morphology of the debris (as studied by scanning electron microscopy) did not give an unambiguous indication of the cutting technique, although X-ray diffraction did reveal that the debris from oxygen-acetylene cutting was oxidized to a greater degree than that from abrasive cutting.
The Use of FTIR Microspectroscopy for the Identification of Thermally Changed Fibers
Authors: Wąs J , Knittel D , Schollmeyer E 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The analysis of thermally changed, e.g., melted, decomposed, burned, or incinerated textile fibers by FTIR spectroscopy is described. This method allows us to observe the pathway of fiber thermal degradation and to find the chemical (organic and inorganic) compounds in degraded fibers. The results of these examinations can be applied in the forensic analysis for the identification and differentiation between thermally changed fibers.
HLA DQA1 and Polymarker Validations for Forensic Casework: Standard Specimens, Reproducibility, and Mixed Specimens
Authors: Marie Gross A , Guerrieri RA 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
This study describes the testing performed by the Minnesota Forensic Science Laboratory (MFSL) to validate the Amplitype® DQA1 and Amplitype® Polymarker (PM) PCR Amplification and Typing Kits before implementation for casework.
All studies were based on the analysis of mock forensic case samples, which were assembled from various biological samples from individuals at the MFSL.
To address the validation of standard specimens, DNA was isolated from semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, urine, and blood samples. Typing results from all tissues from a particular individual yielded the same typing results using both the DQA1 and PM systems.
Reproducibility between laboratories was evaluated by having duplicate samples analyzed by a second laboratory. The Roche Biomedical Laboratories (RBL) were sent a duplicate set of mock cases and all analyses including extraction, quantitation, amplification, and typing were performed at the RBL using their established testing procedures. All typing results for both laboratories, from the approximate 30 single source samples analyzed, were in agreement.
Mixed specimens were evaluated by examining the results obtained from semen/vaginal, semen/saliva, semen/blood, semen/urine, and semen/vaginal/blood mixtures. All typing results of these mixtures for both laboratories were in agreement. It was determined that by incorporating a wash step of the sperm cell pellet, a complete separation of the nonsperm cell fraction was more likely to be attained.
After completing the above studies, as well as population studies, environmental insult studies, and proficiency testing, the MFSL determined that both kits were suitable for use on forensic casework.
Fluorescence Spectroscopy as an Aid to Imaging Latent Fingermarks in the Ultraviolet
Authors: Bramble SK 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Two- and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopic data have been recorded from sebum-rich latent fingermarks on quartz and white card. The fingermark residue was found to fluoresce between 310 to 380 nm and have an excitation range between 260 to 300 nm. The data are used to describe the results observed when imaging the inherent ultraviolet photoluminescence of latent fingermarks.
The Determination of Phencyclidine in Meconium Using Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Moore CM , Lewis DE , Leikin JB 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The use of meconium to determine the exposure of a fetus to drugs of abuse is becoming a widely accepted protocol. However, the quantity of sample available for testing varies greatly between newborns and the material itself is complex in nature. Because of the small amount often collected, the sensitivity of analytical assay is extremely important. A confirmatory procedure for the determination of phencyclidine (PCP) in meconium using the selected ion storage (SIS) functions of an ion trap mass spectrometer is reported. The method is reproducible and detector response is linear over the range 0 to 250 ng/g. The limit of detection is 5 ng/g which provides a significant improvement in sensitivity over selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode electron impact quadropole analysis. The method is currently applied in our laboratory where the confirmation of PCP in meconium is a required analytical procedure. It is particularly useful for the analysis of meconium in which sample size is limited and sensitivity is an important factor.