bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Synthetic Drug 3-Methylfentanyl: Identification and Quantitation of Powdered Samples
Authors: Esposito FM , Winek CL 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Paraphernalia, residue in plastic bag corners, and powdered street samples analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) revealed the presence of cis and trans isomers of 3-methylfentanyl (3-MF). The isomers were differentiated by their retention times and by the smaller abundance ratios of ions at m/z 160 and 203 to the base ion of 259 for the more stable trans isomer.
Quantitation of powdered samples was accomplished using a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer with a HP5 column (25 m by 0.20 mm) and ketamine as an internal standard. Two cut street samples revealed higher percentages of the more potent cis isomer (0.26 and 0.37%) than the trans isomer (0.15 and 0.16%). With an average purity of 0.47% (4.7 µg/mg), about 100 µg of 3-MF would be present in a typical 20-mg packet, in comparison with 2000 µg of heroin with an average street composition of 10%. Since the potency of 3-MF is about 1000 times that of heroin, the 3-MF samples should have been diluted another 50-fold to contain about 0.1 µg/mg. The difficulty of cutting and inexperience with 3-MF contributed to the rash of overdoses in our area.
Sarcosaprophagous Fly Activity in Maryland
Authors: Introna F , Suman TW , Smialek JE 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Eighty-six successful rearings of sarcosaprophagous flies characteristic of the first successional insect wave of infestation of a corpse were conducted under field conditions in Maryland. Different species were observed to be active during spring and summer. The development times for the immature stages of each species, with the related temperatures at which the development occurred are reported for both seasons studied.
Hmong Folk Remedies: Limited Acetylation of Opium by Aspirin and Acetaminophen
Authors: Martin Smith R , Nelsen LA 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The traditional folk medicine of the Hmong and other Southeast Asian refugees has accompanied them during their immigration to this country over the past two decades. In two recent cases involving Hmong defendants, unknown solids, resembling charcoal in consistency and purported to be “backache remedies,” were analyzed and found to be complex mixtures of aspirin, acetaminophen, caffeine, and partly acetylated opium. In particular, significant amounts of acetylacetaminophen, 3-O-acetylmorphine, 6-O-acetylcodeine, 6-O-acetylmorphine, and heroin were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Heating approximately equal weights of solid opium, aspirin, and acetaminophen at 130°C for several hours produced a mixture of compounds showing a similar acetylation pattern.
Evaluation of Instrumental Parameters for Automated Scanning Electron Microscopy/Gunshot Residue Particle Analysis
Authors: Germani MS 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Computer-controlled analytical scanning electron microscope (SEM) parameters such as the minimum particle size, video threshold, digital clectron beam point spacing, video dwell time, X-ray counting time, and analysis mode, affect the time and accuracy of automated gunshot residue (GSR) particle analysis. The effects of these parameters on automated analysis of a GSR sample are described. This study was performed using custom-written software which includes several features, such as simultaneous energy and wavelength-dispersive X-ray analysis, that are not available in commercial packages.
Proper setting of the backscattered electron (BSE) video threshold is critical for automated SEM/GSR particle analysis. Use of a calibrated BSE detector facilitates reproducible setting of the BSE video threshold.
With the results from this and similar studies using different GSR samples, it should be possible to develop standard procedures for automated SEM/GSR particle analysis.
Fentanyl-Related Deaths: Demographics, Circumstances, and Toxicology of 112 Cases
Authors: Henderson GL 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Since 1979, the potent narcotic analgesic fentanyl and its analogs have been synthesized in clandestine laboratories and sold as heroin substitutes. At least 112 overdose deaths have been associated with their use. In this study, toxicology data, autopsy findings, and coroners' investigative reports were reviewed in order to construct a profile of the typical fentanyl overdose victim and to identify any factors that might heighten the risk of death from fentanyl use. The “typical” fentanyl overdose victim was 32.5 ± 6.7 years of age (range, 19 to 57 years), male (78%, compared with 22% female), and Caucasian (50%, compared with 29% Hispanic, 20% Black, and 0.9% Asian). With the exception of his or her age, the typical fentanyl overdose victim is quite similar to the typical heroin user. Nearly all the deaths (94%) occurred in California, yet within the state they were widely distributed throughout 17 counties and 44 cities. Pulmonary edema and congestion and needle puncture sites were consistent postmortem findings. No preexisting medical conditions were identified as possible risk factors. Although most of the fentanyl victims had a prior history of intravenous drug use, morphine or codeine were not commonly found, which suggests that the victims had little or no opiate tolerance. Ethanol was present in 38% of the cases and is thought to be a significant risk factor. Mean fentanyl concentrations in the body fluids were quite low: 3.0 ± 3.1 ng/mL (0.3 ± 0.31 µg/dL) in blood and 3.9 ± 4.3 ng/mL (0.39 ± 0.43 µg/dL) in urine, measured by radioimmunoassay. Although the potency of the analogs and the purity of street samples varies considerably, it is probably the general availability of the drug rather than the potency of a particular analog that determines the incidence of overdose deaths.
Effect of Heroin in Decomposing Tissues on the Development Rate of Boettcherisca peregrina (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) and Implications of This Effect on Estimation of Postmortem Intervals Using Arthropod Development Patterns
Authors: Goff ML , Brown WA , Hewadikaram KA , Omori AI 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Larvae of the flesh fly Boettcherisca peregrina (Robineau-Desvoidy) were reared on the tissues of rabbits to study the effects of heroin on the development rates of this species. The rabbits were given 6, 12, 18, and 24 mg of heroin by cardiac puncture. From Hours 18 to 96, larvae feeding on tissues containing heroin (as morphine) developed more rapidly than those feeding on tissues from the control. The time required for pupation was significantly greater for colonies fed on tissues from heroin-dosed rabbits than for the control colony. The differences observed in the rates of development were sufficient to alter postmortem interval estimates based on larval development by up to 29 h and estimates based on pupal development by 18 to 38 h.
Finding of a Bullet in the Cervical Column of a Body Hit by a Train
Authors: Navarro JA , Cortés E , Sanz CL , Pellicer MA 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
This case is about the finding of a body of an unidentified male of approximately 70 years of age who was hit by a train. During the carrying out of the corresponding autopsy and after the radiological tests for posterior odontological identification, a foreign body of a cylindrical-cone shape, identical to that of a bullet, was found lodged between the first and second cervical vertebrae. During dissection of the neck, a bullet was found. When the ballistie test was carried out, it was ascertained that the bullet was from a cartridge of 7.92 by 57-mm Mauser caliber, manufactured in Spain in 1936. This ammunition corresponds to that used during the Civil War in Spain (1936–1939). After the identification of the body, it was proved that the bullet was the result of a war wound. However, the victim had been unaware of the existence of the bullet, which had remained in his body for 50 years.
Stature- and Age-Related Bias in Self-Reported Stature
Authors: Giles E , Hutchinson DL 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The use of reported stature, especially self-reported stature such as on a driver's license, as a proxy for measured stature is necessary when measured stature is unavailable, for example, in matching data calculated from skeletal remains with data for missing persons. The accuracy of self-reported stature for older persons and especially for tall and short people is not well ascertained. Examination of published reports provides evidence that beginning at age 45, people compound their stature overestimation by an additional amount related to age (women by twice the amount of men). Analysis of anthropometric data from 8000 U.S. Army personnel indicates that the amount of general overestimation of stature by men is 2 ½ times greater than that by women. Neither tall men nor tall women underestimate their stature, but men in the upper third of the stature range, and women in the upper 10%, self-report their stature with greater accuracy. No trends in accuracy are apparent in the remainder of the stature spectrum for men or women.
Age Estimation Using the Racemization of Amino Acid in Human Dentin
Authors: Ohtani S , Yamamoto K 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
This study was made to improve the validity of age estimation from teeth using amino acid racemization. The correlation between actual age and the D/L ratio of aspartic acid was investigated by analyzing not only the total amino acid but also its fractionated substances, insoluble collagen and soluble peptide.
The coefficient values of correlation between the D/L ratio and actual age in adult lower central incisors were 0.996 (σ = ±1.0 year) for the total amino acid, 0.988 (σ = ±1.8 years) for insoluble collagen, and 0.997 (σ = ±0.9 years) for soluble peptide. The corresponding figures in adult first premolars were 0.991 (σ = ±1.6 years), 0.988 (σ = ±1.9 years), and 0.994 (σ = ±1.4 years), respectively. The reactive velocity of aspartic acid racemization was highest for soluble peptide in both the lower central incisors and first premolars and approximately three times as rapid as that for total amino acid. As a result, age estimated from the analysis of soluble peptide was most accurate. The velocity for insoluble collagen was slightly lower than that for total amino acid.
Age estimation was attempted from the teeth of an unknown body. These results suggest that the analyses, not only of total amino acid in dentin but also of its fractionated and extracted substances, can lead to higher reliability in age estimation. Soluble peptide, in particular, has been found to be most effective.
Inaccuracy of Height Information on Driver's Licenses
Authors: Willey P , Falsetti T 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Height is an important variable in identification. In cases involving deceased individuals, height is measured directly on the corpse or estimated from the skeleton. This postmortem measurement or estimation is then compared with antemortem records, usually the driver's license. The accuracy of the license information, however, has been questioned. To assess the accuracy of driver's license information, volunteers' statures were measured, and then these figures were compared with those printed on the subjects' licenses. Even in our comparatively young, well-educated sample, the license height was significantly greater than the measured height. Some inaccuracies may be caused by failure to update license information when new licenses are issued, but some inaccuracies may be from personal deception. The implications of these results for forensic anthropology cases are discussed.
Street Drugs in Denmark
Authors: Kaa E 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Street samples of heroin (n = 102) and amphetamine (n = 120) seized in different areas of Denmark during a one-year period were analyzed for purity and additive content.
The mean concentrations of the heroin and the amphetamine samples were 34 and 35%, respectively, but the purity of both drugs varied greatly.
Sugars and caffeine were the most frequently encountered cutting agents in both drugs. The additives phenobarbital, methaqualone, and procaine were seen only in heroin, especially in heroin base.
Half of the heroin samples were heroin base, the other half heroin chloride. Brownish samples of heroin base containing large amounts of opium alkaloids dominated in the seizures in the provincial towns, whereas white/beige samples containing heroin chloride with little or no papaverine or noscapine were frequently seen among the seizures in the capital. The result may indicate different import routes for heroin to the eastern and western parts of Denmark.
Postmortem Determination of the Biological Distribution of Formic Acid in Methanol Intoxication
Authors: Tanaka E , Honda K , Horiguchi H , Misawa S 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Two 25-year-old men were fatally intoxicated with methanol. The formic acid levels in their blood, urine, and organs were determined postmortem by headspace gas chromatography. The postmortem concentrations of formic acid in the two patients were the following: 0.32 and 0.23 mg/mL in blood, 2.27 and 0.47 mg/mL in urine, 0.11 and 1.17 mg/g in the brain, 0.54 and 0.51 mg/g in the liver, and 0.13 and 1.19 mg/g in the kidneys. The total amounts of formic acid in the gastric contents were 108 and 23.2 mg.
Characterization of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Obtained from Teeth Subjected to Various Environmental Conditions
Authors: Schwartz TR , Schwartz EA , Mieszerski L , McNally L , Kobilinsky L 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
This study was designed to determine the effects of various environmental factors on the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) obtained from dental pulp. Extracted teeth were subjected to the following conditions: varying pH (3.7, 10); temperature (4°C, 25°C, 37°C, incineration); humidity (20%, 66%, 98%); various types of soil (sand, potting soil, garden soil); seawater; burying the teeth outdoors, and aging (one week to six months). In addition, teeth that had been extracted and held at room temperature for 16 and 19 years were also examined. Following isolation of DNA, the samples were analyzed on yield gels to determine the concentration and integrity of the recovered DNA. Restriction digestion with Pst I was followed by electrophoresis of the generated fragments, Southern transfer to nylon membranes, and hybridization to both human and bacterial probes. It was determined that, aside from soil, the environmental conditions examined did not affect the ability to obtain high-molecular-weight human DNA from dental pulp. Restriction fragment length polymorphic (RFLP) analysis of selected samples was performed. Dental pulp patterns were compared with bloodstain exemplars, revealing matching patterns, although an increase in band-shifting was observed with extended exposure to elevated temperatures.
Statistical Evaluation of the Evidential Value of Human Hairs Possibly Coming from Multiple Sources
Authors: Hoffmann K 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
A concept of the mathematical evaluation of human hair evidence is derived. This concept can be realized in a special computer program, the output of which is an incrimination probability. The problems of not knowing the true number of sources and the correct partition of hairs corresponding to their sources are solved from the point of view of avoiding an unjustified incrimination.
A Test of the Auricular Surface Aging Technique
Authors: Murray KA , Murray T 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
A recently developed technique used in the estimation of age at death is based upon the metamorphosis of the auricular surface of the ilium. This technique was designed to be used in seriation to estimate the age distribution of a skeletal sample. However, the technique has also been used in forensic science cases, which must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.
The present study examines the use of the auricular surface technique as the single aging factor. Two hypotheses are tested using a sample of 189 individuals drawn from the Terry Collection, housed at the Smithsonian Institution. The hypotheses are (1) is the method equally applicable across race and sex, and (2) how well does the method perform as the single aging factor?
The results indicate that the amount of degenerative change in the auricular surface is not dependent upon race or sex in any given age category. However, the rate of degenerative change is too variable to be used as a single criterion for the estimation of age; the range of estimation error is simply too large for forensic science purposes.
Association of Right Coronary Artery Hypoplasia with Sudden Death in an Eleven-Year-Old Child
Authors: Byard RW , Smith NM , Bourne AJ 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Congenital coronary artery abnormalities are a rare but well-documented cause of sudden and unexpected death in the pediatric age group. Most reported cases involve both an aberrant origin and course of the abnormal vessel. A case of unexpected death occurring in an otherwise healthy eleven-year-old boy, who had been previously investigated for sudden collapse, is described. The major finding at autopsy was marked disparity in diameter between the coronary arteries due to diffuse hypoplasia of the right coronary artery. This case demonstrates the importance of meticulous examination of the coronary artery system in cases of sudden death in childhood so that significant reduction in luminal cross section will be adequately documented. The possible role played by this finding in the etiology of sudden death is discussed.
Cardiac Rupture Due to Severe Fatty Infiltration in the Right Ventricular Wall
Authors: Kusano I , Shiraishi T , Morimoto R , Haba K , Yatani R 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
An extremely rare case of sudden death caused by cardiac rupture due to severe fatty infiltration in the right ventricular myocardium is presented. The patient, a 74-year-old woman, had no history of chest trauma, hypertension, or pulmonary disease. The autopsy showed a small tear in the right ventricle and cardiac tamponade, but no coronary artery lesion. In the right ventricular myocardium, muscle fibers were definitely atrophic or absent, with massive fatty replacement. Fatty infiltration of the myocardium, if severe, can be a cause of serious cardiac dysfunction or, occasionally, sudden death.
Fatal and Near-Fatal Animal Bite Injuries
Authors: Clark MA , Sandusky GE , Hawley DA , Pless JE , Fardal PM , Tate LR 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Fatal and near-fatal maulings of humans by pit bulls have recently become a topic of major public concern, resulting in the passage of laws in some jurisdictions that make the owner of a pit bull criminally liable for manslaughter if his or her pet causes a human death. The authors recently investigated two cases in which children were fatally injured by pet dogs. In the first case, a 17-day-old girl suffered fatal abdominal injuries when attacked by a pregnant Siberian husky. A 2-year-old girl expired from neck wounds inflicted by a pit bull or a rottweiler or both. Because no expert would testify as to which dog caused the fatal injury, the owner of the animals was not charged under a statute which specified criminality only if a pit bull caused the fatal injury. We also examined a 12-year-old boy who attempted to pet a circus tiger; the animal grabbed his arm with its claws and bit off the arm at the shoulder. The arm could not be reattached, but the child survived. These cases and the differentiation of animal bites from other injuries will be presented.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Analysis by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms of Blood and Other Body Fluid Stains Subjected to Contamination and Environmental Insults
Authors: Adams DE , Presley LA , Baumstark AL , Hensley KW , Hill AL , Anoe KS , Campbell PA , McLaughlin CM , Budowle B , Giusti AM , Smerick JB , Baechtel FS 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profile results were obtained from bloodstains and other body fluid stains subjected to mixture with other body fluids, environmental insults (sunlight and temperature), different substrates (cotton, nylon, blue denim, glass, aluminum, and wood), and contaminants (gasoline, bleach, sodium hydroxide, soil, motor oil, detergent, phosphate salt, glacial acetic acid, and micro-organisms). Of the samples that produced profile results, all had profiles that were consistent with those of untreated control samples.
Detection, Isolation, and Identification of Truxillines in Illicit Cocaine by Means of Thin-Layer Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Ensing JG , de Zeeuw RA 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
By means of thin-layer chromatography, an unidentified alkaloidal fraction was observed in illicit cocaine. Because of its persisting presence, efforts were undertaken to isolate and identify this fraction. Various analytical techniques showed complex results, finally pointing to the possibility of isomerization of constituents of the fraction. A direct-probe mass spectrum showed a fragmentation pattern which could only fit a truxilline. When using thin-layer chromatography, at least five isomers could be observed. This is the first time truxillines have been observed, isolated, and identified by thin-layer chromatography.
A Chromatographic Impurity Signature Profile Analysis for Cocaine Using Capillary Gas Chromatography
Authors: Casale JF , Waggoner RW 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The signature patterns of cocaine samples were examined by capillary gas chromatography using 14 impurities commonly found in illicit cocaine samples. The procedure is based on acidic, basic, and neutral impurities introduced from the coca plant and from the processing of cocaine in clandestine laboratories. Impurities containing either alcoholic, N-nor, or carboxylic acid functional groups were analyzed as their silyl derivatives. The reported procedure provides a simple one-step assay for obtaining chromatographic impurity signature profile analyses (CISPA) of illicit cocaine samples using flame ionization detection (FID).
Standards for Damages: Comments on Canadian and American Law
Authors: Perr IN 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Significant differences in Canadian and American personal injury law are reflected in the Canadian system of no jury trials, monetary limitation for pain and suffering, emphasis on maintenance of maximal living style, and a different system for attorney reimbursement. Four Canadian cases (two quadriplegia, one severe neurologic injury, and one death) decided in 1978 have guided Canadian law. Some indication of questionable use of expert opinion and judicial decision-making may show similarities with AMerican practices. Most important, the universality of the Canadian medical system eliminates the need for most damages for medical needs.