Variation in amino acid and lipid composition of latent fingerprints

The enhancement of latent fingerprints, both at the crime scene and in the laboratory using an array of chemical, physical and optical techniques, permits their use for identification. Despite the plethora of techniques available, there are occasions when latent fingerprints are not successfully enhanced. An understanding of latent fingerprint chemistry and behaviour will aid the improvement of current techniques and the development of novel ones. In this study the amino acid and fatty acid content of ‘real’ latent fingerprints collected on a non-porous surface was analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Squalene was also quantified in addition. Hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid and cis-9- octadecenoic acid were the most abundant fatty acids in all samples. There was, however, wide variation in the relative amounts of each fatty acid in each sample. It was clearly demonstrated that touching sebum-rich areas of the face immediately prior to fingerprint deposition resulted in a significant increase in the amount of fatty acids and squalene deposited in the resulting ‘groomed’ fingerprints. Serine was the most abundant amino acid identified followed by glycine, alanine and aspartic acid. The significant quantitative differences between the ‘natural’ and ‘groomed’ fingerprint samples seen for fatty acids were not observed in the case of the amino acids. This study demonstrates the variation in latent fingerprint composition between individuals and the impact of the sampling protocol on the quantitative analysis of fingerprints

Perceptions of the effectiveness of healthcare for probationers

Purpose: This study sought to investigate the views of commissioners, providers, and criminal justice staff on how effective current healthcare provision is at meeting the health needs of people on probation. Understanding perceptions of what constitutes effective provision, where barriers are encountered, and where improvements could be made, is an important step towards improving access to care for this hard-to-reach group. Approach: The research was part of a wider study. This article focuses on findings from case studies conducted via semi-structured telephone interviews with 24 stakeholders in a purposive sample of six geographical areas of England. Interviews were conducted by researchers from a variety of backgrounds, and an individual with lived experience of the criminal justice system. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: Participants provided examples of effective healthcare provision, which largely involved multi-agency partnership working. It was apparent that there are many barriers to providing appropriate healthcare provision to people on probation, which are underpinned by the complexity of this population’s healthcare needs, the complexity of the healthcare landscape, and problematic commissioning processes. Practical Implications: Improvements are needed to provide appropriate and accessible healthcare that meets the needs of people on probation, and thereby reduce health inequalities. These include shared targets, improved funding, clearer pathways into care, and giving probation a voice in commissioning. Originality: This is the first study of commissioner, provider, and criminal justice staffs’ views on the effectiveness of current healthcare provision at meeting the health needs of people on probation

Gross solids from combined sewers in dry weather and storms, elucidating production, storage and social factors

Variation in rates of sanitary hygiene products, toilet tissue and faeces occurring in sewers are presented for dry and wet weather from three steep upstream urban catchments with different economic, age and ethnic profiles. Results show, for example, that total daily solids per capita from the low income and ageing populations are almost twice that from high income or ethnic populations. Relative differences are verified through independent questionnaires. The relationship between solids stored in sewers prior to storms, antecedent dry weather period and the proportion of roof to total catchment area is quantified. A full solids' flush occurs when storm flows exceed three times the peak dry weather flow. The data presented will assist urban drainage designers in managing pollution caused by the discharge of sewage solids

The Use of Private Mobile Phones at War:Accounts From the Donbas Conflict

Studying technology use in unstable and life-threatening conditions can help highlight assumptions of use built into technologies and foreground contradictions in the design of devices and services. This paper provides an account of how soldiers, volunteers, and civilians use mobile technologies in wartime, reporting on fieldwork conducted in Western Russia and Eastern Ukraine with people close to or participating directly in the armed conflict in the Donbas region. We document how private mobile phones and computers became a crucial but ambiguous infrastructure despite their lack of durability in extreme conditions of a military conflict, and their government and military surveillance potential. Our participants rely on a combination of myths and significant technical knowledge to negotiate the possibilities mobile technologies offer and the life-threatening reality of enemy surveillance they engender. We consider the problems of always-on, always-connected devices under conditions of war and surveillance and our responsibilities as HCI practitioners in the design of social technologies