Crime scene examiners and volume crime investigations: an empirical study of perception and practice

Most police forces in the UK employ specially trained crime scene examiners (CSEs) to provide forensic science support to the investigation of crime. Previous research has shown wide variations in the management, deployment, and performance of this staff group. There is also evidence that informal elements of professional and organisational culture, in particular the role characterisations of crime scene examiners, also have a bearing on their effective use in the investigation of high volume property crime. These issues are explored as part of a more extensive study of forensic science provision in the two largest police forces in Scotland and by the four main Scottish Police Services Authority Forensic Services (SPSA FS) units. A range of staff in these organisations described their understandings of the role of crime scene examiners – as evidence collectors, forensic investigators, specialist advisers, or any combination of these. Whilst two thirds (62%) of respondents recognised the complexity and scope of the role of CSEs including its cognitive elements, a substantial minority (38%) categorised the role as having a single element – collecting evidence – and therefore perceived it as limited largely mechanical in character. The reasons for, and consequences of, this perception are considered, and the paper concludes with a challenge to reconsider this limited view of what crime scene examiners can contribute to volume crime investigations

Studies on the release of endogenous renal dopamine and assessment of the renal dopamine prodrug gludopa in normal man

The diverse experimental approaches into the actions of dopamine in the periphery have demonstrated the amine to possess various interesting features. By activation of distinct receptors it is capable of producing systemic and renal vasodilatation and of modulating sympatho-adrenal outflow. By a combination of haemodynamic and direct tubular effects it is actively natriuretic, and influences hormonal release from the kidney and adrenal cortex.A physiological function in the kidney is strongly suggested by the prod¬ uction and excretion of large amounts of free dopamine, by the close relation¬ ship between dopamine excretion and sodium output in the urine, and by the characterisation of a widespread distribution of dopamine receptors. Such observations do not however, prove that endogenous dopamine has physiological So 3 significance and more compelling evidence accrues when an inhibitor of dopamine can be shown to alter some parameter of normal function. Such studies have been approached using either dopamine receptor antagonists or dopa decarboxylase inhibitors to block dopamine synthesis, and a number of animal models have been utilised, notably in man, dog and rat.It can be concluded for the present studies and from other reported work that dopamine exerts independent action in the kidney, without the requisite mediation of other hormonal, neural or physical factors. More likely is a system of parallel influences, including dopamine, interacting in an array of negative and positive feedback loops, forming a highly complex control mechanism which maintains homeostasis and is able to respond rapidly to changes in the local and wider environment

Protecting the Diversity of the Depths: Strengthening the International Law Framework

It is only in recent decades that marine scientific research has begun to reveal the true physical characteristics and resource potential of the open ocean and deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction. A combination of factors such as the depletion of inshore fish stocks and an increase in global maritime trade has led to greater usage of the vast maritime area beyond the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone limits of the coastal states. Human activities in this area of the ocean, which covers approximately 50% of the world’s surface, have expanded to include bioprospecting, exploration for deep seabed minerals, more sophisticated marine scientific research and deep sea tourism. This rise in human activities beyond the offshore zones of coastal states poses actual and potential threats to the physical characteristics and biodiversity of the open ocean and deep sea environments. Arbitrary human intrusions into this largely unexplored marine domain have the potential to harm the intricate links between complex marine ecosystems and to erode components of marine biodiversity. This thesis examines the global and regional provisions which have been put in place to regulate the environmental impacts of human activities that occur beyond national jurisdiction. An analysis of these instruments and their implementation reveals that the current international law framework provides only minimal levels of protection for the marine environment beyond national jurisdiction. It explores several options based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) and the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to establish a cohesive environmental protection system for the marine environment beyond national jurisdiction

Closing the revolving door : a qualitative analysis of recovered heroin and cocaine addicts' experience of recovery and abstinence.

A now sizeable body of substance-abuse research has examined the factors that contribute to a relapse; however, less research has been conducted on identifying factors in patients who do not relapse. In South Africa, relatively limited qualitative research is available on relapse, and substance abuse in general. This study assessed recovered heroin and cocaine individuals in order to identify some of the factors that account for their ability to remain drug-free. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, each of whom had remained abstinent from their drug of choice for at least 10 months. These interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, and then analysed for themes using thematic content analysis. Findings of the study included the manner in which the recovered individual’s sense of agency vacillated between external and internal modes of attribution for their recovery and that systemic support was perceived as critical to continued abstinence. These findings imply that treatment providers consider both the risk for and protective factors against relapse as part of integrated systems in planning interventions

Distinguishing Asthma Phenotypes Using Machine Learning Approaches.

Asthma is not a single disease, but an umbrella term for a number of distinct diseases, each of which are caused by a distinct underlying pathophysiological mechanism. These discrete disease entities are often labelled as asthma endotypes. The discovery of different asthma subtypes has moved from subjective approaches in which putative phenotypes are assigned by experts to data-driven ones which incorporate machine learning. This review focuses on the methodological developments of one such machine learning technique-latent class analysis-and how it has contributed to distinguishing asthma and wheezing subtypes in childhood. It also gives a clinical perspective, presenting the findings of studies from the past 5 years that used this approach. The identification of true asthma endotypes may be a crucial step towards understanding their distinct pathophysiological mechanisms, which could ultimately lead to more precise prevention strategies, identification of novel therapeutic targets and the development of effective personalized therapies

BioTIME: A database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene.

MotivationThe BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene.Main types of variables includedThe database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record.Spatial location and grainBioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km2 (158 cm2) to 100 km2 (1,000,000,000,000 cm2).Time period and grainBioTIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year.Major taxa and level of measurementBioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates.Software format.csv and .SQL

Resistance to echinocandin antifungal agents in the United Kingdom in clinical isolates of Candida glabrata: Fifteen years of interpretation and assessment

Candidaemia is widely reported as the fourth most common form of bloodstream infection worldwide. Reports of breakthrough cases of candidaemia are increasing, especially in the context of a move away from azole antifungals as prophylactic or first line treatment towards the use of echinocandin agents. The global evaluation of echinocandin antifungal susceptibility since 2003 has included switches in testing methodologies and the move to a sentinel echinocandin approach for classification reporting. This study compiles previously unpublished data from echinocandin susceptibility testing of UK clinical isolates of C. glabrata received at the Public Health England Mycology Reference Laboratory from 2003 to 2016, and re-evaluates the prevalence of resistance in light of currently accepted testing protocols. From 2015 onwards, FKS gene mutation detection using a novel Pyrosequencing® assay was assessed as a predictor of echinocandin resistance alongside conventional susceptibility testing. Overall, our data show that echinocandin resistance in UK isolates of C. glabrata is a rare phenomenon and prevalence has not appreciably increased in the last 14 years. The pyrosequencing assay was able to successfully detect hot spot mutations in FKS1 and FKS2, although not all isolates that exhibited phenotypic resistance demonstrated detectable hot spot mutations. We propose that a rapid genomic based detection method for FKS mutations, as part of a multifactorial approach to susceptibility testing, could help provide accurate and timely management decisions especially in regions where echinocandin resistance has been reported to be emerging in this important pathogen