Monitoring the chemical changes in fingermark residue over time using synchrotron infrared spectroscopy

Author(s):  
Rhiannon Boseley ◽  
Jitraporn Vongsvivut ◽  
Dominique Appadoo ◽  
Mark Hackett ◽  
Simon Lewis

Degradation of fingermark residue has a major impact on the successful forensic detection of latent fingermarks. The time course of degradation has been previously explored with bulk chemical analyses, but little is known about chemical alterations at the micron-scale. Here we report the use of synchrotron-sourced attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) microscopy to provide spatio-temporal resolution of chemical changes within fingermark droplets, as a function of time since deposition. Eccrine and sebaceous material within natural fingermark droplets were imaged on the micron scales at hourly intervals for the first 6 – 12 hours after deposition, revealing that substantial dehydration occurred within the first 8 hours. Changes to lipid material was more varied, with samples exhibiting an increase or decrease in lipid concentration due to the degradation and redistribution of this material. Across 12 donors, it was noticeable that the initial chemical composition and morphology of the droplet varied greatly, which appeared to influence on the rate of change of the droplet over time. Further, this study attempted to quantify the total water content within fingermark samples. The wide-spread nature and strength of the absorption of Terahertz/Far-infrared (THz/Far-IR) radiation by water vapour molecules were exploited for this purpose, using THz/Far-IR spectroscopy. Upon heating, water confined in natural fingermarks was evaporated and expanded in a vacuum chamber equipped with multipass optics. The amount of water vapour was then quantified by high-spectral resolution analysis, and fingermarks were observed to lose approximately 14 – 20 µg of water. The combination of both ATR-FTIR and Far-IR highlight important implications for experimental design in fingermark research, and operational practices used by law enforcement agencies.

2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma C. Whittemore ◽  
Gerry C. Emmans ◽  
Ilias Kyriazakis

A model is described which aims to predict intake immediately following a change from one food to another that is higher in bulk content; it deals with the transition from one ‘equilibrium’ intake to another. The system considered is an immature pig fedad libitumon a single homogeneous food, which is balanced for nutrients and contains no toxins so that the first limiting resource is always energy. It is assumed that an animal has a desired rate of food intake (DFI) which is that needed to meet the energy requirements for protein and lipid deposition and for maintenance. DFI may not be achieved if a bulk constraint to intake exists. Where a bulk constraint operates intake is calculated as constrained food intake (CFI) where CFI=Cwhc/WHC k/ (where WHC is the water-holding capacity of the food (kg wate/g dry food) and Cwhcis the animal's capacity for WHC (unit/g live weight per d)). Where intake is not constrained it is assumed that genetic potential will be achieved. Potential growth rate is described by the Gompertz growth function. Where intake is constrained, growth will be less than the potential. Constrained growth rate is predicted as (d/t)con=(EI−Em)/egk/ where W is pig weight (kg), EI is energy intake (M/), Emis the energy required for maintenance (M/) and egis the energy required for unit gain (M/g). The value of egdepends on weight and the fattening characteristics of the pig. Actual growth is predicted to be the lesser of potential and constrained growth. To deal with adaptation it is assumed that the time taken to reach equilibrium depends on the difference in WHC values between the previous and current food and that the capacity to consume food bulk is related to the WHC of the current food. It is proposed that the capacity for WHC on the first day on a new food will be equal to the current capacity for WHC on the last day of the previous food. Thus Cwhc=(FI×WHC)/W /g, where FI is food intake (k/). Thereafter Cwhcwill gradually increase over time to a maximum of 0·27 /g. The rate of change in Cwhcis made to be the same for all pigs and all foods. The increase in capacity over time is assumed to be linear at the rate of 0·01 unit/. The model was tested using published data. Qualitatively the predictions of the model were in close agreement with the relevant observed data in at least some cases. It is concluded that the underlying theoretical assumptions of the model are reasonable. However, the model fails to predict initial intake when changed to foods high in wheat-bran content and fails to predict the intake of a non-limiting food where compensatory increases in intake and gain occur. The model could be adapted to overcome the first failure by taking into account the time course of digestive efficiency following a change in food. To deal with the second would require a sufficient understanding of the time course of compensatory growth.


Author(s):  
Paul D. Green ◽  
Stuart M. Newman ◽  
Ralph J. Beeby ◽  
Jonathan E. Murray ◽  
Juliet C. Pickering ◽  
...  

We present a new derivation of the foreign-broadened water vapour continuum in the far-infrared (far-IR) pure rotation band between 24 μm and 120 μm (85–420 cm −1 ) from field data collected in flight campaigns of the Continuum Absorption by Visible and IR radiation and Atmospheric Relevance (CAVIAR) project with Imperial College's Tropospheric Airborne Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TAFTS) far-IR spectro-radiometer instrument onboard the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurement (FAAM) BAe-146 research aircraft; and compare this new derivation with those recently published in the literature in this spectral band. This new dataset validates the current Mlawer–Tobin-Clough–Kneizys–Davies (MT-CKD) 2.5 model parametrization above 300 cm −1 , but indicates the need to strengthen the parametrization below 300 cm −1 , by up to 50 per cent at 100 cm −1 . Data recorded at a number of flight altitudes have allowed measurements within a wide range of column water vapour environments, greatly increasing the sensitivity of this analysis to the continuum strength.


Author(s):  
Qian Hui Chew ◽  
Yvonne Steinert ◽  
Kang Sim

Abstract Introduction Conceptual frameworks for professional identity (PI) formation highlight the importance of developmental stages and socialization as the learner progresses from legitimate peripheral to full participation. Based on extant literature and clinical impressions, the authors aimed to explore factors associated with PI formation in psychiatry residents over time, and hypothesized that time in training, seniority status, and duration of exposure to psychiatry prior to residency would be associated with PI formation. Methods Eighty out of 96 psychiatry residents (response rate, 83.3%) from the National Psychiatry Residency Program in Singapore participated and rated their PI development using the Professional Self Identity Questionnaire (PSIQ) across four timepoints from January 2016–December 2019. The residents were classified as junior (first 3 years) or senior residents (years 4–5). Linear mixed model analyses were conducted, with time in training, seniority status (junior versus senior residents), duration of psychiatry postings prior to residency, and their interaction as associated factors with PI over time. Results Time in training, seniority, and duration of psychiatry postings before residency (all p < 0.01) were significantly associated with higher PSIQ scores at baseline. Over time, although all residents had increases in PSIQ scores, this rate of change did not differ significantly between junior and senior residents. Discussion Exposure to psychiatry postings before residency, time in learning, and seniority are factors which influence PI development in residents. This has implications for psychiatry residency selection and training, adequate clinical exposure during training rotations, and continual support for new and senior residents to foster PI formation over time.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin K. Mutua ◽  
Yohannes D. Wado ◽  
Monica Malata ◽  
Caroline W. Kabiru ◽  
Elsie Akwara ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The use of modern contraception has increased in much of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the extent to which changes have occurred across the wealth spectrum among adolescents is not well known. We examine poor-rich gaps in demand for family planning satisfied by modern methods (DFPSm) among sexually active adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) using data from national household surveys. Methods We used recent Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys to describe levels of wealth-related inequalities in DFPSm among sexually active AGYW using an asset index as an indicator of wealth. Further, we used data from countries with more than one survey conducted from 2000 to assess DFPSm trends. We fitted linear models to estimate annual average rate of change (AARC) by country. We fitted random effects regression models to estimate regional AARC in DFPSm. All analysis were stratified by marital status. Results Overall, there was significant wealth-related disparities in DFPSm in West Africa only (17.8 percentage points (pp)) among married AGYW. The disparities were significant in 5 out of 10 countries in Eastern, 2 out of 6 in Central, and 7 out of 12 in West among married AGYW and in 2 out of 6 in Central and 2 out of 9 in West Africa among unmarried AGYW. Overall, DFPSm among married AGYW increased over time in both poorest (AARC = 1.6%, p < 0.001) and richest (AARC = 1.4%, p < 0.001) households and among unmarried AGYW from poorest households (AARC = 0.8%, p = 0.045). DPFSm increased over time among married and unmarried AGYW from poorest households in Eastern (AARC = 2.4%, p < 0.001) and Southern sub-regions (AARC = 2.1%, p = 0.030) respectively. Rwanda and Liberia had the largest increases in DPFSm among married AGYW from poorest (AARC = 5.2%, p < 0.001) and richest (AARC = 5.3%, p < 0.001) households respectively. There were decreasing DFPSm trends among both married (AARC = − 1.7%, p < 0.001) and unmarried (AARC = − 4.7%, p < 0.001) AGYW from poorest households in Mozambique. Conclusion Despite rapid improvements in DFPSm among married AGYW from the poorest households in many SSA countries there have been only modest reductions in wealth-related inequalities. Significant inequalities remain, especially among married AGYW. DFPSm stalled in most sub-regions among unmarried AGYW.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitoshi Iuchi ◽  
Michiaki Hamada

Abstract Time-course experiments using parallel sequencers have the potential to uncover gradual changes in cells over time that cannot be observed in a two-point comparison. An essential step in time-series data analysis is the identification of temporal differentially expressed genes (TEGs) under two conditions (e.g. control versus case). Model-based approaches, which are typical TEG detection methods, often set one parameter (e.g. degree or degree of freedom) for one dataset. This approach risks modeling of linearly increasing genes with higher-order functions, or fitting of cyclic gene expression with linear functions, thereby leading to false positives/negatives. Here, we present a Jonckheere–Terpstra–Kendall (JTK)-based non-parametric algorithm for TEG detection. Benchmarks, using simulation data, show that the JTK-based approach outperforms existing methods, especially in long time-series experiments. Additionally, application of JTK in the analysis of time-series RNA-seq data from seven tissue types, across developmental stages in mouse and rat, suggested that the wave pattern contributes to the TEG identification of JTK, not the difference in expression levels. This result suggests that JTK is a suitable algorithm when focusing on expression patterns over time rather than expression levels, such as comparisons between different species. These results show that JTK is an excellent candidate for TEG detection.


Author(s):  
M. Luisa Navarro-Pérez ◽  
M. Coronada Fernández-Calderón ◽  
Virginia Vadillo-Rodríguez

In this paper, a simple numerical procedure is presented to monitor the growth of Streptococcus sanguinis over time in the absence and presence of propolis, a natural antimicrobial. In particular, it is shown that the real-time decomposition of growth curves obtained through optical density measurements into growth rate and acceleration can be a powerful tool to precisely assess a large range of key parameters [ i.e. lag time ( t 0 ), starting growth rate ( γ 0 ), initial acceleration of the growth ( a 0 ), maximum growth rate ( γ max ), maximum acceleration ( a max ) and deceleration ( a min ) of the growth and the total number of cells at the beginning of the saturation phase ( N s )] that can be readily used to fully describe growth over time. Consequently, the procedure presented provides precise data of the time course of the different growth phases and features, which is expected to be relevant, for instance, to thoroughly evaluate the effect of new antimicrobial agents. It further provides insight into predictive microbiology, likely having important implications to assumptions adopted in mathematical models to predict the progress of bacterial growth. Importance: The new and simple numerical procedure presented in this paper to analyze bacterial growth will possibly allow identifying true differences in efficacy among antimicrobial drugs for their applications in human health, food security, and environment, among others. It further provides insight into predictive microbiology, likely helping in the development of proper mathematical models to predict the course of bacterial growth under diverse circumstances.


1988 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 577-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Miserocchi ◽  
D. Negrini ◽  
M. Pistolesi ◽  
C. R. Bellina ◽  
M. C. Gilardi ◽  
...  

We studied the vertical movement of 2 mg technetium-labeled albumin injected intrapleurally in 0.5 ml saline (15% of pleural liquid volume) in eight spontaneously breathing anesthetized dogs subject to a sudden change in posture (prone to supine or vice versa). The albumin movements were evaluated through a large field gamma camera placed laterally to the animal and detecting total (AT) and regional activities from two superimposed equal areas (At and Ab, top and bottom, respectively). The At/Ab ratio decreased from 2.1 to 1.3 in four animals up to 20 min from the change in posture and from 0.9 to 0.5 in four more animals studied from 50 to 90 min from turning maneuver. The rate of change in At and Ab was similar in the two groups of animals and unaffected by the acquisition posture. AT decreased by 7.7 and 3.5% for the two groups, respectively, reflecting albumin clearance from the pleural space. The opposite time course of regional activities and the independence of their rate of change of the At/Ab ratio and of the animal posture suggest a top-to-bottom albumin transfer occurring through a bulk flow of liquid estimated at 0.006 ml.kg-1.h-1. The data are consistent with a measured vertical pleural liquid pressure gradient that does not reflect a hydrostatic condition.


1987 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 1513-1520 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. N. Richardson ◽  
D. Bilan ◽  
M. Hoppensack ◽  
L. Oppenheimer

Transvascular fluid flux was induced in six isolated blood-perfused canine lobes by increasing and decreasing hydrostatic inflow pressure (Pi). Fluid flux was followed against the change in concentration of an impermeable tracer (Blue Dextran) measured directly with a colorimetric device. The time course of fluid flux was biphasic with an initial fast transient followed by a slow phase. Hematocrit changes unrelated to fluid flux occurred due to the Fahraeus effect, and their contribution to the total color signal was subtracted to determine the rate of fast fluid flux (Qf). Qf was related to Pi to derive fast-phase conductance (Kf). Slow-phase Kf was calculated from the constant rate of change of lobe weight. For a mean change in Pi of 7 cmH2O, 40% of the color signal was due to fluid flux. Fast- and slow-phase Kf's were 0.86 +/- 0.15 and 0.27 +/- 0.05 ml X min-1. cmH2O–1 X 100 g dry wt-1. The fast-phase Kf is smaller than that reported for plasma-perfused lobes. Possible explanations discussed are the nature of the perfusate, the mechanical properties of the interstitium, and the slow rate of rise of the driving pressure at the filtration site on the basis of a distributed model of pulmonary vascular compliance.


1980 ◽  
Vol 136 (5) ◽  
pp. 456-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hervey Sweetwood ◽  
Igor Grant ◽  
Daniel F. Kripke ◽  
Marvin S. Gerst ◽  
Joel Yager

SummaryThis 18 month prospective study assessed the time course of sleep disturbances in 85 male psychiatric out-patients and 103 male non-patients. Over one-third of the patients and 5 per cent of the non-patients reported frequent symptoms of insomnia during at least 14 of the 18 months. Frequency and chronicity of insomnia were strongly associated with intensity of psychiatric symptomatology, but not with diagnosis. Minor tranquillizers and hypnotics were used frequently by patients and occasionally by non-patients, but there was little indication that they altered the course of insomnia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (12) ◽  
pp. E2030-E2046 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Palchetti ◽  
H. Brindley ◽  
R. Bantges ◽  
S. A. Buehler ◽  
C. Camy-Peyret ◽  
...  

AbstractThe outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) emitted to space is a fundamental component of the Earth’s energy budget. There are numerous, entangled physical processes that contribute to OLR and that are responsible for driving, and responding to, climate change. Spectrally resolved observations can disentangle these processes, but technical limitations have precluded accurate space-based spectral measurements covering the far infrared (FIR) from 100 to 667 cm−1 (wavelengths between 15 and 100 µm). The Earth’s FIR spectrum is thus essentially unmeasured even though at least half of the OLR arises from this spectral range. The region is strongly influenced by upper-tropospheric–lower-stratospheric water vapor, temperature lapse rate, ice cloud distribution, and microphysics, all critical parameters in the climate system that are highly variable and still poorly observed and understood. To cover this uncharted territory in Earth observations, the Far-Infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring (FORUM) mission has recently been selected as ESA’s ninth Earth Explorer mission for launch in 2026. The primary goal of FORUM is to measure, with high absolute accuracy, the FIR component of the spectrally resolved OLR for the first time with high spectral resolution and radiometric accuracy. The mission will provide a benchmark dataset of global observations which will significantly enhance our understanding of key forcing and feedback processes of the Earth’s atmosphere to enable more stringent evaluation of climate models. This paper describes the motivation for the mission, highlighting the scientific advances that are expected from the new measurements.


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