Earticle

Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is a crime in the course of which the victim is administered a drug or other incapacitating substance in order to affect control over their actions, decision-making capacities or physical capabilities. To investigate the current status of DFSA in Korea, we reviewed DFSA cases of National Forensic Service (NFS). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) after solid-phase extraction (SPE) were performed for the detection of drugs in blood and urine samples. Analytical results in DFSA were investigated by the laboratory information management system of NFS for five years (2014-2018). Mainly, the total count of DFSA cases, drug detection rate, types of drugs and frequency of use were investigated. In the recent five years, the number of DFSA cases increased every year, from 534 cases in 2014 to 1434 cases in 2018, over 168.5% from 2014. The number of submitted cases in Seoul institute was shown the highest, occupying 62% of the total. The detection rates of drugs in each year and region were from 23 to 28% and average detection rate of drugs was 25%. The most frequently used drug was zolpidem with 383 times for five years, occupying for 15% of all drugs. Next, benzodiazepines such as diazepam, lorazepam and alprazolam were detected with 173, 139 and 107 times, respectively. Meanwhile, illegal drugs were also found, which includes amphetamines (48 times) and cannabis (12 times). Interpretation of the analytical results in terms of voluntary versus surreptitious administration of drugs requires further detailed investigation as well as knowledge of the victim’s health status and medication used at the time of event.

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of people taking hemp seeds (HS), especially imported HS, instead of nut for health care purposes in Korea. In addition, there is a growing awareness of whether delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a hallucinogenic component of cannabis, can be detected in urine when taking commercially available HS products. Thus, it is important to determine whether delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THC-COOH) is detected in the urine of people taking commercially available HS products and, if detected, the concentration of THC-COOH detected in urine 2 - samples of cannabis abusers and HS product onsumers, it is necessary to review.Thus, in this study, we analyzed the content of THC in the HS by purchasing two HS products (HS1 & HS2) in market. In addition, 13 volunteers were recruited, 6 for male and 7 for female. HS1(THC low level contained product, 1.58 mg/g) and HS2(THC high level contained product, 5.18 mg/g) were administered to each 3 male and female volunteers once a day for 28 days at a dose of 30 g, respectively. And one female administered same dose of mixed nuts (MN) for control. Urine samples of 13 volunteers were collected on the day before taking the HS or MN, once every week for 28 days. For THC analysis in HS, 1g of HS was added to THC-d3 as an internal standard and methanol, and extracted using ultrasonic device for 2 hour. This process was repeated three times. The COBAS C311 was used to screen the urine samples, and GC/MS was used to determine the amount of THC-COOH. THC-COOH levels in volunteers’urine ranged from 0 to 11 ng/mL. During the volunteers’ 28-day period, all of the THC-COOH were under the cutoff level. Therefore, this study is expected to be a good answer and basic study on the questions related to the consumption of HS products, as well as establishing the criteria for detection of THC-COOH in the urine of consumers of HS and cannabis abusers.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences between affordably priced vegetable oils (soybean, corn, rice bran, grape seed, and sunflower oils) and relatively expensive vegetable oils (sesame, perilla and flaxseed oils), based on their major (e.g., fatty acids) and minor components (e.g., phytosterols, sesamin, and -tocopherol) analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. The relatively expensive edible oils exhibited lower levels of palmitic acid. Flaxseed and perilla oils exhibited linolenic acid content of more than 50 % and they contained significantly higher -sitosterol content than that in other oils. The relative ratio of campesterol/ -sitosterol could be helpful for differentiating them from other vegetable oils. Sesame oil only contained a unique compound called sesamin. The relatively expensive oils possessed higher -tocopherol content, compared with other vegetable oils including ricebran, grapeseed, and sunflower oils. Therefore fatty acid, phytosterol, sesamin, and -tocopherol analyses could be used as important indicators for discriminating the relatively expensive edible oils from the other oils.

Sexual assault (violence) related to alcohol occur in an irresistible state (i.e., inability to react psychologically and physically) of victims due to the blackouts and inebriation. The ethyl alcohol (EtOH) is determined as a direct indicator of alcohol intake. Other direct alcohol markers rely on alternative pathways of alcohol metabolism and include ethyl glucuronide (EtG). In the sexual assault cases, the detection of EtOH positive could not be occasionally confirmed from the victims, since it takes a long time to receive and collect the blood in the evidence, even after the ingested EtOH itself has been eliminated from the body. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze ethanol metabolites EtG, which are relatively longer than EtOH in human body. In this study, EtOH, EtG and EtS were analyzed in blood, and they investigated detection time in the sexual assault cases. In addition, cut-off values of EtOH and EtG were used to determine alcohol intake as 100 mg/L and 0.09 mg/L, n=17), EtG n=5). The concentration of EtOH and EtG in detection time was could be used as a scientific index and it is possible to solve the problem from the delay time in sexual assault as alcohol markers.

In this study, in an effort to distinguish the morphological characteristics and chemical composition of dust, samples were collected indoors (receiving room) and outdoors (roads, front yard, and backyard) using the 3M EVM-7 series for 24 h. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis provided visual evidence of the dust in terms of the shape and chemical composition of the particles. The area fraction and size range were also measured using image analyzer software. The morphology, chemical composition, average size, and size distribution of the dust were analyzed. In the case of outdoor dust, the mean dust particle size was measured as 4.13 and 3.63 m in the road and front yard, respectively. These outdoor dusts in road and front yard had a mean size range from 2.55 to 4.13 ?m. The size distribution results showed that outdoor dust has a relatively larger particle size (>2 m) than indoor dust. In case of indoor dust, approximately 40 % of dust particles had sizes less than 2 ?m. Regarding morphology, indoor dust had a relatively simple shape. However, the outdoor dust was composed of various elements, and its form was complicated. The outdoor dust was composed of lightweight metal elements, such as aluminum, silicon, calcium, and magnesium, due to the seasonal effect of the spring. In addition, the road dust and, in the case of dust from the front yard adjacent to the road, the carbon and sulfur content originating from vehicle fuel were observed to be relatively high.

The cell containing the DNA are present on the surface of the object by direct or indirect transfer. Among the contact evidences commissioned at the crime scene, knives and scissors account for about 25% of the main items and are important evidence to be a clue to the resolution of cases in violent crime. In this experiment, we selected knives among touch evidences analyzed the knife of handle surface, the number of collection times and the skin analysis of DNA quantity and DNA typing with the three crime scene evidence. Experimental results showed that high DNA quantity and DNA typing were detected in wood handle compared to plastic handle, and DNA typing analysis was possible even when the number of sampling was repeated. In the analysis of DNA quantity and DNA typing the skin according to the experimenter, there was a difference in detection according to the experimenter and the crime scene evidence also showed a similar tendency to this experiment.

In this study, the influence of explosion overpressure caused by the rupture of aerosol insecticide LPG used as a propellant was calculated by using the Hopkinson’s Scaling Law and the accident damage was estimated by applying the influence on the adjacent structures and people into Probit model. At 5 m of interest, the overpressure calculation value by the probit model is 9,549 ßÊ, at 50 m 53.8 ßÊ, corresponding to overpressure affecting the failure and death of the building. Up to 35 m of interest, lung bleeding has occurred, and up to 50 m is equivalent to overpressure capable of causing structural and glass damage. However, considering the effectiveness of the explosion, it is expected that the range that could lead to death and lung bleeding, damage to structures and damage to glass will be significantly reduced. As a result of this, in this study, 100% of the explosion efficiency is applied, and the actual damage effect due to the explosion of the aerosol insecticide container is considered to be less than the value calculated in this study, I hope that it will be used as an investigation data on the interpretation of the explosion in the future.

A case report involving a 16-years-old woman who was found dead by her brother in the room is presented. At the time of her death, she was being treated with propranolol, fluoxetine, doxepin, alprazolam, amitriptyline, and lorazepam. Her family stated that she had been prescribed two weeks of medicine at the hospital the day before she died, and there were 42 empty paper envelopes on the desk. The manner of death was not founded in autopsy, and femoral venous blood, cardiac blood, and stomach contents were collected and analyzed. Propranolol, fluoxetine, doxepin, alprazolam, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, and lorazepam were detected in autopsy specimens. Protein precipitation was adopted in sample preparation, and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was used for identification and quantification. The concentrations of propranolol (5.56 mg/L), fluoxetine (5.10 mg/L), doxepin (0.27 mg/L), and alprazolam (0.11 mg/L) detected in femoral venous blood were within the toxic or lethal range, and amitriptyline (0.45 mg/L) and lorazepam (0.13 mg/L) were in therapeutic range. Based on these results, combined drug intoxication resulting in synergistic effect on organ dysfunction and central nervous system depression has been proposed as the cause of death. This case can be considered as a good reference when examining the correlation between postmortem blood concentrations and doses.

About 100 L of formaldehyde, solution of formaldehyde gas, was leaked out during the plumbing repair of a logistics warehouse in the petrochemical plant in Hwaseong city at 10:00 a.m. 14th September 2015. Although the village was more than 1 km away from the plant, many fishes died because of the formaldehyde contamination. Local civil servants collected river water and some fishes 2 hours later for the analysis of formaldehyde. Water and fishes in the river were collected in front of the village. In the selected ion monitoring (SIM) of formaldehyde and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) derivative of formaldehyde, SIM m/z parameters were 63, 79, 210 and quantification ion was m/z 210 for formaldehyde- 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone. The exposure allowance of formaldehyde by US health exposure limits (NOISH) is 2.5 mg/m3. The OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administtration) workplace permissible exposure limit by inhalation is 0.75 ppm as an eight hour time-weighted average. But our results showed 53.87 ppm (53.87 mg/L) in river water, the leak of formaldehyde in the plant elapsed over 2 hours though.Formaldehyde concentration was the highest in the fish intestine and followed by skin with scale, gill and flesh. Environmental status must be monitored till no harmful chemicals are detected.

DNA profiles obtained from skeletal samples of Korean War victims are put into a database for random matching and kinship analysis to confirm the relationship between missing casualties and their alleged relatives. It has been reported that the problem of the possibility of erroneous match between unrelated people became significant especially with growth of the number of genotypes in A-STR database. To solve the problem related to high false positive rates, higher kinship index threshold is required. However, use of high kinship index threshold results in extremely high false negative rate. Therefore, the use of increased number of autosomal markers with minimal kinship index threshold is recommended. Highly effective massively parallel SNP genotyping platforms using microarray technology were developed and have been used in various human population studies. We adopted resequencing microarray platform to apply autosomal SNP markers to inference of relatedness between missing casualties and their alleged relatives. Autosomal SNP markers analyzed using resequencing microarray platform showed remarkably higher likelihood ratios than 23 autosomal STR markers in kinship analysis of first to third degree of relatedness. Our results demonstrate that autosomal SNP markers hold great promise for identification of missing casualties.