Earticle

Benzodiazepines (BDZ) are mainly used as a tranquilizer for anxiety, tension and depression. These drugs have a potential for abuse and addiction, serious side effects may occur when used for a long time or in combination with other central nervous system inhibitors including alcohol. As the distribution of counterfeit medicines has increased, and new BDZ also have been sold on the illicit market, it is increasing possibility of abuse, and the risk of being used for crimes such as sexual assault and gambling fraud increases. In this study, we developed a simultaneous analysis method for 27 new BDZ in urine. The urine samples were hydrolyzed with β-glucuronidase, and extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE). Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode was used for analysis. The analysis method was validated with respect of parameters such as limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, precision, matrix effect, recovery and efficiency. The LOD ranged from 0.5 to 5 ng/mL and LOQ ranged from 2 to 10 ng/mL. The accuracy and precision ranged from -18.5% to 13.3% and 0.2% to 18.4%, respectively. The matrix effect, recovery and efficiency range was 67% to 130%, 52% to 110% and 50% to 124%, respectively. Of the target substances covered in this study, 25 BDZ satisfied the validation criteria. By applying this analysis method to the forensic investigation, it could be a significant contribution to demonstrate new BDZ intoxication and abuse rapidly and accurately.

LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) is a widely used recreational drug usually take at around 100 mcg for extremely potent hallucinogenic effect. It first synthesized in 1938, synthetically made from lysergic acid. ALD-52, prodrug of LSD, was abused in various forms such as blotter paper, tablet or diluted as a liquid and the characteristic hallucinogenic effects of ALD-52 that stimulating pleasurable and mind-altering or an unpleasant, sometimes terrifying experience of LSD is via interaction with the serotonin receptors. The physical effects of ALD-52 distorted visual perception of shapes and colors, altered sounds, anxiety, depression, rapid increased heart rate, increased body temperature, high blood pressure, and diluted pupils. Experience flashback can last days or even months after taking the last dose and occurs suddenly, may also manifest relatively long-lasting psychoses such as schizophrenia or severe depression. Under the influence of ALD-52, the ability to make sensible judgements and see common dangers in impaired making the user susceptible to personal injury or death. Structure of ALD-52 is in which an acetyl group is added to the LSD. The molecule weight of ALD-52 is 365.210, major ions are m/z 365.3, 263.1, and 72.1, retention time is 20.37 min at GC-MSD. From the LC-QTOF results, specific MSMS fragmentations of 265.1326, 223.1217, 323.1746, and 366.2173 (M+H) of ALD-52 were confirmed.

Since the diagnosis of death due to hypothermia is pathologically non-specific and the macroscopic findings are sometimes uncertain, a biochemical diagnostic analysis method for the precision of the diagnosis of hypothermia is required. Although general hypothermic death was diagnosed as an increase in ketone body concentration, as a result of statistical analysis of the correlation between hypothermic death and ketone body concentration assessed by the National Forensic Service in recent years, the ketone body concentration of hypothermic death in the case of not drinking or drinking a little is higher than the general death rate, in the case of death due to hypothermia after drinking a large amount of alcohol, the ketone body concentration showed a tendency to be inversely proportional to the blood alcohol concentration. Therefore, there is a need for a new biochemical diagnostic marker that can replace the ketone body concentration analysis in the diagnosis of death due to hypothermia. In this study, about 30 cases of hypothermic death and 76 cases of general death control were selected. Concentration changes of biochemical diagnostic indicators such as glucose, acetone, β-hydroxybutyrate, free fatty acids, and electrolyte ions were analyzed using ion chromatography (IC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). As a result, it showed the specificity of increasing or decreasing the concentration of electrolytes ion and free fatty acids as biochemical diagnostic markers according to changes in the body at the time of death due to hypothermia.

Many of the crime scene evidences are collected by transferring body fluids that are attached to the surface using a tool such as a sterile cotton swab or tape. The amount of body fluids transferred to the collection tool directly affects the possibility of DNA profiling. In this study, the recovery rate of body fluids and the detection rate of DNA profile were examined using sterile cotton swabs, rubber coating agents and urethane-based adhesives from porous materials. We prepared porous samples by spraying 100㎕ of diluted blood on their surface, each sample was collected using a sterile cotton swab, rubber coating agent, and urethane-based adhesive, and DNA recovery rates were compared. In the result, urethane-based adhesives showed the highest recovery rate of DNA with 68.6%. Rubber coating agent and sterile cotton swab showed 47.2% and 2.9% of recovery rate, respectively. Furthermore, we measured the FT-IR spectra of the rubber coating agent and the urethane-based adhesive and found that the peak of C=O group was larger in urethane-based adhesive. This result indicates that the polarity of urethane-based adhesive is greater than that of rubber coating agent and it has excellent blood wettability. As a collection tool, urethane-based adhesive had the disadvantage of taking a long drying time in the sampling process, however, it showed a high recovery rate when collecting body fluids from porous samples, and possibility for use in actual incident cases was confirmed.

DNA should be protected from factors such as temperature fluctuation, hydrolysis, and oxidative damage, to be preserved intact. Thus far, DNA has been conventionally stored in freezers to avoid the influence of these factors. However, as the required storage time and number of samples increase, so do the spatial and financial burden. DNAstable and DNAstable Plus are commercial solutions for long-term storage of DNA at room temperature. In this study, DNA extracted from human blood was stored at different temperatures (room temperature, 60 °C, −80 °C, −20 °C, and 4 °C), under hydration and illumination conditions, and with or without long-term storage solutions. After 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of storage, we analyzed the quantity and preservation of STR loci of the stored DNA. Storage of DNA for 1 year at 60 °C using DNAstable® Plus, simulating 16 years of storage at room temperature, had a preservative effect similar to that of freezing in dried state. On the other hand, DNAstable® was inefficient compared to conventional methods. Storage at ambient temperature using DNAstable® Plus thus presents a cost- and space-effective alternative for long-term storage, even for concentrations of DNA lower than 0.5 ng/μL.

In the case of minor injury patients, they usually feel stiffness in the neck or waist. However, it is not detected through image diagnosis techniques such as CT or MRI. Therefore, doctors rely on the victim's subjective arguments for treatment. Some victims exploit these blind spots and receive excessive insurance payments. According to data from the Korea Insurance Research Institute, It was announced that the scale of over-treatment for minor injury patients is serious, which leads to the effect of raising insurance premium for good insurers. In the engineering field, an analysis method through simulation was attempted to analyze the judgement of the minor injury. However, there were many limitations to the reliability of the simulation model. Therefore, in this paper, based on the empirical research results and car to car collision data, the risk of passenger injury was judged based on two real accident cases. As a result, it was difficult to judgement the risk of injury to passengers in the two real accident cases. These results are used as reference materials by the court, and the injury claimed by the victim was not recognized.

Fingerprints are formed on various surfaces in crime scenes. Cyanoacrylate fuming with Basic Yellow 40 is usually used on non-porous surfaces and 1,2-Indanedione is the most common reagent for developing latent fingerprints. In general, developed fingerprints are observed using a light source and filter within corresponding wavelength range. This observation technique is called photoluminescence mode. Since the photoluminescence mode uses light sources and filters in the darkroom, it is easy to observe only the developed fingerprints. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to find best filter and light combination of latent fingerprint development reagents. But most of the studies on optimal photoluminescence conditions were based on visual evaluation methods such as the Home Office Grading System or SWGFAST. Since these visual evaluation criteria are based on the evaluator's visual judgment, the results may vary depending on the evaluator's competency, and it is difficult to compare if the difference in the degree of enhancement and appearance is small. To solve this problem, this study aims to quantify the quality of fingerprints and establish the optimal conditions for fingerprint development reagent(1,2-Indanedione, Basic Yellow 40) commonly used on porous and non-porous surfaces. Evaluation factors were set as optical characteristics that can affect the evaluation of the fingerprint, referring to previous studies. Brightness, contrast, signal to noise ratio were set as evaluation factors. More detailed comparison was possible using the optical characteristic evaluation technique, and the optimal light source and filter conditions according to the reagent could be found.

Fingerprints are known as important evidence for the suspect identification, and fingerprints should be developed appropriately depending on the properties of the evidence surface. In this study, Artificial fingerprints deposited on a copy paper were developed by using the 1,2-IND/Zn, heat treatment was performed through an ironing press and a humidity chamber. The purpose of this study is to find a device is more better. The conditions of an ironing press were set to 10 seconds, 160°C based on previous studies. The conditions of a humidity chamber were set to temperature (80°C, 100°C), relative humidity (0% RH, 65% RH), heat treatment time (10 minutes, 20 minutes) based on previous studies. As an evaluation method, there was no difference in the fingerprint evaluation using human visual system, so this study used a contrast index. As a result, except for certain conditions (20 minutes, 65% RH, 80°C), the overall contrast index tended to decrease as the temperature decreases. Contrast index of 65% RH at 80°C tended to increase significantly over time, but 0% RH at 80°C tended to decrease over time. Confirmed the optimal conditions of an ironing press was 10 seconds, 160°C and the optimal conditions of a humidity chamber was 80°C, 65% RH, 20 minutes. Fingerprints of the two devices were showed the shape, location, minutiae of the ridge clearly, so an ironing press is heat treatment device that has no problem to use. But it is thought that the use of a humidity chamber should be considered for better development.

Phytolacca has been used as food and folk medicines for rheumatism and arthritis in America and East Asia. All parts of it can be considered toxic unless it is properly prepared. Some acute intoxication cases occurred by taking Phytolacca without proper treatment, or accidently misusing it as edible roots. Poisoning by Phytolacca can cause minor digestive trouble such as vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. But in some cases, it can result serious symptoms like seizures, acute kidney failure and even death. The roots of Phytolacca are similar to other edible roots, so they can be mistakenly ingested. In this study, we presented a fatal post-mortem intoxication case of Phytolacca poisoning. The heart and peripheral blood, gastric contents were collected from autopsy, and the ingested plant roots from the scene submitted for toxicological analysis. The detection of triterpenoid saponins in biological samples and plant materials were performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The concentrations of esculentoside A in the heart and peripheral blood were 37 ng/mL and 27 ng/mL, respectively, while those of esculentoside H were 3 ng/mL and 1 ng/mL, respectively.

Kratom is the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, which is native to Southeast Asia, and is increasingly used for recreational and therapeutic purposes without medical supervision. Due to its indole alkaloid components, such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, it causes stimulating effects at low doses and opioid-like actions at high doses, and may exhibit various side effects that can lead to death when taken in an overdose and combined with other drugs, and thus it is considered to be regulated. In this case, kratom was seized from a Thai man, and his urine was commissioned to confirm whether he was taking kratom. Mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, 9-O-demethylmitragynine and 16-carboxymitragynine were detected in urine using liquid-liquid-extraction and LC-QTOF-MS.