Toward surface-enhanced Raman imaging of latent fingerprints.

Exposure to light or heat, or simply a dearth of fingerprint material, renders some latent fingerprints undetectable using conventional methods. We begin to address such elusive fingerprints using detection targeting photo- and thermally stable fingerprint constituents: surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). SERS can give descriptive vibrational spectra of amino acids, among other robust fingerprint constituents, and good sensitivity can be attained by improving metal-dielectric nanoparticle substrates.

Photo- and thermal-degradation studies of select eccrine fingerprint constituents.

Photo- and thermal-degradation studies on eccrine fingerprint components are presented herein. Dilute distinct solutions of urea, lactic acid, and seven amino acids were deposited on steel coupons and Teflon disks, exposed to artificial sunlight or heat, extracted, and analyzed. This aim of this study was to determine whether the investigated eccrine components, previously determined to be Raman active for a parallel study, experienced photo- or thermally induced degradation, and if so, to determine the rate and identify any detectable products.

Enhancing the quality of aged latent fingerprints developed by superglue fuming: loss and replenishment of initiator.

The recovery and identification of latent fingerprints from a crime scene are crucial to many investigations. The cyanoacrylate (superglue) fuming method (CFM), which develops fingerprints by growing a polymer coating over the print residue, is a powerful method but encounters severe limitations when prints are aged or exposed to harsh environmental conditions. We examine the aging process and how the changes that occur to a fingerprint residue over time influence the growth of polymer during development.

Preoperative vaginal preparation with baby shampoo compared with povidone-iodine before gynecologic procedures.

Study Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the postoperative infection rates between patients receiving either povidone-iodine (PI) or baby shampoo vaginal preparations before gynecologic surgery.

Design: Cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

Setting: University referral center for gynecologic endoscopy.

Understanding the chemistry of the development of latent fingerprints by superglue fuming.

Cyanoacrylate fuming is a widely used forensic tool for the development of latent fingerprints, however the mechanistic details of the reaction between the fingerprint residue and the cyanoacrylate vapor are not well understood. Here the polymerization of ethyl-cyanoacrylate vapor by sodium lactate or alanine solutions, two of the major components in fingerprint residue, has been examined by monitoring the time dependence of the mass uptake and resultant polymer molecular weight characteristics. This data provides insight into the molecular level actions in the efficient development of latent fingerprints by superglue fuming.

Laparoscopic treatment of bowel endometriosis.

The most common site of extragenital endometriosis is the intestinal tract, which accounts for approximately 80% of all extragenital endometriosis. The symptoms of intestinal endometriosis are crampy pain, flatulence, painful tenesmus, hyper-peristalsis, progressive constipation, diarrhea alternating with constipation, and occasionally rectal bleeding. As endometriosis in this location often undergoes fibrotic changes, it can be resistant to hormonal therapy, which makes surgical therapy the only option for many women.

Trace-fiber color discrimination by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: a tool for the analysis of dyes extracted from submillimeter nylon fibers.

The application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to trace-fiber color analysis is explored using acidic dyes commonly employed to color nylon-based fibers, as well as extracts from dyed nylon fibers. Qualitative information about constituent dyes and quantitative information about the relative amounts of those dyes present on a single fiber become readily available using this technique. Sample requirements for establishing the color identity of different samples (i.