A survey on vehicle registration code: association between on-the- road population and their vehicle registration states

Every registered vehicle in Malaysia has a specific vehicle registration code consisting of alphabets and numbers displayed on the front and rear part of the vehicle. Whenever there is an incident related to a particular vehicle, this registration code can be used to retrieve information about the vehicle based on the data in the registry maintained by Malaysian Road Transport Department. The information can subsequently assist in tracing the motor vehicle and its owner or to assess witness’s statement. However, our current vehicle registration system in Malaysia that uses alphabets to represent different territories or states could raise difficulties during an investigation especially if the registration number on the car plate could not be identified confidently by a witness whether or not the registration code in questioned could have from a particular state and involved in the incident under investigation. Therefore, the distribution of car registration code in Kelantan state was investigated, aiming to estimate the frequency of locally registered vehicle compared to those registered in other states of Malaysia as indicated by the alphabets. In this study, two car parking areas, one designated for general public and the other for university staff, were chosen (n=1000), surveyed and statistically analysed. Frequency and percentage in term of state of registration reflected by the initial alphabet for respective car parks were evaluated. Pearson’s Chi Square (χ2) test was used to investigate if there is association between the two car parks based on plate numbers with “D” which indicate those cars registered in Kelantan, and cars with non-“D” plates that pertain to the other states. Our study shows higher percentage of vehicles carrying “D” (515, 51.5%) and “W” (234, 23.4%) plates in the study area. Statistical test suggests no significant association between the two car parks and “D” plated cars (p-value=0.067, >0.05), supporting the claim that the majority of the residents own cars registered in Kelantan state, regardless of their state of origin. For forensic intelligence, information from this study could strengthen the probative opinion and forensic significance when exploring information based on vehicle registration code, particularly in cases involving vehicles

Forensic discrimination of blue pen inks: emergence of hybrid pen inks

Pens are frequently used to make alterations to documents during forgery. Comparing to conventional inks, hybrid pen ink brings a different challenge to forensic document examiners in differentiating ink entries on a questioned document. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the characteristics of different blue pen inks using non-destructive approaches followed by destructive techniques. Twenty blue pens consisting of ten ballpoint pens and ten gel pens of various brands were subjected to microscopic examination, video spectral comparator examination, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and thin layer chromatography (TLC) using two different solvent systems. The microscopic examination showed significant different optical features on handwritten samples produced by ballpoint and gel pens. Luminescence behaviour of certain inks allowed discrimination, and ATR-FTIR coupled with principal component analysis clustered ink samples of similar compositional profiles in a score plot. TLC allowed further discrimination of ink samples from ballpoint and hybrid pens. The proposed analysis scheme had categorised the ink samples into 11 groups. To conclude, the hybrid pen labelled as gel pen appeared optically like gel pen. However, it possesses chemical characteristics similar to a ballpoint pen. Therefore, its emergence deserves attention during forensic questioned document examination, particularly for the determination of pen inks

Inter-rater reliability of vehicle color perception for forensic intelligence

The topcoat color of motor vehicles offers vital information while investigating vehicular accidents, especially in instance of hit-and-run, since witnesses seldom perceive and retain the plate details. Differences in color perceptions among individuals with normal vision may lead to confusion in determining the color of the car involved. In this way, witnesses of crash accidents could potentially initiate flawed leads in forensic investigation, and thus affect the administration of justice. In this study, the inter-rater reliability of vehicle color determination by different volunteers was explored. Six individuals observed the topcoat colors of 500 stationary and 500 moving vehicles from five locations, employing a common system of color gradation. The outcome was binary: the vehicle color was either a “match” or “non-match”. This was followed by statistical analysis in terms of the colors’ frequencies and inter-rater reliability, based on which more suitable color descriptions were determined for subsequent comparisons of stationary and moving vehicles. Higher match frequencies and greater interrater reliability were observed when color gradations were disregarded. The frequency of correct matches could have been closely related to their relative on-the-road distribution, regardless of the statuses of observed vehicles. It was also found that black and white were associated with a greater number of matches than were intermediate colors, which should be carefully interpreted during forensic investigation to avoid wrong leads. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the forensic significance of vehicle topcoat color determination, particularly in cases where witness statements are crucial

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

An exploratory study on the handwritten allographic features of multi-ethnic population with different educational backgrounds

Ethnicity, native and/or foreign language knowledge, as well as the learned writing systems potentially influence the development of an individual’s handwriting. The unique education system consisting of National schools, Chinese-medium vernacular schools, Tamil-medium vernacular schools, and Islamic religious schools in Malaysia may have established specific characteristic handwritten allographic features that deserve investigation within the intelligence context. This study was aimed to explore handwritten allographic features of handwriting samples from 120 subjects (30 writers from four different educational backgrounds mentioned above). Characteristic features which could be attributed to the study groups were statistically analyzed and identified. In this study, thirteen allographic features, including letters "A", "B", "D", "H", "p", "T", "t", "w", "X" and "x", were found to be discriminative. Such information could serve to indicate the primary education system undergone by a writer; enabling the comparison of different handwriting profiles and allowing characterization of writers to a specific group of people

Temporal association of maternal weight gain with early-term and preterm birth and low birth weight babies

Background: Low birth weight and preterm or early-term babies may have a higher risk of poor health. One of the main factors is the weight gain of a pregnant woman during gestational weeks in the second and third trimesters. Changes in weight over a month in a pregnant woman might also have an impact on infant outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal weight at different time points and low birth weight and preterm or early-term babies (premature babies). Methods: A total of 156 pregnant women were recruited. Maternal weight was collected at different gestational weeks. Maternal age, body mass index, delivery mode, delivery week, and infant weight were also recorded. Maternal data were restructured into a person-period format before mixed-effects multiple logistic regression was used. Various weight variables with either a fixed effect or time-varying effects were tested in the model. Results: Thirty (19.23%) women had delivered low birth weight or premature babies. Multiple logistic regression model demonstrated that mothers with higher increases in weight at 32 weeks of gestation than that in the predelivery stage had a lower probability of having a low birth weight or premature baby (odds ratio [OR] = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.49-0.85; p < 0.001). Women with a weight increase of more than 2 kg in a 4-week gestation period had a higher probability of having a low birth weight or premature baby than those with an increment of <1 kg (OR = 8.43; 95% CI, 2.90-24.54; p < 0.001). Conclusion: An increase in weight gain after 32 weeks was shown to reduce the risk of low birth weight and premature babies. Maternal weight monitoring was suggested to be conducted every 4 weeks to minimize the chance of having a low birth weight and premature baby

Temporal association of maternal weight gain with early-term and preterm birth and low birth weight babies

Background: Low birth weight and preterm or early-term babies may have a higher risk of poor health. One of the main factors is the weight gain of a pregnant woman during gestational weeks in the second and third trimesters. Changes in weight over a month in a pregnant woman might also have an impact on infant outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal weight at different time points and low birth weight and preterm or early-term babies (premature babies). Methods: A total of 156 pregnant women were recruited. Maternal weight was collected at different gestational weeks. Maternal age, body mass index, delivery mode, delivery week, and infant weight were also recorded. Maternal data were restructured into a person-period format before mixed-effects multiple logistic regression was used. Various weight variables with either a fixed effect or time-varying effects were tested in the model. Results: Thirty (19.23%) women had delivered low birth weight or premature babies. Multiple logistic regression model demonstrated that mothers with higher increases in weight at 32 weeks of gestation than that in the predelivery stage had a lower probability of having a low birth weight or premature baby (odds ratio [OR] = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.49-0.85; p < 0.001). Women with a weight increase of more than 2 kg in a 4-week gestation period had a higher probability of having a low birth weight or premature baby than those with an increment of <1 kg (OR = 8.43; 95% CI, 2.90-24.54; p < 0.001). Conclusion: An increase in weight gain after 32 weeks was shown to reduce the risk of low birth weight and premature babies. Maternal weight monitoring was suggested to be conducted every 4 weeks to minimize the chance of having a low birth weight and premature baby

Visualization of methamphetamine-contaminated fingermarks on glass surfaces by field emission scanning electron microscope for forensic investigation

Background: Fingermark is an individual's primary identification source. It is helpful in determining individuals involved in illegal activities and is frequently encountered in clandestine laboratories. During forensic investigation, the critical question to be answered is whether a fingermark was left on a surface before or after the initiation of an unlawful activity. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the visualization of methamphetamine-contaminated fingermarks on glass surfaces and estimate the immediacy of their depositions. Materials and Methods: In this study, the prior-deposition contaminated fingermarks, i.e., fingermarks deposited a surface priorly contaminated by methamphetamine, and the postdeposition contaminated fingermarks, i.e., fingermarks deposited on a clean surface but subsequently contaminated with methamphetamine were visualized and compared using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). Results: Under FESEM, the latent fingermarks and the crystalline structure of methamphetamine were clearly visualized. The postdeposition contaminated fingermarks appeared in smudge conditions in all the three replicate samples, where the ridge and nonridge areas could not be well-distinguished. On the contrary, the prior-deposition contaminated fingermark demonstrated distinct separations between ridges and nonridges. However, the application of fingerprint powders reduced the possibility to determine the immediacy of deposition. Conclusion: To conclude, both prior-deposition contaminated fingermarks and postdeposition contaminated fingermarks can be discriminated, providing information on the instance when a fingermark was left on a surface

Probability of handwritten allographic features from writers of different educational backgrounds by multinomial logistic regression analysis.

Probability of handwritten allographic features from writers of different educational backgrounds by multinomial logistic regression analysis.</p

The only handwritten allographic feature from writers from Tamil vernacular schools.

The only handwritten allographic feature from writers from Tamil vernacular schools.</p