Spray paint writings on walls: Is conventional reference material adequate for comparison?

Forensic document experts may be asked to examine questioned items written with spray paint on vertical surfaces. In such cases, they may not dispose of reference material written under similar conditions. A critical question follows: is conventional reference material (e.g. executed with a ballpoint pen on a paper placed horizontally) suitable for comparison? In order to investigate the influence of this particular writing condition, samples written with spray paint on vertical surfaces were compared to samples written on paper by a same writer. This comparison was carried out on the writings of 27 volunteers. The results have shown that the amount of similarities between both writing conditions was strongly dependent on the writer. Overall, while some similarities in style (script, cursive), shape and construction of letters were observed, several discordances in connections, slant, spacing, size and proportions were highlighted between both writing conditions. Therefore, the findings of this study stress out the need for reference material produced under similar conditions when examining questioned spray paint writings on vertical surfaces

Inscriptions murales à la peinture en spray : Du matériel de référence conventionnel peut-il être utilisé pour procéder à l'expertise en écriture ?

A handwriting examiner may be asked to infer about the author of writings on a wall. This study aimed at evaluating if conventional writings, using a pen on paper, might be compared to wall inscriptions. Thus, writing inscriptions produced by 27 volunteers were analysed and compared to their writings produced with a ballpoint pen. Significant variations were observed for some features, for example in the spacing between letters and words, slant, connections, shape and construction of some letters, as well as measured proportions of the letters “h”, “p” and “y”. The findings of this study lead the authors to strongly recommend using reference material produced in the same writing conditions to those of the questioned wall inscriptions

Determination of β

Beta-galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are oligosaccharides normally produced industrially by transgalactosylation of lactose. They are also present naturally in the milk of many animals including humans and cows. GOS are thought to be good for health, being potential prebiotic fibres, and are increasingly added to food products. In order to control the GOS content of products, the AOAC official method 2001.02 was developed. However, the method has some shortcomings and in particular is unsuited to the analysis of products containing high levels of lactose such as infant formula. To overcome this problem, we developed a new method for application to infant formula and tested it on various GOS ingredients as well as infant formulae. When applied to GOS ingredients the results of the new method compare well with those of the official AOAC method, typically giving results in the range 90–110% of those of the official method and having an expanded measurement uncertainty of less than 15%. For three products, the results were outside this range (recoveries of 80–120% and expended measurement uncertainties up to 20%). When applied to the analysis of infant formula, recoveries were in the range of 92–102% and the expanded measurement uncertainties were between 4.2 and 11%

Jesus, Barabbas and the People: The Climax of Luke’s Trial Narrative and Lukan Christology (Luke 23.13-25)

This article argues that the nuance and function given to the Barabbas pericope in Luke’s trial narrative differs significantly from that expressed by the other evangelists. It submits that Luke depicts Jesus’ death to be the result of a substitution between the acquitted Jesus and the insurrectionist and murderer Barabbas. Furthermore, the third evangelist has crafted his trial narrative so as to highlight the representative nature of this death, thereby developing Jesus’ narrative identity as the Messiah. It is concluded that Luke’s crafting of his trial narrative raises questions for the prevalent view that the third evangelist has not integrated the idea of substitution into his understanding of Jesus’ death