L’utilisation de la trace forensique par les enquêteurs dans l’élucidation des crimes

Travail dirigé présenté à la Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales en vue de l’obtention du grade de Maîtrise en science (M. Sc.) en Criminologie, Option Criminalistique et InformationLorsqu’un crime est commis et dénoncé, les enquêteurs ont pour responsabilité de résoudre l’affaire par l’arrestation d’un ou de plusieurs suspects. La littérature démontre que la trace forensique aurait une utilité plus ou moins négligeable dans l’élucidation de certains crimes et ce, surtout en tant qu’identifiant. Par des entrevues semi-dirigées avec des enquêteurs de deux différents corps policiers au Québec, cette recherche explore l’utilité perçue de la trace dans l’élucidation des homicides, des agressions sexuelles et des vols. Les résultats démontrent que la trace est perçue comme prenant une place plus ou moins importante dans l’enquête et qu’elle dépendrait du cas enquêté. Dans les dossiers d’homicides, la trace est souvent vue comme étant au coeur des enquêtes et très utile dans l’élucidation du crime. Dans le cas d’agressions sexuelles, son utilité dépend du cas enquêté et une condamnation peut avoir lieu sans trace matérielle. La présence de traces comme preuve au tribunal serait utile pour convaincre les juges. En ce qui concerne les vols, l’utilisation de trace serait surtout avantageuse pour élucider des vols en séries. À la lumière de ces résultats, cette recherche permet d’envisager des améliorations qui pourraient être apportées au sein du milieu policier. Le but serait d’avoir une meilleure utilisation de la trace dans la résolution des crimes.When a crime is committed and reported, detectives have the responsibility of solving the crime by arresting one or more suspects. Scientific research shows that forensic traces are not always useful in crime-solving. The utility of forensics is therefore questioned in investigations. Through semi-directed interviews with detectives from two different police forces in Quebec, this research explores the perceived usefulness and utility of the trace in solving three different types of crimes: homicides, sexual assaults and robberies. The results show that the trace’s utility primarily depends on the case investigated and the type of crime. In homicide cases, the trace is often at the center of investigations and is perceived as very useful in crime-solving. In cases of sexual assault, a conviction can take place without any physical trace used or/and presented as evidence. The simple presence of forensic evidence can be useful in court. In the case of robberies, its usefulness is demonstrated when it helps in linking a series of crimes. By comparing the perception of investigators with the results found in forensic science research, this research suggests what improvements can be made in the police community to improve the use of forensics in crimesolving

Gender Gap in Parental Leave Intentions: Evidence from 37 Countries

Despite global commitments and efforts, a gender-based division of paid and unpaid work persists. To identify how psychological factors, national policies, and the broader sociocultural context contribute to this inequality, we assessed parental-leave intentions in young adults (18–30 years old) planning to have children (N = 13,942; 8,880 identified as women; 5,062 identified as men) across 37 countries that varied in parental-leave policies and societal gender equality. In all countries, women intended to take longer leave than men. National parental-leave policies and women’s political representation partially explained cross-national variations in the gender gap. Gender gaps in leave intentions were paradoxically larger in countries with more gender-egalitarian parental-leave policies (i.e., longer leave available to both fathers and mothers). Interestingly, this cross-national variation in the gender gap was driven by cross-national variations in women’s (rather than men’s) leave intentions. Financially generous leave and gender-egalitarian policies (linked to men’s higher uptake in prior research) were not associated with leave intentions in men. Rather, men’s leave intentions were related to their individual gender attitudes. Leave intentions were inversely related to career ambitions. The potential for existing policies to foster gender equality in paid and unpaid work is discussed.Gender Gap in Parental Leave Intentions: Evidence from 37 CountriespublishedVersio

Gender Gap in Parental Leave Intentions: Evidence from 37 Countries

Despite global commitments and efforts, a gender-based division of paid and unpaid work persists. To identify how psychological factors, national policies, and the broader sociocultural context contribute to this inequality, we assessed parental-leave intentions in young adults (18–30 years old) planning to have children (N = 13,942; 8,880 identified as women; 5,062 identified as men) across 37 countries that varied in parental-leave policies and societal gender equality. In all countries, women intended to take longer leave than men. National parental-leave policies and women’s political representation partially explained cross-national variations in the gender gap. Gender gaps in leave intentions were paradoxically larger in countries with more gender-egalitarian parental-leave policies (i.e., longer leave available to both fathers and mothers). Interestingly, this cross-national variation in the gender gap was driven by cross-national variations in women’s (rather than men’s) leave intentions. Financially generous leave and gender-egalitarian policies (linked to men’s higher uptake in prior research) were not associated with leave intentions in men. Rather, men’s leave intentions were related to their individual gender attitudes. Leave intentions were inversely related to career ambitions. The potential for existing policies to foster gender equality in paid and unpaid work is discussed

Health, education, and social care provision after diagnosis of childhood visual disability

Aim: To investigate the health, education, and social care provision for children newly diagnosed with visual disability.Method: This was a national prospective study, the British Childhood Visual Impairment and Blindness Study 2 (BCVIS2), ascertaining new diagnoses of visual impairment or severe visual impairment and blindness (SVIBL), or equivalent vi-sion. Data collection was performed by managing clinicians up to 1-year follow-up, and included health and developmental needs, and health, education, and social care provision.Results: BCVIS2 identified 784 children newly diagnosed with visual impairment/SVIBL (313 with visual impairment, 471 with SVIBL). Most children had associated systemic disorders (559 [71%], 167 [54%] with visual impairment, and 392 [84%] with SVIBL). Care from multidisciplinary teams was provided for 549 children (70%). Two-thirds (515) had not received an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). Fewer children with visual impairment had seen a specialist teacher (SVIBL 35%, visual impairment 28%, χ2p < 0.001), or had an EHCP (11% vs 7%, χ2p < 0 . 01).Interpretation: Families need additional support from managing clinicians to access recommended complex interventions such as the use of multidisciplinary teams and educational support. This need is pressing, as the population of children with visual impairment/SVIBL is expected to grow in size and complexity.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Identification of regulatory variants associated with genetic susceptibility to meningococcal disease.

Non-coding genetic variants play an important role in driving susceptibility to complex diseases but their characterization remains challenging. Here, we employed a novel approach to interrogate the genetic risk of such polymorphisms in a more systematic way by targeting specific regulatory regions relevant for the phenotype studied. We applied this method to meningococcal disease susceptibility, using the DNA binding pattern of RELA - a NF-kB subunit, master regulator of the response to infection - under bacterial stimuli in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. We designed a custom panel to cover these RELA binding sites and used it for targeted sequencing in cases and controls. Variant calling and association analysis were performed followed by validation of candidate polymorphisms by genotyping in three independent cohorts. We identified two new polymorphisms, rs4823231 and rs11913168, showing signs of association with meningococcal disease susceptibility. In addition, using our genomic data as well as publicly available resources, we found evidences for these SNPs to have potential regulatory effects on ATXN10 and LIF genes respectively. The variants and related candidate genes are relevant for infectious diseases and may have important contribution for meningococcal disease pathology. Finally, we described a novel genetic association approach that could be applied to other phenotypes

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

A diagnostic workup and laparoscopic approach for median arcuate ligament syndrome

Background Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a rare disorder characterized by the compression of the coeliac trunk and plexus by fibrous arches of the median ligament. It commonly occurs in young women with postprandial epigastric pain, weight loss and nausea. We present a single surgeon experience on the diagnostic approach and management of MALS with a focus on laparoscopic surgery. Methods A retrospective review of adult patients diagnosed with MALS during a 10-year period (2011–2021) was conducted at Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital in New South Wales, Australia. Results MALS was diagnosed in six patients (mean 46 years, range: 27–74 years old), all confirmed on mesenteric duplex ultrasound and computed tomography angiography. The most common presentations were women with post-prandial pain, exercise induced pain and an average weight loss of 14.5 kg. The median interval from onset of symptoms to surgical referral was 10.5 months. The average BMI was 24.1 kg/m2 and most had a grade III American Society of Anaesthesiologist physical status. All patients underwent laparoscopic release of median arcuate ligament with one patient requiring endovascular stenting. The mean operative time was 119 minutes with two minor post-operative complications, but no mortalities. The median hospital length of stay was 3.5 days with a median follow up of 3.5 years. Conclusion Laparoscopic median arcuate ligament release with endovascular support for selected cases provides sound clinical resolution of symptoms and long-term results

Patterns and trends of firework-related adult burns in New South Wales, Australia

Background: Fireworks are often used to celebrate holidays and events. With novel designs and availability, there is potential for blast and burn injuries that can impact livelihood and function. This study aims to describe and analyse firework-related burns in adults across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Methods: A retrospective statewide review was performed from January 2010 to December 2020 at the adult burns units. All firework-related burn injuries older than 18 years that attended or were referred to the burns unit were included. Results: There were 203 patients with a firework-related burn injury. The male to female ratio was 4:1 with an average age of 32.2 years. Men were 5.2 years younger than women (31.2 vs 36.4, p = 0.010). Men were more likely to have firework-related injuries on non-holidays, whereas women were more likely on holidays (p = 0.050). Men were more likely to operate fireworks after consuming alcohol resulting in burns than women (34.4% vs 12.5%, p = 0.007). Sparklers were more common amongst women, whereas fireworks had higher proportions amongst men (p = 0.009). The most common site of injury was the hands. The most frequent type of injury was a mid-dermal burn (61.6%), followed by superficial (25.2%), and full thickness (13.2%) respectively. The operative rate was 17.7% with a mean total length of stay of 2.2 days (range: 1–12). Conclusions: Firework-related burns have distinct patterns of use and injuries amongst men and women. Alongside legislation, awareness of the potential hazards for shopgood fireworks such as sparklers is critical for future prevention campaigns

Necrotising fasciitis during the COVID-19 pandemic: An Australian hospital network experience

Background: The clinical presentations of diseases and the provision of global healthcare services have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aimed to determine the impact of this global pandemic on presentations of necrotising fasciitis (NF). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of adult patients with NF in South West Sydney Local Health District from January 2017 to October 2022. An analysis of sociodemographic and clinical outcomes was performed comparing the COVID-19 cohort (2020–2022) and the pre-COVID-19 cohort (2017–2019). Results: Sixty-five patients were allocated to the COVID-19 cohort, and 81 patients were in the control cohort. The presentation to hospitals of the COVID-19 cohort was significantly delayed compared to the control cohort (6.1 vs. 3.2 days, P \0.001). Patients of the age group of 40 years and younger experienced prolonged operative time (1.8 vs. 1.0 h, P = 0.040), higher number of operations (4.8 vs. 2.1, P = 0.008), and longer total length of stay (LoS) (31.3 vs. 10.3 days, P = 0.035) during the pandemic. The biochemical, clinical, or post-operative outcomes of two groups were not significantly different. Conclusion: This multi-centre study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed presentations of NF but did not result in any significant overall changes in operative time, ICU admissions, LoS, and mortality rate. Patients aged less than 40 years in the COVID-19 group were likely to experience prolonged operative time, higher number of operations, and greater LoS