Forensic Insight on Predatory Behavior: Fantasy and Relational Paraphilic Attachments in Stalker Processing

Despite the push to criminalize stalking, many of the actions that would legally fall under these provisions do not materialize into stalking-based arrests or convictions as stalking frequently becomes a lesser included offense under charges that escalate into violence. Insight into offender pathways related to predatory pursuit could serve to inform individuals faced with the forensic challenges of legal decision-making. The dynamics of stalking behavior include elements of fantasy and attachment. The objective of this study was to examine patterns of violent sexual fantasies and relational paraphilic attachment (RPA) in an offender’s process of stalking preselected victims. The research question asked what drives the stalker to pursue a relationship with their victim, and how fantasies play into their process. Hickey’s RPA theory served as the theoretical framework. A purposeful sample of 30 community-based convicted stalkers with sexual components to their crimes of conviction participated. Q methodology was used as a qualitativequantitative integrated research approach. Data were collected through a Q sort activity on an internet-based software interface. Factor analysis enabled the examination of processing patterns across participant experiences. Eight principal components presented in the data analysis. The 2 highest loading factors were analyzed as latent concepts that emerged in the data. The data analysis and results demonstrated patterns in the participant stalking behavior that focused on a fantasy-driven process and an RPA-driven process. The resulting factor interpretations could inform victims and legal decision makers in their efforts to decipher the behavior presented to them leading to positive social change

Validation of a sensor-system for real-time measurement of mineralized nitrogen in soils

When reducing the negative impact of agriculture on the environment, one major approach is to substantially decrease the nitrate contamination of the groundwater originating from mineral and organic fertilization. However, efficient plant production relies on sufficient nutrient supply. Finding the balance between appropriate plant nutrition and ground water conservation is a challenge. Appropriate nitrogen fertilization relies on the measurement of mineralized nitrogen (Nmin) - the total amount of nitrate and ammonium - in the soil. Taking soil samples with an auger and subsequent chemical analyses in a laboratory is state of the art. However, this process is time-consuming and often time-delayed. The Stenon FarmLab, a sensor spade, is a new device which claims to measure soil Nmin and other soil parameters in real-time with spectral methods. The aim of this study was to validate the Nmin measurements of the Stenon FarmLab with the common laboratory method. The authors conducted a series of 20 measurements consisting of a varying number of individual values per measurement. In total, 211 individual values on 15 different field sites in three regions in Bavaria, Germany were analyzed. Reference samples for laboratory analysis were taken simultaneously with a sampling auger. Only 181 of the 211 individual values were considered in the evaluation as Nmin contents of less than 42 kg N ha−1 and greater than 189 kg N ha−1 exceeded FarmLab's measurement range. The results showed that the Stenon FarmLab overestimated Nmin in 75 % of the cases in comparison to the laboratory analysis. On average, the mean values of the sampled sites differed by 38 kg N ha−1 showing a 69 % mean deviation from the laboratory. The overall coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.3 for individual measurements and 0.66 for the mean values of a site. In conclusion, the Stenon FarmLab is a good approach for a more time-saving method regarding relative differences within or between fields. However, absolute values measured with the Stenon FarmLab, which are required for demand-driven fertilization, are not accurate enough: the system needs to be further improved to match reference methods

The role of lignin for the delta C-13 signature in C-4 grassland and C-3 forest soils

International audienceC-13 contents of organic matter are changing during decomposition of plant material and stabilization as soil organic carbon (SOC). In this context, several studies showed C-13 enrichment in soil as compared to vegetation for C-3 forests, whereas depletion of C-13 was frequently reported for C-4 grassland soil as compared to C-4 vegetation. These changes were often attributed to selective preservation and/or stabilization of specific organic compounds. This study investigates if changes in the chemical composition of OC and specifically lignin may explain the observed shifts in delta C-13 values from plant material to SOC. We analyzed aboveground biomass, roots and heavy organo-mineral fractions from topsoils in both, long-term stable C-4 grasslands and C-3 Araucaria forest situated nearby in the southern Brazilian highlands on soils with andic properties. The stable carbon isotope (C-12/C-13) composition was analyzed for total organic carbon (OCtot) and lignin-derived phenols. The bulk chemical composition of OC was assessed by solid-state C-13 NMR spectroscopy while neutral sugar monomers were determined after acid hydrolysis. The shifts of the C-13/C-12 isotope signature during decomposition and stabilization (plant tissues versus soil heavy fractions) showed similar trends for VSC phenols and OCtot C-13 depletion in C-4 grassland soil and C-13 enrichment in C-3 forest soil compared to the corresponding vegetation). In this regard, the isotopic difference between roots and aboveground biomass was not relevant, but may become more important at greater soil depths. C-13 depletion of VSC lignins relative to Qat was higher in C-3-biomass and C-3-derived SOC compared to the C-4 counterparts. As lignin contents of heavy fractions were low, in particular for those with C-4 isotopic signature, the influence of lignin on OCtot delta C-13 values in grassland topsoils is presumably low. Rather, the presence of charred grass residues and the accumulation of alkyl C in heavy fractions as revealed by C-13 NMR spectroscopy contribute to decreasing delta C-13 values from grass biomass to C-4-derived heavy fractions. In forest topsoils, the accumulation of C-13 depleted VSC lignin residues in heavy fractions counteracts the prevailing C-13 enrichment of OCtot from plant biomass to heavy fractions. Nonetheless, non-lignin compounds with relatively high C-13 contents like microbial-derived OC have a stronger influence on delta C-13 values of OCtot in forest soils than lignins or aliphatic biopolymers. The mineral-associated SOC is in a late phase of decomposition with large contributions of microbial-derived carbohydrates, but distinct structural and isotopical alterations of lignin between C-4- and C-3-derived heavy fractions. This may indicate different processes and/or extent of lignin (and SOM) biodegradation between C-4 grassland and C-3 forest resulting from other kind of decomposer communities in association with distinct types and amounts of plant input as source of SOM and thus, carbon source for microbial transformation. Our results indicate that the importance of lignin for delta C-13 values of OCtot was overestimated in previous studies, at least in subtropical C-4 grassland and C-3 forest topsoils. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Climate-sensitive ecosystem carbon dynamics along the soil chronosequence of the Damma glacier forefield, Switzerland

We performed a detailed study on the carbon build-up over the 140-year-long chronosequence of the Damma glacier forefield, Switzerland, to gain insights into the organic carbon dynamics during the initial stage of soil formation and ecosystem development. We determined soil carbon and nitrogen contents and their stable isotopic compositions, as well as molecular-level composition of the bulk soils, and recalcitrance parameters of carbon in different fractions. The chronosequence was divided into three age groups, separated by small end moraines that resulted from two glacier re-advances. The net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) showed an exponential increase over the last decades, with mean annual values that range from 100gCm-2yr-1 in the youngest part to over 300gCm-2yr-1 in a 6080years old part. However, over the entire 140-year chronosequence, the NECB is only 20gCm-2yr-1, similar to results of other glacier forefield studies. The difference between the short- and long-term NECB appears to be caused by reductions in ecosystem carbon (EC) accumulation during periods with a colder climate. We propose that two complementary mechanisms have been responsible: 1) Reductions in net primary productivity down to 50% below the long-term mean, which we estimated using reconstructed effective temperature sums. 2) Disturbance of sites near the terminus of the re-advanced glacier front. Stabilization of soil organic matter appeared to play only a minor role in the coarse-grained forefield. We conclude that the forefield ecosystem, especially primary productivity, reacts rapidly to climate changes. The EC gained at warm periods is easily lost again in a cooling climate. Our conclusions may also be valid for other high mountain ecosystems and possibly arctic ecosystems.</p

Sorption affects amino acid pathways in soil: Implications from position-specific labeling of alanine

Organo-mineral interactions are the most important mechanisms of long-term C stabilization in soils. Nevertheless, a part of the sorbed low molecular weight organic substances (LMWOS) remains bioavailable. Uniformly labeling of substances by C-14 or C-13 reflects only the average fate of C atoms of a LMWOS molecule. The submolecular tool of position-specific labeling allows to analyze metabolic pathways of individual functional groups and thus reveals deeper insight into mechanisms of sorption and microbial utilization. Alanine labeled with C-14 in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd position was adsorbed to five sorbents: two iron oxides with different crystalline structure: goethite and haematite; two clay minerals with 2:1 layers smectite, and 1:1 layers kaolinite; and activated charcoal. After subsequent addition of these sorbents to a loamy haplic Luvisol, we analyzed C-14 release into the soil solution, its microbial utilization and (CO2)-C-14 efflux from individual C positions of alanine. All sorbents bound alanine as an intact molecule (identical sorption of 1st, 2nd or 3rd positions). The bioavailability of sorbed alanine and its microbial transformation pathways depended strongly on the sorbent. Goethite and activated charcoal sorbed the highest amount of alanine (similar to 45% of the input), and the lowest portion of the sorbed alanine C was microbially utilized (26 and 22%, respectively). Mineralization of the desorbed alanine peaked within the first 5 h and was most pronounced for alanine bound to clay minerals. The initial mineralization to CO2 of bound alanine was always highest for the C-1 position (-COOH group). Mineralization rates of C-2 and C-3 exceeded the C-1 oxidation after 10-50 h, reflecting the classical biochemical pathways: 1) deamination, 2) decarboxylation of C-1 within glycolysis, and further 3) oxidation of C-2 and C-3 in the citric acid cycle. The ratio between two metabolic pathways glycolysis (C-1 oxidation) versus citric-acid cycle (oxidation of C-2 and C-3) was dependent on the microbial availability of sorbed alanine. High availability causes a peak in glycolysis C-1 oxidation followed by an abrupt shift to oxidation via the citric acid cycle. Low microbial availability of sorbed alanine, in turn, leads to a less pronounced, parallel oxidation of all three positions and to a higher relative incorporation of alanine C into microbial compounds. Modeling of C fluxes revealed that a significant portion of the sorbed alanine was incorporated in microbial biomass after 78 h and was further stabilized at the sorbents' surfaces. Position-specific labeling enabled determination of pathways and rates of C utilization from individual molecule positions and its dependence on various sorption mechanisms. We conclude that position-specific labeling is a unique tool for detailed insights into the submolecular transformation processes, mechanisms and rates of C stabilization in soil. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaf