Efficacy of property marking: police identification of stolen property

Property marking, as a situational crime prevention technique, has found to be largely ineffectual in the reduction of property theft, although past studies have not considered the role property marking as an aid to the return of stolen or lost property. However, automotive identification and some studies have found that in some cases property marking is effective. Furthermore, many crime prevention groups focus on property marking as a means to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Therefore, the study investigated the processes of lost, stolen and seized goods by law enforcement personnel. The study undertook a qualitative analysis of law enforcement property identification process, including a documentary analysis of procedures and practitioner interviews for content-thematic analysis. The study found that the use of manufacturer serial numbers was the initial line of investigative enquiry. Limiting factors were technical capability to find and use covert property markings. The successful implementation of a code of best practice or standardisation in the recording of serial numbers, and the availability of the community to quickly and easily record their property may have a significant effect in the reduction of property crimes; due to the perceived increase of risk and potential reduction of reward to the offender

Efficacy of property marking: Police identification of stolen property

Property marking, as a situational crime prevention technique, has found to be largely ineffectual in the reduction of property theft, although past studies have not considered the role property marking as an aid to the return of stolen or lost property. However, automotive identification and some studies have found that in some cases property marking is effective. Furthermore, many crime prevention groups focus on property marking as a means to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Therefore, the study investigated the processes of lost, stolen and seized goods by law enforcement personnel. The study undertook a qualitative analysis of law enforcement property identification process, including a documentary analysis of procedures and practitioner interviews for content-thematic analysis. The study found that the use of manufacturer serial numbers was the initial line of investigative enquiry. Limiting factors were technical capability to find and use covert property markings. The successful implementation of a code of best practice or standardisation in the recording of serial numbers, and the availability of the community to quickly and easily record their property may have a significant effect in the reduction of property crimes; due to the perceived increase of risk and potential reduction of reward to the offender

Synthesis of fluorescent analogs of relaxin family peptides and their preliminary in vitro and in vivo characterization

Relaxin, a heterodimeric polypeptide hormone, is a key regulator of collagen metabolism and multiple vascular control pathways in humans and rodents. Its actions are mediated via its cognate G-protein-coupled receptor, RXFP1 although it also "pharmacologically" activates RXFP2, the receptor for the related, insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3), which has specific actions on reproduction and bone metabolism. Therefore, experimental tools to facilitate insights into the distinct biological actions of relaxin and INSL3 are required, particularly for studies of tissues containing both RXFP1 and RXFP2. Here, we chemically functionalized human (H2) relaxin, the RXFP1-selective relaxin analog H2:A(4-24)(F23A), and INSL3 to accommodate a fluorophore without marked reduction in binding or activation propensity. Chemical synthesis of the two chains for each peptide was followed by sequential regioselective formation of their three disulfide bonds. Click chemistry conjugation of Cy5.5 at the B-chain N-terminus, with conservation of the disulfide bonds, yielded analogs displaying appropriate selective binding affinity and ability to activate RXFP1 and/or RXFP2 in vitro. The in vivo biological activity of Cy5.5-H2 relaxin and Cy5.5-H2:A(4-24)(F23A) was confirmed in mice, as acute intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion of these peptides (but not Cy5.5-INSL3) stimulated water drinking, an established behavioral response elicited by central RXFP1 activation. The central distribution of Cy5.5-conjugated peptides was examined in mice killed 30 min after infusion, revealing higher fluorescence within brain tissue near-adjacent to the cerebral ventricle walls relative to deeper brain areas. Production of fluorophore-conjugated relaxin family peptides will facilitate future pharmacological studies to probe the function of H2 relaxin/RXFP1 and INSL3/RXFP2 signaling in vivo while tracking their distribution following central or peripheral administration

Solid-state NMR relaxation studies of Australian spider silks

Solid-state NMR techniques were used to study two different types of spider silk from two Australian orb-web spider species, Nephila edulis and Argiope keyserlingi. A comparison of 13C-T1 and 1H-T1p solid-state NMR relaxation data of the Ala Cα, Ala Cβ, Gly Cα, and carbonyl resonances revealed subtle differences between dragline and cocoon silk. 13C-T1p and 1H-T1 relaxation experiments showed significant differences between silks of the two species with possible structural variations. Comparison of our data to previous 13C-T1 relaxation studies of silk from Nephila clavipes (A. Simmons et al., Macromolecules, 1994, Vol. 27, pp. 5235-5237) also supports the finding that differences in molecular mobility of dragline silk exist between species. Interspecies differences in silk structure may be due to different functional properties. Relaxation studies performed on wet (supercontracted) and dry silks showed that the degree of hydration affects relaxation properties, and hence changes in molecular mobility are correlated with functional properties of silk.11 page(s