Innovations in latent fingerprint analysis for forensic applications with matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging

This dissertation presents work that aims to address the current limitations of latent fingerprint analysis in the forensic science field and discuss innovative new ways that matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) could be used to develop techniques that would alleviate some of the current issues. The first chapter consists of a general introduction to MALDI-MSI and presents a general workflow for a MALDI-MSI experiment. The sixth and final chapter summarizes the work presented in this dissertation and provides a future outlook. The second chapter discusses the compatibility of MALDI-MSI and one of the most common forensic development techniques for latent fingerprints, cyanoacrylate fuming. An array of endogenous and exogenous compounds were studied to determine if there were any changes in structure (reactions with cyanoacrylate) or signal due to the fuming process. None of the compounds exhibited any structural changes and most had comparable signal intensity with or without cyanoacrylate fuming. One class of compounds, however, quaternary ammonium derivatives (present in many hygiene products) had significantly suppressed signal after fuming. The third chapter studies the cyanoacrylate fuming mechanism in more depth based on evidence from the mass spectra in the compatibility study. Specifically, several peaks were identified that were determined to be unique to the spectra of fingerprints that had been cyanoacrylate fumed. The peaks were identified by exact mass and MS/MS and were found to be dimers and trimers of ethyl cyanoacrylate. In addition, some further studies were done to determine which endogenous compounds are responsible for the adherence of the cyanoacrylate polymer to the fingerprint ridges. It was determined that the most polymer formation happens on fatty acids and amino acids, which must play an important role in the fuming process. The fourth chapter outlines how endogenous fingerprint compounds diffuse from the fingerprint ridges over time. The initial idea was to model the diffusion of a triacylglycerol (TG) in an attempt to determine the time since deposition or age of the fingerprint. It was thought that a TG would diffuse more slowly than fatty acids (FAs), which had been researched previously by another group, and would allow for aging over a longer time period. However, it was determined that the surface interactions between fingerprint compounds and the sample substrate played a larger role in the diffusion rate than the molecular weight of the compounds. For example, the more hydrophobic TG only diffused slower than the FA on a hydrophobic surface. The fifth chapter discusses using variability in the TG profile to determine differences in diet, exercise, and whether or not an individual has diabetes. As TGs play a role in many health conditions, including obesity and diabetes, differences could be reflected in the TG profile of a latent fingerprint. 79 total participants (16 with diabetes) were recruited to determine if the TG profile was impacted by diabetes. General trends showed the possibility that diabetics, particularly type 2 diabetics, could have higher levels of saturated TGs; however, no significant conclusions could be drawn due to diet and exercise differences obscuring some of the effects. Diet and exercise effects were tested with subsets of the original data set with clear diet and exercise habits. The exercise study included 8 male (4 that exercise regularly and 4 that do not) and 8 female participants (5 that exercise regularly and 3 that do not). Male participants that exercised regularly had a much lower relative abundance of completely saturated TGs compared to those that do not exercise. The same effect did not occur with the female participants. The study on diet consisted of 5 vegetarians, 3 low carbohydrate/ketogenic, and 4 people without any diet restrictions. The vegetarians had very high relative amounts of saturated TGs compared to either of the diets, whereas the ketogenic diet was comparable to the control

The Quality of the Sibling Relationship of Children Diagnosed with Autism

Seldom has the quality of the sibling relationship between children with disabilities and their siblings without disabilities been explored, particularly via firsthand accounts from the non-disabled sibling, rather than from parental observations and reports. Furthermore, research has shown mixed results regarding whether or not the siblings of children with disabilities have increased internalizing (anxiety, depression, and obsessive compulsive disorder) or externalizing (attention deficits, hyperactivity, and oppositional) behaviors, psychosocial maladjustment, or impaired developmental stages, as opposed to siblings of children without disabilities. This study attempted to determine whether or not there was a correlation between the severity of autism disability; as measured by the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-II and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-II Communication and Socialization domains, the quality of the sibling relationship, as measured by the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire, and perceptions of social and familial support in siblings of children with autism. Social support and familial support were measured by the Social Support Scale for Children. The only significant correlations identified were between the VABS-IJ Communication domain and SRQ Conflict domain. In addition, both VABS domains correlated with the SRQ Rivalry domain. A correlation between the non-autistic siblings\u27 feelings of parental support and decreased communication abilities of the child with autism were significant

Project EURISGIC : worst case scenarios (technical note D5.1)

The overall objective of Work Package 5 of the EURISGIC project (see website eurisgic.eu) is defined as being: “Estimate the largest possible GIC flowing anywhere in the European high-voltage power grid, based on archive data.” This document is a technical note (deliverable item D5.1) for the results of this work package. For each of the project team members participating in the work package (FMI – Finland; Neurospace – Sweden; IRF – Sweden; NASA and Catholic University of America - USA; BGS - UK) we summarise activities related to worst case scenario modelling: activities such as research into extreme event statistical methods, theoretical extreme event modelling and individual (historical and hypothetical) event studies. We note that research is continuing and therefore some results reported here are subject to further confirmation in published scientific journals

Inverse Spin Hall Effect in nanometer-thick YIG/Pt system

High quality nanometer-thick (20 nm, 7 nm and 4 nm) epitaxial YIG films have been grown on GGG substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The Gilbert damping coefficient for the 20 nm thick films is 2.3 x 10-4 which is the lowest value reported for sub-micrometric thick films. We demonstrate Inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) detection of propagating spin waves using Pt. The amplitude and the lineshape of the ISHE voltage correlate well to the increase of the Gilbert damping when decreasing thickness of YIG. Spin Hall effect based loss-compensation experiments have been conducted but no change in the magnetization dynamics could be detected

Information Filtering in Electronic Networks of Practice: An fMRI Investigation of Expectation (Dis)confirmation

Online forums sponsored by electronic networks of practice (ENPs) have become an important platform for technology-mediated knowledge exchange, yet relatively little is known about how ENP participants filter and evaluate the information they encounter on these forums. This study integrates perspectives from expectation confirmation theory, prospect theory, and neuroscience research to explore how ENP forum filtering judgments are influenced when expectations formed on the basis of contextual cues are confirmed or disconfirmed by the examination of solution quality. We summarize six different models of expectation confirmation explored in previous IS literature and report the results of a neuroimaging experiment using functional MRI (fMRI) that paired both positive and negative contextual cues with high- and low-quality solutions on a mock ENP forum interface. Results show that evaluation judgments are strongest in conditions where initial contextual cue judgments are confirmed by examination of solution quality except when the perceived expectation-experience gap is large, providing evidence for an assimilation-contrast model of expectation confirmation. We also found neural activation differences for expectation confirmation vs. disconfirmation and, consistent with prospect theory, differences in filtering behaviors with respect to unexpected gains vs. unexpected losses

On the identity of the identity operator in nonadiabatic linearized semiclassical dynamics

Simulating the nonadiabatic dynamics of condensed-phase systems continues to pose a significant challenge for quantum dynamics methods. Approaches based on sampling classical trajectories within the mapping formalism, such as the linearized semiclassical initial value representation (LSC-IVR), can be used to approximate quantum correlation functions in dissipative environments. Such semiclassical methods however commonly fail in quantitatively predicting the electronic-state populations in the long-time limit. Here we present a suggestion to minimize this difficulty by splitting the problem into two parts, one of which involves the identity, and treating this operator by quantum-mechanical principles rather than with classical approximations. This strategy is applied to numerical simulations of spin-boson model systems, showing its potential to drastically improve the performance of LSC-IVR and related methods with no change to the equations of motion or the algorithm in general, but rather by simply using different functional forms of the observables

Modelling Heat Transfer of Carbon Nanotubes

Modelling heat transfer of carbon nanotubes is important for the thermal management of nanotube-based composites and nanoelectronic device. By using a finite element method for three-dimensional anisotropic heat transfer, we have simulated the heat conduction and temperature variations of a single nanotube, a nanotube array and a part of nanotube-based composite surface with heat generation. The thermal conductivity used is obtained from the upscaled value from the molecular simulations or experiments. Simulations show that nanotube arrays have unique cooling characteristics due to its anisotropic thermal conductivity.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure