Gun violence among young adults with a juvenile crime record in North Carolina: Implications for firearm restrictions based on age and risk.

Youth who acquire a juvenile crime record may be at increased risk of perpetrating gun violence as adults. North Carolina and 22 other states permit young adults who were adjudicated by a juvenile court - even for some felony-equivalent offenses - to legally access firearms. Effectiveness of gun restrictions for adults with juvenile crime histories has not been systematically studied. This article reports findings from a longitudinal study of arrests and convictions for gun-involved and other offenses in 51,059 young adults in North Carolina, comparing those with gun-disqualifying and not-disqualifying juvenile records. The annualized rate of arrest for gun-involved crime in those with a felony-level juvenile record was 9 times higher than the rate of reported comparable offenses in the same age group in the North Carolina general population (3349 vs. 376 per 100,000). Among those with a felony-equivalent juvenile delinquency adjudication who became legally eligible to possess firearms at age 18, 61.8% were later arrested for any criminal offense, 14.3% for a firearm-involved offense. Crimes with guns were most likely to occur among young adults who had committed more serious (felony or equivalent) offenses before age 18; had been adjudicated at younger ages; acquired a felony conviction as a youth; and spent time in prison. The prevalence of arrests for crimes involving guns among young adults in North Carolina with a gun-disqualifying felony record acquired before age 18 suggests that the federal gun prohibitor conferred by a felony record is not highly effective as currently implemented in this population. From a risk-based perspective, these restrictions appear to be justified; better implementation and enforcement may improve their effectiveness. Gun crime prevention policies and interventions should focus on these populations and on limiting illegal access to firearms.

MEDETOMIDINE-KETAMINE-BUPRENORPHINE ANESTHESIA OF THE SOLITARY SUBTERRANEAN CAPE DUNE MOLE-RAT (BATHYERGUS SUILLUS) AND THE CAPE MOLE-RAT (GEORYCHUS CAPENSIS).

A prospective, descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a field-ready anesthetic drug combination of medetomidine-ketamine-buprenorphine for data logger implantation surgery or recheck in free-ranging Cape dune (Bathyergus suillus: n = 41) and Cape (Georychus capensis: n = 37) mole-rats. All anesthesia data were reported as mean (±standard deviation). Medetomidine-ketamine-buprenorphine doses were 0.1 (±0.03), 10.6 (±2.8), and 0.06 (±0.03) mg/kg, respectively, for Cape dune mole-rats; and 0.2 (±0.03), 19.4 (±4.0), and 0.14 (±0.03) mg/kg, respectively, for Cape mole-rats. Induction was calm and took 2.00 (range: 1.00-6.00) min for the Cape dune and 1.75 (range 1.25 to 8.16) min for Cape mole-rats. A surgical plane of anesthesia was achieved in most Cape dune mole-rats (92%) and Cape mole-rats (90%). The remainder required supplementation with a single intramuscular injection of ketamine (3-9 mg/kg) during surgery. Heart and respiratory rates were 149 (±37) beats and 24 (±8) breaths per minute, respectively, for Cape dune mole-rats and 179 (±40) beats and 25 (±10) and breaths per minute, respectively for Cape mole-rats. Surgical time for mole-rats ranged from 25 to 38 min. Recovery was calm and took 8.50 (range: 2.00-19.00) min for Cape dune mole-rats and 9.75 (range: 2.00-34.00) min for Cape mole-rats to recover. For recovery, atipamezole was administered intramuscularly at 0.5 (±0.15) mg/kg for Cape dune mole-rats and 1 (±0.15) mg/kg for Cape mole-rats. All mole-rats were returned to their original burrows within 48 h of recovery. The medetomidine-ketamine-buprenorphine combination induced a predictable, safe anesthesia in Cape dune and Cape mole-rats suitable for short intraabdominal surgery. This combination is suited to in situ studies where the use of a formal surgery or laboratory is not feasible.

Are southern African solitary mole-rats homeothermic or heterothermic under natural field conditions?

Abandoning of a stable body temperature (Tb), a phenomenon known as heterothermy, is an adaptation to cope mainly with a lack of food and water, especially in species inhabiting daily or seasonally variable environments. There is increasing evidence that African mammals avoid adverse conditions by heterothermy and eventually by entering torpor. Members of subterranean rodent family, the African mole-rats (Bathyergidae), are suitable candidates to study both phenomena, because of the diversity of their strategies in respect of maintaining stable Tb ranging from homeothermic species to a mammal with the most labile Tb, the naked mole-rat. Currently, there are field data on daily and seasonal Tb in one social species only and such information are lacking for any solitary mole-rat. In our study, we recorded yearly Tb in two solitary bathyergids, the Cape mole-rat Georychus capensis and the Cape dune mole-rat Bathyergus suillus from South Africa using intraperitoneally implanted dataloggers. Since this region is characterised by changing ecological characteristics, we expected either decreases of Tb within 24 h indicating daily torpor and/or longer-term decreases of Tb, which would indicate multiday torpor. Although we found seasonally phase shifted low amplitude daily Tb cycles, we did not find any remarkable and regular daily and/or seasonal Tb deviations, likely showing an absence of torpor in both species. Due to absence of this energy saving mechanism, we may speculate that both species could be vulnerable to ongoing global climatic change.

Competency to stand trial evaluations: A state-wide review of court-ordered reports.

Competence to stand trial (CST) evaluations are a critical part of certain criminal proceedings, and competence-related evaluation and treatment are an increasing part of public mental health services. Whereas more research describes the defendants undergoing competence evaluations, less research has examined the actual reports detailing those competence evaluations. This study reviewed 3,644 court-ordered CST evaluation reports submitted by 126 evaluators in Virginia since Virginia initiated an oversight system allowing for comprehensive review. The base rate of incompetence opinions was 38.8%, but these rates varied significantly across evaluation type (initial versus post-restoration efforts) and evaluators (ranging from 9.1% to 76.8% incompetence rate). Results suggest generally strong compliance with state statutes guiding CST evaluations, but also highlight marked variability in forensic conclusions and reveal a few areas in which some reports fell short of statutory requirements and practice guidelines.

The impact of misdemeanor arrests on forensic mental health services: A state-wide review of Virginia sanity evaluations.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the prevalence of criminal defendants facing only misdemeanor charges and referred for forensic mental health evaluations of legal sanity (criminal responsibility) in a state-wide sample of sanity reports. We sought to describe this population of defendants, particularly as compared to defendants facing felony charges and referred for evaluation of legal sanity. HYPOTHESES: We hypothesized that, among those referred for sanity evaluations, defendants facing only misdemeanor charges would have higher rates of serious mental illness than would defendants charged with felonies, as evidenced by their mental status during the evaluation and at the time of alleged offenses. We also hypothesized that defendants charged with only misdemeanors would be more often opined insane, as compared to those charged with felonies. METHOD: We reviewed a statewide sample of 926 court-ordered sanity evaluation reports in Virginia and coded numerous variables describing the defendants, sanity evaluation process, resulting reports, and legal opinions offered within the reports. RESULTS: Approximately 22.3% of sanity evaluations involved defendants charged only with misdemeanor offenses. Defendants facing only misdemeanor charges were 1.82 times more likely to be opined insane than were defendants facing only felony charges, primarily due to their increased likelihood of experiencing psychotic symptoms at the time of the offense (1.83 times more likely than defendants facing felony charges). CONCLUSIONS: The merits of pursuing the insanity defense in response to misdemeanor charges are questionable given the cost- and resource-intensive outcomes associated with insanity acquittals. Diversion strategies may be a more efficient response to those defendants with serious mental illness facing only misdemeanor charges. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Neuropsychological correlates of self-reported impulsivity and informant-reported maladaptive behaviour among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury history.

OBJECTIVE: Frontal lobe deficits resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been linked to impulsive behaviour. We sought to examine whether neuropsychological performance predicted self-reported impulsivity and informant-reported maladaptive behaviour. METHOD: We administered the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) to 116 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans diagnosed with a history of TBI and PTSD. RESULTS: Poorer performance on D-KEFS Stroop Task (both colour and word, separately) and Trail making (letter sequencing and motor speed) tasks and higher PTSD symptom severity were associated with higher self-reported impulsivity. Trail making letter sequencing performance was negatively associated with informant-reported maladaptive behaviour. Regression analyses revealed PTSD symptom severity and Trail making letter sequencing best predicted self-reported impulsivity, even when accounting for age, sex, and education. Only Trail making letter sequencing predicted informant-reported maladaptive behaviour when accounting for other variables in the model. CONCLUSIONS: Attention and processing speed impairments and PTSD symptom severity appear to be important predictors of impulsivity and problematic behaviour among veterans. Findings have implications for theoretical models of aggression and violence and inform the assessment and treatment of individuals with TBI and PTSD.

Insanity findings and evaluation practices: A state-wide review of court-ordered reports.

Evaluations of legal sanity are some of the most complex and consequential mental health evaluations that forensic clinicians perform for the courts. Thus, there is strong reason to monitor the wide-scale process and conclusions of sanity evaluations. In this study, we review 1,111 court-ordered sanity evaluation reports submitted by 74 evaluators in Virginia from the first year after the state initiated an oversight system that allowed for such comprehensive review. Overall, the base rate of insanity findings was 16.9%, although base rates of insanity findings among individual evaluators varied from 0% to 50%. Similarly, most evaluators cited the cognitive (rather than volitional) criteria of the insanity defense as the basis for their insanity findings, although evaluators varied in their patterns of citing these underlying insanity criteria. Our review revealed other trends in practice, such as the rarity of psychological testing (2% of cases) and the frequency of conveying conclusions in "ultimate issue" format (76%). Overall, findings reveal that a majority of reports seem reasonably consistent with practice guidelines, but also reveal some idiosyncratic practices or patterns that suggest there is opportunity for improvement.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects in koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) following immersion in propofol.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that plasma propofol concentration (PPC) is associated with anesthetic effect in koi carp administered propofol by immersion. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: Twenty mature koi carp (mean ± standard deviation, 409.4 ± 83.7 g). METHODS: Fish were immersed in propofol (5 mg L-1). Physiological variables and induction and recovery times were recorded. In phase I, blood was sampled for PPC immediately following induction and at recovery. In phase II, following induction, fish were maintained with propofol (4 mg L-1) via a recirculating system for 20 minutes. Following established induction, blood was sampled at 1, 10 and 20 minutes. In phase III (n = 19), fish were anesthetized as in phase II with blood sampled nine times in a sparse sampling strategy. Simultaneously, a pharmacodynamics rubric was used to evaluate anesthetic depth. PPC was determined using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Following evaluation of normality, data were analyzed using paired t test or Spearman correlation test (significance was set at p < 0.05). RESULTS: In phase I, mean PPCs at induction (20.12 µg mL-1) and recovery (11.62 µg mL-1) were different (p < 0.001). In phase II, only mean PPCs at induction (17.92 µg mL-1) and 10 minutes (21.50 µg mL-1) were different (p = 0.013). In phase III, a correlation between PPCs and the pharmacodynamic rubric scores was found (p < 0.001, r = -0.93). There was no correlation between PPCs and recovery time (p = 0.057, r = 0.433). A two-compartment open model was chosen for the pharmacokinetic model. Absorption rate constant, elimination rate constant and intercompartmental rate constant were 0.48, 0.006 and 0.02 minute-1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Measurable PPCs were achieved in koi carp anesthetized with propofol by immersion. Anesthetic depth of fish was negatively correlated with PPCs, but recovery time was not.

Does the Convergent Validity of the PAI Antisocial Features Scale Depend on Offender Response Style?

Researchers have recently questioned the utility of the response style indicators included on many self-report measures of personality and psychopathology. We examined whether the size of convergent validity coefficients for Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Antisocial Features (ANT) scores depends on PAI validity scale scores. Using PAI and Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) scores from 477 offenders evaluated for civil commitment as sexually violent predators, we found that PAI Positive Impression (PIM), Negative Impression (NIM), Malingering Index (MAL), Defensiveness Index (DEF), and Infrequency (INF) scores moderated the association between ANT and PCL-R scores. The association between ANT and PCL-R scores decreased as offenders overstated psychopathology (i.e., higher NIM or MAL scores) or exhibited increasing disengagement (i.e., higher INF scores). However, the association between ANT and PCL-R scores increased as offenders engaged in defensive reporting (i.e., higher PIM or DEF scores). The interaction effects were most common for ANT-E (Egocentricity), and to a lesser extent ANT-A (Antisocial Behaviors). PAI discriminant function validity indexes did not exhibit moderating effects on ANT and PCL-R scores. There was no evidence of validity scale suppression effects. These findings provide support for the potential role of some PAI response style measures for ANT scale interpretation in forensic settings.

A Validation Study of the Need for Affect Questionnaire-Short Form in Legal Contexts.

We evaluated the psychometric properties of scores on the Need for Affect-Short Form (NAQ-S) in 3 samples: undergraduate students (Sample I), jury-eligible community members (Sample II), and forensic clinicians (Sample III). Concerning factor structure, the NAQ-S 2-factor structure displayed good fit to the data in Sample I, with mostly acceptable levels of internal consistency for both approach and avoidance scores. Construct validity patterns were observed such that approach scores were most strongly correlated with female gender and trait agreeableness scores, whereas avoidance scores were most strongly correlated to trait agreeableness scores. Criterion validity associations emerged in that approach scores displayed main effects on mock juror judgments in hate crimes, and forensic clinician judgments of violence risk estimation. Finally, avoidance scores displayed moderating effects on recommended sentencing length by hate crime victim type. Implications are discussed for emotion in legal decision making and future research.

Acute, Fatal, Presumptive Xylitol Toxicosis in Cape Sugarbirds ( Promerops cafer).

Twenty-nine wild Cape sugarbirds ( Promerops cafer) died acutely after ingestion of a homemade xylitol nectar solution from a bird feeder. The most aggressive feeders were first affected. Most birds showed clinical signs within 15 minutes of nectar ingestion, including incoordination, weakness, falling from perches, collapse, and death. A few birds showing clinical signs seemed to spontaneously recover and fly away. Full necropsy examinations done on 27 birds were hampered by freezing artifact and autolysis, but results indicated death was caused by the consequences of acute hypoglycemia. A presumptive diagnosis of xylitol toxicity was made based on the history, clinical signs, and absence of other obvious causes of death. This is potentially the first record of xylitol toxicity in wild birds.

Can preferences in information processing aid in understanding suicide risk among emerging adults?

The present study evaluated emerging adult (n = 192 college students) preferences in information processing (PIP), defined by the need for affect (NFA) and need for cognition (NFC), as they may be associated with suicide risk. The following were direct indicators of elevated suicide risk: presence of lifetime exposure to suicide (i.e., lifetime yes/no), elevated depressive symptoms, and greater NFA avoidance. Two different interactions resulted in elevated suicide risk: high depressive symptoms and high NFA avoidance, and high NFC and high NFA. Present results concerning PIP hold the potential to inform suicide risk assessment and prevention efforts among young adults.

Evaluator differences in Psychopathy Checklist-Revised factor and facet scores.

Recent research suggests that the reliability of some measures used in forensic assessments--such as Hare's (2003) Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)--tends to be weaker when applied in the field, as compared with formal research studies. Specifically, some of the score variability in the field is attributable to evaluators themselves, rather than the offenders they evaluate. We studied evaluator differences in PCL-R scoring among 558 offenders (14 evaluators) and found evidence of large evaluator differences in scoring for each PCL-R factor and facet, even after controlling for offenders' self-reported antisocial traits. There was less evidence of evaluator differences when we limited analyses to the 11 evaluators who reported having completed a PCL-R training workshop. Findings provide indirect but positive support for the benefits of PCL-R training, but also suggest that evaluator differences may be evident to some extent in many field settings, even among trained evaluators.

Subcutaneous xanthomatosis in a great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus).

A great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) was referred for assessment of a subacute-onset, nonpainful swelling located in the pectoral region. Physical examination revealed a firm, round, well-circumscribed subcutaneous mass approximately 10 cm in diameter. Cytological evaluation of a fine needle aspirate of the mass was consistent with a mesenchymal tumor. The mass was excised, and a diagnosis of xanthomatosis was made based on histopathologic results. Avian xanthomatosis is a nonneoplastic condition of unknown etiology. Possible causes of this condition include trauma, metabolic or nutritional disorders. Similar lesions were not observed in the nine conspecifics that were fed the same diet and housed in the same enclosure. To our knowledge, this is the first report of xanthomatosis in the family Pelecanidae.

Perceptions of blind proficiency testing among latent print examiners.

In recent years, scholars have levied multiple criticisms against traditional proficiency testing procedures in forensic laboratories. Consequently, on several occasions, authorities have formally recommended that laboratories implement blind proficiency testing procedures. Implementation has been slow, but laboratory management has increasingly expressed interest in initiating blind testing in at least some forensic disciplines, with some laboratories conducting blind testing in almost all disciplines. However, little is known about how a key population perceives blind proficiency testing, i.e., forensic examiners. We surveyed active latent print examiners (N = 338) to explore perceptions of blind proficiency testing and determine whether beliefs varied between examiners who work for laboratories with and without blind proficiency testing. Results suggest that examiners do not hold particularly strong beliefs about such procedures, but that examiners who work in laboratories with blind proficiency testing procedures view them significantly more positively than those who do not. Further, examiner responses provide insight into potential obstacles to continued implementation.

What types of information can and do latent print examiners review? A survey of practicing examiners.

Understanding typical work practices is important to understanding the decision-making process underlying latent print comparison and improving the reliability of the discipline. Despite efforts to standardize work practices, a growing literature has demonstrated that contextual effects can influence every aspect of the analytic process. However, very little is known about what types of information are available to latent print examiners, and what types of information latent print examiners routinely review. We surveyed practicing latent print examiners (N = 284) regarding what types of information are accessible during routine casework, and what types of information they routinely review during casework. We also explored whether access and inclination to review different types of information vary according to unit size and examiner role. Results indicated that information describing the physical evidence is accessible by almost all examiners (94.4%), and most examiners have access to offense type (90.5%), method of evidence collection (77.8%), and the names of both suspect (76.1%) and victim (73.9%). However, evidence description (86.3%) and method of evidence collection (68.3%) were the only information types consistently reviewed by most examiners. Findings also indicate that examiners in smaller laboratories have access to more information types and often review more information types than examiners from larger laboratories, but both populations choose to not review information at similar rates. Further, examiners in supervisory positions are more likely to choose to not review information than examiners in non-supervisory positions. Although there is some consensus regarding what types of information examiners routinely review, findings suggest that there is little absolute consensus regarding what information examiners can even access, and highlight two sources of variability in examiner work practices: employment setting and examiner role. This is concerning in light of efforts to maximize the reliability of analytic procedures (and ultimately, conclusions) and represents an important area of future study as the field progresses.

Does image editing improve the quality of latent prints? An analysis of image-editing techniques in one crime laboratory.

Field research within latent print comparison has remained sparse in the context of an otherwise growing body of literature examining the discipline. Studies examining how ACE-V procedures are implemented within active crime laboratories are especially lacking in light of research suggesting significant variability in examiner practices despite standardized ACE-V procedures. To date, no studies have examined a potentially important aspect of the Analysis phase: digital image editing. We provide information on the prevalence and types of latent print image editing within one laboratory (i.e., Houston Forensic Science Center), examine the potential effect of image editing on objective print quality and clarity (i.e., LQMetrics scores), and explore potential examiner differences in editing effectiveness. Results indicate that most latent prints are edited in some manner, and that image editing improves the quality and clarity of print images as defined by an objective quality metric, although examiners varied in their ability to improve the clarity of print images. Findings suggest that formal guidance or documentation of standard editing procedures would likely improve the reliability of examiner conclusions early in the latent print comparison process.

Pacific Gulls (Larus pacificus) as Potential Vectors of Coxiella burnetii in an Australian Fur Seal Breeding Colony.

Recently, Coxiella burnetii has been described as a novel pathogen potentially contributing to decreased pup production in Australian fur seals (AusFS, Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). Pacific gulls (PGs, Larus pacificus) are known to scavenge AusFS placental material during the fur seal breeding season. It is hypothesized that PGs may act as vectors for this pathogen. In the present study, cloacal swabs, oral swabs and serum were collected from PGs on Kanowna Island (KI, an AusFS breeding colony) and a nearby island, Seal Island (SI), not occupied by pinnipeds. All sample sets were evaluated with qPCR for the com1, htpAB and IS1111 markers. Most oral and cloacal swabs from KI tested positive on both the com1 (94.1%; 88.2%) and htpAB targets (76.5%; 76.5%). Amplification was very low from the SI oral swabs and cloacal swabs. Only the KI serum samples had amplification (17.7% for both com1 and htpAB). There was no IS1111 amplification in either colony. The results demonstrate that PGs can potentially act as vectors for the spread of C. burnetii. In some birds, C. burnetii was detectable in the serum, indicating that gulls can experience bacteraemia. It appears that different feeding strategies in the same species within the same ecosystem can have profound effects on the prevalence of pathogens. Further studies are required to better understand the epidemiology and potential risks of this organism.

A Novel Marine Mammal Coxiella burnetii-Genome Sequencing Identifies a New Genotype with Potential Virulence.

The obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Coxiella burnetii has been identified in a few species of marine mammals, some of which are showing population declines. It has been hypothesized that C. burnetii in marine mammals is a distinct genotype that varies significantly from the typical terrestrial genotypes. It appears to lack an IS1111. Isolates originating from Australian marine animals have a distinctly non-Australian profile of multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). Extracted Coxiella DNA of Australian fur seal placental origin was sequenced using the Novaseq platform. Illumina 150 bp paired-end reads were filtered and trimmed with Trimgalore. The microbial community present in the sequenced genome was evaluated with Kraken and Bracken software using the NCBI database. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using 1131 core genes. Core genes were identified using Panaroo and inputted into Iqtree to determine the maximum-likelihood tree. A second phylogenetic tree was created using Rickettsiella grylii and using seven housekeeping genes. Results were compared with the C. burnetii Nine Mile RSA439 virulent genome. This new Australian marine mammal isolate of Coxiella (PG457) appears to be a novel genotype that lacks IS1111 and has a distinct MLVA signature (ms26, ms27, ms28, ms30, and ms31). The presence of genes for multiple virulence factors appears to give this genotype sufficient pathogenicity for it to be considered a possible causative agent of abortion in Australian fur seals as well as a potential zoonotic risk.

Latent print comparison and examiner conclusions: A field analysis of case processing in one crime laboratory.

Scholarship on the latent print comparison process has expanded in recent years, responsive to the call for rigorous research by scholarly groups (e.g., National Academy of Sciences, 2009; President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2016). Important to the task of ultimately improving accuracy, consistency, and efficiency in the field is understanding different workflows and case outcomes. The current study describes the casework completed by a latent print unit in a large laboratory during one calendar year (2018), including a unique workflow that involves Preliminary AFIS Associations reported out as investigative leads. Approximately 45% of all examined prints were deemed to be of sufficient quality to enter into AFIS, and 22% of AFIS entries resulted in potential identifications. But examiner conclusions and AFIS outcomes (across three AFIS databases) varied according to case details, print source, and AFIS database. Moreover, examiners differed in case processing, sufficiency determinations, and AFIS conclusions. Results are discussed with respect to implications for future research (e.g., comparing these data to case processing data for other laboratories) and ultimately improving the practice of latent print examination.