Use of SARC services by victims of sexual violence: Auditing the ethnicity of Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre's clients.

INTRODUCTION: Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Manchester provides services to adults and children who have suffered sexual assault. The ethnic composition of those who attended the centre was audited in 2001 and 2003 to measure how well it serves different ethnic groups. This paper provides an updated audit using 2019 data. METHODOLOGY: Census data for Greater Manchester, and data from the Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) showing rates of sexual assault for different ethnic groups, were used to predict the ethnic composition of sexual assault victims in Greater Manchester. These predicted figures were then compared with the ethnic composition of Saint Mary's SARC 2019 client base to measure how well the SARC is serving different groups. This comparison was repeated using data from the 2001 SARC client base to explore change over time. RESULTS: The analysis shows that South Asians and Chinese individuals are underrepresented in the SARC client base, and that this issue has become more pronounced over time. Every other group is overrepresented. CONCLUSION: The underrepresentation of South Asian and Chinese clients at Saint Mary's SARC is concerning. Making the service more accessible to those from these ethnic groups should be a priority for the centre.

Creation and Release of an Updated NIST DART-MS Forensics Database.

Facing increasing caseloads and an everchanging drug landscape, forensic laboratories have been implementing new analytical tools. Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) is often one of these tools because it provides a wealth of information from a rapid, simple analysis. The data produced by these systems, while extremely useful, can be difficult to interpret, especially in the case of complex mixtures, and therefore, mass spectral databases are often used to assist in interpretation of data. Development of these databases can be expensive and time-consuming and often relies on manual evaluation of the underlying data. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released an initial DART-MS in-source collisional-induced dissociation mass spectral database for seized drugs in the early 2010s but it has not been updated to reflect the increasing prevalence of novel psychoactive substances. Recently, efforts to update the database have been undertaken. To assist in development of the database, an automated data evaluation process was also created. This manuscript describes the new NIST DART-MS Forensics Database and the steps taken to automate the data evaluation process.

Detection of trace drugs of abuse in baby formula using solid-phase microextraction direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (SPME-DART-MS).

The intentional or unintentional adulteration of baby formula with drugs of abuse is one of the many increasingly complex samples forensic chemists may have to analyze. This sample type presents a challenge because of a complex matrix that can mask the detection of trace drug residues. To enable screening of baby formula for trace levels of drugs, the use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) was investigated. A suite of five drugs was used as adulterants and spiked into baby formula. Samples were then extracted using SPME fibers which were analyzed by DART-MS. Development of a proof-of-concept method was completed by investigating the effects of the DART gas stream temperature and the linear speed of the sample holder. Optimal values of 350°C and 0.2 mm/s were found. Once the method was established, representative responses and sensitivities for the five drugs were measured and found to be in the range of single ng/mL to hundreds ng/mL. Additional studies found that the presence of the baby formula matrix increased analyte signal (relative to methanolic solutions) by greater than 200%. Comparison of the SPME-DART-MS method to a traditional DART-MS method for trace drug detection found at least a factor of 13 improvement in signal for the drugs investigated. This work demonstrates that SPME-DART-MS is a viable technique for the screening of complex matrices, such as baby formula, for trace drug residues and that development of a comprehensive method is warranted.

Net Weights: Visualizing and Quantifying their Contribution to Drug Background Levels in Forensic Laboratories.

While the drug background in forensic laboratories has been quantified, the processes that most contribute to the background have not been extensively researched. This work presents both qualitative visualization and quantitative analysis of the spread of simulant drug particulate during the process of taking net weights. The process was modeled using three masses of powder (0.2 g, 2 g, and 100 g). The net weight process, in which the mixture was poured onto weighing paper, was mimicked and the resulting aerosolized particulate was allowed to settle. Wetted cotton swabs were then used to sample 6.45 cm2 (1 in2) squares extending up to 61 cm (24 in) away from the weigh paper. The swabs were then extracted and quantified using LC-MS/MS and two-dimensional color plots were created to visualize the magnitude of particulate spread. Qualitative flow visualization of the process, accomplished using laser light sheet videography, was also completed to support the quantitative extraction experiments and provide a visual representation of the mechanism of particulate spread. Surface concentrations were found to be highest in the area immediately surrounding the weigh paper, though transport as far as 61 cm (24 in) was observed with all mass loadings. The amount of the material aerosolized and transported on the bench surrounding the weigh paper was dependent upon the mass of material being poured. These results highlight that weighing activities encountered in forensic labs may be a primary contributor to drug background and may be a potential source of inhalation exposure for chemists.

Homonegativity in Britain: Changing Attitudes Towards Same-Sex Relationships.

Over recent decades, British attitudes towards same-sex relationships have become more accepting. However, results from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles show that, in 2010, around a fifth of 16-59-year-olds still viewed sex between two men or two women as 'always wrong'. Using data from each edition of this survey (1990, 2000, 2010), we investigated which individuals are more likely to regard same-sex relationships as wrong and how this has changed over time. Using various measures of individual characteristics, the results showed sex, religiosity, ethnicity, education and whether someone has ever experienced same-sex attraction were most strongly associated with homonegative attitudes. We show that religiosity and ethnicity became more strongly associated with homonegativity between 1990 and 2010, with religiosity replacing education as the characteristic most associated with homonegativity by 2010; explanations for these changes are offered. Further results show that attitudes towards one night stands are also associated with attitudes towards same-sex relationships. This suggests that falling rates of homonegativity might (in part) be explained by a general liberalization in attitudes towards non-traditional sexual relationships.