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Kenneth G Furton

Publications and source records attributed to Kenneth G Furton.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The frequency of occurrence and discriminatory power of compounds found in human scent across a population determined by SPME-GC/MS.

The composition of human scent collected from the hands is of interest to the medical community as a mechanism to diagnose disease and the forensic community as a means to investigate canine scent discriminations. An extensive survey of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) identified in the headspace of hand odor samples utilizing solid phase micro-extraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) has been conducted to determine the constituents of the human base odor profile. Sixty-three compounds were extracted from the collected odor samples. The composition included acids, alcohols, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, esters, ketones and nitrogen-containing compounds. The majority of the compounds detected (79.4%) were present in less than one third of the individuals sampled. Spearman correlation coefficient comparisons at a match/no-match threshold of 0.9 produced a distinguish ability of 99.67% across the population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Solid phase microextraction ion mobility spectrometer interface for explosive and taggant detection.

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is a rugged, inexpensive, sensitive, field portable technique for the detection of organic compounds. It is widely employed in ports of entry and by the military as a particle detector for explosives and drugs of abuse. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is an effective extraction technique that has been successfully employed in the field for the pre-concentration of a variety of compounds. Many organic high explosives do not have a high enough vapor pressure for effective vapor sampling. However, these explosives and their commercial explosive mixtures have characteristic volatile components detectable in their headspace. In addition, taggants are added to explosives to aid in detection through headspace sampling. SPME can easily extract these compounds from the headspace for IMS vapor detection. An interface that couples SPME to IMS was constructed and evaluated for the detection of the following detection taggants: 2-nitrotoluene (2-NT), 4-nitrotoluene (4-NT), and 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB). The interface was also evaluated for the following common explosives: smokeless powder (nitrocellulose, NC), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (2,4,6-TNT), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine (RDX), and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). This is the first peer reviewed report of a SPME-IMS system that is shown to extract volatile constituent chemicals and detection taggants in explosives from a headspace for subsequent detection in a simple, rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive manner.

Butanes↗
PubMed2005

Comparison of the volatile organic compounds present in human odor using SPME-GC/MS.

We evaluated the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in human odor by using headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the extraction, separation, and analysis of the collected samples. Volatile organic compounds present in the headspace above axillary sweat samples collected from different individuals showed the presence of various types of compounds including organic fatty acids, ketones, aldehydes, esters, and alcohols. Qualitative differences and similarities noted between the males and females studied along with differences in chemical ratio patterns among the common compounds demonstrated the ability to differentiate between individuals through the examination of VOCs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Sex, lies, and Niagra.

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Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗
PubMed2004

Extractionless GC/MS analysis of gamma-hydroxybutyrate and gamma-butyrolactone with trifluoroacetic anhydride and heptafluoro-1-butanol from aqueous samples.

gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a DEA Schedule I drug of abuse commonly spiked into beverages to incapacitate victims of sexual assault. GHB is a challenging drug for analysis by GC/MS because of its small size, charged nature, low volatility, and intramolecular esterification leading to gamma-butyrolactone (GBL). In this work an extractionless technique has been developed that allows for the use of an aqueous sample for direct derivatization. The technique uses a solution of trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) and 2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluoro-1-butanol (HFB) to derivatize the active hydrogens of GHB. The conversion of GBL into GHB can be forced under alkaline conditions by diluting the sample in 10 mM borate buffer, pH 12. GBL found in beverages intended for human consumption is treated as a Schedule I control substance analogue. Spikes of the two compounds into several beverage matrices gave quantitative recovery of GHB by GC/MS. The derivatization produces higher molecular mass products whose fragmentation pattern provides multiple peaks for confirmation and quantification. The concentration of GBL can also be indirectly determined by the method developed. Therefore, this extractionless technique is rapid, sensitive, and selective for the confirmation of the presence of GHB and GBL in commercial beverages.

4-Butyrolactone↗
PubMed2003

Laboratory and field experiments used to identify Canis lupus var. familiaris active odor signature chemicals from drugs, explosives, and humans.

This paper describes the use of headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography to identify the signature odors that law enforcement-certified detector dogs alert to when searching for drugs, explosives, and humans. Background information is provided on the many types of detector dog available and specific samples highlighted in this paper are the drugs cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxy- N-methylamphetamine (MDMA or Ecstasy), the explosives TNT and C4, and human remains. Studies include the analysis and identification of the headspace "fingerprint" of a variety of samples, followed by completion of double-blind dog trials of the individual components in an attempt to isolate and understand the target compounds that dogs alert to. SPME-GC/MS has been demonstrated to have a unique capability for the extraction of volatiles from the headspace of forensic specimens including drugs and explosives and shows great potential to aid in the investigation and understanding of the complicated process of canine odor detection. Major variables evaluated for the headspace SPME included fiber chemistry and a variety of sampling times ranging from several hours to several seconds and the resultant effect on ratios of isolated volatile components. For the drug odor studies, the CW/DVB and PDMS SPME fibers proved to be the optimal fiber types. For explosives, the results demonstrated that the best fibers in field and laboratory applications were PDMS and CW/DVB, respectively. Gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC/ECD) and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was better for analysis of nitromethane and TNT odors, and C-4 odors, respectively. Field studies with detector dogs have demonstrated possible candidates for new pseudo scents as well as the potential use of controlled permeation devices as non-hazardous training aids providing consistent permeation of target odors.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Estimation of postmortem interval using the protein marker cardiac Troponin I.

The importance of determining the time since death is crucial to criminal, civil and forensic cases. A technique exploiting the degradation of a protein, cardiac Troponin I (cTnI), to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) was investigated. Cardiac Troponin I is a basic regulatory protein found as part of a ternary complex responsible for calcium dependent muscle contraction. An efficient extraction protocol to analyze the banding pattern of cTnI in postmortem tissue was developed. The analysis involves extraction of the protein, separation by denaturing gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and visualization by Western blot using cTnI specific monoclonal antibodies. A bovine model was used to develop and optimize the protocol. The homology of cTnI amongst mammalian species allows for the cross-reaction of human anti-cTnI antibodies with bovine cTnI. The results indicate a characteristic banding pattern amongst human cadavers (n=6), a pseudo-linear relationship between percent cTnI degraded and the log of the time since death (r>0.95), and a qualitative degradation band pattern that in a simple comparative analysis with a standard human heart (known time since death) can be used to estimate the postmortem interval. The degradation-banding pattern of tissue cTnI is useful in the determination of the early postmortem (pm) interval (0-5 days). Overall, this technique offers advantages such a wide postmortem interval, measurable degradation pattern, a temporal semiquantitative relationship and manageable temperature dependence over direct temperature methods.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Identification of odor signature chemicals in cocaine using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography and detector-dog response to isolated compounds spiked on U.S. paper currency.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography (GC) is optimized and applied to the analysis of street-cocaine samples followed by the field-testing of isolated chemicals using certified detector dogs. SPME proves to be a very sensitive and rapid method for isolating odor chemicals from street-cocaine samples. SPME-GC and activated charcoal strip (ACS)-SPME-GC signature profile methods are developed for the detection and quantitation of cocaine-odor chemicals, including the optimization of controllable variables such as fiber chemistry, extraction time, and desorption time. The volatile odor chemicals in representative illicit cocaine samples are identified and quantitated by the ACS-SPME-GC signature profile method and direct injection. Field tests with drug detector dogs show methyl benzoate to be the dominant signature odor chemical along with cocaine on U.S. currency at a threshold level of approximately 1-10 microg when spiked or when 10 ng/s methyl benzoate is diffused from polymer bottles, which is required in order to initiate an alert. No other substance studied initiated consistent responses by the drug dogs. The results indicate that the microgram levels of cocaine that have been reported on circulated U.S. currency are insufficient to signal an alert from law-enforcement trained drug detector dogs.

Animals↗