The Application of Remote Sensing for Detecting Mass Graves: An Experimental Animal Case Study from Costa Rica*

Abstract: Detection of mass graves utilizing the hyperspectral information in airborne or satellite imagery is an untested application of remote sensing technology. We examined the in situ spectral reflectance of an experimental animal mass grave in a tropical moist forest environment and compared it to an identically constructed false grave which was refilled with soil, but contained no cattle carcasses over the course of a 16‐month period. The separability of the in situ reflectance spectra was examined with a combination of feature selection and five different nonparametric pattern classifiers. We also scaled up the analysis to examine the spectral signature of the same experimental mass grave from an air‐borne hyperspectral image collected 1 month following burial. Our results indicate that at both scales (in situ and airborne), the experimental grave had a spectral signature that was distinct and therefore detectable from the false grave. In addition, we observed that vegetation regeneration was severely inhibited over the mass grave containing cattle carcasses for up to a period of 16 months. This experimental study has demonstrated the real utility of airborne hyperspectral imagery for the detection of a relatively small mass grave (5 m²) within a specific climatic zone. Other climatic zones will require similar actualistic modeling studies, but it is clear that the applications of this technology provide the international community with both an early detection tool and a tool for ongoing monitoring.     

NGO Structural Adaptation to Funding Requirements and Prospects for Democracy: The Case of the European Union

Most studies on voluntary organisations and advocacy groups focus on their contribution to democracy through participation in the policy-making process. The uniqueness of this study consists in shifting the emphasis to participatory democracy at the implementation stage of the policy process. We argue that public donors may affect the democratic potential of voluntary organisations at this stage. To this purpose, we explore the European Union's structuring effects. Firstly, the European Union manufactures a non-governmental organisation (NGO) landscape through a top-down process of redistribution of resources. Secondly, our attention is drawn to NGOs' adaptations of EU requirements, which entails a transformation process often at odds with participatory practices. In order to grasp the European Union's differential impact, we include in our analysis two sectors (humanitarian NGOs and social voluntary organisations) and two Member States (France and Spain).     

Recognition of Skeletal Fractures in Infants: An Autopsy Technique

Abstract:  Complete recognition and documentation of injury pattern is crucial in the diagnosis of child abuse. Skeletal fractures regarded as highly specific to nonaccidental injury in infants include posterior rib, scapular, metaphyseal, and spinous process fractures. These injuries are often occult, especially when acute, to standard radiologic and autopsy procedures. The presented autopsy technique requires incising and reflecting skeletal muscles to expose the bones and costal osseous joints in situ , increasing the opportunity to recognize skeletal injury. Fractured or atypical appearing bones are removed and processed for complete evaluation. The bones are processed by macerating the soft tissue in a water soap bath at an elevated temperature. To aid in reconstruction of the decedent, long bones are replaced with wooden dowels and the chest cavity is packed with the organ bag. The technique is invasive and recommended for cases in which the pathologist has reasonable suspicion of acute or remote trauma.