Acting small in a large state's world: Russia and the Baltic states

The interest in small states ebbs and flows as important international affairs include small states. Russia's actions and policies vis-à-vis Ukraine, and the resultant intensified apprehension among Russia's smaller neighbours, aim the proverbial microscope at the size and power discrepancies between states. Russia, by most metrics, is a large state and the Baltic states, by those same metrics, are small states. Small-state scholars expect large and small states to act differently. However, the case of Russia and the Baltic states indicates that large and small states do not, in fact, act all that different. This being the case, this article calls into question many of the assumptions made by small-state scholars about the difference between large- and small-state action and argues for changes within small-state studies as a subdiscipline of the larger international relations discipline.     

Between conflict management and role conflict: the EU in the Libyan crisis

This paper assesses the role of the European Union in the Libyan crisis (2011) and critically considers the implications for its evolution as an international security actor. Employing role theory, the paper reviews the historical development of the Union's security actorness and sheds specific light on the balance between self-conception and external expectations in the case of the Libyan crisis. Its central argument is that, despite external expectations and European narratives of a ‘comprehensive power role’, the Libyan crisis showed that the Union still acts in line with its traditional role as a civilian power. The inability to go beyond civilian power stemmed from internal dissonance on a potential hard power role and a corresponding lack of material capabilities. The growing gap between expectations about comprehensive actorness on the one hand and performance on the other is likely to damage the Union's future credibility as an international security actor.     

Towards security governance as a critical tool: a conceptual outline

This article argues that security governance can and should be reframed as a critical tool that enables us to understand and reappraise concrete practices of security provision. Security governance needs to move beyond the functional mapping of different governing arrangements and the presumption that security governance leads to effective and legitimate problem-solving in a quasi-automatic manner. In this article, we propose a framework that identifies the essential characteristics of security governance and turns them into critical questions with the aim to reveal persisting frictions and dilemmas. First, we trace the rise of security governance as concept and practice over the past decade and identify its central characteristics with regard to prerequisites, structures and consequences. Second, we reframe the core characteristics of security governance into critical questions and thereby develop an understanding of security governance as a critical tool. Finally, we illustrate the relevance of this approach with examples from EU security governance.     

激励机制在大学生科技创新中的运用

激励机制在大学生课外科技创新中的有效运用,对于促进高校持续健康发展具有重要的现实意义。当前,高校大学生科技创新激励机制普遍存在一些问题,如学校缺乏明确的激励政策、专业教师缺乏参与热情和指导经验、大学生学业压力大等。为此,高校要运用强化激励理论,完善学校激励政策和保障机制;运用需求理论,充分调动专业教师参与大学生科技创新的积极性;运用目标设定理论,帮助大学生树立合理的科技创新目标。     

当前我国新农村建设中人力资本投资探析——基于舒尔茨的人力资本理论视角

十八届三中全会提出要让广大农民平等参与现代化进程、共同分享现代化成果,而社会主义新农村建设是农民全面享有现代化成果的最重要途径。但在新农村建设过程中,农民科学文化素质较低、医疗卫生条件较差、"二次就业"困难等问题都制约着新农村建设的顺利开展。充分运用舒尔茨的人力资本理论,对于解决我国新农村建设过程中存在的人力资源问题具有重要的启示。     

海峡两岸多层次资本市场比较及合作路径探析

经过50多年的发展,台湾地区形成了由“集中交易市场一上柜市场一兴柜市场”构成的多层次资本市场,有效促进了台湾地区金融资源的配置。经过20多年的发展,大陆业已具备了多层次资本市场的雏形,但同台湾相比,大陆资本市场层次性不够清晰、不同层次资本市场间升降转板机制尚未形成、场外市场发展相对滞后。由于两岸多层次资本市场的优势存在较大差异并有明显的互补性,两岸可以通过合作达成优势互补、获得双赢。两岸多层次资本市场在主板市场、场外市场、升降转板、资本监管等领域存在很大合作空间。     

习惯如何成为习惯法及其方法论意蕴——两种认可说的比较分析

习惯如何成为习惯法的问题必须从界定"习惯"、"习惯法"这对概念入手,而不同的定义将在很大程度上决定人们对该问题的态度或立场。社会认可说与国家认可说是人们在回答上述问题上的两种立场或学说,它们背后各自隐藏着一幅研究者据以解释经验事实的理想图景。其中国家认可说与文化研究中的"大传统"模式、制度研究中的"现代化"范式相互支持,极大地阻碍了习惯法研究。上述讨论启示我们,在习惯法研究中必须确立正确的方法论立场,才能比较客观地还原习惯法的本质和拓展习惯法研究的深度。     

Observational Case Series: An Algorithm Incorporating Multidetector Computed Tomography in the Medicolegal Investigation of Human Remains after a Natural Disaster

An algorithm incorporating multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), digital radiographs, and external examination was used to triage cases for noninvasive or complete autopsy after a natural disaster. The algorithm was applied to 27 individuals who died during or soon after the earthquake that struck the Republic of Haiti on January 12, 2010. Of the 27 cases reviewed, 7 (26%) required a complete autopsy to determine cause and manner of death. In the remaining 20 (74%), cause and manner of death were determined with a reasonable degree of medical certainty after review of circumstances, an external examination, and postmortem imaging by MDCT and digital radiography (noninvasive autopsy). MDCT was particularly useful in detecting skeletal fractures caused by blunt force injury which were not evident on digital radiographs. The algorithm incorporating postmortem MDCT can be useful in the triage of human remains for autopsy after a natural disaster.     

Driving Under the Influence of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist XLR‐11

The case of a 22‐year‐old male Caucasian driver is presented. He was involved in a traffic collision. At the roadside, he displayed blank stare and mellow speech with a barely audible voice. A DRE found low body temperature, rigid muscle tone, normal pulse, lack of horizontal and vertical gaze nystagmus, nonconvergence of the eyes, dilated pupil size, and normal Pupillary reaction to light. A standard toxicology DUID protocol was performed on the driver's whole blood including ELISA and GC‐MS drug screens with negative results. Additional drug screening was undertaken for bath salts and synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists by LC‐MS/MS by a commercial laboratory and identified the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist XLR‐11 in the driver's blood. XLR‐11 was subsequently quantified at 1.34 ng/mL. This is the first documented case involving a driver operating a motor vehicle under the influence of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist XLR‐11.