Pilot Study of Automated Bullet Signature Identification Based on Topography Measurements and Correlations*†

Abstract: A procedure for automated bullet signature identification is described based on topography measurements using confocal microscopy and correlation calculation. Automated search and retrieval systems are widely used for comparison of firearms evidence. In this study, 48 bullets fired from six different barrel manufacturers are classified into different groups based on the width class characteristic for each land engraved area of the bullets. Then the cross‐correlation function is applied both for automatic selection of the effective correlation area, and for the extraction of a 2D bullet profile signature. Based on the cross‐correlation maximum values, a list of top ranking candidates against a ballistics signature database of bullets fired from the same model firearm is developed. The correlation results show a 9.3% higher accuracy rate compared with a currently used commercial system based on optical reflection. This suggests that correlation results can be improved using the sequence of methods described here.     

MAO基因遗传多态性及与精神疾病相关性研究进展

单胺氧化酶(monoamine oxidase,MAO)是调控儿茶酚胺和5-羟色胺等单胺类氧化脱氨的一类重要酶,广泛分布于包括神经系统在内的人体各种组织中,具有多种生物学功能。MAO有两种类型,MAO-A和MAO-B。MAO基因具有遗传多态性,其中部分多态性位点与某些精神疾病如严重抑郁障碍、酒精中毒、反社会情感障碍及精神分裂症等有一定的相关性。MAO基因遗传多态性的研究,可能为法医学个人识别与亲权鉴定提供新的遗传标记,并为司法精神病鉴定提供参考性遗传学指标。     

社会正义抑或个人自由?——庞德利益理论根本诉求的探究

罗斯科·庞德利益理论的根本诉求经历了从强调社会利益、社会正义到强调个人利益、个人自由这一转向过程。揭示出这一为大多数论者所忽略的转向过程不仅能够澄清既有讨论中的社会利益论和中性框架论这两种解读进路在理论上的误读之处和理论缺陷,从而对庞德利益理论的发展保有一种动态而全面的理解,更有助于在此基础上洞见庞德的利益理论所具有的表面上的开放性和根本上的封闭性,以及其封闭性为利益理论带来的理论限度——这种理论限度恰恰是我们在探寻一种社会转型时期的中国法律哲学时应当给予特别注意的。     

应用枕骨大孔面积判定性别的研究进展

性别是个体识别的主要生物学指标之一,是法医学鉴定不明骨骼残骸的重要初始步骤。枕骨大孔因其解剖学位置的隐匿性、形态学的稳定性、性别与种族的差异性成为法医学性别判定的研究热点,其中枕骨大孔面积是枕骨大孔区域中进行性别判定准确率较高的指标之一。本文以枕骨大孔面积为主要研究对象,就国外学者通过干颅骨样本、CT影像、CBCT影像测量枕骨大孔面积判定性别的方法进行总结,对国内应用枕骨大孔面积进行性别判定研究提供参考。     

Measuring interrogative suggestibility in children: Reliability and validity of the bonn test of statement suggestibility

Abstract

The present paper describes three studies that examined false confessions in the laboratory. Studies 1 (N=56) and 2 (N=9) relied on the by now classic computer crash paradigm introduced by Kassin and Kiechel (Psychological Science, 7, 125–128, 1996). Study 3 (N=12) employed a novel paradigm in which undergraduate participants were falsely accused of exam fraud. Our data indicate that false confessions do occur, even when conditions become more ecologically valid. Furthermore, we explored whether individual differences in compliance, suggestibility, fantasy proneness, dissociation, and cognitive failures are related to false confessions. Of these, only fantasy proneness was associated with false confessions.     

Effects of collaborative recall: Denying true information is as powerful as suggesting misinformation

We tested whether someone's ability to tell a good story, in terms of the Reality Monitoring (RM) tool, affects the way s/he judges the stories told by others. Forty participants (undergraduate students) wrote down two statements – one about activities they did 30 minutes ago, and the other about a past event. Subsequently, they rated the quality of a target statement written by someone else. We found that the tendency to provide a not so detailed or a very detailed statement was stable across the two statements the participants wrote. Furthermore, this tendency affected how they judged the target statements: The richer a participant's statements were compared to the target statement, the more critical the participant was in judging the target statement. These findings imply that RM is subject to biases which are related to individual differences. We discuss the implications of these findings for applying the RM lie detection tool in the field.     

同卵双生子甄别策略探讨

同卵双生子(MZ)之间存在抗体库差异、甲基化修饰差异和基因突变体差异,甲基化修饰差异的比较可望成为甄别MZ的手段之一,抗体库差异和基因突变体差异比较的方法在甄别MZ方面亦有潜在价值.当前,对MZ的表现遗传以及基因突变等领域的研究还很有限,而抗体库技术的应用方法也有待探讨,因此MZ识别技术的应用前景和发展空间需要进一步摸索与完善.     

群体性事件发生原因研究的再审视——层次分析方法的引入与应用

层次分析方法就是将导致某一事件发生的原因进行分层。将层次分析方法应用到群体性事件发生的原因研究中,群体性事件发生的原因可分为结构、体制机制和个人三个层次。通过比较三个不同层次上变量的重要性,结构层次上的变量最为根本和重要,体制机制层次上的变量次之,个人层次上的变量可视为常数。加强对结构和体制机制层次上的变量的研究,有助于深入探究群体性事件发生的深层次原因。     

冲突、交融、和谐:中国现代性境遇下个人与社会关系的嬗变

五四时期,随着西方文化的传入,中国的个人意识开始觉醒,与传统的群体观念形成激烈的碰撞,其后在救亡图存的压力下,在社会主义集体意识的引导下,个体长期被整合在国家、社会之中。改革开放以来,随着社会结构的转变,个人主义逐渐兴起,集体主义面临困境,个人与社会关系发生裂变。时至今日,倡导和实现"中国梦"要保障个体利益与整体利益的统一,最终达成个人与社会的互塑和谐。     

An Investigation into Whether or Not the Class and Individual Characteristics of Five Turkish Manufactured Pistols Change During Extensive Firing

Abstract:  In order to assess whether or not the class and individual characteristics of a firearm change over time, five different makes of Turkish self-loading pistol were tested and were each fired a large number of times. The class and individual characteristics were identified for each pistol and the first fired cartridge case was compared with the subsequent consecutive 250th fired cases for each pistol. It was found that there were slight changes in some of the individual and class characteristics; however, this was not statistically significant and did not affect the ability of the firearms examiner to match the first fired case to the last fired case for each firearm tested.