Objective ink color comparison through image processing and machine learning

Making changes or additions to written entries in a document can be profitable and illegal at the same time. A simple univariate approach is first used in this paper to quantify the evidential value in color measurements for inks on a document coming from a different or the same source. Graphic, qualitative discrimination is then obtained independently by applying color deconvolution image processing to document images, with parameters optionally optimized by support vector machines (SVM), a machine learning method. Discrimination based on qualitative results from image processing is finally compared to the quantitative results of the statistical approach. As color differences increase, optimized color deconvolution achieves qualitative discrimination when the statistical approach indicates evidence for the different source hypothesis.     

Trace evidence dynamics of cocaine on banknotes: A comparison study of paper and polymer banknotes

It is well established that a large proportion of paper banknotes in circulation contain traces of cocaine. Being able to discriminate between the innocent transfer of illicit drug particles acquired through everyday interactions with surfaces such as banknotes, as opposed to transfer resulting from criminal activities can provide valuable intelligence that can inform an investigation. With many countries adopting polymer banknotes as legal tender, it is important to consider the transfer of cocaine from these surfaces as well as the retention of these particulates on polymer banknotes for evaluative interpretation in crime reconstruction. This comparison study assessed three contact variables (force, time, and rotation) on the transfer of cocaine particulates from paper and polymer banknotes onto a human skin proxy. The persistence of cocaine particulates was assessed through a realistic scenario which mimicked a cash transaction. Quantifiable amounts of cocaine were transferred onto the human skin proxy across all of the contacts assessed, with a greater transfer observed with contacts involving polymer banknotes and those contacts which involved rotation. Following extensive handling, cocaine persisted on both banknote types, with paper banknotes retaining larger amounts of cocaine than polymer banknotes. These findings show that cocaine can persist on both paper and polymer banknotes for extended periods of time following handling and is therefore available for transfer. This transfer then readily occurs, even when contact is brief and involves relatively small forces. A key distinction between the banknote types was that cocaine particulates are more likely to transfer from polymer banknotes due to the lower retention rate of particulates on this surface. Such insights can aid in evaluating the relevance of illicit drug particles identified on items or persons of interest in crime reconstruction approaches.     

印油与印油印迹比对检验方法的影响因素研究

目的针对印油印迹形成过程中可能存在的影响因素,研究印油与印油印迹比对分析方法中可能存在的风险。方法采用溶剂提取,高速离心,过膜的简单的前处理方法,然后高效液相色谱分析,用色谱峰峰面积的相对含量来判定印油印迹与印油之间的差异。结论印泥印油、印油印迹与印油之间差异很小;而印台印油、渗透印油、翻转印油、印油与印油印迹比对时,存在一定影响。     

Assessing the thermal stability of toolmarks casting materials through optical comparison microscopy,virtual comparison microscopy and quantitative similarity scores

Toolmarks, particularly those found on bulky, inaccessible or immovable items, can be recovered by casting. To allow for subsequent comparative examinations, the casting material, typically polysiloxanes or silicones, must be able to capture and preserve fine details within a toolmark accurately. To study the stability of such details after exposure to heat, toolmark casts were heated at either 60 °C for 2 h, or 90 °C for 1 h. These casts were subsequently compared to casts that had not been exposed to heat, using traditional optical comparison microscopy, as well as virtual comparison microscopy. Digitised toolmark signatures were also extracted from the casts and compared pairwise to obtain quantitative similarity scores based on cross-correlation, consecutive matching striae and Mann-Whitney U-statistic. Our results show that the fine surface details captured on all four commercial toolmark casting materials tested herein remained stable after exposure to heat. This study shows that the above heating protocols are viable viral inactivation methods for toolmark casts that are potentially contaminated with human coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. Our findings also apply to other scenarios, such as for casts that were left in a vehicle parked under the sun.     

规制规制者：目标、职能与体系

本文界定了规制规制者的概念及特征,并从基本概念出发,首次提出了"规制规制者"的目标、职能与体系,尝试构建规制规制者的理论框架。规制规制者是对规制政策制定者和执行者的规制,规制规制者的目标是监督和规范规制者制定和执行规制政策的行为、促进和保证规制者行为符合社会公共利益;规制规制者的职能包括经济、政治、社会文化职能;规制规制者体系的运行构件由规制规制者主体、客体、中介以及规制规制者环境构成。规制规制者的目标与职能必须通过规制规制者体系构件的有效运行得以实现。     

商业合理性:善意履行之客观标准——以美国法为视角

商业合理性经常和善意履行联系在一起来界定商人的善意。商业合理性作为一个客观的标准,对善意履行的判定非常重要,该标准基于社会公众的正义、公平和合理性理念而产生。对商人而言,不仅要求他们"事实上诚实",还应遵守有关"公平交易的合理商业准则",同时在"善意和合理的商业限度内"行为。     

诊所法律教育:目标设计与实现

诊所法律教育的目标是培养具备法律职业技能和具有法律职业道德的应用型法律人才并通过法律实践服务社会。诊所法律教育可分为职业技能培训和职业道德培养、法律事务实践和法律诊所管理三个模块,在法律事务实践中采用十步规程法进行全流程控制管理。诊所法律教育的目标实现需要切实、合理地解决法律诊所管理制度建设、教材规划、课程考核体系、案件来源、经费支持、教师的角色定位及学生办案权利限制等问题。     

不能未遂犯论争——“客观危险说”批判

本文通过对客观未遂论及客观危险说的分析、批判 ,指出危险性概念并不等同于现实可能性概念。因此 ,不能未遂犯与不能犯的区别在于有无危险性 ,而不是有无现实可能性。现实可能性只能作为可能未遂犯与不能未遂犯的划分标准。以此明确了可能未遂犯、不能未遂犯及不能犯三者之间的关系。     

An evaluation of the reagent NBD chloride for the production of luminescent fingerprints on paper: II. A comparison with ninhydrin

The effectiveness of the fluorogenic reagent NBD chloride has been compared with the popular colour reagent ninhydrin for the development of fingerprints on paper. NBD chloride was found to be more sensitive than ninhydrin for moderately old fingerprints (3–9 months) and never inferior to ninhydrin in all other cases. A qualitative evaluation technique was used to establish the relative efficiency of each method. This is based on the number of points of identification, assessed on a 1–4 scale, where 4 represents a courtworthy print (> 12 points) and 1 represents a print containing no identification points.     

Female sexual abusers: Assessing the risk

Successful risk management within child protection is problematic and in many cases is a delicate balancing act between parental and children’s rights. Reversing the expected gender roles creates a dynamic that may increase the difficulties of risk assessment even further. This paper focuses on women who sexually abuse children and discusses the particular problems relating to the assessment of risk in professional practice. The data was gathered in the UK and drawn from a series of qualitative interviews with child protection professionals, including 3 police officers, 2 lawyers, 15 social workers, 6 probation officers, 8 health workers and 11 counsellors. The interview data have identified some links between the gendered assumptions and the rationales used by professionals to explain the abusive behaviour.     

论“不合理的伤害危险”——对过失概念客观要素的考察

过失概念在理论上可以区分出两项要素，即客观上存在着不合理的伤害危险，主观上该危险存在着可预见性，但两项要素并非泾渭分明。不仅理性相对人不能认识和防范的危险可以构成不合理危险，在一定条件下，非理性相对人不能认识和防范的危险同样可以构成不合理危险。“不合理危险”这一要素在内涵和外延上的不确定性，导致了过错责任与危险责任的界限模糊。不同的情况对本人提出的认识要求是不同的。对于理性相对人不能防范的危险，要求本人更认真地去认识，非理性相对人不能防范的危险，则不是如此，但不等于不要求本人去认识。     

Assessing Danger: What Judges Need To Know

Every day, judges are faced with decisions regarding intimate partner violence (IPV) victims' requests for protection orders, custody arrangements, and visitation schedules. To make informed decisions, judges must understand victims' risk for future violence. This mixed method study explores the extent to which protection order petitions (n=169) communicate victims' current danger and future risk of violence. Methods included interviews coupled with an archival review of court petitions. Findings suggest judges are inadequately prepared to render decisions to improve victim safety in the absence of standardized risk assessments. The Danger Assessment provides an evidence-based solution to routinize intake interviews with victims petitioning the court.     

恐怖主义本原辨析——基于事实的本体性认识

人们对待恐怖主义的态度和立场,与恐怖主义本身,是人类文明与发展面临的两个同等重要和危险的难题,克服现代性的局限有助于认识和应对恐怖主义。哲学上的普遍主义及与之对应的国际霸权和国内强权是恐怖主义产生的两个重要根源。同时,弄清恐怖和恐怖主义作为事实的界限,对于把握恐怖主义实质及制定恰当的对策也是必要的。     

Ascertaining The Corporate Objective: An Entity Maximisation and Sustainability Model

Public companies play crucial roles in today's world, and it has been acknowledged that ascertaining the objective of such companies is a critical issue. However, there remains great uncertainty as to what that objective should be. This article examines the two predominant theories of the corporate objective, namely the shareholder primacy and stakeholder theories. This is followed by an explanation of and the case for a new model, the entity maximisation and sustainability model. This model focuses on the company as a separate legal entity and maintains that the objective of the company is to maximise the wealth of the entity as an entity and, at the same time, to ensure that the company is sustained financially.     

Transition from paper to paperless: DOD'S CALS system

When technology is transferred from one context to another, it is an established principle that innovation must take place. Even though a technology is well situated in one context, it must be adoptively redesigned for another. The sharper the difference in contexts, the greater the adaptation. This paper describes a program to transfer technology among a very diverse group of organizations: contractors to the US Department of Defense (DOD). Specifically, it describes how the technology of electronic communication, including electronic- data interchange (EDI), is being pursued by both the DOD and its supporters.