TraceBase; A database structure for forensic trace analysis

A data structure is proposed that can store forensic data obtained by experts from different disciplines and acquired using different instruments. This data structure, called TraceBase, is congruent with the forensic examination in the laboratory. We describe the design as well as its planned introduction in casework.The back-end of TraceBase is based on PostgreSQL and can be accessed by front-end applications such as the open-source LibreOffice office suite. The back-end regulates the flexible and robust storage of data, as well as the relation between items, samples, and analyses. The front-end applications allow the user to enter or retrieve data in an easy fashion, while the modular structure ensures that different aspects, such as the data entry, the processing and reporting of entered data, can be optimised individually. Additional analyses can be introduced and linked to items or samples already present.The database is designed such that data from several sources, different forensic disciplines and data acquired by different analytical techniques can be entered. When data needs to be retrieved for further analysis, a subcollection can be filtered for use in a specific situation.     

The assessment of potential threat: A second look

The assessment of dangerousness is not a diagnosis, but rather a clinical impression based on the individual's past history of violence and many other factors. With regard to the mental state, it has been noted that “the essence of dangerousness appears to be a paucity of concern for others'” (Roth, 1974). As a subjective opinion, predicting violence and future dangerousness bears the weight of much scrutiny and due diligence. Threat assessment evaluations have inherent social and legal ramifications, and the responsibility must be accepted with the knowledge that accuracy may not always be achieved. This paper discusses the various aspects of predicting future violence and dangerousness and the caveats that come with such tasks.     

The database search problem: A question of rational decision making

This paper applies probability and decision theory in the graphical interface of an influence diagram to study the formal requirements of rationality which justify the individualization of a person found through a database search. The decision-theoretic part of the analysis studies the parameters that a rational decision maker would use to individualize the selected person. The modeling part (in the form of an influence diagram) clarifies the relationships between this decision and the ingredients that make up the database search problem, i.e., the results of the database search and the different pairs of propositions describing whether an individual is at the source of the crime stain. These analyses evaluate the desirability associated with the decision of 'individualizing' (and 'not individualizing'). They point out that this decision is a function of (i) the probability that the individual in question is, in fact, at the source of the crime stain (i.e., the state of nature), and (ii) the decision maker's preferences among the possible consequences of the decision (i.e., the decision maker's loss function). We discuss the relevance and argumentative implications of these insights with respect to recent comments in specialized literature, which suggest points of view that are opposed to the results of our study.     

The Alchemists' Search for the Philosophers' Stone: The Status of Registered Social Landlords under the Human Rights Act

Social housing in Great Britain is undergoing a radical transformation with the transfer of local authority housing to housing associations, more particularly registered social landlords (RSLs). While the former are clearly 'public authorities' for the purposes of the Human Rights Act (HRA), the status of the latter is less clear. The first part of this article addresses the increasingly important role played by housing associations in the provision of social housing, and the significant implications of the stock transfer process. It goes on to explore the meaning of 'public authority' for the purposes of claims under the HRA, taking into account available approaches to interpretation as well as the tests traditionally used to determine amenability to judicial review. It concludes that there is a strong case for acknowledging that RSLs are hybrid authorities for the purposes of the HRA, given in particular their 'publicness' and the fact that they are often carrying out the same functions as local authorities.     

A shot in the arm for the military: consent to immunisation against biological warfare agents

The risk to Britain's Armed Forces from Biological Warfare (BW) is low but without protection their use would be devastating. Available protective measures include immunisation. The Government owes a legal duty of care to Servicemen to provide protection against a range of hazards, including those of BW. The State also owes Servicemen a duty of care to allow free and informed consent or free and informed refusal to medical procedures, including immunisation. However, refusal by key personnel to accept BW immunisation could degrade operational capability. Resolution between these two, potentially conflicting, duties of care may be controversial. To override a soldier's expressed interests would rank society's needs higher than those of the individual. Yet there are circumstances, such as exposure of Servicemen to BW used by an aggressor, where this would be ethically acceptable. The State's interests, combined with the best interests of the Servicemen, provide adequate ethical argument for both occupational immunisation (where it is an entry criterion for the Armed Forces) and mandatory immunisation (where disciplinary action may be taken against the non-compliant). Historically, both approaches have been used for public health immunisations and the legal framework already exists for both.     

The cooperative extension service: A model for technology transfer

Since its inception in 1914, the Cooperative Extension Service has been delivering technology effectively to the agricultural community. The history of CES is discussed briefly, and the program's success, in terms of visibility, usage, and economic impact, is documented. Although the extension model has not been applied widely in industries outside of agriculture, some states have experimented with technology-transfer programs fashioned after CES. It is argued that these programs have not acquired the critical mass of resources needed to make them truly effective, and, unless they gain additional support, they should expand their services to increase their value and assess fees for assistance rendered. Gregory D. McFall was, during preparation of this paper, an undergraduate research fellow, majoring in physics, mathematics, and philosophy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He currently is doing graduate work at VPI & SU.     

The Non-Resident Parental Role for Separated Fathers: A Review

Ideas about the role of fathers in the separated family havechanged over the last few decades. The prevalent legal constructof ‘co-parenting’ implies that children should beable to maintain contact with a non-resident parent, usuallythe father, if they wish, except in cases where there has beenabuse or violence. Research in several disciplines has soughtto explain the processes of contact by examining the behaviourof separated fathers, their relationships within the family,and the separated family as a whole. Quantitative studies haveexplored levels of involvement, the father–child relationshipand the inter-parental relationship as factors affecting children’soutcomes, while an expanding body of qualitative work has soughtto map the practice of co-parenting through identifying thediversity of separated parenthood and the perspectives of non-residentfathers in particular. The contributions of these diverse approachesto current debates on non-resident fathers are reviewed in thisarticle.     

The Search for Job Satisfaction: A Survey of Alabama Policing

This study examines police job satisfaction and its association with general occupational attraction. Police officers from sixteen municipal departments (n = 1,114) across one southern state (Alabama) were found to possess moderate-high overall job satisfaction, with regression analysis supporting the conclusions of prior studies that demographics are of little value to understanding job satisfaction. The findings convey that 25% of job satisfaction variance can be explained from six variables (in order of importance): social contribution, pay, adventure/excitement, autonomy, peer respect, and job security. The importance of benefits and community respect was unsupported, as were partner and special operation assignments. The author concludes that a great portion of police satisfaction hinges on the realization of work environment expectations, and that departments must proactively construct policies to enhance fulfillment of officer aspirations.     

The effectiveness of treatment for sexual offenders: A comprehensive meta-analysis

The article reports a meta-analysis on controlled outcome evaluations of sexual offender treatment. From 2,039 documents published in five languages, 69 studies containing 80 independent comparisons between treated and untreated offenders fulfilled stepwise eligibility criteria (total N = 22,181). Despite a wide range of positive and negative effect sizes, the majority confirmed the benefits of treatment. Treated offenders showed 6 percentage points or 37% less sexual recidivism than controls. Effects for violent and general recidivism were in a similar range. Organic treatments (surgical castration and hormonal medication) showed larger effects than psychosocial interventions. However, this difference was partially confounded with methodological and offender variables. Among psychological programs, cognitive–behavioral approaches revealed the most robust effect. Nonbehavioral treatments did not demonstrate a significant impact. There was no outcome difference between randomized and other designs, however, group equivalence was associated with slightly larger effects. Various other moderators had a stronger impact on effect size (e.g., small sample size, quality of outcome reporting, program completion vs. dropout, age homogeneity, outpatient treatment, and authors’ affiliation with the program). More differentiated, high-quality evaluations are needed to clarify: What works for whom under which circumstances?     

语境的共时系统分析

本文从系统和共时研究的角度分析了语言的语境系统,详细地分析了语境各要素及其相互关系,指出了言内语境和言外语境的反映与被反映的关系,以及语境要素的统一性和层次性两种特征,并指出语义分析和语义理解从言内到言外、从一般到特殊的分析顺序,任何相关语境因素都不能忽略。