Restoration tactics for seriously corroded Cu and Cu-alloy firearms evidence

A cleaning procedure for seriously weathered or corroded bullets and cartridge casings was developed and implemented for evidence specimens from a multiple homicide. The restoration protocol entailed successive treatments with increasingly aggressive chemical solvents and cleaning solutions while monitoring the progress of the method by optical microscopy. Treatment of worst-case, Cu-alloy jacketed bullets and casings resulted in reconditioned specimens that subsequently underwent successful firearms examinations.     

The Use of Contracting in the Public Sector—Recent New Zealand Experience

This research note examines the expanding use of contracting within the public sector in New Zealand. The term 'contracting' is interpreted broadly to include both external contracting (ie outsourcing) as well as the use of more explicit or formal 'contracts' within and between public sector organisations. No attention is given here to the separate, albeit related, processes of corporatisation, commercialisation and full privatisation (ie asset sales and the termination of public funding as well as provision). The empirical data, although limited, suggest that the recent increase in contracting in New Zealand has brought significant gains in terms of fiscal savings, productive efficiency, consumer choice and managerial accountability. Recent trends, however, have also posed some important policy issues, among them the limits to contracting out and the potential dangers associated with 'hollow' government.     

Richard Rorty and the Problem of the Person1

In Richard Rorty's persuasive alternative to contemporary liberal theory he maintains that a contingent, rather than a universalist, liberalism can better engender human solidarity and that the ironic stance can better safeguard liberal freedom than any metaphysical buttress. In an internal critique I argue that irony is an aesthetic, rather than, as solidarity, a moral ideal. Moreover, Rorty's notion of agency is too voluntaristic to supply the necessary communitarian sentiments for solidarity to be achieved. Hence the twin ideals of irony and solidarity cannot both be situated in his decentered notion of selfhood.     

Workplace Relations: Friendship Patterns and Consequences (According to Managers)

This article examines orientations toward workplace friendship. Based on a survey of senior managers in cities with populations over 50,000, it addresses the following questions: Do senior managers promote, condone, or discourage workplace friendship? What risks and benefits of workplace friendships do these managers perceive? What policies and strategies that affect workplace friendship are found in organizations? How do these organizational efforts affect perceptions of employee performance? This article finds that, despite the risks, orientations in favor of workplace friendships are widespread, and many jurisdictions engage in efforts to promote them.     

Moving rocks: block-funding in pEI as an incentive for Cross sectoral reallocations among human services

Abstract: In 1993, Prince Edward Island introduced block-funding to five Health and Community Services regional boards for all human services except education. We view this as the introduction of a financial incentive (or removal of a disincentive) to undertake cross-sectoral reallocations to address the broader determinants of health. We use case-study methods to evaluate the way in which this incentive was communicated from policy makers to the regions, how the regions interpreted the policy makers' signals, and how the regions responded. The block-funding incentive became a “fuzzy” signal to the regions, because it was communicated as part of a larger reform package that included expenditure reductions, devolved governance, and the need for integration and coordination. Nevertheless, the regional boards interpreted the block-funding as facilitating cross-sectoral reallocations, but because of various concerns, including opposition expressed by their employee providers, as well as their physicians and the public, they moved only cautiously to exploit the incentive. Most regions focused more on enhancing administrative efficiency through integration and coordination than on cross-sectoral reallocations to address the determinants of health. Finally, lessons for other jurisdictions are outlined based on the PEI experience. Sommaire: En 1993, l‘île-du-Prince-Édouard a adopté le mode de financement en bloc Jonathan Lomas has a master of arts degree and is professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, and the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis. Michael M. Rachlis is a doctor of medicine and has a master of science degree. He is assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University. This study would not have been possible without the exemplary research assistance of Sameer Kumar. We are also grateful for the help of Mita Giacomini and Laurie Goldsmith, overall leader and coordinator of the larger project, “Financial Incentives in the Canadian Healthcare System,” of which this was a part. Funding for the project was provided by Health Canada through the National Health Research and Development Program. Useful comments on an earlier draft were provided by John Eyles and Jerry Hurley. Finally, the time and assistance provided by all our interviewees in Prince Edward Island were central to our ability to complete the analysis, and any misrepresentations that may remain after their input and feedback is our responsibility alone. The Journal's anonymous referees are gratefully acknowledged. en ce qui concerne cinq Conseils régionaux de services de santé communautaires, pour tous les services humains sauf l’éducation. À notre avis, il s'agit là d'un incitatif financier (ou de l‘élimination d'un anti-incitatif) pour entreprendre des réallocations entre les secteurs afin qu'on s'occupe des éléments plus fondamentaux qui déterminent la santé. Nous utilisons des méthodes d’étude de cas pour évaluer la manière dont cet incitatif a été communiqué par les décideurs politiques aux régions, la manière dont les régions ont interprété ce que leur disaient les décideurs, et la réaction des régions. L'incitatif de financement en bloc est devenu un signal «vague» pour les régions parce qu'il faisait partie d'un ensemble de réformes plus vaste comprenant la réduction des dépenses, la gérance decentralisée et le besoin d'intégration et de coordination. Néanmoins, les Conseils régionaux ont interprété ce financement comme un moyen permettant de faciliter la réallocation entre secteurs, mais à cause de diverses préoccupations, dont l'opposition exprimée par leurs employés, leurs médecins et leur public, ils se sont montrès très prudents dans Sexploitation de cet incitatif. La plupart des régions se sont concentrées davantage sur l'efficacité administrative que permettaient l'intégration et la coordination plutôt que sur les réallocations entre secteurs afin de s'occuper des déterminants de la santé. Enfin, on mentionne des leçons que peuvent tirer d'autres territoires en fonction de l'expérience dans l‘île-du-Prince-Édouard.     

Of Mechanisms and Myths: Conceptualising States’ “Soft Power” Strategies through Sports Mega-Events

ABSTRACT

Joseph Nye’s concept of “soft power” has become an increasingly used term to help explain why states—including so-called “emerging states”—are paying greater attention to acquiring various forms of cultural and political attraction. However, within mainstream International Relations, Political Science, and Sport Studies literature, a continuous debate remains as to what actually constitutes soft power, how national leaders go about acquiring it, and how forms of attraction convert into power outcomes in both the short- and long-term. This analysis endeavours to overcome these issues by offering an “ideal type” model that details states’ soft power strategies, the mechanisms they use, and the tangible future outcomes they gain.     

The BDAE Complex Ideational Material—a Measure of Receptive Language or Performance Validity?

Scores on the Complex Ideational Material (CIM) were examined in reference to various performance validity tests (PVTs) in 106 adults clinically referred for neuropsychological assessment. The main diagnostic categories, reflecting a continuum between neurological and psychiatric disorders, were epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, postconcussive disorder, and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. Cross-validation analyses suggest that in the absence of bona fide aphasia, a raw score ≤9 or T score ≤29 on the CIM is more likely to reflect non-credible presentation than impaired receptive language skills. However, these cutoffs may be associated with unacceptably high false positive rates in patients with longstanding, documented neurological deficits. Therefore, more conservative cutoffs (≤8/23) are recommended in such populations. Contrary to the widely accepted assumption that psychiatric disorders are unrelated to performance validity, results were consistent with the psychogenic interference hypothesis, suggesting that emotional distress increases the likelihood of PVT failures even in the absence of apparent external incentives to underperform on cognitive testing.     

UK moves towards electronic commerce bill

After a lengthy gestation the UK government issued a consultation paper in March 1999 in an attempt to deal with some of the complex and important issues which will affect the development of electronic commerce, in particular the regulation of encryption and digital signatures. John Worthy and Grant Anderson outline the main topics covered by the consultation paper, look at some of the concerns facing government, industry and individual users and give an update on the progress of the proposed legislative measures.