Examination of a "velasco" signature on an oil painting

In September 2003, an investor bought an oil painting at auction in Denmark. The painting was signed "José Maria Velasco." The investor attempted to sell the painting in the United States, but found that he needed confirmation that this was an authentic Velasco painting. The provenance of the painting was questionable because it came to Europe from Cuba without appropriate documentation including the date of its entry into the European market. If the signature was determined to be authentic, the painting would have an approximate value of 1 million dollars. Initial research on the life and works of the artist and a literature review resulted in the preparation of an "Art Worksheet." Known signature specimens were obtained from reputable sources. A comparison of the known signatures with the questioned signature concluded the questioned signature was very probably not executed by José Maria Velasco.     

Book Review: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Critical Issues in Restorative Justice by Howard Zehr and Barb Toews (eds). Monsey,NY: Criminal Justice Press, 2004. Reviewed by Dan Okada,California State University,Sacramento</Emphasis>.

Book Review

Book Review: Critical Issues in Restorative Justice by Howard Zehr and Barb Toews (eds). Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press, 2004. Reviewed by Dan Okada, California State University, Sacramento.     

Federal policy and the mobility of older homeowners

The elderly's immobility is of public policy concern because it may jeopardize both individual and community welfare. Elderly households may face obstacles to moving which either lock them into their current homes or out of suitable alternatives. Only one federal policy (the one-time capital gains exclusion), addresses the mobility of the elderly, but it has been ineffective and probably inequitable. Alternative policies range from targeting the provision more tightly to reallocating its $1 to $2 billion in annual revenue losses for appropriate categorical assistance. Until the elderly's immobility is more clearly understood, tighter targeting is the preferred course.     

The contribution of family structure and differentiation to identity development in females

We examined the relationship between Minuchin's structural family model, adolescent separation-individuation, and identity development. One hundred sixty-four female undergraduate students completed the Structural Family Interaction Scale Revised (SFIS-R), the Parental Relationship Inventory (PRI), and the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS) scale. Exploratory Factor Analysis of the SFIS-R and PRI scales indicated that two factors, Proximity-Differentiation and Generational Hierarchy-Differentiation, accounted for 90% of the variance. Canonical correlation analysis with the two factor scores and age included in the predictor variables, and the four measures of ego identity included in the dependent variables, yielded two significant roots. The results supported Minuchin's model.Received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Major interests are family factors influencing adolescent development and family assessment.Received her Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Major interests are family factors and the separation/individuation process.Received Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Major interests are statistical issues related to chi-square analyses.     

The Great Disconnect: Global Governance and Localised Conflict in the Cases of India and the EU

Academic scholarship displays a curious disconnect between two trends, connecting peace and governance issues. At the same time when conflicts tended to shift inwards (from inter-state to civil wars), global governance approaches seemed to decentre the management of peace and conflict outwards (from the nation state to international forums). This paper investigates this disjuncture by examining the European Union and India's governance strategies in different conflict contexts. It studies whether their strategies operate close to the global governance model and/or whether they are able to connect with and effectively support local peace initiatives in conflict-ridden areas.