Self‐Provision of Public Services: Its Evolution and Impact

This article establishes a framework for explaining the ways in which citizens, as clients of public services, attempt to deal with situations of combined market and government failures. Under certain conditions, citizens are driven to create self‐production mechanisms that often are extralegal or illegal. When faced with such social initiatives, politicians often support them, either passively or actively, by institutionalizing the new mechanisms. The article explains the evolution of the self‐provision model and its implications. The analysis includes a theoretical framework and a practical intervention scheme.     

Conflict Media Strategies and the Politics of Counter-terrorism

This article argues that the events of 11 September 2001, and the subsequent 'war on terror', have highlighted the role of the media in both the coverage and conduct of modern conflict. The article concentrates on the 'conflict media strategies' pursued by belligerents and examines the development and refinement of such strategies over time, from the Second World War through to the conflict in Afghanistan. Using data from Vietnam, the Falklands, the Gulf, Kosovo and other conflicts, I argue that an effective conflict media strategy is an essential tool of warfare that is used by states and terrorist groups alike.     

Application of spectral libraries for characterization of oxidizers in post-blast residues by electrospray mass spectrometry

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate that electrospray mass spectrometry when used with spectral libraries becomes a useful method for rapid identification of inorganic oxidizers commonly present in commercial and improvised explosives. Electrospray ionization mass spectra (ESI-MS) of oxidizers reveal a series of characteristic cluster ions. Such a set of cluster ions can be regarded as a "fingerprint" of a particular oxidizer. With the aid of a spectral library, tentative identification of inorganic oxidizer becomes automated and an easy-to-implement process. The oxidizer identity may be further confirmed by using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Because it is not necessary to separate the components before analysis, results become available in real time. Little sample consumption and the ease of sample preparation should also be noted. The methodology can be readily employed on various ESI-MS systems that are already in use in analytical laboratories. This is another important benefit as the ESI-MS instrumentation is becoming increasingly common in forensic laboratories.