Palatal rugae as an individualising marker: reliability for forensic odontology and personal identification

Personal identification is based on the comparison between ante mortem and post mortem data which can be considered unique for each individual: palatal rugae represent a useful element for such a comparison, thanks to their apparent low variability with time and unique patterns. Literature however is scarce.This pilot study aims at assessing the reliability of palatal rugae in time and at developing an identification method based on their comparison. Two casts from the upper dental arch of 39 subjects were obtained in different periods of time; at their first cast, 85.2% of patients were less than 16 years old. The second cast was performed after a period of time which varied between 4 and 65 months later than the first cast. The first cast can be taken to simulate ante mortem information, the second post mortem information. Every cast was then digitised with a scanner. In the digital images the palatal rugae were highlighted by using Adobe® Photoshop® 7.0 software; each image was coded and a comparison between “simulated” ante mortem and post mortem data was performed. In all cases ante mortem and post mortem data from the same individual were correctly matched.The study seems to indicate that this technique is highly reliable and user friendly, even on subadults, where growth processes seem not to affect the specific morphology of palatal rugae.     

Delinquency and Crime Among Youths in the Philippines: A Test of Legal Cynicism

The construct of legal cynicism is gaining currency in the United States and other western developed countries in explaining why people break the law. This construct is viable in societies with strong economies and mature political and criminal justice institutions. This paper asks whether the construct of legal cynicism is applicable in societies with differing economic, political and social conditions. Specifically, the paper investigates whether legal cynicism can explain the delinquent behaviors of youths in the Philippines. Despite diligent efforts to duplicate the measures of legal cynicism, the paper finds that this construct is a weak predictor of youth delinquent behaviors. This contradictory finding is explained by looking at the historical and sociopolitical conditions of the country.     

我对主席指示的十大关系的体会和想到的一些意见(一九五六年八月)

毛主席一九五六年四月二十五日在中央政治局扩大会议上所讲的十大关系问题,关系到国内外的各个方面,是具体贯彻党在过渡时期总路线的方针和政策、运用马克思列宁主义观察问题和分析问题的典范.把这十大关系、十大矛盾解决了,就能够动员一切力量、调动一切积极因素,为我国社会主义建设服务.     

“赣南三整”与“三湾改编”比较研究

＂三湾改编＂和＂赣南三整＂是我军初创时期的两次重要的改编,它们对我党军队的建设和发展、第一个农村革命根据地的建立、中国革命道路的探索都曾发挥过重要作用,因此,对＂三湾改编＂和＂赣南三整＂进行比较研究,分析它们的共性和个性,对新时期党的建设及军队建设仍然具有重要的启示意义。     

The scientific foundation of dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models

DSGE-models provide a coherent framework of analysis. This coherence is brought about by restricting acceptable behavior of agents to dynamic utility maximization and rational expectations. The problem of the DSGE-models (and more generally of macroeconomic models based on rational expectations) is that they assume extraordinary cognitive capabilities of individual agents. In addition, these models need a lot of ad-hoc assumptions to make them fit the data. I argue that we need models that take into account the limited cognitive abilities of agents. One can introduce rationality in such models by assuming “trial and error“ learning. I propose such a model and I analyze its implications.     

Contested hybridization of regulation: Failure of the Dutch regulatory system to protect minors from harmful media

The hybridization of regulatory modes and instruments is currently a popular way to improve public regulation. However, it is still unclear whether combinations of hard law and soft law, co-regulation, and legally enforced self-regulation really make regulation more effective. Using the analytical framework of the “really responsive regulation” approach, in this article we explore effectiveness problems in a hybrid regulatory system that tries to protect minors from harmful media. In our analysis of low compliance rates in the context of system failures, we argue that effectiveness problems seem to arise from poorly informed staff members, lack of internal and external controls, low rule enforcement, insufficient overlap between public and private interests, poor social responsibility in the Dutch media sector, deficiencies in the institutional framework, an inconsistent regulatory strategy, and inadequate responses from responsible regulators. Furthermore, based on our case study we argue that institutional dynamics of standard-setting activities can be detrimental to regulatory goal achievement if there is no compensation at the systemic level. Ongoing “regulatory care” through control, corrective responses, and rule enforcement seems to be crucial for a hybrid regulatory system to perform well.     

A Pact with the Devil? Elite Alliances as Bases of Violent Religious Conflicts

This article aims at explaining religious conflicts on the basis of an elite-centered theoretical model. Violent movements can only pertain on the long run if political elites organize and coordinate them centrally. The same holds true for the religious dimension of many conflicts. Religious elites have to persuade the believers of the religious nature of their struggle. Hence, in many cases religious conflicts can be traced back to alliances of religious and political elites. The first try to protect their religious communities and hope to expand their religious influence. The latter try to use religion as a resource for mobilization.