Facial soft tissue depths in craniofacial identification (part II): An analytical review of the published sub-adult data

Prior research indicates that while statistically significant differences exist between subcategories of the adult soft tissue depth data, magnitudes of difference are small and possess little practical meaning when measurement errors and variations between measurement methods are considered. These findings raise questions as to what variables may or may not hold meaning for the sub-adult data. Of primary interest is the effect of age, as these differences have the potential to surpass the magnitude of measurement error. Data from the five studies in the literature on sub-adults which describe values for single integer age groups were pooled and differences across the ages examined. From 1 to 18 years, most soft tissue depth measurements increased by less than 3 mm. These results suggest that dividing the data for children into more than two age groups is unlikely to hold many advantages. Data were therefore split into two groups with the division point corresponding to the mid-point of the observed trends and main data density (0-11 and 12-18 years; division point = 11.5 years). Published sub-adult data for seven further studies which reported broader age groups were pooled with the data above to produce the final tallied soft tissue depth tables. These tables hold the advantages of increased sample sizes (pogonion has greater than 1770 individuals for either age group) and increased levels of certainty (as random and opposing systematic errors specific to each independent study should average out when the data are combined).     

Projective risk variables in early adolescence and subsequent disinhibitory psychopathology

The objective was to examine early adolescent projective risk indicators for the development of antisocial behaviour as related to adult personality traits, psychopathy, and violent behaviour over the life span. Assessment data included Rorschach (Rr) ratings (at age 11-14 years), personality inventories (EPQ-I and KSP scales), and a shortened Psychopathy Check List (PCL) (administered at age 32-40 years), obtained from a group of 199 male subjects; and smoking habits (at age 36-44 years) obtained from 125 of those subjects. Results, controlled for intelligence, indicated that the high and very high risk groups, as determined by level of total Rr risk scores, were (1) significantly higher on self-rated IVE Impulsiveness, the anxiety-related KSP Muscular Tension, and nonconformity traits, as compared to the low Rr risk group--the very high risk group also scoring significantly higher on the EPQ Psychoticism scale, related to aggressiveness and cruelty; (2) higher on clinically rated PCL total sum and factor scores; and (3) they were overrepresented among Ss with subsequent violent offence, and Ss with heavy smoking habits. The results are discussed in terms of the possible usefulness of psychodynamic oriented cognitive-emotional indicators in the search for underlying mechanisms in the development of disinhibitory psychopathology.     

Analysis of the First- and Second-Generation Raving Dragon Novelty Bath Salts Containing Methylone and Pentedrone

In recent years, a large number of designer drugs sold as “Bath Salts” have appeared on the market. In July of 2011, Raving Dragon Novelty Bath Salts was obtained over the Internet. This product became unavailable in October of that year coinciding with the DEA issuing a temporarily schedule of mephedrone, methylone, and MDPV. Four months later in February of 2012, a new product was released from the same company under the new name Raving Dragon Voodoo Dust. The contents of both products were identified using spectroscopy methods: nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, UV–visible, tandem mass spectrometry, and high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry. It was determined that Raving Dragon Novelty Bath Salts contained methylone. The replacement product Raving Dragon Voodoo Dust contained the unscheduled drug pentedrone. The Raving Dragon brand of products illustrates the rapid change of ingredients in these products to circumvent laws restricting availability, distribution, and use.     

Institutional Characteristics and Regime Survival: Why Are Semi‐Democracies Less Durable Than Autocracies and Democracies?

Previous studies report that semi‐democratic regimes are less durable than both democracies and autocracies. Still, mixing democratic and autocratic characteristics need not destabilize regimes, as three highly plausible alternative explanations of this correlation remain unaccounted for: (a) semi‐democracies emerge under conditions of political instability and social turmoil; (b) other regime characteristics explain duration; and (c) extant democracy measures do not register all regime changes. We elaborate on and test for these explanations, but find strikingly robust evidence that semi‐democracies are inherently less durable than both democracies and autocracies. “Semi‐democracies are particularly unstable political regimes” should thus be considered a rare stylized fact of comparative politics. The analysis yields several other interesting results. For instance, autocracies and semi‐democracies are equally likely to experience “liberalizing” regime changes more specifically, and once accounting for differences in degree of democracy, there is no robust evidence of differences in duration between military and single‐party regimes.     

Integrated justice: privatizing the fundamentals

Abstract: Growing interest in using automation to link components of the justice system has led four provincial governments to consider private-sector partnerships in which the upfront cost of automation initiatives is borne by a private contractor who is compensated out of a benefit pool of future savings and revenue. Integrated justice systems thus reverse the standard approach to alternative service delivery, since broadly defined development work is privatized while routine implementation remains in public hands. In practice, provinces have abandoned and scaled down their most ambitious projects, although Ontario has begun perhaps the largest project ever undertaken. Sommaire: Face à l'intérêt que présente l'automatisation des liens entre les éléments du système de justice, quatre gouvernements provinciaux ont décidé d'envisager des partenariats avec le secteur privé, l'entrepreneur privé devant défrayer le coût initial des initiatives d'automatisation mais recevant en contrepartie les retombées positives provenant des konomies et des revenus qui en dékouleront. Les systèmes de justice intégrés inversent ainsi la méthode standard de prestation de services, puisqu'on privatise l'effort de mise au point tout en laissant au secteur public le soin de la mise en oeuvre. En réalité, les provinces ont abandonné ou réduit leurs projets les plus ambi-tieux, mais l'Ontario vient de lancer le projet le plus important jamais entrepris.     

The use of eminent domain in land assembly: The case of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Eminent domain gives public agencies the right to acquire property from private individuals in exchange for just compensation. Following Kelo vs. New London 2005, the powers of eminent domain were extended, opening the door for potential abuses of power by government officials. In this paper, I empirically investigate the use of eminent domain using newly digitized records from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which extensively used eminent domain to construct dams in the 1930s. Using a sample of families living in one reservoir location, I find empirical evidence that land tenure, the number of property holdings, and debt levels affected the holdout decision, suggesting that holdouts are individuals with high subjective values. I then develop a screening model with asymmetric information in seller valuations to predict when eminent domain will be used and what settlement values and court awards would be. I test the model’s and find that individuals who held out increased their property value by about 5 %, and incentives to holdout existed only for individuals who received initially low settlement proposals.