GrinLine Identification Using Digital Imaging and Adobe Photoshop*

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to outline a method by which an antemortem photograph of a victim can be critically compared with a postmortem photograph in an effort to facilitate the identification process. Ten subjects, between 27 and 55 years old provided historical pictures of themselves exhibiting a broad smile showing anterior teeth to some extent (a grin). These photos were termed “antemortem” for the purpose of the study. A digital camera was used to take a current photo of each subject’s grin. These photos represented the “postmortem” images. A single subject’s “postmortem” photo set was randomly selected to be the “unknown victim.” These combined data of the unknown and the 10 antemortem subjects were digitally stored and, using Adobe Photoshop software, the images were sized and oriented for comparative analysis. The goal was to devise a technique that could facilitate the accurate determination of which “antemortem” subject was the “unknown.” The generation of antemortem digital overlays of the teeth visible in a grin and the comparison of those overlays to the images of the postmortem dentition is the foundation of the technique. The comparisons made using the GrinLine Identification Technique may assist medical examiners and coroners in making identifications or exclusions.     

俄罗斯林业综合体的结构改造

1996年,俄联邦总统批准了《远东与后贝加尔地区经济与社会发展联邦专项纲要》,该纲要的实施期限到2005年,然而该纲要在1996—2000年的实施阶段,联邦预算仅到位6%,地区预算到位为17%。在此期间,全俄及国内各地区的社会经济状况均发生了很大变化。根据俄联邦总统的委托制定了纲要的修正案。本文对其子纲要林业综合体的修正案从改革方法及内容等方面加以陈述。在远东与后贝加尔地区,除了楚科奇自治区和马加丹州以外,其他各联邦主体的森林资源几乎都超过各自的需求(见下表),因而这些地区的林业综合体成为经济发展的主要部门,不仅可以保证各…     

Absolute Pollution: Exclusion Update

This article reviews court decisions from 2001 and 2002 discussing the absolute pollution exclusion in the context of property damage, bodily injury claims, and other types of harm. In recent cases, courts have consistently found the absolute pollution exclusion to be clear and unambiguous, excluding coverage for “environmental” and other types of property damage claims. However, there is a split of authority and inconsistency in how courts analyze and interpret the absolute pollution exclusion when bodily injury claims are at issue. The analysis and court rulings are often determined by the specific policy language as applied to the facts in the cases.     

An economic assessment of the social costs of highway salting and the efficiency of substituting a new deicing material

The use of salt for deicing roads results in costs estimated at more than $800 per ton—including the costs of repair and maintenance of roads and bridges, vehicle corrosion costs, and loss of aesthetic value through roadside tree damage. Additionally, there are probable health costs related to elevated sodium levels in drinking water. The new Surface Transportation Act of 1991 appears to replace the previous federal funding policy that was biased against the use of calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) with a new subsidy for its purchase that may lead to inefficient overuse.     

An Econometric Analysis of the Role of Knowledge in Economic Performance

We conduct a regression analysis of the effects of knowledge on aggregate economic performance using data from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Bank for four groups of countries during 1995–2001. Our results indicate that knowledge is a key driver of economic growth for each group of countries. More importantly, we find that variation in economic performance among these groups may be related to the timing of investment in education, R&D, and information technology, as well as economic policies that affect trade and foreign direct investment.