Identification of common impurities present in the synthetic routes leading to 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA). Part II: Reductive amination and nitropropene route

In this paper the by-products arising during the synthesis of 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA) by LiAlH(4) reduction of 1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-2-nitropropene (nitropropene route) and reductive amination of 4-methylthiophenyl-2-propanone in the presence of NaCNBH(4) are investigated. The identification of 4-methylthio derivatives of N-(β-phenylisopropyl)benzaldimine, 4-methylthio derivative of N-(β-phenylisopropyl)benzyl methyl ketimine, 1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-N-(4-methylthiobenzyl)-2-propanamine, (RS) and (SS/RR)-N,N-di-[β-(4-methylthiophenyl)isopropyl]amine, 4-methylthiobenzyl ether and methylthiobenzoic acid methyl ester as most prominent impurities in crude 4-MTA synthesised by reductive amination of 4-methylthiophenyl-2-propanone, is reported. Methylthio derivatives of 2-methyl-3-phenylaziridine, 2-benzylaziridine, and 4-methylthio derivative of BMK oxime as route-specific markers of nitropropene route leading to 4-MTA, were also characterized. The identity of these compounds was confirmed by their independent synthesis.     

Identification and characterization of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-nitro-β-phenethylamine (2C-N) - A new member of 2C-series of designer drug

The online sale of psychoactive substances, including hallucinogens, is becoming a serious problem in many countries. This paper presents and discusses the mass spectrometric, infrared spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-nitro-β-phenethylamine (2C-N), which was identified in a powder sample seized by the authorities in 2011 in Poland. The molecular mass of 2C-N (226.0954amu) was confirmed in the LC/ESI-QTOFMS experiment. The molecular ion was also observed in the GC-EI/MS spectrum. A characteristic set of ions for the parent substance was found using both chromatographic methods, and when derivatization with trifuluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) was applied. Two broad dominant bands at 1520cm(-1) and 1342/1322cm(-1), observed in the FTIR spectrum of 2C-N, originated from the nitro group. NMR spectroscopy helped unequivocal elucidation of the structure. The applied identification procedure proved to be a powerful tool to determine the structure of a new designer drug.     

Social standards in trade agreements and free trade preferences: An empirical investigation

The Review of International Organizations - Free trade generates macroeconomic gains but also creates winners and losers. Historically, to reconcile this tension, governments compensated...     

Remarks on the Normativity of International Legal Rules and Global Constitutionalism

The article reflects on the possibility of conceptualising the complex problem of the normativity of international legal rules, including in particular the phenomenon of “relative normativity.” The author utilises the critical potential of Ronald Dworkin's proposal for a new philosophy of international law to reflect on the classical accounts explaining normativity of international law. By building on Dworkin's argument, the author argues for a constitutional account of international law. The far‐reaching constitutional proposals may provide a more complex and coherent set of possible rationalisations of international legal rules. International law is in great need of a comprehensive theory that could better explain its normative character as well as its sources, and it is argued that international constitutionalism has the potential to serve this purpose.     

EU–China Regional Policy Dialogue: Unpacking the Mechanisms of an Unlikely Policy Transfer

Abstract

This article investigates EU–China dialogue on regional policy, a puzzling exercise in policy transfer because such policy is by its nature inward-oriented and the intricacies of regional development imply uncertainty about its effects in different contexts. The article sheds light on the reasons of both sides for engaging in this unlikely policy learning effort and identifies its actors and mechanisms. It also critically assesses this process, stressing its one-way nature and the active role of the EU as a ‘policy-sender’, in contrast to most policy transfer literature citing demands by the policy-recipient as the predominant reason to engage in such cooperation.     

“Scandinavia’s best-kept secret.”† Tourism promotion,nation-branding,and identity construction in Estonia (with a free guided tour of Tallinn Airport)

This article surveys the official narrative on representation of Estonian identity and Estonianness through the tourism strategy implemented by Estonia from 2007 to 2015. Gathering material from brochures and documents targeting foreigners produced by the Estonian Institute and “Enterprise Estonia” (EAS) and analyzing the logic behind the interior design of Tallinn Airport, we engage with current debates on identity construction in post-Soviet spaces. In particular, we suggest that along with an established body of literature looking at the role of state actors in the construction of identity, studies should consider the role of nontraditional or non-state actors in identifying and promoting identity markers.     

Penetration Depth of Projectiles Fired from a Replica of Colt Navy of 1851 in 20% Gelatin Blocks Correlated with Fatal Injuries Assessed in an Autopsy of a 78‐Year‐Old Man

Pursuant to the Polish Weapons and Ammunitions Law, muzzle‐loading black powder weapons, manufactured before 1885, or their replicas, as well as suitable projectiles, can be possessed legally without registration and special licenses. The aim of the study was to assess the penetration depth of projectiles fired from a black powder weapon, replica of Colt Navy of 1851, in 20% gelatin blocks and to compare the obtained results with the actual injuries found on autopsy of a 78‐year‐old man who had committed suicide. In the experiments, we used the black powder weapon and ammunitions, as well as gelatin blocks serving as a soft tissue model. We ascertained that solid spherical projectiles fired from black powder weapons cause extensive injuries, especially in the initial segment of the wound canal. Additionally, based on the presence and location of the wad in the wound canal, the distance from which the shot was fired can be determined.     

A cooperative Peru: Is centralisation of cooperatives better for local development?

Research shows that some agricultural cooperatives implement development projects in their local communities. What remains to be explained is why certain cooperatives pursue local development while others do not. Through a comparison of coffee cooperatives in two regions of Peru, this study examines the implications of a regional cooperative for local development. The creation of a regional cooperative leads to a concentration of resources and a decrease in the need and ability of local cooperatives to pursue independent development projects. At the same time, it allows for more equal access to those resources and to the benefits of cooperative-led development projects.     

Should gains from criminal knowledge be forfeited?

Crime, Law and Social Change - Nobody should profit from crime; this fundamental moral principle is uncontroversial. At the level of public declaration, few people are likely to disagree with this...     

Varieties of Good Governance: A Suggestion of Discursive Plurality

The concepts of good governance and also good administration have increased in popularity over recent years. They have found a convincing conceptual niche on a European and global level. This is also visible in scholarly activity; from the early 1990s on, there has been a wave of good governance talk and consequently, research and criticism. In this article the concepts of good governance and good administration are discussed from a discursive standpoint. The main claim is that the concepts are over-inclusive and can signify a plethora of meanings. Consequently, the mechanisms of this indeterminacy are studied; the criteria according to which good governance and administration are defined vary. This is exemplified in the contexts of the EU and the Council of Europe. Accordingly, different “good-nesses” can contradict each other. It is suggested that the different discourses or vocabularies of good governance and good administration form closed systems of meaning which identify only claims which adhere to their own rationality. Furthermore, these different meanings enable different forms of exercising societal power. The approach is inspired by systems theoretical reading of discourses.