Formalizing China��s armed police: the 2009 PAP Law

While the People??s Armed Police (PAP) has existed in China for over 26 years, the force??s operations, powers and duties have never been formally stipulated. On August 27, 2009, the People??s Armed Police Law was passed by the National People??s Congress. The PAP Law, which contains seven chapters and 38 articles, covers the main areas of the tasks and responsibility, duties and power, safeguard measures, discipline and supervision, and legal responsibilities of the force. The implementation of the PAP Law represents a benchmark development in the history of the Chinese policing. It not only signals official recognition of the need to enhance the legitimacy of China??s social control apparatus, but also maps onto a larger developing trend of progressive legalization of Chinese order today. Although the law provides a legal basis for the existence and functions of a force that plays a critical role in China??s security and stability today, some issues about the boundaries of power and procedures of operation for the PAP remain unaddressed. To what extent that this law will improve the legitimacy and subsequently strengthen the performance of the PAP force is an open question.     

Rapid analysis of caffeine in "smart drugs" and "energy drinks" by microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC)

A novel method based on microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) with diode array detection (DAD) for rapid determination of caffeine in commercial and clandestine stimulants, known as "energy drinks" and "smart drugs", is described. Separations were carried out in 50 cm × 50 μm (ID) uncoated fused silica capillaries. The optimized buffer electrolyte was composed of 8.85 mM sodium tetraborate pH 9.5, SDS 3.3% (w/v), n-hexane 1.5% (v/v) and 1-butanol 6.6% (v/v). Separations were performed at a voltage of 20 kV. Sample injection conditions were 0.5 psi, 3 s. Diprofilline was used as internal standard. The determination of the analytes was based on the UV signal recorded at 275 nm, corresponding to the maximum wavelength of absorbance of caffeine, whereas peak identification and purity check was performed on the basis of the acquisition of UV radiation between 200 and 400 nm wavelengths. Under the described conditions, the separation of the compounds was achieved in 6 min without any interference from the matrix. Linearity was assessed within a caffeine concentration range from 5 to 100 μg/mL. The intra-day and inter-day precision values were below 0.37% for migration times and below 9.86% for peak areas. The present MEEKC method was successfully applied to the direct determination of caffeine in smart drugs and energy drinks.     

Accuracy of four dental age estimation methodologies in Brazilian and Croatian children

ObjectiveTo compare and analyse the accuracy of four age estimation methods using the mineralisation stages of the permanent teeth (Cameriere et al. [16] [CAM], Liliequist and Lundberg [LLH] and Nolla without third molars [NOL7] or with them [NOL8]) in a mixed population of Brazilians and a homogeneous population of Croatians.MethodsOrthopantomograms of 930 Brazilians (366 males and 564 females) and 924 Croatians (365 males and 556 females) aged between 8 and 14.99 years were analysed using the CAM, LLH, NOL7 and NOL8 age estimation methodologies.ResultsLLH presented the best absolute differences (ADs) among both populations without sex stratification, while CAM presented the worst results. In addition, the mean differences revealed underestimations, except when the LLH and NOL7 methods were used for the Brazilians. When the sample was stratified by sex, the best AD values were found with NOL7 (0.80) for the Brazilians and with LLH (0.98) for the Croatians. When the sample was stratified by sex and age, CAM presented high accuracy at the early ages, and LLH presented high accuracy at the older ages. The results obtained with the Nolla methods (NOL7 and NOL8) were mostly similar, but NOL7 yielded slightly better results.ConclusionsThe values for the Brazilians and the Croatians were relatively similar, and the techniques were properly applied in both population samples. The best method for evaluating both countries was LLH, followed by NOL7, NOL8 and CAM.     

Do Work-Family Conflict and Resiliency Mediate Police Stress and Burnout: a Study of State Police Officers

Occupational stress and burnout have long been recognized as common hazards among police officers. The present study examines whether demographic characteristics and assignment affect police officers’ work-family conflict (WFC), resiliency, stress and burnout, and whether WFC and resiliency mediate the stress and burnout of police officers. The data were collected from a Mid-Atlantic state police agency in the United States of America through a web-based survey. Regression results revealed that minority officers tended to have lower levels of WFC and burnout and better educated officers reported lower degrees of WFC and stress. WFC was positively related to stress and burnout, while resilience was inversely linked to stress and burnout. The effects of race and education disappeared when WFC and resiliency entered the regression, suggesting that their impact was largely mediated by WFC and resiliency. Lastly, stress was found to be positively associated with burnout. Implications for research and policy are discussed.     

Book reviews

Volodymyr Kubijovy? (ed.), Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopaedia. Prepared by Shevchenko Scientific Society. Foreword by Ernest J. Simmons. Volume II. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1971. xliii + 1394 pp.

Ellendea Proffer (ed.), The Early Plays of Mikhail Bulgakov. Translated by Carl R. Proffer and Ellendea Proffer. Bloomington and London: Indiana UP, 1972. xxvii + 418 pp. $10.00. £4.75.

Ellendea Proffer and Carl R. Proffer (eds.), Mikhail Bulgakov: Diaboliad and Other Stories. Translated by Carl R. Proffer. Bloomington and London: Indiana UP, 1972. xx + 236 pp. $5.95. £2.85.

Philip Hanson, The Development of Advertising in Eastern Europe. London: The Advertising Association [1973]. (Research Studies in Advertising No. 7.) 140 pp. £1.75 (paperback).

Josef Breburda (ed.), Landwirtschaftliche Probleme der Ukraine. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1971. 235 pp.

Werner G. Hahn, The Politics of Soviet Agriculture, 1960–1970. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins UP, 1972. xix + 311 pp. £5.65.

Gayle Durham Hollander, Soviet Political Indoctrination. Developments in Mass Media and Propaganda Since Stalin. New York: Praeger Publishers and London: Pall Mall Press, 1972. (Praeger Special Studies in International Politics and Public Affairs.) xviii + 244 pp. £6.25.

Zvi Y. Gitelman, Jewish Nationality and Soviet Politics. The Jewish Sections of the CPSU, 1917–1930. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton UP, 1972, and London: OUP, 1973. xii + 573 pp. $20.00. £10.00.

Michael Waller, The Language of Communism. A Commentary. London: The Bodley Head, 1972. 183 pp. £2.00.

Joseph S. Berliner, Economy, Society and Welfare: A Study in Social Economics. New York: Praeger Publishers and London: Pall Mall Press, 1972. xvii + 196 pp. £5.75.

James R. Millar (ed.), The Soviet Rural Community. A Symposium. Urbana and London: University of Illinois Press, 1971. xv + 420 pp. $12.50. £6.00.

J. Wilczynski, Profit, Risk and Incentives under Socialist Economic Planning. London: Macmillan, 1973. viii + 232 pp. £5.50.

E. L. Johnson, An Introduction to the Soviet Legal System. London: Methuen, 1972. viii + 243 pp. £1.60 (paperback).

Roy D. Laird, The Soviet Paradigm. An Experiment in Creating a Mono‐hierarchical Polity. New York: The Free Press and London: Collier‐Macmillan Publishers, 1971. xxviii + 272 pp. £4.00.

George R. Feiwel, Industrialization and Planning under Polish Socialism. Vol. I—Poland's Industrialization Policy: A Current Analysis. Sources of Economic Growth and Retrogression. Vol. II—Problems in Polish Economic Planning. Continuity, Change, and Prospects. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1971 and London: Pall Mall Press, 1972. (Praeger Special Studies in International Economics and Development.) xxv + 748 pp. and xvii + 454 pp. £10.50 and £8.50.

Dorothy W. Douglas, Transitional Economic Systems: The Polish‐Czech Example. Introduction by Lynn Turgeon, New York and London: Monthly Review Press, 1972. xxxii + 375 pp. £4.90.

David McLellan, The Thought of Karl Marx. An Introduction. London: Macmillan, 1971. ix + 237 pp. £3.50. £1.50 (paperback).

Daniel Tarschys, Beyond the State. The Future Polity in Classical and Soviet Marxism. Stockholm: Scandinavian University Books, 1971. 261 pp. (paperback).     

Police officers’ attitudes toward their role and work: A comparison of black and white officers

This study tests whether Black and White police officers differ in job-related attitudes. The analyses focus on officers’ attitudes toward police role, selective enforcement, legal restrictions, and departmental problem-solving efforts. Survey data were collected from the Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) during the summer of 1996. Findings show that compared to White officers, Black officers tend to have a broad role orientation, be less selective, and have positive attitudes toward legal restrictions. Implications for future research and policy are also discussed.