Forensic evaluation of occupational marks in establishing identity—A case report

The livings have responsibilities for the dead; and in particular, civilized societies recognize the need for identity both during life and at death, particularly in circumstances when an unknown body is summoned for medico-legal autopsy. There are numerous tools for identification of an unknown body which includes visual identification, fingerprints, medical prostheses, odontological techniques, DNA fingerprints and to include in the list is the occupational marks over the body sustained during the course of his or her profession. The medico-legal investigators should possess comprehensive knowledge of such occupational marks, which aid in identification. We are highlighting a case of rare entity, where a forensic evaluation of occupational marks was done to establish the identity of an unknown elderly male, who committed suicide by ligature hanging.     

Transformationstheorie auf neuen Pfaden?

The article explores the theoretical debates on postcommunist transformations since 1998 with a focus on substantial reorientations and innovations. After identifying important novel or discursively strengthened approaches, three of them are presented and critically discussed in more detail: the post-communism approach, the steering or governance approach, and the Europeanization approach. The examination leads to the result that, indeed, a ??second generation?? has emerged. It has largely overcome universalistic assumptions and gained explanatory power by more complex theoretical architectures as well as systematic time-space-embeddings or contextualizations. The new generation also demonstrates an intensive exchange with the field of general theories of social change. A final consideration makes the case for interdisciplinary and general theories of societal transformations as a necessary step in the advancement of the theoretical debate.     

Damned if They Flee,Doomed if They Don’t: Narratives of Runaway Adolescent Females from Rural India

Within the cultural context of rural India that emphasizes familial roles for women, this qualitative study explored the experiences of adolescent females who run away from their family homes. Ten adolescent females from rural areas or small towns of Gujarat, India were individually interviewed while they temporarily resided in an institution, along with six members of the institution staff. Throughout childhood, participants described experiencing differential attention and care to domestic violence and abuse within their families. In the context of this life-long mistreatment, the immediate trigger for the decision to flee was family disapproval of the romantic partners that adolescent females had chosen for themselves. Each of the females eloped with the male romantic partner, which led to severe opposition from their families, including explicit threats of endangering their or their partners’ lives, in turn, destroying the promise of a better life that the girls likely sought through escape. Prevention and intervention approaches are needed that promote community change and provide adaptive options for adolescent girls in distress.     

Evaluating Simulant Materials for Understanding Cranial Backspatter from a Ballistic Projectile

In cranial wounds resulting from a gunshot, the study of backspatter patterns can provide information about the actual incidents by linking material to surrounding objects. This study investigates the physics of backspatter from a high‐speed projectile impact and evaluates a range of simulant materials using impact tests. Next, we evaluate a mesh‐free method called smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) to model the splashing mechanism during backspatter. The study has shown that a projectile impact causes fragmentation at the impact site, while transferring momentum to fragmented particles. The particles travel along the path of least resistance, leading to partial material movement in the reverse direction of the projectile motion causing backspatter. Medium‐density fiberboard is a better simulant for a human skull than polycarbonate, and lorica leather is a better simulant for a human skin than natural rubber. SPH is an effective numerical method for modeling the high‐speed impact fracture and fragmentations.     

Regulating Australia's lobbyists: coming full circle to promote democracy?

• This paper initially examines the history and evolution of lobbying regulations in Australia at both the federal and state levels. This examination is conducted in a comparative context, setting the codes of conduct in place in various Australian jurisdictions against each other, as well as against the lobbying regulations in place in other countries around the world. Based upon this approach, the regulations in each Australian jurisdiction are classified according to their characteristics, providing insights into their commonalities and differences. Thereafter, we examine the attitudes of Australian politicians, administrators and lobbyists, at both the federal and state levels, towards the regulations they have to abide by.

Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.