Dirty tricks of cross-examination

A mock jury study was conducted to test the hypothesis that perceptions of a witness can be biased by presumptuous cross-examination questions. A total of 105 subjects read a rape trial in which the cross-examiner asked a question that implied something negative about the reputation of either the victim or an expert. Within each condition, the question was met with either a denial, an admission, or an objection from the witness's attorney. Results indicated that although ratings of the victim's credibility were not affected by the presumptuous question, the expert's credibility was significantly diminished—even when the question had elicited a denial or a sustained objection. Conceptual and practical implications of these findings are discussed.This research was supported by funds provided to the first author by the Bronfman Science Center.     

Lingual markings of anterior teeth as seen in human bite marks

A review of the available literature does not reveal a plausible explanation as to why the incisal edges of maxillary anterior teeth do not always mark clearly. Generally, the mandibular incisal edges do mark with some consistency. This paper demonstrates through test bites on skin that the answer lies in the position of the mandible.     

Pete Maravich's incredible heart

Postmortem examination of a former professional basketball player revealed an abnormal heart, most notably a single coronary artery. The literature on single coronary arteries is briefly reviewed, and the possible mechanism which caused the patient's condition is considered. This case is particularly unusual because of the patient's profession, which is so physically demanding.     

Comparison of fingernail striation patterns in identical twins.

The fingernail ridge patterns of a pair of identical twins were compared to each other, their parents, and an unrelated subject. The patterns of the twins' nails showed regions of strong similarity but were distinguishable from one another. Fewer similarities were found when comparing the nails to those of the parents and the unrelated control. The twins were shown to be monozygotic by means of DNA profiling. This therefore represents the first demonstration of unique fingernail ridge patterns in subjects shown conclusively to be identical twins. When the fingernail ridge patterns were examined with a scanning electron microscope, the backscattered electron (BEI) images were found to have superior contrast when compared to the secondary electron (SEI) images.     

Les fonds renouvelables comme outils de gestion dans le secteur public

Sommaire: : Les méthodes de gestion du secteur privé peuvent-elles s'appliquer au secteur public? Certainement pas intégralement, un obstacle majeur tient au systéme budgétaire des gouvernements. Ce systéme en effet ne permet pas à un administrateur de relier les coûts d'une activitéà une forme quelconque de revenus qui y serait associée et de régulariser les dépenses en conséquence. La formule du Fonds renouvelable fait exception. Tout en demeurant intéagré au cadre financier gouvernemental le Fonds renouvelable finance certaines activités à même les revenus qu'elles générent plutôt que par les sources fiscales usuelles. La formule est séduisante mais ne peut s'appliquer avec profit qu'á certaines conditions. Une grille d'analyse en douze points permet de juger de 1'opportunité d'implanter un Fonds renouvelable. Abstract: Can the management methods of the private sector be applied to the public sector? Certainly not as a whole, because a major obstacle is created by the budgetary system of governments. Indeed, this system prevents an administrator from linking the costs of an activity to some form of revenues which would be related to it and from controlling expenses accordingly. The renewable fund formula is an exception. While remaining part of die governmental budgetary framework, the renewable funds finance some activities from the very revenues they generate rather than through the usual fiscal sources. The formula is attractive but can only be applied sucessfully on certain conditions. A twelve-point analysis grid shows whether it is appropriate to set up a renewable fund. Combien de fois a-t-on entendu des cadres du secteur privé reprocher à leurs collégues du secteur public leur manque de rigueur financeére? Bien à l'abri dans leur sécurité d'emploi, coupés des dures réalités du marché, ceux-ci n'auraient qu'un objectif: dépenser la totalité de leur budget avant la fin de l'exercice ou, mieux encore, dépasser le budget autorisé pour en justifier la croissance l'année suivante.     

Reentry and Removal: Implications for Juvenile Confinement Facilities

An important national initiative in juvenile justice is Juvenile Offender Reentry (JOR). The renewed emphasis on offender reintegration has generated significant attention to juvenile justice practices, with the notable exception of juvenile confinement facilities. Juvenile detention and, to a lesser degree, juvenile corrections practitioners are involved but not invested in reentry, having made very few programmatic changes to accommodate JOR initiatives largely because these initiatives have been external to the institution and its staff. Yet, reentry is a powerful concept for juvenile facility practitioners, and the application of reentry principles could have a profound impact on daily operations. This article addresses a range of issues about investing juvenile institutions in reentry practices. Several reentry models are discussed along with their implications for daily operations and programs.     

The extent of aspartic acid racemization in dentin: a possible method for a more accurate determination of age at death?

In the current study the objective was to find to what extent a reliable determination of age at death is made possible by establishing the degree of aspartic acid racemization in the dentin of teeth. The results of the investigation of 46 teeth are in agreement with the values found by other authors. The method presented makes a reproducible and accurate estimation of age possible. We intend to elaborate and improve this promising method for determination of age at death. The relevant points are presented here.