Women and sport: A lost ideal

In their analyses of capitalism and patriarchy, socialists and feminists have tended not to view sport as a legitimate area for sustained study. Socialists have often been content to view sport as a peripheral and unimportant feature of a world order dominated by capitalist social relations and economic contradictions, or have viewed sport as essentially a cultural reflection of the material sphere.Similarly, feminists have focussed their attention on the primary loci of work, family and sexuality, thereby unconsciously reinforcing the patriarchal concept of sport as masculine. In this analysis we briefly outline women's involvement in the recent Olympics and assess competing strategies for overcoming women's subordination in the arena of sport.     

Deconstructing Minorities/Majorities in Parliamentary Gulf States (Kuwait and Bahrain)

Abstract

The notion of ‘minority’ has traditionally been understood as an ethnic or religious category based on primary identity markers, and as such only makes sense relative to a broader polity. On closer examination, however, the case of the smaller Gulf states illustrates the constructed nature of the minority/majority dialectic. In these societies, with mixed populations and transnational foundations—, monarchic regimes have historically asserted themselves by promoting some groups over others to secure their loyalty.

This is particularly true in the parliamentary regimes of Kuwait and Bahrain. This article contends that while the ethno-religious understanding of ‘minority’ makes little heuristic sense in these two countries, the minority/majority dialectic is part of a political praxis used to garner support for the regime and by manufacturing ‘minorities’ to evade the principle of majority rule. The article traces the post-2011 responses by the Kuwaiti and Bahraini regimes to the rise of an oppositional majority. For Kuwait, it analyses the emphasis placed on the nation’s unity and the discrediting of the Bedouin’s political claims for Bahrain, it looks at how the authorities stressed the nation’s multicultural character to undermine the representativeness of the dominant Shiite political movement. Both strategies are designed to deflect the threat of power sharing.     

Development and Validation of a Technique for Casting Anatomical Features and Toolmarks

Time may elapse between examination of marks inflicted on the body and comparison with a potential weapon. Two‐dimensional photographs may be inadequate for effective comparison of a three‐dimensional mark with a putative instrument. Taking a cast and producing a positive image results in a lasting three‐dimensional record. This project aimed to develop and demonstrate the accuracy of an easy technique for production of long‐lasting positive images (using plaster of Paris and dental alginate). Casts of facial features of embalmed cadavers were used to produce a positive image of the face (death mask). Measurements of distances between facial anatomical landmarks were compared with measurements of distances between the same landmarks on the death masks to assess accuracy of reproduction. There were no significant differences between cadaver and death mask in 6 of 9 measurements, indicating this technique has high accuracy with less mobile facial features, but produces deformation of pliable features.     

Cross-border public care and adoption proceedings in the European Union

The free movement of persons within the EU has meant that children at risk of harm from family members may be living in a Member State of which they are not a national. The child may be made subject to legal measures under the national law of the host State for the protection of their welfare. This article explores the competence of the EU to protect children in these circumstances, and the scope of the Brussels IIa Regulation in governing jurisdiction over child protection proceedings. It discusses the difference between national child protection systems and the political controversy surrounding English law on adoption following care proceedings issued over a child who is a national of a different Member State. It suggests that further information sharing on national systems and cooperation between courts is necessary for the effectiveness of the law and to encourage understanding of legitimate variation in Member State national family law.     

The ecology of trust among hackers

Malicious hackers profit from the division of labour among highly skilled associates. However, duplicity and betrayal form an intrinsic part of their daily operations. This article examines how a community of hackers uses an automated reputation system to enhance trust among its members. We analyse 449,478 feedbacks collected over 27 months that rate the trustworthiness of 29,985 individuals belonging to the largest computer hacking forum. Only a tiny fraction of the forum membership (2.4%) participates in the vast majority (75%) of ‘trust exchanges’, limiting its utility. We observe a reporting bias where the propensity to report positive outcomes is 2.81 times greater among beginner hackers than among forum administrators. Reputation systems do not protect against trust decay caused here by the rapid expansion of the community. Finally, a qualitative analysis of 25,000 randomly selected feedbacks indicates that a diverse set of behaviours, skills and attitudes trigger assessments of trustworthiness.     

Mere presence of informal guardians deters burglars: a virtual reality study

Journal of Experimental Criminology - This study investigates the deterrent effects of incremental levels of guardianship on residential burglary and assesses how burglars differ from non-burglars...     

Analytical profile of 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA), a new street drug.

The analytical properties for a new street drug, 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA), are presented. This new compound was found in tablets sold on the illicit market in the Netherlands and Switzerland in 1997 and 1998. The intermediate 1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-2-nitropropene was also found in a clandestine laboratory in the Netherlands in January 1997. In this study, reference standards were prepared and characterized. The ultraviolet, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral properties as well as the chromatographic and mass spectrometric (MS) data are reported.     

Drug intelligence based on organic impurities in illicit MA samples

One major objective of the European project "Collaborative Harmonisation of Methods for Profiling of Amphetamine Type Stimulants" (CHAMP), funded by the sixth framework programme of the European Commission, consisted of the harmonisation of a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method for the analysis of organic impurities found in illicit methamphetamine (MA) samples in a drug intelligence perspective. Statistical analysis provided a selection of pertinent variables among the 43 organic impurities identified in the chromatograms. As for the 3,4-MethyleneDioxyMethAmphetamine (MDMA) study, correlation coefficients were used as a discrimination tool between populations of linked samples (from the same seizure) and unlinked samples (from different seizures). It was also shown that correlation measurements based on Pearson and cosine functions applied to the data pre-treated by normalisation to the sum of peak responses followed by the square root provided excellent discrimination between the two populations. The organic impurities profiling method was proved to be relevant for the characterization of samples from different seizures and their synthesis route patterns.     

Fimag: The United Kingdom Disaster Victim/Forensic Identification Imaging System

Abstract:  Imaging is an integral diagnostic tool in mass fatality investigations undertaken traditionally by plain X-rays, fluoroscopy, and dental radiography. However, little attention has been given to appropriate image reporting, secure data transfer and storage particularly in relation to the need to meet stringent judicial requirements. Notwithstanding these limitations, it is the risk associated with the safe handling and investigation of contaminated fatalities which is providing new challenges for mass fatality radiological imaging. Mobile multi-slice computed tomography is an alternative to these traditional modalities as it provides a greater diagnostic yield and an opportunity to address the requirements of the criminal justice system. We present a new national disaster victim/forensic identification imaging system—Fimag—which is applicable for both contaminated and non-contaminated mass fatality imaging and addresses the issues of judicial reporting. We suggest this system opens a new era in radiological diagnostics for mass fatalities.