Visualization of latent fingerprints using fluorescence lifetime imaging on paper emitting strong fluorescence

Latent fingerprints were successfully visualized using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) on paper which emits strong fluorescence with a lifetime close to that of fingerprints and thus from which it is difficult for time-resolved spectroscopy to visualize fingerprints. Latent fingerprint samples on paper were excited using a 450 nm or 532 nm nanosecond pulsed-laser, and time-resolved fluorescence images were obtained at a delay time of 6–16 ns in intervals of 1 ns, to the excitation pulse. The excitation beam was expanded using a lens, and the fluorescence from the fingerprints was captured using an intensified CCD camera. Because of the large fluorescence intensity of the background paper of approximately two to four orders of magnitude larger than that of the fingerprint, the fingerprint was not visualized on each fluorescence image by time-resolved spectroscopy. However, the fingerprint was visualized in a FLIM image constructed using a series of the fluorescence images for the case with the fluorescence intensity of the background paper being four orders of magnitude larger than that of the fingerprint. The difference in fluorescence lifetime in the FLIM image of the visualized fingerprint and background paper was in the order of 0.1 ns, which was an order of magnitude smaller than the inherent fluorescence lifetime of a few nanoseconds for the fingerprints and paper. It was demonstrated that, at a background fluorescence intensity with a certain order of magnitude larger than that of fingerprints, FLIM has the potential to visualize latent fingerprints which cannot be visualized by time-resolved spectroscopy.     

State rules: Oil companies and armed conflict in Sudan

The strategic behaviour of international oil companies in war-torn Sudan was overwhelmingly driven by political pressure from governments. After almost 20 years of operating in Sudan, the US giant Chevron was pushed to withdraw as a result of deteriorating relations between Washington and Khartoum. The Canadian flagship oil company, Talisman, which helped kick-start oil development after Chevron's exit also fell victim to Washington's ire. On the other hand, the European junior oil companies, Lundin and omv, protected by the European Union's political standpoint of ‘constructive engagement’ in Sudan, were free to profit. Finally, the eastern parastatals, led by a surging China, eager to capture international energy resources to fuel their budding economies and supported by the plural relationships fostered between their respective governments and the ruling, riverine elite in Khartoum, tactfully established a dominating presence. While fervent international human rights advocacy alone seemingly drove susceptible Western firms out of Sudan, the real power behind corporate movements came from the rules dictated by states.     

Party Size and Portfolio Payoffs: The Proportional Allocation of Ministerial Posts in Coalition Governments

Over 30 years ago, Eric Browne and Mark Franklin demonstrated that parties in a coalition tend to receive portfolio payoffs in almost perfect proportionality to their seat share. Even though this result has been confirmed in several studies, few researchers have asked what the underlying mechanism is that explains why parties receive a proportional payoff. The aim of this paper is to investigate the causal mechanism linking party size and portfolio payoffs. To fulfil this aim, a small-n analysis is performed. By analysing the predictions from a statistical analysis of all post-war coalition governments in 14 Western European countries, two predicted cases are selected, the coalitions that formed after the 1976 Swedish election and the 1994 German election. In these case studies two hypotheses are evaluated: that the proportional distribution of ministerial posts is the result of a social norm, and that parties obtain payoffs according to their bargaining strength. The results give no support to the social norm hypothesis. Instead, it is suggested that proportionality serves as a bargaining convention for the actors involved, thus rendering proportional payoffs more likely.     

The Electoral Connection and Legislative Committees

This article examines whether the career needs of legislators – to be re-elected or to move on to another political post – allow us to explain the rules governing committee structures and the committee assignments individual legislators obtain. It uses the institutional variations provided by Argentina, Costa Rica, and Venezuela to test hypotheses about committee assignments and committee assignment mechanisms. It finds that incentives created by candidate selection procedures and electoral rules show some relationship to committee assignments, but with a good deal of variation across national cases and individual careers.     

Valence politics and electoral choice in a new democracy: The case of Taiwan

After two peaceful alternations of political power in a single decade, Taiwan is a democratic success story, demonstrating levels of party competition, turnout rates and patterns of civic engagement similar to those in mature Western democracies. What factors drive electoral choice in Taiwan's new democracy? This paper addresses this question by testing rival models of voting behavior using the Taiwan Elections and Democratization Study (TEDS) 2008 presidential election survey data and the 2010 mayoral election survey data. Analyses show that, similar to their counterparts in mature democracies, Taiwanese voters place more emphasis on the performance of political parties and their leaders in delivering policies designed to address valence issues concerning broadly shared policy goals than on position issues or more general ideological stances that divide the electorate. Findings demonstrating the strength of the valence politics model of electoral choice in Taiwan closely resemble the results of analyses of competing models of voting behavior in Western countries such as Great Britain and the United States.     

金融危机背景下民间资本投资的问题与对策——基于杭州市的实证研究

民间资本作为一支重要的投资力量，为推动整个经济社会的发展，正起着不可替代的重要作用。浙江民间资本相当充裕，在一般竞争性领域处于优势地位。但受世界经济不景气影响，浙江尤其是杭州民间投资增速放慢等问题日益凸显，行业垄断等众多因素正制约着民间资本的投资需求，因此要通过进一步扩大投资领域、推进金融创新、拓宽投资渠道、参与政府性项目、加强引导民间资本进入新的经济增长点等途径，促使民间资本投资增长。     

以科学发展观为指导促进福建农业可持续发展

以科学发展观为指导,实现农业的可持续发展,对福建省社会主义新农村建设至关重要。面对农业自然资源短缺、农业生态环境严重恶化、农业投入严重不足和农业生产技术落后等问题,必须通过健全农业科技体系,实行农地制度创新,改善农业生产条件及生态环境,搞好农村人力资源开发,完善农业投融资体制等措施,实现福建农业的可持续发展。     

论跨世纪青年教师应具备的素质

教师是实施素质教育的主体 ,教师素质直接关系到素质教育的全面推进。青年教师是素质教育的中坚力量 ,是中国教育发展的未来 ,加强对他们素质的培养是一个非常迫切的问题。面对新世纪的挑战和科教兴国战略 ,本文就青年教师应具备的素质与培养提出了一些看法。     

论防治职务犯罪的权力运行制度

为防治职务犯罪,应及时完善对权力运行进行制约的权力运行制度。权力运行制度包括权力运行规范、公职人员行为规 范和公职人员职务违法犯罪行为责任制度。完善权力运行制度,要求加强权力运行的技术性规范建设,建立和完善各种具体的权力运 行规范,健全公职人员行为规范,并完善职务违法犯罪行为责任制度。     

公安院校图书馆在信息素质教育中的作用

信息素质教育是素质教育的重要组成部分 ,公安院校在进行素质教育中要加强对学员的信息素质的教育。为此 ,应采取有效措施 ,充分发挥公安院校图书馆在信息素质教育中的重要作用