A charred body inside a burning car with a garden hose connected to the exhaust pipe: Post-mortem self-immolation,a complex or a complicated suicide after the ingestion of alcohol? The importance of an interdisciplinary approach

The analysis of charred bodies represents a serious challenge for forensic pathologists, and an interdisciplinary approach is often the only way to determine the cause and manner of death. We present an unusual case in which the charred body of a 61-year-old man was found inside his burning vehicle. In order to determine cause and manner of death, an interdisciplinary team was employed, with experts in forensic pathology, forensic radiology, toxicology and fire investigations. Post-mortem computed tomography, autopsy and toxicology ruled out the presence of trauma injury and detected signs of vital exposure to fire and blood alcohol levels. On the other hand, according to fire investigations, the fire started inside the car and partially burned fragments of a garden hose were found along the right side of the car. A suicide could therefore be hypothesized, with the man having attempted to poison himself with the car's exhaust fumes and having set the car on fire. The death was consistent with a complicated suicide in which the victim, in a state of reduced capability, accidentally set his car on fire and was unable to escape. The hypothesis of a complex suicide, with the car having been set deliberately on fire, could not, however, be ruled out.     

中国参与国际气候谈判的立场演变

中国参与国际气候谈判的历程是同期中国整体外交的缩影,其立场演变经历了被动却积极参与、谨慎保守参与以及活跃开放参与三个发展阶段,且每个阶段气候谈判立场的演变都有着内在的决定因素。气候外交作为中国整体外交的一部分,深刻反映了中国外交日趋成熟的发展进程。     

从利益攸关方到战略再保证:霸权衰落下的中美关系

近五年来,美国对华政策定位经历了从利益攸关方、中美国、G2到战略再保证的转变,也成为当前国际关系领域研究的热门话题。这种转变与美国霸权衰落紧密相连,是美国为了延续霸权,希望中国继续融入其霸权体系的手段之一。面对复杂多变的国际局势,战略选择成为中国当前必须慎之又慎的问题。历史证明,与霸权国的对抗没有出路,因此中国只能选择合作。机制化的双边协调对话必然是今后中美关系保持良性发展的趋势,也是中国努力的方向,但也必须时刻警惕美国对华战略中的陷阱。     

后美国时代的权力结构变迁与国际制度改革——基于八国集团改革的理论思考

权力结构与制度变革的关系探讨历来是国际问题研究的核心之一。金融危机爆发后,国际权力结构进入一个后美国时代,权力的分散但非匀质化是其显著特征。本文认为,制度改革是权力结构变迁过程中的合理性诉求,结构的变迁会对原有制度框架内的支配国和受益者形成某种改革压力。另一方面,权力结构变迁的长期性决定了制度改革的继承性和包容性。从总体上看,世界权力关系的变迁将会导致国际规则的调整和完善,倾向于制度的不断演化而非完全替代。     

Validation of Spouse Violence Risk Assessment Inventory for Police Purposes

The Spouse Violence Risk Assessment Inventory (SVRA-I) is a new scale developed by the Israeli police to measure the likelihood of male perpetrators repeating violent behavior toward their partners. This article describes the objectives of the inventory, its distinction in comparison to existing inventories, and the process of its development. Our preliminary study demonstrated a reasonable level of inter-rater reliability. Two subsequent studies examined the relationships between clinical assessments and SVRA-I scores, and additional two studies tested the validity of the inventory against criteria of repeated partner abuse. The inventory was found to be a valid and efficient tool for predicting recidivism of intimate partner violence (IPV). In the discussion, we review the limitations of devices aimed at predicting repeated IPV.