Developing Codes of Conduct: Regulatory Conversations as Means for Detecting Institutional Change

The introduction of a new corporate governance code in Sweden, modeled after prevailing Anglo-Saxon norms of corporate governance, offers the opportunity to investigate global regulatory convergence. Using the metaphor of regulatory space, this article analyzes the positions of the parties who submitted formal responses to the introduction of "The Swedish Code of Corporate Governance—A Proposal from the Code Group." While the globalization of financial markets might forecast unconditional acceptance of the proposed code by business and financial interests, the analysis of who made comments, and what was said, reveals three categorically distinct groups: Swedish business "insiders" connected to the existing institutional framework who opposed changes that would erode traditional division of functions, including collective responsibility for the actions of company boards; "outsiders" (i.e., foreign investors and more marginal Swedish investors) aligned with Anglo-Saxon internationalization of the markets who would change the system of corporate accountability; and the professions (i.e., auditors), who advocated for their professional interests. Of the three groups, Swedish business insiders were most successful in gaining support for their positions. Although international financial and political interests were key to the introduction of the Code in the first place, the article demonstrates how the dynamics of national (local) culture and power structures influence the transfer of regulatory law across jurisdictions.     

Seasonal Cycles in Crime, and Their Variability

Seasonal crime patterns have been a topic of sustained criminological research for more than a century. Results in the area are often conflicting, however, and no firm consensus exists on many points. The current study uses a long time series and a large areal sample to obtain more detailed seasonality estimates than have been available in the past. The findings show that all major crime rates exhibit seasonal behavior, and that most follow similar cycles. The existence of seasonal patterns is not explainable by monthly temperature differences between areas, but seasonality and temperature variations do interact with each other. These findings imply that seasonal fluctuations have both environmental and social components, which can combine to create different patterns from one location to another.     

A Time-Series Analysis of Terrorism: Intervention,Displacement, and Diffusion of Benefits

This paper discusses the perception that displacement in terrorism is inevitable; that antiterrorism efforts merely relocate terrorism in some way. Using quarterly time-series data from the Global Terrorism Database (1994–2013) and the vector autoregression framework, we test the following hypothesis: the target-hardening efforts within the United States (US) after September, 11, 2001 reduce attacks on domestic US targets, but increase attacks on US targets abroad. To provide a more comprehensive test, we also provide dynamic impact factors and variance decompositions. The results of this intervention analysis show no support for displacement, and instead provide support for a diffusion-of benefits hypothesis. We also discuss how criminological and especially crime-prevention knowledge can guide and encompass the study of terrorism.     

The human distribution of some barbiturate sedatives in combination with miscellaneous CNS-active drugs

This paper presents 14 cases in which the distribution of barbiturates and the hydroxylated metabolites in combination with miscellaneous CNS-active drugs was studied. In 7 of these cases the other drug present was methadone, and in the remainder dihydrocodeine, morphine, propoxyphene, amitriptyline, meprobamate, cyclizine and dipipanone, diphenhydramine and methaqualone.Amitrityline, methadone, cyclizine and dipipanone, methaqualone and diphenhydramine appeared to modify the distribution of amylobarbitone and quinalbarbitone. Likewise, the barbiturates seemed to alter the distribution of amitriptyline, propoxyphene and, in one instance, methadone.     

Toxicological investigations of six chlormethiazole-related deaths

This paper presents the toxicological findings for six coroners' autopsy cases where chlormethiazole was contributory to the cause of death. The drug, which was assayed by a gas-chromatographic procedure, was the only drug found in five of the cases.     

REVIEWS

Foreign books

Mit Feldmarschall von der Goltz Pascha in Mesopotamien und Persien. By his late General Staff Officer, Lieutenant‐Colonel Hans v. Kiesling. Leipzig: Dieterich ‘sche, publishers.

L'Islam et les Questions Musulmanes au point de vue Français: Conférence faite au centre des hautes études militaires, le 13 Avril, 1923. Par Général Brémond. Paris: Charles Lavau‐zelle et Cie, Editeurs Militaires.

English books

The Caliphate. By Sir Thomas Arnold, C.I.E., Litt.D. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1924. 108. 6d. net.

Persian Literature in Modern Times. By E. G. Browne. Cambrige University Press. 1924. 35s. net.

Ben Kendim: A Record of Eastern Travel. By Lieut.‐Colonel the Hon. Aubrey Herbert. Edited by Desmond MacCarthy. Illustrated with six maps. London: Hutchinson and Co. 1924. 21s. net.

Anatolica. By Harry Charles Luke. London: Macmillan and Co., 1924. 16s. net.

Trans‐Jordan: Some Impressions. By Mrs. Steuart Erskine. London: Ernest Benn, Ltd. 1924. 12s. net.

Tales from Turkistan. By Stor Lob. London: Wm. Blackwood and Sons. 1924. 6s.

India: A Bird's‐Eye View. By the Earl of Ronaldshay, P.C., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E. Constable and Co., London and Bombay, 1924. Price 18s.

From China to Hkamti Long. By Captain F. Kingdon Ward. Edward Arnold and Co. 1924. 18s. net.

Zanzibar: An Account of its People, Industries, and History. Zanzibar: The Local Committee of the British Empire Exhibition. Paper. Pp. xx + 84.     

The analysis of case-control studies in criminology

Case-control designs, in which subjects are selected conditionally on the value of a dependent variable, are well suited for research in criminology. For many research issues, case-control studies should be preferred over cohort studies because they can provide estimates of the same parameters, with equal standard errors, for less cost. This paper describes the case-control design and some of the problems that arise in interpreting them. An approach to analysis and interpretation that has developed in epidemiology is presented.     

Constructing an index of officially recorded crime: The use of confirmatory factor analysis

Researchers using officially reported crime statistics must frequently combine rates of individual crimes into a single composite. The most popular composite is the FBI Crime Index, which is the sum of the seven Part I crimes; alternatives include forming separate indices for personal and property crimes and weighting the crime categories by their seriousness before summing them. In this paper we construct crime composites through the use of confirmatory factor analysis methods. The results suggest that the measurement assumptions of conventional crime indices are problematic and demonstrate how more satisfactory alternatives can be developed with confirmatory factor analysis techniques.