Preliminary investigation into the recovery of explosives from hair.

Sampling of hair has proved to be a useful non-invasive method for detecting illicit drugs. This study examined the viability of hair as a surface from which explosive traces can be recovered and showed that as little as one-hour vapour exposure can result in measurable traces of explosives. Contamination of the hair may result from direct contact with explosive particles or from secondary contact by hand. Also the paper demonstrates that hair can concentrate explosive from the ambient vapour of a variety of military explosives. It was found that the amount of TNT picked up by the hair increased with time of vapour exposure. The data also suggested that unwashed hair may pick up more TNT than washed hair.     

By-elections,changing fortunes,uncertainty and the mid-term blues

If voters care about the size of the government's majority, then by-election votes should exaggerate national swings. Moreover, if there is uncertainty about the outcome of the general election and if voters” preferences are skewed in such a way as to give more weight to the “downside” outcome (least favourite party wins) than the “upside” (favoured party wins with a larger than preferred majority), then there will be a systematic tendency for governments to lose by-elections, regardless of any changes in national support. These predictions go beyond those generated by conventional explanations. The theory is successfully tested against data from 383 post-War elections.     

Core Values, the Magistracy, and the Auld Report

In this article I shall first examine the core values underlying criminal justice about which there is some consensus. I then briefly review the current arrangements and decision making processes in magistrates courts in England and Wales before relating the core values to those arrangements and processes. This leads me to certain conclusions about the magistracy that I contrast with Auld's conclusions and recommendations.     

Hungarians and Germans: A literaryHassliebe

Originally presented as a paper at the Biennial Conference on Central and Eastern Europe, University of South Florida, March 30–April 1, 1995.