Impairment of performance by alcohol and diazepam (author's transl)]

An investigation was carried out on the effect of the intake of diazepam and alcohol on simple performance tests. The combined administration of diazepam and alcohol led to an increase of the plasma diazepam concentration as compared to that obtained after diazepam without alcohol. Furthermore, after combined intake of diazepam and alcohol a decrease of performance was observed, that was significantly higher, than the effects obtained after either alcohol or diazepam alone. This impairment was especially noticeable duirng the first hour of the experiment, i.e. until the plateau of the diazepam plasma concentration was reached, while afterwards a correlation between diazepam plasma concentration and impairment of performance could not be established. The relevance of these findings for the interpretation of diazepam plasma concentrations in relation to the impairment of performance are discussed.     

Forensic age diagnostics of living people undergoing criminal proceedings

In the German-speaking area, recent years have seen a rapid growth of the need for forensic age estimations. Such need arises, for example, if no verified information on the age of a person suspected of a criminal offence is available; the issue at question in terms of criminal law is whether the person concerned has reached the age of criminal responsibility and whether general criminal law in force for adults is to be applied. The relevant age tresholds in criminal proceedings are 14, 18 and 21 years of age. According to recommendations of the Study Group on Forensic Age Diagnostics, a forensic age estimate should consist of a physical examination, an X-ray of the hand, and a dental examination which records dentition status and evaluates an orthopantomogram. In addition, a radiological or CT examination of the clavicles is recommended to establish whether a person has attained 21 years of age. The present article addresses the influence of ethnic origin on the examined developmental systems.     

Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in a population sample from continental Greece, and the islands of Crete and Chios

Eight Y chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms (DYS19, DYS385, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, and DYS393) were analyzed in the sample of 117 unrelated Albanian males living in Kosovo. A general STR allelic frequency pattern in the Albanian population from Kosovo corresponds to other European populations. Fourty six haplotypes were observed in single copy. The most frequent haplotypes were (DYS19-DYS385-DYS389I-DYS389II-DYS390-DYS391-DYS392-DYS393) 14-11/11-13-29-24-11-13-13 (10.26%), 14-14/17-12-28-24-10-11-12 (9.40%), 13-16/18-13-30-24-10-11-13 (9.40%), and 14-17/17-13-31-24-10-11-13 (9.40%).     

Social sciences and the evolving concept of corruption

The term corruptio appears in many languages, but behind it lie several contrasting strands of thought and language. Current political usages of corruptio--emphasizing bribery, which in turn is just one of several families of ideas to which the term has variously been attached--date from the late 18th or early 19th century, have been strongly influenced by Anglo-Saxon legal thought, and may be traced to Roman roots. But French lexicographers developed a richer and more diverse vocabulary to encompass the crimes of civil servants and judges in addition to those of the people who sought to influence them. Religion, and in particular offices within the Church, also strongly influenced the ideas and vocabulary of corruption. Ultimately, corruptio can be said to have Biblical origins and a core meaning centered around injustice. The complexity and richness of the idea of corruption, as viewed from that perspective, in often lost in the narrower and more technical usages that dominate contemporary debate and analysis.