Neck markings and fractures in suicidal hangings

Over a 10-year period in which both a retrospective and prospective study of suicidal hangings was made, fractures of the thyroid cartilage alone, or the hyoid bone alone, or of both together were noted in 20% of the cases. In the prospective study, an incidence of 46% was found. This contrasts sharply with the incidence of 15% in the retrospective study. This wide discrepancy indicates the need for longer periods of a controlled prospective study by properly trained prosectors. Fractures were found in all age groups above 19 years of age and occurred whether suspension was complete or incomplete, whether the ligature was soft or hard, narrow or wide, and whether decedents did or did not jump from a platform. The higher incidence of fractures occurring among women is unexplained. The presence of reddish or pink bands or linear streaks (with or without superimposed abrasions) along one side of the neck, separated by bands of pale skin, canting upwards towards the back of the neck and revealing the imprint of a folded cloth permits the diagnosis of ante-mortem hanging in the absence of very strong proof to the contrary. As in any type of Medical Examiner's case, a knowledge of the circumstances and investigation of the scene are required before a final determination of the cause and manner of death can be considered.     

The illegal trade in black caviar

The trade in caviar has a rich and colorful history, influenced over thousands of years by many cultures, societies and in the last decades by regulation. The value of caviar is historically discovered in the context of social change, political relationships and environmental change. The role of organized crime is described, as the scarcity of caviar has offered the unique opportunity to fish illegally, smuggle and trade contraband to mainly European countries with millions in profits. This study highlights that these criminal networks manifest themselves at all levels of the trade: from the poaching areas where organized criminal groups cooperate with law enforcers and possess top-notch equipment to major smuggling operations in the hands of sophisticated criminal networks. Although due to overexploitation ‘wild caviar’ is increasingly difficult to obtain, the demand in the context of exclusivity and scarcity remains intact by the upper class society desire for edible gold.     

Is this Paper Dangerous? Balancing Secrecy and Openness in Counterterrorism

We analyze a seemingly simple question: When should government share private information that may be useful to terrorists? Policy makers' answer to this question has typically been “it is dangerous to share information that can potentially help terrorists.” Unfortunately, this incomplete response has motivated a detrimental increase in the amount of information government keeps private or labels “sensitive but unclassified.” We identify two distinct types of private information that are potentially useful to terrorists and identify the range of conditions under which sharing each can enhance counterterrorism efforts. Our results highlight the complex trade-offs policy makers face in deciding how much openness is right in a world where protecting the people from terrorists has become a central duty of government.     

Book reviews

William Pelz, THE SPARTAKUSBUND AND THE GERMAN WORKING CLASS MOVEMENT, 1914–1919. (Lewiston, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1987)

Bogdan Denitch. THE END OF THE COLD WAR: EUROPEAN UNITY, SOCIALISM AND THE SHIFT IN GLOBAL POWER. (Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1990.)

Terry Eagleton, ed., RAYMOND WILLIAMS: A CRITICAL READER (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1989)

Michel de Certeau, THE PRACTICE OF EVERYDAY LIFE (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1988)

Judith Marcus and Zoltan Tarr, eds., GEORG LUKÁCS: THEORY, CULTURE AND POLITICS (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1989).

Ian Shapiro, POLITICAL CRITICISM. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1990), xii; 338pp.     

Evaluation of desorption/ionization mass spectrometric methods in the forensic applications of the analysis of inks on paper.

Fast atom bombardment and laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) provide molecular level information concerning an ink's composition. Two ink-jet printer inks, Ink A containing the cationic dye Methyl Violet 2B, and Ink B containing the anionic dye, Solvent Black, were studied. Both positive and negative ion detection modes of the mass spectrometer were used. LD may be used for the analysis of inks on paper. Once on paper, the ink's solvent system has evaporated, leaving mainly the dyes behind, which are detected using LDMS. An ink fades with time, indicating that the dyes are degrading. Preliminary results from an accelerated aging study of ballpoint pen ink using UV irradiation confirm that dye degradation products are formed. The degradation chemistry follows an oxidative demethylation process for which all products formed are detected using LDMS. Results suggest that LDMS may be developed to determine the relative age of inks.     

Bearing their share of the burden: Europe in Afghanistan

Abstract

This article assesses the relative burden European members of NATO are bearing in the war in Afghanistan. Some argue that the current contribution of European forces is on par with the American contribution. However, current studies do not analyze Europe's ISAF contribution in comparison to some benchmark by which relative burden-sharing can be accurately determined. This article compares Europe's involvement in the war in Afghanistan to past missions, current contributions and in light of the benefits each country is likely to enjoy. The quantitative and qualitative findings show that there is an extensive amount of free-riding occurring both in terms of hard and soft power, although it varies across time and even within NATO Europe. Inadequate forces provided by European NATO countries jeopardize the likelihood of success in Afghanistan.     

Religious Participation and Economic Conservatism

Why do some individuals engage in more religious activity than others? And how does this religious activity influence their economic attitudes? We present a formal model in which individuals derive utility from both secular and religious sources. Our model, which incorporates both demand‐side and supply‐side explanations of religion, is unusual in that it endogenizes both an individual's religious participation and her preferences over economic policy. Using data on over 70 countries from the pooled World Values Survey, we find that religious participation declines with societal development, an individual's ability to produce secular goods, and state regulations on religion, but that it increases with inequality. We also find that religious participation increases economic conservatism among the poor but decreases it among the rich. Our analysis has important insights for the debate about secularization theory and challenges conventional wisdom regarding the relationship between religious participation and economic conservatism.