Who corrupts whom? A criminal eco-system made in Italy

This research note focuses on the relationship between organised crime and corruption in Italy. It is part of a wider research project investigating that relationship across a number of European countries. In the first part of this contribution, along with a brief account of definitional issues, a summary review of previous work on the connections between organised crime and corruption is provided. The paper then attempts to delineate the uniqueness of the Italian case through some observations around the specific contours of organised and corrupt exchange in the country as they manifest themselves. After a brief methodological note, the analysis is interspersed with the opinions of key informants contacted for this research who have profound knowledge of the subject matter, having worked for many years as investigating judges or academic researchers. A division into areas in which the links between organised crime and corruption are observed tries to map the two phenomena and their joint modus operandi.     

Landschaftszerschneidung und Wiedervernetzung Instrumente und Konzepte zum Schutz der Biodiversit?t vor zerschneidungsbedingten Beeintr?chtigungen durch Bundesverkehrswege

Die Zerschneidung und Verinselung der Landschaft durch Infrastrukturanlagen wie Stra?en und Bahnlinien ist neben der direkten Zerst?rung und mechanischen Sch?digung des Lebensraumes eine der Hauptursachen für den Arten- und Lebensraumschwund. Die Bundesregierung hat sich deshalb in ihrer Biodiversit?tsstrategie zum Ziel gesetzt, bis zum Jahr 2020 die ?kologische Durchl?ssigkeit von zerschnittenen R?umen und bestehender Infrastruktur zu erreichen. Sie erarbeitet dafür derzeit ein Bundesprogramm zur Wiedervernetzung. Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die M?glichkeiten zur Berücksichtigung der Landschaftszerschneidung in der Bundesverkehrswegeplanung sowie die Konzipierung von Wiedervernetzungsma?nahmen aus rechtlicher und planerischer Sicht.     

Health insurance issuers implementing medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Interim final rule with request for comments

This document contains the interim final regulation implementing medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements for health insurance issuers under the Public Health Service Act, as added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act).     

Mainstreaming the Sex Industry: Economic Inclusion and Social Ambivalence

This paper seeks to analyse the expansion of commercial sex through processes of mainstreaming in economic and social institutions. We argue that cultural changes and neo-liberal policies and attitudes have enabled economic mainstreaming, whilst social ambivalence continues to provide the backdrop to a prolific and profitable global industry. We chart the advancement of sexual consumption and sexual service provision in late capitalism before defining the concept of 'mainstreaming' applied here. We use the case studies of Las Vegas and Leeds to identify various social and economic dimensions to the mainstreaming process and the ways these play out in law and regulation. While social and economic processes have integrated sexual services into night-time commerce, remaining social ambivalence fuels transgression and marginalization of the industry which in fact assists the mainstreaming process. Finally, we project some implications for gender relations, work, and inequalities as a result of the integration of sexual services into the economy.     

重庆市“打黑除恶”公众认同调研报告

重庆市“打黑除恶”专项斗争格外受人关注。从调研所反映的数据来看,公众高度支持本次“打黑除恶”行动,关注重点主要是政府“打黑”的决心。民众希望“打黑除恶”行动能深入彻底并长期坚持,同时政府必须加强“打黑”工作的组织领导,发挥群众在“打黑”中的积极作用,加强舆论宣传和引导工作,坚持“打黑”与反腐同时进行的策略,强化依法“打黑”的观念。而在构建防止黑恶势力滋生蔓延的机制方面,政府应该创造更多的就业机会,缩小城乡差异,堵住黑社会性质组织犯罪成员的来源;规范市场秩序并加强对官员的监督和教育。     

简论不定期刑制度

<正> 不定期刑制度最早出现于十九世纪中叶的德国。一八七六年美国纽约州通过的《教养院法》是美国采用不定期刑制度的最早的法律,之后,它逐渐被其它各州的法律所采用。不定期刑制度的特征,是法官在判决时,只作罪名的宣告,而剥夺罪犯自由的刑期则由行刑部门在行刑过程中视罪犯接受矫正的实际表现和效果来确定。不定期刑分为绝对不定期刑和相对不定期刑,前者是在宣告刑中完全不规定服刑期限,后者则是在宣告刑中只规定刑期的上限或者只规定刑期的下限。目前,大多数实行不定期刑制度的国家已取消了绝对不定期刑,而趋     

A Fatal Mediastinitis Due to a Neck Trauma from an Undeclared Assault

History of neck trauma should be promptly investigated in patients with severe infections of the chest as mediastinitis. We present a forensic case of a death due to a mediastinitis in a patient with an undetected fracture of the superior horn of the thyroid cartilage that was exclusively revealed at autopsy examination. Histological analyses of the neck tissues showed signs of pharyngeal mucosal microperforation caused by the fracture and surrounded by an inflammatory reaction. The fracture was caused by a not declared manual strangulation attempt, happened several days before medical evaluations. We share our experience to emphasize the importance of revealing the etiologies of fatal infections of the mediastinum both for clinical and forensic purposes.     

Female student athletes’ perceptions of acceptability and the occurrence of sexual-related behaviour by their coaches in India

The current study assessed the perceptions of acceptable sexual behaviour of coaches and the occurrence of sexual harassment among female student in India. A sample of 180 Indian female student-athletes at intercollegiate and inter-university levels with male coaches participated in this study. A questionnaire on sport-specific Touch and Behaviour versus Unwanted Intimacy from coaches (Vanden Auweele et al., 2008), consisting of 41 items on a 5-point rating scale was used. The participants were asked to indicate the acceptability of specific coaching behaviour as well as the occurrence of the behaviour represented in each item. The acceptability of the behaviour was determined by means and standard deviations, while the occurrence was determined by frequencies. Factor analysis was performed to determine the structure of the coaches’ behaviour and athletes’ acceptability thereof, which yielded four factors. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the extracted items on each factor. Two factors, namely, unwanted sexual behaviour and inappropriate verbal and physical sexual behaviour, were regarded by athletes as very serious and unacceptable coach behaviour, while a third factor represented context-dependent suspicious behaviour (a grey area in which athletes differ in their opinion) and was perceived to be serious and unacceptable. A fourth factor represented acceptable behaviour. The occurrence of very serious and unacceptable behaviour was reported by 31% of the female athletes.