朝贡体系下古代东亚秩序形成与维系的内在逻辑——批判地借鉴英国学派的分析方法

古代东亚秩序的形成与维系,同历史悠久的朝贡体系有着直接的关系。因此,要有效揭示古代东亚秩序的内在逻辑,应当批判地借鉴以历史主义见长的英国学派的分析方法,探讨朝贡体系的运行机制和内在本质。在古代,中国与朝鲜长时段的朝贡体系实质上是一种由中国主导并以其特有文化为基础、周边诸政权普遍认可和积极参与的特殊国际制度。就中国而言,完全独立的政治体制、自给自足的经济结构、等级制的世界观,使其对外部的需求仅限于其他政权对其至高无上地位的承认及其对相关制度安排的服从。而对周边诸政权来说,只有与实力超强的中国建立朝贡关系,它们才能获得合法性和安全保障,并取得与中国贸易的机会,从而实现生存与发展两大目标。由此可以得出如下结论:在缺乏文化共识的前提下,由地区强国主导,可以促成某种功能性的国际制度,使地区秩序得以维护,并在交往过程中反向促成文化认同。这一结论修正了英国学派关于共有文化与国际制度的关系的观点。     

美韩同盟再定义与韩国的战略选择:进程与争论

本文系统总结了自2002年底以来美韩同盟再定义的磋商过程,以及双方在驻韩美军基地调整、同盟内部军事安全角色分工、同盟的未来战略构想等三大焦点问题上所取得的实质性进展,认为通过区域扩展和内涵扩展的路径选择,美韩同盟再定义已基本实现利益平衡与威胁平衡的双重目标。通过对美韩全球性战略同盟关系的定位与确认,韩国也由此结束了数年来激烈的外交方向辩论,再度确立了中近期亲美的结盟外交路线,然而有关韩国对外战略的争论不会就此终结。     

平衡、融合与引导——试析新世界秩序构建中的中国作用

频繁的世界危机凸显出全球化时代下国际问题不可阻挡的跨国溢出与无序的世界治理秩序之间的深刻矛盾。从能源到气候变化问题,从大规模杀伤性武器的扩散到传染性疾病的防治,从国际金融系统的稳定到跨国宏观经济协调,政治、经济、安全问题复杂交织,世界越来越陷入动荡不安之中。当前处于世界新秩序重构的重要转型时期,中国不断增加的国家实力、声望和影响力赋予其在世界新秩序的构建中举足轻重的地位。本文旨在阐述中国在新秩序构建中的力量平衡、制度融合与理念引导作用。     

Retrograde blood aspiration: a vital reaction

Blood aspiration, which is based on an intact breathing activity, is one of the forensically most important vital reactions. On the example of 11 forensic cases it is shown that the aspiration of blood into the lung tissue is possible not only when the bleeding source is situated above the trachea or main bronchi, but also in a retrograde way, taking its origin from an injury of the peripheral lung tissue itself. Equally to 'classical' blood aspiration, the findings of retrograde blood aspiration are to be diagnosed by means of macroscopical and histological examination of the lung tissue. The lung tissue presents with roundish, reddish spots, which are situated close to, but separate from a lung contusion or other lung tissue injury, and microscopical examination reveals blood in the alveoli and the bronchioli. Retrograde blood aspiration may be a helpful vital sign in the forensic assessment of thorax trauma cases where no other vital reactions are present.     

Charred body: virtual autopsy with multi-slice computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

The correct examination of a charred body is a forensic challenge. Examination, interpretation, and conclusion in respect to identification, vital reactions, toxicological analysis, and determining cause and manner of death are all more difficult than without burns. To evaluate what can be seen in the case of a charred body, we made an examination with the new radiological modalities of cross-section techniques, via multi-slice Computed Tomography (MSCT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), prior to performing the classical forensic autopsy. In a charred body case of a single motor vehicle/fixed object collision with a post crash fire, the radiological methods of MSCT and MRI made it possible to document the injuries caused by burn as well as the forensic relevant vital reactions (air embolism and blood aspiration). In conclusion, we think postmortem imaging is a good forensic visualization tool with a great potential for the forensic documentation and examination of charred bodies.     

Blood-spatter patterns: hands hold clues for the forensic reconstruction of the sequence of events

Biologic and nonbiologic traces on the hands are of particular importance for the forensic reconstruction of shooting incidents; gunpowder residue analysis in particular helps determine whether the gunshot is close range or distant. In crime scene investigation, knowledge about the morphology of bloodstain patterns-including gunshot-related back spatter-has increased since various experimental examinations have been performed in the last years; nowadays, these traces are frequently used for forensic crime scene reconstruction. The goal of this study was to deduce the position and orientation of the hands, and therefore the firearm, according to the bloodstain patterns on the hands of the deceased. For this purpose blood-spatter stains on the hands were examined on site in 5 suicides caused by gunshot. In all cases, forensically relevant conclusions regarding forensic reconstruction were enabled through close examination of the spatter marks. Therefore, in shooting incidents, analysis and documentation of blood-spatter findings on the hands is recommended before hands are tested for gunpowder residue or wrapped for the transport of the body.     

Development and Validation of a Military Integrity Attitude Scale

Few empirical studies have investigated the issue of integrity in the military. This may be due, in part, to the lack of good measurement instruments. This study addressed this problem by developing a military integrity attitude scale (MIAS). Three studies were conducted to develop and validate the MIAS. A large sample size (N?=?2375) was used in an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and the results revealed the stable and good fit of the factor structure, while also demonstrating the scale’s good internal consistency, content validity, criterion-related validity, and discriminant validity. In addition, the MIAS was also shown to be able to effectively distinguish anti-corruption personnel and soldiers in the military; hence, it has good contrast group validity. The implications for future research are also discussed.

     

Practical benzylation of N,N-substituted ethanolamines related to chemical warfare agents for analysis and detection by electron ionization gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

The benzylation of three low molecular weight N,N-disubstituted ethanolamines related to chemical warfare agents (CWAs) to furnish derivatives with improved gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiles is described. Due to their low molecular weight and polar nature, N,N-disubstituted ethanolamines are notoriously difficult to detect by routine GC-MS analyses during Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) proficiency tests (PTs), particularly in scenarios when they are present at low levels (~1–10 ppm) amidst more abundant interferences. Our studies revealed that the optimal derivatization conditions involved the treatment of the ethanolamine with benzyl bromide in the presence of an inorganic base (e.g., Na₂CO₃) in dichloromethane at 55°C for 2 h. This optimized set of conditions was then successfully applied to the derivatization of N,N-dimethylethanolamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine and N,N-diisopropylethanolamine present separately at 1 and 10 μg/mL concentrations in a glycerol-rich matrix sample featured in the 48th OPCW PT. The benzylated derivatives of the three ethanolamines possessed retention times long enough to clear the massive glycerol-containing matrix interferences. The protocol herein is introduced as an alternative method for derivatization of these CWA and pharmaceutically important species and should find broad applicability in laboratories where routine forensic analysis is carried out.     

A statistical approach to aid examiners in the forensic analysis of handwriting

We develop a statistical approach to model handwriting that accommodates all styles of writing (cursive, print, connected print). The goal is to compute a posterior probability of writership of a questioned document given a closed set of candidate writers. Such probabilistic statements can support examiner conclusions and enable a quantitative forensic evaluation of handwritten documents. Writing is treated as a sequence of disjoint graphical structures, which are extracted using an automated and open-source process. The graphs are grouped based on the similarity of their shapes through a K-means clustering template. A person's writing pattern can be characterized by the rate at which graphs are emitted to each cluster. The cluster memberships serve as data for a Bayesian hierarchical model with a mixture component. The rate of mixing between two parameters in the hierarchy indicates writing style.