It’s a Group Thing: How Voters go to the Polls Together

Political Behavior - Across European Parliament, local and general elections in Denmark between half and three quarters of voters in households with multiple voters cast their vote within a minute...     

The Effect of Time and Temperature on the Persistence and Quality of Latent Fingerprints Recovered from 60-Watt Incandescent Light Bulbs

To understand how time and temperature could affect latent fingerprints, wooden pallets were used to construct five units that each housed ten 60-watt incandescent light bulbs. Fingerprints were deposited on the top, middle, and base of the globes. The bulbs were powered on (except the control bulb in each unit) for 18, 48, 72, 120, 168, 336, 504, and 672 h. Fingerprints recovered from the bulbs by tape lift after black powder processing were given a quality score. A thermal imaging camera determined temperatures on three areas of the bulbs. Fingerprints on the top of the globe (156.3°C) had the lowest quality score, and fingerprints on the middle of the globe (112.6°C) had the highest quality score. The mean quality scores of the three temperature classes were within one standard deviation of one another, meaning there is no way to estimate fingerprint age based on its quality after heat exposure.     

Mobilisation or Marginalisation? Neighbourhood Effects on Muslim Electoral Registration in Britain in 2001

Competing theories of political participation predict varying levels of engagement among minority groups according to the composition of the locality. For example, some previous research has shown that electoral turnout among minority groups tends to be higher in areas where those groups are concentrated. However, there has been little or no similar evidence pertaining to electoral registration. Using data from the 2001 general election in England and Wales we find that Muslim registration levels are higher in predominantly Muslim areas, giving credence to the argument that minority electors are mobilised through social connectedness and community networks, rather than marginalised through deprivation and segregation.     

DNA Purification Cell Lysis and Wash Step Modifications for Low-Template DNA Sample Processing,

As DNA technology becomes increasingly sensitive, forensic laboratories are receiving more low-template DNA samples. These samples, already low in DNA content, become even more challenging to process as the available DNA becomes further reduced during the extraction step. In this study, two extraction modifications were tested to determine if the cause of DNA loss could be identified and mitigated. A double lysis technique was used to test for DNA loss in the sample collection substrate, and lysate eluates were re-extracted to determine DNA loss from inefficient binding to the silica column. Both modifications showed DNA was lost at these steps. However, resulting STR profiles from these samples had fewer peaks and lower peak heights when compared to samples processed with no extraction modifications. Overall, the potential benefits of adding these extraction modifications for low-template DNA sample processing are not enough to justify the risk associated with additional manipulation.     

Supporters and Opponents of Perestroyka: The Second Joint Soviet Economy Roundtable

Support and opposition to perestroyka in the USSR and the U.S. are discussed on the eve of Academician Andrey Sakharov's trip to the U.S. in November 1988. Participating in the roundtable are leading Soviet economists, historians, philosophers, publishers and journalists as well as American Sovietologists. Different perspectives are offered on resistance to perestroyka and its origins, on concepts of change, the constitutional revisions in prospect, the pace and scope of the reform and the nationalities issue. Selected statements, notably those of Andrey Sakharov, are of historical significance. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: 027, 124.     

Perestroyka and the Congress of People's Deputies

The radical economic reform promised by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 has not materialized, and the economic situation has seriously deteriorated since 1988. The government is introducing a stabilization package for 1990 to restore financial balance and to dramatically expand the supply of consumer goods. A new Reform Commission chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Abalkin is moving ahead to design and implement a reform strategy which will include a radically different approach to property rights. The next year is critical to determining the fate of Gorbachev's reform efforts. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: 027, 052, 113.     

Gorbachev at Two Years: Perspectives on Economic Reforms

This article examines how the Putin leadership, inspired by the example of Yuriy Andropov, has carried out a comprehensive "sovietization" of the Russian political system by systematically eliminating all alternative sources of power (governors, competitive elections, the media, and private business). Drawing on legislation, the press, and data about the backgrounds and career paths of the post-Soviet elite, the central institutions are compared with their Soviet predecessors and the implementation of this strategy is examined. The roles of military, security and other backgrounds are analyzed. The degree of influence likely to be wielded by the siloviki is also considered.