Distribution of gunshot residues--the influence of weapon type

Gunshot residue (GSR) analysis is a frequently used forensic method for investigating shooting events. In this process, GSR-particles are detected on pertinent objects, often the hands of a suspect, with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis in a scanning electron microscope. The question asked in court is usually the following: "… has or has not a given shot been fired by the suspect (at a certain place and time)?" Unfortunately, this question frequently cannot be answered by the analyst. Only the presence or absence of "characteristic" GSR-particles on the investigated sample can be stated with confidence. All other assumptions are inherently biased by many factors that are usually only known by the culprit or are generally unknown. In order to draw more profound conclusions from GSR analytical results, the dynamics of GSR particles have to be considered, i.e., how these particles reach a suspect. Consequently, the formation of the plume after firing was investigated for eleven different firearms with high speed-video analysis. The results show that a vast scope exists between revolvers - distributing many particles near the shooter - and e.g. shotguns that are quite sealed. These differences between the various weapon types should be considered for interpretation of the results of GSR-analysis.     

The demand for transparency: An empirical note

By encouraging socially wasteful rent seeking and corruption, natural resources abundance might not be a blessing but a country’s curse. A recent attempt to impede these practices of corruption with theft is the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The purpose of this organization is to verify and fully publish company payments and government revenues from oil, gas, and mining. Using a probit estimation technique the paper analyses empirically the political and socio-economic factors which determine a country’s participation in EITI, which can be interpreted as revealed willingness to reform.     

The economic tradition and the constitution of science

There has been an institutional turn in the philosophy of science, which has led the discipline to become more concerned with understanding how the scientific process actually works. This paper argues that such a philosophy of science, which lies beyond only proposing a logic of science, has something to learn from economics. Economic thinking can be instrumental in understanding the actual scientific process, and in proposing proper institutions guiding scientific competition. It is, however, also argued that economics would benefit from overcoming the pure logic of choice inherent to the neoclassical approach, by further developing the institutional approach to economics.     

Functions of mass media in interpersonal communication

SUMMARY

This paper is the result of a research project on the function(s) of mass media in interpersonal conversation. Based on their research findings the authors conclude that mass media and mass media topics play an important role in conversation; that it forms an integrated component of personal communication; that the mass media is particularly often mentioned in small groups and in groups of lower intensity of conversation, and that the mentioning of the mass media as such fulfills several functions in conversation.     

Commodity composition of trade in manufactures and south‐south trade potential

Using two different measures, the degree of correspondence between a country's export vector of manufactures and a trade partner's import vector is determined. These export‐import similarity measures are shown to contribute to an explanation of bilateral trade intensity. They are then used in computing an index of export potential in manufactures for 34 developing countries, and an index showing the potential to replace LDC imports presently originating from developed countries. Given the existing LDC commodity composition, the possibility of substituting imports of DC manufactures by LDC supplies ‐ for example, through preferential inter‐LDC trading ‐is found to be limited only.     

Proficiency test for the analysis of hair for drugs of abuse,organized by the Society of Hair Testing

Eighteen laboratories interested in the analysis of human hair for drugs of abuse participated in a proficiency test (PT) organized by the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) in 2001.Samples sent to the participants included one drug-free hair sample and two samples from drug users, sent in the form of short segments previously checked for homogeneity by three reference laboratories. Participants were requested to analyze the samples following the standard procedure used routinely in their laboratories.The compounds present in the samples included opiates, cocaine and metabolite, cannabinoids and amphetamines. All the laboratories analyzed opiates, cocaine and benzoylecgonine (BE); only 10 analyzed amphetamines, and 9 cannabinoids. Various methods were used to extract drugs from the hair-enzyme treatment, acidic, basic and methanol extractions. All the laboratories employed GC-MS, with the exception of two which used GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS, respectively. Six laboratories performed initial screening tests by RIA, ELISA or EMIT.Results show that the laboratories performed well qualitatively, since they successfully identified all the analytes that they tested, with the exception of eight false results. However, the scatter of quantitative results was high.     

The dialogue of civilizations: Philosophical basis,current state and prospects

Since the end of the Cold War, the dialogue of civilizations has become one of the keywords in the global discourse on issues of world order and peace. Traditional enemy stereotypes along the ideological lines of the earlier East-West conflict have disappeared while new confrontational schemes are becoming visible under the slogan of a supposed clash of civilizations. The nature of dialogue consists in the ability to see oneself from the perspective of the other. The human being's consciousness – self-reflection – is only possible if the subject is aware of the other, i.e. of that which is not the self, that from which it can distinguish itself. Semantically, this is the essence of the Latin word definitio. Applied to the level of civilization, this entails that full understanding and development of any given civilization can only be achieved if the respective civilizational community not only takes note of, but positively interacts with other civilizations on the basis of (normative) equality. Thus, the dialogue of civilizations is the fundamental requirement for defining each civilization's identity and for reaching its maturity and universal relevance. The common values underlying all civilizations – making possible genuine civilizational progress – are those of tolerance and mutual respect. Acceptance and realization of those values is the necessary, though not the only condition for the adequate self-comprehension and identity of a civilization. In this regard, an analogy can be drawn between (a) the normative equality of civilizations on the socio-cultural level and (b) the concept of the sovereign equality of states on the political level. One of the most serious threats to international peace and stability, i.e. to the realization of the basic goals of the United Nations Organization, is the persistence – or even creation in certain cases – of enemy stereotypes along civilizational lines. Over the centuries, the demonization or vilification of another civilization (particularly in regard to religious identity) has often been a prelude to armed conflict and has served to create a pretext for – or to legitimize – the violent pursuit of mainly economic interests. At the beginning of the third millennium, the world should not repeat the mistakes of an earlier era. No civilization should try to establish hegemony over the other. The claim to civilizational superiority has too often been a recipe for confrontation, even armed conflict.