The significance of gas chromatographic impurity patterns obtained from illicitly produced amphetamine

This paper describes a series of experiments designed to assess the evidential significance of gas chromatographic impurity patterns obtained from illicitly produced amphetamine. The experiments, based on the Leuckart route of amphetamine manufacture, were designed to investigate: the effect of reaction conditions on the production of known impurities, and the possibility that different chemists could produce amphetamine with identical impurity patterns by rigidly following the same synthetic procedure. The study provides strong support for the assumption that, if two illicit samples have the same impurity pattern, they have originated from the same batch.     

Self-Interest,Symbolic Politics,and Public Attitudes Toward Gun Control

Numerous studies have found that immediate and tangible self-interest has a minimal influence on public attitudes toward many policy issues. We examine public attitudes toward gun control in order to determine whether gun owners exhibit distinctive policy preferences. Our results indicate that self-interest strongly influences public preferences on gun control and that banning handguns evokes stronger self-interest effects than banning assault weapons or imposing a waiting period on purchases of firearms. We conclude by discussing why gun control evokes self-interested calculations among gun owners, the implications of our findings for self-interest theory, and suggestions for further lines of research.     

Enhancing learning in development partnerships

Through an analysis of practical examples and key literature, this article considers what will enhance learning in and between NGOs and other development partners. The authors explore how the types and qualities of relationship currently evolving in the development sector affect learning, drawing predominantly on experiences of relationships between Northern and Southern NGOs. The article identifies those aspects of relationships that foster learning and those that inhibit it, and offers recommendations to strengthen learning. The authors highlight the relevance of, the challenges posed by, and the potential of partnership work, as well as the impact of accountability demands, procedures, and processes on organisational relationships and on learning.     

An experimental validation study of the SASSI: Predicting alcohol related behavior in law enforcement applicants

This investigation evaluated the validity and utility of two versions of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI, SASSI-2; Miller, 1988, 1996) for determining alcohol related risks among law enforcement applicants. Three hundred and seventy applicants were assessed in two separate studies to determine the degree to which SASSI classification corresponds with self-reported a) number of drinks per month, b) admissions to having recently driven while intoxicated, and c) adminissions to having ever been worried about one's drinking behavior. Analyses revealed a pattern of poor discrimination for both versions of the SASSI, raising concerns regarding its use as a clinical assessment tool.     

Recent human sexual dimorphism study using cephalometric plots on lateral teleradiography and discriminant function analysis

Abstract:  The examination of skull sexual dimorphism has been the subject of numerous morphologic and craniometric studies, but the disadvantage of these studies is that they are dependent on the experience of the operator and involve subjectivity. In 1996, a team from Taiwan refined the methods enabling the sex of an individual to be determined using cephalometric plots made from lateral teleradiography. To validate their work using a European population, 114 dry skulls (59 men and 55 women) were examined. Cephalometric plots were made on lateral teleradiography with an orthodontic software and 18 cephalometric variables were analyzed. Sex was determined with 95.6% accuracy using the 18 variables discriminant function. A subset of eight variables was selected and could predict sex with the same accuracy. In conclusion, it can be said that skull-sexing methods using lateral teleradiography seem always suitable but the most indicative variables could differ relative to the ethnic population concerned.     

Trust in government increased during the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia and New Zealand

Using an online panel, we surveyed a representative sample of 500 each in Australia and New Zealand during July 2020, in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. We find trust in government has increased dramatically, with around 80% of respondents agreeing government was generally trustworthy. Around three quarters agreed management of the pandemic had increased their trust in government. Over 85% of respondents have confidence that public health scientists work in the public interest. Testing four hypotheses, we find that income and education predict trust in government and confidence in public health scientists, as does voting for the political party in government. Trust in government and confidence in public health scientists strongly predict Covid-19 phone application use, largely through convincing people the App is beneficial. Trust in government then is both an outcome and antecedent of government effectiveness. Building trust is important for governments implementing difficult policy responses during a crisis.