The Sociology of Law in France: Trends and Paradigms

To suggest that French legal sociology is a field in which a dominant theoretical tendency is identifiable is misleading; equally, attempts to provide insight into the work achieved in French socio-legal studies which presuppose that a complete inventory of the field must be undertaken are misguided. In this article, an exposition of French legal sociology is attempted using different means: following a brief history of the evolution of socio-legal studies in France, the authors suggest different paradigms around which French researchers appear to converge. Eight paradigms are identified, covering the majority of French sociologists and jurists. The article concludes with an analysis of some characteristics of socio-legal studies in general, within the framework of French intellectual and academic life.     

Disopyramide and Mianserin Intoxication: A Unique Fatal Case – Review of the Literature

Lethal occurrence is exceptional after disopyramide or mianserin poisoning. A case of intentional lethal intoxication with these drugs was reported, as well as a review of the literature. Pre‐ and postmortem blood concentrations of disopyramide or mianserin were assessed in a woman who died from acute cardiac failure after ingestion. The premortem blood concentration of disopyramide alone was considered lethal, and a toxic premortem concentration of mianserin was observed that may have increased cardiovascular failure induced by disopyramide because the metabolism of both drugs is mediated via cytochrome P450. Moreover, it was shown that the postmortem redistribution of disopyramide was limited, as pre‐ and postmortem concentrations were 48 and 65 mg/L, respectively. As regards mianserin, redistribution was observed after death with pre‐ and portmortem concentrations at 0.23 and 0.79 mg/L, respectively. This case illustrates that if postmortem blood concentration of disopyramide is known, the premortem concentration can be deduced.     

Analysis of Positive Control STR Experiments Reveals that Results Obtained for FGA,D3S1358, and D13S317 Condition the Success Rate of the Analysis of Routine Reference Samples

About 120,000 reference samples are analyzed each year in the Forensic Laboratory of Lyon. A total of 1640 positive control experiments used to validate and optimize the analytical method in the routine process were submitted to a multivariate exploratory data analysis approach with the aim of better understanding the underlying sources of variability. The peak heights of the 16 genetic markers targeted by the AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® STR kit were used as variables of interest. Six different 3130xl genetic analyzers located in the same controlled environment were involved. Two major sources of variability were found: (i) the DNA load of the sample modulates all peak heights in a similar way so that the 16 markers are highly correlated, (ii) the genetic analyzer used with a locus‐specific response for peak height and a better sensitivity for the most recently acquired. Three markers (FGA, D3S1358, and D13S317) were found to be of special interest to predict the success rate observed in the routine process.     

Women councillors and committee recruitment

This article examines the recruitment processes that shaped the patterns of gendered segregation in Labour and Conservative party group hierarchies in two local authorities in the north of England in the late 1980s. The article explores the ways in which women councillors necessarily negotiate the tensions of being a woman in male dominated party groups, and the ways in which these negotiations are mediated by party group differences. The research on which the article is based indicates that during periods of local political change, gains made by women in their party group may be consolidated but may also be eroded.     

Invited Commentary: Improving the Human Condition Through Rigorous,Applied Developmental Research

This invited commentary describes the shifts toward a more positive characterization of young people over the past 30 years. After describing the new focus on the strengths of young people and the need to ground our understanding in developmental science, it provides an overview of the major contributions of this special issue to the field of positive youth development. Taken together, the groundbreaking work on the 4-H study demonstrates the increasing methodological and statistical sophistication of this strength-based approach.