Examining international responses to illicit arms trafficking

Concerns about illicit trafficking in small arms andlight weapons have moved rapidly up the internationalagenda since 1996. Within about three years a rangeof international responses to this problem, and to theclosely related issue of small arms proliferation,have developed at sub-regional, regional andinternational level – in Africa, Europe and theAmericas as well as globally. This article examinesthe development and design of each of the maininitiatives in this issue area. It analyses thedifferent ways in which the problems have been framedin each agreement or programme, and the significanceof linkages between them. These recent developmentsare judged to be substantial. Despite the regional andinstitutional variations, the shared normative andprogrammatic elements appear to be sufficient tosupport the development of winning global coalitions– able to establish a co-ordinated internationalaction programme even if not actually to preventillicit trafficking in the foreseeable future.     

Age of attainment of mineralization stages of the permanent dentition.

The ages at which the maxillary and mandibular teeth of 121 boys and 111 girls reached 14 mineralization stages were determined from serial cephalograms at the Burlington Growth Centre. The present data are more comprehensive than any previously available and can be applied to chronological age determinations in juveniles of indefinite age, and of specimens in anthropological and forensic investigations. The sexes differed in the age at which they attained the stages of mineralization, with the canines demonstrating the greatest difference. In each sex, the ages at identical stages were similar for the corresponding teeth in the maxilla and mandible. Variability in age was greater among the males, especially for the first premolars, and increased with age, except for the third molars. Variability in age of third molar mineralization was greater in females and diminished among both sexes at late stages of root formation.     

Governmental corruption in Africa: Sierra Leone as a case study

This paper examines the definition and context of official corruption in the emerging African nation of Sierra Leone. Historical, legal and sociological studies of the development of Sierra Leone and corruption within that nation are reviewed, as well as the content of official ljudicial inquiries into administrative corruption. These investigations and studies are supplemented with data from the primary author's experiences as a prosecutor and judge in Sierra Leone. Predisposing factors which facilitate corruption are identified and a variety of policies aimed at reform are discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Competency to stand trial: description and initial evaluation of a new computer-assisted assessment tool (CADCOMP).

The authors describe a Computer-Assisted Determination of Competency to Proceed (CADCOMP), a new instrument that collects data directly from the defendant through an interactive computer program and renders a report covering relevant historical, psychopathological, and legal information. The comprehensive report could be utilized by the clinician to focus the clinician's interview with the defendant on areas requiring further probing, thus reducing the time required to assess competency. Preliminary reliability and validity assessment studies are reported. The results support the predictive validity of CADCOMP used as a screening instrument and found the CADCOMP to be sufficiently reliable to be used for screening purposes.