A Fully Automatic Method for Comparing Cartridge Case Images,

When a gun is fired, it leaves marks on cartridge cases that are thought to be unique to the gun. In current practice, firearms examiners inspect cartridge cases for “sufficient agreement,” in which case they conclude that they come from the same gun, testifying in courts as such. A 2016 President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report questioned the scientific validity of such analysis (President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, Washington, DC, Executive Office of the President). One recommendation was to convert firearms analysis to an objective method. We propose a fully automated, open‐source method for comparing breechface marks on cartridge cases using 2D optical images. We improve on existing methodology by automating the selection of marks, and removing the effects of circular symmetry. We propose an empirical computation of a “random match probability” given a known database, which can be used to quantify the weight of evidence. We demonstrate an improvement in accuracy on images from controlled test fires.     

Psychological models of mental disorder, human rights, and compulsory mental health care in the community

Recent amendments to the 1983 Mental Health Act in the UK (Mental Health Act 2007) include the controversial provision for: “supervised treatment in the community for suitable patients following an initial period of detention and treatment in hospital”. This provision is widespread, and more formal, in other English-speaking jurisdictions. Reviews of the international literature, human rights considerations and the perspective of psychological approaches to mental health care suggest that proposed ‘supervised community treatment orders’ are valuable, lawful, and compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights if certain specific conditions are met. Provisions for ‘supervised community treatment orders’ in the UK should be supported, but with the provisos that: the powers of the Mental Health Act are limited as in Scotland, to persons whose “ability to make decisions about the provision of [care] is significantly impaired”, that each order is time-limited and subject to review by a properly constituted Tribunal, and that the use of such orders should represent a benefit to people in terms of more appropriate treatment, or be a least restrictive alternative, or better preserve the person's private and family life.     

美国的私立监狱

<正> 在美国,随着监狱严重爆棚和管理费用上涨,以盈利为目的的私立监狱便应运而生。据美国惩教协会公布的数字,近几年来,美国已建立私立监狱12所。这些私立监狱,由私营公司根据同政府签订的合同而建立和从事管理,绝大多数只负责关押罪行较轻的囚犯,以及拘禁那些等候处理的非法移民。并只限于关押成年人。美国移民及归化局是私立监狱的最大主顾。由于私立监狱的费用比政府监狱便宜6%,所以移民及归化局有意扶植私立监狱。     

日韩关注中国物流托盘标准的原因探析

托盘是物流产业中最为基本的集装单元,在商品流通中具有广泛的应用价值。托盘标准的选用直接涉及到国家经济安全和产业发展。从商品贸易的角度来看,托盘标准是一种贸易技术壁垒,能够起到增进商品出口或者保护国内市场的作用。从日韩关注中国托盘标准的背景下,分析中、日、韩双边贸易格局和T11标准的应用广泛程度,发现日韩不仅是我国最大的进口国,而且是最大的逆差国之一,T11在日韩国内和国际上的应用范围也并不广泛。如果我国选用T11,开展中、日、韩托盘共用合作,会加剧我国对日韩的贸易逆差,对我国经济产生不利影响。因此,我国政府应该暂缓采纳T11标准,灵活运用托盘贸易技术壁垒来保护国内产品市场。     

“Korean Japanese”

Until recently, resident Koreans in Japan, former colonial subjects and their offspring, have had only two options for staying in Japan: naturalization, which required assimilation and the adoption of a Japanese identification, or zainichi status, which meant remaining Korean nationals and keeping their own ethnic identity. Choosing the zainichi option was a way for resident Koreans to express their resistance to Japan's naturalization system, which they saw as a legacy of assimilationist colonial policy. In the early 1990s, however, greater numbers of resident Koreans began to seek naturalization. In part, this was because they were beginning to redefine ethnicity as separate from nationality. Thus, they thought, they could retain their Korean identity even after naturalization. This development, coupled with the rise of a multiculturalism movement in Japan, set the stage for the recent emergence of a third option for staying in Japan, “Korean Japanese,” that is, Japanese nationals with Korean ethnic identification. By analyzing articles written by Sakanaka Hidenori, an influential immigration official who has expressed support for the Korean Japanese option, this article demonstrates that this new identity option as presented by government officials is actually in line with the earlier colonial discourse of ethnic hierarchy and assimilation. While cautioning against an easy acceptance of the government's calls for the Korean Japanese option, the author explores its potential for revitalizing the political presence of resident Koreans in Japan.     

伊拉克“内战”危局及其化解

2006年11月27日，即将在一个月后离任的联合国秘书长安南在纽约联合国总部接受媒体采访时强调，考虑到伊拉克国内目前的状况，除非立即采取断然措施避免局势进一步恶化，否则伊拉克陷入内战将不可避免，而且伊拉克实际上几乎已经陷入了内战状态。     

西方少年司法制度及其发展趋势

<正> 在近代社会,青少年犯罪激增,已经成为世界性的发展趋势,并且,其发展愈演愈烈,成为一个严重的社会问题。这一现象,在一些西方资本主义国家里更为突出,因而使得监狱和教养机构里拥挤不堪,各类法庭(院)的备审案件已大大超过负荷量。在美国现有10—18岁的青少年3,200万人,每年约有4%左右的人因违法犯罪而在少年法庭受审。据圣地亚哥市青少年监管中心负责人介绍,该市10—17岁的青少年有213,000人,约有8%的人即105,000——106,000人犯罪。一半以上的重大刑事案件系青少年所为,美国用于监禁方面的费用甚至     

中国与新加坡可持续发展投资促进机制的对策选择

随着各国对可持续发展问题认识的深入,在投资政策中强调可持续发展的内容已是国际趋势。本文在分析中国与新加坡相互直接投资的现状和特点的基础上,重点研究现阶段中国与新加坡相互投资促进机制,分析将可持续发展目标纳入到相互投资促进机制的必要性,并为推进可持续发展目标的中国与新加坡相互投资促进机制提供对策选择。     

全球化语境与行政法国际化

在全球化的深入发展中,传统上属于国内公法的行政法也呈现向域外扩张的趋势,行政法国际化已经不再仅仅流于纯粹理论上的探讨,而是在实践中已经有某些迹象可循。行政法国际化分为两种实现方式,其最终结果就是作为相对独立意义上的国际行政法体系的产生。因为私人主体一方的参与,新兴的国际行政法体系是对传统国际、国内二元对立结构的颠覆。中国应该积极参与到行政法国际化的进程中去,避免在其中话语权的旁落。新兴的国际行政法必然会催生我国的国际行政法学科产生,至少首先会在行政法学领域产生相对独立的研究领域,我国学界应当对此引起重视。