The social semiotic of homophone phrase substitution in Chinese netizen discourse

The paper addresses an ingenious way by which Chinese netizens manage to reach their intended audiences under the radar of censors surveying the Internet in China. One specifically Chinese social use of language in this respect is the option to express criticism by using inoffensive characters that share the same or similar pronunciation with politically sensitive phrasing. We identify this type of expression as homophone phrase substitution (HPS). The device has been part of Chinese since ancient times under the name political metaphor. We address the main constraints at work in HPS, especially the role of voice (prosodic contour) that guides the construction of two divergent kinds of aboutness. Leaving aside its critical function in contemporary society, by contrasting HPS with verbal irony, metaphor, and Australian rhyming slang, and by drawing on semiologie and semiotics, indirect speech acts and implicit deixis, we suggest that this linguistic option throws new light on the semantic/pragmatic distinction.     

Conflicts of customary land tenure in rural Africa: is large-scale land acquisition a driver of ‘institutional innovation’?

This study combines legal and anthropological approaches to investigate how the establishment of a large-scale biofuel agro-industry is reinterpreting and potentially transforming customary institutional arrangements in rural Sierra Leone. The contractual relationships established between land acquirers and local authorities can be seen as an ‘institutional innovation’ that aims at interpreting and overcoming the limits of the national land regime. However, by formalizing customary land tenure structures through land registration, such innovations are exacerbating pre-existing social inequalities. We identified four categories of resulting conflicts: interlineage, intervillage, interfamily and intergenerational conflicts. Taken together, these conflicts question the current land-based sociopolitical structures of rural Sierra Leone and could be drivers of societal change.     

英语文化渗透式教学的实践与探讨

语言与文化具有紧密的联系。英语教学不应以通过考试为目的,而应注重提高实际生活中运用语言能力和交际能力。本文强调教学过程中应加强文化的渗透,利用多种渠道使学生了解中西文化的差异,并对英语教学中应注意的问题进行分析和探讨。     

论动产抵押权的公示方式

动产抵押权公示方式的选择对动产抵押权制度的完善具有十分重要的意义。从占有公示方式、登记公示方式、各国动产抵押权立法实践、与善意取得制度协调等不同视角分别考察动产抵押权的公示方式的选择有助于得出正确的结论;动产抵押权的公示方式的最佳选择是登记与占有公示方式的结合;占有的功能在于使抵押权在交易过程中呈现出可识别的特征,满足动产交易要求;登记的功能应当是确定抵押权是否具有对抗一般债务人与其他抵押权人的效力。     

从善意取得和表见代理制度谈另一种法律思维方式

关于善意取得的性质,有原始取得和继受取得之争。因为继受取得是基于他人既存的权利而取得物权,而善意取得中处分人欠缺处分权,以至处分人当然不享有物权,因而原始取得说成为通说。但是,原始取得说强调的是事实上是否有处分权,而笔者认为,不妨直接由第三人的视角定性善意取得为继受取得,补足处分权,因为是否存在处分权这一事实一开始对于第三人而言就是不存在的,是事后才了解的,而事后的了解是没有即时的法律意义的。本文以定性善意取得为起点,结合表见代理,对传统上纯粹由事实层面分析问题的思路提出质疑,并提出从另一个角度来思考问题的模式。     

A study of user data integrity during acquisition of Android devices

At the time of this writing, Android devices are widely used, and many studies considering methods of forensic acquisition of data from Android devices have been conducted. Similarly, a diverse collection of smartphone forensic tools has also been introduced. However, studies conducted thus far do not normally guarantee data integrity required for digital forensic investigations. Therefore, this work uses a previously proposed method of Android device acquisition utilizing ‘Recovery Mode’. This work evaluates Android Recovery Mode variables that potentially compromise data integrity at the time of data acquisition. Based on the conducted analysis, an Android data acquisition tool that ensures the integrity of acquired data is developed, which is demonstrated in a case study to test tool's ability to preserve data integrity.     

法治层次观照下的法律语言发展完善

法律语言与法律文化的关系密不可分。法律语言的完善程度是法律文化是否成熟的重要标志。法治是有层次的，法律语言必须具有多种特征才能与之相适应。法律语言需要进一步发展完善，立法语言应在准确、严谨的基础上，尽量简明、平实；司法文书写作风格要多样化并增强其内容的说理性；法制宣传要关注民众需求，注重宣传的实效。这是法治层次论对法律语言发展完善的客观要求。     

人民警察群众工作语言八项注意

熟练地运用恰当得体的群众工作语言是人民警察必备的工作技能,也是各警种岗位技能培训、警衔晋升培训、初任民警培训的重要内容之一.本文从人民警察群众工作实际出发,提出人民警察在处理群众工作中,语言表述做到八项注意,将有助于公安工作任务的完成顺利,有助于和谐的警民关系的构建,有助于人民警察形象的塑造.     

论意思表示瑕疵与善意取得规定之关系

在通谋虚伪表示及被欺诈之情形,民法关于＂不得对抗善意第三人＂之规定与善意取得制度应可并存。而于胁迫之情形,＂撤销得对抗善意第三人＂应优先于善意取得而适用,盖惟如此方可践行私法自治之原则。在意思表示错误之情形,不发生意思表示瑕疵与善意取得之关系问题,善意第三人可径直依善意取得而主张其权利。第三人若知悉其前手交易之可撤销性,其非但不得主张＂撤销不得对抗善意第三人＂,亦不得主张依善意取得而受保护。     

Prediction of violent and sexual offences: A replication study of the VRAG in Switzerland

Abstract

The Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) is a widely used actuarial risk assessment instrument and has been validated in different countries. However, there is no investigation supporting the predictive accuracy of the VRAG in the German language area. The VRAG scores of 79 violent and sexual offenders in Switzerland were assessed based on data from their psychiatric expert opinions. The VRAG scores were compared to subsequent recidivism as shown in the official criminal records. Consistent with past research in the English language area, the VRAG yielded a satisfying predictive accuracy (ROC area = .73), demonstrating its usefulness for risk assessment of violent delinquency in the Swiss cultural and German language area.