Determination of vehicle speed from recorded video using the open-source software Kinovea

Video devices of different kind often record traffic accidents, including vehicle-pedestrian collisions and hit-and-run accidents. In these cases, the vehicle speed is valuable information because it can assist the investigators in an accident reconstruction. This paper examines the use of Kinovea, an open-source video annotation tool designed for sport analysis, to estimate vehicle speed in forensic videos. Kinovea does not require a complex methodology, and it can be used to make the calculation easily. A series of vehicle driving experiments using an appropriately calibrated speed radar system (so called Scout Speed) were carried out, and measurements were compared with the estimated speed. In controlled conditions, the comparison of Scout reference speed and calculated average vehicle speed by means of Kinovea found an average difference of 0.43 km/h, with a margin of error of ±0.64 km/h. In addition, further preliminary tests were carried out to check the reliability of the measurements under lower resolution conditions. Also, in these cases the calculations were in line with the ground truth. Therefore, in the tested conditions, Kinovea demonstrated to be an easy and reliable tool available for forensic video examiners. Further tests need to be conducted in order to address the applicability of the measurement technique with true CCTV/surveillance video recordings.     

Mapping the knowledge of traffic collision Reconstruction: A scientometric analysis in CiteSpace,VOSviewer, and SciMAT

Traffic collisions are incidents with high fatality rate which generate billions of US dollars of loss worldwide each year. Post-collision scene reconstruction, which involves knowledge of multiple disciplines, is an important approach to restore the traffic collision and infer the cause of it. This paper uses software CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and SciMAT to conduct a visualization study of knowledge mapping on the literature of traffic collision scene reconstruction from 2001 to 2021 based on the Web of Science database. Knowledge mapping is a cutting-edge research method in scientometric, which has been widely applied in medicine and informatics. Compared with traditional literature review, knowledge mapping with visual techniques identifies hot keywords and key literature in the field more scientifically, and displays them in schematic diagrams intuitively which allows to further predict potential hotspots. A total of 803 original papers are retrieved to analyze and discuss the evolution of the field in the past 20 years, from macro to micro, in term of background information, popular themes, and knowledge structure. Results indicate the number of publications in this field is limited, and collaborations among authors and among institutions are insufficient. In the meantime, mappings imply the top three hot themes being scene reconstruction, computer technology, and injuries. The introduction of AI related technologies, such as neural networks and genetic algorithms, into collision reconstruction would be a potential research direction.     

骗用贷款罪的解构性思考

《刑法修正案(六)》生效后,我国在贷款类犯罪中增设了骗用贷款罪。该罪弥补了贷款类犯罪的漏洞,也显现出高利转贷罪的多余。骗用贷款罪和贷款诈骗罪可以很好地规范贷款行为。高利转贷罪、骗用贷款罪、贷款诈骗罪在获取银行或者其他金融机构贷款时都是使用的非法手段,那么合法取得贷款后,非法使用的,也应该根据行为人的客观行为进行定罪。     

论中国犯罪构成体系的重构——以刑事一体化为视角

犯罪构成体系既是刑法中的犯罪构成体系,又是刑事程序运作中的犯罪构成体系,故应该从刑事一体化的视角来重构我国现行犯罪构成体系。犯罪构成体系应由积极的犯罪构成要件与消极的构成要件构成,其中,积极构成要件包括：危害行为及其程度、罪过、危害行为能力;消极构成要件包括：法定的正当化行为和超法规的正当化行为。     

小额诉讼程序的立法反思与制度重构

2012年民事诉讼法修订新增第162条规定小额诉讼程序,此举被普遍认为是小额诉讼程序在我国正式确立的标志。但是,仍有多数法院对小额诉讼案件受理数保留着"零"的纪录。本文从司法实践角度对存在的问题进行立法反思,并提出制度重构的建议。     

The impact of force,time, and rotation on the transfer of ammonium nitrate: A reductionist approach to understanding evidence dynamics

Empirical studies evaluating the conditions under which the transfer of forensic materials occurs can provide contextual information and offer insight into how that material may have been transferred in a given scenario. Here, a reductionist approach was taken to assess the impact of force, time, and rotation on the transfer of an explosive compound. An Instron ElectroPuls E3000 material testing instrument was used to bring porous and non-porous surfaces adulterated with an ammonium nitrate into direct contact with a human skin analogue, controlling for the force of contact, duration of contact, and rotation applied during contact. Quantifiable amounts of ammonium nitrate were recovered from all of the recipient surfaces demonstrating that ammonium nitrate is readily transferred from one surface to another, even when contact occurs for a short duration with a relatively low force. More particulates were transferred from non-porous surfaces onto the human skin analogue, but the amount of ammonium nitrate transferred did not depend upon the force of contact, duration of contact, or the amount of rotation applied. However, when contact occurred and involved rotation, a greater transfer of ammonium nitrate was observed, compared to those contacts occurring without rotation being applied. This approach complements more commonly-used holistic experiments that test multiple interacting variables in a realistic setting by isolating these variables, allowing them to be examined individually. This can be utilised to better understand the individual impact that specific variables have on the transfer of trace evidence in relevant crime reconstruction contexts.     

比较法视阈下民间文学艺术的知识产权保护重构

用法律手段保护民间文学艺术是知识产权保护“国际化”进程的需要,也是保护传统文化、增强文化自信、提升我国文化软实力的迫切要求.民间文学艺术的法律保护问题首先是由发展中国家提出来的,发达国家中对民间文学艺术保护相对较弱.比较法视阈下,民间文学艺术的知识产权保护尽可能既要与现行国内国际立法实现有效对接,又要坚持立法重构,以有效保护民间文学艺术传承、记录、整理和汇编者的合法权益.     

Endogenous development in Somalia: bridging the gap between traditional and Western implementation methodologies

This practical note examines the implementation approach of African Development Solutions (Adeso) in Somalia, a country which is recovering from over two decades of conflict. It discusses how their endogenously derived targeting method, known as ICBT, is implemented and the way it challenges social norms for positive outcomes. Cash-based response is analysed as a recovery method as well as a way to engage community participation, particularly with marginalised groups. Implementation challenges are highlighted to explore the relationship between traditional and globalised (Western) values.     

Shifts in perceptions of NGOs with the creation of the Palestinian National Authority

This article explores perceived shifts in roles for NGOs and religious actors after the creation of the Palestinian National Authority with the 1993 Oslo Accords, using original data from a survey of more than 1,000 community members in the West Bank and Gaza. The survey data show a centralisation of requests for assistance from the Palestinian National Authority, with a decrease in requests from local government, NGOs, and religious actors after the creation of the Palestinian National Authority. The support the empirical findings lend to theories of government and voluntary failure is discussed.     

Anthropological Facial Approximation in Three Dimensions (AFA3D): Computer‐Assisted Estimation of the Facial Morphology Using Geometric Morphometrics

This study presents Anthropological Facial Approximation in Three Dimensions (AFA3D), a new computerized method for estimating face shape based on computed tomography (CT) scans of 500 French individuals. Facial soft tissue depths are estimated based on age, sex, corpulence, and craniometrics, and projected using reference planes to obtain the global facial appearance. Position and shape of the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears are inferred from cranial landmarks through geometric morphometrics. The 100 estimated cutaneous landmarks are then used to warp a generic face to the target facial approximation. A validation by re‐sampling on a subsample demonstrated an average accuracy of c. 4 mm for the overall face. The resulting approximation is an objective probable facial shape, but is also synthetic (i.e., without texture), and therefore needs to be enhanced artistically prior to its use in forensic cases. AFA3D, integrated in the TIVMI software, is available freely for further testing.