Functioning and Effectiveness of Electronic Control Devices Such as the TASER® M‐ and X‐Series: A Review of the Current Literature

Abstract: Conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) such as the TASER^® M‐ and X‐series deliver short high‐voltage, low‐current energy pulses to temporarily paralyze a person by causing electrical interruption of the body’s normal energy pulses. Despite many scientific publications, which classify the health risks of an appropriate use of the TASER device as minor, there still is a continuous uncertainty about possible side effects with human application. Based on a literature search of the National Library of Medicine’s MEDLINE database’s PubMed system of current publications, the following article describes the mechanisms by which the device operates and discusses possible pathophysiological consequences. The majority of current human literature has not found evidence of clinical relevant pathophysiological effects during and after an exposure of professionally applied CEWs. However, to be able to exclude possible health risks, a medical checkup of people who have been exposed to CEWs is essential.     

应用于沥青路面的化学抑尘剂效果试验

对一种应用于沥青路面的化学抑尘剂,进行了现场抑制排放浓度和排放量的效果试验。抑尘剂应用于郊区沥青道路,对喷洒抑尘剂和未喷洒抑尘剂路段两侧颗粒物浓度进行测量,结果显示抑制PM10排放浓度效率为22%;抑尘剂应用于城区辅路,通过对抑尘剂喷洒前后路面粉土负荷的测量分析,根据AP-42排放因子公式模型计算颗粒物排放量,10%和3%两种浓度抑尘剂,28 d内抑制PM10排放量平均效率分别为49%和30%,35%浓度抑尘剂由于受工地干扰,效率为18%;抑尘剂应用于工地出口破损道路,对抑尘剂喷洒前后路边颗粒物浓度测量分析,结果显示2 d内平均抑制PM10排放浓度效率为82%,与洒水4 h内的效率接近但持续时间比洒水长。     

对无过错违法使用警械、武器的民警刑事追偿质疑——一例国家赔偿案引发的刑事追偿条件反思

现行国家赔偿法对违法使用警械、武器职权行为的刑事追偿条件失之于宽,缺乏主观过错要件。国家赔偿法中的违法与通常所称的违法不同,并不包含有主观过错条件。而追偿是对主观过错的惩戒,对无过错违法使用警械、武器的公安民警进行刑事追偿,则违背了立法的初衷,也与行政追偿的主观过错要件相矛盾,显然是一种立法疏漏。国家赔偿法应增设主观过错要件,将此情形排除在刑事追偿范围之外。     

Perception and Politics in Intelligence Assessment: U.S. Estimates of the Soviet and "Rogue-State" Nuclear Threats

United States estimates of Soviet nuclear goals and capabilities and the current "rogue-state" nuclear threat reflected prevailing beliefs about threat within the U.S. government and the relative influence of agencies charged with threat assessment. This article establishes that the patterns in formal Soviet threat assessment: (i) did not reflect a uniform response to "external threat," (ii) were inevitably tied to underlying assumptions about adversary intent, and (iii) were susceptible then to perceptual, organizational, and/or political influences within government. Thus, threat assessments reflected the optimism and pessimism—and political interests and ideologies—of those who participated in the estimating process. The article concludes by examining these lessons in light of the experiences and challenges of assessing threat from small states harboring nuclear ambitions.     

Recovery and detection of urea nitrate in traces

Urea nitrate (uronium nitrate, UN) is a powerful improvised explosive, frequently used by terrorists in the Israeli arena. It was also used in the first World Trade Center bombing in New York in February 1993. It is difficult to identify UN in postexplosion debris, because in the presence of water it readily decomposes to its original components, urea and nitric acid. A method for the recovery and detection of urea nitrate in traces is described. The residues are extracted with hot acetone, and the extract chromatographed on chromosorb G-HP. The eluent is analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). By applying this technique, we were able to identify urea nitrate in actual exhibits. It was found that UN can be also formed during the analytical procedure, by certain combinations of urea, nitrate ions, and a source of protons and, hence, the presence of the characteristic adduct ion does not necessarily indicate an "authentic" urea nitrate. Several solutions are suggested to overcome this ambiguity.     

Shooting Down a Hijacked Plane—The German Discussion and Beyond

The article examines whether state officials may shoot down a hijacked airplane which carries uninvolved passengers, if it is known that the plane will be used against the lives of other human beings. In its first sections, it explains the German Federal Constitutional Court’s verdict against such a permission, and it scrutinizes the crucial arguments in this ruling (restrictions on the use of military weapons; human dignity arguments). The author then extends the discussion beyond the path taken by the court. She examines the defensive claims of passengers aboard the plane and the protective claims of potential victims who are present at the hijackers’ target zone. In contrast to the German Federal Constitutional Court, she concludes that state officials must take the claims of both groups of potential victims equally serious, and that such conditions allow applying a consequentialist calculus (“save the greater number”) because it is the only way out of a genuine dilemma.     

Simulating transfer and persistence of a chemical marker powder for Lycopodium clavatum spores

In this research a chemical marker powder, based on Lycopodium clavatum spores, was studied to determine its transfer and persistence on a T-shirt. Such chemical marker powders are used to provide evidence that a person has handled a covertly marked object, such as a drug package. The powder was found to transfer readily between a marked item and the person handling it. The powder was found to persist on a T-shirt for up to 13 h; however, there was only a very small amount of powder remaining at this time. The rate of loss of the L. clavatum spores was found to follow a decay curve. The largest decrease in spores from the T-shirt was seen in the first 2 h after the marked item had been handled.     

生物科技相关法律问题与《禁止生物武器公约》

生物技术所具有的人为改变生物自然性状的能力,也对生物多样性的保护构成了前所未有的威胁,并与人类社会的伦理观念发生了冲突。在专家学者、政府部门和各界的共同努力之下,发达国家目前已初步建立了生物安全规范体系。在国际范围内,联合国环境规划署制定了《国际生物技术安全准则》。为此, 我们必须加强对生物科技相关法律问题的研究。科学上的任何一样进步,人类都可以拿来作为武器。随着生物技术的飞速发展,在不久的将来很有可能会研制出杀伤力更隐蔽的新一代生物武器——基因武器。《禁止生物武器公约》对于禁止生物武器、防止生物武器扩散发挥了积极作用,已成为国际军控条约体系和以联合国为中心的集体安全框架的重要组成部分。中国政府一贯主张全面禁止和彻底销毁包括生物武器在内的一切大规模杀伤性武器,高度重视公约在维护世界和平与安全方面的积极作用。     

关于人民警察使用武器“判明”规定的思考

判明情况是法律对人民警察使用武器前作出的明确规定,但在实践中由于诸种原因,人民警察有忽视这一规定的情况。探讨判明情况的必要性、操作标准和剖析存在问题的原因,有助于逐步完善人民警察武器使用制度。     

论如何加强民营小型化工企业的消防安全

化工企业生产规模不断扩大,生产中所涉及的物质中可燃有机物所占的份额不断增大,而且生产本身又具有生产方法多种多样、装置规模大型化和生产工艺高参数的特点,这些因素决定了化工企业具有较大的火灾危险性。本文针对化工企业火灾的特点、成因,对化工企业火灾防治进行了研究,分析了化工企业中存在的火灾危险及薄弱环节,结合实际情况提出了相应的预防措施。结果表明有效的火灾预防措施能最大限度地减少发生火灾爆炸事故的机率。因此,及时有效地对化工企业中存在的潜在危险做好预防措施是十分必要的。