Censors Get Smart: Evidence from Psiphon in Iran

Information controls are actions intended to deny, disrupt, monitor, or secure information for political ends. They can be implemented using a wide variety of technical and nontechnical means. Political contests over the control of information are heightened around important events, such as major anniversaries, armed conflicts, protests, and elections. In this paper, we offer a comparative case study of online censorship of the circumvention tool Psiphon during the Iranian elections in 2016 and 2013, drawing on unique access to analytics data from Psiphon. We find that the Iranian regime developed its censorship approach in two ways, deploying blocking that was more targeted and strategically timed in the more recent case. Evidence suggests that the regime relaxed censorship of Psiphon during the official campaign period for the 2016 election. The apparent objective of this new approach was to control access to information while minimizing the political consequences of doing so.     

Causeless complicity

I argue, contrary to standard claims, that accomplice liability need not be a causal relation. One can be an accomplice to another’s crime without causally contributing to the criminal act of the principal. This is because the acts of aid and encouragement that constitute the basis for accomplice liability typically occur in contexts of under- and over-determination, where causal analysis is confounded. While causation is relevant to justifying accomplice liability in general, only potential causation is necessary in particular cases. I develop this argument through the example of the role of U.S. legal officials in abetting the acts of unlawful interrogation that have taken place since 2001. I also suggest that there may be a limited justification for ex post ratificatory accomplice liability.

利益和谐视域下的农产品贸易与环境问题研究

贸易与环境问题已经发展为人类面临的最为紧迫的议题。农产品贸易与环境有着最为密切的联系。而农产品贸易与环境的矛盾在国际社会领域主要表现为发达国家与广大发展中国家之间的冲突和矛盾。为寻求农产品贸易与环境问题的有效解决,我们必须以利益和谐为理论基点,从理念上关注贸易利益和环境利益的和谐、发达国家利益和发展中国家利益的和谐,并从内发与外围整合的双重径路采取有力措施,方能彻底地化解农产品贸易与环境问题,促进整个国际社会的和谐发展。     

Age Estimation of Infants Through Metric Analysis of Developing Anterior Deciduous Teeth

This study provides regression equations for estimation of age of infants from the dimensions of their developing deciduous teeth. The sample comprises 97 individuals of known sex and age (62 boys, 35 girls), aged between 2 days and 1,081 days. The age‐estimation equations were obtained for the sexes combined, as well as for each sex separately, thus including “sex” as an independent variable. The values of the correlations and determination coefficients obtained for each regression equation indicate good fits for most of the equations obtained. The “sex” factor was statistically significant when included as an independent variable in seven of the regression equations. However, the “sex” factor provided an advantage for age estimation in only three of the equations, compared to those that did not include “sex” as a factor. These data suggest that the ages of infants can be accurately estimated from measurements of their developing deciduous teeth.     

Is it complex environments or complex systems that undermines police reform in developing countries?

This article is a reflection upon the challenges facing police reform in developing countries. In doing so it explores the usefulness of complexity theory both to understand the evidence of relative failure and to reconsider the explanations offered for that failure in terms of unique individual factors or the complex nature of the environment. The article suggests that the nature of police organisations as complex social systems may be a principal reason for failure. The article outlines some of the key features of complex systems and illustrates these from actual police reform. The article then turns to whether complexity theory can be of any practical use in police reform programmes. It concludes that greater success may be forthcoming if the insights of complexity theory are taken on board by reformers.     

论音乐课程的开发范式与理解范式

当今教育领域,理解课程理论已经成熟,它给以开发范式为基础的学校音乐学科课程带来了新的教育评估视野。课程领域所出现的理论转型,使我们开始一种以理解课程范式为基础的音乐课程理念的思考。音乐课程开发范式中音乐的界定具备科学技术概念的含义,如乐理学习对音高、音质、音色、音的力度、音程等的物理属性的界定,它将这种音乐体系看作是“文化无涉”的具有普遍性的“科学体系”。而作为理解课程范式的起点和理论框架,将音乐作为文化的界定表明,音乐理解课程已经显示出音乐是作为一种文化表征,因此,音乐课程被理解为历史文本、政治文本、种族文本、性别文本、现象学文本等以及后结构主义、解构主义和后现代文本。     

论全面人才观与整体人才开发机制

人才是指各方面的高层次人员。人才包括管理型人才、研究型人才、技术型人才和操作型人才。人才是最重要的战略资源,是国际竞争的焦点。人才开发胜于人才管理。人才开发机制包括社会舆论机制、人才发现机制、人才培养机制、人才监督机制和人才淘汰机制。     

职工维权的发展型与底线型研究

维护职工合法权益,要从过去简单的"维护职工合法权益"的理解上升到内涵的理解.为此,职工维权要有"三型"(发展型、底线型、预警型)的思路.重点研究职工维权"三型"中的发展型与底线型.发展型维护,要从提高劳动档次、提高回报率、加强职工人文关怀及开辟职工参与的路径等四个方面入手;底线型维护,则要遵循和把握基调原则,建立社会保...