Exposing Politicians’ Peccadilloes in Comparative Context: Explaining the Frequency of Political Sex Scandals in Eight Democracies Using Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Political sex scandals are largely absent in some democracies but proliferate in others. However, there have so far been few if any comprehensive attempts to document the actual number of sex scandals that have occurred and to explain their presence (and, indeed, absence), and the one study that has (Barker's 1994 study) ended in the early 1990s and had numerous problems in relation to defining and documenting such scandals. Based on extensive research, this article documents the number of sex scandals in eight advanced industrial democracies and tries to explain their occurrence using Charles Ragin's fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis. The article has three goals: to determine the number of sex scandals in different democracies, explain why this might be, and demonstrate the utility of fuzzy set qualitative case analysis for small- and medium-N comparative research.     

Malign Neglect or Benign Respect

Abstract

A central tenet of feminist criminological scholarship is the examination of women's experiences with crime and incarceration through their own narratives. Through semi-structured interviews with thirty jailed women, this article examines carceral conditions through the critical lens of the female inmate. Highlighted in this article is the availability and quality of health care in a detention center in Arizona. The findings indicate a contentious duality, exposing both heinous neglect and benign solicitude in the care delivered to jailed women. This duality is situated within the dismal health care system available to indigent women in the region.     

Iatrogenic Burns of the Neckline in a Patient with Tetraparesis During Tracheotomy

The paper presents a case of an atypical iatrogenic complication after tracheotomy analyzed on the basis of the case dossier materials submitted to the authors by the court of justice to prepare a forensic medical opinion concerning the correctness of the medical procedure. A 37‐year‐old woman was brought by the ambulance service to the hospital with acute respiratory failure due to post‐tracheostomy tracheal stenosis. Tracheotomy was performed on an emergency basis. The patient suffered severe burns of the chest and neck. The experts concluded that the most probable cause of the incident was electrocautery‐induced ignition of the disinfectant used for cleaning the skin before the surgery. It was established that with correct handling of the procedure, the aforementioned incident should not have taken place. Therefore, it cannot be regarded as a normal complication inherent in the risk associated with the procedure, but as a consequence of a medical error.     

The Development and Application of Random Match Probabilities to Firearm and Toolmark Identification

The field of firearms and toolmark analysis has encountered deep scrutiny of late, stemming from a handful of voices, primarily in the law and statistical communities. While strong scrutiny is a healthy and necessary part of any scientific endeavor, much of the current criticism leveled at firearm and toolmark analysis is, at best, misinformed and, at worst, punditry. One of the most persistent criticisms stems from the view that as the field lacks quantified random match probability data (or at least a firm statistical model) with which to calculate the probability of a false match, all expert testimony concerning firearm and toolmark identification or source attribution is unreliable and should be ruled inadmissible. However, this critique does not stem from the hard work of actually obtaining data and performing the scientific research required to support or reject current findings in the literature. Although there are sound reasons (described herein) why there is currently no unifying probabilistic model for the comparison of striated and impressed toolmarks as there is in the field of forensic DNA profiling, much statistical research has been, and continues to be, done to aid the criminal justice system. This research has thus far shown that error rate estimates for the field are very low, especially when compared to other forms of judicial error. The first purpose of this paper is to point out the logical fallacies in the arguments of a small group of pundits, who advocate a particular viewpoint but cloak it as fact and research. The second purpose is to give a balanced review of the literature regarding random match probability models and statistical applications that have been carried out in forensic firearm and toolmark analysis.     

外语课堂教学研究：状况与启示——基于1996年至2011年国内文献的实证研究

本研究对过去16年间（1996年至2011年）刊登在国内主要外语期刊上有关外语课堂研究的文章进行了检索与统计。统计结果显示,相关研究可以划分为两个阶段：繁荣期（1996年至2006年）和停滞期（2007年至2011年）。繁荣期的特点是：（1） 研究重点从对教学法到对教学过程;（2） 研究内容主要集中在国外研究成果的介绍和引进、教学过程描述和特定环境的实例分析三个方面;（3） 研究方法主要是描写研究。停滞期的特点是：相关研究停滞;研究范围狭窄;本土化研究不够以及实证性研究比例依旧偏低。两个阶段在研究领域和研究方法上给予我们一定启示。文章最后对国内外语课堂教学研究提出预测与建议。     

论我国刑事强制医疗程序之建构与完善

2012年《刑事诉讼法》增设专章规定了“对实施暴力行为的精神病人的强制医疗程序”,初步构建起了刑事强制医疗程序,但还存在适用对象过窄、适用条件模糊、鉴定启动垄断、权利救济不力等问题。应当借鉴域外有益的经验,秉持保卫社会与保障权利并重的精神,对我国刑事强制医疗程序的适用对象、适用条件、启动程序、决定程序、救济程序等方面予以进一步完善。     

How do professionals experience working with offenders diagnosed with personality disorder within a prison environment?

To explore the different experiences of a Multidisciplinary Team working with offenders diagnosed with personality disorder (PD) and produce a substantive model of the Offender PD Pathway strategy from a staff perspective. Fourteen participants were recruited from ‘Unit A’ located within a high security prison. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants and the data collected were analysed using constructivist grounded theory. A model was constructed depicting the experiences of those working with offenders with PD. Main themes identified were: prison environment; synergy of the workforce; understanding of the client; individual perceptions; support; and personal change. Although there was enough similarity within the participants’ responses to consider them to be a homogenous population, there were some noticeable differences in trends of responses evident between the two sub-groups of health service-based clinical staff and prison staff as expressed in the model. There is interplay between factors which influence an individual’s experience of working with offenders with PD. How a member of staff experiences working with offenders with PD depends on more than just the nature of the client and the challenges they pose. These factors external to the client group appear to have a significant impact on the professional and their emotional experiences of their work.     

法医学研究中的伦理审查建设

法医学研究伦理审查既是法医学研究管理工作的内容,也是法医学研究的对象,本文针对法医学研究中的伦理审查问题,论述开展伦理审查的必要性,并对法医学研究伦理审查委员会建设指导原则进行探讨,呼吁开展伦理审查建设。     

数据挖掘在未成年人犯罪行为分析中的应用

随着我国经济的发展,未成年人犯罪行为却有增无减,并出现了新的特征和趋势.采用数据挖掘技术对未成年犯罪人员数据进行处理,采用C4.5决策树分类算法进行尝试性的数据挖掘,从中发现未成年人犯罪的特点、原因等方面潜在的规则,就可以据此提出一些预防未成年人犯罪的对策.     

法庭科学的目的和手段

法庭科学的扩张给法庭科学家和法官带来了问题.法庭科学家在开展某项研究之前,要根据已知的科学理论或方法对来自于法律的目的进行初步的扬弃,亦即要首先分析法律目的的主观成分和客观成分,尽量地剔除不符合科学理论或方法的主观目的而保留符合科学理论或方法的客观目的.法官在评判法庭科学证据可靠性的时候应当区别不同目的的法庭科学.