Partial order scalogram analysis with base coordinates (POSAC): Its application to crime patterns in all the states in the United States

In this paper, a new nonmetric method called POSAC is presented and illustrated through an analysis of the crime patterns of all the states in the United States. POSAC is a graphical technique for the display of multivariate data in a two-dimensional space. It maps the rows (e.g., states) of a matrix in a way that maximizes the preservation of theirpartial order, with similar states located in close proximity on the map. POSAC is based on the partial order among observations rather than their actual magnitude. POSAC seems to bear the same relationship to the principal-component analysis (PCA) as that borne by the median to the arithmetic mean. As a matter of fact, POSAC is a form of ordinal factor analysis. Its advantage over PCA is its robustness to the data. The technique enables observations and variables to be studied simultaneously. Seven index crime categories are analyzed. In order to demonstrate the utility of POSAC in detecting changes in crime patterns over time, we included in our analysis three selected years: 1944, 1965, and 1987. The results for the year 1987 are compared to those obtained by PCA.     

A proposed dissection procedure for vertebral arteries in forensic pathology

Vertebral artery removing constitutes a significant forensic pathology challenge. Dissection techniques during head-neck autopsy are based on anterior approach, a difficult method, which is unable to assess the transverse part of the artery. This work presents an original and simple method for dissecting vertebral arteries by a posterior approach, opening the vertebroarterial canal through the spinal canal without any special equipment. Once the spinal cord is removed, the transversarium foramens are opened by an internal cut at the pedicle and an external cut at the transverse process. This enables us to visualize vertebral arteries in its entirety. The method improves both the examination of the upper extracranial segment of the vertebral artery and the neuropathological study when arterial injury is suspected. Applying this method routinely is both feasible and useful in suspected cases of vertebral artery trauma and could contribute to assess more precisely the actual incidence of this injury.     

A Safer Method for Body Restoration Following Autopsy

Restoration of autopsy incisions can result in inadvertent needle stick injury to the prosector, which can be difficult to prevent even with the use of personal protective equipment such as Kevlar cut resistant gloves. We present a new technique for closure of autopsy incisions using a commonly available commercial hardware tool, a hole punch with a lever enhanced action, combined with blunt probe sewing, which results in an esthetic and leak‐proof means of restoring cadavers. This technique is especially useful in cases which may pose blood‐borne infection risks to the prosector.     

Passive forensics in image and video using noise features: A review

Due to present of enormous free image and video editing software on the Internet, tampering of digital images and videos have become very easy. Validating the integrity of images or videos and detecting any attempt of forgery without use of active forensic technique such as Digital Signature or Digital Watermark is a big challenge to researchers. Passive forensic techniques, unlike active techniques, do not need any preembeded information about the image or video. The proposed paper presents a comprehensive review of the recent developments in the field of digital image and video forensic using noise features. The previously existing methods of image and video forensics proved the importance of noises and encourage us for the study and perform extensive research in this field. Moreover, in this paper, forensic task cover mainly source identification and forgery detection in the image and video using noise features. Thus, various source identification and forgery detection methods using noise features are reviewed and compared in this paper for image and video. The overall objective of this paper is to give researchers a broad perspective on various aspects of image and video forensics using noise features. Conclusion part of this paper discusses about the importance of noise features and the challenges encountered by different image and video forensic method using noise features.     

基层法官司法知识的开示

基于时中国基层司法的调查和研究,本文试图概括地总结中国基层司法中经常运用的一些在现有的法律知识体制中末于以足够重视的知识和技术,并予以初步的理论分析。本文认为,由于中国基层法院法官所处的特定制度空间（初审法院）和时空位置（中国基层社会）,他／她们所需要的知识和技巧不仅与理想型法官不同,而且与上诉审法官也不同。在这种余件下,中国基层法院法官实际上经常并非自党地创造和运用一些知识和技术。这种知识和技术有助于实用主义地解决一些实际问题,并且从现代的其他学科知识看来也具有一定的学理上的正当性,但是在有些情况下,也有可能被滥用。这种从司法实践来的知识,尽管来自基层,缺乏实践者的自我反思,但仍然具有实践意义和理论意义,需要当代中国关注现实的法学象的重视和研究。     

The acceptance,relevance and dominance of lobbying the EU Commission — a first‐time survey of the EU Commission's civil servants

Among public affairs techniques lobbying is by far the most mystifying one — at least in Europe. Lobbying comes from the Latin word ‘labium’ and means ‘entrance hall’ or ‘lounge’. Therein the essential meaning can be seen: today political decisions are not made in plenary assemblies but primarily in the pre‐political phase of balancing the various interests. Lobbying is to be understood as the ‘diverse intensive activities of social groups, chambers and companies in the political and bureaucratic vestibule’ (Beyme 1980). Modern lobbying on the EU level is an intermediary policy for the support of political decision making — even if some critics refuse to believe it. Lobbying at EU level has become a politically realistic dimension. Even if the mass media still take a very sceptical and negative view of lobbying in Brussels, based on the existing European taboo on influencing politics, an in‐depth analysis reveals various lobbies at work in EU institutions. Lobbying today is an essential part of all EU decision areas. This paper describes the functional theory approach of lobbying known as ‘cooperation as confrontation through communication’. For the first time, recipients of lobbying in the EU Commission are demonstrating their acceptance of lobbying efforts. The paper is based on the doctoral thesis ‘The acceptance, relevance and dominance of lobbying the EU Commission’ by Peter Koeppl, University of Vienna (unpublished). Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications     

谈警务技战术教师的“务”与“技”

警务技战术,是建立在良好身体素质基础上的通过训练形成的合理的克敌制胜的方法。警务技战术训练既是能力、技巧和策略的训练,也是执法水平的训练和塑造人民警察形象的训练。公安院校是培养公安后备人才、提高人民警察自身素质、加强公务队伍建设、进行警讯国际交流的重要阵地。警务技战术教学在公安院校教学中占据相当重要的地位,公安院校学员对警务技战术的学习也非常重视,同时警务技战术教师既是人民教师又是人民警察,这就要求警务技战术教师要具有较好的技战术素质,正确处理好＂务＂与＂技＂的关系。     

The relation between interviewers’ personal characteristics and investigative interview performance in a child sexual abuse context

Despite important progress in knowledge about interview ‘best practice’ with child victims, few studies had yet evaluated the impact of interviewers’ personal characteristics on adherence to these ‘best practice’. This study was designed to determine whether interviewers’ personal characteristics are associated with adherence to a structured interview protocol (National Institute of Child and Human Development), the use of open-ended questions and the amount of details provided in children’s responses during investigative interviews with alleged victims of child sexual abuse. 114 interviews were scored from 13 police investigators after they followed a one-week training program. Results showed that experience, emotional intelligence, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism were related with adherence to the protocol and ratio of open-ended questions. Cognitive abilities were related to the amount of details obtained from the child. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare relative contribution of each variable. These findings raise questions about how investigative interviewers are selected and trained.     

论技术规则对行政法规范的渗入

技术规则在行政法规范中占有的比重越来越大,如何处理行政法规范与现代技术规范的关系成为行政立法中必须高度关注的问题。基于此考虑,从技术规则的概念界定、技术规则渗入到行政法规范的必要性、技术规则与行政法规范的立法技术等方面作了探讨。认为技术规则的统计、技术规则的渗入方式、技术规则渗入后行政法关系的性状、技术规则渗入后的法律效力问题是立法时必须把握的。     

Forensic imaging of projectiles using cone-beam computed tomography

In patients with gunshot injuries, it is easy to detect a projectile within the body due to the high-density of the object, but artefacts make it difficult to obtain information about the deformation and the exact location of the projectile in surrounding tissues. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a new radiological imaging modality that allows radio-opaque objects to be localised and assessed in three dimensions. The full potential of the use of CBCT in forensic medicine has not yet been explored.In this study, three different modern projectiles were fired into the heads of pig cadavers (n = 6) under standardised conditions. Tissue destruction and the location of the projectiles were analysed separately using CBCT and multi-slice computed tomography (MDCT).The projectiles had the same kinetic energy but showed considerable differences in deformation behaviour. Within the study groups, tissue destruction was reproducible. CBCT is less severely affected by metallic artefacts than MDCT. Therefore CBCT is superior in visualising bone destruction in the immediate vicinity of the projectile and projectile deformation, whereas MDCT allows soft tissue to be evaluated in more detail.CBCT is an improved diagnostic tool for the evaluation of gunshot injuries. In particular, it is superior to MDCT in detecting structural hard-tissue damage in the immediate vicinity of high-density metal projectiles and in identifying the precise location of a projectile in the body.