3D forensic facial approximation: Implementation protocol in a forensic activity

The primary objective of this paper is to report on the successful implementation of forensic facial approximation in a real case in the forensic context. A three‐dimensional (3D) facial approximation protocol of the skull was performed with free software, applying techniques in a virtual environment that have already been consolidated in the literature. The skull was scanned with the photogrammetry technique, the digital replica was imported in the Blender software (Blender Foundation, Amsterdam) and individualized model sketches of the face were traced with the MakeHuman software (MakeHuman Org) according to the anthropological profile of the victim. The face created was imported in Blender, where it was adapted, modeled, and sculpted on the 3D skull and its soft tissue markers, using an American open‐source application of the technique in the digital environment. The face created in a virtual environment was recognized and legal identification procedures were started, resulting in the more agile delivery of the disappeared body to its next of kin. It is therefore concluded that facial approximation may not be a primary method of human identification, but it can be satisfactorily applied in the forensic field as an individual recognition resource. It has great value in narrowing the search, reducing the number of alleged victims, and leading to identification tests, therefore significantly reducing the number of genetic DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) tests—which are considered costly for the State or Federation—and consequently reducing the waiting time before delivery of the body to its family.     

An Examination of Training Design Strategies in a Pay-For-Performance Appraisal System Online Workshop

The purpose of this study was to examine the design of an online training program about pay-for-performance systems for municipal agencies. The effects of two training design strategies, discussion groups and multiple-formatted content, on participants’ declarative knowledge were examined. The moderating role of experience with technology, technology self-efficacy, and several individual characteristic variables were also examined. Participants for the study were adult learners from four undergraduate courses. Analyses indicated that there were significant differences between an online training workshop with discussion group activities and an online training workshop without discussion groups with regard to participants’ declarative knowledge. Findings from the study are discussed.     

From Competition and Collusion to Consent-Based Collaboration: A Case Study of Local Democracy

The high distrust in political institutions and a growing sense of powerlessness among many citizens suggest that prevailing democratic governance systems lack a capability for collective dialogue and learning. The key thesis here is that public governance systems can benefit from organizational arrangements informed by circular design. A case study conducted at a Dutch municipality illustrates how principles of circular design served to enhance the city council’s role of orchestrator of civil participation. This case also illustrates how a local democracy, which has long suffered from majority–minority ploys and voting schemes, can be transformed into a consent-based culture of collaboration.     

金融突发事件应急预案演练特征及方案设计

金融突发事件应急预案演练具有不同于一般的显明特征,表现为演练过程不具有实体目标、演练设计具有动作性想象、演练设计遵循动作分解原理;综合性金融突发事件应急预案演练可以采用实战演练与桌面演练、分散演练与集中演练相结合的组织形式;应急预案演练设计中的关键要素是流程分解、动作分解和确定演练方式。     

法律英语课程设置和教学模式研究

世界经济一体化导致国际型法律人才的需求不断增大。法律英语教学作为一条必由之路,目前在教学目的、教材编写、师资配备、课程设置以及教学模式等方面仍存在许多问题和困难。应根据法律英语课程的特点,构建以"学科本位"为基础、以"能力本位"为导向的法律英语课程设置。法律英语教学应该根据不同模块的特点适用多种教学模式。     

论行政许可中的自由裁量权及其规制——一种实用主义的立场

随着现代社会经济的发展,各种行政许可事务纷繁复杂.职是之故,行政许可实行彻底的法定主义存在客观阻碍,行政许可中的自由裁量权成为适应社会经济需要的应运而生之物.然而行政许可中的自由裁量权导致存在部门主义与地方主义、诱使权利寻租行为、降低行政法律法规可预期性的弊端,因此从实用主义的角度出发,理应依凭事前制度设计,实现对行政许可中的自由裁量权的最大限制.     

商法的独立性与商事审判的独立化

商事审判独立化既是商法独立性的必然要求和主要标志,同时也是实现商法独立性的重要保障,没有商事审判的独立化就没有真正意义上的商法独立。实现商事审判独立化的关键首先在于确立独立的商事审判理念,这些理念主要包括重效率的审判理念、侧重动态保护和强调利益均衡的审判理念、尊重当事人意思自治的审判理念及促进商事交易效率与安全并重的理念等。在商事审判程序的具体设计上,应当在充分把握商事审判特殊性的基础上,建立独立的法官队伍并对法官的自由裁量权做出必要限制,注重法院司法能动性的发挥,确立商事惯例和商事判例作为法律渊源的地位和作用,注意发挥诉讼替代程序在商事纠纷争议解决中的作用,强化诚信原则在商事裁判中的独特作用,充分尊重国际惯例在商事审判中的作用。     

证券民事赔偿制度立法改革范式研究

关于证券民事赔偿制度的立法导向,理论界存在着“以损害赔偿为导向”的立法模式和“以预防震慑为导向”的立法模式两种立法改革意见。笔者从立法的有效性和抗干扰性角度出发,认为“以损害赔偿为导向”的立法模式,更符合我国证券民事赔偿制度立法的法益,并在此基础上提出了未来我国证券民事赔偿制度的具体制度设计范式。     

Designing the United Nations Environment Programme: a story of compromise and confrontation

The role of the United Nations in global environmental governance was determined in 1972 when a new international body for the global environment was created as a programme within the United Nations rather than as an autonomous specialized agency. A set of political dynamics between developed and developing countries led to the decisions on the functions, form, financing, and location of the new intergovernmental organization—the United Nations Environment Programme. This article traces the historical roots of these choices and exposes the motivations behind them.

Using group-based trajectory modeling in conjunction with propensity scores to improve balance

This paper builds upon two prior papers by Haviland and Nagin (Psychometrika 70:1–22, 2005) and Haviland, Nagin, and Rosenbaum (Working paper, 2006) that attempt to bring the key attributes of an experiment to the analysis of non-experimental longitudinal data. Using a case study of the facilitation effect of gang membership on violence, it systematically examines the contribution of group-based trajectory modeling to the achievement of covariate balance in observational data. In this case study, inclusion of the posterior probabilities of group membership (PPGM), from a model on the pre-treatment measures of the outcome variable, created closer balance on these key covariates than did analyses that did not include them. Still closer balance was obtained on these key covariates by stratifying the analysis by trajectory group. This stratification was achieved by fitting separate propensity score models and matching gang joiners to gang abstainers within trajectory group. In addition, we demonstrated that further balance could be obtained on additional covariates by including PPGM from a model on pre-treatment longitudinal data of these covariates. While this case study is only one empirical example, we believe that it provides useful empirical evidence on the value of performing within trajectory group causal inference in observational longitudinal data and on the use of the PPGM in achieving balance in propensity score-based causal inference.