Digital forensics as a service: Game on

The big data era has a high impact on forensic data analysis. Work is done in speeding up the processing of large amounts of data and enriching this processing with new techniques. Doing forensics calls for specific design considerations, since the processed data is incredibly sensitive. In this paper we explore the impact of forensic drivers and major design principles like security, privacy and transparency on the design and implementation of a centralized digital forensics service.     

Changing classes,changing preferences: how social class mobility affects economic preferences

Abstract

While many studies have identified an association between social class and economic preferences, we know little about the implications of changes in class location for these preferences. This article assesses how social class and intra-generational class mobility affect economic preferences drawing on longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey. In doing so, the article adopts a post-industrial perspective that considers horizontal and vertical class divisions. Even when time-invariant characteristics of individuals are kept constant (through fixed-effects estimation), it is found that both vertical and horizontal class location explain economic preferences. Thus, these estimations suggest that social class moulds preferences, even when accounting for factors that can lead to selection into classes. Moreover, people who change classes hold different economic preferences than their peers in the class of origin, but do not completely assimilate into their class of destination. This implies that growing intra-generational class mobility could undermine the class basis of political conflict.     

EU issue voting and the 2014 European Parliament elections: a dynamic perspective

EU issue voting in European Parliament elections has been shown to be highly conditional upon levels of EU politicization. The present study analyzes this conditionality over time, hypothesizing that the effect of EU attitudes on EP vote preferences is catalyzed as EP elections draw closer. In contrast to extant cross-sectional post-election studies, we use a four-wave panel study covering the six months leading up to the Dutch EP elections of 2014, differentiating between party groups (pro, anti, mixed) and five EU attitude dimensions. We find that EU issue voting occurs for both anti- and pro-EU parties, but only increases for the latter. For mixed parties we find no effect of EU attitudes, yet their support base shifts in the anti-EU direction as the elections draw closer. The overarching image, however, is one of surprising stability: EU attitudes form a consistent part of EP voting motivations even outside EP election times.     

Trends in the proportion of married women of reproductive age in Spain, 1887–1991

Using the Princeton nuptiality index I_m, we analyzed historical developments in the proportion of married women of reproductive age in Spain. We show the internal diversity in nuptiality patterns and offer an explanatory statistical model based on panel data analysis to identify the main variables influencing these changes over more than a century (1887–1991). We found that Spain has been the developed country with the greatest contrasts in its provincial nuptiality patterns (measured by I_m), although this diversity has lessened over the course of time. We also found that some socioeconomic variables (the gross domestic product per capita and the percentage of population living in cities) do not have a linear relationship with female nuptiality but rather have a U shape or an inverted U shape. This may partly account for some of the controversy that has raged on this topic over the past few decades on an international level.     

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Adopting Open Educational Resources in an Introductory American Government Course

In this article, we present findings from a grant-funded initiative to replace traditional, proprietary textbooks with an open content textbook under a Creative Commons license in the introductory American government course (POLS 1101) at Middle Georgia State University. We find that the use of an open content textbook led to somewhat negative effects on student learning outcomes and student course satisfaction, although the associated lower textbook cost increased textbook accessibility to students. We conclude with some suggestions to those adopting textbooks in this course and to the wider discipline regarding measures that may lead to more unequivocally positive outcomes than those experienced in this study.     

论大数据技术对公安工作的影响

大数据具有的4V特性决定了大数据技术将从多个角度和层面丰富侦查方式,提高了各类案件的侦破效率;以高科技预防高科技犯罪,做到打击迅速、减少损失,还百姓以现实的安全感;整合多种资源,引导社会运转,预见行为规律,构建令百姓满意的和谐治安环境;让公安工作始终开展的公正透明,百姓享有现实与虚拟环境里的平等权利;提供高效的管理手段和模式,不断推动社会管理的创新。全面认识大数据技术对公安工作的影响,有利于推动公安工作上台阶,不断实现新的突破。     

论完善个人信息保护法制的几个问题

个人信息保护是信息化过程中而产生的问题,在国外有关国家和地区早已掀起了个人信息保护立法的浪潮。鉴于此,本文立足于世界有关国家和地区个人信息立法的情况,对其中涉及逻辑基础、适用范围、原则及个人信息主体的权利、适用例外等问题进行了探讨。     

Metrological framework for selecting morphological characters to identify species and estimate developmental maturity of forensically significant insect specimens

Accurate age estimates of immature necrophagous insects associated with a human or animal body can provide evidence of how long the body has been dead. These estimates are based on species-specific details of the insects’ aging processes, and therefore require accurate species identification and developmental stage estimation. Many professionals who produce or use identified organisms as forensic evidence have little training in taxonomy or metrology, and appreciate the availability of formalized principles and standards for biological identification. Taxonomic identifications are usually most readily and economically made using categorical and qualitative morphological characters, but it may be necessary to use less convenient and potentially more ambiguous characters that are continuous and quantitative if two candidate species are closely related, or if identifying developmental stages within a species. Characters should be selected by criteria such as taxonomic specificity and metrological repeatability and relative error. We propose such a hierarchical framework, critique various measurements of immature insects, and suggest some standard approaches to determine the reliability of organismal identifications and measurements in estimating postmortem intervals. Relevant criteria for good characters include high repeatability (including low scope for ambiguity or parallax effects), pronounced discreteness, and small relative error in measurements. These same principles apply to individuation of unique objects in general.

Key points

• Metrological rigour can increase in forensic entomology by selecting measurements based on their metrological qualities.
• Selection of high-quality features for morphological identification of organisms should consider these criteria: (1) pronounced discreteness of features (minimising group overlap or maximizing interval); (2) high repeatability of assessment (such as symmetrical width rather than asymmetrical length); (3) small relative error in measurement (selecting the physically largest continuous rigid feature for measurement).
• These metrological principles also apply to individuation of unique objects in general.

     

Postmortem chest computed tomography for the diagnosis of drowning:a feasibility study

It may be difficult to distinguish the cause of death in drowning cases without specific findings. The aim of this study was to explore the forensic value of thoracic postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) using routine images and three-dimensional (3D) image reconstructions. The imaging data of PMCT examinations of six drowning cadavers, aged 21–54 years, were analyzed. Twelve victims of sudden death from coronary artery disease (CAD) were chosen as a control group. After 3D bilateral lung images were reconstructed using image processing software, an interactive medical image control system was used to measure and analyze parameters including lung volume, lung volume ratio, mean CT value of the whole lung, and lung CT value distribution curves. Lung volume and lung volume ratio were used to assess the shape changes of the lung. Lung CT value distribution curves showed the corresponding number of pixels of the different CT values in the lung image. Lung volume was not significantly larger in drowning cases (mean 2 958 cm³) than in controls (mean 2 342 cm³). Lung volume ratio values in the drowning group (mean 0.3156) were greater than those in the control group (mean 0.2763); (P = 0.02). There was no significant difference between the drowning and control group in the mean CT value of the whole lung. There were differences between lung CT value distribution curves in drowning victims and controls, with drowning victims showing a single peak and CAD cases showing a bimodal distribution. Thoracic PMCT is helpful for the forensic medical diagnosis of drowning. Lung volume ratio and lung CT value distribution are potential indicators to distinguish between drowning and CAD.     

论我国刑事错案责任追究制度的完善 ——以侦查机关为视角

我国刑事错案追究制度自实行以来,其运用的合理性以及有效性一直饱受争议。从侦查机关的视角考察,错案追责情况主要存在纠正程序不具体、追责程序透明度不高等相关问题。结合我国实际情况考虑,从内部制度与外部监督入手考虑设立独立的错案追究机关来进行解决是可行的,同时可从细化错案责任追究的相关程序、明晰实体责任性质的认定标准、建立健全办案质量终身责任追究制度和建立追责程序相关信息发布机制等方面来完善刑事错案追究制度。