A Statistical Method for Reassociating Human Tali and Calcanei from a Commingled Context

In a commingled context, assessing that a talus and a calcaneus correspond to the same individual could become a primary step for accurately sorting human remains. For this purpose, the lengths and widths of the trochlea, posterior calcaneal articular surface, and posterior talar articular surface were measured in 197 individuals (105 males, 92 females) from the Athens Collection. A total of 12 highly accurate equations for reassociating tali and calcanei were developed, using simple and multiple linear regression analysis and they were found to be suitable for sorting commingled human remains. Bilateral asymmetry and sex did not have an effect on the accuracy of the method.     

“Electronic transport records”: Assessing the contribution of the Rotterdam Rules to e-commerce

The Rotterdam Rules is the first international maritime carriage of goods Convention that officially acknowledges electronic records of contracts of carriage and has devoted a separate chapter to their regulation. This paper aims to assess the impact of the Rotterdam Rules on facilitating the conclusion of maritime contracts electronically. Whether articles 8 and 10 of the Rotterdam Rules provide an effective mechanism for electronic cargo documentation, and in which ways will be investigated. Where the impact of these provisions of the Rotterdam Rules on electronic commerce is judged unsatisfactory more efficient and trustworthy ways of transforming the Rules to make them a more effective springboard for paperless trade will be suggested.     

What News on the Rialto? The Trade of Information and Early Modern Venice’s Centralized Intelligence Organization

This article explores one of the earliest centrally organized state intelligence services in world history. Contrary to the orthodoxy that sees systematized intelligence as a modern political phenomenon, this was developed in early modern Venice. The article reveals the complex organization of Venetian systemized intelligence that distinguished it from other contemporaneous states’ espionage networks. It also shows how Venetian authorities commodified intelligence by engaging citizens and subjects in a trade of information for mutual benefits. Ultimately, the article challenges our understanding of early modern political communication and offers a fresh vista of intelligence as a business trait and economic necessity.     

Relational Victimization,Callous-Unemotional Traits,and Hostile Attribution Bias Among Preadolescents

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of callous-unemotional traits, hostile attribution bias, and relational victimization experiences among 228 Greek preadolescent students attending the last two primary school grades. No significant gender differences were found. Correlations showed positive associations among relational victimization, callous-unemotional traits, and hostile attribution bias. Multiple regression indicated that preadolescents with high callous and unemotional traits and hostile attribution bias who experienced physical aggression were more likely to be relationally victimized. Results emphasize the role of both personal and social-cognitive factors in relational victimization, and are discussed in terms of their practical implications.     

On Luisa Passerini: subjectivity,Europe, affective historiography

Weaving together the key themes of subjectivity, Europe, and affects, this article argues that the work of Luisa Passerini constitutes a paradigmatic shift in understandings of contemporary European history, culture, and politics. During the 1990s, Passerini's focus shifted from the history of fascism and memory to the study of ideas and experiences of Europeanness. She reclaimed Europeanism as a research topic for cultural history in order to articulate a critique of Eurocentrism. The coherence of her overarching thematic scope was safeguarded by a constant emphasis on subjectivity. Understanding the correlation between the theoretical privileging of the notion of intersubjectivity and the nurturing of collaborative, transgenerational, and transnational academic practices is thus very important for contextualizing Passerini's historiographical contribution. During the last three decades, Passerini has developed a historiographical framework that crosses many disciplinary boundaries and incorporates practices of teaching, learning, and researching into an integrated mode of producing historical knowledge.     

A Reliable Regression‐Based Approach for Reassociating Human Skeletal Elements of the Lower Limbs from Commingled Assemblages

Accurate sorting of commingled human remains comprises a fundamental requirement for all further anthropological analyses. The lower limb bones are particularly important for reconstructing biological profiles. This study introduces a metric technique for sorting these elements using eight standard anthropological measurements and 222 adult individuals from Greece. The bones utilized were the os coxae, the femora, the tibiae and the tali. Simple regression analyses were used to develop functions for reassociating articulating bones, providing strong correlations (r = 0.74–0.95, p‐value <0.05) and high coefficients of determination (r²=0.54–0.91). Blind tests demonstrated that combining metric and morphoscopic techniques provides an excellent sorting accuracy for the hip and knee joints (ten of ten individuals), allowing for a reliable reassociation between a sex and age indicator (os coxae) and a body size indicator (femur). Overall, these results indicate the high value of metric methods in sorting commingled human remains.     

Psychological proximity and the construal of crime: A commentary on ‘Mapping fear of crime as a context‐dependent everyday experience that varies in space and time’

Fear of crime is a dynamic psychosocial phenomenon, and sophisticated methodologies are necessary in order to explore its multidimensionality and complexity. The experience sampling method (ESM) that is used by Solymosi and colleagues (2015) is a promising methodological way forward in fear of crime research. While acknowledging the advantages of ESM, in this commentary we discuss a potential disadvantage of the method, namely the possibility that ESM can increase the psychological proximity of crime. Drawing upon construal‐level theory of psychological distance, we argue that ESM might sensitize people to think about crime through the lens of personal risk, with a knock‐on effect on the construal of crime.     

A simple technique for imaging the human skeleton using a flatbed scanner

A simple technique for imaging the human skeleton with a flatbed scanner is presented using the auricular surface of the ilium as an example. A flatbed scanner with resolution capabilities of 600 dpi or greater allows for images of human bones. The auricular surface of the ilium was selected to demonstrate this technique as it is a fairly three-dimensional area that can be difficult to record photographically. Fifty left ilia of various ages at death from the Athens Collection were selected from which three observers (SCF, CE, and IM) scored the morphology of the auricular surface using a well-established aging method. Observations were taken of the dry bone, of digital photographs of the bone, and of scanned images of the bone, and in that sequence. Results indicate that scores of scanned images are equivalent or better than digital images of the same ilia. This technique allows for sharing data electronically with ease.