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Subfemtomole peptide sequence analysis has been achieved using microcapillary HPLC columns, with integrated nanoelectrospray emitters, coupled directly to a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Accurate mass (+/-0.010 Da) peptide maps are generated from a standard six-protein digest mixture, whose principle components span a concentration dynamic range of 1000:1. Iterative searches against approximately 189000 entries in the OWL database readily identify each protein, with high sequence coverage (20-60%), from as little as 10 amol loaded on-column. In addition, a simple variable-flow HPLC apparatus provides for on-line tandem mass spectrometric analysis of tryptic peptides at the 400-amol level. MS/MS data are searched against approximately 280000 entries in a nonredundant protein database using SEQUEST. Accurate precursor and product ion mass information readily identifies primary amino acid sequences differing by asparagine vs aspartic acid (deltam = 0.98 Da) and glutamine vs lysine (deltam = 0.036 Da).

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Although the legal bases of affirmative action plans have been debated widely, empirical examination of their effectiveness has been limited. This paper examines the impact of affirmative action on the hiring and promotion of women in policing. A survey of municipal departments serving populations of more than 50,000 found that women still constitute less than 10 percent of all police officers. Nevertheless, multivariate analyses show that both court-ordered and voluntary affirmative action policies have had a statistically significant impact on the hiring but not the promotion of female officers. In addition, case study data from five agencies show that affirnmtive action policies have widened women's opportunities to receive specialized assignments. These findings suggest the importance of continuing affirmative action policies despite recent legal setbacks.The 1972 amendments to the 1964 Civil Rights Act extended to public employers the prohibition against employment discrimination and made them responsible for taking "affirmative action" to assure equal employment opportunities. Since that time there has been heated debate about the legality of various mechanisms for achieving affirmative action, but only limited examination of its effectiveness in reducing employment discrimination. This paper examines the effects of efforts to eliminate discriminatory employment practices through affirmative action plans and related policy changes in policing. It suggests that substantial change has occurred, although women continue to be greatly underrepresented in policing, and that affirmative action policies have had a significant impact on the hiring and the assignment mobility of women in urban police departments.

Growing public concern over racial and ethnic conflict and a perceived increase in hate crimes during the 1980s have led to legislation expanding the scope of the law and the severity of punishment for such offenses and to police‐initiated efforts to focus attention on hate crimes. Although a number of critiques have examined the legislative approach, little attention has been devoted to the police response. This article examines the rationale for a police initiative in addressing hate crimes; the characteristics of incidents labeled as such in one jurisdiction, Baltimore County, Maryland; and some of the problems in defining, identifying, and verifying bias motivation. Because about 40% of the offenses initially considered by the Baltimore County Police Department to be motivated by racial, religious, or ethnic (RRE) prejudice subsequently are not verified as RRE motivated, a closer examination of all such cases permits insight into the social construction of “bias motivation” and related issues raised by a police hate‐crime program. These include determining what forms of bias are eligible for special responses; identifying bias motivation; weighing the victim's perception of the event; determining the line between criminal and non‐criminal incidents; and adopting consistent standards for verifying ambiguous events.

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