A simple identification method of saliva by detecting Streptococcus salivarius using loop-mediated isothermal amplification

We previously reported that detection of Streptococcus salivarius is feasible for proving the presence of saliva in a forensic sample. Here, a simple and rapid method for the detection of S. salivarius in forensic samples was developed that uses loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The LAMP primer set was designed using S. salivarius-specific sequences of glucosyltransferase K. To simplify the procedure, the sample was prepared by boiling and mutanolysin treatment only, and the entire analytical process was completed within 2.5 h. The cut-off value was set at 0.1 absorbance units, measured at 660 nm, upon termination of the reaction. S. salivarius was identified in all saliva samples, but was not detected in other body fluids or on the skin surface. Using this method, S. salivarius was successfully detected in various mock forensic samples. We therefore suggest that this approach is useful for the identification of saliva in forensic practice.     

Explaining Electoral Reforms in Lithuania

This paper examines the numerous changes made to Lithuanian electoral laws between 1992 and 2010. It argues that the two dominant political blocs sought to avoid competition from smaller ‘challenger’ parties by reducing the proportionality of the mixed electoral system between 1992 and 2000. Despite such efforts, the number of effective parties increased and the parliamentary elections in 2000 resulted in a shift from a two-party system to a multiparty system. This created incentives for parties to ensure against future electoral exclusion by maintaining the vote aggregation rules, which had proven to allow for multipartism. This resulted in the relative stability of electoral rules between 2000 and 2010.     

中国宪法权利“新”类型的划分、解释与应用

关于中国宪法权利的研究存在着诸多缺陷,而导致研究缺陷的一个重要原因就是对中国宪法权利的分类针对性与科学性不足。基于规范依据,可将中国宪法权利划分为单一宪法权利与复合宪法权利;基于权利内容,可将中国宪法权利划分为基本权利与非基本权利。运用"新"分类所蕴含的关系原理,既可对中国宪法权利本体问题及衍生的关系问题作出解释,也可对中国宪法权利的护卫机制进行设想与展望。     

中国金融实行混业经营的条件与可行之路

银行业务和证券投资业务的混业经营已成为国际金融市场的主流。但中国实行混业经营的条件还没有完全具备 ,我国应立足于经济发展的现实 ,在现行法律框架下 ,让银行有计划、有步骤地介入证券业。     

Registrants,Voters, and Turnout Variability Across Neighborhoods

Although political participation has received wide-ranging scholarly attention, little is known for certain about the effects of social and political context on turnout. A scattered set of analyses—well-known by both political scientists and campaign consultants—suggests that ones neighborhood has a relatively minor impact on the decision to vote. These analyses, however, typically rely upon data from a single location. Drawing on official lists of registered voters from sixteen major counties across seven states (including Florida) from the 2000 presidential election, we use geographic/mapping information and hierarchical models to obtain a more accurate picture of how neighborhood characteristics affect participation, especially among partisans. Our research shows that neighborhoods influence voting by interacting with partisan affiliation to dampen turnout among voters we might otherwise expect to participate. Most notably, we find Republican partisans in enemy territory tend to vote less than expected, even after accounting for socioeconomic status. Our findings have implications for campaign strategy, and lead us to suggest that campaign targeting efforts could be improved by an integration of aggregate- and individual-level information about voters.     

论西塞罗的共和思想——共和国的基石：混合均衡政体、公民和法

西塞罗的政治思想主要是基于罗马共和国自身的历史对混合政体的解释和对自然法的坚持,通过对他政体理论和自然法理论的解读,考察西塞罗论证如何来保持共和国的稳定。     

关于交通肇事罪几个问题的思考

交通肇事罪作为常见多发且危害性较大的犯罪,引起理论界以及司法实务界的极大关注,同时也带来很多问题。刑法第133条和《关于审理交通肇事刑事案件具体应用法律若干问题的解释》均存在不合理之处,交通肇事罪的主观罪过形式应为混合罪过。     

EDX、XRD法定性分析混合火药的主要成分

目的建立检验自制混合火药方法。方法用扫描电镜、X射线衍射仪,测定自制混合火药的主要成分,结果准确可靠。结果既可测定火药成分,还可区分石墨晶片和植物性炭。结论两种方法可用于火药鉴定。     

Measuring re-election prospects across electoral systems: a general approach applied to Germany

This research note presents a general approach for measuring the electoral safety of individual MPs across electoral systems that is based on predicted re-election probabilities estimated from multilevel logistic regression models. In contrast to existing measures, this method yields estimates on an intuitive and readily comparable probability scale, captures the higher sensitivity of re-election prospects to electoral change in the range of close races, and can accommodate regional differences in context conditions such as volatility. The paper implements the approach for two archetypical electoral systems – first-past-the-post (FPTP) systems and closed-list proportional representation (PR) – and estimates re-election prospects for the FPTP and PR tiers of the German mixed electoral system in all Bundestag elections since 1957. While the empirical data presented here is mainly illustrative, the concluding section highlights various questions that future research can address with the new measure.     

The interaction of truthful and deceptive information

ABSTRACT

Research consistently shows that truthful accounts are richer in detail than deceptive accounts. It is unknown, however, how interviewees strategically regulate the information they provide when their accounts contain both truthful and deceptive information. This study examined how truths and lies interact, and whether interviewees’ self-reported strategies reflect such interactions. Participants (n?=?144) provided one statement consisting of two elements. We manipulated the veracity of these elements, with participants allocated to either both truthful, both deceptive, or one truthful and the other deceptive conditions. Results indicated that interviewees calibrate the richness of detail provided in the first element of their statement based on the veracity of the following element. Moreover, our exploratory tests revealed that lies become more detailed when they are flanked by truthful information relative to when they are flanked by other deceptive information. The finding that truthful and deceptive information interacts to influence detail richness provides insight into liars’ strategic manipulation of information when statements contain a mixture of truths and lies. Strategic manipulations of this kind could potentially threaten the reliability of commonly used verbal lie detection tools. This study also offers insight to legal practitioners who rely on baseline deviations to assess credibility.