DNA commission of the International Society of Forensic Genetics: Recommendations on the interpretation of mixtures

The DNA commission of the International Society of Forensic Genetics (ISFG) was convened at the 21st congress of the International Society for Forensic Genetics held between 13 and 17 September in the Azores, Portugal. The purpose of the group was to agree on guidelines to encourage best practice that can be universally applied to assist with mixture interpretation. In addition the commission was tasked to provide guidance on low copy number (LCN) reporting. Our discussions have highlighted a significant need for continuing education and research into this area. We have attempted to present a consensus from experts but to be practical we do not claim to have conveyed a clear vision in every respect in this difficult subject. For this reason, we propose to allow a period of time for feedback and reflection by the scientific community. Then the DNA commission will meet again to consider further recommendations.     

The evolution of European legal integration

This article contributes to the development of theories on European integration by testing and exploring statistical models on the long-term development of legislative activity of the European Commission. Drawing on legal information gained from the European Union’s PreLex database and analyzing it with the help of statistical analyses, we map out growth patterns of EU law between 1976 and 2003. We construct time-series models and models based on non-linear regression. While the performance of models based on the traditional theoretical approaches, intergovernmentalism and neo-functionalism, is rather poor, the analysis suggests that nonlinear dynamic models might be an interesting avenue for future conceptualizations of the EU integration process. This article is based on a paper presented at the ECPR Standing Group on the European Union Second Pan-European Conference on EU Politics, “Implications of a Wider Europe: Politics, Institutions and Diversity”, 24–26 June 2004, Bologna, Italy. We would like to thank the seminar participants for useful comments.     

法律经济学学科构建探析

法律经济学是法学和经济学的一种新的研究方法。法律经济学的发展史也印证了法律经济学是研究方法创新的结果。法律经济学从萌芽、初创、产生到发展,历经两个多世纪的演化,有着丰富的理论和实践研究成果,被冠以不同的称谓、被赋予丰富的内涵。法律经济学的概念具有多元化、动态、法学与经济学相结合的本质特征。     

李白诗受后世诗评家贬抑冷落原因探论

唐代以后诗评家一方面承认李诗与杜诗共为唐诗最高典范,另一方面又时常贬抑冷落李诗.李白诗歌成就、诗坛地位与李诗学研究状况之间存在巨大反差,并非是由于李诗缺乏审美价值,而是与古代诗学评价体系的价值取向直接关联.把诗的教化功能当作诗的首要之义,注重于诗法诗艺中评判诗人的作诗功夫,在开宗立派中学问化而不是审美化地承传诗歌,这是导致李诗评价在后世跌落的主要原因.     

遏制和预防公务员腐败的经济学分析

公务员腐败的一个重要原因是我国目前的制度安排尚有缺陷,导致腐败成为“高收益低风险”行为。从微观经济学理论出发,建立成本——收益模型和公务员腐败——廉洁选择的决策树模型。通过制度创新,使腐败成为被查处概率极高、政治风险极大和经济成本极巨的行为。同时,提高公务员廉洁收益。     

论我国结构性失业问题的成因及政策分析

结构性失业将成为我国入世后的主要失业形式。本文在对引起结构性失业问题的成因及相关数据进行分析的基础上,着重从减少劳动力供给、增加劳动力需求、协调地区之间经济发展、调整产业结构、大力发展第三产业、实现经济快速健康稳定增长、农村剩余劳动力的转移几个方面对我国当前解决结构性失业问题的政策进行探讨,力图寻找解决我国结构性失业问题的制度和对策。     

中国财政法治化创新的法哲学解析

以财政法治化为制度目标 ,根据政府对经济运行的控管程度 ,中国财政制度理论类型可分为“计划类型”、“管理类型”、“服务类型”三类。由于政府在财政理论中的主线作用 ,中国财政法治化创新将引发“社会公共需要的制度化满足”、“权力制衡秩序的完善”、“有限政府理念的确立”、“国家责任机制的启动”、“弱势群体利益的制度化保障”、“区域财政资源不济的公平性协调”等法哲学问题。财政法治化创新体现了“权利本位”的法律精神 ,公共财政制度内涵应是对“以人为本”价值的制度化确认。     

大学生辅导员个体素质分析

辅导员个体素质要求 ,反映着一定社会特定历史时期社会对合格辅导员的总体要求。辅导员素质是多元的 ,多层次的 ,是具有可测性的。只有通过不断地分析和总结 ,才能理解其内质 ,才能在辅导工作实践中形成深邃的教育思想 ,产生更合理的育人模式 ,提高育人技能。     

Crime,detection rate,and the police: A macro approach

Dutch criminality and its relation to the performance of police and justice have only recently been analyzed at the macro level (e.g., at the level of municipalities or the whole country). This type of approach is a useful supplement to analyses at the micro level (that of individuals), which are more common in Dutch empirical criminological research. The main results of such a macro approach are presented in this article. We conclude that the per capita numbers of youth, divorced people, and unemployed contribute significantly to the crime rate. The police strength and solving rates are important factors as well. Analysis of the production process of the police reveals that detecting one more case of driving under the influence is far more expensive than solving one more other crime or handling one more traffic accident. The results are combined to sketch a cost-benefit approach of different strategies in allocating more resources to the police. Allocating extra resources to solving more cases of vandalism gives the best cost-benefit ratio.     

Age Adjustment and Recall Bias in the Analysis of Domestic Violence Data: Methodological Improvements Through the Application of Survival Analysis Methods

This methodological paper presents the utility of survival analysis methods to provide age adjustment in the analysis of domestic violence data. These methods improve the estimation of lifetime probability of domestic violence, improve identification of patterns of first victimization over the lifespan, and provide methods of testing risk factors for first victimization while adjusting for the respondents' age. Most importantly, these methods allow a new investigation of recall bias. Results suggest that lifetime probability of abuse may have been substantially underestimated in previous studies because of problems in recall/disclosure encountered by middle-aged women.