Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Assay for Genetic Identification of Lophophora williamsii*

Lophophora is a member of the Cactaceae family, which contains two species: Lophophora williamsii and L. diffusa. Lophophora williamsii is an illegal plant containing mescaline, a hallucinogenic alkaloid. In this study, a novel method based on a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay was developed for identifying L. williamsii; this assay reliably detects SNPs within chloroplast DNA (rbcL, matK, and trnL-trnF IGS) and was validated for identifying Lophophora and L. williamsii simultaneously. The chloroplast DNA sequences from four L. williamsii and three L. diffusa plants were obtained and compared using DNA sequence data from approximately 300 other Cactaceae species available in GenBank. From this sequence data, a total of seven SNPs were determined to be suitable for identifying L. williamsii. A multiplex assay was constructed using the ABI PRISM^® SNaPshot™ Multiplex Kit (Applied Biosystems, Forster City, CA) to analyze species-specific SNPs. Using this multiplex assay, we clearly distinguished the Lophophora among 19 species in the Cactaceae family. Additionally, L. williamsii was distinguished from L. diffusa. These results suggest that the newly developed assay may help resolve crimes related to illegal distribution and use. This multiplex assay will be useful for the genetic identification of L. williamsii and can complement conventional methods of detecting mescaline.     

我国基于横切分裂的多元协商民主模式——以十八大代表结构为例

近年，国内学界对协商民主模式颇为关注，众多学者对这一模式的起源、定义、发展趋向等方面进行了大量研究，但很少注意到：协商民主模式的有效运作必须以一国内部不同群体之间的横切分裂为基础；这一模式内部包含多元参与；其有效运作必须以一国内部经济、宗教、语言、民族、意识形态等方面的非两极化为前提。协商民主模式的发展必须注意多元参与和运作前提等等。对中国共产党÷八大代表结构变化的分析可以判断出：我国正在完善多元协商模式，而且，这一模式将有效维护我国政治、经济和社会的稳定。     

辩护律师介入刑事审判后程序的法理思考

以法院庭审为界限，庭审之前的准备程序称为刑事审判前程序，庭审之后的程序，称为刑事审判后程序。这样划分的目的，是为了更好地对辩护律师开庭前后的诉讼活动进行区分。应将辩护律师在休庭后择日宣判、一审判决送达后到上诉程序启动前以及死刑复核等阶段的诉讼活动纳入到刑事审判后程序中，作为一个整体来思考，探究这一程序中辩护律师介入的立法缺陷、具体路径以及实践操作等层面的问题。     

略论债权平等原则

债权具有相容性和平等性,不仅在同一标的物上可以同时并存数个债权,而且数个债权人对同一债务人先后发生数个普通债权时,其效力一律平等,不因其成立先后而有效力上的优劣,是为债权平等原则.债权平等原则是体现民法上的平等原则和债之相对性原则的一项重要具体原则,为债权与物权区分说的基本构成要素之一.但在现代民法上,由于债权物权化趋势、优先权制度的设立以及协调公平与效益的法律价值冲突等因素,债权平等性原则正在被打破.即便如此,债权平等原则在债法领域的基础地位并未发生根本改变.     

The Past as Prologue in Life Extension

Aging research may significantly lengthen human life spans in the foreseeable future. This paper argues that we do not need to wait until this happens to prepare for the dislocations that may result. Increased longevity over the past century has already raised urgent, unresolved issues of equity, social cohesion, and human dignity. These developments, and our past experiences in dealing with them, provide a basis for revisiting the basic questions raised by all attempts to extend human life: what does life mean, and why is it worth extending?     

Life Extension: Rolling the Technological Dice

The idea of radically extending average human life expectancy is an ancient one, but for most of human history exceedingly utopian. There is now, however, a revival of that idea, with some scientists and others arguing that it is possible and desirable. But the main problem with most of the life extension enthusiasm is that it is based almost entirely on the desire of some individuals to make it happen. The social consequences of success of such a venture are, however, either ignored altogether or dismissed on the grounds that any problems can be dealt with. In the end, none of our present human and social problems would be helped by radically longer lives and no obvious social benefits have been advanced to support it.

美国REITs对完善中国房地产信托法律的启示

采用资金型REITs发展模式的美国,经过近50年的发展已经成为全球最成熟的市场.本文在对我国房地产金融市场和初期REITs过程存在问题进行探讨的基础上,分析美国REITs成长性的成功原因,并探讨有利于我国REITs可持续发展的外延式扩张模式.     

关于治安行政管理概念的探讨

目前关于治安行政管理概念的表述存在诸多分歧。笔者尝试将治安行政管理的概念定义为 :治安行政管理是国家警察机关为了维护统治阶级所需要的社会治安秩序 ,保障社会生活正常进行 ,运用多种手段 ,通过计划、组织、指挥、协调、控制等环节 ,对影响社会治安秩序的各种因素加以认识和改造的行政管理活动。根据业务范围、地域、行业、社会形态的不同 ,其外延划分也有所不同。     

The Campesino-to-Campesino agroecology movement of ANAP in Cuba: social process methodology in the construction of sustainable peasant agriculture and food sovereignty

Agroecology has played a key role in helping Cuba survive the crisis caused by the collapse of the socialist bloc in Europe and the tightening of the US trade embargo. Cuban peasants have been able to boost food production without scarce and expensive imported agricultural chemicals by first substituting more ecological inputs for the no longer available imports, and then by making a transition to more agroecologically integrated and diverse farming systems. This was possible not so much because appropriate alternatives were made available, but rather because of the Campesino-a-Campesino (CAC) social process methodology that the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) used to build a grassroots agroecology movement. This paper was produced in a ‘self-study’ process spearheaded by ANAP and La Via Campesina, the international agrarian movement of which ANAP is a member. In it we document and analyze the history of the Campesino-to-Campesino Agroecology Movement (MACAC), and the significantly increased contribution of peasants to national food production in Cuba that was brought about, at least in part, due to this movement. Our key findings are (i) the spread of agroecology was rapid and successful largely due to the social process methodology and social movement dynamics, (ii) farming practices evolved over time and contributed to significantly increased relative and absolute production by the peasant sector, and (iii) those practices resulted in additional benefits including resilience to climate change.     

侵害债权制度法律性质考察

债的相对性原则对保护个人自由的作用卓有成效。但随着人类社会化程度提高,相互依赖性增强,限制个人自由滥用的客观要求日益迫切。为顺应上述社会需要,应突破债的相对性原则,建立侵害债权制度。基于传统债法理论的一些观点没有且无法真正反映该制度的本质,债权物权化理论才是解释该制度唯一可行的观点。