Validity testing of the TDx Cocaine Metabolite Assay with human specimens obtained after intravenous cocaine administration

Clinical specimens obtained from human subjects after intravenous cocaine administration were analyzed by the TDx Cocaine Metabolite Assay (TDx) and by GC/MS for benzoylecgonine. The TDx results were significantly correlated with results by GC/MS assay with no evidence of bias in the TDx assay. All cocaine metabolite positive specimens (greater than or equal to 300 ng/ml) were confirmed by GC/MS. Detection times to the last positive specimen by TDx assay and GC/MS assay of four subjects after a 20-mg intravenous dose of cocaine ranged from 29.3 to 39.1 h and 27.9 and 36.6 h, respectively. Overall, the TDx assay was found to be highly specific and accurate for the detection and measurement of benzoylecgonine in urine.     

Studying Pretrial Publicity Effects: New Methods for Improving Ecological Validity and Testing External Validity

Although research examining the effects of pretrial publicity (PTP) on individuals' appraisals of a defendant and verdict decision making generally has been found to be internally valid, the external validity has been questioned by some social scientists as well as lawyers and judges. It is often proposed that the verisimilitude (or ecological validity) of the research should be increased in the service of increasing external validity; however, increasing verisimilitude can be costly in terms of both time and money. It is proposed that the Internet is a viable means of conducting PTP research that allows high verisimilitude without high costs. This is demonstrated with a study in which we used the Internet to examine PTP effects in an actual trial as it was taking place. Successful use of the Internet to conduct experimental research in other areas of psychology and law is discussed, as well as the importance of future research examining whether independent variables interact with methods in ways that undermine the generalizability of research findings.     

国际商事惯例的作用空间与效力基础

国际商事惯例是无数商品生产者在商品经济交易活动中共同总结、提炼出来的,使各种经济行为从无序转向有序的,且至今仍在不断发展和完善的一系列规范。涉外民商事法律关系是复杂的,并且是不断变化发展的,一切成文法,包括国内立法和国际条约都因种种条件的限制而具有相对的稳定性,难以适应国际经济交往关系发展形势的需要,而国际商事惯例则具有广泛性、概括性、现实性和灵活性的特点,在涉外民商事法律关系不可能全部由成文法调整的当今国际经济交往的社会中,承担着越来越重要的使命。     

Symptom Validity Testing in Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders: A Critical Review

When patients present with unusual, atypical, and difficult-to-understand complaints known as dissociative and somatoform disorders or medically unexplained symptoms, clinicians may administer symptom validity tests (SVTs) to determine whether or not the patient exhibits negative response bias. Such tests are especially informative in a context where incentives play a substantial role (e.g., the legal arena). If patients fail SVTs and exhibit negative response bias, how should that bias be interpreted? Some authors have argued that psychological problems (e.g., unconscious conflicts and depression) and circumstances (e.g., a cry for help) may explain such bias. In the current article, we critically review this “psychopathology = superordinate” position. We argue that (1) there is no empirical evidence to suggest that psychological problems may foster SVT failure per se and (2) that the “psychopathology = superordinate” position invites circular argumentation: to clarify the nature of the atypical symptoms, SVTs are administered and a negative response bias is found, which is explained away by the atypical symptoms. Negative response bias allows for only one conclusion: the patient’s self-report of symptoms and life history can no longer be taken at face value.     

液相色谱-串联质谱同时分析尿液中的大麻酚类和△^9-四氢大麻酸

目的建立LC/MS-MS同时检测尿液中Δ9-四氢大麻酚(THC)、大麻酚(CBN)、大麻二酚(CBD)和大麻主要代谢物Δ9-四氢大麻酸(THC-COOH)的方法.方法屎液样本经碱水解,加入氘代四氢大麻酸Δ9-d9-THC-COOH)内标,经V(正己烷)V(乙酸乙酯)=91提取,吹干,以100μL乙腈定容,利用LC/MS-MS方法进行分析.结果THC-COOH、CBN、THC和CBD的最低检测出质量浓度为0.2、0.4、1.0和2.0ng/mL;在阳性尿液中检出THC-COOH成分,质量浓度为335.9 ng/mL.结论所建立的方法简便快速、灵敏度高、专属性强,可满足检测尿液中THC、CBN、CBD以及大麻主要代谢物THC-COOH的要求.     

《纽约公约》与国际商事仲裁协议的效力认定

结合<纽约公约>对仲裁协议的规定和我国现行有关国际商事仲裁立法与实践,论述确定国际商事仲裁协议的适用法律的基本原则,包括以当事人意思自治原则为主导的主观标准和以最密切联系原则为主导的客观标准,以及近年来出现的尽量使国际仲裁协议有效的一般法律原则.尽管<纽约公约>并没有直接规定国际仲裁协议有效性的实体标准,但规定了缔约国法院确定仲裁协议有效性应当适用的法律.在经济全球化条件下,随着国际民商事交易的迅速发展,各国法律应当切实尊重当事人通过仲裁的方法解决他们之间商事纠纷的意思,尽量使仲裁协议有效,包括当事人约定的仲裁协议适用法律、仲裁协议的缔结地、履行地、裁决地、当事人的住所地或者营业地等任何一个国家的法律为有效仲裁协议,或者按照一般法律原则仲裁协议为有效协议,国家法院就应当认定该仲裁协议为有效协议,这是各国有关国际商事仲裁立法关于决定国际仲裁协议有效性的必然发展趋势.同时,此原则也应当成为修订我国现行仲裁立法的指导原则之一.     

Symptom Validity Testing for the detection of simulated amnesia: Not robust to coaching

Abstract

Symptom Validity Testing (SVT) has been proposed as a method to assess the veracity of claims of amnesia. Performance below chance levels on a forced choice task is indicative of malingering. Previous research has shown that the Symptom Validity Test is a promising challenge test: at levels of high specificity, it may detect approximately half of those who malinger. The present study investigated the effect of coaching on the sensitivity of the Symptom Validity Test. Participants were instructed to feign complete amnesia and tested about their identity using the Symptom Validity Test. Half of the participants were coached not to perform below chance levels. Results were straightforward: 58% of 19 naive malingerers were detected, but none of 19 coached malingerers were detected. The results show that the Symptom Validity Test is not resistant to coaching.     

Headspace‐Gas Chromatographic‐Mass Spectrometric Analysis of South American Commercial Solvents and their Use in the Illicit Conversion of Cocaine Base to Cocaine Hydrochloride

This study presents data that establish the makeup of solvents utilized in illicit cocaine hydrochloride production, as determined via the identification of the occluded solvents in the crystal matrix of the final product. The occluded solvent ratios can differ dramatically from the ratios of the original processing solvents. Additionally, the presented data suggest the diversion of commercial solvents to illicit cocaine hydrochloride laboratories. Thirty‐five commercial solvents were obtained from five chemical manufacturing companies in South America. Each solvent was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using static headspace‐gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HS‐GC‐MS). After obtaining the chemical profile for each commercial solvent, solvents and/or solvent mixtures were prepared to be comparable in composition to several of the commercial products. Over 90 individual batches of cocaine hydrochloride were prepared from cocaine base using these solvents or solvent mixtures, which match those most commonly employed in clandestine laboratories. Additionally, a number of unique manufacturing by‐products produced from processing solvents were identified, and their significance is discussed.     

An Investigation of Normal Urine with a Creatinine Concentration Under the Cutoff of 20 mg/dL for Specimen Validity Testing in a Toxicology Laboratory,

In clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories, one commonly used method for urine specimen validity testing is creatinine concentration. In this study, workplace guidelines are examined to determine their relevance to forensic and clinical toxicology samples. Specifically, it investigates the occurrence of urine creatinine concentrations under 20 mg/dL and notes potential issues with factors influencing creatinine concentration by utilizing a simple, novel method consisting of cation‐paring high‐pressure liquid chromatography in tandem with ultraviolet detection to determine the creatinine concentration in 3019 donors. Of the 4227 sample population in this study, 209 (4.94%) were below the cutoff value of 20 mg/dL for dilute urine. Because there are many factors that can influence the urinary creatinine concentration, samples that have creatinine under the 20 mg/dL cutoff do not always implicate sample adulteration.     

Making Sure Neuropsychological Data Are Meaningful: Use of Performance Validity Testing in Medicolegal and Clinical Contexts

Performance validity testing (PVT) is a standard of practice in situations where there are prominent secondary gain issues; however, it is suggested that their use may benefit neuropsychological evaluations in clinical contexts, as engagement in neuropsychological evaluations can affect the validity of testing and can occur for a variety of reasons outside of secondary gain issues. Several methods of embedded index development, as well as methods to combine them are discussed, including issues related to use of multiple indices. The potential limitations to administration of multiple indices are also explored. It is suggested that neuropsychological evaluations can benefit from PVT in regular clinical practice to assist with reaching firmer diagnostic conclusions by assuring test result validity.     

Criminal Recidivism Among Juvenile Offenders: Testing the Incremental and Predictive Validity of Three Measures of Psychopathic Features

We studied the predictive, comparative, and incremental validity of three measures of psychopathic features (Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version [PCL:YV]; Antisocial Process Screening Device [APSD]; Childhood Psychopathy Scale [CPS]) vis-à-vis criminal recidivism among 83 delinquent youth within a truly prospective design. Bivariate and multivariate analyses (Cox proportional hazard analyses) showed that of the three measures, the CPS was most consistently related to most types of recidivism in comparison to the other measures. However, incremental validity analyses demonstrated that all of the predictive effects for the measures of psychopathic features disappeared after conceptually relevant covariates (i.e., substance use, conduct disorder, young age, past property crime) were included in multivariate predictive models. Implications for the limits of these measures in applied juvenile justice assessment are discussed.     

我国“民商合一"立法借鉴的新选择——由《俄罗斯联邦民法典》引出的思考

《俄罗斯联邦民法典》是世界上最新的一部民法典,也是融民商分立国家的民法规范和商法规范于一体的民商合一法典。根据该法典中大量的商事规范分析这种民商合一存在的合理性及其缺点,就我国来说,应该对我国民商立法有借鉴意义,我国民商立法问题应从宏观统筹的高度解决, 选择一种真正意义上的“民商合一”的立法道路。     

Extraction of DNA from Skeletonized Postcranial Remains: A Discussion of Protocols and Testing Modalities

This paper provides a retrospective of the DNA analysis performed by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner–Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory between 1990 and 2018. Over 13,000 postcranial osseous materials, comprised of wartime losses from World War II, the Korean War, and South‐East Asia, were examined by the following: mitochondrial DNA sequencing, a modified AmpFlSTR® Yfiler?, AmpFlSTR® MiniFiler?, PowerPlex® Fusion, or NGS. Four different DNA extraction protocols were used: incomplete demineralization coupled with an organic purification; complete demineralization with an organic purification; complete demineralization with an inorganic purification using QIAquick PCR Purification Kit; and a protocol designed specifically for use with next‐generation sequencing. In general, complete demineralization coupled with an organic purification was the optimal extraction protocol for sequencing of mitochondrial DNA, regardless of the osseous element tested. For STR testing, demineralization paired with an inorganic purification provided optimum results, regardless of kit used or osseous element tested.