Editorial

Were the Carmelite order to submit argument based on what itssisters do today, the result in Gilmour v Coats [1949] AC 426would be reversed: but not its finding that the efficacy ofprayer is non-justiciable. Sacramental efficacy is in the same boat. The theologians holdthat the ministers of the sacrament of matrimony are the couplethemselves. In times when the imbalance between the relativesocial positions of the sexes was extreme, the additional requirementof a priestly witness helped protect the weak position in whichthe wife might have found herself     

An institutional assessment of the public interest and accountability committee (PIAC) in Ghana’s oil and gas sector

ABSTRACT

Ghana’s Petroleum Revenue Management Act 815 (amended to Act 893 in 2015) established the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) in 2011 with the mandate to ensure accountability and transparency in the management and usage of oil and gas revenue. This paper critically examines the activities and operations of the PIAC from 2011 vis-à-vis its legally reposed mandate. It points to severe deficit in accountability but improvements in transparency in the management of oil and gas revenues in spite of the existence and operations of the PIAC. After eight years of operation, the PIAC continues to suffer monumental challenges that undermine its effectiveness in serving as an accountability and transparency initiative in Ghana’s oil and gas sector. The paper makes some recommendation based on the empirical challenges of the PIAC identified to strengthen the PIAC to deliver effectively on its mandate.     

Quantitation of human genomic DNA through amplification of the amelogenin locus

An alternate method for quantitation of human genomic DNA is presented. Quantitative template amplification technology (abbreviated "Q-TAT") estimates the quantity of human DNA present in an extract by comparing fluorescence in X and Y amplicons produced from unknowns with fluorescence in a standard curve amplified from known quantities of reference DNA. Q-TAT utilizes PCR and electrophoresis with fluorescent detection/quantitation, precluding the need for new instrumentation, methodology, or quality assurance associated with slot-blot or real-time PCR. In a comparison study incorporating shared samples, Q-TAT was found to be more sensitive than widely used slot-blot methods but somewhat less sensitive than real-time PCR. Among samples containing DNA concentrations ranging from 100 pg/microL to 2-4 ng/microL, Q-TAT produced DNA concentration estimates that agreed reasonably well with either Quantiblot or real-time PCR. Q-TAT was reproducible with a typical coincidence of variation of about 35%. Quantitation of human DNA in this study involved summing fluorescence in X and Y amplicons in unknowns and quantitation standards. However, analyzing fluorescence in X and Y amplicons individually could allow estimates of male and female DNA present in mixtures to be made. Moreover, since X and Y amplicons exhibit sizes of 210 and 216 bp, respectively, the integrity as well as the concentration of the genomic DNA template can be assessed. Q-TAT represents an alternate method useful for the quantitation of human genomic DNA prior to amplification of STR loci used for identity testing purposes. The method uses existing equipment and procedures in conjunction with a well-characterized DNA standard to produce concentration estimates for unknowns that reliably produce STR profiles suitable for analysis.     

Trials and tribulations of using beta-amyloid precursor protein immunohistochemistry to evaluate traumatic brain injury in adults

Axonal pathology is increasingly identified by beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP) immunohistochemistry in the brains of patients who may or may not have a history of trauma. The presence of betaAPP-IR(+) has been variously interpreted as either that diffuse traumatic axonal injury (TAI) is indeed a universal finding in cases of fatal traumatic brain injury (TBI) or there are other causes of betaAPP-IR(+) axons which under certain circumstances may be sufficient to mimic TBI and therefore make the medico-legal interpretation of certain cases very difficult. To address some of the uncertainties we have undertaken a detailed analysis of the amount and distribution of betaAPP immunohistochemistry in 63 cases of fatal TBI, 17 cases of patients dying after cardiac arrest, 12 cases dying in association with status epilepticus, 3 cases of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, 13 cases of hypoglycaemia and in 60 controls. Three patterns of betaAPP-IR(+) were identified. First, diffuse multi-focal, second, corresponding to the outline of an infarct or haematoma, and thirdly a mixture of the two. The first pattern was seen in cases of the lesser grades of TAI, CO poisoning, and hypoglycaemia, the second pattern in cases in which there was evidence of raised intracranial pressure and the third in cases of severe TAI. It is concluded that the proper interpretation of cases requires the examination of a sufficient number of blocks ( [Formula: see text] ), processing using standardised protocols including betaAPP immunohistochemistry and in some cases the mapping of any IR(+) on anatomical line diagrams. betaAPP carried out on a small number of randomly taken blocks is likely to lead to misinterpretation of the clinico-pathological correlations and possibly to a miscarriage of justice.     

Neuropathological examination in forensic context

Different diseases of and trauma to the central nervous system (CNS), as well as their consequences are common causes of death and therefore it is important to examine the CNS appropriately in forensic autopsy, bearing in mind that the site of the disease is often as crucial as its nature. The CNS is a complex organ and its examination requires special methods and knowledge and often consultation with a neuropathologist. The prerequisite for the proper examination is correct handling and processing of the CNS. Because of its soft consistency fixation of the CNS in toto before detailed macroscopic analysis is recommended but guidance for an expedited limited examination is also given. The key features to which attention should be paid during the removal and later macroscopic examination of the CNS are described. Processing CNS for microscopy also requires special techniques and in addition to the routine stains both special histological and selected immunohistochemical stainings are often needed to reach the correct diagnosis.     

The Changing Limits and the Limits of Change: the state,private firms,international industry and China in the evolution of Taiwan's electronics industry

This paper examines the changing role of the state and private enterprise in Taiwan's electronics industry as the industry responds to growth of intra-firm capabilities and the rise of China as a manufacturing base. The industry has a sharp dichotomous outcome between the technologically strong IC sector, which has been able to create interdependence with global lead firms, and the systems manufacturing firms, which find themselves trapped in a dependent position vis-à-vis the global lead firms. Due to different positions in global value chains, the IC industry firms have been better able to create advantages out of the opportunities of new firm capabilities and China than the systems firms even as the balance of policy has shifted somewhat away from the state and towards private enterprise.