Assessing Americans' Opinions About the News Media's Fairness in 1996 and 1998

This article reports an analysis of Americans' opinions about the news media's fairness in covering public affairs. The data come from the 1996 and 1998 National Election Studies, which contained variables tapping exposure to and opinions about the news media, as well as key political dispositions?partisanship, ideology, and opinion about presidential and congressional job performance?and a plethora of demographic variables. The data show that people who adhere to traditional moral codes and are misanthropic tend not to trust the news media to cover politics fairly. In a presidential election year, opinion about the president's job performance affects perceptions of the press's fairness. In an off-year election, however, opinion about the president's job performance is replaced by opinion about how the Congress has been doing its job. In addition, perception of how the media covered the Lewinsky scandal also influenced opinion about the press's fairness in general.     

鸡毒支原体醛缩酶的原核表达及膜定位鉴定

为了探明醛缩酶在支原体中的定位,根据已发表的鸡毒支原体醛缩酶(fba)基因序列设计特异性的引物,以鸡毒支原体Rlow株基因组为模板,通过Overlap PCR点突变扩增鸡毒支原体醛缩酶fba基因,将fba克隆至pET-28a(+)载体后进行序列测定和分析。结果表明,fba基因全长873bp,编码290个氨基酸。将构建的重组表达质粒pET28a-fba转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),在IPTG诱导下成功获得表达融合蛋白rMGfba,大小约为33ku。纯化蛋白并对蛋白进行酶活性检测,结果显示该酶在体外具有与阳性对照醛缩酶相同的催化功能。用该蛋白免疫小鼠制备多克隆抗体,提取鸡毒支原体膜蛋白,Western-blot分析结果显示FBA多抗可与疏水性膜蛋白特异性结合,说明FBA位于鸡毒支原体膜表面。     

Pyrolysis Products of Linear Alkylbenzenes— Implications in Fire Debris Analysis*

Abstract: In this case report, potential interferences from an improvised fire‐extinguishing agent, a dishwashing liquid, containing linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), was studied. The presence of linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) in the fire debris sample was identified from the summed ion profile (SIP) analysis. It was found that the LAS from dishwashing liquids produce LABs by thermal degradation. Direct pyrolysis of a LAS‐containing dishwashing liquid at 300°C yielded a distribution of LABs in the SIP. LABs began to break down at pyrolysis temperatures between 450 and 500°C and completely break down by 800°C. Observed pyrolysis breakdown products of LABs included toluene, ethylbenzene, meta‐, para‐, and ortho‐xylenes, propylbenzene, indane, naphthalene, and 1‐ and 2‐methylnaphthalenes. These data suggested the presence of LABs in fire debris evidence might complicate subsequent analysis because their breakdown products contained some of the target compounds common to ignitable liquid identification. Therefore, a positive determination of the presence of foreign ignitable liquids should be carefully evaluated when there is a presence of LABs in the SIP.     

On The Outside Looking In: Reflections on the Role of Inspection in Driving Up Quality in the Criminal Justice System

This article examines the role of external inspection in enhancing the quality of a criminal justice system. It seeks to answer six foundational questions: how should we understand the nature and purposes of criminal justice inspection? what methodologies ought it to employ? who should do it? what values should it respect? how much does it cost? and does it ‘work'? The article reveals that the difference between inspection and other forms of scrutiny activity is largely a matter of emphasis; that the same is true of the difference between inspection and research; that ‘lay’ involvement in inspection can be beneficial; that independence is a core value for inspection, albeit one that is best understood as independence of judgement; that transparency is a further key value but not always honoured; and that evidence that inspection improves service delivery and hence justifies its costs is weak and further research is needed.     

Electronic banking and how courts approach the evidence

Banking systems are so complex, that it is essential for a court to fully understand the weaknesses to be able to assess the evidence when faced with dealing with disputed transactions involving ATMs and on-line banking. A bank will make every effort to restrict the amount of evidence it has to provide to prove its case, but it is for the judge to be aware of the characteristics of electronic evidence, so that a fair trail can be conducted. This article considers the burden of proof in banking cases, and argues that not every court has succeeded in providing a claimant with a fair trial of the evidence.     

Mapping the effects of Brexit on legal education in Wales: proposals for addressing students’ concerns

ABSTRACT

Whilst the future for UK–EU relations remains to be realised, Brexit will have consequences for legal education. However, to date, neither the UK nor Welsh Governments have sufficiently addressed what those consequences will be for higher education. This paper, which documents the results of 336 student questionnaires received from law students surveyed from every law school in Wales, evidences that learners have already started to decide what they believe Brexit means for them. Amongst the numerous challenges for Welsh law schools is the opinion of current students that Brexit makes Wales a less attractive place for overseas students and lecturers, both EU and other internationals, to study and work. Meanwhile UK students studying in Wales are questioning the relevance of EU law modules, and are viewing aspirational careers within EU institutions as now being “closed doors”. By drawing upon our findings, as well as comparisons with other EU Member States, this paper proposes six areas where urgent collaboration between governments and universities is needed. Failing to address the concerns identified by this research has the potential to further threaten the internationalised education model that UK students benefit from by studying law at Welsh universities.     

Sexual Homicide by Older Male Offenders

Recent research has expanded our understanding of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs). However, little exists beyond case reports for older SHOs. We characterized male SHOs ≥ 55 years, comparing them to typical adult male SHOs who are in their 20s. Analysis of 37 years (1976–2012) of US Supplementary Homicide Reports data provided a large SHO sample (N = 3453). Three case reports provide clinical context for the diverse nature and patterns of older SHOs. Only 32 older male SHOs and no older female SHOs were identified. Murders by older SHOs accounted for only 0.5% of US sexual homicides. Unlike typical SHOs that generally target young adult females, over two‐thirds of older SHO victims were ≥40 years, and one‐third were ≥55 years. Sexual homicides by older SHOs, like sexual homicide in general, decreased over the study period. These crimes, while exceedingly rare, do occur, warranting special consideration.     

China’s response to the global financial crisis and its regional leadership in East Asia

This paper examines the role of China in the G20 and in East Asia in crafting appropriate responses and policies to the global financial crisis. Did China play an important part in the multilateralisation of the Chiang Mai Initiative, and how did China work with other players in East Asia to ‘inoculate’ East Asia against contagion and fallout from the crisis? The paper evaluates the type of leadership displayed by China and the decisions taken during the crisis. It assesses how the Chinese role in its own region and within global institutions such as the G20 would change in the aftermath of these crises.     

牛型布鲁氏菌铁离子转运蛋白基因的克隆及其表达蛋白的生物学特性

将通过PCR技术扩增的牛型布鲁氏菌铁离子转运蛋白(Brucellaferric uptake,BfuA)基因克隆至表达载体pCold TF中,构建重组表达质粒pCold TF-BfuA,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)后,在IPTG诱导下表达出大小约为100ku的融合蛋白His-BfuA。Western-blot分析表明,His-BfuA能与布鲁氏菌阳性牛血清发生特异性反应,表明BfuA具有免疫原性。用His-BfuA作为包被抗原,对35份布鲁氏菌阳性牛血清进行ELISA检测,结果所有被检血清均为阳性反应,表明BfuA为潜在的可用于牛型布鲁氏菌诊断的靶蛋白。此外,对BfuA的亚定位结果表明,BfuA为膜蛋白;对His-BfuA的纤连蛋白结合活性及纤连蛋白溶酶原结合活性的试验结果表明,His-BfuA不具有上述2种活性。上述结果为牛型布鲁氏菌病诊断方法的建立及亚单位疫苗的研制奠定了基础。