Population data from sub-populations of the Northern Territory of Australia for 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci

It is a requirement that forensic DNA profiling evidence be accompanied by an estimation of its weight, in order that the court can assign an appropriate probative value to the evidence during legal proceedings. There are various models by which this estimation can be made, but each relies on approximations of the allele frequencies in the relevant population. It is also important to assess relevant population genetic features of the available data. This report provides allele frequencies and estimates of common population genetic parameters for the major sub-populations of the Northern Territory of Australia genotyped at 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci.     

英国-j◆效族奢青年身份认同与促进融合研究

有关少数族群融合问题的讨论,实际上是有关民族国家。如何在保障和维护少数族裔的权利的同时,缓解族群文化差异与统一的公民身份意涵之间矛盾冲突的讨论。作为现在乃至未来的国家公民,青年群体及其社会融合便成为这些讨论的焦点。围绕“公民身份”概念,了解不同族群青年人对此概念的理解,探讨青年人将“公民身份”建构成“问题”的过程,从而揭示缺乏公正、不被认可和自我决策困难等因素怎样影响了英国青年人成员身份感和归属感的形成,并提出了可能的政策建议和改善方法。     

Vegetation dynamics as a tool for detecting clandestine graves

The burial of a body can affect plant communities through mechanical disturbance and nutrient balance alteration. We performed an experimental trial using five swine carcasses buried in an open site in Italy. Vegetation dynamics was monitored recording monthly every plant individual on a regular sampling grid during 1 year on the graves, on an empty control grave, and on an undisturbed plot. Plant species composition and cover were significantly different between the disturbed and the undisturbed plots. Disturbed plots showed the increase in ruderal species and the reduction in stress-tolerant ones. Graves and the control grave could not be distinguished from each other. Disturbance was the main factor affecting plant cover, while the presence of a buried body did not affect vegetation dynamics. However, disturbance could be easily detected; the functional approach seems promising for the identification of dynamic patterns to be used in different biogeographic and ecological contexts.     

Trace detection of meglumine and diatrizoate from Bacillus spore samples using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, letters containing Bacillus anthracis were distributed through the United States postal system killing five people. A complex forensic investigation commenced to identify the perpetrator of these mailings. A novel liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry protocol for the qualitative detection of trace levels of meglumine and diatrizoate in dried spore preparations of B. anthracis was developed. Meglumine and diatrizoate are components of radiographic imaging products that have been used to purify bacterial spores. Two separate chromatographic assays using multiple mass spectrometric analyses were developed for the detection of meglumine and diatrizoate. The assays achieved limits of detection for meglumine and diatrizoate of 1.00 and 10.0 ng/mL, respectively. Bacillus cereus T strain spores were effectively used as a surrogate for B. anthracis spores during method development and validation. This protocol was successfully applied to limited evidentiary B. anthracis spore material, providing probative information to the investigators.     

Evolution of the content of THC and other major cannabinoids in drug-type cannabis cuttings and seedlings during growth of plants

In Europe, authorities frequently ask forensic laboratories to analyze seized cannabis plants to prove that cultivation was illegal (drug type and not fiber type). This is generally done with mature and flowering plants. However, authorities are often confronted with very young specimens. The aim of our study was to evaluate when the chemotype of cannabis plantlets can be surely determined through analysis of eight major cannabinoids content during growth. Drug-type seedlings and cuttings were cultivated, sampled each week, and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The chemotype of clones was recognizable at any developmental stage because of high total Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations even at the start of the cultivation. Conversely, right after germination seedlings contained a low total THC content, but it increased quickly with plant age up, allowing chemotype determination after 3 weeks. In conclusion, it is not necessary to wait for plants' flowering to identify drug-type cannabis generally cultivated in Europe.     

Fatal crossbow injury in an adolescent

The authors present the case of a 14-year-old boy who died while handling a crossbow, which was a gift from a friend's mother. The bolt passed through the right nostril, penetrated the sinus sphenoidalis, the brain stem, the left occipital lobe and the occipital calvaria. Immediately after the accident, the victim was taken to a maximum care hospital. In spite of neurosurgical treatment and intensive care the victim died 4 days later. The case presented demonstrates that crossbows are not suitable as toys for underage persons, as they are deadly weapons which can cause serious penetrating injuries. In Germany, no license is required to buy and/or possess crossbows. In the authors' opinion, legal restrictions on the sale of crossbows and a special training of the users would be reasonable measures to reduce such accidents.     

Situating forensic traces in time

Situating events and traces in time is an essential problem in investigations. To date, among the typical questions issued in forensic science, time has generally been unexplored. The reason for this can be traced to the complexity of the overall problem, addressed by several scientists in very limited projects usually stimulated by a specific case. Considering that such issues are recurrent and transcending the treatment of each trace separately, the formalisation of a framework to address dating issues in criminal investigation is undeniably needed. Through an iterative process consisting of extracting recurrent aspects discovered from the study of problems encountered by practitioners and reported in the literature, common mechanisms were extracted and provide understanding of underlying factors encountered in forensic practise. Three complementary approaches are thus highlighted and described to formalise a preliminary framework that can be applied for the dating of traces, objects, persons and indirectly events.     

Umbilical cord blood banking and the next generation of human tissue regulation: an agenda for research

The transformation of umbilical cord blood from being a waste product to being a valuable source of stem cells has led to the emergence of significant legal, ethical and social issues. This editorial proposes an agenda for research into the regulation of umbilical cord blood banking which focuses on issues of characterisation, consent, the interplay of public and private services, and the importance of applying property concepts. It concludes by stressing the need for reform to be based on well-informed public debate.     

普京的使命:俄罗斯向何处去?——对普京政策的挑战和回应

俄罗斯现有的政治体制是"普京方案",专注于"内部改革",兼顾社会各种利益、问题和挑战,扮演着稳定局面的"保障者"和"危机管理人"的角色,但正在被社会大众所厌倦。因此,普京必须回归"战略管理者"的地位。然而,留给俄罗斯执政精英们用于决定转变的时间越来越少了。因此,当前亟须找到一种政治方略,确保"俄罗斯体系"不再经历新一轮的灾难和破坏性威胁。在此基础上建立社会和国家的"动态平衡"模式,这是俄罗斯历届领导人尚未完成的使命。只有实现国家现代化,重建社会、政治、经济和意识形态模式,使俄罗斯人获得政治民主地位,才是对于当代挑战的回答,其他任何方案都意味着历史悠久的俄罗斯将最终走向衰败和解体。     

印度与阿富汗关系中的中亚因素

中亚地区作为当前地缘政治博弈的中心之一,吸引了众多国家的目光,印度也不例外.其巨大的能源储备、战略性的地缘位置、有待开发的广阔商机都令印度在1998年后执行了明显倾向于积极的政策.尽管印度将中亚作为“扩展的邻国”,但印度和中亚并不直接接壤,于是,连接印度和中亚的阿富汗就成了印度“西北向”战略中的关键一环.美国发动阿富汗战争后,印度对阿富汗展现出积极姿态,不仅恢复了外交关系,而且还全面参与到阿富汗的重建工作中.随着美国撤出阿富汗的最后日期逐渐临近,阿富汗及中亚地区的前景也随之蒙上了一层阴影.确保阿富汗的稳定,反对恐怖主义、极端主义成为印度对阿富汗政策的优先战略目标.作为连接印度与中亚的通道,阿富汗的稳定与否直接关系到印度能否实现在中亚的战略利益.印度近年来在地区和全球的影响力逐步提升,希望能够在中亚地区的“新大博弈”中占有一席之地,以确保本国的国内安全、能源安全并拓展在本地区的经济合作空间.分析和理解哪些因素以及在何种程度上促使印度对作为连接印度和中亚的通道的阿富汗采取积极主动的政策,以及印度在中亚地区有哪些经济和地缘政治利益,是很重要的研究项目.