Rapid STR analysis of single source DNA samples in 2 h

The establishment of offender DNA databases is critical to future crime prevention. Many countries have established databases or are in the process of passing database legislation. With new legislation the number of samples that will be collected could begin to exceed the testing capacity of many labs leading to backlogs.Two bottlenecks in the workflow that can contribute to a backlog of samples are DNA purification and PCR cycling time. The average purification time is approximately 2 h and the average cycling time of current STR kits is approximately 3 h. To address the second problem we investigated alternative DNA enzymes to decrease PCR cycling time. It was necessary to balance the increase in time to result against the need to address factors which can impact interpretation of a DNA profile such as: generation of stutter products, non-template addition, intra-locus balance, accuracy, and species specificity.Initial feasibility studies demonstrate that alternative enzymes can decrease PCR cycling time. The data show that this assay can increase throughput, providing results in less than 2 h. However, decreasing PCR cycling time will have an affect on multiplex STR performance.     

Catching-up process in the transition countries

This paper revisits the catching-up hypothesis among the 29 transition countries using the time series approach to investigate income convergence. In this study, we propose a model which specifies a trend function incorporating both sharp and smooth breaks using dummy variables and Fourier functions, respectively. Our empirical results indicate that two convergence clubs are forming among the transition countries and one club is among the rich and the other club is among the poor countries, where most middle income countries will disappear and move into one of the two clubs. Also, our results indicate that the 1980s was an ominous decade for growth in the transition countries with income in most diverging from the USA. With recovery in the 1990s, we find that in the 2000s income per capita in most of these countries was catching up toward the USA.     

加国“同性婚姻”草案的风波

自从2000年4月,加拿大给予同性或异性同居人士等同婚姻关系权利的"C-250"草案通过以后,婚姻定义更改为"两个人之自由结合",同性婚姻一下子成为一个困扰加拿大人的问题.     

高校辅导员队伍建设的新思考

随着高等教育改革的深入开展，高校辅导员队伍建设面临着新的挑战。以专业化、职业化、专家化为方向，建设一支高素质的辅导员队伍，是新形势下高校辅导员队伍建设的必然要求，关系到辅导员队伍的稳定，关系到高校人才培养的质量，关系到国家人才培养战略目标的实现。     

加入WTO后我国成人数育面临的挑战、机遇和对策

加入世界贸易组织,既对我国成人教育提出了严峻的挑战,又提供了良好的发展 机遇,面对挑战我们应积极应对。     

Police evaluative perceptions of themselves,the general public and selected occupational groups

In recent years the police have faced sharply increasing pressures, criticisms, and role confusions due to such factors as rising crime rates, widely publicized incidents of police corruption and brutality, judicial changes in legally acceptable due process procedures, and new functions and tasks being assigned to police. This study investigates aspects related to the effects of increased strains and role confusions on police. Specifically, the study examines, with a semantic differential scale administered to 492 state and city police, how police perceive themselves and their roles, and their perceptual evaluations of the general public and various groups they interact with. The findings indicate that the respondents evaluate themselves and their profession highly implying they have a positive self-concept and are favorably disposed to their career. The four most negatively evaluated groups were lawyers, college students, politicians, and prison inmates. The low evaluation of lawyers may be due to the respondents' view that attorney frustrate and complicate the criminal justice system.     

ABO genotyping by polymerase chain reaction.

ABO blood group system's genotyping by polymerase chain reaction in genomic DNA level is developed. The positions of nucleotide 258 and 700 of cDNA from A transferase were used to distinguish A, B, and O alleles by restriction enzyme digestion. To identify the 258th nucleotide, a 199- or 200-bp DNA fragment was amplified by PCR and digested with Kpn I. For the 700th nucleotide, a 128-bp PCR amplified fragment was designed and digested with Alu I. By examining the DNA fragment digested patterns, ABO genotypes were easily determined. Results obtained using this method on 20 ABO-known peripheral blood samples showed that this new technique could provide accurate ABO genotype. Biologic forensic samples, such as, blood stains, saliva stains, semen stains, hair, bone tissue, and semen contaminated with vaginal secretion were also successfully typed. This rapid, sensitive and reliable method should be applicable not only in forensic identification but also in medical examination.     

一例药物过敏性休克死亡的医疗问题鉴定分析

目的探讨药物（低分子右旋糖酐）过敏性休克医疗纠纷案件的法医学鉴定思路及关键点，从而为审判提供划分侵权责任及医疗赔偿的科学依据。方法详细报道一例低分子右旋糖酐药物过敏性休克死亡的两级医疗事故鉴定，法医学鉴定及二次不同的法院判决结果的医疗纠纷案例。结果两级医疗事故鉴定均认为该例属医疗意外，不属医疗事故，一审判决驳回起诉。法医学鉴定认为在对该例的抢救过程中确存在不当之处；患者确因药物（低右）过敏性休克死亡，未发现院方有违反医疗常规的行为，对该例的治疗方案属非必要治疗措施。在抢救过程中，肾上腺素没有作为首选用药，肾上腺素应用不及时，药量不充足。因抢救地点的限制致使抢救质量不好。据此，二审判决被告院方对患者方予以赔偿。结论药物过敏性休克的法医学鉴定应注重：①全面审查所提供的详细医疗材料，分析整个医疗过程的临床变化特点；②全面尸检；③进行药品检验、毒物分析；④排除疾病及其它死因；⑤进行确证死因的检验。在此基础上分析确定死因及医疗过程是否存在问题，如存在医疗不当之处，分析此种医疗不当在患者的死亡中的关系比例，并适当表述鉴定意见。     

论对港澳原有法律的采用

<正> 一、采用是港澳原有法律基本不变政策的法制化 (一)采用原有法律的政策基础和事实依据 一国两制,和平统一,是我国政府解决港澳历史遗留问题的根本方针政策,是促进内地以经济建设为中心的现代化事业、维护包括港澳居民在内的全国人民的最大利益的同时,湔雪民族耻辱、完成统一祖国大业的唯一正确道路。从港澳各自的社会现实出发,允许其保持原有的资本主义制度和生活方式长期不变,就必然要求作为这种制度和生活方式的基础规范和重要保障的原有法律保持延续性,唯此才具有可靠性。考察保留港澳原有法律继续适用的诸多方面的必要性,其最终原因概出于此。 因此,中国政府在中英联合声明第三条声明对香港的基本方针政策时,就明确宣布,香港“现行的法律基     

A new lexicon and framework for analyzing the internal structures of the U.S. Advanced Technology Program and its analogues around the world

Analogues of the U.S.’s Advanced Technology Program can be found in many countries around the world. These government programs provide financial assistance to firms and other entities to develop innovative technologies in the conviction that these developments will contribute to future economic strength. For political and economic reasons, these programs tend to be complex and intricate in their design. No informed evaluation and comparison of such programs can take place without a clear understanding of their internal structures. This paper analyzes the anatomy of such programs and constructs a vocabulary for understanding program design choices. It identifies and discusses a representative sample of important program design features—eligibility requirements, the nature of the research, technical scope, the selection process, and public-private financial arrangements—and provides examples of national programs embodying alternative design choices. This paper should interest policymakers, program administrators, program evaluators, and others involved in program design, management and evaluation. This paper is drawn from a draft reprot, “A Multi-Country, Binational Comparison of the ATP and its Analogues,” by the author, prepared for the National Institue of Standards and Technology. The draft reprot covers additional program features of a number of programs in different countries.