A review of the methodological aspects of aspartic acid racemization analysis for use in forensic science.

Accurate age determination of adult cadavers and human remains is a key requirement in forensic practice. The current morphological methods lack accuracy and precision, require specialist training and are costly. The use of aspartic acid racemization (AAR) in human dentine provides a simple, cost-effective solution and the method can achieve accuracies of +/- 3 years at best. Currently, there are differences in AAR methodology between laboratories which produce different results on the rate of racemization in teeth. These inconsistencies must be resolved if the technique is to be successfully applied to age determinations in forensic cases. This paper reviews the differences in protocol which have been used, discusses how each method will affect the results obtained from AAR analysis and gives recommendations for optimization of the methological protocol as a first step towards international standardization.     

Health systems decentralization and human resources management in low and middle income countries

The aim of this article is to explore the experiences of human resources management in the context of health sector decentralization. The initial review of health sector decentralization covers issues relating to the context, content, formulation/implementation and impact of decentralization. The review of the literature on human resources management (HRM) and decentralization has identified a number of key points that are organized around the following HRM functions: HR planning/ staff supply, personnel administration and employee relations, and performance management. The importance of the management of change is also highlighted. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to include human resources as a key issue in health systems change and emphasizes the areas of policy dialogue and research. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Harmonisation by Example: European Laws against Unfair Commercial Practices

This examination of the implementation of the European Union's Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices in the United Kingdom by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 assesses the likely impact on the national law governing the marketing practices of rogue traders, including its ambition to simplify and extend legal protection, and the likely success of the Directive in achieving the harmonisation of the laws and practices regulating marketing in Europe. In particular, the discussion evaluates the regulatory strategy of the Directive in its attempt to secure uniform laws through the combination of principles, rules, and concrete examples of prohibited practices. The paper also investigates the likely impact of the Regulations on the private law of contract and tort and the possibilities for improvements in a consumer's personal right of redress.     

Fantasy,Commitment and the Irish Peace Process

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique -     

Diagnosing post-mortem treatments which inhibit DNA amplification from US MIAs buried at the Punchbowl

The US military is committed to recovering and identifying the remains of unknown military service members. Casualties of the Korean War were exhumed from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, or Punchbowl, and submitted to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) for mtDNA sequencing. Contrary to AFDIL's experience on other samples from this era, most failed to yield amplifiable DNA. Suspicion fell on mortuary practices that may have been applied to the remains, evidenced by a white powder found with the bones, and general records suggesting the use of formaldehyde-based stablizing agents. To improve the chances of successful identification of the unknown individuals, we looked for the causes underlying this failure. We did this by examining the state of the collagen, the most abundant biomolecule in bone, by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The DSC analyses showed collagens with a range of different thermal stabilities. When these results were compared with the DNA amplification results, a clear correlation between elevated thermal stability and amplification failure was evident. TEM analysis revealed that fibril integrity was maintained after thermal and acid treatments in the samples which failed amplification. Together these two approaches implicate a stabilization agent as the cause of problems with DNA analysis, presumably due to excessive cross-linking. Following the initial study, the ability of DSC to rapidly identify problem samples was tested in a blind study of 14 samples, the method successfully identifying all the problematic samples from Punchbowl. Within this unusual context, DSC analysis is a useful method to assess the likelihood of successful DNA extraction and amplification.     

Enhancing the Foster Care Review Process: The Case of Kentucky's Interested Party Review Program

In order to promote timely permanency for children in out‐of‐home care, citizen foster care review programs employ volunteers to monitor progress for children in the child welfare system. In addition to case file reviews, Kentucky implemented an Interested Party Review system in which foster care review board members meet with family members and child welfare staff in order to glean more detailed and multi‐faceted information to submit to the court. This article describes a mixed‐methods program evaluation demonstrating the contribution of such a review process to judicial decision making and child outcome, as well as recommendations for program improvement.