The many uses of regulatory impact assessment: A meta‐analysis of EU and UK cases

Research on regulation has crossed paths with the literature on policy instruments, showing that regulatory policy instruments contain cognitive and normative beliefs about policy. Thus, their usage stacks the deck in favor of one type of actor or one type of regulatory solution. In this article, we challenge the assumption that there is a predetermined relationship between ideas, regulatory policy instruments, and outcomes. We argue that different combinations of conditions lead to different outcomes, depending on how actors use the instrument. Empirically, we analyze 31 EU and UK case studies of regulatory impact assessment (RIA) – a regulatory policy instrument that has been pivotal in the so‐called better regulation movement. We distinguish four main usages of RIA, that is, political, instrumental, communicative, and perfunctory. We find that in our sample instrumental usage is not so rare and that the contrast between communicative and political usages is less stark than is commonly thought. In terms of policy recommendations, our analysis suggests that there may be different paths to desirable outcomes. Policymakers should therefore explore different combinations of conditions leading to the usages they deem desirable rather than arguing for a fixed menu of variables.     

欧洲与中国的人权观差异

在欧中关系中,人权问题最为敏感,分歧最大。在对人权的理解上,双方不仅官方立场存在分歧,而且公众的人权观念也存在重要差异。欧洲人通常认为,更多的人权有助于经济发展,或者经济发展将导致更多的人权,并期望或假设随着中国经济的持续发展,中国人对人权和民主的需要也将不断上升。但是,本文对大量调查数据的分析说明,欧洲人的这种预期是不切实际的。实际上,欧洲与中国有关人权的观念差距可能在日益扩大。     

An analysis of single and multi-copy methods for DNA quantitation by real-time polymerase chain reaction

The goal of this paper was to examine and compare two different commercially available approaches to the determination of the relative quantities of autosomal and Y chromosomal DNA using real-time PCR. One, Quantifiler^® Duo, utilizes a TaqMan^® assay with single copy probes for both autosomal human and Y quantification. The other method, Plexor HY^® utilizes a primer quenching assay with multi-copy probes for its quantification of autosomal human and Y chromosomal DNA. To test these approaches we have utilized the NIST Human DNA Quantitation Standard Reference Material 2372, a set of three different NIST human DNA quantification standards, to examine the precision, accuracy and sensitivity of the real-time PCR assays. We also examined data from both systems utilizing casework samples. The results show that both systems produced linear estimates for DNA quantity over a broad range of input DNA. However we did observe some apparent copy number effects when comparing the three different NIST standards which we attributed to issues with sequence variations in the different standards. Overall, the single copy approach provided better accuracy while the multi-copy approach produced better sensitivity. Thus the choice of which system to use should depend upon the goals of the user.     

The United Kingdom and Ireland association of forensic toxicologists forensic toxicology laboratory guidelines (2018)

In 2010, the United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists (UKIAFT) created forensic toxicology laboratory guidelines. This represents a revision of those guidelines as a result of the changing toxicological and technical landscape.     

The extraction and infrared identification of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) from aqueous solutions

The chemical analysis of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in most forensic laboratories is complicated by the highly polar nature of the GHB molecule, which makes it unsuitable for direct analysis by gas chromatography (GC). Consequently, a popular analytical approach is to convert GHB into the corresponding lactone or a derivative compound that is then identified by mass spectrometry employed in conjunction with GC (GC/MS). An alternative approach is presented here where GHB may be isolated as a free acid specie from complex aqueous solutions employing a liquid-liquid extraction technique. This approach can yield a relatively pure residue of GHB that presents an infrared transmission spectrum that is sufficiently distinct for identification purposes. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) is a very popular technique that is available to most crime laboratories. The liquid-liquid extraction behavior of GHB is examined in detail and the uniqueness of the infrared spectrum is discussed.     

Distribution of the HLA-DQA1 and polymarker alleles in the Basque population of Spain

HLA-DQA1 and polymarker (LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, and GC) genotypic and allelic frequencies are determined for a population sample of 102 unrelated Basque individuals using PCR-based methodology. All six loci met Hardy-Weinberg expectations in at least two of the three analyses performed (HLA-DQA1 failed to meet Hardy-Weinberg requirements in the heterozygote deficiency test). Three linkage analysis programs (GDA, GENEPOP and LINKDOS) detected possible linkage disequilibrium between LDLR and HBGG and results from one (GDA) indicated a possible non-random association between HBGG and HLA-DQA1 as well. Allelic data for the six loci are compared to that previously established for other populations (18 for polymarker alone, 16 for polymarker plus HLA-DQA1) to determine homogeneity between the Basque sample and these groups. According to the results of G-tests based on these loci, the Tadjik, a nomadic Caucasian group from western Asia, and the Basque residents are the only sample populations surveyed that are homogenous with the Basque sample. Phylogenetic analysis places the Basque sample correctly within the Caucasian cluster.     

Ground penetrating radar surveys to locate 1918 Spanish flu victims in permafrost

The "Spanish Flu" killed over 40 million people worldwide in 1918. Archival records helped us identify seven men who died of influenza in 1918 and were interred in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, 1,300 km from the North Pole. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was used successfully, in a high-resolution field survey mode, to locate a large excavation with seven coffins, near the existing seven grave markers. The GPR indicated that the ground was disturbed to 2 m depth and was frozen below 1 m. Subsequent excavation showed that: a) the GPR located the position of the graves accurately, b) the coffins were buried less than 1 m deep, and c) that the frozen ground was 1.2 m deep where the coffins were located. The GPR assisted in planning the exhumation, safely and economically, under the high degree of containment required. Virologic and bacteriologic investigations on recovered tissues may give us an opportunity to isolate and identify the micro-organisms involved in the 1918 influenza and expand our knowledge on the pathogenesis of influenza.