Lay perspectives on legal conundrums

Criminal law remains divided on the question of whether objectivity or subjectivity should be its dominant basis. Does liability begin with an objective act or harm, or with, subjective intent? In the first experiment, dealing with the conundrum of impossible act cases, the question is, Will respondents convict on subjective grounds (where intent to murder is clear), even when amanifest criminal act andharmful consequences are absent? The results show that they do convict, though their subjective preference moderates and even reverses with certain types of mistakes, or when thepotential harm, though not the actual harm, is perceived as high. In the second experiment, dealing with mistaken act and self-defense cases, the question is, Will subjectivity be determinative, or will respondents weigh objectivity more as the mistake gets more unreasonable? The results show that objectivity is weighed heavily, as fears of a plunge into subjective waters prove groundless Without legal guidelines, respondents navigate these conundrums by shifting their objective vs. subjective balance point, guided by good common sense.     

Typing study of human semen DIA3 by isoelectric focusing--distribution in the Wuhan population, China

Human semen DIA3 typing was studied by isoelectric focusing on ultra-thin-layer polyacrylamide gel which resulted in a simpler and more definite separation of the products of DIA3 alleles than hitherto. In 198 semen samples collected from unrelated Chinese males four different phenotypes were observed. The DIA3 allele frequencies were calculated: DIA 3(1) = 0.7727, DIA 3(2) = 0.2172, DIA 3(3) = 0.0101. The results of the stability study of 12 laboratory-prepared semen stains stored at room temperature suggested that DIA3 in seminal strains is a relatively stable genetic marker. Our gene frequencies have been compared to those reported in other populations.     

Error in expert assessment

On the basis of the statutory code of physicians' duties in Poland, the authors discuss a new category of professional error, namely "error in expert assessment." Expert assessment comprises: Issue of certificates stating temporary inability to work (L-4 forms); Issue of certificates allocating patients to appropriate disability categories; Issue of certificates entitling patients to special services; Issue of certificates for legal purposes According to regulation any physician can be required to provide an expert assessment, because institutions requesting such an opinion refer to persons or institutions so as to obtain special information. In certain cases physicians may request to be released from this obligation. Nevertheless, if they accept it and then pass an erroneous opinion they may be liable to a charge of malpractice. The authors have pointed out that errors in expert assessment usually result from: Inadequate professional knowledge; Examination of the records with no clinical examination; Failure to take account of information included in the patient's file; Illogical or unjustified conclusions about the cause and result relationship. The most common errors in the formulation of expert assessments are: "Overdiagnosis" of the results of an accident; Unjustified statements that death has resulted from an accident or from bad working conditions in cases of death from natural causes; Incorrect reconstruction of the events leading up to an accident or of the mechanism of injuries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Abuse of "pheticol" and its interference to the analysis of methamphetamine

The study was to eliminate interference from ephedrine in the analysis of methamphetamine. The extraction procedure for methamphetamine was modified to include an oxidation step (2 ml urine specimen was treated with 0.5 ml of 1 mol/L phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) and 0.5 ml 0.3 mol/L sodium periodate). Results showed that ephedrine could be oxidized in the presence of periodate ions into smaller fragments while leaving methamphetamine intact. It is recommended that specimens be treated with sodium periodate prior to extraction in order to eliminate any interference caused by ephedrine.     

HLA-DRB1位点的PCR-SSP分型在亲子鉴定中的应用研究

应用PCR－SSP（PCRamplificationwithsequencespecificprimer）方法将HLAⅡ类DRB1位点基因分型应用于亲权鉴定。对42例亲子鉴定案例进行分析研究的结果表明,本方法简单、快速、结果可靠,且具有较高的非父排除概率（66．3％）,不仅适用于法医学亲手鉴定和个人识别,亦可应用于移植配型、HLA相关疾病及人类遗传学研究。     

深圳“5.8“空难事故的法医学鉴定

报道了1997年5月8日深圳黄田机场发生的重庆至深圳B－2928号客机降落时撞击地面起大爆炸,造成35人死亡和37人受伤的空难事故,对遇难者的死亡时间、损伤情况、死亡原因、事故原因和个人识别进行了分析,并对处理类似重大事故的法医学鉴定程序进行了探讨。     

Study of the high polymorphism STR locus-FGA in Chinese population

Population genetic study of the complicated STR locus-FGA was performed by the method of PCR in Han population samples. A total of 21 different alleles including 7 interalleles and 63 different genotypes were observed in 349 unrelated individuals. The observed genotype discrimination showed no significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and 51 family studies showed no mutation. According to the results obtained in this study(DP = 0.9612, PE = 0.7007, PIC = 0.8333), this system can be used as an useful means in forensic identification of both criminal and paternity case.     

Population study of the CSF1PO,TPOX and TH01 STR polymorphisms in east China

Allele and genotype frequencies of four short tandem repeat loci were determined in a population sample from east China by using PCR and fluorescence techniques. After denaturing PAGE, 9 alleles were identified for CSF1PO, 8 alleles for TPOX, and 7 alleles for TH01. All loci met Hardy-Weinberg expectations. In addition, the theoretical values of these loci for paternity and forensic casework were evaluated.     

武汉地区汉族人群CSF1PO座位多态性分析

应用Ｙｏｓｈｉｄａ设计的ＣＳＦ１ＰＯ新引物对武汉地区３１２例汉族个体作了分型调查,获得了武汉地区汉族人ＣＳＦ１ＰＯ座位的基因频率资料。与Ｈａｍｍｏｎｄ等提出的传统引物扩增效果相比较,本文所选用的引物更适用于法医检案,尤其对严重降解ＤＮＡ材料的分型效果有明显的优越性     

尿样中海洛因代谢物的测定及海洛因滥用的确认

用ＳＰＥ－ＧＣ－ＮＰＤ法建立了尿样中吗啡、６－单乙酰吗啡及可待因的定性分析方法,适用于海洛因滥用者的尿样分析。尿样中吗啡及可待因的最小检测限均为５０ｎｇ／ｍｌ。方法的相对标准偏差分别为：吗啡１１．３％（ｎ＝５）,可待因１４．２％（ｎ＝５）。方法简便、灵敏、快速,１５ｍｉｎ可完成一例尿样的分析。研究了服用含可待因成分的复方甘草合剂后,尿样中的吗啡及可待因的峰面积比为０．４５７±０．１９７（Ｐ＝９９％）;统计了４０例明确滥用海洛因尿液的分析结果,吗啡与可待因的峰面积比为３．４６±０．８９４,Ｐ＝９９％。可作为判断海洛因滥用的依据。同时与免疫板法比较,附５５例免疫板法阳性尿样的分析结果