Parental Child Abduction in Singapore: The Experience of a Non-Convention Country

This article gives an exploratory picture of the landscape oninternational parental child abduction cases in a non-HagueConvention country, Singapore. It presents data and analyseson unpublished cases and materials in the past five years fromthe Singapore Family Court Registry (SFCR) and discusses theways in which the disputes are resolved (or unresolved) withoutthe machinery of the Hague Convention. It also examines thewelfare principle in the context of cross-border child abductionas well as how a non-Convention country can cooperate in theelimination of child abduction while applying the welfare principle.     

跨越太平洋:家族、国籍及资本运作——海外华人群像及其"华性"解读

穿梭在东南亚和北美洲之间的海外华人的行为实践,打破了学界对"华性"的单一意义认识.自欧洲殖民资本主义时代起,远离故土、离散分布、暂居性、混融性,成为华侨文化塑形中的关键因素.海外华人在长期的历史发展和文化适应过程中,形成了弹性的习俗和实践原则,其突出表现为一种试图把移民和资本积累结合在一起的国籍选择策略.换言之,弹性国籍的选择其实深受全球市场状况的影响.     

风水及文化积累的局限——旧金山华人移民的文化认同

20世纪80年代以来,移居美国的香港华人极力想要在美国积累文化资本和经济资本,开始在旧金山的湾区购买房地产。他们带去“风水”的文化逻辑,即在他们认为会给他们带来好运的地方进行房地产投资。这一行为在当今这样一个跨国时代的背景下,向皮埃尔.布迪厄提出的文化资本积累的观点提出了挑战。新的移民也许可以获得文化资本,但却难于把它转变为社会资本,因为在象征资本和种族认同之间产生了一种不协调,也因此造成了他们在东道社会中社会地位低下的原因。所以,文化资本积累上的局限对移民来说是十分明显的。     

Rapid Quantitative Analysis of Multiple Explosive Compound Classes on a Single Instrument via Flow‐Injection Analysis Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A flow‐injection analysis tandem mass spectrometry (FIA MSMS) method was developed for rapid quantitative analysis of 10 different inorganic and organic explosives. Performance is optimized by tailoring the ionization method (APCI/ESI), de‐clustering potentials, and collision energies for each specific analyte. In doing so, a single instrument can be used to detect urea nitrate, potassium chlorate, 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene, 2,4,6‐trinitrophenylmethylnitramine, triacetone triperoxide, hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, 1,3,5‐trinitroperhydro‐1,3,5‐triazine, nitroglycerin, and octohy‐dro‐1,3,5,7‐tetranitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocine with sensitivities all in the picogram per milliliter range. In conclusion, FIA APCI/ESI MSMS is a fast (<1 min/sample), sensitive (~pg/mL LOQ), and precise (intraday RSD < 10%) method for trace explosive detection that can play an important role in criminal and attributional forensics, counterterrorism, and environmental protection areas, and has the potential to augment or replace several of the existing explosive detection methods.     

Working Toward an Inclusive World

正The world has never been homogenous.Over the ages,the plurality of man has been blamed as the root of various conflicts.But it must also be acknowledged that it is through such diversity that mankind managed to compete and progress,ultimately contributing to what it is today.     

Forensic identification of urine using the DMAC test: a method validation study

Forensic scientists may sometimes be asked to identify the presence of urine in cases such as harassment, rape or murder. One popular presumptive test method uses para-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (DMAC), favoured because it is simple, rapid and safe. This paper confirms that DMAC reacts with urea rather than creatinine, ammonia or uric acid. Sensitivity studies found that the 0.1% w/v DMAC solution currently used for urine identification detects levels of urea found in other body fluids, potentially resulting in false positives. A 0.05% w/v solution was found to be more appropriate in terms of sensitivity to urea however the test is still not specific for urine, giving positive reactions with a number of body fluids (saliva, semen, sweat and vaginal material) and other substances (foot lotion, hair removal cream and broccoli).     

Trajectory of Asian American Nonpartisanship: Transitory,Transitional, or End State?

Scholarship holds that high rates of party identification constitute a key marker of successful immigrant incorporation, yet rates of Democratic or Republican affiliation remain surprisingly low among Asian Americans. This longitudinal study investigates the extent to which nonpartisanship for Asian Americans is stable or likely to change. Using a unique dataset that matches cases with corresponding observations over time, the analysis finds that No Preference is relatively permanent for individuals from large segments of Asian America. Low party support from Asian Americans is likely affected by weak party outreach. More than that, however, parties are a central organizing institution for aggregating the interests of and advocating for the base. Therefore, one potential consequence is that Asian Americans may be less effective in institutionalizing their interests and priorities in party politicking and in the political mainstream. This type of marginalization merits substantial reconsideration in a democratic and inclusive society.