Concurrence between complaints procedures in the Dutch healthcare system

There are various ways in which complaints about healthcare providers' performance can be handled in The Netherlands. In practice, situations occur relatively frequently in which one and the same treatment by a provider results in various different complaints procedures being instigated or, in other words, in concurrence between complaints procedures. Dutch periodicals published information on a total of 42 cases of concurrence between 1997 and 2007. Concurrence between complaints procedures prompts a series of questions about how it arises, its legal implications, the possible consequences for those involved and whether it has any added value. This article examines these various issues.     

Formalizing China��s armed police: the 2009 PAP Law

While the People??s Armed Police (PAP) has existed in China for over 26 years, the force??s operations, powers and duties have never been formally stipulated. On August 27, 2009, the People??s Armed Police Law was passed by the National People??s Congress. The PAP Law, which contains seven chapters and 38 articles, covers the main areas of the tasks and responsibility, duties and power, safeguard measures, discipline and supervision, and legal responsibilities of the force. The implementation of the PAP Law represents a benchmark development in the history of the Chinese policing. It not only signals official recognition of the need to enhance the legitimacy of China??s social control apparatus, but also maps onto a larger developing trend of progressive legalization of Chinese order today. Although the law provides a legal basis for the existence and functions of a force that plays a critical role in China??s security and stability today, some issues about the boundaries of power and procedures of operation for the PAP remain unaddressed. To what extent that this law will improve the legitimacy and subsequently strengthen the performance of the PAP force is an open question.     

The evidential value of intra-alveolar haemosiderin-macrophages in cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

This study aimed to determine the effect of cocaine on the development and growth of immature and adult blowflies, in an attempt to better understand the impacts of such effects on postmortem interval (PMI) estimation. Twice the lethal dose of cocaine was injected into rabbits. The control animals were injected only with saline solution. Experimental and control rabbits were autopsied, and portions of their livers were exposed to newly eclosed larvae of Chrysomya putoria and Chrysomya albiceps. Larvae were weighed individually every 6 h, up 54 h of exposure. The larvae were then placed on an artificial diet to continue their development. Pupariation time, adult emergence and adult longevity were also analysed. The larvae of both species that fed on the cocaine-containing livers developed faster than those that fed on the livers of the control animals, leading to the conclusion that cocaine influences and stimulates larval growth. The difference in growth between the control and treated flies was best observed from 12 h of exposure onward. This finding has important implications for forensic investigations.     

An assessment of the repeatability of pubic and ischial measurements

Forensic anthropologists frequently use measurements of the human skeleton to determine sex and ancestry. Since the establishment of the Daubert criteria of admissibility of scientific evidence to court, methodologies used by anthropologists came under severe scrutiny. It is therefore important to ensure that the osteometric standards that are used in skeletal analyses are clearly explained, repeatable and reliable. Adams and Byrd (2002) found that measurements of the pelvis that originated from a point inside the acetabulum could not be repeated accurately. The purpose of this paper was to use three different sets of pubic and ischial measurements to establish whether they can be repeated with high precision between four different observers, and also by the observers themselves. Generally, high levels of repeatability were obtained, with intra-class correlations (ICC) above 0.8. Pubic and ischial measurements using a point in the acetabulum as origin performed the worst (ICC values of 0.82 and 0.79 respectively for inter-observer repeatability), whereas other methods performed better with ICC values above 0.9. It is advised that pubic and ischial measurements should be taken using the origin of the iliac blade as landmark.     

Applicability of Greulich and Pyle skeletal age standards to Indian children

A total 375 Indian children of age 1 day to 19 years were studied (male 194 and female 181). For determining the bone age (skeletal age), wrist and hand radiographs were taken. The skeletal age was determined by blinded review of radiograph using Greulich and Pyle atlas (2nd edition, 1959). If we consider all age group (1-19 years), the Indian boys were retarded in skeletal age by 0.7 years and females by 0.33 years. Male and female children skeletally lag behind the American standard (GP Atlas) in all age groups except 12-13 years age group in which girls are accelerated by 0.22 years. Chronological age and skeletal age difference of more than 1 year is seen between age group 7 years and 12 years in males. Females after second year showed a retardation, which ranged from 0.2 to 0.8 years, up to the age of 19 years. The present study concludes that, Greulich and Pyle atlas is not applicable to the Indian children of both sexes especially in middle and late childhood.     

Developmental validation of the AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® Plus PCR Amplification Kit: an established multiplex assay with improved performance

Abstract: Analysis of length polymorphism at short tandem repeat (STR) loci utilizing multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) remains the primary method for genotyping forensic samples. The AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Plus PCR Amplification Kit is an improved version of the AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® PCR Amplification Kit and amplifies the core CODIS loci: D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D21S11, CSF1PO, FGA, TH01, TPOX, and vWA. Additional loci amplified in the multiplex reaction are the sex‐determinant, amelogenin, and two internationally accepted loci, D2S1338 and D19S433. While the primer sequences and dye configurations were unchanged, the AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Plus PCR Amplification Kit features an enhanced buffer formulation and an optimized PCR cycling protocol that increases sensitivity, provides better tolerance to PCR inhibitors, and improves performance on mixture samples. The AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Plus PCR Amplification Kit has been validated according to the FBI/National Standards and Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) guidelines. The validation results support the use of the AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Plus PCR Amplification Kit for human identity and parentage testing.     

What puts women at risk of violence from their husbands? Findings from a large, nationally representative survey in Turkey

A large, nationally representative, cross-sectional survey was conducted in Turkey in 2008. In this survey, which used the WHO (World Health Organization) study module on violence, information about lifetime and current violence (past 12 months) was obtained using weighted, stratified, and multistage cluster sampling. This article describes factors associated with physical or sexual violence experienced by ever-married women, aged 15 to 49, from their current or most recent husbands in the 12 months before the survey. Logistic regression analysis is used to describe the risk and protective factors from a considerable range of explanatory variables. The findings confirm that many factors are similar to the experiences of other countries. The physical or sexual violence experienced by ever-married women from their husbands was 15.1%. The violence experienced by women is significantly positively associated with early childhood abuse experiences of both women and their husbands; marriages decided by families or others; husband's behaviors such as drunkenness, adultery, controlling women's behavior, and preventing contact with women's family and friends. The age of the women, their contribution to the household income, support from women's families, women's acceptance of male authority, and nonpartner violence experience as well as regional differentials also affect the risk of violence. No significant associations were found with the employment status of women and men or education difference. This study, as one of the largest surveys ever conducted on the issue of domestic violence using face-to-face interviews, demonstrated how the patriarchal family structure still affects women's lives in Turkey. This is particularly significant, given Turkey's setting between traditional and modern values.     

“包容性增长＂理念下中国农村环境保护投融资法律保障机制研究

“包容性增长”理念虽已融入农村环境保护的大背景,但是中国当前的农村环境状况不容乐观,国家对此重视程度不高。农村环境常常成为城市环境保护的牺牲品,而环境保护投融资政策天平严重偏向城市,农村环境治理投入则微乎其微。农村环境保护投融资机制落后,相关的法律保障缺乏,也进一步恶化了农村环境的状况。该文通过分析中国农村环境现存的问题及其投融资基本现状,对中国农村环境保护投融资法律保障机制存在的主要问题进行了梳理,提出保护中国农村环境必须构建一套完整的农村环境保护投融资的法律保障机制。     

先行行为的定位、范围及立法之探讨

先行行为是刑法上不作为犯作为义务的来源之一,其原因并非仅仅因为它是人们日常生活中一般经验的结论,更主要的是由于它是法律行为。在客观上存在防止最终的危害结果发生的可能性时,过失犯罪行为可以作为先行行为引起作为义务。先行行为可以是不作为,但理论界经常引用的两个案例并非适例,应予修正。先行行为应当在刑法总则中加以规定。     

Searching the Soil: Forensic Importance of Edaphic Fauna After the Removal of a Corpse

Abstract: Arthropods at different stages of development collected from human remains in an advanced stage of decomposition (following autopsy) and from the soil at the scene are reported. The corpse was found in a mixed deciduous forest of Biscay (northern Spain). Soil fauna was extracted by sieving the soil where the corpse lay and placing the remains in Berlese–Tullgren funnels. Necrophagous fauna on the human remains was dominated by the fly Piophilidae: Stearibia nigriceps (Meigen, 1826), mites Ascidae: Proctolaelaps epuraeae (Hirschmann, 1963), Laelapidae: Hypoaspis (Gaeolaelaps) aculeifer (Canestrini, 1884), and the beetle Cleridae: Necrobia rufipes (de Geer, 1775). We confirm the importance of edaphic fauna, especially if the deceased is discovered in natural environs. Related fauna may remain for days after corpse removal and reveal information related to the circumstances of death. The species Nitidulidae: Omosita depressa (Linnaeus, 1758), Acaridae: Sancassania berlesei (Michael, 1903), Ascidae: Zerconopsis remiger (Kramer, 1876) and P. epuraeae, Urodinychidae: Uroobovella pulchella (Berlese, 1904), and Macrochelidae: Glyptholaspis americana (Berlese, 1888) were recorded for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula.