The individuality of fibres used to provide forensic evidence--not all blue polyesters are the same.

Fibres used in forensic casework suffer from a disadvantage common to other forms of trace evidence--it is not possible to state with absolute certainty that they originate from a specific source. Target fibre studies, population studies and research on 'blocks of colour' have effectively demonstrated the polymorphism of textile fibres (particularly man-made ones) and have shown that when a fibre is believed to have a specific putative source, the chance that it has originated from a different source purely by coincidence is extremely remote. A study by Houck MM (Houck MM, Inter-comparison of unrelated fibre evidence. Forensic Science International 2003; 135: 146-149) has shown that no coincidental matching fibres were recovered from items of clothing examined in 20 unrelated crimes. The study involved over two million comparisons. This work goes a step further, and using the example of blue polyester fibres shows that even within a very narrow segment of the whole general fibre population, many examples of a specific colour/type of man-made fibre taken from random sources can be compared and the chance of any two being the same is very low. These studies should help to show the specificity and value of transferred fibres in providing forensic evidence.     

证据收集制度

我国在强调当事人举证责任的同时 ,对当事人收集证据的权利缺乏充分、有效的保障。本文在分析两大法系证据收集制度差异及其成因的基础上 ,对我国证据收集程序的运作方式、证据提供义务的范围及违反证据提供义务的制裁措施提出了自己的看法     

The Trilateral cooperation

Legal context: The relatively informal agreements setting up the TrilateralCooperation (TC) among the world's three most important patentoffices are contrasted with formal multinational treaties suchas the Patent Law Treaty and the abortive Substantive PatentLaw Treaty. Key points: After its inception in 1983, the TC concentrated initially ondeveloping and implementing standards for electronic storageand retrieval of prior art documents, and facilitation of searching.This was later extended to electronic sharing of priority documentsand to standardization and searching of DNA sequence databases.More recently emphasis has been placed on harmonization of searchingand examination procedures, and working groups have comparedthe approaches of the Trilateral Offices (TOs) to the patentabilityof claims in areas of new technology. Encouragingly, the resultsare usually the same, although the specific objections raisedmay differ. The ultimate goal is to reach a situation in whicha claim allowed by one TO would be accepted by the others withoutfurther examination. Practical significance: The TC has already facilitated search and examination, leadingto lower costs and shorter pendency times than would otherwisebe the case. Further progress depends on harmonization of substantivepatent law, which in turn depends on the willingness of theUSA to accept a first-to-file system.     

试析冷战后印度与东盟的关系

近年,从前任总理瓦杰帕伊突破禁忌,打开高层对话开始,印度与东盟的关系开始不断地升温。从经济层面不断地向政治、军事、安全和防务等高层次发展,借此印度的经济持续快速发展,在东盟的政治影响也不断扩大。这种全面合作的加强正体现了印度的务实外交,把20世纪90年代拉奥总理的“东向政策”发展到一个新的台阶。一、冷战后印度与东盟关系的进展历史上,印度与东南亚地区一直有着十分密切的联系。从佛教的传播,到大批旅居东南亚的印度裔,从穿行两地的商贾船队到飘香东南亚的印度咖喱,印度政治、宗教、文化对东南亚有着潜移默化的影响。但后来相…     

SPLIT IDENTITY AND CHILDREN OF DIVORCE

Divorce, although a statistical norm, is a developmental trauma to the children involved. This article looks at the two-camp emotional environment of a divorcing family and its effect on the formation of a child's identity. By examining developmental ages, chosen according to divorce research, the author attempts to show how the interspouse emotional cathexes negatively affect a child's sense of self in ways specific to the child's age at the divorce.     

朊毒体蛋白的构象及其特性的研究进展

概述了朊毒体(包括构象不同的细胞型朊毒体和痒病型朊毒体)蛋白的构象特征、朊毒体及其突变体的特性,阐明了PrPsc是由PrPc通过构象转变而成的,不同物种PrP的三维结构有相似的球形结构域(125~228位)和N-末端无规卷曲尾,其球形结构域均由3个螺旋(144~154、173~194和200~228位)以及1对反平行的β-折叠(128~131和161~164)组成,但其结构和表面电荷分布存在一些区别。     

Mass deaths by gas or chemical poisoning. A historical perspective

This review chronicles the characteristics of deliberate and accidental mass poisonings that occurred in World Wars I and II, in Bhopal, and in other historical cases up to and including modern wars. It also considers approaches to the investigation of such cases from the medicolegal as well as general standpoints.     

DNA commission of the International Society of Forensic Genetics: Recommendations on the interpretation of mixtures

The DNA commission of the International Society of Forensic Genetics (ISFG) was convened at the 21st congress of the International Society for Forensic Genetics held between 13 and 17 September in the Azores, Portugal. The purpose of the group was to agree on guidelines to encourage best practice that can be universally applied to assist with mixture interpretation. In addition the commission was tasked to provide guidance on low copy number (LCN) reporting. Our discussions have highlighted a significant need for continuing education and research into this area. We have attempted to present a consensus from experts but to be practical we do not claim to have conveyed a clear vision in every respect in this difficult subject. For this reason, we propose to allow a period of time for feedback and reflection by the scientific community. Then the DNA commission will meet again to consider further recommendations.