Mind your manners: quality of manner of death certification among medical examiners and coroners in Taiwan

To assess the quality of manner of death (MOD) certification among medical examiners/coroners (ME/Cs) in Taiwan, death certificates issued in 2002 for which the final MOD was suicide or undetermined were extracted for analysis. Indicators of the quality of MOD certification included (1) MOD not given by the ME/Cs; (2) MOD assigned by the ME/Cs was changed by the coder; (3) ratio between undetermined and suicide deaths (U/S ratio). There were 450 death certificates for which the ME/Cs did not assign the MOD in the original certificate. Three fifths (285/450) of them were issued by 4 ME/Cs. The same 4 ME/Cs also had extremely high U/S ratios (1.25-1.84) compared with the average (0.31). The overall quality of MOD certification among ME/Cs in Taiwan was fair; only a small number of ME/Cs had poor quality in MOD certification. The high U/S ratio among the 4 ME/Cs would certainly affect the suicide mortality rates of the counties the 4 ME/Cs were in charge of. Actions should be taken to improve the certification quality of these 4 ME/Cs.     

Simultaneous analysis of d-3-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan and l-3-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan by high pressure liquid chromatography equipped with PDA

d-3-Methoxy-17-methylmorphinan (Dextromethorphan, DXM), which is a structural analog of morphine and codeine, has been widely used as a non-narcotic antitussive agent. It is a safe drug in therapeutic dose and does not produce analgesic effects, while its enantiomer, l-3-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan called levomethorphan (LXM) is a potent narcotic analgesic. DXM has been widely abused in Korea due to its hallucinogenic effect in large doses; therefore, the health authorities have regulated its use as a psychotropic agent since 2003. As its abuse has been serious, a possibility that DXM would be smuggled into Korea has also increased. Moreover, it has been suspected that there was the possibility of the adulteration or substitution of DXM with LXM due to their chemical similarities. Therefore, it was necessary for us to establish the enantiomeric separation of DXM and LXM. In this study, a liquid chromatographic method using a chiral column capable of separating stereoisomers of DXM as well as analyzing the major metabolites of DXM, 3-methoxymorphinan, 3-hydroxymorphinan, and 17-hydroxymethylmorphinan was developed. The validation of a method was studied through repeatability of retention times. Using this method, 32 confiscated DXM samples were analyzed to identify the enantiomers of DXM. As a result, DXM was detected in all samples and there was no evidence of the adulteration or substitution of DXM with LXM. Nevertheless, the stereochemical analysis of DXM and LXM is important not only to identify starting materials for illegal drug manufacture but also to understand the trends of abused drugs.     

MiniSTR技术的研究进展

短串联重复序列(STR)是法医DNA鉴定中最常用和最重要的遗传标记,但是对于降解和微量的DNA样品,经常得不到完整的DNA分型甚至分型失败。MiniSTR技术通过设计更靠近重复序列的引物,得到更短一些的STR基因座,提高了降解和微量检材的DNA分型成功率。本文综述了miniSTR技术的研究进展,以服务于法医学实践。     

PowerPlex^TM16体系OL等位基因序列分析及命名探讨

目的观察中国汉族人群PowerPlexTM16体系STR基因座分型标准物外等位基因(OL等位基因)的序列组成,探讨其类型及命名。方法应用PowerPlexTM16体系和ABI377或3100遗传分析仪,对10071名中国汉族无关个体的血样DNA进行15个STR基因座的分型,筛选出OL等位基因样本;对该样本进行单基因座扩增、聚丙稀酰胺凝胶电泳、银染显色,获取等位基因条带并再次扩增和测序。结果在11个基因座检见OL等位基因,共32个,频率0.05‰￣4.02‰,各基因座OL等位基因数目1￣9个不等。按其组成分为四类:(1)重复单位完整重复,但重复次数在ladder范围外;(2)不完整重复;(3)侧翼序列个别碱基的插入或缺失;(4)较大片断的缺失。结论OL等位基因类型不一,既有重复次数的变化,也有侧翼序列或核心序列的变化,现有命名原则尚不能反映其组成类型。     

叙事本位、史论本位与实事本位--与何平教授商榷

"历史叙事功能的退化与史学危机"一文对叙事本位与历史叙事的弘扬非常精彩,稍嫌不足的是对"退化"与"危机"这两个全文立论基础的实证还不够充分.要振兴中国的史学,使史学成果真正经得起时间的考验,关键并不在坚持"史论本位"还是"叙事本位",而是必须坚持"实事本位".即不管"论"还是"叙",都必须树立确保所论所叙之事的真实、翔实与扎实的理念,以在最大程度上确保史学成果的公正、公信与公平.     

一种改良的精斑涂片DNA检验方法

目的建立一种有效的精斑涂片DNA检验方法。方法以本实验室平时积累的91例精斑涂片为研究对象,采用chelex法提取,结合硅珠法纯化浓缩,提高DNA浓度后进行PCR扩增和STR分型。结果尽管涂片上精子量较少,但chelex法的DNA提取率较高,且硅珠法可以纯化并浓缩模板DNA,本文建立的方法兼具了这两种提取方法的优点,成功率较高。结论精斑涂片可以作DNA检验,在法医检案中具有较高的应用价值。     

增强应变能力 构建和谐社会——关于突发事件防范的思考

党的十六届四中全会提出“坚持最广泛最充分地调动一切积极因素 ,不断提高构建社会主义和谐社会的能力” ,并把构建和谐社会的能力作为领导干部必备的能力之一。如何结合本地实际 ,从健全工作机制 ,维护社会稳定着眼 ,有效防范突发事件 ,这是贯彻落实党的十六届四中全会精神、提高构建和谐社会能力的起码要求。一、突发事件内涵和外延及其研究现状(一 )突发事件的内涵突发事件是指突然发生的对社会产生重大影响的事件。重大影响是对社会而言的 ,对突发事件的相关各方来说 ,则是事关成败得失、甚至于生死存亡的事件 ,也就是通常所说的危机 ,…     

现代系统论视野下的国际政治理论

本文拟以广义系统论一般模式的构造为基础,从国际政治体系的结构和层次、国际政治体系的功能和环境、国际政治体系的稳衡和变革四个方面,对20世纪70年代以来国际关系思想史中的主要理论,加以梳理、比较和分析,进而揭示系统论对国际政治理论研究所产生的巨大影响,并彰显诸理论之间的区别和联系.最终,希望通过对科学知识之间的渗透交叉与相互借鉴关系的辨明,能够在更广阔和深远的背景下建构中国的国际关系理论研究体系.     

南京市公共交通用地利用强度分析

本文以南京市的公共交通为研究对象,对南京市城区交通用地的利用强度进行分析.通过计算和分析南京市城区各条道路的使用强度,计算其站流量参数,根据其计算结果对各条道路进行了等级划分.在此基础上,分析了不同利用强度交通用地的空间分布特征,并对其成因进行探讨,最后提出了相关建议和政策,以期对南京市交通用地未来发展战略和布局提供参考.