An Awesome Decade of Growth-and Fallacy

正China is rapidly approaching its once-in-a-decade change in president and government,which seems an appro-priate time to survey the country’s economic performance over the last decade.     

Inquiries on intraspousal transmission of hepatitis C virus: benefits and limitations of genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

During recent years, courts had to decide in some notable cases whether or not defendants infected the plaintiffs with HIV. Lawsuits on the transmission of other viral pathogens up to now have hardly become known. We report here on the use of genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to investigate possible intraspousal transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV). The high degree of genetic relatedness observed in phylogenetic analysis among the HCV strains isolated from the couple demonstrates that the man and the woman are infected with the same isolate of the virus. After other plausible routes of infection have been virtually excluded by anamnestic and conventional epidemiological evaluation we could infer that the man most probably has infected his girlfriend with HCV. This conclusion was further supported by the finding that both are also infected with closely related isolates of GB virus C (GBV-C). Thus, the results from molecular biological investigations and epidemiological evaluation are complementary pieces of evidence in inquiries on possible intraspousal transmission of HCV.     

The new Middle East

Burma: The Struggle for Independence (2 Vols.) Ed. By Hugh Tinker. London H.M.S.O. 1983/84. £95.00 each Volume.     

Nationalism and party competition in the Basque country and Catalonia

The party systems which have developed in Catalonia and the Basque Country since Franco's death are distinguished from the Spanish one, and also from each other, in three areas: the leading role of the largest nationalist member of each; the secondary one of Spain's ruling Socialist Party; and the presence of smaller nationalist parties. Analysis of these three factors shows that, despite appearances, the systems’ initial structures did indeed reflect the historical nature of nationalism in the two regions. It also indicates how the dynamics of competition within them have in turn affected the nature of contemporary nationalism.     

Blood aspiration as a vital sign detected by postmortem computed tomography imaging

Blood aspiration is a significant forensic finding. In this study, we examined the value of postmortem computed tomography (CT) imaging in evaluating findings of blood aspiration. We selected 37 cases with autopsy evidence of blood in the lungs and/or in the airways previously submitted to total-body CT scanning. The CT-images were retrospectively analyzed. In one case with pulmonary blood aspiration, biopsy specimens were obtained under CT guide for histological examination. In six cases, CT detected pulmonary abnormalities suggestive of blood aspiration, not mentioned in the autopsy reports. CT reconstructions provided additional data about the distribution and extent of aspiration. In one needle-biopsied case, the pulmonary specimens showed blood in the alveoli. We suggest the use of CT imaging as a tool complementary to traditional techniques in cases of blood aspiration to avoid misdiagnosis, to guide the investigation of lung tissue, and to allow for more evidence-based inferences on the cause of death.     

Getting in touch--3D printing in forensic imaging

With the increasing use of medical imaging in forensics, as well as the technological advances in rapid prototyping, we suggest combining these techniques to generate displays of forensic findings. We used computed tomography (CT), CT angiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surface scanning with photogrammetry in conjunction with segmentation techniques to generate 3D polygon meshes. Based on these data sets, a 3D printer created colored models of the anatomical structures. Using this technique, we could create models of bone fractures, vessels, cardiac infarctions, ruptured organs as well as bitemark wounds. The final models are anatomically accurate, fully colored representations of bones, vessels and soft tissue, and they demonstrate radiologically visible pathologies. The models are more easily understood by laypersons than volume rendering or 2D reconstructions. Therefore, they are suitable for presentations in courtrooms and for educational purposes.     

Geographies of Crime and Justice: Contemporary Transitional Justice and the Creation of 'Zones of Impunity'

This article explores some of the challenges that transnationalcrimes pose to the operation of transnational justice. By transnationalcrimes, we mean serious violations of international human rightsand humanitarian law that transcend national borders and areperpetrated by state or non-state actors. Many national andinternational legal mechanisms may only address a segment ofthese crimes, creating what we refer to as ‘zones of impunity.’This article examines how these dilemmas are unfolding in threeAfrican contexts: the possibility that Charles Taylor is triedfor crimes in Sierra Leone but not in Liberia; that only Congolese,and not Rwandans or Ugandans, face prosecution for crimes inIturi or elsewhere in the Democratic Republic of Congo; or thatJoseph Kony escapes prosecution in Uganda through being allowedamnesty or exile in Sudan. Our analytic framework considershow geography and politics affect legal responses to transnationalcrimes.