Death following atypical compression of the neck

The authors present 3 cases of asphyxia caused by atypical compression of the neck by the metal bed bars fitted at the sides of the bed to prevent falling out. These occurred in 3 elderly women living in nursing homes, confined to bed by severe neuropsychiatric disturbances. In all 3 cases, the minor nature of the skin lesions and absence of blood infiltrations in the anatomic structures of the neck had made it difficult to diagnose the cause of death. Inspection of the rest homes, together with the autopsy findings (acute pulmonary emphysema, conjunctival petechiae, and dark, fluid blood), enabled identification of asphyxia as the cause of death and its causal agent as the bed bars.     

The 2000-2001 GEP-ISFG Collaborative Exercise on mtDNA: assessing the cause of unsuccessful mtDNA PCR amplification of hair shaft samples

We report the results of Spanish and Portuguese working group (GEP) of International Society of Forensic Genetics (ISFG) Collaborative Exercise 2001-2002 on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis. 64 laboratories from Spain, Portugal and several Latin-American countries participated in this quality control exercise. Five samples were sent to the participating laboratories, four blood stains (M1-M4) and a sample (M5) consisting of two hair shaft fragments. M4 was non-human (Felis catus) in origin; therefore, the capacity of the labs to identify the biological source of this sample was an integral part of the exercise. Some labs detected the non-human origin of M4 by carrying out immuno-diffussion techniques using antihuman serum, whereas others identified the specific animal origin by testing the sample against a set of animal antibodies or by means of the analysis of mtDNA regions (Cyt-b, 12S, and 16S genes). The results of the other three human blood stains (M1-M3) improved in relation to the last Collaborative Exercises but those related to hairs yielded a low rate of success which clearly contrasts with previous results. As a consequence of this, some labs performed additional analysis showing that the origin of this low efficiency was not the presence of inhibitors, but the low quantity of DNA present in these specific hair samples and the degradation.As a general conclusion the results emphasize the need of external proficiency testing as part of the accreditation procedure for the labs performing mtDNA analysis in forensic casework.     

青年网络政治参与与政治稳定

随着网络的普及和发展,网络政治参与越来越成为政治参与的重要手段。广大青年利用BBS等公共论坛表达意愿、通过政府信箱参与政府对话,利用网络发起现实政治运动等等网络政治行为,开始对我国的政治稳定和政治生活产生着深刻影响,可以说是建设性与破坏性并存。面对现实,政府应积极引导青年网络政治参与理性化,推动我国政治稳定的发展,进而构建和谐社会。     

Evaluating the Evaluation Strategy as an Instrument for Budgetary Control

This article reports recent research undertaken on the contribution of program evaluation to that part of the budget process for which the Australian public service has carriage. It examines the degree of success which the Labor government's evaluation strategy attained in serving budget agency information purposes. The research is not conclusive, only indicative. Based on two sets of evidence — interviews with officers in the Department of Finance¹ and an analysis of survey results on the use of evaluation in the budget — it contends the evaluation strategy has had only a marginal impact on central budgetary processes. By documenting changes in the approaches of budget officials the article reports the impact of program evaluation on the core function of Finance — the provision of policy advice relating to the expenditure priorities of government.     

Human and insect mitochondrial DNA analysis from maggots

During the course of our forensic investigations, we have encountered situations where it would have been useful to have evidence, other than direct contact between the two, for concluding that a carrion-fly maggot developed on a particular human victim. If a maggot collected during a death investigation did not develop on the victim, then its age is not relevant to estimating the postmortem interval. In this study we demonstrate that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data can be obtained from the dissected gut of a maggot that had fed on human tissue. These data can be used to identify both the human corpse upon which the maggot had been feeding and the species of the maggot itself.     

Remote Wiping and Secure Deletion on Mobile Devices: A Review

Mobile devices have become ubiquitous in almost every sector of both private and commercial endeavors. As a result of such widespread use in everyday life, many users knowingly and unknowingly save significant amounts of personal and/or commercial data on these mobile devices. Thus, loss of mobile devices through accident or theft can expose users—and their businesses—to significant personal and corporate cost. To mitigate this data leakage issue, remote wiping features have been introduced to modern mobile devices. Given the destructive nature of such a feature, however, it may be subject to criminal exploitation (e.g., a criminal exploiting one or more vulnerabilities to issue a remote wiping command to the victim's device). To obtain a better understanding of remote wiping, we survey the literature, focusing on existing approaches to secure flash storage deletion and provide a critical analysis and comparison of a variety of published research in this area. In support of our analysis, we further provide prototype experimental results for three Android devices, thus providing both a theoretical and applied focus to this article as well as providing directions for further research.     

A Case of Lethal Idiopathic Plasmacytic Lymphadenopathy with Polyclonal Hypergammaglobulinemia: A Medical Challenge for the Forensic Pathologist

A rare case of lethal idiopathic plasmacytic lymphadenopathy (IPL) with polyclonal hyperimmunoglobulinemia with chronic renal failure is described. A 40‐year‐old woman who had suffered from upper airways disease was admitted to the Emergency Room with acute renal failure and hypergammaglobulinemia. She developed pericardial effusion, a pruritic rash, splenomegaly and fell into a coma after 6 days. Multiple myeloma, infection, collagenopathy, and coagulopathy were ruled out. Finally, a form of malignant hypergammapathy was suspected. At autopsy, lymph nodes were infiltrated by polyclonal plasma cells and lymphocytes, with erythrophagocytosis features; immunohistochemistry confirmed the plasma cells (CD138+), with a prevalence of kappa‐positive cells, B (CD20+) and T (CD3+) cells. Kidneys showed advanced glomerulosclerosis containing similar infiltrates. The cause of death was IPL with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and advanced renal failure. Similar cases are unusual, and possible medical liability associated with failure to diagnose and treat idiopathic plasmacytic lymphadenopathy deserves discussion and further studies.     

日本化学武器军控政策研究

日本自上世纪初形成生产、使用化学武器,并在侵华战争中大量使用了化学武器.1945年日本战败后,大量化学武器遗弃在中国境内,对我国居民造成了直接伤害.战后,日本政府热衷国际化学武器军控事业,积极寻找、销毁本国老化学武器,但在处理遗弃在华化学武器问题上推诿拖沓.这种鲜明的反差,受到国际和国内多重因素的影响.除非日本的外交战略、防务政策发生重大变化,近期内日本的化学武器军控政策不会轻易改变.     

关于中国老年学发展本土化问题的思考

中国老年学研究应结合中国的实际国情,实现本土化发展,更好地为社会的文明进步服务。文章对中国人口老龄化的特点进行了分析,并从中国政治、经济、社会、文化等六个层面,考察了中国老年学与本土国情的链结问题,同时,就加强中国老年学的本土化发展,从注重老年人口学研究、重视建设富有中国特色的老年供养体系、在社区老年工作机制中突出政府的主导作用及重建与时代相适应的新社会思想文化体系等四个方面进行了思考并提出了对策。