《鹿特丹规则》的构建

《鹿特丹规则》已于2008年12月11日在联合国大会上正式通过,并于2009年9月23日在荷兰鹿特丹举行签字仪式。在回顾《鹿特丹规则》签字仪式及此后的最新进展的基础上,简要评述《鹿特丹规则》的制定背景和发展历史,并对《鹿特丹规则》生效后可能带来的一些重大变革进行分析。     

Evaluation of sieving polymers for fast, reproducible electrophoretic analysis of short tandem repeats (STR) in capillaries

Efficient capillary electrophoretic STR analysis requires rapid, reproducible and robust separation of DNA fragments with reasonable capillary longevity--this is currently accomplished using proprietary commercial polymeric sieving matrices specifically developed for this separation. These matrices, while effective, are costly and do not provide adequate resolution of STR DNA fragments in capillaries with shorter effective separation lengths, increasing the time required to accomplish the separation and minimizing the potential extrapolation to other miniaturized platforms. As the forensic community looks toward next generation microchip technology as a means of processing casework more rapidly, new sieving polymers need to be evaluated for utilization in this platform. The research presented here describes the assessment of commercially-available polymeric sieving matrices for STR analysis, with consideration given to feasibility of incorporation into a microdevice. Polymer composition, molecular weight, and concentration were evaluated, along with an assessment of the effects of buffer composition, separation temperature, and capillary length. These variables were evaluated individually or collectively on the ability to resolve STR DNA fragments and the reproducibility of the separations and the results compared to a proprietary commercial product. A 600,000 Da MW poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solution at a 3% (w/v) concentration was determined to be the most suitable matrix for these separations. This polymer, in coated capillaries, provided highly robust and reproducible separations, with near baseline resolution of fragments having single base differences. Reductions in the temperature of the separation, from 60 degrees C to 40 degrees C, and the urea concentration of the buffer, from 7 M to 3.5 M, provided increased longevity of the PEO polymer for repeated separations. Comparison of this polymer with currently specified commercial products used for STR analysis showed that the optimized PEO matrix provided superior separations under all conditions tested. In addition, PEO could be utilized in shorter capillary systems, with a concurrent decrease in analysis time, highlighting its potential for use in shortened capillary or microdevice systems.     

The unintended impact of the therapeutic intentions of the New Zealand Mental Health Review Tribunal? Therapeutic jurisprudence perspectives

Mental health review bodies engage in complex decision-making that may explicitly incorporate a therapeutic philosophy. Examination of select decisions of the New Zealand Mental Health Review Tribunal offers a foundation for understanding some implications of a pro-therapeutic approach. This analysis draws upon therapeutic jurisprudence scholarship in relation to three aspects of the hearings as documented in the written decisions: advocacy, therapeutic intervention, and the dignitary potential of the proceedings. The research explores the unintended consequences of a pro-therapeutic approach and evaluates the potential application of therapeutic jurisprudence within a mental health law context.     

The Tension Between State Interests and Municipal Zoning Rights in the Realm of Fracking Regulations

This article examines whether local municipalities should have the capability to exercise their home rule authority to ban fracking within their jurisdiction, or whether state law should preempt such acts. The Court of Appeals of New York has found that individual municipalities do have the authority to ban fracking, while the Supreme Court of Colorado recently upheld a district court decision that held that the state's Oil and Gas Conservation Act preempted a town's ability to declare an outright ban. These divergent positions could lead to interesting legal battles as natural gas continues to play a larger role in energy portfolios, while public health concerns grow.     

Zombies,Gender, and Student Active Learning

Abstract

While the use of active learning exercises and the incorporation of popular culture in the classroom have increased in recent years, the study of potential gendered effects on learning and engagement when it comes to these practices has been limited. In this study, data are collected from international politics courses using a zombie outbreak as the theme for a United Nations simulation to explore whether there are unintentional gendered outcomes from these activities. Contrary to expectations of previous literature, no statistical differences manifest between men and women in enjoyment and learning when using zombie themes in active learning.     

A Woman’s Work is… Unfinished Business: Justice for the Disappeared Magdalen Women of Modern Ireland

In this article I explore one core feature of contemporary campaigns for justice for Ireland’s Magdalen women concerning their deaths and disappearances, which continue to be denied by a State that has only recently started to acknowledge civilian deaths in other contexts such as armed conflict. I examine the treatment of the disappeared and deceased Magdalen women in the economic and political context of the Irish use of religious institutions and consider the significance of this regime for women’s citizenship in the postcolonial nation-building processes of the twentieth century. I aim to illustrate the connections between gender, violence and citizenship that are implicated in outcomes for justice for Magdalen survivors and victims, as well as conceptions of Irish women’s citizenship in general. In this discussion I consider the Magdalen campaigns for justice as significant for the individual women and families involved, as well as the entire nation’s conception of self as represented in history.     

Taxing Times: Taxation,Divided Societies and the Informal Economy in Northern Nigeria

This paper challenges the notion that taxing the informal economy provides a mechanism for increasing popular political voice and rebuilding the social contract. It contends that current arguments for taxing the informal economy suffer from a Eurocentric understanding of taxation and state formation, and a fiscally essentialist and undifferentiated notion of the informal economy. Drawing on fieldwork in northern Nigeria, this paper shows that history, gender, wealth and ethno-religious identity influence how taxing the informal economy shapes governance outcomes. Evidence from Nigeria suggests an inverse relationship between informal economy taxation and political voice, posing the risk that increased taxation will exacerbate social divisions rather than rebuild the social contract.