Public Value Review of China’s Public Policies on Human Organ Transplantation

Public value is a concept used to evaluate government acts and social affairs and is especially useful for evaluating ethical issues from a non-economical perspective. This article reviews the public values of China’s public policies related to human organ procurement and distribution, with the assistance of case and survey studies, and summarizes the value hierarchy or value tendency that the Chinese government wants to express through its policy design and practice. The purpose of this article is to understand national ethical policies and to determine what public values deserve to be prioritized in this field.     

改革开放以来中国社会价值观的变迁——以主导价值观及主流价值观为视角

中国社会价值观的变迁,虽然社会主导价值观并未发生什么变化,但其主流价值观却发生了一定的变化。这种变化的总趋势表现为主导价值观与主流价值观不断地由矛盾状态向两者的一致趋近。而实现主导价值观与主流价值观的一致,防止主导价值观与主流价值观的冲突和对抗,正是构建和谐社会的重要目标之一。     

关于组织出卖人体器官罪的解读及完善

近年来,随着人体器官强制摘取、非法买卖器官等危害行为日益猖獗,《中华人民共和国刑法修正案(八)》第37条的出台标志着组织出卖人体器官罪正式入刑,对人体器官买卖行为起到了极大的遏制作用。面对组织出卖人体器官罪在理论和实践中的争议,应从此罪的构成要件以及适用中的司法难题两方面入手,正确理解组织出卖人体器官罪的内涵;并应结合国际、国内关于器官移植犯罪方面的规定,完善相应立法。     

对侦查阶段律师辩护人身份确立的思考

新修正的《刑事诉讼法》在许多方面对侦查工作加强了制约监督,切实体现了尊重和保障人权理念。侦查机关和侦查人员应当顺应时势,牢记尊重和保障人权,转变旧的侦查理念和模式,积极适应侦查阶段律师辩护人身份的确立,不断提高侦查工作质量,切实提高新形势下诉讼效益。这无论从查明案情,还是从打击犯罪方面以及提高侦查公信力方面来说都是非常必要的,而且是非常迫切的。     

社会主义核心价值观对指导性案例形成的作用——侧重以刑事指导性案例为视角

社会主义核心价值观对指导性案例的形成具有指引作用。指导性案例中对核心价值观之具体内容的直接引用或间接体现,对案例形成前期的司法个案裁判具有指导意义。核心价值观参与司法适用,应具体化为一种司法价值观,并明确其适用的具体边界,以减少适用的主观性、伦理性、非规范性与不确定性。根据司法价值观的一般内容要求,应对核心价值观的内容予以选择,并兼顾核心价值观的道德引领与法理论证,注重核心价值观各内容要素之间的关联性。核心价值观对于形成后的指导性案例具有分类作用,应注意形成核心价值观不同具体内容方面的案例群,并明确指导性案例形成的主要目的。     

Evaluation of neodymium isotope analysis of human dental enamel as a provenance indicator using 1013 Ω amplifiers (TIMS)

Human provenance studies employing isotopic analysis have become an essential tool in forensic and archaeological sciences, with multi-isotope approaches providing more specific location estimates compared to single isotope studies. This study reports on the human provenancing capability of neodymium isotopes (¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd), a relatively conservative tracer in the environment. Neodymium isotope ratios have only recently been determined on human remains due to low concentrations in human dental enamel (ppb range), requiring thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) using 10¹³ Ω resistors. Dental elements (third molars) from 20 individuals born and raised in the Netherlands were analysed for Nd concentration (n = 12) and Nd isotope ratios (n = 15). The geological control on Nd isotope composition was examined using coupled Nd-Sr isotope analysis of the same third molar. Teeth from different geological environments were also analysed (Caribbean, Columbian, and Icelandic, n = 5). Neodymium elemental concentrations in dental elements ranged between 0.1 and 7.9 ppb (median 0.5 ppb). The Dutch ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios of the provinces of Limburg and Friesland were between 0.5118 and 0.5121, with Dutch ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in agreement with the previously established local range (0.708–0.710). The current findings were compared to previously published results on Nd concentration and composition from Dutch individuals. The concentration of Nd and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios were weakly correlated (R² = 0.47, n = 17) in Dutch human dental enamel. The majority (n = 25, 83.3%) of individuals had Nd and Sr isotope values isotopically indistinguishable from the geological environment in which their third molars formed and mineralised. However, the Nd isotope ratios of the Icelandic individual and several Dutch individuals (n = 4) suggested that Nd in enamel is not solely influenced by geological environment. In order for neodymium isotopes to be quantitatively applied in forensic and archaeological settings further analyses of individuals from various geographical regions with well-defined dietary Nd isotope data are required.     

DNA typing from skeletal remains using GlobalFiler™ PCR amplification and Investigator® 24plex QS kits

Since the beginning of our work in 2003 our laboratory has focused exclusively on STR DNA from bone, a powerful tool in missing person cases. In cases such as mass disasters or missing persons, human remains are challenging to identify as they may be fragmented, burnt, recovered from water, degraded, and/or contain inhibitory substances. To address these challenges, this study has evaluated the performance of relatively new STR kits Investigator® 24plex QS kit (Qiagen) and GlobalFiler™ PCR Amplification kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific) by comparing it with current uses of the AmpFLSTR® Identifiler® Plus kit (Applied Biosystems) to obtain genetic information from skeletal remains. We analyzed 20 bone samples of skeletal remains from routine casework submitted for body identifications by law enforcement corresponding using Investigator® 24plex QS kit and GlobalFiler™ PCR Amplification kit, previously analysed AmpFLSTR® Identifiler® Plus kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The data indicates that the STR profiles obtained using the GlobalFiler™ and Investigator® 24plex QS kit for analysis of skeletal remains has shown results in an increased number of reportable genetic loci, and provide greater power of discrimination in comparison to the Identifiler® Plus Kit. Advanced extraction and purification techniques, together with more sensitive and robust new amplification kits allowed us to overcome the challenges associated with processing compromised skeletal remains and ultimately obtain full STR DNA profiles in 99% of the bones.     

Specific forms of human trafficking in Slovenia: overview and preventive measures

Abstract

Paper presents a research study on specific forms of human trafficking in Slovenia. The research indicates that the vulnerability of migrant workers in Slovenia results from their social vulnerability and deteriorating social conditions in the countries of origin. Employers are aware of these conditions and take advantage of the situation, which results in planned recruitment of workers in countries of origin. Furthermore, cases of human trafficking for the purpose of forced criminality and forced begging, as well as trafficking in children, are also indicated in the research. However, in the time period under review the Slovene police detected only a few underage victims of crimes that can be considered as trafficking. No evidence of trafficking in human organs, tissues and blood was found, but the research unveiled some cases indicating illegal intercountry adoptions. The research results and recommendations can guide further action and the planning of preventive activities.     

政策否决的社会建构——以我国几次立法禁止“人肉搜索”的失败为例

针对传统的政策否决理论无法对我国立法禁止"人肉搜索"失败的现象做出完满解释的问题,本文通过引入建构主义社会学中边界物的概念认为:作为边界物的"人肉搜索"由于其解释的灵活性,存在着技术、权利和适用三个层面的划界。如果说从依靠人的"人机互动"中衍生出针对人的"人际互动"具有偶然性的因素,在其立法禁止的多方尝试中却是隐私权和"监督权-批评权"相对于另外一种隐私权和言论自由权划界方式的胜利。虽然中央和地方都试图在"监督权-批评权"的指涉对象上做出社会一般失范和官员腐败的划分,结果也只是带来规制性政策的流产或是象征性通过,即便趋利避害地利用"人肉搜索"已经得到了社会各界的广泛认同。文章还进一步指出,"人肉搜索"现象的出现和政策应对上的两难源于国家和公民社会之间的张力,只有对其进行有效分流才能真正阻止"网络暴力"的产生。而且在信息社会等生成性的制度语境下,打开政策问题内容的黑箱也是十分必要的。