Reconciling China with international order

Abstract

The debate about Western policies towards China ('containment’ versus ‘engagement') is intellectually and politically misleading. At issue is not so much the policy blueprint but the ability of Western countries to design and implement coherent and consistent policies towards China, and to coordinate those policies between themselves. This ability has been affected by a trend towards the ‘domestication’ of foreign policies — a trend which is particularly marked in the case of the United States, but clearly visible in France, the UK and Germany as well. If the capacity to design, implement and coordinate effective China policies is to be regained, the problems will have to be recognized and addressed.     

Between collective action and a fragmented political economy: the G20 and the return of protectionist impulses

Not unlike the 1930s, the current state of global economic governance is marked by a vacuum of leadership as neither traditional leading states nor emerging economic actors have proven able or willing to coordinate collective action. This interregnum has allowed space for the G20 to emerge as a calibrating force for the maintenance of a liberal economic order. Protectionist impulses, however, are increasingly emerging victorious as unemployment and domestic interests drive political action. The stabilizing presence of the G20 is thus tested in an environment privileging divisive domestic-oriented forces allowed greater space under conditions in a fragmented post-hegemonic global economy. These spaces for domestic concern, and the receptiveness of policy leaders to them, represent a return to the promise of embedded liberalism and away from the era of hyper-liberalization that has marked the past several decades of broadly measured economic growth.     

猪前脂肪细胞分化过程中RETN基因的表达

为探讨猪前脂肪细胞分化过程中抵抗素基因(RETN)表达水平的变化规律,从1日龄仔猪皮下脂肪组织分离前脂肪细胞,于DMEM/F12培养基中培养3、5、7、10d后收获细胞。通过油红O染色法观察前脂肪细胞分化,并用实时荧光定量RT-PCR检测前脂肪细胞分化过程中RETN基因表达水平的变化。结果,在前脂肪细胞分化过程中,RETN基因表达水平显著下降(P<0.01),细胞形态亦发生相应变化,即细胞变圆,细胞内脂肪滴体积增大。结果表明,RETN基因与前脂肪细胞脂肪代谢调节有关,其表达水平下调能促进前脂肪细胞分化。     

水牛cMyc基因与穿膜肽TAT的融合表达

为探讨干细胞转录因子与穿膜肽融合表达蛋白对水牛体细胞诱导重编程的可行性,作者对影响水牛cMyc基因穿膜肽融合蛋白表达的因素进行了探索。应用双酶切定向克隆的方法,将水牛cMyc基因CDS(1 350bp)连接到pET-HA2-TAT载体中,构建成pET-cMyc-TAT载体,经酶切、PCR和测序验证,载体构建正确。将pET-cMyc-TAT载体转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)感受态细胞,经IPTG诱导目的蛋白表达,同时探索了其表达形式、诱导表达IPTG最优浓度和最优时间以及蛋白纯化咪唑洗脱的最佳浓度。结果表明,融合蛋白cMyc-TAT在37℃以包涵体的形式大量表达,IPTG终浓度0.001mmol/L,诱导5h为最佳诱导条件,纯化蛋白最佳咪唑洗脱浓度为145.76mmol/L,纯化蛋白经过Western-blot验证具有抗原性。研究结果为建立转录因子穿膜肽融合蛋白诱导水牛iPS细胞技术体系奠定了基础。     

鲫鱼ghrelin基因的克隆和生物信息学分析

从鲫鱼的肠道内提取总RNA,运用RT-PCR扩增ghrelin基因并测序,用生物信息学软件预测其结构,并构建系统进化树,探讨了鲫鱼ghrelin基因的生物学功能,为进一步研究该基因对鲫鱼摄食的影响奠定基础。结果显示,获得了长490bp的ghrelin基因(GenBank登录号为HM567312),其序列含有1个312bp的完整开放阅读框,编码103个氨基酸;ghrelin蛋白分子质量为11 519.48u,等电点为5.20,半衰期为1.20h,不稳定系数为31.29,总平均亲水性为0.727,疏水性为-2.900～2.856;1～26位氨基酸可能是信号肽序列;在ghrelin的分子序列中存在44处α螺旋富集区域,8处β折叠区域,集中于成熟肽部分,有43处无规则卷曲。系统进化树分析显示鲫鱼ghrelin基因与金鱼的进化距离最近。     

前沿生物技术发展的安全威胁：应对与展望

以基因编辑、基因驱动、合成生物学为代表的前沿生物技术正处于日新月异的飞速发展中,在医疗、农业等诸多领域为人类发展带来福祉的同时,也对国家乃至全人类的生物安全构成了严重威胁。在此背景下,世界大国在应对前沿生物技术安全威胁的几个共性问题值得重点关注:一是技术发展与技术安全的双重目标难以统筹;二是未知技术安全威胁导致不可避免的法律惩治效力滞后;三是监管的多部门合作需求与权职分工困境;四是多方利益主体参与的民主审议机制有待加强。由于中国前沿生物技术发展正处于从"跟跑"向"并跑"和部分领域"领跑"转变的关键节点,及时调整"促进"与"规制"前沿生物技术的应对措施已刻不容缓。前沿生物技术安全威胁的应对必须走到科技的前面去,对安全主体的规制更应走到科学的内部去。唯有在即将出台的国家《生物安全法》引领下全面推进生物技术安全的体制机制建设,逐步完善生物技术安全的法治体系建构,在政府主导下鼓励各利益相关方积极参与其中,才能确保前沿生物技术更好地造福于人民。     

Informing regional taphonomy research using retrospective forensic anthropology cases in the Western Cape,South Africa

The post-mortem interval (PMI) is important in death investigations as it can assist in reconstructing the context of the case and the identification of the unknown individual. However, in some instances the PMI is challenging to estimate due to the absence of regional taphonomy standards. To conduct accurate and locally relevant forensic taphonomy research, investigators require insight into the regional hotspot recovery areas. Thus, forensic cases examined by the Forensic Anthropology Cape Town (FACT) in the Western Cape (WC) province of South Africa between 2006 and 2018 (n = 172 cases; n = 174 individuals) were retrospectively reviewed. In our study, a considerable number of individuals did not have the PMI estimations (31 %; 54/174) and the ability to estimate a PMI was significantly associated with skeletal completeness, unburnt remains, absence of clothing and the absence of entomological evidence (p < 0.05 for each). Significantly fewer cases had the PMI estimated after FACT was formalised in 2014 (p < 0.0001). One third of cases with PMI estimations were made with large open-ended ranges, making them less informative. Factors significantly associated with these broad PMI ranges were fragmented remains, absence of clothing and absence of entomological evidence (p < 0.05 for each). Most decedents (51 %; 87/174) were discovered in police precincts from high crime areas, yet a considerable number (47 %; 81/174) were also found in low crime and sparsely populated areas regularly used for recreational activities. Common sites of body discovery were vegetated areas (23 %; 40/174), followed by the roadside (15 %; 29/174), aquatic environments (11 %; 20/174) and farms (11 %; 19/174). Decedents were discovered exposed (35 %; 62/174), covered with items such as bedding or shrubs (14 %; 25/174) or buried (10 %; 17/174). Our data highlight gaps in forensic taphonomy studies and clearly informs what regional research is needed. Overall, our study demonstrates how forensic case information can inform regional forensic taphonomy studies to locate common areas and contexts for the discovery of decomposed bodies and encourages similar studies in other areas of the world.