Does court-supervised reorganization work? Evidence from post-confirmation firm failure

Unlike the US Chapter 11, the Belgian reorganization legislation requires that distressed firms remain temporarily under court-supervision during the post-confirmation stage. Using a hand-collected sample of firms, we analyze the likelihood of business failure and the time to failure during this period. Less viable firms are more likely to fail and do faster so, indicating relatively effective reorganization proceedings. Firms that are indebted to highly secured banks or owe high sums of unpaid taxes are more likely to fail. Judicial discretion affects the likelihood of failure only in a subsample of sole proprietorships.     

混合样本拆分查询犯罪嫌疑人的应用研究

目的对一起杀人案中的混合样本进行拆分，期望获得嫌疑人的单-分型，以便于DNA数据库检索查询。方法采用专家人工拆分和图挖掘拆分对混合样本进行拆分，结果入“DNA快速协查比对平台”检索。结果2种方法先后比中数据库中同一前科人员。结论对2人份混合样本进行拆分，在DNA数据库中直接查找犯罪嫌疑人，是一种新的办案思路。     

Use of styryl 11 and STaR 11 for the luminescence enhancement of cyanoacrylate-developed fingermarks in the visible and near-infrared regions

In current casework, most post-cyanoacrylate stains rely on luminescence emission in the visible region (400-700 nm). While traditional stains such as rhodamine 6G work well under most circumstances, some surfaces may generate background luminescence under the same conditions. Detection in the near-infrared region (NIR > 700 nm) has shown to be effective in minimizing the interferences from such surfaces. The laser dye styryl 11 generated strongly luminescent fingermarks when applied after cyanoacrylate fuming on all surfaces tested. When compared to rhodamine 6G, the dye was superior only when viewed in the NIR. Styryl 11 was subsequently combined with rhodamine 6G, and the mixed stain formulation (named StaR 11 by the authors) induced stronger luminescence compared with styryl 11 alone with an ability to visualize in both the visible and NIR regions. Reliable and consistent results were obtained when using either styryl 11 alone or the STaR 11 mixture. The enhancement achieved did not otherwise vary depending on the source of the fingermark secretions. With visualization possible in both the visible and NIR regions, the styryl 11/rhodamine 6G mixture showed significant potential as a post-cyanoacrylate stain.     

Trading when you cannot trade: Blackout periods in Italian firms

This paper is part of the general debate concerning corporate governance. It focuses on a mechanism of self-regulation geared at avoiding market abuses: the use of blackout periods during which insiders are temporarily prohibited from trading on the market. Data concerning corporate characteristics, blackout periods, and internal dealing, seem to indicate that companies with a large number of independent directors and a consistent ability to monitor are more likely to adopt blackout periods. However, the research shows that during 2003 insiders did not comply with Italy's Code of Best Practice; they did not totally refrain from trading during the assigned blackout periods. All three variables measuring frequency trading – the numbers of transactions carried out, of active insiders, and of shares traded – were statistically significant during the specified blackout periods. Therefore, this paper could have practical implications for policy makers. If they decide to adopt self-regulation to fight market abuses, they must be aware that a law is only as effective as its enforcement.     

高致病性猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒HBR变异株第125代的毒力试验

从临床病例中分离到1株高致病性猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(PRRSV)变异株HBR,经细胞传代和蚀斑克隆获得了1株增殖性能稳定的传代毒株。为了检测该毒株在Marc-145细胞传代过程中毒力的变化,用PRRSV-HBR株第125代培养物(毒价为107.5 TCID50/mL)经肌肉注射和滴鼻途径接种18头35日龄PRRSV抗体阴性猪,同时设未接种对照组。结果试验猪未出现明显的临床症状。用RT-PCR法检测试验猪血清,从第3天开始出现阳性,第7～14天达到高峰,第28天后转为阴性。对同一时间迫杀的试验猪检测各脏器组织中的病毒抗原分布情况,结果表明,感染后第7～14天试验猪多数脏器呈阳性反应,第21～42天病毒集中在脾、腹股沟淋巴结、颌下淋巴结等组织。病理学观察发现,第7～14天试验猪淋巴结及肺出现轻度病变。动物感染试验表明,尽管试验猪未显示明显的临床症状,但从病毒血症、病毒体内分布、病理变化等方面看,该毒株仍然具有一定的毒力,用于弱毒疫苗的研制还有待进一步驯化致弱。     

新城疫病毒La Sota疫苗株基因组全长cDNA克隆的构建及鉴定

为构建能为新城疫病毒拯救提供直接使用的全长cDNA克隆,利用分子克隆的方法,将新城疫病毒La Sota株全基因组分成末端部分重叠的11个片段(F1～F11),按其基因组顺序克隆至改造后的真核表达载体pVAXr上,同时在全长cDNA两侧引入T7启动子和丁型肝炎病毒核酶(Rib)序列,以确保病毒基因组转录产物的两端形成精确的核酸序列。鉴定结果表明,新城疫病毒La Sota株基因组全长cDNA已成功克隆至pVAXr上,命名为pVAXr-FL。本研究为新城疫病毒的拯救及外源基因的表达奠定了基础。     

The impact of court errors on liability sharing and safety regulation for environmental/industrial accidents

We focus in this paper on the effects of court errors on the optimal sharing of liability between firms and financiers, as an environmental policy instrument. Using a structural model of the interactions between firms, financial institutions, governments and courts we show, through numerical simulations, the distortions in liability sharing between firms and financiers that the imperfect implementation of government policies implies. We consider in particular the role played by the efficiency of the courts in jointly avoiding Type I (finding an innocent firm guilty of inappropriate care) and Type II (finding a guilty firm not guilty of inappropriate care) errors. This role is considered in a context where liability sharing is already distorted (when compared with first best values) due not only to the courts’ own imperfect assessment of safety care levels exerted by firms but also to the presence of moral hazard and adverse selection in financial contracting. There is also not congruence of objectives between firms and financiers on the one hand and social welfare maximization on the other. Our results indicate that an increase in the efficiency of court system in avoiding errors raises safety care level, thereby reducing the probability of accident, and allowing the social welfare maximizing government to impose a lower liability [higher] share for firms [financiers] as well as a lower standard level of care.     

Gendered Responses to Serious Strain: The Argument for a General Strain Theory of Deviance

This paper expands and builds on newer avenues in research on gender and general strain theory (GST). I accomplish this by focusing on serious strains that are relevant for males and females, including externalizing and internalizing forms of negative emotions, and including multiple gendered deviant outcomes. Using the Add Health dataset, I find strong support for the impact of serious strains on both types of negative emotions and different forms of deviance for males and females. However, the experience of serious strain, emotionally and behaviorally, is gendered. Depressive symptoms are particularly important for all types of deviance by females. Including multiple types of deviant outcomes offers a fuller understanding of both similarities and differences by gender. These results support the utility of GST as a theory of deviance in general and support greater connections between GST, feminist theorizing, and the sociology of mental health.     

The Pains of Imprisonment Revisited: The Impact of Strain on Inmate Recidivism

Recent research suggests that imprisonment may increase subsequent levels of offending, but it is not clear why this is the case. Drawing on general strain theory (GST), this study examines whether exposure to the strains associated with imprisonment affects recidivism. These strains include direct victimization, the perception of a threatening prison environment, and hostile relationships with correctional officers. Consistent with GST, data from a sample of 1,613 recently released inmates in Ohio suggest that certain types of these strains do increase the likelihood of recidivism. These results challenge specific deterrence theory and claims by public officials that painful prisons will reduce reoffending.     

Anwendbarkeit von Bestimmungen des MRG bzw WGG

§ 20 Abs 1 WGG idF des 2. W?G stellt klar, welche Normen des WGG welche Bestimmungen des MRG in Geb?uden, die durch eine gemeinnützige Bauvereinigung errichtet worden sind, verdr?ngen. Für bis zum 28. 2. 1991 verwirklichte Sachverhalte ist danach noch altes Recht anzuwenden, für danach verwirklichte ohne Rücksicht auf den Zeitpunkt des Vertragsabschlusses das neue Recht des § 20 WGG. Die WRN 1999 dehnte den Anwendungsbereich des WGG auch auf Geb?ude aus, die von einer gemeinnützigen Bauvereinigung in gro?em Umfang saniert wurden. Für in solchen Geb?uden aufrechte Mietverh?ltnisse, die dem MRG unterliegen, hat ein automatisches Einpendeln in die Bestimmungen des WGG nicht stattgefunden, dieses setzt vielmehr das Vorliegen der Voraussetzungen des § 20a WGG voraus.