Maximizing order or harm? Arrests among a social network of people who inject drugs in a large urban city

Encountering the criminal justice system at the first point of entry---an arrest---is associated with heightened HIV and Hepatitis risk behavior among people who inject drugs (PWIDS). Intervening structurally through the criminal justice system impacts public health; therefore, determining arrest patterns is an important tool for risk reduction. Among a sample of 740 PWIDs, and their social network members recruited from predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Baltimore City, a third were recently arrested in the previous six months, and of those, the arrests were disproportionately African-American persons and characterized as nonviolent, i.e., drug possession/attempt to purchase (38%) and loitering (29%). Poisson regression models were built adjusted for age, sex, race, education level, homelessness, and monthly income after exploring bivariable characteristics of arrests using chi-squared tests. Active drug use was associated with a recent arrest (adjusted prevalence ratio: aPR 2.38 95% CI 1.6, 3.6), in addition to participants who recently reported attending a syringe exchange program (aPR 1.45 95% CI 1.1, 2.0). Our findings are suggestive of recent media coverage and burgeoning research revealing the prioritization of policing resources toward both communities of color and neighborhoods of intensified drug trafficking. Further research is warranted to contextualize the operationalization of criminal justice resources and the impact on community health.     

Automated estimation of the number of contributors in autosomal STR profiles

Estimating the number of contributors to mixed STR profiles can be complex. This study describes the nC-tool to assist DNA expert in this process. The nC-tool is based on the total allele count for PowerPlex® Fusion 6C profiles and showed improved performance when compared to the maximum allele count approach.     

从白小保校运动看马来西亚华人的政治参与形态

马来西亚华人有着积极的政治参与的传统,近些年来更是利用各种途径来最大限度地表达与维护其利益.2001年来持续四年的白小保校运动主要通过政治选举、政治结社、政治表达、政治接触等方式来维护子女接受母语教育、文化传承的权利.这一典型事例体现了马来西亚华人政治参与的基本模式.     

口蹄疫病毒3C基因与增强型绿色荧光蛋白基因的真核共表达

为验证siRNAs对口蹄疫病毒(FMDV)复制的抑制效果,用反转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)扩增Asia 1型口蹄疫病毒Jiangsu/China/2005株的3C基因,克隆入增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)表达载体pEGFP-N1中,并进行双酶切、PCR及测序鉴定。将阳性重组质粒转染PK-15细胞,检测EGFP的表达和3C基因转录水平。结果显示,经PCR及双酶切鉴定,目的基因片段大小与预期相符,测序结果与Jiangsu/China/2005株相应序列一致。荧光显微镜和流式细胞仪均检测到细胞内有EGFP表达,实时荧光定量PCR检测到细胞内有3C基因的转录。证实,成功构建了FMDV 3C基因与EGFP共表达质粒并在PK-15细胞中获得了表达。     

新《保险法》对中国海上保险合同法律的影响

2009年2月公布的《中华人民共和国保险法》在很多方面进行了重大的修改,势必对中国海上保险合同法律制度产生重要影响。一方面是对海上保险合同法律的补充,另一方面同《中华人民共和国海商法》在海上保险合同不少制度和规则上出现了程度不同的差异。而这些也为后者未来的修改提供了丰富的素材和良好的借鉴蓝本。     

The Future of Consumer Web Data: A European/US Perspective

The article considers the subject of clickstream data from aEuropean/US perspective, taking into account the Data ProtectionFramework (Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC; Directive onPrivacy and Electronic Communications 2002/58/EC) and the USlegal framework and in particular, the Wiretap Act U.S.C. 2701(2004) and related statutes. It examines the extent to whichclickstream data is considered "personal data" within the DataProtection Directive and the implications to consumers and businesses.     

“任务驱动”教学模式在C语言教学中的应用

C语言程序设计的教学在高校计算机课程教学中一直处于比较重要的地位,如何培养学生的编程能力和实际动手能力以适应社会的需求,是许多教师、专家和学者比较关注的问题。在此,以当前C语言教学中存在的问题入手,提出在C语言教学中应用＂任务驱动＂教学模式来提升学生的能力,强调以任务为中心,以学生为主体,以教师为主导,以课程设计为辅助,使学生在任务探究过程中掌握知识与技能,培养创新思维,提高实践能力,从而达到教学目标,提高教学质量。     

猪霍乱沙门氏菌C78-1株ΔcrpΔasd缺失株平衡致死载体系统的构建及生物学特性研究

为开发减毒猪霍乱沙门氏菌的活疫苗载体,通过自杀性质粒介导的细菌同源重组技术,构建了猪霍乱沙门氏菌C78-1株ΔcrpΔasd双基因缺失株,并对其生物学特性进行探讨。首先构建含有缺失1 488bp asd基因的重组自杀性质粒pREΔasd,然后与已构建完成的ΔcrpC78-1缺失株进行接合转移,采用两步法筛选无抗性的C78-1的ΔcrpΔasd双缺失株。PCR鉴定结果表明,C78-1的ΔcrpΔasd双缺失株构建成功;进一步研究表明,该缺失株的生长需要外源的二氨基庚二酸(DAP),且能稳定遗传缺失的asd基因,与C78-1相比,其血清型未发生变化,但其生长速度明显减慢。ΔcrpΔasd C78-1双缺失株可接受asd+质粒作为宿主平衡致死系统高效稳定地表达外源基因,为开发以C78-1为载体的口服多价疫苗奠定了基础。     

14株基因C型鸭甲肝病毒分离株的VP1基因变异及其编码蛋白的抗原表位分析

对14株分离自四川不同地区的基因C型鸭甲肝病毒(DHAV-C)VP1基因进行了PCR扩增、测序、序列比对分析以及抗原表位分析。结果显示,14株DHAV-C VP1基因核苷酸序列的同源性为92.2%～100%,推导氨基酸序列的同源性为85.8%～100%,与GenBank中的24株DHAV-C VP1基因的核苷酸和氨基酸序列同源性分别为87.9%～99.3%和80.8%～100%。聚类分析显示,四川华阳地区分离的6株DHAV-C的VP1基因与黑龙江分离株Du/CH/LJS/090905同属一支,3株四川邛崃地区分离株与北京分离株C-GY及福建分离株FJ01同属一支,4株四川郫县分离株与1株四川邛崃分离株处于独立的小分支,它们与其他毒株之间存在一定的遗传距离。DHAV-C VP1蛋白由240个氨基酸组成,是由α螺旋、β折叠和无规则卷曲共同组成的混合型蛋白,VP1蛋白氨基酸序列的亲水性、抗原指数和表面可及性均较高,其中212～222位氨基酸区域的亲水性、抗原指数和表面可及性最高,可能是DHAV-C VP1蛋白上的B细胞表位优势区域,为DHAV-C表位疫苗的研究提供了理论依据。结果表明,四川分离株可能由于引种等原因从全国不同地区进入四川境内。     

Developmental validation of a Cannabis sativa STR multiplex system for forensic analysis

A developmental validation study based on recommendations of the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) was conducted on a multiplex system of 10 Cannabis sativa short tandem repeat loci. Amplification of the loci in four multiplex reactions was tested across DNA from dried root, stem, and leaf sources, and DNA from fresh, frozen, and dried leaf tissue with a template DNA range of 10.0-0.01 ng. The loci were amplified and scored consistently for all DNA sources when DNA template was in the range of 10.0-1.0 ng. Some allelic dropout and PCR failure occurred in reactions with lower template DNA amounts. Overall, amplification was best using 10.0 ng of template DNA from dried leaf tissue indicating that this is the optimal source material. Cross species amplification was observed in Humulus lupulus for three loci but there was no allelic overlap. This is the first study following SWGDAM validation guidelines to validate short tandem repeat markers for forensic use in plants.