Best Available Techniques (BAT) and Coal-fired Power Stations: Can the Energy Gap be Plugged Without Increasing Emissions?

At present, there is much anxiety regarding the security ofenergy supplies; for example, the UK and other European Statesare set to become increasingly dependant upon imports of naturalgas from states with which political relations are often strained.These uncertainties are felt acutely by the electricity generatingsector, which is facing major challenges regarding the choiceof fuel mix in the years ahead. Nuclear energy may provide analternative; however, in the UK, progress in replacing the firstgeneration reactors is exceedingly slow. A number of operatorsare looking to coal as a means of plugging the energy gap. However,in the light of ever more stringent legal controls on emissions,this step cannot be taken without the adoption of sophisticatedpollution abatement technology. This article examines the rolewhich legal concepts such as Best Available Techniques (BAT)must play in bringing about these changes.     

“2009年海洋污染责任与政策国际研讨会”综述

2009年6月4—5日,海洋污染责任与政策国际研讨会在大连召开。会议就海洋污染刑事责任、海洋污染民事责任、海洋污染典型案例研究以及国际公约的实施四大议题进行探讨与交流。     

“New Terrorism” = Higher Brutality? An Empirical Test of the “Brutalization Thesis”

This article focuses on the so-called “brutalization” of terrorism. The brutalization thesis as part of the larger theoretical concept of “new terrorism” argues that “new terrorism” is more brutal than “old terrorism.” Many scholars claim that the 9/11 attacks mark the beginning of a new era of terrorism that has lifted international as well as domestic terrorism to a new level of violent brutality. Others argue that this process had already started in the early 1990s. After discussing possible ways to operationalize a brutalization of terrorism, for example focusing on suicide bombings or terrorist attacks against soft targets, this article tests the empirical credibility of the brutalization thesis regarding both potential starting points. Data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) shows that only three out of nine indicators increased significantly during the 1990s, partially backing the idea of a general brutalization, whereas increasing numbers of suicide attacks and beheadings after 9/11 support the notion of a qualitative change in terrorism and its brutality connected with the idea of maximizing media and public attention. Yet, these developments are regionally limited and the brutality of this “new terrorism” exceeds the levels known from the zenith of “old terrorism” in the 1970s and 1980s in only a few cases.     

The welfare cost of terrorism

Data from 117 countries over the period 2006 to 2011 are used to estimate a macroeconomic cross-country system of equations that examines the association between terrorism, self-reported life satisfaction, and national income. Results indicate that terrorism is negatively associated with life satisfaction, whereas no such association is found between terrorism and real GDP per worker. Stark contrasts are found, however, between OECD and non-OECD members. In all, our results suggest that the social costs of terrorism are potentially much higher than the economic costs, and measuring only the conventional economic costs of terrorism significantly underestimates the true costs.     

Combatting peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted material via anti-piracy laws: Issues,trends, and solutions

This article analyses potential end-user copyright violations associated with peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing and the anti-piracy efforts currently underway in order to tackle them. This article discusses international developments in terms of trends, issues and solutions aimed at addressing peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted material. First, the article introduces P2P file sharing, its increasing significance in the growing digital media economy, and the legal issues surrounding this topic. Next, the article provides a comparative analysis of global efforts and trends in preventing digital piracy by analyzing relevant legislation, case law and practices in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, and Japan. In addition, the article reviews Hong Kong's current case law and proposed legal reforms including an analysis of their deficiencies with respect to addressing P2P copyright infringement. The article concludes with an analysis of existing trends in preventive measures against copyright infringement through P2P file sharing and suggests directions on future legal and non-legal measures that Hong Kong as well as the international community can take in combating digital piracy and copyright infringement through peer-to-peer file sharing.     

Genetic Data and the Data Protection Regulation: Anonymity,multiple subjects,sensitivity and a prohibitionary logic regarding genetic data?

Owing to the unique qualities of genetic data, there have been numerous criticisms of the current data protection framework's ability to protect genetic data. It has been suggested that the Directive did not recognise the sensitivity of genetic data and that it ignored a number of legitimate interests in this data (in particular interests which multiple data subjects may have and those which may remain in anonymous data). In 2012, the first results of a reform process of EU data protection law were released. These results included a draft Regulation (to replace the Directive) which introduced a new framework for the protection of genetic data. This Article considers whether the innovative approach to genetic data in the Regulation will provide a more adequate framework for the protection of genetic data. It concludes that the Regulation has rectified the lack of recognition of sensitivity, but still stutters in recognising a number of legitimate interests.     

Unwitting subjects of surveillance and the presumption of innocence

Mass surveillance programmes introduced by several EU Member States influence the protection that citizens enjoy on the basis of fundamental rights and freedoms. This paper focuses on the impact that these programmes have on the legal principle of presumption of innocence. The authors argue that even in those circumstances where the principle does not immediately apply because mass surveillance is undertaken before any criminal charge is issued, the collection of information and potential evidence limits the guarantees offered by the principle during the stages of a legal process. It is argued that mass surveillance programmes undermine the role of the principle of presumption of innocence at the stages of a criminal process and compromise, therefore, the very effectiveness of the legal process.     

The distribution of Y-chromosome STRs in Dominican population

We have studied the distribution of Y-chromosome STRs and established a database within population samples from Dominican Republic by analyzing male-specific markers. Laboratorio Clinico Lic Patria Rivas collected in the population samples and this population is truly representative of the entire country. We analyzed 12 Y-STRs loci included in PowerPlex Y (Promega Corporation).     

我院图书馆公安特色数据库建设

我院图书馆建立公安特色数据库具有重要的现实意义。公安特色数据库的内容应凸显公安特色和学院的专业设置、馆藏特点及课程建设等情况。在公安特色数据库建设过程中，应注意数据库信息的收集和数据库的标准化建设。