The consequences of potentially differing distributions of the refractive indices of glass fragments from control and recovered sources

In forensic cases involving glass evidence, the variance of the recovered glass refractive index (RI) has been observed to be larger than the variance of the control glass RI. This has consequences for subsequent interpretation. To investigate this phenomenon, a study was made of the probable distributions of refractive indices of the recovered glass given a range of casework type scenarios involving breakage and backscatter. An investigation of the consequences of any distribution differences with regard to casework was also made. It was discovered that the inclusion of surface fragments from the float surface of the glass can have a profound effect on the comparison of recovered and control glass samples. The effect was largest when a breaker was striking the float surface of a window. In particular, it was found that the inclusion of a few surface fragments even post grouping is sufficient by itself to explain the observed differences in variance of RI between control and recovered groups. Surface fragments, if present, are very likely to be treated as outliers and to be deemed as non-matching. The findings of this paper challenge routine glass examination procedure and suggest that knowledge of which surface is facing the striker is valuable information in interpretation.     

A survey of the concentration of 19-OH F1α/F2α prostaglandins in the semen of fertile, infertile and vasectomized men and their stability in both liquid semen and semen stains

The levels of 19-hydroxy-prostaglandins F₁α/F₂α (PG F) in the semen of 19 vasectomized, 44 infertile and 8 fertile men were determined using a simple RIA technique. The mean concentrations observed in this survey were 45 μg/ml, 49.5 μg/ml and 59 μg/ml, respectively. No significant difference was recorded between the vasectomized and infertile groups; there were too few fertile samples available to undertake a meaningful statistical comparison. No reduction was observed in the levels of this PG in a liquid semen sample retained at room temperature over a 4 week period in the presence of a bacteriostat (sodium azide). However, a 30% reduction in the levels of 19-OH PG F occurred over the same time period when aliquots of the same semen sample were retained at either room temperature or at 4°C without azide. Finally, no reduction was observed in the concentration of 19-OH PG F in a series of 10-μl semen stains stored over a period of 6 weeks at room temperature.     

Evaluation of eosin-fluorescence in the diagnosis of sudden cardiac death

The diagnostic significance of the eosin-fluorescence method was evaluated and compared with the enzymehistochemical β-hydroxybutyrate-dehydrogenase method (β-HBDH) and the degree of hyperchromasia in 568 samples from 24 β-HBDH-negative and β-HBDH-positive sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) and 23 non-cardiac deaths as controls. The effect of autolysis was investigated separately on isolated human hearts at +4°C and +22°C. All samples were examined without any knowledge of clinical or autopsy data. Normal olive-green fluorescence was observed in only five individuals of the control group and two in the β-HBDH-negative one. The frequency of the yellow-fluorescence and hyperchromasia increased from the control subjects towards the β-HBDH-positive-ones. The difference in frequency distribution of fluorescence between the groups was statistically highly significant (P < 0.001). The change in fluorescence did not correlate with the loss of β-HBDH-reaction or the distribution pattern of hyperchromasia. Postmortem autolysis did not change the fluorescence significantly but the 78% wrong positive subjects in the control group render this method too sensitive and unreliable for medicolegal purposes.     

新型工业化道路与广西工业化

走新型工业化道路 ,加快传统农业向现代工业转变是全国的共同任务。广西处在工业化初期 ,工业化的任务十分艰巨。因此 ,要发挥比较优势 ,把有色金属、电力、汽车、食品和医药为重点发展 ;利用高新技术和先进适用技术 ,改造提升传统优势产业 ;办好高新技术产业开发区。探索适合广西新型工业化道路。     

Let's Agree to Agree: Regional Interest Representation in the Negotiations for the 2007–13 and 2014–20 Structural Funds in Germany

The negotiating powers of regional authorities in the European Union (EU) have become more evident, especially with decentralization and regionalization happening across Europe. This empirical case study of regional interest representation offers a comparative analysis of the negotiations for the 2007–13 and 2014–20 EU Structural Funds. Based on qualitative interviews with German subnational officials, this paper explores how the German federal states (Länder) represented their interests at the federal and supranational level. It will be shown that the modes of interest representation changed which can largely be attributed to social learning. This article contributes to existing literature by illustrating the move towards co-operative interest representation with intra-state subnational mobilization.     

ANTICIPATING INVASION: MILITARY TRAINING IN TAIWAN’S HIGH SCHOOLS, 1953–1960

Abstract

When the Guomindang retreated to Taiwan in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek and party leaders feared an imminent Communist invasion. Lacking soldiers in the reserve army, Chiang turned to high school and college students to recruit and train for the armed forces. In 1953, the Ministry of National Defense Political Department implemented mandatory military training in all senior high schools on the island and soon began educating and dispatching military instructors (jiaoguan), both male and female, to gender-segregated schools. Boys received basic infantry training (such as target shooting) while studying GMD revolutionary and military history. Meanwhile, girls participated in similar exercises but also acquired nursing skills. As a result, compulsory military training became a powerful force in Taiwanese high schools throughout the 1950s, preventing student protests against the government and successfully mobilizing male and female youth under an increasingly militarized GMD state.     

非洲国家劳工权益保护法律制度评述

随着中国企业进入非洲国家投资的规模不断扩大,国际社会有关中国在非企业劳工权益保护的争论也越来越多,这种情况反映出中国企业对非洲国家劳工权益保护法律缺乏了解。通过对坦桑尼亚、津巴布韦等国劳工权益保护法律的梳理,可以发现不少非洲国家都有较为严格的劳工保护制度,在劳动合同、集体谈判、维护人身权、限制外国雇员数量等方面有明确的法律规定。对于中国企业而言,需要在日常管理中更加注重劳工权益保护,重视集体谈判等机制,更好地保护所在国劳工权益。     

Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions in different legal environments

The aim of this paper is to analyze the influence of the legal and institutional environment on bidder firm returns around the announcement date of cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As). The database includes 469 M&As of European (221 cross-border and 248 domestic) listed firms, with target firms being worldwide public or private firms (40 countries), over the 2002–2006 period.Shareholders of acquiring firms place greater value on cross-border M&A announcements than on domestic ones. The stronger (weaker) the legal and institutional environment of the acquirer firm country in comparison with that of the target firm country, the more positive (negative) the effect on acquiring-firm shareholders’ valuation of M&As.     

Technology and torts: Memory costs, nondurable precautions and interference effects

This article examines the influence of nondurable precaution technologies on the expansion of tort awards. We provide four contributions to the literature. First, we present a general, formal model on durable and non-durable precaution technology that focuses on memory costs. Second, because liability exposure creates interference, we argue that tort law perpetuates the expansion of awards. Third, because plaintiffs do not consider the social costs of interference effects, private litigation induces socially excessive suits. Fourth, while new harm-reducing technologies likely increase accident rates, such technologies also raise the ratio of trial costs to harm, leaving undetermined the overall effect of new technologies on the rate of litigation.     

Validation of powder X-ray diffraction following EN ISO/IEC 17025

Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) is used widely in forensic science laboratories with the main focus of qualitative phase identification. Little is found in literature referring to the topic of validation of PXRD in the field of forensic sciences. According to EN ISO/IEC 17025, the method has to be tested for several parameters. Trueness, specificity, and selectivity of PXRD were tested using certified reference materials or a combination thereof. All three tested parameters showed the secure performance of the method. Sample preparation errors were simulated to evaluate the robustness of the method. These errors were either easily detected by the operator or nonsignificant for phase identification. In case of the detection limit, a statistical evaluation of the signal-to-noise ratio showed that a peak criterion of three sigma is inadequate and recommendations for a more realistic peak criterion are given. Finally, the results of an international proficiency test showed the secure performance of PXRD.