Storm‐Related Postmortem Damage to Skeletal Remains

In April 2011, human skeletons were exposed to heavy storms at the outdoor Anthropology Research Facility (ARF) in Knoxville, Tennessee. Of the approximate 125 skeletons at the ARF in April 2011, 30 donations exhibited postmortem damage that could be attributed to the storms. At least 20 of the affected donations exhibit postmortem damage clearly associated with hailstones due to the oval shape and similar small size of the defects observed. The irregular shape and larger size of other defects may be a product of other falling objects (e.g., tree branches) associated with the storms. Storm‐related damage was observed throughout the skeleton, with the most commonly damaged skeletal elements being the scapula and ilium, but more robust elements (i.e., femora and tibiae) also displayed characteristic features of hailstone damage. Thus, hailstone damage should be considered when forensic practitioners observe unusual postmortem damage in skeletal remains recovered from the outdoor context.     

What is the cost of voting?

Despite a wealth of literature on the determinants of electoral turnout, little is known about the cost of voting. Some studies suggest that facilitating voting slightly increases turnout, but what ultimately matters is people's subjective perceptions of how costly voting is. This paper offers a first comprehensive analysis of the subjective cost of voting and its impact on voter turnout. We use data from an original survey conducted in Canada and data from the Making Electoral Democracy Work project which covers 23 elections among 5 different countries. We distinguish direct and information/decision voting costs. That is, the direct costs that are related to the act of voting and the costs that are related to the efforts to make (an informed) choice. We find that the cost of voting is generally perceived to be very small but that those who find voting more difficult are indeed less prone to vote, controlling for a host of other considerations. That impact, however, is relatively small, and the direct cost matters more than the information/decision cost.     

Role models in politicians will disappoint you: Cautionary notes on Aids leadership in post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract

In the face of HIV/Aids the call for political leadership is often made. Invariably, one form that this call takes involves leaders being called upon to act as role models. But time after time scandalous revelations arise. These scandals appear to have the potential to damage efforts to address HIV/Aids. This article assumes that it is not appropriate to attempt to limit public expression concerning the sex-related behaviours of politicians. The author further notices, with reference to post-apartheid leadership in South Africa, that the actions, behaviours and motivations of political leaders cannot be readily assumed to result in desired behaviours in relation to HIV/ Aids. It is proposed that rather than cynically saying we are waiting for ideal leaders to arise, we can embrace the challenge of our time by first allowing ourselves to question the status quo. The aim is to recover questions of the possible roles of politicians as questions of how human relations can be achieved. In other words, the aim is to argue for an approach that humanises both politicians and those who would (be given to) follow them.     

New Event Data in Conflict Research

This paper first presents an overview of data on 390 international crises, which incorporate 826 foreign policy crises, from the end of 1918 to the end of 1988.

A set of crisis profiles is then constructed for the two superpowers of the post‐World War II era, and for three regional systems, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The data on international crises are presented in terms of a common format for the regional profiles, with slight modifications for the superpowers, in order to facilitate comparisons: time and space; duration; onset; threat; behavior; severity of violence; US/USSR activity; global organization involvement; and outcome. Within these categories, distributions are noted for each of the polarity structures—multipolarity (1918–39), bipolarity (1945–62), and polycentrism (1963–1988). Thereafter, comparisons are made between US and USSR crises (after World War II), and among the three regional profiles.

The central thrust of the findings from these profiles is clear: they focus attention on the dual characteristics of twentieth century crises, their pervasiveness and diversity. These traits, in turn, make much more difficult the task of constructing a theory that provides a systematic explanation of interstate crisis from onset to termination. Complex reality imposes an intolerable burden on the search for necessary and sufficient conditions of crisis. In positive terms, it leads to a shift in focus, from ‘necessary and sufficient’ to the “most likely” conditions as the most credible path to theory.     

细菌的CRISPR/cas免疫及免疫识别

综述了40%真细菌以及几乎所有古细菌基因组内存在的CRISPR位点以及细菌的CRISPR/cas免疫机制。主要从CRISPR/cas免疫的抗感染机制、特异性间隔序列的获取、crRNA的成熟以及免疫识别等方面展开论述,阐述了成簇存在的、被短的重复回文序列所分割的非自身基因(CRISPR位点)以及通过类RNA干扰(RNAi)机制特异性地抵抗噬菌体及侵袭性质粒的二次感染。提出此技术在临床上用来抑制抗生素抗性质粒以及毒力因子在病原菌中传播的应用前景。     

跨国销售的增长凸显公共关系战略的重要性

经济全球化的发展使企业面对更多的市场机会,企业在进行跨国销售中也遇到了新的困难,通过政府、企业、社会公众层次公关,可以减轻企业所受到的不公正的贸易待遇,从而最终达到企业的经营目标.     

HPLC-ESI/MS/MS检测奥克托金的方法研究

目的建立HPLC-ESI-MS/MS检测奥克托金的方法。方法在负离子模式下,引入CH3COO-,形成加合离子[M＋CH3COO]-,通过电喷雾电离和多反应监测模式,找出离子对,进行定性分析。结果确定奥克托金的检测离子对为354.9/46.0,354.9/147,354.9/174.2和354.9/100,最低检出限达5×10-2ng/mL。结论本方法可以有效的检出微量奥克托金。     

新型毒品1-（3-三氟甲基苯基）哌嗪的检验

目的建立新型毒品1-（3-三氟甲基苯基）哌嗪的检验方法。方法通过选择和优化建立了1-（3-三氟甲基苯基）哌嗪类毒品的GC／MS、GC／TSD定性定量分析条件。结果以建立的分析方法,知查获的片剂中含有1-（3-三氟甲基苯基）哌嗪,其含量为51．13％,GC／TSD最低检出线是10ng／mL。结论本文所建方法可以用于1-（3-三氟甲基苯基）哌嗪涉毒检材的检验鉴定。     

Analysis and discrimination of electrical tapes: part II. Backings

The backings of 90 black electrical tapes were analyzed to evaluate the chemical components of these films, the ability of individual techniques to discriminate samples, and the ability of the techniques combined to distinguish samples. The techniques utilized and their respective discrimination results were stereomicroscopy and physical measurements, to include observation of surface features of the backing, width, and thickness measurements (c. 64%); Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) using a microscope accessory (c. 83%); pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS; c. 81%); and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS; c. 87%). Ninety-four percent of the backings were discriminated through this combination of analytical methods. Finally, evaluating these results in conjunction with previously published data on the analysis of the adhesives from the same set of electrical tapes provided an overall discrimination of nearly 96%.     

Mononationals,hyphenationals, and shadow-nationals: multiple citizenship as practice

Multiple citizenship has in recent decades moved from an unwanted phenomenon in international relations to a fairly common transnational status. Multiple citizenship has nevertheless so far been studied mainly as a political and juridical status by comparing national legislations. Much less notice has been given to actual dual citizens' citizen participation and construction of citizens' identities. Only when citizenship is studied as these kinds of practices do the hypothetic possibilities and problems associated with the status get their meanings and contents. This paper concentrates on examining dual citizens' identifications to their respective citizenships and how these affiliations transfer into possible citizen participation. Results are based on extensive analysis of survey (n = 335) and interviews (n = 48) carried out among dual citizens living in Finland. Contents and forms of dual citizens' national identification and citizen participation were reviewed through ideal types: resident-mononationals, expatriate-mononationals, hyphenationals, and shadow-nationals.