Ossification Degrees of Cranial Sutures Determined with Flat‐Panel Computed Tomography: Narrowing the Age Estimate with Extrema

Abstract: Since Broca’s time (1824–1880), ossification of the neurocranial sutures has been used as a characteristic of age. Current approaches include the visual macroscopic examination of ecto and endocranial sutures. The evaluation of the cross‐section of sutures usually necessitates the destruction of the neurocranium. In a nondestructive alternative approach that was tested within the context of the “Digital Forensic Osteology” project that ran in cooperation with the Virtopsy^®‐Project, it emerged that the resolution of conventional multi‐slice computed tomography data sets was not high enough to image sutures. Thus for the experiments presented here, the eXplore Locus Ultra flat‐panel computed tomography scanner from GE Healthcare was used. Calottes were scanned during autopsy and then immediately returned to the corpse. So far, the skullcaps of 221 individuals have been scanned. The cross‐sections of 14 suture segments could be assessed for seven previously defined stages of ossification. In a converse step, the 14 highest and lowest age estimate values corresponding to the individual stages of suture closure found were estimated for each calotte. The obtained ranges narrowing down the age estimate were evaluated with statistics. A mean value of 43.31 years for the range of narrowed age estimates shows that this method can be a useful aid in estimating age. The results of intra‐ and inter‐observer tests showed good overall agreement between the findings of three observers. This method is suitable for a nondestructive age estimation and can be used for the entire calotte.     

A Validation Study of the Langley et al. (2017) Decision Tree Model for Sex Estimation

Langley et al. (2017) developed a sex estimation decision tree utilizing two traditional cranial traits (glabella and mastoid) and a new trait: zygomatic extension. This study aimed to test the reliability of their zygomatic extension scoring method and validate their sex estimation method. Ordinal score data were collected from 281 male and female U.S. White and Black individuals. The five traditional cranial traits were collected from physical specimens, while zygomatic extension was scored from 3D cranial models. Intra‐ and interobserver analyses carried out on a subsample of 30 individuals indicate good agreement between zygomatic scores. The decision tree correctly sexed 71.5% of the sample, but a strong sex bias (94.2% correct for females, 49.3% correct for males) severely limits the utility of this method. The Walker (2008) and Stevenson et al. (2009) methods produced higher accuracy rates (80.8% and 82.6%, respectively), although these methods also produced sex and ancestry biases.     

关于东北老工业基地振兴目标体系的现实论证

东北地区作为新中国工业摇篮和粮食主产区,曾经在计划经济年代为社会主义建设事业起到了奠基性作用,并为新时期改革开放大业的战略推进创造了前提条件。但是,随着社会主义市场经济体制的逐步确立,东北地区的工业经济逐渐滞后,出现了特有的“东北现象”。与此同时,东北粮食主产区也陷入了以“农民卖粮难”为主要特征的发展困境。面对这一综合性的经济危机,党中央及时调整发展策略,在党的十六大上首次做出了振兴东北老工业基地的战略决策,随后又采取了加快体制创新和产业结构调整的有效措施,大力推动老工业基地质变为新型工业基地,裂变为现代装备基地,提升为科技产业基地,成长为生态农业基地,发展为农畜产品出口加工基地,从而形成东北老工业基地振兴的目标体系,并将进一步拉动和规范区域经济协调发展的现实进程。     

严重国际犯罪事项上的中非司法合作：问题与挑战——基于哈布雷案视角的研究

随着国际社会围绕严重国际犯罪达成共识的增多,国家间司法合作日益受到影响。司法合作一方面能有效防止出现“有罪不罚”现象,另一方面能帮助完善一国国内法制。随着中非关系的更加密切与发展,中非司法合作将愈益增多。中国要在中非司法合作中占据主动,呈现更正面的建设性形象,就有必要首先完善本国国内法制。哈布雷案在此方面可提供若干借鉴。     

廉政风险防控机制构建范式及理论基点

廉政风险防控机制是惩治和预防腐败体系的基础,是提升反腐倡廉建设科学化水平的重要途径。实证主义和行为主义范式诠释了腐败行为产生的内在发展规律和外在影响因素,揭示了腐败行为产生于权力运行主体以及权力运行过程中的风险点。人本管理理论、发展生态理论、风险社会理论、风险管理理论等蕴含丰富的廉政风险防控思想,是构建廉政风险防控机制的理论依据。要不断加强廉政风险防控机制的建设,探索以预防为核心、适合中国国情的腐败治理模式,推进风险防控的理论研究,实现理论向实践的转化。     

我国公立大学组织管理的逻辑基础分析

作为社会组织的一种类型,公立大学具有明显的社会公共性质,但也具有遵循教育客观发展规律的学术本位特殊性质。本文从组织管理的逻辑起点出发发现:学科目录逻辑、问题导向逻辑和单位治理逻辑是我国公立大学组织管理的现实逻辑基础,并可汇集为政治逻辑的综合,这在一定程度上偏离了大学组织学术本位的原则,不利于公立大学按照高等教育发展规律以提升大学的学术创新能力,需要从基于认识论的学术逻辑出发,反思与重构多样性、自组织的学术组织管理及其治理机制,改革相应的管理体制。     

A behavioral measure of the enthusiasm gap in American elections

What are the effects of a mobilized party base on elections? I present a new behavioral measure of the enthusiasm gap in a set of American elections to identify how the turnout rate of the party faithful varies across different contexts. I find that the advantaged party can see its registrants turn out by four percentage points more than the disadvantaged party in some elections, and that this effect can be even larger in competitive House districts. I estimate the net benefit to party vote share of the mobilized base, which is around one percentage point statewide, and up to one and one half points in competitive House contests. These results suggest that the partisan characteristics of an election have consequences not just for vote choice, but for the composition of the electorate.     

The Use of CT Scans in Estimating Age at Death by Examining the Extent of Ectocranial Suture Closure

We examined the utility of CT scans in the evaluation of degree of ectocranial suture closure. Five cranial points (left and right midcoronal positions, left and right midlambdoidal positions, and the lambda) were evaluated in 231 CT scans using a three‐point scoring system (open, partial closed, and closed). The slice increment and thickness varied between three groups of the scans. The results showed a good correlation between degree of suture closure and increasing age in each group. Young individuals (<40 years) and old individuals (>60 years) could be clearly distinguished from the middle‐aged individuals. ANOVA test revealed no difference between two groups of scans and between left and right sides (p > 0.05). Interobserver agreement was good, especially considering the score by sides. The results of this study create the base for developing a robust and simple method to estimate the age at death using CT scans.     

Suicide by blasting caps: a case study of rare cranial trauma

Suicide is a deliberate act of ending one's life. Suicide by use of any explosive device, when not involved in a terrorist act, is quite rare in occurrence when compared with other methods routinely utilized. In this paper, we present to the medicolegal community a case of an adult male who committed suicide with blasting caps and the subsequent extensive damage to the cranial hard tissue. Although the cause and manner of death were relatively straightforward, consultation with forensic anthropologists was requested for an anthropological trauma assessment of the highly fragmented skull. After the skull was cleaned and reconstructed, the analysis revealed similarities between blasting cap trauma to the head and high velocity gunshot trauma to the head. Therefore, in a case where some evidence may have been removed or destroyed, forensic analysis involving trauma of this magnitude could result in a misinterpretation of the true mechanism responsible for the osseous damage. In this case, cooperation among the law enforcement agency, coroner's investigators, the forensic pathologist, and forensic anthropologists provided a comprehensive death case analysis.     

论宪法权利的本质

宪法权利是一种反向权利,原则上不能被当正向权利加以定位,但是,应正视反向权利的宪法定位有可能引发的宪法权利虚置问题;宪法权利是一种公权利,原则上不能被用来调整私人之间的关系,但是应创设相应的制度机制来应对社会的变迁所带来的对宪法权利私法适用的内在要求;宪法权利是一种底线性权利,而不是一种穷尽性权利,但是在对其底线性定位的同时,应注意防止宪法权利的泛化现象。