A comparison of wrongful convictions in death penalty cases between China and the United States

In recent years, both China and the United States (US) have discovered numerous wrongful convictions, including several cases in which innocent people have been sentenced to death. These discoveries have led both countries to reform the death penalty but the extent and nature of the reforms in each country have been greatly different. This article explores the similarities and differences between the nature of wrongful convictions in death penalty cases in China and the US. It will also compare the reforms undertaken in each country. On the whole, the US has made greater progress in the prevention and correction of wrongful convictions involving the death penalty, especially in the areas of evidentiary rules and post-conviction review. In order for China to match America's success, it is necessary that China adopt more substantive reforms. China should learn from America's experience and should continue to adopt international standards of criminal justice, such as due process rights, the presumption of innocence and the exclusion of illegally obtained evidence. In the interim, China should immediately suspend all executions until adequate reforms can be carried out. Ultimately, China should surpass the US in criminal-justice reform and in the field of human rights protection by completely abolishing the death penalty and creating a more effective mechanism for criminal punishment.     

Radical Protestantism and doux commerce: the trials and tribulations of Nantucket's Quaker whaling community

Abstract

This paper discusses the complex relationship between morals and markets and uses the case of Nantucket as an illustration. I argue that it was a specific Protestant work ethic promoted by Quakerism that facilitated the rise of Nantucket to become the capital of the American whaling fleet for more than a century. However, I also argue that the same morals and values that helped to give birth to the Quaker whaling empire contributed significantly to the downfall of the Quaker community, decades before whaling in general got into crisis. In more general terms this paper attempts to be a historical case study that illustrates the complexities of Albert O. Hirschman's doux commerce argument and particularly the way the Protestant spirit fits into Hirschman's explanation.     

A Bibliography About a Changed Federal Government Workplace

Abstract

This bibliography contains more than 130 hand picked sources that address change in the Federal government workplace, including articles and books by academics and practitioners and reports by Federal agencies including the General Accounting Office and the Office of Personnel management, as well as Congress. The introduction to the bibliography draws on the expertise of three well known authorities in the field, as well as the authors' of the bibliography.     

美国各州监听立法研究

美国有联邦监听法律法规,但各州也根据自己的立法权制定了一些本州的监听法。宪法虽然为美国人权、隐私权提供了有效的保护伞,但自9.11以后,《美国爱国者法案》赋予了美国总统特权,监听扩权问题甚嚣尘上。但联邦层面上对监听问题的监督相对完善,对此的介绍也频见报端,但对各州监听立法的研究却鲜有所见。文章比较详尽地介绍了美国各州的监听立法情况,披露了各州监听立法的内容、执法程序、监督机制等等都不尽如人意,权力监督不力、滥用情况比较普遍,以资我国监听立法借鉴。     

中美构建新型大国关系在亚太起步

为打破崛起国与守成国必然走向对抗的历史魔咒,中美双方就"构建中关新型大国关系"达成共识。中美在亚太地区能否共处是构建中关新型大国关系能否实现的"试金石"。为突破中关在亚太地区的经济模式之争、安全理念之争、政治制度之争以及两国围绕地区热点问题的博弈,双方需要努力实现经济互补、安全互动、政治互尊并着力进行热点管控,通过在亚太地区的"试点",塑造在亚太地区构建中关新型大国关系的有效途径。     

当代政治文化建设的若干问题浅析

当今世界的综合国力竞争,中心是经济实力的竞争,关键是科学技术的竞争,实质是文化力的竞争。一个民族,一个国家,如果没有自己的精神支柱,就等于没有灵魂,就会失去凝聚力和生命力。有没有高昂的民族精神,是衡量一个国家综合国力强弱的一个重要尺度。而一个国家民族精神的振奋,民族凝聚力的增强,则离不开政治文化的建设和熏陶。政治文化无论是从微观上提高公民个体的政治素质,还是从宏观上转变整个国民的政治价值观,都将为国家的政治发展提供主体保证。     

美国涉外证券民事诉讼管辖权制度研究

文章以美国联邦证券法律体系中的涉外证券民事诉讼管辖权制度为对象,从管辖权的“法律基础”与“合理依据”两方面着手,重点论述了联邦证券法下的级别管辖、一般管辖问题。同时,对美国1971年《第二次冲突法重述》的相关规定及其在实践中遇到的问题进行了一定探讨。文章认为,对涉外证券立法严重滞后于相关实践的我国而言,美国在涉外证券管辖权方面的立法与实践,对我国相关制度的构建具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Characterization of 26 miniSTR loci for improved analysis of degraded DNA samples

An additional 20 novel mini-short tandem repeat (miniSTR) loci have been developed and characterized beyond the six previously developed by our laboratory for a total of 26 non-CODIS miniSTR markers. These new markers produce short PCR products in the target range of 50-150 base pairs (bp) by moving the primer sequences as close as possible-often directly next to the identified repeat region. These candidate loci were initially screened based on their small amplicon sizes and locations on chromosomes currently unoccupied by the 13 CODIS STR loci or at least 50 Mb away from them on the same chromosome. They were sequenced and evaluated across more than 600 samples, and their population statistics were determined. The heterozygosities of the new loci were compared with those of the 13 CODIS loci and all were found to be comparable. Only five of the new loci had lower values than the CODIS loci; however, all of these were much smaller in size. This data suggests that these 26 miniSTR loci will serve as useful complements to the CODIS loci to aid in the forensic analysis of degraded DNA, as well as missing persons work and parentage testing with limited next-of-kin reference samples.     

复合扩增检测D9S302、D18S865和PLA2A基因座多态性

应用 PCR复合扩增技术、变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和银染法显色检测技术,对云南省汉族人群 100名个体的 D9S302、 D18S865和 PLA2A基因座进行了研究,分别检出 10、 7和 7个等位基因,基因型频率分布均符合 Hardy－ Weinberg平衡,家系调查证实三基因座的传递遵循孟德尔遗传规律。三基因座累积个人识别率为 0.999 7,累积非父排除率为 0.992 9。证实了复合扩增 D9S302、 D18S865和 PLA2A三基因座是法医学个人识别和亲权鉴定中极有价值的检测方法。     

广西壮、汉族人群F13A01、FESTPS、vWA三个STR基因座的遗传多态性

采用复合扩增、PAG电泳分离和银染检测技术,对广西壮、汉族人群的F13A01、FESFPS、vWA等3个STR基因座进行遗传多态性研究.3个基因座的基因型在广西壮、汉族人群的频率分布均符合Hardy-wein-berg平衡.3个STR基因座在广西壮族人群的个体识别力(DP)分别为0.8205、0.8566和0.9239;在广西汉族人群的个体识别力(DP)分别为0.8256、0.8455、0.9191.