Post-mortem investigation of calcium content in liver, heart, and skeletal muscle in accidental hypothermia cases

The identification of hypothermia as cause of the death was always quite problematic in the field of forensic medicine. The aim of the present study was to verify the determination of calcium content in post-mortem liver, heart, and skeletal muscle samples as the biochemical marker defining hypothermia as the cause of death. The study involved 43 autopsy cases in which the circumstances of death indicated the effects of overcooling. The control group consisted of material collected from the corpses of 30 persons who were not exposed to low temperatures but died due to technical injuries (n = 5), asphyxia (n = 6), intoxication with ethanol and other substances (n = 8), and acute myocardial infarction/ischemia (n = 11). The concentration of calcium in autopsy samples was determined applying flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Our study showed no significant differences of calcium content in tissues of persons who died due to hypothermia, over those who died in normothermic conditions.     

A real-time multiplex SNP melting assay to discriminate individuals

A method that quickly and inexpensively differentiates crime scene samples from multiple donors would expedite casework analysis by allowing the selection of probative items requiring comprehensive testing. This new method need not be perfectly definitive nor give a complete 13 locus short tandem repeat (STR) profile; it simply must be able to differentiate between most victim and suspect samples. We describe the development of multiplex, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to fulfill this need. Dual probes, one fluorescently labeled and the other labeled with a quencher, are monitored during a melt analysis to reveal an increase in fluorescence, which allows the assessment of the two SNP alleles. Two alternate 6-plex assays (with and without gender determination) have been developed for the six-color RG6000 real-time instrument (Corbett Robotics, Inc.) and one seven SNP plus gender assay (performed as two 4-plex assays, one with gender the other without) have been developed for use in four/five color real-time instruments. This technique can discriminate between 95% and 99% of samples from different individuals. This assay is fast (approximately 2 h), much less expensive than STR analysis, and uses a real-time PCR instrument which is found in most forensic and molecular biology labs.     

Classification and individualization of black ballpoint pen inks using principal component analysis of UV-vis absorption spectra

The technique of principal component analysis has been applied to the UV-vis spectra of inks obtained from a wide range of black ballpoint pens available in the UK market. Both the pen ink and material extracted from the ink line on paper have been examined. Here, principal component analysis characterised each spectrum within a group through the numerical loadings attached to the first few principal components. Analysis of the spectra from multiple measurements on the same brand of pen showed excellent reproducibility and clear discrimination between inks that was supported by statistical analysis. Indeed it was possible to discriminate between the pen ink and the ink line from all brands examined in this way, suggesting that the solvent extraction process may have an influence on these results. For the complete set of 25 pens, interpretation of the loadings for the first few principal components showed that both the pen inks and the extracted ink lines may be classified in an objective manner and in agreement with the results of parallel thin layer chromatography studies. Within each class almost all inks could be individualised. Further work has shown that principal component analysis may be used to identify a particular ink from a database of reference UV-vis spectra and a strategy for developing this approach is suggested.     

Politics and Corporate‐Sector Environmentally Significant Actions: The Effects of Political Partisanship on U.S. Utilities Energy Efficiency Policies

This study assesses the direct, indirect, and total impacts of political partisanship on state‐level utilities' investment in energy efficiency. This subject is of utmost importance because energy efficiency improvement has become a linchpin in worldwide efforts to combat climate change and other environmental challenges. Analysis of data on 51 electric utilities nested within 31 U.S. states indicates that political partisanship influences utilities' energy efficiency policies. There is strong evidence that electric utilities in states dominated by the Republican Party are less likely to invest in energy efficiency than those in states governed by the Democratic Party. This finding suggests that political partisanship may be shaping the policy and regulatory frameworks put in place by state governments to incentivize or compel the participation of private‐sector entities' in environmental management and/or resource conservation.     

The More Assertive and Pragmatic New Energy Policy in Putin’s Russia: Security Implications for Northeast Asia

The article examines Russia’s New Energy Policy (NEP) and its impact on Northeast Asian security and the development of the Russian Far East. In contrast to analyses highlighting competition between China and Japan for Russian resources, to the contrary it is argued here that greater cooperation among consumer states in Northeast Asia would be beneficial for Russia. Although the NEP has resulted in changes in the composition of foreign investors in Russian energy projects, the author suggests that Moscow is interested in multinational cooperation in the energy sector because it would help diversify the regional energy market and contribute to the development of the Russian Far East and eastern Siberia.

加减薯蓣丸治疗轻中度肾精亏虚证老年期痴呆的磁共振波谱研究

目的 采用氢质子磁共振波谱（1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy,1H MRS）检查结合神经心理学量表的方法,评价加减薯蓣丸对老年期痴呆患者的治疗效果。方法 收集2015年12月至2017年4月湖北省中医院脑病科及老年病科的血管性痴呆（vascular dementia,VD）及阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimers disease,AD）肾精亏虚证患者各20例,另选认知功能正常者20例作为对照组。入选老年期痴呆患者在内科治疗的基础上予以加减薯蓣丸治疗。对老年期痴呆患者治疗前后及对照组受试者进行简易精神状态评价量表（mini mental state examination,MMSE）、日常生活能力量表（activities of daily living,ADL）、痴呆证候分型量表（syndromes differentiation scale for dementia,SDSD）评估及1H MRS检查。结果 加减薯蓣丸显著升高VD及AD患者降低的MMSE评分（P＜0.05）,降低其升高的SDSD评分（P＜0.05）,但对ADL评分的改善作用无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。1H MRS检查表明,加减薯蓣丸显著升高VD和AD患者双侧额叶下降的N 乙酰天门冬氨酸（N aspart acetyl,NAA）/肌酸（creatine,Cr）水平（P＜0.05）,而降低双侧额叶升高的胆碱复合物（choline,Cho）/Cr作用无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。加减薯蓣丸对VD患者和AD患者MMSE、SDSD、ADL评分和双侧额叶NAA/Cr、Cho/Cr的作用差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。结论 加减薯蓣丸改善轻中度老年期痴呆患者认知功能的机制可能与促进损伤的神经细胞修复有关。     

日本民用核能法律制度创新对中国的启示

日本于1955年正式公布《原子能基本法》后,经历了两大发展阶段,形成了较为系统的民用核能法律体系,却以福岛核事故为转折点暴露了诸多问题。此后日本根据多重防护理论进行构建,以新建立的原子能规制委员会为核心,依托民用核能损害赔偿为主的民事诉讼与"定期检查许可证交付"为主的行政诉讼的司法实践,辅之以《电气事业会计准则》为基础的民用核能特别会计准则制度,建立起了一套以理论建构、制度架构、司法实践为主,财务会计制度等为辅的日本特色民用核能法律制度体系。鉴于我国推进"一带一路"进程中民用核能合作高速发展以及《核安全法》问世,民用核能法律制度亟需受到高度重视。日本民用核能法律制度发展的新理论、新框架及创新内容,为中国民用核能发展提供了在决策机制、透明度设计等方面多层次、宽领域的启示。     

普京的俄罗斯石油战略及我国应采取的对策

随着经济的高速发展,我国的石油需求快速增长,2003年,我国已经成为世界上仅次于美国的第二大石油消费国和仅次于美日的第三大石油进口国,石油短缺成为我国未来时期能源安全的主要矛盾。中俄两国石油合作互补性强,俄罗斯石油的总储量约为200亿吨,而我国从俄罗斯和中亚的进口只占7.5%[1]。两国石油合作具有广阔前景,但也存在许多波折和问题。通过对普京两任总统期间的石油战略分析,可以对中俄石油合作的前景进行理性的预测,以便采取切实可行的合作对策。     

Understanding Russia’s energy turn to China: domestic narratives and national identity priorities

This study investigates whether, as part of a broader “Asian Energy Pivot,” Russia’s energy giant Gazprom refashioned its export strategy away from Europe, and what impact such a reorientation might have on the EU–Russia gas relationship. It uses four empirical cases to emphasize the domestic movers underlying Russia’s eastward shift in energy trade, developing a constructivist theory rooted in the dynamics of Russia’s dominant public narrative and the contours of domestic politics. It argues that Russia’s national interests changed as a result of how Russian policy-makers interpreted and reacted to the stand-off with Europe, in response to what they perceived as Europe’s attempt to isolate it economically and geopolitically. Russia’s Eurasianists, who had advocated the notion of a necessary turn to the East for a long time, positioned themselves as norm entrepreneurs and their new interpretation of the preexisting material incentives shaped the future course of action.     

能源大部制改革的历史分析与启示

以1988年至1993年第七届中央政府时期的能源部改革为案例,运用分析性叙述的方法,深入描述这次改革的背景、方案、运行、结果及影响。在分析能源部改革历史逻辑、总结改革失败教训的基础上,提出三个有关行政体制改革的观点:(1)大部制并不能针对性地解决部门协调的问题,仅仅提供了协调的机会和可能性;(2)以简政放权为目的的大部制改革难以实现部门协调的目标;(3)在对行政改革进行评价时,必须重视改革文化的培育与维护。