Preliminary results of an investigation on postmortem variations in human skeletal mass of buried bones

Extreme fragmentation can complicate the inventory of human skeletal remains. In such cases, skeletal mass can provide information regarding skeleton completeness and the minimum number of individuals. For that purpose, several references for skeletal mass can be used to establish comparisons and draw inferences regarding those parameters. However, little is known about the feasibility of establishing comparisons between inherently different materials, as is the case of curated reference skeletal collections and human remains recovered from forensic and archaeological settings. The objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of inhumation, weather and heat exposure on the skeletal mass of two different bone types. This was investigated on a sample of 30 human bone fragments (14 trabecular bones and 16 compact bones) that was experimentally buried for two years after being submitted to one of four different heat treatments (left unburned; 500?°C; 900?°C; 1000?°C). Bones were exhumed periodically to assess time-related mass variation. Skeletal mass varied substantially, decreasing and increasing in accordance to the interchanging dry and wet seasons. However, trends were not the same for the two bone types and the four temperature thresholds. The reason for this appears to be related to water absorption and to the differential heat-induced changes in bone microporosity, volume, and composition. Our results suggest that mass comparisons against published references should be performed only after the skeletal remains have been preemptively dried from exogenous water.     

An Aquatic Decomposition Scoring Method to Potentially Predict the Postmortem Submersion Interval of Bodies Recovered from the North Sea

This study aimed to develop an aquatic decomposition scoring (ADS) method and investigated the predictive value of this method in estimating the postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) of bodies recovered from the North Sea. This method, consisting of an ADS item list and a pictorial reference atlas, showed a high interobserver agreement (Krippendorff's alpha ≥ 0.93) and hence proved to be valid. This scoring method was applied to data, collected from closed cases—cases in which the postmortal submersion interval (PMSI) was known—concerning bodies recovered from the North Sea from 1990 to 2013. Thirty‐eight cases met the inclusion criteria and were scored by quantifying the observed total aquatic decomposition score (TADS). Statistical analysis demonstrated that TADS accurately predicts the PMSI (p < 0.001), confirming that the decomposition process in the North Sea is strongly correlated to time.     

上颌中切牙牙根直径及根管管径与年龄的关系

目的探讨汉族人上颌中切牙牙根直径及根管管径与年龄的关系。方法 2014年11月~2015年11月间,在一家三甲医院数据库中选择420例汉族人的口腔锥形束CT资料,根据年龄将所有研究对象分为6个组别(8~12岁、13~17岁、18~22岁、23~27岁、28~32岁、33~37岁,每组70例,男女各15例。对所有研究对象上颌中切牙牙根直径及根管管径进行测量,取釉牙骨质界距根尖3/4处,分析上颌中切牙牙根直径及根管管径与年龄的关系,比较男女上颌中切牙牙根直径。结果男性与女性上颌中切牙牙根直径比较具有差异显著性(P0.05);男性与女性上颌中切牙牙根管径比较具有差异显著性(P0.05);男性与女性上颌中切牙牙根直径与牙根管径之比比较具有差异显著性(P0.05);不同性别间上颌中切牙牙根直径与牙根管径之比与年龄具有一定的相关性(R~2=0.623,P0.05)。结论汉族人上颌中切牙牙根直径及根管管径与年龄的变化具有相关性,且男性根管管径减小趋势比女性更高。     

作为海上货物运输合同证明之提单的功能异化

航运经济基础的变化和合同概念的历史变迁等诸多因素使然,作为一种为立法所明确的功能,提单是海上货物运输合同的证明这一功能正在得到修正。在特定的条件下,提单就是海上货物运输合同。这就是提单的功能异化。这必然促使我国现行立法关于提单功能的界定发生变化。     

工会组织变革与形象再造

职工群众把工会告上法庭的案例时有发生,反映了工会组织存在着深刻的结构性弊端。消除工会组织的行政化倾向势在必行。建立民主的工会、高效务实的工会既离不开工会理论创新,也需要形象再造。     

论农村宪政建设中的人民调解——兼谈人民调解与村民自治的关系

人民调解制度发源于传统的民间调解,兼具内发性和外生性。从宪政的视角考察人民调解在农村遭遇的困境,很重要的原因是村民自治未能在农村真正实现,导致了转型期农村社会的复杂状态,没有给人民调解在农村的生存和发展提供良好的制度环境。尽快实现村民自治,完善基层民主机制,保障村民的基本权利和自由,可以促进人民调解的发展;人民调解的广泛实施,能够为农村提供合理有效的纠纷解决机制,有助于形成和谐的村庄秩序,构建公平的社会结构．推动村民自治的实现。二者在农村宪政建设的进程中相互促进,共同发展。     

Small changes, big results: Legislative voting behavior in the presence of new voters

Changes in district boundaries in small magnitude electoral systems can have substantive consequences for representation. In the U.S., each decennial redistricting cycle infuses House districts with a large number of new voters, changing personal representation for many citizens. What effect does the influx of these new voters exert on member behavior? By assessing the extent of this change in constituencies in conjunction with member voting behavior on roll calls, we can determine if significant changes to a congressional district impact post-redistricting legislative behavior. Using panel data estimators and various measures of legislator behavior, we show evidence that supports this claim. Our findings have notable implications for debates over representation and electoral accountability in legislative assemblies.     

Heat Induced Changes to Dental Resin Composites: A Reference in Forensic Investigations?*

The objective was to investigate color change and surface damage in dental resin composites exposed to high temperatures over different time intervals for comparative purposes. Samples were prepared using two resins - Z100(R) (R1) and Charisma (R2), heated at the following temperatures: 200 degrees C, 400 degrees C, 600 degrees C, 1000 degrees C, for 15, 30 and 45 min (n = 104 for each resin sample). Color (DeltaE) and brightness (DeltaL) changes were analyzed by spectrophotometry using the CIE Lab system and surface changes by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). R1 showed more intense color changes after heat exposure than R2. DeltaL values were found to be the best parameter for evaluation of light and color change. A biphasic pattern after thermal exposure was detected, from dark brown to light white. SEM showed more intense alterations in R2 than in R1. These results indicate that the parameters observed in both resins are useful as a guide in forensic analyses.     

经济变化对刑事政策的引导机制研究

刑事政策作为指导和调控刑事立法和刑事司法的观念性产物，在发展市场经济、建设和谐社会的当代中国，以刑法所不具有的灵活性而越来越受到学界的关注。刑事政策的制定和实施受到各方面因素的影响，而在诸因素中，经济因素是最具有决定性的。经济变化的快慢以及经济建设环境的好坏，对刑事政策的发展都具有关键性的引导作用。刑事政策的目的完结有赖于经济的发展和引导功能的发挥。探讨经济变化与刑事政策的关系，对于构筑符合时代要求的刑事政策体系，具有现实意义。     

东北地区农业系统资源利用方式及其效益的历史变迁

历史上东北地区水草丰沛,森林茂密,沼泽遍地。生息繁衍于此的东北先民,或渔猎,或游牧,或农耕。明清以来,尤其是清中期实行招垦政策以来,东北地区的荒田、草地、山林、沼泽,均得到了大面积的农业开发,造成农田系统对草地系统、森林系统、沼泽系统不断包抄与逐渐挤压,深刻影响了东北地区的作物布局与耕地制度。受此影响,东北地区种植业系统功能日益强化,而畜牧业系统、林业系统以及渔猎系统功能呈日渐式微趋势,外来移民的大量涌入以及放垦政策的大力推行难辞其咎。