Trust is hard to come by: Disentangling the influence of structural characteristics and race on perceptions of trust in the police in a major Southern County

The current study will add to the literature on public attitudes toward law enforcement by assessing the individual and contextual-level predictors of one of the key concepts in police legitimacy literature: trust. Examining individuals nested within zip code results showed a significant equalizing effect of structural resource deprivation on both White and Black respondents' perceptions of trust in the police. Additionally, results found respondents who perceived racial profiling to be widespread had a universally decreased likelihood of having trust in the police, and these disparities were exacerbated as structural resource deprivation increased.     

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。     

鸭疫里氏杆菌地区流行株的分离与外膜蛋白A的变异性分析

2010年从安徽省和江苏省境内发病鸭的病理组织中分离到8株鸭疫里氏杆菌(RA),分别被命名为AH1、AH2、AH3、AH4、JS1、JS2、JS3、JS4,其中AH1、JS4为血清1型,AH2、AH3、AH4、JS1、JS2、JS3为血清2型。8株RA的菌体形态、生化特性、PCR鉴定结果相同,但致病力不同,AH1毒力最弱,对鸭的发病致死率仅为16.7%。序列分析结果显示,8株分离菌的外膜蛋白A(OmpA)基因的核苷酸序列同源性为96.9%～100%,氨基酸序列同源性为98.2%～100%。将8株RA与GenBank中登录的其他55株RA的OmpA进行变异性分析,结果其核苷酸序列同源性为89.6%～100%,氨基酸序列同源性为90.2%～100%。从系统发育进化树中可将这63株RA分为4个亚群,不同国家和地区的RA株在亚群中没有显示地域或时间特征,而是呈现出了互相交叉的现象,RA的OmpA差异与血清型、分离时间和分离地点没有必然的联系,本试验近期分离的8个RA株分布在2个亚群中。     

A simulation for exploring the effects of the "trait list" method's subjectivity on consistency and accuracy of ancestry estimations

The nonmetric "trait list" methodology is widely used for estimating ancestry of skeletal remains. However, the effects of the method's embedded subjectivity on subsequent accuracy and consistency are largely unknown. We develop a mathematical simulation to test whether variation in the application of the "trait list" method alters the ancestry estimation for a given case. Our simulation explores how variations in (i) trait selection, (ii) number of traits employed, and (iii) ancestry choice thresholds affect the ancestry estimation of an unidentified skeleton. Using two temporally and geographically diverse samples, the simulation demonstrates that trait selection, trait quantity, threshold choices, and the exclusion of high-frequency traits had minimal effect on estimation of general ancestry. For all data sets and Runs, Accuracy(AS) was maintained above 90%. The authors close with a discussion on the logistical issues present when choosing traits, and how to avoid ancestry bias.     

Quantification of human mitochondrial DNA using synthesized DNA standards

Successful mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) forensic analysis depends on sufficient quantity and quality of mtDNA. A real-time quantitative PCR assay was developed to assess such characteristics in a DNA sample, which utilizes a duplex, synthetic DNA to ensure optimal quality assurance and quality control. The assay's 105-base pair target sequence facilitates amplification of degraded DNA and is minimally homologous to nonhuman mtDNA. The primers and probe hybridize to a region that has relatively few sequence polymorphisms. The assay can also identify the presence of PCR inhibitors and thus indicate the need for sample repurification. The results show that the assay provides information down to 10 copies and provides a dynamic range spanning seven orders of magnitude. Additional experiments demonstrated that as few as 300 mtDNA copies resulted in successful hypervariable region amplification, information that permits sample conservation and optimized downstream PCR testing. The assay described is rapid, reliable, and robust.     

Developmental validation of feline, bovine, equine, and cervid quantitative PCR assays

Accurate DNA quantification is essential for optimizing DNA testing and minimizing sample consumption. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays have been published for human and canine nuclear DNA, and the need for quantifying other forensically important species was evident. Following the strategy employed for the canine qPCR assay, we developed individual assays to accurately quantify feline, bovine, equine, and cervid nuclear DNA. Each TaqMan-based assay incorporates a genus-specific probe targeting the Melanocortin-1 Receptor gene and includes a piece of synthetic DNA that acts as an internal PCR control for detecting inhibition. Developmental validations were carried out following the revised guidelines of the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods with modifications necessary for validation of nonhuman qPCR assays. All assays demonstrated the specificity, sensitivity, stability, reproducibility, accuracy, and precision required for forensic casework. The application of these assays to animal forensic DNA analysis has both conserved laboratory resources and improved genotyping results.     

Validating TrueAllele® DNA mixture interpretation

Abstract: DNA mixtures with two or more contributors are a prevalent form of biological evidence. Mixture interpretation is complicated by the possibility of different genotype combinations that can explain the short tandem repeat (STR) data. Current human review simplifies this interpretation by applying thresholds to qualitatively treat STR data peaks as all‐or‐none events and assigning allele pairs equal likelihood. Computer review, however, can work instead with all the quantitative data to preserve more identification information. The present study examined the extent to which quantitative computer interpretation could elicit more identification information than human review from the same adjudicated two‐person mixture data. The base 10 logarithm of a DNA match statistic is a standard information measure that permits such a comparison. On eight mixtures having two unknown contributors, we found that quantitative computer interpretation gave an average information increase of 6.24 log units (min = 2.32, max = 10.49) over qualitative human review. On eight other mixtures with a known victim reference and one unknown contributor, quantitative interpretation averaged a 4.67 log factor increase (min = 1.00, max = 11.31) over qualitative review. This study provides a general treatment of DNA interpretation methods (including mixtures) that encompasses both quantitative and qualitative review. Validation methods are introduced that can assess the efficacy and reproducibility of any DNA interpretation method. An in‐depth case example highlights 10 reasons (at 10 different loci) why quantitative probability modeling preserves more identification information than qualitative threshold methods. The results validate TrueAllele^® DNA mixture interpretation and establish a significant information improvement over human review.     

Quantitative assessment of the percent fat in domestic animal bone marrow

Measurement of the amount of fat in femoral bone marrow can provide a quantitative assessment of the nutritional status of an individual animal. An analytical method is presented for quantitating the percent fat in bone marrow from three domestic species: bovine, canine, and equine. In this procedure, fat is extracted from bone marrow using pentane, and the percent fat recovered is determined gravimetrically. Based on analyses from adult animals (normal body condition scores), the average percentage of fat in the bone marrow was >80%. In cases in which animals have been diagnosed as emaciated or exhibit serous atrophy of fat (body scores of 1 or 2), the femoral bone marrow fat was less than 20%. In domestic animals, bone marrow fat analysis can be a useful, quantitative measure that, when used in conjunction with all other data available, can support a diagnosis of starvation or malnutrition.     

我国创新药物专利司法保护的量化分析——基于药品专利案件裁判文书的实证研究

专利司法保护的范围和强度对制药企业自主创新具有关键的作用,人民法院审理药品专利案件的司法实践正是发挥这一作用的具体体现。细化该类案件中各种审判因素,从微观角度逐一进行深入剖析,对具体条款的调整、具体措施的推行以及审判实务中裁判尺度的把握将发挥积极效果。本文将以“中国知识产权裁判文书网”登载的所有药品专利案件为样本,通过建立指标体系进行量化统计,对近年来我国药品专利民事诉讼的主体、客体、适用法律、审理裁判等方面进行具体分析,探究此类案件在审理实践中所存在的问题及其成因,以期为完善药品专利司法保护制度提供可行的政策建议。     

Measuring the intercondylar shelf angle using radiographs: intra- and inter-observer error tests of reliability

This study presents a test of intra- and inter-observer measurement error rates of the intercondylar shelf angle of the distal femur, as measured on lateral radiographs. This measurement is the central element of a method to determine racial affiliation from the distal femur. Four observers independently radiographed a set of 33 complete and partial femora from collections housed at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Central Identification Laboratory. Each observer then measured the intercondylar shelf angles in each radiograph, following the original method's guidelines. A supplementary inter-observer error test was conducted by four additional observers on one set of radiographs. Statistically significant differences were found for both intra- and inter-observer error based on the results of Student's t-tests, paired samples t-tests, and ANOVA analyses. The results of this study indicate that further experimentation should be undertaken in order to develop refined measurement techniques that may help improve standardization and reduce the observer error rates.