Identification and Individualization of Lophophora using DNA Analysis of the trnL/trnF Region and rbcL Gene

Lophophora williamsii (peyote) is a small, spineless, greenish‐blue cactus found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Ingestion of the cactus can result in hallucinations due to its content of mescaline. In the United States, L. williamsii is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. In this study, we use DNA analysis of the chloroplast trnL/trnF region and chloroplast rbcL gene to identify the individuals of Lophophora. Using the rbcL gene, Lophophora specimens could be distinguished from outgroups, but species within the genus could not be distinguished. The trnL/trnF region split the Lophophora genus into several groups based on the length and substructure of an AT‐rich segment of the sequence. Our results indicate that the genetic variability at the trnL/trnF locus is greater than previously recognized. Although DNA structures at the trnL/trnF region and rbcL gene do not align with the classification of Lophophora species, they can be used to aid in forensic analysis.     

强奸案件证据标准与证明方法的实证分析

强奸案件的证据采信问题在司法实践中颇受争议,出现这种现象的主要原因在于其直接证据的稀缺。针对强奸案件的证据收集和运用中所存在一系列的疑难情形,司法机关不必追求证据之间无任何矛盾,而要从全案证据出发,采取"自由心证"与"相互印证"相结合的证明方法,并运用对质制度,做到完整证据链条支持下的内心确认即可。     

美国全球供应链调整的国家安全逻辑及实现路径

自奥巴马政府以来,特别是新冠肺炎疫情暴发后,国家安全在美国全球供应链调整中的影响日益彰显。在国家安全的视域下,美国政府调整全球供应链的逻辑依据为“国防论”与“选择性贸易保护主义”。美国的国家安全侧重国家利益与价值,全球供应链调整则诉求产品(或服务)的可替换性,二者交互作用,贸易保护主义性质的“国防论”与“选择性贸易保护主义”就成为分析美国全球供应链调整的理论分析框架。“国防论”侧重诠释具有国防意义产品(或服务)的进出口,而“选择性贸易保护主义”则分析了普通贸易实践对美国整体福利乃至国家安全的损害。美国在国家安全视域下调整全球供应链的路径依赖于软硬两种手段。一是无弹性的硬手段,表现为官僚体制、决策机制、相关法律制度与管理规范,美国全球供应链上的企业必须遵守,其具有吓阻功能。二是具有弹性的软手段,体现为国家战略以及政策说明等,其不具有强制性。基于此,这一研究有助于进一步厘清时下美国政府变动不居的对华经贸政策,构建合作与开放的中美经贸关系。     

结核分枝杆菌与牛分枝杆菌PCR快速鉴别检测方法的建立

根据结核分枝杆菌与牛分枝杆菌基因组的比对分析结果,针对结核分枝杆菌与牛分枝杆菌153bp、RD10和TbD1的3处差异缺失区域设计引物,分别建立了结核分枝杆菌与牛分枝杆菌PCR快速鉴别检测方法.应用建立的3种方法分别对84株结核分枝杆菌、3株牛分枝杆菌、51株非结核分枝杆菌及9种其他常见菌株进行了检测.结果显示,用针对153 bp缺失片段建立的PCR方法分别在结核分枝杆菌及牛分枝杆菌中扩增出645 bp及492 bp的目的条带;用针对RD10、TbD1建立的PCR方法分别在结核分枝杆菌及牛分枝杆菌中扩增出478 bp及361 bp的目的条带、358 bp及524 bp的目的条带.这3种PCR检测方法的准确率和特异性均为100%.敏感性试验结果显示,这些检测方法对结核分枝杆菌和牛分枝杆菌基因组DNA的检测极限均为10 pg.表明,此方法可用于牛源或人源结核分枝杆菌及牛分枝杆菌的快速鉴别检测.     

Foreign corporate accountability: The contested institutionalization of mandatory due diligence in France and Germany

In the recent past, European states have adopted mandatory due diligence (MDD) laws for holding companies accountable for the environmental and human rights impacts of their supply chains. The institutionalization of the international due diligence norm into domestic legislation has, however, been highly contested. Our contribution analyzes the discursive struggles about the meaning of due diligence that have accompanied the institutionalization of MDD in Germany and France. Based on document analysis and legal analysis of laws and law proposals, we identify a state-centric, a market-based, and a polycentric-governance discourse. These discourses are based on fundamentally different understandings of how the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights should be translated into hard law. By outlining these discourses and comparing the related policy preferences, we contribute with a better understanding of different ways in which MDD is institutionalized, with important consequences for the possibilities to enhance corporate accountability in global supply chains.     

Mitochondrial DNA Extraction from Burial Soil Samples at Incremental Distances: A Preliminary Study

Preservation variance of soil DNA is neglected in the literature, and exceptional cases exaggerate amplification capabilities. This study sought to amplify a short mitochondrial fragment (212 bp) specific to Sus scrofa domesticus from the soil surrounding decomposing pig remains from an open‐air locale. Samples collected above the body at incremental distances after 145 days of initial placement yielded pig DNA. A secondary sampling was collected in 2017, approximately 768 days after burial. Inhibition tests corroborated that pig DNA was no longer present in the soil resulting in a loss of original DNA between 145 and 768 days. The results provide evidence that genetic material leaches out radially from the source and DNA fragments longer than 200 bp do not persist in soil for a relatively short timeframe in western Montana. The conclusions support the collection of soil in crime scene investigation procedures within the first few months of decomposition.     

Inherent Fluorescence Detection of Latent Fingermarks by Homemade Shortwave Ultraviolet Laser

Detection of latent fingermarks on various substrates is critical in crime investigations. Conventional chemical methods using reagents could contaminate or even destruct biological information of samples. Here, an optical method and successful case application of detecting latent fingermarks through long‐wave ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence (300–400 nm) by shortwave UV laser excitation is reported. Experimental results indicate that the recovery rate of the latent fingermarks on various paper items is in the range of 70–80% without chemical treatments. Moreover, the optical method allows for the preservation of samples for further examination, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. The technique has also been successfully applied to a criminal case in identifying the suspect, which, to the best of our knowledge, has never been reported in real crime investigations. Therefore, such a method as UV‐excited UV fluorescence in detecting latent fingermarks may be better for examination in cases where biological information of samples is needed for consequent testing.     

Use of an Automated Nested Multiplex Respiratory Pathogen PCR Panel Postmortem in the Pediatric Forensic Setting

Respiratory pathogens have been detected in forensic investigations using multiple techniques; however, no study has examined the use of automated, nested, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (ANM‐PCR), commonly used in living patients, in the forensic setting. This retrospective study assessed the utility of ANM‐PCR in detecting respiratory pathogens in the pediatric forensic setting. Respiratory samples from 35 cases were tested for up to 20 respiratory pathogens. 51.4% of these cases yielded a positive ANM‐PCR result, 20% of which were considered the cause of or contributory to death. The most commonly detected pathogens were rhinovirus/enterovirus and respiratory syncytial virus, and these were the only pathogens determined to play a significant role in cause of death. The sampled sites and postmortem intervals tested did not affect the likelihood of a positive or negative test. ANM‐PCR panels are effective, affordable, and rapid ancillary tools in evaluating cause of death in the forensic pediatric population.     

China's stance on the Google/Motorola merger: Implications for competition in intellectual property-intensive sectors

China's merger enforcement agency approved the Google/Motorola merger with conditions. This pattern of approval is not in full accordance with that in other jurisdictions, including the United States and the European Union, which made unconditional approvals. This contradiction attracted ample criticism; some critics believe that China's policy is designed to protect domestic industry. In investigating the Chinese merger agency's decision and the basis for its decision making, this article finds that much of the criticism is groundless and misleading because the critics have failed to incorporate all elements of the global value chain of mobile intelligent terminals into their analyses. The investigation also shows that, although the decision makers are less experienced, their decisions are based on Chinese competition law and market realities. It is important for international firms to be aware of this pattern in merger analysis.     

Validation of a multiplex PCR assay for the forensic identification of Indian crocodiles

A dependable and efficient wildlife species identification system is essential for swift dispensation of the justice linking wildlife crimes. Development of molecular techniques is befitting the need of the time. The forensic laboratories often receive highly ill-treated samples for identification purposes, and thus, validation of any novel methodology is necessary for forensic usage. We validate a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay, developed at this laboratory for the forensic identification of three Indian crocodiles, Crocodylus palustris, Crocodylus porosus, and Gavialis gangeticus, following the guidelines of Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods. The multiplex PCR was tested for its specificity, reproducibility, sensitivity, and stability. This study also includes the samples treated with various chemical substances and exposed to various environmental regimes. The result of this validation study promises this technique to be an efficient identification tool for Indian crocodiles and therefore is recommended for forensic purposes.