Counter-trafficking governance in South Africa: an analysis of the role of the KwaZulu-Natal human trafficking,prostitution, pornography and brothels task team

Determining the efficacy of available counter-trafficking strategies is just as important as understanding the phenomenon of human trafficking itself. This is so if anti-trafficking practitioners wish to make in-roads in preventing and combating human trafficking in South Africa. At the heart of the matter are the ways in which counter-trafficking governance is structured in the South African context. In this article we use the KwaZulu-Natal intersectoral task team, an un-resourced agency of provincial government mandated to prevent and combat human trafficking, as a case study to analyse the ‘4P model’ of counter-trafficking favoured in South Africa. We find that while such an integrated model has great potential, issues of institutional cooperation and coordination, pervasive public official corruption and budgetary constraints hamper its current impact and efficacy. We conclude that these issues must be addressed by South African policy-makers once legislation has been promulgated.     

The More the Merrier? Hungarian and Romany Minorities in Slovakia

This article discusses some important aspects of thetreatment of minorities in the Republic of Slovakia.It discusses the 1992 Constitution and subsequentdevelopments such as the State language law 1995, therestriction of political rights of Hungarians,educational policies, the setback of EU entry talks,the September 1998 general elections, the Dzurindagovernment's ``De-Meciarization', the 1999 MinorityLanguage Law, and recent electoral legislation. Thespecial condition of the Romany is considered. Theeffectiveness of international mechanisms for theprotection of minority rights (the Organisation forSecurity and Cooperation in Europe, the InternationalCovenant for Civil and Political Rights, the EuropeanConvention of Human Rights, the Framework Conventionfor the Protection of National Minorities) isassessed, as is the involvement of the EU. Finally,the role of the judiciary is reflected upon.     

期待可能性理论人性视角探微

刑法是以规制人的行为作为其内容的。任何一种刑法理论,只有建立在对人性的科学假设的基础之上,其存在与适用才具有本质上的合理性。     

论逮捕与人权保障

由逮捕的特殊性和人权的重要性决定,二者之间是一种辩证的关系：逮捕存在的根本目的是为保障人权,然而却是以限制或剥夺具体人的基本人权为条件的;从对被害人人权和社会制度角度讲,需要而且离不开逮捕,从被告人人权保障角度讲,要控制和慎用逮捕。二者统一于社会的共同道德和法律基础。尊重人权是人道的,正确地适用逮捕同样是人道的。尤其应当注意对被逮捕者权利的保障。     

正确运用激励机制

研究我国企业人力资源管理的具体实践,结合国外企业人力资源管理的模式,构建具有中国特色的企业人力资源管理模式。     

Does price really converge among provinces in Canada？ A study using unit root tests for cross-sectional panels

This paper examines price convergences across different provinces in Canada using 1983-2006 data. We adopt the new panel unit root tests for analysis that can correct for cross-sectional correlation. Our findings are contrary to previous studies and we conclude that intra-national price convergence does not occur. We also briefly discuss the reasons for the absence of convergence within Canada.     

破解“城管困境”的战略性人力资源管理视角——基于对北京城市管理综合执法队伍的调查研究

近些年围绕城管执法队伍产生了很多争论,一方面,地方政府对这支队伍有很强的依赖,另一方面,这支队伍受到了很多批评甚至攻击。本文在对北京市城管执法队伍进行深入调查的基础上发现,问题的根源在于国家对这支队伍缺乏明确的战略定位,这导致赋予他们的职责与这支队伍的数量和质量之间出现较为严重的不匹配,再加上没有及时采取措施对这支队伍的结构和管理机制进行优化,结果使城管执法工作的职责不断扩大,与这支队伍的人力资源状况之间的矛盾日益尖锐。相应地,必须从战略和人力资源管理两个层面来寻找解决问题的方案,即借助战略性人力资源管理思想来化解城管困境。     

Evaluation of neodymium isotope analysis of human dental enamel as a provenance indicator using 1013 Ω amplifiers (TIMS)

Human provenance studies employing isotopic analysis have become an essential tool in forensic and archaeological sciences, with multi-isotope approaches providing more specific location estimates compared to single isotope studies. This study reports on the human provenancing capability of neodymium isotopes (¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd), a relatively conservative tracer in the environment. Neodymium isotope ratios have only recently been determined on human remains due to low concentrations in human dental enamel (ppb range), requiring thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) using 10¹³ Ω resistors. Dental elements (third molars) from 20 individuals born and raised in the Netherlands were analysed for Nd concentration (n = 12) and Nd isotope ratios (n = 15). The geological control on Nd isotope composition was examined using coupled Nd-Sr isotope analysis of the same third molar. Teeth from different geological environments were also analysed (Caribbean, Columbian, and Icelandic, n = 5). Neodymium elemental concentrations in dental elements ranged between 0.1 and 7.9 ppb (median 0.5 ppb). The Dutch ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios of the provinces of Limburg and Friesland were between 0.5118 and 0.5121, with Dutch ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in agreement with the previously established local range (0.708–0.710). The current findings were compared to previously published results on Nd concentration and composition from Dutch individuals. The concentration of Nd and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios were weakly correlated (R² = 0.47, n = 17) in Dutch human dental enamel. The majority (n = 25, 83.3%) of individuals had Nd and Sr isotope values isotopically indistinguishable from the geological environment in which their third molars formed and mineralised. However, the Nd isotope ratios of the Icelandic individual and several Dutch individuals (n = 4) suggested that Nd in enamel is not solely influenced by geological environment. In order for neodymium isotopes to be quantitatively applied in forensic and archaeological settings further analyses of individuals from various geographical regions with well-defined dietary Nd isotope data are required.     

DNA typing from skeletal remains using GlobalFiler™ PCR amplification and Investigator® 24plex QS kits

Since the beginning of our work in 2003 our laboratory has focused exclusively on STR DNA from bone, a powerful tool in missing person cases. In cases such as mass disasters or missing persons, human remains are challenging to identify as they may be fragmented, burnt, recovered from water, degraded, and/or contain inhibitory substances. To address these challenges, this study has evaluated the performance of relatively new STR kits Investigator® 24plex QS kit (Qiagen) and GlobalFiler™ PCR Amplification kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific) by comparing it with current uses of the AmpFLSTR® Identifiler® Plus kit (Applied Biosystems) to obtain genetic information from skeletal remains. We analyzed 20 bone samples of skeletal remains from routine casework submitted for body identifications by law enforcement corresponding using Investigator® 24plex QS kit and GlobalFiler™ PCR Amplification kit, previously analysed AmpFLSTR® Identifiler® Plus kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The data indicates that the STR profiles obtained using the GlobalFiler™ and Investigator® 24plex QS kit for analysis of skeletal remains has shown results in an increased number of reportable genetic loci, and provide greater power of discrimination in comparison to the Identifiler® Plus Kit. Advanced extraction and purification techniques, together with more sensitive and robust new amplification kits allowed us to overcome the challenges associated with processing compromised skeletal remains and ultimately obtain full STR DNA profiles in 99% of the bones.