Assessment of intra- and intercostal variation in rib histomorphometry: its impact on evidentiary examination

Rib histological age estimation requires the evaluation of the middle third of the sixth rib. Human ribs have thin cortices and, when recovered, are often fragmented or absent, making it difficult to identify a specific midthoracic rib. This research explores the amount of microstructure variation in the middle third of the midthoracic ribs and determines whether the sixth rib age prediction equation can be applied to non-sixth ribs with similar accuracy. The amount of variability must be evaluated in order to meet the criterion for evidentiary examination. The sample consists of 120 cortical bone cross-sections from the middle third of ribs 3-8 removed from 20 cadavers. For each rib, osteon population densities (OPDs) and associated age estimates were calculated. The results demonstrate that non-sixth ribs can provide similar OPD values compared with those of the sixth ribs; however, individual variation proved to be significantly associated with bias, suggesting that individual factors influence the magnitude and direction of bias in non-sixth rib OPD values. This demonstrates the importance of evaluating multiple cross-sections (both intra- and inter-rib) to estimate age due to the normal remodeling variation within individuals.     

MiniSTR multiplex systems based on non-CODIS loci for analysis of degraded DNA samples

We describe two short amplicon autosomal short tandem repeat (miniSTR) quadruplex systems for eight loci D1S1171, D2S1242, D3S1545, D4S2366, D12S391, D16S3253, D20S161, and D21S1437, unlinked from the combined DNA index system (non-CODIS) loci, using newly designed primer sets. The results of an assay of 411 Japanese individuals showed that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products within the eight loci were less than 150bp in size, without the seven additional bases for adenylation. The frequency distributions in the loci showed no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations. The accumulated power of discrimination and power of exclusion for the eight loci were 0.9999999991 and 0.998, respectively. For assay of highly degraded DNA, including artificially degraded samples and the degraded forensic casework samples assessed with the present miniSTR quadruplex systems, the systems proved quite effective in analyzing degraded DNA.     

中国海洋划界争端的国际法解读与对策研究

经济全球化的发展与沿海国的工业化使全球能源需求急剧扩大,新的蓝色圈地运动使国际海洋划界争端日益增多并复杂化。在亚洲,区域一体化进程、大国关系以及地缘政治都使中国有效地解决海洋划界争端变得更为艰难。海洋划界的国际法基础与司法实践以及东海与南海划界争端的国际法解读,为和平解决争端提供了合法性与历史经验。为了持久地解决海洋争端,中国必须提高其综合国力、坚持和平共处的外交政策、确立海洋开发政策以及加强海洋法的教学与研究。     

户籍及其超越:北京流动人口服务与管理法治化之门

流动人口服务与管理,是我国"十二五"时期深化体制改革的具有战略意义的一个重要方面,也是北京当前社会管理创新必须面对并在实践中取得突破的一个关键领域。对我国流动人口尤其是北京流动人口问题予以梳理,提出大都市流动人口服务与管理之难,首先在于实有人口底数不清。为了落实和改进各项人口服务与管理的制度和措施,推动流动人口服务与管理进一步迈向法治化之路,在北京流动人口服务与管理的某些方面或某些领域,必须超越户籍问题。     

Sex estimation from the mastoid process among North Indians

Determination of sex from fragmentary crania is a critical problem in forensic anthropology. Osteometric analysis of mastoid can serve forensic anthropologists better in sex identification by virtue of the noticeable dimorphic characteristics. The present study aims to develop population-specific, sex-differentiating anthropometric standards for the mastoid process of North Indian skulls. Eight parameters of the mastoid region were measured on 138 adult crania (M/F 104:34, 22-65 years) and analyzed using SPSS 16.0. All parameters showed significant sexual dimorphism (p < 0.000). In stepwise analysis, asterion-mastoidale and mastoid breadth have provided an accuracy of 87%. Receiver operating characteristic curves were obtained for each variable to observe their overall performance in sex determination. Posterior end of incisura mastoidea-depression of suprameatal triangle was found to be the best variable with maximum area under curve and highest predictive accuracy (82.6%).     

论制止危害中国海洋领土安全活动的法律对策

近年来,中国海洋领土安全受到各种危害活动的严重威胁,主要表现在钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿和南沙群岛部分岛礁被外国非法占领,在专属经济区内以及专属经济区上空针对中国的外国军事活动明显增多等等。因此,为了持续宣示中国对被外国占领的岛礁的主权,应通过特别立法建立巡航制度,派遣军舰前往我被占领土地区巡航,在时机成熟时收复岛礁并实行有效控制;借助国内立法明确中国政府在“专属经济区军事活动”问题上的立场,针对不同性质的活动适用不同的规则;建立“防空识别区”防止针对中国的外国军用飞机飞越专属经济区上空。我们的立场、观点和主张应借助国内立法确定下来,为将来解决国际争端主张我方权利时提供有力证据。     

The configuration of cervical spinous processes in black and white South African skeletal samples

The present study investigates the frequency of bifidity/nonbifidity in the black and white South African populations. Four-hundred skeletons of known race, sex, and tribal group were examined. Spinous processes were classified as bifid (bifurcate and cleft subtypes) and nonbifid (obtuse, pediculate, acinate, and clavate subtypes). Statistical analysis using the chi-squared probability test (p < 0.05) was carried out. Bifid spinous processes were present significantly more frequently in the white sample (58.9%) than in the black (31.6%). A bifid spinous process occurred most commonly in C2 (89%) followed by C5 (83%), C4 (79%), C3 (59.4%), and C6 (41.7%) in the white sample. A similar order of decrease in bifidity occurred in the black sample. C2 most commonly displayed the bifurcate subtype of spinous process, while the clavate subtype of nonbifid spinous process was the most common in both populations. The significantly higher frequency of bifidity in the white South African sample when compared to the black sample may suggest a population difference.