The Possibility of Lawful Act Economic Duress: Pakistan International Airlines Corp v Times Travel (UK) Ltd

The voidability of a contract procured by ‘economic duress’ is now well-established, but the precise boundaries of the doctrine remain contested. In Pakistan International Airlines Corp v Times Travel (UK) Ltd [2021] UKSC 40, the Supreme Court confronted the longstanding controversy as to whether a threat to perform a lawful act can provide grounds for a threatened party to avoid a contract for economic duress. This note argues that the Court's decision to affirm the existence of ‘lawful act duress’ is welcome. It is further argued that the specific kind of lawful act duress identified by the majority and relevant to determining the appeal, described as ‘deliberate maneuvering via illegitimate means’, provides helpful (and defensible) clarification of the content of this doctrine, and that the Court was correct to hold that the contract in Times Travel was not voidable on this basis.     

继承制度与社会保障制度的协调--兼论法定继承制度的重新构建

我国大陆地区继承法在设计法定继承制度时 ,受当时社会生产力不发达、财富较少等特殊国情所导致的社会保障制度不完善的影响 ,于是在确定法定继承人的范围和顺序时 ,注重了对弱者的社会保障 ,使之具有了社会保障的功能。然而 ,随着大陆地区社会保障制度的逐步健全 ,笔者认为 ,将来继承法中的法定继承制度重新设计时应放弃以往所担负的社会保障功能 ,恢复其原貌。     

大肠埃希氏菌F18菌毛FedF蛋白的表达与鉴定

根据已发表的F18菌毛F亚单位的基因序列(fedF)设计了1对引物,利用PCR技术分别扩增到F18ab和F18ac菌毛的fedF编码序列,并按预定的阅读框架分别插入表达载体pGEX 6p 1中谷胱甘肽转移酶(GST)基因的下游,获得重组质粒pPFedF/ab与pPFedF/ac,然后转化大肠埃希氏菌BL21获得重组菌PPFedF/ab与PPFedF/ac。测序结果表明,fedF编码序列大小均为837 bp,与GenBank中登录的FedF 结构编码序列(Z26520)大小一致。通过对菌体裂解物进行SDS PAGE电泳分析以及Western blotting鉴定,证明重组大肠埃希氏菌PPFedF/ab与PPFedF/ac均可以表达融合蛋白形式的FedF(分别命名为GST FedF/ab与GST FedF/ac)。     

大肠埃希氏菌F18ab菌毛F亚单位基因的克隆与鉴定

根据已发表的大肠埃希氏菌F18ab菌毛F亚单位 (FedF/ab)的基因 (fedF/ab)序列 ,设计了 1对引物 ,利用PCR技术从大肠埃希氏菌F10 7/ 86、YCED1、YCED2、C、D和 12F株中分别扩增获得了一段序列 ,并克隆至 pGEM T载体 ,获得了重组质粒TF10 7F、TYCED1F、TYCED2F、TCF、TDF、T12FF。经琼脂糖凝胶电泳、序列测定及分析 ,6个重组质粒的大小均为 90 3bp ,与fedF/ab基因大小一致。其中大肠埃希氏菌F10 7/ 86、YCED1、C和 12F株的fedF基因序列完全相同 ;只有YCED2株在第 181位碱基处存在 1个C→T的无义变异差异 ,D株在第 6 5 5位碱基处存在 1个T→C变异差异并在氨基酸水平出现 1个S→P变异。结果表明 ,所克隆的序列均为F18ab菌毛F亚单位的基因     

Genetic structure among 38 populations from the United States based on 11 U.S. core Y chromosome STRs

A DNA database consisting of the 11 Y chromosome short-tandem-repeat (Y-STR) recommended by the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods is constructed for 2517 individuals from 38 populations in the United States. The population samples derive from five ethnic groups currently living in 10 states. A multidimensional scaling (MDS) plot places the populations into four discrete clusters (African Americans (AA), European Americans (EA), Hispanic Americans (HA), and Asian Americans (SA)) and one dispersed cluster of Native Americans. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicates that a large proportion of the total genetic variance is partitioned among ethnic groups (24.8%), whereas only a small amount (1.5%) is found among-populations within ethnic groups. Separate AMOVA analyses within each ethnic group show that only the NA sample contains statistically significant among-population variation. Pair wise population differentiation tests do uncover heterogeneity among EA and among HA populations; however, this is due to only a single sample within each group. The analyses support the creation of AA, EA, HA, and Asian American databases in which samples from different geographic regions within the United States are pooled. We recommend that separate databases be constructed for different NA groups.