Proficiency testing (external quality assessment) of drug detection in oral fluid

Eighteen external quality assessment (proficiency testing) samples were prepared from client specimens collected with the Intercept^® oral fluid collection device and by spiking drug-free oral fluid. Samples were circulated in pairs at quarterly intervals to 13 UK and USA based laboratories for analysis by a panel of OraSure micro-plate Intercept^® enzyme immunoassay kits and hyphenated mass spectrophotometric techniques. During the survey, there was a single case of non-specificity in a false report for methadone. The major errors were of lack of sensitivity relative to the concentration thresholds specified for the immunoassays. The sensitivity for overall ‘present’/‘not found’ reports calculated as true positives/(true positives + false negatives) were for the amfetamine specific assay 50%, methyl-amfetamines 93%, barbiturates 64%, cannabinoids 73%, cocaine and metabolites 100%, benzodiazepines 69%, methadone 95%, opiates 79% (opiates excluding oxycodone 93%), phencyclidine 93% and human gamma-globulin 97%. A small number of the sensitivity errors were attributable to errors in chromatographic confirmation techniques.     

Roadside detection of impairment under the influence of ketamine--evaluation of ketamine impairment symptoms with reference to its concentration in oral fluid and urine

Although there are many roadside testing devices available for the screening of abused drugs, none of them can be used for the detection of ketamine, a popular abused drug in Hong Kong. In connection to local drug driving legislation, effective roadside detection of ketamine in suspected drug-impaired drivers has to be established. According to the drug evaluation and classification program (DEC), ketamine is classified in the phencyclidine (PCP) category. However, no study has been performed regarding the signs and symptoms exhibited by users under the influence of ketamine. In a study to develop a protocol for effective roadside detection of drug-impaired drivers, 62 volunteers exiting from discos were assessed using field impairment tests (FIT) that included measurements of three vital signs (i.e. body temperature, pulse rate and blood pressure), three eye examinations [pupil size, lack of convergence (LOC) and horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN)] and four divided attention tests (Romberg, one-leg stand, finger-to-nose and walk-and-turn tests). Subsequent laboratory analysis of oral fluid and urine samples from the participants revealed the presence of common abused drugs in both the urine and oral fluid samples of 55 subjects. The remaining 7 subjects with no drug in their oral fluid samples were used as drug-free subjects. In addition, 10 volunteers from the laboratory who were regarded as drug-free subjects were also assessed using the same FIT. Among the 62 volunteers, 39 of them were detected with ketamine in their oral fluid. Of these ketamine users, 21 of them (54%) with only ketamine found in their oral fluid samples while the rest (18 subjects) of them had other drugs (i.e. MA, MDMA, benzodiazepines and/or THC) in addition to ketamine. Of the 21 ketamine-only users, 15 of them (71%) were successfully identified by FIT. It was found that when salivary ketamine concentrations were greater than 300 ng/mL, signs of impairment became evident, with over 90% detection rate using the FIT. By comparing the FIT observations on the 21 ketamine-only users with the drug-free subjects, the typical signs and symptoms observable for subjects under the influence of ketamine included LOC, HGN, elevated pulse rate and in general, failing the divided attention tests, especially the walk-and-turn and one-leg stand.     

口头优先还是书面优先？——国际诉讼法协会（IAPL）2008年年会主题述评

国际诉讼法协会2008年年会的主题为“口头及书面程序：民事诉讼中的效率”。围绕该问题各国学者（主要是大陆法系学者）形成两派观点：一派强调书面程序能有效提高诉讼的效率;另一派则强调口头原则的重要性。两者背后的价值追求都是“如何提高程序效率”。此次会议主题反映出大陆法系民事诉讼在基本程序保障实现后,提高诉讼效率成为十分突出和急迫的问题。此次年会上,学者就相关理论问题展开讨论,如两种“诉讼目的观”的对立、有关书面和口头原则的“两个神话”的解构等。     

法医牙科学研究进展CSCD

法医牙科学是法医学与口腔医学的交叉学科,通过科学地收集、检测、评价牙科证据而为司法实践提供有法律效力的证明资料。本文从年龄推断,性别推断,种族、职业及生活习惯推断,个体识别,家庭暴力或虐待行为判定等方面对法医牙科学的应用现状进行综述,并对其未来应用进行展望,希望对法医牙科学体系进行不断的补充和完善,使其在法医学甚至司法实践中更好地发挥作用。     

党的第三代中央领导集体对邓小平教育思想的继承和发展

邓小平教育思想博大精深 ,内容丰富 ,以江泽民为核心的第三代领导集体在继承其合理内核的基础上 ,根据条件变化进行了新的发展 :在邓小平的教育要优先发展的思想基础上 ,明确提出了科教兴国战略 ;在邓小平的“三个面向”指导思想下 ,强调进一步深化教育改革 ,全面推进素质教育 ;同时 ,还十分重视终身教育和远程教育     

我国涉外继承公证若干国际私法问题反思

我国涉外继承公证涉及的国际私法问题包括涉外继承公证的受理范围、审查内容和法律适用、效力以及救济问题。我国对涉外继承公证的法律规定仍然存在若干模糊甚至冲突之处。要解决这一冲突,一方面要进一步完善有关我国涉外继承公证的立法,另一方面要对涉外继承公证进行法律救济,即对公证事项发生争议时的救济和对公证书异议时的救济。