The Antwerp COR*-database: A unique Flemish source for historical-demographic research

This note describes the origin, the history, structure and characteristics of a recently constructed Flemish (the Northern, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) historical-demographic database. The so-called Antwerp COR*-database offers a unique combination of features: it spans nearly seven decades (1846 to 1920) and consists of information drawn from the population registers and the vital registration records (birth, marriage, and death) of the whole district of Antwerp. Every person whose family name starts with the letter combination COR* is selected in the database. The database covers three linked generations and contains micro-data on the individual level (life courses), intermediary data on family patterns, and macro-data on ecological characteristics.     

Women’s age at last childbearing and its determinants: a case study of Antwerp (Flanders,Belgium) on the basis of the multi-source COR* historical sample

Declines in the age at last childbearing in the first demographic transition reflected conscious changes in fertility behaviour during that period, in particular efforts to limit the total number of children. Such fertility limitation behaviour was the net result of ‘cultural causal factors’ on the one hand and ‘structural and economic causal factors’ on the other hand. This paper analyses the evolution of women’s age at last childbearing by reconstructing women’s life histories based on data from the multi-source COR* historical sample for Antwerp in the period 1846–1920. The paper also assesses the causes of this evolution through a number of theoretically grounded structural/economic, cultural and life course determinants, placing these concepts in a macro-micro framework of methodological individualism. For this purpose, in the first place a Kaplan-Meier analysis is applied to 10-year birth cohorts; a proportional hazard model is also applied to three different birth cohorts (mothers born before 1840; born in the period 1840–1859; and born after 1860); and a range of cultural and life course determinants are analysed, including women’s literacy status, marriage witness characteristics, the seasonality of marriages and births, and birth histories. The analysis confirms the decline in the age at last childbearing especially in the late cohort, and also highlights inter-cohort differences caused by cultural and life course determinants.     

Plasminogen (PLG) polymorphism in northern Japanese: confirmation of PLG*M6 allele

Plasminogen (PLG) phenotyping has been performed on 450 unrelated individuals from northern Japan, using wide-scale ultrathin layer polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing combined with immunoblotting. One common phenotype and six rare ones were observed. The rare phenotypes included the recently detected allele PLG*M6 in a new combination with PLG*M5 allele. The estimated allele frequencies for PLG*A, PLG*A3, PLG*M2, PLG*M5, PLG*M6, PLG*B, and PLG*B2 were 0.961, 0.009, 0.001, 0.016, 0.001, 0.003, and 0.009, respectively.     

Genetic polymorphism of human C1R subcomponent of the first complement component in the Japanese population

Genetic polymorphism of the C1R subcomponent of human complement component C1 has been investigated in neuraminidase treated EDTA plasma samples of 440 healthy Japanese individuals living in Tokyo by means of thin-layer polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing (PAGIEF) at pH 3.5-9.5 in the presence of 8.0 M urea followed by an electroblotting with enzyme immunoassay. Three common and three rare alleles were detected in the Japanese population. Of these, two common alleles were identical to C1R*1 and C1R*2 and other new alleles were tentatively designated C1R*3, C1R*4, C1R*5 and C1R*6, respectively. The results of the family studies suggested that the genetic model for C1R polymorphism assumed autosomal codominant Mendelian inheritance. The allele frequencies were estimated as C1R*1 = 0.4216, C1R*2 = 0.3602, C1R*3 = 0.2068, C1R*4 = 0.0091 and C1R*R(C1R*5 and C1R*6) = 0.0023, respectively. The distribution of allotypes fitted the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The C1R system provides a useful genetic marker for human genetics, anthropologic studies and forensic science.     

INTIMACY AND HOMICIDE: COMPENSATING FOR MISSING DATA IN THE SHR*

The Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program remains the most accessible and widely used database on lethal violence in the United States. However, researchers using this database must address the problem of missing data, which typically is the result of the failure to file, inconsistent filing of reports to the FBI by local police agencies, or incomplete records about the characteristics of specific incidents of homicide (particularly, missing information about perpetrators), even when reports are filed. Williams and Flewelling (1987) proposed methods of compensating for missing information, and this paper revisits their assessment by again determining the extent of the problem and the consequences of adjusting for it. Alternative methods are proposed and analyzed, with a focus on relationship‐specific rates (i.e., rates of family, intimate nonfamily, acquaintance, and stranger homicide). The implications of the results for further use of the SHR are discussed.     

SNaPshot技术检测Y-SNP位点O3-M122单倍群的应用

目的采用SNaPshot技术检测案例检材O3-M122位点6个亚群的分型,并调查其在云南3个民族无关男性人群中的频率分布。方法建立5-plex Y-SNPs复合扩增体系,采用SNaPshot Multiplex试剂盒,检测案例检材O3-M122单倍群下O3*-M122、O3a*-M324、O3a3*-P201、O3a3b*-M7、O3a3c*-M134、O3a3c1*-M117共6个Y-SNPs分型,并对上述6个Y-SNPs在云南佤族、白族、傣族共174名无关男性个体中的分布进行调查。结果 17份案例检材均得到良好的分型结果。上述3个民族分别在3个、5个、5个位点上发现多态性,其中佤族O3a3*-P201分布频率最高(0.430 0);白族O3a*-M324频率最高(0.212 3);傣族O3a3c1*-M117频率最高(0.158 2)。结论多重PCR反应及SNaPshot技术的联合应用适用于法医案件检材DNA检测,3个民族多态性数据可为相关应用所参考。     

The legal possibilities of Antwerp widows in the late sixteenth century

This article assesses the ability of widows and other women in Antwerp to act independently of men to defend their economic interests and those of their children. Consideration is given to both legal norms and actual practice in a number of different areas including writing wills, making marriage contracts, managing financial assets and pursuing claims and defending themselves in the civil courts. Analyses of these issues indicate that widows in Antwerp enjoyed in practice a greater degree of independence than was available to widows in many other parts of Europe, despite their weaker position in law.Particular attention is given to the role in Antwerp of women merchants whose position freed them from male control and supervision. It is argued that their favored status did not derive from the desire of the authorities to protect the interests of their male relatives or to advance the economic interests of these women. Rather their legal freedom is seen as reflecting acknowledgement of the importance of their business activities and the wish to safeguard the interests of their customers who could pursue claims against the woman merchant in the event of a dispute.     

Haptoglobin subtypes in Berlin, GDR. A simple procedure for haptoglobin purification and subtyping

Sera were obtained from 1,275 blood donors in Berlin, probands involved in paternity tests, and from 119 families with 235 children; the sera were subtyped by isoelectric focusing, following preparation and reductive molecular cleavage of haptoglobin. In this paper, an uninvolved preparation technique is described for routine testing. Allelic frequencies are: Hp *1F = 0.1471; *1S = 0.2502; *2FF = 0.0020; *2FS = 0.5753; *2SS = 0.0251. Only one deviation from autosomal codominant inheritance was recorded in the family examinations, with illegitimacy considered possible. In the region of Berlin, the changes of ruling out uninvolved individuals in paternity suits have gone up from 18% (conventional technique recording two frequent alleles) to 33% (subtyping).     

The legal possibilities of Antwerp widows in the late sixteenth century

This article assesses the ability of widows and other women in Antwerp to act independently of men to defend their economic interests and those of their children. Consideration is given to both legal norms and actual practice in a number of different areas including writing wills, making marriage contracts, managing financial assets and pursuing claims and defending themselves in the civil courts. Analyses of these issues indicate that widows in Antwerp enjoyed in practice a greater degree of independence than was available to widows in many other parts of Europe, despite their weaker position in law.

Particular attention is given to the role in Antwerp of women merchants whose position freed them from male control and supervision. It is argued that their favored status did not derive from the desire of the authorities to protect the interests of their male relatives or to advance the economic interests of these women. Rather their legal freedom is seen as reflecting acknowledgement of the importance of their business activities and the wish to safeguard the interests of their customers who could pursue claims against the woman merchant in the event of a dispute.     

A functional approach to sudden unexplained infant deaths

There is a great deal of variation in the methods and wording used by medical examiners in the medicolegal investigation and certification of infant deaths. This paper was created by the NAME Ad Hoc Committee on Sudden Unexplained Infant Death to address several specific issues, namely: * To establish a functional approach to the investigation of sudden unexplained infant deaths; * To outline a "bare minimum" set of recommendations to define the scope of investigation required; * To recommend methods and wording to be used when certifying infant deaths; * To develop a list of potential stressors or possible external causes of death that should be identified and reported on the death certificate and/or within a medical examiner/coroner office database. This paper was electronically posted for NAME member review and comment for a period of 30 days. The paper was further revised based on member comments and then submitted to the NAME board of directors in the fall of 2005 prior to the annual meeting. This text of this paper was officially approved and endorsed by the NAME board of directors on October 14, 2005, at the annual meeting in Los Angeles, CA.     

Application of HLA-DRB1 genotyping by oligonucleotide micro-array technology in forensic medicine

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is known to be the most complex polymorphic system in the human genome. Among all of the HLA loci, HLA-DRB1 has the second largest number of alleles. The purpose of this study is to develop an oligonucleotide micro-array based HLA-DRB1 typing system for use in forensic identification, anthropology, tissue transplantation, and other genetic research fields. The system was developed by analyzing the HLA-DRB1 (DRB1) genotypes in 1198 unrelated healthy Chinese Han individuals originating from various parts of China and residing in Shanghai, China. METHOD: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with the oligonucleotide micro-array technology was used to detect and type HLA-DRB1 alleles of the sample individuals. The reliability, sensitivity, consistency and specificity were evaluated for use in forensic identification. Furthermore, a meta-analysis was carried out by comparing the allele frequencies of the HLA-DRB1 locus with those of other Chinese Han groups, Chinese minorities and other ethnic populations. RESULTS: All the DNA samples yielded a 273 bp amplification product, with no other amplification products in this length range. The minimum quantity of DNA detected by this method is 15 ng in a PCR reaction system of 25 microl. The population studied appeared to be not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He), expected probability of exclusion (PE), polymorphic information content (PIC), and discrimination power (DP) of the HLA-DRB1 locus from the Shanghai Han ethnic group were evaluated to be 0.8022, 0.8870, 0.7741, 0.8771, 0.9750, respectively. A total of 25 HLA-DRB1 alleles were identified. HLA-DRB1*09XX, *04XX, *12XX and *15XX were the most frequent DRB1 alleles, which were observed in 58.76% of the sample. One hundred and sixteen genotypes were found. The five most frequent genotypes were: *04XX/*04XX (0.0626), *09XX/*09XX (0.0593), *04XX/*09XX (0.0551), *09XX/*15XX (0.0384) and *08XX/*12XX (0.0351). The meta-analysis showed that there were uniquely distributed features of DRB1 alleles among various ethnic populations and among the studied population groups from various regions with the same ethnic origin. CONCLUSIONS: An HLA-DRB1 genotyping system has been developed and established based on the oligonucleotide micro-array technology. The HLA-DRB1 typing of the Han population in Shanghai has revealed a relatively high heterogeneity. Information obtained in this study will be useful for medical and forensic applications as well as in anthropology research. Large-scale micro-array detection is highly accurate and reliable for DNA-based HLA-DRB1 genotyping. These results suggest that HLA-DRB1 DNA polymorphisms and the database of the Shanghai Han group have useful applications in processing forensic casework (as personal identification, paternity test), tracing population migration and genetic diagnosis.     

Design and use of a computer-assisted postmortem identification system

The organization and rationale for the design of a computer-assisted postmortem identification system are discussed along with results of the use of this system in extensive simulation trials on a database of 578 records. The selectivity of dental characteristics is so great that any individual with 4 or more characteristics (either fillings or missing teeth), can be separated from a group of 578 people for final verification of the identity match. The effects of errors in the database are discussed and the actual effects of different error rates on identification are shown. Error rates of up to 30% have only small effects on the ability of the system to pick out correct identity matches. The system is presently implemented on a portable microcomputer, a representative desktop computer, and a large minicomputer. The present efforts include statistical analysis of an enlarged database and testing of a data acquisition system to allow the building of a large identification database (25 000 records) in a quick and economical manner.     

Polymorphism of EsD by isoelectric focusing: description of the new allele EsD*Kofu and phenotyping in bloodstains

The polymorphism of EsD was investigated in 1115 unrelated Japanese individuals by isoelectric focusing. Besides the three common phenotypes two heterozygotes EsD 7-1 and EsD 7-2 were observed. The gene frequencies were: EsD*1 = 0.6234, EsD*2 = 0.3663, and EsD*7 = 0.0103. In addition, a rare variant was detected in a probandus living in the city of Kofu. The family analysis suggested the hereditary occurrence of a new allele EsD*Kofu. The isoelectric focusing method was successfully applied to phenotyping EsD in bloodstains; each phenotype was demonstrated at 37 degrees C for up to 2 weeks, at room temperature for up to 9 weeks, and at 4 degrees C for over 20 weeks after stain formation.     

Resilience in Sexually Abused Women: Risk and Protective Factors

The goal of this study was to evaluate the contribution of family characteristics (family conflict and cohesion) and abuse characteristics (age at which abuse occurred, abuse severity, and relationship to perpetrator) to resilience (self-acceptance, ability to engage in positive relationships with others, and environmental mastery) in a sample of one hundred and 77 university women who had experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The respondents completed a questionnaire that focused on childhood experiences including family environment in childhood, characteristics of the abuse they had experienced in addition to degree of current resilience defined as their level of well-being (self-acceptance, ability to engage in positive relationships with others, and environmental mastery). The results indicated that family characteristics accounted for 13–22% of the variance in the well-being outcomes. In contrast, abuse characteristics accounted for 3% or less of the variance in the well-being outcomes. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

A comparison of adjustment methods to test the robustness of an STR DNA database comprised of 24 European populations

An aim of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) is to produce a DNA database of second generation multiplex (SGM) STR profiles that is representative of the resident cosmopolitan populations. To achieve this, data were collected from 24 different populations. All of the data were combined to form one database of 5700 profiles from which allele proportions were calculated. The robustness of this combined European database was tested by estimating parameter d for every DNA profile, where d=log(10)(Pm(c)/Pm(E)) Pm(c) is the match probability of the profile calculated from its cognate database and Pm(E) is the match probability of the combined European database. Overall there was a small tendency for Pm(c)>Pm(E) primarily because of sampling bias. This bias was removed by the simple expediency of applying an adjustment factor to the calculation of Pm(E). These were selected from the Balding size bias correction, the Balding and Nichols Fst correction, a minimum allele proportion (between 0.01 and 0.02), an upper bound of a 95% confidence interval (CI) and a lower bound on the genotype match probability. It was demonstrated that a single European database is a feasible proposition. A combination of different adjustment methods can be used to ensure that the result is conservative relative to the cognate database, and their effect measured by parameter d.     

Species identification of Papaver by metabolite profiling

This paper analyses and discusses arguments that emerge from a recent discussion about the proper assessment of the evidential value of correspondences observed between the characteristics of a crime stain and those of a sample from a suspect when (i) this latter individual is found as a result of a database search and (ii) remaining database members are excluded as potential sources (because of different analytical characteristics). Using a graphical probability approach (i.e., Bayesian networks), the paper here intends to clarify that there is no need to (i) introduce a correction factor equal to the size of the searched database (i.e., to reduce a likelihood ratio), nor to (ii) adopt a propositional level not directly related to the suspect matching the crime stain (i.e., a proposition of the kind 'some person in (outside) the database is the source of the crime stain' rather than 'the suspect (some other person) is the source of the crime stain'). The present research thus confirms existing literature on the topic that has repeatedly demonstrated that the latter two requirements (i) and (ii) should not be a cause of concern.     

中国人血清脱氧核糖核酸酶I(DNase I)的遗传多态性研究

应用薄层PAGIF（T=5％，C=3％）结合特异酶底物染色技术，调查了中国随机人群DNaseI遗传多态性的分布，检出在中国人群中两种常见的等位基因，即DNaseI*1和DNasel*2，其基因频率DNaseI*1为0．53，DNaseI*2为0．47。家系分析表明：子代个体谱带分别来自父亲和母亲，谱带在亲代和子代之间的传递符合孟德尔遗传规律。按Hardy－Weinberg法则进行吻合度检验，观察值与期望值一致。人血清DNaseI等电点经测定为4．0。     

A very slow BF variant (S085) detected in a Japanese population

Using high-voltage agarose gel electrophoresis and immunofixation a very slow BF variant was detected in a Japanese person living in Yamanashi district. The family analysis suggested the hereditary occurrence of a new allele, BF*S085.     

Digital thombos: A new source for 18th century Sri Lankan family history. Research note

The Sri Lanka National Archives (SLNA) in Colombo preserve under the names of head thombo and land thombo several hundreds of eighteenth-century registers on family composition and landownership. At the time of their compilation by the Dutch East India Company or VOC the thombos suited a general administrative purpose; currently they are used only in genealogical research and in court cases concerning land disputes. Demographic, family and colonial history, however, can profit considerably from this neglected source. In the following we describe a project to digitize the registers of the Colombo province, and we discuss and evaluate the variables in the database by focusing on the family groups of a relatively small district.     

The Programme de recherche en démographie historique: past,present and future developments in family reconstitution

The Programme de recherche en démographie historique (Historical Demography Research Programme) (PRDH), founded in 1966 and based at the Département de Démographie of the Université de Montréal, has since its inception featured a central project, a family reconstitution database of Quebec’s Catholic population from 1621 to 1799 named the Registre de la population du Québec ancien (Population Register of Historic Quebec) (RPQA). This article, which marks the fiftieth anniversary of the project, explores the development of the RPQA over the five decades in the context of similar international databases, explains the current state of the database as well as our record linkage methodology, describes an important collaboration now underway to build a larger Quebec historical data infrastructure, outlines new and renewed international collaborations, and summarizes research conducted using these data as well as future research possibilities. The particular geographic context, historical development and manageable colonial population size of Quebec favoured family reconstitution of the whole colony from the beginning of the project. Today, the RPQA comprises 438,193 individual biographies and 74,000 family files encompassing up to nine generations. To reconstitute families, we must identify and incorporate into the database all demographic events, including those whose existence can only be inferred through other sources. Future efforts to link nineteenth-century parish acts will need to deal with large case counts, mixed Catholic–Protestant marriages, and increased geographic and social mobility. The integration of complementary data will provide information on household co-residence, occupations, help track the destinies of mixed-religion persons and persons outside nuclear families and provide additional points of observation.