Study of three AMPFLPs (D1S80, 3′ApoB and YNZ22) in the population of the North of Portugal

Allele and genotype frequencies for D1S80, 3′ApoB and YNZ22 loci have been determined in a population sample of the North of Portugal using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and nonradioactive detection. The distribution of genotypes in the three polymorphisms studied is in agreement with expected values according to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The combined chance of exclusion for the three systems is 0.96, and the combined power of discrimination is 0.99.     

Prevalence and methods of torture claimed in the Basque Country (Spain) during 1992–1993

The use of torture against selected groups of detainees in Spain has been repeatly denounced. The testimonies of 87 citizens arrested under the ‘anti-terrorist legislation’ in the Basque Country (Spain) during 1992–1993 were collected by using the Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT/IRCT) protocol. All the detainees were kept in solitary confinement with a mean period of 4 (S.D. = 1.1) days. Torture methods were usually a combination of physical, deprivation and coercion techniques with a high presence of sexual and communication techniques. The group arrested by the military corp ‘Guardia Civil’ showed a higher prevalence of different methods of physical torture, hearing torture from others and reduction of visual input as compared with those in the group arrested by the force ‘Policía Nacional’. The results show also a preference of sexual torture on women with a high prevalence of methods such as forced undressing, verbal humiliations and touching. The study could help international experts to develop a fact-finding mission on human rights in the region.     

Genetic population data of 12 STR loci of the PowerPlex Y system in the state of São Paulo population (Southeast of Brazil)

Allele frequency distributions and population data for 12 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) included in the PowerPlex^®Y Systems (Promega) were obtained for a sample of 200 healthy unrelated males living in São Paulo State (Southeast of Brazil). A total of 192 haplotypes were identified, of which 184 were unique and 8 were found in 2 individuals. The average gene diversity of the 12 Y-STR was 0.6746 and the haplotype diversity was 0.9996. Pairwise analysis confirmed that our population is more similar with the Italy, North Portugal and Spain, being more distant of the Japan.     

The Role of Fear (Bhaya) in the Nikāyas and in the Abhidhamma

According to Buddhist soteriology, fear is a direct cause of suffering and one of the main obstacles in the path to liberation. Pāli Suttas and Abhidhamma present a number of sophisticated strategies to deal with fear and to overcome it. Nevertheless, in the Nikāyas and in the Abhidhamma there are also consistent instructions about implementing fear in meditative practices and considering it as a valuable ally in the pursuit of nibbāna By means of a lexicographical study of selected passages and especially of two compounds (bhayūparata and abhayūparata), this paper demonstrates that fear may have the crucial function of stimulating the meditator: through reiterated admonishments and reflections that evoke a feeling of dread, the meditator gets weary of unwholesome patterns and is prompted to put effort in his/her own practice. Evidence proves that this set of instructions is ultimately consistent with the several teachings that emphasize the importance of counteracting fear and fostering fearlessness, which is described as a quality of liberation as well as an attitude to be cultivated. In fact, a close analysis of the dynamics involved in bhaya (fear) and abhaya (fearlessness) as graphically depicted in the Nikāyas and in the Abhidhamma texts, reveals that stirring fear and letting go of fear are two essential steps of the same process.     

Medicine,statistics, and the encounter of abortion and “depopulation” in France (1870–1920)

The anxiety about the population decline in France acquired at the end of the XIXth Century a great strength. Among the scholarship specialities involved in its analysis, the population studies developed by authors like Adolphe and Jacques Bertillon played a key role, but were limited by their lack of concern and/or precise data concerning the intimate behaviours. The growing implication of doctors in the issue of “depopulation”, and the concrete professional practices of some of them, led to an emerging focus on abortion. The obstetricians, who undertook in the “belle époque” personal statistics of abortions, permitted (despite the numerous limits of their works) to provide original data. They gave militants and politicians occasion to shape “mass abortion” as the principal “cause of denatality”. This paper examines the scientific, social and ideological genesis of this process, and enlightens the historical interest of these peculiar knowledges.     

Forensic genetic value of 27 Y-STR loci (Y-Filer® Plus) in the South African population

South Africa has one of the highest rape statistics in the world, with an average of 117 rapes reported daily. Y-STR genotyping is becoming a popular tool in the analysis of DNA evidence collected after a crime of a sexual nature has been committed, but has yet to be implemented in South Africa’s forensic laboratories. This study aimed to investigate the forensic value of the 27 Yfiler™ Plus loci in the South African population. A total of 271 samples from the African, Asian/Indian, Mixed Ancestry¹, and Caucasian populations at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa were amplified and analysed using ThermoFisher Scientific’s Yfiler™ Plus PCR Amplification kit. Of the 271 samples, 261 were identified to be unique, with an overall discrimination capacity of 98.15%. Discrimination capacities ranged from 91.67% for the Asian/Indian population to 100% for the Mixed Ancestry population. The haplotype diversity across the four populations is 0.9999, with an average gene diversity across all loci of 0.717. The forensic parameters estimated in this study provide evidence for the potential use of the commercial Yfiler™ Plus PCR amplification kit in a forensic application in South Africa.     

Procreation,family and ‘progress’: Administrative and economic aspects of Ottoman population policies in the 19th century

The making of the modern Ottoman state in the 19th century was closely interrelated with population issues and policies. ‘Population’ became an important component of Ottoman history throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. As the state identified the ‘population’ as a source of income after the Tanzimat, it tried to protect and procreate it through certain institutional arrangements and regulations. These policies consisted of protecting the existing population, controlling population movements, promoting procreation, and giving subsidies and lending money at interest to peasant families. The procreation policies included enforcement of marriages and encouragement of reproduction within marriages while they discouraged traditional birth control methods and practices. As in any other context, Ottoman families resisted the policies of procreation and pressures coming from the central government. This paper will examine the state's policies toward families and individuals as well as the responses of the people to these policies. I will attempt to construct a model based on the protection and the procreation policies of the modern Ottoman state, which will be an important springboard toward building a basis for conducting comparative analysis with other European states. By doing this, I will try to challenge some of the established assumptions on the nature of the ‘modern state’ in the 19th century.     

Value-Added Tax (VAT) Development and Reform History—A Study of VAT Evolution Around the World and in China

Value-added Tax (VAT), a turnover tax levied on the value appreciated in commodities production, circulation and sale, has been widely practiced by economies worldwide for its neutrality. From the international perspective, European Union VAT and New Zealand VAT stand out as characteristic models of VAT development and reform history. With changing economic development models and the growth of e-commerce businesses, VAT systems have been upgraded to meet taxation challenges brought about by the digital economy. Recently, VAT policies and measures have been introduced particularly to combat the COVID-19 impact. In China, the VAT system has been reformed constantly over the past 40 years and has been converging with international practice. China now needs to address emerging VAT issues through legislation, tax incentives, and tax-rate grades so as to meet challenges in VAT collection and management and to suit the “new normal” of economic development.     

Immigration and Crime in the New Destinations, 2000–2007: A Test of the Disorganizing Effect of Migration

Objectives

Drawing from a social disorganization perspective, this research addresses the effect of immigration on crime within new destinations—places that have experienced significant recent growth in immigration over the last two decades.

Methods

Fixed effects regression analyses are run on a sample of n = 1252 places, including 194 new destinations, for the change in crime from 2000 to the 2005–2007 period. Data are drawn from the 2000 Decennial Census, 2005–2007 American Community Survey, and the Uniform Crime Reports. Places included in the sample had a minimum population of 20,000 as of the 2005-07 ACS. New destinations are defined as places where the foreign-born have increased by 150 % or more since 1990 and with a minimum foreign-born population of 1000 in 2007.

Results

Results indicate new destinations experienced greater declines in crime, relative to the rest of the sample. Moreover, new destinations with greater increases in foreign-born experienced greater declines in their rates of crime. Additional predictors of change in crime include change in socioeconomic disadvantage, the adult-child ratio, and population size.

Conclusions

Results fail to support a disorganization view of the effect of immigration on crime in new destinations and are more in line with the emerging community resource perspective. Limitations and suggestions for future directions are discussed.

     

The Representation of Laji’een (Refugees) and Muhajireen (Migrants) in the Headlines of Jordan News Agency (PETRA)

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique - This paper explores the representation of Laji’een (Refugees) and Muhajireen (Migrants) in...     

Portuguese population data on the six short tandem repeat loci — CSF1PO,TPOX, THO1, D3S1358, VWA and FGA

Allele frequencies for six tetrameric short tandem repeat (STR) loci CSF1PO, TPOX, THO1, D3S1358, VWA and FGA were determined in a Caucasian population sample from Portugal. All loci are highly polymorphic and meet Hardy-Weinberg expectations. There is little evidence for association of alleles among the six loci. The three loci D3S1358, VWA and FGA are more polymorphic and, hence, are more informative than the loci CSF1PO, TPOX, and THO1. However, all six loci would be useful for human identification applications. The STR allelic frequency data are similar to other Caucasian data.     

A study on the concentrations of 11-nor-Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THCCOOH) in hair root and whole hair

In this study, we investigated the patterns of cannabis users (n=412) according to their sex, age, and the results of urinalysis and hair analysis, and classified the concentrations of THCCOOH in hair into three categories to examine the levels of cannabis use. We also compared the concentrations of THCCOOH in hair root, hair without the hair root and whole hair and examined the relationship among them according to the results of urinalysis. The hair samples were washed, digested with 1ml of 1M NaOH at 85°C for 30min and extracted with 2ml of n-hexane:ethyl acetate (9:1) two times after adding 1ml of 0.1N sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.5) and 200μl of acetic acid. The final mixture was derivatized with 50μl of PFPA and 25μl of PFPOH for 30min at 70°C. The solution was evaporated, and the residue was reconstituted in 40μl of ethyl acetate and transferred to an autosampler vial. One microlitre was injected into the GC/MS/MS-NCI system. The concentrations of THCCOOH ranged from 0.06 to 33.44pg/mg (mean 2.96; median 1.32) in hair from cannabis users who had positive urine results and ranged from 0.05 to 7.24pg/mg (mean 1.35; median 0.37) in hair from cannabis users who had negative urine results. The average concentration of THCCOOH in hair from cannabis users who had positive urine results was higher than that from cannabis users who had negative urine results. Male cannabis users in their forties were predominant. We classified the concentrations of THCCOOH in hair into three groups (low, medium and high), and could use the grouping of THCCOOH in hair as a guide for determining the level of use. The low, medium and high concentration ranges for THCCOOH in hair were 0.05-0.24, 0.25-2.60 and 2.63-33.44pg/mg, respectively. We also investigated 28 hair samples with the root. The highest concentrations of THCCOOH were seen in the hair root from 18 out of the 28 hair samples. The average concentrations of THCCOOH in hair root, hair without hair root and whole hair from cannabis users who had positive urine results were higher than those who had negative urine results.     

Energy Crime,Harm, and Problematic State Response in Colorado: A Case of the Fox Guarding the Hen House?

Crime related to energy extraction is an emerging area of interest among green and critical criminologists. This paper contributes to that developing work by examining the political economy of harm and crime associated with the oil and natural gas industry in rural Colorado. Specifically, we examine problematic state regulatory response to citizens’ complaints regarding a range of harms caused by private industry (e.g., water pollution, adverse human health consequences, and domestic livestock death). In this paper, we draw on content analysis of formal complaints filed by citizens to the state, ethnographic work, and intensive interviews with citizens seeking relief from problematic or abusive industry practices. Our analysis illuminates how the state documents these practices, how citizens experience them, and how the state dilutes and deflects the externalities of energy extraction to produce additional harm.     

Frequencies of red cell enzyme polymorphisms acP, ADA, AK, EsD, 6-PGD, and PGM1 determined by parallel investigations of Turks and Germans living in the Lübeck area (author's transl)

Gene frequencies for enzyme polymorphisms in the acP, ADA, AK, EsD, 6-PGD, and PGM1 systems were determined by a random sample (n = 281-556-575) Turks living in Lübeck. The results were compared with those of a parallel inquiry on Germans from Lübeck. The following gene frequencies were detected: (table: see text).