Ideological extremism and electoral design. Multimember versus single member districts

Relying on a formal theoretical model, Gary Cox demonstrates that single member districts induce candidates toward policy positions at their constituency median while multimember districts encourage dispersion. We test this theoretical implication in the context of the Arizona state legislature, in which each legislative district chooses one senator and two representatives in single member and multimember contests respectively. To do so, we generate W-NOMINATE estimates of scores based on roll-call data from the Arizona state legislature that are comparable across chambers (Senate and House). Our results are substantially less supportive of the formal theory than are those of prior studies.     

How much did droughts matter? Linking rainfall and GDP growth in Zimbabwe

Since 2000, Zimbabwe's government, as well as other internationalaid organizations, have repeatedly blamed the country's sharpeconomic downturn on persistent and severe droughts. Indeed,past research has shown strong links between rainfall and maizeyields in sub-Saharan Africa, suggesting that the lack of rainfallis an attractive culprit for the recent collapse of Zimbabwe'sagriculture-based economy. This article probes this hypothesisfurther, by examining primary data from 38 countrywide rainfallstations during the 1960–1961/2002–2003 time-frame,in order to put the recent economic decline in better historicalcontext. The article finds little evidence that Zimbabwe's recenteconomic difficulties were caused by either low or erratic rainfall,suggesting that the recent collapse of the economy is far morelikely a result of government mismanagement.     

Incidence of bite marks in a selected juvenile population: a preliminary report

A study of the frequency of bite marks among sheltered children was conducted for a period of three months in the juvenile care facilities in Las Vegas, NV. The study demonstrated an incidence of 1 545 bite marks per 100 000 population. Analysis of the age, sex, and location of bite marks is presented. The study demonstrated an incidence comparable to diseases such as gonorrhea.     

An Alu-based, MGB Eclipse real-time PCR method for quantitation of human DNA in forensic samples

The forensic community needs quick, reliable methods to quantitate human DNA in crime scene samples to replace the laborious and imprecise slot blot method. A real-time PCR based method has the possibility of allowing development of a faster and more quantitative assay. Alu sequences are primate-specific and are found in many copies in the human genome, making these sequences an excellent target or marker for human DNA. This paper describes the development of a real-time Alu sequence-based assay using MGB Eclipse primers and probes. The advantages of this assay are simplicity, speed, less hands-on-time and automated quantitation, as well as a large dynamic range (128 ng/microL to 0.5 pg/microL).     

Feminist legal theory and practice: rethinking the relationship

This article aims to contribute to the question of how to conceptualise the relationship between theory and practice in feminist scholarship in law. It looks in detail at the implications of different issues raised in a recent debate between Anne Bottomley and Ngaire Naffine on the existence of a “legal feminist orthodoxy”. I critique the dominance of ethics over politics and join Bottomley in her attack upon “the ethics of respect for the other”, albeit from a different position. I then look at the ways in which the problem of “essentialism” is being rethought from a feminist perspective.