A method for calculating the strength of evidence associated with an earwitness's claimed recognition of a familiar speaker

The present paper proposes and demonstrates a method for assessing strength of evidence when an earwitness claims to recognize the voice of a speaker who is familiar to them. The method calculates a Bayes factor that answers the question: What is the probability that the earwitness would claim to recognize the offender as the suspect if the offender was the suspect versus what is the probability that the earwitness would claim to recognize the offender as the suspect if the offender was not the suspect but some other speaker from the relevant population? By “claim” we mean a claim made by a cooperative earwitness not a claim made by an earwitness who is intentionally deceptive. Relevant data are derived from naïve listeners' responses to recordings of familiar speakers presented in a speaker lineup. The method is demonstrated under recording conditions that broadly reflect those of a real case.     

Citizenship values and asset accumulation: the case of Argentine migrants

Using diverse conceptualisations of citizenship, this article analyses the effect of the accumulation of civic and political assets on the transformation of citizenship values among Argentine migrants to Spain and returnees. Focusing on the transnational spaces, this article analyses important civic and political capabilities accumulated by a group of migrants and explores the impact of the assets accumulated in the transnational context. This research uses data drawn from 19 Argentine immigrants to Barcelona and 30 Argentine returnees from the cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. Findings indicate that the migratory experience generated gains in the civic and political capabilities of this group of migrants and returnees and that living in Spain promoted the development of a more responsible, analytical and, in some cases, active citizenship. As holders of ‘multiple-perspectives’, interviewees were in a privileged position to critically analyse both the sending and receiving societies. Moreover, respondents implemented a number of practices acquired in the host society, in their home society, although this transfer generally remained at an individual level.     

Y-STRs in forensic medicine: DNA analysis in semen samples of azoospermic individuals

ABSTRACT: The incidence of rape has increased, especially in metropolitan areas, such as the city of São Paulo. In Brazil, studies about it have shown that the majority of this type of crime is committed by the relatives and persons close to the victim. This has made the crime more difficult to be denounced, as only 10% of the cases are reported to competent police authorities. Usually, cytological exams are carried out in sex crime investigations. The difficulty in showing the presence of spermatozoa is frequent, but it does not exclude the presence of male DNA. The absence of spermatozoa in material collected from rape victims can be due to several factors, including the fact that the agressor suffers from azoospermia. This condition can be the result of a successful vasectomy. As the majority of DNA in the ejaculation sample is from spermatozoa, there is much less DNA to be analyzed. This study presents the application of Y‐STRs (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, and DYS393) in DNA analysis of sperm samples from 105 vasectomized men. The study demonstrated a great variation in DNA concentration. DNA extraction and amplification was possible in all sperm samples even in the absence of spermatozoa. The same profile was observed, for each individual, from DNA extracted from blood, pre‐ and postvasectomy semen samples. The use of markers specific for Y chromosome in sex crime cases, especially in the absence of spermatozoa, is very important, mainly because in most situations there is a small quantity of the agressor's DNA in the medium and a large quantity of the victim's DNA.     

Genetic study of 15 STRs loci of Identifiler system in Angola population

Angola is located in the African continent, in the area of southern Africa and has a population of approximately 14 million inhabitants. The Angola population has origin from Occidental and Southern Bantu people that came from the great lakes region, creating the most ever known African migration of our days.Allele frequencies for the 15 STRs loci in the AmpFlSTR Identifiler kit (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSF1PO, D3S1358, HUMTH01, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, HUMVWA, TPOX, D18S51, D5S818, HUMFIBRA/FGA and including the segment of the X-Y homologous gene amelogenin) were studied for Angola population.The genotype frequency of the 15 STR loci showed no significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium expectations and great values for the combined power of discrimination and combined power of a priori exclusion validate the application of these markers in forensic genetics. Comparative analyses between Angola population data and other relevant population database from Africa, Europe and American are presented.     

Forms of technological modernization and human resources management in privatized argentine companies

After the period of hyperinflation (1989, 1990) the Argentine economy stabilized and most of public companies were privatized. The return on investments was concentrated on promoting the technological change which adopts two basic forms: systemic modernization and revamping of existing teams.

The first variant -ilustrated by the national telephone network- makes obsolete the knowledge accumulated during the period when the company was public. To confront the structural deficiency of knowledge and experience which result, the private operators invest massively in transfering educational technologies and in the development of costly and sofisticated internal systems of training, while they negotiate numerous and various agreements of cooperation with educational system institutions, public as well as private.

In the second variant - illustrated by a steel and metallurgic company - the preexisting knowledge continues being necessary even though it may need a vis-a-vis updating facing the new demands which are stated referring to the productivity, quality, effectiveness and productive efficiency in markets which are open to competition.

Taking into account the significant achievements which are being obtained by this second alternative of modernization - most of the privatized companies fall into this pattern- the article invites to a reopening of the old debate on technological blending.     

Hacia un modelo de atención a la discapacidad basado en los derechos humanos

The social model of disability is presented as a new paradigm of the recent disability treatment, that has had theoretical and legal current development. It is a model that considers that the origins of disability are not either religious or scientific, but social in a great measure. From this new perspective, it is emphasized that the population with disability can contribute to the society in the same circumstances that the rest of the population, which integrates the society, all this from a valorization of the inclusion perspective and respect of diversity. This model is closely related with certain essential values which underline the human rights, such as human dignity, individual freedom and equality; all these conduce to a decrease of barriers and lead to a social inclusion that sets basis to principles as: personal autonomy, nondiscrimination, universal accessibility, environmental normalization, civil dialogue, inter alia. The premise is that disability is part of a social construction, and it is not the deficiency created by the society itself what limits and prevents people with disability to be included, to decide or to design autonomously their own life plan with opportunity equality.