Strontium isotope composition of skeletal material can determine the birth place and geographic mobility of humans and animals

The Sr isotope composition measured in skeletal elements (e.g., bone, teeth, or antlers) can be used to infer the geographic region that an animal or human inhabited, because different regions tend to have distinct Sr isotope compositions, and natural variations in the relative abundance of Sr isotopes are not changed as Sr is processed through the food chain. Therefore, an organism that ingests Sr from one region can have a Sr isotope composition that is different than that of an organism that ingests Sr from another region. The Sr isotope composition of skeletal elements is a reflection of the concentration-weighted average of dietary Sr that was ingested while that skeletal element was produced. Because different skeletal elements grow and exchange Sr at different stages during the life times of organisms, Sr isotope analysis of different skeletal elements can be used to infer changes in geographic location at different stages in an organism's life. The Sr isotope composition measured in human teeth will reflect the average Sr isotope composition that was ingested as a child, due to the immobile nature of Sr and Ca in teeth after formation, whereas the Sr isotope composition of bone will reflect the average isotopic composition over the last ten years of life, due to continuous biological processing of Sr and Ca in bone. Inferring the average isotopic composition of dietary Sr is best done by analyzing skeletal fragments from control groups, which might be animals that have the same feeding habits as the animal in question, or, in the case of humans, analysis of close family relatives. In cases where it is not possible to construct a Sr isotope database from control groups, it becomes necessary to estimate the isotopic composition of dietary Sr based on geologic principles. We present three case studies from our research that illustrate a range of approaches: (1) results from a criminal case where a deer was illegally harvested and the location of the deer was important to establish, (2) a pilot study of commingled human remains from a burial in Vietnam, associated with the Vietnam Conflict, and (3) a study of 13th and 14th century migration of peo ple from an archeological site in the Southwest United States.     

Corporate political offices in a rent-seeking society

This paper examines agent discretion that is a result of the structure of the legislative process. Based on several distributions of lawmaking powers, different games are analyzed in which players decide on regulatory policies. The analysis shows that agent discretion increases as lawmaking powers are differentiated and assigned to specialized players. Particularly, monopoly initiation power, which allows a player to act as a gatekeeper, has a substantial impact on discretion. Agent discretion will be even larger when these players also have heterogenous preferences. The framework that is developed in this paper permits comparisons across different political systems with regard to agent discretion and legislative control on policymaking.     

Omo onile and Violence in Real Estate Development in Lagos,Nigeria

This study examines the influence of omo onile (literally meaning “the child of the landowner”) on real estate development in Lagos, Nigeria. the land sale-associated violence is one significant challenge to estate development in Lagos. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected, which were analysed at three levels, and content analysed respectively. Logistic regression results indicated that respondents who admitted that omo onile had a negative impact on real estate were five times more likely to disengage in real estate investment, relative to those who noted no significant effects. The study concludes that unfair access to land adversely impacts on real estate development. therefore, the government should dismantle legislative impediments, control omo onile and strengthen community frameworks for access to land in Lagos.     

Do Parents’ Life Experiences Affect the Political and Civic Participation of Their Children? The Case of Draft-Induced Military Service

Myriad studies show that politically-salient events influence civic and political engagement. Yet, on the other hand, decades of research indicate that familial factors mold political and civic dispositions early in life, before an individual experiences political events outside the family. Viewing these two lines of research together, we ask if individuals’ political and civic dispositions might be influenced not solely by their own experiences, but, also, by the experiences of those individuals who create their family environment—namely, their parents. Do parents’ life experiences—before the birth of their children—affect their offspring’s public engagement? To answer that question, we examine how the assignment of military service, via the Vietnam-era Selective Service Lotteries, affected rates of public participation among the children of draft-eligible men. Our analysis finds a negative relationship between a father’s probability of draft-induced military service and his offspring’s public participation. In addition to highlighting how parents’ life experiences can influence the social behavior of their children, this finding challenges the prevailing view that the Vietnam conflict did not contribute to declining civic engagement and it shows how experiences within bureaucratic institutions can yield long-standing effects on politically-relevant behaviors.     

Family Drug Treatment Courts As Comprehensive Service Models: Cost Considerations

Literature on family drug treatment courts (FDTCs) suggests that parental participation in these courts is associated with improved substance abuse treatment and child welfare system outcomes. Despite these beneficial outcomes, FDTCs serve only 7‐10% of eligible child welfare involved families. As part of a FDTC evaluation, this FDTC site sought to provide stakeholders with information about costs and benefits. Considering the program costs alongside the cost avoidance from reduced time in foster care, this analysis determined that FDTC participation resulted in a net savings per child of $9,710. The cost component of the evaluation proved valuable, challenging, and informative.     

Safety,Satisfaction, and Settlement in Domestic Relations Mediations: New Findings

Researchers and mediators have long been concerned about coercion, intimidation, and safety threats that could occur in mediation for cases where previous violence between the parties has occurred. Most of the research focuses on screening tools to identify parties at risk. When parties screen positive for intimate partner violence (IPV), some proceed to mediation and some do not, depending on the policies of individual mediation programs. But this misses a step: Some cases may benefit from mediation while others won't, but how can we predict whether mediation will be useful and safe in specific instances? This study uses survey data obtained from parties in domestic relations mediations to examine issues of safety, satisfaction, and settlement in the presence of various IPV behaviors.     

Generalized variables for controlling Government Transfer Services with respect to performance measures

The term Government Transfer Services is used in reference to any of the organized streams of public resources that flow into private economic activity. This includes such activities as offshore leasing, Social Security, and NASA technology transfer services. This paper describes a performance measure, empirical results, a theory, and a control model for such services. These are illustrated by a specific example (NASA). An agenda for developing this service control method is also presented.