An extremely sensitive species-specific ARMS PCR test for the presence of tiger bone DNA

The survival of the tiger (Panthera tigris) is seriously threatened by poaching to provide raw materials for traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Most highly prized are the tiger's bones, which are used in combination with other animal and plant derivatives in pills and plasters for the treatment of rheumatism and other ailments. Hundreds of patent remedies have been produced which claim to contain tiger bone, but proof of its presence is needed if legislation prohibiting the trade in endangered species is to be enforced.A highly sensitive tiger-specific real-time PCR assay has been developed to address this problem. Using primers specific to the tiger mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, successful amplification has been reliably achieved from blood, hair and bone as well as from a range of TCMs spiked with 0.5% tiger bone. Although capable of detecting fewer than 10 substrate molecules, the seven varieties of TCM pills and plasters tested showed no detectable trace of tiger DNA before spiking. Furthermore, sequencing several "tiger bone" fragments seized from TCM shops has shown that they actually originated from cattle and pigs. The potential effects of traditional bone preparation methods, evidence that much lower concentrations are used than alleged on TCM packaging, and substitution of bones from other species all suggest a low likelihood of detecting tiger DNA in patent medicines. Despite this, the basic methods have been thoroughly proven and can be readily applied to derivatives from other Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) protected species, providing a rapid and highly sensitive forensic test for species of origin. Potential applications to the monitoring of wild populations are demonstrated by the successful identification of shed hairs and faecal samples.     

Establishing the rDNA IGS structure of Cannabis sativa

The rDNA intergenic spacer (IGS) structure of Cannabis sativa was established and can be used for classification and identification of this species. In this study, DNA fragments of rDNA IGS were amplified by PCR from Cannabis sativa plant extracts and a 1387 bp fragment was obtained. DNA sequence analysis revealed six different repeat motifs. In the middle of the IGS sequence, there were three sequence motifs, and the same three sections of DNA were then repeated with minor variation in sequence. The terminal region of the IGS was composed of another three different repeat units; multiple copies of these terminal repeat motifs were present in no discernible order. Within six repeat motifs, point variations were observed in five. The DNA sequence of the locus was compared with all the plant sequences registered in GenBank by the Fasta program of GCG software with the result that this DNA fragment was significantly different from any other DNA sequence recorded to date. The most similar sequence was that of Hops (Humulus lupulus), but with a similarity of only 88.9% over 579 bp. These specific and complex variations of IGS may be related to the species and geographic distributions.     

Mitochondrial profiling of dog hairs

In order to make greater use of dog hairs as forensic evidence, we have developed a robust method for duplex amplification of adjacent 306 and 332bp amplicons within the 5' hypervariable region (5' HVR) of the canine mitochondrial control region. In support of this, a 595bp region covering 35 polymorphic sites has been sequenced from the blood of 105 UK dogs. In total, 30 different haplotypes were observed, 13 only once whilst the commonest was seen 14 times; the overall exclusion capacity is 0.929. One animal was heteroplasmic in blood for a single base deletion and showed phenotypes ranging from near complete deletion to a predominance of the base among a sample of 12 hairs. In contrast, no evidence of heteroplasmy was seen in single hairs from 20 dogs which were not visibly heteroplasmic in blood. Phylogenetic analysis and comparisons with other published databases highlighted instances of possible recurrent mutation which may be relevant when interpreting single base differences between samples.     

Fear and Loathing in California: Contextual Threat and Political Sophistication Among Latino Voters

Environments having candidates or policies deemed threatening to an individual or group have previously been found to trigger feelings of anxiety that in turn motivate people to closely monitor political affairs. Racially charged ballot propositions, and the strong feelings they evoked, made California in the mid-1990s just such an environment for Latino citizens—resulting, we believe, in higher levels of political information. Using the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute's 1997 postelection survey of Hispanic citizens, we compare levels of political knowledge between naturalized and native-born Latino citizens in California and similarly situated Latino citizens in Texas. We find that, as a result of these highly publicized and controversial initiatives, Latino immigrants in California (a) are more likely than native-born Latinos and Latinos outside California to perceive racial issues as most important, and (b) manifest higher levels of political information than their fellow native-born Latinos and Latino citizens outside of California, controlling for other well-recognized predictors of political information levels.     

Territorial Justice and Devolution

The concept of territorial justice has a long history in studies of the spatial distribution of welfare state services in the UK. Since the inception of the devolution process, territorial justice has maintained support as a principle to guide policy and has been promoted recently as an objective for the reform of the financial arrangements for the devolved administrations. The first part of the article argues that the standard version of territorial justice is premised on the UK as a unitary state and is unworkable as a political principle of justice after devolution. An alternative version of territorial justice is developed to accommodate a union state. The final part discusses several policy issues post-devolution in terms of different versions of territorial justice: intergovernmental fiscal relations; health care policy including access to medicines; and free community care for the elderly.     

B. Reviews and notes bibliographies and works of reference

INDEX ISLAMICUS 1665–1905: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ARTICLES ON ISLAMIC SUBJECTS IN PERIODICALS AND OTHER COLLECTIVE PUBLICATIONS. Compiled by W.H. BEHN. Millersville, Adiyok, 1989. xxx, 870pp. US$ 125.— or DM 225.— or £72.00.

CATALOGUE OF THE ARABIC MANUSCRIPTS IN THE DAIBER COLLECTION, INSTITUTE OF ORIENTAL CULTURE, UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO. By HANS DAIBER. Tokyo, Documentation Center for Asian Studies, Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 1988. vii, 181pp.

MIDDLE EAST AND ISLAM: A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION. SUPPLEMENT 1977–1983. Edited by PAUL AUCHTERLONIE [for the] Middle East Libraries Committee. (Bibliotheca Asiatica, 20.) Zug, IDC, 1986. vi, 244pp. SFr. 90.—.

LE MONDE ARABE: BIBLIOGRAPHIE SÉLECTIVE ET ANALYTIQUE. Établie par FAROUK MARDAM‐BEY [et al.]. (Références documentaires, No. 43.) Paris, Centre National de Documentation Pédagogique, 1987. 123pp.

LIBYA. Compiled by RICHARD I. LAWLESS. (World Bibliographical Series, 79.) Oxford, Clio Press, 1987. 243pp. Map. £32.50.

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE IRAN‐IRAQ BORDERLAND. By K.S. McLACHLAN and R.N. SCHOFIELD. Wisbech, MENAS Press, 1988. 383pp. £26.00.

INDIAN OCEAN. Compiled by JULIA J. GOTTHOLD with DONALD W. GOTTHOLD. (World Bibliographical Series, 85.) Oxford, Clio Press, 1988. xxix, 328pp. Map. £43.50.

AL‐MAR'A: BIBLIYUGHRAFIYYA. Compiled by FA'IQ FUDULI. Baghdad, Al‐Ittihad al‐'Amm li‐Nisa’ al‐'Iraq, 1985. 322pp. £4.00.

T.E. LAWRENCE: A BIBLIOGRAPHY. By PHILIP O'BRIEN. Winchester, St Paul's Bibliographies, 1988. 724pp. £45.00.

ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF ISLAM, New Edition, vol. V: KHE‐MAHI. Leiden, Brill, 1986. xvii, 1263pp. 59 plates. HF1. 620.—.

THE CAMBRIDGE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. Executive Editor TREVOR MOSTYN. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1988. 504pp. Photographs, maps, tables. £30.00.

GESCHICHTE DER ARABISCHEN WELT. Herausgegeben von ULRICH HAARMANN. Munich, Verlag C.H. Beck, 1987. 720pp. 14 maps. DM 138.—.

THE MIDDLE EAST. Edited by MICHAEL ADAMS. (Handbooks to the Modern World.) New York & Oxford, Facts on File, 1988. xviii, 839pp. Maps. £30.00.

THE CAMBRIDGE ATLAS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. Edited by GERALD BLAKE, JOHN DEWDNEY and JONATHAN MITCHELL. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1987. 126pp. £45.00.

PLANOS Y MAPAS HISPANICOS DE ARGELIA: SIGLOS XVI‐XVIII/PLANS ET CARTES HISPANIQUES DE L'ALGÉRIE: XVIème‐XVIIIème SIÈCLES. VOLUMEN I: ESTUDIO, CATÁLOGO E INDICES/VOLUME I; ÉTUDE, CATALOGUE ET INDEX. By MIKEL DE EPALZA and JUAN BTA. VILAR. [Madrid,] Instituto Hispano‐Árabe de Cultura, 1988. 399, [5]pp. 497 plans and maps (24 in colour). 5,500 Ptas.

A MAGYAROK TÖRTÉNETE: TARIH‐I ÜNGÜRÜSZ; MADZSAR TARIHI. By MAHMUD TERDZSÜMAN etc. Translated with notes by JÓZSEF BLASKOVICS. Revised and introduced by ELOD VASS. Budapest, Magveto Könyvkiadó, 1982. 523pp. Ft. 35.—.

LE DEBUT DE L'IMPRIMERIE ARABE A ISTANBUL ET EN SYRIE: EVOLUTION DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT CULTUREL (1706–1787). BIDAYAT AL‐TIBA'A AL‐'ARABIYYA FI ISTANBUL WA‐BILAD AL‐SHAM: TATAWWUR AL‐MUHIT AL‐THAQAFI (1706–1787). By WAHID GDOURA (WAHID GADURA). (Publications de lTnstitut Superiéur de Documentation, 8; Manshūrat al‐Ma'had al‐A'la li‐l‐Tawthiq, 8.) Tunis, Institut Superieur de Documentation, 1985. 312, 7pp.

ORIENTAL PRESSES IN THE WORLD. By NAZIR AHMAD. Lahore, Qadiria Book Traders, 1985. 272pp., incl. 39 facsimiles. Pak.Rs. 175.—

AL‐SIHAFA AL‐ISLAMIYYA AL‐JAZA'IRIYYA MIN BIDAYATIHA ILA SANAT 1930. LA PRESSE MUSULMANE ALGÉRIENNE DE 1830 [Agrave] 1930. By ZAHIR IHADDADIN (ZAHIR IHADDADEN). Algiers, Entreprise Nationale du Livre, 1986. 53, 51pp. DA17.50.

KITAB TATQIF AL‐TA'RIF BI'L‐MUSTALAH AL‐?ARIF. By TAQI AL‐DIN ‘ABD AL‐RAHMAN IBN NAZIR AL‐GAY?. Edited by RUDOLF VESELÝ. Cairo, Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, 1987. vi, 249, XXVIpp. 8 plates.

WATHA'IQ AL‐KHALIJ AL‐'ARABI 1968–1971: TUMUHAT AL‐WAHDA WA‐HUMUM AL‐ISTIQLAL. Edited by RIYAD NAJIB AL‐RAYYIS (RIAD N. EL RAYYES). London, Riad El Rayyes Books, 1987. 712pp. £67.00.

PLANTS OF DHOFAR. By ANTHONY G. MILLER and MIRANDA MORRIS; illustrated by SUSANNA STUART‐SMITH. [Muscat,] Office of the Adviser for Conservation, 1988. xxvii, 361pp. Numerous illustrations, two end‐paper maps. £35.00. [Also published in Arabic as NABATAT ZUFAR.]

JESUITES AU PROCHE‐ORIENT: NOTICES BIOGRAPHIQUES. By HENRI JALABERT. Beirut, Dar el‐Machreq, 1987. 512pp.

FONDOS AFRICANOS Y ARABES: GUIA PROVISIONAL DE BIBLIOTECAS Y CENTROS DE DOCUMENTACION. Compiled by Departamento de Referenda, Servicio de Information Bibliográfica: Africa y Mundo Arabe. [Madrid,] Biblioteca Nacional, 1988. 32ff.

ARABIAN GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES 1988. Milton Keynes, Matrix, 1988. 255pp. English, 156pp. Arabic. £49.00.

GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AND COURSES IN MIDDLE EAST STUDIES IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND ABROAD: 1987 DIRECTORY. Tucson, Middle East Studies Association of North America, 1988. 239pp.

ZAHIDAN AND SOUTHEASTERN IRAN. Edited by LUDWIG W. ADAMEC. (Historical Gazetteer of Iran, Volume 4.) Graz, Akademische Druck‐ u. Verlagsanstalt, 1988. 481pp. Maps and diagrams. ÖS. 450.—.

MU'JAM AL‐AGHLAT AL‐LUGHAWIYYA AL‐MU'ASIRA = A DICTIONARY OF COMMON MISTAKES IN MODERN WRITTEN ARABIC. By MUHAMMAD AL‐'ADNANI. Beirut, Librairie du Liban, 1984, repr. 1986. xviii, 870pp. £25.00.

THE OFFICE DICTIONARY. QAMUS AL‐MAKTAB. Compiled by MULTI‐LINGUAL INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS LIMITED. Oxford, Oxford University Press, [1987?]. 207 + 201pp. £10.95.

A DICTIONARY OF DATA PROCESSING AND COMPUTER TERMS (ENGLISH‐FRENCH‐ARABIC). By E.W. HADDAD. Beirut, Librairie du Liban, 1987. 421pp. £25.00.

THE COMBINED NEW PERSIAN‐ENGLISH AND ENGLISH‐PERSIAN DICTIONARY. By ABBAS and MANOOCHEHR ARYANPUR‐KASHANI. Lexington, Mazda Publishers, 1986. 273pp. (English‐Persian); 307pp. (Persian‐English). US$ 45.00 ('Library’ ed.); US$ 36.00 ('Text’ ed.).

KARS ?L? AGIZLARI, SES B?LG?S?. By AHMET B. ERC?LASUN. Ankara, Gazi Üniversitesi, 1983. 386pp.

SUFI SYMBOLISM: THE NURBAKHSH ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SUFI TERMINOLOGY (FARHANG‐E NURBAKHSH). Vol. II: LOVE, LOVER, BELOVED, ALLUSIONS AND METAPHORS. By JAVAD NURBAKHSH. London, Khaniqahi‐Nimatullahi Publications (distributed by Routledge & Kegan Paul), 1987. 193pp.

ARMENIAN ILLUMINATED GOSPEL‐BOOKS. By V. NERSESSIAN. London, The British Library, 1987. xi, 100pp. Ill., map. £14.95.

KUNST FRA ISLAMS VERDEN, 8. TIL 18. ÅRHUNDREDE. (Louisiana Revy, 27iii.) Humlebcek, Louisiana Museum, 1987. 115pp., 198 b/w plates, 76 colour plates. DKr. 60.‐.

METALWORK OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD: THE ARON COLLECTION. By JAMES W. ALLAN. London, Sotheby's, 1986. 168pp., numerous illustrations, 57 line drawings. £45.00.

ISTANBUL: A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST. By EKMELEDD?N ?HSANOGLU. Istanbul, Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture, 1987. 103pp. 43 illustrations. US$ 20.—.     

C. Reviews and notes: bibliographies and works of reference

i. ISLAMIC BOOK REVIEW INDEX. Compiled by Wolfgang H. Behn Berlin, Adiyok. Vol.2, 1983, pp.239; Vol.3, 1984, pp.234. Each DM 60.

ii. L'ORIENT DES PROVENÇAUX DMNS L'HISTOIRE. Marseille, Archives Departementales, Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie, 1982. pp.472.

iii. TUNISIA. By Allan M. Findlay, Anne M.Findlay & R.I.Lawless. (World Bibliographical Series, 33). Oxford & Santa Barbara, Clio Press, 1982. pp.xxviii, 251, map. £28.

iv. INDEX ISLAMICUS 1976–1980. Part 1: ARTICLES, compiled by J.D.Pearson. Part 2: MONOGRAPHS, compiled by J.D.Pearson & Wolfgang BEHN London, Mansell, 1983. 2 vols. pp.xliii, 539, xii, 348. Pt.1 £45; Pt.2 £30.

v. EXPOSITION: LETTRES ET VISAGES DU LIBAN ET DE L'ORIENT, organisée par PHILIPPE DUVOLLET avec la collaboration de la Délégation Permanente du Liban auprès de l'UNESCO. Paris, AGECOOP, 1983. pp.137.

vi. DAS ARABISCHE BUCH: THE ARAB BOOK. EINE AUSSTELLUNG ARABISCHER HANDSCHRIFTEN DER CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY, DUBLIN...AUS ANLASS DES EURO‐ARABISCHEN DIALOGES, KULTURELLES SYMPOSIUM 1983: AN EXHIBITION OF ARABIC MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE CHESTER BEATYY LIBRARY, DUBLIN...ON THE OCCASION OF THE EURO‐ARAB DIALOGUE, CULTURAL SYMPOSIUM APRIL 1983. By David James. Dublin, Chester Beatty Library, 1983. pp.34.

vii. SAUDI MEDICAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. By M.Monir Madkour and Aida J. Kudwah. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 1983. Vol.I, 1887–1980, pp.284, £35.00; Vol.II, 1981 & 1982, pp.269, £30.00.

viii. LUCHTMANS & BRILL: DRIEHONDERD JAAR UTTGEVERS EN DRUKKERS IN LEIDEN 1683–1983: CATALOGUS VAN DE TENTOONSTELLING GEHOUDEN VAN l SEPTEMBER TOT 1 OKTOBER 1983 IN BET GEMEENTE‐ARCHIEF TE LEIDEN. Leiden, Brill, 1983. pp.74. Plates & illustrations.

ix. PHILOLOGIA ORIENTALIS: A DESCRIPTION OF BOOKS ILLUSTRATING THE STUDY AND PRINTING OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES IN EUROPE. II. SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. (Catalogue 524.) Leiden, Brill, 1983. pp.220. Facsimiles & type‐specimens.

x. ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS IN EGYPT, PAKISTAN AND IRAN: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY. By Asaf Hussain. London, Mansell, 1983. pp.xiv, 168. £16.50.

xi. THE SUBLIME QUR'AN AND ORIENTALISM. By Mohammad Khalifa. London, Longman, 1983. pp.xviii, 262. £11.95.

xii. THE UNIVERSALITY OF ISLAM: a REFUTATION OF HOSTILE CRITICISM By ORIENTALISTS. By Nur‐Ud‐Din Muneer. London, London Mosque, 1983. pp.iv, 26.

xiii. ISLAMIC STUDIES, ORIENTALISTS AND MUSLIM SCHOLARS. By S.Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi. Translated by Mohiuddin Ahmad. Lucknow, Academy of Islamic Research and Publications, 1983. pp.11, 64. Indian Rs.6.

xiv. FAHARIS MAKHTUTAT AL‐KHIZANA AL‐HASANIYYA HASABA ARQAMI‐HA ‘ALA AL‐RUFUF (1). Tasnif MUHAMMAD AL‐MANUUNI. Rabat, al‐Matba'a al‐Malakiyya, 1403/1983. pp.23 + 315.

xv. L'ÉGYPTIEN TEL QU'ON L'ÉCRIT: GLOSSAIRE ÉTABLI D'APRES UN CHOIX D'OEUVRES LITTÉRAIRES ÉGYPTIENNES CONTEMPORAINES. Compiled by Charles Vial. (Textes Arabes et Études Islamiques, Tome XVIII) Cairo, Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale du Caire, 1983. pp.xxiii, 382.

xvii. IMMIGRANTS, MINORITIES AND RACE RELATIONS: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THESES AND DISSERTATIONS PRESENTED AT BRITISH AND IRISH UNIVERSITIES 1900–1981. By Victor F. Gilbert and Darshan Singh Tatla, with an introduction by Colin Holmes. London and New York, Mansell, 1984. pp.153. £13.50.

xviii. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA: A BIBLIOGRAPHIC SURVEY. By Ali Banuazizi, with the assistance of Prouchestia Goodarzi. London and New York, Mansell Publishing Ltd., 1984. xviii, pp.248. £18.00.

xix. THE YEMENS. Compiled by G.Rex Smith. (World Bibliographical Series, 50). Oxford, Clio Press, 1984. pp.161, 1 map. Price £20.75.

xx. THE ROLE OF NATIONAL LIBRARIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SAUDI ARABIA. By Abdulaziz Mohamed Al‐Nahari. London & New York, Mansell, 1984. pp.166. £18.50.     

Is Liberal Democracy Sliding into ‘Democratic Despotism’?

Post‐democracy and cognate concepts suggest that the postwar period of democratisation has given way to a concentration of power in the hands of small groups that are unrepresentative and unaccountable, as exemplified by the rise of multinational corporations and their influence on democratic politics. This article goes further to argue that this does not fully capture the triple threat facing liberal democracy: first, the rise of a new oligarchy that strengthens executive power at the expense of parliament and people; second, the resurgence of populism and demagogy linked to a backlash against technocratic rule and procedural politics; third, the emergence of anarchy associated with the atomisation of society and a weakening of social ties and civic bonds. In consequence, liberal democracy risks sliding into a form of ‘democratic despotism’ that maintains the illusion of free choice while instilling a sense of ‘voluntary servitude’ as conceptualised by Tocqueville.