Analysis of the CODIS autosomal STR loci in four main Colombian regions

Genotype polymorphism studies at the 13 loci STRs included in the combined DNA index system [CODIS and PCR-based short tandem repeat loci, in: Proceedings of the Second European Symposium on Human Identification, Promega Corporation, Madison, WI, 1998, pp. 73-88; J. Forensic Sci. 46 (2001) 453] (CODIS: D3S1358, HUMvWA31, HUMFGA, D8S1179 D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, HUMTH01, HUMTPOX, HUMCSF1PO and D16S539) were carried out in a sample of 1429 unrelated Colombian individuals belonging to 25 different departments. As many other countries in Latino-America, Colombia shows an important admixture component, basically integrated by Amerindians, European-descendants and African-descendants. Due to the fact that only partial population analyses have been carried out in the country, the main aim of the present analysis is to establish a database of forensic interest based on the widely used CODIS systems covering the main Colombian regions.     

Individual Dismissals in Europe and the United States: A Model on the Influence of the Legal Framework on Firing Costs

In this article, we present a model of individual dismissals based on the workers' right to file a suit against their employer arguing that the dismissal is unjustified or unfair. The model is a standard pre-trial bargaining game between a firm and a worker. We study two cases: when the law states the severance pay for unfair dismissal (the European case), and when judges can decide freely on the compensation to be paid to the worker (the American case). The model provides some guidelines for Labour Law reforms. In the European case, a decrease in the severance pay for unfair dismissals fixed by law will decrease the severance pay offered by the firm, and only under some assumptions will decrease the expected firing cost and will increase the settlement probability. In addition, the transition from the European to the American case is likely to increase the probability of settlement (and to decrease it in the opposite case) with ambiguous effects on agreed severance pay and expected firing costs.     

Norwegian Climate Policy: From Pusher to Laggard?

Initially Norwegian climate policy was very ambitious and Norway stood forth as a pusher on the international scene. Over time Norwegian policy has become more sober, stressing the need for differentiated commitments and flexible implementation. In contrast to the initial enthusiastic phase, climate change policy has been increasingly seen in pragmatic economic terms. Still, Norway is no laggard, as it has shown more willingness to pay for abatement measures than many other countries.     

Suicidal deaths using fireworks

The use of commercial explosives is an unusual method of commiting suicide, and only a few cases have been described in the medicolegal literature. In this paper, two cases of suicide are considered that reflect backgrounds of financial problems and psychological illnesses, respectively. Both individuals comitted suicide by detonating an explosive (fireworks). In the first case putting the explosive on his head and in the second case into his mouth. In both cases the cause of death was the destruction of the central nervous system. The following cases emphasize the importance of the forensic pathologist in the recognition of the scene, as well as the systematical collection of trace evidence of the explosion for their subsequent study in the laboratory and their correlation with the autopsy findings.     

The use of the LightCycler for the detection of Y chromosome SNPs

A novel methodology based on PCR monitoring on-line with fluorescent formats using the LightCycler for Y chromosome SNP typing is proposed. The main advantages of the system are the time necessary for the analysis (which is around 20 min), the robustness and the accuracy of the method and especially its sensitivity, which permits the detection of the male component in male-female mixtures up to 1:300 for some of the SNPs.Singleplexes of four different SNPs (M9, sY81, SRY-1532 and SRY-2627) as well as two duplexes (M9 and sY81 on the one hand and SRY-1532 and SRY-2627 on the other) were efficiently implemented. A simultaneous amplification and analysis of the four SNPs is also possible. It seems difficult with the current methodology to implement more than a quadruplex.     

Occupational safety and health in Poland in the 1990s: A regulatory system adapting to societal transformation

The societal transformation underway in Poland createda fundamental challenge to the occupational health and safety system, as the ideological and administrative principles on which it was founded vanished along with the communist-dominated regime. This paper examines the regulatory reform in Poland during the 1990s: its structural elements, implementation record and future prospects. Drawing on five case studies of privatized firms, a mailed questionnaire, and policy and institutional analysis, we find that Poland had considerable success in developing an effective regulatory system for managing occupational health hazards in privatized sector while also achieving considerable socioeconomic progress. The fundamental legitimacy of the regulators and regulatory process, the availability of information about firms and regulatory intents, and the capacity for case-specific decision making, are among the key explanatory factors. The case-specific implementation in Poland is consistent with models advocated by several authors in relation to other industrialized European economies (termed variously as negotiated compliance, tit-for-tat, cooperation-deterrence), despite a uniquely Polish context related to the continuing legacy of the communist era. The study also shows how in Poland a good fit between regulatory institutions and policies on the one hand, and their social context on the other hand, contributes to the effectiveness of the regulatory system.