Characterization of a novel dimorphism in the 5' flanking region of the short tandem repeat (STR) locus,c-fes/fps (FES)

The FES short tandem repeat (STR) locus contains seven to 14 repeats of the tetranucleotide sequence ATTT. A novel 10 base pair dimorphism in the 5' flanking region of the FES locus was characterized in four broad populations: African-American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and Asian. The absence of the 10 base pair sequence, or (-) allele, was closely linked to FES STR alleles with 10 or fewer repeats. The presence of the 10 base pair sequence, or (+) allele, was closely linked to FES STR alleles with 12 or more repeats. The (-) and (+) alleles occurred equally often in FES STR allele 11. The nucleotide sequence (5'-GGCTGTTTTG-3') of the (+) allele, located 179 base pairs upstream of the FES STR, was determined to be consistent within and among the four populations. Statistical and sequence analysis confirmed the linkage between the two polymorphic sites. The results indicate that the exclusion rate of the FES locus is increased, above that for the STR alone, when both polymorphic characteristics are considered.     

Truth as Justice: Investigatory Commissions in Latin America

In recent years, Latin American countries have sought to come to terms with prior periods of widespread human rights violations, relying increasingly on investigatory commissions. Investigatory efforts have been undertaken by democratically elected governments that replaced military dictatorships, by UN-sponsored commissions as part of a UN-mediated peace process, and by national human rights commissioners. This article examines truth commissions in Chile and El Salvador, an investigatory effort in Honduras, and a proposed commission in Guatemala. It compares the achievements and limitations of these commissions within the political constraints and institutional reality of each country, focusing on four major goals: the effort to create an authoritative account of the past; vindication of victims; recommendations for legislative, structural, or other changes to avoid repetition of past abuses; and establishing accountability or the identity of perpetrators.     

Violence in relationships: A seventh grade inventory of knowledge and attitudes

The purpose of this research was to contribute to existing efforts of battered women's advocates, schools, and researchers by developing a valid and reliable inventory to evaluate educational interventions regarding violence in relationships. Content validity was established by national experts (N=32)solicited to complete an inventory rating scale and comment on the statements' ability to elicit early adolescents' knowledge and attitudes about violence in relation-ships. The revised inventory was tested with seventh grade health education students (N=99).The test-retest reliability criterion was .50. Spearman's rho correlations were .566 for the knowledge section and .669 for the attitude section. Knowledge and attitude sections were measured for internal con- sistency with Cronbach's alpha, with respective values of .3178 and .7207. Item analyses with Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests identified 11 knowledge statements and one attitude statement as significantly discriminating at both test and retest. Gender differences were noted and additional findings were reported. Recommendations for the further establishment of a valid and reliable inventory were made.