Philippine population database at nine microsatellite loci for forensic and paternity applications

Allele frequency distributions for a Filipino population from the National Capital Region (NCR) were determined for eight STR loci: HUMF13A01, HUMFES/FPS, HUMvWA, HUMFOLP23, HUMD8S306, HUMCSFIPO, HUMTPOX and HUMTHO1; and a VNTR locus: D1S80. Statistical analysis showed that the nine loci showed no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg and linkage equilibrium rules. The average power of paternity exclusion for the nine loci is 0.9962 and the discriminating power is 1-2 x 10(-9). The data obtained from this study will be used as reference data for forensic DNA typing in the Philippines.     

Histamine effects on pulmonary blood vessels in strangulation

Endothelial cells of asphyxial pulmonary veins possess abundant pores and intracytoplasmic vacuoles. The present radioassay demonstrated an increase in histamine concentrations of the pulmonary tissue in asphyxia. These morphological changes, therefore, appear to represent an enhancement of the endothelial permeability induced by high histamine concentrations in blood plasma. The present immunoelectron microscopy study demonstrated heavy reactions of histamine exclusively on the endothelial surface of the asphyxial pulmonary veins. This may support the endothelial cell-dependent vasodilation mediated by histamine in asphyxial pulmonary veins.     

Moral judgment development: The effects of education and occupation

Data from the Rest longitudinal study of moral judgment development were used to (i) consolidate past research into a single process model of moral judgment development, and (ii) assess the relative contributions of education and work to moral judgment development. Subjects were 102 individuals who were first interviewed in 1972–1974 and were followed up in 1983. A general model was specified which included moral judgment development in adolescence, dedication, educational attainment, occupational attainment, fulfilling career, and adult moral judgment development. The model was tested on the total sample and in a subsamples analysis that examined the unique pathways to moral development of subsamples which had either completed 2 years or more of college (higher education) or had completed less than 2 years of college (lower education). The general model confirmed that both education and occupation play important roles in the explanation of adult moral judgment development; the subsamples analysis suggested that work-related variables were the most important determinants of development in the lower education group and that education was the most important determinant of the higher education group.Dr. Boldizar died on March 28, 1992.     

Large scale public projects—The personal connection

The paper expands on an interesting phenomenon accompanying large-scale projects, namely, the parallel inflation in costs and deflation in benefits from initiation to implementation and final evaluation or elimination altogether. Historically, three explanations have been provided for the above phenomenon: the deterministic effects of uncertainty; self-interest evaluators; and the ‘vision’ factor. We claim that on face value one cannot accept as scientifically sound evidence the above three explanations of the constant decline in actual benefits. The ‘acceptance-avoidance’ model which we bring to bear predicts a constant deterioration in actual benefits as the project develops. This psychological factor results in the use of the three above-mentioned explanations as a ‘cover-up’ for real underlying human doubts regarding the chances of success of crucial decisions taken by individuals.