Population genetic data for 18 STR loci in Costa Rica

Allele frequencies for 18 STR autosomal loci (D3S1358, VWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, Penta D, Penta E, D19S433, D2S1338 and SE33) were obtained from a sample of 191-500 unrelated individuals from Costa Rica, Central America.     

Male amelogenin dropouts: phylogenetic context, origins and implications

Several commercial PCR multiplex kits incorporate the amelogenin locus for the purpose of human gender identification. Consequently, erroneous results in the electropherogram profile of this locus can carry important forensic implications. In this study, dropout of the amelogenin Y allele was detected in 5 out of 77 phenotypically normal Kathmandu males using the AmpFlSTR Identifiler kit. A battery of male-specific markers including SNPs, STRs, STSs, and a minisatellite were amplified for the five amelogenin null samples in order to delineate the breakpoints of the deletions as well as assess the overall integrity of the Y-chromosome. This study represents the first to examine the haplogroup affiliation of the AMGY deletions. The analyses performed suggest a single origin for the five deletions as indicated by their allocation to a specific Y-haplogroup (J2b2-M241), related Y-STR haplotypes and identical regional localization of breakpoints. The age estimated from the microsatellite variation for the amelogenin deletions (if they are associated by descent) is approximately 6.5+/-3.3 ky, younger than the previously reported related age of the M241 haplogroup representatives (13-14 ky). Our data in combination with previous publications suggest a concentration of afflicted individuals in the Indian subcontinent, possibly as a result of common ancestry. The elevated incidence of the amelogenin dropout in these populations accentuates the need to utilize other loci for gender determination in order to obtain an accurate set of inclusion criteria in forensic casework.     

A comprehensive population survey on the distribution of STR frequencies in Belarus

This work develops a detailed STR database from 11 population samples and samples from paternity analyses from different districts of Belarus. The combined data on 2020 individuals form a total database for the country, with the exclusion power of 99.987% based on 11 STR loci. Possible differentiation in allele frequencies between population samples, small in terms of F-statistics and undetectable by standard statistical tests, is discussed.     

Differential accumulation of pulmonary and cardiac mast cell-subsets and eosinophils between fatal anaphylaxis and asthma death: a postmortem comparative study

The distribution profile of infiltrated mast cell-subpopulations and eosinophils in the lung and heart sections of the patients who died of severe allergic hyperresponsiveness, was investigated. Four study groups were designed comprising 9 cases who died in systemic anaphylaxis (Group I), 10 asthmatic individuals whose death were assigned to acute and severe bronchial asthma (Group II), 10 asthmatic cases who died from non-immunological diseases (Group III). Twenty consecutive autopsies of non-allergic subjects who died of unnatural causes (Group IV) served as control group in this study. Utilizing antibodies against human tryptase and chymase and a double immunohistochemical staining method, we distinguished successfully all three subsets of mast cells (MC), MC-TC (containing both tryptase and chymase), MC-T (containing only tryptase) and MC-C (containing only chymase) types, subdivided on the basis of the protease compositions of their secretory granules. In order to immunostaining eosinophils, we used antibody to major basic protein as a marker. We also measured postmortem blood tryptase, specific and total serum IgE. The intriguing finding of this study was the marked differences of cellular composition in the lung between fatal anaphylaxis and asthma death. Significant augmentation of MCs infiltrated in lung and heart sections of anaphylaxis patients and drastic infiltration of bronchial eosinophils in asthmatic death and consequent release of their related inflammatory mediators might explain the differential expression of the associated symptoms in these two groups. The anaphylactic deaths did show neither emphysema nor significant mucous bronchial secretions whereas all asthmatic deaths did. The degree of pulmonary congestion and edema was also more severe in anaphylaxis. This corresponded with the histological findings and the location and number of mast cell-subsets and eosinophils in the different compartments of the lungs. We have demonstrated that the third type of mast cell MC-C is only found in the lungs in anaphylactic deaths. The practical consequence of our study will be that it is now possible to confirm a suspicion of anaphylaxis death not only by measurements of serum mast cell tryptase, but also by immunohistochemical methods.     

The Role of Policy Brokers: The Case of Biotechnology in Kenya

Debates about biotechnology continue to be polarized despite its potential to improve the living standards of the poor in Sub‐Saharan Africa. In the backdrop of this polarized scenario, this paper asked, is there a place for brokers in bringing about a productive debate that is pro‐development? The paper argued that if potential intermediaries are analyzed from the perspective of understanding their role and stakeholding in the regulatory change process, this may help breakout the current polarized anti‐ and pro‐biotechnology debates and thereby focus on how to enable productive biotechnology development. Informed by insights from innovation brokering, the functions of brokers in biotechnology regulation are analyzed through the lens of organizations involved in agricultural biotechnology debates in Kenya. The analysis found that policy brokering function attracts varying opportunities and challenges appropriate for informing relevant policy. The paper drew lessons from Kenya's experience to inform a productive policy brokering model for biotechnology regulation.     

Government‐wide Financial Statements and Credit Risk

Now that state governments issue comprehensive annual financial reports in accordance with Statement No. 34 of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, it is possible to generate a consistent and comprehensive set of government‐wide financial information. We use the information to develop financial ratios to benchmark government financial performance from information beyond the traditional general fund, and test the hypothesis that such information is incorporated into the assessment of credit risk. We provide an empirical analysis of the incorporation of government‐wide financial information into state government credit ratings, which provides a positive empirical test of the theory of certification and demonstrates how information from the government‐wide financial statements is infused into financial markets.     

Strategic voting and effective representation thresholds: Evidence from three Spanish general elections

The extent of strategic voting in the Spanish general elections of 2000, 2004 and 2008 is estimated using a new measure of strategic incentives suitable for proportional representation systems that avoids some of the problems associated with lagged variables. Strategic behaviour increased from 12 to 33 per cent of the electoral base of the United Left Party, the major victim of strategic defection. This estimate is a conservative one as elite mobilisation is controlled for in the constituencies, which is unusual in the literature on strategic voting that uses regression‐based methods.     

Creating a sustainable U.S. electricity sector: the question of scale

The U.S. electricity market, like electricity markets in most countries, is heavily dependent on fossil-fuel generation from centralized power applications. This paper reviews the factors that led to the sector??s reliance on fossil fuels and presents a future vision of the U.S. electricity sector based on a varied spectrum of sustainable energy resources ranging in scale from large, centralized facilities to small, localized energy systems. This spectrum includes low-emissions energy and energy efficiency, as well as macro-generation, micro-grids, distributed generation, micro-generation and end-user conservation. We discuss the evidence that each element of this spectrum is a viable and proven technology, the balanced integration of which could shape an electricity sector that adheres to sustainability principles. This paper concludes with a discussion of the institutional barriers that need to be addressed to successfully achieve a transition toward a more future sustainable electricity sector based on the variations in scale.     

Exsanguinated blood volume estimation using fractal analysis of digital images

The estimation of bloodstain volume using fractal analysis of digital images of passive blood stains is presented. Binary digital photos of bloodstains of known volumes (ranging from 1 to 7 mL), dispersed in a defined area, were subjected to image analysis using FracLac V. 2.0 for ImageJ. The box-counting method was used to generate a fractal dimension for each trial. A positive correlation between the generated fractal number and the volume of blood was found (R(2) = 0.99). Regression equations were produced to estimate the volume of blood in blind trials. An error rate ranging from 78% for 1 mL to 7% for 6 mL demonstrated that as the volume increases so does the accuracy of the volume estimation. This method used in the preliminary study proved that bloodstain patterns may be deconstructed into mathematical parameters, thus removing the subjective element inherent in other methods of volume estimation.