The causes of legal rents extraction: evidence from Spanish municipalities

This paper analyzes the causes of legal political rent extraction by using a direct measure of it, namely, local top politicians’ wages. In particular, we investigate whether local politicians’ incentives to extract rents by setting their own wages are influenced by the degree of political competition and voter information. We use a sample of the largest Spanish municipalities over the years 2008–2010. The results indicate that weaker political competition and lesser voter information are related to more rent extraction. In an additional analysis, we show that higher wages do not ensure better financial management. These findings confirm that when politicians can set their own salaries, higher wages do not mean better management, but they are just political rents.     

Validation of the MiniFiler™ Kit in archaeological samples

We evaluate the usefulness of MiniFiler™ Kit in the field of ancient DNA. A set of samples belonging to different locations from Iberian Peninsula, with ages ranging from Neolithic to XVII century, was tested. Results could be replicated in only one burial site, probably due to the taphonomic conditions. Other cases could only produce partial or none genetic profiles.     

Coprophanaeus lancifer (Linnaeus, 1767) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) activity moves a man-size pig carcass: relevant data for forensic taphonomy

Taphonomy is the study of many variables involving decomposition, preservation, dispersal, erosion, burial or exposition of dead organisms. Forensic Taphonomy examines how biotic or abiotic variables can change evidences in legal investigations. Many insects are closely associated with decomposition processes. The scavenger dung-beetle, Coprophanaeus lancifer (Linnaeus, 1767), may be important biotaphonomically in the decomposition process of carcasses. Man-size pig carcasses were used as models to examine the decomposition process in the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve in central Amazonia. The scavenger dung-beetle has great potential in decomposition and production of post-mortem injuries, including dismemberment and the removal of soil beneath the carcass thereby causing a change in its position.     

"Vaginal" bleeding in prepubertal age: a rare scaring riddle, a case of the urethral prolapse and review of the literature

The entities responsible for isolated vaginal bleeding are a broad spectrum of diseases. Vaginal bleeding in a prepubertal child is always treated as an alarming symptom both by parents and professionals. Most often, one of the first hypotheses is that a sexual abuse may be occurred and the clinical work up is oriented to explore it and eventually confirm or substantiante another diagnosis. Among the possible differential diagnosis urethral prolapse has to be considered. We report the case of a 6 years-old Caucasian girl referred to our Service for a mild vaginal bleeding and with the suspicion of sexual abuse, excluded after the confirmation of the presence of urethral prolapse. The clinical picture and workup are described and compared with a review of the international literature on the issue.