The portfolio allocation paradox: An investigation into the nature of a very strong but puzzling relationship

Abstract.  Perhaps the strongest empirical finding in political science is 'Gamson's Law': the near-perfect relationship that exists in parliamentary systems between a coalition party's seat contribution to the government and its quantitative allocation of cabinet portfolios. Nevertheless, doubts remain. What would happen if the salience or importance of the various portfolios was also taken into account? Should it not be the case that payoffs correspond with bargaining power rather than seat contributions? And perhaps most significantly, would addressing these issues produce evidence that the parties designated to form governments extract disproportionately large payoffs for themselves, as predicted by 'proposer' models of bargaining? Utilizing the results of a new expert survey of portfolio salience in 14 Western European countries, the authors of this article explore each of these questions. Their basic finding is that salience-weighted portfolios payoffs overwhelmingly mirror seat contributions, contra proposer models and any other models based on bargaining power. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for formal models of bargaining.     

Forensic,medical, and criminalistic description of injuries inflicted by firing the pistol "PB-4"

A case of causing a lethal injury from the PB-4 self-defense pistol (traumatic action bullets) is described. An issue of the relation between notions "a non-lethal gun" and "special-purpose weapon" are under discussion.     

Study of species specificity of the amelogenin system for genetic sex determination

The properties of amelogenin amplification system and, in particular, of its species specificity, were studied. DNA preparations extracted from cattle (cow/bull), pig, ram and from poultry (hen), as well as from dog and cat, were used as a matrix for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) involving a standard scheme of enzymatic amplification of the amelogenin gene. It was demonstrated that, unlike for the human DNA, the amelogenin test couldn't be used for the DNA of examined animals as a sex-specific marker. However, there is a danger of a false determination of the male sex in the female origin samples during a forensic-experts' typing of the amelogenin gene, if there is an admixture of an animal DNA to a human DNA preparation. As for the biological samples of the animal origin, there is a possibility of a false-female sex determination. It can be attributed to an incorrectly selected standard of the molecular weight or to its remote location on the gel as well as to the use of an inaccurately calculated algorithm designed for determining the sizes of analyzed fragments.     

The identification of antigens of systems AB0, GM,and haptoglobin (HP) phenotypes in mixed bloodstains of human and domestic goose

The traditional methods of investigations according to systems AB0, Gm and Hp were used to define the serological specificity of home gooses' blood. The experimental examinations' results related with mixed bloodstains of man and home gooses are described. A possibility is demonstrated to identify the blood group factors of man in bloodstains with admixture of home-goose blood.     

The diagnostic value of determining the level of acetaldehyde in blood,urine, and cerebrospinal fluid

The contents of acetaldehyde (AA) in biological fluids obtained from the dead with the confirmed lethality causes, i.e. ischemic heart disease (IHD), alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACMP) and mechanical traumas (MT), were examined on an actual forensic-medical material (AFMM). 14 death cases of males, aged 18 to 45, were studied. The method of gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), or rather its variation of vaporphase analysis, was used to state the presence and to assess the concentration of acetaldehyde. The results revealed differences between concentrations of acetaldehyde in the examined groups depending on the presence or absence of alcoholemia. Thus, the AA concentrations were found in trace quantities in the MT group free of alcoholic intoxication; while, when it was present in this group, the concentrations went up several-fold. A higher AA content was typical of the ACMP group in all examined subjects both with and without alcoholic intoxication. The final study results are suggestive of that the AA determination in blood, urine and liquor by GLC could be used, within the forensic medical practice, in assessing a severity degree of alcoholic intoxication while establishing the lethal outcome cause due to chronic pathologies and MT.     

Regional indices of alcoholic poisonings and alcoholic psychoses

Interrelations of phenomena preconditioned by alcohol consumption were the starting prerequisite of the case study. The annual lethality rates due the to alcohol poisonings (AP) and alcoholic psychosis (APS) morbidity were investigated in 77 Russia's regions during 1991-1999, when the alcohol consumption used to be dynamic in the country--a sharp growth in 1991-1994, a drop in 1995-1998, and a new increase in 1999. The correlation of studied phenomena was observed only in 33 regions. The ratio of AP level to APS level varied in different regions and during different time periods from 50-fold AP prevalence to 65-fold APS prevalence. The distribution of APS indices was normal, while the distribution of AP deviated from the norm towards a higher dispersion. Two etalons were made use of, i.e. one for AP and the other for APS, to assess the differences between the AP and APS indices. APS differed from the appropriate etalon by far less versus AP. A list of regions with respect for deviations of APS and AP indices was compiled. A conclusion was made to the extent that consciously or unconsciously the postmortem diagnoses of AP were concealed in a majority of Russia's regions; APS were not registered in full either. However, the latter reflect better the alcohol-related situation in regions versus AP.     

X-ray changes in the region of long-bone fractures in early post-traumatic period

Described are the results of computer-based X-ray interpretation of images of long-bone fractures made immediately after trauma. The difference between roentgenograms made on the day of trauma and on the next day is demonstrated. A new soft, which was used by the author for X-ray interpretations, is depicted.     

Diagnostics of the skeletal massiveness and human somatotype using hand bones

The skeleton massiveness (SM) and the somatotype of human constitution were determined on the basis of osteometry of bones of carpal and metacarpal bones (MB) and of phalanxes. Seventy male and 13 female skeletons from the collection of the chair for anthropology, Moscow State University, were investigated. Described are the results of examinations of 8 carpal bones made according to 3 signs (length, width, and height), and of 5 metacarpal bones made according to 4 signs (length, base and head width, and base height); investigation findings of finger phalanxes (in full) are also presented. Methods of current multidimensional statistics were used within the case study, i.e. related with the key components--for SM specification and the discriminative analysis--for constitution specification. The SM determination accuracy according to type A was 40%, according to type B--80%, according to type C--37.5% and according to type D--52.9%. The classification accuracy of constitutions by carpal bones was 50.0%, by MB--46.4%, and by MB plus finger phalanxes--48.1%. It is pointed out that it was for the first time that the elaborated quantitative criteria of osteometry of hand bones could be used in the expertise practice for the purpose of personality identification by osseous remains.