Gc subtypes: demonstration using isoelectric focusing. Study of population and formal genetics

Gc-subtypes were determined by isoelectric focusing and immunfixation on samples from 492 unrelated blood donors from Berlin. The frequency of the three genes was found to be GcIF = 0.1270, GcIS = 0.6006, Gc2 = 0.2724. Analysis of 78 parents with 190 children did not show deviations from the expected mode of inheritance. Investigation of the adults from paternity cases and of their children on the other hand obtained similar results. No rare alleles were observed.     

Avoidance and appropriation in Bishkek: dealing with time,space and urbanity in Kyrgyzstan's capital

ABSTRACT

Much has changed since Frunze was renamed Bishkek in 1991 and became the capital of independent Kyrgyzstan. Though it was once considered to be among the ‘greenest’ and most ‘orderly’ cities of the Soviet Union, today many of its long-term residents complain about the new settlements (novostroiki) that have emerged during the last two decades. To Bishkek's urbanites, the recent arrival of migrants is not associated with an escape from rural poverty and a rightful struggle for civic rights, but indicates a massive cultural and aesthetic degradation of familiar urban life. In this article, beyond contesting narratives of cosmopolitan nostalgia vs. legitimate belonging, I investigate how urban practitioners in fact produce and deal with different spaces in the city. My ethnographic accounts not only identify social avoidance as an essential pulse of Bishkek's current rhythm, but also illustrate that after a period of post-rural socialization previously stigmatized migrants may manage to smoothly blend into urban spatial flows and lifestyles.     

Das neue Infrastrukturplanungsbeschleunigungsgesetz – auf dem Weg zu zügigerer Realisierung von Vorhaben?

Anl?sslich des Inkrafttretens des neuen Infrastrukturplanungsbeschleunigungsgesetzes zum 17.12.2006 stellt der folgende Beitrag die wesentlichen Regelungen des Gesetzes dar und erl?utert m?gliche Auswirkungen auf laufende oder zukünftige Planungsverfahren.     

Wie und wie stark beeinflussen moralische Argumente wirtschaftliches Handeln?

While the corporate social responsibility literature tends to argue that companies should behave socially responsibly, it neglects the empirical question under which conditions they do so. This article fills this research gap by showing under which conditions moral arguments influence companies. The paper uses a representative company survey to show that companies name moral arguments as a strong deterrent to the offshoring of production to low cost countries. In addition, companies are less likely to offshore production when they mention moral scruples against doing so. The article uses a case study to process-trace the mechanisms, by which moral arguments exert this influence. First, it shows how moral arguments influence what is defined as economically rational under uncertainty, thereby influencing economic strategies. Secondly, the article shows how moral arguments influence companies by destroying their social capital, and thirdly, it shows how moral arguments can destroy public legitimacy, again influencing economic behavior. The article proposes these three mechanisms as a general framework through which one can understand the influence of moral arguments on companies.     

3 case examples of intravital maggot infestations

The authors report on three cases of myiasis which rarely occurs in the civilized world. Poor social conditions, old age, alcoholism, diabetes and vascular occlusive disease were predisposing co-factors. All three victims showed large necrotizing skin ulcerations, but in no case a generalized infection had developed. Therefore the probable benefit from the maggot infestation concerning these ulcerating skin lesions is discussed. For centuries clinicians have observed that maggots provide debridement of necrotic wounds particularly in Military Medicine. With the advent of antibiotics their therapeutic use declined. Recently "biosurgery" (syn. maggot or larval therapy) again became a promising tool for therapy of infected, necrotizing skin-ulcerations. Besides wound debridement marked anti-microbial activity and secretion of proteolytic enzymes could be detected. Maggot debridement is an valuable and cost-effective treatment option for patients with nonhealing wounds.     

Analysis of the co-amplified STR loci D1S1656, D12S391 and D18S51: population data and validation study for a highly discriminating triplex-PCR

A multiplex-PCR composed of the three highly variable STR loci D1S1656, D12S391 and D18S51 has been established. The non-overlapping fragment sizes allow allele detection using a monochrome automated laser fluorescent sequencer (A.L.F. express, Pharmacia Biotech). The typing results of the triplex-PCR showed no difference to those of singleplex-PCR. Allele frequencies were determined in a Western German population of 228 individuals from Cologne. The heterozygosities and exclusion chances (D1S1656, 0.982; D12S391, 0.979; D18S51, 0.97) are very high compared to other short tandem repeats used for forensic applications. No deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were found. Successful typing of DNA amounts down to 50-100 pg is possible. Mixtures of up to 1:10 can be identified. In conclusion, the high combined exclusion chance due to the well-balanced allelic distribution and its high sensitivity make this triplex-PCR a valuable tool for forensic casework.