Population genetic study in two Transylvanian populations using forensically informative autosomal and Y-chromosomal STR markers

Our study provides population genetic data on two population samples collected in a Hungarian speaking region of Transylvania, Romania. Allele frequency and profile databases were generated on 17 autosomal STR loci (D2S1338, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D19S433, D21S11, VWA, FGA, TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, Penta E and Penta D) as well as at the 12 European Y-STR extended haplotype loci (DYS19, DYS389-I/II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385 loci, DYS437, DYS438 and DYS439). Data were compared to a Central Hungarian (Budapest region) population sample [B. Egyed, S. Füredi, M. Angyal, L. Boutrand, A. Vandenberghe, J. Woller, Z. Padar, Analysis of eight STR loci in two Hungarian populations, Forensic Sci. Int. 113 (2000) 25-27] that was used as a reference group of the Hungarian population. Calculating the F(ST) indices and with the pairwise comparisons of interpopulation molecular variance (AMOVA) the two populations from Transylvania could be fit into the Hungarian population data showing less substructuring effects as compared to the previous findings in Hungary [B. Egyed, S. Füredi, M. Angyal, L. Boutrand, A. Vandenberghe, J. Woller, Z. Padar, Analysis of eight STR loci in two Hungarian populations, Forensic Sci. Int. 113 (2000) 25-27; B. Egyed, S. Füredi, M. Angyal, I. Balogh, L. Kalmar, Z. Padar, Analysis of the population heterogeneity in Hungary using fifteen forensically informative STR markers, Forensic Sci. Int. 158 (2005) 244-249].     

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL SUPPORTS ON POLICE STRESS*

Utilizing a theoretical perspective (the “social supports model”) increasingly applied by stress researchers in other fields, the present endeavor explores whether social supports operate to shield officers from the stresses emanating from police work To investigate this issue, 91 suburban officers were administered a questionnaire that contained scales measuring four job-related stressors, four types of social supports, and two forms of psychological stress—work and life. With regard to the stressors, the data analysis revealed that feelings of dangerousness were significantly and positively related to both stress scales, while shift change and court problems increased only general lye stress. It was also found that supervisory support mitigates work stress while family support helps to reduce more general psychological discomfort. These latter results rein force the assertion that future research could profit by systematically exploring the circumstances, such as social supports, which enable police to cope effectively with the more stressful features of their work.     

Orphan drugs: the question of products liability

Orphan drugs, essential for the treatment of persons with rare diseases, generally are unprofitable for manufacturers to develop and market. While congressional and administrative efforts to promote the development of orphan drugs have met with modest success, application of products liability doctrine to orphan drug sponsors could subvert those efforts. This Note describes the provisions of the Orphan Drug Act and analyzes products liability law with respect to orphan drug litigation. It argues that the goals of tort law support the imposition of liability for design defect, failure to warn and negligence in testing. Finally, the Note acknowledges that liability costs create disincentives for orphan drug development and suggests mechanisms for reducing manufacturers' liability concerns.     

The application of differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis to dating bone remains.

Thirty-four samples of bone remains of known time since death were studied by using DTA, TGA, and derivative-TGA techniques. The DTA patterns enable us to distinguish recent from old (more than 100 years) bones. The TGA curve is also significant for an extreme series. Both DTA and TGA curves show a correlation that allows us to obtain patterns with high significance for the extreme series. They also make evident the decomposition grade that bone organic material undergoes during the postmortem putrefactive process.     

Influencing retirement behavior: A key issue for social security

Recent trends toward earlier retirement threaten future supplies of labor and the financial stability of many of our public and private pension systems. One of the few federal efforts now in place to reverse this trend has been the 1977 law outlawing mandatory retirement before age 70 for most American workers. This legislation by itself will have little effect on retirement patterns, because strong financial incentives to retire remain imbedded in the system. Changes in the Social Security Act enacted this year begin to recognize these incentives but are highly controversial and at best will not begin to go into effect until 1990. To be successful, efforts of policymakers to increase work at older ages must focus on the financial incentives at the heart of retirement plans rather than on merely attempting to weaken mandatory retirement constraints.