ASSESSING NEIGHBORHOOD AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES ON CHILDHOOD VIOLENCE IN AN AFRICAN‐AMERICAN SAMPLE*

The present study examines the extent to which neighborhood and social psychological influences predict childhood violence among 867 African‐American youth. The results showed that neighborhood affluence was the only neighborhood‐level variable to exert a significant influence on childhood violence. Furthermore, childhood violence was significantly related to social psychological influences, such as adopting a street code, associating with violent peers, parental use of violence, and quality parenting. Overall, the findings suggested that simply living in a violent neighborhood does not produce violent children, but that family, peer, and individual characteristics play a large role in predicting violence in childhood.     

ENTER THE DRAGON: INSIDE CHINESE HUMAN SMUGGLING ORGANIZATIONS*

This paper examines the inner workings of Chinese human smuggling organizations. Contrary to widely held conceptions about Chinese organized crime, most alien smugglers are otherwise ordinary citizens whose familial networks and fortuitous social contacts have enabled them to pool resources to transport human cargoes around the world. They come from diverse backgrounds and form temporary alliances to carry out smuggling operations. With the exception of a shared commitment to making money, little holds them together. The smuggling organizations mostly resemble ad hoc task forces and are assembled for specific operations. These organizations have clear divisions of labor with limited hierarchical structures. We discuss the theoretical implications of their unique organizational characteristics.     

STR等位基因梯阶制备的研究

目的 建立制备STR的等位基因梯阶标准对照的新方法。方法 以T-质粒载体直接连接STR等位基因扩增产物,导入大肠杆菌,使其随大肠杆菌的无性繁殖而复制、扩增,获得单一DNA分子的大量拷贝;经PCR鉴定及测序分析后,制备出标准的STR等位基因梯阶对照(AL)。结果 所建方法制备出了标准AL;保存重组质粒及转染的大肠杆菌,可保证AL的大量快速制备,并能长期保存。结论 该方法制备的AL在法医物证检验中有很高的应用价值,对STR试剂盒国产化有重要意义。     

Trade union behaviour and inter-regional variations in unemployment rates

An important problem in the political economy of the UK is that the disparity of unemployment rates across its regions is much more marked than the corresponding dispersion of wage rates. One possibility is that this is due to the attitude of trade unions to their members in different regions. If unions wish to preserve parity between members in different regions then they will value wage equality between regions over and above wage levels. This may then persuade them to overlook inter-regional productivity differences in setting wages. The price that low-efficiency regions will then pay for this desire for wage equality is higher unemployment rates.Much of the research for this paper was carried out while the author was visiting the Trade Union Economics Research Institute (FIEF), Stockholm in 1989. An earlier version of this paper was presented at a seminar there and the author is gratefully to Villy Bergstrom, Paul Chen, Douglas Hibbs, Eva Udden-Jondal and other institute members for several useful comments. Comments from Kevin Lee, John Spencer and an anonymous referee have also substantially improved the paper. The usual disclaimer applies.     

A Test of Generalizability of the Social Development Model Across Gender and Income Groups with Longitudinal Data from the Elementary School Developmental Period

The social development model (SDM) is a theory of behavior that has proven useful in explaining the etiology of delinquency, violence, and substance use among adolescents as well as early antisocial behavior among pre-adolescents. A further test of the model is its generalizability across population groups. A section of the SDM representing prosocial influences in the etiology of problem behavior was compared for boys and girls and for children from low- and non low-income families using three waves of child, parent and teacher survey data on a sample of 851 elementary school students. Multiple group structural equation modeling was used to assess differences across groups in both measurement of model constructs and hypothesized structural paths between constructs. The results indicate overall similarity in the reliability of measurement models and validity of structural models.     

D6S2418在中国（汉族）、泰国和德国人群中的遗传多态性

目的获得D6S2418基因座的群体遗传学数据,分析其基因频率在不同群体间的分布情况是否存在差异,并分析其在法医学中的应用价值。方法采用PCR、非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(PAGE)及银染技术分析中国成都地区汉族、泰国曼谷地区泰国人群以及德国Maint地区德国人群中D6S2418基因座的遗传多态性,获得三个群体D6S2418基因座的群体遗传学数据。结果从300份分别采自成都地区汉族、泰国曼谷地区泰国人群以及德国Maint地区德国人群三个群体的无血缘关系个体的静脉血,共发现9个等位基因,观测到31种基因型。观测杂和度为64%～81%,个人识别机率为84.2%～93.5%,经统计学检验,基因型的频率分布符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡定律。等位基因频率的分布在三个群体间有显著差异。结论D6S2418基因座的个人识别能力高,在法医学个人识别和亲子鉴定应用中有较高价值。