Diversity of 26-locus Y-STR haplotypes in a Nepalese population sample: isolation and drift in the Himalayas

Twenty-six Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci were amplified in a sample of 769 unrelated males from Nepal, using two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. The 26 loci gave a discriminating power of 0.997, with 59% unique haplotypes, and the highest frequency haplotype occurring 12 times. We identified novel alleles at four loci, microvariants at a further two, and nine examples of amelogenin-Y deletions (1.2%). Comparison with a similarly sized Bhutanese sample typed with the same markers suggested histories of isolation and drift, with drift having a greater effect in Bhutan. Extended (11-locus) haplotypes for the Nepalese samples have been submitted to the Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD).     

A dynamic Duverger’s law

Electoral systems promote strategic voting and affect party systems. Duverger (Les partis politiques, 1951) proposed that plurality rule leads to bi-partyism and proportional representation leads to multi-partyism. We show that in a dynamic setting, these static effects also lead to a higher option value for existing minor parties under plurality rule, so their incentive to exit the party system is mitigated by their future benefits from continued participation. The predictions of our model are consistent with multiple cross-sectional predictions on the comparative number of parties under plurality rule and proportional representation. In particular, there could be more parties under plurality rule than under proportional representation at any point in time. However, our model makes a unique time-series prediction: the number of parties under plurality rule should be less variable than under proportional representation. We provide extensive empirical evidence in support of these results.     

Resilience in Sexually Abused Women: Risk and Protective Factors

The goal of this study was to evaluate the contribution of family characteristics (family conflict and cohesion) and abuse characteristics (age at which abuse occurred, abuse severity, and relationship to perpetrator) to resilience (self-acceptance, ability to engage in positive relationships with others, and environmental mastery) in a sample of one hundred and 77 university women who had experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The respondents completed a questionnaire that focused on childhood experiences including family environment in childhood, characteristics of the abuse they had experienced in addition to degree of current resilience defined as their level of well-being (self-acceptance, ability to engage in positive relationships with others, and environmental mastery). The results indicated that family characteristics accounted for 13–22% of the variance in the well-being outcomes. In contrast, abuse characteristics accounted for 3% or less of the variance in the well-being outcomes. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Impacts of a law fostering training development: Lessons from Quebec's experience

Abstract: Since the 1980s, numerous studies in Canada have shown weaknesses in the level of involvement by firms in training and have thus raised the question of the role of public policy. In 1995, the Quebec government adopted a unique law in North America in this regard: An Act to Foster the Development of Manpower Training. The “1% Wage Bill Law” was intended to improve the qualifications, skills and performance of workers through training. This article investigates three impacts of this law: the level of investment by firms; the distributional aspect of the law in terms of its capacity to ensure a more equitable investment in training for the different categories of workers in firms; and, finally, the structural aspect in terms of establishing partnerships. From a theoretical perspective, the Quebec experience illustrates that, between the liberal approach and the institutionalist approach (market versus institutions), it is possible to observe a compromise being made by social actors with respect to the regulation process, which at the same time respects the decisional space of firms. Another observation relates to the complementary aspect of institutional forms in labour‐market regulation and to the fundamental role of unions in partnershipbuilding. Sommaire: Depuis les années 1980, de nombreuses etudes au Canada ont révélé un faible degré de participation des entreprises à la formation et ont ainsi soulevé la question du rôle de la politique gouvemementale. En 1995, le gouvemement du Québec a adoptéà cet égard une loi unique en son genre en Amérique du Nord: une Loi fauorisant le de'veloppement de la formation de la main‐d‘œuvre. La G loi du 1 % de la masse salariale “visait à améliorer les qualifications, les competences et la performance des travailleuses et travailleurs grâce 5 la formation. Le présent article examine trois impacts de cette loi: le niveau d'investissement des entreprises; l'aspect répartition de la loi en termes de sa capacitéà s' assurer que des investissements plus équitables soient consacrés à la formation pour différentes catégories de travailleuses et travailleurs dans les entreprises; et enfin, l'aspect structurel pour ce qui est de l’établissement de partenariats. D'un point de vue théorique, l'expérience du Québec illustre qu'entre l'approche libérale et l'approche institutionnelle (marché contre institutions), il est possible d'observer un compromis de la part des acteurs sociaux en ce qui concerne le processus de réglementation, qui respecte en même temps l'espace décisionnel des entreprises. Une autre observation porte sur l'aspect complémentaire des formes institutionnelles dans la réglementation du marché du travail et sur le rôle fondamental des syndicats dans l‘établissement de partenariats.     

iPLEDGE Allegiance to the Pill: Evaluation of Year 1 of a Birth Defect Prevention and Monitoring System

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with pharmaceutical manufacturers, have recently implemented a heavily revised risk-management program for patients on isotretinoin (Accutane), a drug with known and pronounced teratogenic effects. This revised risk management plan places significant burdens on both providers and patients in the hopes of achieving its goal of reducing fetal exposure to isotretinoin. The main focus of this paper is to discuss the burdens of various aspects of the program in relationship to potential corresponding benefits. In particular, we evaluate the pregnancy rates of women on isotretinoin therapy compared with that of the general population and the rate changes based on the risk management programs. Additionally, we investigate whether the benefits of the program for women have increased as the benefits have risen. We devote special attention to the ethical implications of the intent of the program and to an analysis of the ethical justification of the restrictions placed on women of childbearing potential (WCP) as it compares to the risk-benefit relationship of using isotretinoin.