Putting the Supplier in Housing Supply: An Overview of the Growth and Concentration of Large Homebuilders in the United States (1990–2007)

As housing production was ramping up in the 1990s and 2000s, some of the industry’s largest firms experienced remarkable growth primarily through mergers and acquisitions and the issuance of debt; the market share of the 10 largest firms tripled between 1995 and 2005. This article describes the role of financial firms in encouraging that growth and some of its consequences. Drawing on financial filings, news reports, investor analyses, and other relevant data, this article offers an overview of the relationship between homebuilders and investment firms, as well as a new explanation of the oversupply of housing in the 2000s. In doing so, this article seeks to bring attention to homebuilders as a missing feature in analyses of housing supply and housing markets, and proposes directions for future research.     

Development of a Real‐Time PCR‐Based Method for Analyzing Semen‐Specific Unmethylated DNA Regions and Methylation Status in Aged Body Fluid Stains

The detection of semen in forensic investigation is considered important evidence of sexual assault. In this study, we report the development of a real‐time polymerase chain reaction‐based method for identifying semen that can simply and rapidly analyze the semen‐specific unmethylated region of the DACT1 gene. Using two fluorescent probes designed for the methylated or unmethylated status, this method could perform quantitative analysis of the methylation status in this region. Furthermore, this method was used to analyze various body fluid samples, including 29‐year‐old semen and blood stains. The results showed that this method can detect almost exclusively semen or nonsemen signals even in highly decomposed samples, while a few semen or nonsemen samples showed slight signals of the other fluorescence probe. Although there is still a need for further analysis such as setting thresholds to analyze unknown samples, this method could be a useful supplementary tool for identifying semen, especially in old stains such as those in cold‐case investigations.     

Screening Test for Shed Skin Cells by Measuring the Ratio of Human DNA to Staphylococcus epidermidis DNA

A novel screening method for shed skin cells by detecting Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), which is a resident bacterium on skin, was developed. Staphylococcus epidermidis was detected using real‐time PCR. Staphylococcus epidermidis was detected in all 20 human skin surface samples. Although not present in blood and urine samples, S. epidermidis was detected in 6 of 20 saliva samples, and 5 of 18 semen samples. The ratio of human DNA to S. epidermidisDNA was significantly smaller in human skin surface samples than in saliva and semen samples in which S. epidermidis was detected. Therefore, although skin cells could not be identified by detecting only S. epidermidis, they could be distinguished by measuring the S. epidermidis to human DNA ratio. This method could be applied to casework touch samples, which suggests that it is useful for screening whether skin cells and human DNA are present on potential evidentiary touch samples.     

Application of mRNA Expression Analysis to Human Blood Identification in Degenerated Samples that were False‐negative by Immunochromatography,,

Forensic laboratories are often faced with cases in which methamphetamine hydrochloride‐mixed blood is unable to be identified as human blood by immunochromatography against human hemoglobin A0. The application of mRNA expression analysis to samples that showed a false‐negative with immunochromatography was investigated as an alternative approach that did not depend on the antigen–antibody reaction. Real‐time PCR was used to examine the expression levels of blood markers such as glycophorin A, spectrin beta, and hemoglobin beta. Hemoglobin beta was the only marker that was specifically detected in blood, while glycophorin A was useful for determining human specificity. Hemoglobin beta showed good detection sensitivity and was detectable in 37‐year‐old blood stains. Hemoglobin beta was exclusively detectable in methamphetamine hydrochloride‐mixed blood stains. Detergents and disinfectants did not significantly influence mRNA markers. The proposed mRNA expression analysis was suitable for human blood identification as an alternative method to immunochromatography.     

Cutaneous (tPA) and Skeletal (TnI) mRNA as Markers of Aging in Contused Wound

Wound age estimation is one of the most important forensic aspects. Troponin I (TnI) and many cytokines, for example, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), are involved in wound inflammation and healing. Skeletal (TnI) and cutaneous (tPA) mRNA was detected using real‐time PCR in 25 female albino rats. They were divided into 5 groups: control and 4 injured groups. Injured groups were sacrificed 1, 6, 24, and 30 h after inflicting contused wound. The expression levels of cutaneous (tPA) were decreased significantly at 1, 6, and 30 h after contusion (71.7%, 30.7 and 16.9%), while the expression levels of skeletal (TnI) were increased significantly at 1 and 6 h post‐traumatic, then they gradually decreased until reaching normal levels at 24 h and assumed significantly lower levels at 30 h postcontusion. These results suggested that the determination of cutaneous (tPA) and skeletal (TnI) mRNA levels was useful for wound age estimation.     

物权法定原则的法律适用——中国法律经验的总结与评析

物权法定原则要求物权的种类和内容均由法律明文规定,当事人不得私自创设,法官不得擅自造法,不动产登记机关也不得登记法律没有规定的物权。不过,物权法定具有封闭性,新权利因此可能被扼杀,而且,随着公示方法的变化、交易手段的复杂以及人们认识的深入,物权法定固有缺陷愈发明显,其立法基础也一再遭到质疑,稳固地位被动摇,物权自由也在实践中潜流暗生。     

论不动产适用善意取得制度的理论基础

在传统民法理论中,善意取得的适用范围仅限于动产。然而,对社会生活加以考察可以发现,由于各种原因所造成的登记权利与实际权利的不一致,对不动产善意取得制度的建立提出了现实要求。不动产善意取得制度是现代民法追求交易安全和促进经济发展的必然。不动产善意取得制度的现实基础是登记制度。公示公信原则是不动产善意取得制度的理论基础。     

也谈农村土地承包经营权的继承问题——兼与刘保玉教授商榷

土地承包经营权为用益物权,是农民应得的重要财产,家庭土地承包经营权也不具有人身专属性,可以成为遗产。土地承包经营权作为用益物权,具有流通性。完全放开家庭土地承包经营权的流转是改革的趋势,限制家庭土地承包经营权的流转和否认其可继承性不符合改革发展和保护农民权益的要求。规定林地承包经营权可以继承具有合理性,各类土地承包经营权应有同样的待遇,因此,应当确认土地承包经营权的可继承性,而不是禁止包括林地承包经营权在内的家庭土地承包经营权的继承。     

不动产占有人在交易中的权益保护

在不动产一物数卖的多重买卖纠纷中,如何评价不动产占有的法律效力,保护不动产占有人的合法权益,在学理上尚缺乏系统的考察。这既囿于传统物权债权的二分财产权体系思维的困境,又陷于占有、登记法定二元公示方式的窠臼,导致法官在处理该类案件时,常陷入法律适用的两难境地。实证考察当前我国不动产权属登记等现实状况,不动产登记制度仍存在缺乏公信力等问题。而考虑到司法实践已一定程度上认可不动产占有的法律效力,学理上应适度转变物权债权严格二分、占有登记严格二分的传统思维方式,确认不动产占有所包含的实体权益。在实践中强调以相对人知悉为中心的信赖保护,辅之以善意要件证明程序来构建不动产交易秩序。     

一房二卖的债法救济

"一房二卖"主要是指房屋所有人在与先买受人签订房屋买卖合同后,未进行登记前又与后买受人订立买卖合同并转移所有权的情形。在此种情况下,先买受人往往处于被动状态。从债法救济的角度出发,分析不动产一物数卖的多个买卖合同的效力、先买受人的撤销权、侵权损害赔偿请求以及违约损害赔偿等问题,通过相关法律分析以及法律完善和救济来实现各方利益的均衡。