Characterization of the N+3 stutter product in the trinucleotide repeat locus DYS392

Stutter products generated during DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may complicate mixture interpretation. The PCR amplification of the DYS392 locus typically results in three distinct detectable PCR products: the true allele product (N), a stutter product three bases smaller (N-3), and a reproducible low-level product, three bases larger (N+3). Sequence analysis of the N+3 product demonstrated that its sequence is one TAT repeat longer than the true allele product. Our experiments demonstrated that the quantity of both N-3 and N+3 stutter increased as the allele number increased. The percent stutter also increased as the magnesium concentration was increased in the reaction, as well as when the amount of input DNA was decreased. As both stutter products behave in a similar and reproducible fashion, the same rules that apply to the interpretation of N-3 stutter products in short tandem repeat analysis, can be applied to N+3 stutters. The characterization of the DYS392 N+3 product is the first detailed published study of a stutter product larger than the true allele.     

Heat Waves,Droughts, and Preferences for Environmental Policy

Using data from a new household survey on environmental attitudes, behaviors, and policy preferences, we find that current weather conditions affect preferences for environmental regulation. Individuals who have recently experienced extreme weather (heat waves or droughts) are more likely to support laws to protect the environment. We find evidence that the channel through which weather conditions affect policy preference is via perceptions of the importance of the issue of global warming. Furthermore, environmentalists and individuals who consult more sources of news are less likely to have their attitudes toward global warming changed by current weather conditions. These findings suggest that communication and education emphasizing consequences of climate change salient to the individual's circumstances may be the most effective in changing attitudes of those least likely to support proenvironment policy. In addition, the timing of policy introduction could influence its success.     

Brazil��s growth performance: a comparative perspective to the Asian giants

We compare economic efficiencies in Brazil, India, and China, where economic efficiency measures the gap between potential and actual output for a given input combination and technological factor. We use stochastic production frontier models to measure the contributions of factors of production and technology to growth and estimate non-positive error terms that capture production inefficiencies in each country. The results suggest that China and India had relatively inefficient production in the early 1980s but have since improved production efficiency substantially. In the same period, production efficiency in Brazil has lagged those of China and India. The gap between Brazil??s production efficiency and those of its Asian peers has narrowed in recent years. However, production remains more efficient in China and India, supporting more rapid growth in these countries relative to Brazil.     

Common mitochondrial DNA deletion associated with sudden natural death in adults

One of the most frequent causes of death in developed countries is sudden natural death (SND), which is the most common indication for medico-legal autopsies. Cardiac diseases are frequently detected among SND. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is easily damaged by reactive oxygen species, and it may cause dysfunction in tissues, leading to early events in cardiovascular disease. A specific mtDNA deletion of 4977 bp is associated to aging, myocardial dysfunction, and bioenergetic deficit. The potential link between mtDNA damage and SND has not been investigated before. Our aim was to evaluate the accumulation of the common mtDNA4977-deletion in cardiac muscle samples from autopsies of SND in adults (n = 14) in comparison to control samples from unnatural deaths (n = 12). Serial dilution-polymerase chain reaction method was performed to estimate the proportion of the total mtDNA harboring the mtDNA4977-deletion. Coefficient variation intra-assay was 8%, and inter-assay was 12%. MtDNA4977-deletion percentage was higher in samples obtained from victims of SND than in those from subjects who died of unnatural causes (p < 0.05). No differences in mtDNA4977-deletion were found between SND victims 39-51 years old, and no correlation was found between these samples and age, r = 0.30, p = 0.29 while it was significant among control samples, r = 0.68, p < 0.05. The association between mtDNA4977 deletion with SND victims might offer a tool to provide additional information to clarify complex SND investigations.     

To Marry or Not to Marry: Tax Is the Question

In this article, we estimate the impact of the Spanish personal income tax, and other variables, on the decision to marry, with the study covering the period 1979 to 2001. There are three aspects that characterize this article: first, it is the first time this topic has been examined in Spain; second, we take into account the whole duration of the marriage when constructing the tax variables, not only the year of marriage; and third, we include the cost of housing among the explanatory variables, because this can play an important and statistically significant role in the marriage decision in Spain.     

Justice institutions in autocracies: a framework for analysis

What role do justice institutions play in autocracies? We bring together the literatures on authoritarian political institutions and on judicial politics to create a framework to answer this question. We start from the premise that autocrats use justice institutions to deal with the fundamental problems of control and power-sharing. Unpacking “justice institutions” we argue that prosecutors and ordinary courts can serve, respectively, as “top-down” and “bottom-up” monitoring and information-gathering mechanisms helping the dictator in the choice between repression and cooptation. We also argue that representation in the Supreme Court and special jurisdictions enables the dictator and his ruling coalition to solve intra-elite conflicts facilitating coordination. We provide several examples from Mexico under the hegemonic system of the PRI and of Spain under Francisco Franco, as well as punctual illustrations from other countries around the world. We conclude by reflecting on some of the potential consequences of this usage of justice institutions under autocracy for democratization.