A Study of the Molecular Basis of Microvariants at the FGA and D21S11 Loci Used in Forensic DNA Testing

Microvariant alleles, defined as alleles that contain an incomplete repeat unit, often complicate the process of DNA analysis. Understanding the molecular basis of microvariants would help to catalogue results and improve upon the analytical process involved in DNA testing. The first step is to determine the sequence/cause of a microvariant. This was done by sequencing samples that were determined to have a microvariant at the FGA or D21S11 loci. The results indicate that a .2 microvariant at the D21S11 locus is caused by a -TA- dinucleotide partial repeat before the last full TCTA repeat. The .2 microvariant at the FGA locus is caused by a -TT- dinucleotide partial repeat after the fifth full repeat and before the variable CTTT repeat motif. There are several possibilities for the reason the .2 microvariants are all the same at a locus, each of which carry implications on the forensic community. The first possibility is that the microvariants are identical by descent, which means that the microvariant is an old allele that has been passed down through the generations. The second possibility is that the microvariants are identical by state, which would mean that there is a mechanism selecting for these microvariants. Future research studying the flanking regions of these microvariants is proposed to determine which of these possibilities is the actual cause and to learn more about the molecular basis of microvariants.

Mortgage Lending in Chicago and Los Angeles: A Paired Testing Study of the Pre-Application Process

This paper analyzes data from a recently completed study of discrimination against African-American and Hispanic homebuyers when they visit mortgage lending institutions in two major metropolitan markets to make pre-application inquiries. It represents the first application of paired testing to rigorously measure discrimination in the mortgage lending process. The paired tests isolated significant levels of differential treatment on the basis of race and ethnicity in Chicago with African Americans and Hispanics receiving less information and assistance than comparable whites. Adverse treatment of African-Americans and Hispanics is also observed in Los Angeles for specific treatments, but the overall pattern of treatment observed did not differ statistically from equal treatment. Multivariate analyses for Chicago indicate that large lenders treat minorities more favorably than small lenders and that lenders with substantial numbers of applications from African-Americans treat African Americans more favorably than lenders with predominantly white application pools.

Other Things Being Equal: A Paired Testing Study of Discrimination in Mortgage Lending

This article summarizes a recently completed study, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by the Urban Institute, of discrimination against black and Hispanic homebuyers when they visit mortgage lending institutions in two major metropolitan markets to make pre-application inquiries. It represents the first application of paired testing to rigorously measure discrimination in the mortgage lending process. The paired tests disclosed significant levels of adverse treatment on the basis of race and ethnicity, with African Americans and Hispanics receiving less information and assistance than comparable whites, even at this very early stage in the application process.