Understanding the Relationship between Genetic Markers and Skeletal Remains: Implications for Forensic Anthropology and Phenotype-Genotype Studies

Human identification techniques have been a leading tool to hold perpetrators accountable, give families closure, and reconstruct faces on skulls. This project is a pilot study to critically examine three disciplines that fall under the human identification umbrella: forensic anthropology, forensic genetics, and forensic art. Current facial research in genetics focuses on data from living individuals where specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that influence specific regions of the face have been found. This study assesses the translation of these same regions to craniometric dimensions (inter-landmark distances) of the underlying skull itself. The goal of this project is to provide information regarding the correlation of craniometric measurements and SNPs, as well as encourage interdisciplinary work within the forensic sciences. We examined a selection of candidate SNPs currently identified in the literature to determine if there were correlations between inter-landmark distances and those SNPs within the same individual. A series of 98 craniometric landmarks were collected from 17 documented skulls from the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection using a 3D Microscribe digitizer. Criteria for inclusion in this study included European American ancestry, the presence of intact skulls, and presence of associated donor blood cards collected at the time of body donation. Using these blood samples, DNA from each individual was extracted, amplified, and sequenced through Next Generation Sequencing for the specific chosen SNPs. Afterward, bioinformatics tests were applied to observe the presence or absence of the major or minor alleles in the specific locations on the genome. After determining the presence or absence of an SNP (minor allele), a set of statistical tests were performed including: Spearman’s correlation between the craniometric measurements and the individual’s genetic data variables; two-way hierarchical clustering and Bootstrap Forest modelling between variables that demonstrated significant correlation; a principal component analysis was performed on the craniometric data (inter- landmark measurements) and genetic data (SNP presence/absence) in order to check the homogeneity of each data set; and finally, a pair-wise Procrustes analysis was completed on the correlation of the two data sets as different groups. The results indicate a correlation in various degrees between the targeted craniofacial regions and the targeted SNPs. There were 11 SNPs that showed significant correlation (p \u3c0.05). However, the correlations were not as expected and showed some interesting results. By group level there was no significant correlation, however, there was correlation at the individual level. While some SNPs affected the soft tissues only, others showed correlations with the skull (hard tissue), a finding that had not been previously known. By combining craniometric and DNA analyses to leverage genotype-phenotype associations, there is great potential to expand the discourse of current facial approximation and to, thereby, provide new investigative tools for human identification in forensic anthropology

Sufficient Conditions for Fast Switching Synchronization in Time Varying Network Topologies

In previous work, empirical evidence indicated that a time-varying network could propagate sufficient information to allow synchronization of the sometimes coupled oscillators, despite an instantaneously disconnected topology. We prove here that if the network of oscillators synchronizes for the static time-average of the topology, then the network will synchronize with the time-varying topology if the time-average is achieved sufficiently fast. Fast switching, fast on the time-scale of the coupled oscillators, overcomes the descychnronizing decoherence suggested by disconnected instantaneous networks. This result agrees in spirit with that of where empirical evidence suggested that a moving averaged graph Laplacian could be used in the master-stability function analysis. A new fast switching stability criterion here-in gives sufficiency of a fast-switching network leading to synchronization. Although this sufficient condition appears to be very conservative, it provides new insights about the requirements for synchronization when the network topology is time-varying. In particular, it can be shown that networks of oscillators can synchronize even if at every point in time the frozen-time network topology is insufficiently connected to achieve synchronization.Comment: Submitted to SIAD

Sawah Baru Landscape Identification for Agroedutourism Agriculture 4.0, A Community-Based Development Project

IPB University has adequate agricultural land facilities and infrastructure for education and research activities. It has the potential to be developed into an agricultural area 4.0 for agrotourism activities, one of which is in the landscape of the Babakan Education Garden or Farm Teaching Sawah Baru located in Babakan Village, Dramaga District, Bogor Regency. This study aims to identify the character of the Sawah Baru landscape for the development of community-based agricultural agrotourism 4.0. The analysis used in this study used direct observation of the field and the literature study method. The identification of several aspects in the field is carried out using drones to obtain aerial photos, which are then processed using software to produce orthophotos and continue to digitize the boundaries of the research location using spatial analyst tools. The stages of identifying new rice field landscapes for the development of community-based agricultural agrotourism 4.0 include several stages, namely the preparation and inventory stages. The results of the identification of several aspects consisting of landscape sustainability, potential tourist attraction and tourism-supporting potential show that in terms of landscape sustainability, the criteria of each existing aspect are excellent and suitable to be developed into tourist destinations. Regarding potential tourist destinations, the study area presents aspects that have the potential to attract visitors. Finally, regarding tourism-supporting potential, Sawah Baru has tourism-supporting aspects that are quite adequate to meet the needs of tourism activities. However, there is still a need to create additional facilities and utilities that can support user activity on the site. Keywords: agriculture 4.0, agroedutourism, community-based, Sawah Baru DOI: 10.7176/CER/15-1-06 Publication date: May 28th 202

Naturalisasi Transgender dalam Film Lovely Man

Film merupakan salah satu media massa yang digunakan untuk menyampaikan pesan dan ideologi ke masyarakat. Film merepresentasikan beberapa kejadian di dunia nyata.Film Lovely Man adalah film yang menggambarkan naturalisasi transgender.Kehidupan transgender sama seperti kehidupan masyarakat dominan, tidak ada yang berbeda. Heteronormativitas tidak memberikan ruang gerak yang bebas bagi gender lain selain dua gender dominan, yakni laki-laki dan perempuan. Terdapat 26 leksia dalam penelitian ini, dari leksia dipilih berdasarkan tujuan penelitian.Tujuan penelitian ini adalah bagaimana teks film Lovely Man dalam melakukan naturalisasi transgender dan mengetahui nilai-nilai dalam kultur dominan (heteronormatif) dalam film Lovely Man.Pada penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan analisis semiotika Roland Barthes secara sintagmatik dan paradigmatik. Pada analisis paradigmatik menggunakan lima kode pokok pembacaan teks dari Roland Barthes. Naturalisasi dapat dilihat melalui makna sintagmatik dan paradigmatik dengan menunjukkan bahwa tokoh waria dalam film ini juga memiliki relasi hubungan keluarga yang normal sama seperti keluarga heteroseksual lain. Mitos dan ideologi membangun dan menaturalkan intepretasi tertentu secara khas dan historis dengan menunjukkan ikatan emosional antara ayah dan anak, panggilan orang tua “bapak” dan hubungan antara ayah dan anak. Panggilan “bapak” menunjukkan pada film ini ingin meleburkan status seorang bapak tidak hanya dilihat dari sisi biologisnya saja, tapi dilihat dari perannya sebagai seorang ayah. Namun disisi lain, film ini tidak bisa lepas dari heteronormativity yang ada. Waria masih terbelenggu dalam gender yang mereka yakini yakni transgender, namun dalam perannya sebagai pekerja seksual waria harus berperan sebagai peran feminin. Merubah bentuk tubuh dengan melakukan operasi plastik dengan menunjukkan adanya peran laki-laki dan wanita salah satu bentuk dalam teks film yang tidak bisa melepaskan heteronormativity

Nano-porosity in GaSb induced by swift heavy ion irradiation

Nano-porous structures form in GaSb after ion irradiation with 185 MeV Au ions. The porous layer formation is governed by the dominant electronic energy loss at this energy regime. The porous layer morphology differs significantly from that previously reported for low-energy, ion-irradiated GaSb. Prior to the onset of porosity, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy indicates the formation of small vacancy clusters in single ion impacts, while transmission electron microscopy reveals fragmentation of the GaSb into nanocrystallites embedded in an amorphous matrix. Following this fragmentation process, macroscopic porosity forms, presumably within the amorphous phase.The authors thank the Australian Research Council for support and the staff at the ANU Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility for their continued technical assistance. R.C.E. acknowledges the support from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. DOE (Grant No. DE-FG02-97ER45656)

PERENCANAAN LANSKAP WISATA PANTAI TANJUNG BARU BERBASIS ECO-LANDFORM

ABSTRACTBeach landform is geographically formed by sand and located in sea shore. Land use change of mangrove forest into embankment and the development of tourism in Tan-jung Baru Beach has lead to the occurrence of enviromental degradation in this area. This research was aimed to identify and analyze bio-physical condition, and also to propose landscape planning concept and development toward the ecologycal landform based tourism planning. The method used in this research refers to ecological approach with the planning stages by Gold (1980). That method consists of preparation, inven-tory, analysis, synthesis, and landscape planning. Descriptive and spatial analyze were used to determine the quality ecology and tourism aspects. Spatial analysis of these aspects is use to determine the quality of ecology and tourism area of Tanjung Baru Beach. The result of this research shows that there are 4 quality categories of ecology aspect which are worst, less, rare, and good. The tourism aspect found that the category is the same as in ecology aspect. The proposed recommendation is focused on conservation and rehabilition of mangrove forest as ecological based tourism planning.Keywords: Ecology, Landform, Beach, Tourism, Landscape Plannin

Excitatory neurotransmitters in brain regions in interictal migraine patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To examine biochemical differences in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula during the interictal phase of migraine patients. We hypothesized that there may be differences in levels of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters and/or their derivatives in migraine group based on their increased sensitivity to pain.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>2D <it>J</it>-resolved proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) data were acquired at 4.0 Tesla (T) from the ACC and insula in 10 migraine patients (7 women, 3 men, age 43 ± 11 years) and 8 age gender matched controls (7 women, 3 men, age 41 ± 9 years).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Standard statistical analyses including analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant metabolite differences between the two subject cohorts in the ACC nor the insula. However, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) introduced a clear separation between subject cohorts based on N-acetyl aspartylglutamate (NAAG) and glutamine (Gln) in the ACC and insula.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results are consistent with glutamatergic abnormalities in the ACC and insula in migraine patients during their interictal period compared to healthy controls. An alteration in excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters and their derivatives may be a contributing factor for migraineurs for a decrease in sensitivity for migraine or a consequence of the chronic migraine state. Such findings, if extrapolated to other regions of the brain would offer new opportunities to modulate central system as interictal or preemptive medications in these patients.</p

Latent ion tracks in amorphous silicon

We present experimental evidence for the formation of ion tracks in amorphous Si induced by swift heavy-ion irradiation. An underlying core-shell structure consistent with remnants of a high-density liquid structure was revealed by small-angle x-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations. Ion track dimensions differ for as-implanted and relaxed Si as attributed to differentmicrostructures andmelting temperatures. The identification and characterization of ion tracks in amorphous Si yields new insight into mechanisms of damage formation due to swift heavy-ion irradiation in amorphous semiconductors

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase knockdown leads to lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells through the SIRT1-AMPK pathway

Objective: Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), which is responsible for biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), has a regulatory role in cellular metabolism and thus, might be implicated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to show how NAMPT down-regulation in liver cells influences lipid metabolism and sirtiun 1 (SIRT1), as the main NAD-dependent deacetylase enzyme. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, HepG2 cells were transfected with NAMPT siRNA and hepatic triglyceride (TG) content and SIRT1 deacetylase activity were measured by colorimetric and fluorometric methods, respectively. Gene expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP- 1c) was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Total protein level and the phosphorylated form of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were also investigated by western blotting. Results: Knockdown of NAMPT significantly promoted the accumulation of TG in HepG2 cells, accompanied by a remarkable decline in SIRT1 deacetylase activity. A significant rise in the gene expression of two key lipogenic factors, FAS and SREBP-1c was also observed. These effects were also accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of ACC and AMPK. On the other hand, treatment of transfected cells with either NAD, as the SIRT1 substrate or resveratrol, as the SIRT1 activator reversed the outcomes. Conclusion: These results demonstrated a protective role for NAMPT against NAFLD and its involvement in the regulation of de novo lipogenesis through the SIRT1/AMPK pathway. © 2020 Royan Institute (ACECR). All rights reserved