DNA-Profiling and information technology:A new weapon for crime detection and prevention?

Since DNA-profiling involves complicated micro-biological issues, it is imperative to have an understanding of what DNA is and how the DNA-profiling is conducted. Therefore, in the first part the author will very briefly explain what DNA is and how the DNA-profiling is performed. In the second part, the issue is discussed whether the DNAprofiling can be a new wonder weapon for crime prevention and detection in general. For this purpose author outlines the legal status of DNA- profiling in various countries. Thereafter, the impact that DNA-profiling can and will have in conjunction with information technology on crime prevention and privacy rights will be analyzed. At the end the article will give an outlook to future developments and some critical remarks about DNA-profiling in general This article was previously published in European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice 1994,issue 4, pp. 359-37

Guaranteeing the independence of the judges of a Multilateral Investment Court: A must for building the Court’s credibility

Any future Multilateral Investment Court’s independence and impartiality must be guaranteed. If it does not live up to the standards of independence expected of a modern international court, there is little point in contemplating this reform as it is unlikely to remedy the criticisms leveled at the investment arbitration regime

Molecular patterns of sex determination in the animal kingdom: a comparative study of the biology of reproduction

Determining sexual fate is an integral part of reproduction, used as a means to enrich the genome. A variety of such regulatory mechanisms have been described so far and some of the more extensively studied ones are being discussed. For the insect order of Hymenoptera, the choice lies between uniparental haploid males and biparental diploid females, originating from unfertilized and fertilized eggs accordingly. This mechanism is also known as single-locus complementary sex determination (slCSD). On the other hand, for Dipterans and Drosophila melanogaster, sex is determined by the ratio of X chromosomes to autosomes and the sex switching gene, sxl. Another model organism whose sex depends on the X:A ratio, Caenorhabditis elegans, has furthermore to provide for the brief period of spermatogenesis in hermaphrodites (XX) without the benefit of the "male" genes of the sex determination pathway. Many reptiles have no discernible sex determining genes. Their sexual fate is determined by the temperature of the environment during the thermosensitive period (TSP) of incubation, which regulates aromatase activity. Variable patterns of sex determination apply in fish and amphibians. In birds, while sex chromosomes do exist, females are the heterogametic (ZW) and males the homogametic sex (ZZ). However, we have yet to decipher which of the two (Z or W) is responsible for the choice between males and females. In mammals, sex determination is based on the presence of two identical (XX) or distinct (XY) gonosomes. This is believed to be the result of a lengthy evolutionary process, emerging from a common ancestral autosomal pair. Indeed, X and Y present different levels of homology in various mammals, supporting the argument of a gradual structural differentiation starting around the SRY region. The latter initiates a gene cascade that results in the formation of a male. Regulation of sex steroid production is also a major result of these genetic interactions. Similar observations have been described not only in mammals, but also in other vertebrates, emphasizing the need for further study of both normal hormonal regulators of sexual phenotype and patterns of epigenetic/environmental disruption

Theoretical and applied issues on the impact of information on musical creativity: an information seeking behaviour perspective.

This century is an era of information and knowledge intensification. Novel information systems and services are developing through modern online information technologies. The rapid changes in the online information environment have greatly affected the way in which individuals search for music information and engage with musical creativity, within different music domains and for different purposes which involve composition, performance and improvisation, analysis and listening. The aim of this book chapter is to investigate the theoretical and practical issues relating to the impact of music information on musical creativity from an information seeking behavior perspective. Musical creativity is perceived as an intentional process which acts as a motivator for information seeking, leading to the utilization of different information resources and to the development of specific information seeking preferences. The chapter highlights the implications for research in this area and presents a research agenda for the interrelation between music information seeking and musical creativity

Sex determination strategies in 2012: towards a common regulatory model?

Sex determination is a complicated process involving large-scale modifications in gene expression affecting virtually every tissue in the body. Although the evolutionary origin of sex remains controversial, there is little doubt that it has developed as a process of optimizing metabolic control, as well as developmental and reproductive functions within a given setting of limited resources and environmental pressure. Evidence from various model organisms supports the view that sex determination may occur as a result of direct environmental induction or genetic regulation. The first process has been well documented in reptiles and fish, while the second is the classic case for avian species and mammals. Both of the latter have developed a variety of sex-specific/sex-related genes, which ultimately form a complete chromosome pair (sex chromosomes/gonosomes). Interestingly, combinations of environmental and genetic mechanisms have been described among different classes of animals, thus rendering the possibility of a unidirectional continuous evolutionary process from the one type of mechanism to the other unlikely. On the other hand, common elements appear throughout the animal kingdom, with regard to a) conserved key genes and b) a central role of sex steroid control as a prerequisite for ultimately normal sex differentiation. Studies in invertebrates also indicate a role of epigenetic chromatin modification, particularly with regard to alternative splicing options. This review summarizes current evidence from research in this hot field and signifies the need for further study of both normal hormonal regulators of sexual phenotype and patterns of environmental disruption

Discriminating Between the Roles of Androgens and Estrogens in Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease shows a distinct difference in incidence rates between men and women, a fact that has been known for many years. While initial theories supported that this could be attributed to the protective effect of estrogens in women, attempts to correlate endogenous estrogen levels with cardiovascular risk factors and the progression of atherosclerosis-related indexes indicate otherwise. Similarly, endogenous androgen levels seem to correlate with opposite effects in males and females, whereas exogenous treatment with either androgens or estrogens fails to correspond to scientific expectations entirely. A brief discussion of the merits and pitfalls of placing either estrogens or androgens alone at the root of the problem shows that current understanding is inadequate concerning this major anthropological issue, as it refers to the primary global mortality and morbidity cause