DNA Typing Not Only Has Reactive Forensic Application But Also Plays A Proactive Investigation Role

Abstract Nowadays DNA typing is an indispensable tool in criminal investigations. However, most of its forensic applications are of the nature of reactive response. We report a particular maternity testing case, in which DNA typing played a proactive investigation role, leading to resolution of the case. Four commercial STR kits and mitochondrial DNA sequence in D-loop were alleged mother and the baby, however, both having identical mitochondrial DNA sequence. With the two pieces of information, we judged that the biological mother should be a full sister of the alleged mother, and then actively told the police department. typing can also exhibit a proactive investigation function. DNA specialists and detectives could have different perceptions on typing results, so institutionalization of a communication line between the both might be important for solving crime cases

The distribution of mitochondrial D-loop sequence variations in Taiwan populations

Abstract DNA polymorphisms within the mitochondrial D-loop are used commonly in forensic science for the purpose of human identification and genetic linkage. When using mitochondrial loci it is necessary to evaluate data based on variation within the population. We report on polymorphisms within the D-loop based on 363 members of the Taiwanese aboriginal population. A DNA fragment of approximately 980 bp was used for the analysis resulting in a total of 229 haplotypes, all of which were different from the rCRS. Within the total haplotypes there were 211 haplotypes that were specific to one of the nine tribes that comprise the Taiwanese aboriginal population with the remaining 18 haplotypes common between members of at least two tribes. Comparison of the sequence variations for the aboriginal and Taiwan Han populations, the specific haplotypes were 227 in 229 haplotypes and 144 in 146 haplotypes for the aboriginal population (363 samples) and Taiwan Han population (155 samples) respectively. Only 2 haplotypes were shared between these two populations cohabiting on the island of Taiwan. It inferred the maternal genetic homogeneity and, however, the genetic diversity for the aboriginal population. Comparison of these data to other population studies showed the greatest genetic distance between the UK population and the Saisiyat tribe (0.26219). The data indicate that the nine aboriginal tribes have distinct genetic origins compared to recent immigrations onto Taiwan and illustrate how inter-tribal variation occurs within a small isolated island population

Optimisation of CH4 and CO2 conversion and selectivity of H2 and CO for the dry reforming of methane by a microwave plasma technique using a Box–Behnken design

A microwave plasma was generated by N2 gas. Synthesis gases (H2 and CO) were produced by the interaction of CH4 and CO2 under plasma conditions at atmospheric pressure. The experimental pilot plant was set up, and the gases were sampled and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The Box–Behnken design (BBD) method was used to find the optimising conditions based on the experimental results. The response surface methodology based on a three-parameter and three-level BBD has been developed to find the effects of independent process parameters, which were represented by the gas flow rates of CH4, CO2, and N2 and their effects on the process performance in terms of CH4, CO2, and N2 conversion and selectivity of H2 and CO. In this work, four models based on quadratic polynomial regression have been determined to understand the connection between the limits of the feed gas flow rate and the performance of the process. The results show that the most important factor influencing the CO2, CH4, and N2 conversion and the selectivity of H2 and CO was “CO2 feed gas flow rate.” At the maximum desirable value of 0.92, the optimum CH4, CO2, and N2 conversion were 84.91%, 44.40%, and 3.37%, respectively, and the selectivities of H2 and CO were 51.31% and 61.17%, respectively. This was achieved at a gas feed flow rate of 0.19, 0.38, and 1.49 L min-1 for CH4, CO2, and N2, respectively

Proposed minimal standards for the use of genome data for the taxonomy of prokaryotes

Advancement of DNA sequencing technology allows the routine use of genome sequences in the various fields of microbiology. The information held in genome sequences proved to provide objective and reliable means in the taxonomy of prokaryotes. Here, we describe the minimal standards for the quality of genome sequences and how they can be applied for taxonomic purposes

An Ethical Analysis of Contemporary Healthcare Practices and Issues

The purpose of this analysis is to examine specific segments of healthcare policy and practice, applying various ethical perspectives. We examine the economic and political influences that surround ethical behavior in health services, as well as how practitioners, patients, and families respond and act as a result of such influences. We then delve into the fundamental principles that guide ethical behavior by medical practitioners, including the Hippocratic Oath and vows of medical professionalism. Further, we analyze disparities in healthcare provisions based on gender, race, and ethnicity. Ethical theory is weaved into each of these sections, as the philosophical and ethical writings of prominent scholars illuminate how the conditions of contemporary healthcare administration are affected by the injustices and political influences that pervade the entire health services industry

Collider signals from slow decays in supersymmetric models with an intermediate-scale solution to the mu problem

The problem of the origin of the mu parameter in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model can be solved by introducing singlet supermultiplets with non-renormalizable couplings to the ordinary Higgs supermultiplets. The Peccei-Quinn symmetry is broken at a scale which is the geometric mean between the weak scale and the Planck scale, yielding a mu term of the right order of magnitude and an invisible axion. These models also predict one or more singlet fermions which have electroweak-scale masses and suppressed couplings to MSSM states. I consider the case that such a singlet fermion, containing the axino as an admixture, is the lightest supersymmetric particle. I work out the relevant couplings in several of the simplest models of this type, and compute the partial decay widths of the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle involving leptons or jets. Although these decays will have an average proper decay length which is most likely much larger than a typical collider detector, they can occasionally occur within the detector, providing a striking signal. With a large sample of supersymmetric events, there will be an opportunity to observe these decays, and so gain direct information about physics at very high energy scales.Comment: 24 pages, LaTeX, 4 figure

Finite element and experimental analyses of closure and contact bonding of pores during hot rolling of steel

The closure and contact bonding behavior of internal pores in steel slabs during hot rolling was studied using experiments and the finite element method (FEM). Effects of pore size and shape were investigated, and three different cases of pore closure results were observed: no closure, partial closure, and full closure. The FEM results well reproduced various closure events. Bonding strengths of unsuccessfully closed pores, measured by tensile tests, showed critical effects. Also, there was a difference in bonding strengths of several fully closed pores. Fracture surfaces showed that welded regions could be divided into three (not, partially, and perfectly) welded regions. The pressure-time curves obtained from the FEM results indicate that pore surface contact time and deformed surface length are important parameters in pore welding. Pore size, pore shape, time of pressure contact, and deformed surface length should be considered to completely eliminate pores in final products.ope

Fermionic partner of Quintessence field as candidate for dark matter

Quintessence is a possible candidate for dark energy. In this paper we study the phenomenologies of the fermionic partner of Quintessence, the Quintessino. Our results show that, for suitable choices of the model parameters, the Quintessino is a good candidate for cold or warm dark matter. In our scenario, dark energy and dark matter of the Universe are connected in one chiral superfield.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, version to appear in PR

Axion Radiation from Strings

This paper revisits the problem of the string decay contribution to the axion cosmological energy density. We show that this contribution is proportional to the average relative increase when axion strings decay of a certain quantity $N_{\rm ax}$ which we define. We carry out numerical simulations of the evolution and decay of circular and non-circular string loops, of bent strings with ends held fixed, and of vortex-antivortex pairs in two dimensions. In the case of string loops and of vortex-antivortex pairs, $N_{\rm ax}$ decreases by approximately 20%. In the case of bent strings, $N_{\rm ax}$ remains constant or increases slightly. Our results imply that the string decay contribution to the axion energy density is of the same order of magnitude as the well-understood contribution from vacuum realignment.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figure

Same-sign W pair production as a probe of double parton scattering at the LHC

We study the production of same-sign W boson pairs at the LHC in double parton interactions. Compared with simple factorised double parton distributions (dPDFs), we show that the recently developed dPDFs, GS09, lead to non-trivial kinematic correlations between the W bosons. A numerical study of the prospects for observing this process using same-sign dilepton signatures, including same-sign WWjj, di-boson and heavy flavour backgrounds, at 14 TeV centre-of-mass energy is then performed. It is shown that a small excess of same-sign dilepton events from double parton scattering over a background dominated by single scattering WZ(gamma*) production could be observed at the LHC.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures. Added references, slight changes in the text