Utilising antigen-antibody complexes for the immunomagnetic enrichment of spermatozoa from sexual assault intimate swabs

Sexual assault is prevalent within today’s society with 18% of women reporting sexual assault within their lifetime (1). Physical evidence collected from a forensic examination may include an intimate swab. The standard method used for sperm isolation is differential lysis however, the high abundance of vaginal epithelial cells on vaginal sexual assault swabs complicates the protocol. This factor results in mixed DNA profiles with an overabundance of female DNA present in an autosomal STR profile. Mixed STR profiles make it difficult to interpret the male DNA profile and therefore cannot always be used in court to identify a perpetrator. An antibody-based method for spermatozoa extraction using antibody conjugated immunomagnetic beads to select for sperm could be used as a method of enrichment, producing a higher yield of recovered male DNA. To achieve this, sperm-specific antibodies are needed to selectively bind to the sperm when in an epithelial/sperm cell mixture. This study aimed to identify the capability of 3 antibodies, α-SPAM1, α-SPACA1, and α-ZPBP with a secondary antibody Goat α-Rabbit IgG (H+L) Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor Plus 488 through flow cytometry. Canto™ II CA flow cytometer was used for the visualisation of sperm/vaginal epithelial cell cross-reactivity with the antibodies to determine the cell sensitivity and selectivity. Optimisation of the flow cytometry protocol was undertaken for both the epithelial and sperm cells. The antibodies had >20% cross-reactivity to the sperm cells and >30% to the vaginal epithelial cells however, the epithelial cells had a higher autofluorescence than expected with >30% positive unstained epithelial cells

Migration in a segmented labour market

Embedded in the “dual labour market” theory which focuses on the role of structural characteristics of national labour markets in determining the demand for foreign labour force, this report intends to contribute to the debate on drivers of the demand for foreign labour force and on mechanisms of labour market integration of immigrants in host countries. In specific, the report aims to assess whether in segmented labour markets foreign workforce has higher probability of being allocated on specific segments, and associated jobs, than natives. The analysis was carried out in reference to the EU-15 area (AT, BE, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GR, IE, IT, LU, NL, PT, SE, and UK) using the 2015 EU LFS data. The results identified three distinct segments on the EU labour market describing the coexistence of “good” jobs on one side and “bad” jobs on another. In such labour market structure, the estimates show that immigrants have higher probability than natives of being employed in “bad” jobs, although the immigrants-natives gap varies significantly among MS. These estimates are confirmed even when the sample is limited to more recent immigration waves.JRC.E.6-Demography, Migration and Governanc

An atypical case of trigeminal trophic syndrome: a legal medicine perspective in medical responsibility

BACKGROUND: Trigeminal trophic syndrome is a rare complication of peripheral or central damage to the trigeminal nerve characterized by anesthesia, paresthesia and a secondary persistent facial ulceration. METHODS: We describe the case of a 40-year-old woman with previous history of Le Fort I osteotomy for a class III malocclusion who developed trigeminal trophic syndrome. Atypically, the cutaneous symptoms appeared bilaterally and 8 years after surgery. RESULTS: Differential diagnosis was based on clinical history, tissue biopsy and serologic evaluation. Atypical findings could be linked to the surgical burdens of Le Fort I osteotomy, a procedure characterized by a bilateral incision on the maxillofacial bones with a reasonable probability of causing a bilateral injury of the peripheral branches of the trigeminal nerve. CONCLUSION: Although the long delay between trigeminal trophic syndrome onset and surgery and the absence of adequate medical evidence cannot confirm a link with previous surgery in this case, the increasing number of maxillofacial surgery cases suggests that this complication may be more frequent in the next decades, and thus, involved specialists should be aware of this condition as a possible complication of maxillofacial surgery procedures

The Shield 1937

Murray State Teachers College Yearbook, 1937https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/yearbooks/1012/thumbnail.jp

Patterns of immigrants’ integration in European labour markets

This report looks at employment rates of immigrants and systematically compares them with employment rates of natives. The first finding is that employment gaps vary substantially across Member States, and that for some these gaps are persistent in the period considered (2008-2015). In addition, there is little evidence of overall convergence between Member States in the reduction of these gaps over this period. Having looked at the trends in employment rates since 2008, this report then turns to the likely reasons for the gaps. By drawing on the academic and policy literature, it singles out some of the most likely determinants of these gaps and unpacks them according to their relationships with length of residency, country of origin, education, and skills. Finally, the last section provides a brief overview of the evolution of these gaps in the context of Member States’ active labour market policies. The last section outlines the main findings.JRC.E.6-Demography, Migration and Governanc

Migrant workers and the digital transformation in the EU

The aim of this report is to provide insights on the implications that structural changes in the labour market related to the Digital Transformation (DT) could have on the integration of EU mobile citizens and third country nationals working in the EU. A comprehensive analysis of the changing nature of the EU labour markets and the effects of DT is provided in the upcoming European Commission’s 2018 Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) review. Building upon these general findings, this report contributes to the debate from a migration-specific point of view by providing evidence on the extent to which migrants are employed in occupations that are potentially prone to automation and therefore may disappear in future. The analysis is based on data drawn from EU LFS 2015-2016 and PIAAC 2012 surveys. The results show that: • Third country nationals tend to be more concentrated in occupations characterized by high routine intensity and thus more prone to automation (e.g. elementary occupations), followed by EU mobile citizens and by natives. • Both EU mobile citizens and third country nationals have a higher likelihood of being employed in jobs with high automation potential than nationals, even when socio-demographic characteristics are taken into account. However, the likelihood decreases as educational attainment increases, for all but more so for migrants. • Major differences between EU mobile citizens and third country nationals appear when considering their length of residence. The results show that among EU mobile citizens, recent migrants have higher odds of being employed in a job with high automation potential compared to long-term migrants. On the contrary, in the case of third country nationals, long term migrants report higher odds of working in a job with high automation potential than recent migrants. • Both EU mobile citizens and third country nationals are less likely to receive professional training in comparison to nationals. This lower investment in the human capital of migrants can hamper migrants’ opportunities to transition to other jobs once they would lose their jobs due to the DT. • Both EU mobile citizens and third country nationals are more likely to be on fixed-term contracts with a shorter horizon compared to natives, with risk of non-renewal of contract in case of economic and technological shocks. • In summary, the vulnerability of migrants in the labour market is furthermore reinforced by the fact that they tend to be concentrated in jobs with high automation potential which, in turn, are associated to lower training and more widespread use of fixed-term contracts.JRC.E.6-Demography, Migration and Governanc

Dissipation of Motor Sleep Inertia and Motor Wake Inertia in Early Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

While previous studies have described the time course of the dissipation of motor sleep inertia (around 70 min after wake-up time) and motor wake inertia (around 20 min after bedtime) in healthy controls (HCs), the corresponding knowledge for persons with early relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is lacking. To fill in this knowledge gap, we carried out a secondary analysis of previously collected data in 35 persons (24 females; mean age = 31.51 ± 7.74 years) with early relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and 35 (24 females; mean age = 31.29 ± 8.02) healthy controls (HCs). Each participant wore an actigraphic Micro MotionloggerWatch (Ambulatory Monitoring, Ardlsey, NY, USA) for seven consecutive days. The Functional Linear Modeling statistical framework was adopted to compare the dissipation of motor sleep inertia as well as motor wake inertia between RRMS and HC. As regards motor sleep inertia, no significant differences in motor activity were observed in the first 70 min after the wake-up time; however, with reference to motor wake inertia, the motor activity of RRMS persons was significantly higher than HCs in approximately the first 30 min after bedtime. Despite the small sample size, this pattern of results suggests that the dissipation of motor wake inertia is only slower in persons with RRMS as opposed to HCs

Circadian Activity Rhythm in Early Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

While relapsing-remitting is the most prevalent course of multiple sclerosis, the prognostic/predictive markers of the worsening of symptomatology are still debated. With reference to other diseases, the study of the circadian activity rhythm, according to the theoretical framework of the two-process model of sleep regulation and applying functional linear modeling, proved to be useful to identify a possible marker. The usefulness of the study of circadian activity rhythm in multiple sclerosis is strengthened by recent findings indicating a potential involvement of circadian factors in the multifactorial etiopathology of the disorder. The aim of the present study was to verify whether circadian activity rhythm of early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients presents specific alterations, through functional linear modeling. Thirty-five relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients (24 females; mean age ± SD = 31.51 ± 7.74) and 35 healthy controls (24 females; mean age ± SD = 31.29 ± 8.02) were enrolled. They wore an actigraph around the non-dominant wrist for one week. Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients showed a peak in motor activity around 5:00 a.m., higher than that of healthy controls. The timing of the peak in motor activity in the patients could be explained according to the hyperactive hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and higher cortisol awakening response reported in these patients

Time Course of Motor Sleep Inertia Dissipation According to Age

Sleep inertia (SI) refers to a complex psychophysiological phenomenon observed after morning awakening that can be described as the gradual recovery of waking-like status after a night of sleep. The time course of SI dissipation in an everyday life condition is little studied. The present study aims to investigate the SI dissipation in motor activity, as a function of age, upon spontaneous morning awakening after a usual night-time sleep. To this end, we performed a retrospective study in a naturalistic setting in a wide life span sample: 382 healthy participants (219 females) from middle childhood (9 years old) to late adulthood (70 years old). Participants were required to wear the actigraph on the non-dominant wrist for at least seven consecutive nights. Results show that SI of motor activity is dissipated in 70 min. Mean motor activity in such a time window was significantly modulated by age: lower age corresponded to higher motor activity

Porphyrin-Based Nanostructures for Sensing Applications

The construction of nanosized supramolecular hosts via self-assembly of molecular components is a fascinating field of research. Such intriguing class of architectures, beside their intrinsic intellectual stimuli, is of importance in many fields of chemistry and technology, such as material chemistry, catalysis, and sensor applications. Within this wide scenario, tailored solid films of porphyrin derivatives are structures of great potential for, among others, chemical sensor applications. The formation ofsupramoleculesrelays on noncovalent interactions (electrostatic, hydrogen bond, , or coordinative interactions) driven by the chemical information stored on the assembling molecules, such as shape and functional groups. This allows, for example, the formation of large well-defined porphyrin aggregates in solution that can be spontaneously transferred onto a solid surface, so achieving a solid system with tailored features. These films have been used, covering the bridge between nanostructures and microsystems, for the construction of solid-state sensors for volatiles and metal ion recognition and detection. Moreover, the variation of peripheral substituents of porphyrins, such as, for example, chiral appended functionalities, can result in the formation of porphyrin aggregates featuring high supramolecular chirality. This would allow the achievement of porphyrin layers characterised by different chiroptical and molecular recognition properties