Is there a relationship between fingerprint donation and DNA shedding?

This research investigates the possible relationship between fingerprint donation and DNA shedding. Volunteers were asked to provide a series of fingerprint depletions on glass. The level of fingerprint detail developed and DNA profiling results obtained were compared for each donor to investigate whether a relationship between fingerprint donation and DNA shedding exists. Our results suggest that between comparisons of donors, there is no statistical difference between the left and right hand of our volunteers in terms of fingerprint donation, but there is a statistical difference in terms of DNA shedding with three of our eight donors. Our results also indicate that there is no correlation between fingerprint donation and DNA shedding, meaning that an enhanced fingerprint with full ridge detail will not necessarily give a full DNA profile. In serious crime, these two avenues of evidence must be explored

Formal Reasoning Using an Iterative Approach with an Integrated Web IDE

This paper summarizes our experience in communicating the elements of reasoning about correctness, and the central role of formal specifications in reasoning about modular, component-based software using a language and an integrated Web IDE designed for the purpose. Our experience in using such an IDE, supported by a 'push-button' verifying compiler in a classroom setting, reveals the highly iterative process learners use to arrive at suitably specified, automatically provable code. We explain how the IDE facilitates reasoning at each step of this process by providing human readable verification conditions (VCs) and feedback from an integrated prover that clearly indicates unprovable VCs to help identify obstacles to completing proofs. The paper discusses the IDE's usage in verified software development using several examples drawn from actual classroom lectures and student assignments to illustrate principles of design-by-contract and the iterative process of creating and subsequently refining assertions, such as loop invariants in object-based code.Comment: In Proceedings F-IDE 2015, arXiv:1508.0338

Large-effect flowering time mutations reveal conditionally adaptive paths through fitness landscapes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Contrary to previous assumptions that most mutations are deleterious, there is increasing evidence for persistence of large-effect mutations in natural populations. A possible explanation for these observations is that mutant phenotypes and fitness may depend upon the specific environmental conditions to which a mutant is exposed. Here, we tested this hypothesis by growing large-effect flowering time mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana in multiple field sites and seasons to quantify their fitness effects in realistic natural conditions. By constructing environment-specific fitness landscapes based on flowering time and branching architecture, we observed that a subset of mutations increased fitness, but only in specific environments. These mutations increased fitness via different paths: through shifting flowering time, branching, or both. Branching was under stronger selection, but flowering time was more genetically variable, pointing to the importance of indirect selection on mutations through their pleiotropic effects on multiple phenotypes. Finally, mutations in hub genes with greater connectedness in their regulatory networks had greater effects on both phenotypes and fitness. Together, these findings indicate that large-effect mutations may persist in populations because they influence traits that are adaptive only under specific environmental conditions. Understanding their evolutionary dynamics therefore requires measuring their effects in multiple natural environments

Comparison of Feedforward and Feedback Neural Network Architectures for Short Term Wind Speed Prediction

This paper compares three types of neural networks trained using particle swarm optimization (PSO) for use in the short term prediction of wind speed. The three types of neural networks compared are the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network, Elman recurrent neural network, and simultaneous recurrent neural network (SRN). Each network is trained and tested using meteorological data of one week measured at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, CO. Results show that while the recurrent neural networks outperform the MLP in the best and average case with a lower overall mean squared error, the MLP performance is comparable. The better performance of the feedback architectures is also shown using the mean absolute relative error. While the SRN performance is superior, the increase in required training time for the SRN over the other networks may be a constraint, depending on the application

What children know about the source of their knowledge without reporting it as the source

We argue that, amongst 3- to 5- year-olds, failure to report the source of knowledge recently acquired in answer to “How do you know…?” is due to a specific failure to make a causal inference, in line with source monitoring theory but not fuzzy trace theory. In three Experiments, children (N = 37; 30; 59) identified a hidden toy by seeing, feeling, or by being told, having had two modes of access on each trial, one informative (e.g. seeing a toy identified by colour) and the other uninformative (e.g. being told the toy’s colour by the Experimenter who had only felt it). Children who answered the know question wrongly nevertheless reported accurately who saw and who felt the toy, and what the well-informed player had said. They also realised when the Experimenter’s uninformative access implied their own knowledge was unreliable, suggesting precocious working understanding of knowledge sources

Effect of Concurrent Partnerships and Sex-Act Rate on Gonorrhea Prevalence

The disease gonorrhea (GC) is a major public health problem in the United States, and the dynamics of the spread of GC through popula tions are complicated and not well understood. Studies have drawn attention to the effect of concurrent sexual partnerships as an influen tial factor for determining disease prevalence. However, little has been done to date to quantify the combined effects of concurrency and within-partnership sex-act rates on the prevalence of GC. This simulation study examines this issue with a simplified model of GC transmission in closed human populations that include concurrent partnerships. Two models of within-partnership sex-act rate are compared; one is a fixed sex-act rate per partnership, and the other is perhaps more realistic in that the rate depends on the number of concurrent partners. After controlling for total number of sex acts, pseudo-equilibrium prevalence is higher with the fixed sex-act rate than under the concurrency-adjusted rate in all the modeled partnership formation conditions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68414/2/10.1177_003754979807100404.pd

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1,2-disubsubstituted 4-quinolone analogues of Pseudonocardia sp. natural products.

A series of analogues of Pseudonocardia sp. natural products were synthesized, which have been reported to possess potent antibacterial activity against Helicobacter pylori and induce growth defects in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Taking inspiration from a methodology used in our total synthesis of natural products, we applied this methodology to access analogues possessing bulky N-substituents, traditionally considered to be challenging scaffolds. Screening of the library provided valuable insights into the structure-activity relationship of the bacterial growth defects, and suggested that selectivity between bacterial species should be attainable. Furthermore, a structurally related series of analogues was observed to inhibit production of the virulence factor pyocyanin in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which may be a result of their similarity to the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) quorum sensing autoinducer. This provided new insights regarding the effect of N-substitution in PQS analogues, which has been hitherto underexplored.SF was supported by a BBSRC studentship. DRS acknowledges support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P020291/1) and Royal Society (Wolfson Research Merit Award)

Direct Genetics Referral Pathway for High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Patients: The opt-Out Process

Purpose. In order to meet a clinical need for better pathways to access genetic testing for ovarian cancer patients, we implemented and reviewed an opt-out referral process for genetic consultation whereby a referral is automatically sent to genetics following a pathological diagnosis of HGSC. Methods. Following implementation of the opt-out referral process, each month a list of new cases of HGSC was generated from the synoptic pathology report and forwarded directly to the Cancer Genetics clinic. Using an advanced directive, patients were automatically referred for genetic counselling two months after surgery. If the patient declined genetic counselling (opted-out) after discussion with their surgeon within the two months after surgery, the Genetic Counsellor was informed and the patient was removed from the referral process. Results. Between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2017, 168 women were diagnosed with HGSC, of whom 167 received a referral for genetic consultation. In only one case the referral was cancelled by the surgeon, resulting in a referral rate of 99.4%. By the end of the study period, 133 women attended a genetics consultation appointment and 125 (94%) agreed to proceed with genetic testing. Among those who completed genetic testing, 15% tested positive for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation. Of the women who tested positive for a BRCA1/2 mutation, 56% had no family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Conclusions. The opt-out referral process described in this study is s a feasible, effective, and patient-centred approach to increase access to BRCA1/2 testing for patients with ovarian cancer