Evaluation of nucleosome forming potentials (NFPs) of forensically important STRs

Degraded forensic samples have proved difficult to analyze and interpret. New analysis techniques are constantly being discovered and improved but researchers have overlooked the structural properties that could prevent or slow the process of degradation. In theory, DNA that are bound to histones as nucleosomes are less prone to degradation, because nucleosomes prevent DNA from being exposed to degradative enzymes. In this study we determined the probability of 60 forensic DNA markers to be bound to histones based on their base sequence composition. Two web-based tools - NXSensor and nuScore - were used to analyze four hundred base pairs surrounding each DNA marker for properties that inhibit or promote the binding of DNA to histones. Our results showed that the majority of markers analyzed were likely to be bound as nucleosomes. Selection of the markers that are more protected to form a multiplex could increase the chance of obtaining a better balanced, easier to interpret DNA profile from degraded sample

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

Verification of an Icosahedral Grid for Strategic Center for Networking, Communications, and Integration User Interface Spatial Capabilities

Spatial communication analysis tools are incredibly useful resources to have when planning a space mission. Every single mission that leaves Earth needs a way to get its data back down and every mission's requirements on how that will get accomplished is different. Being able to analyze how existing assets can provide services independent of a specific mission can be key in that process. Most current commercial software packages contain spatial analysis capabilities but go about the analysis in a way that is not the most efficient and can skew the results provided. NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Center for Engineering Networks, Integration, and Communications (SCENIC) seeks to solve this problem and provide analysis capabilities using both internally developed and open-source software. This allows incredible flexibility, customization and hugely reduces licensing costs. Using MATLAB and Orbit Determination Toolbox created by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), SCENIC is able to perform many node-based functions currently. Analysis utilizing the spatial tools in SCENIC allows a meaningful analysis of the capability of communication network assets in a way not seen in current commercial software packages. This paper discusses the verification activities associated with generating the spatial grid point definition utilized in these analysis capabilities, within the SCENIC user interface (UI)

Barriers to Scholarship Integration in Professional Athletic Training Programs and Resources Needed to Overcome Barriers: A Report from the Association for Athletic Training Education Research Network

Context: Athletic training program administrators have identified that it is important to incorporate a scholarship component into professional education curricula. Objective: Explore the barriers to implementing student scholarship in professional programs and identify resources necessary to overcome the barriers. Design: Consensual qualitative research. Setting: Individual teleconference interview. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 17 program directors of professional programs was interviewed. Data Collection and Analysis: Programs reported an average of 3 ± 1 core faculty supporting 37 ± 21 students, with 3 ± 2 faculty involved in scholarship activities of their students. Data saturation guided the number of participants.Interviews occurred using a semistructured interview guide. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by a 3 person research team and coded into themes and categories based on a consensus process. Credibility was established by using multiple researchers, an external auditor, and member checks. Results: Two major themes emerged from the data: (1) current challenges and shortcomings and (2) resources and strategies needed to achieve scholarship. Participants noted a lack of research or scholarship culture at their current institution and a lack of faculty time and expertise to implement and guide research throughout the curriculum as current challenges. Participants further identified that a lack of clear expectations for how much scholarship was necessary and lack of buy-in from faculty, students, and preceptors made it difficult to implement scholarly projects in the curriculum. Necessary resources to overcome barriers included institutional support in the form of faculty release, support, training, or all of the aforementioned. Participants identified that collaborative research opportunities as well as publicly available examples of completed student scholarly activity would further guide them in overcoming the curricular challenge of implementing scholarship. Conclusions: Internal institutional support, external peer collaboration, and public examples of success are necessary to overcome barriers to scholarship integration in professional athletic training curricula

Field and Forage Crop Fertilization in the Trans-Pecos and Edwards Plateau Regions.

4 p

A proof of principal study on the use of direct PCR of semen and spermatozoa and development of a differential isolation protocol for use in cases of alleged sexual assault

Sexual assault samples are some of the most common samples encountered in forensic analysis. These samples can require a significant time investment due to differential extraction processes. We report on the first record of successful direct amplification of semen for STR analysis. Neat seminal fluid, dilutions ranging from 1:5 to 1:160 and GEDNAP samples were successfully amplified using a direct method. A mild differential isolation technique to enrich spermatozoa was developed and successfully implemented to separate and directly amplify a mixture of semen and female epithelial cells. Aliquots of samples subjected to the differential isolation protocol were stained with Haemotoxylin and Eosin for sperm scoring. Samples stained after PCR showed a complete lack of intact spermatozoa demonstrating that the cells are lysed during the PCR process. This paper demonstrates the potential to incorporate direct PCR in cases of sexual assault to more rapidly obtain results and achieve a higher sensitivity. (150

Content Validation of the Athletic Training Milestones: A Report from the Association for Athletic Training Education Research Network

The Athletic Training Milestones were developed as a comprehensive framework to assess athletic trainers\u27 knowledge, skill, and behavior acquisition across the continuum of athletic training practice. However, without established content validity, it is unclear whether the Athletic Training Milestones can be used effectively as a clinical evaluation and research tool to evaluate competence and performance across multiple users and sites. We conducted a highly conservative content validity index (CVI) with data from 12 content experts. Our findings revealed an extremely high overall scale CVI of 0.99, and CVI scores of the 28 individual subcompetency items assessed ranged from 0.83 to 1.00. For the athletic training profession to truly embrace competency-based evaluation and performance assessments, we need a highly valid and comprehensive instrument, such as the Athletic Training Milestones