Genetic data for the 13 CODIS STR loci in Singapore Indians

Allele frequencies for the 13 CODIS short tandem repeat (STR) loci included in the AmpFISTR Profiler Plus and AmpFISTR Cofiler kits (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, USA) were determined in a sample of 174 unrelated Indians in Singapore.     

Genetic data for the 13 CODIS STR loci in Singapore Chinese

Allele frequencies for the 13 CODIS STR loci included in the AmpFISTR Profiler Plus and AmpFISTR Cofiler kits (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, USA) were determined in a sample of 209 unrelated Chinese in Singapore. The combined random match probability for the 13 loci is about 6.6 x10(-15) and the overall probability of excluding paternity is 0.9999899. The results demonstrate that the loci are useful for forensic human identification and parentage testing for the Chinese population in Singapore.     

Swiss Caucasian population data for 13 STR loci using AmpFISTR profiler plus and cofiler PCR amplification kits.

Allele and genotype frequencies for the 13 core STR loci (D3S1358, VWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, THO1, TPOX, CSF1PO, and D16S539) were determined in a Swiss Caucasian population sample (n = 206) using two commercially available multiplex PCR kits (AmpFISTR Profiler Plus and AmpFISTR Cofiler) and subsequent electrophoresis on an ABI PRISM CE 310 Genetic Analyzer instrument. All loci meet Hardy-Weinberg expectations. In addition, there is little evidence for association of alleles among the 13 loci. The allelic frequency data can be used in forensic analyses and paternity tests to estimate the frequency of a multiple STR locus DNA profile in the Swiss population.     

STR data for the AmpFlSTR SGM plus from Slovenia

Allele frequencies for the 10 STRs loci included in the AmpFISTR SGM Plus kit (PE Applied Biosystem) were obtained from a sample of 321 unrelated individuals born in Slovenia.     

Swiss Caucasian population data for the STR loci D2S1338 and D19S433 using the AmpFISTR SGM plus PCR amplification kit

Allele and genotype frequencies for the ten STR loci D3S1358, VWA, D16S539, D2S1338, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D19S433, TH01, FGA were determined in a Swiss Caucasian population sample (n=206) using the AmpFISTR SGM Plus Amplification kit. Electrophoresis was carried out on an ABI PRISM CE 310 Genetic Analyzer instrument. Previously, allele frequencies were published for the 13 STR loci D3S1358, VWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, THO1, TPOX, CSF1PO and D16S539 for the same samples (n=206) amplified with the AmpFISTR Profiler Plus and Cofiler PCR Amplification kits. Since the results for the eight loci D3S1358, VWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, THO1, D16S539 shared between the AmpFISTR SGM Plus, Profiler Plus and Cofiler PCR Amplification kits already are published, only the allele frequencies for the two STR loci D2S1338 and D19S433 are reported in this paper. The two loci meet Hardy-Weinberg expectations. In addition, there is little evidence for association of alleles among the 15 loci (amplified with the Profiler, Cofiler, and SGM Plus amplification kits). The allelic frequency data can be used in forensic analyses to estimate the frequency of a multiple STR locus DNA profile in the Swiss population.     

Allele frequency data for 15 autosomal strs and ancestral proportions using aims-indels in the shuar ethnic group from Ecuador

The ethnic group Shuar is located in Ecuador. To identify their genetic composition, 46 ancestry-informative insertion deletion markers (AIM-INDELs) were used. Also, characterization of 15 tandem repeats (STRs) in the AmpFISTR Identifiler Kit were applied. Forensic parameters showed a matching probability of 0.1535, a power of discrimination of 0.8465, a polymorphism information content of 0.6584, probability of exclusion of 0.415 and a typical paternity index of 1.78. The Shuar are not influenced by admixture population events, being a Native American group 98.7%, along with a genetic diversity of 0.699346+/-0.356964.     

山东地区人群9个STR基因座遗传多态性及频率调查

应用AmpFISTRProfilerPlus试剂盒及377型测序仪对山东地区200例无关个体血样进行了9个STR基因座多态性及频率调查,经X2检验,9个基因座基因频率均符合Hardg-Weinberg平衡定律,家系分析均符合孟德尔遗传规律,并应用于案件检验取得良好效果。     

The analysis of three short tandem repeat (STR) loci in the Slovene population by multiplex PCR

Allele frequencies for three tetrameric short tandem repeat (STR) loci D3S1358, HUMVWA, and HUMFGA were determined in a Slovene Caucasian population sample. DNA samples from a total of 221 Slovenes were amplified by multiplex PCR using the commercial kit AmpFISTR Blue (Perkin-Elmer). Separation and detection of the amplified STR fragments were carried out using a 377 automated genetic analyzer (Applied Biosystem Division/Perkin Elmer). Seven alleles at the D3S1358 locus, 8 alleles at the HUMVWA31A locus, and 13 alleles at the HUMFGA locus were observed. A deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed, only at the HUMVWA31A locus (p = 0.045, exact test). The departure at this locus was not significant after Bonferroni correction. There were no detectable departures between pairwise comparisons of the loci. The combined power of discrimination for all three loci is 0.9998, and the power of exclusion is 0.9526. The observed allele frequencies for the loci D3S1358, HUMVWA31A, and HUMFGA are similar to those in European and U.S. Caucasian populations.     

广东广西地区5个群体9个STR基因座的频率调查

目的 调查广东汉族、广西汉族、广西侗族、广西壮族、广西苗族5个群体9个STR基因座多态性,探讨其在法医学检验中的应用价值。方法 应用AmpFISTR Profiler PlusTM荧光标记复合扩增系统,对广东广西5个群体4个民族的1191个无关个体的血样DNA进行9个STR基因座的复合扩增;用ABI 3100遗传分析仪对扩增产物进行分型,统计9个STR基因座的群体遗传学参数。结果 9个STR基因座在广东广西地区5个群体中的累积偶合率为1.51×10-11～8.08×10-11,累积非父排除率为0.99981—0.99990。,结论 该9个STR基因座可满足汉族、壮族、侗族、苗族群体法医学的个体识别及亲权鉴定的需要。     

Standard 28-cycle amplification of X/Y-FISH labelled epithelial cells for DNA profiling

The examination of sexual assault evidence frequently involves the analysis of samples that comprise mixtures of male and female cells. Separating male and female cells benefits analysis as the results are more likely to be simplified into profiles from single contributors. Some separation methods have focussed on separation of sperm from epithelial cells, but samples without sperm also require separation (vasectomised males, licked skin, etc.). X/Y chromosome FISH labelling when combined with laser micro-dissection (LMD) is a reliable method to separate male and female epithelial cells, but has mostly been combined with increased cycle PCR to create DNA profiles, limiting its use in many forensic laboratories. This study aimed to determine the limits of cell numbers collected by LMD for standard 28-cycle DNA profiling, and to test the effects, if any, on stochastic variation normally caused by sampling effects. Male and female epithelial cells were stained using the Vysis CEP X/Y DNA Probe kits, and collected using a Leica LMD6000. DNA was extracted and amplified by the ESR in-house one-tube method, using standard 28-cycle PCR with the AmpFISTR Identifiler™ (Applied Biosystems) multiplex kit. Full IdentifilerTM DNA profiles were produced using standard 28-cycle PCR, and partial profiles suitable for submission were produced from even relatively low numbers of cells collected. Profiling results were compared with low-copy number PCR on low numbers of cells stained and collected in the same manner, and the observed effects on heterozygote balance are discussed.     

Regional Trade Agreements and the Neo-Colonialism of the United States of America and the European Union: A Review of the Principle of Competitive Imperialism

The recent proliferation of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) in the last two decades raises questions about the paradigm shift from the multilateral trading system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to bilateral and regional preferential trade arrangements. Even more questionable is the fact that the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU), among the other trading powers of the world, are leading the use of RTAs to the detriment and neglect of non-discriminatory trade liberalisation. It has been suggested that neo-colonialism may be the motivation for the use of RTAs by the USA and the EU as their international trade policy of choice within a broader competitive process for imperial domination of their preferential trading partners. This article reviews this suggestion in order to propose an alternative explanation for the RTA practice of the USA and the EU.     

Peer Reactions,Peer Behavior,Student Attitudes,and Student Deviance: a Comparison of College Students in Japan and the USA

This study presents evidence on the cross-cultural generalizability of differential association/social learning theory by testing whether the causal processes of learning attitudes toward deviance, posited by the theory, are equally applicable, and the causal links, specified by the theory, are equally strong in two diverse cultures—the USA and Japan. Drawing on the literature concerning cultural variability in individualism-collectivism, we predicted that the effects of peer reactions to deviance and peer deviance on a person’s attitudes toward deviance should be stronger in Japan than in the USA, and that the mediating effect of a person’s attitudes on the relationship of peer reactions and peer deviance to a person’s deviance should be weaker among Japanese than among Americans. Analyses of comparable survey data from college students in the USA (N?=?625) and Japan (N?=?591) provide generally supportive, but somewhat mixed, evidence regarding our predictions. In both countries, peer reactions to deviance predicted student attitudes toward deviance more strongly than did peer deviance. Peer deviance strongly predicted student deviance, while peer reactions to deviance predicted less strongly, and the effects were mediated by student attitudes in both countries. Contrary to the hypotheses, peer reactions and peer deviance did not predict student attitudes more strongly in Japan than in the USA. Also, peer deviance predicted student deviance more strongly in the USA than in Japan. In agreement with the expectations, the relation between student attitudes and student deviance was stronger in the USA than in Japan.

     

A Comparative Study of Children and Adult Homicide Rates in the USA and the Major Western Countries 1974–1999: Grounds for Concern?

The aim of this study is to examine the changing patterns of child homicide in the USA and the other 9 major Western countries between 1974 and 1999. On the basis of standardized WHO mortality data, 5-year mean rates of Baby (<1 year), Infant (1–4), Child (5–14), and General Population Rates for Homicide (GPRH) were analyzed for 1974–78 and 1995–99 for the USA and major Western countries. The analysis provided ratios of change for children's homicide between 1974 and 1999 and ratio of ratios between adult' and children's homicide. Over the period USA male Baby homicide rose by 78% and Females 44% with a combined rise in All Children [0–14] homicides of 45%, within the context of a declining adult GPRH. In the 1970s, 3 major Western countries had either higher or similar children's homicide rates to the USA, but by the late 1990s none did. Moreover, between 1974 and 1999, the USA had the biggest rise in Baby (<1) and All Children's deaths, and only France had substantial increases, whereas Baby homicide rates fell significantly in 6 other countries. The findings indicate a worrying deterioration in U.S. child homicides. Possible links with child abuse and explanations for the results are briefly discussed. Urgent case-specific research is required to determine the cause/s for and how to reverse the worsening child homicide situation in the USA.     

美国军事司法权归属性的再界定

关于美国军事司法权的归属性,当前的主流观点(美国军事司法权隶属于国家司法权)与美国的客观实际不符。事实上,美国的军事司法权从一开始就隶属于军事统帅权,但又受到国家司法权一定的制衡作用。     

Psychosocial Interventions for Substance-Abusing Criminal Offenders: Borrowing US Experience for the Chinese Context

Research and evaluation studies on in-prison interventions and community rehabilitative programs in the USA have made much progress in recent decades and produced many promising findings that can be shared and perhaps emulated in countries with emerging substance misuse problems. Drawing from our own research and a review of the literature on promising psychosocial interventions—most notably, cognitive–behavioral interventions, contingency management, and motivational interviewing, we reflect on what we have personally learned from the principles and research accumulated from the USA with a particular application for the Chinese context. The best lessons from decades of research in this field in the USA include: (1) avoid reinventing the wheel and embrace the basic principles of effective psychosocial interventions, (2) develop a treatment environment that humanizes substance misusers and promotes social reintegration, and (3) employ inexpensive but rigorous evaluation strategies to provide evidence for incremental improvement in treatment. Specific challenges in the Chinese sociocultural context are also discussed and recommendations made for improved access and services in the treatment of substance misuse in the world’s most populous country.     

全球化环境中的知识产权保护——全球化与知识产权保护国际会议综述

全球化环境下知识产权保护存在很多值得探讨的问题。由中国政法大学民商经济法学院举办、中国政法大学民商经济法学院知识产权法研究所承办、美国Kenyon&Kenyon LLP和National Economic Research Associates,Inc.提供赞助的全球化与知识产权保护国际会议于2007年1月20—21在北京召开,近二百名国内外知识产权专家学者探讨了全球化环境下知识产权保护的一系列问题。本次会议对于推动国内外知识产权理论与实践问题的研究具有深远意义。     

Which articles and which topics in the forensic sciences are most highly cited?

Forensic science is a multidisciplinary field, which covers many branches of the pure, the applied and the biomedical sciences. Writing-up and publishing research findings helps to enhance the reputation of the investigators and the laboratories where the work was done. The number of times an article is cited in the reference lists of other articles is generally accepted as a mark of distinction. Indeed, citation analysis has become widely used in research assessment of individual scientists, university departments and entire nations. This article concerns the most highly cited papers published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences (JFS) between 1956 and 2005. These were identified with the help of Web-of-Science, which is the on-line version of Science Citation Index, produced by Thomson Institute for Scientific Information (Thomson ISI) with head offices in Philadelphia, USA. This database tracks, among other things, the annual citation records of articles published in several thousand scientific journals worldwide. Those JFS articles accumulating 50 or more citations were identified and rank-ordered according to the total number of citations. These articles were also evaluated according to the name of first author, the subject category of the article, the country of origin and the pattern of co-authorship. This search strategy located 46 articles cited between 50 and 292 times since they first appeared in print. The most highly cited paper by far was by Kasai, Nakamura and White (USA and Japan) concerning DNA profiling and the application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in forensic science. Some forensic scientists appeared as first author on two to three highly cited articles, namely Wetli (USA), Budowle (USA) and Comey (USA). When the highly cited articles were sub-divided into subject category, 15 were identified as coming from toxicology, closely followed by criminalistics (14 articles), pathology (nine articles), physical anthropology (five articles), forensic psychiatry (two articles) and one from odontology. The number of co-authors on these highly cited articles ranged from one to nine and the names of some investigators appeared on as many as four highly cited papers. The vast majority of papers originated from US laboratories although five came from Japan, two each from Sweden and Canada and there was also a joint USA-Swiss collaboration. The Thompson ISI citation databases provide unique tools for tracking citations to individual articles and impact and citation records of scholarly journals.     

Fluorescent multiplex analysis of nine STR loci: Spanish population data

A total of 171 Caucasians living in Andalucia (southern Spain) have been typed for nine short tandem repeat (STR) loci by multiplex PCR amplification using a commercially available kit (Profiler Plus; Perkin–Elmer, Norwalk, CT, USA) and semi-automatic electrophoresis (ABI Prism 377 DNA Sequencer, Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). The kit enables typing of the STR loci D3S1358, VWA, FGA, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D8S1179, D21S11, and D18S51. All loci, except D7S820, meet Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Because of the large number of loci that can be analyzed, the power of discrimination (PD) is greater than 0.99999, and the probability of exclusion (PE) reaches 0.99991 in our population sample.     

联合创新的经济分析及反垄断法规制

联合创新已经成为当今各国广泛运用的技术创新模式。在高科技领域,这种广泛联合的背后具有其经济合理性。联合创新可以提高研发投资的效率、产生较高的社会福利,尽管联合创新也会提高合同执行成本、监督成本并导致信息不对称。同时,从竞争法角度看,联合创新可能限制竞争,但它带来的经济利益可能超过限制竞争的影响。因此,许多国家和地区对联合创新采取宽容甚至激励的态度。我国的高科技企业规模偏小、技术创新能力偏弱,立法应当借鉴其他国家和地区的经验,对联合研发实行广泛的豁免,从而给联合创新提供一个宽松的法律环境。