Development and validation of the AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® Direct PCR Amplification Kit: a multiplex assay for the direct amplification of single-source samples

Abstract: The AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Direct PCR Amplification Kit is a new short tandem repeat multiplex assay optimized to allow the direct amplification of single‐source blood and buccal samples on FTA^® card without the need for sample purification and quantification. This multiplex assay has been validated according to the FBI/National Standards and SWGDAM guidelines. Validation results revealed that slight variations in primer concentration, master mix component concentration, and thermal cycling parameters did not affect the performance of the chemistry. The assay’s sensitivity was demonstrated by amplifying known amounts of white blood cells spotted onto FTA^® cards, and the assay’s specificity was verified by establishing minimal cross‐reactivity with nonhuman DNA. No effect on the age of the sample stored on the FTA^® substrate was observed and full concordance was established in the population study. These findings of the validation study support the use of the Identifiler^® Direct Kit for forensic standards and database samples genotyping.     

Internal validation of reduced PCR reaction volume of the Qiagen Investigator® Argus X-12 QS Kit from blood samples on FTA cards

The onus of proof in criminal cases is beyond any reasonable doubt, and the issue on the lack of complete internal validation data can be manipulated when it comes to justifying the validity and reliability of the X-chromosomal short tandem repeats analysis for court representation. Therefore, this research evaluated the efficiency of the optimized 60% reduced volumes for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using the Qiagen Investigator® Argus X-12 QS Kit, as well as the capillary electrophoresis (CE) sample preparation for blood samples on Flinder's Technology Associates (FTA) cards. Good-quality DNA profile (3000–12,000 RFU) from the purified blood sample on FTA card (1.2 mm) were obtained using the optimized PCR (10.0 μL of PCR reaction volume and 21 cycles) and CE (9.0 μL Hi-Di™ Formamide and 0.3 μL DNA Size Standard 550 [BTO] and 27 s injection time) conditions. The analytical and stochastic thresholds were 100 and 200 RFU, respectively. Hence, the internal validation data supported the use of the optimized 60% reduced PCR amplification reaction volume of the Qiagen Investigator® Argus X-12 QS Kit as well as the CE sample preparation for producing reliable DNA profiles that comply with the quality assurance standards for forensic DNA testing laboratories, while optimizing the analytical cost.     

Kinship assignment with the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep Kit: Sources of error in simulated and real cases

Kinship recognition between anonymous DNA samples is becoming a relevant issue in forensics, more so with the increasing number of DNA profiles in databanks. Also, NGS-based genotyping is being increasingly used in routine personal identification, to simultaneously type large numbers of markers of different kind. In the present work, we explored computationally and experimentally the performance of the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep Kit in identifying the true relationship between two anonymous samples, distinguishing it from other possible relationships. We analyzed with Familias R series of 10,000 pairs with 9 different simulated relationships, corresponding to different degrees of autosomal sharing. For each pair we obtained likelihood ratios for five kinship hypotheses vs. unrelatedness, and used their ranking to identify the preferred relationship. We also typed 21 subjects from two pedigrees, representing from parent-child to 4th cousins relationships. As expected, the power for identifying the true relationship decays in the order of autosomal sharing. Parent-child and full siblings can be robustly identified against other relationships. For half-siblings the chance of reaching a significant conclusion is already small. For more distant relationships the proportion of cases correctly and significantly identified is 10% or less. Bidirectional errors in kinship attribution include the suggestion of relatedness when this does not exist (10–50%), and the suggestion of independence in pairs of individuals more than 4 generations apart (25–60%). The real cases revealed a relevant effect of genotype miscalling at some loci, which could only be partly avoided by modulating the analysis parameters. In conclusion, with the exception of first degree relatives, the kit can be useful to inform additional investigations, but does not usually provide probatory results.     

Diego Garcia: British-American Legal Black Hole in the Indian Ocean?

Environmental risks from US military construction on the atollof Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory) since 1971include damage caused by large-scale ‘coral mining’,the introduction of invasive alien plant species, continuoustransits of nuclear material and unreported major fuel spills;these risks are now compounded by those of sea-level rise andocean acidification due to global climate change. The US andUK governments have evaded accountability by way of a persistent‘black hole’ strategy, contending that some nationallaws and international treaties for the protection of humanrights and the environment do not apply to the island—aposition confirmed by a controversial appellate judgment ofthe House of Lords in October 2008, essentially relying on ‘prerogative’colonial law. This article draws attention to the fallacy ofthe black-hole syndrome, and to its potentially fatal consequencesfor the British claim to a 200-mile environment protection zonein the Chagos Archipelago.     

Developmental validation of the AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® Plus PCR Amplification Kit: an established multiplex assay with improved performance

Abstract: Analysis of length polymorphism at short tandem repeat (STR) loci utilizing multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) remains the primary method for genotyping forensic samples. The AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Plus PCR Amplification Kit is an improved version of the AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® PCR Amplification Kit and amplifies the core CODIS loci: D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D21S11, CSF1PO, FGA, TH01, TPOX, and vWA. Additional loci amplified in the multiplex reaction are the sex‐determinant, amelogenin, and two internationally accepted loci, D2S1338 and D19S433. While the primer sequences and dye configurations were unchanged, the AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Plus PCR Amplification Kit features an enhanced buffer formulation and an optimized PCR cycling protocol that increases sensitivity, provides better tolerance to PCR inhibitors, and improves performance on mixture samples. The AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Plus PCR Amplification Kit has been validated according to the FBI/National Standards and Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) guidelines. The validation results support the use of the AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Plus PCR Amplification Kit for human identity and parentage testing.     

Agamben’s Grammar of the Secret Under the Sign of the Law

This paper suggests that a grammar of the secret forms a concept in Agamben’s work, a gap that grounds the enigma of sovereignty. Between the Indo-European *krei, *se, and *per themes, the secret is etymologically linked to the logics of separation and potentiality that together enable the pliant and emergent structure of sovereignty. Sovereignty’s logic of separation meets the logic of relation in the form of abandonment: the point at which division has exhausted itself and reaches an indivisible element, bare life, the exception separated from the form of life and captured in a separate sphere. The arcanum imperii of sovereignty and the cipher of bare life are held together in the relation of the ban as the twin secrets of biopower, maintained by the potentiality of law that works itself as a concealed, inscrutable force. But the ‘real’ secret of sovereignty, I suggest, is its dialectical reversibility, the point at which the concept of the secret is met by its own immanent unworking by the critic and scribe under the *krei theme, and subject to abandonment through the work of profanation; here, different species of the secret are thrown against one another, one order undoing the other. The secret founded upon the sacred is displaced by Agamben’s critical orientation toward the immanent: what is immanent is both potential and hiddenness.     

Population genetic data for 17 non-CODIS STR loci for the Saudi Arabian population using the SureID®23comp Human Identification Kit

Our previous work focused on validation the SureID 23comp Human Identification Kit (Health Gene Technologies, China), following the minimum criteria for validation recommended by the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) and the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) using 500 samples from the population of Saudi Arabia. The kit genotypes 22 STRs, 17 of which are non-CODIS, and Amelogenin. The validation tests showed that it has the potential to increase the power of testing in complex cases.In this paper, the allele frequency data, common forensic parameters for the 17 non-CODIS STR loci are presented. We found the majority of loci had an excess of homozygosity in the data set, which is most likely explained by the relatively high levels of consanguinity in the population of Saudi Arabia.     

W and the design of the na

e browse background and design navigational maps properly in VE and WWW for reducing cognitive burden and improving 搃mmersion?in VE.virtual environments, www, hypertext, disorientation0心理科学进展Journal of Developments In Psychology76-82B845F102;1;E;FF102_1;沈昉000     

efinition of the phe

美国国务院专门负责亚洲与太平洋事务的高官,著名的中国问题专家,曾任国务卿鲍威尔亚洲事务助理的唐纳德·凯泽(DonaldKeyser)与年轻漂亮的台湾女情报员的私通,就像英国间谍小说家笔下的人物,充满神奇和浪漫。但这绝不是小说,而是发生在美国与中国台湾之间的间谍案。2006年7月1     

What is the Place of Christian Wolff in the History of the Social Sciences?

This paper explores the place of Christian Wolff in the history of social science in English. The "Introduction" places Wolff in the context of the pre-history of modern social science. Samples are given of the great range of subjects on which he wrote. The importance of the German context is stressed. The second part is devoted to a sample of what the literature contains by and about Wolff. It emphasizes philosophy and science. Part three is a survey of works in the history of the social sciences that mention Wolff. He has a substantial place in political science and psychology, a much smaller place in economics and history, virtually none in anthropology, geography, and sociology. In the applied social sciences, he is found in the history of education. Possible reasons are given. Part four is devoted to the relationships of philosophy and philosophers in the pre-history of the social sciences. They were important in several different ways because they both shaped and reflected how many people thought about science and social problems. The Summary and Conclusion describes the present status. His contributions are summarized. He was a pivotal figure in the making of the German conception of social science. This is a preliminary study emphasizing the issues and problems that a more detailed examination would require. Several conventional judgments are challenged and possibilities for further research suggested.     

Another victim of the ＂banana war＂： Some reflections on the status of the principle of liability in the absence of unlawful conduct in the community legal system

Articles 235 and 288 second paragraph EC provide remedies for damages caused by Community institutions, to individuals, legal bodies or States that concern legal obligations outside the scope of contractual relations. Although it did not receive any real application, the principle of liability in the absence of fault is mentioned by the Court in a couple of cases. This article seeks to explore this principle in its due context and in the light of comparative law. To that effect, it is first necessary to make a short recall of the historical case law in this field, to analyze afterwards the latest jurisprudential developments （FIAMM/FEDON case）, and finally to consider the future prospects of this principle in the Community law through two options. One alternative would be to adopt more lenient conditions for the application of Community＇s liability for fault and notably a progressive abandon of the current serious fault regime and the adoption of the simple fault regime. Another option would be to remove the tort nature from the no-fault liability and to move from the reparation of damage to a compensation for the breach of the equality.     

Are the perpetrators of violence one and the same? Exploring the co-occurrence of perpetration of physical aggression in the United States

Important gaps exist in our understanding of aggressive behavior and the extent to which aggression involves one or more types of victims. This information is critical for determining the utility of integrated approaches for violence prevention versus continuation of independent efforts for reducing community violence, partner violence, and child maltreatment. To better understand the overlap in aggressive behaviors within the general population, the authors examine the co-occurrence of self-reports of physically striking strangers, acquaintances, intimate partners, and children among a nationally representative sample of 3,024 U.S. adults. The findings from this cross-sectional random digit dial telephone survey show that more than a third of the population reports engaging in at least one form of aggression and that, of these, a third had perpetrated violence against more than one type of victim. The percent of respondents who reported perpetrating violence against more than one type of victim range from 13% (percent of those striking a friend or acquaintance who also struck a child) to 34% (percent of those striking a friend or acquaintance who also struck a stranger). Furthermore, engaging in one type of aggression substantially increases the odds of engaging in another from 1.5 to 4 times. The findings suggest potential value in pursuing both integrated and independent approaches in research and prevention.     

An Early Modern Account of the Views of the Miśras

In a doxography of views called the ?a?tantrīsāra, a seventeenth century commentator and Advaitin, Nīlaka??ha Caturdhara, describes the doctrines of a group he calls the Mi?ras. Nīlaka??ha represents the doctrines of the Mi?ras as in most ways distinct from those of the canonical positions that usually appear in such doxographies, both āstika and nāstika. And indeed, some of the doctrines he describes resemble those of the Abrahamic faiths, concerning the creator, a permanent afterlife in heaven or hell, and the unique births of souls. Other doctriness are difficult to associate with any known South Asian religion, for example the emphasis placed on astrological determinism in the moral economy of the creation. As the ?a?tantrīsāra is unpublished to date, a preliminary edition of those portions that concern the Mi?ras is presented here, together with a translation, notes, and some further discussion. Though the identification is not certain, it seems most likely that the views Nīlaka??ha describes in this text belonged to Vanamālī Mi?ra, a North Indian Mādhva who had lived in the Ganges-Yamuna doab in the mid to late seventeenth century. Even if that identification turns out to be correct, many questions remain.     

Merger—the name of the FE game

In the Australian legal environment today the overwhelming importance of laws made by Parliament is obvious, yet many first year law programmes pay insufficient attention to the coordinated teaching of statutory interpretation (SI). This project formed part of a collaborative initiative between an educational developer and the coordinator of legal research methods (LRM) to introduce statutory interpretation into a first year unit of study. Our study used a qualitative research framework – a questionnaire was administered to students at two intervals throughout the first semester. In Week 3, 160 students participated in the questionnaire and at Week 4, a keystone module on statutory interpretation using a building block approach was introduced in LRM. Since the nature of assessment in LRM is largely reflection, this unit lent itself well to investigating the language and literacy challenges of statutory interpretation, in particular, to students monitoring their own progress in this regard. The overall aim of the project was to establish a framework for students to build on their knowledge and understanding of statutory interpretation throughout their undergraduate studies, and in the interests of improved learning and teaching outcomes, for staff to be able to document the changes in student thinking. This paper focuses on the preliminary stage of our investigation into the language and literacy challenges involved in introducing statutory interpretation into a first year unit of study.

I know of only one authority which might justify the suggested method of construction. “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master – that’s all.”

(Alice Through the Looking Glass, c. vi.)

After all this long discussion, the question is whether the words “If a man has” can mean “If a man thinks he has.” I am of opinion that they cannot, and that the case should be decided accordingly.

(Lord Atkin in Liversidge v Anderson [1942] AC 206)     

In the eye of the beholder? An examination of the inter-rater reliability of the LSI-R and YLS/CMI in a correctional agency

PurposeTo examine the inter-rater reliability of two risk assessment tools: The Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) and the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI).MethodsTwo identical experiments are reported. For both studies, a random sample of 10 offenders were interviewed and videotaped with each tool (totaling 20 offenders). The tapes were then shown to a random selection of 20 raters (for a total of 40 raters) employed at a state agency. The fully-crossed design allowed each of the raters to rate the each of the cases, resulting in 200 total risk score observations for each tool. Inter-rater reliability analyses were then conducted.ResultsThe LSI-R demonstrated adequate to fair reliability, with certain domains showing lower reliability. Overall, the LSI-R had an ICC of .65. The YLS/CMI demonstrated higher reliability (ICC of .78). In addition, for the LSI-R study, comparisons were made between staff raters who work in a facility versus those in the community (e.g., probation officers). For the YLS/CMI study, comparisons were made between incarcerated offenders versus probationers. Neither comparison yielded consistent differences.ConclusionsThe YLS/CMI is generally reliable. The LSI-R showed less reliability. However, each study showed certain domains with less than ideal reliability.     

Interests of Asian Countries in the Review of the Dispute Settlement Procedure

FeaturesofDSprocedure .TheWTOsystemisarule basedinternationaltradingsystemasopposedtobeingapower orientedtradingsys tem .Itgivesstabilityandpredictabilitytointernationaltrade.Lookingatfiguresofdisputes ,itisremarkablethatbetween 1 947 1 994inwhichtheoldGATTsystemoperated ,therewereabout30 0disputesonrecordandthat,from1 995whentheWTOwasinitiatedto 2 0 0 3,therewereabout 30 0disputes.ThismeansthatthedisputesettlementprocedureoftheWTOismuchmorefrequentlyusedascomparedwiththedisputesettlemen…