Is it possible to differentiate mtDNA by means of HVIII in samples that cannot be distinguished by sequencing the HVI and HVII regions?

The mitochondrial control region includes three so-called hypervariable (HV) regions, in which the polymorphic positions show a particularly high frequency. According to a population study of 200 unrelated individuals from Germany, HVI (positions 16,024-16,365, according to Anderson) showed 88 variable positions in a total length of 342 bp (26%) and HVII (positions 73-340) displayed 65 mutable sites in 268 bp (24%). HVIII (positions 438-574) exhibited a slightly lower variability, with 25 polymorphic sites within 137 bp (18%), but contrasted clearly with the background, which showed variability rates of only 7% (positions 16,366-16,569, 1-72) and 3% (positions 341-437), respectively. At present, the displacement (D)-loop database in Magdeburg comprises 904 sequences of the mitochondrial HVI region and HVII region from Germans, Austrians and Swiss. By means of this material, the extent to which the mtDNA sequences that do not differ in the HVI and HVII regions can be differentiated by additionally sequencing HVIII was investigated.     

Dual examinations for identification of urine as being of human origin and for DNA-typing from small stains of human urine

Concurrent methods for identification of urine as being of human origin, and for DNA-typing from small stains of human urine were examined. A urine stain was extracted with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and the extract was filtered using a Centricon-100 device. The filtrate was subjected to electrospray ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (ESI-LC-MS) for identification of human urine and a DNA-typing sample was obtained by dialfiltration of the residue using a DNA purification kit. After the purified residue was treated with an AmpflSTR Profiler PCR amplification kit, the DNA-types were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis using a Genetic Analyzer. It was possible to identify a urine stain as being of human origin, and complete DNA profiles could be successfully obtained from a urine stain which had been created by 50 microL of female urine. Serial analyses of urine stains found at a crime scene provide effective information for forensic investigation. This method is recommended for stain identification and for DNA-typing from a urine stain.     

Interstate Partnerships in Emergency Management: Emergency Management Assistance Compact in Response to Catastrophic Disasters

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a mutual aid agreement and partnership that allows states to assist one another in responding to natural and man-made disasters, often in advance of federal disaster assistance. This article examines EMAC's response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in order to address the significant need for analysis of emergency management at the state level. A content analysis of news reports, government documents, and reports from a number of institutions was performed to determine the volume and direction of EMAC's performance and its transactions during the response operations. The authors find a lack of EMAC training among responders, potentially reducing communication and coordination and the efficiency and effectiveness of response operations. A network analysis assessed the relationships among the responding organizations to coordinate their emergency response operations.     

Urgent issues and prospects at the intersection of culture,memory, and witness interviews: Exploring the challenges for research and practice

The pursuit of justice increasingly relies on productive interactions between witnesses and investigators from diverse cultural backgrounds during investigative interviews. To date, the role of cultural context has largely been ignored by researchers in the field of investigative interviewing, despite repeated requests from practitioners and policymakers for evidence-based guidance for the conduct of interviews with people from different cultures. Through examining cultural differences in human memory and communication and considering specific contextual challenges for investigative interviewing through the lens of culture, this review and associated commentaries highlight the scope for considering culture and human diversity in research on, and the practice of, investigative interviewing with victims, witnesses, and other sources. Across 11 commentaries, contributors highlight the importance of considering the role of culture in different investigative interviewing practices (e.g., rapport building, questioning techniques) and contexts (e.g., gender-based violence, asylum seeking, child abuse), address common areas of cultural mismatch between interviewer–interviewee expectations, and identify critical future routes for research. We call for an increased focus in the investigative interviewing literature on the nature and needs of our global community and encourage constructive and collaborative discussion between researchers and practitioners from around the world to better identify specific challenges and work together towards evidence-based solutions.     

Drafting and plain language

Producing law which is clear and easily accessible to the reader is a priority for the drafter. Thus, the use of plain language is one key issue which can help to improve clarity in drafting law. It can make the law much easier to understand and can maintain good standards. At the level of structure, plain language drafters try to organise laws in a clear and meaningful way. If everybody decides to use language in any way he or she likes, it would be impossible to meet the requirements of every listener and reader.     

Online reference database of European Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) haplotypes

The reference database of highly informative Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) haplotypes (YHRD), available online at http://ystr.charite.de, represents the largest collection of male-specific genetic profiles currently available for European populations. By September 2000, YHRD contained 4688 9-locus (so-called "minimal") haplotypes, 40% of which have been extended further to include two additional loci. Establishment of YHRD has been facilitated by the joint efforts of 31 forensic and anthropological institutions. All contributing laboratories have agreed to standardize their Y-STR haplotyping protocols and to participate in a quality assurance exercise prior to the inclusion of any data. In view of its collaborative character, and in order to put YHRD to its intended use, viz. the support of forensic caseworkers in their routine decision-making process, the database has been made publicly available via the Internet in February 2000. Online searches for complete or partial Y-STR haplotypes from evidentiary or non-probative material can be performed on a non-commercial basis, and yield observed haplotype counts as well as extrapolated population frequency estimates. In addition, the YHRD website provides information about the quality control test, genotyping protocols, haplotype formats and informativity, population genetic analysis, literature references, and a list of contact addresses of the contributing laboratories.     

Explaining the clash and accommodation of interests of major actors in the creation of the African Union

The rapid creation of the African Union (AU) has been describedas one of the most puzzling events in interstate co-operationin contemporary Africa. While studies published so far on thesubject express surprise at the AU's speedy creation, none makesany attempt to explain the clash of interests and ideas of thekey actors and how they were accommodated in order to createthe AU. This article attempts to fill this gap by exploringthe interests and ideas that drove the AU process. It arguesthat the introduction at the Algiers summit in 1999 of two separatereform packages that were meant to reform the OAU in line withthe foreign policy interests of Nigeria and South Africa setin motion the process that eventually led to the creation ofthe AU.     

Mitochondrial DNA in the Central European population. Human identification with the help of the forensic mt-DNA D-loop-base database

Sequencing of mtDNA is an advanced method for the individualisation of traces. Disadvantages of this method are expensive and time-consuming analysis and evaluation procedures as well as the necessary stock of population-genetic data which is still insufficient. Central European institutes of forensic medicine from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have been working together since the beginning of 1998 to establish a mtDNA database. The aim is to build up a large stock of forensically established data and provide population-genetic data for frequency investigations, which will serve as a basis for expert opinions and scientific research. Good data quality is ensured by using original sequences only. Ring tests, which have been conducted to enhance analytical reliability, revealed a high correspondence rate of the analytical results obtained by the individual member institutes. Today 1410 sequences are available for comparison, of which 1285 sequences in the HV1 and HV2 regions cover the full ranges from 16051 to 16365 and from 73 to 340 (according to Anderson). The major part is formed by Central European sequences comprising 1256 data sets from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Today the database contains sequences from a total of 12 European, six African and three Asian countries including 100 sequences from Japan. This paper is aimed at discussing the individualisation potentials of mtDNA as well as the possibilities and limits of ethnic differentiation by means of pairwise sequence differences on the basis of the data stock available.     

Economic Fluctuations and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Importance of Import Instability

The traditional thesis that export instability (XI) is deleterious to economic growth in developing economies has received mixed empirical results. For African countries, recent research suggests that the effect of XI is weak, but that capital (investment) instability (KI) adversely influences economic growth. The current study argues that in many of these nations, imports are likely to be critical to the growth process, while exports represent only one of the various sources of investment resources. Hence, import instability (MI) may pose a more serious problem than XI in hindering economic growth. Employing 1968-1986 World Bank data for 33 sub-Saharan African countries, XI, KI and MI variables are calculated for each country as the standard errors around the respective 'best-fitted' trends over the sample period. These instability measures and additional World Bank data are then used to estimate an augmented production function that controls for the effects of labour, capital, and exports. The study finds that although KI is still a relevant argument of the production function, MI appears to be even more important, while XI is extraneous.