Competition and cooperation in artificial intelligence standard setting: Explaining emergent patterns

Efforts to set standards for artificial intelligence (AI) reveal striking patterns: technical experts hailing from geopolitical rivals, such as the United States and China, readily collaborate on technical AI standards within transnational standard-setting organizations, whereas governments are much less willing to collaborate on global ethical AI standards within international organizations. Whether competition or cooperation prevails can be explained by three variables: the actors that make up the membership of the standard-setting organization, the issues on which the organization's standard-setting efforts focus, and the “games” actors play when trying to set standards within a particular type of organization. A preliminary empirical analysis provides support for the contention that actors, issues, and games affect the prospects for cooperation on global AI standards. It matters because shared standards are vital for achieving truly global frameworks for the governance of AI. Such global frameworks, in turn, lower transaction costs and the probability that the world will witness the emergence of AI systems that threaten human rights and fundamental freedoms.     

A highly specific and sensitive sandwich enzyme immunoassay for human hemoglobin A

A highly specific and sensitive sandwich enzyme immunoassay for human hemoglobin A (Hb A) is described. A rabbit anti-human Hb A IgG-coated polystyrene ball was incubated with human Hb A and subsequently with affinity-purified anti-human Hb A Fab'-horseradish peroxidase conjugates, which had been prepared before and after absorption with Japanese monkey Hb-Sepharose 4B and dog Hb-Sepharose 4B. Bound peroxidase activity was measured by fluorimetry using 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid as a substrate. The detection limits of human Hb A using the conjugate before and after the absorption were 0.65 pg/tube (3 X 10(10)-fold dilution of whole blood) and 2.0 pg/tube (1 X 10(10)-fold dilution of whole blood), respectively. Human Hb A could be discriminated from Hb of animals such as Japanese monkey, dog, cat, pig, horse, sheep, chicken and cow by measuring bound peroxidase activity in the presence and absence of the conjugates prepared before and after the absorption. Human Hb A in bloodstains on cotton gauze could be discriminated from Hb of animals described above even after seven washings. Human Hb A in 220,000-fold diluted bloodstains on cotton gauze could also be discriminated from Hb of animals described above.     

Identification of propellants of small arms ammunition

Existing methods seem inadequate to identify propellants of small arms ammunition. The present article describes that viscosity may be effectively used to differentiate and identify those. The temperature dependence, intra- and inter-batch variation and storage effect of propellants were studied.     

国家发展水平评估方法

根据战略矩阵方法,可以从以下几个方面研究国家的历史发展水平. 1.揭示国家发展的历史时代.这些历史时代通常可与政体(比如,君主制--共和制)、朝代的更迭(在君主制的政体下)、巨大的疆域变化(疆域的扩张或丢失)、法律地位(殖民地--独立国家)的改变相关联.     

DNA recovery after sequential processing of latent fingerprints on copy paper

Forensic examiners must determine whether both latent fingerprint development and DNA profiling can be performed on the same area of an evidence item and, if only one is possible, which examination offers the best chance for identification. Latent fingerprints can be enhanced by targeting different components of fingerprint residues with sequential chemical treatments. This study investigated the effects of single-reagent and sequential latent fingerprint development processes on downstream DNA analysis to determine the point at which latent fingerprint development should be stopped to allow for DNA recovery. Latent fingerprints deposited on copy paper by one donor were developed using three sequential processes: 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) → ninhydrin → physical developer (PD); 1,2-indanedione-zinc (IND-Zn) → ninhydrin → PD; and IND-Zn → ninhydrin → Oil Red O (ORO) → PD. Samples were examined after the addition of each chemical treatment. DNA was collected with cotton swabs, extracted, quantified, and amplified. DNA yields, peak heights, number of alleles obtained, and percentage of DNA profiles eligible for CODIS upload were examined. DNA profiles were obtained with varying degrees of success, depending on the number and type of treatments used for latent fingerprint development. The treatments that were found to be the least harmful to downstream DNA analysis were IND-Zn and IND-Zn/laser, and the most detrimental treatments were DFO, DFO/laser, and PD. In general, as the number of treatments increase, the opportunities for DNA loss or damage also increase, and it is preferable to use fewer treatments when developing latent fingerprints prior to downstream DNA processing.     

Mandibular ramus: an indicator for sex in fragmentary mandible

Mandible is the hardest and most durable bone of the skull exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Especially ramus of mandible is subjected to greater stress than any other bone of the skull because of the process of mastication. This study has been performed to establish the osteometric standards for practical use in forensic context over Indian population using mandibular ramus. The sample consists of 116 mandibles of Northern Indian population (M:F; 92:24, mean age 37.4 years), collected from the Department of Forensic Medicine, IMS, BHU, Varanasi. Osteometric informations about five metric parameters (coronoid height, projective height, condylar height, and maximum breadth and minimum breadth of ramus) were taken with sliding calipers. These parameters were subjected to different discriminant function analysis using SPSS 16.0. All parameters showed significant sexual dimorphism (p < 0.001 in all cases) with an overall accuracy of 80.2%, and coronoid height was the single best parameter providing an accuracy of 74.1%.     

Typing of mitochondrial DNA from isolated cells of the human buccal epithelium

The authors have developed a method for molecular-genetic analysis of DNA from isolated cells for the purpose of forensic medical diagnostics. The method is based on the use of the laser capture microdissection (LCM) technology in combination with typing of mitochondrial DNA. Optimization of the conditions for amplification of polymorphic mtDNA loci in preparations containing minimal amounts of the genetic material was accomplished at the initial stage of the work. To this effect, the two-round polymerase chain reaction was employed that allowed the amplified material to be accumulated in the amount sufficient for sequenation. At the next stages, the system thus obtained was tested on the cell model (using isolated cells of human buccal epithelium). It was shown that the proposed method is suitable for the analysis of specific mtDNA characteristics in a single human cell.     

Tissue distribution of tetramethylthiuram disulfide in warm-blooded animals

The objective of the present work was to study the distribution of tetramethylthiuram disulfide (TMTD) in the body of warm-blooded animals as exemplified by white rats. TMTD was administered intragastrically and detected in the unaltered form in other internal organs. It was found to accumulate in the largest amounts in the gastric contents, kidneys, and urine.     

The development of a test-system for the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of DNA content in criminalistic objects by the real-time polymerase chain reaction

An original test-system for the preliminary quantitative and qualitative evaluation of isolated DNA is proposed by the polymerase chain reaction in real time (PCR-RT) based on the TaqMan technology. This test-system permits to simultaneously measure the amount of DNA in the sample, identify the genetic gender, and detect PCR inhibitors. The method has been approbated in the practical work of forensic medical experts.