Distribution of Chemical Phenotypes (Chemotypes) in European Agricultural Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars

In Europe, more than 50 approved cultivars of fiber hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) are in agricultural production. Their content of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is legally restricted to <0.2% (%w/w in the dry, mature inflorescences). Cannabis strains with much higher THC contents are also grown, illegally or under license for drug production. Differentiation between these two groups relies on biochemical quantification of cannabinoid contents in mature floral material. For nonflowering material or tissue devoid of cannabinoids, the genetic prediction of the chemical phenotype (chemotype) provides a suitable method of distinction. Three discrete chemotypes, depending on the ratio of THC and the noneuphoric cannabidiol (CBD), can be distinguished: a “THC-predominant” type, a “CBD-predominant” type, and an intermediate chemotype. We present a systematic genetic prediction of chemotypes of 62 agricultural hemp cultivars grown in Europe. The survey reveals the presence of up to 35% B_T allele-carrying individuals (representing either a THC-predominant or an intermediate chemotype) in some cultivars—which is unexpected considering the legal THC limit of 0.2% THC. The fact that 100% of the seized drug-type seeds in this study revealed at least one B_T allele, reflects that plant breeding efforts have resulted in a fixation of the B_T allele in recreational Cannabis. To guarantee a sincere forensic application based on a genetic chemotype prediction, we recommend not to classify material of unknown origin if the samples size is below nine genetically independent individuals.     

论我国基因信息不知情权的确立

基因信息对健康状况具有强烈的预测性,出于诸种原因当事人未必想知晓基因信息.为充分尊重自我决定权,比较法上承认权利人享有基因信息不知情权.基因信息不知情权指权利人有权预先决定是否接受基因信息的披露,其核心要义为“知情拒绝权”.基因信息不知情权旨在保障权利人对基因信息的自主控制,在我国隐私权与个人信息区分规制的立法模式下,...     

新一代遗传标记——InDel研究进展

法医DNA分型经历了三代遗传标记的研究,短串联重复序列(short tandem repeat,STR)作为比较成熟的工具已被广泛运用于法医生物学鉴定中。进一步对人类基因组的探索,先后发现了单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphism,SNP)、插入/缺失(Insertion/Deletion,InDel)等一系列遗传标记,而其中InDel作为新型的遗传标记,基本兼具各类遗传标记的优点,受到包括医学分子生物学和法医生物学在内各领域的广泛关注。本文就InDel的研究历史与相应的成果进行简单总结与回顾,以时间轴与研究目的为主要的分类指标,重点关注以多个InDel联合作为遗传标记的多重扩增系统(常染色体或X染色体)在法医生物学及人类学研究中的进展,并对今后该领域研究的方向与暨待解决的问题进行了综述。     

Screening procedures in the United Kingdom for positions of trust with children

Abstract

Child services organisations need policies that minimise the risk of sexual abuse of the children in their care. In particular, managers (and the public) are justifiably concerned when abuse is perpetrated by individuals who should not have been working with children in the first place. Unfortunately, there has been relatively little work on determining unacceptable risk for sexually abusive behaviour in child service organisations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the contexts in which screening procedures are appropriate, review the academic literature on screening procedures and present the results of a pilot survey of current screening practices in the United Kingdom. We comment on the effectiveness of screening measures available for use by organisations and provide suggestions for improvement. Specifically, we recommend that screening procedures consider risk factors associated with the onset and persistence of child sexual abuse perpetration.     

Dilemmas and consequences of prior criminal record: a criminological perspective from England and Wales

This article considers the contemporary architecture of criminal record usage in England and Wales. We focus upon impact on ‘employment status’, partly because work is often now seen as key to good health and other self-esteem indicators in the modern world. First, we examine in the context of England and Wales, (a) the development of the contemporary criminal record system and extent of availability of prior record information in terms of employment (and other licensing purposes) and (b) the factors that helped shape the current architecture. Second, this article outlines what is known from the British criminological literature on employment and conviction records and what more is needed in terms of criminological research. Finally, we consider how convictions become ‘spent’ – in particular the English approach to ‘expungement’/sealing of the criminal record according to the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders legislation.     

Terrorism and Profiling

A key problem for counterterrorism is how large numbers of individuals can be screened most efficiently to discover terrorists. This question arises at security checkpoints of all kinds, from roadblocks to airline security counters. Some argue that certain categories of individuals, for instance, young Muslim men in the airline context, should be screened more heavily than others. Others deride this as racial profiling, and argue that any such scheme would be easily evaded. I examine a model of searching for terrorists among a population divided into categories that vary in their potential reliability or ease of recruitment as agents of terrorist attacks. The equilibria in the model feature profiling, in that different categories are searched with different intensities. Practical difficulties in implementing a rational profiling scheme are discussed.     

云南玉溪汉族15个STR基因座多态性及遗传关系分析

目的调查玉溪汉族人群15个STR基因座的遗传多态性,并分析与国内部分地区汉族群体的遗传关系。方法采用AmpFLSTR Identifiler试剂盒,复合扩增15个STR基因座,计算基因频率及法医学参数;收集国内其他10个群体的遗传学资料进行遗传距离和聚类分析。结果玉溪汉族群体15个STR基因座等位基因及基因型分布符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡定律,PD值在0.790 6～0.968 1之间,PE值在0.315 9～0.733 5之间,PIC值在0.554 6～0.856 4之间,15个基因座累积个体识别力为0.999 999 999 999 999 99,累积非父排除率为0.999 998。不同地区汉族群体间遗传距离分析提示,玉溪汉族与成都汉族遗传距离最近(0.004 0),其次是河南(0.004 5)和潮汕(0.004 7);内蒙古最远(0.036 1)。结论云南玉溪汉族15个STR基因座具有较高的遗传多态性,适于该群体的法医学应用,遗传关系分析结果可为该群体的起源、迁徙及与其他群体的遗传关系分析提供参考。     

Genetic data of 10 X-STRs in a population sample from Lima,Perú

Genetic population data for 10 X-STR (DXS6789, DXS9902, DXS7132, GATA31E08, DXS7133, DXS9898, DXS8378, DXS6809, DXS7423 and GATA172D05) were obtained from Lima population. The present study results support the usefulness of these markers in kinship investigation and also in population genetics studies.     

2个miniSTR等位基因分型标准物的制备

目的采用分子克隆技术制备miniSTR D3S4529和D12ATA63基因座等位基因分型标准物,并评价其应用价值。方法用荧光引物对835份无关个体血卡样本进行扩增并分型检测,筛选2个基因座的等位基因片段,用分子克隆方法制备等位基因分型标准物,并对中国汉族群体进行遗传学调查。结果根据筛选出的等位基因片段制备出分型标准物,各等位基因峰形尖锐,无双肩峰,峰高基本一致,荧光值在4 000 RFU左右。中国汉族人群D3S4529、D12ATA63基因座分别检出7个、11个等位基因,杂合度分别为0.752、0.723,多态信息含量均为0.71。结论通过分子克隆法制备的miniSTR D3S4529和D12ATA63等位基因分型标准物,在法医学研究中具有较高的应用价值。     

浙江宣城地区汉族人群18个STR基因座遗传多态性

目的 调查浙江宣城地区汉族人群5000例无关个体18个STR基因座多态性分布.方法 应用AmpFlSTR Identifiler荧光标记复合扩增系统检测,统计计算群体遗传学参数.结果 18个STR基因座的基因型分布均符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡（P＞0.05）,共检出270个等位基因,频率在0.0001～0.5260之间,共有1289种基因型,在13个基因座上检出共44个微变异等位基因.18个基因座的杂合度观察值（Ho）在0.6238～0.9120之间,杂合度理论值（He）在0.6961～0.9601之间,多态信息含量（PIC）在0.5578～0.9126之间,累计个人识别率（TDP）为0.999 999 999 999 999 999 999 953,三联体累计非父排除概率（CPE）为0.999 999 993487 306,二联体累计非父排除率（CPE＊）为0.985819169.结论 本文调查结果与以往文献报道的不同地区民族的人群等位基因频率资料有一定程度的差异性.上述18个STR基因座适用于宣城地区汉族群体各类案件的法医学个体识别和亲权鉴定.