Multiplex-Genotypisierung forensisch relevanter SNPs unter Verwendung von Microarrays auf chemisch aktivierten Glasflächen

Die Analyse tandem-repetitiver DNA-Sequenzen hat einen festen Platz als genetisches Typisierungsverfahren in den Breichen der stammesgeschichtlichen Untersuchung, der Verwandtschaftsanalyse und vor allem in der forensischen Spurenkunde, bei der es durch den Einsatz der Multiplex-PCR-Analyse von Short Tandem Repeat-Systemen (STR) zu einem Durchbruch bei der Aufklärung und sicheren Zuordnung von biologischen Tatortspuren kam. Bei der Sequenzierung des humanen Genoms liegt ein besonderes Augenmerk auf den genetisch polymorphen Sequenzvariationen im Genom, den SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Zwei ihrer Eigenschaften – das häufige Vorkommen innerhalb des humanen Genoms und ihre vergleichbar geringe Mutationsrate – machen sie zu besonders gut geeigneten Werkzeugen sowohl für die Forensik als auch für die Populationsgenetik.rnZum Ziel des EU-Projekts „SNPforID“, aus welchem die vorliegende Arbeit entstanden ist, wurde die Etablierung neuer Methoden zur validen Typisierung von SNPs in Multiplexverfahren erklärt. Die Berücksichtigung der Sensitivität bei der Untersuchung von Spuren sowie die statistische Aussagekraft in der forensischen Analyse standen dabei im Vordergrund. Hierfür wurden 52 autosomale SNPs ausgewählt und auf ihre maximale Individualisierungsstärke hin untersucht. Die Untersuchungen der ersten 23 selektierten Marker stellen den ersten Teil der vorliegenden Arbeit dar. Sie umfassen die Etablierung des Multiplexverfahrens und der SNaPshot™-Typisierungsmethode sowie ihre statistische Auswertung. Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung sind ein Teil der darauf folgenden, in enger Zusammenarbeit der Partnerlaboratorien durchgeführten Studie der 52-SNP-Multiplexmethode. rnEbenfalls im Rahmen des Projekts und als Hauptziel der Dissertation erfolgten Etablierung und Evaluierung des auf der Microarray-Technologie basierenden Verfahrens der Einzelbasenverlängerung auf Glasobjektträgern. Ausgehend von einer begrenzten DNA-Menge wurde hierbei die Möglichkeit der simultanen Hybridisierung einer möglichst hohen Anzahl von SNP-Systemen untersucht. Die Auswahl der hierbei eingesetzten SNP-Marker erfolgte auf der Basis der Vorarbeiten, die für die Etablierung des 52-SNP-Multiplexes erfolgreich durchgeführt worden waren. rnAus einer Vielzahl von Methoden zur Genotypisierung von biallelischen Markern hebt sich das Assay in seiner Parallelität und der Einfachheit des experimentellen Ansatzes durch eine erhebliche Zeit- und Kostenersparnis ab. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde das „array of arrays“-Prinzip eingesetzt, um zur gleichen Zeit unter einheitlichen Versuchsbedingungen zwölf DNA-Proben auf einem Glasobjektträger zu typisieren. Auf der Basis von insgesamt 1419 typisierten Allelen von 33 Markern konnte die Validierung mit einem Typisierungserfolg von 86,75% abgeschlossen werden. Dabei wurden zusätzlich eine Reihe von Randbedingungen in Bezug auf das Sonden- und Primerdesign, die Hybridisierungsbedingungen sowie physikalische Parameter der laserinduzierten Fluoreszenzmessung der Signale ausgetestet und optimiert. rn

No(i)rthern Ireland: Crime fiction and the northern-irish scene. Proposed translation into italian of two short stories from "belfast noir"

The present thesis aims at proving the importance of cultural and literary contexts in the practice of translation: I shall show that, in the case of Northern Irish crime fiction, knowledge of both Northern Irish history and culture as well as of the genre of crime fiction are essential prerequisites for the production of a “responsible” translation. I will therefore offer a brief overview of the history of crime and detective fiction and its main subgenres; some of the most important authors and works will be presented as well, in an analysis that goes from the early years of the genre to the second half of the 20th century. I will then move the focus to Northern Ireland, its culture and its history, and particular attention will be paid to fiction writing in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with a focus on the peculiar phenomenon of “Troubles Trash”. I will tackle the topic of Northern Irish literature and present the contemporary scene of Northern Irish crime fiction; the volume from which the texts for the translation have been taken will be presented, namely Belfast Noir. Subsequently the focus will move on the theoretical framework within which the translations were produced: I will present a literary review of the most significative developments in Translation Studies, with particular attention to the “cultural turn” that has characterised this subject since the 1960s. I will then highlight the phenomenon of “realia” in translation and analyse the approaches of different scholars to the translation of culture-bound references. The final part represents the culmination and practical application of all that was presented in the previous sections: I will discuss the translation of culture-bound references according to the strategies presented in Chapter 4, referring to the proposed translations of two stories. Such analysis aims to show that not only expert linguistic knowledge, but also cultural awareness and a wide literary background are needed in order to make conscious choices in translation.

Variability in urinary oxalate measurements between six international laboratories

Hyperoxaluria is a major risk factor for kidney stone formation. Although urinary oxalate measurement is part of all basic stone risk assessment, there is no standardized method for this measurement.

Rivaroxaban: Quantification by anti-FXa assay and influence on coagulation tests A study in 9 Swiss laboratories

INTRODUCTION: Rivaroxaban (RXA) is licensed for prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism after major orthopaedic surgery of the lower limbs. Currently, no test to quantify RXA in plasma has been validated in an inter-laboratory setting. Our study had three aims: to assess i) the feasibility of RXA quantification with a commercial anti-FXa assay, ii) its accuracy and precision in an inter-laboratory setting, and iii) the influence of 10mg of RXA on routine coagulation tests. METHODS: The same chromogenic anti-FXa assay (Hyphen BioMed) was used in all participating laboratories. RXA calibrators and sets of blinded probes (aim ii.) were prepared in vitro by spiking normal plasma. The precise RXA content was assessed by high-pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. For ex-vivo studies (aim iii), plasma samples from 20 healthy volunteers taken before and 2 - 3hours after ingestion of 10mg of RXA were analyzed by participating laboratories. RESULTS: RXA can be assayed chromogenically. Among the participating laboratories, the mean accuracy and the mean coefficient of variation for precision of RXA quantification were 7.0% and 8.8%, respectively. Mean RXA concentration was 114±43?g/L .RXA significantly altered prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, factor analysis for intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Determinations of thrombin time, fibrinogen, FXIII and D-Dimer levels were not affected. CONCLUSIONS: RXA plasma levels can be quantified accurately and precisely by a chromogenic anti-FXa assay on different coagulometers in different laboratories. Ingestion of 10mg RXA results in significant alterations of both PT- and aPTT-based coagulation assays.

Review of Complete Crime and Punishment Series

Some examples of topics covered include undocumented immigrants, guns, and terrorism within Crime and Criminal Behavior, vigilantes, Miranda warnings, and zero-tolerance policing within Police and Law Enforcement; insanity laws, DNA evidence, and victims' rights within Courts, Law, and Justice; gangs and prison violence, capital punishment, and prison privatization within Corrections; and school violence, violent juvenile offenders, and age of responsibility within Juvenile Crime and Justice. Note that Sage offers numerous reference works that provide focused analysis of key topics in the field of criminal justice, such as the Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment (2002), the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime (2009), the Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention (2010), the Encyclopedia of White Collar & Corporate Crime (2004), and the Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence (2008), available in print or as e-books via Sage Reference online.

Review of The Great Pictorial History of World Crime. By Jay Robert Nash. Wilmette, Ill.: History, Inc., 2004.

Frazier reviews The Great Pictorial History of World Crime by Jay Robert Nash.

Review of Encyclopedia of White-Collar and Corporate Crime. Ed. by Lawrence M. Salinger. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2004.

Frazier reviews Encyclopedia of White-Collar and Corporate Crime edited by Lawrence M. Salinger.

Integrated engineering workstations in electrical engineering laboratories

This paper provides a description of integrated engineering workstations (IEW’s) used in undergraduate electrical engineering laboratories. The IEW’s are used for the design, analysis, and testing of engineering systems. Examples of laboratory experiments and software programs are presented.

Design of removable partial dentures: a survey of dental laboratories in Greece

The aim of this study was to compare data on design and fabrication methods of removable partial dentures (RPDs) in two major cities in Greece. A questionnaire was sent to 150 randomly selected dental technicians. The participation rate was 79.3%. The anterior palatal strap, the lingual bar, and the Roach-type clasp arm designs were preferred. Half of the RPDs fabricated were retained using precision attachments. Differences between the two cities were observed in types of major maxillary connectors used, types of attachments and impression materials used, as well as the design of distal-extension RPDs. Postdoctoral education was found to have an impact on RPD fabrication. Despite the differences observed, design and fabrication of RPDs followed commonly used principles.

Crime, Mass Media and the General Public in Lithuania

The project investigated the presentation of crime in the Lithuanian media and its possible impact on the general public's understanding of crime-related problems in society. Dobryninas concentrated on three main aspects of this problem: the development of the image of crime in the Lithuanian press and television, journalists' principles in presenting crime-related information, and the public attitude to the presentation of crime in the media. A content analysis of national newspapers from the period of 1992-1997 showed not only increasing interest in crime problems, but also the distorted nature of the image of crime in the media. In-depth interviews with Lithuanian journalists demonstrated that they understood their role in presenting crime-related information firstly as providing information oriented to high public demand, although at the same time they did not deny the commercial and entertainment aspects of crime reporting. Readership and audience research illustrated the clear influence of the media on the public understanding of crime problems in society. However, the virtual image of crime did not greatly affect the system of values and beliefs of Lithuanians, nor did it challenge their insistence that problems of crime could and should be managed within the framework of a civil and open society.

Feelings of revenge, retaliation motive, and posttraumatic stress reactions in crime victims

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are often said to experience strong feelings of revenge. However, there is a need for confirmatory empirical studies. Therefore, in a study of 174 victims of violent crimes, the relation between feelings of revenge and posttraumatic stress reactions was investigated. Feelings of revenge were correlated with intrusion and hyperarousal but not with avoidance. Feelings of revenge explained incremental variance of intrusion and hyperarousalwhen the variance explained by victimological variables was controlled. The retaliation motive implied in feelings of revenge did not account for the relation between feelings of revenge and posttraumatic stress reactions. However, the relation was moderated by the time since victimization. Therefore, feelings of revenge must presumably be regarded as a maladaptive coping reaction to experienced injustice, but not in the first period after victimization.