Gettings,K.B.; Borsuk,L.A.; Ballard,D.; Bodner,M.; Budowle,B.; Devesse,L.; King,J.; Parson,W.; Phillips,C.; Vallone,P.M.; The STR Sequencing Project (STRSeq) was initiated to facilitate the description of sequence-based alleles at the Short Tandem Repeat (STR) loci targeted in human identification assays. This international collaborative effort, which has been endorsed by the ISFG DNA Commission, provides a framework for communication among laboratories. The initial data used to populate the project are the aggregate alleles observed in targeted sequencing studies across four laboratories: National Institute of Standards and Technology (N=1786), Kings College London (N=1043), University of North Texas Health Sciences Center (N=839), and University of Santiago de Compostela (N=944), for a total of 4612 individuals. [Read More]

Oberacher,H.; Arnhard,K.; Linhart,C.; Diwo,A.; Marksteiner,J.; Humpel,C.; Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The use of biological fluids in AD diagnosis remains limited to the analysis of specific protein biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid. However, metabolomic analysis has recently revealed several metabolites in plasma, especially phosphatidylcholines (PC), as putative biomarkers specific for AD. Following on previous reports of platelet abnormalities in AD, we hypothesized that platelets metabolites released in plasma may offer new biomarkers in AD. [Read More]

SuppersbergerHamre,S.; Ersland,G.A.; Daux,V.; Parson,W.; Wilkinson,C.; This article presents the life stories of three individuals who lived in Trondheim, Norway, during the 13th century. Based on skeletal examinations, facial reconstructions, genetic analyses, and stable oxygen isotope analyses, the birthplace, mobility, ancestry, pathology, and physical appearance of these people are presented. The stories are discussed within the relevant historical context. These three people would have been ordinary citizens, without any privileges out of the ordinary, which makes them quite rare in the academic literature. [Read More]

Kayser,M.; Parson,W.; Due to its support of law enforcement, forensics is a conservative field; nevertheless, driven by scientific and technological progress, forensic genetics is slowly transitioning into forensic genomics. With this Special Issue of Genes we acknowledge and appreciate this rather recent development by not only introducing the field of forensics to the wider community of geneticists, but we do so by emphasizing on different topics of forensic relevance where genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic principles, methods, and datasets of humans and beyond are beginning to be used to answer forensic questions. [Read More]

Braun,D.E.; Oberacher,H.; Arnhard,K.; Orlova,M.; Griesser,U.J.; Crystal structure prediction studies indicated the existence of an unknown high density monohydrate structure (Hy1(B)degrees) as the global energy minimum for 4-aminoquinaldine (4-AQ). We thus performed an interdisciplinary experimental and computational study elucidating the crystal structures, solid form interrelationships, and kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities of the stable anhydrate (AH I degrees), the kinetic monohydrate (Hy1(A)) and this novel monohydrate polymorph (Hy1(B)degrees) of 4-AQ. The crystal structure of Hy1(B)degrees was determined by combining laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data and ab initio calculations. [Read More]