Chaitanya,L.; Walsh,S.; Andersen,J.D.; Ansell,R.; Ballantyne,K.; Ballard,D.; Banemann,R.; Bauer,C.M.; Bento,A.M.; Brisighelli,F.; Capal,T.; Clarisse,L.; Gross,T.E.; Haas,C.; Hoff-Olsen,P.; Hollard,C.; Keyser,C.; Kiesler,K.M.; Kohler,P.; Kupiec,T.; Linacre,A.; Minawi,A.; Morling,N.; Nilsson,H.; Noren,L.; Ottens,R.; Palo,J.U.; Parson,W.; Pascali,V.L.; Phillips,C.; Porto,M.J.; Sajantila,A.; Schneider,P.M.; Sijen,T.; Sochtig,J.; Syndercombe-Court,D.; Tillmar,A.; Turanska,M.; Vallone,P.M.; Zatkalikova,L.; Zidkova,A.; Branicki,W.; Kayser,M.; The IrisPlex system is a DNA-based test system for the prediction of human eye colour from biological samples and consists of a single forensically validated multiplex genotyping assay together with a statistical prediction model that is based on genotypes and phenotypes from thousands of individuals. [Read More]

Erb,R.; Oberacher,H.; LC-MS represents an important technology for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of nucleic acids. For MS, ESI in negative ion mode is used. The chromatographic method of choice is ion-pair (IP) RP chromatography. Chromatographic separations are usually accomplished by gradients of an organic modifier in aqueous solutions of IP reagents. Commonly applied IP reagents are 2.3 mM triethylamine/400 mM 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (TEA/HFIP, pH 7.0) and 10-25 mM cyclohexyldimethylammonium acetate (CycHDMAA, pH 8. [Read More]

Labi,V.; Woess,C.; Tuzlak,S.; Erlacher,M.; Bouillet,P.; Strasser,A.; Tzankov,A.; Villunger,A.; BH3 domain-only proteins (BH3-only) proteins are members of the Bcl-2 family that play crucial roles in embryogenesis and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis by triggering apoptotic cell death. The BH3-only protein Bim is critical for developmental apoptosis of lymphocytes, securing establishment of tolerance and for the termination of immune responses. Bim is believed to act in concert with other BH3-only proteins or members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family in getting rid of unwanted cells. [Read More]

Just,R.S.; Scheible,M.K.; Fast,S.A.; Sturk-Andreaggi,K.; Higginbotham,J.L.; Lyons,E.A.; Bush,J.M.; Peck,M.A.; Ring,J.D.; Diegoli,T.M.; Röck,A.W.; Huber,G.E.; Nagl,S.; Strobl,C.; Zimmermann,B.; Parson,W.; Irwin,J.A.; Forensic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing requires appropriate, high quality reference population data for estimating the rarity of questioned haplotypes and, in turn, the strength of the mtDNA evidence. Available reference databases (SWGDAM, EMPOP) currently include information from the mtDNA control region; however, novel methods that quickly and easily recover mtDNA coding region data are becoming increasingly available. [Read More]

Weiss,E.M.; Freudenthaler,H.H.; Fink,A.; Reiser,E.M.; Niederstätter,H.; Nagl,S.; Parson,W.; Papousek,I.; Converging evidence indicates that a considerable amount of variance in self-estimated emotional competency can be directly attributed to genetic factors. The current study examined the associations between the polymorphisms of the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Met158Val) and the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and specific measures of the self-estimated effectiveness of an individual’s emotion perception and regulation. Emotional competence was measured in a large sample of 289 healthy women by using the Self-report Emotional Ability Scale (SEAS), which includes two subscales for the assessment of emotion perception and regulation in the intra-personal domain and two subscales for the assessment of emotion perception and regulation in the inter-personal domain. [Read More]