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The first Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) recorded in the Great Lakes basin was discovered on Lake Erie near the source of the Niagara River on 7 October 2013 by J. P. Morphologic evidence suggested that this bird was an adult female of the nominate Atlantic subspecies. We obtained genomic DNA from feces left by the bird. Mitochondrial DNA from the control region (CR2) was sequenced and compared with extensive CR2 data for Brown Booby available in GenBank; this corroborated the morphologic hypothesis. This is the first time that a vagrant bird in Canada has been identified using DNA extracted from feces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of soil transfer on fungal degradation of Scots pine was investigated using visual inspection, microscopy and DNA profiling. Two test fields in Simlångsdalen with similar soil characteristics were used. Soil has previous been used with the purpose to retain the beneficial original micro-organisms present to imitate field-trials during laboratory condition. We found that fungal degradation in mini-stakes exposed in transferred soil did not correspond to mini-stakes exposed in original soil. Moreover, the type of degradation in the mini-stakes exposed in transferred soil did not match mini-stakes exposed in the original soil. However, established degradation in areas neighbouring the transferred soil was comparable. The fungal community in mini-stakes also varied more between different years than within the field. This suggests that relocation of soil disrupts the original fungal community due to unavoidable mixing of the soil. Therefore, the beneficial micro-organism characteristics of soils is very difficult to transfer elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Reliable methods to identify medicinal plant material are becoming more important in an increasingly regulated market place. DNA-based methods have been recognised as a valuable tool in this area with benefits such as being unaffected by the age of the plant material, growth conditions and harvesting techniques. It is possible that the methods of production used for medicinal plant products will degrade or remove DNA. So how applicable are these techniques to processed medicinal plant products? A simple PCR-based identification technique has been developed for St. John's Wort, Hypericum perforatum L. Thirteen St. John's Wort products were purchased including capsules, tablets and tinctures. DNA was extracted from each product, and the species specific PCR test conducted. DNA was successfully extracted from all thirteen products, using a fast and efficient modified method for extracting DNA from tinctures. Only four products yielded the full length ITS region (850bp) due to the quality of the DNA. All of the products tested positive for H. perforatum DNA. DNA-based identification methods can complement existing methods of authentication. This paper shows that these methods are applicable to a wide range of processed products, provided that they are designed to account for the possibility of DNA degradation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Four fields for testing wood preservatives were characterized regarding type of rot, fungi present in wood stakes by DNA-identification to genus/species level and by degradation rate. Results were compared with a previous >10 years old study of the same test fields regarding decay type. In all four test fields the major wood degrading fungi were identified to species or genus level by isolation and DNA-sequencing. Two of the test fields showed areas that could be described as “hot spots” that could be used for accelerated testing of wood protection systems. To visualize interior fungal decay throughout stakes, cross sections were made at every 2 cm. These cross sections were used in image analysis and compared with results from the traditional pick test. This provided an opportunity to identify where in the stake degradation took place and its distribution throughout the stake. Results from both methods correlated well regarding white- and brown rot decay. Combining image analysis with data concerning rot type and fungal genus/species represents a useful approach for testing new wood protection systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: DNA analysis is increasingly used to identify the remains of victims of conflicts and disasters. This is especially true in cases where remains are badly damaged and fragmented, or where antemortem records are unavailable. Incidental findings (IFs)—that is, genetics-related information for which investigators were not looking—may result from these identification efforts employing DNA analysis. Because of the critical role played by family members of the missing in identification efforts, as well as the familial nature of DNA, identification initiatives employing DNA analysis are particularly prone to reveal IFs about familial relationships, such as misattributed paternity or false beliefs about sibling relationships. Despite forensic scientists’ widespread awareness of the possibility of generating IFs, to date there has been relatively little explicit guidance about their management. This paper fills that gap. It offers substantive guidance about the ethical management of IFs in this context. To ensure that the analysis addresses actual needs and practices in the field, one author (JDA) conducted semi-structured interviews with key informants from six regionally diverse organizations involved in post-conflict or post-disaster identification efforts. The paper first describes how methods of DNA analysis give rise to IFs. Next, it explains the importance of developing an ethically justified general policy for managing IFs and discusses features of DNA identification efforts that are relevant to such a policy. Then it presents an argument in support of a general policy of nondisclosure—specifically, that considerations of fair access to the individual and social benefits of identification efforts, and the concern to minimize and fairly distribute the risks of participation, support a policy of nondisclosure. It concludes by considering some implications of this argument for the choice among scientific practices involved in using DNA analysis to identify human remains, as well as for managing non-genetic incidental findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

DNA profiling and matching is one of the primary methods to identify missing persons in a disaster, as defined by the Interpol Disaster Victim Identification Guide. The process to identify a victim by DNA includes: the collection of the best possible ante-mortem (AM) samples, the choice of post-mortem (PM) samples, DNA-analysis, matching and statistical weighting of the genetic relationship or match. Each disaster has its own scenario, and each scenario defines its own methods for identification of the deceased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying species involved in consumer-resource interactions is one of the main limitations in the construction of food webs. DNA barcoding of prey items in predator guts provides a valuable tool for characterizing trophic interactions, but the method relies on the availability of reference sequences to which prey sequences can be matched. In this study, we demonstrate that the COI sequence library of the Moorea BIOCODE project, an ecosystem-level barcode initiative, enables the identification of a large proportion of semi-digested fish, crustacean and mollusks found in the guts of three Hawkfish and two Squirrelfish species. While most prey remains lacked diagnostic morphological characters, 94% of the prey found in 67 fishes had >98% sequence similarity with BIOCODE reference sequences. Using this species-level prey identification, we demonstrate how DNA barcoding can provide insights into resource partitioning, predator feeding behaviors and the consequences of predation on ecosystem function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular approaches for identifying aquatic macroinvertebrate species are increasingly being used but there is ongoing debate about the number of DNA markers needed to differentiate species accurately. Here, we use two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase I, cytochrome b) and a nuclear gene (carbamoylphosphate synthetase) to differentiate species variation within the taxonomically challenging chironomid genus Procladius from southern Australia, a genus which is important for pollution monitoring. The mitochondrial genes indicated cryptic species that were subsequently linked to morphological variation at the larval and pupal stage. Two species previously described based on morphological criteria were linked to molecular markers, and there was evidence for additional cryptic species. Each genetic marker provided different information, highlighting the importance of considering multiple genes when dissecting taxonomically difficult groups, particularly those used in pollution monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This report describes a re-examination of the remains of a young male child recovered in the Northwest Atlantic following the loss of the Royal Mail Ship Titanic in 1912 and buried as an unknown in Halifax, Nova Scotia shortly thereafter. Following exhumation of the grave in 2001, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region 1 sequencing and odontological examination of the extremely limited skeletal remains resulted in the identification of the child as Eino Viljami Panula, a 13-month-old Finnish boy. This paper details recent and more extensive mitochondrial genome analyses that indicate the remains are instead most likely those of an English child, Sidney Leslie Goodwin. The case demonstrates the benefit of targeted mtDNA coding region typing in difficult forensic cases, and highlights the need for entire mtDNA sequence databases appropriate for forensic use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The identification of the victims of the 2009 Victorian bushfires disaster, as in other mass disasters, relied on a number of scientific disciplines – including DNA analysis. As part of the DVI response, DNA analysis was performed to assist in the identification of victims through kinship (familial matching to relatives) or direct (self source of sample) matching of DNA profiles. The majority of the DNA identifications made (82%) were achieved through kinship matching of familial reference samples to post mortem (PM) samples obtained from the victims. Although each location affected by the bushfires could be treated as a mini-disaster (having a small closed-set of victims), with many such sites spread over vast areas, DNA analysis requires that the short tandem repeat (STR) system used be able to afford enough discrimination between all the DVI cases to assign a match. This publication highlights that although a 9-loci multiplex was sufficient for a DVI of this nature, there were instances that brought to light the short comings of using a 9-loci multiplex for kinship matching – particularly where multiple family members are victims. Moreso it serves to reinforce the recommendation that a minimum of 12 autosomal STR markers (plus Amelogenin) be used for DNA identification of victims which relies heavily on kinship matching. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As part of the disaster victim identification (DVI) response to the 2009 Victorian bushfires disaster, a number of scientific disciplines contributed to the human identification process – forensic pathology, anthropology and odontology, as well as fingerprinting and DNA profiling. The DNA laboratory received 182 post-mortem (PM) samples from 120 DVI cases and 236 reference samples corresponding to 163 missing persons (and two non-DVI cases). DNA analysis yielded full DNA profiles for 102 DVI cases and 190 ante-mortem (AM) samples (relating to all 163 missing persons), respectively. Subsequent comparison of DNA profiles, through direct and kinship matching, resulted in the submission of 76 DNA reports to the DVI Reconciliation Centre which assisted in the identification of 67 deceased. This paper describes the contribution of DNA analysis towards the DVI response to the 2009 Victorian bushfires disaster. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

DNA-based analysis is integral to missing person identification cases. When direct references are not available, indirect relative references can be used to identify missing persons by kinship analysis. Generally, more reference relatives render greater accuracy of identification. However, it is costly to type multiple references. Thus, at times, decisions may need to be made on which relatives to type. In this study, pedigrees for 37 common reference scenarios with 13 CODIS STRs were simulated to rank the information content of different combinations of relatives. The results confirm that first-order relatives (parents and fullsibs) are the most preferred relatives to identify missing persons; fullsibs are also informative. Less genetic dependence between references provides a higher on average likelihood ratio. Distant relatives may not be helpful solely by autosomal markers. But lineage-based Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA markers can increase the likelihood ratio or serve as filters to exclude putative relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aftermath of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, survivors of the genocide at the United Nations 'safe area' of Srebrenica demanded that the remains of their missing relatives, the over 8,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) men and boys killed in the massacre, be identified and returned to them. The families insisted on marking the locus of the collective violence with a field full of slender white tombstones situated across the road from the former UN peacekeepers' compound. In this essay, I analyse that space and its contentious politics of memory by focusing on two overarching aims of the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Centre's design - that is, to impart a sense of order on the site of annihilating violence and to materialise absence through tabulating loss. The first aim centres on physically altering the landscape of the place where the genocide began; the second depends on the biotechnological intervention of DNA testing that has profoundly influenced modes of commemoration through its act of re-attaching individual names to unrecognisable mortal remains. The ensuing results of bodies recovered and reburied at the memorial centre provide visceral, tangible evidence of the genocide's scale, transferring tabulations of loss from paper onto tombstones. Out of this insistence on accounting for and commemorating the Srebrenica missing, a new ethnonationalist discourse emerges to delineate victim from perpetrator and etch into memory the perceived incommensurability of Bosniak suffering, to the dismay and frustration of many international sponsors and Bosnian Serbs in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of genetic identification techniques in wildlife forensic investigations has increased significantly in recent years. The utilization of DNA is especially important when species identification using other methods are inconclusive. Australia has strict laws against illegal importation of wildlife as well as laws to protect its unique biodiversity from pests and diseases of quarantine concern. Two separate case studies in which genetic identification was essential for species identification are presented—the first involved illegally held shark fins, the second illegally imported live bird eggs. In the latter case genetic identification enabled charges to be laid for illegal importation of CITES Appendix I species. Australian laws allow for some of the highest penalties for illegal trade of wildlife compared to other countries, however only a fraction of cases are prosecuted and penalties applied to date have been lower than the maximum permitted. Both of the reported cases resulted in fines, and one in imprisonment of the offender, which provides a persuasive precedent for future prosecutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity of 60 X-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (XSNPid panel) in populations of Siberian Tatars and Tuvinians is described. A close spectrum of allele frequencies and a low level of their genetic differentiation ( G = 0.021) is revealed. High discriminating power of the XSNPid panel in populations under study is demonstrated. The random matching probability (MP) of multilocus genotypes in males is 1.12 × 10 in Siberian Tatars and 7.77 × 10 in Tuvans. In females, MP is several orders of magnitude lower: 1.51 × 10 in Siberian Tatars and 1.83 × 10 in Tuvinians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Trade Center (WTC) victim identification effort highlights taphonomic influences on the degradation of DNA from victims of mass fatality incidents. This study uses a subset of the WTC-Human Remains Database to evaluate differential preservation of DNA by skeletal element. Recovery location, sex, and victim type (civilian, firefighter, or plane passenger) do not appear to influence DNA preservation. Results indicate that more intact elements, as well as elements encased in soft tissue, produced slightly higher identification rates than more fragmented remains. DNA identification rates by element type conform to previous findings, with higher rates generally found in denser, weight-bearing bones. However, smaller bones including patellae, metatarsals, and foot phalanges yielded rates comparable to both femora and tibiae. These elements can be easily sampled with a disposable scalpel, and thus reduce potential DNA contamination. These findings have implications for DNA sampling guidelines in future mass fatality incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late-instars of Bryothinusa koreana Ahn & Jeon are described for the first time based upon DNA sequence data of larvae and adults. Twelve larvae were collected on Geoje Island, Korea, in association with adults of B. koreana . The partial cytochrome oxidase II gene (410 bp) was sequenced from the larvae and from several identified adult Bryothinusa specimens, including B . koreana . The intraspecific p-distances of adult B. koreana were from 0 to 4.44%, and interspecific pairwise distances were 10.77% to 13.47%. The sequence results of the larvae were similar to those of adult B. koreana . Based on these results, the larvae were identified as B . koreana and diagnostic characters of the species are provided, with illustrations of features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A mass fatality DNA identification effort is a complex process in which direct matching and kinship analysis is used for identifying human remains. Kinship DNA identification is an important tool in the identification process in which victim''s DNA profiles are compared to the profiles of “known” biologically related reference samples. Experience from the 9/11 World Trade Center DNA identification efforts showed that forms used to record biological relationships are important and that inaccurately documented information may hamper the kinship analysis and DNA identification process. In the identification efforts following Hurricane Katrina, a Family and/or Donor Reference Collection (FDRC) form was used as a means to document the reported relationship between the reference DNA donor and the purported missing individual. This FDRC form was developed based upon lessons learned from 9/11 and the Tsunami identification efforts. This paper analyses the effectiveness of the FDRC form used in the Hurricane Katrina kinship DNA identification efforts and proposes an improved sample collection form for kinship and other donor reference samples. The data presented can be used to enhance the accuracy of the data collection process through an improved sample collection form, streamlining the DNA kinship identification process and decreasing the burden on valuable resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The feeding behaviour of insects is a difficult ecological interaction to study. To date, entomologists have used biochemical and molecular techniques to identify the meals of predatory insects. We present here a molecular approach to identifying the DNA of plant species in the insect gut using the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase gene large subunit (rbcL). A reference collection of 23 plant species from the southern Jordan Valley, Israel, was genetically characterized and employed. Insects belonging to eight different families were collected in the field along with the plants upon which they were found. After collection and prior to analysis, these insects were isolated on the plants they were found upon in the laboratory. This was to ensure that the insects had only one plant meal in their gut, as multiple plant meals would require additional techniques like cloning. A blind study was performed, genetically confirming plant DNA to species level from the processed gut contents of the insects. All reference plant species could be differentiated using a 157bp long fragment of the rbcL gene. Plant DNA was identifiable, and the meal of the respective insect was accurately determined in each case. Analyses using experimentally fed crickets, Gryllodes hebraeus, determined that plant DNA was still detectable by PCR up to 12h post-ingestion. This research proposes the application of molecular techniques for the identification of herbivorous insect feeding behaviour to increase understanding of plant–insect interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

1. We investigated the distribution of chironomid taxa in urban wetlands in the greater Melbourne area, Australia, to test if their distribution was influenced by sediment pollution and other environmental variables. 2. For identification of the Chironomidae, DNA markers generated via polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism of cytochrome c oxidase sub unit I (COI) were validated against morphology and reference specimens for more than 5000 chironomids representing over 80 species. DNA-based identification generally concurred with morphological separation, but also indicated the existence of cryptic diversity in some genera. 3. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed chironomid assemblages were structured among wetlands and could be linked to several habitat characteristics. However, Chironomidae assemblages were only weakly linked to sediment pollution. 4. Logistic regressions identified potential bioindicators of sediment pollution. Riethia stictoptera, Tanytarsus inextentus, Coelopynia and Chironomus ‘februarius’ were negatively associated and Chironomus duplex was positively associated with sediment pollution. Thresholds for the pollution sensitivities of specific species were mostly similar to those established with previous microcosm tests. 5. Several other environmental factors influenced the distribution of specific chironomid taxa. Salinity, substratum type and submerged and riparian vegetation were particularly important. 6. We conclude that specific chironomid taxa rather than assemblages have potential as bioindicators of sediment pollution provided their ecological preferences are considered and their pollution sensitivities are characterized using multiple methods. The integration of DNA-based techniques should facilitate accurate and rapid identification of bioindicators species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The allele frequencies of 15 autosomal STR loci (D3S1358, vWA, FGA, TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, D2S1338, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, and D19S433) used in forensic medicine were determined for the Russian population of European Russia ( N = 176). The power of discrimination (PD) and power of exclusion (PE) of the system of the 15 STR loci were 0.999 999 999 999 999 986 and 0.999 999 331 310 171 000, respectively. The allele and genotype frequency distributions in the Russian population corresponded to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The D2S1338, D18S51, D21S11, and FGA loci were identified as the most informative markers for the Russian population and proposed as a reference for forensic studies in the Russian Federation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes two stranded ziphiids from Croatia: a subadult female (length 430 cm, body mass 610 kg) that was stranded in 2001 and an adult male (length 510 cm, body mass ∼1,000 kg) that was stranded in 2002. Both were confirmed to be Cuvier’s beaked whales ( Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier, 1823) from analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences and osteological features. There are no previous records of Cuvier’s beaked whales from the Croatian part of the Adriatic. The external shape of the head of the female specimen appears to be significantly different from the heads of Cuvier’s beaked whales from other seas. The Croatian specimen exhibited embedded pieces of gravel in the gum tissue around the tip of the lower and upper jaws, which was observed for the first time in a Cuvier’s beaked whale. The presence of the female in shallow coastal waters for several weeks and her boat-positive behaviour are apparently also first records of this kind for the species. The female was found to have ingested several plastic bags which likely caused her death. These are the northernmost findings of this species in the Adriatic Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]