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The land ice contribution to global mean sea level rise has not yet been predicted1 using ice sheet and glacier models for the latest set of socio-economic scenarios, nor using coordinated exploration of uncertainties arising from the various computer models involved. Two recent international projects generated a large suite of projections using multiple models2-8, but primarily used previous-generation scenarios9 and climate models10, and could not fully explore known uncertainties. Here we estimate probability distributions for these projections under the new scenarios11,12 using statistical emulation of the ice sheet and glacier models. We find that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would halve the land ice contribution to twenty-first-century sea level rise, relative to current emissions pledges. The median decreases from 25 to 13 centimetres sea level equivalent (SLE) by 2100, with glaciers responsible for half the sea level contribution. The projected Antarctic contribution does not show a clear response to the emissions scenario, owing to uncertainties in the competing processes of increasing ice loss and snowfall accumulation in a warming climate. However, under risk-averse (pessimistic) assumptions, Antarctic ice loss could be five times higher, increasing the median land ice contribution to 42 centimetres SLE under current policies and pledges, with the 95th percentile projection exceeding half a metre even under 1.5 degrees Celsius warming. This would severely limit the possibility of mitigating future coastal flooding. Given this large range (between 13 centimetres SLE using the main projections under 1.5 degrees Celsius warming and 42 centimetres SLE using risk-averse projections under current pledges), adaptation planning for twenty-first-century sea level rise must account for a factor-of-three uncertainty in the land ice contribution until climate policies and the Antarctic response are further constrained.

Author(s): P. D. A. Kraaijenbrink (corresponding author) [1]; M. F. P. Bierkens [1, 2]; A. F. Lutz [3]; W. W. Immerzeel [1, 4] Glaciers in the high mountains of Asia [...]

With the current growth of the Internet, we expect significant changes in how and to what extent companies acquire business information. By comparing two studies on information seeking by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) carried out in 1982 and 2003 respectively, and comparing the results with other studies, this paper indicates that the reality is rather to the contrary. SMEs remain remarkably stable in their information seeking behaviour, in the sources they use and in the problems they face. The paper concludes with a discussion on the likely causes of this consistency and its consequences for online intermediaries. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) has gained interest in the forensic community over the past decade. Most of the published MPS methods focus on specialty applications intended for use in a limited number of samples with protocols that are relatively laborious. Recent developments using Reverse-Complement PCR enable an efficient MPS protocol suited for routine analysis of high numbers of samples. This method is implemented in the IDseek® OmniSTR™ Global Autosomal STR Profiling kit (Nimagen) for sequencing 28 of the most commonly used forensic autosomal STRs, one Y-chromosomal STR and Amelogenin. This study describes the validation of this kit and focuses on sensitivity, inhibitor tolerance, sequence variation detection and performance with mixtures up to 5 contributors. Results are compared to a Capillary Electrophoresis method (the PowerPlex® Fusion 6 C system, Promega) and the first commercial forensic MPS kit (ForenSeq™ DNA Signature prep, Qiagen) and for a concordance study with data from the Powerseq® MPS kit as well. Analysis settings in FDSTools are deduced and discussed, and an almost completely automated analysis is achieved. Using FDSTools noise correction, contributions in a mixture down to a level of 1.5 % of the major allele of a marker can be detected. [Display omitted] • OmniSTR performance for minimal DNA amounts exceeds current MPS and CE methods. • SE33 sequence variation results in many more variants compared to length variation. • OmniSTR tolerance for inhibitors Humic and Tannic acid is comparable to PPF6C but improved for EtOH. • Automated analysis of references achieved 99.94 % accuracy for 96.7 % called markers. • Minor alleles down to a level of 1.5 % of the major can be called in mixtures for OmniSTR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genotypes of 36 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) marker units were analysed in a Dutch population sample of 2085 males. Profiling results were compared for several partially overlapping kits, i.e. PowerPlex Y, Yfiler, PowerPlex Y23, and two in-house designed multiplexes with rapidly mutating Y-STRs. Nineteen Y-STR marker units, of which two are rapidly mutating, reside in at least two of these multiplexes, and for these markers concordance testing was performed. Two samples showed discordant genotyping results and the probable causative base change was revealed by Sanger sequencing. In addition, we encountered concordant, but aberrant genotyping results including one allele with low peak height and several null alleles. For 12 samples, this involved a null allele in two adjacent loci suggesting a large and recurrent deletion as the samples represent three distinct haplogroups. For each marker unit, the allele counts and frequencies are presented, as are the haplotype counts and haplotype diversities for several combinations of markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regularly, STR results obtained with different PCR amplification kits are compared, for instance with old cases, when revisiting cold cases or when addressing cross-border crimes. It is known that differences in primer design for the same loci in different kits may give rise to null alleles or shifted alleles. In this study, the genotyping results of 2085 Dutch male samples were compared for six autosomal STR kits (Promega's PowerPlex® 16, ESX-16 and ESI-17 Systems, Qiagen's Investigator® ESSplex Kit and Applied Biosystems’ AmpFlSTR® Identifiler and NGM PCR Amplification Kits). A total of 19 discordant autosomal genotyping results were obtained that were examined by sequence analysis using Roche-454 next generation sequencing and/or Sanger sequencing. A further 25 discordances were found and sequenced for the Amelogenin locus. The 24 samples showing the same primer binding site mutation at the Amelogenin locus were subjected to X-STR analysis in order to assess whether they could share a common origin, which appeared not to be the case. Based on the sequencing results, we set the final genotypes and determined the allele frequencies of 23 autosomal STRs for the Dutch reference database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Designing information systems (ISs) requires a thorough understanding of the organizational knowledge processes in which these systems are used. Although much is known about internal organizational knowledge processes, the understanding of external knowledge processes is less developed. Hence, this paper reflects an attempt to operationalize and test a model of the process of external knowledge integration (EKI), consisting of an identification, acquisition, and utilization stage. We utilize high-technology based firms from a variety of high-tech categories including nanotechnology based firms since these firms have critical knowledge integration needs. The results of an international survey, with responses of 317 high-tech companies, suggest that not these three EKI-stages, but four organizational effectiveness functions (goal attainment, pattern maintenance, adaptation, and integration) account for most variation in responses. These findings seem to imply that ISs that are to support the EKI-process should be designed according to organizational effectiveness functions rather than to EKI-stages. It is proposed that each organizational effectiveness function imposes different requirements on ISs because users interact differently with IS in each function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Paternity and kinship testing are performed in e.g. paternity disputes and immigration cases. In paternity testing, one or two mismatches, between alleged parent–offspring pairs are usually still regarded as representing true paternity, because they might be due to one-step mutations or null alleles. If such an inconsistency is observed, the possibility of inclusion is calculated with a mismatch correction factor. The criteria concerning exclusions and consequences of mutations have been evaluated in 131 presumed parent–child combinations with mismatches from immigration families, using 22 STR loci. However, in non-paternity cases one or two mismatches can also occur, e.g. when a close relative is the true father. Reversely, in case of a close relative of the father, with limited numbers of STRs, the outcome can be zero mismatches and subsequently result in a false decision of paternity. We investigated two multi-generation reference families by genotyping thousands of SNPs. By unraveling the kinships through various analysis programs a comprehensive overview of the different familial relationships was obtained. Furthermore, the informative SNP genotypes revealed the true kinship in paternity investigations with one or two mismatches. The criteria used for exclusion have to be considered critically in immigration casework to prevent false inclusions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examines the genotypes and allele frequency distributions of 21 forensic autosomal STRs for 7 populations from Yunnan province, China: Han (two different population samples, n =48 and n =59, respectively), Nu (n =36), Tibetan (n =31), Du Long (n =24), Lisu (n =25) and Yi (n =24). Pairwise FST analysis shows (marginally) significant differences between some of the Yunnan populations, but not between the Yunnan populations and other population samples from China and surrounding countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]