Daily Archives: February 10, 2013

Little Mix DNA (Audio HQ)
Little Mix DNA

By: AlaaVEVO

Continued here:
Little Mix DNA (Audio HQ) - Video

DNA Services of America, a leader in DNA-based testing services within communities across America, today announced the hiring of Laura M. King, Ph.D., as its new Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Kings responsibilities will include research and product development as well as education and training of its staff.

Lafayette, LA (PRWEB) February 10, 2013

We are excited about the opportunities available to us with the addition of Dr. King to our team, said Jeffrey A. Martin, founder and chief executive officer of DNA Services of America. Since joining DNA Services of America, Dr. King has provided direction on several future projects and her experience will no doubt help our team and our commitment to provide world class service to our clients.

Im excited to join DNA Services of America, and I look forward to applying new technologies for faster and more complete DNA testing. Well be able to complement our innovative customer service with sophisticated scientific solutions, said Dr. King.

About DNA Services of America

DNA Services of America dnasoa.com, a leading provider of DNA-based testing service, offers a one-stop resource for multiple DNA tests and services.

DNA Services of America services its clients through local authorized Service Centers throughout the United States, providing world class customer experiences by ensuring that clients receive the best DNA test for their personal situation.

Pam Brown DNA Services of America 866.436.2762 Email Information

See the original post here:
DNA Services of America Announces New Chief Scientific Officer

Scientists have set out to find out exactly when wolves were domesticated into dogs and became man's best friend.

They will study DNA and bones from ancient remains of wolves as well as dogs, which could show domestication took place 35,000 years ago, two and a half times longer ago than can currently be proven.

Experts are split on how the process began, with some insisting dogs were domesticated once in East Asia and spread from there, while others suggest it happened in several places at different times.

The project, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, will enable researchers from Durham and Aberdeen Universities to use the latest DNA techniques on bones, teeth and remains found across Asia and Europe.

Lead researcher Dr Greger Larson, a Reader and ancient DNA expert at Durham's Department of Archaeology, said: "It is remarkable that despite the fact we have a good feel for the times and places of when cows, sheep, goats, and pigs were domesticated, we still don't have the first clue about dogs.

"Using a combination of state-of-the-art techniques we hope to change that."

Go here to read the rest:
DNA may point to origin of dogs

10 February 2013 Last updated at 07:12 ET

Police who are investigating a series of sexual assaults in the southern French city of Marseille have arrested identical twin brothers.

The 24-year-old unemployed delivery drivers, named locally as Elwin and Yohan, were placed under investigation on Friday.

Officers say they are sure that one of the two men carried out the attacks, but that they do not know which.

Standard DNA tests are unable to differentiate between their DNA.

There have been six similar sexual attacks in Marseille on women aged between 22 and 76 between September 2012 and January 2013.

Police got a lead from CCTV footage on a bus, and as a result they arrested the twin brothers. A victim also identified one of them as her attacker, but could not tell them apart.

The problem is that the investigators do not know which of the two men is responsible for the assaults, or indeed whether it could be both of them, reports the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris.

Traces of the DNA of the perpetrator - or perpetrators - have been found on the victims.

But this does not really help, our correspondent adds, because the DNA of identical twins is itself more-or-less identical.

See the original post:
Twins' DNA dilemma for French police

French police investigating a series of rapes are perplexed after DNA evidence matched a set of twins - but they cannot tell which brother may be to blame.

With telling the difference between the twins' DNA extremely difficult and expensive, police in the southern city ofMarseille have in the meantime charged both men, identified only as Elwin and Yohan, and are holding them without bail.

"It's a rather rare case for the alleged perpetrators to be identical twins," chief investigator Emmanuel Kiehl said.

The two men, both 24-year-old unemployed delivery drivers, deny any involvement in the rapes of six women between between September and January.

Police admit that without far more extensive tests it will be difficult to figure out which of the twins was possibly behind the attacks or whether both men were indeed involved.

Police tracked the twins down through video footage recorded on a bus and a mobile telephone allegedly taken from one of the victims and found in the brothers' possession.

The victims' mobile phones were taken in each of the attacks, which took place in the corridors of buildings and involved women aged 22 to 76.

Police said the victims were also able to identify the suspects, but not to tell them apart.

Mr Kiehl said DNA evidence was found at some of the crime scenes but that regular tests were incapable of differentiating between the twins.

The cost of extensive-enough tests would be "onerous", he said.

Read more:
DNA Riddle As Twins Held In Rapes Case

From left: Nishant Agarwal, Sunny Bijlani, Ashok Mohanani, Amin Patel, Boman R Irani and Ramesh Prabhu at the DNA Conversations on redevelopment issues in the city.

DNA

Three years ago the redevelopment of Mumbai was the talk of the town.It seemed then that the state government was finally willing to give this a big boost. After all, cities remain vibrant if people inhabiting them are zestful.But you cannot expect people to exude zest when most buildings in the city are crumbling.

Mumbai's other problem: It's almost an island with very little fresh land for development. Hence existing crumbling buildings must be redeveloped. But for one reason or the other, this has not happened even after the initial euphoria three years ago.

Now, once again, it appears the problem is being addressed with renewed vigour, except for some vexatious issues like buildings on defence lands. These buildings came up legally, but now the defence does not want redevelopment on its lands.So what are the people, who legally bought or built houses there to do? Will the defence buy back their houses at market prices? Or will there be a new policy?

Except for such tricky issues, DNA managed to get some excellent views on the subject from a panel of experts it invited for a Conversation. The panel comprised (in alphabetical order) Nishant Agarwal (managing director, Avighna India), Sunny Bijlani (director Supreme Universal), Boman R Irani (chairman and managing director, Rustomjee), Ashok Mohanani (chairman and managing director, Ekta World), Amin Patel (MLA, Government of Maharashtra) and Ramesh Prabhu (chairman, Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association).

Given below are edited experts of the discussion that was moderated by DNAs RN Bhaskar, with editorial support from Ashutosh Shukla:

DNA: We would like to understand from you the current situation regarding redevelopment in Mumbai. Boman R Irani: There is need for a long-term sustainable redevelopment policy. When I say this, I mean that anything that is decided in terms of what is required for redevelopment should be cast in concrete and not just in hay. What is necessary is to have a policy that will at least stay in place for the next 10 to 15 years, if not more. And the idea is you can incrementally better the policy. But you cannot pull the rug off from under the developers' feet.

Any kind of redevelopment and all my friends out here will agree will take anywhere between one to three years to mature. Unfortunately, by the time you start talking to the members and go around meeting up with them giving proposals nowadays, policies change. The developers reach a stage when they release ads in newspapers, run the process, people begin bidding on that basis, and suddenly the policy changes.

Halfway through or even after a developer has paid a substantial amount of the deposit the government pulls the rug away and says, Well, we had promised you that wed give you 2.5 FSI [floor space index, which is the ratio between the land area and the built-up area of the premises, subject to regulations], but now its got to be on the basis of sharing. It happened in MHADA [Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority] some time back on September 20, 2010. They just decided that no more FSI is to be given against premium.

Visit link:
DNA conversation: Redevelopment is resurrection of a dying city

DNA testing may finally prove whether a family member is guilty of the 1977 murder of a Pennsylvania woman, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

According to the paper, Shaun Ritterson, 20, was found dumped on a wooded Bucks County mountainside, stabbed five times. The corpse had been hacked up, its organs removed.

- Assistant District Attorney Matthew Weintraub

Shaun Ritterson had disappeared after a night out with friends. Her body was found two days later by a father and son who were driving by Buckingham Mountain.

The victims uncle, Harry Ritterson, has been a prime suspect in the case, the Inquirer reports, although the murder remains unsolved.

Harry Ritterson died of cancer last month, and now a sample of his DNA, obtained legally after his death, is being tested to see whether it matches hairs found with the victim's body.

Such a test was unavailable to investigators in 1977, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Weintraub told the paper.

If the DNA matches, it will add to the evidence, which includes witness statements about Ritterson visiting the site where the body was found while Shaun Ritterson was still missing, and reports he wanted a romantic relationship with his niece, Weintraub said, according to the Inquirer.

"It's important to follow through and see if he did commit this murder," Weintraub said. "And if he didn't, to see who did."

Click for more from Philly.com

Original post:
DNA evidence may crack grisly '77 Pa. murder case