Mixtures Flashcards
- Describes a suite of emerging DNA sequencing Technologies were sensitive test can be done simultaneously.
- Three or more peaks at a locus in indicative of?
- Involves searching a DNA database for profiles that partly match the crime scene sample
- DNA – wholy maternally inherited.
- DNA that is accidentally transferred?
- A ;likelihood ratio of between 1,000 and 10,000 provides this level of support?
- Next generation sequencing describes a suite of emerging DNA sequencing Technologies were sensitive test can be done simultaneously.
- Three or more peaks at a locus in indicative of a mixed profile.
- Familial searching involves searching a DNA database for profiles that partly match the crime scene sample
- DNA – wholy maternally inherited is mitochondrial.
- DNA that is accidentally transferred is contaminated.
- A likelihood ratio of between 1,000 and 10,000 provides strong level of support.
STR Markers
- Contain a repeating unit (called the motif)
- composed of four nucleotide bases, such as AGTC or ATTC.
- These “tetranucleotide” markers make up the majority of STRs used in forensic testing.
Tandem
The term “tandem” within STR refers to the fact that the short sequences are repeated sequentially at a locus.
Chromosomes
Chromosomes are in pairs, one is inherited from each parent.
Alleles are said to be a match when…
- Alleles are said to be a match:
- When their peaks fall at the same (left-to-right) position on the EPG.
- When comparing profiles from unrelated people, it would not be unusual to find that they have a few matching alleles, just as it wouldn’t be unusual to match one or two numbers in a lottery.
- But it would be incredibly unlikely for all the alleles to match. The more base pairs we target with our multiplex the more unlikely this is.
DNA 17 multiplex
- Extremely sensitive optimized for less than 100 cells (400 – 500 pg.).
- Amount of DNA in a cell ~6 pg.
- So, the ability to generate good profiles from only a few cells is possible.
- The previous multiplex was optimized for 1000 pg. of DNA.
- This has implications in the determination of how and when matching DNA was deposited - direct versus indirect transfer.
What happens if two different DNA multiplexes were used?
It can still be compared, but only at the loci in common between the two tests.
- Case mentioned by Evett and Pope in para 2 (page 1)
- When a crime sample consists of good quality DNA from a single person its comparison is said to be?
- The ratio of probabilities between the prosecution and defence propositions are referred to as?
- When dealing with mixtures the prosecution may put forward that to the defendant is one of three contributors to the mixture. The defence may say that?
- Presenting a number of matching components between the defendant and a mixture can foster is what type of view of the evidence?
- Case mentioned by Evett and Pope is Dlugosz.
- When a crime sample consists of good quality DNA from a single person its comparison is said to be straightforward.
- The ratio of probabilities between the prosecution and defence propositions are referred to as likelihood ratios.
- When dealing with mixtures the prosecution may put forward that to the defendant is one of three contributors to the mixture. The defence may say that is a mixture of three unknown people.
- Presenting a number of matching components between the defendant and a mixture can foster is a prejudicial view of the evidence.
What is a DNA mixture?
They are described as mixed as they contain DNA from two or more individuals.
Major issues associated with complex interpretation.
The major issues associated with this can include:
* Incomplete information which leads to the generation of only partial profiles with some genetic information missing.
* Scenarios where relatives are connected with the crime profile which makes it difficult to separate these from the crime profile.
* Mixtures.
Whats the problem with DNA mixtures?
- Rarely provide enough information to determine nature of transfer (direct versus indirect transfer) or in what order any DNA was deposited.
- If an individuals reference DNA profile has been compared to a mixed DNA result and no statistical evaluation of potential match has been possible then the result must be considered evidentially inconclusive.
- Nowadays, more use of probabilistic genotyping is undertaken in order to apply the likelihood ratio to mixed and incomplete profiles.
Whats the issue with low level DNA transfer?
- We sometimes lack information.
- We can’t tell the order of deposition.
- A mixed and incomplete DNA profile may prevent statistical evaluation.
Issues with high sensitivity?
- We often shed small amounts of DNA when we talk, sneeze and touch things.
- As a result, many surfaces are likely to contain mixtures of minute amounts of DNA from several people.
- These mixtures have always been present at crime scenes, but when sensitivity was lower, they wouldn’t have been detected or, if they were, labs would not have attempted to interpret them.
- A mixed profile is more likely to be found in the?
- STR markers contain repeating units called?
- Forensic STR marker D8S1179 is located on?
- Multiple STRs combined in one forensic testing kit is called?
- Fundamental unit of double-stranded nucleic acid, consisting of two nuclear bases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds?
- DNA mixtures are one factor which increases the complexity of interpretation.. Another issue is a profile containing?
- A mixed profile is more likely to be found in the evidential sample.
- STR markers contain repeating units called motif.
- Forensic STR marker D8S1179 is located on chromosome eight.
- Multiple STRs combined in one forensic testing kit is called multiplex.
- Fundamental unit of double-stranded nucleic acid, consisting of two nuclear bases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds is called a base pair.
- DNA mixtures are one factor which increases the complexity of interpretation.. Another issue is a profile containing incomplete information.
Principles of evidence interpretation
This is, Pr(E | H,I), where I is not the DNA evidence. These are assumptions an analyst has made during the interpretation.
Probability for independant events
- ## Events are independent if the probability of one occurring has no effect on the probability of the other occurring.
If events A and B are independent, then the probability of A and B occurring is:
If events A and B are independent, then the probability of A and B occurring is:
* Pr (A and B) = Pr (A) × Pr (B)
* Instead of the word “and” you may see the intersection symbol ∩ from set theory
* Pr (A ∩ B) You may also see this written as Pr (AB) or Pr (A,B).
Probability when independance can’t be assumed
- Then Pr(A and B) = Pr(A) × Pr(B | A)
- This is the general form of the third law of probability, and it can be read as the probability of event A occurring multiplied by the probability of event B occurring given event A has occurred.
Pr(B | A)
- The term Pr(B | A) is a conditional probability.
- The conditioning bar | means “given” or “if” and events behind this bar are held true.
- If the order in which A and B occur does not matter, then Pr(A and B) = Pr(B) × Pr(A | B)
How do you convert a probability into odds?
- To convert a probability into odds is a very simple equation: odds = probability/(1 − probability).
- For example, a probability of 0.6 has odds of 0.6/0.4 = 6/4. This would be expressed as odds of 6 to 4 in favour of the proposition.
- A probability of 0.5 has odds of 0.5/0.5 = 1. This is expressed as 1 to 1 or evens.
Principles of evidence interpretation
Propositions
- To evaluate the uncertainty of any given proposition it is necessary to consider at least one alternate proposition. These propositions are also referred to as hypotheses, H. In the forensic context, these alternate propositions conveniently align with the two sides of an adversarial case with one aligning with the prosecution’s argument and one the defence’s. Generally, one is inclusionary with respect to the POI and one is exclusionary. These are variously called Hp (hypothesis of the prosecution) or H1 and Hd (hypothesis of the defence), H2, or Ha (alternate proposition).
Likelihood ration using the principles of evidene interpretation
Pr(E | Hp)/Pr(E | Hd)
If a scientist decides that this is a mixture of DNA from three people and has observed the components of the defendants DNA at all loci, what would the prosecution proposition be?
“…that the crime sample is a mixture of DNA of the (a) defendant and (b) two unknown people”.
Proxy defence proposition
- At the time of her/his analysis, the scientist will probably have been unaware of what the defence position would be at Court
- In this position it is standard practice for the scientist to adopt provisional defence propositions.
- The defence proposition, in this instance, is that the crime sample is a mixture of the DNA of two/three unknown people.
What do questions should a scientist address relating to the probability of the observations?
- The scientist first asks “…what is the probability of observing this profile if the prosecution proposition were true”
- And “…what is the probability I would observe a profile like this if the defence proposition were true”.
- It is the ratio of the answers to these two questions that determines the weight of the evidence.
What is the statisitcal technique of choice for a single source DNA profile?
Random match probability
What is the statistic of choice for a mixed profile?
Likelihood ratio
Likelihood ratio using hypothesis
LR = (Probability of evidence under prosecution hypothesis) / probability of the evidenc eunder defense hypothesis.
Likelihood ratio = 1
Evidence is neutral
Likelihood ratio >1
The evidence supports the prosecution hypothesis
Likelihood ratio <1
The evidence supports the defense hypothesis