Geographic population structure analysis of worldwide human populations infers their biogeographical origins

The search for a method that utilizes biological information to predict humans’ place of origin has occupied scientists for millennia. Over the past four decades, scientists have employed genetic data in an effort to achieve this goal but with limited success. While biogeographical algorithms using next-generation sequencing data have achieved an accuracy of 700 km in Europe, they were inaccurate elsewhere. Here we describe the Geographic Population Structure (GPS) algorithm and demonstrate its accuracy with three data sets using 40,000–130,000 SNPs. GPS placed 83% of worldwide individuals in their country of origin. Applied to over 200 Sardinians villagers, GPS placed a quarter of them in their villages and most of the rest within 50 km of their villages. GPS’s accuracy and power to infer the biogeography of worldwide individuals down to their country or, in some cases, village, of origin, underscores the promise of admixture-based methods for biogeography and has ramifications for genetic ancestry testing

The GenoChip: A New Tool for Genetic Anthropology

The Genographic Project is an international effort aimed at charting human migratory history. The project is nonprofit and nonmedical, and, through its Legacy Fund, supports locally led efforts to preserve indigenous and traditional cultures. Although the first phase of the project was focused on uniparentally inherited markers on the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the current phase focuses on markers from across the entire genome to obtain a more complete understanding of human genetic variation. Although many commercial arrays exist for genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, they were designed for medical genetic studies and contain medically related markers that are inappropriate for global population genetic studies. GenoChip, the Genographic Project’s new genotyping array, was designed to resolve these issues and enable higher resolution research into outstanding questions in genetic anthropology. TheGenoChip includes ancestry informativemarkers obtained for over 450 human populations, an ancient human (Saqqaq), and two archaic hominins (Neanderthal and Denisovan) and was designed to identify all knownY-chromosome andmtDNAhaplogroups. The chip was carefully vetted to avoid inclusion ofmedically relevant markers. To demonstrate its capabilities, we compared the FST distributions of GenoChip SNPs to those of two commercial arrays. Although all arrays yielded similarly shaped (inverse J) FST distributions, the GenoChip autosomal and X-chromosomal distributions had the highestmean FST, attesting to its ability to discern subpopulations. The chip performances are illustrated in a principal component analysis for 14 worldwide populations. In summary, the GenoChip is a dedicated genotyping platform for genetic anthropology. With an unprecedented number of approximately 12,000 Y-chromosomal and approximately 3,300 mtDNA SNPs and over 130,000 autosomal and X-chromosomal SNPswithout any known health,medical, or phenotypic relevance, the GenoChip is a useful tool for genetic anthropology and population genetics

Measurement of the scintillation and ionization response of liquid xenon at MeV energies in the EXO-200 experiment

Liquid xenon (LXe) is employed in a number of current and future detectors for rare event searches. We use the EXO-200 experimental data to measure the absolute scintillation and ionization yields generated by $\gamma$ interactions from $^{228}$Th (2615~keV), $^{226}$Ra (1764~keV) and $^{60}$Co (1332~keV and 1173~keV) calibration sources, over a range of electric fields. The $W$-value that defines the recombination-independent energy scale is measured to be $11.5~\pm~0.5$~(syst.)~$\pm~0.1$~(stat.) eV. These data are also used to measure the recombination fluctuations in the number of electrons and photons produced by the calibration sources at the MeV-scale, which deviate from extrapolations of lower-energy data. Additionally, a semi-empirical model for the energy resolution of the detector is developed, which is used to constrain the recombination efficiency, i.e., the fraction of recombined electrons that result in the emission of a detectable photon. Detailed measurements of the absolute charge and light yields for MeV-scale electron recoils are important for predicting the performance of future neutrinoless double beta decay detectors

Genetic diversity in the lesser Antilles and its implications for the settlement of the Caribbean Basin

Historical discourses about the Caribbean often chronicle West African and European influence to the general neglect of indigenous people's contributions to the contemporary region. Consequently, demographic histories of Caribbean people prior to and after European contact are not well understood. Although archeological evidence suggests that the Lesser Antilles were populated in a series of northward and eastern migratory waves, many questions remain regarding the relationship of the Caribbean migrants to other indigenous people of South and Central America and changes to the demography of indigenous communities post-European contact. To explore these issues, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome diversity in 12 unrelated individuals from the First Peoples Community in Arima, Trinidad, and 43 unrelated Garifuna individuals residing in St. Vincent. In this community- sanctioned research, we detected maternal indigenous ancestry in 42% of the participants, with the remainder having haplotypes indicative of African and South Asian maternal ancestry. Analysis of Y-chromosome variation revealed paternal indigenous American ancestry indicated by the presence of haplogroup Q-M3 in 28% of the male participants from both communities, with the remainder possessing either African or European haplogroups. This finding is the first report of indigenous American paternal ancestry among indigenous populations in this region of the Caribbean. Overall, this study illustrates the role of the region's first peoples in shaping the genetic diversity seen in contemporary Caribbean populations

Analysis of biogeographic ancestry reveals complex genetic histories for indigenous communities of St. Vincent and Trinidad

Objectives From a genetic perspective, relatively little is known about how mass emigrations of African, European, and Asian peoples beginning in the 16th century affected Indigenous Caribbean populations. Therefore, we explored the impact of serial colonization on the genetic variation of the first Caribbean islanders. Materials and methods Sixty-four members of St. Vincent's Garifuna Community and 36 members of Trinidad's Santa Rosa First People's Community (FPC) of Arima were characterized for mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome diversity via direct sequencing and targeted SNP and STR genotyping. A subset of 32 Garifuna and 18 FPC participants were genotyped using the GenoChip 2.0 microarray. The resulting data were used to examine genetic diversity, admixture, and sex biased gene flow in the study communities. Results The Garifuna were most genetically comparable to African descendant populations, whereas the FPC were more similar to admixed American groups. Both communities also exhibited moderate frequencies of Indigenous American matrilines and patrilines. Autosomal SNP analysis indicated modest Indigenous American ancestry in these populations, while both showed varying degrees of African, European, South Asian, and East Asian ancestry, with patterns of sex-biased gene flow differing between the island communities. Discussion These patterns of genetic variation are consistent with historical records of migration, forced, or voluntary, and suggest that different migration events shaped the genetic make-up of each island community. This genomic study is the highest resolution analysis yet conducted with these communities, and provides a fuller understanding of the complex bio-histories of Indigenous Caribbean peoples in the Lesser Antilles

Population differentiation of Southern Indian male lineages correlates with agricultural expansions predating the caste system

Christina J. Adler, Alan Cooper, Clio S.I. Der Sarkissian and Wolfgang Haak are contributors to the Genographic ConsortiumPrevious studies that pooled Indian populations from a wide variety of geographical locations, have obtained contradictory conclusions about the processes of the establishment of the Varna caste system and its genetic impact on the origins and demographic histories of Indian populations. To further investigate these questions we took advantage that both Y chromosome and caste designation are paternally inherited, and genotyped 1,680 Y chromosomes representing 12 tribal and 19 non-tribal (caste) endogamous populations from the predominantly Dravidian-speaking Tamil Nadu state in the southernmost part of India. Tribes and castes were both characterized by an overwhelming proportion of putatively Indian autochthonous Y-chromosomal haplogroups (H-M69, F-M89, R1a1-M17, L1-M27, R2-M124, and C5-M356; 81% combined) with a shared genetic heritage dating back to the late Pleistocene (10–30 Kya), suggesting that more recent Holocene migrations from western Eurasia contributed, <20% of the male lineages. We found strong evidence for genetic structure, associated primarily with the current mode of subsistence. Coalescence analysis suggested that the social stratification was established 4–6 Kya and there was little admixture during the last 3 Kya, implying a minimal genetic impact of the Varna(caste) system from the historically-documented Brahmin migrations into the area. In contrast, the overall Y-chromosomal patterns, the time depth of population diversifications and the period of differentiation were best explained by the emergence of agricultural technology in South Asia. These results highlight the utility of detailed local genetic studies within India, without prior assumptions about the importance of Varna rank status for population grouping, to obtain new insights into the relative influences of past demographic events for the population structure of the whole of modern India.GaneshPrasad ArunKumar, David F. Soria-Hernanz, Valampuri John Kavitha, Varatharajan Santhakumari Arun, Adhikarla Syama, Kumaran Samy Ashokan, Kavandanpatti Thangaraj Gandhirajan, Koothapuli Vijayakumar, Muthuswamy Narayanan, Mariakuttikan Jayalakshmi, Janet S. Ziegle, Ajay K. Royyuru, Laxmi Parida, R. Spencer Wells, Colin Renfrew, Theodore G. Schurr, Chris Tyler Smith, Daniel E. Platt, Ramasamy Pitchappan, The Genographic Consortiu

Учебная программа для специальности 1-24 01 01 «Международное право»

Учебная программа составлена на основе Учебной программы по дисциплине «Правовое регулирование пространства свободы, безопасности и правосудия в Европейском союзе» для студентов специальности 1-24 01 01 «Международное право», утвержденной ректором БГУ 12.06.2009 г., регистрационный № УД-2013/уч. Объектом изучения выступает правовое регулирование сотрудничества государств ЕС в правовой сфере, направленного на обеспечение свободного передвижения лиц в едином правовом пространстве при обеспечении высокого уровня безопасности и эффективности системы правосудия. Предмет изучения составляет совокупность лежащих в основе такого сотрудничества правовых актов ЕС и межгосударственных нормативных актов, направленных на создание правового пространства без внутренних границ, отмену проверок на внутренних границах и осуществление общего контроля за внешними границами Европейского союза, унификацию визовой и иммиграционной политики, порядка предоставления убежищ а, судебное сотрудничество по гражданским делам, полицейское и судебное сотрудничество по уголовным делам, правовое регулирование в сфере обмена информацией в контексте защиты прав человека и основных свобод. Целью курса является подготовка всесторонне развитых высококвалифицированных юристов-международников, обладающих глубокими познаниями в области права Европейского союза и интеграционных процессов на Европейском континенте