Category Archives: Transhuman News

Pippa Hudson speaks to director of DNA for Africa, Vanessa Lynch, about the importance of DNA evidence in the fight against crime in the country.

One of the biggest developments of the 21st century has been the rapid expansion of the use of DNA samples to solve and fight against criminal activities.

South Africa is a little late to the party, with guest and director of DNA for Africa, Vanessa Lynch, fighting for 20 years for the country to have a decent DNA criminal database following a personal tragedy.

Though slow to start and a withdrawal of funding that led to cases being backlogged, Lynch notes that the country is moving in the right direction.

The government has really come to the party, so to speak. They have allocated more funding, they've started building a new laboratory in the Eastern Cape, which is state of the art and should be finished next year, they've committed to a zero backlog by November 2021... contracts have been fulfilled, we're starting to see more hits on the database again, and we're moving in the right direction.

This is excellent news because, as Lynch mentions, DNA evidence is one of the strongest and most reliable sources of evidence we can use.

With DNA laws set in place and a growing database, what Lynch calls the "Convicted Offender Bill," was approved by the National Assembly earlier this year, which will allow authorities to sample the DNA of convicted offenders.

A number of the prisoners are serial offenders and they can be linked to other cold cases and serial cases. We've seen this in the past where unrelated cases are linked to a prisoner up to 30, 60 cases.

Though major strides are being reached in the country, Lynch says that the database needs to have its capacity increased, backlogs processed and sample analysations increased.

What we need to be doing is we need to be identifying these offenders at a much earlier stage so that we can save tomorrow's victims and we haven't really got to that point, yet. That's what we need to get to.

You can find out more about DNA for Africa on here.

Listen to the full interview above.

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Why the expansion of DNA evidence usage in SA will help curb crime - CapeTalk 567

On his way back from Germany after attending the G7 summit, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a one hour stopover in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. He was accorded a warm welcome at the airport by the current President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both leaders hugged each other. PM Modi also condoled the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, former President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi.

How important are the two countries for each other?

The UAE is India's third largest trade partner after China and USA, whereas India is its second largest trade partner for the UAE. In the year 2019-20, there was a trade of Rs 4,60,000 crore between the two countries. After America, India exports the most to the UAE. In 2019, India exported goods and services worth Rs 2,26,000 crore to the UAE.

Today, the UAE is heavily dependent on India for sugar, fruits, green vegetables, tea, meat, clothing, chemicals, precious metals and stones. On the other hand, India is dependent on the UAE for crude oil. After Saudi Arabia and Iraq, India buys 10 percent of its crude oil from the UAE.

The total population of the UAE is about 10 million, of which 3.5 million people are from India alone. That is, 35 percent of the total population of the UAE are Indians. The big thing is that in 2018, people of Indian origin living in other countries sent about Rs 6 lakh crore to India, out of which Rs 1 lakh crore came from the UAE alone.

READ | From Gulabi Meenakari to Kashmiri carpet: PM Modi's gift to world leaders at G7 Summit highlight Indian heritage

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DNA Special: How integral is the India-UAE relationship? A glimpse of its importance to both the countries - DNA India

The UK is providing technology to allow grain to be tested to make sure it has not been stolen by Russia from Ukrainian silos and sold abroad for profit.

George Eustice, the environment and food secretary, says the government is giving 1.5m to fund the DNA analysis of wheat to find where it comes from.

He told Sky's Kay Burley: "Russia, it appears, are stealing some wheat from those stores and so what the UK government is doing is making available technology we've got to... test the provenance of wheat.

"We're working with other countries, including Australia, on this so that we can ensure that stolen Ukrainian wheat does not find a route to market.

"You can test the DNA of the grain and we've got samples of Ukrainian grain. We did a lot of work on this - remember the horsemeat scandal about a decade ago?

"The UK is a world leader in being able to test the provenance - that's the precise region in which a crop was grown - through the testing of DNA. And that's what we've made available."

It comes after a Sky News investigation that tracked one ship that turned off its transponder as it approached Ukraine in the Black Sea, adding evidence that Russian forces are illegally expropriating Ukrainian resources.

Read more: The disappearing ships: Russia's great grain plunder

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also said the US possesses "credible reports" that Russia is stealing Ukrainian grain and selling it internationally.

He was speaking with reference to a New York Times story that said Washington had last month warned 14 countries, mostly in Africa, that Russia was trying to ship stolen Ukrainian grain to buyers overseas.

The Sky News investigation showed a shipment of grain that was likely to have come from occupied Ukraine before being moved to a Turkish port.

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Last week Ankara said it was looking into claims that Ukrainian grain had been stolen by Russia and transferred to countries including Turkey, but added investigations had not found any stolen shipments so far.

Russia has denied allegations it has stolen Ukrainian grain.

Mr Eustice did not explain exactly how and where the British technology would be used and where the money would be spent but the government said on Sunday Prime Minister Boris Johnson would ask other G7 countries to join these efforts.

Sky News understands that the UK is already undertaking work to take geo-referenced timber samples around the world, including from Ukraine, and evidence has shown that a similar approach could be taken with grain samples.

Before the scheme would be able to work, however, samples from Ukraine and neighbouring countries (Russia, Belarus, Moldova) would be required to build a geo-referenced grain data library and the samples must be gathered before this season's harvest which falls around August/September.

Initial estimates show that spending around 1.5m over 12 months would be enough to build a database of sufficient size to identify whether illegally harvested grain was being imported into the UK but the government admits international cooperation would be necessary to source sufficient samples and hopes likeminded nations support the initiative.

It also admits that it would need to be decided whether traders of host governments would be responsible for paying for the necessary tests as part of importing grain.

Mr Eustice ruled out using the Royal Navy to escort Ukrainian grain ships through the Black Sea to help Kyiv export the 25 million tonnes of wheat in its silos. But, he said, the UK was doing what it can to help them get the grain to market.

He said: "Although it's a small proportion of the overall total (of grain in worldwide storage), in the current context it's quite significant and unless we can get it out, there won't be stores for this year's harvest to go into.

"So we're looking at what we can do to help - to repair railways, to look at a land bridge so that we can get that wheat out across the land border. It's now very, very perilous to try to get ships into the Black Sea... because the area is mined and in fact Ukraine themselves have closed their ports for security reasons."

There have been fears expressed that there will be growing calls from countries affected by a worldwide hike in food prices as a result of the Ukraine war for Russia and Kyiv to end their conflict, even if it means Ukraine loses territory.

On Monday, it was reported that Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the chair of the Group of 20 (G20) nations, will urge Russia and Ukraine to rekindle peace talks, and seek ways to free up exports of grain to global markets when he visits Moscow and Kyiv in the coming days.

Also on Monday, disruption in wheat supplies caused by the Ukraine war were said to have contributed to a decision by the World Food Programme to further reduce rations in Yemen, where millions face hunger.

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Ukraine war: UK to supply grain DNA testing technology to combat 'Russian thefts of wheat' - Sky News

In a horrific incident, two Muslim extremists beheaded a Hindu man in Rajasthan's Udaipur today. His fault - writing a post on social media in support of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma's remarks on Prophet Muhammad. The man, Kanhaiya Lal, was a poor shopkeeper in Udaipur, who used to run a tailoring shop. The two extremists entered the shop as customers and killed the man when he was taking their measurements. Not only this, the two Muslim men even made a video of the incident and posted the same on social media.

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan makes an analysis of the Udaipur incident and the rising extremism in the country.

There were a few takeaways that should be noted - 1. The two Muslim men entered disguising themselves as customers. They were placing an order, and as seen in the video, Kanhaiya Lal was taking their measurement. However, it was clear from their attire that they were Muslims. Still, Kanhaiya Lal didn't deny taking their order on the basis of their religion. This proves that Kanhaiya Lal was indeed not an extremist.

A few days ago, when violent protests were taking place against Nupur Sharma's comments, some extremist groups had given a very provocative slogan - "Gustakh-e-Rasool ki ek hi saza, sir tan se juda" (Only one punishment - beheading); and today, the same happened.

Government action

The state of Rajasthan is currently ruled by a Congress government. There were huge protests against the incident in Udaipur today. People also expressed their anger against the government. A curfew has been imposed across the state and internet services have also been suspended to avoid any untoward incidents.

However, what's surprising is Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's statement where he is blaming PM Narendra Modi for the incident. In a nutshell, politics has also started over the incident.

Watch DNA with Sudhir Chaudhary to understand in detail the incident of brutal killing in Rajasthan's Udaipur.

Link:
DNA Exclusive: Analysis of Hindu man`s brutal murder in Rajasthan - Zee News

NewsShane SupervilleYesterdayDenzel Matthew, father of murdered vendor Ako Matthew walks away from Forensics Science Centre in St James after receiving the DNA tests from the remains of his son, whose body was found off a precipice on North Coast Road , Maracas in April. - Photo by Sureash Cholai

While he is grateful to receive the remains of his son, Denzel Matthew says he and his family are still pained by the nature of his death.

The body of Matthew's son, Ako Matthew, 34, was found over a precipice off the North Coast Road, Maracas, on April 25, days after he went missing.

The remains of Robin Sancho Jr, 21 and Alexsia Edwards, 21 were found nearby.

They were badly decomposed and could only be identified via DNA testing. This was done by comparing a swab from Ako Matthew's father and a sample of tissue from bone material among the remains.

The elder Matthew visited the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Monday, where he received confirmation that the remains were those of his son.

"We got through with the custody of the body today.

"This is a really stressful and painful thing but say what, we're glad to get it now.

"The wound for me is still there and his mother is taking it on."

Matthew said they intended to hold a small service for his son. He is expected to be cremated.

On May 18, 37-year-old Kwasi Matthew was charged with Matthew's murder after he surrendered to police in Chaguanas.

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Murdered vendor's father still grieving as DNA confirms remains - TT Newsday

The opening sequence of Money Heist Korea has grabbed eyeballs. No, it wasnt just because fans were getting looking forward to returning to the world of Professor and his heist gang. Fans are also celebrating because the band BTS brought curtains up on the adaptation of Netflixs popular Spanish show.

Money Heist: Korea Joint Economic Area brought back major characters from the original, including Tokyo. But this time, she isnt a small-time robber on the run, rather a student from North Koreas Kim Il-sung University. And shes an ARMY! In the first scene of the show, Lee Hong-dan aka Tokyo (Jeon Jong-seo) is dancing to the lyrics of BTS song DNA on her headphones while walking down the staircase.

Dont look back, because we found our destiny, the lyrics act as a perfect prelude to what lies ahead for Tokyo and the series. Like the proverbial silence before the storm, the makers rope in a BTS track to introduce a character from North Korea suggesting how the Korean Peninsula might be divided, but is still connected by music and the boy band.

Tokyo, in her voice-over introduces herself, Fans of K-pop group are called ARMY. They have members all over the world. Ofcourse, there are ARMYs in North Korea too. It was second nature for me. Since I was a kid, I watched K-dramas, and Ive always listened to K-pop.

From the college steps to her carefree dancing in her bedroom, Tokyo is like a typical teenager, who doesnt wish to reveal her rebellious side and that shes ARMY.

BTS fans and ARMY have not kept calm ever since they saw BTS making an impact on Money Heist: Korea Joint Economic Area. Theyve flooded social media with reactions and videos.

BTS is a global phenomenon, and no border can restrict its reach. No wonder, the pop-band was picked up again while referring to a BTS concert in the city of Pyongyang in North Korea. The tickets are completely sold-out. A broadcaster says, that the cultural exchange between the two countries is happening much quicker than expected. This is with regard to the plan of unifying North and South Korea in the show and its socio-political implications.

This isnt the first time BTS has got a reference in Korean dramas. Shows like Goblin, Penthouse, Lovestruck In The City, Crash Landing On You, Vincenzo, Melting Me Softly, The King: Eternal Great Monarch, Sisyphus and Record of Youth also mentioned the band.

Money Heist Korea released on June 24 and received mostly positive reviews. Despite keeping the basic structure of the story same as its Spanish counterpart, La Casa De Papel, it introduced several new plot twists and unique backstories for several characters, all of which panned out in its favour.

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BTS makes crucial impact in Money Heist Korea: From Tokyo dancing to DNA to its concert in Pyongyang - The Indian Express

A Knights Tale is a classic story of medieval adventure following William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) as he attempts to win riches, glory, and honor in a series of jousting tournaments. Its unclear precisely when the movie takes place, largely because it incorporates elements from several centuries of medieval life. However, the presence of Geoffrey Chaucer and Edward the Black Prince, both of whom were real people, pin it down as sometime in the second half of the 14th century.

Among the many challenges Thatcher and his merry band have to overcome, a deadly disease pandemic isnt one of them. But while the Black Death doesnt play a large role in the movie, the mid-14th century is right around when the European continent was rocked by it. Now, thanks to a recent study published in the journal Nature, we know where and how it began.

In 1880, a team of Russian scientists excavated the graves of 118 people who died of an unknown disease. The graves were located at Lake Issyk-Kul in what is now modern-day Kyrgyzstan and markers at the graves have been dated to either 1338 or 1339, precisely when scientists expect the Black Death to have emerged. Whats more, inscriptions on some grave markers note pestilence as the cause of death.

Skulls from those excavated graves have been stored at Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in Saint Petersburg. Prior to this new study, it was unclear what caused the deaths. Having died centuries before the emergence of germ theory, pestilence was often a catchall for any number of ailments. It wasnt until Maria Spyrou and Johannes Krause from the Department of Archaeogenetics at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History caught wind of the remains that they suspected they might hold the key to the emergence of the Black Death.

Along with collaborators from the museum where the bones were stored, they tested the centuries-old DNA from the teeth of the pestilence victim and confirmed the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes bubonic plague, in three of them.

Moreover, an analysis of the bacterial DNA revealed it to be the most recent common ancestor from just prior to a major diversification event which sparked the pandemic. While that ancestral strain was responsible for at least some of the deaths at Issyk-Kul, one of its descendants raged across the European continent a little less than a decade later and continued to do so, on and off, for the next five centuries.

Scientists believe these 118 people hold within them the starting point for what would become one of the deadliest disease pandemics in human history, killing at least 25 million people over the next couple of decades and tens of millions more centuries later. The plague's severity even spawned an unusual palliative from Isaac Newton, himself.

Not unlike more modern disease pandemics, the evidence also supports the hypothesis that the disease first took root in non-human animals, before making the jump to humans. Once that happened, even our medieval level of global travel allowed the disease to quickly spread, likely finding passage on ships.

While the Black Death is largely contained now with only about 1,000 to 2,000 reported cases globally each year and a mortality rate of between 8% and 10% according to the World Health Organization the study authors report that strains still infect dozens of non-human animals, and all of those strains can be traced back to this one progenitor in 14th-century Kyrgyzstan.

Thus began the most intense and deadly microbial jousting match in human history. So far, at least, it looks like were winning. We have to admit though that Black Death would make a killer knight nickname.

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DNA from an ancient grave reveals the Black Deaths patient zero - Syfy

The Golden State Killer never saw the law coming.

Police had never connected Joseph James DeAngelo to a spree of 13 murders, 50 rapes and more than 120 burglaries across California during the 1970s and 80s. Then, in 2018, investigators uploaded a DNA profile of one murder victims rapist into a commercial database, similar to those created by companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com.

Several people in the database shared a common ancestor with the killer, and police created a family tree. They quickly honed in on DeAngelo, then 72, and arrested him after confirming that his DNA matched the killers. He confessed to numerous crimes and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The capture of the Golden State Killer put this technique, called genetic genealogy, in the headlines. Police now regularly use it to catch cold case killers, and to identify the remains of murder and accident victims from decades ago.

It also raised a question for historians and forensic anthropologists at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which has labs at Offutt Air Force Base and in Hawaii: Could they use the same method to identify the war dead from World War II, Korea and Vietnam?

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Four years later, the answer appears to be yes. The accounting agency, working with its partners at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) in Dover, Delaware, has begun to use a highly sensitive next-generation DNA sequencing test developed by scientists at AFDIL and Parabon NanoLabs, a pioneering genetic genealogy firm.

Someday, it may help Carrie LeGarde, a forensic anthropologist at the Offutt lab, tie a bow around DPAAs largest and most successful project to date: the identification of the unknown dead from the battleship USS Oklahoma, sunk in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Over six years, she led a team of anthropologists that examined more than 13,000 bones recovered from the ship and later buried in Hawaii in graves marked unknown.

They identified 361 of 394 missing sailors and Marines. The 92% identification rate far exceeded the 80% goal set when the first remains were disinterred in 2015.

LeGarde said she was proud to have returned so many World War II heroes to their families, nearly 80 years later. But the fact that 33 could not be given names gnaws at her just a bit.

We have done everything we can at this point, LeGarde said. Of course, I would love to identify everybody. But thats a pretty difficult task.

Traditional mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA testing involves extracting snippets of DNA from the unidentified bones and comparing them to DNA samples taken from one or more family members.

Those samples are processed at AFDIL and buttressed with traditional forensic work by DPAA anthropologists and historians, such as examining the size and shape of the bones and where and how they were found.

This process has allowed DPAA to meet or exceed a goal of 200 identifications per year some from field excavations in former war zones, and others buried as unknowns in military cemeteries.

But this method has some drawbacks.

The requirement for family-reference DNA means the Defense Department must spend time and money tracking down relatives and persuading them to submit a DNA sample from a cheek swab.

That can be hard to do. Some relatives may be suspicious of giving a sample to the government. Some of the missing service members were adopted, so their DNA doesnt match living relatives. And in some cases, family members just cant be found.

The other significant problem is the DNA itself.

DNA decays with time, making it harder to extract readable samples from bones that have been buried for decades. It deteriorates even faster when burials take place in acidic soil or in warm, wet climates like most burials from Korea, Vietnam or World War II in the Pacific.

If you dont act, you might lose it forever, said Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer for Othram, a private genetic genealogy lab in Houston that specializes in cold case IDs.

Also, chemical treatments historically used in burials to preserve bodies have had the perverse effect of destroying DNA. This has hampered several of the accounting agencys major projects.

One example: the identification of 859 Korean War unknowns whose remains were retrieved from battlefield graves during and after the war. They were soaked in formaldehyde and treated with other chemicals before they were reburied in Hawaii, and DPAA analysts have had difficulty extracting DNA from them.

In 2016, AFDIL and Parabon introduced a far more sensitive next-generation DNA test. It let investigators capture samples from as many as 60% of even highly degraded samples 10 times the rate of earlier tests.

Later innovations have allowed the lab to accurately match samples with more distant relatives, and to extract DNA from even some of the most highly degraded samples.

We mimic what 23andMe and Ancestry were trying to do, said Tim McMahon, director of the Armed Forces DNA Lab.

Were good at getting DNA from the samples they send us.

Mittelman and her husband, David, who is the CEO of the Othram DNA lab, have suggested that genetic genealogy could also offer a path to identification not only of the USS Oklahomas 33 remaining unknowns, but also 85 unidentified dead from the USS Arizona.

Moored just a few hundred yards from the Oklahoma, the Arizona blew up in a cataclysmic explosion just minutes into the attack when a Japanese bomb exploded in the ships magazine. Of the Arizonas 1,500-man crew, 1,177 were killed, the highest death toll at Pearl Harbor.

Just 105 bodies were recovered and identified. Most of the rest are permanently entombed in the sunken hull, which is now part of the USS Arizona Memorial.

But 85 sets of recovered remains could not be identified and were buried as unknowns. Currently there are no plans to identify the Arizona unknowns, because doing so would require obtaining DNA reference samples from the families of all of the 1,177 dead.

The Mittelmans believe genetic genealogy could allow DPAA to bypass that step by using their proprietary testing protocol, which they said already has been used to crack hundreds of cold cases.

David Mittelman said they use multiple methods, plug into large DNA databases, and turn over their results to authorities. They charge $5,000 per sample.

Our success rate is extremely high, he said. We pride ourselves on taking unsolvable problems and bringing them to conclusion.

Theyve pitched their idea to officials at the Armed Forces DNA Lab. In a recent report to MIA families, DPAA called it a fruitful meeting but has not announced a partnership.

Hope still remains for the 33 Oklahoma unknowns, too.

When the Oklahoma Project wrapped up last year, the unidentified bones were placed in four caskets and reburied at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. They were lowered into the earth after a solemn ceremony on Dec. 7, 2021, the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.

LeGarde said one of the caskets contains an assortment of bones considered too small to be worth identifying. They will remain permanently buried.

But the three other caskets contain individual sets of remains linked by DNA, segregated and wrapped in blankets awaiting new technology that will allow them to be identified and returned to their families.

We know what casket they have gone into, LeGarde said. They could be accessed in the future if needed.

Thats encouraging news for relatives of brothers William and Robert Sellon, USS Oklahoma sailors who grew up in Randolph, Nebraska.

William, 25, known to family as Billy, was killed in the attack. He is one of the 33 who remain unknown.

Robert, known as Bobby, survived. But he never escaped the shadow of Pearl Harbor.

Ive been watching the paper, so hopeful, said Diann Sellon Gliem, 72, of Randolph, whose father, Monte, was the brothers first cousin. Theres always been a sadness in our family, and kind of a mystery.

Billy and Bobby were the only two sons of a cabinetmaker and his wife who had moved from Randolph to Missoula, Montana, in search of work during the 1930s. That is where the brothers joined the Navy.

Its not clear today how they came to be serving together on the Oklahoma, but it wasnt uncommon in the pre-World War II Navy. At least seven other sets of brothers were assigned to the ship, according to the website PearlHarbor.org.

Family stories differ about exactly what happened to them that morning. One account says they were together that Sunday morning but split up when one decided to go to church and the other skipped it. Another story says Bobby slipped out of a porthole of the ship before it capsized and swam back in a vain attempt to find Billy.

They do know Bobby never really recovered from the loss of his brother. He was wounded in the war perhaps on board the USS Northampton, to which he was transferred after Pearl Harbor. The ship was torpedoed and sunk almost a year later during a disastrous naval battle near Guadalcanal.

After the war, Bobby returned to Montana, married, fathered two daughters, split up with his wife and remarried. He liked bars and guns, and once got shot by another man. His behavior reminds relatives today of post-traumatic stress.

On June 28, 1952, he walked into a bedroom at his parents house in Missoula with a high-powered rifle and fatally shot himself. He was 31. A newspaper account quoted his parents as saying he had been despondent ever since World War II.

I was paralyzed with grief when he killed himself, recalls Glenda Rock III, Bobbys younger daughter, who was 6 when he died. He always called me Happy Jack. He was safety, was warmth.

She said no one would mention her fathers name for several years. It took time, but she has worked through her familys tragedy.

Its not painful anymore. Its a saga, Rock said.

Although she lives in Idaho, Rock said she would like to see her uncles remains buried in Nebraska if he can be identified.

Thats the ending Gliem is hoping for, too.

The story just got sadder and sadder. It was hard for me to shake it, she said. It would be a closure on one of those open-ended questions from World War II.

The area now known as Offutt Air Force Base was first commissioned as Fort Crook, an Army post to house cavalry soldiers and their horses. This photo, circa 1905, shows mounted officers and infantry troops assembling on the parade ground. The officers' quarters in the background still stand today, but the closing of Offutt's stables in 2010 ended the base's equine tradition.

Painter Frank Anania places the final bolt in the SAC emblem, newly placedon the command building at Strategic Air Command headquarters. After the command was created in 1946, SAC headquarters were moved from Andrews Field, Maryland, to Offutt Air Force Base. SAC's high-flying reconnaissance planes and bombers would go on to play a global role from the onset of the Cold War through the last bomb of the Persian Gulf War.

The Strategic Air Command "nerve center" gets a new headquarters building at Offutt Air Force Base.

Even since the late 1950s, Strategic Air Command has been holding open house events at Offutt Air Force Base to display and demonstrate aircraft for civilian visitors.Each year, the open house and air show at Offutt features aerial acts or reenactments, static displays, and booths showcasing military history and capabilities.

The first SAC museum consisted of a section of abandoned runway near the north edge of Offutt Air Force Base outside of Bellevue. However, the outdoor display left the aircraft vulnerable to the elements.

A Royal Air Force bomber crashes at Offutt Air Force Base. Beginning in the late 1950s, the RAF maintained small detachment and service facility for Vulcan bomber planes at Offutt, often participating in defense exercises and demonstrations at the base until their retirement and deactivation in 1982. Thisplane crashed at take-off at the northwest end of the main runway and then slid across Highway 73-75. All seven passengers survived.

Just weeks after the Cuban missile crisis, President John F. Kennedy visits Offutt Air Force Base, accompanied by Gen. Thomas Power of Strategic Air Command, right.

Actor Rock Hudson receives a B-52 bomber briefing during a visit to Omaha and Offutt Air Force Base. He began filming "A Gathering of Eagles" in May of that year.

An early photograph of the Ehrling Bergquist military medical clinic in Bellevue. The clinic has served Offutt Air Force Base since 1966 and was remodeled in 2013, including a grand staircase, largerphysical therapy and mental health areas, and a more private mammography waiting area.

The world's largest aircraft at that time, the C5 Galaxy was displayed as part of the open house for civilian visitors at Offutt Air Force Base.

A conference room in the SAC underground command post at Offutt Air Force Base. Strategic Air Command would be formally disestablished in 1992, but Offutt would remain the headquarters for the new United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM).

The Strategic Air Command Memorial Chapel holds a Sunday morning service as a reminder of those who have given their service and those who have died during the Command's 46-year history. Founded in in 1946, the command was dissolved in a ceremony at Offutt Air Force Base.

OPPD worker Craig Azure of Ashland holds a power line up across Platteview Road near Highway 50 so that an Albatross airplane can fit under it. After SAC was dissolved, the museum moved into a new indoor facility in 1998. Airplanes were moved from their old location at Offutt Air Force Base to their new and current home near Mahoney State Park off I-80.

The parade grounds gazebo at Offutt is dedicated in honor of Airman 1st Class Warren T. Willis, who was killed in an aircraft accidentthe previous December.

President Bill Clinton speaks at a rally at Offutt Air Force Base.

More than 300 anti-nuclear protesters gather outside Kinney Gate at Offutt Air Force Base. The rally was part of a weekend of protest against nuclear weapons, and was organized in response to an extensive nuclear arsenal review being held at the base.

Vice President Dick Cheney greets service men and women following a speech at Offutt Air Force Base's Minuteman missile in Bellevue.

Dignitaries clap along to an armed forces medley as ground is broken for the new U. S. Strategic Command Headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base. From left: Neb. Rep. Adrian Smith, Rep. Lee Terry, Neb. Governor Dave Heineman, General C. Robert Kehler, Commander USStratcom, Sen. Ben Nelson, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, and Mayor of Bellevue, Rita Sanders.

Chris Shotton created this thank you message to the airmen and troops flying in and out of Offutt Air Force Base. Employees of area Walmart stores have been writing giant messages in fields near Highway 370 for years.

Senior Airman Kevin Chapman works the desk at the new Public Health Clinic located in the Ehrling Bergquist military medical clinic.

The new MERLIN SS200m Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar System, with the control tower in the background, photographed at Offutt Air Force Base. The system was moved here from Afghanistan in order to help detect large flocks and prevent damages to aircraft from bids, which cost the Air Force millions of dollars each year.

An aerial photo from late February of the construction site for StratCom's new $1.2 billion headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base. Despite numerous delays and setbacks, the building would be completed in 2018, six years after construction began. StratCom would then spend the next year outfitting the structure with more than $600 million worth of high-tech communications and security gear.

President Barack Obama arrives in Omaha after landing at Offutt Air Force Base. While in Omaha, Obama met with the family of Kerrie Orozco, visited a local teacher, and addressed a crowd of about 8,000 at Baxter Arena.

This year, U.S. Strategic Command unveiled a new Command and Control Facility located at Offutt Air Force Base. The "battle deck," shown here, features computer workstations, soundproofing, and the ability to connect instantly to the White House and Pentagon.

Luke Thomas and Air Force Tech Sgt. Vanessa Vidaurre at a flooded portion of Offutt Air Force Base. In March, historic flooding included breaches of two levees protecting the base from the Missouri River.

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Can 'next-Gen' DNA testing help ID the remains of US service members killed in war? - Omaha World-Herald

New York, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "DNA Extraction Kit Market Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06288138/?utm_source=GNW Genomic innovations based on DNA have evolved from gene editing to anti-cancer drugs. DNA is widely used as an initial sample for various diagnostics and research purposes. The extraction of DNA is a complex process. After the post introduction of DNA extraction kits, the process is simplified and can be carried out efficiently. The DNA extracted is primarily used to study the genetic cause of the disease, carry out forensic sciences, develop drugs, personalized medicines, paternity tests, and genome sequencing. Genomic advancements are playing a huge role in agricultural biology. They are a significant contributor to plant breeding technology, research like reducing the cost of crop production, and more.

One of the significant benefits is that the RNA/DNA extraction kits are available in various product types for multiple samples. The DNA extraction kit for microbial DNA extractions like Virus, Bacteria. DNA extraction kit for a tissue sample, DNA extraction kit for forensic DNA, Cell-Free DNA extraction kits, and more. This broader portfolio is increasing the end-users count for the DNA extraction kit market.

Technological Advancements are likely to drive the RNA/DNA Extraction Kit Market Growth

The demand for RNA/DNA extraction kits is increasing due to their usage of its applications. The DNA extracted is used in PCR, Genome sequencing, Cloning, and other applications. Increasing demand for this application will drive the demand for DNA Extraction kit market growth. Technological advancements like the introduction of next-generation DNA Extraction kits help the user to isolate the genomic DNA from a range of samples using optimized protocols. This helps the user to obtain high-quality DNA from even specialized samples. This is widely adopted by the researchers to work on multiple samples for the research purpose.

The usage of NGS is increasing in cancer research and personalized treatments. DNA extraction is seen as one of the basic and important steps in NGS library preparation. Increasing demand for personalized medicine, CAR-T therapies, Gene Therapies other regenerative medicines are largely accelerating the usage of DNA extraction kits in the market. In addition, the presence of several research institutes and standalone genomic labs in the developed countries like the US, The UK, Germany are largely involved in the genetic research, genome sequencing, studying genetic characteristics especially the diseased genes in cancer, neurological disorder segments, and other rare genetic diseases are largely driving the usage of the DNA isolation kits in the market.

COVID-19 had a negative impact on the market. The focus was on the RNA Extraction kits, this reduced the usage of DNA extraction kits and not many products were launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many genomic research centers were focused to sequence the COVID-19 variants and working for the vaccines. This largely diverted the genomic researchers to shift towards the COVID-19 samples, this largely reduced the DNA-based research or postponed and expected to regain post-COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Geographic Segmentation

North America dominated the DNA extraction kit market share. However, APAC is expected to grow at a faster rate with a CAGR of over 9% in the DNA extraction market. The increasing investments in genome sequencing, increasing adoption of genetic testing-based diagnostics for rare diseases, oncology, and higher adoption of personalized medicines are largely driving the North America Market.

North America Europe APAC Latin America Middle East & Africa

THIS RESEARCH REPORT INCLUDE A DETAILED SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS BY: Product Type Application Sample Type End-User Geography

DNA Extraction Kit Market Segmentation Analysis

End-user: The health care facilities having in-house laboratories dominate the end-user segment. The number of samples tested for various genetic diseases, oncology is largely driving the healthcare segment to use the DNA extraction kit.

Sample Type: Blood, Tissue & FFPE samples dominated the sample type segment in the market. Blood, and tissue-based samples are largely used in the diagnostic segment in the market. FFPE samples which are preserved for the biopsy, experimental research, diagnostic, and drug development are large volume of samples that uses the DNA extraction process. These are major contributors to the DNA extraction kit market by sample type in the market.

Product Type: The cell-free DNA accounted for the major part of the product type. However, the genomic DNA segment is growing fast due to increased investments in genomic research and personalized medicines in the market. The Genomic DNA segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.01% in the market.

Applications: PCR application is dominating the applications segment as PCR is a gold standard method to extract the DNA for various study purposes and diagnostics. The sequencing application is increasing significantly as there are technological advancements focused on genomic diagnostics.

Key Vendors Agilent Technologies Bio-Rad Laboratories F. Hoffmann-La Roche Promega QIAGEN Thermo Fisher Scientific

Other Prominent Vendors 1st BASE 3B BlackBio Biotech India BioChain Institute Bioneer BLIRT Canvax Cell Projects Covaris Cytiva Fivephoton Biochemicals Galenvs Sciences Geneaid Biotech IBI Scientific INVITEK Molecular LabTurbo Lexogen LGC Biosearch Technologies Lucigen MagGenome Merck MP BIOMEDICALS New England Biolabs Omega Bio-tek PCR Biosystems PerkinElmer Primerdesign Takara Bio Vivantis Technologies Xian Tianlong Science and Technology Zymo Research

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED 1. What will be the size of the global RNA/DNA extraction kit market by 2027? 2. Who are the key players in the DNA extraction kit industry? 3. Which region holds the highest share in the global RNA/DNA extraction kit market? 4. What are the latest trends in the market? 5. Which factors are influencing the DNA extraction kit market growth?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06288138/?utm_source=GNW

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The DNA Extraction Kit market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% during 2022-2027 - GlobeNewswire

NEW YORK (PIX11) The Office of Chief Medical Examiner said the brother of a Staten Island teen who went missing in 1976 will submit DNA for a databank at Saturdays Missing Persons Day.

Freddie Escobar, the brother of Rafael Escobar Jr. who was 19 when he disappeared from a Staten Island group home told forensic scientists he will get swabbed for DNA.

The goal is to see if Freddie Escobars DNA matches any of the unidentified missing found in the United States, dead or alive.

Their DNA will only go into the Missing Persons data bank, said Mark Desire, assistant director at the Department of Forensic Biology.

He said the genetic profiles dont go into any other databases.

We are bound by law to only search missing persons cases, Desire added.

Veronica Cano is a criminalist whos worked at the DNA MIssing Persons lab for six years.

Its very rewarding, Cano said of the times when theres a DNA match. I love my job.

Jonathan Holly works on the initial phase of investigations, when the remains of unidentified people show up at the medical examiners office. He showed PIX11 News how bone fragments can get pulverized into powder, so DNA can be extracted.

Every year, about 14,000 people go missing in New York City. Even though most eventually turn up, hundreds of others vanish without a trace.

Desire said the remains of 40,000 Jane and John Does are buried in potters fields around the United States.

He said his scientists are using a new technology called Next Generation Sequencing to better extract DNA from bones.

Families interested in submitting a DNA sample at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner can go to the Hirsch Building at 421 East 26th Street this Saturday, June 25. Missing Persons Day will last from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Desire said the quick swabbing for saliva is free, quick and not painful.

Test results could take two to four weeks.

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Family of missing Staten Island man will submit DNA to database - PIX11 New York News