Incorporating non-genetic evidence in large scale missing person searches: A general approach beyond filtering

The search for missing persons implies several steps, from the preliminary investigation that involves collecting background data related to the case to the genetic kinship testing. Despite its crucial importance in identifications, only some approaches mathematically formalize the possibility of using preliminary investigation data. In some cases, a filtering strategy is applied, which implies selecting a subset of possible victims where some non-genetic variables perfectly match those of the missing. Through a Bayesian approach, we propose a mathematical model for computing the prior odds based on non-genetic variables usually collected during the preliminary investigation, such as biological sex, hair colour, and age. We use computational simulations to show how to incorporate these prior odds in DNA-database searches. Importantly, our results suggest that applying the proposed model leads to better search performance in underpowered cases from the genetic point of view, where few or distant relatives of the missing person are available for genotyping. Furthermore, the results are also helpful when using non-genetic data for prior odds in well-powered cases, where genetic data are enough to reach a reliable conclusion. It performs better than other approaches, such as using non-genetic data for filtering. The software mispitools, freely available on CRAN, implements all described methods (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=mispitools).

Literature review of baseline study for risk analysis - the landfill leachate case

There is growing awareness and public concern about environmental impacts of waste management and disposal. Environmental policy instruments have been strengthened and associated governmental programmes have increased in recent years, resulting in high level strategies for waste management. Risk assessment is now an essential tool in the prioritisation of environmental and human health protection. However, regulators need to compare the full range of risks on a sound and consistent basis. Comparing risks from such diverse sources poses a significant challenge, and traditional hazard and risk assessments are no longer sufficient. Consideration now needs to be given to a much wider range of factors if risk assessment is to be used as an aid to more integrated decision-making process. For this purpose, baseline study - the foundation of risk assessment - can play a crucial role. To date limited research has been conducted on the need, parameters, requirements, and constituents of baseline study particularly in the context of how, why, and what information is to be collated in order to render risk assessments more appropriately integrated and complete. To establish the 'state-of-the-art' of baseline study, this paper comprehensively reviews the literature regarding environmental risk assessment in general terms, and then proceeds to review work that is specifically related to landfills and landfill leachate, thereby identifying knowledge gaps and shortfall areas. This review concludes that a holistic baseline study procedure for waste disposal sites, which risk assessors could use for carrying out risk analyses specifically for landfill leachate, does not as yet exist.