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Joeres M, Maksimov P, Höper D, Calvelage S, Calero-Bernal R, Fernández-Escobar M, Koudela B, Blaga R, Vrhovec MG, Stollberg K, Bier N, Sotiraki S, Sroka J, Piotrowska W, Kodym P, Basso W, Conraths FJ, Mercier A, Galal L, Dardé ML, Balea A, Spano F, Schulze C, Peters M, Scuda N, Lundén A, Davidson RK, Terland R, Waap H, de Bruin E, Vatta P, Caccio S, Ortega-Mora LM, Jokelainen P, Schares G. Genotyping of European Toxoplasma gondii strains by a new high-resolution next-generation sequencing-based method. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 43:355-371. [PMID: 38099986 PMCID: PMC10822014 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-023-04721-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE A new high-resolution next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based method was established to type closely related European type II Toxoplasma gondii strains. METHODS T. gondii field isolates were collected from different parts of Europe and assessed by whole genome sequencing (WGS). In comparison to ME49 (a type II reference strain), highly polymorphic regions (HPRs) were identified, showing a considerable number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). After confirmation by Sanger sequencing, 18 HPRs were used to design a primer panel for multiplex PCR to establish a multilocus Ion AmpliSeq typing method. Toxoplasma gondii isolates and T. gondii present in clinical samples were typed with the new method. The sensitivity of the method was tested with serially diluted reference DNA samples. RESULTS Among type II specimens, the method could differentiate the same number of haplotypes as the reference standard, microsatellite (MS) typing. Passages of the same isolates and specimens originating from abortion outbreaks were identified as identical. In addition, seven different genotypes, two atypical and two recombinant specimens were clearly distinguished from each other by the method. Furthermore, almost all SNPs detected by the Ion AmpliSeq method corresponded to those expected based on WGS. By testing serially diluted DNA samples, the method exhibited a similar analytical sensitivity as MS typing. CONCLUSION The new method can distinguish different T. gondii genotypes and detect intra-genotype variability among European type II T. gondii strains. Furthermore, with WGS data additional target regions can be added to the method to potentially increase typing resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Joeres
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - P Maksimov
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - D Höper
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - S Calvelage
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - R Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Fernández-Escobar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - B Koudela
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - R Blaga
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, BIPAR, Maisons-Alfort, France
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - K Stollberg
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department for Biological Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | - N Bier
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department for Biological Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | - S Sotiraki
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation-DIMITRA, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - J Sroka
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland
| | - W Piotrowska
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland
| | - P Kodym
- Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - W Basso
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - F J Conraths
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - A Mercier
- Inserm U1094, IRD U270, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT - Epidemiology of chronic diseases in tropical zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, OmegaHealth, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence (CNR) Toxoplasmose Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire Dupuytren, Limoges, France
| | - L Galal
- Inserm U1094, IRD U270, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT - Epidemiology of chronic diseases in tropical zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, OmegaHealth, Limoges, France
| | - M L Dardé
- Inserm U1094, IRD U270, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT - Epidemiology of chronic diseases in tropical zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, OmegaHealth, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence (CNR) Toxoplasmose Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire Dupuytren, Limoges, France
| | - A Balea
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - F Spano
- Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - C Schulze
- Landeslabor Berlin-Brandenburg, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
| | - M Peters
- Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Westfalen, Standort Arnsberg, Arnsberg, Germany
| | - N Scuda
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Erlangen, Germany
| | - A Lundén
- Department of Microbiology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - R K Davidson
- Department of Animal Health, Welfare and Food Safety, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Tromsø, Norway
| | - R Terland
- Department of Analysis and Diagnostics, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ås, Norway
| | - H Waap
- Parasitology Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - E de Bruin
- Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Pathology Division, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - P Vatta
- Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - S Caccio
- Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - L M Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - P Jokelainen
- Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - G Schares
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
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Pendergrass A, Weiß S, Rohleder N, Graessel E. Validation of the Benefits of Being a Caregiver Scale (BBCS) - further development of an independent characteristic of informal caregiving. BMC Geriatr 2023; 23:26. [PMID: 36641428 PMCID: PMC9840821 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03650-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although larger amounts of scientific attention have been directed toward the concept of positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) in recent years, a globally uniform definition and a suitable, scientifically valid questionnaire for all informal caregivers have yet to be developed. On the basis of the questionnaires that already exist for measuring PAC, the authors aimed to (a) concretize the concept and (b) develop a new scale by focusing only on items that show that family caregivers experience a benefit for themselves and that the benefit they experience is the result of their caregiving activities. METHODS The Benefits of Being a Caregiver Scale (BBCS) was validated on data from 961 informal caregivers. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the internal consistency of the items, and a factor analysis was conducted to determine the structure of the BBCS. The discriminatory power and item difficulties were examined. Construct validity was established by testing four hypotheses. RESULTS The factor analysis confirmed the single-factor structure of the BBCS. Cronbach's alpha for the total scale was 0.922. One of the 15 items did not show good to very good discriminatory power and was excluded from the final version of the scale. A higher BBCS score was observed if the caregiver experienced more positive aspects of caregiving and tended to have better general coping skills and a positive relationship with the care-receiver. The BBCS score was not associated with the subjective burden of the caregiver. Results confirmed the validity of the BBCS. CONCLUSION The BBCS is a valid assessment instrument for measuring the benefits that caregivers experience from their caregiving work and can easily be used in research and practice. The BBCS is available free of charge in English and German ( http://www.caregiver-benefits.de ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pendergrass
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Centre of Health Services Research in Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Saskia Weiß
- grid.489512.30000 0000 8508 4813German Alzheimer Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicolas Rohleder
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Psychology, Chair of Health Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Elmar Graessel
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Centre of Health Services Research in Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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Holcomb KM, Mathis S, Staples JE, Fischer M, Barker CM, Beard CB, Nett RJ, Keyel AC, Marcantonio M, Childs ML, Gorris ME, Rochlin I, Hamins-Puértolas M, Ray EL, Uelmen JA, DeFelice N, Freedman AS, Hollingsworth BD, Das P, Osthus D, Humphreys JM, Nova N, Mordecai EA, Cohnstaedt LW, Kirk D, Kramer LD, Harris MJ, Kain MP, Reed EMX, Johansson MA. Evaluation of an open forecasting challenge to assess skill of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease prediction. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:11. [PMID: 36635782 PMCID: PMC9834680 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05630-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the continental USA. WNV occurrence has high spatiotemporal variation, and current approaches to targeted control of the virus are limited, making forecasting a public health priority. However, little research has been done to compare strengths and weaknesses of WNV disease forecasting approaches on the national scale. We used forecasts submitted to the 2020 WNV Forecasting Challenge, an open challenge organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to assess the status of WNV neuroinvasive disease (WNND) prediction and identify avenues for improvement. METHODS We performed a multi-model comparative assessment of probabilistic forecasts submitted by 15 teams for annual WNND cases in US counties for 2020 and assessed forecast accuracy, calibration, and discriminatory power. In the evaluation, we included forecasts produced by comparison models of varying complexity as benchmarks of forecast performance. We also used regression analysis to identify modeling approaches and contextual factors that were associated with forecast skill. RESULTS Simple models based on historical WNND cases generally scored better than more complex models and combined higher discriminatory power with better calibration of uncertainty. Forecast skill improved across updated forecast submissions submitted during the 2020 season. Among models using additional data, inclusion of climate or human demographic data was associated with higher skill, while inclusion of mosquito or land use data was associated with lower skill. We also identified population size, extreme minimum winter temperature, and interannual variation in WNND cases as county-level characteristics associated with variation in forecast skill. CONCLUSIONS Historical WNND cases were strong predictors of future cases with minimal increase in skill achieved by models that included other factors. Although opportunities might exist to specifically improve predictions for areas with large populations and low or high winter temperatures, areas with high case-count variability are intrinsically more difficult to predict. Also, the prediction of outbreaks, which are outliers relative to typical case numbers, remains difficult. Further improvements to prediction could be obtained with improved calibration of forecast uncertainty and access to real-time data streams (e.g. current weather and preliminary human cases).
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M. Holcomb
- Global Systems Laboratory, National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Boulder, CO USA
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Sarabeth Mathis
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - J. Erin Staples
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Marc Fischer
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Christopher M. Barker
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA USA
| | - Charles B. Beard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Randall J. Nett
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Alexander C. Keyel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY USA
- Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY USA
| | - Matteo Marcantonio
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth & Life Institute-UCLouvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marissa L. Childs
- Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Morgan E. Gorris
- Information Systems and Modeling, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM USA
| | - Ilia Rochlin
- Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ USA
| | | | - Evan L. Ray
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA USA
| | - Johnny A. Uelmen
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA
| | - Nicholas DeFelice
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
- Department of Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Andrew S. Freedman
- Biomathematics Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | | | - Praachi Das
- Biomathematics Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Dave Osthus
- Statistical Sciences Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM USA
| | - John M. Humphreys
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Sidney, MT USA
| | - Nicole Nova
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | | | - Lee W. Cohnstaedt
- National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS USA
| | - Devin Kirk
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Laura D. Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY USA
| | | | - Morgan P. Kain
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Emily M. X. Reed
- Invasive Species Working Group, Global Change Center, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, NC USA
| | - Michael A. Johansson
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, PR USA
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Ibeneme SC, Eze JC, Okonkwo UP, Ibeneme GC, Fortwengel G. Evaluating the discriminatory power of the velocity field diagram and timed-up-and-go test in determining the fall status of community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional observational study. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:658. [PMID: 35948869 PMCID: PMC9367093 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03282-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Systematic reviews demonstrated that gait variables are the most reliable predictors of future falls, yet are rarely included in fall screening tools. Thus, most tools have higher specificity than sensitivity, hence may be misleading/detrimental to care. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the validity, and reliability of the velocity field diagram (VFD -a gait analytical tool), and the Timed-up-and-go test (TUG)-commonly used in Nigeria as fall screening tools, compared to a gold standard (known fallers) among community-dwelling older adults. Method This is a cross-sectional observational study of 500 older adults (280 fallers and 220 non-fallers), recruited by convenience sampling technique at community health fora on fall prevention. Participants completed a 7-m distance with the number of steps and time it took determined and used to compute the stride length, stride frequency, and velocity, which regression lines formed the VFD. TUG test was simultaneously conducted to discriminate fallers from non-fallers. The cut-off points for falls were: TUG times ≥ 13.5 s; VFD’s intersection point of the stride frequency, and velocity regression lines (E1) ≥ 3.5velots. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curves (AUC) was used to explore the ability of the E1 ≥ 3.5velots to discriminate between fallers and non-fallers. The VFD’s and TUG’s sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were determined. Alpha was set at p < 0.05. Results The VFD versus TUG sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 71%, 27%, 55%, and 42%, versus 39%, 59%, 55%, and 43%, respectively. The ROC’s AUC were 0.74(95%CI:0.597,0.882, p = 0.001) for the VFD. The optimal categorizations for discrimination between fallers/non-fallers were ≥ 3.78 versus ≤ 3.78 for VFD (fallers versus non-fallers prevalence is 60.71% versus 95.45%, respectively), with a classification accuracy or prediction rate of 0.76 unlike TUG with AUC = 0.53 (95% CI:0.353,0.700, p = 0.762), and a classification accuracy of 0.68, and optimal characterization of ≥ 12.81 s versus ≤ 12.81 (fallers and non-fallers prevalence = 92.86% versus 36.36%, respectively). Conclusion The VFD demonstrated a fair discriminatory power and greater reliability in identifying fallers than the TUG, and therefore, could replace the TUG as a primary tool in screening those at risk of falls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Chidi Ibeneme
- Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. .,Department of Physiotherapy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria. .,Department of Nursing Sciences, Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. .,Faculty III/Mid-Research Group, Hochschule Hannover - University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hannover, Expo Plaza 12, 30539, Hannover, Germany. .,Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
| | - Joy Chinyere Eze
- Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Gerhard Fortwengel
- Department of Physiotherapy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria
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Scarpulla E, Boattini A, Cozzo M, Giangregorio P, Ciucci P, Mucci N, Randi E, Davoli F. First core microsatellite panel identification in Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus): a collaborative approach. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:623. [PMID: 34407764 PMCID: PMC8371798 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07915-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The low cost and rapidity of microsatellite analysis have led to the development of several markers for many species. Because in non-invasive genetics it is recommended to genotype individuals using few loci, generally a subset of markers is selected. The choice of different marker panels by different research groups studying the same population can cause problems and bias in data analysis. A priority issue in conservation genetics is the comparability of data produced by different labs with different methods. Here, we compared data from previous and ongoing studies to identify a panel of microsatellite loci efficient for the long-term monitoring of Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus), aiming at reducing genotyping uncertainty and allowing reliable individual identifications overtimes. RESULTS We examined all microsatellite markers used up to now and identified 19 candidate loci. We evaluated the efficacy of 13 of the most commonly used loci analyzing 194 DNA samples belonging to 113 distinct bears selected from the Italian national biobank. We compared data from 4 different marker subsets on the basis of genotyping errors, allelic patterns, observed and expected heterozygosity, discriminatory powers, number of mismatching pairs, and probability of identity. The optimal marker set was selected evaluating the low molecular weight, the high discriminatory power, and the low occurrence of genotyping errors of each primer. We calibrated allele calls and verified matches among genotypes obtained in previous studies using the complete set of 13 STRs (Short Tandem Repeats), analyzing six invasive DNA samples from distinct individuals. Differences in allele-sizing between labs were consistent, showing a substantial overlap of the individual genotyping. CONCLUSIONS The proposed marker set comprises 11 Ursus specific markers with the addition of cxx20, the canid-locus less prone to genotyping errors, in order to prevent underestimation (maximizing the discriminatory power) and overestimation (minimizing the genotyping errors) of the number of Apennine brown bears. The selected markers allow saving time and costs with the amplification in multiplex of all loci thanks to the same annealing temperature. Our work optimizes the available resources by identifying a shared panel and a uniform methodology capable of improving comparisons between past and future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erminia Scarpulla
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessio Boattini
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mario Cozzo
- Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for Biodiversity Conservation, Unit for Conservation Genetics (BIO-CGE), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Ca' Fornacetta, 9 - 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy
| | - Patrizia Giangregorio
- Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for Biodiversity Conservation, Unit for Conservation Genetics (BIO-CGE), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Ca' Fornacetta, 9 - 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin" (BBCD), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia Mucci
- Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for Biodiversity Conservation, Unit for Conservation Genetics (BIO-CGE), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Ca' Fornacetta, 9 - 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ettore Randi
- Faculty of Engineering and Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Francesca Davoli
- Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for Biodiversity Conservation, Unit for Conservation Genetics (BIO-CGE), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Ca' Fornacetta, 9 - 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy.
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Lovato A, Bonora C, Genovese E, Amato C, Maiolino L, de Filippis C. A panel of jitter/shimmer may identify functional dysphonia at risk of failure after speech therapy. Am J Otolaryngol 2020; 41:102455. [PMID: 32475619 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are no reliable outcome predictors for functional dysphonia (FD) patients. OBJECTIVES To investigate if any clinical or phoniatric characteristics could identify FD patients at risk of negative outcome after speech therapy. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the results of 78 FD patients treated with the proprioceptive elastic method. Before and one-month after therapy, patients underwent endoscopy, acoustic analysis with Multi-Dimensional Voice Program, and Voice Handicap Index-10 questionnaire (VHI-10). Negative outcome was the persistence of VHI-10 ≥ 13. RESULTS 26 FD patients had negative outcome (i.e. VHI-10 ≥ 13) after speech therapy. At univariate analysis, clinical variables (i.e. sex, age, comorbidities, dysphonia duration, and professional voice use) were not associated with the outcome. Elevated Jitter% (Jitt; p = 0.03), Shimmer% (Shim; statistical trend, p = 0.06), and Noise to Harmonics Ratio (statistical trend, p = 0.06) were found in patients with poor results. At multivariate analysis, higher Jitt was an independent negative prognostic factor (p = 0.02), while a statically trend was identified for Shim (p = 0.06). A panel of Jitt >1.5 and Shim >5.1 showed an acceptable discriminatory power (AUC [ROC] = 0.76) according to Hosmer and Lemeshow scale. CONCLUSION A panel of two acoustic analysis parameters could help in identifying FD patients at risk of speech therapy failure. Further studies in these patients are needed to evaluate the most efficient treatment protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lovato
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, Audiology Unit at Treviso Hospital, Treviso, Italy.
| | - Chiara Bonora
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, Audiology Unit at Treviso Hospital, Treviso, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Genovese
- Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Audiology Unit, Modena, Italy
| | - Chiara Amato
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, ENT Section, Catania, Italy
| | - Luigi Maiolino
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, ENT Section, Catania, Italy
| | - Cosimo de Filippis
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, Audiology Unit at Treviso Hospital, Treviso, Italy
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Ghavidel M, Tadayon K, Mosavari N, Nourian K, BahramiTaghanaki HR, Mohammadi GR, Rashtibaf M, Ghazvini K. Introducing the Best Six Loci in Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit-Variable-Number Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) Typing for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Genotyping. Rep Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 8:335-346. [PMID: 32274406 PMCID: PMC7103078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) still remains endemic worldwide making epidemiological studies essential to mitigating efforts implicated in identifying its source, controlling, and preventing the spread of dangerous strains amongst humans such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). METHODS In this study, we sought to determine the 6 Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit-Variable-Number Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) loci with high discriminatory powers for Mtb genotyping as well as the loci with the highest and the lowest discriminatory powers for MIRU-VNTR. To conduct our search, we used several databases such as science direct, Embase (Elsevier), Web of Science, Scopus and Medline via PubMed. Searches were performed using key words including: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, MIRU-VNTR, Allele diversity, Genetic diversity and human patient. Finally, 56 articles were selected after filtering out titles, abstracts and full texts. RESULTS Loci with high discriminatory powers included MIRU10 and MIRU26, while MIRU2, MIRU20, MIRU24 and ETRD had poor discriminatory powers. According to previous data in the literature, the loci MIRU10, MIRU26, MIRU40, QUB 26, QUB 11b and Mtub21 have high discriminatory powers. CONCLUSION Therefore, these loci recommended for genotyping Mtb to save time and cost and to ensure the production of reliable results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdis Ghavidel
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Keyvan Tadayon
- Department of Microbiology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
| | - Nader Mosavari
- PPD Tuberculin Department, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, (RVSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
| | - Kimiya Nourian
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate Student of School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
| | | | - Gholam Reza Mohammadi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad – Iran.
| | - Mohammad Rashtibaf
- Deputy of Veterinary administration of Khorasan Razavi Province, Mashhad,Iran.
| | - Kiarash Ghazvini
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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8
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Londero A, Costa M, Sucari A, Leotta G. Comparison of three molecular subtyping techniques for Listeria monocytogenes. Rev Argent Microbiol 2019; 51:359-62. [PMID: 31023493 DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen. The recent alert for L. monocytogenes in vegetables from Argentina warns about the importance of reinforcing its isolation, characterization and subtyping in food, clinical and environmental samples. The aim of the present study was to compare the discriminatory power of enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR), automated ribotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to subtype strains of L. monocytogenes isolated from Argentine meat and environmental samples. Simpson's Diversity Index (DI) was calculated on the basis of based on the dendrograms obtained in the by cluster analysis, showing the following discriminatory power: ApaI-PFGE (0.980), AscI-PFGE (0.966), ribotyping (0.912), ERIC-PCR (0.886). The ID values between ApaI- and AscI-PFGE and between ribotyping and ERIC-PCR were not significantly different. Of the three techniques evaluated, PFGE showed the highest discriminatory power. However, the subtyping techniques should be accompanied by effective food monitoring strategies and reliable clinical and epidemiological studies.
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9
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Chakdar H, Pabbi S. A comparative study reveals the higher resolution of RAPD over ARDRA for analyzing diversity of Nostoc strains. 3 Biotech 2017; 7:125. [PMID: 28573395 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-017-0779-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Nostoc is a diverse genus of filamentous cyanobacteria with tremendous potential for agricultural and industrial applications. Morphometric methods and routine 16S rDNA-based identification undermines the genetic diversity and impedes strain-level differentiation. A comparative study to deduce the discriminatory power of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) for analyzing the genetic diversity of 20 Nostoc strains of diverse geographical origin was carried out. The RAPD primer used in the study generated 100% polymorphic profile. HIP TG primer produced the highest number of bands and fragments. Five primers, viz. OPA 08, OPA 11, HIP GC, OPAH 02 and OPF 05 could produce unique bands for 11 strains. Cluster analysis using the RAPD profile showed 12.5-25% similarity among the strains. Following in silico restriction analysis, two restriction enzymes, viz. HaeIII and HinfI were selected for ARDRA. However, clustering based on the restriction pattern showed 22.5-100% similarity. Results of the present study clearly indicate higher resolution of RAPD which can be reliably used for strain-level differentiation of Nostoc strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hillol Chakdar
- Centre for Conservation and Utilisation of Blue Green Algae (CCUBGA), Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, 110012, India
- National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, UP, 275103, India
| | - Sunil Pabbi
- Centre for Conservation and Utilisation of Blue Green Algae (CCUBGA), Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, 110012, India.
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10
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Soma Sekhar M, Srinivasa Rao T, Chinnam BK, Subramanyam KV, Metta M, Mohammad Sharif N. Genetic Diversity of Arcobacter Species of Animal and Human Origin in Andhra Pradesh, India. Indian J Microbiol 2017; 57:250-252. [PMID: 28611504 DOI: 10.1007/s12088-017-0649-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Arcobacter is an emerging foodborne pathogen having zoonotic significance. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) PCR and repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) analysis of a total of 41 Arcobacter isolates revealed a greater degree of genetic diversity. ERIC-PCR genotyping distinguished 14, 13 and 12 genotypes among 16, 13 and 12 isolates of A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii, respectively. Rep-PCR genotyping distinguished 15, 12 and 11 genotypes among 16, 13 and 12 isolates of A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii, respectively. The discriminatory power for ERIC and rep-PCR was found to be 0.997 and 0.996, respectively. Close clustering between isolates of animal and human origin are indicative of probable zoonotic significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Soma Sekhar
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Gannavaram, Krishna (District), Andhra Pradesh 521102 India
| | - T Srinivasa Rao
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Gannavaram, Krishna (District), Andhra Pradesh 521102 India
| | - B K Chinnam
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Gannavaram, Krishna (District), Andhra Pradesh 521102 India
| | - K V Subramanyam
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram, 521102 India
| | - M Metta
- Department of AGB, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram, 521102 India
| | - N Mohammad Sharif
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati, 517502 India
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11
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Mokrousov I. Revisiting the Hunter Gaston discriminatory index: Note of caution and courses of change. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2017; 104:20-23. [PMID: 28454645 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Hunter Gaston Discriminatory Index (HGDI) is a widely used estimator of discriminatory power of genotyping methods and diversity of molecular markers in bacterial pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In my opinion, the index is somewhat misleading: a closer look at common practice and particular studies reveals that values in the range of 0.6-0.9 are modest but uncritically perceived as high. I propose and discuss three courses of change: (i) to continue using HGDI but be aware of the true meaning behind its value and increase a threshold of acceptable resolution to the more adequate values of 0.90-0.99, depending on study design; (ii) to turn to other known indices of diversity (e.g., Shannon index), in order to complement HGDI; (iii) to develop new, intuitively more realistic estimator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Mokrousov
- Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics (former Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology), St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, 14 Mira Street, St. Petersburg 197101, Russia.
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12
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Purps J, Siegert S, Willuweit S, Nagy M, Alves C, Salazar R, Angustia SMT, Santos LH, Anslinger K, Bayer B, Ayub Q, Wei W, Xue Y, Tyler-Smith C, Bafalluy MB, Martínez-Jarreta B, Egyed B, Balitzki B, Tschumi S, Ballard D, Court DS, Barrantes X, Bäßler G, Wiest T, Berger B, Niederstätter H, Parson W, Davis C, Budowle B, Burri H, Borer U, Koller C, Carvalho EF, Domingues PM, Chamoun WT, Coble MD, Hill CR, Corach D, Caputo M, D'Amato ME, Davison S, Decorte R, Larmuseau MHD, Ottoni C, Rickards O, Lu D, Jiang C, Dobosz T, Jonkisz A, Frank WE, Furac I, Gehrig C, Castella V, Grskovic B, Haas C, Wobst J, Hadzic G, Drobnic K, Honda K, Hou Y, Zhou D, Li Y, Hu S, Chen S, Immel UD, Lessig R, Jakovski Z, Ilievska T, Klann AE, García CC, de Knijff P, Kraaijenbrink T, Kondili A, Miniati P, Vouropoulou M, Kovacevic L, Marjanovic D, Lindner I, Mansour I, Al-Azem M, Andari AE, Marino M, Furfuro S, Locarno L, Martín P, Luque GM, Alonso A, Miranda LS, Moreira H, Mizuno N, Iwashima Y, Neto RSM, Nogueira TLS, Silva R, Nastainczyk-Wulf M, Edelmann J, Kohl M, Nie S, Wang X, Cheng B, Núñez C, Pancorbo MMD, Olofsson JK, Morling N, Onofri V, Tagliabracci A, Pamjav H, Volgyi A, Barany G, Pawlowski R, Maciejewska A, Pelotti S, Pepinski W, Abreu-Glowacka M, Phillips C, Cárdenas J, Rey-Gonzalez D, Salas A, Brisighelli F, Capelli C, Toscanini U, Piccinini A, Piglionica M, Baldassarra SL, Ploski R, Konarzewska M, Jastrzebska E, Robino C, Sajantila A, Palo JU, Guevara E, Salvador J, Ungria MCD, Rodriguez JJR, Schmidt U, Schlauderer N, Saukko P, Schneider PM, Sirker M, Shin KJ, Oh YN, Skitsa I, Ampati A, Smith TG, Calvit LSD, Stenzl V, Capal T, Tillmar A, Nilsson H, Turrina S, De Leo D, Verzeletti A, Cortellini V, Wetton JH, Gwynne GM, Jobling MA, Whittle MR, Sumita DR, Wolańska-Nowak P, Yong RYY, Krawczak M, Nothnagel M, Roewer L. A global analysis of Y-chromosomal haplotype diversity for 23 STR loci. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2014; 12:12-23. [PMID: 24854874 PMCID: PMC4127773 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2014.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In a worldwide collaborative effort, 19,630 Y-chromosomes were sampled from 129 different populations in 51 countries. These chromosomes were typed for 23 short-tandem repeat (STR) loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385ab, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, GATAH4, DYS481, DYS533, DYS549, DYS570, DYS576, and DYS643) and using the PowerPlex Y23 System (PPY23, Promega Corporation, Madison, WI). Locus-specific allelic spectra of these markers were determined and a consistently high level of allelic diversity was observed. A considerable number of null, duplicate and off-ladder alleles were revealed. Standard single-locus and haplotype-based parameters were calculated and compared between subsets of Y-STR markers established for forensic casework. The PPY23 marker set provides substantially stronger discriminatory power than other available kits but at the same time reveals the same general patterns of population structure as other marker sets. A strong correlation was observed between the number of Y-STRs included in a marker set and some of the forensic parameters under study. Interestingly a weak but consistent trend toward smaller genetic distances resulting from larger numbers of markers became apparent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Purps
- Department of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Siegert
- Department of Statistical Genetics and Bioinformatics, Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Sascha Willuweit
- Department of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Nagy
- Department of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cíntia Alves
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Renato Salazar
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Lorna H Santos
- Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Katja Anslinger
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
| | - Birgit Bayer
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
| | - Qasim Ayub
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Wei Wei
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Yali Xue
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Chris Tyler-Smith
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | | | | | - Balazs Egyed
- GenoID Forensic DNA Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beate Balitzki
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - David Ballard
- Department of Forensic and Analytical Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Xinia Barrantes
- Forensic Sciences Department, Poder Judicial, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | | | - Tina Wiest
- Landeskriminalamt Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Burkhard Berger
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Walther Parson
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria; Penn State Eberly College of Science, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Carey Davis
- Institute of Applied Genetics and Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Ft. Worth, USA
| | - Bruce Budowle
- Institute of Applied Genetics and Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Ft. Worth, USA; Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research (CEGMR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Helen Burri
- Forensische Genetik, Kantonsspital Aarau AG, Switzerland
| | - Urs Borer
- Forensische Genetik, Kantonsspital Aarau AG, Switzerland
| | | | - Elizeu F Carvalho
- Laboratorio de Diagnósticos por DNA, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patricia M Domingues
- Laboratorio de Diagnósticos por DNA, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Michael D Coble
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Carolyn R Hill
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Daniel Corach
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Servicio de Huellas Digitales Genetica and CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Caputo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Servicio de Huellas Digitales Genetica and CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria E D'Amato
- University of the Western Cape, Biotechnology Department, Forensic DNA Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sean Davison
- University of the Western Cape, Biotechnology Department, Forensic DNA Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ronny Decorte
- KU Leuven, Department of Imaging & Pathology, Laboratory of Forensic Genetics and Molecular Archaeology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten H D Larmuseau
- KU Leuven, Department of Imaging & Pathology, Laboratory of Forensic Genetics and Molecular Archaeology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Claudio Ottoni
- KU Leuven, Department of Imaging & Pathology, Laboratory of Forensic Genetics and Molecular Archaeology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Olga Rickards
- Centre of Molecular Antropology For Ancient DNA Studies, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
| | - Di Lu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Judicial Civilization, Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China
| | - Chengtao Jiang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Judicial Civilization, Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China
| | - Tadeusz Dobosz
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Anna Jonkisz
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - William E Frank
- Illinois State Police, Research & Development Laboratory, Springfield, USA
| | - Ivana Furac
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Criminology, University of Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Christian Gehrig
- University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Castella
- University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Branka Grskovic
- Forensic Science Centre "Ivan Vucetic", General Police Directorate, Ministry of Interior, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Cordula Haas
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jana Wobst
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Katsuya Honda
- Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yiping Hou
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, West China School of Basic Science and Forensic Medicine Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Di Zhou
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, West China School of Basic Science and Forensic Medicine Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, West China School of Basic Science and Forensic Medicine Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shengping Hu
- Molecular Biology and Forensic Genetics Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Shenglan Chen
- Molecular Biology and Forensic Genetics Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | | | | | - Zlatko Jakovski
- Institute for Forensic Medicine and Criminalistics, Medical Faculty, University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius", Skopje, Macedonia
| | - Tanja Ilievska
- Institute for Forensic Medicine and Criminalistics, Medical Faculty, University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius", Skopje, Macedonia
| | - Anja E Klann
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Peter de Knijff
- Forensic Laboratory for DNA Research, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thirsa Kraaijenbrink
- Forensic Laboratory for DNA Research, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Aikaterini Kondili
- Subdivision of Biological and Biochemical Examinations and Analyses F.S.D. - Hellenic Police, Athens, Greece
| | - Penelope Miniati
- Subdivision of Biological and Biochemical Examinations and Analyses F.S.D. - Hellenic Police, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Vouropoulou
- Subdivision of Biological and Biochemical Examinations and Analyses F.S.D. - Hellenic Police, Athens, Greece
| | - Lejla Kovacevic
- Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Damir Marjanovic
- Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Iris Lindner
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Rostock, Germany
| | - Issam Mansour
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, American University of Science and Technology Beirut, Lebanon and School of Criminal Justice, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mouayyad Al-Azem
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, American University of Science and Technology Beirut, Lebanon and School of Criminal Justice, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ansar El Andari
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, American University of Science and Technology Beirut, Lebanon and School of Criminal Justice, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Miguel Marino
- Laboratorio de Análisis de ADN, FCM - National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Sandra Furfuro
- Laboratorio de Análisis de ADN, FCM - National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Laura Locarno
- Laboratorio de Análisis de ADN, FCM - National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Pablo Martín
- Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gracia M Luque
- Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Alonso
- Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Helena Moreira
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Natsuko Mizuno
- National Research Institute of Police Science, Chiba, Japan
| | | | - Rodrigo S Moura Neto
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and DIMAV/INMETRO, Brazil
| | | | - Rosane Silva
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Michael Kohl
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Leipzig, Germany
| | - Shengjie Nie
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xianping Wang
- Department of Criminal Investigation, Xuanwei Public Security Bureau, Xuanwei, China
| | - Baowen Cheng
- Department of Criminal Investigation, Yunnan Provincial Public Security Bureau, Kunming, China
| | - Carolina Núñez
- BIOMICs Research Group, Universidad del País Vasco, Vitoria, Spain
| | | | - Jill K Olofsson
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Morling
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Valerio Onofri
- Section of Legal Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Horolma Pamjav
- DNA Laboratory, Institute for Forensic Medicine, Network of Forensic Science Institutes, Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Antonia Volgyi
- DNA Laboratory, Institute for Forensic Medicine, Network of Forensic Science Institutes, Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gusztav Barany
- DNA Laboratory, Institute for Forensic Medicine, Network of Forensic Science Institutes, Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ryszard Pawlowski
- Forensic Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Maciejewska
- Forensic Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland
| | - Susi Pelotti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Institute of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Witold Pepinski
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
| | | | - Christopher Phillips
- Unidade de Xenética Forense, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Jorge Cárdenas
- Unidade de Xenética Forense, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Danel Rey-Gonzalez
- Unidade de Xenética Forense, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Antonio Salas
- Unidade de Xenética Forense, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Francesca Brisighelli
- Unidade de Xenética Forense, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Forensic Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristian Capelli
- Unidade de Xenética Forense, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ulises Toscanini
- Unidade de Xenética Forense, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain; PRICAI-Fundación Favaloro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea Piccinini
- Forensic Genetics Laboratory, Department of Human Morphology and Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Marilidia Piglionica
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Bari, Italy
| | - Stefania L Baldassarra
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Bari, Italy
| | - Rafal Ploski
- Department of Medical Genetics, Warsaw Medical University, Poland
| | | | | | - Carlo Robino
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Italy
| | - Antti Sajantila
- Institute of Applied Genetics and Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Ft. Worth, USA; Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jukka U Palo
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Evelyn Guevara
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jazelyn Salvador
- DNA Analysis Laboratory, Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines
| | - Maria Corazon De Ungria
- DNA Analysis Laboratory, Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines
| | - Jae Joseph Russell Rodriguez
- DNA Analysis Laboratory, Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines; Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Ulrike Schmidt
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Pekka Saukko
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Peter M Schneider
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Miriam Sirker
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Kyoung-Jin Shin
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yu Na Oh
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Iulia Skitsa
- Athens Dept. of Legal Medicine, DNA Analysis Laboratory, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexandra Ampati
- Athens Dept. of Legal Medicine, DNA Analysis Laboratory, Athens, Greece
| | - Tobi-Gail Smith
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | | | - Vlastimil Stenzl
- Laboratory of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Criminalistics, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Capal
- Laboratory of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Criminalistics, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Andreas Tillmar
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Helena Nilsson
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Stefania Turrina
- Sezione di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Medicina e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Verona, Italy
| | - Domenico De Leo
- Sezione di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Medicina e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Verzeletti
- Istituto di Medicina Legale, Universitá degli Studi di Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Jon H Wetton
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Rita Y Y Yong
- Defence Medical & Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore
| | - Michael Krawczak
- Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael Nothnagel
- Department of Statistical Genetics and Bioinformatics, Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Lutz Roewer
- Department of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
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