Attenuation of Torque teno viral load over time in kidney transplantation recipients treated with calcineurin inhibitors is mitigated after conversion to belatacept.

Torque Teno Virus (TTV) is a non-pathogenic anellovirus, highly prevalent in healthy populations. Variations in its viral load have been associated with states of diminished immunity, as occurs after organ transplantation. It is hypothesized that TTV-load might be used as a diagnostic tool to guide prescription and dosing of immunosuppressive drugs.

Automating the Illumina DNA library preparation kit for whole genome sequencing applications on the flowbot ONE liquid handler robot.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is currently making its transition from research tool into routine (clinical) diagnostic practice. The workflow for WGS includes the highly labor-intensive library preparations (LP), one of the most critical steps in the WGS procedure. Here, we describe the automation of the LP on the flowbot ONE robot to minimize the risk of human error and reduce hands-on time (HOT).

Improved Diagnostics in Bacterial Neonatal Meningitis Using a Next-Generation Sequencing Platform.

Introduction: Bacterial meningitis in infants is an infrequent but life-threatening condition. Empiric therapy should begin as soon as meningitis is thought likely. Consequently, the causative microorganisms may not always be detected using culturing techniques, as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures are influenced by antibiotics.

Comparison of genotyping and weight of evidence results when applying different genotyping strategies on samples from a DNA transfer experiment.

In this study, we assessed to what extent data on the subject of TPPR (transfer, persistence, prevalence, recovery) that are obtained through an older STR typing kit can be used in an activity-level evaluation for a case profiled with a more modern STR kit. Newer kits generally hold more loci and may show higher sensitivity especially when reduced reaction volumes are used, and this could increase the evidential value at the source level. On the other hand, the increased genotyping information may invoke a higher number of contributors in the weight of evidence calculations, which could affect the evidential values as well.

Impact of industrial waste water treatment plants on Dutch surface waters and drinking water sources.

Direct industrial discharges of Chemicals of Emerging Concern (CEC) to surface water via industrial wastewater treatment plants (IWTP) gained relatively little attention compared to discharges via municipal sewage water treatment plants. IWTP effluents may however seriously affect surface water quality. Here we modelled direct industrial emissions of all 182 Dutch IWTP from 19 different industrial classes, and derived their impact on Dutch surface water quality and drinking water production.