Antistatic Fibers for High-Visibility Workwear: Challenges of Melt-Spinning Industrial Fibers.

Safety workwear often requires antistatic protection to prevent the build-up of static electricity and sparks, which can be extremely dangerous in a working environment. In order to make synthetic antistatic fibers, electrically conducting materials such as carbon black are added to the fiber-forming polymer. This leads to unwanted dark colors in the respective melt-spun fibers.

PTPN22 and CTLA-4 Polymorphisms Are Associated With Polyglandular Autoimmunity.

Context: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of various genes increase susceptibility to monoglandular autoimmunity. Data on autoimmune polyglandular syndromes (APSs) are scarce.

Objective: Evaluate potential associations of eight SNPs with APSs.

The protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 C1858T polymorphism is a joint susceptibility locus for immunthyroiditis and autoimmune diabetes.

Background: The lymphoid tyrosine phosphatase (LYP) encoded by the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene is a strong inhibitor of T cells. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) C1858T within the PTPN22 gene was recently associated with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and type I diabetes (T1D). The purpose of this study was to examine the joint association of this polymorphism with the co-occurrence of AITD and T1D.

New alleles and mutational events at 14 STR loci from different German populations.

The molecular origin of DNA mutations and the mutation rates were analyzed at 14 short tandem repeat (STR) loci with samples from trio cases derived from 10 different German population samples. STR loci comprised of D2S1360, D3S1744, D4S2366, D5S2500, D6S474, D7S1517, D8S1132, D10S2325, D12S391, D18S51, D19S246, D20S480, D21S226, and D22S689. In a total of 488 meioses, 16 isolated genetic inconsistencies in 8 different STRs were observed, whereas no mutations were found at the other loci.

Forensic validation of the SNPforID 52-plex assay.

The advantages of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing in forensic genetics are well known and include a wider choice of high-throughput typing platforms, lower mutation rates, and improved analysis of degraded samples. However, if SNPs are to become a realistic supplement to current short tandem repeat (STR) typing methods, they must be shown to successfully and reliably analyse the challenging samples commonly encountered in casework situations. The European SNPforID consortium, supported by the EU GROWTH programme, has developed a multiplex of 52 SNPs for forensic analysis, with the amplification of all 52 loci in a single reaction followed by two single base extension (SBE) reactions which are detected with capillary electrophoresis.

Prophylactic transfer of CD8-depleted donor lymphocytes after T-cell-depleted reduced-intensity transplantation.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) regimens incorporating the lymphocytotoxic CD52 antibody alemtuzumab demonstrate efficient engraftment and reduced graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). However, these protocols substantially impair posttransplantation antiviral and antitumor immunity. To accelerate immune reconstitution after alemtuzumab-based reduced-intensity SCT, we administered prophylactic CD8-depleted donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) starting on days 60 and 120 after transplantation.

Validation and casework testing of the BioPlex-11 for STR typing of telogen hair roots.

A new STR typing strategy has been developed allowing the simultaneous amplification and subsequent analysis of 11 polymorphic systems with amplicon sizes smaller than 270bp. The multiplex amplification reaction includes six STR loci from the European standard set of loci (ESS) for DNA databases (D3S1358, D8S1179, D21S11, THO1, FGA and VWA) as well as four additional STR systems selected for their robustness (D2S1338, D12S391, TPOX and D5S818) together with the sex-specific locus amelogenin. After PCR amplification, the multiplex reaction is splitted into two sets of STR multiplexes by using biotin labelled primers only for one set.

A collaborative study of the EDNAP group regarding Y-chromosome binary polymorphism analysis.

A collaborative study was carried out by the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP) in order to evaluate the performance of Y-chromosome binary polymorphism analysis in different European laboratories. Four blood samples were sent to the laboratories, to be analysed for 11 Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): SRY-1532, M40, M35, M213, M9, 92R7, M17, P25, M18, M153 and M167. All the labs were also asked to submit a population study including these markers.

SNaPshot for pharmacogenetics by minisequencing.

Genetic polymorphisms of genes coding for metabolic enzymes are helpful to predict how an individual may respond to medication or drugs. The described approach for the identification of genetic variations for the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 has been designed for the rapid genotyping of relevant alleles (CYP2D6*1, -*3, -*4, -*6, -*7, and -*8 and CYP2C19*1, -*2, -*3, -*4, and -*5) by performing polymerase chain reaction amplifications of genomic regions containing the SNP followed by a single-tube multiplex single base extension (minisquencing) reaction. This multiplex assay can easily be expanded for additional genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

Detection of retroviral antisense transcripts and promoter activity of the HERV-K(C4) insertion in the MHC class III region.

An insertion of 6.4 kb is present in intron 9 of 60% of the human complement C4 genes, as well as in the C4 genes of a number of Old World primates. This insertion has the typical genomic organization of endogenous retroviruses, with the three major genes gag, pol and env flanked by long terminal repeats (LTRs).

Preparation of degraded human DNA under controlled conditions.

DNA typing through analysis of short tandem repeats (STRs) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing are the common methods for the forensic identification of persons and reconstruction of kinship, especially when skeletal human remains have to be analyzed. Furthermore, samples typically found at crime scenes may be both quantitatively and qualitatively inadequate since they may contain very scarce and often degraded DNA due to exposure to heat, light, humidity, and microorganisms. In order to improve the performance of STR typing technology in those cases where DNA availability is limited, it would be desirable to have a source of degraded DNA with known properties.

STR analysis of artificially degraded DNA-results of a collaborative European exercise.

Degradation of human DNA extracted from forensic stains is, in most cases, the result of a natural process due to the exposure of the stain samples to the environment. Experiences with degraded DNA from casework samples show that every sample may exhibit different properties in this respect, and that it is difficult to systematically assess the performance of routinely used typing systems for the analysis of degraded DNA samples. Using a batch of artificially degraded DNA with an average fragment size of approx.

STR genotyping and mtDNA sequencing of latent fingerprint on paper.

A systematic study was conducted to investigate whether DNA can be successfully extracted from latent fingerprints deposited on ordinary paper and analysed using short tandem repeat profiling and mitochondrial DNA sequencing. In order to evaluate the performance of latent fingerprint analysis in a criminal case, experiments with varying conditions were carried out to improve our understanding of low copy number (LCN) DNA typing. After optimising the extraction methods to achieve increased sensitivity, the examination of touched paper can routinely yield the STR profile of the individual who has touched it.

Comparative analysis of short tandem repeats and single nucleotide polymorphisms on the Y-chromosome in Germans, Chinese and Thais.

We have typed genomic DNA samples from 95 individuals from Western Germany, 78 individuals from Bangkok/Thailand and 56 individuals from Chengdu/China for 11 Y-chromosomal diallelic polymorphisms and eight short tandem repeat (STR) systems. For single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, a rapid method was applied using the single base extension technology (minisequencing) in combination with capillary electrophoresis. PCR products for SRY-8299, Tat, SRY2627, 92R7, SRY1532, M9, M13, M17/M19 and M20 were pooled and used as templates for the commercially available SNaPshot kit.