Massively Parallel Sequencing of the Mitogenome from Human Hair Shafts in Forensic Investigations.

This article highlights methods used to perform DNA extraction, mitochondrial DNA quantification, multiplex PCR amplification, amplicon-based massively parallel sequencing, and data analysis of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) from human hair shafts. The focus is on applications to forensic casework, but this set of protocols can be used for any purpose involving small cuttings (as small as 1 to 5 mm) of human hair shafts up to 40 years from the time of collection. © 2023 The Authors.

Routine Mitogenome MPS Analysis from 1 and 5 mm of Rootless Human Hair.

While hair shafts are a common evidence type in forensic cases, they are often excluded from DNA analysis due to their limited DNA quantity and quality. Mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequencing is the method of choice when working with rootless hair shaft fragments due to the elevated copy number of mtDNA and the highly degraded nature of nuclear (n) DNA. Using massively parallel sequencing (MPS) of the mitochondrial (mito) genome, we studied the impact of hair age (time since collection) and physical characteristics (hair diameter, medullary structure, and length of hair tested) on mtDNA recovery and MPS data quality.

Sub-micron particle number emission from residential heating systems: A comparison between conventional and condensing boilers fueled by natural gas and liquid petroleum gas, and pellet stoves.

Pollutant emissions from residential heating systems represent a main concern in terms of outdoor air quality. Differently from other pollutants, sub-micron particle emission from heating systems has not yet been exhaustively characterized by the scientific literature, with limited data available, in particular, for gas-fueled boilers. In the present paper, an experimental campaign to measure the sub-micron particle number concentrations and distributions at the stack of different automatically-fed small-scale heating systems (conventional and condensing boilers fueled by natural gas and liquid petroleum gas, and pellet stoves) was performed.

An Evaluation of Evidence Underpinning Management Recommendations in Tobacco Use Disorder Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Introduction: Clinical practice guidelines(CPGs) are important tools for medical decision-making. Given the high prevalence and financial burden associated with tobacco use disorder(TUD), it is critical that recommendations within CPGs are based on robust evidence. Systematic reviews(SRs) are considered the highest level of evidence, thus, we evaluated the quality of SRs underpinning CPG recommendations for TUD.