Effects of social participation and physical activity on all-cause mortality among older adults in Norfolk, England: an investigation of the EPIC-Norfolk study.

OBJECTIVES: There is growing evidence of an association between social participation and improved physical and mental health among older individuals. The aims of this study were to explore the relationship between self-reported participation in groups, clubs, or organizations and all-cause mortality among older adults and examine the role of physical activity as a potential modifier of the health effects of social participation. STUDY DESIGN: EPIC-Norfolk is a prospective cohort study that recruited 25,639 individuals between the ages of 40 and 79 in Norfolk County, England. This study involved a retrospective analysis of 8623 participants who had returned for the third health check between 2004 and 2011. METHODS: Participants were categorized into those who reported participating socially and those who did not and were stratified by involvement in 0, 1, or 2 or more groups. Cox Proportional Hazards models were constructed to compare all-cause mortality between the groups. Stratum-specific hazard ratios were calculated by physical activity level to assess for effect modification. RESULTS: Of the participants, 861 (9.98%) died during the follow-up period. After adjustment for confounding, social participation was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.97). Involvement in 2 or more groups was associated with lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-0.97), but the association was not statistically significant for people involved in only 1 group (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.73-1.03). Physical activity appeared to modify the effect of social participation on mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This study's findings provide evidence of an association between social participation and lower all-cause mortality for older adults. They also suggest that the effect of social participation on health is greater for people who are more physically active. Population-level interventions to facilitate social participation may contribute to improving health and wellbeing among older individuals.

Prevalence and determinants of symptomatic COVID-19 infection among children and adolescents in Qatar: a cross-sectional analysis of 11 445 individuals.

There is a paucity of evidence about the prevalence and risk factors for symptomatic infection among children. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its risk factors in children and adolescents aged 0-18 years in Qatar. We conducted a cross-sectional study of all children aged 0-18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 using polymerase chain reaction in Qatar during the period 1st March to 31st July 2020. A generalised linear model with a binomial family and identity link was used to assess the association between selected factors and the prevalence of symptomatic infection. A total of 11 445 children with a median age of 8 years (interquartile range (IQR) 3-13 years) were included in this study. The prevalence of symptomatic COVID-19 was 36.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 35.7-37.5), and it was similar between children aged <5 years (37.8%), 5-9 years (34.3%) and 10 + years (37.3%). The most frequently reported symptoms among the symptomatic group were fever (73.5%), cough (34.8%), headache (23.2%) and sore throat (23.2%). Fever (82.8%) was more common in symptomatic children aged <5 years, while cough (38.7%) was more prevalent in those aged 10 years or older, compared to other age groups. Variables associated with an increased risk of symptomatic infection were; contact with confirmed cases (RD 0.21; 95% CI 0.20-0.23; P = 0.001), having visited a health care facility (RD 0.54; 95% CI 0.45-0.62; P = 0.001), and children aged under 5 years (RD 0.05; 95% CI 0.02-0.07; P = 0.001) or aged 10 years or older (RD 0.04; 95% CI 0.02-0.06; P = 0.001). A third of the children with COVID-19 were symptomatic with a higher proportion of fever in very young children and a higher proportion of cough in those between 10 and 18 years of age.

UDiTaS™, a genome editing detection method for indels and genome rearrangements.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the diversity of repair outcomes after introducing a genomic cut is essential for realizing the therapeutic potential of genomic editing technologies. Targeted PCR amplification combined with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) or enzymatic digestion, while broadly used in the genome editing field, has critical limitations for detecting and quantifying structural variants such as large deletions (greater than approximately 100 base pairs), inversions, and translocations. RESULTS: To overcome these limitations, we have developed a Uni-Directional Targeted Sequencing methodology, UDiTaS, that is quantitative, removes biases associated with variable-length PCR amplification, and can measure structural changes in addition to small insertion and deletion events (indels), all in a single reaction. We have applied UDiTaS to a variety of samples, including those treated with a clinically relevant pair of S. aureus Cas9 single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting CEP290, and a pair of S. pyogenes Cas9 sgRNAs at T-cell relevant loci. In both cases, we have simultaneously measured small and large edits, including inversions and translocations, exemplifying UDiTaS as a valuable tool for the analysis of genome editing outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: UDiTaS is a robust and streamlined sequencing method useful for measuring small indels as well as structural rearrangements, like translocations, in a single reaction. UDiTaS is especially useful for pre-clinical and clinical application of gene editing to measure on- and off-target editing, large and small.

Abnormalities of age-related T cell senescence in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: A wealth of evidence implicates both central and peripheral immune changes as contributing to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is critical to better understand this aspect of PD given that it is a tractable target for disease-modifying therapy. Age-related changes are known to occur in the immune system (immunosenescence) and might be of particular relevance in PD given that its prevalence rises with increasing age. We therefore sought to investigate this with respect to T cell replicative senescence, a key immune component of human ageing. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were extracted from blood samples from 41 patients with mild PD (Hoehn and Yahr stages 1-2, mean (SD) disease duration 4.3 (1.2) years) and 41 age- and gender-matched controls. Immunophenotyping was performed with flow cytometry using markers of T lymphocyte activation and senescence (CD3, CD4, CD8, HLA-DR, CD38, CD28, CCR7, CD45RA, CD57, CD31). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) serology was measured given its proposed relevance in driving T cell senescence. RESULTS: Markers of replicative senescence in the CD8+ population were strikingly reduced in PD cases versus controls (reduced CD57 expression (p = 0.005), reduced percentage of 'late differentiated' CD57loCD28hi cells (p = 0.007) and 'TEMRA' cells (p = 0.042)), whilst expression of activation markers (CD28) was increased (p = 0.005). This was not driven by differences in CMV seropositivity. No significant changes were observed in the CD4 population. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates for the first time that the peripheral immune profile in PD is distinctly atypical for an older population, with a lack of the CD8+ T cell replicative senescence which characterises normal ageing. This suggests that 'abnormal' immune ageing may contribute to the development of PD, and markers of T cell senescence warrant further investigation as potential biomarkers in this condition.

Evaluating the suitability of maggot meal as a partial substitute of soya bean on the productive traits, digestibility indices and organoleptic properties of broiler meat.

This study was conducted to replace soya bean meal with maggot meal at difference percentages. A total of 120 one-day-old broiler chicks were divided into four groups. Four diets were formulated with maggot meal to replace soya bean meal at the rate of 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% designated as A, B, C and D respectively. Feed and water were offered ad libitum during the study which lasted for 28 days. Feed intake decreased significantly in treated groups while body weight, Feed conversion ratio and dressing percentage increased significantly in group D. Apparent metabolizable energy increased significantly in the group fed 30% maggot meal; however, no significant difference was found in dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash and nitrogen free extract between the control and treated groups. The result of sensory evaluation revealed that tenderness and juiciness increased significantly in group C and B respectively. The colour and flavour were most accepted in group B and C. The results indicate that replacement of soya bean meal at the rate of 30% in broiler feed produced most favourable results.

RITUXIMAB: THE DRUG THAT NEVER FAILS TO SURPRISE!

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), previously known as Wegener's Granulomatosis, is a multi-organ system disease characterized by inflammation in small- and medium-sized blood vessels. The classic triad involves sinusitis, necrotizing and cavitary lung lesions and renal involvement.

The association between social stress and global cognitive function in a population-based study: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study.

BACKGROUND: Stress is thought to exert both positive and negative effects on cognition, but the precise cognitive effects of social stress and individuals' response to stress remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between different measures of social stress and cognitive function in a middle- to older-aged population using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study. METHOD: Participants completed a comprehensive assessment of lifetime social adversity between 1993 and 1997 and the short form of the Mini Mental State Examination (SF-MMSE), an assessment of global cognitive function, during the third health check between 2004 and 2011 (a median of 10.5 years later). A low MMSE score was defined as a score in the bottom quartile (20-26). RESULTS: Completed MMSE scores and stress measures were available for 5129 participants aged 48-90 years. Participants who reported that their lives had been more stressful over the previous 10 years were significantly more likely to have low MMSE scores [odds ratio (OR) 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.24 per unit increase in perceived stress], independently of sociodemographic factors, physical and emotional health. The effects were restricted to the highest level of stress and the association was stronger among participants with a lower educational level. Adaptation following life event experiences also seemed to be associated with MMSE scores after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, but the association was attenuated with further adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: In this generally high-functioning population, individuals' interpretations and responses to stressful events, rather than the events themselves, were associated with cognitive function.

Awareness and acceptance of teleclinic services during COVID-19 in the general population in Riyadh: Cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The first COVID-19 case in Saudi Arabia was reported on March 2, 2020. The Saudi government introduced the "937" service number as one of the telemedicine services for COVID-19 information. Telemedicine uses telecommunication and information technologies in the medical field to deliver healthcare services and improve patients' health status. This study aims to estimate the frequency of teleclinics usage during COVID-19, assess awareness of teleclinics, and assess acceptance of teleclinics during COVID-19 in the Saudi population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional study used a convenient sample encompassing the 1,583 Saudi and non-Saudi adult population of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and was conducted online between August 2020 and April 2021. A self-administrated online questionnaire was distributed to all participants and data were collected on sociodemographics, knowledge of use of teleclinics, and its acceptance. Analysis of quantitative data by t-test and association of qualitative variables by Chi-square test was conducted. Regression analysis was performed on the significant values of univariate analysis. Data were analyzed by SPSS 25. RESULTS: Most (92.5%) participants were female and had a university education (65.9%). The main reason for using teleclinic was experiencing a new complaint (27.3%), next, for medications refill (13.2%), with COVID-19-related issues being the least common reason for using teleclinic (8.2%). The result shows that 77.1% of participants had a good level of acceptance of teleclinic. The regression analysis showed that number of teleclinics utilization, as an advantage it is more convenient, and recommending this service to someone else was significantly associated with acceptance of teleclinics in future. CONCLUSION: As per the findings, the experience of using teleclinic positively impacts the level of acceptance of teleclinic among the population. The adoption of telemedicine for healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic helped limit the spread of the infection and reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for both patients and healthcare providers. In the future, telemedicine can be used as an alternative to minor complaints and follow-up checkups. In this way, the burden of healthcare system can also be overcome.

Novel Ta/chitosan-doped CuO nanorods for catalytic purification of industrial wastewater and antimicrobial applications.

Novel tantalum (Ta) and chitosan (CS)-doped CuO nanorods (NRs) were synthesized using a single step co-precipitation route. Different concentrations (2 and 4%) of Ta were used in fixed amounts of CS and CuO to examine their catalytic activity and antimicrobial potential. For critical analysis, synthesized NRs were systematically examined using XRD, FTIR HRTEM, EDS, UV-Vis and PL spectroscopy. The XRD technique revealed the monoclinic structure of CuO while an increase in its crystallite size (from 15.5 to 18.5 nm) was observed upon doping. FTIR spectra were examined to study the functional groups of CuO where peaks at 514 cm-1 and 603 cm-1 confirmed the formation of CuO NRs. PL spectra depicted the charge transfer efficiency of the synthesized samples. The presence of dopants (Ta and CS) and constituent elements (Cu, O) was detected using EDS spectra. Additionally, the pH based catalytic performance of fabricated NRs revealed 99.7% dye degradation of toxic methylene blue (MB) dye in neutral media, 99.4% in basic media and 99.5% in acidic media along with promising antibacterial activities for Gram negative/positive bacteria, respectively upon doping of Ta (4%) into CS/CuO. The adsorption energies of CuO co-doped with CS/Ta led to the creation of stable structures that were investigated theoretically using density functional theory.

Seagrasses extracts as potential mosquito larvicides in Saudi Arabia.

The present study aimed to evaluate the toxic and biological effects of some extracts of seagrasses (Cymodocea rotundata; Halophila ovata& Thalassia hemprichii) against Aedes aegypti, which transmits dengue fever, and Culex pipiens, which is the dominant species of mosquitoes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as a safe method for its control. The cumulative death rate during larval development into pupae and adults was used as a criterion for evaluating tested seaweed extracts against Ae. aegypti, Cx. Pipiens. According to the obtained IC50 values ​​(the concentration that inhibits the exit of 50 % of adult mosquitoes), the results showed that C. rotundata extract (70.78 & 77.47 ppm) was more effective against A. aegypti and Cx. pipiens in comparison with H. ovata (86,98 & 95,87 ppm) and T. hemprichii (83,94 & 88,82) extracts by (1.186, 1.229, 1.146 & 1.237) fold, respectively. The results showed that the treatment with marine plant extracts against mosquito larvae of Cx. Pipiens and Ae. Aegypti gave different biological effects similar to those of other insect growth regulators (IGRs). The results also revealed the presence of morphological abnormalities in larvae that were treated with all seaweed extracts and these effects extended to all stages of growth, which caused damage to the insect without completing its life cycle. Generally, the results indicate the importance of carrying out bio-assessment tests for the pesticides that are used against mosquitoes and establishing a database to be referenced when planning control programs and making the right decision about the pesticide used.

Effects of blood meal sources on the biological characteristics of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae).

Mosquitoes transmit many diseases to humans and animals e.g., malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasis and encephalitis. The fundamental target of this search was to study the effect of three different blood meal sources (human; rabbit and pigeon) on some biological and behavioral properties of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens. The results have assured that the females of the mosquito Ae. aegypti that were fed on human blood meal has registered the highest feeding activity from feeding on the blood meal whereas the females of the other mosquito Cx. pipiens have shown the highest feeding activity after being fed on pigeons when compared with its feeding on other factors. The results have shown non-significant variation in the average time necessary to digest the blood meal on both mosquito species Ae. aegypti and Cx. pipiens that were fed on vertebrate hosts under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, results assured that the difference in blood meal sources has yielded distinct variation in the reproductive capacity and efficiency of both female mosquitoes under investigation where both species Ae. aegypti and Cx. pipiens already fed on human blood meal have yielded a pronounced distinctive increase in egg production (oviposition) when compared with females that were fed on pigeon or rabbit blood meal respectively. Moreover, feeding of the female mosquitoes under lab conditions on different blood meal sources did not affect the level of the hatching eggs that were laid by both mosquito females.

Duration of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Effectiveness against Severe Disease.

Waning immunity following administration of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines remains a concern for many health systems. We undertook a study to determine if recent reports of waning for severe disease could have been attributed to design-related bias by conducting a study only among those detected with a first SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used a matched case-control study design with the study base being all individuals with first infection with SARS-CoV-2 reported in the State of Qatar between 1 January 2021 and 20 February 2022. Cases were those detected with first SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring intensive care (hard outcome), while controls were those detected with first SARS-CoV-2 infection who recovered without the need for intensive care. Cases and controls were matched in a 1:30 ratio for the calendar month of infection and the comorbidity category. Duration and magnitude of conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care and the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one more case of COVID-19 requiring intensive care was estimated for the mRNA (BNT162b2/mRNA-1273) vaccines. Conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care was 59% (95% confidence interval (CI), 50 to 76) between the first and second dose, and strengthened to 89% (95% CI, 85 to 92) between the second dose and 4 months post the second dose in persons who received a primary course of the vaccine. There was no waning of vaccine effectiveness in the period from 4 to 6, 6 to 9, and 9 to 12 months after the second dose. This study demonstrates that, contrary to mainstream reports using hierarchical measures of effectiveness, conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care remains robust till at least 12 months after the second dose of mRNA-based vaccines.

Nickel: an overview of uptake, essentiality and toxicity in plants.

Nickel even though recognized as a trace element, its metabolism is very decisive for certain enzyme activities, maintaining proper cellular redox state and various other biochemical, physiological and growth responses. Study of the aspects related with uptake, transport and distributive localization of Ni is very important in various cellular metabolic processes particularly under increased nitrogen metabolism. This review article, in core, encompasses the dual behavior of Ni in plants emphasizing its systemic partitioning, essentiality and ill effects. However, the core mechanism of molecules involved and the successive physiological conditions required starting from the soil absorption, neutralization and toxicity generated is still elusive, and varies among the plants.

Antiadhesion and antibiofilm potential of Fagonia indica from Cholistan desert against clinical multidrug resistant bacteria.

High resistance to antimicrobials is associated with biofilm formation responsible for infectious microbes to withstand severe conditions. Therefore, new alternatives are necessary as biofilm inhibitors to control infections. In this study, the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of Fagonia indica extracts were evaluated against MDR clinical isolates. The extract exhibited its antibiofilm effect by altering adherence and disintegration of bacterial cell wall. Fagonia indica has antibacterial effect as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 125 to 500 µg mL-1 and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) value was 500-3000 µg mL-1 against multidrug resistant (MDR) clinical isolates. The extract exhibited its antibiofilm effect by altering adherence and disintegration of bacterial cell wall. Fagonia indica had antibacterial effect as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 125 to 500 µg mL-1 and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) value was 500-3000 µg mL-1 against MDR isolates. The maximum inhibitory effects of Fagonia indica chloroform extract on biofilm formation was observed on Staphylococcus aureus (71.84%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (70.83%) after 48 hrs showing that inhibition is also time dependent. Our results about bacterial cell protein leakage indicated that MDR isolates treated with chloroform extract of Fagonia indica showed maximum protein leakage of K. pneumoniae (59.14 µg mL-1) followed by S. aureus (56.7 µg mL-1). Cell attachment assays indicated that chloroform extract resulted in a 43.5-53.5% inhibition of cell adherence to a polystyrene surface. Our results revealed that extracts of Fagonia indica significantly inhibited biofilm formation among MDR clinical isolates, therefore, could be applied as antimicrobial agents and cost effective biofilm inhibitor against these MDR isolates.

Understanding the future research needs in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Evidence mapping the POTS adult literature.

POTS is under diagnosed with an estimated prevalence of 0.2%. North American and Australian researchers, as well as patient groups have called for more research into POTS. However, there has been no comprehensive appraisal of the current POTS evidence base. AIM: To map the POTS evidence base. METHODS: Two reviewers systematically searched 12 databases until July 1st 2019 using the search term "Postural Tachycardia Syndrome" (n = 7280) and categorised the literature. Inclusion criteria included all adult published literature with no language restrictions. 779 papers are analysed and mapped. RESULTS: Seven themes were identified: symptomology and quality of life 16.8% (n = 132), biomedical topics 16.5% (n = 130), co-morbidities 10.3% (n = 81), non-pharmacological management 9.8% (n = 77), aetiologies 6.9% (n = 53), pharmacological management 6.7% (n = 53), and clinical management 6.6% (n = 52). There 45 subthemes. Quality appraisal of the research studies (n = 233) evaluated design, sample size, outcome measures, data analysis and research biases. 74.8% (n = 175) were observational designs and 25.2% (n = 59) were experimental designs (16 using a randomised controlled design, 11 of which had a sample size greater than 21). 47.4% (n = 111) of studies only measured duration of effect for <1 day. 11.5% (n = 27) of studies reported outcomes using an unvalidated subjective measurement tool. CONCLUSION: The volume of adult POTS literature is small and the validity and reliability of the research lacks rigour. The evidence map methodology provides POTS researchers with a benchmark for research thus far. This paper adds an in-depth research appraisal to the broad calls for action, highlighting the pressing need for multicentre, good quality research in POTS, to support guidelines and consensus development in the future.

Novel Ag/cellulose-doped CeO2 quantum dots for efficient dye degradation and bactericidal activity with molecular docking study.

In the present study, the novel Ag/cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-doped CeO2 quantum dots (QDs) with highly efficient catalytic performance were synthesized using one pot co-precipitation technique, which were then applied in the degradation of methylene blue and ciprofloxacin (MBCF) in wastewater. Catalytic activity against MBCF dye was significantly reduced (99.3%) for (4%) Ag dopant concentration in acidic medium. For Ag/CNC-doped CeO2 vast inhibition domain of G-ve was significantly confirmed as (5.25-11.70 mm) and (7.15-13.60 mm), while medium- to high-concentration of CNC levels were calculated for G + ve (0.95 nm, 1.65 mm), respectively. Overall, (4%) Ag/CNC-doped CeO2 revealed significant antimicrobial activity against G-ve relative to G + ve at both concentrations, respectively. Furthermore, in silico molecular docking studies were performed against selected enzyme targets dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), and DNA gyrase belonging to folate and nucleic acid biosynthetic pathway, respectively to rationalize possible mechanism behind bactericidal potential of CNC-CeO2 and Ag/CNC-CeO2.

Graphene Oxide-Doped MgO Nanostructures for Highly Efficient Dye Degradation and Bactericidal Action.

Various concentrations (0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 wt ratios) of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were doped into magnesium oxide (MgO) nanostructures using chemical precipitation technique. The objective was to study the effect of GO dopant concentrations on the catalytic and antibacterial behavior of fixed amount of MgO. XRD technique revealed cubic phase of MgO, while its crystalline nature was confirmed through SAED profiles. Functional groups presence and Mg-O (443 cm-1) in fingerprint region was evident with FTIR spectroscopy. Optical properties were recorded via UV-visible spectroscopy with redshift pointing to a decrease in band gap energy from 5.0 to 4.8 eV upon doping. Electron-hole recombination behavior was examined through photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Raman spectra exhibited D band (1338 cm-1) and G band (1598 cm-1) evident to GO doping. Formation of nanostructure with cubic and hexagon morphology was confirmed with TEM, whereas interlayer average d-spacing of 0.23 nm was assessed using HR-TEM. Dopants existence and evaluation of elemental constitution Mg, O were corroborated using EDS technique. Catalytic activity against methyl blue ciprofloxacin (MBCF) was significantly reduced (45%) for higher GO dopant concentration (0.05), whereas bactericidal activity of MgO against E. coli was improved significantly (4.85 mm inhibition zone) upon doping with higher concentration (0.05) of GO, owing to the formation of nanorods.

Optimized biotransformation of acid-treated water melon peel hydrolyzate into ethanol.

Today, global focus of research is to explore the solution of energy crisis and environmental pollution. Like other agricultural countries, bulk quantities of watermelon peels (WMP) are disposed-off in environment as waste in Pakistan and appropriate management of this waste is the need of hour to save environment from pollution. The work emphasizes the role of ethanologenic yeasts to utilize significant sugars present in WMP for low-cost bioethanol fermentation. Dilute hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of WMP was carried out on optimized conditions employing RSM (response surface methodology) following central composite design (CCD). This experimental design is based on optimization of ethanologenesis involving some key independent parameters such as WMP hydrolysate and synthetic media ratio (X1), incubation temperature (X2) and incubation temperature (X3) for maximal ethanol yield exploiting standard (Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7) as well as experimental (Metchnikowia cibodasensisY34) yeasts. The results revealed that maximal ethanol yields obtained from S. cerevisiae K7 was 0.36±0.02 g/g of reducing sugars whereas M. cibodasensisY34, yielded 0.40±0.01 g ethanol/g of reducing sugars. The yeast isolate M. cibodasensisY34 appeared as promising ethanologen and embodies prospective potential for fermentative valorization of WMP-to-bioethanol.

Detection and Modulation of DNA Translocations During Multi-Gene Genome Editing in T Cells.

Multiplexed genome editing with DNA endonucleases has broad application, including for cellular therapies, but chromosomal translocations, natural byproducts of inducing simultaneous genomic breaks, have not been explored in detail. Here we apply various CRISPR-Cas nucleases to edit the T cell receptor alpha and beta 2 microglobulin genes in human primary T cells and comprehensively evaluate the frequency and stability of the resulting translocations. A thorough translocation frequency analysis using three orthogonal methods (droplet digital PCR, unidirectional sequencing, and metaphase fluorescence in situ hybridization) yielded comparable results and an overall translocation rate of ∼7% between two simultaneous CRISPR-Cas9 induced edits. In addition, we show that chromosomal translocations can be reduced when using different nuclease combinations, or by the presence of a homologous single stranded oligo donor for multiplexed genome editing. Importantly, the two different approaches for translocation reduction are compatible with cell therapy applications.