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Grivalský T, Lakatos GE, Štěrbová K, Manoel JAC, Beloša R, Divoká P, Kopp J, Kriechbaum R, Spadiut O, Zwirzitz A, Trenzinger K, Masojídek J. Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate production by Synechocystis MT_a24 in a raceway pond using urban wastewater. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:44. [PMID: 38180554 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12924-3] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a potential source of biodegradable plastics that are environmentally friendly due to their complete degradation to water and carbon dioxide. This study aimed to investigate PHB production in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6714 MT_a24 in an outdoor bioreactor using urban wastewater as a sole nutrient source. The culture was grown in a thin-layer raceway pond with a working volume of 100 L, reaching a biomass density of up to 3.5 g L-1 of cell dry weight (CDW). The maximum PHB content was found under nutrient-limiting conditions in the late stationary phase, reaching 23.7 ± 2.2% PHB per CDW. These data are one of the highest reported for photosynthetic production of PHB by cyanobacteria, moreover using urban wastewater in pilot-scale cultivation which multiplies the potential of sustainable cultivation approaches. Contamination by grazers (Poterioochromonas malhamensis) was managed by culturing Synechocystis in a highly alkaline environment (pH about 10.5) which did not significantly affect the culture growth. Furthermore, the strain MT_a24 showed significant wastewater nutrient remediation removing about 72% of nitrogen and 67% of phosphorus. These trials demonstrate that the photosynthetic production of PHB by Synechocystis sp. PCC6714 MT_a24 in the outdoor thin-layer bioreactor using urban wastewater and ambient carbon dioxide. It shows a promising approach for the cost-effective and sustainable production of biodegradable carbon-negative plastics. KEY POINTS: • High PHB production by cyanobacteria in outdoor raceway pond • Urban wastewater used as a sole source of nutrients for phototrophic growth • Potential for cost-effective and sustainable production of biodegradable plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Grivalský
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Novohradská 237, Třeboň, Czech Republic.
| | - Gergely Ernő Lakatos
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Novohradská 237, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Karolína Štěrbová
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Novohradská 237, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - João Artur Câmara Manoel
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Novohradská 237, Třeboň, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31a, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Romana Beloša
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Novohradská 237, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Divoká
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Novohradská 237, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Julian Kopp
- Technische Universität Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Division Biochemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ricarda Kriechbaum
- Technische Universität Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Division Biochemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Spadiut
- Technische Universität Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Division Biochemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Zwirzitz
- Biosciences Research Group, University of Applied Sciences, Stelzhamerstraße 23, Wels, Austria
| | - Kevin Trenzinger
- Biosciences Research Group, University of Applied Sciences, Stelzhamerstraße 23, Wels, Austria
| | - Jiří Masojídek
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Novohradská 237, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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Cáceres-Pérez AR, Suárez-González J, Santoveña-Estévez A, Fariña JB. Quality assessment of oral antimalarial and antiretroviral medicines used by public health systems in Sahel countries. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303289. [PMID: 38722891 PMCID: PMC11081281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Malaria and Human Immunodeficiency Virus infections are among the top 10 causes of death in low income countries. Furthermore, many medicines used in these treatment areas are substandard, which contributes to the high death rate. Using a monitoring system to identify substandard and falsified medicines, the study aims to evaluate the quality of antimalarial and antiretroviral medicines in Sahel countries, assessing site conditions, compliance of medicines with pharmacopoeia tests, formulation equivalence with a reference medicine, and the influence of climate on quality attributes. Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography methods for eight active pharmaceutical ingredients were validated following the International Conference for Harmonization guideline for its detection and quantification. Quality control consists of visual inspections to detect any misinformation or imperfections and pharmacopeial testing to determine the quality of pharmaceutical products. Medicines which complied with uniformity dosage units and dissolution tests were stored under accelerated conditions for 6 months. Artemether/Lumefantrine and Lopinavir/Ritonavir formulations failed uniformity dosage units and disintegration tests respectively, detecting a total of 28.6% substandard medicines. After 6 months stored under accelerated conditions (40 °C // 75% relative humidity) simulating climatic conditions in Sahel countries, some medicines failed pharmacopeia tests. It demonstrated the influence of these two factors in their quality attributes. This study emphasizes the need of certified quality control laboratories as well as the need for regulatory systems to maintain standards in pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution in these countries, especially when medicines are transported to rural areas where these climatic conditions are harsher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amor R. Cáceres-Pérez
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Programa de Doctorado Ciencias Médicas y Farmacéuticas, Desarrollo y Calidad de Vida, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Javier Suárez-González
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Ana Santoveña-Estévez
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - José B. Fariña
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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3
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Short B, Delaney C, Johnston W, Litherland GJ, Lockhart JC, Williams C, Mackay WG, Ramage G. Informed development of a multi-species biofilm in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. APMIS 2024; 132:336-347. [PMID: 38379455 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13386] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Recent evidence indicates that microbial biofilm aggregates inhabit the lungs of COPD patients and actively contribute towards chronic colonization and repeat infections. However, there are no contextually relevant complex biofilm models for COPD research. In this study, a meta-analysis of the lung microbiome in COPD was used to inform development of an optimized biofilm model composed of genera highly associated with COPD. Bioinformatic analysis showed that although diversity matrices of COPD microbiomes were similar to healthy controls, and internal compositions made it possible to accurately differentiate between these cohorts (AUC = 0.939). Genera that best defined these patients included Haemophilus, Moraxella and Streptococcus. Many studies fail to account for fungi; therefore, Candida albicans was included in the creation of an interkingdom biofilm model. These organisms formed a biofilm capable of tolerating high concentrations of antimicrobial therapies with no significant reductions in viability. However, combined therapies of antibiotics and an antifungal resulted in significant reductions in viable cells throughout the biofilm (p < 0.05). This biofilm model is representative of the COPD lung microbiome and results from in vitro antimicrobial challenge experiments indicate that targeting both bacteria and fungi in these interkingdom communities will be required for more positive clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryn Short
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Christopher Delaney
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - William Johnston
- Safeguarding Health through Infection Prevention (SHIP) Research Group, Research Centre for Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Gary J Litherland
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, UK
- Hamilton International Technology Park, Glasgow, UK
| | - John C Lockhart
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, UK
- Hamilton International Technology Park, Glasgow, UK
| | - Craig Williams
- Microbiology Department, Lancaster Royal Infirmary, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UK
| | - William G Mackay
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, UK
- Hamilton International Technology Park, Glasgow, UK
| | - Gordon Ramage
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Safeguarding Health through Infection Prevention (SHIP) Research Group, Research Centre for Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
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Kunová N, Ondrovičová G, Bauer JA, Krajčovičová V, Pinkas M, Stojkovičová B, Havalová H, Lukáčová V, Kohútová L, Košťan J, Martináková L, Baráth P, Nováček J, Zoll S, Kereϊche S, Kutejová E, Pevala V. Polyphosphate and tyrosine phosphorylation in the N-terminal domain of the human mitochondrial Lon protease disrupts its functions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9923. [PMID: 38688959 PMCID: PMC11061198 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60030-9] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Phosphorylation plays a crucial role in the regulation of many fundamental cellular processes. Phosphorylation levels are increased in many cancer cells where they may promote changes in mitochondrial homeostasis. Proteomic studies on various types of cancer identified 17 phosphorylation sites within the human ATP-dependent protease Lon, which degrades misfolded, unassembled and oxidatively damaged proteins in mitochondria. Most of these sites were found in Lon's N-terminal (NTD) and ATPase domains, though little is known about the effects on their function. By combining the biochemical and cryo-electron microscopy studies, we show the effect of Tyr186 and Tyr394 phosphorylations in Lon's NTD, which greatly reduce all Lon activities without affecting its ability to bind substrates or perturbing its tertiary structure. A substantial reduction in Lon's activities is also observed in the presence of polyphosphate, whose amount significantly increases in cancer cells. Our study thus provides an insight into the possible fine-tuning of Lon activities in human diseases, which highlights Lon's importance in maintaining proteostasis in mitochondria.
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Grants
- 894 Grant No. 1825144Y Grantová Agentura České Republiky
- 894 Grant No. 1825144Y Grantová Agentura České Republiky
- 894 Grant No. 1825144Y Grantová Agentura České Republiky
- StruBioMol, ITMS: 305011X666 Interreg
- StruBioMol, ITMS: 305011X666 Interreg
- StruBioMol, ITMS: 305011X666 Interreg
- StruBioMol, ITMS: 305011X666 Interreg
- StruBioMol, ITMS: 305011X666 Interreg
- UP CIISB (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/18_046/0015974) European Regional Development Fund, European Union
- UP CIISB (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/18_046/0015974) European Regional Development Fund, European Union
- BIOMEDIRES - II. stage, ITMS: 313011W428 European Regional Development Fund
- APVV-15-0375, APVV-19-0298 Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja
- APVV-15-0375, APVV-19-0298 Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja
- 2/0069/23 Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV
- 2/0069/23 Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kunová
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriela Ondrovičová
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jacob A Bauer
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Krajčovičová
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Children's Diseases, Limbová 1, 833 40, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Matyáš Pinkas
- CEITEC, Masaryk University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Stojkovičová
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Henrieta Havalová
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Lenka Kohútová
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Július Košťan
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna, Biocenter 5, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucia Martináková
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Baráth
- Medirex Group Academy, Nitra, Slovakia
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jiří Nováček
- CEITEC, Masaryk University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sebastian Zoll
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542/2, 16000, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sami Kereϊche
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542/2, 16000, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Eva Kutejová
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Vladimír Pevala
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Fraudet B, Leblong E, Piette P, Nicolas B, Gouranton V, Babel M, Devigne L, Pasteau F, Gallien P. Evaluation of power wheelchair driving performance in simulator compared to driving in real-life situations: the SIMADAPT (simulator ADAPT) project-a pilot study. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2024; 21:60. [PMID: 38654367 PMCID: PMC11036562 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-024-01354-5] [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: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate users' driving performances with a Power Wheelchair (PWC) driving simulator in comparison to the same driving task in real conditions with a standard power wheelchair. METHODS Three driving circuits of progressive difficulty levels (C1, C2, C3) that were elaborated to assess the driving performances with PWC in indoor situations, were used in this study. These circuits have been modeled in a 3D Virtual Environment to replicate the three driving task scenarios in Virtual Reality (VR). Users were asked to complete the three circuits with respect to two testing conditions during three successive sessions, i.e. in VR and on a real circuit (R). During each session, users completed the two conditions. Driving performances were evaluated using the number of collisions and time to complete the circuit. In addition, driving ability by Wheelchair Skill Test (WST) and mental load were assessed in both conditions. Cybersickness, user satisfaction and sense of presence were measured in VR. The conditions R and VR were randomized. RESULTS Thirty-one participants with neurological disorders and expert wheelchair drivers were included in the study. The driving performances between VR and R conditions were statistically different for the C3 circuit but were not statistically different for the two easiest circuits C1 and C2. The results of the WST was not statistically different in C1, C2 and C3. The mental load was higher in VR than in R condition. The general sense of presence was reported as acceptable (mean value of 4.6 out of 6) for all the participants, and the cybersickness was reported as acceptable (SSQ mean value of 4.25 on the three circuits in VR condition). CONCLUSION Driving performances were statistically different in the most complicated circuit C3 with an increased number of collisions in VR, but were not statistically different for the two easiest circuits C1 and C2 in R and VR conditions. In addition, there were no significant adverse effects such as cybersickness. The results show the value of the simulator for driving training applications. Still, the mental load was higher in VR than in R condition, thus mitigating the potential for use with people with cognitive disorders. Further studies should be conducted to assess the quality of skill transfer for novice drivers from the simulator to the real world. Trial registration Ethical approval n∘ 2019-A001306-51 from Comité de Protection des Personnes Sud Mediterranée IV. Trial registered the 19/11/2019 on ClinicalTrials.gov in ID: NCT04171973.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Fraudet
- LAB Saint Hélier, Pôle MPR St Hélier, 54 rue St Hélier, 35043, Rennes Cedex, France.
| | - Emilie Leblong
- LAB Saint Hélier, Pôle MPR St Hélier, 54 rue St Hélier, 35043, Rennes Cedex, France
- INSA Rennes, CNRS, Inria, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Patrice Piette
- LAB Saint Hélier, Pôle MPR St Hélier, 54 rue St Hélier, 35043, Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Benoit Nicolas
- LAB Saint Hélier, Pôle MPR St Hélier, 54 rue St Hélier, 35043, Rennes Cedex, France
| | | | - Marie Babel
- INSA Rennes, CNRS, Inria, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Louise Devigne
- CNRS, IRISA, Inria, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | | | - Philippe Gallien
- LAB Saint Hélier, Pôle MPR St Hélier, 54 rue St Hélier, 35043, Rennes Cedex, France
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Zamanos A, Ioannakis G, Emiris IZ. HydraProt: A New Deep Learning Tool for Fast and Accurate Prediction of Water Molecule Positions for Protein Structures. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:2594-2611. [PMID: 38552195 PMCID: PMC11005053 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Water molecules are integral to the structural stability of proteins and vital for facilitating molecular interactions. However, accurately predicting their precise position around protein structures remains a significant challenge, making it a vibrant research area. In this paper, we introduce HydraProt (deep Hydration of Proteins), a novel methodology for predicting precise positions of water molecule oxygen atoms around protein structures, leveraging two interconnected deep learning architectures: a 3D U-net and a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). Our approach starts by introducing a coarse voxel-based representation of the protein, which allows for rapid sampling of candidate water positions via the 3D U-net. These water positions are then assessed by embedding the water-protein relationship in the Euclidean space by means of an MLP. Finally, a postprocessing step is applied to further refine the MLP predictions. HydraProt surpasses existing state-of-the-art approaches in terms of precision and recall and has been validated on large data sets of protein structures. Notably, our method offers rapid inference runtime and should constitute the method of choice for protein structure studies and drug discovery applications. Our pretrained models, data, and the source code required to reproduce these results are accessible at https://github.com/azamanos/HydraProt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Zamanos
- Archimedes, Athena Research Center, Marousi 15125, Greece
- Department
of Informatics and Telecommunications, National
and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 16122, Greece
| | - George Ioannakis
- Institute
for Language and Speech Processing, Athena
Research Center, Xanthi 67100, Greece
| | - Ioannis Z. Emiris
- Department
of Informatics and Telecommunications, National
and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 16122, Greece
- Athena
Research Center, Marousi 15125, Greece
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Bezděčková K, Bezděčka P, Fibich P, Klimeš P. Different feeding preferences for macronutrients across seasons and sites indicate temporal and spatial nutrient limitation in the black bog ant. Oecologia 2024; 204:959-973. [PMID: 38635052 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05545-8] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
How the resource use by consumers vary in different environments and time scales is one of the fundamental ecological questions. Replicated field studies are rare, however; so the extent to which nutrient use varies and why is uncertain. We studied an endangered tyrphobiotic species, the black bog ant (Formica picea), and its feeding preferences in temperate peatlands. We conducted a baiting experiment at three different sites with high nest densities, repeated over three years and three periods of growing season. Preferences for three main macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) were assessed. We hypothesised that if nutrient limitation plays a role, ants will have an increased need for proteins and lipids in early seasons when brood is raised, while carbohydrates use will increase in late seasons. We also expected that site identity would influence nutrient preferences, but not year. Our results supported the nutrient limitation hypothesis for proteins that were consumed more in the early season. In contrast, preference for carbohydrates was rather high and did not increase consistently through season. Although the occupancy of lipid baits was low overall, it increased at colder temperatures, in contrast to carbohydrate and protein baits. Nutrient preferences varied more among sites than years, with the lowest nutrient use observed in a diverse fen-meadow, consistent with the nutrient limitation hypothesis. Year affected ant abundance, but not bait occupancy. Our results suggest that black bog ants flexibly adapt their diet to environmental conditions and that an interplay between nutrient limitation and climate determines their feeding behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Bezděčková
- Muzeum Vysočiny Jihlava, Masarykovo náměstí 55, 586 01, Jihlava, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Bezděčka
- Muzeum Vysočiny Jihlava, Masarykovo náměstí 55, 586 01, Jihlava, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Fibich
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 01, Třeboň, Czech Republic
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 1160/31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Klimeš
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 1160/31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Pilt K, Reiu A. Effect of transmural pressure on the estimation of arterial stiffness index from the photoplethysmographic waveform. Med Biol Eng Comput 2024; 62:1049-1059. [PMID: 38123887 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-023-02992-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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to find the effect of transmural pressure on the determination of the photoplethysmographic (PPG) waveform arterial stiffness index (PPGAI). The study was conducted on 51 subjects without diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, aged between 24 and 74 years. The relation between the transmural pressure, which is the difference between the arterial blood pressure and the PPG sensor contact pressure, and the PPGAI was determined. PPG, beat-to-beat blood pressure, and sensor contact pressure signals were recorded from the index, middle, and ring finger. The PPG sensor contact pressure of the index finger was increased from 20 to 120 mmHg. The aortic augmentation index (AIx@75) was estimated with a SphygmoCor device as a reference. High correlation coefficients r = 0.79 and r = 0.83 between PPGAI and AIx@75, and low PPGAI standard deviations were observed at the transmural pressures of 10 and 20 mmHg, respectively. Transmural pressure of 20 mmHg can be considered suitable for the PPG signal registration and PPGAI calculation for the assessment of arterial stiffness. In summary, the contact pressure of the sensor should be selected according to theblood pressure of the subject finger in order to achieve the transmural pressure suitable for the assessment of PPGAI and arterial stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristjan Pilt
- Department of Health Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate Tee 5, 19086, Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Andy Reiu
- Department of Health Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate Tee 5, 19086, Tallinn, Estonia
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9
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Camboué M, Janoueix A, Tandonnet JP, Spilmont AS, Moisy C, Mathieu G, Cordelières F, Teillon J, Santesteban LG, Ollat N, Cookson SJ. Phenotyping xylem connections in grafted plants using X-ray micro-computed tomography. Plant Cell Environ 2024. [PMID: 38516728 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14883] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Plants are able to naturally graft or inosculate their trunks, branches and roots together, this mechanism is used by humans to graft together different genotypes for a range of purposes. Grafts are considered successful if functional vascular connections between the two genotypes occur. Various techniques can evaluate xylem connections across the graft interface. However, these methods are generally unable to assess the heterogeneity and three-dimensional (3D) structure of xylem vessel connections. Here we present the use of X-ray micro-computed tomography to characterize the 3D morphology of grafts of grapevine. We show that xylem vessels form between the two plants of natural root and human-made stem grafts. The main novelty of this methodology is that we were able to visualize the 3D network of functional xylem vessels connecting the scion and rootstock in human-made stem grafts thanks to the addition of a contrast agent to the roots and improved image analysis pipelines. In addition, we reveal the presence of extensive diagonal xylem connections between the main axial xylem vessels in 2-year old grapevine stems. In conclusion, we present a method that has the potential to provide new insights into the structure and function of xylem vessels in large tissue samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilou Camboué
- EGFV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, Villenave d'Ornon, Bordeaux, France
| | - Anne Janoueix
- EGFV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, Villenave d'Ornon, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Pascal Tandonnet
- EGFV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, Villenave d'Ornon, Bordeaux, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Spilmont
- IFV, French Institute of Vine and Wine, Domaine de l'Espiguette, Le Grau-du-Roi, France
| | - Cédric Moisy
- IFV, French Institute of Vine and Wine, Domaine de l'Espiguette, Le Grau-du-Roi, France
- UMR AGAP Institut, UMT Geno Vigne, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Guillaume Mathieu
- IFV, French Institute of Vine and Wine, Domaine de l'Espiguette, Le Grau-du-Roi, France
| | | | - Jérémie Teillon
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, BIC, US4, UAR 3420, Bordeaux, France
| | - Luis Gonzaga Santesteban
- Departement of Agronomy, Biotechnology and Food Science, Univ. Pública de Navarra UPNA, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Nathalie Ollat
- EGFV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, Villenave d'Ornon, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sarah Jane Cookson
- EGFV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, Villenave d'Ornon, Bordeaux, France
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10
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Leenen JPL, Scherrenberg M, Bruins W, Boyne J, Vranken J, Brunner la Rocca HP, Dendale P, van der Velde AE. Usability of a digital health platform to support home hospitalization in heart failure patients: a multicentre feasibility study among healthcare professionals. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 2024; 23:188-196. [PMID: 37294588 DOI: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvad059] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Heart failure (HF) is a common cause of mortality and (re)hospitalizations. The NWE-Chance project explored the feasibility of providing hospitalizations at home (HH) supported by a newly developed digital health platform. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived usability by healthcare professionals (HCPs) of a digital platform in addition to HH for HF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS A prospective, international, multicentre, single-arm interventional study was conducted. Sixty-three patients and 22 HCPs participated. The HH consisted of daily home visits by the nurse and use of the platform, consisting of a portable blood pressure device, weight scale, pulse oximeter, a wearable chest patch to measure vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, activity level, and posture), and an eCoach for the patient. Primary outcome was usability of the platform measured by the System Usability Scale halfway and at the end of the study. Overall usability was rated as sufficient (mean score 72.1 ± 8.9) and did not differ between the measurements moments (P = 0.690). The HCPs reported positive experiences (n = 7), negative experiences (n = 13), and recommendations (n = 6) for the future. Actual use of the platform was 79% of the HH days. CONCLUSION A digital health platform to support HH was considered usable by HCPs, although actual use of the platform was limited. Therefore, several improvements in the integration of the digital platform into clinical workflows and in defining the precise role of the digital platform and its use are needed to add value before full implementation. REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov NCT04084964.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jobbe P L Leenen
- Connected Care Centre, Isala Hospital, Dr. van Heesweg 2, Zwolle, AB 8025, The Netherlands
- Isala Academy, Isala Hospital, Dr. van Heesweg 2, Zwolle, AB 8025, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Scherrenberg
- Heart Centre Hasselt, Jessa Hospital, Salvatorstraat 20, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, UHasselt, Martelarenlaan 42, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
- Mobile Health Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
| | - Wendy Bruins
- Isala Heart Centre, Isala Hospital, Dr. van Heesweg 2, Zwolle, AB 8025, The Netherlands
| | - Josiane Boyne
- Cardiology Department, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Minderbroedersberg 4-6, Maastricht, 6211 LK, The Netherlands
| | - Julie Vranken
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, UHasselt, Martelarenlaan 42, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
- Mobile Health Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
| | - Hans-Peter Brunner la Rocca
- Cardiology Department, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Minderbroedersberg 4-6, Maastricht, 6211 LK, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Dendale
- Heart Centre Hasselt, Jessa Hospital, Salvatorstraat 20, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, UHasselt, Martelarenlaan 42, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
- Mobile Health Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
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11
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Wen Q, Wittens MMJ, Engelborghs S, van Herwijnen MHM, Tsamou M, Roggen E, Smeets B, Krauskopf J, Briedé JJ. Beyond CSF and Neuroimaging Assessment: Evaluating Plasma miR-145-5p as a Potential Biomarker for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1042-1054. [PMID: 38407050 PMCID: PMC10921410 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00740] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. New strategies for the early detection of MCI and sporadic AD are crucial for developing effective treatment options. Current techniques used for diagnosis of AD are invasive and/or expensive, so they are not suitable for population screening. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers such as amyloid β1-42 (Aβ1-42), total tau (T-tau), and phosphorylated tau181 (P-tau181) levels are core biomarkers for early diagnosis of AD. Several studies have proposed the use of blood-circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential novel early biomarkers for AD. We therefore applied a novel approach to identify blood-circulating miRNAs associated with CSF biomarkers and explored the potential of these miRNAs as biomarkers of AD. In total, 112 subjects consisting of 28 dementia due to AD cases, 63 MCI due to AD cases, and 21 cognitively healthy controls were included. We identified seven Aβ1-42-associated plasma miRNAs, six P-tau181-associated plasma miRNAs, and nine Aβ1-42-associated serum miRNAs. These miRNAs were involved in AD-relevant biological processes, such as PI3K/AKT signaling. Based on this signaling pathway, we constructed an miRNA-gene target network, wherein miR-145-5p has been identified as a hub. Furthermore, we showed that miR-145-5p performs best in the prediction of both AD and MCI. Moreover, miR-145-5p also improved the prediction performance of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score. The performance of this miRNA was validated using different datasets including an RT-qPCR dataset from plasma samples of 23 MCI cases and 30 age-matched controls. These findings indicate that blood-circulating miRNAs that are associated with CSF biomarkers levels and specifically plasma miR-145-5p alone or combined with the MMSE score can potentially be used as noninvasive biomarkers for AD or MCI screening in the general population, although studies in other AD cohorts are necessary for further validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfeng Wen
- Department
of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- MHeNS,
School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Mandy Melissa Jane Wittens
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
- Neuroprotection
and Neuromodulation (NEUR), Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussel, Belgium
- Department
of Neurology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
(UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan
101, 1090 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
- Neuroprotection
and Neuromodulation (NEUR), Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussel, Belgium
- Department
of Neurology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
(UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan
101, 1090 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Marcel H. M. van Herwijnen
- Department
of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Tsamou
- ToxGenSolutions
(TGS), 6229EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin Roggen
- ToxGenSolutions
(TGS), 6229EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Bert Smeets
- Department
of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- MHeNS,
School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Julian Krauskopf
- Department
of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jacco Jan Briedé
- Department
of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- MHeNS,
School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
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12
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Thiele J, Wiehe J, von Haaren C. Participation 3.0 in the implementation of the energy transition-Components and effectiveness of an interactive dialogue tool (Vision:En 2040). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299270. [PMID: 38437196 PMCID: PMC10911590 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The allocation of renewable energy plants, especially wind turbines, is stagnating in Germany. Although the citizens approve of the energy transition, they resist concrete local projects. In recent years, research has shown that interactive map applications support participatory planning through motivation, social interaction, and knowledge transfer. We aim to reduce biases against renewable energy (RE) and support informed decision making while accepting local responsibility. We hypothesized that finding a new gamified participation format, based on behavioral mechanisms, would strengthen the empowerment of people. To this end, we designed a dialogue tool and participation format, 'Vision:En 2040', which combines: (i) a precise target electricity yield, (ii) an interactive map showing results of people's actions, information about environmental impacts, and (iii) game rules which foster cooperation. In facilitated workshops, participants simulate the allocation of wind and photovoltaic power plants in their municipality to achieve a target electricity yield. The developed tool is based on methods of environmental planning and geoinformatics. 'Vision:En 2040' was systematically tested with a technical test and a pre-test. In addition, its impact on participants was assessed through surveys and qualitative content analysis. The evaluation results show that the tool can influence the acceptance of the energy transition in terms of attitude. Through 'Vision:En 2040', participants became aware of the community's responsibility in the energy transition and expanded their knowledge. In addition, decision makers used the workshop results to plan RE sites. Our results indicate that 'Vision:En 2040' is helpful for informal citizen participation in accelerating the energy transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Thiele
- Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Julia Wiehe
- Department for specialist information, Kompetenzzentrum Naturschutz und Energiewende KNE gGmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christina von Haaren
- Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany
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13
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Leblanc C, Kassié D, Ranaivoharimina M, Rakotomanana EFN, Mangahasimbola RT, Randrianarijaona A, Ramiandrasoa R, Nely AJ, Razafindraibe NP, Andriamandimby SF, Ranoaritiana DB, Rajaonarivony V, Randrianasolo L, Baril L, Mattern C, Ratovoson R, Guis H. Mixed methods to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards rabies in central and remote communities of Moramanga district, Madagascar. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012064. [PMID: 38551968 PMCID: PMC11006160 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Control of dog-mediated rabies relies on raising awareness, access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and mass dog vaccination. To assess rabies awareness in Moramanga district, Madagascar, where rabies is endemic, two complementary quantitative and qualitative approaches were carried out in 2018. In the quantitative approach, a standardized questionnaire was administered to 334 randomized participants living in 170 households located less than 5 km from the anti-rabies treatment center (ARTC) located in Moramanga city (thereafter called the central area), and in 164 households located more than 15 km away from the ARTC in two rural communes (thereafter called the remote area). Logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors influencing knowledge and practice scores. The qualitative approach consisted in semi-structured interviews conducted with 28 bite victims who had consulted the ARTC, three owners of biting dogs, three ARTC staff and two local authorities. Overall, 15.6% (52/334) of households owned at least one dog. The dog-to-human ratio was 1:17.6. The central area had a significantly higher dog bite incidence (0.53 per 100 person-years, 95% CI: 0.31-0.85) compared to the remote area (0.22 per 100 person-years, 95% CI: 0.09-0.43) (p = 0.03). The care pathway following a bite depended on wound severity, how the dog was perceived and its owner's willingness to cover costs. Rabies vaccination coverage in dogs in the remote area was extremely low (2.4%). Respondents knew that vaccination prevented animal rabies but owners considered that their own dogs were harmless and cited access and cost of vaccine as main barriers. Most respondents were not aware of the existence of the ARTC (85.3%), did not know the importance of timely access to PEP (92.2%) or that biting dogs should be isolated (89.5%) and monitored. Good knowledge scores were significantly associated with having a higher socio-economic status (OR = 2.08, CI = 1.33-3.26) and living in central area (OR = 1.91, CI = 1.22-3.00). Good practice scores were significantly associated with living in central area (OR = 4.78, CI = 2.98-7.77) and being aware of the ARTC's existence (OR = 2.29, CI = 1.14-4.80). In Madagascar, knowledge on rabies was disparate with important gaps on PEP and animal management. Awareness campaigns should inform communities (i) on the importance of seeking PEP as soon as possible after an exposure, whatever the severity of the wound and the type of biting dog who caused it, and (ii) on the existence and location of ARTCs where free-of-charge PEP is available. They should also encourage owners to isolate and monitor the health of biting dogs. Above all, awareness and dog vaccination campaigns should be designed so as to reach the more vulnerable remote rural populations as knowledge, good practices and vaccination coverage were lower in these areas. They should also target households with a lower socio-economic status. If awareness campaigns are likely to succeed in improving access to ARTCs in Madagascar, their impact on prompting dog owners to vaccinate their own dogs seems more uncertain given the financial and access barriers. Therefore, to reach the 70% dog vaccination coverage goal targeted in rabies elimination programs, awareness campaigns must be combined with free-of-charge mass dog vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Leblanc
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- General Paediatrics and Paediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Daouda Kassié
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Mendrika Ranaivoharimina
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | | | - Anjasoa Randrianarijaona
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Ravo Ramiandrasoa
- Vaccination Center, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Alphonse José Nely
- Service for the Fight against Plague, Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases and Neglected Tropical Endemo-Epidemic Diseases, Ministry of Public Health, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- WHO Madagascar, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | | | - Soa Fy Andriamandimby
- National Laboratory of Rabies, Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Dany Bakoly Ranoaritiana
- Direction of Health Monitoring, Epidemiological Surveillance and Response (DVSSER), Ministry of Public Health, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Virginie Rajaonarivony
- Service for the Fight against Plague, Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases and Neglected Tropical Endemo-Epidemic Diseases, Ministry of Public Health, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Laurence Randrianasolo
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Laurence Baril
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Chiarella Mattern
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Ceped (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université de Paris, INSERM), Paris, France
| | - Rila Ratovoson
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Hélène Guis
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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14
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Kuntosch J, Ruebsam ML, Orsson J, Orsson D, Hahnenkamp K, Hartleib J, Flessa S. Health impact of borders: general reflections and a case study from the Polish-German border. Eur J Health Econ 2024; 25:281-292. [PMID: 37046102 PMCID: PMC10096107 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-023-01588-5] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Political, economic, communicative and cultural borders still limit the accessibility of acute healthcare services for patients so that they frequently have to accept longer distances to travel to the next provider within their own country. In this paper, we analyze the impact of borders and opening of borders on acute medical care in hospitals and on patients in border regions. METHODS We develop a conceptual framework model of cross-border healthcare and apply it to the Polish-German border area. The model combines the distance decay effect, a catchment area analysis, economies of scale and the learning curve. RESULTS Borders have a major impact on acute medical care in hospitals and on patients. Setting of new borders will reduce the accessibility of health facilities for patients or require the establishment of new hospitals. Reopening borders might induce a vicious circle leading to the insolvency of a hospital which might result in poorer health for some patients. CONCLUSION Strong effort should be invested to overcome political and cultural borders to improve the health of the population in border regions. Similarly, increased cross-border acute healthcare must be seen in the context of rural health and the special situation of small rural hospitals in rural peripheral areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kuntosch
- Department of Healthcare Management, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Strasse 70, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marie-Luise Ruebsam
- Department of Anesthesia, Intensive, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Strasse, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jakub Orsson
- Department of Healthcare Management, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Strasse 70, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Dorota Orsson
- Department of Anesthesia, Intensive, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Strasse, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Klaus Hahnenkamp
- Department of Anesthesia, Intensive, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Strasse, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jörg Hartleib
- Department of Geography, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Strasse 16, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Steffen Flessa
- Department of Healthcare Management, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Strasse 70, 17487, Greifswald, Germany.
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15
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Contreras-Rodriguez O, Blasco G, Biarnés C, Puig J, Arnoriaga-Rodríguez M, Coll-Martinez C, Gich J, Ramió-Torrentà L, Motger-Albertí A, Pérez-Brocal V, Moya A, Radua J, Manuel Fernández-Real J. Unraveling the gut-brain connection: The association of microbiota-linked structural brain biomarkers with behavior and mental health. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38421082 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13655] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
AIM The gut microbiota can influence human behavior. However, due to the massive multiple-testing problem, research into the relationship between microbiome ecosystems and the human brain faces drawbacks. This problem arises when attempting to correlate thousands of gut bacteria with thousands of brain voxels. METHODS We performed brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on 133 participants and applied machine-learning algorithms (Ridge regressions) combined with permutation tests. Using this approach, we were able to correlate specific gut bacterial families with brain MRI signals, circumventing the difficulties of massive multiple testing while considering sex, age, and body mass index as confounding factors. RESULTS The relative abundance (RA) of the Selenomonadaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Veillonellaceae families in the gut was associated with altered cerebellar, visual, and frontal T2-mapping and diffusion tensor imaging measures. Conversely, decreased relative abundance of the Eubacteriaceae family was also linked to T2-mapping values in the cerebellum. Significantly, the brain regions associated with the gut microbiome were also correlated with depressive symptoms and attentional deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our analytical strategy offers a promising approach for identifying potential brain biomarkers influenced by gut microbiota. By gathering a deeper understanding of the microbiota-brain connection, we can gain insights into the underlying mechanisms and potentially develop targeted interventions to mitigate the detrimental effects of dysbiosis on brain function and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Contreras-Rodriguez
- Department of Radiology-Medical Imaging (IDI), Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGi), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gerard Blasco
- Department of Radiology-Medical Imaging (IDI), Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGi), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Carles Biarnés
- Department of Radiology-Medical Imaging (IDI), Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGi), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Josep Puig
- Radiology Department CDI, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Arnoriaga-Rodríguez
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition (UDEN), Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGi), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03/0010), Girona, Spain
| | - Clàudia Coll-Martinez
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Jordi Gich
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Lluís Ramió-Torrentà
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Anna Motger-Albertí
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition (UDEN), Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGi), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03/0010), Girona, Spain
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Vicente Pérez-Brocal
- Department of Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO-Public Health), València, Spain
- CIBEResp, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Department of Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO-Public Health), València, Spain
- CIBEResp, Madrid, Spain
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC-UVEG), The University of Valencia, València, Spain
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
- Imaging of Mood- and Anxiety-Related Disorders (IMARD) Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Manuel Fernández-Real
- Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition (UDEN), Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGi), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03/0010), Girona, Spain
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
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16
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De Koster S, Xavier BB, Lammens C, Perales Selva N, van Kleef-van Koeveringe S, Coenen S, Glupczynski Y, Leroux-Roels I, Dhaeze W, Hoebe CJPA, Dewulf J, Stegeman A, Kluytmans-Van den Bergh M, Kluytmans J, Goossens H. One Health surveillance of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales in Belgium and the Netherlands between 2017 and 2019. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298096. [PMID: 38394276 PMCID: PMC10890735 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colistin serves as the last line of defense against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections in both human and veterinary medicine. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and spread of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (ColR-E) using a One Health approach in Belgium and in the Netherlands. METHODS In a transnational research project, a total of 998 hospitalized patients, 1430 long-term care facility (LTCF) residents, 947 children attending day care centres, 1597 pigs and 1691 broilers were sampled for the presence of ColR-E in 2017 and 2018, followed by a second round twelve months later for hospitalized patients and animals. Colistin treatment incidence in livestock farms was used to determine the association between colistin use and resistance. Selective cultures and colistin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were employed to identify ColR-E. A combination of short-read and long-read sequencing was utilized to investigate the molecular characteristics of 562 colistin-resistant isolates. Core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) was applied to examine potential transmission events. RESULTS The presence of ColR-E was observed in all One Health sectors. In Dutch hospitalized patients, ColR-E proportions (11.3 and 11.8% in both measurements) were higher than in Belgian patients (4.4 and 7.9% in both measurements), while the occurrence of ColR-E in Belgian LTCF residents (10.2%) and children in day care centres (17.6%) was higher than in their Dutch counterparts (5.6% and 12.8%, respectively). Colistin use in pig farms was associated with the occurrence of colistin resistance. The percentage of pigs carrying ColR-E was 21.8 and 23.3% in Belgium and 14.6% and 8.9% in the Netherlands during both measurements. The proportion of broilers carrying ColR-E in the Netherlands (5.3 and 1.5%) was higher compared to Belgium (1.5 and 0.7%) in both measurements. mcr-harboring E. coli were detected in 17.4% (31/178) of the screened pigs from 7 Belgian pig farms. Concurrently, four human-related Enterobacter spp. isolates harbored mcr-9.1 and mcr-10 genes. The majority of colistin-resistant isolates (419/473, 88.6% E. coli; 126/166, 75.9% Klebsiella spp.; 50/75, 66.7% Enterobacter spp.) were susceptible to the critically important antibiotics (extended-spectrum cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, carbapenems and aminoglycosides). Chromosomal colistin resistance mutations have been identified in globally prevalent high-risk clonal lineages, including E. coli ST131 (n = 17) and ST1193 (n = 4). Clonally related isolates were detected in different patients, healthy individuals and livestock animals of the same site suggesting local transmission. Clonal clustering of E. coli ST10 and K. pneumoniae ST45 was identified in different sites from both countries suggesting that these clones have the potential to spread colistin resistance through the human population or were acquired by exposure to a common (food) source. In pig farms, the continuous circulation of related isolates was observed over time. Inter-host transmission between humans and livestock animals was not detected. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study contribute to a broader understanding of ColR-E prevalence and the possible pathways of transmission, offering insights valuable to both academic research and public health policy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sien De Koster
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Basil Britto Xavier
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, HIV/STI Unit, Antwerp, Belgium
- Hospital Outbreak Support Team-HOST, ZNA Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium
- Hospital Outbreak Support Team-HOST, GZA Ziekenhuizen, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Christine Lammens
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | - Samuel Coenen
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Youri Glupczynski
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Isabel Leroux-Roels
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control Department, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Christian J. P. A. Hoebe
- Department of Social Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Living Lab Public Health, Public Health Service South Limburg, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Dewulf
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Arjan Stegeman
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Kluytmans-Van den Bergh
- Department of Infection Control, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands
- Amphia Academy Infectious Disease Foundation, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Kluytmans
- Department of Infection Control, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Microvida Laboratory for Microbiology, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands
| | - Herman Goossens
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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17
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Corbin J, Jones M, Lyu C, Loh A, Zhang Z, Zhu Y, Li X. Challenges and progress in oxygen evolution reaction catalyst development for seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production. RSC Adv 2024; 14:6416-6442. [PMID: 38380239 PMCID: PMC10877674 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra08648h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Production of green hydrogen on a large scale can negatively impact freshwater resources. Therefore, using seawater as an electrolyte in electrolysis is a desirable alternative to reduce costs and freshwater reliance. However, there are limitations to this approach, primarily due to the catalyst involved in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In seawater, the OER features sluggish kinetics and complicated chemical reactions that compete. This review first introduces the benefits and challenges of direct seawater electrolysis and then summarises recent research into cost-effective and durable OER electrocatalysts. Different modification methods for nickel-based electrocatalysts are thoroughly reviewed, and promising electrocatalysts that the authors believe deserve further exploration have been highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Corbin
- Renewable Energy Group, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Cornwall TR10 9FE UK
| | - Mikey Jones
- Renewable Energy Group, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Cornwall TR10 9FE UK
| | - Cheng Lyu
- Renewable Energy Group, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Cornwall TR10 9FE UK
| | - Adeline Loh
- Renewable Energy Group, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Cornwall TR10 9FE UK
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Renewable Energy Group, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Cornwall TR10 9FE UK
| | - Yanqui Zhu
- Department of Engineering, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Streatham Campus Exeter EX4 4PY UK
| | - Xiaohong Li
- Renewable Energy Group, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Cornwall TR10 9FE UK
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18
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Sulzer M, Christen A. Climate projections of human thermal comfort for indoor workplaces. Clim Change 2024; 177:28. [PMID: 38343758 PMCID: PMC10850030 DOI: 10.1007/s10584-024-03685-7] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Climate models predict meteorological variables for outdoor spaces. Nevertheless, most people work indoors and are affected by heat indoors. We present an approach to transfer climate projections from outdoors to climate projections of indoor air temperature (Ti) and thermal comfort based on a combination of indoor sensors, artificial neural networks (ANNs), and 22 regional climate projections. Human thermal comfort and Ti measured by indoor sensors at 90 different workplaces in the Upper Rhine Valley were used as training data for ANN models predicting indoor conditions as a function of outdoor weather. Workplace-specific climate projections were modeled for the time period 2070-2099 and compared to the historical period 1970-1999 using the same ANNs, but ERA5-Land reanalysis data as input. It is shown that heat stress indoors will increase in intensity, frequency, and duration at almost all investigated workplaces. The rate of increase depends on building and room properties, the workplace purpose, and the representative concentration pathway (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, or RCP8.5). The projected increase of the mean air temperature in the summer (JJA) outdoors, by + 1.6 to + 5.1 K for the different RCPs, is higher than the increase in Ti at all 90 workplaces, which experience on average an increase of + 0.8 to + 2.5 K. The overall frequency of heat stress is higher at most workplaces than outdoors for the historical and the future period. The projected hours of indoor heat stress will increase on average by + 379 h, + 654 h, and + 1209 h under RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Sulzer
- Chair of Environmental Meteorology, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Christen
- Chair of Environmental Meteorology, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
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19
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Waters C, Cotter D, O'Neill R, Drumm A, Cooney J, Bond N, Rogan G, Maoiléidigh NÓ. The use of predator tags to explain reversal movement patterns in Atlantic salmon smolts (Salmo salar L.). J Fish Biol 2024. [PMID: 38226528 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15658] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Acoustic telemetry has seen a rapid increase in utility and sophistication in recent years and is now used extensively to assess the behavior and survival rates of many aquatic animals, including the Atlantic salmon. As part of the salmon's complex life cycle, salmon smolts are thought to make a unidirectional migration from fresh water to the sea, which is initiated by changes in their physiology. However, some tag movement patterns do not conform with this and can be difficult to explain, particularly if the tagged fish has been eaten by a predator. This study combines the use of predator tags with machine learning techniques to understand the fate of migrating salmon smolts and thereby improve estimates for migration success. Over 3 years between 2020 and 2022, 217 salmon smolts (including wild and hatchery-reared ranched fish) were acoustically tagged and released into an embayment on the west coast of Ireland. Some tagged smolts were observed to return from the estuary back into a saline lagoon through which they had already migrated. To distinguish between the movement of a salmon smolt and that of a predator, predator tags were deployed in migrating smolts in 2021 and 2022. The addition of a temperature sensor in 2022 enabled the determination of predator type causing the returning movement. A significant number of predator tags were triggered, and the patterns of movement associated with these triggered tags were then used with two types of machine learning algorithms (hierarchical cluster analysis and random forest) to identify and validate the behavior of smolts tagged without extra sensors. Both models produced the same outputs, grouping smolts tagged with predator tags with smolts tagged without the additional sensors but showing similar movements. A mammalian predator was identified as the cause of most reversal movement, and hatchery-reared ranched smolts were found to be more likely predated upon by this predator than wild smolts within the lake and the estuary. However, overall migration success estimates were similar for both wild and hatchery-reared ranched fish. This study highlights the value of predator tags as an essential tool in the overall validation of detection data.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Waters
- Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co Mayo, Ireland
| | - D Cotter
- Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co Mayo, Ireland
| | - R O'Neill
- Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co Mayo, Ireland
| | - A Drumm
- Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co Mayo, Ireland
| | - J Cooney
- Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co Mayo, Ireland
| | - N Bond
- Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co Mayo, Ireland
| | - G Rogan
- Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co Mayo, Ireland
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20
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Gynthersen R, Ørbæk M, Høgdall E, Glintborg B, Ostrowski SR, Harritshøj L, Hetland ML, Lebech AM, Mens H. Neoehrlichia mikurensis is uncommon in rheumatological patients receiving tumour necrosis factor inhibitors and in blood donors: a retrospective cohort study. RMD Open 2024; 10:e003660. [PMID: 38176737 PMCID: PMC10773428 DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003660] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neoehrlichia mikurensis is a tick-borne bacterium that primarily causes disease in immunocompromised patients. The bacterium has been detected in ticks throughout Europe, with a 0%-25% prevalence. N. mikurensis infection presents unspecific symptoms, which can easily be mistaken for inflammatory disease activity. We aimed to determine the prevalence of N. mikurensis in rheumatological patients receiving tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and a cohort of healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective cohort study included 400 rheumatological patients treated with TNFi and 400 healthy blood donors. Plasma samples were retrieved from the Danish Rheumatological Biobank and the Danish Blood Donor Study between 2015 and 2022. Age, sex, diagnosis and duration of TNFi treatment were recovered from the Danish Rheumatological Database, DANBIO. Data on age and sex were available for the blood donors. One plasma sample per individual was tested for N. mikurensis DNA-specific real-time PCR targeting the groEL gene. RESULTS In the rheumatological patients, the median age was 61 years (IQR 55-68 years), 62% were women, and 44% had a diagnosis of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. In total, 54% of the patients were treated with infliximab. The median time from TNFi initiation to blood sampling was 20 months (IQR, 5-60 months). N. mikurensis DNA was not detected in any samples from patients or blood donors. CONCLUSION N. mikurensis infection does not appear to represent a prevalent risk in Danish rheumatological patients receiving TNFi or in blood donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Gynthersen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mathilde Ørbæk
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Estrid Høgdall
- Bio- and Genome Bank Denmark (RBGB), Molecular Unit, Department of Pathology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bente Glintborg
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
- DANBIO, The Danish Rheumatologic Biobank and Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research (COPECARE), Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Sisse Rye Ostrowski
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lene Harritshøj
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Merete Lund Hetland
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
- DANBIO, The Danish Rheumatologic Biobank and Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research (COPECARE), Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Anne-Mette Lebech
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Helene Mens
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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21
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Rafique S, Rana SM, Bjorsell N, Isaksson M. Evaluating the advantages of passive exoskeletons and recommendations for design improvements. J Rehabil Assist Technol Eng 2024; 11:20556683241239875. [PMID: 38524246 PMCID: PMC10958811 DOI: 10.1177/20556683241239875] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Construction and manufacturing workers undertake physically laborious activities which put them at risk of developing serious musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). In the EU, millions of workers are being affected by workplace-related MSDs, inflicting huge financial implications on the European economy. Besides that, increased health problems and financial losses, severe shortages of skilled labor also emerge. The work aims to create awareness and accelerate the adoption of exoskeletons among SMEs and construction workers to reduce MSDs. Large-scale manufacturers and automobile assemblers are more open to adopt exoskeletons, however, the use of exoskeletons in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is still not recognized. This paper presents an experimental study demonstrating the advantages of different exoskeletons while performing workers' tasks. The study illustrates how the use of certain upper and lower body exoskeletons can reduce muscle effort. The muscle activity of the participants was measured using EMG sensors and was compared while performing designated tasks. It was found that up to 60% reduction in human effort can be achieved while performing the same tasks using exoskeletons. This can also help ill workers in rehabilitation and putting them back to work. The study concludes with pragmatic recommendations for future exoskeletons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajid Rafique
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Science, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden
| | - Shaikh Masud Rana
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Science, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden
| | - Niclas Bjorsell
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Science, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden
| | - Magnus Isaksson
- Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden
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22
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Hidalgo J, Artetxe U, Becerril JM, Gómez-Sagasti MT, Epelde L, Vilela J, Garbisu C. Biological remediation treatments improve the health of a mixed contaminated soil before significantly reducing contaminant levels. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2024; 31:6010-6024. [PMID: 38133759 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31550-0] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The remediation of mixed contaminated soil is challenging as it often requires actions to minimize metal-induced risks while degrading organic contaminants. Here, the effectiveness of different bioremediation strategies, namely, rhizoremediation with native plant species, mycoremediation with Pleurotus ostreatus spent mushroom substrate, and biostimulation with organic by-products (i.e., composted sewage sludge and spent mushroom substrate), for the recovery of a mixed contaminated soil from an abandoned gravel pit was studied. The combination of biostimulation and rhizoremediation led to the most significant increase in soil health, according to microbial indicator values. The application of composted sewage sludge led to the highest reduction in anthracene and polychlorinated biphenyls concentrations. None of the strategies managed to decrease contamination levels below regulatory limits, but they did enhance soil health. It was concluded that the biological remediation treatments improved soil functioning in a short time, before the concentration of soil contaminants was significantly reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Hidalgo
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER - Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, P812, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Unai Artetxe
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
| | - José M Becerril
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
| | - María T Gómez-Sagasti
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Lur Epelde
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER - Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, P812, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Juan Vilela
- CEA, Environmental Studies Centre, Palacio Zulueta, Paseo de la Senda 2, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Carlos Garbisu
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER - Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, P812, 48160, Derio, Spain.
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23
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Raposo-Garcia S, Costas C, Louzao MC, Vieytes MR, Vale C, Botana LM. Synergistic Effect of Brevetoxin BTX-3 and Ciguatoxin CTX3C in Human Voltage-Gated Na v1.6 Sodium Channels. Chem Res Toxicol 2023; 36:1990-2000. [PMID: 37965843 PMCID: PMC10845145 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Emerging marine biotoxins such as ciguatoxins and brevetoxins have been widely and independently studied as food pollutants. Their maximum levels in food components were set without considering their possible synergistic effects as consequence of their coexistence in seafood and their action at the same cellular target. The absolute lack of data and regulations of the possible combined effects that both marine biotoxins may have raised the need to analyze their direct in vitro effects using electrophysiology techniques. The results presented in this study indicate that ciguatoxins and brevetoxins had a synergistic effect on human Nav1.6 voltage-gated sodium channels by hyperpolarizing their activation and inactivation states. The results presented here indicate that brevetoxin 3 (BTX-3) acts as partial agonist of human sodium channels, while ciguatoxin 3C (CTX3C) was a full agonist, explaining the differences in the effect of each toxin in the channel. Therefore, this work sets the cellular basis to further apply this type of studies to other food toxicants that may act synergistically and thus implement the corresponding regulatory limits considering their coexistence and the risks to human and animal health derived from it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Raposo-Garcia
- Departamento
de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica,
Facultad de Veterinaria, IDIS, Universidad
de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, Lugo 27002, Spain
| | - Celia Costas
- Departamento
de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica,
Facultad de Veterinaria, IDIS, Universidad
de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, Lugo 27002, Spain
| | - M. Carmen Louzao
- Departamento
de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica,
Facultad de Veterinaria, IDIS, Universidad
de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, Lugo 27002, Spain
| | - Mercedes R. Vieytes
- Departamento
de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, Lugo 27002, Spain
| | - Carmen Vale
- Departamento
de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica,
Facultad de Veterinaria, IDIS, Universidad
de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, Lugo 27002, Spain
| | - Luis M. Botana
- Departamento
de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica,
Facultad de Veterinaria, IDIS, Universidad
de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, Lugo 27002, Spain
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24
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Fitzgerald JC, Shaw G, Murphy JM, Barry F. Media matters: culture medium-dependent hypervariable phenotype of mesenchymal stromal cells. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:363. [PMID: 38087388 PMCID: PMC10717324 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03589-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a long history of investigation and sustained efforts in clinical testing, the number of market authorisations for mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapies remains limited, with none approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Several barriers are impeding the clinical progression of MSC therapies, to the forefront of these is a lack of standardised manufacturing protocols which is further compounded by an absence of biologically meaningful characterisation and release assays. A look at clinical trial registries demonstrates the diversity of MSC expansion protocols with variabilities in cell source, isolation method and expansion medium, among other culture variables, making it extraordinarily difficult to compare study outcomes. Current identification and characterisation standards are insufficient; they are not specific to MSCs and do not indicate cell function or therapeutic action. METHODS This work analysed the influence of five widely used culture media formulations on the colony-forming potential, proliferation kinetics, trilineage differentiation potential and immunomodulatory potential of human bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). The surface marker expression profiles were also characterised using a high-content flow cytometry screening panel of 243 markers. RESULTS Significant differences in the biological attributes of BM-MSCs including clonogenicity, proliferation, differentiation propensity and immunomodulatory capacity were revealed in response to the composition of the culture medium. Despite their biological differences, all cell preparations uniformly and strongly expressed the standard positive markers proposed for BM-MSCs: CD73, CD90 and CD105. Immunophenotypic profiling revealed that the culture medium also had a significant influence on the surface proteome, with one-third of tested markers exhibiting variable expression profiles. Principal component analysis demonstrated that BM-MSCs isolated and expanded in a proprietary xeno- and serum-free medium displayed the most consistent cell phenotypes with little variability between donors compared to platelet lysate and foetal bovine serum-containing media. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that media composition has a highly significant impact on the biological attributes of MSCs, but standard surface marker tests conceal these differences. The results indicate a need for (1) standardised approaches to manufacturing, with an essential focus on defined media and (2) new biologically relevant tests for MSC characterisation and product release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan C Fitzgerald
- Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Georgina Shaw
- Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - J Mary Murphy
- Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Frank Barry
- Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
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Ziółkowski A, Kasprowicz M, Czosnyka M, Czosnyka Z. Brain blood flow pulse analysis may help to recognize individuals who suffer from hydrocephalus. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2023; 165:4045-4054. [PMID: 37889335 PMCID: PMC10739525 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-023-05839-5] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is often associated with altered cerebral blood flow. Recent research with the use of the ultrasonic method suggests specific changes in the shape of cardiac-related cerebral arterial blood volume (CaBV) pulses in NPH patients. Our study aims to provide a quantitative analysis of the shape of CaBV pulses, estimated based on transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) in NPH patients and healthy individuals. METHODS The CaBV pulses were estimated using TCD cerebral blood flow velocity signals recorded from probable NPH adults and age-matched healthy individuals at rest. The shape of the CaBV pulses was compared to a triangular shape with 27 similarity parameters calculated for every reliable CaBV pulse and compared between patients and volunteers. The diagnostic accuracy of the most prominent parameter for NPH classification was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS The similarity parameters were calculated for 31 probable NPH patients (age: 59 years (IQR: 47, 67 years), 14 females) and 23 healthy volunteers (age: 54 years (IQR: 43, 61 years), 18 females). Eighteen of 27 parameters were different between healthy individuals and NPH patients (p < 0.05). The most prominent differences were found for the ascending slope of the CaBV pulse with the AUC equal to 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.77, 0.97, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that in NPH, the ascending slope of the CaBV pulse had a slower rise, was more like a straight line, and generally was less convex than in volunteers. Prospective research is required to verify the clinical utility of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiusz Ziółkowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Kasprowicz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Marek Czosnyka
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Electronic Systems, Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zofia Czosnyka
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Bertolini C, Pastres R, Brigolin D. Modelling CO 2 budget of mussel farms across the Mediterranean Sea. Ambio 2023; 52:2023-2033. [PMID: 37442891 PMCID: PMC10654326 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01900-w] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The role of bivalve aquaculture as a carbon sink is highly debated, without a general consensus on the components to include in the budget. This study proposes to estimate the terms of the budget using a scope-for-growth-based model. The model was applied at 12 Mediterranean sites, with environmental forcings provided by operational oceanography data spanning over 12 years. Mussels were found to be slight sinks, with a limited variability across sites, if all components of the budget, i.e. accumulation in soft tissue, emissions associated with calcification and respiration, are included. The differences found among stations concerning the calcification and soft tissue contributions to the budget were found to be related to site-specific productivity and water chemistry parameters. This led to the identification of a set of meta-models, which could be used for relating the budget to local conditions, at a screening level, rendering them useful for optimal site selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Bertolini
- DAIS, Università Ca' Foscari, Via Torino 155, 30170, Mestre, Venice, Italy.
| | - Roberto Pastres
- DAIS, Università Ca' Foscari, Via Torino 155, 30170, Mestre, Venice, Italy
| | - Daniele Brigolin
- Università Iuav di Venezia, Dorsoduro 2206, 30123, Venice, Italy
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Stouten J, Cao H, Pich A, Bernaerts KV. Renewable and Functional Latexes Synthesized by Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly for UV-Curable Films. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15. [PMID: 37927076 PMCID: PMC10658448 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11657] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
After the development of polymer coatings and films based on renewable resources, there remains a challenge of combining the advantages of water-borne acrylic latexes with the excellent physical properties of cross-linked solvent-borne coatings. After polymerization, the renewable 4-oxocyclopentenyl acrylate (4CPA) is capable of undergoing photocyclodimerization under UV light, yielding a cross-linked polyacrylate. In this work, we investigate the polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) of 4CPA with several renewable acrylic monomers in the presence of a macro-RAFT agent. The produced latexes have a small particle size, good colloidal stability, and are free of volatile organic compounds. After film formation and UV curing, flexible to rigid films can be obtained depending on the monomer composition and UV irradiation time. The cross-linked films show promise as oil and water barriers in paper coating applications. This work outlines the development and application of renewable and functional cross-linkable latexes synthesized by PISA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules Stouten
- Aachen-Maastricht
Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Huixing Cao
- Aachen-Maastricht
Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrij Pich
- Aachen-Maastricht
Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands
- DWI
Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen 52056, Germany
- Institute
of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Katrien V. Bernaerts
- Aachen-Maastricht
Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands
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Muendlein A, Heinzle C, Brandtner EM, Leiherer A, Geiger K, Gaenger S, Drexel H, Dechow T, Decker T. Plasma apolipoprotein M predicts overall survival in metastatic breast cancer patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2023; 201:571-576. [PMID: 37490173 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-07045-4] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Apolipoprotein M (APOM) is a plasma apolipoprotein closely involved with lipid metabolism and inflammation. In vitro studies suggest that APOM may also have a tumor-suppressive role in breast cancer. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of plasma APOM levels on the prognosis of breast cancer patients. METHODS We measured APOM levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 75 patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. The endpoint was overall survival (OS) at 24 months. RESULTS During the 24-month follow-up period, 34.7% of the patients died. Baseline APOM levels were significantly reduced in patients who deceased during follow-up compared to survivors (42.7 ± 14.5 µg/mL versus 52.2 ± 13.8 µg/mL; P = 0.003). Cox regression analysis showed a hazard ratio of 0.30 [95% confidence interval 0.15-0.61]; P < 0.001 per doubling of APOM levels. Correction for age, C-reactive protein, menopausal state, histology of the primary tumor, metastatic site, number of metastases, endocrine resistance, scheduled therapy line, and kind of scheduled therapy indicated that circulating APOM predicted OS independently of these parameters (HRper doubling = 0.23 [0.09-0.56; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that circulating APOM is significantly linked with reduced mortality in metastatic breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Muendlein
- Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment Laboratory, Stadtstrasse 33, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria.
| | - Christine Heinzle
- Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment Laboratory, Stadtstrasse 33, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria
- Medical Central Laboratories, Feldkirch, Austria
| | - Eva Maria Brandtner
- Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment Laboratory, Stadtstrasse 33, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria
| | - Andreas Leiherer
- Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment Laboratory, Stadtstrasse 33, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria
- Medical Central Laboratories, Feldkirch, Austria
| | - Kathrin Geiger
- Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment Laboratory, Stadtstrasse 33, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria
- Medical Central Laboratories, Feldkirch, Austria
| | - Stella Gaenger
- Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment Laboratory, Stadtstrasse 33, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria
| | - Heinz Drexel
- Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment Laboratory, Stadtstrasse 33, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Owashi KP, Capel C, Balédent O. Cerebral arterial flow dynamics during systole and diastole phases in young and older healthy adults. Fluids Barriers CNS 2023; 20:65. [PMID: 37705096 PMCID: PMC10500860 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-023-00467-8] [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: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since arterial flow is the leading actor in neuro-fluids flow dynamics, it might be interesting to assess whether it is meaningful to study the arterial flow waveform in more detail and whether this provides new important information. Few studies have focused on determining the influence of heart rate variation over time on the arterial flow curve. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate cerebral arterial flow waveforms at extracranial and intracranial compartments in young and elderly healthy adults, also considering systole and diastole phases. METHODS Cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (CINE-PC MRI) was performed on twenty-eight healthy young volunteers (HYV) and twenty healthy elderly volunteers (HEV) to measure arterial blood flows at the extracranial and intracranial planes. A semi-automated protocol using MATLAB scripts was implemented to identify the main representative points in the arterial flow waveforms. Representative arterial profiles were estimated for each group. Moreover, the effects of age and sex on flow times, amplitude-related parameters, and parameters related to systole and diastole phases were evaluated at the extracranial and intracranial compartments. Student's t-test or Wilcoxon's test (depending on the normality of the distribution) was used to detect significant differences. RESULTS In HYVs, significant differences were observed between extracranial and intracranial levels in parameters related to the AP1 amplitude. Besides the detected differences in pulsatility index (extracranial: 0.92 ± 0.20 vs. 1.28 ± 0.33; intracranial: 0.79 ± 0.15 vs. 1.14 ± 0.18, p < .001) and average flow (715 ± 136 vs. 607 ± 125 ml/min, p = .008) between HYV and HEV, differences in the amplitude value of the arterial flow profile feature points were also noted. Contrary to systole duration (HYV: 360 ± 29 ms; HEV: 364 ± 47 ms), diastole duration presented higher inter-individual variability in both populations (HYV: 472 ± 145 ms; HEV: 456 ± 106 ms). Our results also showed that, with age, it is mainly the diastolic phase that changes. Although no significant differences in duration were observed between the two populations, the mean flow value in the diastolic phase was significantly lower in HEV (extracranial: 628 ± 128 vs. 457 ± 111 ml/min; intracranial: 599 ± 121 vs. 473 ± 100 ml/min, p < .001). No significant differences were observed in the arterial flow parameters evaluated between females and males in either HYV or HEV. CONCLUSION Our study provides a novel contribution on the influence of the cardiac cycle phases on cerebral arterial flow. The main contribution in this study concerns the identification of age-related alterations in cerebral blood flow, which occur mainly during the diastolic phase. Specifically, we observed that mean flow significantly decreases with age during diastole, whereas mean flow during systole is consistent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cyrille Capel
- CHIMERE UR 7516, Jules Verne University of Picardy, Amiens, France
- Neurosurgery Department, Amiens Picardy University Medical Center, Amiens, France
| | - Olivier Balédent
- CHIMERE UR 7516, Jules Verne University of Picardy, Amiens, France
- Medical Image Processing Department, Amiens Picardy University Medical Center, Amiens, France
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30
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Faye Y, Rkein B, Bigot A, Lequeux T, Legros J, Chataigner I. Photocatalyzed (3+2) Cycloaddition for the Dearomatization of Electron-Poor Arenes under Flow Conditions. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202301567. [PMID: 37306243 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202301567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The photocatalyzed dearomative reaction between various electron-deficient aromatic compounds and a non-stabilized azomethine ylide is successfully performed in a flow system. Whereas the use of supported eosin as organic photocatalyst exhibits limited efficiency, turning to the soluble Rose Bengal allows to transform a broad range of substrates from hetarenes (indole, benzofuran, quinoline, pyridine) to naphthalenes and benzenes. This photocatalyzed (3+2) dearomative cycloaddition under green light irradiation provides a simple and efficient access to tridimensional pyrrolidino scaffolds with a tetrasubstituted carbon center at ring junction and can be performed in the friendly ethyl acetate. Computational studies support the mechanism involving azomethine ylide as reactive species toward the electron-poor arene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssou Faye
- Univ Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Normandie Univ, COBRA, 76000, Rouen, France
| | - Batoul Rkein
- Univ Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Normandie Univ, COBRA, 76000, Rouen, France
| | - Antoine Bigot
- Univ Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Normandie Univ, COBRA, 76000, Rouen, France
| | - Thierry Lequeux
- Normandie Univ., ENSICAEN, Unicaen, CNRS, LCMT, 14000, Caen, France
| | - Julien Legros
- Univ Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Normandie Univ, COBRA, 76000, Rouen, France
| | - Isabelle Chataigner
- Univ Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Normandie Univ, COBRA, 76000, Rouen, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, LCT UMR7616, 75005, Paris, France
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Fiévet L, Espagnolle N, Gerovska D, Bernard D, Syrykh C, Laurent C, Layrolle P, De Lima J, Justo A, Reina N, Casteilla L, Araúzo-Bravo MJ, Naji A, Pagès JC, Deschaseaux F. Single-cell RNA sequencing of human non-hematopoietic bone marrow cells reveals a unique set of inter-species conserved biomarkers for native mesenchymal stromal cells. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:229. [PMID: 37649081 PMCID: PMC10469496 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03437-x] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Native bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSCs) participate in generating and shaping the skeleton and BM throughout the lifespan. Moreover, BM-MSCs regulate hematopoiesis by contributing to the hematopoietic stem cell niche in providing critical cytokines, chemokines and extracellular matrix components. However, BM-MSCs contain a heterogeneous cell population that remains ill-defined. Although studies on the taxonomy of native BM-MSCs in mice have just started to emerge, the taxonomy of native human BM-MSCs remains unelucidated. METHODS By using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we aimed to define a proper taxonomy for native human BM non-hematopoietic subsets including endothelial cells (ECs) and mural cells (MCs) but with a focal point on MSCs. To this end, transcriptomic scRNA-seq data were generated from 5 distinct BM donors and were analyzed together with other transcriptomic data and with computational biology analyses at different levels to identify, characterize and classify distinct native cell subsets with relevant biomarkers. RESULTS We could ascribe novel specific biomarkers to ECs, MCs and MSCs. Unlike ECs and MCs, MSCs exhibited an adipogenic transcriptomic pattern while co-expressing genes related to hematopoiesis support and multilineage commitment potential. Furthermore, by a comparative analysis of scRNA-seq of BM cells from humans and mice, we identified core genes conserved in both species. Notably, we identified MARCKS, CXCL12, PDGFRA, and LEPR together with adipogenic factors as archetypal biomarkers of native MSCs within BM. In addition, our data suggest some complex gene nodes regulating critical biological functions of native BM-MSCs together with a preferential commitment toward an adipocyte lineage. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our taxonomy for native BM non-hematopoietic compartment provides an explicit depiction of gene expression in human ECs, MCs and MSCs at single-cell resolution. This analysis helps enhance our understanding of the phenotype and the complexity of biological functions of native human BM-MSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Fiévet
- RESTORE, Université de Toulouse, EFS Occitanie, INP-ENVT, Inserm U1301, UMR CNRS 5070, France, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- CHU de Toulouse, IFB, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Espagnolle
- RESTORE, Université de Toulouse, EFS Occitanie, INP-ENVT, Inserm U1301, UMR CNRS 5070, France, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Daniela Gerovska
- Group of Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, 20014, San Sebastián, Spain
- Basque Foundation for Science, IKERBASQUE, 48009, Bilbao, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - David Bernard
- RESTORE, Université de Toulouse, EFS Occitanie, INP-ENVT, Inserm U1301, UMR CNRS 5070, France, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Charlotte Syrykh
- Department d'Anatomie Pathologique, Institut Universitaire du Cancer, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Camille Laurent
- Department d'Anatomie Pathologique, Institut Universitaire du Cancer, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Pierre Layrolle
- Tonic Inserm/UPS UMR 1214, CHU Purpan Hospital, Toulouse, France
- UMR 1238 Inserm, Phy-OS, Bone Sarcoma and Remodeling of Calcified Tissues, School of Medicine, University of Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Julien De Lima
- UMR 1238 Inserm, Phy-OS, Bone Sarcoma and Remodeling of Calcified Tissues, School of Medicine, University of Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Arthur Justo
- Department de Chirurgie Orthopédique, Pierre Paul Riquet, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Reina
- Department de Chirurgie Orthopédique, Pierre Paul Riquet, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Louis Casteilla
- RESTORE, Université de Toulouse, EFS Occitanie, INP-ENVT, Inserm U1301, UMR CNRS 5070, France, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Marcos J Araúzo-Bravo
- Group of Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, 20014, San Sebastián, Spain
- Basque Foundation for Science, IKERBASQUE, 48009, Bilbao, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Abderrahim Naji
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Cooperative Medicine Unit, Research and Education Faculty, Medicine Science Cluster, Nankoku, Kochi Prefecture, Japan
| | - Jean-Christophe Pagès
- RESTORE, Université de Toulouse, EFS Occitanie, INP-ENVT, Inserm U1301, UMR CNRS 5070, France, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- CHU de Toulouse, IFB, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Deschaseaux
- RESTORE, Université de Toulouse, EFS Occitanie, INP-ENVT, Inserm U1301, UMR CNRS 5070, France, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
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Lussenburg K, van Starkenburg R, Bruins M, Sakes A, Breedveld P. Polishing of metal 3D printed parts with complex geometry: Visualizing the influence on geometrical features using centrifugal disk finishing. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289730. [PMID: 37582095 PMCID: PMC10427012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Parts produced with metal additive manufacturing often suffer from a poor surface finish. Surface finishing techniques are effective to improve the quality of 3D printed surfaces, however they have as downsides that they also slightly change the geometry of the part, in an unpredictable way. This effect on the geometrical features of complex parts has received little attention. In this research, we illustrate a method to visualize the impact of surface finishing techniques on geometrical features, as well as their effectiveness on parts with high shape-complexity, by using centrifugal disk finishing as a case study. We designed and 3D printed test parts with different features using selective laser melting, which were coated with a blue metal lacquer prior to polishing. After polishing, the blue lacquer was eroded away from the spots that were easily reached by the polishing process, yet had remained on the surfaces that could not be reached by the process. We used measurements of material removal and image processing of the remaining blue lacquer on the surfaces to analyze these effects. Using this method, we were able to derive a number of specific design guidelines that can be incorporated while designing metal AM parts for centrifugal disk finishing. We suggest that this visualization method can be applied to different polishing methods to gain insight into their influence, as well as being used as an aid in the design process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Lussenburg
- Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE), Department BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Remi van Starkenburg
- Department of Electronic and Mechanical Support Division (DEMO), Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Mathijs Bruins
- Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE), Department BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Aimée Sakes
- Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE), Department BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Breedveld
- Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE), Department BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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Pandit K, Jeffrey C, Keogh J, Tiwari MS, Artioli N, Manyar HG. Techno-Economic Assessment and Sensitivity Analysis of Glycerol Valorization to Biofuel Additives via Esterification. Ind Eng Chem Res 2023; 62:9201-9210. [PMID: 37333489 PMCID: PMC10273226 DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.3c00964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Glycerol is a valuable feedstock, produced in biorefineries as a byproduct of biodiesel production. Esterification of glycerol with acetic acid yields a mixture of mono-, di-, and triacetins. The acetins are commercially important value-added products with a wide range of industrial applications as fuel additives and fine chemicals. Esterification of glycerol to acetins substantially increases the environmental sustainability and economic viability of the biorefinery concept. Among the acetins, diacetin (DA) and triacetin (TA) are considered high-energy-density fuel additives. Herein, we have studied the economic feasibility of a facility producing DA and TA by a two-stage process using 100,000 tons of glycerol per year using Aspen Plus. The capital costs were estimated by Aspen Process Economic Analyzer software. The analysis indicates that the capital costs are 71 M$, while the operating costs are 303 M$/year. The gross profit is 60.5 M$/year, while the NPV of the project is 235 M$ with a payback period of 1.7 years. Sensitivity analysis has indicated that the product price has the most impact on the NPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krutarth Pandit
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s
University Belfast, David-Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, U.K.
| | - Callum Jeffrey
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s
University Belfast, David-Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, U.K.
| | - John Keogh
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s
University Belfast, David-Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, U.K.
| | - Manishkumar S. Tiwari
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s
University Belfast, David-Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, U.K.
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management
and Engineering, SVKM’s NMIMS University, Mumbai 400056, Maharashtra, India
| | - Nancy Artioli
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s
University Belfast, David-Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, U.K.
- Department
of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze, 43, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Haresh G. Manyar
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s
University Belfast, David-Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, U.K.
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Hafsia S, Barbar T, Wilkinson DA, Atyame C, Biscornet L, Bibi J, Louange M, Gedeon J, De Santis O, Flahault A, Cabie A, Bertolotti A, Mavingui P. Genetic characterization of dengue virus serotype 1 circulating in Reunion Island, 2019-2021, and the Seychelles, 2015-2016. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:294. [PMID: 37147570 PMCID: PMC10161969 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08125-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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An unprecedent increase in the number of cases and deaths reported from dengue virus (DENV) infection has occurred in the southwestern Indian ocean in recent years. From 2017 to mid-2021 more than 70,000 confirmed dengue cases were reported in Reunion Island, and 1967 cases were recorded in the Seychelles from 2015 to 2016. Both these outbreaks displayed similar trends, with the initial circulation of DENV-2 which was replaced by DENV-1. Here, we aim to determine the origin of the DENV-1 epidemic strains and to explore their genetic characteristics along the uninterrupted circulation, particularly in Reunion. METHODS Nucleic acids were extracted from blood samples collected from dengue positive patients; DENV-1 was identified by RT-qPCR. Positive samples were used to infect VERO cells. Genome sequences were obtained from either blood samples or infected-cell supernatants through a combination of both Illumina or MinION technologies. RESULTS Phylogenetic analyses of partial or whole genome sequences revealed that all DENV-1 sequences from Reunion formed a monophyletic cluster that belonged to genotype I and were closely related to one isolate from Sri Lanka (OL752439.1, 2020). Sequences from the Seychelles belonged to the same major phylogenetic branch of genotype V, but fell into two paraphyletic clusters, with greatest similarity for one cluster to 2016-2017 isolate from Bangladesh, Singapore and China, and for the other cluster to ancestral isolates from Singapore, dating back to 2012. Compared to publicly available DENV-1 genotype I sequences, fifteen non-synonymous mutations were identified in the Reunion strains, including one in the capsid and the others in nonstructural proteins (NS) (three in NS1, two in NS2B, one in NS3, one in NS4B, and seven in NS5). CONCLUSION In contrast to what was seen in previous outbreaks, recent DENV-1 outbreaks in Reunion and the Seychelles were caused by distinct genotypes, all likely originating from Asia where dengue is (hyper)endemic in many countries. Epidemic DENV-1 strains from Reunion harbored specific non-synonymous mutations whose biological significance needs to be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hafsia
- UMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), Université de La Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM U1187, IRD 249, Plateforme CYROI, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Tatiana Barbar
- UMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), Université de La Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM U1187, IRD 249, Plateforme CYROI, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - David A Wilkinson
- UMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), Université de La Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM U1187, IRD 249, Plateforme CYROI, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Célestine Atyame
- UMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), Université de La Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM U1187, IRD 249, Plateforme CYROI, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Leon Biscornet
- Public Health Authority, Ministry of Health, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Jastin Bibi
- Disease Surveillance and Response Unit, Epidemiology and Statistics Section, Public Health Authority, Ministry of Health, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Meggy Louange
- Public Health Authority, Ministry of Health, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Jude Gedeon
- Public Health Authority, Ministry of Health, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Olga De Santis
- Institute of global health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Flahault
- Institute of global health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - André Cabie
- CHU de Martinique, service de maladies infectieuses et tropicales, INSERM, CHU de Martinique, PCCEI, Univ Montpellier, Univ Antilles, INSERM, EFS, CIC1424, Fort-de-France, Montpellier, France
| | - Antoine Bertolotti
- Service des Maladies Infectieuses - Dermatologie, CHU Réunion, INSERM CIC1410, Saint Pierre, Saint Pierre, La Réunion, France
| | - Patrick Mavingui
- UMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), Université de La Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM U1187, IRD 249, Plateforme CYROI, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France.
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Rios-Fuster B, Compa M, Alomar C, Morató M, Ryfer D, Villalonga M, Deudero S. Are seafloor habitats influencing the distribution of microplastics in coastal sediments of a Marine Protected Area? Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:49875-49888. [PMID: 36787062 PMCID: PMC9925937 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25536-1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The marine environment is affected by the increasing presence of microplastics (MPs; < 5 mm), and the seafloor acts as a sink for these particles. Locations with different predominant seafloor habitat and protection level applied were selected from Cabrera Marine-Terrestrial National Park (henceforth, Cabrera MPA) (western Mediterranean Sea) with the aim to assess the distribution of MPs along the sediments of this Mediterranean MPA. A total of 37 samples were collected. A high diversity of sediment between locations was detected according to the Udden-Wentworth classification and locations were clustered into two main groups according to the predominance of different particle size fractions. The identification of MPs was carried out according to the sediment particle size classification. A total of 1431 MPs and a mean value (± SD) of 314.53 ± 409.94 items kg-1 D.W. were identified, and 70% of the particles were fibers. Statistically higher abundances of MPs were found in sediments collected from sandy habitats, with a mean value of 630.80 ± 636.87 items kg-1 D.W., compared to the abundances of MPs found in locations with different predominant seafloor habitats, that ranged from 136.79 ± 156.33 items kg-1 D.W. in habitats with similar predominance of seagrass and sand to 223.02 ± 113.35 items kg-1 D.W. in habitats with similar predominance of rocks and sand. The abundance of MPs regarding each sediment particle size fraction differed between years and locations, and the abundance of MPs according to each identified shape differed between sampling years, particle size fraction, and predominant seafloor habitat. The present study highlights the ubiquitous presence of MPs in seafloor sediments from a MPA. Furthermore, the results suggest that the predominant seafloor habitat can modulate the presence of MPs in marine environments in both general abundances and shape of items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Rios-Fuster
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Montserrat Compa
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Carme Alomar
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Mercè Morató
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Diane Ryfer
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Margarita Villalonga
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Salud Deudero
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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Candiago S, Winkler KJ, Giombini V, Giupponi C, Egarter Vigl L. An ecosystem service approach to the study of vineyard landscapes in the context of climate change: a review. Sustain Sci 2023; 18:997-1013. [PMID: 37012995 PMCID: PMC10063506 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-022-01223-x] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Vineyard landscapes significantly contribute to the economy, identity, culture, and biodiversity of many regions worldwide. Climate change, however, is increasingly threatening the resilience of vineyard landscapes and of their ecological conditions, undermining the provision of multiple ecosystem services. Previous research has often focused on climate change impacts, ecosystem conditions and ecosystem services without systematically reviewing how they have been studied in the literature on viticulture. Here, we systematically review the literature on vineyard landscapes to identify how ecosystem conditions and services have been investigated, and whether an integrative approach to investigate the effects of climate change was adopted. Our results indicate that there are still very few studies that explicitly address multiple ecosystem conditions and services together. Only 28 and 18% of the reviewed studies considered more than two ecosystem conditions or services, respectively. Moreover, while more than 97% of the relationships between ecosystem conditions and services studied were addressing provisioning and regulating services, only 3% examined cultural services. Finally, this review found that there is a lack of integrative studies that address simultaneously the relationships between ecosystem condition, ecosystem services and climate change (only 15 out of 112 studies). To overcome these gaps and to better understand the functioning of vineyard socio-ecological systems under climate change, multidisciplinary, integrative, and comprehensive approaches should be adopted by future studies. A holistic understanding of vineyard landscapes will indeed be crucial to support researchers and decision makers in developing sustainable adaptation strategies that enhance the ecological condition of vineyards and ensure the provision of multiple ecosystem services under future climate scenarios. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-022-01223-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Candiago
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Economics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, S. Giobbe 873, 30121 Venice, Italy
| | - Klara Johanna Winkler
- McGill University, Macdonald Campus, 21,111 Lakeshore Drive, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9 Canada
| | - Valentina Giombini
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
| | - Carlo Giupponi
- Department of Economics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, S. Giobbe 873, 30121 Venice, Italy
| | - Lukas Egarter Vigl
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
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Brychkov D, Goggins G, Doherty E, Romero N, Roudil N, Di Trani A, Singh A, Smit S, McLoughlin E, de Castro Rodrigues Lima R, Günbay SM, Delmonte BA, Hill A, Domegan C, Clifford E. A systemic framework of energy efficiency in schools: experiences from six European countries. Energy Effic 2023; 16:21. [PMID: 36941971 PMCID: PMC10018605 DOI: 10.1007/s12053-023-10099-4] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Schools are complex physical and social institutions within national education systems. They account for significant energy consumption and like other buildings can demonstrate inefficient patterns of energy use. Poor energy performance of educational facilities is an intricate issue driven by complex causality of interconnected and dynamic factors. Addressing this issue requires a systemic approach, which is heretofore lacking. The aim of this research is to present and describe a systemic framework to facilitate energy reduction in schools across different European contexts. This transdisciplinary approach to sustainable energy use has been piloted in 13 post-primary schools located in six countries in northwest Europe. The research implements a series of planned activities and interventions, which help to unveil a systemic approach to improving energy efficiency in schools. The findings demonstrate how this approach, together with its ensuing methodologies and strategies, can contribute to reducing carbon emissions and improve knowledge and awareness around sustainable energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Brychkov
- J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 CF50 Ireland
| | - Gary Goggins
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33 Ireland
| | - Edelle Doherty
- School of Engineering, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33 Ireland
| | - Natalia Romero
- Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Nadine Roudil
- Sociology, UMR CNRS, LAVUE, National School of Architecture of Paris-Val de Seine, 3-5 Quai Panhard Et Levassor, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Antonella Di Trani
- Anthropology, UMR CNRS, LAVUE, National School of Architecture of Paris-Val de Seine, 3-5 Quai Panhard Et Levassor, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Abhigyan Singh
- Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Sander Smit
- R2M Solution, 66 Fenwick Close, Woking, GU21 3BZ UK
| | - Eilish McLoughlin
- School of Physical Sciences and Centre for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, D09 W6Y4 Ireland
| | | | - Suzan Marie Günbay
- School of Physical Sciences and Centre for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, D09 W6Y4 Ireland
| | - Branca Arthur Delmonte
- Department of Engineering, Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 6, Rue Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, L-1359 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Achim Hill
- Fachbereich Bauen+LebenFachrichtung Bauingenieurwesen, Trier University of Applied Sciences, 54293 Schneidershof, Trier, Germany
| | - Christine Domegan
- J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 CF50 Ireland
| | - Eoghan Clifford
- School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33 Ireland
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Raineri EJM, Maaß S, Wang M, Brushett S, Palma Medina LM, Sampol Escandell N, Altulea D, Raangs E, de Jong A, Vera Murguia E, Feil EJ, Friedrich AW, Buist G, Becher D, García-Cobos S, Couto N, van Dijl JM. Staphylococcus aureus populations from the gut and the blood are not distinguished by virulence traits-a critical role of host barrier integrity. Microbiome 2022; 10:239. [PMID: 36567349 PMCID: PMC9791742 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01419-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is an asymptomatically carried member of the microbiome of about one third of the human population at any given point in time. Body sites known to harbor S. aureus are the skin, nasopharynx, and gut. In particular, the mechanisms allowing S. aureus to pass the gut epithelial barrier and to invade the bloodstream were so far poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of our present study was to investigate the extent to which genetic differences between enteric S. aureus isolates and isolates that caused serious bloodstream infections contribute to the likelihood of invasive disease. RESULTS Here, we present genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that compare the genome sequences of 69 S. aureus isolates from enteric carriage by healthy volunteers and 95 isolates from bloodstream infections. We complement our GWAS results with a detailed characterization of the cellular and extracellular proteomes of the representative gut and bloodstream isolates, and by assaying the virulence of these isolates with infection models based on human gut epithelial cells, human blood cells, and a small animal infection model. Intriguingly, our results show that enteric and bloodstream isolates with the same sequence type (ST1 or ST5) are very similar to each other at the genomic and proteomic levels. Nonetheless, bloodstream isolates are not necessarily associated with an invasive profile. Furthermore, we show that the main decisive factor preventing infection of gut epithelial cells in vitro is the presence of a tight barrier. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that virulence is a highly variable trait, even within a single clone. Importantly, however, there is no evidence that blood stream isolates possess a higher virulence potential than those from the enteric carriage. In fact, some gut isolates from healthy carriers were more virulent than bloodstream isolates. Based on our present observations, we propose that the integrity of the gut epithelial layer, rather than the pathogenic potential of the investigated enteric S. aureus isolates, determines whether staphylococci from the gut microbiome will become invasive pathogens. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa J. M. Raineri
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Maaß
- Department of Microbial Proteomics, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Siobhan Brushett
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura M. Palma Medina
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Present address: Department of Medicine Huddinge, Present Address: Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Neus Sampol Escandell
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dania Altulea
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Present address: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin Raangs
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne de Jong
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elias Vera Murguia
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Edward J. Feil
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, The Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Alex W. Friedrich
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Girbe Buist
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dörte Becher
- Department of Microbial Proteomics, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Silvia García-Cobos
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Present address: Reference and Research Laboratory On Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Natacha Couto
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, The Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Jan Maarten van Dijl
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Pancerasa M, Ambrosini R, Romano A, Rubolini D, Winkler DW, Casagrandi R. Across the deserts and sea: inter-individual variation in migration routes of south-central European barn swallows (Hirundo rustica). Mov Ecol 2022; 10:51. [PMID: 36419202 PMCID: PMC9682807 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00352-3] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spatiotemporal organization of migratory routes of long-distance migrants results from trade-offs between minimizing the journey length and en route risk of migration-related mortality, which may be reduced by avoiding crossing inhospitable ecological barriers. Despite flourishing avian migration research in recent decades, little is still known about inter-individual variability in migratory routes, as well as the carry-over effects of spatial and temporal features of migration on subsequent migration stages. METHODS We reconstructed post- and pre-breeding migration routes, barrier crossing behaviour and non-breeding movements of the largest sample (N = 85) analysed to date of individual barn swallows breeding in south-central Europe, which were tracked using light-level geolocators. RESULTS Most birds spent their non-breeding period in the Congo basin in a single stationary area, but a small fraction of itinerant individuals reaching South Africa was also observed. Birds generally followed a 'clockwise loop migration pattern', moving through the central Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert during post-breeding (north to south) migration yet switching to a more western route, along the Atlantic coast of Africa, Iberia and western Mediterranean during the pre-breeding (south to north) migration. Southward migration was straighter and less variable, while northward migration was significantly faster despite the broader detour along the Atlantic coast and Iberia. These patterns showed limited sex-related variability. The timing of different circannual events was tightly linked with previous migration stages, considerably affecting migration route and speed of subsequent movements. Indeed, individuals departing late from Africa performed straighter and faster pre-breeding migrations, partly compensating for the initial departure delays, but likely at the cost of performing riskier movements across ecological barriers. CONCLUSIONS Different spatiotemporal migration strategies during post- and pre-breeding migration suggest that conditions en route may differ seasonally and allow for more efficient travelling along different migration corridors in either season. While highlighting patterns of inter-individual variability, our results support increasing evidence for widespread loop migration patterns among Afro-Palearctic avian migrants. Also, they suggest that carry-over effects acting across different phases of the annual cycle of migratory species can have major impacts on evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Pancerasa
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico Di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque, IRSA-CNR, Via del Mulino 19, 20861, Brugherio, MB, Italy
| | | | - Renato Casagrandi
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico Di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20131, Milan, Italy.
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Cavallo FM, Kommers R, Friedrich AW, Glasner C, van Dijl JM. Exploration of oxygen-mediated disinfection of medical devices reveals a high sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to elevated oxygen levels. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18243. [PMID: 36309557 PMCID: PMC9617943 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23082-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbiological safety of medical devices is of paramount importance for patients and manufacturers alike. However, during usage medical devices will inevitably become contaminated with microorganisms, including opportunistic pathogens. This is a particular problem if these devices come in contact with body sites that carry high bacterial loads, such as the oral cavity. In the present study, we investigated whether high oxygen concentrations can be applied to disinfect surfaces contaminated with different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We show that some opportunistic pathogens, exemplified by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are particularly sensitive to oxygen concentrations above the atmospheric oxygen concentration of 21%. Our observations also show that high oxygen concentrations can be applied to reduce the load of P. aeruginosa on nebulizers that are used by cystic fibrosis patients, who are particularly susceptible to colonization and infection by this bacterium. We conclude that the efficacy of oxygen-mediated disinfection depends on the bacterial species, duration of oxygen exposure and the oxygen concentration. We consider these observations relevant, because gas mixtures with high oxygen content can be readily applied for microbial decontamination. However, the main challenge for oxygen-based disinfection approaches resides in a potentially incomplete elimination of microbial contaminants, which makes combined usage with other disinfectants like ethanol or hydrogen peroxide recommendable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis M Cavallo
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, HPC EB80, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Kommers
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, HPC EB80, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander W Friedrich
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, HPC EB80, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Corinna Glasner
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, HPC EB80, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Maarten van Dijl
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, HPC EB80, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30001, 9700, RB, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Jensen MM, Larsen KD, Homøe AS, Simonsen AL, Arndal E, Koch A, Samuelsen GB, Nielsen XC, Todsen T, Homøe P. Subjective and psychophysical olfactory and gustatory dysfunction among COVID-19 outpatients; short- and long-term results. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275518. [PMID: 36191024 PMCID: PMC9529127 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are early symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Between 20-80% of infected individuals report subjective altered sense of smell and/or taste during infection. Up to 2/3 of previously infected experience persistent olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction after 6 months. The aim of this study was to examine subjective and psychophysical olfactory and gustatory function in non-hospitalized individuals with acute COVID-19 up to 6 months after infection. METHODS Individuals aged 18-80-years with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test no older than 10 days, were eligible. Only individuals able to visit the outpatient examination facilities were included. Gustatory function was tested with the Burgharts Taste Strips and olfactory function was examined with the Brief Smell Identifications test (Danish version). Subjective symptoms were examined through an online questionnaire at inclusion, day 30, 90 and 180 after inclusion. RESULTS Fifty-eight SARS-CoV-2 positive and 56 negative controls were included. 58.6% (34/58) of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals vs. 8.9% (5/56) of negative controls reported subjective olfactory dysfunction at inclusion. For gustatory dysfunction, 46.5% (27/58) of positive individuals reported impairment compared to 8.9% (5/56) of negative controls. In psychophysical tests, 75.9% (46/58) had olfactory dysfunction and 43.1% (25/58) had gustatory dysfunction among the SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals at inclusion. Compared to negative controls, SARS-CoV-2 infected had significantly reduced olfaction and gustation. Previously infected individuals continued to report lower subjective sense of smell 30 days after inclusion, whereafter the difference between the groups diminished. However, after 180 days, 20.7% (12/58) positive individuals still reported reduced sense of smell and taste. CONCLUSION Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are prevalent symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but there is inconsistency between subjective reporting and psychophysical test assessment of especially olfaction. Most individuals regain normal function after 30 days, but approximately 20% report persistent olfactory and gustatory dysfunction 6 months after infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads Mose Jensen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Koege, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Kasper Daugaard Larsen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Koege, Denmark
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne-Sophie Homøe
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Koege, Denmark
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nordsjaellands Hospital, Hilleroed, Denmark
| | | | - Elisabeth Arndal
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Koch
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Staten Serum Institut (SSI), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Xiaohui Chen Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Zealand University Hospital, Koege, Denmark
| | - Tobias Todsen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Koege, Denmark
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Preben Homøe
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Koege, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Custodia A, Ouro A, Sargento-Freitas J, Aramburu-Núñez M, Pías-Peleteiro JM, Hervella P, Rosell A, Ferreira L, Castillo J, Romaus-Sanjurjo D, Sobrino T. Unraveling the potential of endothelial progenitor cells as a treatment following ischemic stroke. Front Neurol 2022; 13:940682. [PMID: 36158970 PMCID: PMC9492921 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.940682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ischemic stroke is becoming one of the most common causes of death and disability in developed countries. Since current therapeutic options are quite limited, focused on acute reperfusion therapies that are hampered by a very narrow therapeutic time window, it is essential to discover novel treatments that not only stop the progression of the ischemic cascade during the acute phase, but also improve the recovery of stroke patients during the sub-acute or chronic phase. In this regard, several studies have shown that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) can repair damaged vessels as well as generate new ones following cerebrovascular damage. EPCs are circulating cells with characteristics of both endothelial cells and adult stem cells presenting the ability to differentiate into mature endothelial cells and self-renew, respectively. Moreover, EPCs have the advantage of being already present in healthy conditions as circulating cells that participate in the maintenance of the endothelium in a direct and paracrine way. In this scenario, EPCs appear as a promising target to tackle stroke by self-promoting re-endothelization, angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. Based on clinical data showing a better neurological and functional outcome in ischemic stroke patients with higher levels of circulating EPCs, novel and promising therapeutic approaches would be pharmacological treatment promoting EPCs-generation as well as EPCs-based therapies. Here, we will review the latest advances in preclinical as well as clinical research on EPCs application following stroke, not only as a single treatment but also in combination with new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antía Custodia
- NeuroAging Laboratory (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Alberto Ouro
- NeuroAging Laboratory (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - João Sargento-Freitas
- Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Centro Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Marta Aramburu-Núñez
- NeuroAging Laboratory (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Pías-Peleteiro
- NeuroAging Laboratory (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Pablo Hervella
- Neuroimaging and Biotechnology Laboratory (NOBEL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Anna Rosell
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lino Ferreira
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Centro Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Coimbra, Portugal
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB-Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, UC, Biotech Parque Tecnológico de Cantanhede, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José Castillo
- Neuroimaging and Biotechnology Laboratory (NOBEL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Daniel Romaus-Sanjurjo
- NeuroAging Laboratory (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- *Correspondence: Daniel Romaus-Sanjurjo
| | - Tomás Sobrino
- NeuroAging Laboratory (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Tomás Sobrino
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Butruille G, Thomas M, Pasquet A, Amoussou N, Toomey L, Rosenstein A, Chauchard S, Lecocq T. AquaDesign: A tool to assist aquaculture production design based on abiotic requirements of animal species. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272508. [PMID: 35913974 PMCID: PMC9342733 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Farming new species and promoting polyculture can enhance aquaculture sustainability. This implies to define the rearing conditions that meet the ecological requirements of a target species and/or to assess if different species can live in the same farming environment. However, there is a large number of rearing conditions and/or taxon combinations that can be considered. In order to minimise cumbersome and expensive empirical trials to explore all possibilities, we introduce a tool, AquaDesign. It is based on a R-script and package which help to determine farming conditions that are most likely suitable for species through in silico assessment. We estimate farming conditions potentially suitable for an aquatic organism by considering the species niche. We define the species n-dimensional niche hypervolume using a correlative approach in which the species niche is estimated by relating distribution data to environmental conditions. Required input datasets are mined from several public databases. The assistant tool allows users to highlight (i) abiotic conditions that are most likely suitable for species and (ii) combinations of species potentially able to live in the same abiotic environment. Moreover, it offers the possibility to assess if a particular set of abiotic conditions or a given farming location is potentially suitable for the monoculture or the polyculture of species of interest. Our tool provides useful pieces of information to develop freshwater aquacultures. Using the large amount of biogeographic and abiotic information available in public databases allows us to propose a pragmatic and operational tool even for species for which abiotic requirements are poorly or not available in literature such as currently non-produced species. Overall, we argue that the assistant tool can act as a stepping stone to promote new aquatic productions which are required to enhance aquaculture sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marielle Thomas
- University of Lorraine, URAFPA, INRAE, Nancy, France
- LTSER France, Zone Atelier du Bassin de la Moselle, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Alain Pasquet
- University of Lorraine, URAFPA, INRAE, Nancy, France
| | - Nellya Amoussou
- University of Lorraine, URAFPA, INRAE, Nancy, France
- LTSER France, Zone Atelier du Bassin de la Moselle, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Lola Toomey
- University of Lorraine, URAFPA, INRAE, Nancy, France
| | | | | | - Thomas Lecocq
- University of Lorraine, URAFPA, INRAE, Nancy, France
- LTSER France, Zone Atelier du Bassin de la Moselle, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
- * E-mail:
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Hafsia S, Haramboure M, Wilkinson DA, Baldet T, Yemadje-Menudier L, Vincent M, Tran A, Atyame C, Mavingui P. Overview of dengue outbreaks in the southwestern Indian Ocean and analysis of factors involved in the shift toward endemicity in Reunion Island: A systematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010547. [PMID: 35900991 PMCID: PMC9333208 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dengue is the world’s most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease. It is endemic in many tropical and subtropical countries and represents a significant global health burden. The first reports of dengue virus (DENV) circulation in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO) islands date back to the early 1940s; however, an increase in DENV circulation has been reported in the SWIO in recent years. The aim of this review is to trace the history of DENV in the SWIO islands using available records from the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Seychelles, and Reunion. We focus in particular on the most extensive data from Reunion Island, highlighting factors that may explain the observed increasing incidence, and the potential shift from one-off outbreaks to endemic dengue transmission. Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines, the literature review focused queried different databases using the keywords “dengue” or “Aedes albopictus” combined with each of the following SWIO islands the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Seychelles, and Reunion. We also compiled case report data for dengue in Mayotte and Reunion in collaboration with the regional public health agencies in these French territories. References and data were discarded when original sources were not identified. We examined reports of climatic, anthropogenic, and mosquito-related factors that may influence the maintenance of dengue transmission independently of case importation linked to travel. Findings and conclusions The first report of dengue circulation in the SWIO was documented in 1943 in the Comoros. Then not until an outbreak in 1976 to 1977 that affected approximately 80% of the population of the Seychelles. DENV was also reported in 1977 to 1978 in Reunion with an estimate of nearly 30% of the population infected. In the following 40-year period, DENV circulation was qualified as interepidemic with sporadic cases. However, in recent years, the region has experienced uninterrupted DENV transmission at elevated incidence. Since 2017, Reunion witnessed the cocirculation of 3 serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2 and DENV-3) and an increased number of cases with severe forms and deaths. Reinforced molecular and serological identification of DENV serotypes and genotypes circulating in the SWIO as well as vector control strategies is necessary to protect exposed human populations and limit the spread of dengue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hafsia
- UMR PIMIT (Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical) CNRS 9192-INSERM 1187-IRD 249-Université de La Réunion, île de La Réunion, France
| | - Marion Haramboure
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
- TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, Université Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
| | - David Arthur Wilkinson
- UMR PIMIT (Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical) CNRS 9192-INSERM 1187-IRD 249-Université de La Réunion, île de La Réunion, France
| | - Thierry Baldet
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, Université Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
| | | | | | - Annelise Tran
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
- TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, Université Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Sainte-Clotilde, île de La Réunion, France
| | - Célestine Atyame
- UMR PIMIT (Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical) CNRS 9192-INSERM 1187-IRD 249-Université de La Réunion, île de La Réunion, France
| | - Patrick Mavingui
- UMR PIMIT (Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical) CNRS 9192-INSERM 1187-IRD 249-Université de La Réunion, île de La Réunion, France
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The relationship between the amplitude of motion and the accumulation of motion sickness in time is unclear. Here, we investigated this relationship at the individual and group level. Seventeen participants were exposed to four oscillatory motion stimuli, in four separate sessions, separated by at least 1 week to prevent habituation. Motion amplitude was varied between sessions at either 1, 1.5, 2, or 2.5 ms-2. Time evolution was evaluated within sessions applying: an initial motion phase for up to 60 min, a 10-min rest, a second motion phase up to 30 min to quantify hypersensitivity and lastly, a 5-min rest. At both the individual and the group level, motion sickness severity (MISC) increased linearly with respect to acceleration amplitude. To analyze the evolution of sickness over time, we evaluated three variations of the Oman model of nausea. We found that the slow (502 s) and fast (66.2 s) time constants of motion sickness were independent of motion amplitude, but varied considerably between individuals (slow STD = 838 s; fast STD = 79.4 s). We also found that the Oman model with output scaling following a power law with an exponent of 0.4 described our data much better as compared to the exponent of 2 proposed by Oman. Lastly, we showed that the sickness forecasting accuracy of the Oman model depended significantly on whether the participants had divergent or convergent sickness dynamics. These findings have methodological implications for pre-experiment participant screening, as well as online tuning of automated vehicle algorithms based on sickness susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tugrul Irmak
- Cognitive Robotics Department, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Varun Kotian
- Cognitive Robotics Department, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Riender Happee
- Cognitive Robotics Department, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Ksander N. de Winkel
- Cognitive Robotics Department, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Daan M. Pool
- Control and Simulation Department, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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Söderqvist T, Nathaniel H, Franzén D, Franzén F, Hasselström L, Gröndahl F, Sinha R, Stadmark J, Strand Å, Ingmansson I, Lingegård S, Thomas JB. Cost-benefit analysis of beach-cast harvest: Closing land-marine nutrient loops in the Baltic Sea region. Ambio 2022; 51:1302-1313. [PMID: 34787831 PMCID: PMC8931131 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01641-8] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Harvesting beach-cast can help mitigate marine eutrophication by closing land-marine nutrient loops and provide a blue biomass raw material for the bioeconomy. Cost-benefit analysis was applied to harvest activities during 2009-2018 on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, highlighting benefits such as nutrient removal from the marine system and improved recreational opportunities as well as costs of using inputs necessary for harvest. The results indicate that the activities entailed a net gain to society, lending substance to continued funding for harvests on Gotland and assessments of upscaling of harvest activities to other areas in Sweden and elsewhere. The lessons learnt from the considerable harvest experience on Gotland should be utilized for developing concrete guidelines for carrying out sustainable harvest practice, paying due attention to local conditions but also to what can be generalized to a wider national and international context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tore Söderqvist
- Holmboe & Skarp AB, Norr Källstavägen 9, 148 96 Sorunda, Sweden
| | - Hanna Nathaniel
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 10B, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel Franzén
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 10B, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Frida Franzén
- Tyréns AB, Peter Myndes Backe 16, 118 46 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linus Hasselström
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 10B, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Gröndahl
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 10B, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rajib Sinha
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 10B, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna Stadmark
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 53021, 400 14 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Åsa Strand
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Kristineberg 566, 451 78 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
| | - Ida Ingmansson
- Tyréns AB, Peter Myndes Backe 16, 118 46 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sofia Lingegård
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 10B, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jean-Baptiste Thomas
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 10B, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
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Poltimäe H, Rehema M, Raun J, Poom A. In search of sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions for rural areas. Eur Transp Res Rev 2022; 14:13. [PMID: 38624807 PMCID: PMC8983330 DOI: 10.1186/s12544-022-00536-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Background Despite emerging research on novel mobility solutions in urban areas, there have been few attempts to explore the relevance and sustainability of these solutions in rural contexts. Furthermore, existing research addressing rural mobility solutions typically focuses on a specific user group, such as local residents, second-home owners, or tourists. In this paper, we study the social inclusivity, economic viability, and environmental impacts of novel mobility solutions in rural contexts based on published scholarly literature. When doing so, we bring both permanent and temporary residents of rural areas under one research framework. Methods We used grey literature to identify and categorise novel mobility solutions, which have been applied in European rural areas and are suitable for travelling longer distances. By using six service flexibility variables, we reached four categories of novel mobility solutions: semi-flexible demand-responsive transport, flexible door-to-door demand-responsive transport, car-sharing, and ride-sharing. We analysed the social inclusivity, economic viability, and environmental impacts of those categories based on criteria and evidence identified from scholarly literature by including the perspectives of both permanent and temporary residents of rural areas. Results Our findings revealed that while single novel mobility solutions are seldom applicable for all rural travellers, strong spatial and temporal synergies exist when combining different solutions. The need for a connected and flexible set of mobility solutions sensitive to the temporal and spatial patterns of mobility needs is inevitable. Accessible and easily understandable information on routing, booking, and ticketing systems, as well as cooperation, shared values, and trust between various parties, are key success factors for sustainable rural mobility. Conclusion Integration of the needs of various user groups is essential when aiming to achieve the provision of environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable mobility solutions in rural areas. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12544-022-00536-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Poltimäe
- School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu, Narva mnt 18, 51009 Tartu, Estonia
- Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, Erika 14, 10416 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Merlin Rehema
- Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, Erika 14, 10416 Tallinn, Estonia
- School of Humanities, Tallinn University, Narva mnt 25, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Janika Raun
- Mobility Lab, Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51003 Tartu, Estonia
- Digital Geography Lab, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki, Lönnrotinkatu 7, 50100 Mikkeli, Finland
| | - Age Poom
- Mobility Lab, Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51003 Tartu, Estonia
- Digital Geography Lab, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Eraña H, San Millán B, Díaz-Domínguez CM, Charco JM, Rodríguez R, Viéitez I, Pereda A, Yañez R, Geijo M, Navarro C, Perez de Nanclares G, Teijeira S, Castilla J. Description of the first Spanish case of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease with A117V variant: clinical, histopathological and biochemical characterization. J Neurol 2022; 269:4253-4263. [PMID: 35294616 PMCID: PMC9293843 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11051-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker disease (GSS) is a rare neurodegenerative illness that belongs to the group of hereditary or familial Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE). Due to the presence of different pathogenic alterations in the prion protein (PrP) coding gene, it shows an enhanced proneness to misfolding into its pathogenic isoform, leading to prion formation and propagation. This aberrantly folded protein is able to induce its conformation to the native counterparts forming amyloid fibrils and plaques partially resistant to protease degradation and showing neurotoxic properties. PrP with A117V pathogenic variant is the second most common genetic alteration leading to GSS and despite common phenotypic and neuropathological traits can be defined for each specific variant, strikingly heterogeneous manifestations have been reported for inter-familial cases bearing the same pathogenic variant or even within the same family. Given the scarcity of cases and their clinical, neuropathological, and biochemical variability, it is important to characterize thoroughly each reported case to establish potential correlations between clinical, neuropathological and biochemical hallmarks that could help to define disease subtypes. With that purpose in mind, this manuscript aims to provide a detailed report of the first Spanish GSS case associated with A117V variant including clinical, genetic, neuropathological and biochemical data, which could help define in the future potential disease subtypes and thus, explain the high heterogeneity observed in patients suffering from these maladies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasier Eraña
- Prion Research Lab, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC BioGUNE), Derio, Spain
- Atlas Molecular Pharma S.L., Derio, Spain
| | - Beatriz San Millán
- Grupo de Enfermedades Raras y Medicina Pediátrica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur (IISGS), Vigo, Spain
| | - Carlos M Díaz-Domínguez
- Prion Research Lab, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC BioGUNE), Derio, Spain
| | - Jorge M Charco
- Prion Research Lab, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC BioGUNE), Derio, Spain
- Atlas Molecular Pharma S.L., Derio, Spain
| | - Rosa Rodríguez
- Servicio de Neurología, Complejo Hospitalario de Ourense, Ourense, Spain
| | - Irene Viéitez
- Grupo de Enfermedades Raras y Medicina Pediátrica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur (IISGS), Vigo, Spain
| | - Arrate Pereda
- Molecular (Epi)Genetics Laboratory, Araba University Hospital, Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Rosa Yañez
- Servicio de Neurología, Complejo Hospitalario de Ourense, Ourense, Spain
| | - Mariví Geijo
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Carmen Navarro
- Grupo de Enfermedades Raras y Medicina Pediátrica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur (IISGS), Vigo, Spain
| | - Guiomar Perez de Nanclares
- Molecular (Epi)Genetics Laboratory, Araba University Hospital, Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Susana Teijeira
- Grupo de Enfermedades Raras y Medicina Pediátrica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur (IISGS), Vigo, Spain.
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- Prion Research Lab, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC BioGUNE), Derio, Spain.
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.
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Moldanová J, Hassellöv IM, Matthias V, Fridell E, Jalkanen JP, Ytreberg E, Quante M, Tröltzsch J, Maljutenko I, Raudsepp U, Eriksson KM. Framework for the environmental impact assessment of operational shipping. Ambio 2022; 51:754-769. [PMID: 34292520 PMCID: PMC8297432 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01597-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Shipping is an important source of pollution affecting both atmospheric and aquatic environments. To allow for efficient mitigation of environmental degradation, it is essential to know the extent of the impacts of shipping in relation to other sources of pollution. Here, we give a perspective on a holistic approach to studies of the environmental impacts of operational shipping through presentation of an assessment framework developed and applied on a case of shipping in the Baltic Sea. Through transfer of knowledge and concepts, previously used in assessments of air pollution, now applied to assessments of marine pollution and underwater noise, the horizon of understanding of shipping-related impacts is significantly improved. It identifies the main areas of environmental degradation caused by shipping and potential improvements through legislation and technological development. However, as the vast majority of contaminants discharged into the sea are not routinely monitored and assessed, the links between pressure of contaminants from shipping and environmental state and impacts will not be caught in the current environmental regulatory frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Moldanová
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 530 21, 400 14 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ida-Maja Hassellöv
- Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Campus Lindholmen, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Volker Matthias
- Hereon Institute of Coastal Environmental Chemistry, Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Erik Fridell
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 530 21, 400 14 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jukka-Pekka Jalkanen
- Atmospheric Composition, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palmen’s Square 1, 005 60 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Erik Ytreberg
- Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Campus Lindholmen, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Markus Quante
- Hereon Institute of Coastal Environmental Chemistry, Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Jenny Tröltzsch
- Ecologic Institute, Pfalzburger Strasse 43/44, 10717 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilja Maljutenko
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn Technical University, Akadeemia Tee 15A, 126 18 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Urmas Raudsepp
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn Technical University, Akadeemia Tee 15A, 126 18 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - K. Martin Eriksson
- Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Campus Lindholmen, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Center for Sustainable Development, Chalmers University of Technology, Aschebergsgatan 44, 411 33 Gothenburg, Sweden
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50
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Lussenburg K, Scali M, Sakes A, Breedveld P. Additive Manufacturing of a Miniature Functional Trocar for Eye Surgery. Front Med Technol 2022; 4:842958. [PMID: 35252963 PMCID: PMC8891482 DOI: 10.3389/fmedt.2022.842958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stereolithography is emerging as a promising additive manufacturing technology for a range of applications in the medical domain. However, for miniature, medical devices such as those used in ophthalmic surgery, a number of production challenges arise due to the small size of the components. In this work, we investigate the challenges of creating sub-millimeter features for a miniature, functional trocar using Stereolithography. The trocar cannula system is used in eye surgery to facilitate a passage for other instruments. A standard trocar consists of a hollow cannula and a flexible check valve. The research was performed in two stages: in the first stage we investigated the effect of different materials and print settings on the current design of the cannula and the valve separately, and in the second stage we used these findings to optimize the design and production process. After the first investigation, it became apparent that even though the dimensions of the trocar are within the feature size range of Stereolithography, all hollow features tended to fuse shut during printing. This effect appeared regardless of the materials or print settings, and can be attributed to refraction of the laser source. In order to circumvent this, we identified two potential strategies: (1) increasing the negative space surrounding features; and (2) decreasing the surface area per layer. By applying these strategies, we tested a new design for the cannula and valve and managed to 3D print a functional trocar, which was tested in an artificial eye. The design of the 3D printed trocar allows for further personalization depending on the specific requirements of both patient and surgeon. The proposed strategies can be applied to different applications to create miniature features using Stereolithography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Lussenburg
- Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE), Department of BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Kirsten Lussenburg
| | - Marta Scali
- Dutch Ophthalmic Research Center International (DORC), Zuidland, Netherlands
| | - Aimée Sakes
- Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE), Department of BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Paul Breedveld
- Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE), Department of BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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