scholarly journals Comparing the Performance of a Remotely Operated Vehicle, a Drop Camera, and a Trawl in Capturing Deep-Sea Epifaunal Abundance and Diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah N. de Mendonça ◽  
Anna Metaxas
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Nutrient Recycling ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Anthropogenic Threats

Deep-sea ecosystems provide services such as food, minerals, and nutrient recycling, yet baseline data on their structure is often lacking. Our limited knowledge of vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems presents a challenge for effective monitoring and mitigation of increasing anthropogenic threats, including destructive fishing and climate change. Using data from two stations differing in total epifaunal abundance and taxonomic composition, we compared the use of imagery collected by two non-invasive tools [remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and drop camera] and data collected with a trawl system, commonly used to quantify epibenthic megafauna in the deep sea. Imagery and trawl data captured different epifaunal patterns, the former being more efficient for capturing epifauna, particularly Pennatulacean recruits. The image-based methods also caused less disturbance, had higher position accuracy, and allow for analyses of spatial structure and species associations; fine-scale distributions could not be elucidated with a trawl. Abundance was greater for some taxa, and diversity accumulated faster with increasing sample size for the drop camera than the ROV at one station. However, there are trade-offs between these tools, including continuous and discrete sampling for the ROV and drop camera, respectively, which can affect follow-up analyses. Our results can be used to inform monitoring frameworks on the use of appropriate sampling tools. We recommend further research into tool sampling biases and biometric relationships to help integrate datasets collected with different tools.

scholarly journals Taxonomic signatures of cause-specific mortality risk in human gut microbiome

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaro Salosensaari ◽  
Ville Laitinen ◽  
Aki S. Havulinna ◽  
Guillaume Meric ◽  
Susan Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Human Gut Microbiome ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Sequencing Technologies

AbstractThe collection of fecal material and developments in sequencing technologies have enabled standardised and non-invasive gut microbiome profiling. Microbiome composition from several large cohorts have been cross-sectionally linked to various lifestyle factors and diseases. In spite of these advances, prospective associations between microbiome composition and health have remained uncharacterised due to the lack of sufficiently large and representative population cohorts with comprehensive follow-up data. Here, we analyse the long-term association between gut microbiome variation and mortality in a well-phenotyped and representative population cohort from Finland (n = 7211). We report robust taxonomic and functional microbiome signatures related to the Enterobacteriaceae family that are associated with mortality risk during a 15-year follow-up. Our results extend previous cross-sectional studies, and help to establish the basis for examining long-term associations between human gut microbiome composition, incident outcomes, and general health status.

scholarly journals Non-Invasive Dengue Diagnostics—The Use of Saliva and Urine for Different Stages of the Illness

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1345
Author(s):  
Mahathir Humaidi ◽  
Wei Ping Tien ◽  
Grace Yap ◽  
Choon Rong Chua ◽  
Lee Ching Ng
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Acute Stage ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Fever Onset ◽  
Dengue Transmission ◽  
Dengue Diagnostics ◽  
Potential Tool

Dengue diagnosis is largely dependent on clinical symptoms and routinely confirmed with laboratory detection of dengue virus in patient serum samples collected via phlebotomy. This presents a challenge to patients not amenable to venipuncture. Non-invasive methods of dengue diagnosis have the potential to enhance the current dengue detection algorithm. In this study, samples from dengue infected patients were collected between January 2012 until September 2012 and September 2013 until December 2013 in two different setups. Panel A samples (blood, urine, and saliva) were collected daily when the 39 patients were hospitalised and during their follow-up visits while Panel B samples (saliva) were collected from 23 patients during the acute stage of dengue. Using DENV PCR on Panel A, from day 2 to day 4 post fever onset, serum showed the best overall positivity followed by saliva and urine (100%/82.1%/67.9%). From day 5 until day 10 post fever onset, serum and urine had similar positivity (67.4%/61.2%), followed by saliva (51.3%). Beyond day 10 post fever onset, DENV was undetectable in sera, but urine and saliva showed 56.8% and 28.6% positivity, respectively. DENV in urine was detectable up until 32 days post fever. Panel B results showed overall sensitivity of 32.4%/36% (RNA/NS1) for DENV detection in saliva. Our results suggest that the urine-based detection method is useful especially for late dengue detection, where DENV is undetected in sera but still detectable in urine. This provides a potential tool for the physician to pick up new cases in an area where there is ongoing dengue transmission and subsequently prompt for intensified vector control activities.

scholarly journals Risk assessment in precapillary pulmonary hypertension: a comparative analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Sonnweber ◽  
Eva-Maria Schneider ◽  
Manfred Nairz ◽  
Igor Theurl ◽  
Günter Weiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Risk Stratification ◽  
Risk Prediction ◽  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Risk Models ◽  
Non Invasive

Abstract Background Risk stratification is essential to assess mortality risk and guide treatment in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). We herein compared the accuracy of different currently used PH risk stratification tools and evaluated the significance of particular risk parameters. Methods We conducted a retrospective longitudinal observational cohort study evaluating seven different risk assessment approaches according to the current PH guidelines. A comprehensive assessment including multi-parametric risk stratification was performed at baseline and 4 yearly follow-up time-points. Multi-step Cox hazard analysis was used to analyse and refine risk prediction. Results Various available risk models effectively predicted mortality in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension. Right-heart catheter parameters were not essential for risk prediction. Contrary, non-invasive follow-up re-evaluations significantly improved the accuracy of risk estimations. A lack of accuracy of various risk models was found in the intermediate- and high-risk classes. For these patients, an additional evaluation step including assessment of age and right atrium area improved risk prediction significantly. Discussion Currently used abbreviated versions of the ESC/ERS risk assessment tool, as well as the REVEAL 2.0 and REVEAL Lite 2 based risk stratification, lack accuracy to predict mortality in intermediate- and high-risk precapillary pulmonary hypertension patients. An expanded non-invasive evaluation improves mortality risk prediction in these individuals.

scholarly journals Longitudinal stability of urinary extracellular vesicle protein patterns within and between individuals

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyla A. Erozenci ◽  
Sander R. Piersma ◽  
Thang V. Pham ◽  
Irene V. Bijnsdorp ◽  
Connie R. Jimenez
Keyword(s):  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Extracellular Vesicle ◽  
Protein Signaling ◽  
Protein Patterns ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Data Independent Acquisition ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Using Data

AbstractThe protein content of urinary extracellular vesicles (EVs) is considered to be an attractive non-invasive biomarker source. However, little is known about the consistency and variability of urinary EV proteins within and between individuals over a longer time-period. Here, we evaluated the stability of the urinary EV proteomes of 8 healthy individuals at 9 timepoints over 6 months using data-independent-acquisition mass spectrometry. The 1802 identified proteins had a high correlation amongst all samples, with 40% of the proteome detected in every sample and 90% detected in more than 1 individual at all timepoints. Unsupervised analysis of top 10% most variable proteins yielded person-specific profiles. The core EV-protein-interaction network of 516 proteins detected in all measured samples revealed sub-clusters involved in the biological processes of G-protein signaling, cytoskeletal transport, cellular energy metabolism and immunity. Furthermore, gender-specific expression patterns were detected in the urinary EV proteome. Our findings indicate that the urinary EV proteome is stable in longitudinal samples of healthy subjects over a prolonged time-period, further underscoring its potential for reliable non-invasive diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers.

scholarly journals Identification of miR-20a-5p as Robust Normalizer for Urine microRNA Studies in Renal Cell Carcinoma and A Profile of Dysregulated microRNAs

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7913
Author(s):  
Julia Oto ◽  
Raquel Herranz ◽  
Emma Plana ◽  
José Vicente Sánchez-González ◽  
Javier Pérez-Ardavín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Diagnostic Value ◽  
Diagnostic Model ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Good Expression ◽  
Independent Cohort

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the third most frequent urinary malignancy and one of the most lethal. Current diagnostic and follow-up techniques are harmful and unspecific in low-grade tumors. Novel minimally invasive markers such as urine microRNAs (miRNAs) are under study. However, discrepancies arise among studies in part due to lack of consent regarding normalization. We aimed to identify the best miRNA normalizer for RCC studies performed in urine samples together with a miRNA profile with diagnostic value and another for follow-up. We evaluated the performance of 120 candidate miRNAs in the urine of 16 RCC patients and 16 healthy controls by RT-qPCR followed by a stability analysis with RefFinder. In this screening stage, miR-20a-5p arose as the most stably expressed miRNA in RCC and controls, with a good expression level. Its stability was validated in an independent cohort of 51 RCC patients and 32 controls. Using miR-20a-5p as normalizer, we adjusted and validated a diagnostic model for RCC with three miRNAs (miR-200a-3p, miR-34a-5p and miR-365a-3p) (AUC = 0.65; Confidence Interval 95% [0.51, 0.79], p = 0.043). let-7d-5p and miR-205-5p were also upregulated in patients compared to controls. Comparing RCC samples before surgery and fourteen weeks after, we identified let-7d-5p, miR-152-3p, miR-30c-5p, miR-362-3p and miR-30e-3p as potential follow-up profile for RCC. We identified validated targets of most miRNAs in the renal cell carcinoma pathway. This is the first study that identifies a robust normalizer for urine RCC miRNA studies, miR-20a-5p, which may allow the comparison of future studies among laboratories. Once confirmed in a larger independent cohort, the miRNAs profiles identified may improve the non-invasive diagnosis and follow-up of RCC.

NON-INVASIVE DIAGNOSIS AND FOLLOW-UP OF PRIMARY BILIARY CHOLANGITIS

2021 ◽  
pp. 101770
Author(s):  
Christophe Corpechot ◽  
Alexandra Heurgue ◽  
Marie Decraecker ◽  
Florence Tanne ◽  
Pascal Potier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Biliary Cholangitis ◽  
Non Invasive

scholarly journals Years of potential life lost in pre-diabetes and diabetes mellitus: data from a 40-year follow-up of the Israel study on Glucose intolerance, Obesity and Hypertension

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e001981
Author(s):  
Micha Rapoport ◽  
Angela Chetrit ◽  
Dror Cantrell ◽  
Ilya Novikov ◽  
Jesse Roth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glucose Intolerance ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Tolerance Test ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Oral Glucose ◽  
Average Difference ◽  
Using Data

IntroductionWe examined years of potential life lost (YPLL) associated with pre-diabetes as compared with either normoglycemia or diabetes, using data of the Israel cohort of Glucose intolerance, Obesity and Hypertension 40-year follow-up.Research design and methodsMen and women (N=2844, mean age 52.0±8.2 years) who underwent oral glucose tolerance test and anthropometric measurements, during 1976–1982, were followed for mortality until May 2019. Multiple imputation procedures for missing mortality dates and multivariable regression mixed models were applied.ResultsAt baseline, 35.8%, 48.8% and 15.4% individuals were found with normoglycemia, pre-diabetes, and diabetes, respectively. The average difference in YPLL associated with pre-diabetes as compared with normoglycemia was 4.3 years (95% CI 3.3 to 5.2; p<0.001). YPLL were 1 year higher in women with pre-diabetes than in men with pre-diabetes. These differences persisted mainly in individuals younger than 60 years, and those with body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m2, at baseline. Adjusting for age, sex, country of origin, smoking status, BMI, and blood pressure, the average difference in YPLL associated with pre-diabetes as compared with normoglycemia was 2.0 years (95% CI 1.2 to 2.8; p<0.001). Significant reductions of 5.9 years (95% CI 4.8 to 7.0) on average were observed for diabetes as compared with pre-diabetes and 7.9 years (95% CI 6.7 to 9.1) as compared with individuals with normoglycemia.ConclusionsThis study reveals that life expectancy of middle-aged individuals with pre-diabetes is shorter than of normoglycemic ones. These findings are especially relevant in view of the rising worldwide prevalence of pre-diabetes within younger age groups and underscore the crucial importance of interventions by either lifestyle modification or drug therapy capable of delaying progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes to reduce the YPLL in this high-risk group.

scholarly journals Serum C-reactive protein metabolite (CRPM) is associated with incidence of contralateral knee osteoarthritis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Christine Bay-Jensen ◽  
Asger Bihlet ◽  
Inger Byrjalsen ◽  
Jeppe Ragnar Andersen ◽  
Bente Juhl Riis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Iii ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Knee Oa ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Inflammatory Phenotype ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Using Data

AbstractThe heterogeneous nature of osteoarthritis (OA) and the need to subtype patients is widely accepted in the field. The biomarker CRPM, a metabolite of C-reactive protein (CRP), is released to the circulation during inflammation. Blood CRPM levels have shown to be associated with disease activity and response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated the level of blood CRPM in OA compared to RA using data from two phase III knee OA and two RA studies (N = 1591). Moreover, the association between CRPM levels and radiographic progression was investigated. The mean CRPM levels were significantly lower in OA (8.5 [95% CI 8.3–8.8] ng/mL, n = 781) compared to the RA patients (12.8 [9.5–16.0] ng/mL, n = 60); however, a significant subset of OA patients (31%) had CRPM levels (≥ 9 ng/mL) comparable to RA. Furthermore, OA patients (n = 152) with CRPM levels ≥ 9 ng/mL were more likely to develop contra-lateral knee OA assessed by X-ray over a two-year follow-up period with an odds ratio of 2.2 [1.0–4.7]. These data suggest that CRPM is a blood-based biochemical marker for early identification OA patients with an inflammatory phenotype.

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