scholarly journals Laboratory Culture-Based Characterization of the Resting Stage Cells of the Brown-Tide-Causing Pelagophyte, Aureococcus anophagefferens

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1027
Author(s):  
Zhaopeng Ma ◽  
Zhangxi Hu ◽  
Yunyan Deng ◽  
Lixia Shang ◽  
Christophere J. Gobler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physiological State ◽  
Laboratory Culture ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Brown Tide ◽  
Aureococcus Anophagefferens ◽  
Vegetative Cells ◽  
Cycle Plays ◽  
Culture Maintenance

Life history (life cycle) plays a vital role in the ecology of some microalgae; however, the well-known brown-tide-causing pelagophyte Aureococcus anophagefferens has been barely investigated in this regard. Recently, based mainly on detections in marine sediments from China, we proved that this organism has a resting stage. We, therefore, conducted a follow-up study to characterize the resting stage cells (RSCs) of A. anophagefferens using the culture CCMP1984. The RSCs were spherical, larger than the vegetative cells, and smooth in cell surface and contained more aggregated plastid but more vacuolar space than vegetative cells. RSCs contained a conspicuous lipid-enriched red droplet. We found a 9.9-fold decrease in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content from vegetative cells to RSCs, indicative of a "resting" or dormant physiological state. The RSCs stored for 3 months (at 4 °C in darkness) readily reverted back to vegetative growth within 20 days after being transferred to the conditions for routine culture maintenance. Our results indicate that the RSCs of A. anophagefferens are a dormant state that differs from vegetative cells morphologically and physiologically, and that RSCs likely enable the species to survive unfavorable conditions, seed annual blooms, and facilitate its cosmopolitan distribution that we recently documented.

scholarly journals Metatranscriptome Library Preparation Influences Analyses of Viral Community Activity During a Brown Tide Bloom

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric R. Gann ◽  
Yoonja Kang ◽  
Sonya T. Dyhrman ◽  
Christopher J. Gobler ◽  
Steven W. Wilhelm
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Brown Tide ◽  
Aureococcus Anophagefferens ◽  
Brown Tides ◽  
Viral Communities ◽  
Brown Tide Bloom ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Virus Community

There is growing interest in the use of metatranscriptomics to study virus community dynamics. We used RNA samples collected from harmful brown tides caused by the eukaryotic alga Aureococcus anophagefferens within New York (United States) estuaries and in the process observed how preprocessing of libraries by either selection for polyadenylation or reduction in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) influenced virus community analyses. As expected, more reads mapped to the A. anophagefferens genome in polyadenylation-selected libraries compared to the rRNA-reduced libraries, with reads mapped in each sample correlating to one another regardless of preprocessing of libraries. Yet, this trend was not seen for reads mapping to the Aureococcus anophagefferens Virus (AaV), where significantly more reads (approximately two orders of magnitude) were mapped to the AaV genome in the rRNA-reduced libraries. In the rRNA-reduced libraries, there was a strong and significant correlation between reads mappings to AaV and A. anophagefferens. Overall, polyadenylation-selected libraries produced fewer viral contigs, fewer reads mapped to viral contigs, and different proportions across viral realms and families, compared to their rRNA-reduced pairs. This study provides evidence that libraries generated by rRNA reduction and not selected for polyadenylation are more appropriate for quantitative characterization of viral communities in aquatic ecosystems by metatranscriptomics.

scholarly journals A closed-loop optogenetic screen for neurons controlling feeding in Drosophila

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia K S Lau ◽  
Meghan Jelen ◽  
Michael D Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Expression Pattern ◽  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Taste Detection ◽  
Proof Of Principle ◽  
Feeding Circuits

Abstract Feeding is an essential part of animal life that is greatly impacted by the sense of taste. Although the characterization of taste-detection at the periphery has been extensive, higher order taste and feeding circuits are still being elucidated. Here, we use an automated closed-loop optogenetic activation screen to detect novel taste and feeding neurons in Drosophila melanogaster. Out of 122 Janelia FlyLight Project GAL4 lines preselected based on expression pattern, we identify six lines that acutely promote feeding and 35 lines that inhibit it. As proof of principle, we follow up on R70C07-GAL4, which labels neurons that strongly inhibit feeding. Using split-GAL4 lines to isolate subsets of the R70C07-GAL4 population, we find both appetitive and aversive neurons. Furthermore, we show that R70C07-GAL4 labels putative second-order taste interneurons that contact both sweet and bitter sensory neurons. These results serve as a resource for further functional dissection of fly feeding circuits.

scholarly journals Proteinuria in COVID-19: prevalence, characterization and prognostic role

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Huart ◽  
Antoine Bouquegneau ◽  
Laurence Lutteri ◽  
Pauline Erpicum ◽  
Stéphanie Grosch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Catheter ◽  
Single Center ◽  
Tubular Injury ◽  
Tubular Proteinuria ◽  
Prognostic Role ◽  
Urine Creatinine ◽  
Single Center Study ◽  
Center Study

Abstract Background Proteinuria has been commonly reported in patients with COVID-19. However, only dipstick tests have been frequently used thus far. Here, the quantification and characterization of proteinuria were investigated and their association with mortality was assessed. Methods This retrospective, observational, single center study included 153 patients, hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 28th and April 30th, 2020, in whom total proteinuria and urinary α1-microglobulin (a marker of tubular injury) were measured. Association with mortality was evaluated, with a follow-up until May 7th, 2020. Results According to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes staging, 14% (n = 21) of the patients had category 1 proteinuria (< 150 mg/g of urine creatinine), 42% (n = 64) had category 2 (between 150 and 500 mg/g) and 44% (n = 68) had category 3 proteinuria (over 500 mg/g). Urine α1-microglobulin concentration was higher than 15 mg/g in 89% of patients. After a median follow-up of 27 [14;30] days, the mortality rate reached 18%. Total proteinuria and urinary α1-microglobulin were associated with mortality in unadjusted and adjusted models. This association was stronger in subgroups of patients with normal renal function and without a urinary catheter. Conclusions Proteinuria is frequent in patients with COVID-19. Its characterization suggests a tubular origin, with increased urinary α1-microglobulin. Tubular proteinuria was associated with mortality in COVID-19 in our restropective, observational study.

scholarly journals First Study of the Prevalence and Characterization of Brachial Plexus Injuries in Guatemala

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. e46-e50
Author(s):  
Carmen Joanna González Lemus ◽  
Fernando Xavier Romero Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Brachial Plexus ◽  
Brachial Plexus Injury ◽  
Main Mode ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
Mode Of Transportation ◽  
Surgery Department

Abstract Objective This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of brachial plexus injuries and to characterize clinically and epidemiologically patients with brachial plexus injury. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 2,923 medical records of patients aged 1 to 64 years who presented at outpatient peripheral nerve unit of the Orthopedic Surgery Department of Hospital Roosevelt, Guatemala, from January 2017 to December 2017, were prospectively analyzed to identify the prevalence and factors associated with brachial plexus injuries. Results The prevalence rate of brachial plexus injuries in patients was 5.74%. This injury is more common in men (90.5%) aged 24 to 64 years. Brachial plexus injuries occurred secondary to motorcycle accident in 72% of the cases, with the majority affecting the dominant upper extremity. In addition, 64.28% of the patients took 1 to 6 months to seek consultation, whereas only 16.07% requested medical assistance <1 month from the onset of symptoms, and this result was associated with early diagnosis and adequate recovery during follow-up. Furthermore, 66.67% presented upper brachial plexus injury with no associated fractures or vascular injury, manifesting distress while performing daily activities that required hand, arm, and elbow movements. Conclusion The risk of suffering BPIs in Guatemala increases in economically active male patients that use motorcycles as main mode of transportation. Patients should consult immediately after injury onset to optimize management results. For this reason, hospitals must develop specialized clinical guidelines to speed up the identification and treatment of BPI injuries.

Post-Operative Dysphagia in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

2021 ◽  
pp. 000348942110155
Author(s):  
Leonard Haller ◽  
Khush Mehul Kharidia ◽  
Caitlin Bertelsen ◽  
Jeffrey Wang ◽  
Karla O’Dell
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Anterior Cervical Discectomy ◽  
Cervical Discectomy ◽  
Long Term Follow Up

Objective: We sought to identify risk factors associated with long-term dysphagia, characterize changes in dysphagia over time, and evaluate the incidence of otolaryngology referrals for patients with long-term dysphagia following anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF). Methods: About 56 patients who underwent ACDF between May 2017 to February 2019 were included in the study. All patients were assessed for dysphagia using the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) survey preoperatively and late postoperatively (≥1 year). Additionally, 28 patients were assessed for dysphagia early postoperatively (2 weeks—3 months). Demographic data, medical comorbidities, intraoperative details, and post-operative otolaryngology referral rates were collected from electronic medical records. Results: Of the 56 patients enrolled, 21 patients (38%) had EAT-10 scores of 3 or more at long-term follow-up. None of the demographics, comorbidities, or surgical factors assessed were associated with long-term dysphagia. Patients who reported no long-term dysphagia had a mean EAT-10 score of 6.9 early postoperatively, while patients with long-term symptoms had a mean score of 18.1 ( P = .006). Of the 21 patients who reported persistent dysphagia symptoms, 3 (14%) received dysphagia testing or otolaryngology referrals post-operatively. Conclusion: Dysphagia is a notable side effect of ACDF surgery, but there are no significant demographics, comorbidities, or surgical risk factors that predict long-term dysphagia. Early postoperative characterization of dysphagia using the EAT-10 questionnaire can help predict long-term symptoms. There is inadequate screening and otolaryngology follow-up for patients with post-ACDF dysphagia.

scholarly journals Introduction of the Grayscale Median for Ultrasound Tissue Characterization of the Transplanted Kidney

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 390
Author(s):  
Camilo G. Sotomayor ◽  
Stan Benjamens ◽  
Hildebrand Dijkstra ◽  
Derya Yakar ◽  
Cyril Moers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kidney Transplant ◽  
Tissue Characterization ◽  
Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Ultrasound Tissue Characterization ◽  
Adult Kidney ◽  
Mersenne Twister ◽  
History Of

Ultrasound examination is advised for early post-kidney transplant assessment. Grayscale median (GSM) quantification is novel in the kidney transplant field, with no systematic assessment previously reported. In this prospective cohort study, we measured the post-operative GSM in a large cohort of adult kidney transplant recipients (KTR) who consecutively underwent Doppler ultrasound directly after transplantation (within 24 h), compared it with GSM in nontransplanted patients, and investigated its association with baseline and follow-up characteristics. B-mode images were used to calculate the GSM in KTR and compared with GSM data in nontransplanted patients, as simulated from summary statistics of the literature using a Mersenne twister algorithm. The association of GSM with baseline and 1-year follow-up characteristics were studied by means of linear regression analyses. In 282 KTR (54 ± 15 years old, 60% male), the median (IQR) GSM was 55 (45–69), ranging from 22 to 124 (coefficient of variation = 7.4%), without differences by type of donation (p = 0.28). GSM in KTR was significantly higher than in nontransplanted patients (p < 0.001), and associated with systolic blood pressure, history of cardiovascular disease, and donor age (std. β = 0.12, −0.20, and 0.13, respectively; p < 0.05 for all). Higher early post-kidney transplant GSM was not associated with 1-year post-kidney transplant function parameters (e.g., measured and estimated glomerular filtration rate). The data provided in this study could be used as first step for further research on the application of early postoperative ultrasound in KTR.

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