-
Microorganisms Jun 2024In September 2023, several hatcheries in Latin America experienced significant mortality rates, up to 90%, in zoea stage 2 of . Observations of fresh mounts revealed...
In September 2023, several hatcheries in Latin America experienced significant mortality rates, up to 90%, in zoea stage 2 of . Observations of fresh mounts revealed structures resembling lipid droplets, similar to those seen in a condition known as "las bolitas syndrome". Routine histopathological examinations identified detached cells and tissues in the digestive tracts of affected zoea, contrasting with the typical algal cell contents seen in healthy zoea. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for over 20 known shrimp pathogens indicated minimal differences between diseased and healthy batches. Both groups tested negative for acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) but positive for species and Rickettsia-like bacteria in the diseased samples. Histological analyses of the affected zoea revealed characteristic tissue degeneration in the hepatopancreas, forming spheres that eventually migrated into the upper gut, midgut, and midgut caeca, a pathology identified as bolitas syndrome (BS). Microbiological assessments revealed species at concentrations of 10 CFU zoea/g in affected zoea, approximately two orders of magnitude higher than in healthy zoea. Bacterial isolation from both healthy and BS-affected zoea on thiosulphate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose (TCBS) agar and CHROMagar™ (Paris, France), followed by identification using API 20E, identified six strains of . Despite similarities to "las bolitas syndrome" in fresh mounts, distinct histopathological differences were noted, particularly the presence of sloughed cells in the intestines and variations in hepatopancreatic lobes. This study highlights the critical need for further research to fully understand the etiology and pathology of bolitas syndrome in zoea stage 2 of to develop effective mitigation strategies for hatchery operations.
PubMed: 38930568
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061186 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jun 2024: To investigate anatomical and functional changes of the macula caused by epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling procedures in patients with or without posterior vitreous...
: To investigate anatomical and functional changes of the macula caused by epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling procedures in patients with or without posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). : This is a multicentric prospective observational study on thirty-seven (37) patients affected by symptomatic ERM who underwent 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), induction of a PVD (as needed) and peeling of both the internal limiting membrane (ILM) and ERM. Optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A) (, Nidek, Japan) and microperimetry (, Nidek, Japan) were performed; central retinal thickness (CRT), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and perimeter, vessel density and perfusion density, retinal sensitivity and fixation stability (as a total mean retinal sensitivity (MRS), and MRS in the ellipse area and bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA)) were recorded at baseline and up to postoperative month 3. : Eyes were classified as having complete PVD (51.4%) or incomplete PVD (48.6%). At baseline, patients with incomplete PVD had worse best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), total MRS, MRS in the ellipse area and BCEA, and higher CRT than patients with complete PVD. At month 3, the differences in BCDVA between the two groups remained statistically significant, with patients with incomplete PVD having worse results (difference: 0.199 logMAR, < 0.001). The difference in the MRS in the ellipse area was statistically significant at month 3 (-3.378 Db, = 0.035), with greater improvement in patients with complete PVD. : Our study shows that patients with incomplete PVD have worse conditions at baseline than patients with complete PVD, and the differences in visual acuity and retinal sensitivity were maintained postoperatively.
PubMed: 38930094
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123565 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jun 2024: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of bi-monthly brolucimumab treatment in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) refractory to...
: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of bi-monthly brolucimumab treatment in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) refractory to monthly aflibercept treatment. : A retrospective chart review included 32 eyes of patients with refractory nAMD who switched from monthly intravitreal aflibercept treatment to bi-monthly intravitreal brolucizumab treatment. This study evaluated changes in visual acuity (VA), intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid (SRF), pigment epithelial detachment (PED), and central macular thickness (CMT), at specific times as follows: baseline before switching (T0), 2 months after switching (T1), 4 months after switching (T2), and 6 months after switching (T3). : The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) did not significantly change across all time points (0.52 ± 0.12, 0.48 ± 0.27, 0.48 ± 0.28, and 0.50 ± 0.27 logarithms of the minimum angle of resolution in T0, T1, T2, and T3, respectively). CMT significantly decreased after additional brolucizumab injections compared to the baseline (218.2 ± 48.6 and 207.9 ± 49.8 μm, respectively; = 0.001). The PED height also significantly decreased from 251.0 ± 165.4 to 154.4 ± 115.65 μm ( < 0.001), with complete resolution in nine patients (28%). The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) before brolucizumab treatment was 262.8 ± 79.7 μm, which decreased to 233.0 ± 71.2 μm ( = 0.001) after the first injection. The final SFCT also significantly decreased after additional brolucizumab injections compared to the baseline SFCT ( = 0.012). : Bi-monthly brolucizumab treatment proves effective for patients refractory to monthly fixed aflibercept, resulting in positive anatomical changes without significant deterioration in visual acuity. This approach provides a promising prognosis while reducing the treatment burden on refractory patients.
PubMed: 38929964
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123434 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine May 2024To investigate the associations between fluid accumulation at different levels in the retina and visual outcome in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). A...
To investigate the associations between fluid accumulation at different levels in the retina and visual outcome in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). A retrospective observational study. Institutional setting. A total of 91 eyes from 91 patients of PCV were included, with 65 receiving intravitreal aflibercept monotherapy and 26 receiving combined intravitreal ranibizumab and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Observation Procedures: Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination results were recorded at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. The correlations between visual outcomes and fluid biomarkers including intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid (SRF), serous pigment epithelium detachment (PED), and hemorrhage at fovea were analyzed. No differences in treatment outcomes were noted between patients receiving aflibercept and those receiving combined ranibizumab and PDT. IRF and hemorrhage at baseline predicted poorer vision at 3, 6, and 12 months. The presence of IRF was associated with poorer vision at 6 months and 12 months ( < 0.05 for all). The presence of SRF or PED was not associated with better vision at any time point. No differences in the correlations between fluid markers and visual outcomes were noted between thin and thick subfoveal choroidal thickness groups. For PCV, IRF and hemorrhage at baseline served as surrogates for poor visual prognosis after treatment, and IRF was a biomarker for poor vision during the treatment course. No fluid markers predicted good visual prognosis or had a positive impact on vision at any time point.
PubMed: 38929795
DOI: 10.3390/jpm14060574 -
Life (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024A number of species have been identified as destructive plant pathogens and invasive species. They have the potential to affect a wide range of host plants and cause...
A number of species have been identified as destructive plant pathogens and invasive species. They have the potential to affect a wide range of host plants and cause diseases in agricultural and forest ecosystems. Two species from rhizosphere soil samples collected from declining in Bulgaria were isolated in the autumn of 2022. They were identified as and according to the DNA sequence analysis of the ITS region, as well as their morphological and physiological characteristics. The pathogenicity of both species to common and gray alder was evaluated by the inoculation of detached leaves and cuttings. Experimental data proved that and are able to cause leaf necrosis not only on from which they were derived, but also on . No significant deference in the aggressiveness of the studied isolates from both species against the two tested plants was observed. Therefore, and were determined as potential threats for alder ecosystems in the country. This is the first report for the isolation of in Bulgaria and represents the most southeastern point of the species distribution in Europe.
PubMed: 38929703
DOI: 10.3390/life14060720 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024Kyushu Shinkansen and conventional railway lines run parallel in the areas 5 km north of Kumamoto Station (northern area) and 12 km south of the station (southern area)....
Kyushu Shinkansen and conventional railway lines run parallel in the areas 5 km north of Kumamoto Station (northern area) and 12 km south of the station (southern area). Following the operation of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line in 2011, the adjacent conventional railway line in the north was elevated, a new station was operated in the south, and large earthquakes struck the Kumamoto area from March to April 2016. Sleep disturbances were compared before and after the interventions and earthquakes based on noise source (Shinkansen and conventional railways), area (northern and southern), and house type (detached and apartment) through socio-acoustic surveys from 2011 to 2017. The Shinkansen railway caused significantly less sleep disturbances in detached houses in the north after compared to before the earthquakes, presumably due to more frequent closures of bedroom windows in northern detached houses following the earthquakes. The Shinkansen railway caused significantly more sleep disturbances in apartments in the south after compared to before the earthquakes, presumably because the Shinkansen slowed down immediately after the earthquakes and returned to normal speed during the survey, suddenly increasing the noise exposure. There was no significant difference in the other six cases investigated. Overall, the interventions may not have caused significant differences in sleep disturbances. This article expands on the congress paper by Morihara et al. presented in the "Community Response to Noise" session at the 52nd International Congress and Exhibition on Noise Control Engineering in Makuhari, Japan, organized by the International Institute of Noise Control Engineering.
Topics: Earthquakes; Railroads; Humans; Noise, Transportation; Sleep Wake Disorders; Japan; Environmental Exposure; Housing
PubMed: 38929029
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060783 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2024Although spending time outdoors is beneficial for development, little is known about outdoor time during infancy. The aim of this study was to assess frequencies and...
BACKGROUND
Although spending time outdoors is beneficial for development, little is known about outdoor time during infancy. The aim of this study was to assess frequencies and durations of (1a) outdoor walking and carrying in mother-infant dyads and (1b) infant outdoor sleeping in a stationary cot or pram. We furthermore aimed to identify associations of (2a) outdoor walking and carrying and (2b) infant outdoor sleeping, with infant, maternal and environmental sample characteristics.
METHODS
An online survey was distributed among mothers of 0- to 12-month-old infants. Initially, 1453 mothers were recruited, of which 1275 were included in the analyses. With respect to (1a) the outcomes of interest were: mother-infant dyads' total weekly duration of walking in minutes, frequency of walking on weekdays, as well as weekends, and the frequency of using an infant carrier during walks, as well as the daily duration of carrying in hours (indoors and outdoors together). With respect to (1b) the outcome variables were: placing the infant outdoors to sleep (yes/no), the total weekly duration of outdoor sleeping and the weekly frequency of outdoor sleeping. For aim 2, associations of the outcome variables with infant (i.e., age), maternal (i.e., working status) and environmental (i.e., house type) sample characteristics were assessed.
RESULTS
Mother-infant dyads engaged in walks for a total weekly duration of 201 min, for approximately one to three walks over weekdays (Monday through Friday), as well as one to three walks on the weekend. The infant carrier was used by 22% of mothers at least half of the time during outdoor walks, and 18% reported a daily duration of infant carrying of one hour or more. Among other associations, infant and maternal enjoyment of outdoor walking correlated positively with the duration as well as the frequency of walking during weekdays and during the weekend. Furthermore, employed mothers walked for a shorter duration and less frequently on weekdays as compared to mothers on maternity leave or mothers without a paid job. The availability of nearby recreational areas correlated positively with the weekly duration and frequency of walks. The infant carrier was used more frequently during outdoor walks if more than one child lived in the household. Infant carrying during outdoor walks was also related to infant behavior at night. Roughly a third of the mothers (29%) regularly had their infant sleep outdoors for a weekly duration of four hours and a weekly frequency of approximately one to two times. Younger infants, infants of mothers with higher education and infants living in detached houses were more likely to be placed outdoors to sleep.
DISCUSSION
We identified associations of infant, maternal and environmental characteristics with outdoor time spent during infancy. These results lay the foundation for future research on the effects of the outdoors on child development as well as on facilitators and barriers for caregivers.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Sleep; Female; Walking; Adult; Infant, Newborn; Male; Mothers; Infant Care; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38928940
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060694 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The aim of the study was to evaluate the local status of the sclera in lattice retinal degeneration. Patients with lattice degeneration, snail-track degeneration, or...
The aim of the study was to evaluate the local status of the sclera in lattice retinal degeneration. Patients with lattice degeneration, snail-track degeneration, or horseshoe retinal breaks were included. One lesion of a single eye in each patient was captured with cross-sectional optical coherence tomography (OCT) along and across the greatest lesion dimension. The maximum height of scleral indentation was measured and compared between different lesion types and between lattice lesions with and without retinal breakage or local detachment. The correlation between the maximum height of the scleral indentation of lattice lesions and the age of the patients was calculated. Seventy-five eyes of 75 patients (44.4 ± 14.7 years; 35 males and 30 females) were included. OCT showed variable local scleral indentation in 52 out of 55 (94.5%) lattice lesions, in five out of nine (55.5%) snail-tack lesions, and in three out of eleven (27.3%) horseshoe breaks. The maximum scleral indentation within lattice lesions, snail-tack lesions, and horseshoe breaks was 227.2 ± 111.3, 22.0 ± 49.2, and 88.5 ± 48.4 µm, respectively ( < 0.001 for snail-tack lesions and horseshoe breaks compared to lattice lesions). Lattice lesions with retinal breaks and/or local retinal detachment had statistically significantly lower scleral indentation than those without ( = 0.01). The height of the scleral indentation of lattice lesions was positively correlated with patient age (r = 0.51, = 0.03). In conclusion, scleral indentation is one of the hallmarks of lattice retinal degeneration and may be associated with a reduced risk of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.
PubMed: 38928710
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14121295 -
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Ultra-widefield (UWF) retinal imaging stands as a pivotal modality for detecting major eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment. However, UWF...
Ultra-widefield (UWF) retinal imaging stands as a pivotal modality for detecting major eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment. However, UWF exhibits a well-documented limitation in terms of low resolution and artifacts in the macular area, thereby constraining its clinical diagnostic accuracy, particularly for macular diseases like age-related macular degeneration. Conventional supervised super-resolution techniques aim to address this limitation by enhancing the resolution of the macular region through the utilization of meticulously paired and aligned fundus image ground truths. However, obtaining such refined paired ground truths is a formidable challenge. To tackle this issue, we propose an unpaired, degradation-aware, super-resolution technique for enhancing UWF retinal images. Our approach leverages recent advancements in deep learning: specifically, by employing generative adversarial networks and attention mechanisms. Notably, our method excels at enhancing and super-resolving UWF images without relying on paired, clean ground truths. Through extensive experimentation and evaluation, we demonstrate that our approach not only produces visually pleasing results but also establishes state-of-the-art performance in enhancing and super-resolving UWF retinal images. We anticipate that our method will contribute to improving the accuracy of clinical assessments and treatments, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.
PubMed: 38927804
DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11060568 -
Genes May 2024Tunicate orthologs in the human genome comprise just 84 genes of the 19,872 protein-coding genes and 23 of the 16,528 non-coding genes, yet they stand at the base of the... (Review)
Review
Tunicate orthologs in the human genome comprise just 84 genes of the 19,872 protein-coding genes and 23 of the 16,528 non-coding genes, yet they stand at the base of the Olfactores clade, which radiated to generate thousands of tunicate and vertebrate species. What were the powerful drivers among these genes that enabled this process? Many of these orthologs are present in gene families. We discuss the biological role of each family and the orthologs' quantitative contribution to the family. Most important was the evolution of a second type of cadherin. This, a Type II cadherin, had the property of detaching the cell containing that cadherin from cells that expressed the Type I class. The set of such Type II cadherins could now detach and move away from their Type I neighbours, a process which would eventually evolve into the formation of the neural crest, "the fourth germ layer", providing a wide range of possibilities for further evolutionary invention. A second important contribution were key additions to the broad development of the muscle and nerve protein and visual perception toolkits. These developments in mobility and vision provided the basis for the development of the efficient predatory capabilities of the Vertebrata.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Evolution, Molecular; Urochordata; Cadherins; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38927593
DOI: 10.3390/genes15060657