Use of a Smartphone Self-assessment App for a Tobacco-Induced Disease (COPD, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cancer) Screening Strategy and to Encourage Smoking Cessation: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Patient self-assessment via a mobile app detects actionable symptoms and has been shown to detect lung cancer relapses early, thereby lengthening survival. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of chief symptoms associated with the main tobacco-induced pathologies in both current and ex-smokers through a self-assessment smartphone app and to evaluate the app's capacity to encourage users to quit smoking or reduce consumption, as well as its impact on early lung cancer stages at the time of diagnosis. METHODS: Current and ex-smokers were recruited through an advertising campaign in Sarthe county (France) proposing the free download of a smartphone app. App users were asked to answer 13 questions related to symptoms associated with tobacco-induced diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], cardiovascular diseases, cancer). In the event of any positive answer, a message was displayed recommending the user to consult a physician. In addition, they were asked about smoking cessation intention before and after answering these 13 questions. Finally, incidence of stage 1 or 2 lung cancers diagnosed during the launch period of our application was evaluated by comparing data from various sources to those from the same period during the previous year. RESULTS: Of the 5671 users who were eligible for evaluation, an alert was sent to the majority (4118/5671, 72.6%), with a higher incidence for current smokers (2833/3679, 77.0% vs 1298/1992, 65.2%; P<.001). The most frequent symptoms triggering the notifications were fatigue (2023/5671, 35.7%), cough (1658/5671, 29.2%), dyspnea (1502/5671, 26.5%), and persistent chest pain (1286/5671, 22.7%). Of the current smokers, 14.0% (515/3679) showed symptoms suggesting COPD, 15.5% (571/3679) showed symptoms suggesting stable angina, 12.4% (455/3679) probably had lower extremity artery disease, and 6.8% (249/3679) had possible cancer. Of the users, 36.5% (1343/3679) claimed that they thought about quitting smoking, and 48.7% (1795/3679) had thought about reducing their consumption. Surgery-eligible stage 1 and 2 lung cancer incidence was 24% (14/58) during the study period versus 9% (5/54) during the previous year in Sarthe county (P=.04), whereas it remained unchanged in the neighboring county of Maine-et-Loire. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of current and ex-smokers showed worrying symptoms, and the use of a self-assessment smartphone app may drive a majority of smokers toward the intention of smoking cessation or decreasing consumption. A randomized study should be performed to confirm this intention and to support the potential increase of symptomatic lung cancer detection at early, surgery-accessible stages. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04048954; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04048954.

Building a cluster of NLR genes conferring resistance to pests and pathogens: the story of the Vat gene cluster in cucurbits.

Most molecularly characterized plant resistance genes (R genes) belong to the nucleotide-binding-site-leucine-rich-repeat (NLR) receptor family and are prone to duplication and transposition with high sequence diversity. In this family, the Vat gene in melon is one of the few R genes known for conferring resistance to insect, i.e., Aphis gossypii, but it has been misassembled and/or mispredicted in the whole genomes of Cucurbits. We examined 14 genomic regions (about 400 kb) derived from long-read assemblies spanning Vat-related genes in Cucumis melo, Cucumis sativus, Citrullus lanatus, Benincasa hispida, Cucurbita argyrosperma, and Momordica charantia. We built the phylogeny of those genes. Investigating the paleohistory of the Vat gene cluster, we revealed a step by step process beginning from a common ancestry in cucurbits older than 50 my. We highlighted Vat exclusively in the Cucumis genera, which diverged about 20 my ago. We then focused on melon, evaluating a minimum duplication rate of Vat in 80 wild and cultivated melon lines using generalist primers; our results suggested that duplication started before melon domestication. The phylogeny of 44 Vat-CDS obtained from 21 melon lines revealed gain and loss of leucine-rich-repeat domains along diversification. Altogether, we revealed the high putative recognition scale offered in melon based on a combination of SNPs, number of leucine-rich-repeat domains within each homolog and number of homologs within each cluster that might jointly confer resistance to a large pest and pathogen spectrum. Based on our findings, we propose possible avenues for breeding programs.

A web-based route planning tool to reduce cyclists' exposures to traffic pollution: a case study in Montreal, Canada.

We developed a web-based route planning tool for cyclists in Montreal, Canada, using spatial monitoring data for ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2). With this tool, we estimated exposures to NO2 along shortest routes and lower exposure alternatives using origin-destination survey data. On average, exposures were estimated to be lower by 0.76 ppb (95% CI: 0.72, 0.80) relative to the shortest route, with decreases of up to 6.1 ppb for a single trip. Cumulative exposure levels (ppb km) decreased by approximately 4%. In general, the benefits of decreased exposure could be achieved with little increase (less than 1 km) in the overall route length.

Complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052, a commercial probiotic strain.

Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 is a commercially available strain that is widely used in probiotic preparations. The genome sequence consisted of 2,129,425 bases. Comparative analysis showed that it was unique among L. helveticus strains in that it contained genes encoding mucus-binding proteins similar to those found in Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Draft genome sequence of probiotic strain Pediococcus acidilactici MA18/5M.

Pediococcus acidilactici MA18/5M is a commercially available probiotic that is widely used in swine, poultry, aquaculture feeds, and human dietary supplements. We prepared a genome sequence for this strain consisting of 2 scaffolds totaling 1,992,928 bases including gaps for a total of 3,346 bases and a G+C content of 42%.

Draft genome sequence of probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 is a commercially available probiotic that is widely used in human dietary supplements and pharmaceutical products. We prepared a draft genome sequence consisting of 10 contigs totaling 2,900,620 bases and a G+C content of 46.7% for this strain.