Combining RNAscope, Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Digital Image Analysis to Assess Podoplanin (PDPN) Protein and PDPN_mRNA Expression on Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Normal Human Placenta Tissues.

The expression and function of podoplanin (PDPN) in the normal human placenta has been debated in placental evaluation. This study emphasizes the importance of a multimodal approach of PDPN expression in normal human placentas. A complete examination is performed using immunohistochemistry, RNAscope and automated Digital Image examination (DIA) interpretation. QuPath DIA-based analysis automatically generated the stromal and histological scores of PDPN expression for immunohistochemistry and RNAscope stains. The umbilical cord's isolated fibroblasts and luminal structures expressed PDPN protein and PDPN_mRNA. RNAscope detected PDPN_mRNA upregulation in syncytial placental knots trophoblastic cells, but immunohistochemistry did not certify this at the protein level. The study found a significant correlation between the IHC and RNAscope H-Score (p = 0.033) and Allred Score (p = 0.05). A successful multimodal strategy for PDPN assessment in human placentas confirmed PDPN expression heterogeneity in the full-term human normal placenta and umbilical cord at the protein and mRNA level. In placental syncytial knots trophoblastic cells, PDPN showed mRNA overexpression, suggesting a potential role in placenta maturation.

Chloride Intracellular Channel Protein 1 Expression and Angiogenic Profile of Liver Metastasis of Digestive Origin.

Chloride intracellular channel 1 (CLIC1) is involved in cell migration and metastasis. The histological growth patterns of liver metastasis are as follows: desmoplastic (d-HGP), replacement (r-HGP), pushing (p-HGP), and mixed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between HGP, angiogenesis, and CLIC1 expression. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 cases of primary tumors and their LM: d-HGP (12 cases), r-HGP (13 cases), and p-HGP (15 cases), were evaluated through simple and double immunostaining. CLIC1 assessment was conducted as follows: scores of 0 (less than 10% of positive cells), 1 (10-30%), 2 (30-50%), or 3 (more than 50%) were assigned. Heterogeneous CLIC1 expression was found. CLIC1 in primary tumors correlated with grade G for all cases of LM with a p-HGP (p = 0.004). The CLIC1 score for LMs with an r-HGP correlated with grade G of the corresponding primary tumor (p = 0.027). CLIC1 and CD34+/Ki67+ vessels (p = 0.006) correlated in primary tumors. CLIC1 in primary tumors correlated with CD34+/Ki67+ vessels of LMs with a d HGP (p = 0.024). Conclusions: The CLIC1 score may have prognostic value, mainly for LMs with a p-HGP and r-HGP, and therapeutic value for LMs with a d-HGP.

Fully integrated silicon probes for high-density recording of neural activity.

Sensory, motor and cognitive operations involve the coordinated action of large neuronal populations across multiple brain regions in both superficial and deep structures. Existing extracellular probes record neural activity with excellent spatial and temporal (sub-millisecond) resolution, but from only a few dozen neurons per shank. Optical Ca2+ imaging offers more coverage but lacks the temporal resolution needed to distinguish individual spikes reliably and does not measure local field potentials. Until now, no technology compatible with use in unrestrained animals has combined high spatiotemporal resolution with large volume coverage. Here we design, fabricate and test a new silicon probe known as Neuropixels to meet this need. Each probe has 384 recording channels that can programmably address 960 complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processing-compatible low-impedance TiN sites that tile a single 10-mm long, 70 × 20-µm cross-section shank. The 6 × 9-mm probe base is fabricated with the shank on a single chip. Voltage signals are filtered, amplified, multiplexed and digitized on the base, allowing the direct transmission of noise-free digital data from the probe. The combination of dense recording sites and high channel count yielded well-isolated spiking activity from hundreds of neurons per probe implanted in mice and rats. Using two probes, more than 700 well-isolated single neurons were recorded simultaneously from five brain structures in an awake mouse. The fully integrated functionality and small size of Neuropixels probes allowed large populations of neurons from several brain structures to be recorded in freely moving animals. This combination of high-performance electrode technology and scalable chip fabrication methods opens a path towards recording of brain-wide neural activity during behaviour.

Low-Cost Optimized U-Net Model with GMM Automatic Labeling Used in Forest Semantic Segmentation.

Currently, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are widely used for processing and analyzing image or video data, and an essential part of state-of-the-art studies rely on training different CNN architectures. They have broad applications, such as image classification, semantic segmentation, or face recognition. Regardless of the application, one of the important factors influencing network performance is the use of a reliable, well-labeled dataset in the training stage. Most of the time, especially if we talk about semantic classification, labeling is time and resource-consuming and must be done manually by a human operator. This article proposes an automatic label generation method based on the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) unsupervised clustering technique. The other main contribution of this paper is the optimization of the hyperparameters of the traditional U-Net model to achieve a balance between high performance and the least complex structure for implementing a low-cost system. The results showed that the proposed method decreased the resources needed, computation time, and model complexity while maintaining accuracy. Our methods have been tested in a deforestation monitoring application by successfully identifying forests in aerial imagery.

Promising Therapies for Atrial Fibrillation and Ventricular Tachycardia.

Sudden cardiac death due to arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, account for 15-20% of all deaths. Myocardial infarction increases the burden of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia by structural and electrical remodeling of the heart. The current management of new-onset atrial fibrillation includes electric cardioversion with very high conversion rates and pharmacologic cardioversion, with less a than 50% conversion rate. If atrial fibrillation cannot be converted, the focus becomes the control of the symptoms ensuring a constant rhythm and rate control, without considering other contributory factors such as autonomic imbalance. Recently, a huge success was obtained by developing ablation techniques or addressing the vagal nerve stimulation. On the other hand, ventricular tachycardia is more sensitive to drug therapies. However, in cases of non-responsiveness to drugs, the usual therapeutic choice is represented by stereotactic ablative therapy or catheter ablation. This review focuses on these newly developed strategies for treatment of arrhythmias in clinical practice, specifically on vernakalant and low-level tragus stimulation for atrial fibrillation and stereotactic ablative therapy for drug-refractory ventricular tachycardia. These therapies are important for the significant improvement of the management of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, providing: (1) a safer profile than current therapies, (2) higher success rate than current solutions, (3) low cost of delivery.

Optimization of the rapid carbapenem inactivation method for use with AmpC hyperproducers.

OBJECTIVES: Detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPEs) is sometimes difficult with AmpC-hyperproducing Enterobacterales (AHEs), as they may falsely be classified as CPEs. Here, we present a rapid Carbapenem Inactivation Method (rCIM) optimized for AmpC producers (rCIM-A) that allows rapid and easy discrimination between AHEs and CPEs. METHODS: Enterobacterales (n = 249), including natural AmpC producers, AHEs, CPEs and non-carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant control strains were evaluated, using Carba NP, rCIM and rCIM-A. The rCIM-A differs from the rCIM by the addition of cloxacillin (400 µg/mL) to the initial antibiotic incubation step. RESULTS: The rCIM-A yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 84.26% (95% CI: 76.00%-90.55%) and 99.29% (95% CI: 96.11%-99.98%), respectively, while those of the rCIM were 86.11% (95% CI: 78.13%-92.01%) and 80.85% (95% CI: 73.38%-86.99%), respectively; those of Carba NP were lower at 84.04% (95% CI: 75.05%-90.78%) and 91.37% (95% CI: 85.41%-95.46%), respectively, due to indeterminate results. The rCIM-A was capable of discriminating between AHEs and true CPEs, but still failed to identify OXA-23-producing Proteus mirabilis isolates and remained only partially reliable for identifying IMI-like producers and a few MBL (2 NDM-1, 1 LMB-1, 1 TMB-1 and 1 IMP-13) producers. One chromosomally encoded AmpC variant, MIR-10, gave repeatedly positive results using all three tests and was thus considered a false positive. CONCLUSIONS: Specificity for AHEs greatly improved with the rCIM-A without altering the test performance for the other resistance mechanisms. It may replace the rCIM as a cheap, easy, rapid and accurate CPE detection test.

Heating Homes with Servers: Workload Scheduling for Heat Reuse in Distributed Data Centers.

Data centers consume lots of energy to execute their computational workload and generate heat that is mostly wasted. In this paper, we address this problem by considering heat reuse in the case of a distributed data center that features IT equipment (i.e., servers) installed in residential homes to be used as a primary source of heat. We propose a workload scheduling solution for distributed data centers based on a constraint satisfaction model to optimally allocate workload on servers to reach and maintain the desired home temperature setpoint by reusing residual heat. We have defined two models to correlate the heat demand with the amount of workload to be executed by the servers: a mathematical model derived from thermodynamic laws calibrated with monitored data and a machine learning model able to predict the amount of workload to be executed by a server to reach a desired ambient temperature setpoint. The proposed solution was validated using the monitored data of an operational distributed data center. The server heat and power demand mathematical model achieve a correlation accuracy of 11.98% while in the case of machine learning models, the best correlation accuracy of 4.74% is obtained for a Gradient Boosting Regressor algorithm. Also, our solution manages to distribute the workload so that the temperature setpoint is met in a reasonable time, while the server power demand is accurately following the heat demand.

Evaluation of the rapid carbapenem inactivation method (rCIM): a phenotypic screening test for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

Objectives: Fast and accurate diagnostic tests to identify carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are mandatory for proper antimicrobial therapy and implementing infection control measures. Here, we have developed a rapid Carbapenem Inactivation Method (rCIM) for CPE detection. Methods: The rCIM consists of the incubation of a potential carbapenemase producer with meropenem discs and use of the resulting supernatant to challenge a susceptible indicator strain. Growth of the indicator strain is monitored using a nephelometer. The performances of the rCIM were compared with the CIM and Carba NP tests using a collection of 113 well-characterized carbapenem-resistant enterobacterial isolates, including 85 carbapenemase producers and 28 non-carbapenemase producers. In addition, rCIM was compared with the Carba NP test and PCR sequencing in a prospective analysis of 101 carbapenem-resistant enterobacterial isolates addressed to the French National Reference Center for Antimicrobial Resistance in July 2017. Results and discussion: The rCIM correctly identified 84/85 carbapenemase producers and 28/28 non-carbapenemase producers, yielding a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 100%, slightly higher than the CIM and Carba NP test. In the prospective validation study, the rCIM showed a sensitivity and specificity of 97% and 95%, respectively. Two cephalosporinase-hyperproducing Enterobacter cloacae gave false-positive results, whereas an IMI-17-producing Enterobacter asburiae gave a false-negative result. The result was, however, positive when the isolate was grown on selective antibiotic-containing media. Conclusions: The rCIM is a rapid (less than 3 h), cheap and accurate test for the detection of CPEs, which can be implemented in low-resource settings, making it a useful tool for microbiology laboratories.

Time Multiplexed Active Neural Probe with 1356 Parallel Recording Sites.

We present a high electrode density and high channel count CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) active neural probe containing 1344 neuron sized recording pixels (20 µm × 20 µm) and 12 reference pixels (20 µm × 80 µm), densely packed on a 50 µm thick, 100 µm wide, and 8 mm long shank. The active electrodes or pixels consist of dedicated in-situ circuits for signal source amplification, which are directly located under each electrode. The probe supports the simultaneous recording of all 1356 electrodes with sufficient signal to noise ratio for typical neuroscience applications. For enhanced performance, further noise reduction can be achieved while using half of the electrodes (678). Both of these numbers considerably surpass the state-of-the art active neural probes in both electrode count and number of recording channels. The measured input referred noise in the action potential band is 12.4 µVrms, while using 678 electrodes, with just 3 µW power dissipation per pixel and 45 µW per read-out channel (including data transmission).

ß cell membrane remodelling and procoagulant events occur in inflammation-driven insulin impairment: a GLP-1 receptor dependent and independent control.

Inflammation and hyperglycaemia are associated with a prothrombotic state. Cell-derived microparticles (MPs) are the conveyors of active procoagulant tissue factor (TF) and circulate at high concentration in diabetic patients. Liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 analogue, is known to promote insulin secretion and ß-cell preservation. In this in vitro study, we examined the link between insulin impairment, procoagulant activity and plasma membrane remodelling, under inflammatory conditions. Rin-m5f ß-cell function, TF activity mediated by MPs and their modulation by 1 µM liraglutide were examined in a cell cross-talk model. Methyl-ß-cyclodextrine (MCD), a cholesterol depletor, was used to evaluate the involvement of raft on TF activity, MP shedding and insulin secretion as well as Soluble N-éthylmaleimide-sensitive-factor Attachment protein Receptor (SNARE)-dependent exocytosis. Cytokines induced a two-fold increase in TF activity at MP surface that was counteracted by liraglutide. Microparticles prompted TF activity on the target cells and a two-fold decrease in insulin secretion via protein kinase A (PKA) and p38 signalling, that was also abolished by liraglutide. Large lipid raft clusters were formed in response to cytokines and liraglutide or MCD-treated cells showed similar patterns. Cells pre-treated by saturating concentration of the GLP-1r antagonist exendin (9-39), showed a partial abolishment of the liraglutide-driven insulin secretion and liraglutide-decreased TF activity. Measurement of caspase 3 cleavage and MP shedding confirmed the contribution of GLP-1r-dependent and -independent pathways. Our results confirm an integrative ß-cell response to GLP-1 that targets receptor-mediated signalling and membrane remodelling pointing at the coupling of insulin secretion and inflammation-driven procoagulant events.

Validating silicon polytrodes with paired juxtacellular recordings: method and dataset.

Cross-validating new methods for recording neural activity is necessary to accurately interpret and compare the signals they measure. Here we describe a procedure for precisely aligning two probes for in vivo "paired-recordings" such that the spiking activity of a single neuron is monitored with both a dense extracellular silicon polytrode and a juxtacellular micropipette. Our new method allows for efficient, reliable, and automated guidance of both probes to the same neural structure with micrometer resolution. We also describe a new dataset of paired-recordings, which is available online. We propose that our novel targeting system, and ever expanding cross-validation dataset, will be vital to the development of new algorithms for automatically detecting/sorting single-units, characterizing new electrode materials/designs, and resolving nagging questions regarding the origin and nature of extracellular neural signals.

Differential influence of tacrolimus and sirolimus on mitochondrial-dependent signaling for apoptosis in pancreatic cells.

To examine and compare the mitochondria-related cellular mechanisms by which tacrolimus (TAC) or sirolimus (SIR) immunosuppressive drugs alter the pancreatic exocrine and endocrine ß-cell fate. Human exocrine PANC-1 and rat endocrine insulin-secreting RIN-m5F cells and isolated rat islets were submitted to 1-100 nM TAC or SIR. In cultures, insulin secretion was measured as endocrine cell function marker. Apoptosis was quantified by annexin 5 and propidium iodide staining. Cleaved caspase-3, Bax apoptosis indicators, and p53, p21 cell cycle regulators were detected by Western blot. Cell cycle and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) were analyzed by flow cytometry and SA-beta-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal) activity by fluorescence microscopy. Only TAC reduced insulin secretion by RIN-m5F after 24 h. TAC and SIR promoted moderate apoptosis in both PANC-1 and RIN-m5F after 24 h. Apoptosis was associated with up-regulated Bax (threefold) and cleaved caspase-3 (fivefold) but only in PANC-1, while p53 and p21 were up-regulated (twofold) in both cell lines. ΔΨm was impaired only in PANC-1 by TAC and SIR. Only SIR prompted cell cycle arrest in both cell lines. The induction of a premature senescence-like phenotype was confirmed in isolated islets by SA-ß-gal activity. TAC and SIR are early inducers of pancreatic cell dysfunction and apoptosis but differentially alter endocrine and exocrine cells via mitochondrial-driven pathways. In rat islets, TAC and SIR prompt a senescence-like phenotype.

INDUCTION OF MACULAR DETACHMENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF PERSISTENT OR RECURRENT IDIOPATHIC MACULAR HOLES.

PURPOSE: To analyze the efficacy of induced macular detachment for the treatment of persistent or recurrent idiopathic macular holes after treatment with one or more standard pars plana vitrectomies (PPVs) with internal limiting membrane peeling. METHODS: This study is a retrospective consecutive case series of 10 patients who underwent a PPV with subretinal balanced salt solution injection from 2011 to 2014 to treat persistent or recurrent idiopathic macular holes. All patients had previously undergone PPV with internal limiting membrane peeling. Visual acuity, ocular examination findings, and optical coherence tomographic images were reviewed preoperatively and postoperatively to assess the anatomical and visual outcomes of this procedure. RESULTS: Nine of the 10 patients who underwent the procedure had closure of their macular holes postoperatively (90%) and remained closed 6 months postoperatively. Most patients reported a subjective visual improvement. A mean objective visual improvement of 16 letters (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study, 0.324 logMAR) was seen between preoperative and 6-month postoperative assessments of all patients (pre = 1.490, post = 1.166; P = 0.022). Subgroup analysis of patients with successful closure revealed 20 letters of improvement (0.398 logMAR) in visual acuity (pre = 1.491, post = 1.093; P = 0.004). There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: In eyes with persistent or recurrent idiopathic macular holes after standard PPV with internal limiting membrane peeling, repeat PPV with subretinal balanced salt solution injection to create a macular detachment may be a viable surgical treatment option. Our results show improved anatomical and visual outcomes postoperatively that compare favorably to other case series describing various surgical treatments for these challenging cases.

What do national radiotherapy guidelines for patients with cardiac devices teach us?

The incidence of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) malfunctions caused by radiotherapy (RT) is approximately 5%. Although individual national guidelines and expert consensus documents exist, the increased use of RT to treat various cancers points out the need for a standardized document to guide risk assessment and management of CIEDs during RT. We describe potential adverse RT-related events on CIEDs as well as the proposed mechanism of dysfunction. We review the main current guidelines and recommendations, emphasizing similarities and differences.

Validation of Human Bone Marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells Co-culture Using a 3D Perfused Biomimetic Microfluidic Platform.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Microfluidic experimental models allow to study the mutual interrelation between tumor development and the microvasculature avoiding animal use and lacking interspecies differences. This study aimed to develop and characterize a 3D tissue culture model employing a two-compartment microfluidic chip-perfused platform to visualize and quantify human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) and MCF-7 breast cancer cell-cell interactions in real time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MCF-7 cells were implanted in the tumor chamber and hBM-MSCs were injected into microvascular channels. hBM-MSCs culture media was perfused into microvascular compartments. The microfluidic device was microscopically examined weekly for four weeks. RESULTS: VE- and E-cadherin immunofluorescence validated hBM-MSCs differentiation into endothelial cells and MCF-7 cell tumor formation. hBM-MSCs differentiation was highly heterogeneous along the microvascular channels, due to different perfusion flow. hBM-MSCs lining microvascular channels acquired VE-cadherin positive endothelial phenotype and continuously covered microchannels as an endothelium like layer. MCF-7 cells were constantly grown as spheroidal aggregates and later formed a compact area of E-cadherin-positive tumor cells inside tumor compartment. CONCLUSION: Our study provides valuable knowledge on the properties of hBM-MSCs as vasculogenesis-supporting cells when co-cultured with MCF-7 cells on a 3D perfused biomimetic microfluidic device. This newly established model may serve as an experimental platform for testing anti-tumor/anti-angiogenic drugs.

The Importance of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales in African Countries: Evolution and Current Burden.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a worldwide healthcare problem. Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) can spread quickly owing to their resistance mechanisms. Although colonized individuals are crucial for MDRO dissemination, colonizing microbes can lead to symptomatic infections in carriers. Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are among the most important MDROs involved in colonizations and infections with severe outcomes. This review aimed to track down the first reports of CPE in Africa, describe their dissemination throughout African countries and summarize the current status of CRE and CPE data, highlighting current knowledge and limitations of reported data. Two database queries were undertaken using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), employing relevant keywords to identify articles that had as their topics beta-lactamases, carbapenemases and carbapenem resistance pertaining to Africa or African regions and countries. The first information on CPE could be traced back to the mid-2000s, but data for many African countries were established after 2015-2018. Information is presented chronologically for each country. Although no clear conclusions could be drawn for some countries, it was observed that CPE infections and colonizations are present in most African countries and that carbapenem-resistance levels are rising. The most common CPE involved are Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, and the most prevalent carbapenemases are NDM-type and OXA-48-type enzymes. Prophylactic measures, such as screening, are required to combat this phenomenon.

Cystic Echinococcosis in the Early 2020s: A Review.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis caused by metacestodes, the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined CE as a neglected disease, it is the second most important foodborne parasitic disease, and it remains an important public health issue, considering its zonal endemicity and potential morbidity. The control and prevention of CE is a relevant WHO target, especially from a One Health perspective, as the disease affects not only animals and humans but also the food chain. Since not all countries have a CE surveillance strategy or reporting system and specific management guidelines, recent epidemiological data are relatively scarce, and research concerning the specific geographical distribution of the disease is ongoing. To add new information to the subject, we have analyzed and collected data from national guidelines and several medical databases. Out of the 751 research articles that were originally identified, only 52 were included in the investigation after applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Notable international projects that have provided significant contributions and had a positive impact are presented. The available data were correlated with WHO recommendations on the subject, thus showcasing the measures taken and those that are still needed to properly control the disease's spread.

Exploring vasculogenesis in the normal human kidney and clear cell renal cell carcinoma: insights from development to tumor progression and biomarkers for therapy response.

Vasculogenesis, which refers to the development of blood vessels from precursor cells, is a process that occurs predominantly during early embryonic life. It plays a crucial role in the establishment of the primitive vascular network. Vasculogenesis diminishes throughout the fetal vascular remodeling process, giving way to angiogenesis, which becomes the predominant mechanism after birth. At first, the development of the kidney's blood vessels depends on vasculogenesis, and then both vasculogenesis and angiogenesis happen simultaneously. Both processes are necessary for the normal development of the renal vasculature. Although the kidneys are highly vascularized, our understanding of normal kidney vasculogenesis is still incomplete. This lack of knowledge may explain the limited data available on the role of vasculogenesis in the progression and spread of renal cancers. In other types of cancer, researchers have well documented the phenomenon of tumor vasculogenesis. However, there is currently limited and fragmented information about the occurrence of clear-cell renal cell carcinomas (cc-RCC). In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the current understanding of normal kidney vasculogenesis and vasculogenic pathways in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (cc-RCC). We specifically focus on cellular precursors, growth factors, and the influence of the normal and tumor environments on these processes. It will carefully look at how tumor vasculogenesis might affect the growth and metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (cc-RCC), as well as how it might affect the effectiveness of drugs and the development of therapy resistance.