Bimodal distribution of seafloor microbiota diversity and function are associated with marine aquaculture.

The aim of the current work was to investigate the impact of marine aquaculture on seafloor biogeochemistry and diversity from pristine environments in the northern part of Norway. Our analytical approach included analyses of 182 samples from 16 aquaculture sites using 16S and 18S rRNA, shotgun analyses, visual examination of macro-organisms, in addition to chemical measurements. We observed a clear bimodal distribution of the prokaryote composition and richness, determined by analyses of 16S rRNA gene operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The high OTU richness cluster was associated with non-perturbed environments and farness from the aquaculture sites, while the low OTU richness cluster was associated with perturbed environments and proximity to the aquaculture sites. Similar patterns were also observed for eukaryotes using 18S rRNA gene analyses and visual examination, but without a bimodal distribution of OTU richness. Shotgun sequencing showed the archaeum Nitrosopumilus as dominant for the high OTU richness cluster, and the epsilon protobacterium Sulfurovum as dominant for the low OTU richness cluster. Metabolic reconstruction of Nitrosopumilus indicates nitrification as the main metabolic pathway. Sulfurovum, on the other hand, was associated with sulfur oxidation and denitrification. Changes in nitrogen and sulfur metabolism is proposed as a potential explanation for the difference between the high and low OTU richness clusters. In conclusion, these findings suggest that pollution from elevated loads of organic waste drives the microbiota towards a complete alteration of respiratory routes and species composition, in addition to a collapse in prokaryote OTU richness.

Next-generation sequencing of newborn screening genes: the accuracy of short-read mapping.

Newborn screening programs are an integral part of public health systems aiming to save lives and improve the quality of life for infants with treatable disorders. Technological advancements have driven the expansion of newborn screening programs in the last two decades and the development of fast, accurate next-generation sequencing technology has opened the door to a range of possibilities in the field. However, technological challenges with short-read next-generation sequencing technologies remain significant in highly homologous genomic regions such as pseudogenes or paralogous genes and need to be considered when implemented in screening programs. Here, we simulate 50 genomes from populations around the world to test the extent to which high homology regions affect short-read mapping of genes related to newborn screening disorders and the impact of differential read lengths and ethnic backgrounds. We examine a 158 gene screening panel directly relevant to newborn screening and identify gene regions where read mapping is affected by homologous genomic regions at different read lengths. We also determine that the patient's ethnic background does not have a widespread impact on mapping accuracy or coverage. Additionally, we identify newborn screening genes where alternative forms of sequencing or variant calling pipelines should be considered and demonstrate that alterations to standard variant calling can retrieve some formerly uncalled variants.

Detection of deposited drill cuttings on the sea floor - A comparison between underwater hyperspectral imagery and the human eye.

We surveyed the deposition of drill cuttings on the seafloor along a transect at eight drilling locations in the south-western Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea, comparing traditional visual surveying methods and underwater hyperspectral imagery (UHI). The locations range from newly-drilled to around 30 years post-drilling. The visual assessments detected deposited drill cuttings to extend to around 150-200 m from the drilling location at recently drilled sites and generally less than 50 m at older locations. Quantitative UHI analyses of relative change in the spectral signature of the sediments with increasing distance from the drilling location mostly showed a change-over to conditions resembling undisturbed sediments at approximately similar distances as the visual assessments. Biological faunal community analyses also reflected these trends. The UHI-based detection of drill cuttings thus in general supported the results of visual assessments and potentially could be further developed as a method for automated surveying of drilling sites.

Higher Vitamin D Levels Are Associated with Better Attentional Functions: Data from the NorCog Register.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate which cognitive domains are mostly affected in persons with vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, defined as 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/l and < 25 nmol/l, respectively. METHODS: Data were collected from the Norwegian register for persons assessed for cognitive symptoms (NorCog). 580 persons aged ≥ 65 years were included. The following cognitive and neuropsychiatric tests were used: Mini Mental State Examination, Norwegian Revised Version (MMSE-NR), the Clock Drawing test, the Trail Making Test A and B, the 10-word memory test and the figure copying test from CERAD - immediate and delayed recall, The Controlled Oral Word Association Test -FAS and Boston Naming test. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed by Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. RESULTS: Vitamin D-insufficiency was found in approx. 30 % of the study cohort. After adjustment for relevant covariates, higher serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with higher score on MMSE-NR (p=0.032) and 10-word Memory Test, immediate recall (p=0.038), as well as faster execution of Trail Making Test A and B (p=0.038 and p=0.021, respectively). Other tests were not significantly associated with 25(OH)D levels. CONCLUSION: Higher vitamin D levels appear to be associated with better cognition, especially in areas of executive function and mental flexibility.

Neurosensory component of hand-arm vibration syndrome: a 22-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge about the long-term course of the neurologic component of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is scarce. AIMS: To study the course and prognostic factors of the neurosensory component of HAVS over a period of 22 years. METHODS: Forty male sheet metal workers, with a mean age of 60 (range 45-78) years at follow-up, were examined with a test battery in 1994 and 2017. At baseline, the sample comprised 27 workers with HAVS symptoms and 13 workers without HAVS symptoms. Among the 27 workers, 25 workers reported work-related hand-arm vibration during follow-up (mean 3639 h). In 2017, the mean time since vibration stopped was 8.4 years. RESULTS: Among the 27 workers with HAVS in 1994, no overall statistically significant change was observed in hand numbness (Stockholm Workshop Scale), shoulder/arm pain (pain scale) or finger pain from 1994 to 2017. However, vibration exposure during follow-up was associated with increased finger pain. Cotinine, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin, glycosylated haemoglobin and folate were not associated with changes in neurosensory symptoms or manual dexterity (Grooved Pegboard) from 1994 to 2017. A diagnosis of HAVS in 1994 did not predict poor hand strength 22 years later. Isolated hand numbness (without white finger attacks) was more common at baseline than at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This 22-year follow-up study indicates a tendency towards irreversibility of hand numbness and finger pain in workers with HAVS. Continued vibration exposure seems to predict increased finger pain. Our findings highlight the importance of HAVS prevention.

Vascular component of hand-arm vibration syndrome: a 22-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Vibration-induced white finger (VWF) is often assessed using the Stockholm Workshop Scale (SWS) and cold challenge plethysmography. However, long-term longitudinal studies using both methods are scarce. AIMS: To study the long-term course and prognostic factors of VWF assessed with the SWS and photoplethysmography (PPG), and to examine the effects of lifestyle on PPG score, regardless of VWF status. METHODS: Forty male construction workers were examined with a test battery and clinical examination in 1994 and 2016/17. RESULTS: At baseline, the sample comprised 27 workers with, and 13 without, symptoms of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Thirty-five workers reported vibration exposure during follow-up. The mean age of the workers was 60 years (45-78) at follow-up. The paired t-test showed that PPG scores deteriorated from 1994 to 2017 in the 27 workers with HAVS in 1994 (mean difference 2.7 min, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2-5.2). However, there was no statistically significant change in SWS scores in these workers over time. Smoking and age were associated with PPG score deterioration. Vibration exposure during follow-up predicted SWS score deterioration: 1000 h of exposure predicted a deterioration stage of 0.09 (95% CI 0.03-0.16). Analysis of all 40 workers showed that 2017 PPG scores were associated with positive serum cotinine and self-reported smoking during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas age and smoking predicted a PPG deterioration, continued vibration exposure predicted worsening of white finger symptoms. The association of PPG score and smoking should be considered in diagnostic and prognostic factor evaluations.

Shift work, mental distress and job satisfaction among Palestinian nurses.

BACKGROUND: Associations between shift work (SW) schedules, mental distress and job satisfaction have never been completely described. AIMS: To examine gender-specific associations of SW with mental distress and job satisfaction in nurses in Hebron District, Palestine, in 2012. METHODS: Detailed information on work schedules (day versus shift), socio-demographic status, mental distress (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-30) and job satisfaction (Generic Job Satisfaction Scale) in nurses employed in Hebron District, Palestine, was obtained through a questionnaire survey. Associations of SW and outcomes were examined by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 372 nurses eligible for the study, 309 and 338 completed surveys regarding mental distress and job satisfaction, respectively. The sample comprised 62% women and 38% men. After adjusting for covariates, women working shifts reported significantly higher levels of mean mental distress [ß coefficient 3.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3-7.0] compared with women working regular day shifts. Men working shifts reported significantly lower levels of job satisfaction (-3.3; 95% CI -6.2 to -0.5) than men working regular day shifts. Women reported higher levels of mental distress than men, but this was unrelated to work schedule. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, nurses working shifts reported higher levels of mental distress and lower levels of job satisfaction, although these associations were weaker when adjusted for potential covariates. There was no evidence of a gender differential in the association between SW and mental distress and job satisfaction.

Randomised comparison of percutaneous left ventricular assist device with open-chest cardiac massage and with surgical assist device during ischaemic cardiac arrest.

AIMS: A percutaneous left ventricular assist device can maintain blood flow to vital organs during ventricular fibrillation and may improve outcomes in ischaemic cardiac arrest. We compared haemodynamic and clinical effects of a percutaneous left ventricular assist device with a larger device deployed via endovascular prosthesis and with open-chest cardiac massage during ischaemic cardiac arrest. METHODS: Eighteen swine were randomised into three groups. After thoracotomy, coronary ischaemia and ventricular fibrillation was induced. Cardiac output was measured with transit-time flowmetry. Tissue perfusion was measured with microspheres. Defibrillation was performed after 20 min. RESULTS: Cardiac output with cardiac massage was 1129 mL min⁻¹ vs. 1169 mL min⁻¹ with the percutaneous- and 570 mL min⁻¹ with the surgical device (P < 0.05 surgical vs. others). End-tidal CO2 was 3.3 kPa with cardiac massage vs. 3.2 kPa with the percutaneous- and 2.3 kPa with the surgical device (P < 0.05 surgical vs. others). Subepicardial perfusion was 0.33 mL min⁻¹ g⁻¹ with cardiac massage vs. 0.62 mL min⁻¹ g⁻¹ with both devices (P < 0.05 devices vs. massage), cerebral perfusion was comparable between groups (all reported values after 3 min cardiac arrest, all P<0.05 vs. baseline, all P = NS for 3 min vs. 15 min). Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 5/6 subjects with cardiac massage vs. 6/6 with the percutaneous- and 4/6 with the surgical device (P = NS). CONCLUSION: The percutaneous device improved myocardial perfusion, maintained cerebral perfusion and systemic circulation with similar rates of successful defibrillation vs. cardiac massage. Increased delivery was not obtained with the surgical device during cardiac arrest.

Specific Light-Emitting Diodes Can Suppress Sporulation of Podosphaera pannosa on Greenhouse Roses.

When rose plants bearing colonies of Podosphaera pannosa were placed in a wind tunnel, the number of conidia trapped was directly proportional to intensity of daylight-balanced (white) light from 5 to 150 µmol m-2 s-1. Illumination of samples using blue (420 to 520 nm) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) increased the number of conidia trapped by a factor of approximately 2.7 over white light but germination of conidia under blue light was reduced by approximately 16.5% compared with conidia germination under white light. The number of conidia trapped under far-red (>685 nm) LEDs was approximately 4.7 times higher than in white light, and 13.3 times higher than under red (575 to 675 nm) LEDs, and germination was not induced compared with white light. When mildewed plants were exposed to cycles of 18 h of white light followed by 6 h of blue, red, far-red light, or darkness, light from the red LEDs reduced the number of conidia trapped by approximately 88% compared with darkness or far-red light. Interrupting the above dark period with 1 h of light from red LEDs also reduced the number of conidia trapped, while a 1-h period of light from far-red following the 1 h of light from red LEDs nullified the suppressive effect of red light. Our results indicate that brief exposure to red light during the dark interval may be as effective as continuous illumination in suppressing powdery mildew in greenhouse rose plant (Rosa × hybrida).

Continuous Lighting Reduces Conidial Production and Germinability in the Rose Powdery Mildew Pathosystem.

The effect of day length on production and germinability of conidia and severity of disease caused by Podosphaera pannosa, the causal agent of rose powdery mildew, was studied. Whole potted plants or detached leaves of Rosa interspecific hybrid 'Mistral' were inoculated with P. pannosa and exposed to 0, 12, 18, 20, 22, or 24 h of artificial light per day in growth chambers equipped with mercury lamps. Increasing duration of illumination from 18 to 20 to 24 h per day reduced production of conidia by 22 to 62%. Exposure to 24 h of illumination per day also strongly reduced disease severity compared with 18 h. Our results suggest that increasing day lengths from 18 h per day to 20 to 24 h may suppress the disease significantly and, thereby, reduce the need for fungicide applications against powdery mildew.

Percutaneous left ventricular assist device can prevent acute cerebral ischaemia during ventricular fibrillation.

AIMS: A percutaneous left ventricular assist device has been shown to be able to perfuse cardiac and cerebral tissues during cardiac arrest and may be a useful supplement to current methods in resuscitation. We wished to assess device-assisted circulation during cardiac arrest with microspheres injections and continuous end-tidal CO(2) monitoring, and used cerebral microdialysis to detect ischaemia in the brain. METHODS: 12 anaesthetised pigs had microdialysis and pressure catheters implanted via craniotomy. The percutaneous assist device was deployed transfemorally. Ventricular fibrillation was induced by angioplasty-balloon occlusion of the left coronary artery. Cerebral microdialysis samples representing 0-20 and 20-40 min of cardiac arrest with assisted circulation were analysed for markers of cerebral injury (glucose, pyruvate, lactate, and glycerol). RESULTS: Microdialysis showed no ischaemic changes after 20 min of cardiac arrest (P=NS to Baseline for glucose, glycerol, lactate, pyruvate and lactate/pyruvate ratio) in subjects with maintained end-tidal CO(2) values above 1.3 kPa (10 mmHg). After 40 min only lactate showed a significant change compared to Baseline (P<0.05). Microspheres flow to the brain was 57% and myocardial flow was 72% compared to Baseline after 15 min (P<0.05). After 45 min flow declined to 22% and 40% of Baseline, respectively (P=NS vs. 15 min). CONCLUSIONS: A percutaneous left ventricular assist device may prevent ischaemic cerebral injury during cardiac arrest for a limited time. Cerebral injury and tissue perfusion were indicated by end-tidal CO(2).

Sustained retention of tetradecylthioacetic acid after local delivery reduces angioplasty-induced coronary stenosis in the minipig.

OBJECTIVE: The sulfur containing tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) has a profound effect on lipid metabolism and may also exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions and thereby counteract coronary stenosis after angioplasty balloon injury. This study examined the possible modulatory effects of TTA, delivered locally, on coronary stenosis in minipigs and the underlying mechanisms of action. METHODS: Coronary balloon angioplasty injury using an oversized balloon was performed to 40 coronary arteries (20 minipigs, Sus Scrofa, Gammelsroed) followed by delivery of placebo or TTA via a local drug delivery balloon catheter. TTA was radiolabelled in four pigs. Quantitative coronary angiography and intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) were performed before and after injury, and after 4 weeks of follow-up. The arteries were examined with histomorphometry. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of TTA were examined on LDL oxidation and stimulated release of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-10 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), respectively. RESULTS: Radioactive TTA was present in the coronary wall after 4 weeks. Angiographic minimal luminal diameter (mean+/-S.E.M.) in the placebo and TTA group was 1.3+/-0.1 vs. 2.2+/-0.2 mm (P<0.01) at follow-up, stenosis rate was 55 and 20% (P<0.01). Remodeling was -0.56+/-0.12 in the TTA group and -1.28+/-0.09 in the placebo group (P<0.01). TTA significantly prolonged the lag time of LDL oxidation. In phytohemagglutinin stimulated PBMC, TTA significantly decreased IL-2 levels and increased IL-10 levels suggesting a marked anti-inflammatory net effect. CONCLUSIONS: Local delivery of TTA reduces coronary artery stenosis after PTCA as assessed by both angiographic, histomorphometric and ICUS examinations by influencing vessel remodeling rather than intimal hyperplasia. The underlying mechanism(s) seem to involve antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of this fatty acid analogue.

Long-term retention of a novel antioxidant sulphur-substituted fatty acid analogue after local delivery in porcine coronary arteries.

OBJECTIVE: Antioxidants have been suggested to reduce restenosis after balloon angioplasty. A novel sulphur-containing fatty acid, tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA), with antioxidant properties, is efficiently incorporated into cellular phospholipids. We have determined the uptake and retention of TTA after local coronary artery delivery in 20 pigs. DESIGN: Radiolabelled TTA was delivered to 40 main coronary arteries via a multiporous coronary angioplasty balloon catheter inflated before, after, or without overstretch vessel injury. The animals were killed at intervals of up to 6 weeks post-procedure. The radioactivity of the tissue sections was determined as nmol TTA/g tissue. RESULTS: Concentrations of TTA in the coronary arteries were 1.84 +/- 0.45 nmol/g up to 24 h, 1.50 +/- 0.96 nmol/g at 2 weeks, 0.22 +/- 0.11 nmol/g at 4 weeks and a trace was present at 6 weeks (p-value for trend <0.01). The arterial wall uptake at the delivery site was higher than distal to delivery (1.84 +/- 0.37 vs 0.55 +/- 0.13 nmol/g, p = 0.006) and perivascular fat (p < 0.01) but not higher than in the myocardium. Infusion before, after or without vessel injury was not important for tissue concentration. CONCLUSIONS: After local coronary artery delivery, the antioxidant TTA is taken up by the arterial wall in which it is retained for at least 4 weeks.

Neuropsychological effects of low mercury vapor exposure in chloralkali workers.

Neuropsychological effects were examined in 47 mercury vapor exposed male chloralkali workers with current low concentrations of urinary mercury (mean U-Hg 5.9 nmol/mmol creatinine (Cr)). Their average duration of exposure was 13.3 years, and the calculated mean concentration of U-Hg was 9.0 nmol Hg/mmol Cr per year (exposure intensity) during their time of exposure. They were compared with 47 age-matched male referents in a cross-sectional study. The two groups were not statistically significantly different with respect to neuropsychological test performance or number of self-reported subjective symptoms. The test results of the Static Steadiness Test, which assesses tremor, were not associated with exposure to mercury vapor. However current smokers had more hand tremor than non-smokers. Statistically significant associations were found between indices of current exposure (the concentration of inorganic mercury in whole blood) and the results of the WAIS Digit Symbol Test and the Benton Visual Retention Test (number of correct responses). This could indicate a small effect of current exposure on visuomotor/psychomotor speed and attention, and immediate visual memory. Whether the association found between the historical exposure intensity and the Digit Symbol Test results may represent long-term consequences of exposure cannot be determined in this study.

CD99 signals caspase-independent T cell death.

Death signaling by Fas and TNF receptors plays a major role in the control of activated mature T cells. However, the nature of the death receptors, which may be used by the immune system to control T cells that have not acquired susceptibility to Fas ligand or TNF, is not established. In this study, we demonstrate that engagement of distinct epitopes on CD99 rapidly induces T cell death by a novel caspase-independent pathway. A new mAb to these CD99 epitopes, Ad20, induces programmed cell death of transformed T cells as determined by morphological changes, phosphatidylserine exposure on the cell surface, and uptake of propidium iodide. In general, ligation of CD99 induced kinetically faster and more profound death responses as compared with the impact of anti-Fas and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Ad20-induced programmed cell death was observed with seven of eight T cell lines examined, and notably, only two of these were distinctly responsive to anti-Fas and TRAIL. CD99-mediated death signaling proceeded independently of functional CD3, CD4, CD45, and p56(lck), revealed distinctions from CD47-mediated T cell death responses, and was not influenced by interference with CD47 signaling. In contrast to the effect on transformed T cell lines, Ad20-induced death responses were not observed with normal peripheral T cells. Thus, our data suggest that CD99 is linked to a novel death pathway that may have biologic relevance in control of early T cells.

Neurobehavioral performance in aluminum welders.

METHODS: Twenty aluminum welders (mean age 33 years; range 21-52), who had been exposed to aluminum for an average of 8.1 years (range 2-21), were tested for tremor and reaction time and screened for neuropsychiatric symptoms in a cross-sectional study. The welders' median urinary aluminum concentration was 1.5 micromol/L (range 0. 7-4.8). Aluminum in air, measured inside the respiratory protection, was 0.9 mg/m(3) (range 0.6-3.8). The welders were compared with twenty construction workers matched for age. RESULTS: Welders reported more symptoms than referents did (median 2 vs. 1; P=0.047). Although the welders as a group performed better than the referents on a tremor test, years of exposure, but not age, was predictive of poorer performance. The welders' reaction times were rapid by clinical standards (mean simple reaction time (SRT): 221 milliseconds; mean continuous performance test (CPT): 364 milliseconds). Although, as a group, they performed better than the referents, there was a statistically significant relation between longer reaction times and aluminum in air (air-Al). CONCLUSIONS: The relations between hand steadiness and years exposed, and between reaction time and air-Al, could indicate slight effects from exposure to aluminum. The possibility of selection of workers with high manual skills into welding work and a possible job-related training effect, might partly serve to explain the good performance among the welders.

CD47 and death signaling in the immune system.

Receptor-mediated death signaling plays a critical role both in proper control of immune responses and in killing of target cells by T cells. In addition to the recognized death receptors which all belong to the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, recent studies suggest that also other cell surface antigens may be involved in apoptotic signaling in the immune system. New data on the Ig family member CD47 implicate a functional role of this molecule in growth regulation of lymphocytes and suggest that the antigen mediates cell death by activating a non-classical form of apoptosis. This mini review will focus on CD47 as a possible death receptor on lymphocytes and also summarize some of the current knowledge on death control in the immune system.