Background Bacterial cells in the human body account for 1–3% of total body weight and are at least equal in number to human cells. Recent research has focused on understanding how the different ...bacterial communities in the body (eg, gut, respiratory, skin, and vaginal microbiomes) predispose to health and disease. The microbiota of the reproductive tract has been inferred from the vaginal bacterial communities, and the uterus has been classically considered a sterile cavity. However, while the vaginal microbiota has been investigated in depth, there is a paucity of consistent data regarding the existence of an endometrial microbiota and its possible impact in reproductive function. Objective This study sought to test the existence of an endometrial microbiota that differs from that in the vagina, assess its hormonal regulation, and analyze the impact of the endometrial microbial community on reproductive outcome in infertile patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. Study Design To identify the existence of an endometrial microbiota, paired samples of endometrial fluid and vaginal aspirates were obtained simultaneously from 13 fertile women in prereceptive and receptive phases within the same menstrual cycle (total samples analyzed n = 52). To investigate the hormonal regulation of the endometrial microbiota during the acquisition of endometrial receptivity, endometrial fluid was collected at prereceptive and receptive phases within the same cycle from 22 fertile women (n = 44). Finally, the reproductive impact of an altered endometrial microbiota in endometrial fluid was assessed by implantation, ongoing pregnancy, and live birth rates in 35 infertile patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (total samples n = 41) with a receptive endometrium diagnosed using the endometrial receptivity array. Genomic DNA was obtained either from endometrial fluid or vaginal aspirate and sequenced by 454 pyrosequencing of the V3–V5 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene; the resulting sequences were taxonomically assigned using QIIME. Data analysis was performed using R packages. The χ2 test, Student t test, and analysis of variance were used for statistical analyses. Results When bacterial communities from paired endometrial fluid and vaginal aspirate samples within the same subjects were interrogated, different bacterial communities were detected between the uterine cavity and the vagina of some subjects. Based on its composition, the microbiota in the endometrial fluid, comprising up to 191 operational taxonomic units, was defined as a Lactobacillus -dominated microbiota (>90% Lactobacillus spp.) or a non- Lactobacillus -dominated microbiota (<90% Lactobacillus spp. with >10% of other bacteria). Although the endometrial microbiota was not hormonally regulated during the acquisition of endometrial receptivity, the presence of a non- Lactobacillus -dominated microbiota in a receptive endometrium was associated with significant decreases in implantation 60.7% vs 23.1% ( P = .02), pregnancy 70.6% vs 33.3% ( P = .03), ongoing pregnancy 58.8% vs 13.3% ( P = .02), and live birth 58.8% vs 6.7% ( P = .002) rates. Conclusion Our results demonstrate the existence of an endometrial microbiota that is highly stable during the acquisition of endometrial receptivity. However, pathological modification of its profile is associated with poor reproductive outcomes for in vitro fertilization patients. This finding adds a novel microbiological dimension to the reproductive process.
The COVID-19 pandemic has strained health system capacity worldwide due to a surge of hospital admissions, while mitigation measures have simultaneously reduced patients' access to health care, ...affecting the diagnosis and treatment of other diseases such as cancer. We estimated the impact of delayed diagnosis on cancer outcomes in Chile using a novel modelling approach to inform policies and planning to mitigate the forthcoming cancer-related health impacts of the pandemic in Chile.
We developed a microsimulation model of five cancers in Chile (breast, cervix, colorectal, prostate, and stomach) for which reliable data were available, which simulates cancer incidence and progression in a nationally representative virtual population, as well as stage-specific cancer detection and survival probabilities. We calibrated the model to empirical data on monthly detected cases, as well as stage at diagnosis and 5-year net survival. We accounted for the impact of COVID-19 on excess mortality and cancer detection by month during the pandemic, and projected diagnosed cancer cases and outcomes of stage at diagnosis and survival up to 2030. For comparison, we simulated a no COVID-19 scenario in which the impacts of COVID-19 on excess mortality and cancer detection were removed.
Our modelling showed a sharp decrease in the number of diagnosed cancer cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a large projected short-term increase in future diagnosed cases. Due to the projected backlog in diagnosis, we estimated that in 2021 there will be an extra 3198 cases (95% uncertainty interval UI 1356–5017) diagnosed among the five modelled cancers, an increase of nearly 14% compared with the no COVID-19 scenario, falling to a projected 10% increase in 2022 with 2674 extra cases (1318–4032) diagnosed. As a result of delayed diagnosis, we found a worse stage distribution for detected cancers in 2020–22, which is estimated to lead to 3542 excess cancer deaths (95% UI 2236–4816) in 2022–30, compared with the no COVID-19 scenario, among the five modelled cancers, most of which (3299 deaths, 2151–4431) are projected to occur before 2025.
In addition to a large projected surge in diagnosed cancer cases, we found that delays in diagnosis will result in worse cancer stage at presentation, leading to worse survival outcomes. These findings can help to inform surge capacity planning and highlight the importance of ensuring appropriate health system capacity levels to detect and care for the increased cancer cases in the coming years, while maintaining the timeliness and quality of cancer care. Potential delays in treatment and adverse impacts on quality of care, which were not considered in this model, are likely to contribute to even more excess deaths from cancer than projected.
Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
For the Spanish and Portuguese translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
•Gluconic acid and its derivatives, uses and production methods.•Importance of gluconic acid derivatives as food additives.•Use of renewable resources for the biobased production of gluconic ...acid.•Comparison between fungi and bacteria for gluconic acid bioproduction.•Optimized gluconic acid production by genetically modified acetic acid bacteria.
Agro-industrial by-products and wastes pose serious, widespread problems with considerable economic and environmental consequences in developed countries. However, many of the by-products contain large amounts of sugars that make them potentially excellent raw materials for the biotechnological production of added value products; in particular, by-products from perishables such as fruits can be highly useful for this aim. The growing significance and demand for gluconic acid have promoted an interest in integrating both issues as a strategy for the revalorization of these resources.
The pertinence of this strategy can be better understood by examining the properties of gluconic acid and its derivatives and their uses and production methods, especially biotechnological methods, to update the existing reviews on the topic.
Future advances in this direction may be promoted by the development of genetically modified organisms for the generation of new technological processes and the optimization of existing ones. Particular attention is paid to acetic acid bacteria.
Capirona (
Calycophyllum spruceanum
(Benth.) K. Schum.) and Bolaina (
Guazuma crinita
Lam.) are fast-growing Amazonian trees with increasing demand in timber industry. Therefore, it is necessary to ...determine the content of cellulose, hemicellulose, holocellulose and lignin in juvenile trees to accelerate forest breeding programs. The aim of this study was to identify chemical differences between apical and basal stem of Capirona and Bolaina to develop models for estimating the chemical composition using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. FTIR-ATR spectra were obtained from 150 samples for each species that were 1.8 year-old. The results showed significant differences between the apical and basal stem for each species in terms of cellulose, hemicellulose, holocellulose and lignin content. This variability was useful to build partial least squares (PLS) models from the FTIR spectra and they were evaluated by root mean squared error of predictions (RMSEP) and ratio of performance to deviation (RPD). Lignin content was efficiently predicted in Capirona (RMSEP = 0.48, RPD > 2) and Bolaina (RMSEP = 0.81, RPD > 2). In Capirona, the predictive power of cellulose, hemicellulose and holocellulose models (0.68 < RMSEP < 2.06, 1.60 < RPD < 1.96) were high enough to predict wood chemical composition. In Bolaina, model for cellulose attained an excellent predictive power (RMSEP = 1.82, RPD = 6.14) while models for hemicellulose and holocellulose attained a good predictive power (RPD > 2.0). This study showed that FTIR-ATR together with PLS is a reliable method to determine the wood chemical composition in juvenile trees of Capirona and Bolaina.
To assess the predictive value of the initial clinical and paraclinical features in the differentiation of inflammatory myelopathies from other causes of myelopathy in patients with initial diagnosis ...of transverse myelitis (TM).
We analyzed the clinical presentation, spinal cord MRI, and CSF features in a cohort of 457 patients referred to a specialized myelopathy center with the presumptive diagnosis of TM. After evaluation, the myelopathies were classified as inflammatory, ischemic/stroke, arteriovenous malformations/fistulas, spondylotic, or other. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine characteristics associated with the final diagnosis and predictors that would improve classification accuracy.
Out of 457 patients referred as TM, only 247 (54%) were confirmed as inflammatory; the remaining 46% were diagnosed as vascular (20%), spondylotic (8%), or other myelopathy (18%). Our predictive model identified the temporal profile of symptom presentation (hyperacute <6 hours, acute 6-48 hours, subacute 48 hours-21 days, chronic >21 days), initial motor examination, and MRI lesion distribution as characteristics that improve the correct classification rate of myelopathies from 67% to 87% (multinomial area under the curve increased from 0.32 to 0.67), compared to only considering CSF pleocytosis and MRI gadolinium enhancement. Of all predictors, the temporal profile of symptoms contributed the most to the increased discriminatory power.
The temporal profile of symptoms serves as a clinical biomarker in the differential diagnosis of TM. The establishment of a definite diagnosis in TM requires a critical analysis of the MRI and CSF characteristics to rule out non-inflammatory causes of myelopathy.
This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients presenting with myelopathy, temporal profile of symptoms, initial motor examination, and MRI lesion distribution distinguish those with inflammatory myelopathies from those with other causes of myelopathy.
The mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) focal plane arrays (FPA) have being populating most of the ground and space instrumentation devoted to near- and short-wave infrared (NIR-SWIR) during the last ...decades. The ASTEROID project is a fully European initiative to achieve a local manufacturer ready to develop MCT FPAs of ≥ 2k2 class. In order to test and characterize such detectors, special facilities are demanded. In this way, the Institut de Física d'Altes Energies (IFAE) has conducted a research to validate the hybridization reliability of the readout integrated circuit (ROIC) and the MCT detector, which is performed through indium bumps soldering technique. The hybridization reliability was measured by subjecting the ASTEROID detector to several thermal cycles in a temperature range that surpass the detector operating temperature. At every individual thermal cycle, a set of images was captured, analyzed and compared each other to track any pixel degradation. Finally, making use of image classification and segmentation algorithms, the measured number of damaged pixels was determined and the results are presented in this paper.
The upward trend in energy prices makes it necessary to find new ways to provide electricity to end consumers. The cooperation between different self-consumption facilities that form an energy ...community based on networked microgrids can be a more efficient way of managing the available renewable resources. However, the complexity of its associated control problem is bringing unresolved challenges from the point of view of its formulation. The optimization of energy exchanges among microgrids in the day-ahead electricity market needs to generate an optimal profile for the purchase and sale of energy with the main grid, being charged for any deviation from the schedule proposed in the regulation service market. Microgrids based on renewable generation are systems subject to inherited uncertainties in their energy forecast, whose interconnection generates a distributed control problem of stochastic systems. Microgrids are systems of subsystems that can integrate various components, such as hybrid energy storage systems (ESS), generating multiple terms to be included in the associated cost function for its optimization. In this work, the problem of solving complex distributed stochastic systems in the Mixed Logic Dynamic (MLD) framework is addressed, generating a tractable formulation to generate deterministic values for both exchange and output variables in interconnected systems subject to uncertainties using hybrid, stochastic and distributed Model Predictive Control (MPC) techniques.
In the US, the most significant morbidity and mortality associated with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is embolic stroke, with 90% of thrombus originating from the left atrial appendage ...(LAA). Anticoagulation is the preferred treatment for the prevention of stroke in NVAF patients, but clinical studies have demonstrated high levels of non-compliance and increased risk of bleeding or ineligibility for anticoagulation therapy, especially in the elderly population where the incidence of NVAF is highest. Alternatively, stroke may be preventing using clinically approved surgical and catheter-based devices to exclude or occlude the LAA, but these devices continue to be plagued by peri-device leaks and thrombus formation because of residual volume. To overcome these limitations, Cor Habere (Louisville, KY) and the University of Louisville are developing a LAA closure device (StrokeShield) that completely occludes and collapses the LAA to minimize the risk of stroke. The StrokeShield device is a collapsible occluder (nitinol reinforced membrane) that completely covers the LAA orifice with an expandable conical coil anchor that attaches to the myocardium. The device is designed for catheter-based delivery and expands to completely occlude the LAA orifice and collapse the LAA. The primary advantages of the StrokeShield system are a completely sealed LAA (no peri-device flow or residual space) and smooth endothelialized connection to the left atrial wall with minimal risk of cardiac bleeding and tamponade. We tested proof-of-concept of a prototype StrokeShield device in acute (n = 2) and chronic 60-day (n = 2) healthy canine models. Acute results demonstrated that the conical coil securely attached to the myocardium (5N pull-out force) and the Nitinol umbrella fully deployed and covered the LAA ostium. Results from the chronic implants demonstrated long-term feasibility of device placement with no procedural or device-related intra- or post-operative complications, secure placement and correct positioning of the device with no device migration. The device successfully occluded the LAA ostium and collapsed the LAA with no interference with the mitral valve, circumflex coronary artery, or pulmonary veins. Necropsy demonstrated no gross signs of thrombus or end-organ damage and the device was encapsulated in the LAA. Histology demonstrated mature neointima covering the device with expected foreign body inflammatory response. These early positive results will help to guide the iterative design process for the continued development of the StrokeShield system.
Visual EKF-SLAM from Heterogeneous Landmarks Esparza-Jiménez, Jorge Othón; Devy, Michel; Gordillo, José L
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland),
04/2016, Volume:
16, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Many applications require the localization of a moving object, e.g., a robot, using sensory data acquired from embedded devices. Simultaneous localization and mapping from vision performs both the ...spatial and temporal fusion of these data on a map when a camera moves in an unknown environment. Such a SLAM process executes two interleaved functions: the front-end detects and tracks features from images, while the back-end interprets features as landmark observations and estimates both the landmarks and the robot positions with respect to a selected reference frame. This paper describes a complete visual SLAM solution, combining both point and line landmarks on a single map. The proposed method has an impact on both the back-end and the front-end. The contributions comprehend the use of heterogeneous landmark-based EKF-SLAM (the management of a map composed of both point and line landmarks); from this perspective, the comparison between landmark parametrizations and the evaluation of how the heterogeneity improves the accuracy on the camera localization, the development of a front-end active-search process for linear landmarks integrated into SLAM and the experimentation methodology.
In the paper we can prove that every integer can be written as the sum of two integers, one perfect square and one squarefree. We also establish the asymptotic formula for the number of ...representations of an integer in this form. The result is deeply related with the divisor function. In the course of our study we get an independent result about it. Concretely we are able to deduce a new upper bound for the divisor function fully explicit.
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