This study aims to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative distribution patterns of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in the Italian industrial hemp (
Cannabis sativa
L.) intended for food use. ...Concentration of REEs was assessed in inflorescences and stems of four cultivars of industrial hemp (i.e., Fedora 17, Ferimon, Futura 75, and Zenit) grown in three different areas of Friuli Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy). The four varieties considered were cultivated under the conventional regime in two sampling sites (Gemona del Friuli and Verzegnis) and under the organic regime in the third one (Campoformido). Analyses were performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). A marked tendency to REE accumulation by the hemp inflorescences rather than by stems was identified, as well as a prevalence of medium REEs, mainly imputable to terbium detected concentration. Among the considered cultivars, Ferimon was the one that showed the highest uptake capacity, feature that might be exploited for phytoremediation purposes. Findings from this exploratory study allowed us to acquire useful indications on occurrence and distribution of REEs and provide new data about an emerging specialty crop still little-investigated, calling for further research to explore larger dataset and evaluate the feasibility of using REEs as a powerful tool for future food traceability studies.
Background:
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) correlates of cognitive deficits have not been thoroughly studied in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs).
...Objective:
To investigate resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities within the main cognitive networks in NMOSD patients and their correlation with cognitive performance.
Methods:
We acquired RS fMRI from 25 NMOSD patients and 30 healthy controls (HC). Patients underwent an extensive neuropsychological evaluation. Between-group RS FC comparisons and correlations with cognitive performance were assessed on the main cognitive RS networks identified by independent component analysis.
Results:
NMOSD patients showed higher RS FC versus HC in the precuneus of the default mode network (DMN) and right working memory network (WMN), as well as in several frontoparietal regions of the salience network (SN) and bilateral WMNs. Reduced frontal RS FC in NMOSD versus HC was detected in the left WMN. Increased RS FC in the DMN and right WMN was correlated with better cognitive performance, while decreased RS FC in the left WMN was associated with worse cognitive performance.
Conclusion:
Cognitive-network reorganization occurs in NMOSD. Clinico-imaging correlations suggest an adaptive role of increased RS FC. Conversely, reduced RS FC seems to be a maladaptive mechanism associated with a worse cognitive performance.
Background
Pain is a common and heterogeneous complication of multiple sclerosis (MS). In this multicenter, cross sectional study, we aimed at investigating the prevalence of pain in MS using highly ...specific criteria for distinguishing the different types of pain.
Materials and methods
After a structured interview, in patients with pain, clinical examination and DN4 questionnaire were used for distinguishing neuropathic and nociceptive pain. In subjects with neuropathic pain, the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory was used for differentiating neuropathic pain symptoms.
Results
We enrolled 1249 participants (832 F, 417 M, mean age 33.9 years, mean disease duration 8 years, mean EDSS 3.2); based on clinical evaluation and DN4 score 429 patients (34.34%) were classified with pain (470 pain syndromes): 286 nociceptive pain syndromes and 184 neuropathic pain syndromes. Multivariate analysis showed that pain was associated with age, gender and disease severity and that neuropathic pain was distinctly associated with EDSS.
Conclusions
Our study, providing definite information on the prevalence, characteristics and variables associated with neuropathic pain due to MS, shows that a more severe disease course is associated with a higher risk of neuropathic pain. Our findings might, therefore, provide a basis for improving the clinical management of this common MS complication.
In order to determine sterols and stanols in freshwater sediments to reconstruct the past presence of humans and pastoral animals, we developed an analytical method based on pressurised liquid ...extraction (PLE), clean-up performed using solid phase extraction (SPE) and sterol determination using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. PLE extraction conditions were optimised using dichloromethane (DCM) and DCM/methanol mixtures. Clean-up was performed with 2 g silica SPE cartridges, and the concentrated extracts were eluted with 70 mL DCM. Extraction yield was evaluated using an in-house reference material spiked with ¹³C-labelled cholesterol and aged for 10 days. In comparison with pre-extraction, where the sediment is extracted and then spiked with a known analyte concentration, this approach preserves the original composition of the sediment. DCM and DCM/methanol mixtures resulted in high extraction yields ranging from 86 to 92 % with good reproducibility (relative standard deviation (RSD) 5–8 %). PLE extraction yields obtained with DCM as the extracting solvent were about 1.5 times higher than extractions using an ultrasonic bath. The solvent extraction mixture and matrix composition strongly affected the solvent extraction composition where higher overall recoveries (70–80 %) for each compound were obtained with DCM. The extraction mixture and matrix composition also affected the analyte concentrations, resulting in a method precision ranging from 1 to 18 %. Diatomaceous earth spiked with 10 to 100 ng of sterols, and environmental samples fortified with suitable amounts of sterols provided apparent recovery values ranging from 90 to 110 %. We applied the method to environmental samples both close to and upstream from sewage discharge zones, resulting in substantially higher faecal sterol (FeSt) concentrations near the sewage. In addition, we also applied the method to a 37-cm freshwater sediment core in order to evaluate its applicability for obtaining vertical sterol profiles.
Objectives
To apply a deep-learning algorithm to brain MRIs of seronegative patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and NMOSD-like manifestations and assess whether their ...structural features are similar to aquaporin-4-seropositive NMOSD or multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
Patients and methods
We analyzed 228 T2- and T1-weighted brain MRIs acquired from aquaporin-4-seropositive NMOSD (
n
= 85), MS (
n
= 95), aquaporin-4-seronegative NMOSD
n
= 11, three with anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG), and aquaporin-4-seronegative patients with NMOSD-like manifestations (idiopathic recurrent optic neuritis and myelitis,
n
= 37), who were recruited from February 2010 to December 2019. Seventy-three percent of aquaporin-4-seronegative patients with NMOSD-like manifestations also had a clinical follow-up (median duration of 4 years). The deep-learning neural network architecture was based on four 3D convolutional layers. It was trained and validated on MRI scans of aquaporin-4-seropositive NMOSD and MS patients and was then applied to aquaporin-4-seronegative NMOSD and NMOSD-like manifestations. Assignment of unclassified aquaporin-4-seronegative patients was compared with their clinical follow-up.
Results
The final algorithm differentiated aquaporin-4-seropositive NMOSD and MS patients with an accuracy of 0.95. All aquaporin-4-seronegative NMOSD and 36/37 aquaporin-4-seronegative patients with NMOSD-like manifestations were classified as NMOSD. Anti-MOG patients had a similar probability of being NMOSD or MS. At clinical follow-up, one unclassified aquaporin-4-seronegative patient evolved to MS, three developed NMOSD, and the others did not change phenotype.
Conclusions
Our findings support the inclusion of aquaporin4-seronegative patients into NMOSD and suggest a possible expansion to aquaporin-4-seronegative unclassified patients with NMOSD-like manifestations. Anti-MOG patients are likely to have intermediate brain features between NMOSD and MS.
Abstract Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a rare demyelinating disease, affecting selectively the optic nerve and the spinal cord. It was previously considered to be a severe variant of multiple ...sclerosis (MS) due to the similar pathological features and its resemblance to optico-spinal, or Japanese, MS, typical of Asian populations. The finding that most NMO patients have auto-antibodies against aquaporin-4, a water channel particularly abundant on the astrocytes of the glia limitans, has allowed early diagnosis and specific treatment of these patients, and has greatly improved our knowledge of its pathogenesis. When laboratories worldwide can detect anti-aquaporin-4 auto-antibodies with comparable sensitivity and specificity, we will be able to have large multi-centric studies to define better the epidemiological, clinical and pathological features of patients and their responses to treatment.
The combined effects of different salinity and temperature levels on the toxicity of Arsenic (As) were studied on the embryonic development of the oyster Crassostrea gigas. A standardized ...embryotoxicity test was performed to assess the interactive effects of these stressors, in a full factorial design experiment including a range of salinities (15, 19, 24, 28 and 32), temperatures (16, 20, 24, 28 and 32°C) and As concentrations (100, 300, 600, 1200, 2400µgL−1). The embryotoxicity endpoint was about the determination of normal larvae development rates at various conditions, and median effect concentration (EC50) determination for each As exposure condition. Results showed that toxicity induced by As was characterized by retardation of embryonic development observing toxic effects at lower concentrations than previously reported studies. The presence of As in seawater resulted in a narrower range of tolerance to both salinity and temperature. These findings bring new insights on the impacts of a common contaminant on an important shellfish species having a planktonic early life stage development, with potential implications for population survival and ecosystem functioning in a changing environment.
•Salinity and temperature can stress early developmental stages of marine organisms.•We observed As effects on oyster embryos at changing salinities (15–32) and temperatures (16–32°C).•Low salinities and temperatures reduced the tolerance of embryos to As.•Retarded embryos prevailed on normally developed or malformed ones.
Background
COVID-19 vaccines have been recommended to people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and, to ensure durable immunity, a third booster dose has been administered in several countries. Data ...about potential risks associated with the third booster dose in pwMS, such as vaccine-triggered disease exacerbations, are still scarce.
Objective
To investigate whether the administration of a third booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines was associated with an increased risk of short-term disease reactivation in a large cohort of pwMS.
Methods
We retrospectively selected 1265 pwMS who received a third booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including the presence, number and characteristics of relapses in the 60 days prior to and after the third booster dose.
Results
In the selected cohort, the relapse rate in the two months after administration of the third booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines did not increase when compared with the prior two months. Indeed, the percentage of pwMS experiencing relapses in the 60 days following the administration of the third booster dose was 2.1%, similar to the percentage recorded in 60 days prior to vaccination, which was 1.9%.
Conclusions
The third booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines appeared to be safe for pwMS.
Objective:
To explore resting-state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) of the main sensory/motor networks of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs), clinically isolated optic ...neuritis (ON), and myelitis.
Methods:
Clinical evaluation and RS fMRI were obtained from 28 NMOSD, 11 recurrent ON, and 12 recurrent myelitis patients and 30 healthy controls. Between-group RS FC comparisons and correlations with motor performance were assessed (SPM12) on the main sensory/motor RS networks (RSNs) identified by independent component analysis. Functional network connectivity analysis estimated inter-network connectivity.
Results:
Intra- and inter-network RS FCs were reduced in RSNs associated to somatosensory modalities affected by pathology: regions of the primary visual network in ON patients, of the sensorimotor networks in myelitis patients, and of the sensorimotor and secondary visual networks in NMOSD patients. The opposite trend was observed in regions of RSNs spared by pathology: the auditory and part of visual networks in NMOSD, the secondary visual and sensorimotor networks in ON, and the primary visual network in myelitis patients. Better motor performance correlated with higher RS FC of spared RSNs.
Conclusion:
Sensory and motor RSN abnormalities occur in NMOSD. Loss of function within disease–target networks may elicit cross-modal plasticity across sensory networks potentially preserving clinical function.
Longitudinal Retinal Changes in MOGAD Oertel, Frederike Cosima; Sotirchos, Elias S.; Zimmermann, Hanna G. ...
Annals of neurology,
September 2022, Letnik:
92, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Objective
Patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG‐IgG)‐associated disease (MOGAD) suffer from severe optic neuritis (ON) leading to retinal neuro‐axonal loss, which can be ...quantified by optical coherence tomography (OCT). We assessed whether ON‐independent retinal atrophy can be detected in MOGAD.
Methods
Eighty patients with MOGAD and 139 healthy controls (HCs) were included. OCT data was acquired with (1) Spectralis spectral domain OCT (MOGAD: N = 66 and HCs: N = 103) and (2) Cirrus high‐definition OCT (MOGAD: N = 14 and HCs: N = 36). Macular combined ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) were quantified.
Results
At baseline, GCIPL and pRNFL were lower in MOGAD eyes with a history of ON (MOGAD‐ON) compared with MOGAD eyes without a history of ON (MOGAD‐NON) and HCs (p < 0.001). MOGAD‐NON eyes had lower GCIPL volume compared to HCs (p < 0.001) in the Spectralis, but not in the Cirrus cohort. Longitudinally (follow‐up up to 3 years), MOGAD‐ON with ON within the last 6–12 months before baseline exhibited greater pRNFL thinning than MOGAD‐ON with an ON greater than 12 months ago (p < 0.001). The overall MOGAD cohort did not exhibit faster GCIPL thinning compared with the HC cohort.
Interpretation
Our study suggests the absence of attack‐independent retinal damage in patients with MOGAD. Yet, ongoing neuroaxonal damage or edema resolution seems to occur for up to 12 months after ON, which is longer than what has been reported with other ON forms. These findings support that the pathomechanisms underlying optic nerve involvement and the evolution of OCT retinal changes after ON is distinct in patients with MOGAD. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:476–485
