Functional Profiling Reveals Altered Metabolic Activity in Divers’ Oral Microbiota During Commercial Heliox Saturation Diving

Background: The extreme environment in saturation diving affects all life forms, including the bacteria that reside on human skin and mucosa. The oral cavity alone is home to hundreds of different bacteria. In this study, we examined the metabolic activity of oral bacteria from healthy males during commercial heliox saturation diving. We focused on environmentally induced changes that might affect the divers’ health and fitness.Methods: We performed pathway abundance analysis using PICRUSt2, a bioinformatics software package that uses marker gene data to compute the metabolic activity of microbial communities. The analysis is based on 16S rRNA metagenomic data generated from the oral microbiota of 23 male divers before, during, and after 4weeks of commercial heliox saturation diving. Environmentally induced changes in bacterial metabolism were computed from differences in predicted pathway abundances at baseline before, versus during, and immediately after saturation diving.Results and Conclusion: The analysis predicted transient changes that were primarily associated with the survival and growth of bacteria in oxygenated environments. There was a relative increase in the abundance of aerobic metabolic pathways and a concomitant decrease in anaerobic metabolic pathways, primarily comprising of energy metabolism, oxidative stress responses, and adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis. Adenosylcobalamin is a bioactive form of vitamin B12 (vitB12), and a reduction in vitB12 biosynthesis may hypothetically affect the divers’ physiology. While host effects of oral bacterial vitamin metabolism are uncertain, this is a finding that concurs with the existing recommendations for vitB12 supplements as p

Attitudes toward female circumcision among Somali immigrants in Oslo: a qualitative study

Due to its negative impact on public health, female circumcision (FC) has gained increased attention from international communities and the Norwegian public in recent decades. In 1995, the Norwegian government outlawed the practice and simultaneously developed a package of measures aimed at preventing and ultimately eradicating FC in Norway. Like many other Western countries, immigrants of Somali descent constitute the largest immigrant group in Norway from countries with FC traditions. Although this immigrant group is often perceived as a cultural society that supports FC generally as a practice, there appears to be a lack of studies that explore the impact of acculturation and the Western social context on Somali immigrants’ attitudes toward the practice. Against this background, this paper explores the attitudes of Somalis living in Oslo, Norway to the practice of FC. Findings from this qualitative study indicate that Somalis in Oslo have, to a large extent, changed their attitude toward the practice. This was proven by the presence in Oslo of a large number of Somali parents who left their daughters uncut as well as Somali girls, boys, men, and women who attribute being uncircumcised a high status. This study adds to the knowledge of the process of abandonment of FC among immigrants in the Western countries. The study highlights the success that has been achieved in improving attitudes toward the practice of the Somali community in Oslo, Norway, as well as emerging challenges that need to be addressed further

Venous gas embolism as a predictive tool for improving CNS decompression safety

A key process in the pathophysiological steps leading to decompression sickness (DCS) is the formation of inert gas bubbles. The adverse effects of decompression are still not fully understood, but it seems reasonable to suggest that the formation of venous gas emboli (VGE) and their effects on the endothelium may be the central mechanism leading to central nervous system (CNS) damage. Hence, VGE might also have impact on the long-term health effects of diving. In the present review, we highlight the findings from our laboratory related to the hypothesis that VGE formation is the main mechanism behind serious decompression injuries. In recent studies, we have determined the impact of VGE on endothelial function in both laboratory animals and in humans. We observed that the damage to the endothelium due to VGE was dose dependent, and that the amount of VGE can be affected both by aerobic exercise and exogenous nitric oxide (NO) intervention prior to a dive. We observed that NO reduced VGE during decompression, and pharmacological blocking of NO production increased VGE formation following a dive. The importance of micro-nuclei for the formation of VGE and how it can be possible to manipulate the formation of VGE are discussed together with the effects of VGE on the organism. In the last part of the review we introduce our thoughts for the future, and how the enigma of DCS should be approached

Vinorelbine/carboplatin vs gemcitabine/carboplatin in advanced NSCLC shows similar efficacy, but different impact of toxicity

This randomised phase III study in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was conducted to compare vinorelbine/carboplatin (VC) and gemcitabine/carboplatin (GC) regarding efficacy, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and toxicity. Chemonaive patients with NSCLC stage IIIB/IV and WHO performance status 0–2 were eligible. No upper age limit was defined. Patients received vinorelbine 25 mg m−2 or gemcitabine 1000 mg m−2 on days 1 and 8 and carboplatin AUC4 on day 1 and three courses with 3-week cycles. HRQOL questionnaires were completed at baseline, before chemotherapy and every 8 weeks until 49 weeks. During 14 months, 432 patients were included (VC, n=218; GC, n=214). Median survival was 7.3 vs 6.4 months, 1-year survival 28 vs 30% and 2-year survival 7 vs 7% in the VC and GC arm, respectively (P=0.89). HRQOL, represented by global QOL, nausea/vomiting, dyspnoea and pain, showed no significant differences. More grade 3–4 anaemia (P<0.01), thrombocytopenia (P<0.01) and transfusions of blood (P<0.01) or platelets (P<0.01) were observed in the GC arm. There was more grade 3–4 leucopoenia (P<0.01) in the VC arm, but the rate of neutropenic infections was the same (P=0.87). In conclusion, overall survival and HRQOL are similar, while grade 3–4 toxicity requiring interventions are less frequent when VC is compared to GC in advanced NSCLC

Towards a classification and an understanding of developmental relationships of vertebral body malformations in Atlantic salmon (<i>Salmo salar</i> L.)

Vertebral column malformations in Atlantic salmon occur under farming conditions and in wild specimens and are commonly diagnosed by X-ray. The literature uses varied terms to describe malformations, and often, different terms refer to similar phenomena or similar terms describe unrelated pathologies. A coherent classification of spine defects is lacking. This shortcoming complicates the comparison of studies, makes it difficult to link particular malformations to particular causes and hampers the assessment of the prevalence of spinal deformities. Expanding available systems to categorise skeletal malformations in different teleost species, we propose 20 types of salmon vertebral column malformations that are repetitively observed under farming conditions. As vertebral column deformities are usually diagnosed by X-ray, the classification of deformity types is based on radiological observations that have been obtained over the past 10 years from more than 5000 specimens. The proposed deformity types should be identifiable independent from the type (analogue, digital) and the quality of radiographs. We propose nine types of compression and fusion-related deformities, four types of abnormal radiotranslucent or radiopaque vertebral bodies, three types of spine curvatures, three types of symmetry deviations and displacement of vertebral bodies and one type of severe multiple malformations. Based on the suggested categories we discuss the relationships between types of vertebral body malformations. Several types of malformations involve the development of heterotopic cartilage, a pathology that is possibly linked to mechanical overload and accelerated growth. Refined categories for vertebral body malformations should help link particular types of malformations to particular causes. It should also help find out which deformities represent final stages and which deformities represent transitory stages