Mobil and total forms of some transitional metal cations in food chain of black currants cultivation and processing

Romania has large natural possibilities through Western Plain, diligence and skill of residents in cultivation and processing of specific and quality horticultural products. In the world there are few areas where the climate, soil and diversity of spontaneous and cultivated flora can provide quality natural food products, with high nutritional value. The experimental results obtained for the heavy metal concentrations in the black currants cultivated on soils close to the C.E.T. Timisoara ash storage reveal higher concentrations for these elements. Higher concentrations for the toxic heavy metals (Cd, Pb) and for the potential toxic heavy metals (Zn, Cu) were identified in some vegetables, especially for leaf vegetables and for the root vegetables. Although some heavy metals were identified in higher concentrations, close to the toxic limits or higher, the mean values for these concentrations in the vegetables were in the range of normal limits. This fact demonstrate that the pollution of this areal is incipient and forward cannot be affirm that the heavy metal pollution process is evident, but this phenomenon could be amplified in the case of a prolonged anthropic impact, and without the specific agro-pedo-ameliorative measures. The classification of the non-polluted and polluted regions is achieved by multivariate analysis (PCA-principal component analysis) of the data using especially the Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu concentration values for the first and second principal components, and Zn and Fe concentration values for the third principal component

Wolfram syndrome: a clinical analysis

Catedra EndocrinologieWolfram syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive condition that predisposes to the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), and optic atrophy (OA). Other clinical features can include diabetes insipidus (DI) and deafnes (D). When these are present the condition is often reffered to as DIDMOAD. We describe a case of DIDMOAD to highlight the difficult clinical management of this rare condition. Sindromul Wolfram este o patologie rară cu transmisie autosomal-recesivă, ce predispune la dezvoltarea diabetului zaharat şi atrofiei nervului optic. Diabetul insipid, precum şi surditatea neurosenzorială de asemenea pot fi componentele acestui sindrom. Prezenţa acestor maladii la acelaşi individ permite de a stabili diagnosticul de sindromul DIDMOAD. Prezentăm cazul clinic al unui pacient cu sindrom DIDMOAD, cu scop de a evidenţia dificultăţile managementului clinic

Handling Metadata in a Neurophysiology Laboratory

To date, non-reproducibility of neurophysiological research is a matter of intense discussion in the scientific community. A crucial component to enhance reproducibility is to comprehensively collect and store metadata, that is, all information about the experiment, the data, and the applied preprocessing steps on the data, such that they can be accessed and shared in a consistent and simple manner. However, the complexity of experiments, the highly specialized analysis workflows and a lack of knowledge on how to make use of supporting software tools often overburden researchers to perform such a detailed documentation. For this reason, the collected metadata are often incomplete, incomprehensible for outsiders or ambiguous. Based on our research experience in dealing with diverse datasets, we here provide conceptual and technical guidance to overcome the challenges associated with the collection, organization, and storage of metadata in a neurophysiology laboratory. Through the concrete example of managing the metadata of a complex experiment that yields multi-channel recordings from monkeys performing a behavioral motor task, we practically demonstrate the implementation of these approaches and solutions with the intention that they may be generalized to other projects. Moreover, we detail five use cases that demonstrate the resulting benefits of constructing a well-organized metadata collection when processing or analyzing the recorded data, in particular when these are shared between laboratories in a modern scientific collaboration. Finally, we suggest an adaptable workflow to accumulate, structure and store metadata from different sources using, by way of example, the odML metadata framework

Factor interaction analysis for chromosome 8 and DNA methylation alterations highlights innate immune response suppression and cytoskeletal changes in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND: Alterations of chromosome 8 and hypomethylation of LINE-1 retrotransposons are common alterations in advanced prostate carcinoma. In a former study including many metastatic cases, they strongly correlated with each other. To elucidate a possible interaction between the two alterations, we investigated their relationship in less advanced prostate cancers. RESULTS: In 50 primary tumor tissues, no correlation was observed between chromosome 8 alterations determined by comparative genomic hybridization and LINE-1 hypomethylation measured by Southern blot hybridization. The discrepancy towards the former study, which had been dominated by advanced stage cases, suggests that both alterations converge and interact during prostate cancer progression. Therefore, interaction analysis was performed on microarray-based expression profiles of cancers harboring both alterations, only one, or none. Application of a novel bioinformatic method identified Gene Ontology (GO) groups related to innate immunity, cytoskeletal organization and cell adhesion as common targets of both alterations. Many genes targeted by their interaction were involved in type I and II interferon signaling and several were functionally related to hereditary prostate cancer genes. In addition, the interaction appeared to influence a switch in the expression pattern of EPB41L genes encoding 4.1 cytoskeleton proteins. Real-time RT-PCR revealed GADD45A, MX1, EPB41L3/DAL1, and FBLN1 as generally downregulated in prostate cancer, whereas HOXB13 and EPB41L4B were upregulated. TLR3 was downregulated in a subset of the cases and associated with recurrence. Downregulation of EPB41L3, but not of GADD45A, was associated with promoter hypermethylation, which was detected in 79% of carcinoma samples. CONCLUSION: Alterations of chromosome 8 and DNA hypomethylation in prostate cancer probably do not cause each other, but converge during progression. The present analysis implicates their interaction in innate immune response suppression and cytoskeletal changes during prostate cancer progression. The study thus highlights novel mechanisms in prostate cancer progression and identifies novel candidate genes for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In particular, TLR3 expression might be useful for prostate cancer prognosis and EPB41L3 hypermethylation for its detection

Results from Canton Grisons of Switzerland suggest repetitive testing reduces SARS-CoV-2 incidence (February-March 2021).

In February 2021, in response to emergence of more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 virus variants, the Canton Grisons launched a unique RNA mass testing program targeting the labour force in local businesses. Employees were offered weekly tests free of charge and on a voluntary basis. If tested positive, they were required to self-isolate for ten days and their contacts were subjected to daily testing at work. Thereby, the quarantine of contact persons could be waved.Here, we evaluate the effects of the testing program on the tested cohorts. We examined 121,364 test results from 27,514 participants during February-March 2021. By distinguishing different cohorts of employees, we observe a noticeable decrease in the test positivity rate and a statistically significant reduction in the associated incidence rate over the considered period. The reduction in the latter ranges between 18 and 50%. The variability is partly explained by different exposures to exogenous infection sources (e.g., contacts with visiting tourists or cross-border commuters). Our analysis provides the first empirical evidence that applying repetitive mass testing to a real population over an extended period of time can prevent spread of COVID-19 pandemic. However, to overcome logistic, uptake, and adherence challenges it is important that the program is carefully designed and that disease incursion from the population outside of the program is considered and controlled

Virtual Valcamonica: collaborative exploration of prehistoric petroglyphs and their surrounding environment in multi-user virtual reality

In this paper, we present a novel, multi-user, virtual reality environment for the interactive, collaborative 3D analysis of large 3D scans and the technical advancements that were necessary to build it: a multi-view rendering system for large 3D point clouds, a suitable display infrastructure and a suite of collaborative 3D interaction techniques. The cultural heritage site of Valcamonica in Italy with its large collection of prehistoric rock-art served as an exemplary use case for evaluation. The results show that our output-sensitive level-of-detail rendering system is capable of visualizing a 3D dataset with an aggregate size of more than 14 billion points at interactive frame rates. The system design in this exemplar application results from close exchange with a small group of potential users: archaeologists with expertise in rock-art and allows them to explore the prehistoric art and its spatial context with highly realistic appearance. A set of dedicated interaction techniques was developed to facilitate collaborative visual analysis. A multi-display workspace supports the immediate comparison of geographically distributed artifacts. An expert review of the final demonstrator confirmed the potential for added value in rock-art research and the usability of our collaborative interaction techniques

Crypto Bestiary: \u3ci\u3eA monstrous manual to the many fraudulent accounts involved in cryptocurrency scams and fraud.\u3c/i\u3e

Cryptocurrencies have fueled the growth of online fraud in various forms. They are poorly understood by many users, have value that shifts quickly and unexpectedly, and are easy to move in a digital world without borders. Cryptocurrency is seemingly purpose built as a tool for hucksters and scammers. The Federal Trade Commission claims that 46,000 people reported losing over a billion dollars in cryptocurrency to scammers in the first six months of 2021,1 a figure only including those potentially few people have been brave enough to share that they have been victims. The world of cryptocurrency can be scary for the uninitiated. One common way in which crypto-fraud is accomplished is through social media and the use of fake accounts. Some accounts purport to be crypto-fans, others make you belive they are experts in crypto-investment and are happy to help you uncover hidden riches. All of them, however, are seeking to take your money and leave you with nothing but fear and regret. This crypto-bestiary will present you, the neophyte, six of the most terrifying of crypto-creatures seeking to steal your treasure. Heed what we tell you as a lesson, be wary of where you venture and watch for the signs

Effect of a test-and-treat approach to vitamin D supplementation on risk of all cause acute respiratory tract infection and covid-19:phase 3 randomised controlled trial (CORONAVIT)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of population level implementation of a test-and-treat approach to correction of suboptimal vitamin D status (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) <75 nmol/L) on risk of all cause acute respiratory tract infection and covid 19. DESIGN: Phase 3 open label randomised controlled trial. SETTING: United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: 6200 people aged ≥16 years who were not taking vitamin D supplements at baseline. INTERVENTIONS: Offer of a postal finger prick test of blood 25(OH)D concentration with provision of a six month supply of lower dose vitamin D (800 IU/day, n=1550) or higher dose vitamin D (3200 IU/day, n=1550) to those with blood 25(OH)D concentration <75 nmol/L, compared with no offer of testing or supplementation (n=3100). Follow-up was for six months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the proportion of participants with at least one swab test or doctor confirmed acute respiratory tract infection of any cause. A secondary outcome was the proportion of participants with swab test confirmed covid-19. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals. The primary analysis was conducted by intention to treat. RESULTS: Of 3100 participants offered a vitamin D test, 2958 (95.4%) accepted and 2674 (86.3%) had 25(OH)D concentrations <75 nmol/L and received vitamin D supplements (n=1328 lower dose, n=1346 higher dose). Compared with 136/2949 (4.6%) participants in the no offer group, at least one acute respiratory tract infection of any cause occurred in 87/1515 (5.7%) in the lower dose group (odds ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval 0.96 to 1.66) and 76/1515 (5.0%) in the higher dose group (1.09, 0.82 to 1.46). Compared with 78/2949 (2.6%) participants in the no offer group, 55/1515 (3.6%) developed covid-19 in the lower dose group (1.39, 0.98 to 1.97) and 45/1515 (3.0%) in the higher dose group (1.13, 0.78 to 1.63). CONCLUSIONS: Among people aged 16 years and older with a high baseline prevalence of suboptimal vitamin D status, implementation of a population level test-and-treat approach to vitamin D supplementation was not associated with a reduction in risk of all cause acute respiratory tract infection or covid-19. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04579640

New resources for functional analysis of omics data for the genus Aspergillus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Detailed and comprehensive genome annotation can be considered a prerequisite for effective analysis and interpretation of omics data. As such, Gene Ontology (GO) annotation has become a well accepted framework for functional annotation. The genus <it>Aspergillus </it>comprises fungal species that are important model organisms, plant and human pathogens as well as industrial workhorses. However, GO annotation based on both computational predictions and extended manual curation has so far only been available for one of its species, namely <it>A. nidulans</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Based on protein homology, we mapped 97% of the 3,498 GO annotated <it>A. nidulans </it>genes to at least one of seven other <it>Aspergillus </it>species: <it>A. niger</it>, <it>A. fumigatus</it>, <it>A. flavus</it>, <it>A. clavatus</it>, <it>A. terreus</it>, <it>A. oryzae </it>and <it>Neosartorya fischeri</it>. GO annotation files compatible with diverse publicly available tools have been generated and deposited online. To further improve their accessibility, we developed a web application for GO enrichment analysis named FetGOat and integrated GO annotations for all <it>Aspergillus </it>species with public genome sequences. Both the annotation files and the web application FetGOat are accessible via the Broad Institute's website (<url>http://www.broadinstitute.org/fetgoat/index.html</url>). To demonstrate the value of those new resources for functional analysis of omics data for the genus <it>Aspergillus</it>, we performed two case studies analyzing microarray data recently published for <it>A. nidulans</it>, <it>A. niger </it>and <it>A. oryzae</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We mapped <it>A. nidulans </it>GO annotation to seven other <it>Aspergilli</it>. By depositing the newly mapped GO annotation online as well as integrating it into the web tool FetGOat, we provide new, valuable and easily accessible resources for omics data analysis and interpretation for the genus <it>Aspergillus</it>. Furthermore, we have given a general example of how a well annotated genome can help improving GO annotation of related species to subsequently facilitate the interpretation of omics data.</p

An Open Science Peer Review Oath

One of the foundations of the scientific method is to be able to reproduce experiments and corroborate the results of research that has been done before. However, with the increasing complexities of new technologies and techniques, coupled with the specialisation of experiments, reproducing research findings has become a growing challenge. Clearly, scientific methods must be conveyed succinctly, and with clarity and rigour, in order for research to be reproducible. Here, we propose steps to help increase the transparency of the scientific method and the reproducibility of research results: specifically, we introduce a peer-review oath and accompanying manifesto. These have been designed to offer guidelines to enable reviewers (with the minimum friction or bias) to follow and apply open science principles, and support the ideas of transparency, reproducibility and ultimately greater societal impact. Introducing the oath and manifesto at the stage of peer review will help to check that the research being published includes everything that other researchers would need to successfully repeat the work. Peer review is the lynchpin of the publishing system: encouraging the community to consciously (and conscientiously) uphold these principles should help to improve published papers, increase confidence in the reproducibility of the work and, ultimately, provide strategic benefits to authors and their institutions