Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for neonatal congenital diaphragmatic hernia: The initial single-center experience in Taiwan

Background/Purpose Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a treatment option for stabilizing neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in a critical condition when standard therapy fails. However, the use of this approach in Taiwan has not been previously reported. Methods The charts of all neonates with CDH treated in our institute during the period 2007–2014 were reviewed. After 2010, patients who could not be stabilized with conventional treatment were candidates for ECMO. We compared the demographic data of patients with and without ECMO support. The clinical course and complications of ECMO were also reviewed. Results We identified 39 neonates with CDH with a median birth weight of 2696 g (range, 1526–3280 g). Seven (18%) of these patients required ECMO support. The APGAR score at 5 minutes differed significantly between the ECMO and non-ECMO groups. The survival rate was 84.6% (33/39) for all CDH patients and 57.1% (4/7) for the ECMO group. The total ECMO bypass times in the survivors was in the range of 5–36 days, whereas all nonsurvivors received ECMO for at least 36 days (mean duration, 68 days). Surgical bleeding occurred in four of seven patients in the ECMO group. Conclusion The introduction of ECMO rescued some CDH patients who could not have survived by conventional management. Prolonged (i.e., > 36 days) ECMO support had no benefit for survival

CXCL10 and ILâ 6: Markers of two different forms of intraâ amniotic inflammation in preterm labor

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137580/1/aji12685_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137580/2/aji12685.pd

Population ecology, genetics and phylogeography of Tetraclita species (Crustacea: Cirripedia) from the West Pacific Ocean to East Indian Ocean

笠藤壺屬是印度西太平洋常見的潮間帶藤壺，也是研究潮間帶生物的族群生態，生物多樣性以及生物地理學上常用的模式物種。在西太平洋總共分佈著四種笠藤壺：分別是日本笠藤壺，黑潮笠藤壺，鱗笠藤壺以及新加坡笠藤壺，並各自擁有不同的分佈範圍。本研究主要想要了解笠藤壺從西太平洋到東印度洋之族群生態，生物地理，以及親緣地理學。 族群生態學研究主要聚焦在西太平洋上(日本，台灣及香港)的日本笠藤壺及黑潮笠藤壺，探討族群生態學以及生活史特徵在不同地理區域間的差異，並探討與環境因子的關聯性。研究結果顯示發現，香港的日本笠藤壺族群擁有的同齡群數量(3)顯著小於台灣及日本的族群(> 5)，但是相對於台灣的笠藤壺族群，香港的日本笠藤壺族群具有較高的附著密度以及較快的附著後成長速率，這些差異或許可以歸因於香港較高的海水溫度以及葉綠素a濃度。此外，結果也可以看到笠藤壺釋放幼體、附著、以及入添主要是發生在夏季，因此夏季的洋流模式於笠藤壺於西太平洋至東印度洋的生物地理及親緣地理將會造成巨大的影響。 另一方面，由於黑潮笠藤壺廣泛分佈在西太平洋至東印度洋海域，因此生態生物地理學及歷史生物地理學的研究僅使用黑潮笠藤壺為模式種去進行探討。這個研究總共採集了二十個西太平洋，三個東北印度洋及一個東南印度洋的黑潮笠藤壺族群，並利用粒線體上的COI基因以及細胞核內的微衛星標記進行遺傳多樣性的研究。從粒線體COI基因的結果可以發現：黑潮笠藤壺總共可分為四個特有的遺傳譜系(genetic lineages)，其中一個譜系為黑潮笠藤壺，另外三個譜系中，其中一個譜系雖然在基因上與黑潮笠藤壺有差異，但形態跟黑潮笠藤壺完全相同，因此被鑑定為cf黑潮笠藤壺(OTU 1)；另外兩個譜系(OTU 2及OTU 3)則跟已發表過笠藤壺品種在基因及形態上均不相同，且擁有獨特的背板及楯板形態特徵，因此推論是尚未發表過的笠藤壺品種(T. sp. nov. 1 and 2)。分子變方分析(AMOVA)顯示東北印度洋與太平洋的黑潮笠藤壺族群間在粒線體COI基因上有顯著的基因分化存在。為了更進一步釐清黑潮笠藤壺的親緣地理學，我們從黑潮笠藤壺的轉錄體中發展出了八個微衛星標記。利用這些微衛星標記，STRUCTURE分析結果顯示黑潮笠藤壺包含了四個基因群(genetically distinct group)：其中一個基因群包含了大部分太平洋的族群以及東南印度洋的族群，台灣蘭嶼的族群則形成另外一個基因群，另外兩個基因群則分別包括了兩個菲律賓的族群，以及所有東北印度洋的族群。另一方面，從主座標分析可以看到跟STRUCTURE分析類似的結果，顯示東北印度洋跟太平洋的黑潮笠藤壺族群在基因組成上有一定的差異，且分子變方分析(AMOVA)也證實東北印度洋跟太平洋的黑潮笠藤壺族群在微衛星標記上有顯著的基因分化存在。而且這些基因群之間並沒有太多當代的基因流動(gene flow)，僅有少量的基因流動從西太平洋的族群流向菲律賓的族群。蘭嶼及菲律賓基因群之分佈應跟更新世之冰河避難所有關。 本研究結果顯示笠藤壺之族群生態與生活史可能會受環境因子如海水溫度及食物濃度所影響，並可能進一步影響笠藤壺的地理分佈。除此之外，本研究亦顯示黑潮笠藤壺擁有高度遺傳多樣性，並在基因上有明顯分化的現象，而這些分化可以歸因於更新世的冰河事件或是其他的地質事件，而且當今之海流分佈阻止了黑潮笠藤壺的基因流動，並維持住遺傳群或譜系群間之基因分化。The genus Tetraclita is a common intertidal barnacle in the Indo-West Pacific and a good model for studying population ecology, diversity and biogeography of intertidal species. There are four Tetraclita species in the West Pacific including Tetraclita japonica, Tetraclita kuroshioensis, Tetraclita squamosa and Tetraclita singaporensis and these species have almost allopatric distribution. The aim of the present study was to understand the population ecology, biogeography and phylogeography of Tetraclita barnacles from the West Pacific to East Indian Ocean. Variations on population ecology and life history pattern of T. japonica and T. kuroshioensis were studied among geographic regions in the West Pacific (Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong) and correlated with environmental factor. Results showed that T. japonica populations in Hong Kong had the lowest number of cohorts (3) than Japan and Taiwan (> 5). Settlement density and settler growth rate of T. japonica was also higher in Hong Kong compared to Taiwan. These differences probably resulted from higher sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentration. Besides, results suggested that larval release, settlement and recruitment of Tetraclita barnacles happen in summer months. It is therefore, the biogeography and phylogeography of Tetraclita species are highly affected by oceanographic processes during the summer months in the West Pacific and East Indian Ocean regions. T. kuroshioensis was selected as a model to study historical and ecological biogeography because this species had the widest distribution from the West Pacific to East Indian Ocean. A total of 19 populations across the West Pacific, three populations from NE Indian Ocean and one population from SE Indian Ocean were collected. The genetic diversity was examined using mitochondrial COI (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) and nuclear microsatellite markers. Mitochondrial DNA analysis on T. kuroshioensis revealed four distinct genetic lineages. One of the lineages was identified as T. kuroshioensis. Among the other three lineages, one lineage exhibited strong genetic differentiation but had similar morphology to T. kuroshioensis. This lineage was regarded as T. cf. kuroshioensis (OTU 1). In contrast, the other two lineages exhibited genetic variations to the known Tetraclita references and also had distinct morphological features on scutum and tergum. These two lineages were regarded as undescribed Tetraclita species (T. sp. nov. 1 = OTU 3; T. sp. nov. 2 = OTU 2). AMOVA analysis based on mtDNA COI gene showed significant genetic difference between NE Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean T. kuroshioensis populations. To further elucidate the phylogeographic pattern of T. kuroshioensis, eight microsatellite markers were developed from T. kuroshioensis through transcriptome sequencing. STRUCTURE analysis through microsatellite markers showed that T. kuroshioensis was composed of four genetically distinct groups. One genetically distinct group contained most Pacific Ocean populations and one SE Indian Ocean population (KBA) whereas the OI population formed a genetically distinct group alone. The other genetically distinct groups were composed of two Philippine populations (PGP and BCP) and NE Indian Ocean populations (AII, PKT and PCI), respectively. Alternatively, the PCoA plot showed similar result to STRUCTURE analysis. AMOVA analysis based on microsatellite dataset also revealed significant differentiation between NE Indian and Pacific Ocean populations. The contemporary gene flow among these genetic groups was rare and only found from Pacific Ocean populations to the Philippines populations. The distribution of the OI population and the Philippines populations appears to be related to the presences of glacial refugia during the Pleistocene. The present results revealed the population ecology and life history pattern of Tetraclita barnacles can be influenced by environmental factors such as sea surface temperature and food availability which might affect geographical distribution as well. The present study also highlighted the hidden genetic diversity of T. kuroshioensis. The strong genetic subdivisions of T. kuroshioensis could be resulted from Pleistocene glaciation or other past geological events. Limited contemporary gene flow from the present day ocean currents also sustained genetic differentiation and prevented mixture among distinct genetic lineages/groups

Larval supply of Taiwan intertidal barnacles, with special reference to the early life history pattern of Tetraclita kuroshioensis (Cirripedia: Thoracica: Tetraclitidae) in the NE Coast, Taiwan

潮間帶生物之繁殖週期具有浮游性的幼體時期及固著的成體時期。供給面生態學(Supply side ecology)主要探討幼體供給、附著及附著後死亡率與成體族群動態以及分佈之關聯性。本研究主要利用一種新設計之高效能浮游生物採集器，去探討潮間帶生物幼體供給的模式；並以台灣廣泛分佈之黑潮笠藤壺為例，去探討其幼體供給、附著以及附著後死亡率，對於成體族群結構之關係。 在這次的研究中，一種新型之浮游生物採集器被設計出來，可在漲退潮時進行採集，使得採集時間比前人設計之採集器要長，並能捕獲高多樣性的浮游生物。採集器與手撈浮游生物網所收集到之浮游生物，經由多變數分析得知在組成上並無不同，也表示這個新的採集器並沒有選擇性捕捉特定浮游生物。本研究在東北角深澳坑及和平島放置採集器捕捉幼體，發現藤壺、雙殼貝以及腹足類之幼體確實具有空間上與時間上的變異存在，並與潮汐高度及風速有高度相關。 此外，在2008年十月到2009年十月的採集期中(約十二個月)，本研究在台灣東北角兩個樣點(深澳坑與和平島)探討藤壺幼體供給之多樣性，並利用形態特徵與分子標記來做藤壺腺介幼體的分種。在形態特徵上，藤壺腺界幼體背甲長度、寬度和尾部角度以及觸角上之特徵都被選做可能的分類依據，而結果顯示利用形態特徵來做分類鑑定並不可靠，相反的利用分子標記來做分種則較為可信，也較適合微小的藤壺腺介幼體分類使用。這次的研究也探討了十九種本地常見的藤壺供給在時間與空間上的變異，並發現有其它非本地種的藤壺幼體出現在採樣當中。 在這次的研究中也發現，黑潮笠藤壺的幼體供給在夏天繁殖季中會出現好幾次高峰，夏季早期所出現的少量幼體供給並沒辦法附著到岸上，而只有夏季所出現的那次大量的幼體供給能夠提供少量的幼體附著，並入添到成體族群中。這個結果也表示，台灣的笠藤壺幼體與附著密度並不高，且較香港之前的研究為低，西北太平洋上不同的洋流及氣候特徵或許是造成這些變異存在的原因之一。Life cycle of intertidal organisms often consist a planktonic larval stage and followed by a sessile adult stage. Supply side ecology highlighted the relationship between larval supply, settlement and post-settlement mortality and their subsequent effect on the distribution and abundance of adults. The present study investigated larval supply using a newly designed plankton trap, which can efficiently sample larvae and quantify their supply patterns. The present study also focused on the early life history pattern of the abundant mid-shore barnacle Tetraclita kuroshioensis, to study the subsequent events of larval supply, settlement and post-settlement mortality on the population structure of adults at the NE Coast, Taiwan. The new designed trap in the present study can collect plankton during the splash and submerged period of the tidal cycle and yielded high diversity of catches, in which the sampling time is longer than the previously designed traps. Multivariate analysis showed that catch composition collected by the traps and the catches collected from hand-held plankton trawl net was similar, suggesting this trap was not selective. Using the new trap, the present study assessed the spatial and temporal variation in the supply of barnacle, bivalve and gastropod larvae in the NE Coast, Taiwan. Supply pattern of these larvae was affected by daily tidal range and wind speed. Diversity of larval supply of Taiwan intertidal barnacles was further investigated using this trap in ~12-month period (October, 2008 – October, 2009) at two sites (Shen Ao Kang and He Ping Dao) in the NE Coast. Morphological characters and molecular markers (CO1) are combined to identify barnacle cypris larvae. In morphological methods, carapace length, width and posterior carapace angle and antennules morphology was used to identify species. The result showed that morphological method can not identify barnacle cypris larvae to species level correctly. However, using the mitochondria CO1 molecular markers, we can identify barnacle species and proved that molecular method is more reliable to identify small-size barnacle cypris larvae in larval supply studies. The present study revealed the supply pattern of 19 common local barnacles which showed both spatial and temporal variations between these two sites. We also collected larvae of non-native barnacle species. Larval supply of the intertidal barnacle T. kuroshioensis had several supply pulses during the reproductive seasons. There were several small pulses in early summer but no settlement was followed. In summer, there was a single pulse, followed by sparse settlement and most of the settler can enter the populations as recruits (> 1 month old). Results suggesting the larvae and settlement density of Tetraclita sp. were not very high in Taiwan, as compared to the previous reported pattern in Hong Kong. Such variations can be attributed by difference in oceanographic current and climates between Taiwan and Hong Kong in the NW Pacific waters

A combined morphological and molecular approach in identifying barnacle cyprids from the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve in Malaysia: essentials for larval ecology studies

Wong, Jin Yung, Chen, Hsi-Nien, Chan, Benny K. K., Tan, Irene Kit Ping, Chong, Ving Ching (2014): A combined morphological and molecular approach in identifying barnacle cyprids from the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve in Malaysia: essentials for larval ecology studies. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 62: 317-329, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.575676

Disease-associated GPR56 mutations cause bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria via multiple mechanisms

Loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding G proteincoupled receptor 56 (GPR56) lead to bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria (BFPP), an autosomal recessive disorder affecting brain development. The GPR56 receptor is a member of the adhesion-GPCR family characterized by the chimeric composition of a long ectodomain (ECD), a GPCR proteolysis site (GPS), and a sevenpass transmembrane (7TM) moiety. Interestingly, all identified BFPP-associated missense mutations are located within the extracellular region of GPR56 including the ECD, GPS, and the extracellular loops of 7TM. In the present study, a detailed molecular and functional analysis of the wild-type GPR56 and BFPP-associated point mutants shows that individual GPR56 mutants most likely cause BFPP via different combination of multiple mechanisms. These include reduced surface receptor expression, loss of GPS proteolysis, reduced receptor shedding, inability to interact with a novel protein ligand, and differential distribution of the 7TM moiety in lipid rafts. These results provide novel insights into the cellular functions of GPR56 receptor and reveal molecular mechanisms whereby GPR56 mutations induce BFPP

Classification of community-acquired outbreaks for the global transmission of COVID-19: Machine learning and statistical model analysis

Background: As Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the unprecedent large-scale repeated surges of epidemics worldwide since the end of 2019, data-driven analysis to look into the duration and case load of each episode of outbreak worldwide has been motivated. Methods: Using open data repository with daily infected, recovered and death cases in the period between March 2020 and April 2021, a descriptive analysis was performed. The susceptible-exposed-infected-recovery model was used to estimate the effective productive number (Rt). The duration taken from Rt > 1 to Rt < 1 and case load were first modelled by using the compound Poisson method. Machine learning analysis using the K-means clustering method was further adopted to classify patterns of community-acquired outbreaks worldwide. Results: The global estimated Rt declined after the first surge of COVID-19 pandemic but there were still two major surges of epidemics occurring in September 2020 and March 2021, respectively, and numerous episodes due to various extents of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs). Unsupervised machine learning identified five patterns as “controlled epidemic”, “mutant propagated epidemic”, “propagated epidemic”, “persistent epidemic” and “long persistent epidemic” with the corresponding duration and the logarithm of case load from the lowest (18.6 ± 11.7; 3.4 ± 1.8)) to the highest (258.2 ± 31.9; 11.9 ± 2.4). Countries like Taiwan outside five clusters were classified as no community-acquired outbreak. Conclusion: Data-driven models for the new classification of community-acquired outbreaks are useful for global surveillance of uninterrupted COVID-19 pandemic and provide a timely decision support for the distribution of vaccine and the optimal NPIs from global to local community