Comparing species detection success between molecular markers in DNA metabarcoding of coastal macroinvertebrates

DNA metabarcoding has great potential to improve marine biomonitoring programs by providing a rapid and accurate assessment of species composition in zoobenthic communities. However, some methodological improvements are still required, especially regarding failed detections, primers efficiency and incompleteness of databases. Here we assessed the efficiency of two different marker loci (COI and 18S) and three primer pairs in marine species detection through DNA metabarcoding of the macrozoobenthic communities colonizing three types of artificial substrates (slate, PVC and granite), sampled between 3 and 15 months of deployment. To accurately compare detection success between markers, we also compared the representativeness of the detected species in public databases and revised the reliability of the taxonomic assignments. Globally, we recorded extensive complementarity in the species detected by each marker, with 69% of the species exclusively detected by either 18S or COI. Individually, each of the three primer pairs recovered, at most, 52% of all species detected on the samples, showing also different abilities to amplify specific taxonomic groups. Most of the detected species have reliable reference sequences in their respective databases (82% for COI and 72% for 18S), meaning that when a species was detected by one marker and not by the other, it was most likely due to faulty amplification, and not by lack of matching sequences in the database. Overall, results showed the impact of marker and primer applied on species detection ability and indicated that, currently, if only a single marker or primer pair is employed in marine zoobenthos metabarcoding, a fair portion of the diversity may be overlooked.project ATLANTIDA – Platform for the monitoring of the North Atlantic Ocean and tools for the sustainable exploitation of the marine resources, with the reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000040, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE 2020). BRL benefitted from an FCT fellowship PD/BD/127994/2016. The authors would like to thank Sofia Duarte (University of Minho) for the availability and support during practical stages of the research

Artificial seaweed substrates complement ARMS in DNA metabarcoding-based monitoring of temperate coastal macrozoobenthos

We used DNA metabarcoding to compare macrozoobenthic species colonization between autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) and artificial seaweed monitoring systems (ASMS). We deployed both substrates in two different locations (Ría de Vigo and Ría de Ferrol, NW Iberian coast) and collected them after 6, 9, and 12 months to assess species composition of the colonizing communities through high-throughput sequencing of amplicons within the barcode region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI-5P) and the V4 domain of the 18S rRNA genes. We observed a consistently low similarity in species composition between substrate types, independently of sampling times and sites. A large fraction of exclusive species was recorded for a given substrate (up to 72%), whereas only up to 32% of species were recorded in both substrates. The shape and structural complexity of the substrate strongly affected the colonization preferences, with ASMS detecting more exclusive crustacean and gastropod species and a broader diversity of taxonomic groups (e.g., Entoprocta and Pycnogonida were detected exclusively in ASMS). We demonstrate that despite the customary use of ARMS for macrozoobenthos monitoring, by using ASMS we complemented the recovery of species and enlarged the scope of the taxonomic diversity recorded.This study was supported by the project ATLANTIDA (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000040), funded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE2020) and by the “Contrato-Programa” UIDB/04050/2020 funded by national funds through the FCT I.P. (Foundation for Science and Technology). Financial support granted by the FCT to BRL (PD/BD/127994/2016) and SD (CEECIND/00667/2017) is also acknowledged.We would like to thank all the members of the Marine Biology Station of A Graña and all the members of the ECIMAT Marine Station for providing the resources and support during sampling campaigns. We also acknowledge the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments

The study the properties structurals and elastics of phases lamellar of lipid.

Lamellar systems composed of lipid bilayers have been widely used as model system\ud for investigating properties of biological membranes, interactions between membranes and with biomolecules. The composition of the membrane determines its\ud three dimensional shape and its properties such as rigidity and compressibility\ud which play an important role on membrane fusion, protein adhesion, interactions\ud between proteins, etc. We present a systematic study of a lamellar system composed of lecithin and a commercial co-surfactant (Simusol), which is a mixture of\ud ethoxylated fatty acids. Using X ray scattering and a new procedure to fit X-ray\ud experimental data, we determine relevant parameters characterizing the lamellar\ud structure, varying membrane composition from 100% of lecithin to 100% of Simulsol. We present experimental data illustrating the swelling behavior for the membrane of different compositions and the respective behavior of the Caillé parameter.\ud From and GISAXS experiments on oriented films under controlled humidity we investigate the compressibility of the lamellar phase and the effect of incorporating\ud co-surfactant. Combining the Caillé parameter and compressibility studies we determine the bending rigidity of membranes. The results obtained with this experimental approach and new procedure to fit X-ray experimental allows us to identify\ud structural changes in the bilayer depending both on hydration and co-surfactant\ud content, with implications on elastic properties of membranes

Differential binding of autoantibodies to MOG isoforms in inflammatory demyelinating diseases

Objective: To analyze serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to major isoforms of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-alpha 1-3 and beta 1-3) in patients with inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Methods: Retrospective case-control study using 378 serum samples from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), patients with non-MS demyelinating disease, and healthy controls with MOG alpha-1-IgG positive (n = 202) or negative serostatus (n = 176). Samples were analyzed for their reactivity to human, mouse, and rat MOG isoforms with and without mutations in the extracellular MOG Ig domain (MOG-ecIgD), soluble MOG-ecIgD, and myelin from multiple species using live cell-based, tissue immunofluorescence assays and ELISA. Results: The strongest IgG reactivities were directed against the longest MOG isoforms alpha-1 (the currently used standard test for MOG-IgG) and beta-1, whereas the other isoforms were less frequently recognized. Using principal component analysis, we identified 3 different binding patterns associated with non-MS disease: (1) isolated reactivity to MOG-alpha-1/beta-1 (n = 73), (2) binding to MOG-alpha-1/beta-1 and at least one other alpha, but no beta isoform (n = 64), and (3) reactivity to all 6 MOG isoforms (n = 65). The remaining samples were negative (n = 176) for MOG-IgG. These MOG isoform binding patterns were associated with a non-MS demyelinating disease, but there were no differences in clinical phenotypes or disease course. The 3 MOG isoform patterns had distinct immunologic characteristics such as differential binding to soluble MOG-ecIgD, sensitivity to MOG mutations, and binding to human MOG in ELISA. Conclusions: The novel finding of differential MOG isoform binding patterns could inform future studies on the refinement of MOG-IgG assays and the pathophysiologic role of MOG-IgG

2019 HRS/EHRA/APHRS/LAHRS expert consensus statement on catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias: Executive summary

Ventricular arrhythmias are an important cause of morbidity and mortality and come in a variety of forms, from single premature ventricular complexes to sustained ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Rapid developments have taken place over the past decade in our understanding of these arrhythmias and in our ability to diagnose and treat them. The field of catheter ablation has progressed with the development of new methods and tools, and with the publication of large clinical trials. Therefore, global cardiac electrophysiology professional societies undertook to outline recommendations and best practices for these procedures in a document that will update and replace the 2009 EHRA/HRS Expert Consensus on Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias. An expert writing group, after reviewing and discussing the literature, including a systematic review and meta-analysis published in conjunction with this document, and drawing on their own experience, drafted and voted on recommendations and summarized current knowledge and practice in the field. Each recommendation is presented in knowledge byte format and is accompanied by supportive text and references. Further sections provide a practical synopsis of the various techniques and of the specific ventricular arrhythmia sites and substrates encountered in the electrophysiology lab. The purpose of this document is to help electrophysiologists around the world to appropriately select patients for catheter ablation, to perform procedures in a safe and efficacious manner, and to provide follow-up and adjunctive care in order to obtain the best possible outcomes for patients with ventricular arrhythmias

A marine biodiversity observation network for genetic monitoring of hard-bottom communities (ARMS-MBON)

Marine hard-bottom communities are undergoing severe change under the influence of multiple drivers, notably climate change, extraction of natural resources, pollution and eutrophication, habitat degradation, and invasive species. Monitoring marine biodiversity in such habitats is, however, challenging as it typically involves expensive, non-standardized, and often destructive sampling methods that limit its scalability. Differences in monitoring approaches furthermore hinders inter-comparison among monitoring programs. Here, we announce a Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) consisting of Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) with the aim to assess the status and changes in benthic fauna with genomic-based methods, notably DNA metabarcoding, in combination with image-based identifications. This article presents the results of a 30-month pilot phase in which we established an operational and geographically expansive ARMS-MBON. The network currently consists of 20 observatories distributed across European coastal waters and the polar regions, in which 134 ARMS have been deployed to date. Sampling takes place annually, either as short-term deployments during the summer or as long-term deployments starting in spring. The pilot phase was used to establish a common set of standards for field sampling, genetic analysis, data management, and legal compliance, which are presented here. We also tested the potential of ARMS for combining genetic and image-based identification methods in comparative studies of benthic diversity, as well as for detecting non-indigenous species. Results show that ARMS are suitable for monitoring hard-bottom environments as they provide genetic data that can be continuously enriched, re-analyzed, and integrated with conventional data to document benthic community composition and detect non-indigenous species. Finally, we provide guidelines to expand the network and present a sustainability plan as part of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (www.embrc.eu).Peer reviewe

Verbal working memory and functional large-scale networks in schizophrenia

The aim of this study was to test whether bilinear and nonlinear effective connectivity (EC) measures of working memory fMRI data can differentiate between patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and healthy controls (HC). We applied bilinear and nonlinear Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM) for the analysis of verbal working memory in 16 SZ and 21 HC. The connection strengths with nonlinear modulation between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra (VTA/SN) were evaluated. We used Bayesian Model Selection at the group and family levels to compare the optimal bilinear and nonlinear models. Bayesian Model Averaging was used to assess the connection strengths with nonlinear modulation. The DCM analyses revealed that SZ and HC used different bilinear networks despite comparable behavioral performance. In addition, the connection strengths with nonlinear modulation between the DLPFC and the VTA/SN area showed differences between SZ and HC. The adoption of different functional networks in SZ and HC indicated neurobiological alterations underlying working memory performance, including different connection strengths with nonlinear modulation between the DLPFC and the VTA/SN area. These novel findings may increase our understanding of connectivity in working memory in schizophrenia

The germline mutational landscape of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in Brazil

The detection of germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 is essential to the formulation of clinical management strategies, and in Brazil, there is limited access to these services, mainly due to the costs/availability of genetic testing. Aiming at the identification of recurrent mutations that could be included in a low-cost mutation panel, used as a first screening approach, we compiled the testing reports of 649 probands with pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants referred to 28 public and private health care centers distributed across 11 Brazilian States. Overall, 126 and 103 distinct mutations were identified in BRCA1 and BRCA2, respectively. Twenty-six novel variants were reported from both genes, and BRCA2 showed higher mutational heterogeneity. Some recurrent mutations were reported exclusively in certain geographic regions, suggesting a founder effect. Our findings confirm that there is significant molecular heterogeneity in these genes among Brazilian carriers, while also suggesting that this heterogeneity precludes the use of screening protocols that include recurrent mutation testing only. This is the first study to show that profiles of recurrent mutations may be unique to different Brazilian regions. These data should be explored in larger regional cohorts to determine if screening with a panel of recurrent mutations would be effective.This work was supported in part by grants from Barretos Cancer Hospital (FINEP - CT-INFRA, 02/2010), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, 2013/24633-2 and 2103/23277-8), Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Rio Grande do Norte (FAPERN), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS), Ministério da Saúde, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (Avon grant #02-2013-044) and National Institute of Health/National Cancer Institute (grant #RC4 CA153828-01) for the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network. Support in part was provided by grants from Fundo de Incentivo a Pesquisa e Eventos (FIPE) from Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, BioComputacional 3381/2013, Rede de Pesquisa em Genômica Populacional Humana), Secretaria da Saúde do Estado da Bahia (SESAB), Laboratório de Imunologia e Biologia Molecular (UFBA), INCT pra Controle do Câncer and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). RMR and PAP are recipients of CNPq Productivity Grants, and Bárbara Alemar received a grant from the same agencyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio