Recent Advances in the Therapeutic and Diagnostic Use of Liposomes and Carbon Nanomaterials in Ischemic Stroke

The complexity of the central nervous system (CNS), its limited self-repairing capacity and the ineffective delivery of most CNS drugs to the brain contribute to the irreversible and progressive nature of many neurological diseases and also the severity of the outcome. Therefore, neurological disorders belong to the group of pathologies with the greatest need of new technologies for diagnostics and therapeutics. In this scenario, nanotechnology has emerged with innovative and promising biomaterials and tools. This review focuses on ischemic stroke, being one of the major causes of death and serious long-term disabilities worldwide, and the recent advances in the study of liposomes and carbon nanomaterials for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is insufficient to meet metabolic demand, leading to a cascade of physiopathological events in the CNS including local blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption. However, to date, the only treatment approved by the FDA for this pathology is based on the potentially toxic tissue plasminogen activator. The techniques currently available for diagnosis of stroke also lack sensitivity. Liposomes and carbon nanomaterials were selected for comparison in this review, because of their very distinct characteristics and ranges of applications. Liposomes represent a biomimetic system, with composition, structural organization and properties very similar to biological membranes. On the other hand, carbon nanomaterials, which are not naturally encountered in the human body, exhibit new modes of interaction with biological molecules and systems, resulting in unique pharmacological properties. In the last years, several neuroprotective agents have been evaluated under the encapsulated form in liposomes, in experimental models of stroke. Effective drug delivery to the brain and neuroprotection were achieved using stealth liposomes bearing targeting ligands onto their surface for brain endothelial cells and ischemic tissues receptors. Carbon nanomaterials including nanotubes, fullerenes and graphene, started to be investigated and potential applications for therapy, biosensing and imaging have been identified based on their antioxidant action, their intrinsic photoluminescence, their ability to cross the BBB, transitorily decrease the BBB paracellular tightness, carry oligonucleotides and cells and induce cell differentiation. The potential future developments in the field are finally discussed

Leaf heteroblasty in Passiflora edulis as revealed by metabolic profiling and expression analyses of the microRNAs miR156 and miR172

Juvenile-to-adult phase transition is marked by changes in leaf morphology, mostly due to the temporal development of the shoot apical meristem, a phenomenon known as heteroblasty. Sugars and microRNA-controlled modules are components of the heteroblastic process in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. However, our understanding about their roles during phase-changing in other species, such as Passiflora edulis, remains limited. Unlike Arabidopsis, P. edulis (a semi-woody perennial climbing vine) undergoes remarkable changes in leaf morphology throughout juvenile-to-adult transition. Nonetheless, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown.Here we evaluated the molecular mechanisms underlying the heteroblastic process by analysing the temporal expression of microRNAs and targets in leaves as well as the leaf metabolome during P. edulis development.Metabolic profiling revealed a unique composition of metabolites associated with leaf heteroblasty. Increasing levels of glucose and α-trehalose were observed during juvenile-to-adult phase transition. Accumulation of microRNA156 (miR156) correlated with juvenile leaf traits, whilst miR172 transcript accumulation was associated with leaf adult traits. Importantly, glucose may mediate adult leaf characteristics during de novo shoot organogenesis by modulating miR156-targeted PeSPL9 expression levels at early stages of shoot development.Altogether, our results suggest that specific sugars may act as co-regulators, along with two microRNAs, leading to leaf morphological modifications throughout juvenile-to-adult phase transition in P. edulis

Combined treatment with caffeic and ferulic acid from Baccharis uncinella C. DC. (Asteraceae) protects against metabolic syndrome in mice

Fractionation of the EtOH extract from aerial parts of Baccharis uncinella C. DC. (Asteraceae) led to isolation of caffeic and ferulic acids, which were identified from spectroscopic and spectrometric evidence. These compounds exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and have been shown to be effective in the prevention/treatment of metabolic syndrome. This study investigated whether the combined treatment of caffeic and ferulic acids exhibits a more significant beneficial effect in a mouse model with metabolic syndrome. The combination treatment with caffeic and ferulic acids was tested for 60 days in C57 mice kept on a high-fat (40%) diet. The data obtained indicated that treatment with caffeic and ferulic acids prevented gain in body weight induced by the high-fat diet and improved hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. The expression of a number of metabolically relevant genes was affected in the liver of these animals, showing that caffeic and ferulic acid treatment results in increased cholesterol uptake and reduced hepatic triglyceride synthesis in the liver, which is a likely explanation for the prevention of hepatic steatosis. In conclusion, the combined treatment of caffeic and ferulic acids displayed major positive effects towards prevention of multiple aspects of the metabolic syndrome and liver steatosis in an obese mouse model.CAPESFAPESPMackPesquisaUniv Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Programa Posgrad Disturbios Desenvolvimento, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Med Translac, Escola Paulista Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed ABC, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanas, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilEscola Ciencias Med, Dept Ciencias Patol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Escola Engn, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilRush Univ & Med Ctr, Dept Internal Med, Div Endocrinol & Metab, Chicago, IL 60612 USAUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 2011/21847-6Web of Scienc

Educação Ambiental envolvendo o descarte de pilhas e baterias: uma ação do PIBID de Química na comunidade do Salobrinho

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Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Systems and algorithms for wireless sensor networks based on animal and natural behavior

In last decade, there have been many research works about wireless sensor networks (WSNs) focused on improving the network performance as well as increasing the energy efficiency and communications effectiveness. Many of these new mechanisms have been implemented using the behaviors of certain animals, such as ants, bees, or schools of fish.These systems are called bioinspired systems and are used to improve aspects such as handling large-scale networks, provide dynamic nature, and avoid resource constraints, heterogeneity, unattended operation, or robustness, amongmanyothers.Therefore, thispaper aims to studybioinspired mechanisms in the field ofWSN, providing the concepts of these behavior patterns in which these new approaches are based. The paper will explain existing bioinspired systems in WSNs and analyze their impact on WSNs and their evolution. In addition, we will conduct a comprehensive review of recently proposed bioinspired systems, protocols, and mechanisms. Finally, this paper will try to analyze the applications of each bioinspired mechanism as a function of the imitated animal and the deployed application. Although this research area is considered an area with highly theoretical content, we intend to show the great impact that it is generating from the practical perspective.Sendra, S.; Parra Boronat, L.; Lloret, J.; Khan, S. (2015). Systems and algorithms for wireless sensor networks based on animal and natural behavior. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks. 2015:1-19. doi:10.1155/2015/625972S1192015Iram, R., Sheikh, M. I., Jabbar, S., & Minhas, A. A. (2011). Computational intelligence based optimization in wireless sensor network. 2011 International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies. doi:10.1109/icict.2011.5983561Lloret, J., Bosch, I., Sendra, S., & Serrano, A. (2011). A Wireless Sensor Network for Vineyard Monitoring That Uses Image Processing. Sensors, 11(6), 6165-6196. doi:10.3390/s110606165Lloret, J., Garcia, M., Bri, D., & Sendra, S. (2009). A Wireless Sensor Network Deployment for Rural and Forest Fire Detection and Verification. Sensors, 9(11), 8722-8747. doi:10.3390/s91108722Dasgupta, P. (2008). A Multiagent Swarming System for Distributed Automatic Target Recognition Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics - Part A: Systems and Humans, 38(3), 549-563. doi:10.1109/tsmca.2008.918619Quwaider, M., & Biswas, S. (2012). Delay Tolerant Routing Protocol Modeling for Low Power Wearable Wireless Sensor Networks. Network Protocols and Algorithms, 4(3). doi:10.5296/npa.v4i3.2054Sendra, S., Lloret, J., Garcia, M., & Toledo, J. F. (2011). Power Saving and Energy Optimization Techniques for Wireless Sensor Neworks (Invited Paper). Journal of Communications, 6(6). doi:10.4304/jcm.6.6.439-459Liu, M., & Song, C. (2012). Ant-Based Transmission Range Assignment Scheme for Energy Hole Problem in Wireless Sensor Networks. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 8(12), 290717. doi:10.1155/2012/290717Riva, G., & Finochietto, J. M. (2012). Pheromone-based In-Network Processing for Wireless Sensor Network Monitoring Systems. Network Protocols and Algorithms, 4(4). doi:10.5296/npa.v4i4.2206Garcia, M., Sendra, S., Lloret, J., & Canovas, A. (2011). Saving energy and improving communications using cooperative group-based Wireless Sensor Networks. Telecommunication Systems, 52(4), 2489-2502. doi:10.1007/s11235-011-9568-3Kim, J.-Y., Sharma, T., Kumar, B., Tomar, G. S., Berry, K., & Lee, W.-H. (2014). Intercluster Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Network in Dense Environment. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 10(4), 457402. doi:10.1155/2014/457402Dressler, F., & Akan, O. B. (2010). A survey on bio-inspired networking. 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A survey of nature inspired routing algorithms for MANETs. 2011 3rd International Conference on Electronics Computer Technology. doi:10.1109/icectech.2011.5942042Fernandez-Marquez, J. L., Di Marzo Serugendo, G., Montagna, S., Viroli, M., & Arcos, J. L. (2012). Description and composition of bio-inspired design patterns: a complete overview. Natural Computing, 12(1), 43-67. doi:10.1007/s11047-012-9324-yCamilo, T., Carreto, C., Silva, J. S., & Boavida, F. (2006). An Energy-Efficient Ant-Based Routing Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 49-59. doi:10.1007/11839088_5Selvakennedy, S., Sinnappan, S., & Shang, Y. (2006). T-ANT: A Nature-Inspired Data Gathering Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks. Journal of Communications, 1(2). doi:10.4304/jcm.1.2.22-29Almshreqi, A. M. S., Ali, B. M., Rasid, M. F. A., Ismail, A., & Varahram, P. (2012). An improved routing mechanism using bio-inspired for energy balancing in wireless sensor networks. 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Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A, 9(4), 531-538. doi:10.1631/jzus.a071382Liao, W.-H., Kao, Y., & Wu, R.-T. (2011). Ant colony optimization based sensor deployment protocol for wireless sensor networks. Expert Systems with Applications, 38(6), 6599-6605. doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2010.11.079Pavai, K., Sivagami, A., & Sridharan, D. (2009). Study of Routing Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks. 2009 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Control, and Telecommunication Technologies. doi:10.1109/act.2009.133Juan, L., Chen, S., & Chao, Z. (2007). Ant System Based Anycast Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks. 2007 International Conference on Wireless Communications, Networking and Mobile Computing. doi:10.1109/wicom.2007.603Wang, C., & Lin, Q. (2008). Swarm intelligence optimization based routing algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks. 2008 International Conference on Neural Networks and Signal Processing. doi:10.1109/icnnsp.2008.4590326Jiang, H., Wang, M., Liu, M., & Yan, J. (2012). A quantum-inspired ant-based routing algorithm for WSNs. Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD). doi:10.1109/cscwd.2012.6221881Okazaki, A. M., & Frohlich, A. A. (2011). Ant-based Dynamic Hop Optimization Protocol: A routing algorithm for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks. 2011 IEEE GLOBECOM Workshops (GC Wkshps). doi:10.1109/glocomw.2011.6162356Hui, X., Zhigang, Z., & Xueguang, Z. (2009). A Novel Routing Protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Ant Colony Optimization. 2009 International Conference on Environmental Science and Information Application Technology. doi:10.1109/esiat.2009.460AbdelSalam, H. S., & Olariu, S. (2012). BEES: BioinspirEd backbonE Selection in Wireless Sensor Networks. IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, 23(1), 44-51. doi:10.1109/tpds.2011.100Da Silva Rego, A., Celestino, J., dos Santos, A., Cerqueira, E. C., Patel, A., & Taghavi, M. (2012). BEE-C: A bio-inspired energy efficient cluster-based algorithm for data continuous dissemination in Wireless Sensor Networks. 2012 18th IEEE International Conference on Networks (ICON). doi:10.1109/icon.2012.6506592Neshat, M., Sepidnam, G., Sargolzaei, M., & Toosi, A. N. (2012). Artificial fish swarm algorithm: a survey of the state-of-the-art, hybridization, combinatorial and indicative applications. Artificial Intelligence Review, 42(4), 965-997. doi:10.1007/s10462-012-9342-2Antoniou, P., Pitsillides, A., Blackwell, T., & Engelbrecht, A. (2009). Employing the flocking behavior of birds for controlling congestion in autonomous decentralized networks. 2009 IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation. doi:10.1109/cec.2009.4983153Ruihua, Z., Zhiping, J., Xin, L., & Dongxue, H. (2011). Double cluster-heads clustering algorithm for wireless sensor networks using PSO. 2011 6th IEEE Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications. doi:10.1109/iciea.2011.5975688Kulkarni, R. V., Venayagamoorthy, G. K., & Cheng, M. X. (2009). Bio-inspired node localization in wireless sensor networks. 2009 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics. doi:10.1109/icsmc.2009.5346107Kulkarni, R. V., & Venayagamoorthy, G. K. (2010). Bio-inspired Algorithms for Autonomous Deployment and Localization of Sensor Nodes. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C (Applications and Reviews), 40(6), 663-675. doi:10.1109/tsmcc.2010.2049649Xin Song, Cuirong Wang, Wang, J., & Bin Zhang. (2010). A hierarchical routing protocol based on AFSO algorithm for WSN. 2010 International Conference On Computer Design and Applications. doi:10.1109/iccda.2010.5541265Gao, X. Z., Wu, Y., Zenger, K., & Huang, X. (2010). A Knowledge-Based Artificial Fish-Swarm Algorithm. 2010 13th IEEE International Conference on Computational Science and Engineering. doi:10.1109/cse.2010.49Wang, L., & Ma, L. (2011). A hybrid artificial fish swarm algorithm for Bin-packing problem. Proceedings of 2011 International Conference on Electronic & Mechanical Engineering and Information Technology. doi:10.1109/emeit.2011.6022829Yiyue, W., Hongmei, L., & Hengyang, H. (2012). Wireless Sensor Network Deployment Using an Optimized Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm. 2012 International Conference on Computer Science and Electronics Engineering. doi:10.1109/iccsee.2012.453Yang, X.-S. (2010). A New Metaheuristic Bat-Inspired Algorithm. Studies in Computational Intelligence, 65-74. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-12538-6_6Goyal, S., & Patterh, M. S. (2013). Performance of BAT Algorithm on Localization of Wireless Sensor Network. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTERS & TECHNOLOGY, 6(3), 351-358. doi:10.24297/ijct.v6i3.4481Krishnanand, K. N., & Ghose, D. (2006). Glowworm swarm based optimization algorithm for multimodal functions with collective robotics applications. Multiagent and Grid Systems, 2(3), 209-222. doi:10.3233/mgs-2006-2301Apostolopoulos, T., & Vlachos, A. (2011). Application of the Firefly Algorithm for Solving the Economic Emissions Load Dispatch Problem. International Journal of Combinatorics, 2011, 1-23. doi:10.1155/2011/523806Liao, W.-H., Kao, Y., & Li, Y.-S. (2011). A sensor deployment approach using glowworm swarm optimization algorithm in wireless sensor networks. Expert Systems with Applications, 38(10), 12180-12188. doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2011.03.053Sun, Y., Jiang, Q., & Zhang, K. (2012). A clustering scheme for Reachback Firefly Synchronicity in wireless sensor networks. 2012 3rd IEEE International Conference on Network Infrastructure and Digital Content. doi:10.1109/icnidc.2012.6418705Zungeru, A. M., Ang, L.-M., & Seng, K. P. (2012). Termite-Hill. International Journal of Swarm Intelligence Research, 3(4), 1-22. doi:10.4018/jsir.2012100101KumarE, S., S. M., K., & Kumar B. P., V. (2014). Clustering Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks based on Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) Animal&apos;s Social Behavior. International Journal of Computer Applications, 87(8), 20-27. doi:10.5120/15229-3754Breza, M., & McCann, J. A. (2008). Lessons in Implementing Bio-inspired Algorithms on Wireless Sensor Networks. 2008 NASA/ESA Conference on Adaptive Hardware and Systems. doi:10.1109/ahs.2008.72Aziz, N. A. B. A., Mohemmed, A. W., & Sagar, B. S. D. (2007). Particle Swarm Optimization and Voronoi diagram for Wireless Sensor Networks coverage optimization. 2007 International Conference on Intelligent and Advanced Systems. doi:10.1109/icias.2007.4658528Falcon, R., Li, X., Nayak, A., & Stojmenovic, I. (2012). A harmony-seeking firefly swarm to the periodic replacement of damaged sensors by a team of mobile robots. 2012 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC). doi:10.1109/icc.2012.6363859Antoniou, P., & Pitsillides, A. (2010). A bio-inspired approach for streaming applications in wireless sensor networks based on the Lotka–Volterra competition model. Computer Communications, 33(17), 2039-2047. doi:10.1016/j.comcom.2010.07.020Benahmed, K., Merabti, M., & Haffaf, H. (2012). Inspired Social Spider Behavior for Secure Wireless Sensor Networks. International Journal of Mobile Computing and Multimedia Communications, 4(4), 1-10. doi:10.4018/jmcmc.2012100101Alrajeh, N. A., & Lloret, J. (2013). Intrusion Detection Systems Based on Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Wireless Sensor Networks. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 9(10), 351047. doi:10.1155/2013/351047Hussain, S., Matin, A. W., & Islam, O. (2007). Genetic Algorithm for Hierarchical Wireless Sensor Networks. Journal of Networks, 2(5). doi:10.4304/jnw.2.5.87-97Hussain, S., Matin, A. W., & Islam, O. (2007). Genetic Algorithm for Energy Efficient Clusters in Wireless Sensor Networks. Fourth International Conference on Information Technology (ITNG’07). doi:10.1109/itng.2007.97Ferentinos, K. P., & Tsiligiridis, T. A. (2007). Adaptive design optimization of wireless sensor networks using genetic algorithms. Computer Networks, 51(4), 1031-1051. doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2006.06.013Jia, J., Chen, J., Chang, G., & Tan, Z. (2009). Energy efficient coverage control in wireless sensor networks based on multi-objective genetic algorithm. Computers & Mathematics with Applications, 57(11-12), 1756-1766. doi:10.1016/j.camwa.2008.10.036Nan, G.-F., Li, M.-Q., & Li, J. (2007). Estimation of Node Localization with a Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm in WSNs. 2007 International Conference on Machine Learning and Cybernetics. doi:10.1109/icmlc.2007.4370265Saleem, K., Fisal, N., Abdullah, M. S., Zulkarmwan, A. B., Hafizah, S., & Kamilah, S. (2009). Proposed Nature Inspired Self-Organized Secure Autonomous Mechanism for WSNs. 2009 First Asian Conference on Intelligent Information and Database Systems. doi:10.1109/aciids.2009.75Jabbari, A., & Lang, W. (2010). Advanced Bio-inspired Plausibility Checking in a Wireless Sensor Network Using Neuro-immune Systems: Autonomous Fault Diagnosis in an Intelligent Transportation System. 2010 Fourth International Conference on Sensor Technologies and Applications. doi:10.1109/sensorcomm.2010.24Ponnusamy, V., & Abdullah, A. (2010). Biologically Inspired (Botany) Mobile Agent Based Self-Healing Wireless Sensor Network. 2010 Sixth International Conference on Intelligent Environments. doi:10.1109/ie.2010.46Li, J., Cui, Z., & Shi, Z. (2012). An Improved Artificial Plant Optimization Algorithm for Coverage Problem in WSN. Sensor Letters, 10(8), 1874-1878. doi:10.1166/sl.2012.2627Sendra, S., Llario, F., Parra, L., & Lloret, J. (2014). Smart Wireless Sensor Network to Detect and Protect Sheep and Goats to Wolf Attacks. Recent Advances in Communications and Networking Technology, 2(2), 91-101. doi:10.2174/22117407112016660012Sendra, S., Granell, E., Lloret, J., & Rodrigues, J. J. P. C. (2013). Smart Collaborative Mobile System for Taking Care of Disabled and Elderly People. Mobile Networks and Applications, 19(3), 287-302. doi:10.1007/s11036-013-0445-zGarcia, M., Sendra, S., Lloret, G., & Lloret, J. (2011). Monitoring and control sensor system for fish feeding in marine fish farms. IET Communications, 5(12), 1682-1690. doi:10.1049/iet-com.2010.0654Sendra, S., Lloret, J., Rodrigues, J. J. P. C., & Aguiar, J. M. (2013). Underwater Wireless Communications in Freshwater at 2.4 GHz. IEEE Communications Letters, 17(9), 1794-1797. doi:10.1109/lcomm.2013.072313.131214Lloret, J., Sendra, S., Ardid, M., & Rodrigues, J. J. P. C. (2012). Underwater Wireless Sensor Communications in the 2.4 GHz ISM Frequency Band. Sensors, 12(4), 4237-4264. doi:10.3390/s12040423

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality