The fungal alternative: Insights on medicinal mushrooms-based protein-rich biomasses by submerged fermentation of agro-industrial by-products

Among the alternative proteins aimed at replacing those of animal origin, fungal proteins stand out as a promising resource capable of meeting environmental, health, and ethical demands. Fungal biomasses, or mycoproteins, are indeed rich in proteins and other macro- and micronutrients, while low in fats. However, their production is an ongoing challenge. This study focused on submerged fermentation, a highly controllable process that can couple high yields and agro-industrial by-products exploitation as growth media. Five medicinal mushrooms (Ganoderma resinaceum, Pleurotus ostreatus, Cordyceps militaris, Pleurotus eryngii, and Lentinula edodes) were tested for their biomass growth, protein content, and antioxidant properties on several agro-industrial by-product-based media. Among the experimental lines, the highest biomass production and protein content (51%) were achieved in P. eryngii grown in black solider fly (Hermetia illucens) exuviae-media. Concerning the antioxidant properties, the production of fungal extracts through microwave-assisted maceration was as performing as, if not better than, ethanolic extraction

Plasma Tau and Neurofilament Light in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and Alzheimer Disease

Objective: To test the hypothesis that plasma total tau (t-tau) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentrations may have a differential role in the study of frontotemporal lobar degeneration syndromes (FTLD-S) and clinically diagnosed Alzheimer disease syndromes (AD-S), we determined their diagnostic and prognostic value in FTLD-S and AD-S and their sensitivity to pathologic diagnoses. Methods: We measured plasma t-tau and NfL with the Simoa platform in 265 participants: 167 FTLD-S, 43 AD-S, and 55 healthy controls (HC), including 82 pathology-proven cases (50 FTLD-tau, 18 FTLD-TDP, 2 FTLD-FUS, and 12 AD) and 98 participants with amyloid PET. We compared cross-sectional and longitudinal biomarker concentrations between groups, their correlation with clinical measures of disease severity, progression, and survival, and cortical thickness. Results: Plasma NfL, but not plasma t-tau, discriminated FTLD-S from HC and AD-S from HC. Both plasma NfL and t-tau were poor discriminators between FLTD-S and AD-S. In pathology-confirmed cases, plasma NfL was higher in FTLD than AD and in FTLD-TDP compared to FTLD-tau, after accounting for age and disease severity. Plasma NfL, but not plasma t-tau, predicted clinical decline and survival and correlated with regional cortical thickness in both FTLD-S and AD-S. The combination of plasma NfL with plasma t-tau did not outperform plasma NfL alone. Conclusion: Plasma NfL is superior to plasma t-tau for the diagnosis and prediction of clinical progression of FTLD-S and AD-S. Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that plasma NfL has superior diagnostic and prognostic performance vs plasma t-tau in FTLD and AD

Diagnostic Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measures of Brain Atrophy Across the Spectrum of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration

The accurate diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is hampered by imperfect clinical-pathological correlations.To assess and compare the diagnostic value of the magnetic resonance parkinsonism index (MRPI) and other magnetic resonance imaging-based measures of cerebral atrophy to differentiate between PSP, CBD, and other neurodegenerative diseases.This prospective diagnostic study included participants with 4-repeat tauopathies (4RT), PSP, CBD, other neurodegenerative diseases and available MRI who appeared in the University of California, San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center database. Data were collected from October 27, 1994, to September 29, 2019. Data were analyzed from March 1 to September 14, 2021.The main outcome of this study was the neuropathological diagnosis of PSP or CBD. The clinical diagnosis at the time of the MRI acquisition was noted. The imaging measures included the MRPI, cortical thickness, subcortical volumes, including the midbrain, pons, and superior cerebellar peduncle volumes. Multinomial logistic regression models (MLRM) combining different cortical and subcortical regions were defined to discriminate between PSP, CBD, and other pathologies. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) and cutoffs were calculated to differentiate between PSP, CBD, and other diseases.Of the 326 included participants, 176 (54%) were male, and the mean (SD) age at MRI was 64.1 (8.0) years. The MRPI showed good diagnostic accuracy for the differentiation between PSP and all other pathologies (accuracy, 87%; AUROC, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.86-0.95) and between 4RT and other pathologies (accuracy, 80%; AUROC, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.76-0.87), but did not allow the discrimination of participants with CBD. Its diagnostic accuracy was lower in the subgroup of patients without the canonical PSP-Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS) or probable corticobasal syndrome (CBS) at MRI. MLRM combining cortical and subcortical measurements showed the highest accuracy for the differentiation between PSP and other pathologies (accuracy, 95%; AUROC, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99), CBD and other pathologies (accuracy, 83%; AUROC, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.81-0.91), 4RT and other pathologies (accuracy, 89%; AUROC, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.97), and PSP and CBD (accuracy, 91%; AUROC, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99), even in participants without PSP-RS or CBS at MRI.In this study, the combination of widely available cortical and subcortical measures of atrophy on MRI discriminated between PSP, CBD, and other pathologies and could be used to support the diagnosis of 4RT in clinical practice

Symptomatic hypopituitarism revealing primary suprasellar lymphoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The most common cause of hypopituitarism is pituitary adenoma. However, in the case of suprasellar masses different etiologies are possible. We report an unusual case of primary suprasellar lymphoma presented with hypopituitarism.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 26 year old woman presented with amenorrhea, galactorrhea and neurological disorders. Also, the laboratory work-up revealed partial hypopituitarism. The magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed a suprasellar mass. A presumptive diagnosis of granulomatous processes was made and the patient was given steroid therapy. Repeated brain MRI detected new lesions in the brain with regression of the suprasellar mass. Stereotactic biopsy of the paraventricular lesion revealed the diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case presentation reports a rare cause of hypopituitarism. Primary suprasellar lymphoma is extremely rare and represented a real diagnostic challenge. Besides, suprasellar masses are varied in aetiology and can present diagnostic problems for a radiologist. Also, because of the increased incidence of PCNSL, lymphoma must be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of lesions in the suprasellar region.</p

A Surprising Prevention Success: Why Did the HIV Epidemic Decline in Zimbabwe?

Daniel Halperin and colleagues examine reasons for the remarkable decline in HIV in Zimbabwe, in the context of severe social, political, and economic disruption

Symmetrical Corticobasal Syndrome Caused by a Novel c.314dup Progranulin Mutation

Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is characterised by asymmetrical parkinsonism and cognitive impairment. The underlying pathology varies between corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration sometimes in association with GRN mutations. A 61-year-old male underwent neurological examination, neuropsychological assessment, MRI, and HMPAO-SPECT at our medical centre. After his death at the age of 63, brain autopsy, genetic screening and mRNA expression analysis were performed. The patient presented with slow progressive walking disabilities, non-fluent language problems, behavioural changes and forgetfulness. His family history was negative. He had primitive reflexes, rigidity of his arms and postural instability. Later in the disease course he developed dystonia of his left leg, pathological crying, mutism and dysphagia. Neuropsychological assessment revealed prominent ideomotor and ideational apraxia, executive dysfunction, non-fluent aphasia and memory deficits. Neuroimaging showed symmetrical predominant frontoparietal atrophy and hypoperfusion. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)-TDP type 3 pathology was found at autopsy. GRN sequencing revealed a novel frameshift mutation c.314dup, p.Cys105fs and GRN mRNA levels showed a 50% decrease. We found a novel GRN mutation in a patient with an atypical (CBS) presentation with symmetric neuroimaging findings. GRN mutations are an important cause of CBS associated with FTLD-TDP type 3 pathology, sometimes in sporadic cases. Screening for GRN mutations should also be considered in CBS patients without a positive family history

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente