Polyphenolic prevention of deoxyribose damage using spectroscopic methods

Hydroxyl radical formation via Fe2+/Cu+ metal leads to oxidative DNA damage that is implicated in a number of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases such as Parkinson’s diseases and atherosclerosis. Specifically, oxidative stress can lead to strand breaks and other DNA damage. Antioxidants can prevent this damage through metal binding and radical scavenging mechanisms. Polyphenols are one class of abundant antioxidants shown to provide protection against radical species and are found in foods such as fruits, nuts, and berries. Therefore, polyphenol compounds were tested for their ability to prevent deoxyribose degradation by iron and hydrogen peroxide using the deoxyribose assay, a low-cost, screening method that measures the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA), a byproduct of degraded deoxyribose, using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. Previous studies showed low reproducibility when reporting deoxyribose damage prevention by antioxidants. Using a newly modified deoxyribose assay in the Brumaghim lab that improves reproducibility, quinolinic acid and four polyphenols (MEGA, MEPCA, PrEGA, and PCA) were tested for their antioxidant abilities. These results were compared to polyphenol prevention of plasmid DNA damage by iron and hydrogen peroxide using gel electrophoresis, a method that uses DNA as the substrate but is lower-throughput. Compared to plasmid DNA damage prevention, MEGA, MEPCA, PrEGA, and PCA, show greater deoxyribose damage prevention using the deoxyribose assay. Relating antioxidant activity measurements between these two methods enables accurate use of the deoxyribose assay as a higher-throughput method for determining DNA damage or its inhibition compared to DNA gel electrophoresis methods

Particle aggregation at the edges of anticyclonic eddies and implications for distribution of biomass

Acoustic measurements show that the biomass of zooplankton and mesopelagic fish is redistributed by mesoscale variability and that the signal extends over several hundred meters depth. The mechanisms governing this distribution are not well understood, but influences from both physical (i.e. redistribution) and biological processes (i.e. nutrient transport, primary production, active swimming, etc.) are likely. This study examines how hydrodynamic conditions and basic vertical swimming behavior act to distribute biomass in an anticyclonic eddy. Using an eddy-resolving 2.3 km-resolution physical ocean model as forcing for a particle-tracking module, particles representing passively floating organisms and organisms with vertical swimming behavior are released within an eddy and monitored for 20 to 30 days. The role of hydrodynamic conditions on the distribution of biomass is discussed in relation to the acoustic measurements. Particles released close to the surface tend, in agreement with the observations, to accumulate around the edge of the eddy, whereas particles released at depth gradually become distributed along the isopycnals. After a month they are displaced several hundreds meters in the vertical with the deepest particles found close to the eddy center and the shallowest close to the edge. There is no evidence of aggregation of particles along the eddy rim in the last simulation. The model results points towards a physical mechanism for aggregation at the surface, however biological processes cannot be ruled out using the current modeling tool.publishedVersio

Dynamic life management assistant (DyLMA)

Individuals currently face difficulty allocating time to achieve an ideal level of productivity. It is often demanding to manage tasks and responsibilities along with their specific priority level and deadlines. Likewise, managing health and wellness priorities while under the stress of a busy schedule can be just as challenging. The productivity tools of today offer a fragmented mobile experience that relies on a multitude of applications to achieve simple goals. A viable solution is a life-management system for Google Glass that integrates a user\u27s schedule in order to aid productivity and time management. This system manages a series of everyday tasks and calendar events, while as the same time promoting a healthy lifestyle by offering suggestions based on availability and user-defined priorities. The system allows notifications to be displayed conveniently within a user\u27s field of view, ultimately leading to more productive and healthy individuals

Probing the deep: Acoustic characterization of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge ecosystem

Abstract only. Journal home page: http://scitation.aip.org/jasa

Patterns of somatic distress among conflict-affected persons in the Republic of Georgia.

BACKGROUND: There are substantial risk factors for somatic distress (SD) among civilian populations affected by armed conflict in low and middle income countries. However, the evidence is very limited. Our aim was to examine patterns of SD among conflict-affected persons in the Republic of Georgia, which has over 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the wars over separatists regions in the 1990s and with Russia in 2008. METHODS: A cross-sectional household survey was conducted with 3600 randomly selected IDPs and former IDPs (returnees). SD was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and disability were measured using the Trauma Screening Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire 9, Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7, and WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0, respectively. Descriptive, tetrachoric and multivariate regression analyses were used. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of respondents (29% men; 48% women) were recorded as at risk of SD (PHQ-15 score >5). In tetrachoric analysis, SD scores were highly correlated with depression (r = 0.60; p < 0.001), PTSD (r = 0.54; p < 0.001), and anxiety (r = 0.49; p < 0.001). Factors significantly associated with SD in the multivariate regression analysis were depression, PTSD, anxiety, individual trauma event exposure, cumulative trauma exposure, female gender, older age, bad household economic status, and being a returnee compared to an IDP. SD was also associated with increased levels of functional disability (b = 6.73; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The high levels of SD among IDPs and returnees in Georgia indicate significant suffering. The findings have implications for both mental and physical health services in Georgia

Analysis of delayed surgical treatment and oncologic outcomes in clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer

Importance: The association between delayed surgical treatment and oncologic outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is poorly understood given that prior studies have used imprecise definitions for the date of cancer diagnosis. Objective: To use a uniform method to quantify surgical treatment delay and to examine its association with several oncologic outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using a novel data set from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Included patients had clinical stage I NSCLC and were undergoing resection from 2006 to 2016 within the VHA system. Time to surgical treatment (TTS) was defined as the time between preoperative diagnostic computed tomography imaging and surgical treatment. We evaluated the association between TTS and several delay-associated outcomes using restricted cubic spline functions. Data analyses were performed in November 2021. Exposure: Wait time between cancer diagnosis and surgical treatment (ie, TTS). Main Outcomes and Measures: Several delay-associated oncologic outcomes, including pathologic upstaging, resection with positive margins, and recurrence, were assessed. We also assessed overall survival. Results: Among 9904 patients who underwent surgical treatment for clinical stage I NSCLC, 9539 (96.3%) were men, 4972 individuals (50.5%) were currently smoking, and the mean (SD) age was 67.7 (7.9) years. The mean (SD) TTS was 70.1 (38.6) days. TTS was not associated with increased risk of pathologic upstaging or positive margins. Recurrence was detected in 4158 patients (42.0%) with median (interquartile range) follow-up of 6.15 (2.51-11.51) years. Factors associated with increased risk of recurrence included younger age (hazard ratio [HR] for every 1-year increase in age, 0.992; 95% CI, 0.987-0.997; P = .003), higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score (HR for every 1-unit increase in composite score, 1.055; 95% CI, 1.037-1.073; P \u3c .001), segmentectomy (HR vs lobectomy, 1.352; 95% CI, 1.179-1.551; P \u3c .001) or wedge resection (HR vs lobectomy, 1.282; 95% CI, 1.179-1.394; P \u3c .001), larger tumor size (eg, 31-40 mm vs \u3c10 mm; HR, 1.209; 95% CI, 1.051-1.390; P = .008), higher tumor grade (eg, II vs I; HR, 1.210; 95% CI, 1.085-1.349; P \u3c .001), lower number of lymph nodes examined (eg, ≥10 vs \u3c10; HR, 0.866; 95% CI, 0.803-0.933; P \u3c .001), higher pathologic stage (III vs I; HR, 1.571; 95% CI, 1.351-1.837; P \u3c .001), and longer TTS, with increasing risk after 12 weeks. For each week of surgical delay beyond 12 weeks, the hazard for recurrence increased by 0.4% (HR, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.001-1.006; P = .002). Factors associated with delayed surgical treatment included African American race (odds ratio [OR] vs White race, 1.267; 95% CI, 1.112-1.444; P \u3c .001), higher area deprivation index [ADI] score (OR for every 1 unit increase in ADI score, 1.005; 95% CI, 1.002-1.007; P = .002), lower hospital case load (OR for every 1-unit increase in case load, 0.998; 95% CI, 0.998-0.999; P = .001), and year of diagnosis, with less recent procedures more likely to have delay (OR for each additional year, 0.900; 95% CI, 0.884-0.915; P \u3c .001). Patients with surgical treatment within 12 weeks of diagnosis had significantly better overall survival than those with procedures delayed more than 12 weeks (HR, 1.132; 95% CI, 1.064-1.204; P \u3c .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Using a more precise definition for TTS, this study found that surgical procedures delayed more than 12 weeks were associated with increased risk of recurrence and worse survival. These findings suggest that patients with clinical stage I NSCLC should undergo expeditious treatment within that time frame

Fiskeriakustikk og akustisk målklassifisering - Rapport frå COGMAR/CRIMAC arbeidsmøte om maskinlæring og fiskeriakustikk

Source at https://www.hi.no/hi/nettrapporter/rapport-fra-havforskningen-en-2021-25This report documents a workshop organised by the COGMAR and CRIMAC projects. The objective of the workshop was twofold. The first objective was to give an overview of ongoing work using machine learning for Acoustic Target Classification (ATC). Machine learning methods, and in particular deep learning models, are currently being used across a range of different fields, including ATC. The objective was to give an overview of the status of the work. The second objective was to familiarise participants with machine learning background to fisheries acoustics and to discuss a way forward towards a standard framework for sharing data and code. This includes data standards, standard processing steps and algorithms for efficient access to data for machine learning frameworks. The results from the discussion contributes to the process in ICES for developing a community standard for fisheries acoustics data