Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year-on-year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non-vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its 'Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles', which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly

A proof of concept design for provenance

The utility of provenance is becoming apparent in many Grid and Web Service based applications, where there is frequently a need to trace back and understand the processes that lead to a specific result. The term provenance however lends itself to several possible conceptions, and our initial step in the EU Provenance project was to design and implement a simple system to articulate our conception of provenance. This system, termed the pre-prototype, is based on a conceptualized process for baking a Victoria Sponge Cake. This report describes the cake baking scenario, presents some provenance-type questions that can be asked about the baking process and provides an implementation of the cake baking process within a service-oriented architecture framework that can answer these questions using collated provenance data

A proof of concept: Provenance in a service oriented architecture

Provenance has been identified as an emerging and important concept within the Grid community for a variety of purposes, such as verifying or tracing results. We seek to provide a concrete conception of provenance and its possible utilisation through the process of designing and implementing a system prototype with some specific provenance requirements. This prototype, which is based on an idealised recipe for baking a cake, is developed within the context of a service oriented Grid computing environment and implemented using standard Web Services technologies. The issues surrounding the design of possible provenance system are also explored

A Proof of Concept: Provenance in a Service Oriented Architecture

Provenance has been identified as an emerging and important concept within the Grid community for a variety of purposes, such as verifying or tracing results. We seek to provide a concrete conception of provenance and its possible utilisation through the process of designing and implementing a system prototype with some specific provenance requirements. This prototype, which is based on an idealised recipe for baking a cake, is developed within the context of a service oriented Grid computing environment and implemented using standard Web Services technologies. The issues surrounding the design of possible provenance system are also explored

Pharmacological HIF-inhibition attenuates postoperative adhesion formation

Abstract Peritoneal adhesions represent a common complication of abdominal surgery, and tissue hypoxia is a main determinant in adhesion formation. Reliable therapeutic options to reduce peritoneal adhesions are scarce. We investigated whether the formation of postsurgical adhesions can be affected by pharmacological interference with hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). Mice were treated with a small molecule HIF-inhibitor, YC-1 (3-[5′-Hydroxymethyl-2′-furyl]-1-benzyl-indazole), or vehicle three days before and seven days after induction of peritoneal adhesions or, alternatively, once during induction of peritoneal adhesions. Pretreatment or single intraperitoneal lavage with YC-1 significantly reduced postoperative adhesion formation without prompting systemic adverse effects. Expression analyses of cytokines in peritoneal tissue and fluid and in vitro assays applying macrophages and peritoneal fibroblasts indicated that this effect was cooperatively mediated by various putatively HIF-1α-dependent mechanisms, comprising attenuated pro-inflammatory activation of macrophages, impaired recruitment and activation of peritoneal fibroblasts, mitigated epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT), as well as enhanced fibrinolysis and impaired angiogenesis. Thus, this study identifies prevention of postsurgical peritoneal adhesions as a novel and promising field for the application of HIF inhibitors in clinical practice

Preserving stroke care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Potential issues and solutions

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires drastic changes in allocation of resources, which can affect the delivery of stroke care, and many providers are seeking guidance. As caregivers, we are guided by 3 distinct principles that will occasionally conflict during the pandemic: (1) we must ensure the best care for those stricken with COVID-19, (2) we must provide excellent care and advocacy for patients with cerebrovascular disease and their families, and (3) we must advocate for the safety of health care personnel managing patients with stroke, with particular attention to those most vulnerable, including trainees. This descriptive review by a diverse group of experts in stroke care aims to provide advice by specifically addressing the potential impact of this pandemic on (1) the quality of the stroke care delivered, (2) ethical considerations in stroke care, (3) safety and logistic issues for providers of patients with stroke, and (4) stroke research. Our recommendations on these issues represent our best opinions given the available information, but are subject to revision as the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. We expect that ongoing emergent research will offer additional insights that will provide evidence that could prompt the modification or removal of some of these recommendations

The electronic nose technology in clinical diagnosis: A systematic review

Background: Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are end products of human metabolism (normal and disease-associated) that can be mainly excreted in breath, urine, and feces. Therefore, VOC can be very useful as markers of diseases and helpful for clinicians since its sampling is noninvasive, inexpensive, and painless. Electronic noses, or eNoses, provide an easy and inexpensive way to analyze gas samples. Thus, this device may be used for diagnosis, monitoring or phenotyping diseases according to specific breathprints (breath profile). Objective: In this review, we summarize data showing the ability of eNose to be used as a noninvasive tool to improve diagnosis in clinical settings. Methods: A PRISMA-oriented search was performed in PubMed and Cochrane Library. Only studies performed in humans and published since 2000 were included. Results: A total of 48 original articles, 21 reviews, and 7 other documents were eligible and fully analyzed. The quality assessment of the selected studies was conducted according to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy. Airway obstructive diseases were the most studied and Cyranose 320 was the most used eNose. Conclusions: Several case–control studies were performed to test this technology in diverse fields. More than a half of the selected studies showed good accuracy. However, there are some limitations regarding sampling methodology, analysis, reproducibility, and external validation that need to be standardized. Additionally, it is urgent to test this technology in intend-to-treat populations. Thus, it is possible to think in the contribution of VOC analysis by eNoses in a clinical setting.The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000010—Health, Comfort and Energy in the Built Environment (HEBE), cofinanced by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE2020), through Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER). The current work has been supported by the EXPOSE project, which is financed by FEDER/FNR and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (EXPOSE 02/SAICT/2016—Project no. 023222)

Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cerebral Venous Thrombosis and Mortality

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent studies suggested an increased incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the volume of CVT hospitalization and in-hospital mortality during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the preceding year. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 171 stroke centers from 49 countries. We recorded COVID-19 admission volumes, CVT hospitalization, and CVT in-hospital mortality from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2021. CVT diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10) codes or stroke databases. We additionally sought to compare the same metrics in the first 5 months of 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2019 and 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04934020). RESULTS: There were 2,313 CVT admissions across the 1-year pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic year (2020); no differences in CVT volume or CVT mortality were observed. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT volumes compared to 2019 (27.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2 to 32.0; P CONCLUSIONS: During the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVT hospitalization volume and CVT in-hospital mortality did not change compared to the prior year. COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher CVT in-hospital mortality. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT hospitalization volume and increase in CVT-related mortality, partially attributable to VITT