Biomarkers for Non-Invasive Stratification of Coronary Artery Disease and Prognostic Impact on Long-Term Survival in Patients with Stable Coronary Heart Disease

Knowledge about cardiac and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited. To address this, we analyzed 3072 patients (36% female) with a median follow-up of 10 years in the Leipzig LIFE Heart Study with suspected CAD with coronary angiography. Selected biomarkers included troponin T (hsTNT), N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), copeptin, C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Patients were stratified by CAD severity: CAD0 (no sclerosis), CAD1 (non-obstructive, i.e., stenosis < 50%), and CAD2 (one stenosis 50%). Group comparison (GC) included GC1: CAD0 + 1 vs. CAD2; GC2: CAD0 vs. CAD1 + 2. CAD0, CAD1, and CAD2 were apparent in 1271, 631, and 1170 patients, respectively. Adjusted for classical risk factors, hs-cTnT, NT-proBNP, and IL-6 differed significantly in both GC and hsCRP only in GC2. After multivariate analysis, hs-cTnT, NT-proBNP, and IL-6 remained significant in GC1. In GC2, hs-cTnT (p < 0.001) and copeptin (p = 0.014) reached significance. Ten-year survival in groups CAD0, CAD1, and CAD2 was 88.3%, 77.3%, and 72.4%. Incorporation of hs-cTnT, NT-proBNP, copeptin, and IL-6 improved risk prediction (p < 0.001). The studied cardiac and inflammatory biomarkers enable fast and precise non-invasive identification of mortality risk in CAD patients, allowing the tailoring of primary and secondary CAD prevention

Uterine scars after caesarean delivery: From histology to the molecular and ultrastructural level

Uterine rupture during a trial of labor after caesarean delivery (CD) is a serious complication for mother and fetus. The lack of knowledge on histological features and molecular pathways of uterine wound healing has hindered research in this area from evolving over time. We analysed collagen content and turnover in uterine scars on a histological, molecular and ultrastructural level. Therefore, tissue samples from the lower uterine segment were obtained during CD from 16 pregnant women with at least one previous CD, from 16 pregnant women without previous CD, and from 16 non-pregnant premenopausal women after hysterectomy for a benign disease. Histomorphometrical collagen quantification showed, that the collagen content of the scar area in uterine wall specimens after previous CD was significantly higher than in the unscarred myometrium of the same women and the control groups. Quantitative real-time PCR of uterine scar tissue from FFPE samples delineated by laser microdissection yielded a significantly higher COL3A1 expression and a significantly lower COL1A2/COL3A1 ratio in scarred uteri than in samples from unscarred uteri. Histological collagen content and the expression of COL1A2 and COL3A1 were positively correlated, while COL1A2/COL3A1 ratio was negatively correlated with the histological collagen content. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a destroyed myometrial ultrastructure in uterine scars with increased collagen density. We conclude that the high collagen content in uterine scars results from an ongoing overexpression of collagen I and III. This is a proof of concept to enable further analyses of specific factors that mediate uterine wound healing

ECMO for COVID-19 patients in Europe and Israel

Since March 15th, 2020, 177 centres from Europe and Israel have joined the study, routinely reporting on the ECMO support they provide to COVID-19 patients. The mean annual number of cases treated with ECMO in the participating centres before the pandemic (2019) was 55. The number of COVID-19 patients has increased rapidly each week reaching 1531 treated patients as of September 14th. The greatest number of cases has been reported from France (n = 385), UK (n = 193), Germany (n = 176), Spain (n = 166), and Italy (n = 136) .The mean age of treated patients was 52.6 years (range 16–80), 79% were male. The ECMO configuration used was VV in 91% of cases, VA in 5% and other in 4%. The mean PaO2 before ECMO implantation was 65 mmHg. The mean duration of ECMO support thus far has been 18 days and the mean ICU length of stay of these patients was 33 days. As of the 14th September, overall 841 patients have been weaned from ECMO support, 601 died during ECMO support, 71 died after withdrawal of ECMO, 79 are still receiving ECMO support and for 10 patients status n.a. . Our preliminary data suggest that patients placed on ECMO with severe refractory respiratory or cardiac failure secondary to COVID-19 have a reasonable (55%) chance of survival. Further extensive data analysis is expected to provide invaluable information on the demographics, severity of illness, indications and different ECMO management strategies in these patients

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Assessment of Earthworm Services on Litter Mineralisation and Nutrient Release in Annual and Perennial Energy Crops (<i>Zea mays</i> vs. <i>Silphium perfoliatum</i>)

Abundant and functionally diverse earthworm communities in perennials deliver ecosystem services like increasing nutrient availability by incorporating organic matter. This study aimed to analyse the decomposition of annual and perennial energy crop residues, and the subsequent nutrient release, depending on earthworm functional diversity. In a laboratory experiment, two ecological earthworm groups—anecics (detritivorous Lumbricus terrestris (L.)) and endogeics (geophagous Aporrectodea caliginosa and A. rosea)—were incubated with wilted cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) and maize (Zea mays) litter for 4 or 8 weeks. Decomposition and consumption rates were calculated. The C, N and P in litter and casts were analysed. Mineralisation was a function of earthworm biomass and the number of individuals. Functional diversity had no beneficial effect. Decomposition was found to be highest in treatments with detritivorous earthworms, i.e., higher earthworm biomass, yet consumption and nutrient turnover in relation to earthworm biomass were higher in treatments with geophages indicating enhanced competition. N limitation became apparent in both litter treatments and was predominant with cup plant litter. N limitation and recalcitrant cell wall compounds affected consumption rates and the egestion of total C and P. While N in casts was lower than expected, P was increased. We observed that the effects manifested at different stages of decomposition of maize and cup plant, highlighting differences in temporal development of decomposition and nutrient turnover between litter types. Our results indicate that earthworms promote decomposition of recalcitrant litter and nutrient turnover, but N limitation may hamper nutrient release. Cup plant systems offer a suitable habitat for soil-dwelling organisms, but management approaches must consider the adequate input of organic matter as an energy and nutrient source to enhance ecosystem service provision

Effects of Root Temperature and Cluster Position on Fruit Quality of Two Cocktail Tomato Cultivars

Managing root temperature can strongly influence plant growth in various species. Our previous work has shown that a positive effect of root cooling on the nutritional quality (sugars, vitamin C, and carotenoids levels) of two cocktail tomato cultivars, while the yield and mineral content was moderately reduced in two seasons. But few studies have investigated which cluster quality is more influenced by root temperature. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of root temperature and different cluster positions (the first to the fourth clusters) on fruit quality parameters of two cocktail tomato cultivars (&lsquo;Amoroso&rsquo; and &lsquo;Delioso&rsquo;). Two root temperatures, cool (10 &deg;C) and control (18&ndash;22 &deg;C), were applied to the roots of hydroponically cultivated tomato plants after inflorescence until the final harvest in the greenhouse. The results showed that root cooling has no influence on the biomass of fruits (both dry weight and fresh weight) of all clusters, but it increased the sugar (6.1&ndash;8.4%) and vitamin C (9.1&ndash;12.5%) concentration of the second cluster of &lsquo;Amoroso&rsquo; and the third cluster of &lsquo;Delioso&rsquo; compared to the control. In most cases, significant positive changes (8&ndash;23.8%) in the levels of lycopene were observed in response to low root temperature treatment, but the effect was dependent on different cluster positions and different cultivars. Most mineral element levels showed no response to the root temperature. Significant reductions (10% and 17.6%) along with the root cooling was only found in the level of zinc and potassium of the first and the second cluster of &lsquo;Delioso&rsquo;, respectively. It was concluded that the fruits from the second or third clusters containing more sugars, vitamin C, and lycopene, were more influenced by root cooling. In addition, the effect of cluster position on fruit quality was different between two root temperature groups. Root cooling reduced the heterogeneity in fruit quality parameters among the clusters of &lsquo;Amoroso&rsquo; and increased the differences in &lsquo;Delioso&rsquo;