Intermediate Stage Research Articles

Cryo-EM analyses of dimerized spliceosomes provide new insights into the functions of B complex proteins

The B complex is a key intermediate stage of spliceosome assembly. To improve the structural resolution of monomeric, human spliceosomal B (hB) complexes and thereby generate a more comprehensive hB molecular model, we determined the cryo-EM structure of B complex dimers formed in the presence of ATPγ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma$$\\end{document}S. The enhanced resolution of these complexes allows a finer molecular dissection of how the 5′ splice site (5′ss) is recognized in hB, and new insights into molecular interactions of FBP21, SNU23 and PRP38 with the U6/5′ss helix and with each other. It also reveals that SMU1 and RED are present as a heterotetrameric complex and are located at the interface of the B dimer protomers. We further show that MFAP1 and UBL5 form a 5′ exon binding channel in hB, and elucidate the molecular contacts stabilizing the 5′ exon at this stage. Our studies thus yield more accurate models of protein and RNA components of hB complexes. They further allow the localization of additional proteins and protein domains (such as SF3B6, BUD31 and TCERG1) whose position was not previously known, thereby uncovering new functions for B-specific and other hB proteins during pre-mRNA splicing.

Treatment of Mixed Chimerism After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with Thalassemia Major

Background: Incomplete donor cell chimerism often occurs in thalassemia transplant due to host cells remain or reappear overtime, which is termed as mixed chimerism (MC). Objective: To compare the immunosuppression withdrawal (ISW) and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) in the correction of mixed chimerism (MC) after thalassemia transplantation. Methods: Eighty-seven patients with post-transplant MC admitted in our center from January 2010 to December 2019 were analyzed. Among them donor cells of 90%-95% and 75%-89% were classified as MC1 and MC2 respectively. MC3 donor cells <75%. The incidence and correction rate of MC, the occurrence rate of graft versus host disease (GVHD), timing of DLI were studied. Results: DLI was associated with higher correction rates and higher GVHD than ISW. In MC1 group, higher GVHD occurred in early and intermediate stage (<I>P</I> = 0.024/0.023) than ISW. In MC2 group, DLI in late stages had higher correction rates than ISW (<I>P</I> = 0.001). Conclusion: ISW was the primary strategy for MC1 patients. DLI should be given to the late-stage MC2 patients quickly. The earlier the treatment is provided, regardless of ISW or DLI, the more likely that patients develop GVHD.

Back from the dead: A fungus gnat pollinator turns Arisaema lethal trap into nursery

Societal Impact StatementThe research explores the complex interaction between flowering plants and their pollinators, specifically focusing on the genus Arisaema. Unlike most plants, Arisaema has a distinctive trait in which killing pollinators can be beneficial. Traditionally, this interaction has been viewed as highly antagonistic because it appears to favor the plants at the expense of the pollinators. However, new evidence reveals that a pollinator uses the lethal floral trap of Arisaema thunbergii as a nursery. Remarkably, some individuals probably even escape from the trap after laying eggs. This finding challenges the prevailing notion that deceptive pollination is the sole outcome in Arisaema, a genus known for its intricate lethal pollination mechanisms.Summary While many flowering plants engage in mutualistic relationships with their pollinators, flower‐insect interactions are not always mutually beneficial. Some plants exploit their pollinators by deceptively promising rewards without delivering them. Among such plants, the genus Arisaema (Araceae) is notable for its antagonistic behavior towards pollinators, as female plants invariably entrap them with lethal effects. Here we tested the hypothesis that the succulent appendix of some Arisaema species, such as Arisaema thunbergii, may serve as a food source for pollinator larvae, leading to the possibility of nursery pollination. To investigate this, we retrieved adult insect corpses trapped within the spathes of A. thunbergii. Subsequently, we incubated the spathes after collecting the corpses to determine if conspecific insects emerged from them. We present novel evidence that one of the main pollinating fungus gnats, Leia ishitanii, uses the lethal floral trap of A. thunbergii inflorescences as a nursery. Astonishingly, some L. ishitanii individuals may even succeed in escaping from the female spathe after depositing their eggs. These findings challenge the conventional understanding that deceptive pollination is the norm within the genus Arisaema. The interaction between A. thunbergii and L. ishitanii, in which a significant portion of female adults die inside but still reproduction seems successful, suggests an intermediate stage between brood‐site deception and nursery pollination mutualism.

A299 ACUTE TUMOUR RUPTURE POST-TRANSARTERIAL CHEMOEMBOLIZATION IN A PATIENT WITH HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy, with increasing worldwide incidence. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an interventional radiological (IR) therapy used largely in intermediate stage HCC, which can provide successful bridge or downstaging to liver transplantation and increased survival rates. Tumour rupture is a very rare complication of TACE, with an estimated incidence of 0.68%. Potential risk factors include tumour size ampersand:003E 10 cm, and location of lesions in the right lobe or near the liver capsule. However, the pathophysiology of post-TACE tumour rupture is still not fully understood. Aims We aim to describe a case of HCC tumour rupture that occurred in the first 30 hours post-TACE. We also aim to highlight the extent of multiorgan ischemia associated with this tumour-related arterial bleed. Methods A PubMed literature review was done to ensure that post-TACE tumour rupture was a rare and sparsely reported event. Subsequently, inpatient notes, laboratory and imaging data were obtained from the patient's medical record in an anonymized manner. Results A 66-year-old male with alcohol-related liver cirrhosis (MELDNa 7; Child-Pugh Class A) was diagnosed with a 3.3 cm HCC, spanning segments 5 and 8. Six months later, after multidisciplinary discussion, he underwent successful elective TACE of a segment 8 artery that was supplying the HCC, as a bridge to liver transplantation. The next day, he developed diffuse abdominal pain, emesis, tachycardia, and abdominal firmness and tenderness. Labs showed a 45 g/L drop in hemoglobin (121 g/L to 76 g/L), leukocytosis (27.0 x109/L), and an elevated lactate (4.4 mmol/L). Computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed tumour rupture, with moderate-to-large hemoperitoneum with active bleeding from the embolized region of the HCC, and associated gas. Emergent IR-guided embolization was performed to the bleeding segment 8 artery. CT scan two days later revealed interval ischemic infarction of the spleen, pancreatic tail, and stomach. This widespread ischemia was suspected to be due to hypovolemic hypoperfusion vs. post-TACE embolic phenomena. Aggressive supportive measures, antibiotics, and anticoagulation were implemented. Due to tumour rupture, the patient was deemed no longer a suitable candidate for liver transplantation. Futility of definitive management was discussed, and the patient opted for medical care without resuscitation. After optimization of nutritional and physical functioning parameters, he was discharged home with medical management for pain and ascites. Conclusions Post-TACE tumour rupture is a rare occurrence for which the pathophysiology is not fully understood. This case provides an important reminder of this potential adverse event. Early detection and management are imperative to facilitating a favourable outcome in this life-threatening condition. Funding Agencies None

Group play and its impact on improving some executive functions for middle school pupils in the physical education lesson

The goal of the research is to:- Identifying the level of executive functions for middle school students aged 13-14 years by studying physical education- Knowing about group play and its impact on improving some executive functions for middle school students aged 13-14 years by studying physical educationAs for the research hypotheses, they were:- There are statistically significant differences in the level of executive functions of the experimental and control groups and in favor of the post-test of the experimental group.- There are statistically significant differences of group play and its effect on improving some executive functions in the post test and for the benefit of the experimental group.As for the research community, it consists of students of the first intermediate stage, aged (13-14), and their total is (310) pupils. As for the research sample, it included 20 pupils, who were divided into two experimental groups10 pupils and a control group 10pupils from the Taliaa Intermediate School for Boys.The most important conclusions that were reached are:1- Group play has a direct effect on the development of executive functions for students for the experimental group at the expense of the control group.2- The group games showed improvement in the functions of (planning, Inhibition, shifting) for pupils in the physical education lesson3- Group games have an effect on spreading the spirit of competition and increasing motivation among students.Accordingly, I recommend several recommendations:1- The necessity of adopting group games in the physical education lesson2- Emphasis on the interest in studying physical education through the use of group sports activities to encourage and motivate students to actively participate in sports performance3- Paying attention to executive capabilities and functions and working to find the means and programs to develop them because they are considered the basis for excellence in sports performance in addition to scientific and academic success

The effectiveness of aerobic exercises using rubber bands on some of physical fitness elements for secondary school students

The research contains preparing a sports exercises that not require the use of a large place or expensive tools and equipment, using self-made rubber bands with low resistances and low-cost and inserted into aerobic exercises and study their effect on some elements of fitness of students in the intermediate stage of Latakia school in the sector Abu Ghraib and compare their results of The final test, which were conducted in the form of multiple fitness tests, and the benefits of the exercises on the experimental sample was proven with the final results and their statistical treatments. Finally, a set of recommendations was proposed by the researcher.

The effect of the presence of brackets on the reliability of measurements made on three-dimensional digital models

Objectives: Digital model scans are frequently used today at the beginning and intermediate stages of orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of orthodontic brackets on linear measurements made on three-dimensional digital models. Material and Methods: Dental models were obtained from 40 patients before orthodontic treatment and in the first treatment session. Dental plaster models were converted into digital models using the 3Shape R700 (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark) model scanner. Intraoral scans were created with the Shape Trios3 (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark) intraoral scanner. Digital models were transferred to the Orthoanalyzer program (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark), and linear measurements were made. Results: There was no significant difference in the measurements made in intraoral scans scanned with and without brackets. No significant difference was observed in the measurements made on model scans with and without brackets (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Digital scanner systems, which are increasingly used with developing technology, provide safe and effective results even in the presence of brackets.

Soft-Shell Production of the Invasive Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus in the Lesina Lagoon (SE Italy): A First Assessment

The current invasion of the Mediterranean Sea by the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus requires the implementation of effective strategies of control and management. In native areas, the species is highly appreciated as a hard- and soft-shell seafood, and hard-shell fisheries are developing in a number of invaded countries. Here, to verify alternative approaches for enhancing the commercial value of the species, we carried out a pilot experiment to test a flow-through system for the production of soft-shell blue crabs. Fifty crabs were collected in the Lesina lagoon (Adriatic Sea, Italy) and inspected for the coloration of the line on the distal edge of the fifth pereiopod. Accordingly, they were grouped into three groups showing no, white, and red lines, symptomatic of the progression of the pre-molt phase, and maintained for 31 days in a flow-through pond system. The overall mortality rate determined during the trial was similar across the three groups and ranged between 10 and 20%, indicating that the flow-through system was effective for rearing the crabs. In addition, the molting rate was 10%, 65%, and 85% for individuals at an early, intermediate, and advanced pre-molt stage, confirming that the line coloration can be used as an effective indicator of the advancement of the molting process. Our study provides the first contribution towards the introduction in the Mediterranean fishery sector of novel procedures and practices for the production of soft-shell blue crabs, which may represent a cost-effective strategy to enhance the capture and commercialization of this invasive species as a high-quality and valuable shellfish product.

Diversity patterns along ecological succession in tropical dry forests: a multi‐taxonomic approach

Evaluating the diversity of multiple taxa is fundamental to understand community assembly and to assess the integrity and functionality of tropical secondary forests. In this study, we analyzed the natural regeneration of tropical dry forests (TDFs) in three regions of Brazil using Hill–Simpson diversity, abundance and β‐diversity of trees and five groups of insects (herbivores, fruit‐feeding butterflies, ants, culicid mosquitoes and dung beetles). Sampling was conducted in 39 0.1 ha plots using a chronosequence approach (13 plots in early, intermediate and old‐growth forests). We evaluated the contribution of three different levels to γ‐diversity: α (within plots), β1 (among plots) and β2 (among successional stages), and further determined the relative importance of turnover (species replacement) and nestedness (differences in species number among sites) to β2. Our results showed that, unexpectedly, the Hill–Simpson diversity was consistently higher in early than old‐growth stages for all regions, but varied more widely in the intermediate stages. For each group separately, the same trend was observed for butterflies, ants, dung beetles and herbivores and did not differ among stages for mosquitoes. Successional differences in abundance were only detected for trees (increasing along the gradient) and for mosquitoes (decreasing). According to our expectations, the additive partitioning analysis showed that β2‐diversity contributed more to γ‐diversity than β1‐diversity, when all taxa were considered together and for most of them separately (except for butterflies and dung beetles). Most of the β2‐diversity was due to species turnover, but this contribution varied among groups and regions, with the highest turnover for herbivores and the lowest for dung beetles. Our results suggest that the Hill–Simpson diversity and changes in species composition (as given by β2‐diversity) are better indicators of forest natural regeneration than raw species richness, corroborating previous studies with plants and animals.

Application and comparison of K-means and PCA based segmentation models for Alzheimer disease detection using MRI

Machine learning algorithms can be used to detect Alzheimer disease with RMI-images. One of the challenges of these algorithms is to clearly extract image features that show small variants of brain cells changes, which reveal the condition of dementia at the intermediate stages of mild cognitive impairment. In this article, we explore the abilities of two approaches to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with MRI. In the first approach, after noise reduction and correction of alterations was conducted by a non-linear filter size 3*3, a kmeans algorithm is used for segmentation of cells showing white and grey matters of brain images. A Convolutional neural network (CNN) model is trained to indicate variations on these cells and the presence of Alzheimer Disease. The second approach performs image feature reduction using principal component analysis (PCA) to extract white and grey matters, and the cerebrospinal fluid as the three relevant features for Alzheimer diagnosis. A multilayer perceptron algorithm is trained to classify Alzheimer cases. Experiments are conducted on both approaches to compare accuracy and processing time using a real dataset of 602 images from the Alzheimer’s disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) of cognitively normal and Alzheimer’s disease patients. Results show that the accuracy can be enhanced when PCA is used to extract relevant features on RMI images; and with relatively low processing time.

Key Factors of Organizational Resilience in Prisons and Police Forces in French-Speaking Switzerland during COVID-19

During the COVID-19 crisis, organizations had to demonstrate organizational resilience (OR) to continue to carry out their missions. We conducted qualitative research to identify the factors that contributed to the OR of police and penitentiary institutions in French-speaking Switzerland, in terms of their operations and management. The modes of action and crisis responses of these emergency services, regularly confronted with crises and particularly impacted during the pandemic, are worthy of attention. To this end, we synthesized the OR factors that are frequently identified in both theoretical and empirical review articles and identified four theoretical conceptualizations: (a) resilience engineering, (b) ecological resilience (these two are the most widely used), (c) a third way situating resilience at an intermediate stage in a metamodel representing the evolution of organizations from a fragile to antifragile state, and (d) a conceptualization focusing on the temporal dimension of OR. Based on the results of 25 semi-structured interviews with executives from cantonal police forces and prisons, we present what we consider to be the key levers in a three-phase resilience process (upstream, during, and after the shock): anticipatory and proactive organizational culture, information management and communication, liminal leadership practices, social and environmental practices, agility-enhancing governance practices, and learning capabilities. Our results largely confirm that these parameters significantly contributed to the OR of the institutions in question. They also enable us to propose winning configurations of factors that can increase the potential for OR.

The nuclei of human adult stem cells can move within the cell and generate cellular protrusions to contact other cells

BackgroundThe neuronal transdifferentiation of adult bone marrow cells (BMCs) is still considered an artifact based on an alternative explanation of experimental results supporting this phenomenon obtained over decades. However, recent studies have shown that following neural induction, BMCs enter an intermediate cellular state before adopting neural-like morphologies by active neurite extension and that binucleated BMCs can be formed independent of any cell fusion events. These findings provide evidence to reject the idea that BMC neural transdifferentiation is merely an experimental artifact. Therefore, understanding the intermediate states that cells pass through during transdifferentiation is crucial given their potential application in regenerative medicine and disease modelling.MethodsIn this study, we examined the functional significance of the variety of morphologies and positioning that cell nuclei of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) can adopt during neural-like differentiation using live-cell nuclear fluorescence labelling, time-lapse microscopy, and confocal microscopy analysis.ResultsHere, we showed that after neural induction, hBM-MSCs enter an intermediate cellular state in which the nuclei are able to move within the cells, switching shapes and positioning and even generating cellular protrusions as they attempt to contact the cells around them. These findings suggest that changes in nuclear positioning occur because human cell nuclei somehow sense their environment. In addition, we showed the process of direct interactions between cell nuclei, which opens the possibility of a new level of intercellular interaction.ConclusionsThe present study advances the understanding of the intermediate stage through which hBM-MSCs pass during neural transdifferentiation, which may be crucial to understanding the mechanisms of these cell conversion processes and eventually harness them for use in regenerative medicine. Importantly, our study provides for the first time evidence that the nuclei of hBM-MSC-derived intermediate cells somehow sense their environment, generating cellular protrusions to contact other cells. In summary, human mesenchymal stromal cells could not only help to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cellular plasticity but also facilitate the exact significance of nuclear positioning in cellular function and in tissue physiology.

Cut, Root, and Grow: Simplifying Cassava Propagation to Scale.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an essential crop with increasing importance for food supply and as raw material for industrial processing. The crop is vegetatively propagated through stem cuttings taken at the end of the growing cycle and its low multiplication rate and the high cost of stem transportation are detrimental to the increasing demand for high-quality cassava planting materials. Rapid multiplication of vegetative propagules of crops comprises tissue culture (TC) and semi-autotroph hydroponics (SAH) that provide cost-effective propagation of plant materials; however, they contrast the need for specific infrastructure, special media and substrates, and trained personnel. Traditional methods such as TC and SAH have shown promise in efficient plant material propagation. Nonetheless, these techniques necessitate specific infrastructure, specialized media and substrates, as well as trained personnel. Moreover, losses during the intermediate nursery and adaptation stages limit the overall effectiveness of these methods. Building upon an earlier report from Embrapa Brazil, which utilized mature buds from cassava for rapid propagation, we present a modified protocol that simplifies the process for wider adoption. Our method involves excising single nodes with attached leaves from immature (green) cassava stems at 2 months after planting (MAP). These nodes are then germinated in pure water, eliminating the need for specific growth substrates and additional treatments. After the initial phase, the rooted sprouts are transferred into soil within 1-8 weeks. The protocol demonstrates a high turnover rate at minimal costs. Due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and robustness, this method holds significant promise as an efficient means of producing cassava planting materials to meet diverse agricultural needs.

Molecular dynamics-based identification of binding pathways and two distinct high-affinity sites for succinate in succinate receptor 1/GPR91

SUCNR1 is an auto- and paracrine sensor of the metabolic stress signal succinate. Using unsupervised molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (170.400ns) and mutagenesis across human, mouse, and rat SUCNR1, we characterize how a five-arginine motif around the extracellular pole of TM-VI determines the initial capture of succinate in the extracellular vestibule (ECV) to either stay or move down to the orthosteric site. Metadynamics demonstrate low-energy succinate binding in both sites, with an energy barrier corresponding to an intermediate stage during which succinate, with an associated water cluster, unlocks the hydrogen-bond-stabilized conformationally constrained extracellular loop (ECL)-2b. Importantly, simultaneous binding of two succinate molecules through either a "sequential" or "bypassing" mode is a frequent endpoint. The mono-carboxylate NF-56-EJ40 antagonist enters SUCNR1 between TM-I and -II and does not unlock ECL-2b. It is proposed that occupancy of both high-affinity sites is required for selective activation of SUCNR1 by high local succinate concentrations.

Global exact optimisations for chloroplast structural haplotype scaffolding

BackgroundScaffolding is an intermediate stage of fragment assembly. It consists in orienting and ordering the contigs obtained by the assembly of the sequencing reads. In the general case, the problem has been largely studied with the use of distances data between the contigs. Here we focus on a dedicated scaffolding for the chloroplast genomes. As these genomes are small, circular and with few specific repeats, numerous approaches have been proposed to assemble them. However, their specificities have not been sufficiently exploited.ResultsWe give a new formulation for the scaffolding in the case of chloroplast genomes as a discrete optimisation problem, that we prove the decision version to be NP\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mathcal{NP}$$\\end{document}-Complete. We take advantage of the knowledge of chloroplast genomes and succeed in expressing the relationships between a few specific genomic repeats in mathematical constraints. Our approach is independent of the distances and adopts a genomic regions view, with the priority on scaffolding the repeats first. In this way, we encode the structural haplotype issue in order to retrieve several genome forms that coexist in the same chloroplast cell. To solve exactly the optimisation problem, we develop an integer linear program that we implement in Python3 package khloraascaf. We test it on synthetic data to investigate its performance behaviour and its robustness against several chosen difficulties.ConclusionsWe succeed to model biological knowledge on genomic structures to scaffold chloroplast genomes. Our results suggest that modelling genomic regions is sufficient for scaffolding repeats and is suitable for finding several solutions corresponding to several genome forms.

FluidKV: Seamlessly Bridging the Gap between Indexing Performance and Memory-Footprint on Ultra-Fast Storage

Our extensive experiments reveal that existing key-value stores (KVSs) achieve high performance at the expense of a huge memory footprint that is often impractical or unacceptable. Even with the emerging ultra-fast byte-addressable persistent memory (PM), KVSs fall far short of delivering the high performance promised by PM's superior I/O bandwidth. To find the root causes and bridge the huge performance/memory-footprint gap, we revisit the architectural features of two representative indexing mechanisms (single-stage and multi-stage) and propose a three-stage KVS called FluidKV. FluidKV effectively consolidates these indexes by fast and seamlessly running incoming key-value request stream from the write-concurrent frontend stage to the memory-efficient backend stage across an intermediate stage. FluidKV also designs important enabling techniques, such as thread-exclusive logging, PM-friendly KV-block structures, and dual-grained indexes, to fully utilize both parallel-processing and high-bandwidth capabilities of ultra-fast storage hardware while reducing the overhead. We implemented a FluidKV prototype and evaluated it under a variety of workloads. The results show that FluidKV outperforms the state-of-the-art PM-aware KVSs, including ListDB and FlatStore with different indexes, by up to 9× and 3.9× in write and read throughput respectively, while cutting up to 90% of the DRAM footprint.

Interdisciplinary Treatment Of Tumorous And Tumour-Like Lesions Of Peripheral Nerves

Tumorous or tumour-like lesions of peripheral nerves are generally rare, heterogeneous and challenging to diagnose and treat. They may become apparent by a palpable swelling (lump) near nerves, sensory and/or motor deficits, pain to touch or neuropathic pain. In 91% of cases, tumours are benign. The differentiation of entities and their characteristics as well as a function-preserving resection strategy are highly relevant. Misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment can lead to severe deficits and pain syndromes. Benign tumours include schwannomas and neurofibromas, which can occur sporadically but can also be associated with neurogenetic tumour disposition syndromes if they occur more frequently. Rarer benign nerve tumours include perineuriomas, lipomas, aggressive fibrosis (desmoid tumours), paragangliomas and haemangiomas. Ganglion cysts are described as tumour-like lesions. The association of nerve tumours with neurogenetic syndromes and the correct classification of potentially malignant lesions such as MPNST (malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour) or intermediate stages such as ANNUBPs (atypical neurofibromatous neoplasms with unknown biological potential) pose particular challenges. Interdisciplinarity is highly relevant for clinical treatment and a correct diagnosis. The aim of our work is to provide an overview of the relevant entities, diagnostic evaluation and contemporary treatment strategies based on the current data situation and taking into account the recently published interdisciplinary AWMF S2k guideline "Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Tumours".

Sensitivity and specificity of the EAT-10 and SDQ-DP in identifying the risk of dysphagia in Parkinson's disease.

The early identification of risk for dysphagia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is essential for the prevention of nutritional and pulmonary complications. To analyze the sensitivity and specificity of the Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire (SDQ-PD) and the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) in identifying dysphagia risk in patients with early and intermediate stages of PD. Twenty-nine patients with PD participated in the study. EAT-10 and SDQ-PD questionnaires were applied, and a videofluoroscopic swallowing study. Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS) was used to classify the presence and severity of dysphagia, and the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) was used to identify the presence of penetration/aspiration. In the statistical analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of the risk questionnaires were calculated, as well as positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. EAT-10 to identify the risk of penetration/aspiration revealed a sensitivity of 71.42% and specificity of 45.45%; in the identification of the presence of dysphagia, the sensitivity was 47.61%, and the specificity was 12.5%. The SDQ-PD questionnaire for risk of penetration/aspiration demonstrated a sensitivity of 28.57%, and a specificity of 68.18%. In terms of identifying the presence of dysphagia, the sensitivity was 20%, while the specificity was 44.44%. The SDQ-PD revealed low sensitivity and low specificity to identify the presence of dysphagia and/or penetration/aspiration in patients with early and intermediate stages of PD in this sample. Despite its low specificity, the EAT-10 exhibited good sensitivity in indicating the risk of penetration/aspiration.

Comparative analysis of subclassification models in patients with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC B) receiving systemic therapy

Comparative analysis of subclassification models in patients with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC B) receiving systemic therapy

Female age at maturity and fecundity in Atlantic Striped Bass

AbstractObjectiveFemale age at maturity and fecundity for the Atlantic stock of Striped Bass Morone saxatilis were estimated using histological methods and image analysis.MethodsOvaries were obtained from surveys encompassing the spring spawning season (March–July; n = 343), primarily from the Chesapeake Bay, and in the fall months (September–December; n = 85), primarily from the Atlantic coast. Histological examination of oocytes revealed some Striped Bass in intermediate stages of maturation during the spawning season. These individuals were identified as undergoing pubertal development, defined as the transition from the juvenile stage to first sexual maturity. Pubertal development was characterized by ovaries containing a population of enlarged, lipid‐filled oocytes but noticeably lacking vitellogenin‐derived yolk globules during the spawning season, and those ovaries were classified as immature. Toward the end of the spawning season, increasing proportions of Striped Bass with unspawned ovaries and oocytes undergoing total atresia were observed.ResultThe female age and length at 50% maturity in Atlantic Striped Bass based on spring samples were 5.5 years and 609 mm total length, respectively. Fecundity was determined gravimetrically via image analysis of ovarian tissue samples from spawning capable individuals (n = 67). Potential annual fecundity was found to exhibit hyperallometric scaling with respect to body size. Specifically, the scaling exponent for the length–fecundity relationship was 3.24, which was greater than the scaling exponent of 3.05 for the length–body mass relationship. This indicates that large females possess a disproportionately greater reproductive capacity with respect to body mass than the equivalent biomass of smaller females.ConclusionCompared with previous studies spanning over a half‐century, age at 50% maturity and fecundity were found to be relatively invariant, although variation found between contemporary studies may represent methodological and interpretive differences. Reproductive‐related life history traits of female Atlantic Striped Bass are apparently robust to long‐term decadal changes in fishing intensity, stock size, habitat alterations, and environmental conditions.