Reference Database Research Articles

Insights into freshwater ciliate diversity through high throughput DNA metabarcoding.

The freshwater bodies of India are highly biodiverse but still understudied, especially concerning ciliates. Ciliates constitute a significant portion of eukaryotic diversity and play crucial roles in microbial loops, nutrient recycling, and ecosystem maintenance. The present study aimed to elucidate ciliate diversity in three freshwater sites in the Delhi region of India: Okhla Bird Sanctuary (OBS), Sanjay Lake (SL), and Raj Ghat pond (RJ). This study represents the first investigation into the taxonomic diversity and richness of freshwater ciliates in India using a high-throughput DNA metabarcoding approach. For the analysis, total environmental DNA was extracted from the three freshwater samples, followed by sequencing of the 18S V4 barcode region and subsequent phylogenetic analyses. Operational taxonomic units (OTU) analyses revealed maximum species diversity in OBS (106), followed by SL (104) and RJ (99) sites. Ciliates from the classes Oligohymenophorea, Prostomatea, and Spirotrichea were dominant in the three sites. The study discusses the ability of the metabarcoding approach to uncover unknown and rare species. The study highlights the need for refined reference databases and cautious interpretation of the high-throughput sequencing-generated data while emphasizing the complementary nature of molecular and morphological approaches in studying ciliate diversity.

Characterization of pathogenic microbiome on removable prostheses with different levels of cleanliness using 2bRAD-M metagenomic sequencing

ABSTRACT Background The microbiomes on the surface of unclean removable prostheses are complex and yet largely underexplored using metagenomic sequencing technology. Objectives To characterize the microbiome of removable prostheses with different levels of cleanliness using Type IIB Restriction-site Associated DNA for Microbiome (2bRAD-M) sequencing and compare the Microbial Index of Pathogenic Bacteria (MIP) between clean and unclean prostheses. Materials and Methods Ninety-seven removable prostheses were classified into ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ groups. All prosthesis plaque samples underwent 2bRAD metagenomic sequencing to characterize the species-resolved microbial composition. MIPs for clean and unclean prostheses were calculated based on the sum of the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria in a microbiome using a reference database that contains opportunistic pathogenic bacteria and disease-associated information. Results Beta diversity analyses based on Jaccard qualitative and Bray-Curtis quantitative distance matrices identified significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.05). There was a significant enrichment of many pathogenic bacteria in the unclean prosthesis group. The MIP for unclean prostheses (0.47 ± 0.25) was significantly higher than for clean prostheses (0.37 ± 0.29), p = 0.029. Conclusions The microbial community of plaque samples from ‘unclean’ prostheses demonstrated compositional differences compared with ‘clean’ prostheses. In addition, the pathogenic microbiome in the ‘unclean’ versus ‘clean’ group differed.

EDNA metabarcoding reveals a rich but threatened and declining elasmobranch community in West Africa’s largest marine protected area, the Banc d’Arguin

AbstractElasmobranchs (sharks and rays) are the most threatened marine vertebrates, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas. Their population status is often poorly understood due to insufficient information. Despite reportedly harbouring critical elasmobranch habitats, the Banc d’Arguin National Park (PNBA) in Mauritania lacks comprehensive and updated information on the diversity of elasmobranch species in the area. We developed a baseline inventory based on morphological and molecular identification and metabarcoding. DNA barcoding of tissue samples from elasmobranch processing sites and freshly sampled specimens was used to build a genetic reference database of local elasmobranch species. The richness and diversity of species in the PNBA were described via metabarcoding of seawater eDNA samples using an elasmobranch-specific assay and our reference database. We detected 27 species, including 12 new species records for the PNBA. We further uncover potentially undescribed species of Gymnura and Torpedo, while taxonomic corrections are noted for previously reported species. In particular, the reportedly abundant Mustelus mustelus was absent from tissue and eDNA samples, while M. punctulatus was detected instead. Taxa that have anecdotally become regionally extinct or rare (e.g., sawfishes, wedgefishes, lemon sharks) were not detected, highlighting local species diversity shifts within the last few decades. Results show that 67.9% of elasmobranch species in the PNBA are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This study emphasises the importance of taxonomic identification in support of species management and provides a baseline to inform future studies and conservation measures to avoid further species losses.

Bio-pesticidal, Antimicrobial, and Anti-inflammatory Potentials of n-Hexane Fraction of Zanthoxylum armatum DC and its Chemical Profiling

Zanthoxylum armatum DC, commonly known as toothache tree, is utilized for treating inflamed gums. The plant’s volatile constituent possesses a robust fragrance and contributes to its tangy taste. This study investigates the bioactivities, including bio-pesticidal, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties as well as the chemical profiling of the n-hexane fraction based on GC-MS analysis. The evaluated activities involve contact toxicity, microplate alamar blue assay, against three different insects, five bacteria, and seven fungi, and oxidative burst assay. The NIST library serves as a standard reference database for constituent identification. Remarkable insecticidal activities comparable to the standard drug permethrin were observed, particularly against Rhyzopertha dominica (100%), Tribolium castaneum (60%), and Sitophilus oryzae (50%). The fraction exhibited significant antifungal activity against Fusarium lini (85%) and notable inhibition against B. subtillis (67.27%) and S. aureus (65.25%). Potent anti-inflammatory effects were noted with an IC50 value of 11.2±1.9 μg/ml, equivalent to standard ibuprofen at various concentrations. GC-MS analysis identified twenty compounds, with major ones including trans-13-octadecenoic acid (36.08%), cis-9 hexadecenoic acid (18.66%), and 2-propenoic acid 3 phenyl methyl ester (11.08%). The diverse bioactivities observed may be attributed to the varied nature of compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and their oxides. This research revealed the potential of Z. armatum as a potential bio-pesticide, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agent.

ARGprofiler-a pipeline for large-scale analysis of antimicrobial resistance genes and their flanking regions in metagenomic datasets.

Analyzing metagenomic data can be highly valuable for understanding the function and distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). However, there is a need for standardized and reproducible workflows to ensure the comparability of studies, as the current options involve various tools and reference databases, each designed with a specific purpose in mind. In this work, we have created the workflow ARGprofiler to process large amounts of raw sequencing reads for studying the composition, distribution, and function of ARGs. ARGprofiler tackles the challenge of deciding which reference database to use by providing the PanRes database of 14078 unique ARGs that combines several existing collections into one. Our pipeline is designed to not only produce abundance tables of genes and microbes but also to reconstruct the flanking regions of ARGs with ARGextender. ARGextender is a bioinformatic approach combining KMA and SPAdes to recruit reads for a targeted de novo assembly. While our aim is on ARGs, the pipeline also creates Mash sketches for fast searching and comparisons of sequencing runs. The ARGprofiler pipeline is a Snakemake workflow that supports the reuse of metagenomic sequencing data and is easily installable and maintained at https://github.com/genomicepidemiology/ARGprofiler.

EDNA Metabarcoding: Gaps of Publicly Available Reference Databases of Freshwater Vertebrates in Sri Lanka

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a rapidly emerging technology during the last decade. Although eDNA applications are used worldwide, none of the eDNA metabarcoding studies have been conducted solely in Sri Lanka yet. Detection rate of species through DNA metabarcoding technique varies with the availability of gene sequences in reference databases. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the data gaps of local species in two selected reference databases (the NCBI database and the BOLD database). Local freshwater vertebrates were considered for this analysis by dividing them into three major categories as freshwater fish (97 species), freshwater amphibians (40 species) and freshwater reptiles (7 species). The availability of COI gene sequence and CytB gene sequence of each species were recorded. In the NCBI database, reference gene sequences were available only for 17.53% (17 species) of freshwater fish, 7.50% (3 species) of freshwater amphibians and 14.29% (1 species) of freshwater reptiles. In the BOLD database, reference gene sequences were available for 52.58% (51 species) of freshwater fish, 17.50% (7 species) of freshwater amphibians and 42.86% (3 species) of freshwater reptiles. Endemic species were analyzed separately. This revealed the availability of reference gene sequences for 4.92% (3 species) of endemic freshwater fish in the NCBI database. However, none of the reference gene sequence was found for endemic freshwater amphibians and reptiles. In the BOLD database, reference gene sequences were available for 36.07% (22 species) of endemic freshwater fish and 33.33% (1 species) of endemic freshwater reptiles but none for endemic freshwater amphibians. According to the results, large gaps of publicly available reference CO1 gene sequences were observed in both NCBI and BOLD databases. Not only the availability of reference gene sequences, but also the submitted countries of those sequences were also analyzed as a part of this study. Asia has contributed the most according to the country-vice analysis. Among them, many are in the South Asian region. Therefore, this study highlights the need of expanding reference databases for greater local representation as well as the importance of forging collaborations with the developed countries in the same region in order to increase international cooperation and funding to carry on further studies on neglected taxa and under‐represented taxa in Sri Lanka. &#x0D; Keywords: eDNA (environmental DNA), Metabarcoding, Reference databases, Reference gene sequences

Non-perennial rivers and streams in extreme hydrological conditions—comparing the effectiveness of amplicon sequencing and digital microscopy for diatom biodiversity appraisal

IntroductionNon-perennial rivers and streams are increasingly present, in part because of climate change, even in the temperate climate. However, how the loss of connectivity and complete drying affect microphytobenthos in general and diatom communities in particular has gone mostly unstudied. MethodsWith this paper, we aim to close this gap, identifying diatom biodiversity through manual digital microscopy and rbcL amplicon sequencing, to observe a) which method is better suited to it and b) how the ecotone flow-pool-dry affects diatom diversity under duress. Three karstic, non-perennial rivers and streams with a gradient from natural to anthropogenically disturbed were sampled under flooding conditions and after a long and intense drought in 2022.ResultsOur results show that digital microscopy shows a higher diversity and species richness than amplicon sequencing. We posit that this might be due to a reduced pool of subaerophile taxa having been sequenced and being part of the reference database. Furthermore, the effect of drying only resulted in a reduction in diversity after this drought, although the biofilm was still alive under these conditions. DiscussionTo use amplicon sequencing for non-perennial river diatom diversity monitoring, the reference databases will have to be adapted to such systems, as most rivers may be subjected to drying regularly in the future.

Chemical Multiverse and Diversity of Food Chemicals.

Food chemicals have a fundamental role in our lives, with an extended impact on nutrition, disease prevention, and marked economic implications in the food industry. The number of food chemical compounds in public databases has substantially increased in the past few years, which can be characterized using chemoinformatics approaches. We and other groups explored public food chemical libraries containing up to 26,500 compounds. This study aimed to analyze the chemical contents, diversity, and coverage in the chemical space of food chemicals and additives and, from here on, food components. The approach to food components addressed in this study is a public database with more than 70,000 compounds, including those predicted via omics techniques. It was concluded that food components have distinctive physicochemical properties and constitutional descriptors despite sharing many chemical structures with natural products. Food components, on average, have large molecular weights and several apolar structures with saturated hydrocarbons. Compared to reference databases, food component structures have low scaffold and fingerprint-based diversity and high structural complexity, as measured by the fraction of sp3 carbons. These structural features are associated with a large fraction of macronutrients as lipids. Lipids in food components were decompiled by an analysis of the maximum common substructures. The chemical multiverse representation of food chemicals showed a larger coverage of chemical space than natural products and FDA-approved drugs by using different sets of representations.

Voice-based Biometric Data through Machine Learning Algorithm using Feature-based Classification with the Wood Texture using Android Studio

Voice the authentication process uses artificial intelligence to analyze the distinct parameters which having vocal patterns to register to authenticate the dual effect of increasing security using the voice biometrics technology refers to the knowledge-based authentication methods like voice matching algorithms enable the organization the identity of a parameter that effect on the synthetic voice attacks this is text-independent speaker recognition system voice by comparing the recorded audio signal with the prerecorded reference database. Voice recognition is analyzing the input voice of a person and conversations with the search engine SERP-based conversational response generation. Unauthorized entries can be dangerous to control and checking them frequently changes of loss and problems occurring in it like phones and lockers.

SpecieScan: semi-automated taxonomic identification of bone collagen peptides from MALDI-ToF-MS.

Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) is a palaeoproteomics method for the taxonomic determination of collagen, which traditionally involves challenging manual spectra analysis with limitations in quantitative results. As the ZooMS reference database expands, a faster and reproducible identification tool is necessary. Here we present SpecieScan, an open-access algorithm for automating taxa identification from raw MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry (MS) data. SpecieScan was developed using R (pre-processing) and Python (automation). The algorithm's output includes identified peptide markers, closest matching taxonomic group (taxon, family, order), correlation scores with the reference databases, and contaminant peaks present in the spectra. Testing on original MS data from bones discovered at Palaeothic archaeological sites, including Denisova Cave in Russia, as well as using publicly-available, externally produced data, we achieved >90% accuracy at the genus-level and ∼92% accuracy at the family-level for mammalian bone collagen previously analysed manually. The SpecieScan algorithm, along with the raw data used in testing, results, reference database, and common contaminants lists are freely available on Github (https://github.com/mesve/SpecieScan).

An Enhancement of Outdoor Location-Based Augmented Reality Anchor Precision through VSLAM and Google Street View.

Outdoor Location-Based Augmented Reality (LAR) applications require precise positioning for seamless integrations of virtual content into immersive experiences. However, common solutions in outdoor LAR applications rely on traditional smartphone sensor fusion methods, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and compasses, which often lack the accuracy needed for precise AR content alignments. In this paper, we introduce an innovative approach to enhance LAR anchor precision in outdoor environments. We leveraged Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM) technology, in combination with innovative cloud-based methodologies, and harnessed the extensive visual reference database of Google Street View (GSV), to address the accuracy limitation problems. For the evaluation, 10 Point of Interest (POI) locations were used as anchor point coordinates in the experiments. We compared the accuracies between our approach and the common sensor fusion LAR solution comprehensively involving accuracy benchmarking and running load performance testing. The results demonstrate substantial enhancements in overall positioning accuracies compared to conventional GPS-based approaches for aligning AR anchor content in the real world.

DNA Barcoding as a Plant Identification Method

In the last two decades, plant taxonomy has bloomed, following the development of a novel technique, namely, DNA barcoding. DNA barcodes are standardized sequences, ideally unique, coding or non-coding, either from the genome of the organism or from its organelles, that are used to identify/classify an organismal group; in short, the method includes amplification of the DNA barcode, sequencing and comparison with a reference database containing the relevant sequences from different species. In plants, the use a universal DNA barcode, such as COI, which is used in animals, has not been achieved so far. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progress made in DNA barcoding within the field of plant taxonomy. It highlights the success of various barcode loci, the emergence of super barcodes from the chloroplast genome, and the overall impact of next-generation sequencing technologies on the field. The discussion of different approaches reflects the ongoing efforts to refine and optimize DNA barcoding techniques for plants, contributing to the advancement in our understanding of plant biodiversity.

An analytical survey of zinc white historical and modern artists’ materials

This study is the first systematic survey of a large corpus of zinc white (ZnO) artists’ materials. Zinc white is a white pigment developed within the wave of 19th-century technological developments in the paint industry. The composition, particle morphology and size, and luminescence of 49 zinc white samples from artists’ materials were characterized, including three references of known synthesis methods (indirect and direct) and synthesized by the authors (ZnO nanosmoke). The corpus included historical and modern zinc white pigment powders and paint materials from the leading European and American color manufacturers. The study aims to characterize and evaluate the variability of the properties of zinc white and its paint formulations. The reference materials presented properties in agreement with the literature: indirect ZnO exhibited submicron prismoidal blue-luminescent particles of higher purity than direct ZnO, which had larger acicular green-luminescent particles. ZnO nanosmoke presented acicular (tetrapod-like) blue/green-luminescent nanoparticles. Composition, particle morphology, size, and documentary sources suggested a production via the indirect method for the analyzed corpus. However, the luminescence behavior was more complex to interpret. The fundamental emission of ZnO was not always detected, even in pure ZnO powders. Three trends were identified: smaller ZnO particles for the most recent samples; green luminescence connected to larger particle size; fewer trace elements, and of the same type (i.e., lead, sulfur) for historical materials. Another interesting finding was the detection of hydrozincite in some powders, likely a degradation product of ZnO. In terms of methodology, cathodoluminescence proved a valuable tool for pigment identification. The study provides a database of zinc white references for pigment and artwork analysis.

A reference database of the pollen representation of the current vegetation in the Dry Puna of Argentina: Contributions to the interpretation of pollen fossil sequences and archeological evidence during the Holocene

The present research is framed within an interdisciplinary archeological project that aims to reconstruct the environmental conditions in which human occupations developed in the locality of Barrancas, Dry Puna Argentina, during the Holocene. The aims of this work were to: (1) study the regional vegetation and the modern pollen dispersal-sedimentation process; and (2) generate a reference database for interpretation of the fossil pollen records of the Holocene in the Dry Puna (3) provide information for the study of the relationship between human populations and vegetation in the area during the Late-Holocene. The results show that the main pollen types that characterize the regional vegetation were represented in the surface samples (herbaceous steppe, shrub steppe, mixed steppe, and vegas). Also the environments with evidence of anthropic impact were identified by specific plant species and the corresponding pollen grain. The representation of the vegetation was quantified according to the different pollen types. The study used indices of association to establish relationships between modern pollen and vegetation, and showed a weak association for Solanaceae and Verbenaceae; an over-representation of Ephedrae, Alnus acuminata, Malvaceae, Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae; an association of Asteraceae; the absence of association of Cactaceae and Portulacaceae; and a strong association of Poaceae. These results allow us to specify the interpretation of fossil records and past environments in relation to anthropic modifications on the landscape.

Up-to-date understanding of overtraining syndrome and overlap with related disorders

Abstract: Introduction: The rigorous training regimens of elite athletes are, by nature, emotionally, physically, and mentally demanding. These regimens can result in marked improvements in athletic performance when they incorporate adequate intervals of rest and recovery. Continued training in the absence of adequate recovery progresses to a constellation of symptoms that affect medical and mental health, which is referred to as overtraining syndrome (OTS). Method: A literature review was conducted using PubMed, a database of reference on medical research maintained by the US national Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health. Search terms included “overtraining syndrome”, “Unexplained Underperformance” (UUPS), “Burnout” in athletes. Results: The collection of the published work provides insight into the multidimensional composition and complexity of OTS in athletes. OTS progresses along a continuum without adequate recovery. Conclusion: Decreased athletic performance in the setting of increased training intensity without appropriate recovery, often accompanied by changes in mood, motivation, and general well-being are the distinctive features of OTS. OTS is preceded by stages of underperformance that are reversable and preventable, highlighting the importance of recognizing, managing, and preventing overtraining in athletes in order to prevent long-term negative outcomes is a maladaptive response to an imbalance between exercise and recovery.

Retinal vessel volume reference database derived from volume-rendered optical coherence tomography angiography

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) enables three-dimensional reconstruction of the functional blood vessels in the retina. Therefore, it enables the quantification of 3D retinal vessel parameters such as surface area and vessel volume. In spite of the widespread use of OCTA, no representative volume-rendered vessel volume (VV) data are published to date. In this study, OCTA 3 × 3 mm macular cubes were processed with volume-rendering techniques to measure VV in 203 eyes from 107 healthy volunteers. Generalized linear models (GLM) were constructed to assess the impact of age, gender, visual acuity (VA), spherical equivalent (SE), and axial length (AL) on VV. Overall mean VV was 0.23 ± 0.05mm3. Age and axial length showed a negative correlation with VV. However, GLM model analysis found that AL exerted the most pronounced influence on VV. No statistically significant associations were identified between gender or between left and right eyes. This is the first study to assess 3D OCTA VV and its naturally occurring variations in a large series of healthy subjects. It offers novel insights into the characterization of normal retinal vascular anatomy in healthy individuals, contributing to a valuable reference for future research in this field.

Comparative evaluation of bioinformatic tools for virus-host prediction and their application to a highly diverse community in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Mexico.

Due to the enormous diversity of non-culturable viruses, new viruses must be characterized using culture-independent techniques. The associated host is an important phenotypic feature that can be inferred from metagenomic viral contigs thanks to the development of several bioinformatic tools. Here, we compare the performance of recently developed virus-host prediction tools on a dataset of 1,046 virus-host pairs and then apply the best-performing tools to a metagenomic dataset derived from a highly diverse transiently hypersaline site known as the Archaean Domes (AD) within the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico. Among host-dependent methods, alignment-based approaches had a precision of 66.07% and a sensitivity of 24.76%, while alignment-free methods had an average precision of 75.7% and a sensitivity of 57.5%. RaFAH, a virus-dependent alignment-based tool, had the best overall performance (F1_score = 95.7%). However, when predicting the host of AD viruses, methods based on public reference databases (such as RaFAH) showed lower inter-method agreement than host-dependent methods run against custom databases constructed from prokaryotes inhabiting AD. Methods based on custom databases also showed the greatest agreement between the source environment and the predicted host taxonomy, habitat, lifestyle, or metabolism. This highlights the value of including custom data when predicting hosts on a highly diverse metagenomic dataset, and suggests that using a combination of methods and qualitative validations related to the source environment and predicted host biology can increase the number of correct predictions. Finally, these predictions suggest that AD viruses infect halophilic archaea as well as a variety of bacteria that may be halophilic, halotolerant, alkaliphilic, thermophilic, oligotrophic, sulfate-reducing, or marine, which is consistent with the specific environment and the known geological and biological evolution of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin and its microorganisms.

Rapid detection of six Oceanobacillus species in Daqu starter using single-cell Raman spectroscopy combined with machine learning.

Many traditional fermented foods and beverages industries around the world request the addition of multi-species starter cultures. However, the microbial community in starter cultures is subject to fluctuations due to their exposure to an open environment during fermentation. A rapid detection approach to identify the microbial composition of starter culture is essential to ensure the quality of the final products. Here, we applied single-cell Raman spectroscopy (SCRS) combined with machine learning to monitor Oceanobacillus species in Daqu starter, which plays crucial roles in the process of Chinese baijiu. First, a total of six Oceanobacillus species (O. caeni, O. kimchii, O. iheyensis, O. sojae, O. oncorhynchi subsp. Oncorhynchi and O. profundus) were detected in 44 Daqu samples by amplicon sequencing and isolated by pure culture. Then, we created a reference database of these Oceanobacillus strains which correlated their taxonomic data and single-cell Raman spectra (SCRS). Based on the SCRS dataset, five machine-learning algorithms were used to classify Oceanobacillus strains, among which support vector machine (SVM) showed the highest rate of accuracy. For validation of SVM-based model, we employed a synthetic microbial community composed of varying proportions of Oceanobacillus species and demonstrated a remarkable accuracy, with a mean error was less than 1% between the predicted result and the expected value. The relative abundance of six different Oceanobacillus species during Daqu fermentation was predicted within 60 min using this method, and the reliability of the method was proved by correlating the Raman spectrum with the amplicon sequencing profiles by partial least squares regression. Our study provides a rapid, non-destructive and label-free approach for rapid identification of Oceanobacillus species in Daqu starter culture, contributing to real-time monitoring of fermentation process and ensuring high-quality products.

Automated magnetic resonance imaging quantification of cerebral parenchymal and ventricular volume following subarachnoid hemorrhage: associations with cognition

This study aims to investigate cerebral parenchymal and ventricular volume changes after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and their potential association with cognitive impairment. 17 patients with aneurysmal SAH (aSAH) and 21 patients with angiographically negative SAH (anSAH) without visually apparent parenchymal loss on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included, along with 76 healthy controls. Volumetric analyses were performed using an automated clinical segmentation and quantification tool. Measurements were compared to on-board normative reference database (n = 1923) adjusted for age, sex, and intracranial volume. Cognition was assessed with tests for psychomotor speed, attentional control, (working) memory, executive functioning, and social cognition. All measurements took place 5 months after SAH. Lower cerebral parenchymal volumes were most pronounced in the frontal lobe (aSAH: n = 6 [35%], anSAH n = 7 [33%]), while higher volumes were most substantial in the lateral ventricle (aSAH: n = 5 [29%], anSAH n = 9 [43%]). No significant differences in regional brain volumes were observed between both SAH groups. Patients with lower frontal lobe volume exhibited significantly lower scores in psychomotor speed (U = 81, p = 0.02) and attentional control (t = 2.86, p = 0.004). Additionally, higher lateral ventricle volume was associated with poorer memory (t = 3.06, p = 0.002). Regional brain volume changes in patients with SAH without visible parenchymal abnormalities on MRI can still be quantified using a fully automatic clinical-grade tool, exposing changes which may contribute to cognitive impairment. Therefore, it is important to provide neuropsychological assessment for both SAH groups, also including those with clinically mild symptoms.

Applicability of DNA barcoding-based analyses on the diet of the gray brocket deer (Subulo gouazoubira) in xeric hillside forests

In this study, we explore the applicability of DNA barcoding, specifically targeting the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequences, particularly the trnL (UAA) intron region, to analyze the diet of gray brocket deer. This approach offers improved taxonomic resolution and the ability to identify species with greater precision compared to traditional methods. The study was conducted in the "Reserva Natural Salus" in Uruguay, covering a range of vegetation types, where gray brocket deer coexist with other exotic ungulates. A local reference database of trnL (UAA) sequences was established, incorporating both GenBank data and sequences obtained from native species in the study area. Fecal samples were collected in summer and winter, and DNA was extracted and amplified for metabarcoding analysis in pooled samples for each season. For each sample 28,229 and 33,588 reads were obtained respectively, which together corresponded to 25 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). The species Rubus ulmifolius and Schinus engleri were the most represented in the diet with 69.6 % of the summer reads, whereas in winter, 68.7 % of the reads corresponded only to Schinus engleri. These findings indicate that gray brocket deer consume species that have higher nutritional value, which may be linked to their capacity to thrive in young and productive ecosystems. This study demonstrates the feasibility of DNA barcoding for dietary analysis in gray brocket deer and provides valuable insights into their food habits in the "Reserva Natural Salus". Further improvements to increase the reference databases of native species and the exploration of additional genetic markers are recommended for enhanced species-level discrimination in dietary analysis studies. This methodology is promising for future research as diet studies have an impact on species management, habitat conservation and biodiversity conservation efforts.