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(1) Background: Bacterial contamination has been shown to occur during angiographies, although data on its frequency and relevance are sparse. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence of bacterial contamination of syringes used under sterile conditions during neuroangiographies. We sought to differentiate between contamination of the outside of the syringes and the inside and to detect the frequency, extent and germ spectrum of bacterial contamination. (2) Methods: We prospectively collected 600 samples from 100 neuroangiographies. Per angiography, fluid samples from the three routinely used syringes as well as the syringes themselves were analyzed. We analyzed the frequency and extent of contamination and determined the germ spectrum. (3) Results: The majority of samples (56.9%) were contaminated. There was no angiography that showed no contamination (0%). The outer surfaces of the syringes were contaminated significantly more frequently and to a higher extent than the inner surfaces. Both the frequency and extent of contamination of the samples increased with longer duration of angiographic procedures. Most of the bacterial species were environmental or skin germs (87.7%). (4) Conclusions: Bacterial contamination is a frequent finding during neuroangiographies, although its clinical significance is believed to be small. Bacterial contamination increases with longer duration of angiographic procedures.

Summary: Recent studies have shown that elevated concentrations of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) may be a protective host factor against the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), whereas low levels of UCB are associated with the opposite effect. The results of this European study, in which 2,489 samples were tested for their UCB concentration using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and additional data from the MARK-AGE database were used for analysis, provide further evidence that elevated UCB concentrations are linked to a lower risk of developing NCDs and may act as a predictive marker of biological aging as individuals with elevated UCB concentrations showed favorable outcomes in metabolic health and oxidative-stress-related biomarkers. These findings underline the significance of studying individuals with moderate hyperbilirubinemia and investigate UCB routinely, also in the setting of aging, since this condition affects millions of people worldwide but has been underrepresented in clinical research and practice until now.

In neuroimaging, there is no equivalent alternative to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, image acquisitions are generally time-consuming, which may limit utilization in some cases, e.g., in patients who cannot remain motionless for long or suffer from claustrophobia, or in the event of extensive waiting times. For multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, MRI plays a major role in drug therapy decision-making. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether an ultrafast, T2-weighted (T2w), deep learning-enhanced (DL), echo-planar-imaging-based (EPI) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence (FLAIRUF) that has targeted neurological emergencies so far might even be an option to detect MS lesions of the brain compared to conventional FLAIR sequences. Therefore, 17 MS patients were enrolled prospectively in this exploratory study. Standard MRI protocols and ultrafast acquisitions were conducted at 3 tesla (T), including three-dimensional (3D)-FLAIR, turbo/fast spin-echo (TSE)-FLAIR, and FLAIRUF. Inflammatory lesions were grouped by size and location. Lesion conspicuity and image quality were rated on an ordinal five-point Likert scale, and lesion detection rates were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed to compare results. Altogether, 568 different lesions were found. Data indicated no significant differences in lesion detection (sensitivity and positive predictive value [PPV]) between FLAIRUF and axially reconstructed 3D-FLAIR (lesion size ≥3 mm × ≥2 mm) and no differences in sensitivity between FLAIRUF and TSE-FLAIR (lesion size ≥3 mm total). Lesion conspicuity in FLAIRUF was similar in all brain regions except for superior conspicuity in the occipital lobe and inferior conspicuity in the central brain regions. Further findings include location-dependent limitations of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) as well as artifacts such as spatial distortions in FLAIRUF. In conclusion, FLAIRUF could potentially be an expedient alternative to conventional methods for brain imaging in MS patients since the acquisition can be performed in a fraction of time while maintaining good image quality.

Abstract Introduction Research into current robot middleware has revealed that most of them are either too complicated or outdated. These facts have motivated the development of a new middleware to meet the requirements of usability by non-experts. The proposed middleware is based on Android and is intended to be placed over existing robot SDKs and middleware. It runs on the android tablet of the Cruzr robot. Various toolings have been developed, such as a web component to control the robot via a webinterface, which facilitates its use. Methods The middleware was developed using Android Java and runs on the Cruzr tablet as an app. It features a WebSocket server that interfaces with the robot and allows control via Python or other WebSocket-compatible languages. The speech interface utilizes Google Cloud Voice text-to-speech and speech-to-text services. The interface was implemented in Python, allowing for easy integration with existing robotics development workflows, and a web interface was developed for direct control of the robot via the web. Results The new robot middleware was created and deployed on a Cruzr robot, relying on the WebSocket API and featuring a Python implementation. It supports various robot functions, such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, navigation, displaying content and scanning bar codes. The system’s architecture allows for porting the interface to other robots and platforms, showcasing its adaptability. It has been demonstrated that the middleware can be run on a Pepper robot, although not all functions have been implemented yet. The middleware was utilized to implement healthcare use cases and received good feedback. Conclusion Cloud and local speech services were discussed in regard to the middleware’s needs, to run without having to change any code on other robots. An outlook on how the programming interface can further be simplified by using natural text to code generators has been/is given. For other researchers using the aforementioned platforms (Cruzr, Pepper), the new middleware can be utilized for testing human-robot interaction. It can be used in a teaching setting, as well as be adapted to other robots using the same interface and philosophy regarding simple methods.

Abstract Nanocrystals have a great potential for future materials with tunable bandgap, due to their optical properties that are related with the material used, their sizes and their surface termination. Here, we concentrate on the silicon–tin alloy for photovoltaic applications due to their bandgap, lower than bulk Si, and also the possibility to activate direct band to band transition for high tin concentration. We synthesized silicon–tin alloy nanocrystals (SiSn-NCs) with diameter of about 2–3 nm by confined plasma technique employing a femtosecond laser irradiation on amorphous silicon–tin substrate submerged in liquid media. The tin concentration is estimated to be $$\sim 17\%$$ ∼ 17 % , being the highest Sn concentration for SiSn-NCs reported so far. Our SiSn-NCs have a well-defined zinc-blend structure and, contrary to pure tin NCs, also an excellent thermal stability comparable to highly stable silicon NCs. We demonstrate by means of high resolution synchrotron XRD analysis (SPring 8) that the SiSn-NCs remain stable from room temperature up to $$400\,^{\circ }\text {C},$$ 400 ∘ C , with a relatively small expansion of the crystal lattice. The high thermal stability observed experimentally is rationalized by means of first-principle calculations.

Chlorambucil (CLB) belongs to the class of nitrogen mustards (NMs), which are highly reactive bifunctional alkylating agents and were the first chemotherapeutic agents developed. They form DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), which cause a blockage of DNA strand separation, inhibiting essential processes in DNA metabolism like replication and transcription. In fast replicating cells, e.g., tumor cells, this can induce cell death. The upregulation of ICL repair is thought to be a key factor for the resistance of tumor cells to ICL-inducing cytostatic agents including NMs. To monitor induction and repair of CLB-induced ICLs, we adjusted the automated reversed fluorometric analysis of alkaline DNA unwinding assay (rFADU) for the detection of ICLs in adherent cells. For the detection of monoalkylated DNA bases we established an LC-MS/MS method. We performed a comparative analysis of adduct formation and removal in five human cell lines and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after treatment with CLB. Dose-dependent increases in adduct formation were observed, and suitable treatment concentrations were identified for each cell line, which were then used for monitoring the kinetics of adduct formation. We observed significant differences in the repair kinetics of the cell lines tested. For example, in A2780 cells, hTERT immortalized VH10 cells, and in PBMCs a time-dependent repair of the two main monoalkylated DNA-adducts was confirmed. Regarding ICLs, repair was observed in all cell systems except for PBMCs. In conclusion, LC-MS/MS analyses combined with the rFADU technique are powerful tools to study the molecular mechanisms of NM-induced DNA damage and repair. By applying these methods to a spectrum of human cell systems of different origin and transformation status, we obtained insight into the cell-type specific repair of different CLB-induced DNA lesions, which may help identify novel resistance mechanisms of tumors and define molecular targets for therapeutic interventions.

Abstract Background As the COVID-19 pandemic strains healthcare systems worldwide, finding predictive markers of severe courses remains urgent. Most research so far was limited to selective questions hindering general assumptions for short- and long-term outcome. Methods In this prospective single-center biomarker study, 47 blood- and 21 bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples were collected from 47 COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients upon admission. Expression of inflammatory markers toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, leukocyte counts, procalcitonin (PCT) and carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) was compared to clinical course. Clinical assessment comprised acute local organ damage, acute systemic damage, mortality and outcome after 6 months. Results PCT correlated with acute systemic damage and was the best predictor for quality of life (QoL) after 6 months (r = − 0.4647, p = 0.0338). Systemic TLR3 negatively correlated with impaired lung function (ECMO/ECLS: r = − 0.3810, p = 0.0107) and neurological short- (RASS mean: r = 0.4474, p = 0.0023) and long-term outcome (mRS after 6 m: r = − 0.3184, p = 0.0352). Systemic IL-8 correlated with impaired lung function (ECMO/ECLS: r = 0.3784, p = 0.0161) and neurological involvement (RASS mean: r = − 0.5132, p = 0.0007). IL-6 in BAL correlated better to the clinical course than systemic IL-6. Using three multivariate regression models, we describe prediction models for local and systemic damage as well as QoL. CO-Hb mean and max were associated with higher mortality. Conclusions Our predictive models using the combination of Charlson Comorbidity Index, sex, procalcitonin, systemic TLR3 expression and IL-6 and IL-8 in BAL were able to describe a broad range of clinically relevant outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19-associated ARDS. Using these models might proof useful in risk stratification and predicting disease course in the future. Trial registration The trial was registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (Trial-ID DRKS00021522, registered 22/04/2020).

Background Various dietary supplements have been reported to enhance muscular perfusion in athletes practicing resistance training, especially through modulation of nitric oxide signaling. Objectives The aim of this study was therefore to investigate selected ‘NO-boosting’ supplements in a real-life setting i) to generate novel hypotheses and perfusion estimates for power calculation in view of a definitive trial and ii) to assess the feasibility of the study design with particular focus on the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for perfusion quantification. Methods Thirty young male athletes (24 ± 4 years) regularly practicing resistance training were enrolled in this three-arm, placebo(PL)-controlled crossover trial with ingestion of two commercially available supplements: an amino acid combination (AA) (containing 3 g of L-arginine-hydrochloride and 8 g of L-citrulline-malate) and 300 mg of a specific green tea extract (GTE). After intake, CEUS examinations of the dominant biceps brachii muscle were performed under resting conditions and following standardized resistance exercising. Quantitative parameters of biceps perfusion (peak enhancement, PE; wash-in perfusion index, WiPI) and caliber were derived from corresponding CEUS video files. Additionally, subjective muscle pump was determined after exercise. Results For PE, WiPI, and biceps caliber, the standard deviation (SD) of the within-subject differences between PL, AA, and GTE was determined, thereby allowing future sample size calculations. No significant differences between PL, AA, and GTE were observed for biceps perfusion, caliber, or muscle pump. When comparing resting with post-exercise measurements, the increase in biceps perfusion significantly correlated with the caliber increase (PE: r = 0.266, p = 0.0113; WiPI: r = 0.269, p = 0.0105). Similarly, the biceps perfusion correlated with muscle pump in the post-exercise conditions (PE: r = 0.354, p = 0.0006; WiPI: r = 0.350, p = 0.0007). A high participant adherence was achieved, and the acquisition of good quality CEUS video files was feasible. No adverse events occurred. Conclusion Based on our novel examination protocol, CEUS seems to be feasible following higher-load resistance exercising and may be used as a new method for high-resolution perfusion quantification to investigate the effects of pre-exercise dietary supplementation on muscle perfusion and related muscle size dynamics.

Abstract Usage of MR imaging biomarkers is limited to experts. Automatic quantitative reports provide access for clinicians to data analysis. Automated data analysis was tested for usability in a small cohort of patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia type 4 (SPG4). We analyzed 3T MRI 3D-T1 datasets of n = 25 SPG4 patients and matched healthy controls using a commercial segmentation tool (AIRAscore structure 2.0.1) and standard VBM. In SPG4 total brain volume was reduced by 27.6 percentiles (p = 0.001) caused mainly by white matter loss (− 30.8th, p

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important imaging modality in stroke. Computer based automated medical image processing is increasingly finding its way into clinical routine. The Ischemic Stroke Lesion Segmentation (ISLES) challenge is a continuous effort to develop and identify benchmark methods for acute and sub-acute ischemic stroke lesion segmentation. Here we introduce an expert-annotated, multicenter MRI dataset for segmentation of acute to subacute stroke lesions ( https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7153326 ). This dataset comprises 400 multi-vendor MRI cases with high variability in stroke lesion size, quantity and location. It is split into a training dataset of n = 250 and a test dataset of n = 150. All training data is publicly available. The test dataset will be used for model validation only and will not be released to the public. This dataset serves as the foundation of the ISLES 2022 challenge ( https://www.isles-challenge.org/ ) with the goal of finding algorithmic methods to enable the development and benchmarking of automatic, robust and accurate segmentation methods for ischemic stroke.

Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves elevated levels of cellular oxidative stress which jeopardizes the integrity of essential cell compartments. Previously, we demonstrated higher levels of DNA lesions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in PTSD. Retaining vital levels of DNA integrity requires cells to mobilize compensatory efforts in elevating their DNA-repair capacity. Accordingly, we hypothesized to find increased expression rates of the DNA-repair genes X-ray repair cross complementing 1 (XRCC1), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), and polymerase β (Polβ) in PBMCs of PTSD patients as compared to controls, leading to functionally relevant changes in DNA-repair kinetics. In a cohort of 14 refugees with PTSD and 15 without PTSD, we found significantly higher XRCC1 expression in PTSD patients than controls (U = 161.0, p = 0.009, Cohen’s r = 0.49), and positive correlations between the severity of PTSD symptoms and the expression of XRCC1 (r S = 0.57, p = 0.002) and PARP1 (r S = 0.43, p = 0.022). Higher XRCC1 (F = 2.39, p = 0.010, η2 p = 0.10) and PARP1 (F = 2.15, p = 0.022, η2 p = 0.09) expression accounted for slower repair of experimentally X-ray irradiation-induced DNA damage, highlighting the possible physiological relevance of altered DNA-repair gene expression in PTSD. Our study provides first evidence for a compensatory regulation of DNA-repair mechanisms in PTSD. We discuss the implications of increased DNA damage and altered DNA-repair mechanisms in immune senescence, premature aging, and increased physical morbidity in PTSD.

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is gaining recognition and importance as an organismic model for toxicity testing in line with the 3Rs principle (replace, reduce, refine). In this study, we explored the use of C. elegans to examine the toxicities of alkylating sulphur mustard analogues, specifically the monofunctional agent 2-chloroethyl-ethyl sulphide (CEES) and the bifunctional, crosslinking agent mechlorethamine (HN2). We exposed wild-type worms at different life cycle stages (from larvae L1 to adulthood day 10) to CEES or HN2 and scored their viability 24 h later. The susceptibility of C. elegans to CEES and HN2 paralleled that of human cells, with HN2 exhibiting higher toxicity than CEES, reflected in LC50 values in the high µM to low mM range. Importantly, the effects were dependent on the worms’ developmental stage as well as organismic age: the highest susceptibility was observed in L1, whereas the lowest was observed in L4 worms. In adult worms, susceptibility to alkylating agents increased with advanced age, especially to HN2. To examine reproductive effects, L4 worms were exposed to CEES and HN2, and both the offspring and the percentage of unhatched eggs were assessed. Moreover, germline apoptosis was assessed by using ced-1p::GFP (MD701) worms. In contrast to concentrations that elicited low toxicities to L4 worms, CEES and HN2 were highly toxic to germline cells, manifesting as increased germline apoptosis as well as reduced offspring number and percentage of eggs hatched. Again, HN2 exhibited stronger effects than CEES. Compound specificity was also evident in toxicities to dopaminergic neurons–HN2 exposure affected expression of dopamine transporter DAT-1 (strain BY200) at lower concentrations than CEES, suggesting a higher neurotoxic effect. Mechanistically, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) has been linked to mustard agent toxicities. Therefore, the NAD+-dependent system was investigated in the response to CEES and HN2 treatment. Overall NAD+ levels in worm extracts were revealed to be largely resistant to mustard exposure except for high concentrations, which lowered the NAD+ levels in L4 worms 24 h post-treatment. Interestingly, however, mutant worms lacking components of NAD+-dependent pathways involved in genome maintenance, namely pme-2, parg-2, and sirt-2.1 showed a higher and compound-specific susceptibility, indicating an active role of NAD+ in genotoxic stress response. In conclusion, the present results demonstrate that C. elegans represents an attractive model to study the toxicology of alkylating agents, which supports its use in mechanistic as well as intervention studies with major strength in the possibility to analyze toxicities at different life cycle stages.

In neuroimaging, there is no equivalent alternative to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, image acquisitions are generally time-consuming, which may limit utilization in some cases, e.g., in patients who cannot remain motionless for long or suffer from claustrophobia, or in the event of extensive waiting times. For multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, MRI plays a major role in drug therapy decision-making. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether an ultrafast, T2-weighted (T2w), deep learning-enhanced (DL), echo-planar-imaging-based (EPI) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence (FLAIRUF) that has targeted neurological emergencies so far might even be an option to detect MS lesions of the brain compared to conventional FLAIR sequences. Therefore, 17 MS patients were enrolled prospectively in this exploratory study. Standard MRI protocols and ultrafast acquisitions were conducted at 3 tesla (T), including three-dimensional (3D)-FLAIR, turbo/fast spin-echo (TSE)-FLAIR, and FLAIRUF. Inflammatory lesions were grouped by size and location. Lesion conspicuity and image quality were rated on an ordinal five-point Likert scale, and lesion detection rates were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed to compare results. Altogether, 568 different lesions were found. Data indicated no significant differences in lesion detection (sensitivity and positive predictive value [PPV]) between FLAIRUF and axially reconstructed 3D-FLAIR (lesion size ≥3 mm × ≥2 mm) and no differences in sensitivity between FLAIRUF and TSE-FLAIR (lesion size ≥3 mm total). Lesion conspicuity in FLAIRUF was similar in all brain regions except for superior conspicuity in the occipital lobe and inferior conspicuity in the central brain regions. Further findings include location-dependent limitations of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) as well as artifacts such as spatial distortions in FLAIRUF. In conclusion, FLAIRUF could potentially be an expedient alternative to conventional methods for brain imaging in MS patients since the acquisition can be performed in a fraction of time while maintaining good image quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur mustard (SM) and its derivatives are potent genotoxic agents, which have been shown to trigger the activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) and the depletion of their substrate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). NAD+ is an essential molecule involved in numerous cellular pathways, including genome integrity and DNA repair, and thus, NAD+ supplementation might be beneficial for mitigating mustard-induced (geno)toxicity. In this study, the role of NAD+ depletion and elevation in the genotoxic stress response to SM derivatives, i.e., the monofunctional agent 2-chloroethyl-ethyl sulfide (CEES) and the crosslinking agent mechlorethamine (HN2), was investigated with the use of NAD+ booster nicotinamide riboside (NR) and NAD+ synthesis inhibitor FK866. The effects were analyzed in immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) or monocyte-like cell line THP-1. In HaCaT cells, NR supplementation, increased NAD+ levels, and elevated PAR response, however, did not affect ATP levels or DNA damage repair, nor did it attenuate long- and short-term cytotoxicities. On the other hand, the depletion of cellular NAD+ via FK866 sensitized HaCaT cells to genotoxic stress, particularly CEES exposure, whereas NR supplementation, by increasing cellular NAD+ levels, rescued the sensitizing FK866 effect. Intriguingly, in THP-1 cells, the NR-induced elevation of cellular NAD+ levels did attenuate toxicity of the mustard compounds, especially upon CEES exposure. Together, our results reveal that NAD+ is an important molecule in the pathomechanism of SM derivatives, exhibiting compound-specificity. Moreover, the cell line-dependent protective effects of NR are indicative of system-specificity of the application of this NAD+ booster.

The effect of confined and isolated experience on astronauts’ health is an important factor to consider for future space exploration missions. The more confined and isolated humans are, the more likely they are to develop negative behavioral or cognitive conditions such as a mood decline, sleep disorder, depression, fatigue and/or physiological problems associated with chronic stress. Molecular mediators of chronic stress, such as cytokines, stress hormones or reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to induce cellular damage including damage to the DNA. In view of the growing evidence of chronic stress-induced DNA damage, we conducted an explorative study and measured DNA strand breaks in 20 healthy adults. The participants were grouped into five teams (missions). Each team was composed of four participants, who spent 45 days in isolation and confinement in NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA). Endogenous DNA integrity, ex-vivo radiation-induced DNA damage and the rates of DNA repair were assessed every week. Our results show a high inter-individual variability as well as differences between the missions, which cannot be explained by inter-individual variability alone. The ages and sex of the participants did not appear to influence the results.

Background: Accurate risk stratification of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is essential for optimizing resource allocation, delivering targeted interventions, and maximizing patient survival probability. Machine learning (ML) techniques are attracting increased interest for the development of prediction models as they excel in the analysis of complex signals in data-rich environments such as critical care. Methods: We retrieved data on patients with COVID-19 admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) between March and October 2020 from the RIsk Stratification in COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (RISC-19-ICU) registry. We applied the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm to the data to predict as a binary outcome the increase or decrease in patients’ Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on day 5 after ICU admission. The model was iteratively cross-validated in different subsets of the study cohort. Results: The final study population consisted of 675 patients. The XGBoost model correctly predicted a decrease in SOFA score in 320/385 (83%) critically ill COVID-19 patients, and an increase in the score in 210/290 (72%) patients. The area under the mean receiver operating characteristic curve for XGBoost was significantly higher than that for the logistic regression model (0.86 vs. 0.69, P

GoalThis paper presents an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) system to analyze and train Executive Functions (EFs) of soccer players. EFs are important cognitive functions for athletes. They are a relevant quality that distinguishes amateurs from professionals.MethodThe system is based on immersive technology, hence, the user interacts naturally and experiences a training session in a virtual world. The proposed system has a modular design supporting the extension of various so-called game modes. Game modes combine selected game mechanics with specific simulation content to target particular training aspects. The system architecture decouples selection/parameterization and analysis of training sessions via a coaching app from an Unity3D-based VR simulation core. Monitoring of user performance and progress is recorded by a database that sends the necessary feedback to the coaching app for analysis.ResultsThe system is tested for VR-critical performance criteria to reveal the usefulness of a new interaction paradigm in the cognitive training and analysis of EFs. Subjective ratings for overall usability show that the design as VR application enhances the user experience compared to a traditional desktop app; whereas the new, unfamiliar interaction paradigm does not negatively impact the effort for using the application.ConclusionThe system can provide immersive training of EF in a fully virtual environment, eliminating potential distraction. It further provides an easy-to-use analyzes tool to compare user but also an automatic, adaptive training mode.

An inadequate selenium (Se) status can accelerate the aging process, increasing the vulnerability to age-related diseases. The study aimed to investigate plasma Se and Se species in a large population, including 2200 older adults from the general population (RASIG), 514 nonagenarian offspring (GO), and 293 GO Spouses (SGO). Plasma Se levels in women exhibit an inverted U-shaped pattern, increasing with age until the post-menopausal period and then declining. Conversely, men exhibit a linear decline in plasma Se levels with age. Subjects from Finland had the highest plasma Se values, while those from Poland had the lowest ones. Plasma Se was influenced by fish and vitamin consumption, but there were no significant differences between RASIG, GO, and SGO. Plasma Se was positively associated with albumin, HDL, total cholesterol, fibrinogen, and triglycerides and negatively associated with homocysteine. Fractionation analysis showed that Se distribution among plasma selenoproteins is affected by age, glucometabolic and inflammatory factors, and being GO or SGO. These findings show that sex-specific, nutritional, and inflammatory factors play a crucial role in the regulation of Se plasma levels throughout the aging process and that the shared environment of GO and SGO plays a role in their distinctive Se fractionation.

Abstract Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired delirium is associated with adverse outcome in trauma patients with concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI), but diagnosis remains challenging. Quantifying circadian disruption by analyzing expression of the circadian gene period circadian regulator 2 (PER2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO1), which determines heme turnover, may prove to be potential diagnostic tools. Expression of PER2 and HO1 was quantified using qPCR from blood samples 1 day and 7 days after trauma. Association analysis was performed comparing mRNA expression levels with parameters of trauma (ISS—injury severity score), delirium, acute kidney injury (AKI) and length of ICU stay. 48 polytraumatized patients were included (equal distribution of TBI versus non-TBI) corrected for ISS, age and gender using a matched pairs approach. Expression levels of PER2 and HO1 were independent of age (PER2: P = 0.935; HO1: P = 0.988), while expression levels were significantly correlated with trauma severity (PER2: P = 0.009; HO1: P