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Between 1750-1753, Giambattista Tiepolo painted the world’s largest continuous ceiling fresco in Würzburg, Franconia, commissioned by Karl Phillip von Greiffenklau. This monumental artwork, spanning 600 square meters, depicts Apollo and the Four Continents. Paolo Patelli’s film project, The Countable Parts of the World, uses a 3D digital model of the fresco to explore historical and media contexts, presenting both as “unimages”. The film project shifts focus from visual to data representations, transforming the fresco’s organized composition into a dynamic globe, revealing new perspectives and distortions through data manipulation.

O texto a seguir é um trecho editado do livro de Jussi Parikka, Operational Images: From the Visual to the Invisual (University of Minnesota Press, 2023). O livro retoma o conhecido conceito de “imagens operativas” de Harun Farocki e, ao se deslocar pela arte, pelo design, pela arquitetura e pelas culturas visuais, oferece um guia para a compreensão das práticas contemporâneas de imagens e dados, das artes visuais às operações invisíveis da Inteligência Artificial (IA) e da machine vision.

Drosophila suzukii, known as the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), is a major pest of berries and stone fruits. In 2014 it was recorded for the first time in the Nordic countries. In this study, we report the first observations of D. suzukii in Finland. The first trap catches of SWD were observed in 2019 in North Savo at a berry farm that handles imported berries. In 2020–2021, no adult flies were trapped at or near the farm, but in August 2022, adult SWDs were caught at the same farm. In 2023, one female of the same haplotype as the flies in previous year was found in mid July, but no further population growth was observed. This suggests that some overwintering events may happen, but lack of overwintered males may hinder the population growth. In 2021–2022, larvae and eggs of SWD were found in several batches of imported berries. Our results suggest that there is a pathway of introduction for SWD up to the farm level. Observed SWD adults in 2022 probably originated from a new introduction rather than an overwintered population, because no SWDs were observed during the two preceding seasons. Identification of D. suzukii specimens was confirmed with PCR and sequencing of the COI region, and four SWD haplotypes were found.

Abstract Empirical evidence, primarily based on hospital-based or voluntary samples, suggests that current smokers have a lower risk of COVID-19 infection than never smokers. In this study, we used nationally representative data to examine the association between tobacco use and the risk of having a confirmed COVID-19 case. We explored several forms of tobacco use, contributing to separate the role of nicotine from smoking. We used data from 44,199 participants from three pooled national health surveys in Finland (FinSote 2018–2020). The primary outcome was a confirmed COVID-19 case. We examined current smoking, moist smokeless tobacco (snus), e-cigarettes with and without nicotine and nicotine replacement therapy products. Current daily smokers had a relative risk of 1.12 of a confirmed COVID-19 case (95% CI 0.65; 1.94) in fully adjusted models compared with never smokers. Current snus use was associated with a 68% higher risk of a confirmed COVID-19 case (RR 1.68, 95% CI 1.02; 2.75) than never users. We did not find conclusive evidence of associations between e-cigarettes with and without nicotine and nicotine replacement therapy products and the risk of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Our findings suggest that nicotine might not have a protective role in the risk of COVID-19 as previously hypothesized.

ABSTRACT The antibiotic-tolerant biofilms present in tuberculous granulomas add an additional layer of complexity when treating mycobacterial infections, including tuberculosis (TB). For a more efficient treatment of TB, the biofilm forms of mycobacteria warrant specific attention. Here, we used Mycobacterium marinum (Mmr) as a biofilm-forming model to identify the abundant proteins covering the biofilm surface. We used biotinylation/streptavidin-based proteomics on the proteins exposed at the Mmr biofilm matrices in vitro to identify 448 proteins and ex vivo proteomics to detect 91 Mmr proteins from the mycobacterial granulomas isolated from adult zebrafish. In vitro and ex vivo proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD033425 and PXD039416, respectively. Data comparisons pinpointed the molecular chaperone GroEL2 as the most abundant Mmr protein within the in vitro and ex vivo proteomes, while its paralog, GroEL1, with a known role in biofilm formation, was detected with slightly lower intensity values. To validate the surface exposure of these targets, we created in-house synthetic nanobodies (sybodies) against the two chaperones and identified sybodies that bind the mycobacterial biofilms in vitro and those present in ex vivo granulomas. Taken together, the present study reports a proof-of-concept showing that surface proteomics in vitro and ex vivo proteomics combined is a valuable strategy to identify surface-exposed proteins on the mycobacterial biofilm. Biofilm surface–binding nanobodies could be eventually used as homing agents to deliver biofilm-targeting treatments to the sites of persistent biofilm infection. IMPORTANCE With the currently available antibiotics, the treatment of TB takes months. The slow response to treatment is caused by antibiotic tolerance, which is especially common among bacteria that form biofilms. Such biofilms are composed of bacterial cells surrounded by the extracellular matrix. Both the matrix and the dormant lifestyle of the bacterial cells are thought to hinder the efficacy of antibiotics. To be able to develop faster-acting treatments against TB, the biofilm forms of mycobacteria deserve specific attention. In this work, we characterize the protein composition of Mmr biofilms in bacterial cultures and in mycobacteria extracted from infected adult zebrafish. We identify abundant surface-exposed targets and develop the first sybodies that bind to mycobacterial biofilms. As nanobodies can be linked to other therapeutic compounds, in the future, they can provide means to target therapies to biofilms.

Introduction People who smoke are at higher risk of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations and deaths and might benefit greatly from high COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Studies on tobacco use and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the general population are lacking. Aims and Methods We conducted a cohort study utilizing linked data from 42 935 participants from two national surveys in Finland (FinSote 2018 and 2020). Exposures were smoking and smokeless tobacco (snus) use. The primary outcome was the uptake of two COVID-19 vaccine doses. Secondary outcomes were the uptake of one COVID-19 vaccine dose; three COVID-19 vaccine doses; time between the first and second dose; and time between the second and third dose. We examined the association between tobacco use and COVID-19 vaccine uptake and between-dose spacing in Finland. Results People who smoke had a 7% lower risk of receiving two COVID-19 vaccine doses (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.91; 0.96) and a 14% lower risk of receiving three doses (95% CI = 0.78; 0.94) compared to never smokers. People who smoked occasionally had a lower risk of receiving three vaccine doses. People who currently used snus had a 28% lower uptake of three doses (95% CI = 0.56; 0.93) compared to never users but we did not find evidence of an association for one or two doses. We did not find evidence of an association between tobacco use and spacing between COVID-19 vaccine doses. Conclusions People who smoke tobacco products daily, occasionally, and use snus had a lower uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Our findings support a growing body of literature on lower vaccination uptake among people who use tobacco products. Implications People who smoke or use snus might be a crucial target group of public health efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and plan future vaccination campaigns. Clinical Trials Registration Number NCT05479383 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is one of the most frequent causes of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis in humans, and an important cause of mortality among children and the elderly. We have previously reported the suitability of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) larval model for the study of the host-pathogen interactions in pneumococcal infection. In the present study, we characterized the zebrafish innate immune response to pneumococcus in detail through a whole-genome level transcriptome analysis and revealed a well-conserved response to this human pathogen in challenged larvae. In addition, to gain understanding of the genetic factors associated with the increased risk for severe pneumococcal infection in humans, we carried out a medium-scale forward genetic screen in zebrafish. In the screen, we identified a mutant fish line which showed compromised resistance to pneumococcus in the septic larval infection model. The transcriptome analysis of the mutant zebrafish larvae revealed deficient expression of a gene homologous for human C-reactive protein (CRP). Furthermore, knockout of one of the six zebrafish crp genes by CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis predisposed zebrafish larvae to a more severe pneumococcal infection, and the phenotype was further augmented by concomitant knockdown of a gene for another Crp isoform. This suggests a conserved function of C-reactive protein in anti-pneumococcal immunity in zebrafish. Altogether, this study highlights the similarity of the host response to pneumococcus in zebrafish and humans, gives evidence of the conserved role of C-reactive protein in the defense against pneumococcus, and suggests novel host genes associated with pneumococcal infection.

Sähköistä asiointia kohtaan on asetettu terveyspoliittisia tavoitteita harvaan asutuissa länsimaissa. Sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon palveluita voidaan toteuttaa soveltuvin osin sähköisinä palveluina. Sähköisten palveluiden käyttö edellyttää asiakkailta välineitä sekä osaamista ja tietoa palveluista, joihin hakeutua. Selvitimme sähköisten sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon vastaanottopalveluiden käyttöä eri alueilla. Tutkimus perustuu satunnaisesti valittujen 20–99 vuotiaiden henkilöiden antamiin vastauksiin aikuisväestöä edustavassa FinSote 2020 kyselytutkimuksessa (n=28 199, osallistumisaktiivisuus 46 prosenttia). Alueluokituksena käytettiin seitsemänluokkaista kaupunki-maaseutu-alueluokitusta. Tulokset esitetään työikäisille (20–64 vuotiaat) ja eläkeikäisille (65–99 vuotiaat) väestöä edustavina osuuksina vakioimattomina ja demografisten tekijöiden suhteen vakioituna. Sähköisesti vastaanottopalveluita käyttäneiden osuus laskettiin edeltävän vuoden aikana sosiaali- tai terveyspalveluja käyttäneistä. Vastaajan antama arvio siitä, korvasiko sähköinen asiointi vähintään yhden perinteisen soiton tai käynnin, laskettiin sähköisiä sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluja käyttäneistä. Kaupunkimaisilla alueilla käytettiin useammin sähköisiä vastaanottopalveluja verrattuna maaseutumaisiin alueisiin. Sosiaali- tai terveydenhuollon palveluita käyttäneistä työikäisistä 39 prosenttia oli käyttänyt sähköisiä vastaanottopalveluita sisemmällä kaupunkialueella, kun vastaava osuus harvaan asutulla maaseudulla oli vain 25 prosenttia. Eläkeikäisistä nämä osuudet olivat pienempiä: sisemmällä kaupunkialueella 13 prosenttia ja harvaan asutulla maaseudulla kahdeksan prosenttia. Kun työikäisistä 86 prosenttia ulommalla kaupunkialueella ja 75 prosenttia maaseudun paikalliskeskuksissa raportoi sähköisen asioinnin korvanneen vähintään yhden perinteisen käynnin, niin eläkeikäisillä osuudet olivat pienempiä: 70 prosenttia sisemmällä kaupunkialueella ja 54 prosenttia harvaan asutulla maaseudulla. Sähköisesti sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon vastaanottopalveluita käyttäneiden osuus oli melko korkea. Sähköisten vastaanottopalveluiden käyttö oli yleisempää kaupunkialueella kuin harvaan asutulla maaseudulla. Ne, jotka olivat asioineet sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollossa sähköisesti, arvioivat useimmiten, että sähköinen asiointi korvasi perinteisen käynnin. Työikäiset käyttivät sähköistä vastaanottopalvelua useammin kuin ikääntyneet. Sähköiset palvelut mahdollistavat asioinnin myös harvaan asutuilla seuduilla. Se, miten pitää välineet kaikkien tavoitettavissa, miten voidaan kohentaa osaamista ja tukea sähköisten palveluiden käyttöön ovat haasteita, joihin sosiaali- ja terveyspolitiikan sekä työllisyys- ja koulutuspolitiikan keinoin on vastattava.

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Regional depopulation is an increasingly common demographic issue in many countries, as population growth becomes concentrated in small number of urban centres. Depopulation has adverse effects on the region's socioeconomic development, and often leads to worse living circumstances, such as poor availability of services. Population growth, by contrast, has many socioeconomic benefits but may also introduce unwanted consequences, such as urban alienation. However, the associations of regional population change with inhabitants' psychological and social wellbeing have not been examined as extensively as the associations with socioeconomic outcomes. With a large survey dataset from Finland (n = 99,034 participants from 299 municipalities), we examined whether regional, municipality‐level population decline and growth over the preceding 10 years were associated with psychological and social wellbeing of the inhabitants of the municipalities. We were specifically interested in whether growth and decline were both related to these outcomes, or whether the associations were more pronounced for either decline or growth. Overall negative population change was related to lower social wellbeing (e.g., lower social support) and that these associations were more pronounced for the adverse associations of population decline than for the beneficial associations of population growth (e.g., less frequent social contact and higher risk of loneliness). Population change was not associated with inhabitants' depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that regional population decline can be particularly relevant for worsening social wellbeing of the inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote magnetic navigation (RMN) presents a promising approach for catheter ablation in complex arrhythmias. This study aims to offer additional insights into the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of RMN for catheter ablation of epicardial atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in patients without structural heart disease. We present a case series of three patients (39-year-old female, 28-year-old female, and 17-year-old male) referred to our institute for epicardial ablation following unsuccessful endocardial procedures. The first patient exhibited approximately 40,000 monomorphic premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) in a 24-hour Holter recording, while the second patient experienced incessant left ventricular tachycardia (VT). In both cases, the QRS morphology indicated an epicardial origin of the arrhythmia. The third patient suffered from incessant atrial tachycardia (AT) originating from the distal portion of the vein of Marshall (VOM). Epicardial 3D electroanatomic mapping and ablation with RMN were performed with ease and minimal fluoroscopy usage. Coronary angiogram visualization on the RMN screen provided real-time information on the catheter tip's position relative to the coronary arteries. In all cases, the earliest signals were recorded epicardially, and unipolar recordings displayed sharp negative deflections at the sites of successful ablation. In the first patient, pace mapping was superior in the epicardium compared to the endocardium, and PVCs were eradicated by epicardial ablation. In the second patient, epicardial ablation immediately terminated the VT. In the third patient, epicardial ablation at the site exhibiting a distinct VOM potential promptly terminated the AT. No perioperative complications were observed, and all patients remained asymptomatic and free of arrhythmias during long-term follow-up. Our findings suggest that RMN is a feasible, effective, and safe approach for epicardial ablation of left ventricular outflow tract PVCs and VT, as well as atrial tachycardia originating from the VOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the leading cause of irreversible brain damage resulting in serious neurological dysfunction among neonates. We evaluated the feasibility of positron emission tomography (PET) methodology with 15O-labelled gases without intravenous or tracheal cannulation for assessing temporal changes in cerebral blood flow ( CBF ) and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen ( CMRO2) in a neonatal HIE rat model. Sequential PET scans with spontaneous inhalation of 15O-gases mixed with isoflurane were performed over 14 days after the hypoxic-ischaemic insult in HIE pups and age-matched controls. CBF and CMRO2 in the injured hemispheres of HIE pups remarkably decreased 2 days after the insult, gradually recovering over 14 days in line with their increase found in healthy controls according to their natural maturation process. The magnitude of hemispheric tissue loss histologically measured after the last PET scan was significantly correlated with the decreases in CBF and CMRO2.This fully non-invasive imaging strategy may be useful for monitoring damage progression in neonatal HIE and for evaluating potential therapeutic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated a panel of 14 compounds belonging to the monothiocarbamate (MTC) and dithiocarbamate (DTC) series against the β-carbonic anhydrase 3 (β-CA3) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We also evaluated all compounds for toxicity using 1–5-day post fertilisation zebrafish embryos. 11 out of the 14 investigated derivatives showed effective nanomolar or submicromolar in vitro inhibition against the β-CA3 (KIs 2.4–812.0 nM), and among them four DTCs of the series (8–10 and 12) showed very significant inhibition potencies with KIs between 2.4 and 43 nM. Out of 14 compounds screened for toxicity and safety 9 compounds showed no adverse phenotypic effects on the developing zebrafish larvae at five days of exposure. The results of in vitro inhibition and the toxicological evaluation of our study suggest that 5 compounds are suitable for further in vivo preclinical characterisation in zebrafish model.

IntroductionNational mental health surveys have demonstrated increased stress and depressive symptoms among high-school students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but objective measures of anxiety after the first year of the pandemic are lacking.MethodsA 25-question survey including demographics, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7) a validated self-administered tool to evaluate anxiety severity, and questions on achievement goals and future aspirations was designed by investigators. Over a 2-month period, all students from grade 9-12 in a single high-school (n = 546) were invited to complete an online survey after electronic parental consent and student assent. Bi-variate and chi-square analyses examined demographic differences in anxiety scores and the impact on outcomes; qualitative analyses examined related themes from open-ended questions.ResultsIn total, 155/546 (28%) completed the survey. Among students with binary gender classifications, 54/149 (36%) had GAD-7 scores in the moderate or severe anxiety range (scores≥10), with a greater proportion among females than males (47% vs 21%, PConclusionIn this survey of high school students conducted 2 years after the onset of COVID-19 in the United States, 47% of females and 21% of males reported moderate or severe anxiety symptoms as assessed by the GAD-7. Whether heightened anxiety results in functional deficits is still uncertain, but resources for assessment and treatment should be prioritized.

Disrupting bacterial quorum sensing (QS) signaling is a promising strategy to combat pathogenic biofilms without the development of antibiotic resistance. Here, we report that food-associated bacteria can interfere with the biofilm formation of a Gram-negative pathogenic bacterium by targeting its AHL (acyl-homoserine lactone) QS system. This was demonstrated by screening metabolic end-products of different lactobacilli and propionibacteria using Gram-negative and biofilm-forming Chromobacterium violaceum as the QS reporter and our anti-QS microscale screening platform with necessary modifications. The method was optimized in terms of the inoculation technique and the concentrations of D-glucose and L-tryptophan, two key factors controlling the synthesis of violacein, a purple pigment indicating the activation of the QS system in C. violaceum. These improvements resulted in ca. 16-times higher violacein yields and enabled revealing anti-QS effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lentilactobacillus kefiri, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Propionibacterium freudenreichii, including new cheese-associated strains. Our findings also suggest that acetate and propionate excreted by these species are the main factors that interrupt the QS-mediated signaling and subsequent biofilm growth without affecting the cell viability of the C. violaceum reporter. Thus, the present study reports a revised anti-QS screening method to accurately define new bacteria with an ability to combat pathogens in a safe and sustainable way.