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Background and Objectives: The therapeutic impact of remdesivir on hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients is unknown. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the mortality outcomes of hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients receiving remdesivir therapy to those of patients receiving a placebo based on their oxygen requirements. Materials and Methods: The clinical status of the patients was assessed at the start of treatment using an ordinal scale. Studies comparing the mortality rate of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir vs. those treated with a placebo were included. Results: Nine studies were included and showed that the risk of mortality was reduced by 17% in patients treated with remdesivir. Hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients who did not require supplemental oxygen or who required low-flow oxygen and were treated with remdesivir had a lower mortality risk. In contrast, hospitalized adult patients who required high-flow supplemental oxygen or invasive mechanical ventilation did not have a therapeutic benefit in terms of mortality. Conclusions: The clinical benefit of mortality reduction in hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir was associated with no need for supplemental oxygen or requiring supplemental low-flow oxygen at the start of treatment, especially in those requiring supplemental low-flow oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the role of computed tomography (CT) chest in correlating with the severity and outcome of COVID-19 Patients. Background and Materials and Methods: A prospective study was done on 160 hospitalized patients who were COVID-19 positive by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in Apollo Hospital, Greams Road, Chennai, India. We collected epidemiological data, comorbidities, clinical manifestations, oxygen requirement, and CT chest details of all patients. All images were reviewed by a single consultant radiologist and CT chest severity scoring was done as per the guidelines published in the American Journal of Radiology. CT chest severity score (CTSS) was then compared with clinical severity and various parameters. Results: This study included 160 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with a mean age of 61 ± 13.97 years. Male (74.4%) patients were more when compared to female patients (25.6%). Majority of the patients were belong to mild category (44.38%), followed by severe (28.7%) and moderate (26.8%) categories. Fever (73.8%) was the most common symptom. Diabetes mellitus (57.5%) was the most common comorbidity of COVID-19 patients in our study, followed by hypertension (55%). The average CTSS of mild category was 7.4 ± 4.7; for moderate category, the mean CTSS was 14.6 ± 5.78; and for severe category, it was 18.3 ± 5.28. There was increasing trend of severity score, as clinical severity increases which was statistically significant (P = 0.0001). The mean CTSS of patients who required no oxygen, low flow oxygen, high flow oxygen, noninvasive ventilation, and intubated patients was 8.3 ± 5.71, 14.84 ± 5.39, 18.17 ± 5.7, 18.17 ± 6.04, and 22.18 ± 4.07, respectively, which was statistically significant (P = 0.0001). The mean CTSS of patients discharged without oxygen requirement was 11.09 ± 6.48 and patients discharged with oxygen requirement was 18.09 ± 6.12 (P = 0.001). The mean CTSS of patients who died was 20.27 ± 4.62. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between CT chest severity score and clinical severity and oxygen requirement. CT chest is one of the best screening tools for rapid identification as well as to predict the clinical severity; thereby, it helps the clinician in managing the COVID-19 patients at crucial points during the progression of disease.

Background: Intravenous fluid administration is an essential part of perioperative care for children receiving a kidney transplant. There is a paucity of evidence to guide optimal perioperative fluid management. This study aimed to identify the volume of perioperative fluids administered across 5 UK paediatric kidney transplant centres and explore associations between fluid volume administered, graft function, and fluid-related adverse events. Methods: Data were collected from five UK paediatric kidney transplant centres on perioperative fluid volumes administered, and incidence of pulmonary oedema, systemic hypertension, and requirement for intensive care support. Children < 18 years of age who received a kidney-only transplant between 1st January 2020 and 31st December 2021 were included. Results: Complete data from 102 children were analysed. The median total volume of fluid administered in 72 h was 377 ml/kg (IQR 149 ml/kg) with a high degree of variability. A negative relationship between total fluid volume administered and day 7 eGFR was noted (p < 0.001). Association between urine volume post-transplant and day 7 eGFR was also negative (p < 0.001). Adverse events were frequent but no significant difference was found in the fluid volume administered to those who developed an adverse event, vs those who did not. Conclusions: This study describes a high degree of variability in perioperative fluid volumes administered to children receiving kidney transplants. Both fluid volume and urine output were negatively associated with short-term graft function. These data contrast traditional interpretation of high urine output as a marker of graft health, and highlight the need for prospective clinical trials to optimise perioperative fluid administration for this group. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutibacterium species such as C. acnes , C. avidum , and C. granulosum are known anaerobic skin inhabitants and often cause surgical site infections. These species are genetically similar and are difficult to identify rapidly. In addition, their pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance remain unknown. In this study, antimicrobial resistance in Cutibacterium isolates was studied and a multiplex PCR method for their identification was developed. A total of 497 C. acnes , 71 C. avidum , and 25 C. granulosum strains which were isolated from the acne pustule and infectious regions, were used. The antimicrobial resistance rates of C. acnes , C. avidum , and C. granulosum strains isolated from patients with acne vulgaris were higher than those of strains isolated from patients with infectious diseases. In particular, macrolide-clindamycin-resistant strains were isolated most frequently from all species. Among the resistant strains, strains with 23S rRNA mutations were the most common in C. acnes (24.3%, 71/292), whereas C. avidum and C. granulosum strains were most frequently found with erm (X). For the first time, a C. granulosum strain carrying pTZC1, which codes erm (50) and tet (W), was isolated from patients with acne vulgaris. Regarding the rapid identification of causative pathogens from infectious regions, three Cutibacterium species were identified with 100% sensitivity and specificity using multiplex PCR method. Our data showed that antimicrobial resistance differed among Cutibacterium species. The multiplex PCR method may contribute to the rapid detection of Cutibacterium species and selection of appropriate antimicrobial agents. ・ Multidrug-resistant Cutibacterium species inhabit the skin. ・ Antimicrobial resistance levels differed among Cutibacterium species. ・ Multiplex PCR method was developed for rapid identification of Cutibacterium species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vaccine development was the highest priority during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. An ideal vaccine should decrease the risk of infection and reduce the incidence and severity of the disease. Risk of disease or infection following COVID-19 vaccination needs to be evaluated for its efficacy and effectiveness. Aim: To compare the severity of the disease, oxygen requirement, and mortality between vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was done on the data of the patients who were admitted to Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences. All the admitted patients with COVID-19 disease, diagnosed by either Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) or rapid antigen detection method from April 2021 to October 2021, were included. Parameters recorded were: age, gender, co-morbidities, clinical staging as per institute protocol, vaccination status, oxygen requirement, the requirement of non invasive or invasive ventilation, inflammatory markers like C-Reactive Protein (CRP), ferritin, D dimer, Computed Tomography (CT) severity index, and outcomes. Results: The mean age of patients was 49.7±14.8 yrs in the unvaccinated group, and 52.75±16.2 yrs in the vaccinated group. Out of 175 patients, 102 (58.28 %) were unvaccinated. There were 25 (14.28%) deaths, of which 20 (80%) were unvaccinated and 5 (20%) were vaccinated. Oxygen requirement was more among the unvaccinated 73/96 (76.04%). High flow oxygen / mechanical ventilation requirement was higher in unvaccinated compared to vaccinated, 38 (76%) vs 12 (24%) respectively (p-value <0.005). The mortality rate was higher in unvaccinated patients with co-morbidity, with an odds ratio of 3.32 (1.2-9.3), p-value=0.02. Serum ferritin levels were significantly higher in the unvaccinated group, 858.15±935.5 vs 473.4±663.2 ng/mL, p-value 0.007. CT severity index in the unvaccinated group was 13.82±5.4, and for the vaccinated group, it was 11.58±5.49. Conclusion: Severe disease, oxygen requirement, and mortality were low in vaccinated patients. Vaccination has also resulted in a statistically significant decrease in mortality in patients with co-morbidities. Serum ferritin levels were also found to be lower in vaccinated patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vaccine development was the highest priority during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. An ideal vaccine should decrease the risk of infection and reduce the incidence and severity of the disease. Risk of disease or infection following COVID-19 vaccination needs to be evaluated for its efficacy and effectiveness. Aim: To compare the severity of the disease, oxygen requirement, and mortality between vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was done on the data of the patients who were admitted to Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences. All the admitted patients with COVID-19 disease, diagnosed by either Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) or rapid antigen detection method from April 2021 to October 2021, were included. Parameters recorded were: age, gender, co-morbidities, clinical staging as per institute protocol, vaccination status, oxygen requirement, the requirement of non invasive or invasive ventilation, inflammatory markers like C-Reactive Protein (CRP), ferritin, D dimer, Computed Tomography (CT) severity index, and outcomes. Results: The mean age of patients was 49.7±14.8 yrs in the unvaccinated group, and 52.75±16.2 yrs in the vaccinated group. Out of 175 patients, 102 (58.28 %) were unvaccinated. There were 25 (14.28%) deaths, of which 20 (80%) were unvaccinated and 5 (20%) were vaccinated. Oxygen requirement was more among the unvaccinated 73/96 (76.04%). High flow oxygen /mechanical ventilation requirement was higher in unvaccinated compared to vaccinated, 38 (76%) vs 12 (24%) respectively (p-value

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) had devastating effects on the healthcare and economic sector worldwide. India stands second in the list of most number of COVID-19 cases. Most of the deaths due to COVID-19 were seen in patients with associated co-morbidities like hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and obesity. This study would like to examine specific co-morbidities in relation to the COVID- 19 disease progression and outcomes. Aim: To compare the clinicoradiological profile and outcome of COVID-19 in patients with and without co-morbidities (diabetes and hypertension). Materials and Methods: The present observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh between June 2020 to September 2020, after obtaining Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) approval. A total of 148 patients with COVID-19 were included in the study. The COVID-19 patients admitted in the hospital were divided into four groups as those having only diabetes, only hypertension, both diabetes and hypertension, and those without any comorbidities. Those with any other co-morbidity were excluded from the study. The general clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, disease severity, morbidity and mortality were compared among various groups and the data was analysed. Categorical data were analysed using the Chi-square test. Results: A total of 148 patients with COVID-19 were included in the study, of which 26 patients were diabetic, 36 were hypertensive, 24 were both hypertensive and diabetic and 62 patients did not had any significant co-morbidity. Severe COVID-19 disease was most commonly observed in those with diabetes 14 (53.8%). The highest proportion of patients requiring oxygen (84.6%) and Non Invasive Ventilator (NIV) support (46.1%) was also seen among diabetics. The presence of diabetes, severe disease and leukocytosis at presentation increased the risk of mortality. The association of hypertension with COVID-19 does not seem to affect the in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: The COVID-19 in diabetics is associated with both increased risk of severe disease and increased odds of death. In diabetics, those with uncontrolled diabetes were more prone to severe disease and death than those with good glycaemic control. Hypertension, on the other hand, showed no association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) had devastating effects on the healthcare and economic sector worldwide. India stands second in the list of most number of COVID-19 cases. Most of the deaths due to COVID-19 were seen in patients with associated co-morbidities like hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and obesity. This study would like to examine specific co-morbidities in relation to the COVID-19 disease progression and outcomes. Aim: To compare the clinicoradiological profile and outcome of COVID-19 in patients with and without co-morbidities (diabetes and hypertension). Materials and Methods: The present observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh between June 2020 to September 2020, after obtaining Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) approval. A total of 148 patients with COVID-19 were included in the study. The COVID-19 patients admitted in the hospital were divided into four groups as those having only diabetes, only hypertension, both diabetes and hypertension, and those without any co-morbidities. Those with any other co-morbidity were excluded from the study. The general clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, disease severity, morbidity and mortality were compared among various groups and the data was analysed. Categorical data were analysed using the Chi-square test. Results: A total of 148 patients with COVID-19 were included in the study, of which 26 patients were diabetic, 36 were hypertensive, 24 were both hypertensive and diabetic and 62 patients did not had any significant co-morbidity. Severe COVID-19 disease was most commonly observed in those with diabetes 14 (53.8%). The highest proportion of patients requiring oxygen (84.6%) and Non Invasive Ventilator (NIV) support (46.1%) was also seen among diabetics. The presence of diabetes, severe disease and leukocytosis at presentation increased the risk of mortality. The association of hypertension with COVID-19 does not seem to affect the in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: The COVID-19 in diabetics is associated with both increased risk of severe disease and increased odds of death. In diabetics, those with uncontrolled diabetes were more prone to severe disease and death than those with good glycaemic control. Hypertension, on the other hand, showed no association.

Background and Objectives: The therapeutic impact of remdesivir on hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients is unknown. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the mortality outcomes of hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients receiving remdesivir therapy to those of patients receiving a placebo based on their oxygen requirements. Materials and Methods: The clinical status of the patients was assessed at the start of treatment using an ordinal scale. Studies comparing the mortality rate of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir vs. those treated with a placebo were included. Results: Nine studies were included and showed that the risk of mortality was reduced by 17% in patients treated with remdesivir. Hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients who did not require supplemental oxygen or who required low-flow oxygen and were treated with remdesivir had a lower mortality risk. In contrast, hospitalized adult patients who required high-flow supplemental oxygen or invasive mechanical ventilation did not have a therapeutic benefit in terms of mortality. Conclusions: The clinical benefit of mortality reduction in hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir was associated with no need for supplemental oxygen or requiring supplemental low-flow oxygen at the start of treatment, especially in those requiring supplemental low-flow oxygen.

Abstract Background Among the four bases, guanine is the most susceptible to damage from oxidative stress. Replication of DNA containing damaged guanines results in G to T mutations. Therefore, the mutations resulting from oxidative DNA damage are generally expected to predominantly consist of G to T (and C to A when the damaged guanine is not in the reference strand) and result in decreased GC content. However, the opposite pattern was reported 16 years ago in a study of prokaryotic genomes. Although that result has been widely cited and confirmed by nine later studies with similar methods, the omission of the effect of shared ancestry requires a re-examination of the reliability of the results. Results When aerobic and obligate aerobic prokaryotes were mixed together and anaerobic and obligate anaerobic prokaryotes were mixed together, phylogenetic controlled analyses did not detect significant difference in GC content between aerobic and anaerobic prokaryotes. This result is consistent with two generally neglected studied that had accounted for the phylogenetic relationship. However, when obligate aerobic prokaryotes were compared with aerobic prokaryotes, anaerobic prokaryotes, and obligate anaerobic prokaryotes separately using phylogenetic regression analysis, a significant positive association was observed between aerobiosis and GC content, no matter it was calculated from whole genome sequences or the 4-fold degenerate sites of protein-coding genes. Obligate aerobes have significantly higher GC content than aerobes, anaerobes, and obligate anaerobes. Conclusions The positive association between aerobiosis and GC content could be attributed to a mutational force resulting from incorporation of damaged deoxyguanosine during DNA replication rather than oxidation of the guanine nucleotides within DNA sequences. Our results indicate a grade in the aerobiosis-associated mutational force, strong in obligate aerobes, moderate in aerobes, weak in anaerobes and obligate anaerobes.

Context: CT scan is a quick and effective method to triage patients in the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent the heathcare facilities from getting overwhelmed. Aims: To find whether an initial HRCT chest can help triage patient by determining their oxygen requirement, place of treatment, laboratory parameters and risk of mortality and to compare 3 CT scoring systems (0-20, 0-25 and percentage of involved lung models) to find if one is a better predictor of prognosis than the other. Settings and Design: This was a prospective observational study conducted at a Tertiary care hospital in Mumbai, Patients undergoing CT scan were included by complete enumeration method. Methods and Material: Data collected included demographics, days from swab positivity to CT scan, comorbidities, place of treatment, laboratory parameters, oxygen requirement and mortality. We divided the patients into mild, moderate and severe based on 3 criteria - 20 point CT score (OS1), 25 point CT score (OS2) and opacity percentage (OP). CT scans were analysed using CT pneumonia analysis prototype software (Siemens Healthcare version 2.5.2, Erlangen, Germany). Statistical Analysis: ROC curve and Youden’s index were used to determine cut off points. Multinomial logistic regression used to study the relations with oxygen requirement and place of admission. Hosmer-Lemeshow test was done to test the goodness of fit of our models. Results: A total of 740 patients were included in our study. All the 3 scoring systems showed a significant positive correlation with oxygen requirement, place of admission and death. Based on ROC analysis a score of 4 for OS1, 9 for OS2 and 12.7% for OP was determined as the cut off for oxygen requirement. Conclusions: CT severity scoring using an automated deep learning software programme is a boon for determining oxygen requirement and triage. As the score increases, the chances of requirement of higher oxygen and intubation increase. All the three scoring systems are predictive of oxygen requirement.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is an anaerobic bacterium commonly found in the oral cavity and associated with the development of periodontal disease. P. gingivalis has also been linked to several systemic vascular and inflammatory diseases including poor pregnancy outcomes. Little is known about the changes in the oral flora during pregnancy in connection to P. gingivalis infection. This pilot study aims to explore changes in the oral microbiome due to P. gingivalis inoculation and pregnancy in an in vivo rat model of periodontal disease. A metagenomic sequencing analysis targeting seven of the 16S rRNA gene variable regions was performed for oral samples collected at the following time points: baseline control (week 0), P. gingivalis inoculated (week 11), P. gingivalis inoculated and pregnant rat at necropsy (week 16). A second set of animals were also sampled to generate a sham-inoculated (week 11) control group. We found that the rat oral microbiome profiles were more similar to that of the human oral cavity compared to previous reports targeting one or two 16S variable regions. Overall, there appears to be a relatively stable core microbiome in the oral cavity. As expected, P. gingivalis induced periodontal disease resulted in oral microbiome dysbiosis. During pregnancy, some aspects of the oral microbiome shifted toward a more baseline-like profile. However, population analyses in terms of dissimilarity measures and especially metagenomic based predictions of select characteristics such as cell morphology, oxygen requirement, and major metabolite synthesis showed that pregnancy did not restore the composition of the oral microbiome. Rather, a uniquely altered oral microbiome composition was observed in pregnant rats with pre-established periodontal disease.

BACKGROUND: The world is worsely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Increased mortality has been observed in older adults with multiple comorbidities. Six-minute walk distance (6MWD) at admission can help us to guide the requirement of oxygen during hospital stay that can be used to determine which patient can be managed at home. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a prospective observational study conducted on COVID-19 patients admitted at AIIMS, New Delhi, from October to December 2020. Patients aged more than 60 years were included in the study and underwent 6-min walk tests. Polypharmacy and multimorbidity were also assessed along with dyspnea which was measured on BORG scale. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical software STATA (version 14.2) was used for all the analyses. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 68.76 (7.4). Oxygen saturation prior to the 6-MWT was normal and has significantly higher than the post test (P ≤ 0.001). 6MWD was significantly correlated with pre values of oxygen saturation. 6MWD was observed more in patients who did not require oxygen during hospital stay. Self-reported dyspnea, pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and systolic blood pressure were significantly associated with the patients who had an oxygen requirement during the hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Self-reported dyspnea after 6MWT was found to be associated with oxygen requirement during hospital stay. Patients who have covered more distance in 6-min walk test have less oxygen requirement during hospital stay hence can be managed at home. This will reduce the health-care burden and will help to tackle the outburst during the ongoing pandemic.

Biotin, an important cofactor for carboxylases, is essential for all kingdoms of life. Since native biotin synthesis does not always suffice for fast growth and product formation, microbial cultivation in research and industry often requires supplementation of biotin. De novo biotin biosynthesis in yeasts is not fully understood, which hinders attempts to optimize the pathway in these industrially relevant microorganisms. Previous work based on laboratory evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for biotin prototrophy identified Bio1, whose catalytic function remains unresolved, as a bottleneck in biotin synthesis. This study aimed at eliminating this bottleneck in the S. cerevisiae laboratory strain CEN.PK113-7D. A screening of 35 Saccharomycotina yeasts identified six species that grew fast without biotin supplementation. Overexpression of the S. cerevisiae BIO1 (ScBIO1) ortholog isolated from one of these biotin prototrophs, Cyberlindnera fabianii, enabled fast growth of strain CEN.PK113-7D in biotin-free medium. Similar results were obtained by single overexpression of C. fabianii BIO1 (CfBIO1) in other laboratory and industrial S. cerevisiae strains. However, biotin prototrophy was restricted to aerobic conditions, probably reflecting the involvement of oxygen in the reaction catalyzed by the putative oxidoreductase CfBio1. In aerobic cultures on biotin-free medium, S. cerevisiae strains expressing CfBio1 showed a decreased susceptibility to contamination by biotin-auxotrophic S. cerevisiae. This study illustrates how the vast Saccharomycotina genomic resources may be used to improve physiological characteristics of industrially relevant S. cerevisiae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porphyromonas gingivalis is an anaerobic bacterium commonly found in the oral cavity and associated with the development of periodontal disease. P. gingivalis has also been linked to several systemic vascular and inflammatory diseases including poor pregnancy outcomes. Little is known about the changes in the oral flora during pregnancy in connection to P. gingivalis infection. This pilot study aims to explore changes in the oral microbiome due to P. gingivalis inoculation and pregnancy in an in vivo rat model of periodontal disease. A metagenomic sequencing analysis targeting seven of the 16S rRNA gene variable regions was performed for oral samples collected at the following time points: baseline control (week 0), P. gingivalis inoculated (week 11), P. gingivalis inoculated and pregnant rat at necropsy (week 16). A second set of animals were also sampled to generate a sham-inoculated (week 11) control group. We found that the rat oral microbiome profiles were more similar to that of the human oral cavity compared to previous reports targeting one or two 16S variable regions. Overall, there appears to be a relatively stable core microbiome in the oral cavity. As expected, P. gingivalis induced periodontal disease resulted in oral microbiome dysbiosis. During pregnancy, some aspects of the oral microbiome shifted toward a more baseline-like profile. However, population analyses in terms of dissimilarity measures and especially metagenomic based predictions of select characteristics such as cell morphology, oxygen requirement, and major metabolite synthesis showed that pregnancy did not restore the composition of the oral microbiome. Rather, a uniquely altered oral microbiome composition was observed in pregnant rats with pre-established periodontal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keisuke Miki,1 Ryoji Maekura,1 Seigo Kitada,1 Mari Miki,1 Kenji Yoshimura,1 Hiroshi Yamamoto,2 Toshiko Kawabe,2 Hiroyuki Kagawa,1 Yohei Oshitani,1 Akitoshi Satomi,1 Kohei Nishida,1 Nobuhiko Sawa,1 Kimiko Inoue2 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Hospital Organization, Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan Background: COPD patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) show various responses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms and predictors of the response to PR in COPD patients.Methods: Thirty-six stable COPD patients underwent PR including a 4-week high-intensity exercise training program, and they were evaluated by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. All patients (mean age 69 years, severe and very severe COPD 94%) were classified into four groups by whether the exercise time (Tex) or the peak oxygen uptake (VO2) increased after PR: two factors increased (both the Tex and the peak VO2 increased); two factors decreased; time only increased (the Tex increased, but the peak VO2 economized); and VO2 only increased (the Tex decreased, but the peak VO2 increased). Within all patients, the relationships between baseline variables and the post-to-pre-change ratio of the time–slope, Tex/(peak minus resting VO2), were investigated.Results: Compared with the two factors increased group (n=11), in the time only increased group (n=18), the mean differences from pre-PR at peak exercise in 1) minute ventilation (VE) (P=0.004), VO2 (P

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread rapidly since 2019, and the number of reports regarding long COVID has increased. Although the distribution of long COVID depends on patient characteristics, epidemiological data on Japanese patients are limited. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the distribution of long COVID in Japanese patients. This study is the first nationwide Japanese prospective cohort study on long COVID., Methods: This multicenter, prospective cohort study enrolled hospitalized COVID-19 patients aged ≥18 years at 26 Japanese medical institutions. In total, 1200 patients were enrolled. Clinical information and patient-reported outcomes were collected from medical records, paper questionnaires, and smartphone applications., Results: We collected data from 1066 cases with both medical records and patient-reported outcomes. The proportion of patients with at least one symptom decreased chronologically from 93.9% (947/1009) during hospitalization to 46.3% (433/935), 40.5% (350/865), and 33.0% (239/724) at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Patients with at least one long COVID symptom showed lower quality of life and scored higher on assessments for depression, anxiety, and fear of COVID-19. Female sex, middle age (41-64 years), oxygen requirement, and critical condition during hospitalization were risk factors for long COVID., Conclusions: This study elucidated the symptom distribution and risks of long COVID in the Japanese population. This study provides reference data for future studies of long COVID in Japan., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Norihiro Harada reports personal fees from AstraZeneca K.K., GlaxoSmithKline, Kyorin, Novartis Japan, Sanofi and grants from AstraZeneca, Daikin, Kyorin, SRL Medisearch, outside the submitted work. Other authors have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Among the four bases, guanine is the most susceptible to damage from oxidative stress. Replication of DNA containing damaged guanines results in G to T mutations. Therefore, the mutations resulting from oxidative DNA damage are generally expected to predominantly consist of G to T (and C to A when the damaged guanine is not in the reference strand) and result in decreased GC content. However, the opposite pattern was reported 16 years ago in a study of prokaryotic genomes. Although that result has been widely cited and confirmed by nine later studies with similar methods, the omission of the effect of shared ancestry requires a re-examination of the reliability of the results. Results: When aerobic and obligate aerobic prokaryotes were mixed together and anaerobic and obligate anaerobic prokaryotes were mixed together, phylogenetic controlled analyses did not detect significant difference in GC content between aerobic and anaerobic prokaryotes. This result is consistent with two generally neglected studied that had accounted for the phylogenetic relationship. However, when obligate aerobic prokaryotes were compared with aerobic prokaryotes, anaerobic prokaryotes, and obligate anaerobic prokaryotes separately using phylogenetic regression analysis, a significant positive association was observed between aerobiosis and GC content, no matter it was calculated from whole genome sequences or the 4-fold degenerate sites of protein-coding genes. Obligate aerobes have significantly higher GC content than aerobes, anaerobes, and obligate anaerobes. Conclusions: The positive association between aerobiosis and GC content could be attributed to a mutational force resulting from incorporation of damaged deoxyguanosine during DNA replication rather than oxidation of the guanine nucleotides within DNA sequences. Our results indicate a grade in the aerobiosis-associated mutational force, strong in obligate aerobes, moderate in aerobes, weak in anaerobes and obligate anaerobes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen is an important component of the yeast cultivation medium and it is necessary for the synthesis of sterols and unsaturated fatty acids that make up the membrane. The shortage of these lipid compounds or oxygen in the medium leads to culture degeneration. The provision of yeast culture with atmospheric oxygen can be achieved by aeration of the wort or the inoculum before their introduction into the fermentation medium. The article deals with various ways of providing brewers’ yeast with oxygen and reducing the need of the culture for anaerobic growth factors. It is shown that the inoculum pre-fermentation treatment in green (new) beer (1: 2) by brief aeration (30-40 min) followed by storing without air access for 2-4 hours enables yeast to synthesize a sufficient amount of sterols and, at the same time, to maintain high fermentation activity. It has a positive effect on the biomass reproduction and extracts decrease. The use of the yeast aeration has significant advantages over the wort aeration, since it enables to obtain beer with better organoleptic properties alongside with power reduction (approximately 60 times). These data have been confirmed at one of the breweries in the Kemerovo region. The effect of reducing the oxygen requirement of the yeast culture is maintained during two generations and increases when using strains with high requirement for this component. It is possible to reduce the oxygen requirement of microbial cells due to the enrichment of the fermentation medium with sterols and unsaturated fatty acids by introducing a specially prepared yeast autolysate. The peculiarity of its production is the preaeration of the yeast suspension with compressed air followed by autolysis. This contributes to the increase of anaerobic growth factors in the cell biomass.

Conventional narratives explain fish migrations in term of requirements (food, mates, habitats, etc.), with adequate temperatures being optional. Here, using the example of a (commercially extinct) stock of Black Sea mackerel (Scomber scombrus), we suggest that seasonal migrations are driven by seasonal temperature cycles. Therein, temperature acts as a constraint determining where the fish can be at any given time, and not a one of several factors which they would consider when choosing between alternative migration routes. Generalizing, we suggest that temperature should generally be an explicit part of hypotheses about the migratory behaviours of marine fishes. For illustration of what may occur when this is not the case, it is suggested that the non-consideration of temperature in a model of North Atlantic mackerel migration may have led, among the researchers concerned, to a sense of complacency with respect to the climate change-induced changes in the phenology of this fish in the North Atlantic, whose distribution and migration are misleadingly seen as “stochastic”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to describe the prevalence and factors associated with the need for supplemental oxygen and persistent symptoms 1 year after severe SARS-CoV-2 infection., Methods: In this historical cohort and nested case-control study, we included adults with severe COVID-19 (requiring admission to the intensive care unit or invasive mechanical ventilation). We evaluated factors associated with a need for supplemental oxygen and persistent symptoms 1 year after severe infection., Results: We included 135 patients (median age 62 years, 30% women). At 1-year follow-up, the main symptoms were dyspnea (32%), myalgia (9%), cough (7%), anxiety (4%), and depression (5%); 12.59% of patients had prolonged requirement for supplemental oxygen. Factors associated with a persistent requirement for supplemental oxygen were female sex (odds ratio 3.15, 95% confidence interval 1.11-8.90) and Charlson Comorbidity Index > 4 (odds ratio 1.60, 95% confidence interval 1.20-2.12)., Conclusions: We found that a high prevalence of supplemental oxygen requirement 1 year after severe COVID infection was associated with female sex and a baseline high rate of comorbidities. It is unknown whether this prevalence was related to other factors, such as the altitude at which patients lived. More than half of patients had prolonged post-COVID syndrome.

Evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in drug-induced liver injury is rapidly accumulating. In contrast to physiological conditions, in which almost all adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in hepatocytes is generated in mitochondria via aerobic respiration, the high glucose content and limited oxygen supply of conventional culture systems force primary hepatocytes to generate most ATP via cytosolic glycolysis. Thus, such anaerobically poised cells are resistant to xenobiotics that impair mitochondrial function, and are not suitable to identify drugs with mitochondrial liabilities. In this study, primary rat hepatocytes were cultured in galactose-based medium, instead of the conventional glucose-based medium, and in hyperoxia to improve the reliance of energy generation on aerobic respiration. Activation of mitochondria was verified by diminished cellular lactate release and increased oxygen consumption. These conditions improved sensitivity to the mitochondrial complex I inhibitor rotenone. Since oxidative stress is also a general cause of mitochondrial impairment, cells were exposed to test compounds in the presence of transferrin to increase the generation of reactive oxygen species via increased uptake of iron. Finally, 14 compounds with reported mitochondrial liabilities were tested to validate this new drug-induced mitochondrial toxicity assay. Overall, the culture of primary rat hepatocytes in galactose, hyperoxia and transferrin is a useful model for the identification of mitochondrial dysfunction-related drug-induced hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background The yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus features specific traits that render it attractive for industrial applications. These include production of ethanol which, together with thermotolerance and the ability to grow with a high specific growth rate on a wide range of substrates, could make it an alternative to Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an ethanol producer. However, its ability to co-ferment C5 and C6 sugars under oxygen-limited conditions is far from being fully characterized. Results In the present study, K. marxianus CBS712 strain was cultivated in defined medium with glucose and xylose as carbon source. Ethanol fermentation and sugar consumption of CBS712 were investigated under different oxygen supplies (1.75%, 11.00% and 20.95% of O2) and different temperatures (30°C and 41°C). By decreasing oxygen supply, independently from the temperature, both biomass production as well as sugar utilization rate were progressively reduced. In all the tested conditions xylose consumption followed glucose exhaustion. Therefore, xylose metabolism was mainly affected by oxygen depletion. Loss in cell viability cannot explain the decrease in sugar consumption rates, as demonstrated by single cell analyses, while cofactor imbalance is commonly considered as the main cause of impairment of the xylose reductase (KmXR) - xylitol dehydrogenase (KmXDH) pathway. Remarkably, when these enzyme activities were assayed in vitro, a significant decrease was observed together with oxygen depletion, not ascribed to reduced transcription of the corresponding genes. Conclusions In the present study both oxygen supply and temperature were shown to be key parameters affecting the fermentation capability of sugars in the K. marxianus CBS712 strain. In particular, a direct correlation was observed between the decreased efficiency to consume xylose with the reduced specific activity of the two main enzymes (KmXR and KmXDH) involved in its catabolism. These data suggest that, in addition to the impairment of the oxidoreductive pathway being determined by the cofactor imbalance, post-transcriptional and/or post-translational regulation of the pathway enzymes contributes to the efficiency of xylose catabolism in micro-aerobic conditions. Overall, the presented work provides novel information on the fermentation capability of the CBS712 strain that is currently considered as the reference strain of the genus K. marxianus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Archaea evoke interest among researchers for two enigmatic characteristics -a combination of bacterial and eukaryotic components in their molecular architectures and an enormous diversity in their life-style and metabolic capabilities. Despite considerable research efforts, lineage- specific/niche-specific molecular features of the whole archaeal world are yet to be fully unveiled. The study offers the first large-scale in silico proteome analysis of all archaeal species of known genome sequences with a special emphasis on methanogenic and sulphur-metabolising archaea. Results: Overall amino acid usage in archaea is dominated by GC-bias. But the environmental factors like oxygen requirement or thermal adaptation seem to play important roles in selection of residues with no GC-bias at the codon level. All methanogens, irrespective of their thermal/salt adaptation, show higher usage of Cys and have relatively acidic proteomes, while the proteomes of sulphur-metabolisers have higher aromaticity and more positive charges. Despite of exhibiting thermophilic life-style, korarchaeota possesses an acidic proteome. Among the distinct trends prevailing in COGs (Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins) distribution profiles, crenarchaeal organisms display higher intra-order variations in COGs repertoire, especially in the metabolic ones, as compared to euryarchaea. All methanogens are characterised by a presence of 22 exclusive COGs. Conclusions: Divergences in amino acid usage, aromaticity/charge profiles and COG repertoire among methanogens and sulphur-metabolisers, aerobic and anaerobic archaea or korarchaeota and nanoarchaeota, as elucidated in the present study, point towards the presence of distinct molecular strategies for niche specialization in the archaeal world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key roles of an organic solvent has emerged to be the enhancement of oxygen transfer in two-phase partitioning bioscrubbers (TPPBs). In order to determine an optimum organic fraction for a given VOCs loading, the oxygen demand of the total cell mass must be estimated, which depends upon the magnitude of the cellular maintenance coefficient. We have estimated the dynamics of the maintenance coefficient for benzene degradation by Achromobacter xylosoxidans Y234 in a TPPB and found that the maintenance coefficient generally decreased as cells accumulated in the TPPB but converged to a specific value of 1.750 × 10−2 h−1 at biological steady state. Due to its important influence on all of the essential design parameters of the TPPB system, including optimum organic fraction, aeration rate and agitation speed, the maintenance coefficient should be considered as a key biological determinant for microorganism selection, as well as in overall TPPB design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is considered a microaerophile yet has been shown to grow in vitro in atmospheres with partial oxygen tension of 21%. To achieve a better understanding of its microaerophily, the oxygen requirement and tolerance of four C. jejuni strains were investigated by measuring their growth under different conditions, by performing bioinformatic analyses and by determining their metronidazole resistance. At high cell densities, C. jejuni showed similar growth under microaerobic and fully aerobic oxygen tensions, but did not grow under oxygen-depleted conditions. At low cell densities, the bacteria grew only under microaerobic conditions. Eighteen genes were identified bioinformatically as potential contributors to the differences in oxygen tolerance between strains. Among them, cj0203, cj0264c, cj0415, cj0425, cj0628, cj0629 and cj0864 were considered the top potential contributors. The oxygen tolerance of the four C. jejuni strains was different, and this tolerance positively correlated with their resistance to metronidazole. This study provided evidence that C. jejuni was an obligate microaerophile. The data indicated that the strains had different oxygen tolerances; it suggested that they could result in phenotypic and physiological differences between strains grown under the same conditions. These differences could modulate the outcome of experiments, and may explain discrepancies in the results between strains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A two-factorial experiment was conducted in order to quantify and distinguish the influences of altitude and forage origin on metabolism and milk synthesis of dairy cows kept at Alpine locations. Each of four experimental groups comprised six dairy cows in early to mid lactation which were kept tethered in barns at altitudes of either 2000 (Alpine) or 400 m above sea level (a.s.l.) (lowland). Two groups (Alpine and lowland) received hay ad libitum, a third group kept in the lowlands was pair-fed to the Alpine group and a control group was offered silages and concentrates according to milk yield. Two hay types, with origin either from 2000 or 400 m a.s.l., were offered to all hay-alone groups following a change-over design over three 21-day periods. Transferring cows to high altitude triggered a complex adaptation process, which resulted in depressions of food intake at the beginning of the experiment and changed plasma levels of metabolic traits indicating an energy deficit. On average over the entire experiment, high altitude sojourn elevated plasma β-hydroxybutyrate and decreased plasma glucose levels. Yields of milk and of main milk constituents were not significantly affected, but milk protein content was reduced in both the Alpine and in the pair-fed group. No generally elevated maintenance requirements as a consequence of hypoxia were found. Hay-alone feeding caused a co-limitation of net energy and absorbable protein in both hay types which was almost completely compensated by a reduction of milk yield. The hay of Alpine origin had a lower digestibility and crude protein content than the lowland hay which resulted in changes in blood plasma traits and a further suppression of milk yield and milk protein and lactose contents. Due to the low N content of the Alpine hay, N utilization for milk protein synthesis remained similar to that found with lowland hay, and manure N of these cows contained the lowest proportion of easily-volatile urine N. In... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents an evaluation of the oxygen requirement and sludge production, modeled in terms of fundamental processes reflecting different biochemical transformations in activated sludge systems. Modern modeling concepts define substrate utilization and endogenous decay as major processes requiring final electron acceptors. Substrate and sludge components may be defined in terms of different parameters. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) are the traditional substrate parameters. COD also serves to define biomass along with volatile suspended solids (VSS) parameter. Estimation of oxygen requirement and sludge production for aerobic activated sludge systems covering basic biochemical processes are defined for different substrate and sludge parameters, considering that each calculation is associated with a different stoichiometry on the basis of a selected parameter set. The German regulations are examined and the biochemical bases of the coefficients in the regulatory expressions are set in terms of fundamental model constants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTThe combined effects of O2 on net rates of photosynthesis, photosystem II activity, steady-state pool size of key metabolites of photosynthetic metabolism in the C4 pathway, C3 pathway and C2 photorespiratory cycle and on growth were evaluated in the C4 species Amaranthus edulis and the C3 species Flaveria pringlei. Increasing O2 reduced net CO2 assimilation in F. pringlei due to an increased flux of C through the photorespiratory pathway. However, in A. edulis increasing O2 up to 5–10% stimulated photosynthesis. Analysis of the pool size of key metabolites in A. edulis suggests that while there is some O2 dependent photorespiration, O2 is required for maximizing C4 cycle activity to concentrate CO2 in bundle sheath cells. Therefore, the response of net photosynthesis to O2 in C4 plants may result from the balance of these two opposing effects. Under 21 versus 5% O2, growth of A. edulis was stimulated about 30% whereas that of F. pringlei was inhibited about 40%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The world is worsely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Increased mortality has been observed in older adults with multiple comorbidities. Six-minute walk distance (6MWD) at admission can help us to guide the requirement of oxygen during hospital stay that can be used to determine which patient can be managed at home., Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective observational study conducted on COVID-19 patients admitted at AIIMS, New Delhi, from October to December 2020. Patients aged more than 60 years were included in the study and underwent 6-min walk tests. Polypharmacy and multimorbidity were also assessed along with dyspnea which was measured on BORG scale. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical software STATA (version 14.2) was used for all the analyses., Results: The mean age of the study population was 68.76 (7.4). Oxygen saturation prior to the 6-MWT was normal and has significantly higher than the post test ( P ≤ 0.001). 6MWD was significantly correlated with pre values of oxygen saturation. 6MWD was observed more in patients who did not require oxygen during hospital stay. Self-reported dyspnea, pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and systolic blood pressure were significantly associated with the patients who had an oxygen requirement during the hospital stay., Conclusion: Self-reported dyspnea after 6MWT was found to be associated with oxygen requirement during hospital stay. Patients who have covered more distance in 6-min walk test have less oxygen requirement during hospital stay hence can be managed at home. This will reduce the health-care burden and will help to tackle the outburst during the ongoing pandemic., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

The initiation of sporangiophores of Phycomyces was analyzed under oxygen-limiting conditions. Mutants lacking β-carotene have a higher oxygen threshold than the wild type depending on the residual amount of β-carotene. The supersensitivity to low oxygen tension is specific for sporangiophore initiation and can be suppressed by addition of either retinal, retinol or retinol acetate to the medium. It is suggested that retinol is a natural regulator of differentiation in Phycomyces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the current time of rising demand for hospital beds, it is important to triage COVID-19 patients according to the treatment needed during hospitalization. The need for oxygen therapy is an important factor determining hospital admission of these patients. Our retrospective study was designed to identify risk factors associated with the progression to oxygen requirement in COVID-19 patients. A total of 133 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were admitted to our hospital from February 22, 2020, to August 23. After excluding asymptomatic, non-Japanese, pediatric, pregnant patients and also those who needed oxygen immediately at admission, data of the remaining 84 patients were analyzed. The patients were separated into those who required oxygen after admission and those who did not, and their characteristics were compared. Age, body mass index (BMI), lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase, estimated glomerular filtration rate, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were significantly different between the two groups. Multivariate analysis identified four significant and independent risk factors of oxygen requirement, including advanced age, obesity, glucose intolerance and lymphocytopenia. Dividing the patients into subgroups according to the number of these risk factors found in each patient indicated that the need for oxygen increased with higher number of these risk factors in the same individual. Our results suggest that the presence of higher number of these risk factors in COVID-19 patients is associated with future oxygen requirement and that this index can be potentially useful in triaging COVID-19 patients staying home in the context of need for hospitalization.

Neocallimastigomycetes are unique examples of strictly anaerobic eukaryotes. This study investigates how these anaerobic fungi bypass reactions involved in synthesis of pyridine nucleotide cofactors and coenzyme A that, in canonical fungal pathways, require molecular oxygen. Analysis of Neocallimastigomycetes proteomes identified a candidate l-aspartate-decarboxylase (AdcA) and l-aspartate oxidase (NadB) and quinolinate synthase (NadA), constituting putative oxygen-independent bypasses for coenzyme A synthesis and pyridine nucleotide cofactor synthesis. The corresponding gene sequences indicated acquisition by ancient horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events involving bacterial donors. To test whether these enzymes suffice to bypass corresponding oxygen-requiring reactions, they were introduced into fms1 Δ and bna2 Δ Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Expression of nadA and nadB from Piromyces finnis and adcA from Neocallimastix californiae conferred cofactor prototrophy under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. This study simulates how HGT can drive eukaryotic adaptation to anaerobiosis and provides a basis for elimination of auxotrophic requirements in anaerobic industrial applications of yeasts and fungi. IMPORTANCE NAD (NAD + ) and coenzyme A (CoA) are central metabolic cofactors whose canonical biosynthesis pathways in fungi require oxygen. Anaerobic gut fungi of the Neocallimastigomycota phylum are unique eukaryotic organisms that adapted to anoxic environments. Analysis of Neocallimastigomycota genomes revealed that these fungi might have developed oxygen-independent biosynthetic pathways for NAD + and CoA biosynthesis, likely acquired through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from prokaryotic donors. We confirmed functionality of these putative pathways under anaerobic conditions by heterologous expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This approach, combined with sequence comparison, offers experimental insight on whether HGT events were required and/or sufficient for acquiring new traits. Moreover, our results demonstrate an engineering strategy for enabling S. cerevisiae to grow anaerobically in the absence of the precursor molecules pantothenate and nicotinate, thereby contributing to alleviate oxygen requirements and to move closer to prototrophic anaerobic growth of this industrially relevant yeast.