Integration of 168,000 samples reveals global patterns of the human gut microbiome.

The factors shaping human microbiome variation are a major focus of biomedical research. While other fields have used large sequencing compendia to extract insights requiring otherwise impractical sample sizes, the microbiome field has lacked a comparably sized resource for the 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing commonly used to quantify microbiome composition. To address this gap, we processed 168,464 publicly available human gut microbiome samples with a uniform pipeline.

Even protected seaweeds must face a warming ocean: Sea surface temperatures trigger tissue bleaching and breakdown in the unique giant Irish moss (Chondrus crispus).

Current projections of rising sea surface temperatures (SST) pose a threat to marine macroalgae, particularly those living in shallow coastal areas. The giant Irish moss, a unique strain of the common red alga Chondrus crispus, is found solely in a coastal lagoon in Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Canada, and has undergone a two-decade population decline. Despite protection efforts, this alga has not recovered to its pre-decline abundance, which may be due to, among other factors, warming ocean temperatures.

Assessment of international MOGAD diagnostic criteria in patients with overlapping MOG-associated disease and multiple sclerosis phenotypes.

Background: The clinical spectrum and diagnosis of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) has evolved in the setting of an optimized anti-MOG-IgG cell-based assay and expert consensus. The McDonald criteria for MS have been revised multiple times to improve the accuracy and specificity of diagnosis on a framework based on clinical presentation, MRI findings, and CSF results. While the uses of MS and MOGAD diagnostic criteria are helpful for typical cases, such utility for patients with overlapping clinical, laboratorial, and imaging features is unknown, posing diagnostic and management uncertainties.

Characterizing mortality in patients with AQP4-Ab+ neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder is an autoimmune disease, causing severe disability due to relapses, but recent mortality data are limited. Among 396 patients seropositive for anti-aquaporin-4 antibody from 2014 to 2020 in the United Kingdom, 39 deaths occurred: 19 (48.7%) were unrelated to disease; 14 (35.