Comprehensive metabolome characterization of leaves, internodes, and aerial roots of Vanilla planifolia by untargeted LC-MS and GC × GC-MS.

Introduction: Untargeted metabolomics is a powerful tool that provides strategies for gaining a systematic understanding of quantitative changes in the levels of metabolites, especially when combining different metabolomic platforms. Vanilla is one of the world's most popular flavors originating from cured pods of the orchid Vanilla planifolia. However, only a few studies have investigated the metabolome of V.

Isolating the effect of confounding from the observed survival benefit of screening participants - a methodological approach illustrated by data from the German mammography screening programme.

Background: Mammography screening programmes (MSP) aim to reduce breast cancer mortality by shifting diagnoses to earlier stages. However, it is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of current MSP because analyses can only rely on observational data, comparing women who participate in screening with women who do not. These comparisons are subject to several biases: one of the most important is self-selection into the MSP, which introduces confounding and is difficult to control for.

Novel α-glycosyl compounds from glycosylation of rubusoside.

In this work we investigated mixtures from α-glycosylation of rubusoside with cyclodextrin glycosyltransferases. In addition to the previously known α-1,4 glycosylated derivatives, nine new compounds with rare α-1,3-glycosidic bonds were identified based on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometric analysis. Furthermore, sensory properties of monoglycosylated rubusoside derivatives were investigated and compared to previously described monoglycosylated compounds.

Longitudinal analyses of serum neurofilament light and associations with obesity indices and bioelectrical impedance parameters.

Neurofilament light is a constituent of the neuronal cytoskeleton and released into the blood following neuro-axonal damage. It has previously been reported that NfL measured in blood serum is inversely related to body mass index. However, no reports exist with regard to body composition assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis or other indicators of obesity beyond BMI.

Comprehensive Metabolite Profiling of ssp. Extracts Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Electrospray Ionization Ion Mobility Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

A wide range of secondary metabolites has been described for various species, including the sweet-tasting phenyldihydroisocoumarin phyllodulcin, which is found in the leaves of ssp. . This work aims at the development and validation of an analytical workflow for comprehensive semi-polar metabolite profiling using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-IMS-QToF-MS) to complement existing analytical studies.

Major depressive disorders increase the susceptibility to self-reported infections in two German cohort studies.

Introduction: In several claims-based studies, major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with increased risk of hospitalization due to acute infections. It remains unclear if this is a causal effect, and if it generalizes to an increased susceptibility to infections.

Methods: We used data of the BiDirect (n = 925) and the HaBIDS (n = 1007) cohort studies to estimate the effect of MDD on self-reported infections, which were assessed with identical infection susceptibility questionnaires in both studies.

Assessing the probability of risk factor control in patients with coronary heart disease: results from the ESC-EORP EUROASPIRE V survey.

Aims: In patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), we investigated whether it is possible to accurately assess the probability of short-term control of risk factors (blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking) based on individual and large-area residential characteristics.

Methods And Results: We merged individual data of participants from EUROASPIRE V who were hospitalized for CHD (2014-2017) and interviewed and examined for risk factor control (2016-2017), with large-area residential data provided by Eurostat for Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) regions using postal codes. Data from 2562 CHD patients in 16 countries were linked to data from 60 NUTS 2 and 121 NUTS 3 regions.

Effective Solid Electrolyte Interphase Formation on Lithium Metal Anodes by Mechanochemical Modification.

Lithium metal batteries are gaining increasing attention due to their potential for significantly higher theoretical energy density than conventional lithium ion batteries. Here, we present a novel mechanochemical modification method for lithium metal anodes, involving roll-pressing the lithium metal foil in contact with ionic liquid-based solutions, enabling the formation of an artificial solid electrolyte interphase with favorable properties such as an improved lithium ion transport and, most importantly, the suppression of dendrite growth, allowing homogeneous electrodeposition/-dissolution using conventional and highly conductive room temperature alkyl carbonate-based electrolytes. As a result, stable cycling in symmetrical Li∥Li cells is achieved even at a high current density of 10 mA cm.

Female Stroke: Sex Differences in Acute Treatment and Early Outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background And Purpose: Men and women are differently affected by acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in many aspects. Prior studies on sex disparities were limited by moderate sample sizes, varying years of data acquisition, and inconsistent inclusions of covariates leading to controversial findings. We aimed to analyze sex differences in AIS severity, treatments, and early outcome and to systematically evaluate the effect of important covariates in a large German stroke registry.

Effects of age on trait resilience in a population-based cohort and two patient cohorts.

Objective: We examined (i) the mean-level stability and change of trait resilience with age in three cohorts from a single study (population-based controls, depression patients, cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients), (ii) associations of sociodemographic, personality, and other factors (sex, education, Big Five, childhood trauma, depressive symptoms) with trait resilience, and (iii) the intra-individual stability across repeated trait resilience self-assessments.

Methods: 1544 participants from the BiDirect Study completed the Resilienzskala-11 (RS-11; German short version of the resilience scale 25) up to three times over about four years. The repeated-measures data were analyzed using linear mixed models, stratified by cohort.

Translation of mouse model to human gives insights into periodontitis etiology.

To suggest candidate genes involved in periodontitis, we combined gene expression data of periodontal biopsies from Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse lines, with previous reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) in mouse and with human genome-wide association studies (GWAS) associated with periodontitis. Periodontal samples from two susceptible, two resistant and two lines that showed bone formation after periodontal infection were collected during infection and naïve status. Differential expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed in a case-control and case-only design.

Why Most Acute Stroke Studies Are Positive in Animals but Not in Patients: A Systematic Comparison of Preclinical, Early Phase, and Phase 3 Clinical Trials of Neuroprotective Agents.

Objective: To analyze why numerous acute stroke treatments were successful in the laboratory but failed in large clinical trials.

Methods: We searched all phase 3 trials of medical treatments for acute ischemic stroke and corresponding early clinical and experimental studies. We compared the overall efficacy and assessed the impact of publication bias and study design on the efficacy.

Secondary analysis of an RCT on Emergency Department-Initiated Tobacco Control: Repeatedly assessed point-prevalence abstinence up to 12 months and extension of results through a 10-year follow-up.

Introduction: Emergency departments (EDs) are opportune places for tobacco control interventions. The 'Tobacco Control in an Urban Emergency Department' (TED) study, ISRCTN41527831, originally evaluated the effect of motivational interviewing on-site plus up to four booster telephone calls on 12-month abstinence. This study's aim was to evaluate the effect of the intervention on 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 10 years follow-up (primary outcome) as well as on repeated point-prevalence abstinence at 1, 3, 6, 12 months and at 10 years (continual smoking abstinence, secondary outcome).

Gluing life together. Computer simulation in the life sciences: an introduction.

Over the course of the last three decades, computer simulations have become a major tool of doing science and engaging with the world, not least in an effort to predict and intervene in a future to come. Born in the context of the Second World War and the discipline of physics, simulations have long spread into most diverse fields of enquiry and technological application. This paper introduces a topical collection focussing on simulations in the life sciences.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of aggressive and chronic periodontitis identifies two novel risk loci.

Periodontitis is one of the most common inflammatory diseases, with a prevalence of 11% worldwide for the severe forms and an estimated heritability of 50%. It is classified into the widespread moderate form chronic periodontitis (CP) and the rare early-onset and severe phenotype aggressive periodontitis (AgP). These different disease manifestations are thought to share risk alleles and predisposing environmental factors.

Genome-wide association meta-analysis of coronary artery disease and periodontitis reveals a novel shared risk locus.

Evidence for a shared genetic basis of association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and periodontitis (PD) exists. To explore the joint genetic basis, we performed a GWAS meta-analysis. In the discovery stage, we used a German aggressive periodontitis sample (AgP-Ger; 680 cases vs 3,973 controls) and the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D CAD meta-analysis dataset (60,801 cases vs 123,504 controls).

Model and movement: studying cell movement in early morphogenesis, 1900 to the present.

Morphogenesis is one of the fundamental processes of developing life. Gastrulation, especially, marks a period of major translocations and bustling rearrangements of cells that give rise to the three germ layers. It was also one of the earliest fields in biology where cell movement and behaviour in living specimens were investigated.

Integration of Murine and Human Studies for Mapping Periodontitis Susceptibility.

Periodontitis is one of the most common inflammatory human diseases with a strong genetic component. Due to the limited sample size of available periodontitis cohorts and the underlying trait heterogeneity, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of chronic periodontitis (CP) have largely been unsuccessful in identifying common susceptibility factors. A combination of quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping in mice with association studies in humans has the potential to discover novel risk loci.

Detection Rates of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ with Biennial Digital Mammography Screening: Radiologic Findings Support Pathologic Model of Tumor Progression.

Purpose To compare detection rates of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), classified according to nuclear grade, between the prevalence round (baseline screening) and two subsequent screening rounds of a population-based digital mammography screening program, to assess differences over time. Materials and Methods The cancer registry provided data for 1970 graded pure DCIS cases from 16 screening regions of the prevalence round (baseline screening, from 2005 to 2008), first subsequent round, and second subsequent round; the interval between all screening rounds was 22-30 months. Age-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to compare the grade-specific detection rates between the prevalence round (reference) and subsequent screening rounds.

Emergency Department-Initiated Tobacco Control: Update of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Introduction: A 2012 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on emergency department-initiated tobacco control (ETC) showed only short-term efficacy. The aim of this study was to update data through May 2015.

Methods: After registering the study protocol on the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) in May 2015, we searched 7 databases and the gray literature.