Recovery course of persistent posterior subretinal fluid after successful repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

PURPOSE: To investigate best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), subretinal fluid (SRF) absorption time or ellipsoid zone (EZ) restoration time and various variables in patients with persistent SRF after successful primary repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study allowed independent analysis of the healing pattern by two observers based on composite of serial cross-sectional macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans. Univariate and multivariate analyses were implemented. RESULTS: One hundred and three cases had persistent SRF after pars plana vitrectomy, scleral buckling, or pneumatic retinopexy. By univariate analysis, SRF resolution time correlated positively with the number of retinal breaks (p < 0.001) and with increased myopia (p = 0.011). Using multivariate analysis, final BCVA (log MAR) correlated positively with age, duration of RRD, initial BCVA (OR = 3.28; [95%CI = 1.44-7.47]; p = 0.015), and SRF resolution time (OR = 0.46 [95%CI 0.21-1.05]; p = 0.049). EZ restoration time was longer with increasing number of retinal tears (OR = 0.67; [95%CI 0.29-1.52]; p = 0.030), worse final BCVA, and presence of macula-off RRD (OR = 0.26; [95%CI 0.08-0.88]; p = 0.056). SRF resolution time correlated marginally with prone position. CONCLUSIONS: Residual posterior SRF is more common in eyes with multiple breaks or in myopic eyes. Final BCVA is better in younger subjects and in eyes with shorter duration of RRD. Persistent SRF is a self-limited disorder with a mean resolution of 11.2 months with good visual prognosis improving from a mean baseline logMAR of 1.08 to 0.25 at one year.

Identification of potential invasive alien species in Spain through horizon scanning.

Invasive alien species have widespread impacts on native biodiversity and ecosystem services. Since the number of introductions worldwide is continuously rising, it is essential to prevent the entry, establishment and spread of new alien species through a systematic examination of future potential threats. Applying a three-step horizon scanning consensus method, we evaluated non-established alien species that could potentially arrive, establish and cause major ecological impact in Spain within the next 10 years. Overall, we identified 47 species with a very high risk (e.g. Oreochromis niloticus, Popillia japonica, Hemidactylus frenatus, Crassula helmsii or Halophila stipulacea), 61 with high risk, 93 with moderate risk, and 732 species with low risk. Many of the species categorized as very high or high risk to Spanish biodiversity are either already present in Europe and neighbouring countries or have a long invasive history elsewhere. This study provides an updated list of potential invasive alien species useful for prioritizing efforts and resources against their introduction. Compared to previous horizon scanning exercises in Spain, the current study screens potential invaders from a wider range of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms, and can serve as a basis for more comprehensive risk analyses to improve management and increase the efficiency of the early warning and rapid response framework for invasive alien species. We also stress the usefulness of measuring agreement and consistency as two different properties of the reliability of expert scores, in order to more easily elaborate consensus ranked lists of potential invasive alien species.

Generation of synthetic intermediate slices in 3D OCT cubes for improving pathology detection and monitoring.

OCT is a non-invasive imaging technique commonly used to obtain 3D volumes of the ocular structure. These volumes allow the monitoring of ocular and systemic diseases through the observation of subtle changes in the different structures present in the eye. In order to observe these changes it is essential that the OCT volumes have a high resolution in all axes, but unfortunately there is an inverse relationship between the quality of the OCT images and the number of slices of the cube. This results in routine clinical examinations using cubes that generally contain high-resolution images with few slices. This lack of slices complicates the monitoring of changes in the retina hindering the diagnostic process and reducing the effectiveness of 3D visualizations. Therefore, increasing the cross-sectional resolution of OCT cubes would improve the visualization of these changes aiding the clinician in the diagnostic process. In this work we present a novel fully automatic methodology to perform the synthesis of intermediate slices of OCT image volumes in an unsupervised manner. To perform this synthesis, we propose a fully convolutional neural network architecture that uses information from two adjacent slices to generate the intermediate synthetic slice. We also propose a training methodology, where we use three adjacent slices to train the network by contrastive learning and image reconstruction. We test our methodology with three different types of OCT volumes commonly used in the clinical setting and validate the quality of the synthetic slices created with several medical experts and using an expert system.

Capacity of countries to reduce biological invasions.

The extent and impacts of biological invasions on biodiversity are largely shaped by an array of socio-economic and environmental factors, which exhibit high variation among countries. Yet, a global analysis of how these factors vary across countries is currently lacking. Here, we investigate how five broad, country-specific socio-economic and environmental indices (Governance, Trade, Environmental Performance, Lifestyle and Education, Innovation) explain country-level (1) established alien species (EAS) richness of eight taxonomic groups, and (2) proactive or reactive capacity to prevent and manage biological invasions and their impacts. These indices underpin many aspects of the invasion process, including the introduction, establishment, spread and management of alien species. They are also general enough to enable a global comparison across countries, and are therefore essential for defining future scenarios for biological invasions. Models including Trade, Governance, Lifestyle and Education, or a combination of these, best explained EAS richness across taxonomic groups and national proactive or reactive capacity. Historical (1996 or averaged over 1996-2015) levels of Governance and Trade better explained both EAS richness and the capacity of countries to manage invasions than more recent (2015) levels, revealing a historical legacy with important implications for the future of biological invasions. Using Governance and Trade to define a two-dimensional socio-economic space in which the position of a country captures its capacity to address issues of biological invasions, we identified four main clusters of countries in 2015. Most countries had an increase in Trade over the past 25 years, but trajectories were more geographically heterogeneous for Governance. Declines in levels of Governance are concerning as they may be responsible for larger levels of invasions in the future. By identifying the factors influencing EAS richness and the regions most susceptible to changes in these factors, our results provide novel insights to integrate biological invasions into scenarios of biodiversity change to better inform decision-making for policy and the management of biological invasions. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-022-01166-3.

Automated detection of the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) using an optical sensor with machine learning.

BACKGROUND: The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) is native to Southeast Asia and is an invasive alien species of concern in many countries. More effective management of populations of V. velutina could be achieved through more widespread and intensive monitoring in the field, however current methods are labor intensive and costly. To address this issue, we have assessed the performance of an optical sensor combined with a machine learning model to classify V. velutina and native wasps/hornets and bees. Our aim is to use the results of the present work as a step towards the development of a monitoring solution for V. velutina in the field. RESULTS: We recorded a total 935 flights from three bee species: Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris and Osmia bicornis; and four wasp/hornet species: Polistes dominula, Vespula germanica, Vespa crabro and V. velutina. The machine learning model achieved an average accuracy for species classification of 80.1 ± 13.9% and 74.5 ± 7.0% for V. velutina. V. crabro had the highest level of misclassification, confused mainly with V. velutina and P. dominula. These results were obtained using a 14-value peak and valley feature derived from the wingbeat power spectral density. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the wingbeat recordings from a flying insect sensor can be used with machine learning methods to differentiate V. velutina from six other Hymenoptera species in the laboratory and this knowledge could be used to help develop a tool for use in integrated invasive alien species management programs. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Global Warming and Long-Distance Spread of Invasive Discoglossus pictus (Amphibia, Alytidae): Conservation Implications for Protected Amphibians in the Iberian Peninsula.

Discoglossus pictus is a North African amphibian that was introduced in southern France early the 20th century and has spread south and north along the Mediterranean coastal plains up to 170 km. In order to disentangle the conservation implications of the spread of D. pictus for sensitive native species, we examined the impact of long-term climate warming on the basis of niche overlap analysis, taking into account abiotic factors. The study area covered the distribution ranges of all genus Discoglossus species in northwestern Africa (659,784 km2), Sicily (27,711 km2), the Iberian Peninsula, and southern France (699,546 km2). Niche overlap was measured from species environmental spaces extracted via PCA, including climate and relief environmental variables. Current and future climatic suitability for each species was assessed in an ensemble-forecasting framework of species distribution models, built using contemporary species data and climate predictors and projected to 2070's climatic conditions. Our results show a strong climatic niche overlap between D. pictus and native and endemic species in the Iberian Peninsula. In this context, all species will experience an increase in climatic suitability over the next decades, with the only exception being Pelodytes punctatus, which could be negatively affected by synergies between global warming and cohabitation with D. pictus.

Fully-Automatic 3D Intuitive Visualization of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Fluid Accumulations in OCT Cubes.

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in developed countries, and wet-type AMD requires urgent treatment and rapid diagnosis because it causes rapid irreversible vision loss. Currently, AMD diagnosis is mainly carried out using images obtained by optical coherence tomography. This diagnostic process is performed by human clinicians, so human error may occur in some cases. Therefore, fully automatic methodologies are highly desirable adding a layer of robustness to the diagnosis. In this work, a novel computer-aided diagnosis and visualization methodology is proposed for the rapid identification and visualization of wet AMD. We adapted a convolutional neural network for segmentation of a similar domain of medical images to the problem of wet AMD segmentation, taking advantage of transfer learning, which allows us to work with and exploit a reduced number of samples. We generate a 3D intuitive visualization where the existence, position and severity of the fluid were represented in a clear and intuitive way to facilitate the analysis of the clinicians. The 3D visualization is robust and accurate, obtaining satisfactory 0.949 and 0.960 Dice coefficients in the different evaluated OCT cube configurations, allowing to quickly assess the presence and extension of the fluid associated to wet AMD.

Recovery course of foveal microstructure in the nonsurgical resolution of full-thickness macular hole.

PURPOSE: To analyze the recovery course of foveal microstructures in eyes with nonsurgical healing of full-thickness macular hole (FTMH). METHODS: By serial OCT scans, the temporal healing sequences were analyzed in ocular trauma, vitreomacular traction (VMT), cystoid macular edema (CME), and the remaining group. We evaluated correlations between the final best-corrected spectacle visual acuity and reconstruction time of external limiting membrane (ELM), and inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS). RESULTS: The healing (mean±standard deviation in months) most involved fusion at the level of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) (6.3±10.5) followed by restoration of ELM (9.1±13.8), and lastly, by IS/OS regeneration (13.1±19.5). In severe blunt ocular trauma, healing was fast and involved subretinal zipper glue-like reapposition with resulting outer retinal atrophy. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity correlated with normalization of the clivus (p=0.012), faster ELM (p=0.006), and IS/OS reconstitution (p=0.024). Recurrence of FTMH occurred when the healing was halted (3 eyes) or was aberrant by lamellar hole epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) (3 eyes) or by the persistence of VMT (1 eye). CONCLUSION: Recovery sequences proceeded from the ONL to the deeper layers with BCVA correlating absolutely and temporally with the restoration of outer retinal layer integrity.

Biological invasions reveal how niche change affects the transferability of species distribution models.

Species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely applied to predict geographic ranges of species across space and time under the assumption of niche conservatism (i.e., species niches change very slowly). However, an increasing number of studies have reported evidence of rapid niche changes across space and time, which has sparked a widespread debate on whether SDMs can be transferred to new areas or time periods. Understanding how niche changes affect SDM transferability is thus crucial for the future application and improvement of SDMs. Biological invasions provide an opportunity to address this question due to the geographically independent distributions and diverse patterns of niche changes between species' native and introduced ranges. Here, we synthesized findings on 217 species from 50 studies to elucidate the effects of niche change on the spatial transferability of SDMs. When niche change was considered as a categorical classification (conserved vs. shifted niches) in tests of the niche conservatism hypothesis, SDM transferability was markedly lower for species with a shifted niche in their introduced range. When niche change was measured as numerical dynamics between native and introduced niches, SDM transferability was high for species occupying similar environmental conditions in both ranges and low for species with more environmental space remaining unoccupied in the introduced range. Surprisingly, the number of presence points used for developing SDMs turned out to have an even stronger effect on transferability. Our results thus reveal detrimental effects of both niche change and lack of presence points on SDM transferability. It is necessary to consider both niche change and data quality for improving the transferability of SDMs, so that they can better support conservation management and policy decisions.

Global longitudinal strain assessment of cardiac function and extravascular lung water formation after diving using semi-closed circuit rebreather.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present investigation is to study the relationship of ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) and ultrasound lung comets (ULC) formation to establish a link between extravascular pulmonary water formation and cardiac contractile dysfunction. METHODS: This is a prospective observational study including 14 active military divers. The subjects performed two sea dives of 120 min each with a semi-closed SCUBA circuit at 10 m depth. Divers were examined at baseline, 15 min (D1) and 60 min (D2) after diving. The evaluation included pulmonary and cardiac echography (including speckle tracking techniques). Blood samples were drawn at baseline and after diving, assessing hs-TnT and Endothelin-1. RESULTS: ULC were detected in 9 (64.2%) and 8 (57.1%) of the subjects after D1 and D2 respectively. No differences were found in right and left ventricular GLS after both immersions (RV: Baseline: - 17.9 4.9 vs. D1: - 17.2 6.5 and D2: - 16.7 5.8 s-1; p = 0.757 and p = 0.529; LV: Baseline: - 17.0 2.3 vs. D1: - 17.4 2.1 and D2: - 16.9 2.2 s-1; p = 0.546 and p = 0.783). However, a decrease in atrial longitudinal strain parameters have been detected after diving (RA: Baseline: 35.5 9.2 vs. D1: 30.3 12.8 and D2: 30.7 13.0 s-1; p = 0.088 and p = 0.063; LA: Baseline: 39.0 10.0 vs. D1: 31.6 6.1 and D2: 32.4 10.6 s-1; p = 0.019 and p = 0.054). CONCLUSION: In the present study, no ventricular contractile dysfunction was observed. However, increase pulmonary vasoconstriction markers were present after diving.

Clinical characteristics of full thickness macular holes that closed without surgery.

PURPOSE: To ascertain the anatomic factors that help achieve non-surgical sealing in full thickness macular hole (FTMH). METHODS: Retrospective collaborative study of FTMH that closed without surgical intervention. RESULTS: A total of 78 patients (mean age 57.9 years) included 18 patients with blunt ocular trauma, 18 patients that received topical or intravitreal therapies and 42 patients with idiopathic FTMH. Mean±SD of the initial corrected visual acuity (VA) in logMAR improved from 0.65±0.54 to 0.34±0.45 (p<0.001) at a mean follow-up of 33.8±37.1 months. FTMH reopened in seven eyes (9.0%) after a mean of 8.6 months. Vitreomacular traction was noted in 12 eyes (15.8%), perifoveal posterior vitreous detachment in 42 (53.8%), foveal epiretinal membrane in 10 (12.8%), cystoid macular oedema (CME) in 49 (62.8%) and subretinal fluid (SRF) in 20 (25.6%). By multivariate analysis, initial VA correlated to the height (p<0.001) and narrowest diameter of the hole (p<0.001) while final VA correlated to the basal diameter (p<0.001). Time for closure of FTMH (median 2.8 months) correlated to the narrowest diameter (p<0.001) and the presence of SRF (p=0.001). Mean time for closure (in months) was 1.6 for eyes with trauma, 4.3 for eyes without trauma but with therapy for CME, 4.4 for eyes without trauma and without therapy in less than 200 µm in size and 24.7 for more than 200 µm. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest an observation period in new onset FTMH for non-surgical closure, in the setting of trauma, treatment of CME and size <200 µm.

Diagnosis and Stratification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infected Patients by Immunochemical Quantitative Determination of Pyocyanin From Clinical Bacterial Isolates.

The development of a highly sensitive, specific, and reliable immunochemical assay to detect pyocyanin (PYO), one of the most important virulence factors (VFs) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is here reported. The assay uses a high-affinity monoclonal antibody (mAb; C.9.1.9.1.1.2.2.) raised against 1-hydroxyphenazine (1-OHphz) hapten derivatives (PC1; a 1:1 mixture of 9-hydroxy- and 6-hydroxy-phenazine-2-carobxylic acids). Selective screening using PYO and 1-OHphz on several cloning cycles allowed the selection of a clone able to detect PYO at low concentration levels. The microplate-based ELISA developed is able to achieve a limit of detection (LoD) of 0.07 nM, which is much lower than the concentrations reported to be found in clinical samples (130 µM in sputa and 2.8 µM in ear secretions). The ELISA has allowed the investigation of the release kinetics of PYO and 1-OHphz (the main metabolite of PYO) of clinical isolates obtained from P. aeruginosa-infected patients and cultured in Mueller-Hinton medium. Significant differences have been found between clinical isolates obtained from patients with an acute or a chronic infection (~6,000 nM vs. ~8 nM of PYO content, respectively) corroborated by the analysis of PYO/1-OHphz levels released by 37 clinical isolates obtained from infected patients at different stages. In all cases, the levels of 1-OHphz were much lower than those of PYO (at the highest levels 6,000 nM vs. 300 nM for PYO vs. 1-OHphz, respectively). The results found point to a real potential of PYO as a biomarker of P. aeruginosa infection and the possibility to use such VF also as a biomarker for patient stratification[2] and for an effective management of these kinds of infections.

Drivers of future alien species impacts: An expert-based assessment.

Understanding the likely future impacts of biological invasions is crucial yet highly challenging given the multiple relevant environmental, socio-economic and societal contexts and drivers. In the absence of quantitative models, methods based on expert knowledge are the best option for assessing future invasion trajectories. Here, we present an expert assessment of the drivers of potential alien species impacts under contrasting scenarios and socioecological contexts through the mid-21st century. Based on responses from 36 experts in biological invasions, moderate (20%-30%) increases in invasions, compared to the current conditions, are expected to cause major impacts on biodiversity in most socioecological contexts. Three main drivers of biological invasions-transport, climate change and socio-economic change-were predicted to significantly affect future impacts of alien species on biodiversity even under a best-case scenario. Other drivers (e.g. human demography and migration in tropical and subtropical regions) were also of high importance in specific global contexts (e.g. for individual taxonomic groups or biomes). We show that some best-case scenarios can substantially reduce potential future impacts of biological invasions. However, rapid and comprehensive actions are necessary to use this potential and achieve the goals of the Post-2020 Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

A Framework for Global Twenty-First Century Scenarios and Models of Biological Invasions.

Biological invasions have emerged as an eminent feature of global change, with substantial impacts on the environment and human livelihoods. Current research demonstrates that the numbers and impacts of alien species are rising unabatedly. At the same time, we lack a thorough understanding of potential future trajectories for the decades to come. With the recent establishment of comprehensive global databases, it is, for the first time, feasible to develop and quantify future scenarios of biological invasions. Therefore, we propose a conceptual framework for how to develop alien species scenarios for the twenty-first century and how to identify relevant steps and challenges along the way. The concept will be important to inform research, policy, stakeholders, and the general public. Furthermore, we call for the scientific community to join forces and to operationalize the framework for scenarios and models of biological invasions to develop an important baseline for understanding and managing future biological invasions.

Gender Differences in Meaningful Leisure Among Older Adults: Joint Displays of Four Phenomena.

Vital events, such as widowhood and retirement, are broadly accepted as points of inflection in the lives of older adults that often differ according to gender. In this study, we analyzed the influence of gender on meaningful leisure among older adults through the integration of qualitative and quantitative findings. The use of joint displays revealed that in this sample of people from Northern Spain: (1) there were no significant differences in the influence of retirement and widowhood on the leisure of the two genders, (2) the ethic of care was a constraining factor in older women's leisure, (3) women were more innovative in their leisure in older age, and (4) volunteer activities were highly segregated by gender. The use of joint displays helped illuminate these four phenomena in light of quantitative and qualitative data.

Clinical Management of Orbital Rhabdomyosarcoma in a Referral Center in Spain.

PURPOSE: To review the systemic and ocular outcomes and long-term status of ocular rhabdomyosarcoma in pediatric patients in a tertiary center in Spain. METHODS: All patients younger than 18 years who were diagnosed as having ocular rhabdomyosarcoma and treated between 1982 and 2011 at La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, were included. Clinical presentation, management, complications, and ocular and systemic outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: The mean age at presentation was 8 years (range: 3 months to 12.5 years). In all cases, the rhabdomyosarcoma was located primarily in the orbit. Treatment included surgical debulking and various regimens of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. All of the patients underwent surgical biopsy for diagnosis confirmation. Orbital exenteration was performed in 4 cases (28%). Twelve patients received radiotherapy. The long-term visual outcomes of the 10 patients who maintained their globe was as follows: best corrected visual acuity 20/20 to 20/40 in 6 patients (60%), 20/50 to 20/100 in 2 patients (20%), and 20/200 to no light perception in 2 patients (20%). Intraocular complications (primarily cataracts: 50%) were present in 7 patients (70%), ocular surface lesions occurred in 6 patients (60%), and orbital sequelae were found in 8 patients (80%). Local tumor recurrence was detected in 5 patients (35%) and distant metastasis occurred in 2 patients (14%). Tumor-related death occurred in 1 patient (7%). CONCLUSIONS: Orbital rhabdomyosarcoma has an excellent prognosis; nevertheless, local complications are common, including surgery-related complications. To minimize them, initial surgical planning based on individual patient characteristics and an accurate diagnosis of relapses is mandatory. The clinical presentation, management, and long-term ocular and systemic outcomes are comparable with other series published to date.

Immunochemical Determination of Pyocyanin and 1-Hydroxyphenazine as Potential Biomarkers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections.

A novel immunochemical approach to diagnose Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections is reported, which is based on the quantification of relevant and specific virulence factors secreted by this microorganism. Specific antibodies have been raised using hapten PC1 (a 1:1 mixture of 9-hydroxy- and 6-hydroxy-phenazine-2-carobxylic acids), designed to recognize 1-hydroxyphenazine (1-OHphz), which is the main metabolite of pyocyanin (PYO). PYO is one of the most important virulence factors produced by nearly all P. aeruginosa strains, and other species do not produce this factor. With these antibodies, an immunochemical analytical procedure able to quantify both 1-OHphz and PYO in complex clinical samples has been developed. 1-OHphz can be directly measured in solubilized sputum samples diluted 20 times with the assay buffer. Quantification of PYO is accomplished after conversion to 1-OHphz in just 20 min under basic conditions. A LOD of 0.60 ± 0.01 nM (4.80 ± 0.08 nmol kg(-1) sputum) is reached for both biomarker targets under the conditions established, a value that is much below the reported concentrations on sputum samples obtained from infected patients (up to 100 µM). The assay is robust, reproducible, accurate, can be run in about 2 h, and many samples can be measured simultaneously. The present reported assay could represent a significant improvement in the diagnosis of infectious diseases caused by this pathogen.