A comparative study of Lachancea thermotolerans fermentative performance under standardized wine production conditions

The study explores diverse strains of Lachancea thermotolerans in single-inoculum wine fermentation conditions using synthetic grape must. It aims to analyze the role of the species without external influences like other microorganisms or natural grape must variability. Commercial strains and selected vineyard isolates, untested together previously, are assessed. The research evaluates volatile and non-volatile chemical compounds in final wine, revealing significant strain-based variations. L. thermotolerans notably produces lactic acid and consumes malic acid, exhibiting moderate ethanol levels. The volatile profile displays strain-specific impacts, affecting higher alcohol and ester concentrations compared to S. cerevisiae. These effects vary based on the specific compounds. Using a uniform synthetic must enables direct strain comparisons, eliminating grape-related, environmental, or timing variables in the experiment, facilitating clearer insights into the behavior of L. thermotolerans in wine fermentation. The study compares for the first time all available commercial strains of L. thermotolerans.

The Influence of Chitosan on the Chemical Composition of Wines Fermented with Lachancea thermotolerans

Chitosan exerts a significant influence on various chemical parameters affecting the quality of wine produced using multiple strains of Lachancea thermotolerans. The impact of chitosan on these parameters varies depending on the specific strain studied. We observed that, under the influence of chitosan, the fermentation kinetics accelerated for all examined strains. The formation of lactic acid increased by 41% to 97% across the studied L. thermotolerans strains, depending on the specific strain. This effect also influenced acidity-related parameters such as total acidity, which increased by 28% to 60%, and pH, which experienced a decrease of over 0.5 units. The consumption of malic acid increased by 9% to 20% depending on the specific strain of L. thermotolerans. Nitrogen consumption also rose, as evidenced by all L. thermotolerans strains exhibiting a residual value of Primary Amino Nitrogen (PAN) of below the detection limit, and ammonia consumption increased by 90% to 100%, depending on the strain studied. However, certain parameters such as acetic acid, succinic acid, and glycerol showed contradictory results depending on the strain under investigation. In terms of volatile composition, chitosan supplementation led to increased production of i-butanol by 32% to 65%, 3-methylbutanol by 33% to 63%, and lactic acid ethyl ester by 58% to 91% across all studied strains of L. thermotolerans. Other analyzed aroma compounds exhibited varying changes depending on the specific strain of L. thermotolerans.

Predictability of the community-function landscape in wine yeast ecosystems

Predictively linking taxonomic composition and quantitative ecosystem functions is a major aspiration in microbial ecology, which must be resolved if we wish to engineer microbial consortia. Here, we have addressed this open question for an ecological function of major biotechnological relevance: alcoholic fermentation in wine yeast communities. By exhaustively phenotyping an extensive collection of naturally occurring wine yeast strains, we find that most ecologically and industrially relevant traits exhibit phylogenetic signal, allowing functional traits in wine yeast communities to be predicted from taxonomy. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the quantitative contributions of individual wine yeast strains to the function of complex communities followed simple quantitative rules. These regularities can be integrated to quantitatively predict the function of newly assembled consortia. Besides addressing theoretical questions in functional ecology, our results and methodologies can provide a blueprint for rationally managing microbial processes of biotechnological relevance.

Microsatellite typing of Lachancea thermotolerans for wine fermentation monitoring

Climate change is causing a lack of acidity during winemaking and oenologists use several solutions to cope with such a problem. Lachancea thermotolerans, which has the potential to tolerate the harsh physicochemical conditions of wine, has emerged as a promising alternative for pH management during winemaking and, currently, it is the most valuable yeast used for acidity control in wine. In this work a manageable method for L. thermotolerans genotyping based on a multiplexed microsatellite amplification in 6 different loci was developed. The proposed method was used to distinguish between 103 collection strains obtained from different geographical and isolation sources, and then challenged against a 429 L. thermotolerans isolates from several wineries and harvests. The procedure was also tested for fermentation monitoring and strain implantation. This approach was conceived to simplify the methodology available for L. thermotolerans genotyping, making it easy for applying in wine-related laboratories. This method can be applied to distinguish between L. thermotolerans strains in selection programs and to follow implantation of inoculated strains during winemaking with optimal results.

Influence of different Lachancea thermotolerans strains in the wine profile in the era of climate challenge

The study performed sequential fermentations of red grape juice using several strains of Lachancea thermotolerans and one strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Due to the new conditions imposed by climate change, wine acidity must be affected as well as the volatile profile. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts such as L. thermotolerans are real alternatives to soften the impact of climate change in winemaking. The L. thermotolerans strains included three commercially available strains and two wine-related natural isolates. L. thermotolerans showed significant statistical differences in basic chemical parameters such as lactic acid, malic acid, or ethanol concentrations as well as in the volatile profile. S. cerevisiae clearly produced some volatile compounds in higher amounts than the studied L. thermotolerans strains while others showed the opposite effect. Sequential fermentations involving any of the studied strains of L. thermotolerans with S. cerevisiae showed an increased volatile profile compared to the S. ceresisiae single fermentation, highlighting the synergic effect between the studied species.

Expectable diversity patterns in wine yeast communities

Wine fermentations are dominated by Saccharomyces yeast. However, dozens of non-Saccharomyces yeast genera can be found in grape musts and in the early and intermediate stages of wine fermentation, where they co-exist with S. cerevisiae. The diversity of non-Saccharomyces species is determinant for the sensorial attributes of the resulting wines, both directly (by producing aroma impact compounds) and indirectly (modulating the performance of Saccharomyces). Many research groups worldwide are exploring the great diversity of wine yeasts to exploit their metabolic potential to improve wine flavor or to prevent wine spoilage. In this work, we share a new dataset from a wide ITS amplicon survey of 272 wine samples, and we perform a preliminary exploration to build a catalogue of 242 fungal and yeast genera detectable in wine samples, estimating global figures of their prevalence and relative abundance patterns across wine samples. Thus, our mycobiome survey provides a broad measure of the yeast diversity potentially found in wine fermentations; we hope that the wine yeast research community finds it useful, and we also want to encourage further discussion on the advantages and limitations that meta-taxonomic studies may have in wine research and industry.

OP0001 “I WILL NEVER FORGET THE SHAME I FELT”: A SURVEY TO PEOPLE WITH A RHEUMATIC DISEASE ABOUT INVALIDATION FROM HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER PEOPLE

Background

The term invalidation refers to the patients’ perception that their medical condition is not recognised, either in denying, lecturing, not supporting or not acknowledging the condition. This may be the felt from health professionals themselves but also from family, friends, at work and in other social areas, imposing great suffering.[1] The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) has made efforts to raise awareness for the burden imposed by rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions (RMDs) and promote the best quality of care, including recognition and psychosocial support. However, it is unclear how frequent and severe the problem remains nowadays.

Objectives

The aims of this national survey were: (i) to identify the levels of invalidation and lack of understanding felt by adults with RMDs from health professionals and other people, (ii) to investigate the relationship between invalidation, sociodemographic characteristics and disease; and (iii) to understand its impact on people’s life and health outcomes.

Methods

An online survey was developed by the national health professionals in rheumatology and patients’ organisations and opened between May and December of 2021. The questionnaire included demographic and disease information, the Illness Invalidation Inventory (3*I),[1] with additional questions in a Likert format and open questions for a detailed understanding of the phenomenon. The 3*I is composed of 8 items, measured from 1 (=never) to 5 (=very often), forming two factors: Discounting (mean of 5 items; lower scores indicating more discounting) and Lack of understanding (mean of 3 items; Higher scores representing higher lack of understanding).

Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Associations were tested with a t-student and ANOVA one-way test (Bonferroni correction). Open responses were categorised using the content analysis technique, and themes were defined a posteriori.

Results

From the > 1500 responses obtained, 1410 responses were filled out completely (mean age of 46 years [SD=11], 95% females, 60% with FM, among which 59% were diagnosed in the last 5 years).

Invalidation was reported by 86% of the participants and 70% rated ≤5 on a scale from 0 (nothing) to 10 (totally) on feeling understood by other people. Invalidation was mostly felt from family (56%), health professionals (48%), friends (39%) and social environment (38%). The impact of this invalidation is mainly on the psychological well-being (58%), also reducing seeking health care (41%) and therapeutic adherence (17%), affecting work (41%), and to a less extent, (family) relations (31%).

Figure 1 shows the frequency of responses and means scores on the 3*I items and factors for participants with and without FM. The burden is greater for people with FM, which was statistically significant. People with higher education felt more discounting and more lack of understanding. No differences (p>0.05) were observed for gender or civil status.

Figure 1.

Percentages of responses per type of disease for the eight items of the Illness Invalidation Inventory.

Elucidative expressions of invalidation were shared, mostly by people with FM, encompassing their ability to work and need for social support, faking pain and treatment efficacy, and even intimacy aspects. These emotionally uncomfortable situations can be linked to lesser engagement with healthcare and disease management, and therefore, with worse health outcomes.

Conclusion

Invalidation remains a source of suffering, affecting well-being and health outcomes. Specific awareness and educational campaigns are needed to target this problem on different play-actors.

References

[1]Kool MB, et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2014;73:551–556. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-201807

Disclosure of Interests

None declared.

An Integrative View of the Role of Lachancea thermotolerans in Wine Technology

The interest in Lachancea thermotolerans, a yeast species with unusual characteristics, has notably increased in all ecological, evolutionary, and industrial aspects. One of the key characteristics of L. thermotolerans is the production of high quantities of lactic acid compared to other yeast species. Its evolution has mainly been driven by the influence of the environment and domestication, allowing several metabolic traits to arise. The molecular regulation of the fermentative process in L. thermotolerans shows interesting routes that play a complementary or protective role against fermentative stresses. One route that is activated under this condition is involved in the production of lactic acid, presenting a complete system for its production, showing the involvement of several enzymes and transporters. In winemaking, the use of L. thermotolerans is nowadays mostly focused in early–medium-maturity grape varieties, in which over-ripening can produce wines lacking acidity and with high concentrations of ethanol. Recent studies have reported new positive influences on quality apart from lactic acid acidification, such as improvements in color, glutathione production, aroma, malic acid, polysaccharides, or specific enzymatic activities that constitute interesting new criteria for selecting better strains. This positive influence on winemaking has increased the availability of commercial strains during recent years, allowing comparisons among some of those products. Initially, the management of L. thermotolerans was thought to be combined with Saccaharomyces cerevisiae to properly end alcoholic fermentation, but new studies are innovating and reporting combinations with other key enological microorganisms such as Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Oenocous oeni, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, or other non-Saccharomyces.

A Novel Machine Learning-Based Methodology for Tool Wear Prediction Using Acoustic Emission Signals

There is an increasing trend in the industry of knowing in real-time the condition of their assets. In particular, tool wear is a critical aspect, which requires real-time monitoring to reduce costs and scrap in machining processes. Traditionally, for the purpose of predicting tool wear conditions in machining, mathematical models have been developed to extract the information from the signal of sensors attached to the machines. To reduce the complexity of developing physical models, where an in-depth knowledge of the system being modelled is required, the current trend is to use machine-learning (ML) models based on data from the tool wear. The acoustic emission (AE) technique has been widely used to capture data from and understand the real-time condition of industrial assets such as cutting tools. However, AE signal interpretation and processing is rather complex. One of the most common features extracted from AE signals to predict the tool wear is the counts parameter, defined as the number of times that the amplitude of the signal exceeds a predefined threshold. A recurrent problem of this feature is to define the adequate threshold to obtain consistent wear prediction. Additionally, AE signal bandwidth is rather wide, and the selection of the optimum frequencies band for feature extraction has been pointed out as critical and complex by many authors. To overcome these problems, this paper proposes a methodology that applies multi-threshold count feature extraction at multiresolution level using wavelet packet transform, which extracts a redundant and non-optimal feature map from the AE signal. Next, recursive feature elimination is performed to reduce and optimize the vast number of predicting features generated in the previous step, and random forests regression provides the estimated tool wear. The methodology presented was tested using data captured when turning 19NiMoCr6 steel under pre-established cutting conditions. The results obtained were compared with several ML algorithms such as k-nearest neighbors, support vector machines, artificial neural networks and decision trees. Experimental results show that the proposed method can reduce the predicted root mean squared error by 36.53%.

Microbial Communities Present in Hydrothermal Sediments from Deception Island, Antarctica

Deception Island is a geothermal location in Antarctica that presents active fumaroles, which confers unique characteristics to this habitat. Several studies about microbial communities in Antarctica have been carried out, nevertheless, Antarctic microbiota is still partially unknown. Here we present a multidisciplinary study about sediments obtained by deposition during 4 years in which several approaches have been considered for their characterization. First, a physicochemical characterization, using ionic chromatography and mass spectrometry for the determination of most abundant ions (chloride and sulphate) and elements (mainly silicon), was conducted. In addition, the total microbial community was studied using a metataxonomical approach, revealing a bacterial community dominated by Proteobacteria and Thaumarchaeota as the main archaeal genera and a fungal community mainly composed by Aspergillaceae. Culture-dependent studies showed low microbial diversity, only achieving the isolation of Bacillus-related species, some of them thermophilic, and the isolation of common fungi of Aspergillus or Penicillium spp. Furthermore, diatoms were detected in the sediment and characterized attending to their morphological characteristics using scanning electron microscopy. The study reveals a high influence of the physicochemical conditions in the microbial populations and their distribution, offering valuable data on the interaction between the island and water microbiota.

High Potential of Pichia kluyveri and Other Pichia Species in Wine Technology

The surfaces of grapes are covered by different yeast species that are important in the first stages of the fermentation process. In recent years, non-Saccharomyces yeasts such as Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, and Pichia kluyveri have become popular with regard to winemaking and improved wine quality. For that reason, several manufacturers started to offer commercially available strains of these non-Saccharomyces species. P. kluyveri stands out, mainly due to its contribution to wine aroma, glycerol, ethanol yield, and killer factor. The metabolism of the yeast allows it to increase volatile molecules such as esters and varietal thiols (aroma-active compounds), which increase the quality of specific varietal wines or neutral ones. It is considered a low- or non-fermentative yeast, so subsequent inoculation of a more fermentative yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae is indispensable to achieve a proper fermented alcohol. The impact of P. kluyveri is not limited to the grape wine industry; it has also been successfully employed in beer, cider, durian, and tequila fermentation, among others, acting as a promising tool in those fermentation processes. Although no Pichia species other than P. kluyveri is available in the regular market, several recent scientific studies show interesting improvements in some wine quality parameters such as aroma, polysaccharides, acid management, and color stability. This could motivate yeast manufacturers to develop products based on those species in the near future.

The Genus Metschnikowia in Enology

Over the last decade, several non-Saccharomyces species have been used as an alternative yeast for producing wines with sensorial properties that are distinctive in comparison to those produced using only Saccharomycescerevisiae as the classical inoculum. Among the non-Saccharomyces wine yeasts, Metschnikowia is one of the most investigated genera due to its widespread occurrence and its impact in winemaking, and it has been found in grapevine phyllospheres, fruit flies, grapes, and wine fermentations as being part of the resident microbiota of wineries and wine-making equipment. The versatility that allows some Metschnikowia species to be used for winemaking relies on an ability to grow in combination with other yeast species, such as S. cerevisiae, during the first stages of wine fermentation, thereby modulating the synthesis of secondary metabolites during fermentation in order to improve the sensory profile of the wine. Metschnikowia exerts a moderate fermentation power, some interesting enzymatic activities involving aromatic and color precursors, and potential antimicrobial activity against spoilage yeasts and fungi, resulting in this yeast being considered an interesting tool for use in the improvement of wine quality. The abovementioned properties have mostly been determined from studies on Metschnikowia pulcherrima wine strains. However, M. fructicola and M. viticola have also recently been studied for winemaking purposes.

Electromechanical Properties of PVDF-Based Polymers Reinforced with Nanocarbonaceous Fillers for Pressure Sensing Applications

Polymer-based composites reinforced with nanocarbonaceous materials can be tailored for functional applications. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNT) or graphene with different filler contents have been developed as potential piezoresistive materials. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites depend on the PVDF matrix, filler type, and filler content. PVDF 6010 is a relatively more ductile material, whereas PVDF-HFP (hexafluropropylene) shows larger maximum strain near 300% strain for composites with CNT, 10 times higher than the pristine polymer. This behavior is similar for all composites reinforced with CNT. On the other hand, reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/PVDF composites decrease the maximum strain compared to neat PVDF. It is shown that the use of different PVDF copolymers does not influence the electrical properties of the composites. On the other hand, CNT as filler leads to composites with percolation threshold around 0.5 wt.%, whereas rGO nanocomposites show percolation threshold at ≈ 2 wt.%. Both nanocomposites present excellent linearity between applied pressure and resistance variation, with pressure sensibility (PS) decreasing with applied pressure, from PS ≈ 1.1 to 0.2 MPa⁻¹. A proof of concept demonstration is presented, showing the suitability of the materials for industrial pressure sensing applications.

Serum haptoglobin response in red deer naturally infected with tuberculosis

The analysis of haptoglobin (Hp) serum concentration is a very sensitive, but non-specific, indicator of inflammation or infection. Methods to accurately diagnose infection in vivo in wildlife are usually constrained by low sensitivity due to the effects of stress on individual immune response and the challenging logistics of performing tests in the wild. Firstly, we sought to determine serum Hp concentration in red deer (Cervus elaphus) naturally infected with bovine tuberculosis (TB). Secondly, we assessed the complementary diagnostic value of serum Hp levels in conjunction with the cervical comparative skin test (CCT) performed in a subsample (n = 33). Serum Hp concentrations were significantly higher in TB-infected individuals (based on the presence of macroscopic lesions confirmed by culture) compared to those uninfected. In addition, serum Hp significantly changed with the type of animal handling, with captured and handled animals showing higher levels of Hp than hunted animals. Four out of 6 TB positive individuals that tested negative to the CCT (false negatives) showed Hp levels higher than the 95th percentile of healthy animals. These findings indicate that an acute phase response develops in animals with TB. In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time that an acute phase protein can provide a complementary assessment for specific diagnosis tests in wild species.

Biotic and abiotic factors shape the microbiota of wild-caught populations of the arbovirus vector Culicoides imicola

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are known vectors of arboviruses affecting human and animal health. However, little is known about Culicoides imicola microbiota and its influence on this insect's biology. In this study, the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on C. imicola microbiota was characterized using shotgun-metagenomic sequencing of whole-body DNA samples. Wild-caught C. imicola adult nulliparous females were sampled in two locations from Sicily, Italy. The climatic variables of temperature and soil moisture from both localities were recorded together with potential host bloodmeal sources. Shared core microbiome among C. imicola populations included Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Halomonas, Candidatus Zinderia, Propionibacterium, and Schizosaccharomyces. Specific and unique taxa were also found in C. imicola from each location, highlighting similarities and differences in microbiome composition between the two populations. DNA and protein identification showed differences in host preferences between the two populations, with Homo sapiens and Canis lupus familiaris L. being the preferred bloodmeal source in both locations. A principal component analysis showed that the combined effect of host preferences (H. sapiens) and local soil moisture factors shape the microbiome composition of wild-caught populations of C. imicola. These results contribute to characterizing the role of the microbiome in insect adaptation and its utility in predicting geographic expansion of Culicoides species with potential implications for the control of vector-borne diseases.

Turbulence level effects on conventional reflectometry using 2D full-wave simulations

Numerical simulations are critical in improving the capabilities of microwave diagnostics. In this work, the 2D finite-difference time-domain full-wave code REFMUL was applied to broadband turbulent plasmas using the conventional reflectometry setup. Simulations were performed with O-mode waves, fixed frequency probing, and I/Q detection. The plasma density, determining O-mode propagation, was modeled as the sum of a slab background plasma with a fluctuating component following a Kolmogorov-like amplitude k-spectrum. The density turbulence level δn _e/n _e was scanned over several orders of magnitude for simulated plasma flows of constant plasma velocity in either the radial or the poloidal direction. Simulations show trends, such as spectral broadening of the complex A(t)e^iφ(t) signals and increasing fluctuations in A(t) and φ(t) with increasing δn _e/n _e, that are similar for both plasma flow directions. These together with possibilities to reconstruct a poloidal wavenumber spectrum are discussed in view of extending the measuring capabilities. The onset of non-linear effects associated with phase runaway, as previously observed with other 1D and 2D codes, as well as radial Doppler effects is also observed and discussed.

Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma to the Head and Neck Area

AIMS AND BACKGROUND

Metastases of renal cell carcinoma to the head and neck are rare. We report on three cases with tumor spread to this area (nasal cavity, tongue and larynx) and present a review of the literature.

PATIENTS

The first patient presented with lung and nasal cavity metastases five years after renal tumor resection. In patient 2 the diagnosis of primary renal carcinoma and lung and tongue metastases was concomitant. In case 3 a primary kidney tumor was not suspected until radical resection of a tongue lesion was performed.

RESULTS

The first two patients received radiation therapy. They had been previously treated with interleukin + interferon and vinblastine + interleukin 2 and achieved a survival of 14 and 16 months, respectively. The third patient has not been given any treatment to date (apart from surgery) and remains asymptomatic four years after diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with cell carcinoma the occurrence of lesions in the head and neck area may suggest metastases. In some cases they may precede the diagnosis of a renal tumor and mimic a primary head and neck tumor; otolaryngologists should be aware of this possibility. An individualized treatment approach is recommended. In the case of solitary metastases a surgical excision should be performed as palliation, if not cure.

Management of hunting waste as control measure for tuberculosis in wild ungulates in south-central Spain

In recent decades, habitat change and the intensive management of wild ungulates for hunting have led to an increase in their populations in south-central Spain. This implies a higher generation of hunting waste, which can favour the transmission of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of the proper disposal of hunting waste as TB control measure in wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) during the 2008/2009 to 2016/2017 hunting seasons. Blood samples from 664 wild boar and 934 red deer were obtained in 14 game estates in two provinces in Andalusia (Area 1), where the disposal of hunting waste was implemented since the 2012/2013 hunting season. Besides, six game estates in the province of Ciudad Real, in Castilla-La Mancha (Area 2), an adjacent region where this management measure was not implemented during the studied period, were used as controls, sampling 277 wild boar and 427 red deer sera. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC), seroprevalence detected in wild boar from Area 1, was significantly higher before the disposal of big game hunting by-products (82.8%; 2008/2009-2012/2013) compared to the second period (61.8%; 2013/2014-2016/2017) (p < .001), after this control measure became established. By contrast, no significant differences between periods were found in wild boar (41.3% versus 44.8%; p = .33) and red deer (14.9% versus 11.6%; p = .19) from Area 2 as well as in red deer (10.8% versus 10.5%; p = .48) from Area 1. The proper disposal of hunting waste contributed to achieve a 25% reduction in MTC seroprevalence in wild boar. These results are of particular relevance regarding wild boar in the current context of re-emerging and emerging diseases such as TB and African Swine Fever in Europe. Further studies are needed to assess the effect of this measure on the health status of livestock and other wildlife species.

Assessing ECG signal quality indices to discriminate ECGs with artefacts from pathologically different arrhythmic ECGs

False and non-actionable alarms in critical care can be reduced by developing algorithms which assess the trueness of an arrhythmia alarm from a bedside monitor. Computational approaches that automatically identify artefacts in ECG signals are an important branch of physiological signal processing which tries to address this issue. Signal quality indices (SQIs) derived considering differences between artefacts which occur in ECG signals and normal QRS morphology have the potential to discriminate pathologically different arrhythmic ECG segments as artefacts. Using ECG signals from the PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2015 training set, we studied previously reported ECG SQIs in the scientific literature to differentiate ECG segments with artefacts from arrhythmic ECG segments. We found that the ability of SQIs to discriminate between ECG artefacts and arrhythmic ECG varies based on arrhythmia type since the pathology of each arrhythmic ECG waveform is different. Therefore, to reduce the risk of SQIs classifying arrhythmic events as noise it is important to validate and test SQIs with databases that include arrhythmias. Arrhythmia specific SQIs may also minimize the risk of misclassifying arrhythmic events as noise.

Corpus based learning of stochastic, context-free grammars combined with Hidden Markov Models for tRNA modelling

In this paper, a new method for modelling tRNA secondary structures is presented. This method is based on the combination of stochastic context-free grammars (SCFG) and Hidden Markov Models (HMM). HMM are used to capture the local relations in the loops of the molecule (nonstructured regions) and SCFG are used to capture the long term relations between nucleotides of the arms (structured regions). Given annotated public databases, the HMM and SCFG models are learned by means of automatic inductive learning methods. Two SCFG learning methods have been explored. Both of them take advantage of the structural information associated with the training sequences: one of them is based on a stochastic version of the Sakakibara algorithm and the other one is based on a Corpus based algorithm. A final model is then obtained by merging of the HMM of the nonstructured regions and the SCFG of the structured regions. Finally, the performed experiments on the tRNA sequence corpus and the non-tRNA sequence corpus give significant results. Comparative experiments with another published method are also presented.

Environmental Presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Aggregation Points at the Wildlife/Livestock Interface

The members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) cause tuberculosis (TB). Infection is transmitted within and between livestock and wildlife populations, thus hampering TB control. Indirect transmission might be facilitated if MTC bacteria persist in the environment long enough to represent a risk of exposure to different species sharing the same habitat. We have, for the first time, addressed the relationship between environmental MTC persistence and the use of water resources in two TB endemic areas in southern Spain with the objective of identifying the presence of environmental MTC and its driving factors at ungulates' water aggregation points. Camera-trap monitoring and MTC diagnosis (using a new MTC complex-specific PCR technique) were carried out at watering sites. Overall, 55.8% of the water points tested positive for MTC in mud samples on the shore, while 8.9% of them were positive in the case of water samples. A higher percentage of MTC-positive samples was found at those waterholes where cachectic animals were identified using camera-trap monitoring, and at the smallest waterholes. Our results help to understand the role of indirect routes of cross-species TB transmission and highlight the importance of certain environmental features in maintaining infection in multihost systems. This will help to better target actions and implement control strategies for TB at the wildlife/livestock interface.

Influence of evisceration time and carcass ageing conditions on wild venison quality. Preliminary study

The influence of common carcass preparation practices of wild red deer on the physicochemical, microbiological and sensory quality of venison was assessed by varying evisceration time and ageing method. Deer were head shot; half were eviscerated 30 min and the other half 4 h post mortem. In both groups (n=18), 6 carcasses were skinned immediately after evisceration and aged for 24 h; 6 were aged unskinned for 24 h and 6 were aged unskinned for 72 h at 10°C. Ageing method had a significant effect on the sensory quality of venison loin; unskinned ageing was associated with an increase of odour and taste intensity, and higher scores for gamey and sweet/caramel flavours. Carcasses aged for 72 h displayed darker and tender meat, but increased aerobic bacterial counts. Evisceration time had less influence on loin quality, although off-flavours were more often detected in deer eviscerated 4h post mortem.

DNA Detection Reveals Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Shedding Routes in Its Wildlife Reservoir the Eurasian Wild Boar

Since the intensity and frequency of pathogen shedding by hosts determine the probability of infection through direct and indirect contact, the shedding characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) in the key host reservoir in Iberia, the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), is crucial. We aimed (i) to describe the natural shedding routes of MTC in free-ranging wild boar by a new semi-automated PCR method and (ii) to determine the association of MTC shedding pattern with tuberculosis (TB) progression and individual factors. MTC shedding (by any of the possible routes) was detected in a total of 30.8% (±7.5) out of the sampled individuals with valid or interpretable test results (n = 39). The proportion of TB-positive shedders according to the route was 13.6% (±7.5) for oral swabs, 4.5% (±4.5) for nasal swabs, 4.5% (±4.4) for faecal swabs and 13.6% (±7.5) for individuals being positive to all swabs concomitantly. The probability of shedding mycobacteria (by any route) statistically associated with TB generalization, and the TB score was significantly higher in individuals testing positive to at least one route compared to negatives. Overall, a diversity of shedding routes in wild boar is possible, and it is remarkable that for the first time, the faecal shedding is confirmed for naturally infected wild boar. Our results are consistent with the role wild boar plays for TB maintenance in host communities and environments in Iberia and confirm that it is an important source of mycobacteria infection by different routes. Finally, we evidenced the use of a new PCR technique to detect MTC DNA in excretions can be practical and defined the target routes for sampling wild boar shedding in future studies, such as interventions to control TB in wild boar that can be measured in terms of impact on mycobacteria excretion and transmission (i.e. vaccination).

Late sodium current block for drug-induced long QT syndrome: Results from a prospective clinical trial

Drug-induced long QT syndrome has resulted in many drugs being withdrawn from the market. At the same time, the current regulatory paradigm for screening new drugs causing long QT syndrome is preventing drugs from reaching the market, sometimes inappropriately. In this study, we report the results of a first-of-a-kind clinical trial studying late sodium (mexiletine and lidocaine) and calcium (diltiazem) current blocking drugs to counteract the effects of hERG potassium channel blocking drugs (dofetilide and moxifloxacin). We demonstrate that both mexiletine and lidocaine substantially reduce heart-rate corrected QT (QTc) prolongation from dofetilide by 20 ms. Furthermore, all QTc shortening occurs in the heart-rate corrected J-Tpeak (J-Tpeak c) interval, the biomarker we identified as a sign of late sodium current block. This clinical trial demonstrates that late sodium blocking drugs can substantially reduce QTc prolongation from hERG potassium channel block and assessment of J-Tpeak c may add value beyond only assessing QTc.

Constant Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Circulation in Wild Boar and Red Deer in Spain: An Increasing Concern Source of HEV Zoonotic Transmission

Hepatitis E is a viral zoonosis that affects multiple hosts. The complete dynamics of infection in wildlife are still unknown, but the previous fact facilitates the maintenance and circulation of the virus, posing a risk to human health in the case of meat consumption from susceptible animals. In Spain, it has been shown how domestic pigs, cattle and wildlife (i.e. wild boar and red deer) clearly interact in hunting farms, generating a complex epidemiological situation in terms of interspecies pathogen transmission. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to (i) evaluate the circulation of the virus in geographically close domestic (Iberian pigs) and wild animals (wild boar and deer) living in hunting areas from central Spain over an 8-year period (2003-2010) and (ii) to determine whether HEV could be used as a marker of domestic-wildlife contact. For these purposes, a longitudinal analysis of Iberian pig, wild boar and red deer samples (n = 287) through virological and serological tests was conducted to shed light upon the circulation events of HEV. Regarding HEV RNA detection by real-time RT-PCR, 10.12% samples (95% CI: 5.44-14.8) from wild boar and 16.05% samples (95% CI: 8.06-24.04) from red deer were positive. As for the Iberian pigs, none of the 48 samples was positive for HEV RNA detection. In the serological analysis, 43.75% (95% CI: 29.75-57.75) from Iberian pig, 57.40% (95% CI: 48.10-66.70) from wild boar and 12.85% (95% CI: 5.01-20.69) samples from red deer presented anti-HEV antibodies. Positive samples were distributed among all study years (2003-2010). These results depict the urgent need to improve the inspection and surveillance of these species and their products. In the case of HEV, it is clear that the stable and constant presence of the virus in wildlife and its contact with Iberian pigs pose a risk for human health as they are all destined for human consumption.

Effect of wild ungulate density on invertebrates in a Mediterranean ecosystem

In recent decades, the abundance and distribution of certain big game species, particularly red deer (Cervus elaphus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa), have increased in south central Spain as a result of hunting management strategies. The high density of these ungulate species may affect the abundance of epigeous invertebrates. We tested the relationships between big game abundance and biodiversity, taxon richness, the biomass of invertebrates and their frequency on nine hunting estates and in comparison to ungulate exclusion areas. Ungulate exclusion itself affected invertebrate richness, since lower values were found in the open plots, whereas the highest differences in invertebrate diversity between fenced and open plots was found in areas with high wild boar density. Where wild boar densities were high, the number of invertebrates decreased, while where they were low, red deer had a positive effect on invertebrate abundance. Fenced plots thus seemed to provide refuge for invertebrates, particularly where wild boar were abundant. This study supports the idea that the structure of fauna communities is damaged by high density populations of ungulates, probably due to decreased food availability owing to overgrazing, modified conditions of ecological microniches and direct predation. However, the effects depended on the group of invertebrates, since saprophytic species could benefit from high ungulate abundance. Our findings reflect the need to control ungulate population density under Mediterranean conditions in south–western Europe and to implement ungulate exclusion plots.

Audit method suited for DSS in clinical environment

This chapter presents a novel online method to audit predictive models using a Bayesian perspective. The auditing model has been specifically designed for Decision Support Systems (DSSs) suited for clinical or research environments. Taking as starting point the working diagnosis supplied by the clinician, this method compares and evaluates the predictive skills of those models able to answer to that diagnosis. The approach consists in calculating the posterior odds of a model through the composition of a prior odds, a static odds, and a dynamic odds. To do so, this method estimates the posterior odds from the cases that the comparing models had in common during the design stage and from the cases already viewed by the DSS after deployment in the clinical site. In addition, if an ontology of the classes is available, this method can audit models answering related questions, which offers a reinforcement to the decisions the user already took and gives orientation on further diagnostic steps.The main technical novelty of this approach lies in the design of an audit model adapted to suit the decision workflow of a clinical environment. The audit model allows deciding what is the classifier that best suits each particular case under evaluation and allows the detection of possible misbehaviours due to population differences or data shifts in the clinical site. We show the efficacy of our method for the problem of brain tumor diagnosis with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS).

A numerical study of fixed frequency reflectometry measurements of plasma filaments with radial and poloidal velocity components

A 2D finite-differences time-domain full-wave code is used to simulate the measurements of plasma filaments with fixed frequency O-mode reflectometry. The plasma is modeled by a linear slab plasma plus a Gaussian perturbation propagating in a direction that can vary from poloidal to radial. The plasma background density gradient is chosen in agreement with the steep edge transport barrier of H-modes in the ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) tokamak. Illustrative results are presented and different types of reflectometry responses are observed depending on filament sizes and propagation directions. The reflectometry signatures obtained here with numerical simulations support previous experimental findings on filament measurements.

Analysis of mobile health applications for a broad spectrum of consumers: a user experience approach

Mobile health (m-health) apps can bring health prevention and promotion to the general population. The main purpose of this article is to analyze different m-health apps for a broad spectrum of consumers by means of three different experiences. This goal was defined following the strategic documents generated by the main prospective observatories of Information and Communications Technology for health. After a general exploration of the app markets, we analyze the entries of three specific themes focused in this article: type 2 diabetes, obesity, and breast-feeding. The user experiences reported in this study mostly cover the segments of (1) chronically monitored consumers through a Web mobile app for predicting type 2 diabetes (Diab_Alert app), (2) information seekers through a mobile app for maternity (Lactation app) and partially (3) the motivated healthy consumers through a mobile app for a dietetic monitoring and assessment (SapoFit app). These apps were developed by the authors of this work.

Tacalcitol in the treatment of acquired perforating collagenosis

Acquired perforating collagenosis (APC) is a rare perforating dermatosis characterized by transepidermal collagen elimination. We describe a 65-year-old patient, with long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus and a 2-year history of itchy hyperkeratotic nodules situated on the back, who was subsequently diagnosed with APC. Treatment included topical corticosteroids and antihistamines, without improvement of the lesions. However, therapy with topical tacalcitol administered for 2 months produced a significant response leading to complete remission of APC.

Sex-related differences in body condition and serum biochemical parameters in red deer (Cervus elaphus) naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis

Although Mycobacterium bovis infection is commonly reported in red deer (Cervus elaphus), potential differences in the effects of infection on male and female animals in terms of body condition and clinical biochemistry have not been reported. Between November 2000 and January 2006, serum and biometrical data were collected post-mortem from 88 red deer. M. bovis-infected deer, particularly males, were typically older, heavier and in poorer body condition than uninfected animals. Serum triglyceride, cholesterol (both particularly in males) and total protein concentrations were lower, whereas serum creatinine (more evident in females), and immunoglobulin G and M concentrations were higher in the infected deer. These sex-related differences in the response to M. bovis infection in red deer should be considered when undertaking epidemiological assessments and designing disease control strategies as they may reflect differing roles of male and female animals as potential reservoirs or disseminators of disease.

The seroprevalence of human infection withRickettsia slovaca, in an area of northern Spain

An epidemiological survey was undertaken to explore human exposure to Rickettsia slovaca in two provinces of northern Spain. When IFAT were used to test 200 members of the general population for antibodies to rickettsiae of the spotted-fever group, six (3.3%) were found positive, presumably, since Dermacentor is one of the most common genera of human-biting tick in the study area, for antibodies to R. slovaca. Thirty-one (16.9%) of an additional 183 subjects who presented shortly after being bitten by ticks were also found seropositive. The difference in seroprevalence between the general and the tick-bitten populations was significant. Subject gender had no influence on seroprevalence in either population, although, in the tick-bitten group, age and occupation did have a significant influence on the prevalence recorded. Immunoblotting was used to confirm the presence of antibodies in the five subjects, all from the tick-bitten group, found to have acute infections. Three D. marginatus ticks obtained from three of these acute cases were found PCR-positive for R. slovaca DNA.

Extracting MRS discriminant functional features of brain tumors

The current challenge in automatic brain tumor classification based on MRS is the improvement of the robustness of the classification models that explicitly account for the probable breach of the independent and identically distributed conditions in the MRS data points. To contribute to this purpose, a new algorithm for the extraction of discriminant MRS features of brain tumors based on a functional approach is presented. Functional data analysis based on region segmentation (RSFDA) is based on the functional data analysis formalism using nonuniformly distributed B splines according to spectral regions that are highly correlated. An exhaustive characterization of the method is presented in this work using controlled and real scenarios. The performance of RSFDA was compared with other widely used feature extraction methods. In all simulated conditions, RSFDA was proven to be stable with respect to the number of variables selected and with respect to the classification performance against noise and baseline artifacts. Furthermore, with real multicenter datasets classification, RSFDA and peak integration (PI) obtained better performance than the other feature extraction methods used for comparison. Other advantages of the method proposed are its usefulness in selecting the optimal number of features for classification and its simplified functional representation of the spectra, which contributes to highlight the discriminative regions of the MR spectrum for each classification task.

Prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in adult Dermacentor spp. ticks from nine collection sites in France

The importance of Dermacentor spp. in the transmission of tick-borne pathogens is not well recognized in Europe. To investigate the role of Dermacentor spp. in the transmission of tick-borne pathogens, questing ticks were collected in 9 sites from southern to northwestern France (Camargue Delta to Eastern Brittany) where Dermacentor spp. exist and tick-borne diseases had occurred previously. Three tick species were collected during the spring and autumn of 2009. Collected ticks (both males and females) included D. marginatus (n=377), D. reticulatus (n=74), and I. ricinus (n=45). All ticks were analyzed by PCR or reverse line blot for the presence of pathogens' DNA. Pathogens analyzed were based on veterinarian reports and included Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma marginale, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bartonella spp., Babesia spp., Theileria spp., and Francisella sp. Francisella tularensis was not detected in any of the analyzed ticks. In D. marginatus, infection prevalence for A. phagocytophilum (3%) was similar to that found in I. ricinus in Europe. Other pathogens present in D. marginatus included A. marginale (0.5%), Bartonella spp. (9%), C. burnetii (12%), F. philomiragia (1.3%), and Theileria annulata/Babesia bovis (0.3%), which were detected for the first time in France. Pathogens detected in D. reticulatus included A. marginale (1%), Bartonella spp. (12%), C. burnetii (16%), Borrelia spp. (1.5%), and F. philomiragia (19%). Pathogens detected in I. ricinus included A. phagocytophilum (41%), Bartonella spp. (9%), C. burnetii (18%), A. marginale (1%), Borrelia spp. (4.5%), and Babesia sp. (7%). This study represents the first epidemiological approach to characterize tick-borne pathogens infecting Dermacentor spp. in France and that may be transmitted by ticks from this genus. Further experiments using experimental infections and transmission may be now conducted to analyze vector competency of Dermacentor spp. for these pathogens and to validate such hypothesis.