Performance of a new pulse contour method for continuous cardiac output monitoring: validation in critically ill patients

Background A new calibrated pulse wave analysis method (VolumeView™/EV1000™, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) has been developed to continuously monitor cardiac output (CO). The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the VolumeView method, and of the PiCCO2™ pulse contour method (Pulsion Medical Systems, Munich, Germany), with reference transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) CO measurements. Methods This was a prospective, multicentre observational study performed in the surgical and interdisciplinary intensive care units of four tertiary hospitals. Seventy-two critically ill patients were monitored with a central venous catheter, and a thermistor-tipped femoral arterial VolumeView™ catheter connected to the EV1000™ monitor. After initial calibration by TPTD CO was continuously assessed using the VolumeView-CCO software (CCOVolumeView) during a 72 h period. TPTD was performed in order to obtain reference CO values (COREF). TPTD and arterial wave signals were transmitted to a PiCCO2™ monitor in order to obtain CCOPiCCO values. CCOVolumeView and CCOPiCCO were recorded over a 5 min interval before assessment of COTPTD. Bland-Altman analysis, %errors, and concordance (trend analysis) were calculated. Results A total of 338 matched sets of data were available for comparison. Bias for CCOVolumeView−COREF was −0.07 litre min−1 and for CCOPiCCO-COREF +0.03 litre min−1. Corresponding limits of agreement were 2.00 and 2.48 litre min−1 (P<0.01), %errors 29 and 37%, respectively. Trending capabilities were comparable for both techniques. Conclusions The performance of the new VolumeView™-CCO method is as reliable as the PiCCO2™-CCO pulse wave analysis in critically ill patients. However, an improved precision was observed with the VolumeView™ technique. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT0140504

Characterization of a mutation in a strain of Penicillium camembertii affecting the production of cyclopiazonic acid

Penicillium camembertii is a filamentous fungus used for the production of mold- fermented white cheese. It is a domesticated form of Penicillium commune, especially adapted to the food environment (Pitt et al. 1986. Food Microbiol. 3:363-371). Despite its use as food starter culture, P. camembertii is able to produce cyclopiazonic acid (CA), a secondary metabolite toxic to animals and humans (Holzapfel 1968. Tetrahedron 24:2101- 2119); Le Bars 1979. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 38:1052-1055). The synthesis of CA starts from the amino acid tryptophan with the condensation of acetyl-CoA and isoprenoids, especially dimethyl allylpyrophosphate (Holzapfel 1980. In: P.S. Steyn, The biosynthesis of mycotoxins, Academic Press). Acetyl-CoA is also the direct precursor of the isoprenoid

A simple procedure for the isolation of fungal DNA for dot blot analysis

A rapid method for the detection of transforming sequences in a fungal strain would be advantageous when trying to determine if unselected sequences are present. Colony hybridization protocols for filamentous fungi have been developed (Stohl and Lambowitz, 1983. Anal. Biochem. 134:82-85; Paietta and Marzluf, 1984. Neurospora Newsletter 31:40) and a modified method thereof was described (McClung and Dunlap, 1988. Fungal Genetics Newsletter 35:26-27). In this report a simple method for the isolation of fungal DNA from a single transformed colony suitable for dot blot analysis is described. If the original transformant colony is not too small it is sufficient to extract the DNA of one half of that colony. That means that no subculturing is necessary and the results can be available within 24 h starting from the transformant colony

Automation and data processing with the immucor Galileo (R) system in a university blood bank

Background: The implementation of automated techniques improves the workflow and quality of immuno-hematological results. The workflows of our university blood bank were reviewed during the implementation of an automated immunohematological testing system. Methods: Work impact of blood grouping and subgrouping, cross- matching and antibody search using the Immucor Galileo system was compared to the previous used standard manual and semi- automated methods. Results: The redesign of our workflow did not achieve a significant reduction of the specimen's working process time, the operator's time however was reduced by 23%. Corresponding results were achieved for blood grouping, Rhesus typing, antibody screen and for autocontrol when changing from two semi- automated to the Galileo system. Because of the higher sensitivity of the Immucor antibody detection system, the rate of the initial positive antibody screens rose from 4 to 6% Conclusion: The Immucor Galileo system automates routine blood bank testing with high reliability, specificity and higher sensitivity compared to our previous used standard manual and semi- automated methods

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV

Search for direct stau production in events with two hadronic tau-leptons in root s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of the supersymmetric partners ofτ-leptons (staus) in final stateswith two hadronically decayingτ-leptons is presented. The analysis uses a dataset of pp collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of139fb−1, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LargeHadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the expected StandardModel background is observed. Limits are derived in scenarios of direct production of stau pairs with eachstau decaying into the stable lightest neutralino and oneτ-lepton in simplified models where the two staumass eigenstates are degenerate. Stau masses from 120 GeV to 390 GeV are excluded at 95% confidencelevel for a massless lightest neutralino

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Understanding the effect of postharvest tomato temperatures on two toxigenic Alternaria spp. strains: growth, mycotoxins and cell-wall integrity-related gene expression

BackgroundTomato fruits are susceptible to Alternaria spp. spoilage. A correct postharvest management is necessary to prevent mould growth and mycotoxin accumulation, being the temperature one of the main factors. The effect of different postharvest temperatures (5, 12, 25 and 35 °C) on growth, mycotoxin production and a stress-related gene expression by two Alternaria spp. was assessed. ResultsGrowth rates decreased rapidly when temperature was higher than the optimum (25 °C), while a gradual reduction was detected at lower temperatures. Tenuazonic acid (TeA) was strongly synthesised at all temperatures evaluated, with a maximum between 12 and 25 °C. Alternariol monomethyl ether (AME) was produced only at the two lowest temperatures; with a peak at 12 °C. Regarding the expression of the stress-related RHO1 gene, during active fungal growth both Alternaria spp. showed more copies of the gene as temperature increased. At the stationary phase, the RHO1 gene expression was significantly higher at 12 °C, coinciding with AME highest accumulation. ConclusionChanges on temperatures related to different postharvest stages of tomato fruits markedly affect toxigenic Alternaria spp. The highest levels of both mycotoxins were recorded at 12 °C, a common storage temperature for tomato fruit. Additionally, an association between alternariols biosynthesis and the cell wall integrity pathway was noticed in relation to temperature, suggesting that temperature may act as stressor stimulating the RHO1 gene expression, which in turn triggers this mycotoxin synthesis. These results will be useful in developing new strategies to efficiently control Alternaria spoilage in tomato fruit and by-products.Fil: Da Cruz Cabral, Lucía Mariana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Orgánica; Argentina. Universidad de Extremadura; EspañaFil: Rodríguez, Alicia. Universidad de Extremadura; EspañaFil: Delgado, Josué. Universidad de Extremadura; EspañaFil: Patriarca, Andrea Rosana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Orgánica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Micología y Botánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Micología y Botánica; Argentin