Hemoprotozoa of domestic animals in France: Prevalence and molecular characterization

Very limited information is available on epizootiology of haematozoan infections in French domestic animals. In an attempt to address this issue, prevalence of piroplasmida was studied in carnivores and ruminants, whereas prevalence of Hepatozoon spp. was only investigated in carnivores. In total, 383 animals were included in the survey (namely 116 cats, 108 dogs, 91 sheep and 68 cows). Parasite diagnosis was carried out using molecular methods such as PCR and sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene. In addition, ruminant samples were analyzed with the reverse line blotting technique (RLB). Results of RLB and PCR plus sequencing were in total agreement. In carnivores, haematozoan prevalence was close to 1%. Two cats were infected by H. canis (1.7% prevalence) and one of them was co-infected by Cytauxzoon sp. (0.8%). This represents the first finding of both pathogens in French cats. One dog was infected by H. canis (0.9%) and another by Babesia canis vogeli (0.9%). In ruminants, haematozoan prevalence (piroplasmida) was significantly higher than in carnivores (4.8% in sheep and 8.8% in cow). Theileria ovis was found in 1 sheep, Theileria sp. in 2 sheep, Theileria buffeli in 5 cows and B. major in 1 cow. Evidence presented in this contribution indicates that haematic protozoa are not widely distributed in domestic mammal populations of France

Further insights into the floral character of Touriga Nacional Wines

Higher-quality Touriga Nacional (TN) wines are characterized by a fruity-citric aroma described as sweet and fresh citrus evoking the bergamot fruit (Citrus bergamia). In fact, “bergamot-like” descriptor is currently employed to rate higher quality TN wines. The aim of thiswork was to identify among volatile compounds present in bergamot fruit extracts (mainly terpenes) which of them contributes the most to the bergamot overall perception, and relate these data with the volatile composition of TN wines. The identification of the most important descriptors was done by sensory analysis. Among 18 descriptors 3were selected: bergamot-like aroma, orange like, and violet. A GCO of a typical TN wine extract allows the identification of 3 related odorant zones ZO1, ZO2, and ZO3 related with bergamot-like aroma. Using AEDA, ZO2 was confirmed to be one of the most important odorant zones. Using AEDA the presence of linalool and linalyl acetate was confirmed. A similarity test was performedwith a non-TN wine added with linalool and linalyl acetate alone or in combinations. The highest similarity value was observed when linalool (SV = 5.9) was added. In fact, results obtained from the analysis of several red wines from different varieties show that terpenols are present in higher amounts in wines coming from TN variety, which proves that these compounds can be the clue to the varietal aroma of TN wines

Impact of volatile phenols and their precursors on wine quality and control measures of Brettanomyces/Dekkera yeasts

Volatile phenols are aromatic compounds and one of the key molecules responsible for olfactory defects in wine. The yeast genus Brettanomyces is the only major microorganism that has the ability to covert hydroxycinnamic acids into important levels of these compounds, especially 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol, in red wine. When 4-ethylphenols reach concentrations greater than the sensory threshold, all wine’s organoleptic characteristics might be influenced or damaged. The aim of this literature review is to provide a better understanding of the physicochemical, biochemical, and metabolic factors that are related to the levels of p-coumaric acid and volatile phenols in wine. Then, this work summarizes the different methods used for controlling the presence of Brettanomyces in wine and the production of ethylphenols

Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of XR11576, an oral topoisomerase I and II inhibitor, administered on days 1–5 of a 3-weekly cycle in patients with advanced solid tumours

XR11576 is an oral topoisomerase I and II inhibitor. The objectives of this phase I study were to assess the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and to describe the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of XR11576 when administered orally on days 1-5 every 3 weeks to patients with advanced solid tumours. Patients were treated with escalating doses of XR11576 at doses ranging from 30

Chilean wine varietal classification using quadratic Fisher transformation

This paper deals with the Chilean red wine varietal classification problem. The problem is solved here by using one of the simplest statistical classification methods based on quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) together with a new recently introduced nonlinear feature extraction technique called quadratic Fisher transformation. Classification is based on liquid chromatograms of polyphenolic compounds present in wine samples, obtained from a high performance liquid chromatograph with diode alignment detector. For comparison purposes three other feature extraction methods are studied: linear Fisher transformation, Fourier transform and wavelet transform, maintaining QDA as classification scheme. From experimental results it is possible to conclude that when using quadratic discriminant analysis as classification method, the percentage of correct classification was improved from 91% (obtained for the case of wavelet extraction) to 99% when employing quadratic Fisher transformation as feature extraction method.The results presented in this work were supported by CONYCIT-Chile, under grant FONDEF D01-1016, ‘‘Chilean Red Wine Classification by means of Intelligent Instrumentation’’

Efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of bipolar disorder: a systematic review

Abstract BACKGROUND: The current article is a systematic review concerning the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of bipolar disorder. METHODS: A systematic Medline and repositories search concerning the usefulness of aripiprazole in bipolar disorder was performed, with the combination of the words 'aripiprazole' and 'bipolar'. RESULTS: The search returned 184 articles and was last updated on 15 April 2009. An additional search included repositories of clinical trials and previous systematic reviews specifically in order to trace unpublished trials. There were seven placebo-controlled randomised controlled trials (RCTs), six with comparator studies and one with add-on studies. They assessed the usefulness of aripiprazole in acute mania, acute bipolar depression and during the maintenance phase in comparison to placebo, lithium or haloperidol. CONCLUSION: Aripiprazole appears effective for the treatment and prophylaxis against mania. The data on bipolar depression are so far negative, however there is a need for further study at lower dosages. The most frequent adverse effects are extrapyramidal signs and symptoms, especially akathisia, without any significant weight gain, hyperprolactinaemia or laboratory test changes