Effect of forage fibre incluison on intake capacity and nutrient digestibility of sows

Dietary fibre is a compound of feeds which is related with physical satiety of the gut when provided in huge quantities, for example with forage inclusion, as a total mixed ration (TMR). The aim of the present experiment was to analyse the effect of increasing amounts of forage, offered to culled sows, in relation to the voluntary feed intake and nutrient digestibility of the rations. Twelve culled sows (Landrace x Large white), ranging between 3 and 8 parities, were allocated in individual crates and distributed into 4 groups according to each sow live weight (LW). A 4x4 Latin square experimental arrangement was used to obtain the 4 different dietary treatments (according to Forage: Concentrate, proportions of DM; D1, 0:100; D2, 15:85; D3 30:70 and D4 45:55). Diets D2 to D4 were the experimental diets, and were offered ad libitum, while D1 was used as a control diet offered at 3kg/day. Forage fraction consisted of maize silage (55.4% DM), chopped straw (33.3% DM) and wet brewer's grains (11.2% DM). The concentrate feed was the same for all treatments, and a 0.5% of TiO2 was included as indigestible marker to calculate nutrient digestibility. As it was expected, voluntary feed intake was reduced according to the forage increase in the diet (5.88 vs 4.25 and 3.26 kg DM/day; p<0.05). At the same time, metabolizable energy (ME) concentration of the diets also decreased from D1 to D4 (3736 vs.3130 kcal ME/kg DM; p<0.05). The main conclusions were that voluntary intake and ME of the diet decreased when forage inclusion was increased, and therefore it is possible to find an inclusion that enables ad libitum feeding while supplying energy requirements.La fibra és un component dels aliments que es relaciona habitualment amb la sacietat física de l'estómac, sobretot quan s'ofereix en grans quantitats, com podrien ser el cas d'algunes dietes amb inclusions de farratge ofertes com a ració única totalment barrejada (TMR). L'objectiu d'aquest treball era analitzar l'efecte de diferents inclusions de farratge, les quals s'incrementaven en proporcions iguals, en relació a la ingestió voluntària i la digestibilitat de les racions. Per realitzar l'experiment es van utilitzar 12 truges (Landrace x Large white) destinades ja a sacrifici, de tercer a vuitè part. Les truges es van assignar a gàbies individuals i es van distribuir en 4 grups tenint en compte el pes viu de cadascuna. El disseny experimental va consistir en un Quadrat llatí de 4x4, utilitzant 4 tractaments diferents (proporcions de Farratge :Concentrat; D1, 0:100; D2 15:85; D3 30:70 i D4 45:65, en matèria seca (MS)). Les dietes D2, D3 i D4 van utilitzar-se com a tractaments experimentals, i per això van ser ofertes ad libitum; la D1 es va utilitzar com a dieta control a raó de 3kg/dia. La fracció anomenada "farratge" estava formada per ensitjat de blat de moro (55.4% MS), palla picada (33.3% MS) i bagàs de cervesa fresc (11.2% MS). El "concentrat" utilitzat va ser igual en els 4 tractaments, i incloïa un 0.5% de TiO2 com a marcador indigestible per calcular la digestibilitat. Com s'esperava, es va observar una reducció de la ingestió voluntària associada a l'increment de farratge a la dieta (5.88 vs. 4.25 i 3.26 kg MS/dia; p<0.05). Al mateix temps, la concentració d'energia metabolitzable (EM) va baixar considerablement de la D1 a la D4 (3736 vs. 3130 kcal ME/kg MS; p<0.05). Les principals conclusions van ser que la ingestió voluntària i la concentració de ME de la dieta es redueixen a mesura que incrementa la inclusió de fibra farratgera, i per tant és possible trobar una inclusió de farratge que permeti una alimentació ad libitum mentre que l'animal es capaç de satisfer els requeriments d'energia.La fibra es un componente de los alimentos habitualmente relacionado con la saciedad física del estómago cuando se ofrece en grandes cantidades, como podría ser el caso de la inclusión de forraje ofrecido como ración única totalmente mezclada (TMR). El objetivo de éste trabajo consistió en analizar el efecto de niveles de forraje, a niveles de inclusión crecientes, en relación a la ingestión voluntaria i la digestibilidad de las ración. Para realizar el experimento se utilizaron 12 cerdas de desvieje (Landrace x Large White) de 3 a 8 partos. Las cerdas fueron alojadas en jaulas individuales y se distribuyeron en 4 grupos en base al peso vivo individual. El diseño experimental fue un Cuadrado latín de 4x4, con 4 tratamientos experimentales diferentes (proporciones Forraje:Concentrado, en materia seca (MS; %); D1, 0:100; D2, 15:85; D3, 30:70 y D4 45:55). Las dietas D2, D3 y D4 se utilizaron como tratamientos experimentales, y por este motivo fueron ofrecidas ad libitum, mientras que D1 se utilizó como dieta control a razón de 3 kg/día. La fracción forrajera estaba compuesta por ensilado de maíz (55.4% MS), paja picada (33.3% MS) y bagazo de cerveza húmedo (11.2% MS). El concentrado utilizado fue igual para los 4 tratamientos, y contenía TiO2 al 0.5% como marcador indigestible para calcular las digestibilidades. Como era de esperar, la ingestión voluntaria decreció con el incremento de forraje en la dieta (5.88 vs. 4.25 y 3.26 kg DM/día; p<0.05). Al mismo tiempo, la concentración de energía metabolizable (ME) se redujo considerablemente de la D1 a la D4 (3736 vs. 3130 kcal ME/ kg DM; p<0.05). Las principales conclusiones fueron que la ingestión voluntaria y la concentración de ME de la dieta se reducen a medida que se incrementa la inclusión de fibra forrajera, y consecuentemente es posible encontrar un nivel de inclusión de forraje que permita una alimentación ad libitum satisfaciendo los requerimientos de energía de la cerda

Effect of forage fibre incluison on intake capacity and nutrient digestibility of sows

Dietary fibre is a compound of feeds which is related with physical satiety of the gut when provided in huge quantities, for example with forage inclusion, as a total mixed ration (TMR). The aim of the present experiment was to analyse the effect of increasing amounts of forage, offered to culled sows, in relation to the voluntary feed intake and nutrient digestibility of the rations. Twelve culled sows (Landrace x Large white), ranging between 3 and 8 parities, were allocated in individual crates and distributed into 4 groups according to each sow live weight (LW). A 4x4 Latin square experimental arrangement was used to obtain the 4 different dietary treatments (according to Forage: Concentrate, proportions of DM; D1, 0:100; D2, 15:85; D3 30:70 and D4 45:55). Diets D2 to D4 were the experimental diets, and were offered ad libitum, while D1 was used as a control diet offered at 3kg/day. Forage fraction consisted of maize silage (55.4% DM), chopped straw (33.3% DM) and wet brewer's grains (11.2% DM). The concentrate feed was the same for all treatments, and a 0.5% of TiO2 was included as indigestible marker to calculate nutrient digestibility. As it was expected, voluntary feed intake was reduced according to the forage increase in the diet (5.88 vs 4.25 and 3.26 kg DM/day; p<0.05). At the same time, metabolizable energy (ME) concentration of the diets also decreased from D1 to D4 (3736 vs.3130 kcal ME/kg DM; p<0.05). The main conclusions were that voluntary intake and ME of the diet decreased when forage inclusion was increased, and therefore it is possible to find an inclusion that enables ad libitum feeding while supplying energy requirements.La fibra és un component dels aliments que es relaciona habitualment amb la sacietat física de l'estómac, sobretot quan s'ofereix en grans quantitats, com podrien ser el cas d'algunes dietes amb inclusions de farratge ofertes com a ració única totalment barrejada (TMR). L'objectiu d'aquest treball era analitzar l'efecte de diferents inclusions de farratge, les quals s'incrementaven en proporcions iguals, en relació a la ingestió voluntària i la digestibilitat de les racions. Per realitzar l'experiment es van utilitzar 12 truges (Landrace x Large white) destinades ja a sacrifici, de tercer a vuitè part. Les truges es van assignar a gàbies individuals i es van distribuir en 4 grups tenint en compte el pes viu de cadascuna. El disseny experimental va consistir en un Quadrat llatí de 4x4, utilitzant 4 tractaments diferents (proporcions de Farratge :Concentrat; D1, 0:100; D2 15:85; D3 30:70 i D4 45:65, en matèria seca (MS)). Les dietes D2, D3 i D4 van utilitzar-se com a tractaments experimentals, i per això van ser ofertes ad libitum; la D1 es va utilitzar com a dieta control a raó de 3kg/dia. La fracció anomenada "farratge" estava formada per ensitjat de blat de moro (55.4% MS), palla picada (33.3% MS) i bagàs de cervesa fresc (11.2% MS). El "concentrat" utilitzat va ser igual en els 4 tractaments, i incloïa un 0.5% de TiO2 com a marcador indigestible per calcular la digestibilitat. Com s'esperava, es va observar una reducció de la ingestió voluntària associada a l'increment de farratge a la dieta (5.88 vs. 4.25 i 3.26 kg MS/dia; p<0.05). Al mateix temps, la concentració d'energia metabolitzable (EM) va baixar considerablement de la D1 a la D4 (3736 vs. 3130 kcal ME/kg MS; p<0.05). Les principals conclusions van ser que la ingestió voluntària i la concentració de ME de la dieta es redueixen a mesura que incrementa la inclusió de fibra farratgera, i per tant és possible trobar una inclusió de farratge que permeti una alimentació ad libitum mentre que l'animal es capaç de satisfer els requeriments d'energia.La fibra es un componente de los alimentos habitualmente relacionado con la saciedad física del estómago cuando se ofrece en grandes cantidades, como podría ser el caso de la inclusión de forraje ofrecido como ración única totalmente mezclada (TMR). El objetivo de éste trabajo consistió en analizar el efecto de niveles de forraje, a niveles de inclusión crecientes, en relación a la ingestión voluntaria i la digestibilidad de las ración. Para realizar el experimento se utilizaron 12 cerdas de desvieje (Landrace x Large White) de 3 a 8 partos. Las cerdas fueron alojadas en jaulas individuales y se distribuyeron en 4 grupos en base al peso vivo individual. El diseño experimental fue un Cuadrado latín de 4x4, con 4 tratamientos experimentales diferentes (proporciones Forraje:Concentrado, en materia seca (MS; %); D1, 0:100; D2, 15:85; D3, 30:70 y D4 45:55). Las dietas D2, D3 y D4 se utilizaron como tratamientos experimentales, y por este motivo fueron ofrecidas ad libitum, mientras que D1 se utilizó como dieta control a razón de 3 kg/día. La fracción forrajera estaba compuesta por ensilado de maíz (55.4% MS), paja picada (33.3% MS) y bagazo de cerveza húmedo (11.2% MS). El concentrado utilizado fue igual para los 4 tratamientos, y contenía TiO2 al 0.5% como marcador indigestible para calcular las digestibilidades. Como era de esperar, la ingestión voluntaria decreció con el incremento de forraje en la dieta (5.88 vs. 4.25 y 3.26 kg DM/día; p<0.05). Al mismo tiempo, la concentración de energía metabolizable (ME) se redujo considerablemente de la D1 a la D4 (3736 vs. 3130 kcal ME/ kg DM; p<0.05). Las principales conclusiones fueron que la ingestión voluntaria y la concentración de ME de la dieta se reducen a medida que se incrementa la inclusión de fibra forrajera, y consecuentemente es posible encontrar un nivel de inclusión de forraje que permita una alimentación ad libitum satisfaciendo los requerimientos de energía de la cerda

Identificació de competències de pensament científic

In this paper we present the work carried out by a group of teachers from the Sciences faculty, Engineering and Educational Sciences Faculty and that has been financed by AQU-Cat. The aim of this teamwork is too elaborate a guide for the competencies assessment. Because our teaching activity is based on different subjects, the first difficulty was to find a shared starting point in relation to a "competence" concept, and to identify several competencies that need to be evaluated for different proposed activities. These activities try to integrate four dimensions: to know, to be, to act and to live together. Then a double entry table is elaborated showing interactions between cognitive aims and the proposed activities. This interaction is what we want to evaluate and are connected to the competencies we want to develop. Comparing different tables corresponding to different subjects and stiles (theoretical, practical and problems) allows us to find regularities and to define cross competencies that will also become more detailed for each case. The comparison also allows us to detect competencies that are not in these activities and to define new activities that would improve our work achieving a better competence in scientific knowledge.En aquesta comunicació presentem un treball que estem duent a terme un grup de professors de la facultat de Ciències, d'Enginyeria i de la Facultat de Ciències de l'Educació, que ha estat finançat per AQU-Cat. La finalitat del treball col·lectiu és elaborar una guia per a l'avaluació de competències. Tots nosaltres som. per tant, autors d'aquesta comunicació. La primera dificultat va ser tenir un punt de partida homogeni pel que fa al concepte de 'competència' i identificar les competències que havíem d'avaluar, atès que la nostra docència correspon a assignatures diverses, tant teòriques com pràctiques. Per això hem començat per consensuar una definició de competència segons la qual es procura integrar les quatre dimensions del saber, ser, actuar i conviure en qualsevol de les propostes docents que proposarem com exemple; i hem analitzat entre tots, des d'aquesta perspectiva, algunes de les nostres intervencions docents. L'anàlisi ens ha permès comprovar que els objectius cognitius de cada una d'elles i les activitats d'aprenentatge que proposàvem als estudiants podien representar-se en un quadre bidimensional que mostrés les interaccions entre uns i altres, de manera que justament aquestes interaccions eren avaluables i estaven relacionades amb les competències que volíem desenvolupar. La comparació entre els quadres corresponents a les diferents assignatures i estils (teòriques, pràctiques, problemes) ens permet trobar regularitats i identificar competències transversals alhora que veiem com aquestes es concreten en cada cas. També ens permet identificar noves activitats d'avaluació i noves competències que mancaven en les propostes docents que hem analitzat i que, per tant, han de ser revisades per tal de fer-les més vàlides i adequades a l'adquisició de competències de pensament científi

The Implications of Nutritional Strategies that Modify Dietary Energy and Lysine for Growth Performance in Two Different Swine Production Systems

This work aimed to determine the impacts of lowering dietary net energy (NE) density in two swine production systems that produce pigs with different carcass traits. To ensure that dietary lysine was not limiting growth, two studies were conducted in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with NE and standardized ileal digestible lysine (SID Lys) as experimental factors. A total of 1248 pigs were used in each study, Pietrain (Exp. 1, males non-castrated) or Duroc (Exp. 2, males castrated) sired. Reducing NE resulted in a greater feed intake; however, this was not sufficient to reach the same NE intake. While in Exp. 1 a 3.2% lower NE intake did not impair average daily gain (ADG; p = 0.220), in Exp. 2 a 4.7% lower NE intake reduced ADG by 1.4% (p = 0.027). Furthermore, this effect on ADG entailed a reduced ham fat thickness (p = 0.004) of the first marketed pigs. Increasing SID Lys only had a positive effect in Exp. 1, but no significant interaction between NE and SID Lys was reported (p ≥ 0.100). Therefore, dietary NE can be reduced without impairing growth performance when pigs can increase feed intake sufficiently, and thus, limit energy deficiencies

Changes in cortisol and cortisone in hair of pigs reared under heat stress conditions

Heat stress accounts for millions of dollars in losses for swine producers worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine and evaluate cortisol and cortisone in hair as indicators of thermal stress in growing pigs reared under high environmental temperatures. The study was carried out in two independent batches of commercial crosses of Lean Duroc and Pietrain in trials 1 and 2, respectively, during the growing period (from 40 to 100 kg; 81 days in trial 1 and 77 days in trial 2) in the same commercial farm in Spain during the summers of 2020 and 2021. In both cases, four rooms were used. In Trial 1, Room 1 had cooling and 11 pigs per pen; Room 2 had no cooling and 13 pigs per pen; Room 3 had no cooling and 11 pigs per pen, and Room 4 had cooling and 13 pigs per pen. In Trial 2, Rooms 2 and 3 had cooling and rooms 1 and 4 had no cooling, and all of them had 13 pigs per pen. Mean THI value was higher (p < 0.0001) in rooms without cooling systems (75.0 trial 1; 74.9 trial 2) than with them (71.3 trial 1; 71.7 trial 2). A total of four pens per room (16 in total) was selected for analysis of hair corticoids and all pigs inside were sampled at the end of the study. Fifty percent of the pigs were males (castrated and intact in trial 1 and 2, respectively) and 50% females. In total, 44, 52, 44, and 52 pigs, respectively, were sampled in four rooms from the first trial and 52 for each of four rooms in Trial 2. Cortisol concentrations in hair did not show any significant change in relation to cooling-non-cooling in any trial. However, hair cortisone concentration was 172.3 pg./mg and 105.8 pg./ mg less (p < 0.001) in pigs housed with cooling systems compared to those without them in Trial 1 and 2, respectively. In addition, the cortisone/cortisol ratio, which is an estimator of the activity of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) type 2, was also greater in rooms without cooling than in rooms with cooling in both trials (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0105 for Trials 1 and 2, respectively). In relation to the sex effect, the results showed greater levels in females than in castrated males both in cortisone and the cortisol/cortisone ratio while cortisol hair levels were greater in intact males than in females. Therefore, the use of cortisone and the estimation of 11β-HSD type 2 activity in hair is recommended to evaluate the chronic stress produced by high environmental conditions in pigs instead of using hair cortisol concentrations alone.This study was included in Vall Companys, S.A.U.’s project WELFARE+ 8IDI-20210216 co-funded by Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), a Public Business Entity, answering to the Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). DE was funded by the postdoctoral contract “Generational renewal to promote research” of the University of Murcia. ML-A (FJC2021-047105-I) by means of a post-doctoral fellowship, “Juan de la Cierva Formación,” supported by the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.”info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reducing Stocking Densities and Using Cooling Systems for More Adapted Pigs to High Temperatures When Reared in Intensive Conditions

This study is aimed at evaluating the effect of reducing stocking density and using cooling systems to mitigate the negative effects of high temperatures in growing pigs (females and castrated males) reared in intensive conditions (from 25 to 100 kg) during summer (June to October 2020). The experimental design was a 2 × 2 factorial where pigs were provided with an evaporative cooling system and/or raised at regular or at lower stocking densities (i.e., 0.68 to 0.80 m2/animal). Treatments were distributed in four different rooms containing sex-balanced pens with either castrated males or females. Temperature and humidity were recorded throughout the experiment, and the temperature–humidity index was calculated. Heat stress (HS) on pigs was measured through changes in animals’ performance, animal-based indicators (dirtiness and activity budget) and physiological indicators (neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and hair cortisol). The use of cooling, lowering stocking density and the combination of both strategies had positive effects on pigs’ final body weight (+5 kg, +3 kg, +9 kg, respectively; p < 0.001). The prevalence of dirtiness was similar at the stocking densities tested, and no clear effect of the cooling system was found. Both mitigation strategies lowered the physiological indicators of stress, although only hair cortisone can be considered an indicator of HS. In conclusion, both mitigation strategies are effective in improving pig welfare and performance, especially when both are combined. The severity of the stocking density effect may depend on the severity of the temperature.This study was included in Vall Companys, S.A.U.’s project WELFARE+ 8IDI-20210216 co-funded by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), a Public Business Entity, answering to the Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). D.E. was funded by the postdoctoral contract “Generational renewal to promote research” of the University of Murcia. M.L.-A. (FJC2021-047105-I) by means of a post-doctoral fellowship, “Juan de la Cierva Formación”, supported by the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cell-Mediated Immune Responses to in vivo -Expressed and Stage-Specific Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigens in Latent and Active Tuberculosis Across Different Age Groups

A quarter of the global human population is estimated to be latently infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). TB remains the global leading cause of death by a single pathogen and ranks among the top-10 causes of overall global mortality. Current immunodiagnostic tests cannot discriminate between latent, active and past TB, nor predict progression of latent infection to active disease. The only registered TB vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), does not adequately prevent pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults, thus permitting continued TB-transmission. Several Mtb proteins, mostly discovered through IFN-γ centered approaches, have been proposed as targets for new TB-diagnostic tests or -vaccines. Recently, however, we identified novel Mtb antigens capable of eliciting multiple cytokines, including antigens that did not induce IFN-γ but several other cytokines. These antigens had been selected based on high Mtb gene-expression in the lung in vivo, and have been termed in vivo expressed (IVE-TB) antigens. Here, we extend and validate our previous findings in an independent Southern European cohort, consisting of adults and adolescents with either LTBI or TB. Our results confirm that responses to IVE-TB antigens, and also DosR-regulon and Rpf stage-specific Mtb antigens are marked by multiple cytokines, including strong responses, such as for TNF-α, in the absence of detectable IFN-γ production. Except for TNF-α, the magnitude of those responses were significantly higher in LTBI subjects. Additional unbiased analyses of high dimensional flow-cytometry data revealed that TNF-α+ cells responding to Mtb antigens comprised 17 highly heterogeneous cell types. Among these 17 TNF-α+ cells clusters identified, those with CD8+TEMRA or CD8+CD4+ phenotypes, defined by the expression of multiple intracellular markers, were the most prominent in adult LTBI, while CD14+ TNF-α+ myeloid-like clusters were mostly abundant in adolescent LTBI. Our findings, although limited to a small cohort, stress the importance of assessing broader immune responses than IFN-γ alone in Mtb antigen discovery as well as the importance of screening individuals of different age groups. In addition, our results provide proof of concept showing how unbiased multidimensional multiparametric cell subset analysis can identify unanticipated blood cell subsets that could play a role in the immune response against Mtb

Differential expression of long non-coding RNAs are related to proliferation and histological diversity in follicular lymphomas

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) comprise a family of non‐coding transcripts that are emerging as relevant gene expression regulators of different processes, including tumour development. To determine the possible contribution of lncRNA to the pathogenesis of follicular lymphoma (FL) we performed RNA‐sequencing at high depth sequencing in primary FL samples ranging from grade 1‐3A to aggressive grade 3B variants using unpurified (n = 16) and purified (n = 12) tumour cell suspensions from nodal samples. FL grade 3B had a significantly higher number of differentially expressed lncRNAs (dif‐lncRNAs) with potential target coding genes related to cell cycle regulation. Nine out of the 18 selected dif‐lncRNAs were validated by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction in an independent series (n = 43) of FL. RP4‐694A7.2 was identified as the top deregulated lncRNA potentially involved in cell proliferation. RP4‐694A7.2 silencing in the WSU‐FSCCL FL cell line reduced cell proliferation due to a block in the G1/S phase. The relationship between RP4‐694A7.2 and proliferation was confirmed in primary samples as its expression levels positively related to the Ki‐67 proliferation index. In summary, lncRNAs are differentially expressed across the clinico‐biological spectrum of FL and a subset of them, related to cell cycle, may participate in cell proliferation regulation in these tumours

Discovery and validation of an NMR-based metabolomic profile in urine as TB biomarker

Despite efforts to improve tuberculosis (TB) detection, limitations in access, quality and timeliness of diagnostic services in low- and middle-income countries are challenging for current TB diagnostics. This study aimed to identify and characterise a metabolic profile of TB in urine by high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry and assess whether the TB metabolic profile is also detected by a low-field benchtop NMR spectrometer. We included 189 patients with tuberculosis, 42 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia, 61 individuals infected with latent tuberculosis and 40 uninfected individuals. We acquired the urine spectra from high and low-field NMR. We characterised a TB metabolic fingerprint from the Principal Component Analysis. We developed a classification model from the Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis and evaluated its performance. We identified a metabolic fingerprint of 31 chemical shift regions assigned to eight metabolites (aminoadipic acid, citrate, creatine, creatinine, glucose, mannitol, phenylalanine, and hippurate). The model developed using low-field NMR urine spectra correctly classified 87.32%, 85.21% and 100% of the TB patients compared to pneumococcal pneumonia patients, LTBI and uninfected individuals, respectively. The model validation correctly classified 84.10% of the TB patients. We have identified and characterised a metabolic profile of TB in urine from a high-field NMR spectrometer and have also detected it using a low-field benchtop NMR spectrometer. The models developed from the metabolic profile of TB identified by both NMR technologies were able to discriminate TB patients from the rest of the study groups and the results were not influenced by anti-TB treatment or TB location. This provides a new approach in the search for possible biomarkers for the diagnosis of TB

Predictors of Global Non-Motor Symptoms Burden Progression in Parkinson’s Disease. Results from the COPPADIS Cohort at 2-Year Follow-Up

Background and Objective: Non-motor symptoms (NMS) progress in different ways between Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The aim of the present study was to (1) analyze the change in global NMS burden in a PD cohort after a 2-year follow-up, (2) to compare the changes with a control group, and (3) to identify predictors of global NMS burden progression in the PD group. Material and Methods: PD patients and controls, recruited from 35 centers of Spain from the COPPADIS cohort from January 2016 to November 2017, were followed-up with after 2 years. The Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) was administered at baseline (V0) and at 24 months ± 1 month (V2). Linear regression models were used for determining predictive factors of global NMS burden progression (NMSS total score change from V0 to V2 as dependent variable). Results: After the 2-year follow-up, the mean NMS burden (NMSS total score) significantly increased in PD patients by 18.8% (from 45.08 ± 37.62 to 53.55 ± 42.28; p < 0.0001; N = 501; 60.2% males, mean age 62.59 ± 8.91) compared to no change observed in controls (from 14.74 ± 18.72 to 14.65 ± 21.82; p = 0.428; N = 122; 49.5% males, mean age 60.99 ± 8.32) (p < 0.0001). NMSS total score at baseline (β = -0.52), change from V0 to V2 in PDSS (Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale) (β = -0.34), and change from V0 to V2 in NPI (Neuropsychiatric Inventory) (β = 0.25) provided the highest contributions to the model (adjusted R-squared 0.41; Durbin-Watson test = 1.865). Conclusions: Global NMS burden demonstrates short-term progression in PD patients but not in controls and identifies worsening sleep problems and neuropsychiatric symptoms as significant independent predictors of this NMS progression