Holistic screening of collapsing honey bee colonies in Spain: A case study

Background: Here we present a holistic screening of collapsing colonies from three professional apiaries in Spain. Colonies with typical honey bee depopulation symptoms were selected for multiple possible factors to reveal the causes of collapse. Results: Omnipresent were Nosema ceranae and Lake Sinai Virus. Moderate prevalences were found for Black Queen Cell Virus and trypanosomatids, whereas Deformed Wing Virus, Aphid Lethal Paralysis Virus strain Brookings and neogregarines were rarely detected. Other viruses, Nosema apis, Acarapis woodi and Varroa destructor were not detected. Palinologic study of pollen demonstrated that all colonies were foraging on wild vegetation. Consequently, the pesticide residue analysis was negative for neonicotinoids. The genetic analysis of trypanosomatids GAPDH gene, showed that there is a large genetic distance between Crithidia mellificae ATCC30254, an authenticated cell strain since 1974, and the rest of the presumed C. mellificae sequences obtained in our study or published. This means that the latter group corresponds to a highly differentiated taxon that should be renamed accordingly. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the drivers of colony collapse may differ between geographic regions with different environmental conditions, or with different beekeeping and agricultural practices. The role of other pathogens in colony collapse has to bee studied in future, especially trypanosomatids and neogregarines. Beside their pathological effect on honey bees, classification and taxonomy of these protozoan parasites should also be clarified

European postgraduate curriculum in geriatric medicine developed using an international modified Delphi technique

the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS-GMS) recommendations for training in Geriatric Medicine were published in 1993. The practice of Geriatric Medicine has developed considerably since then and it has therefore become necessary to update these recommendations.under the auspices of the UEMS-GMS, the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) and the European Academy of Medicine of Ageing (EAMA), a group of experts, representing all member states of the respective bodies developed a new framework for education and training of specialists in Geriatric Medicine using a modified Delphi technique. Thirty-two expert panel members from 30 different countries participated in the process comprising three Delphi rounds for consensus. The process was led by five facilitators.the final recommendations include four different domains: General Considerations on the structure and aim of the syllabus as well as quality indicators for training (6 sub-items), Knowledge in patient care (36 sub-items), Additional Skills and Attitude required for a Geriatrician (9 sub-items) and a domain on Assessment of postgraduate education: which items are important for the transnational comparison process (1 item).the current publication describes the development of the new recommendations endorsed by UEMS-GMS, EuGMS and EAMA as minimum training requirements to become a geriatrician at specialist level in EU member states

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Variability of brewer’s spent grain within a brewery

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is the residue left after separation of the wort during the brewing process. Composition of BSG may vary with barley variety, time of harvest, characteristics of hops and other adjuncts added, and brewery technology. This paper, demostrates the variability in composition (moisture, protein, fat, ash and total phenolics) of eight lots of spent grain supplied by a brewery. Fresh samples were oven-dried (60 °C, 18 h) to ensure preservation. The eight lots of BSG were found to be homogeneous in protein and fat contents, with slight variations in ash and total phenolics. In order to evaluate the possible effects of oven-drying, results from oven-dried samples were compared with those from freeze-dried and frozen samples. Oven drying of BSG gave rise small decreases in protein and fat contents in comparison with the wet (frozen) sample. Oven drying was similar to freeze-drying, a less-harsh preservation method. However, oven drying is indeed the method of lowest economic cost, which make it more suitable for preserving the BSG for exploitation in different processes.The authors thank the Spanish Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologı́a (CICYT) (Project ALI97-0590) for financial support.Peer reviewe

Pentoses and hydroxycinnamic acids in Brewer's spent grain

In this work, the total pentose (xylose and arabinose) and hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic and p -coumaric acids) in eight lots of brewer's spent grain preserved by different methods (freeze-drying, oven drying and freezing) has been determined. The total acid-extractable pentose content of the samples varied between 13·0 and 19·5% dry weight for xylose, and 7·2 and 9·6% dry weight for arabinose, whereas the total alkali-extractable hydroxycinnamic acid content varied between 0·17 and 0·24% dry weight for ferulic acid, and between 0·068 and 0·121% dry weight for p -coumaric acid. Significant differences (p<0·05) between lots were found for ferulic and p -coumaric acids. With respect to the different preservation methods, significant differences (P<0·05) were only seen in arabinose content. The content of pentoses and hydroxycinnamic acids in brewer's spent grain has been compared with those from other agro-food residues whose use is also proposed for the enzymatic release of these compounds.The authors are grateful the Spanish Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Technologia (CICYT) (Project ALI97-0590).Peer reviewe

Quantitation of active ingredients and excipients in nasal sprays by high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and UV spectroscopy

A study on the use of different analytical methodologies to determine active ingredients and excipients found in commercial nasal sprays is presented. Two of the developed methodologies consisted of separation techniques, i.e. high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, and the third one involved a UV-spectroscopic multicomponent procedure. The samples studied are characterized by a high viscosity and the existence of a large number of particles in suspension; therefore, special emphasis is paid on the sample preparation required by each methodology. Advantages and drawbacks of each analytical technique are also discussed in terms of speed of analysis, sensitivity and reproducibility. From this work it is observed that although the UV method needs the most laborious sample preparation, the total time required per analysis is the shortest one. The best reproducibility in terms of analysis time and quantitation of the analyzed compounds is obtained using HPLC. CE allows the determination of more components in the same sample.This work was supported by the Commission of the European Communities (Training and Mobility of Researchers, Contract no. ERBFMBICT950003) and by a DGICYT project (No. PB94-02818-C02-02). The authors thank Glaxo Wellcome S.A. (Aranda de Duero, Spain) for the donation of standards and sprays samples, as well as for the information supplied about its pharmaceutical formulation.Peer reviewe