Mikrobiologie von Malzkeimen : Mikrobiologische Charakterisierung von Malzkeimen

Malzkeime sind ein Produkt der Malzherstellung und werden als Bestandteil von Mischfuttermitteln in der Tierfütterung eingesetzt. Sie sind prozessbedingt mit feldbürtigen Bakterien und Hefen hoch belastet und gelten als leicht verderbliches Problemfuttermittel. Umfassende mikrobiologische Untersuchungen erbrachten einen Überblick über die Qualität loser und pelletierter Malzkeimprodukte deutscher Mälzereien. 102 Malzkeimproben aus insgesamt 35 Mälzereien wurden über drei Erntejahre erfasst. Messwerte des aw-Wertes (Wert für frei verfügbares Wasser im Substrat) aller Proben lagen in einem Bereich, der Stoffwechselaktivitäten von Mikroorganismen und somit einen mikrobiologischen Verderb bei trockener Lagerung ausschließt. Bei feuchter Lagerung (im Versuch 80 Prozent relativer Luftfeuchte bei 18 °C) verderben die Produkte nach ca. vier Wochen durch eine massive Vermehrung von Verderb anzeigenden Schimmelpilzen. Der Zusatz von Malz- und Getreideabrieb zu den Malzkeimen hat keine negativen Auswirkungen auf deren mikrobiologische Qualität. Die Differenzierung der Hefeflora spiegelt die Vielfalt der Epiphyten des Ausgangsproduktes Gerste wider. Etwa 40 Prozent der identifizierten Hefespezies haben einen rein aeroben Stoffwechsel, sie sind im Verdauungstrakt von Wiederkäuern nicht lebensfähig. Das gesundheitliche Risiko für Rinder bei der Aufnahme auch größerer Mengen an Hefen aus Malzkeimen ist als gering einzustufen

Measuring underreporting and under-ascertainment in infectious disease datasets: a comparison of methods

Gibbons CL, Mangen M-JJ, Plaß D, et al. Measuring underreporting and under-ascertainment in infectious disease datasets: a comparison of methods. BMC Public Health. 2014;14(1): 147.Background: Efficient and reliable surveillance and notification systems are vital for monitoring public health and disease outbreaks. However, most surveillance and notification systems are affected by a degree of underestimation (UE) and therefore uncertainty surrounds the 'true' incidence of disease affecting morbidity and mortality rates. Surveillance systems fail to capture cases at two distinct levels of the surveillance pyramid: from the community since not all cases seek healthcare (under-ascertainment), and at the healthcare-level, representing a failure to adequately report symptomatic cases that have sought medical advice (underreporting). There are several methods to estimate the extent of under-ascertainment and underreporting. Methods: Within the context of the ECDC-funded Burden of Communicable Diseases in Europe (BCoDE)-project, an extensive literature review was conducted to identify studies that estimate ascertainment or reporting rates for salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis in European Union Member States (MS) plus European Free Trade Area (EFTA) countries Iceland, Norway and Switzerland and four other OECD countries (USA, Canada, Australia and Japan). Multiplication factors (MFs), a measure of the magnitude of underestimation, were taken directly from the literature or derived (where the proportion of underestimated, under-ascertained, or underreported cases was known) and compared for the two pathogens. Results: MFs varied between and within diseases and countries, representing a need to carefully select the most appropriate MFs and methods for calculating them. The most appropriate MFs are often disease-,country-, age-, and sex-specific. Conclusions: When routine data are used to make decisions on resource allocation or to estimate epidemiological parameters in populations, it becomes important to understand when, where and to what extent these data represent the true picture of disease, and in some instances (such as priority setting) it is necessary to adjust for underestimation. MFs can be used to adjust notification and surveillance data to provide more realistic estimates of incidence

Dissecting the Shared Genetic Architecture of Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric Disorders, and Known Risk Factors

Background Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders. Methods We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors. Results Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged. Conclusions Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders.Peer reviewe

Mikrobiologie von Malzkeimen : Mikrobiologische Charakterisierung von Malzkeimen

Malzkeime sind ein Produkt der Malzherstellung und werden als Bestandteil von Mischfuttermitteln in der Tierfütterung eingesetzt. Sie sind prozessbedingt mit feldbürtigen Bakterien und Hefen hoch belastet und gelten als leicht verderbliches Problemfuttermittel. Umfassende mikrobiologische Untersuchungen erbrachten einen Überblick über die Qualität loser und pelletierter Malzkeimprodukte deutscher Mälzereien. 102 Malzkeimproben aus insgesamt 35 Mälzereien wurden über drei Erntejahre erfasst. Messwerte des aw-Wertes (Wert für frei verfügbares Wasser im Substrat) aller Proben lagen in einem Bereich, der Stoffwechselaktivitäten von Mikroorganismen und somit einen mikrobiologischen Verderb bei trockener Lagerung ausschließt. Bei feuchter Lagerung (im Versuch 80 Prozent relativer Luftfeuchte bei 18 °C) verderben die Produkte nach ca. vier Wochen durch eine massive Vermehrung von Verderb anzeigenden Schimmelpilzen. Der Zusatz von Malz- und Getreideabrieb zu den Malzkeimen hat keine negativen Auswirkungen auf deren mikrobiologische Qualität. Die Differenzierung der Hefeflora spiegelt die Vielfalt der Epiphyten des Ausgangsproduktes Gerste wider. Etwa 40 Prozent der identifizierten Hefespezies haben einen rein aeroben Stoffwechsel, sie sind im Verdauungstrakt von Wiederkäuern nicht lebensfähig. Das gesundheitliche Risiko für Rinder bei der Aufnahme auch größerer Mengen an Hefen aus Malzkeimen ist als gering einzustufen

Psychiatric Disorders in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): The Role of the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist

Background. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a multifactorial disorder with complex aetiology and pathogenesis. At the outpatient pain clinic of Magdeburg University Hospital, all patients, without exception, are subject to permanent psychiatric care delivered by a consultation-liaison psychiatrist. In CRPS, psychological stabilization and treatment of the neuropathic aspects are equally important. The aim of this single-center retrospective study was to determine mental/psychiatric defects impairing pain processing at the time of investigation and show the effects of treating mental disorders and neuropathic pain with the same psychotropic drugs. Method. On admission, the consultation-liaison psychiatrist examined the mental state of every patient in a semistructured interview according to AMDP (working group for methods and documentation in psychiatry). Due to the model of the Department of Anaesthesiology, we are able to compare the group of CRPS patients with all other outpatients treated for pain. Results. The medical treatment of psychiatric dysfunction leads to an analgesic effect. Only every second CRPS patient had an additional psychiatric diagnosis, and 15.6% were diagnosed with depressive mood disorders and show a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms than the general population and exceed the mean for all patients treated in our pain clinic. Conclusions. In neuropathies, treatment of the neuropathic pain has a modulating effect on mental disorders. As CRPS patients are frequently affected by depressions, and owing to the connection between depression and suicidal tendencies, patients should be seen by a consultation-liaison psychiatrist, and nonpsychiatrists should pay special attention to this patient group

Mikrobiologie von Malzkeimen : Mikrobiologische Charakterisierung von Malzkeimen

Malzkeime sind ein Produkt der Malzherstellung und werden als Bestandteil von Mischfuttermitteln in der Tierfütterung eingesetzt. Sie sind prozessbedingt mit feldbürtigen Bakterien und Hefen hoch belastet und gelten als leicht verderbliches Problemfuttermittel. Umfassende mikrobiologische Untersuchungen erbrachten einen Überblick über die Qualität loser und pelletierter Malzkeimprodukte deutscher Mälzereien. 102 Malzkeimproben aus insgesamt 35 Mälzereien wurden über drei Erntejahre erfasst. Messwerte des aw-Wertes (Wert für frei verfügbares Wasser im Substrat) aller Proben lagen in einem Bereich, der Stoffwechselaktivitäten von Mikroorganismen und somit einen mikrobiologischen Verderb bei trockener Lagerung ausschließt. Bei feuchter Lagerung (im Versuch 80 Prozent relativer Luftfeuchte bei 18 °C) verderben die Produkte nach ca. vier Wochen durch eine massive Vermehrung von Verderb anzeigenden Schimmelpilzen. Der Zusatz von Malz- und Getreideabrieb zu den Malzkeimen hat keine negativen Auswirkungen auf deren mikrobiologische Qualität. Die Differenzierung der Hefeflora spiegelt die Vielfalt der Epiphyten des Ausgangsproduktes Gerste wider. Etwa 40 Prozent der identifizierten Hefespezies haben einen rein aeroben Stoffwechsel, sie sind im Verdauungstrakt von Wiederkäuern nicht lebensfähig. Das gesundheitliche Risiko für Rinder bei der Aufnahme auch größerer Mengen an Hefen aus Malzkeimen ist als gering einzustufen

Prediction of human active mobility in rural areas: development and validity tests of three different approaches

BACKGROUND/AIM: Active mobility may play a relevant role in the assessment of environmental exposures (e.g. traffic-related air pollution, livestock emissions), but data about actual mobility patterns are work intensive to collect, especially in large study populations, therefore estimation methods for active mobility may be relevant for exposure assessment in different types of studies. We previously collected mobility patterns in a group of 941 participants in a rural setting in the Netherlands, using week-long GPS tracking. We had information regarding personal characteristics, self-reported data regarding weekly mobility patterns and spatial characteristics. The goal of this study was to develop versatile estimates of active mobility, test their accuracy using GPS measurements and explore the implications for exposure assessment studies. METHODS: We estimated hours/week spent on active mobility based on personal characteristics (e.g. age, sex, pre-existing conditions), self-reported data (e.g. hours spent commuting per bike) or spatial predictors such as home and work address. Estimated hours/week spent on active mobility were compared with GPS measured hours/week, using linear regression and kappa statistics. RESULTS: Estimated and measured hours/week spent on active mobility had low correspondence, even the best predicting estimation method based on self-reported data, resulted in a R2 of 0.09 and Cohen's kappa of 0.07. A visual check indicated that, although predicted routes to work appeared to match GPS measured tracks, only a small proportion of active mobility was captured in this way, thus resulting in a low validity of overall predicted active mobility. CONCLUSIONS: We were unable to develop a method that could accurately estimate active mobility, the best performing method was based on detailed self-reported information but still resulted in low correspondence. For future studies aiming to evaluate the contribution of home-work traffic to exposure, applying spatial predictors may be appropriate. Measurements still represent the best possible tool to evaluate mobility patterns

Mercury Mobilization in a Flooded Soil by Incorporation into Metallic Copper and Metal Sulfide Nanoparticles

Mercury is a highly toxic priority pollutant that can be released from wetlands as a result of biogeochemical redox processes. To investigate the temperature-dependent release of colloidal and dissolved Hg induced by flooding of a contaminated riparian soil, we performed laboratory microcosm experiments at 5, 14, and 23 °C. Our results demonstrate substantial colloidal Hg mobilization concomitant with Cu prior to the main period of sulfate reduction. For Cu, we previously showed that this mobilization was due to biomineralization of metallic Cu nanoparticles associated with suspended bacteria. X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Hg L_III-edge showed that colloidal Hg corresponded to Hg substituting for Cu in the metallic Cu nanoparticles. Over the course of microbial sulfate reduction, colloidal Hg concentrations decreased but continued to dominate total Hg in the pore water for up to 5 weeks of flooding at all temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggested that Hg became associated with Cu-rich mixed metal sulfide nanoparticles. The formation of Hg-containing metallic Cu and metal sulfide nanoparticles in contaminated riparian soils may influence the availability of Hg for methylation or volatilization processes and has substantial potential to drive Hg release into adjacent water bodies

Mobility assessment of a rural population in the Netherlands using GPS measurements

The home address is a common spatial proxy for exposure assessment in epidemiological studies but mobility may introduce exposure misclassification. Mobility can be assessed using self-reports or objectively measured using GPS logging but self-reports may not assess the same information as measured mobility. We aimed to assess mobility patterns of a rural population in the Netherlands using GPS measurements and self-reports and to compare GPS measured to self-reported data, and to evaluate correlates of differences in mobility patterns. In total 870 participants filled in a questionnaire regarding their transport modes and carried a GPS-logger for 7 consecutive days. Transport modes were assigned to GPS-tracks based on speed patterns. Correlates of measured mobility data were evaluated using multiple linear regression. We calculated walking, biking and motorised transport durations based on GPS and self-reported data and compared outcomes. We used Cohen's kappa analyses to compare categorised self-reported and GPS measured data for time spent outdoors. Self-reported time spent walking and biking was strongly overestimated when compared to GPS measurements. Participants estimated their time spent in motorised transport accurately. Several variables were associated with differences in mobility patterns, we found for instance that obese people (BMI > 30 kg/m(2)) spent less time in non-motorised transport (GMR 0.69-0.74) and people with COPD tended to travel longer distances from home in motorised transport (GMR 1.42-1.51). If time spent walking outdoors and biking is relevant for the exposure to environmental factors, then relying on the home address as a proxy for exposure location may introduce misclassification. In addition, this misclassification is potentially differential, and specific groups of people will show stronger misclassification of exposure than others. Performing GPS measurements and identifying explanatory factors of mobility patterns may assist in regression calibration of self-reports in other studie