Sensor monitoring strategy

In its overall strategy, COMMON SENSE work packages (11) can be grouped into 3 key phases: (1) RD basis for cost-effective sensor development, (2) Sensor development, sensor web platform and integration, and (3) Field testing. In the Phase 1, within WP1 and WP2, partners have provided a general understanding and integrated basis for a cost effective sensors development. In Phase 2, within the WP3 and WPs 4 to 8, the new sensors have been created and planned to be integrated into instruments for the different identified platforms and how data produced will be processed, organised and saved. During the phase 3, within WP9, partners are deploying precompetitive prototypes at chosen platforms (e.g. research vessels, oil platforms, buoys and submerged moorings, ocean racing yachts, drifting buoys). Starting from August 2015 (month 22; Task 9.2), these platforms are permitting the partnership to test the adaptability and performance of the in-situ sensors and verify if the transmission of data is properly made and correct observed deviations. Sensor monitoring strategy (Deliverable 2.4 for Task 2.5) is the last task within Phase 1. As the other tasks in Phase 1 it has to provide a basis for designing field testing activities to be useful. That is how to validate the performance of sensors, integration, data acquisition, transmission, under real conditions in different platforms. Since there is a wide sensor variety, each one with its own characteristics, and several platforms, to prepare a general methodological review and give the corresponding directions as it was initially planned, would be a huge and useless effort. Given the initially fixed calendar a first version of the present deliverable was presented when most of the sensors were still not developed. The document addressed how projected sensors should be tested, their limitations and conditions for their monitoring and final certification. Now, when D2.2 (Procedures of sensors deployment methodology on physical supports/platforms) has been rewritten (May 2016), all sensors are fully developed and most of them have started their tests at sea, the present new updated version of the deliverable becomes more precise, with much better knowledge on the real sensors and their performance. In addition, a complete new chapter on data transmission –initially proposed but not developed in the previous version– is included. The information from the six sensor developers in COMMON SENSE on which the initial plan on where and how to test each sensor that was presented in D9.1 (April 2015) has been updated (May 2016). The update includes the final properties of sensors after the respective full laboratory tests and even some of the results from field tests that had been carried out starting August 2015. This task assesses field testing procedures and deployment specificities. Two tables are presented based on the information of the report for D9.1 delivered in April 2015. One table was created for sensor developers and one for those who will test the sensors at sea. In this report some information from the testers’ table is shown and updated according to the new version of D2.2 (May 2016) for platforms. Objectives and rationale The objective of Task 2.5 within the WP2 is the definition of sensor monitoring strategy based on the premises for water monitoring, sensor performances and data storage and transmission. For any new sensor, available instruments currently used in the oceanographic studies will be identified to perform comparisons. Suitable transmission technology will be selected according to the test conditions: open sea, coastal areas, remote locations, etc. Sensitivity and stress tests will be designed in order to establish confidence limits under different environmental situations, so that the results obtained in the testing exercises (WP9) will enable to certify the performance of the new instruments

Using stable isotope analysis to study skin mucus exudation and renewal in fish

Fish skin mucus is proposed as a novel target for the study of physiological condition and to conduct minimally invasive monitoring of fish. Whereas mucus composition has been a major interest of recent studies, no practical techniques have been proposed to gain understanding of the capacity and rhythm of production and exudation. Here, we used stable isotope analysis (SIA) with a labelled meal, packaged in gelatine capsules, to evaluate mucus production and renewal in a fish model, the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Mucus 13C- and 15N-enrichment reached higher levels at 12 h post-ingestion without significant differences at 24 h. When the formation of new mucus was induced, 13C-enrichment in the new mucus doubled whereas 15N-enrichment only increased by 10%. These results indicate the feasibility of adopting SIA in mucus studies and allow us to propose this methodology as a means to improve knowledge of mucus turnover in fish and other animals

Analysis of relevant technical issues and deficiencies of the existing sensors and related initiatives currently set and working in marine environment. New generation technologies for cost-effective sensors

The last decade has seen significant growth in the field of sensor networks, which are currently collecting large amounts of environmental data. This data needs to be collected, processed, stored and made available for analysis and interpretation in a manner which is meaningful and accessible to end users and stakeholders with a range of requirements, including government agencies, environmental agencies, the research community, industry users and the public. The COMMONSENSE project aims to develop and provide cost-effective, multi-functional innovative sensors to perform reliable in-situ measurements in the marine environment. The sensors will be easily usable across several platforms, and will focus on key parameters including eutrophication, heavy metal contaminants, marine litter (microplastics) and underwater noise descriptors of the MSFD. The aims of Tasks 2.1 and 2.2 which comprise the work of this deliverable are: • To obtain a comprehensive understanding and an up-to-date state of the art of existing sensors. • To provide a working basis on “new generation” technologies in order to develop cost-effective sensors suitable for large-scale production. This deliverable will consist of an analysis of state-of-the-art solutions for the different sensors and data platforms related with COMMONSENSE project. An analysis of relevant technical issues and deficiencies of existing sensors and related initiatives currently set and working in marine environment will be performed. Existing solutions will be studied to determine the main limitations to be considered during novel sensor developments in further WP’s. Objectives & Rationale The objectives of deliverable 2.1 are: • To create a solid and robust basis for finding cheaper and innovative ways of gathering data. This is preparatory for the activities in other WPs: for WP4 (Transversal Sensor development and Sensor Integration), for WP(5-8) (Novel Sensors) to develop cost-effective sensors suitable for large-scale production, reducing costs of data collection (compared to commercially available sensors), increasing data access availability for WP9 (Field testing) when the deployment of new sensors will be drawn and then realized

Redox challenge in a cultured temperature marine species during low temperature and temperature recovery

Aquaculture is a growing industry that is increasingly providing a sizable proportion of fishery products for human consumption. Dietary energy and temperature fluctuations affect fish health and may even trigger mortality, causing great losses in fish production during winter. To better understand this unproductive winter period in aquaculture, the redox status in a cultured marine species, the gilthead sea bream, was analyzed for the first time by inducing controlled temperature fluctuations and reducing dietary lipid content. Two groups of fish (by triplicate), differing in their dietary lipid content (18% vs. 14%), were subjected to 30 days at 22∘C (Pre-Cold), 50 days at 14∘C (Cold) and then 35 days at 22∘C (Recovery). Plasma and liver redox metabolites (oxidized lipid, oxidized protein and thiol groups), liver glutathione forms (total, oxidized and reduced) and liver antioxidant enzyme activities were measured. Reducing dietary lipid content did not affect gilthead sea bream growth, glutathione levels or enzyme activities, but did reduce the amount of oxidized lipids. A sustained low temperature of 14∘C showed a lack of adaptation of antioxidant enzyme activities, mainly catalase and glutathione reductase, which subsequently affected the glutathione redox cycle and caused an acute reduction in total hepatic glutathione levels, irrespective of diet. Antioxidant enzyme activities were gradually restored to their pre-cold levels, but the glutathione redox cycle was not restored to its pre-cold values during the recovery period used. Moreover, the lower lipid diet was associated with transiently increased liver oxidized protein levels. Thus, we propose that fish should be fed a low lipid diet during pre-cold and cold periods, which would reduce oxidized lipid levels without affecting fish growth, and a higher energy diet during the recovery period. Moreover, diets supplemented with antioxidants should be considered, especially during temperature recover

Epidemiological trends of HIV/HCV coinfection in Spain, 2015-2019

Altres ajuts: Spanish AIDS Research Network; European Funding for Regional Development (FEDER).Objectives: We assessed the prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and active HCV infection (HCV-RNA-positive) in people living with HIV (PLWH) in Spain in 2019 and compared the results with those of four similar studies performed during 2015-2018. Methods: The study was performed in 41 centres. Sample size was estimated for an accuracy of 1%. Patients were selected by random sampling with proportional allocation. Results: The reference population comprised 41 973 PLWH, and the sample size was 1325. HCV serostatus was known in 1316 PLWH (99.3%), of whom 376 (28.6%) were HCV antibody (Ab)-positive (78.7% were prior injection drug users); 29 were HCV-RNA-positive (2.2%). Of the 29 HCV-RNA-positive PLWH, infection was chronic in 24, it was acute/recent in one, and it was of unknown duration in four. Cirrhosis was present in 71 (5.4%) PLWH overall, three (10.3%) HCV-RNA-positive patients and 68 (23.4%) of those who cleared HCV after anti-HCV therapy (p = 0.04). The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies decreased steadily from 37.7% in 2015 to 28.6% in 2019 (p < 0.001); the prevalence of active HCV infection decreased from 22.1% in 2015 to 2.2% in 2019 (p < 0.001). Uptake of anti-HCV treatment increased from 53.9% in 2015 to 95.0% in 2019 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In Spain, the prevalence of active HCV infection among PLWH at the end of 2019 was 2.2%, i.e. 90.0% lower than in 2015. Increased exposure to DAAs was probably the main reason for this sharp reduction. Despite the high coverage of treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents, HCV-related cirrhosis remains significant in this population

The reference site collaborative network of the european innovation partnership on active and healthy ageing

Seventy four Reference Sites of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) have been recognised by the European Commission in 2016 for their commitment to excellence in investing and scaling up innovative solutions for active and healthy ageing. The Reference Site Collaborative Network (RSCN) brings together the EIP on AHA Reference Sites awarded by the European Commission, and Candidate Reference Sites into a single forum. The overarching goals are to promote cooperation, share and transfer good practice and solutions in the development and scaling up of health and care strategies, policies and service delivery models, while at the same time supporting the action groups in their work. The RSCN aspires to be recognized by the EU Commission as the principal forum and authority representing all EIP on AHA Reference Sites. The RSCN will contribute to achieve the goals of the EIP on AHA by improving health and care outcomes for citizens across Europe, and the development of sustainable economic growth and the creation of jobs

Evaluating mucus exudation dynamics through isotopic enrichment and turnover of skin mucus fractions in a marine fish model

Fish skin mucus is composed of insoluble components, which form the physical barrier, and soluble components, which are key for interrelationship functions. Mucus is continuously secreted, but rates of production and exudation are still unknown, as are the underlying mechanisms. Using stable isotope analysis, here, we evaluate skin mucus turnover and renewal in gilthead sea bream, separating raw mucus and its soluble and insoluble fractions. Isotopic abundance analysis reveals no differences between mucus and white muscle, thus confirming mucus samples as reliable non-invasive biomarkers. Mucus production was evaluated using a single labelled meal packaged in a gelatine capsule, with both 13C and 15N, via a time-course trial. 13C was gradually allocated to skin mucus fractions over the first 12 h and was significantly (4-fold) higher in the soluble fraction, indicating a higher turnover of soluble mucus components that are continuously produced and supplied. 15N was also gradually allocated to mucus, indicating incorporation of new proteins containing the labelled dietary amino acids, but with no differences between fractions. When existent mucus was removed, dietary stable isotopes revealed stimulated mucus neoformation dependent on the components. All this is novel knowledge concerning skin mucus dynamics and turnover in fish and could offer interesting non-invasive approaches to the use of skin mucus production in ecological or applied biological studies such as climate change effects, human impact, alterations in trophic networks or habitat degradation, especially of wild-captured species or protected species

Impact of age on the use of adjuvant treatments in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer: patients with stage III colon or stage II/III rectal cancer

Consortia: The REDISECC-CARESS/CCR group: Jose María Quintana, Marisa Baré, Maximino Redondo, Eduardo Briones Pérez de la Briones, Nerea Fernández de Larrea, Cristina Sarasqueta, Antonio Escobar , Francisco Rivas, Maria Morales-Suárez, Juan Antonio Blasco, Isabel del Cura , Inmaculada Arostegui, Amaia Bilbao, Nerea González , Susana García-Gutiérrez, Iratxe Lafuente, Urko Aguirre, Miren Orive, Josune Martin, Ane Antón-Ladislao, Núria Torà, Marina Pont, María Purificación Martínez del, Alberto Loizate, Ignacio Zabalza, José Errasti, Antonio Gimeno, Santiago Lázaro, Mercè Comas, Jose María Enríquez-Navascues, Carlos Placer, Amaia Perales, Iñaki Urkidi, Jose María Erro, Enrique Cormenzana, Adelaida Lacasta, Pep Piera, Elena Campano, Ana Isabel Sotelo, Segundo Gómez-Abril, F. Medina-Cano, Julia Alcaide, Arturo Del Rey-Moreno, Manuel Jesús Alcántara, Rafael Campo, Alex Casalots, Carles Pericay, Maria José Gil, Miquel Pera, Pablo Collera, Josep Alfons Espinàs, Mercedes Martínez, Mireia Espallargues, Caridad Almazán, Paula Dujovne, José María Fernández-Cebrián, Rocío Anula, Julio Mayol, Ramón Cantero, Héctor Guadalajara, María Alexandra Heras, Damián García, Mariel Morey & Alberto Colina.[Background]: Many older patients don’t receive appropriate oncological treatment. Our aim was to analyse whether there are age differences in the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and preoperative radiotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer.[Methods]: A prospective cohort study was conducted in 22 hospitals including 1157 patients with stage III colon or stage II/III rectal cancer who underwent surgery. Primary outcomes were the use of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer and preoperative radiotherapy for stage II/III rectal cancer. Generalised estimating equations were used to adjust for education, living arrangements, area deprivation, comorbidity and clinical tumour characteristics.[Results]: In colon cancer 92% of patients aged under 65 years, 77% of those aged 65 to 80 years and 27% of those aged over 80 years received adjuvant chemotherapy (χ2trends < 0.001). In rectal cancer preoperative radiotherapy was used in 68% of patients aged under 65 years, 60% of those aged 65 to 80 years, and 42% of those aged over 80 years (χ2trends < 0.001). Adjusting by comorbidity level, tumour characteristics and socioeconomic level, the odds ratio of use of chemotherapy compared with those under age 65, was 0.3 (0.1–0.6) and 0.04 (0.02–0.09) for those aged 65 to 80 and those aged over 80, respectively; similarly, the odds ratio of use of preoperative radiotherapy was 0.9 (0.6–1.4) and 0.5 (0.3–0.8) compared with those under 65 years of age.[Conclusions]: The probability of older patients with colorectal cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and preoperative radiotherapy is lower than that of younger patients; many of them are not receiving the treatments recommended by clinical practice guidelines. Differences in comorbidity, tumour characteristics, curative resection, and socioeconomic factors do not explain this lower probability of treatment. Research is needed to identify the role of physical and cognitive functional status, doctors’ attitudes, and preferences of patients and their relatives, in the use of adjuvant therapies.This work was supported in part by grants from the Spanish Health Research Fund (PS09/00314, PS09/00910, PS09/00746, PS09/00805, PI09/90460, PI09/90490, PI09/90397, PI09/90453, PI09/90441); Department of Health of the Basque Country (2010111098); KRONIKGUNE–Research Centre on Chronicity (KRONIK 11/006); and the European Regional Development Fund.Peer reviewe

Reliability of the Spanish version of a brief questionnaire on patient satisfaction with gastrointestinal endoscopy Validación de un cuestionario breve sobre satisfacción del paciente en endoscopia digestiva

Background: there has not been a validated questionnaire available in Spanish to evaluate patient satisfaction with gastrointestinal endoscopy. Our aim was to evaluate the external validity and internal consistency of the Spanish version of a questionnaire on patient satisfaction with gastrointestinal endoscopy elaborated by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Design: prospective questionnaire validation study. Patients and methods: a total of 485 consecutive patients referred to two different hospitals for endoscopy were interviewed by telephone. Internal consistency was studied using Cronbach's alfa test and corrected item-total correlations (CITC). External validity was determined using a mailed questionnaire completed by 185 patients -correlations between telephone and postal responses were calculated, as well as the correlation with the total score obtained. Results: Cronbach&acute;s alfa was 0.82 and mean CITC was 0.59. Weighted kappa values for the same questionnaire items performed by telephone or mail varied between 0.51 and 0.81. Total score correlation was 0.78. Internal consistency and external validity were not affected by differences in the administration of the questionnaire (mail or by telephone), different interviewers, type of endoscopy, or source of patients. Conclusions: the Spanish version of the ASGE questionnaire on satisfaction with endoscopy is valid, reliable, and reproducible.Objetivos: no se dispone en castellano de un cuestionario validado para la valoración de la satisfacción del paciente en endoscopia digestiva. Evaluar la validez externa y la consistencia interna de la versión en castellano del cuestionario recomendado por la American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy sobre satisfacción en endoscopia. Diseño experimental: estudio de validación de un cuestionario, recogida de datos prospectiva. Pacientes y métodos: cuatrocientos ochenta y cinco pacientes consecutivos remitidos para endoscopia a dos hospitales diferentes fueron entrevistados telefónicamente. La validez interna se estudió mediante alfa de Cronbach y correlación total inter-ítem media. Para estimar la validez externa se remitió un cuestionario anónimo a 185 pacientes y se calcularon las correlaciones entre las respuestas dadas telefónicamente y por correo, así como la correlación en la puntuación global obtenida mediante la suma de los valores para las siete cuestiones del cuerpo principal del cuestionario. Resultados: la alfa de Cronbach fue de 0,82 y la CTITM de 0,59. La kappa ponderada entre las mismas cuetiones en los cuestionarios administrados telefónica o anónimamente variaron entre 0,51 y 0,81. La correlación en la puntuación total fue de 0,78. La validez interna y externa no se vio afectada por diferencias en la administración del cuestionario (correo o telefónico), los diferentes entrevistadores, el tipo de endoscopia o la procedencia de los pacientes. Conclusiones: la versión en castellano del cuestionario recomendado por la ASGE sobre satisfacción en endoscopia es válida, fiable y reproducible

Redox challenge in a cultured temperature marine species during low temperature and temperature recovery

Aquaculture is a growing industry that is increasingly providing a sizable proportion of fishery products for human consumption. Dietary energy and temperature fluctuations affect fish health and may even trigger mortality, causing great losses in fish production during winter. To better understand this unproductive winter period in aquaculture, the redox status in a cultured marine species, the gilthead sea bream, was analyzed for the first time by inducing controlled temperature fluctuations and reducing dietary lipid content. Two groups of fish (by triplicate), differing in their dietary lipid content (18% vs. 14%), were subjected to 30 days at 22∘C (Pre-Cold), 50 days at 14∘C (Cold) and then 35 days at 22∘C (Recovery). Plasma and liver redox metabolites (oxidized lipid, oxidized protein and thiol groups), liver glutathione forms (total, oxidized and reduced) and liver antioxidant enzyme activities were measured. Reducing dietary lipid content did not affect gilthead sea bream growth, glutathione levels or enzyme activities, but did reduce the amount of oxidized lipids. A sustained low temperature of 14∘C showed a lack of adaptation of antioxidant enzyme activities, mainly catalase and glutathione reductase, which subsequently affected the glutathione redox cycle and caused an acute reduction in total hepatic glutathione levels, irrespective of diet. Antioxidant enzyme activities were gradually restored to their pre-cold levels, but the glutathione redox cycle was not restored to its pre-cold values during the recovery period used. Moreover, the lower lipid diet was associated with transiently increased liver oxidized protein levels. Thus, we propose that fish should be fed a low lipid diet during pre-cold and cold periods, which would reduce oxidized lipid levels without affecting fish growth, and a higher energy diet during the recovery period. Moreover, diets supplemented with antioxidants should be considered, especially during temperature recover