Identificación microbiana directa a partir de frascos de hemocultivo positivos mediante espectrometría de masas MALDI-TOF

Para el correcto manejo de los pacientes que padecen una bacteriemia es indispensable la administración de los antibióticos adecuados lo más rápidamente posible. Para ello se debe conocer la especie bacteriana que está causando la bacteriemia. La espectrometría de masas MALDI-TOF ha irrumpido en los laboratorios de Microbiología Clínica debido a que es capaz de proporcionar una identificación microbiana en unos minutos. Esta ventaja es de gran importancia cuando se aplica a la identificación microbiana directa a partir de frascos de hemocultivos positivos. El objetivo de este TFG será describir la técnica MALDI-TOF, recopilar los resultados que ofrece de identificación microbiana directa en cuestión de tiempo y capacidad de identificación, comparándola con los procedimientos convencionales. Con el propósito de realizar una revisión sistemática se llevó a cabo una búsqueda en PubMed, Scielo o Elsevier. Se seleccionaron estudios relacionados con la espectrometría de masas MALDI-TOF y la identificación directa de hemocultivos. Se han revisado 24 artículos, de los cuales se analizaron cuatro estudios que compararon los métodos de identificación directa de frascos de hemocultivo crecido mediante MALDI-TOF frente a los métodos convencionales de subcultivo en placa de aislamiento. Se ha observado una concordancia de alrededor el 90% y un adelanto de tiempo en unas 17 horas como mínimo con respecto a la identificación convencional. La identificación microbiana directa mediante MALDI-TOF ha demostrado una gran concordancia con los resultados convencionales obtenidos a partir del subcultivo en placas de aislamiento, consiguiendo identificaciones válidas en menos tiempo que los métodos convencionales.Grado en Enfermerí

Comparing Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Wearable Laser Scanning (WLS) for Individual Tree Modeling at Plot Level

54 p.This study presents a comparison between the use of wearable laser scanning (WLS) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) devices for automatic tree detection with an estimation of two dendrometric variables: diameter at breast height (DBH) and total tree height (TH). Operative processes for data collection and automatic forest inventory are described in detail. The approach used is based on the clustering of points belonging to each individual tree, the isolation of the trunks, the iterative fitting of circles for the DBH calculation and the computation of the TH of each tree. TLS and WLS point clouds were compared by the statistical analysis of both estimated forest dendrometric parameters and the possible presence of bias. Results show that the apparent differences in point density and relative precision between both 3D forest models do not affect tree detection and DBH estimation. Nevertheless, tree height estimation using WLS appears to be affected by the limited scanning range of the WLS used in this study. TH estimations for trees below a certain height are equivalent using WLS or TLS, whereas TH of taller trees is clearly underestimated using WLSS

Novel Pole Photogrammetric System for Low-Cost Documentation of Archaeological Sites: The Case Study of “Cueva Pintada”

19 p.Close-range photogrammetry is a powerful and widely used technique for 3D reconstruction of archaeological environments, specifically when a high-level detail is required. This paper presents an innovative low-cost system that allows high quality and detailed reconstructions of indoor complex scenarios with unfavorable lighting conditions by means of close-range nadir and oblique images as an alternative to drone acquisitions for those places where the use of drones is limited or discouraged: (i) indoor scenarios in which both loss of GNSS signal and need of long exposure times occur, (ii) scenarios with risk of raising dust in suspension due to the proximity to the ground and (iii) complex scenarios with variability in the presence of nooks and vertical elements of different heights. The low-altitude aerial view reached with this system allows high-quality 3D documentation of complex scenarios helped by its ergonomic design, self-stability, lightness, and flexibility of handling. In addition, its interchangeable and remote-control support allows to board different sensors and perform both acquisitions that follow the ideal photogrammetric epipolar geometry but also acquisitions with geometry variations that favor a more complete and reliable reconstruction by avoiding occlusions. This versatile pole photogrammetry system has been successfully used to 3D reconstruct and document the “Cueva Pintada” archaeological site located in Gran Canaria (Spain), of approximately 5400 m2 with a Canon EOS 5D MARK II SLR digital camera. As final products: (i) a great quality photorealistic 3D model of 1.47 mm resolution and ±8.4 mm accuracy, (ii) detailed orthophotos of the main assets of the archaeological remains and (iii) a visor 3D with associated information on the structures, materials and plans of the site were obtained.S

Changes in leaf morphology and composition with future increases in CO2 and temperature revisited. Wheat in field chambers

Whether leaf morphology is altered by future increases in atmospheric CO2 and temperature has been re-examined during three years in wheat grown in field chambers at two levels of nitrogen supply. Flag leaf fresh and dry mass, area, volume, and ratios of these parameters, as well as the contents of water, chlorophyll, non-structural carbohydrates and nitrogen compounds have been determined at anthesis and 14 days later. High CO2 decreased, rather than increased as reported in the literature, leaf mass per area and leaf density, and increased water content per area and volume and water percentage. Warmer temperatures also decreased leaf mass per area, but did not affect density or water per area or volume, while they increased water percentage. Nitrogen supply did not change CO2 and temperature effects on leaf morphology. Non-structural carbohydrates increased and nitrogen compounds decreased in elevated CO2, and the sum of these compounds decreased with warmer temperatures. These changes in composition did not account for modifications of leaf morphology. We conclude that increases in atmospheric CO2 and temperature after leaf initiation can decrease leaf mass per area, and elevated CO2 can also decrease leaf density, due to decreases in leaf structural compounds. The functional significance of these changes is probably a decrease in photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf area.E.G. and D.G. were the recipients of I3P-European Social Fund and Junta de Castilla y León fellowships, respectively. We thank the staff of this Institute’s experimental farm for technical assistance in crop husbandry. This work has been funded by the Spanish National Research and Development Programme- European Regional Development Fund, ERDF (Project BFI2003-01277).Peer reviewe

Seed Silhouettes as Geometric Objects: New Applications of Elliptic Fourier Transform to Seed Morphology

Historically, little attention has been paid to the resemblance between seed silhouettes to geometric figures. Cardioid and derivatives, ellipses, heart curves, lemniscates, lenses, lunes, ovals, superellipses, waterdrops, and other figures can be used to describe seed shape, as well as models for quantification. Algebraic expressions representing the average silhouettes for a group of seeds are available, and their shape can be described and quantified by comparison with geometric models. Bidimensional closed-plane figures resulting from the representation of Fourier equations can be used as models for shape analysis. Elliptic Fourier Transform equations reproduce the seed silhouettes for any closed-plane curve corresponding to the contour of the image of a seed. We review the geometric properties of the silhouettes from seed images and discuss them in the context of seed development, plant taxonomy, and environmental adaptation. Silene is proposed as a model for the study of seed morphology. Three groups have been recently defined among Silene species based on the structure of their seed silhouettes, and their geometric properties are discussed. Using models based on Fourier Transform equations is useful in Silene species where the seeds are homogenous in shape but don’t adjust to described figures.Project “CLU-2019-05-IRNASA/CSIC Unit of Excellence”, funded by the Junta de Castilla y León and co-financed by the European Union (ERDF “Europe drives our growth”)

Hyperspectral imaging and robust statistics in non-melanoma skin cancer analysis

Non-Melanoma skin cancer is one of the most frequent types of cancer. Early detection is encouraged so as to ensure the best treatment, Hyperspectral imaging is a promising technique for non-invasive inspection of skin lesions, however, the optimal wavelengths for these purposes are yet to be conclusively determined. A visible-near infrared hyperspectral camera with an ad-hoc built platform was used for image acquisition in the present study. Robust statistical techniques were used to conclude an optimal range between 573.45 and 779.88 nm to distinguish between healthy and non-healthy skin. Wavelengths between 429.16 and 520.17 nm were additionally found to be optimal for the differentiation between cancer types.Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León (GRS 2139/A/20); Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PRE2019-089411); Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI18/00587); Ibderdrola Spain; Junta de Castilla y León (GRS 1837/A/18). This project was funded by the Junta de Castilla y Leon, under the title project HYPERSKINCARE (Ref. GRS 1837/A/18). Lloyd Austin Courtenay is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities with an FPI Predoctoral Grant (Ref. PRE2019-089411) associated to project RTI2018-099850-B-I00 and the University of Salamanca. Susana Lagüela and Susana del Pozo are both funded by the Iberdrola Spain through the initiative Cátedra Iberdrola VIII Centenario of the University of Salamanca. Javier Cañueto is partially supported by the PI18/00587(Instituto de Salud Carlos III cofinanciado con fondos FEDER) and GRS 2139/A/20 (Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León

The GeV to TeV connection in the environment of SNR IC 443

We have recently interpreted the source MAGIC J0616+225 as a result of delayed TeV emission of cosmic-rays diffusing from IC 443 and interacting with a cloud in the foreground of the remnant. This model was used to make predictions for future observations, especially those to be made with the Fermi satellite. Just recently, AGILE, Fermi, and VERITAS have released new results of their observations of IC 443. In this work, we compare them with the predictions of our model, exploring the GeV to TeV connection in this region of space. We use Fermi data to consider the possibility of constraining the cosmic-ray diffusion features of the environment. We analyze the cosmic-ray distributions, their interactions, and a possible detection of the SNR environment in the neutrino channel.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 20 pages, 10 figures, 1 tabl

Deep Convolutional Neural Support Vector Machines for the Classification of Basal Cell Carcinoma Hyperspectral Signatures

[EN] Non-melanoma skin cancer, and basal cell carcinoma in particular, is one of the most common types of cancer. Although this type of malignancy has lower metastatic rates than other types of skin cancer, its locally destructive nature and the advantages of its timely treatment make early detection vital. The combination of multispectral imaging and artificial intelligence has arisen as a powerful tool for the detection and classification of skin cancer in a non-invasive manner. The present study uses hyperspectral images to discern between healthy and basal cell carcinoma hyperspectral signatures. Upon the combined use of convolutional neural networks, with a final support vector machine activation layer, the present study reaches up to 90% accuracy, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve being calculated at 0.9 as well. While the results are promising, future research should build upon a dataset with a larger number of patients.SIJunta de Castilla y Leo

Hyperspectral imaging and robust statistics in non-melanoma skin cancer analysis

[EN] Non-Melanoma skin cancer is one of the most frequent types of cancer. Early detection is encouraged so as to ensure the best treatment, Hyperspectral imaging is a promising technique for non-invasive inspection of skin lesions, however, the optimal wavelengths for these purposes are yet to be conclusively determined. A visible-near infrared hyperspectral camera with an ad-hoc built platform was used for image acquisition in the present study. Robust statistical techniques were used to conclude an optimal range between 573.45 and 779.88 nm to distinguish between healthy and non-healthy skin. Wavelengths between 429.16 and 520.17 nm were additionally found to be optimal for the differentiation between cancer typesSIGerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y LeónSpanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and UniversitiesInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIJunta de Castilla y Leó

Circulating Cell Biomarkers in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Relationship with Clinical Heterogeneity and Therapeutic Response

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is central to PAH. In this study, we simultaneously analysed circulating levels of endothelial microvesicles (EMVs) and progenitor cells (PCs) in PAH and in controls, as biomarkers of pulmonary endothelial integrity and evaluated differences among PAH subtypes and as a response to treatment. Methods: Forty-seven controls and 144 patients with PAH (52 idiopathic, 9 heritable, 31 associated with systemic sclerosis, 15 associated with other connective tissue diseases, 20 associated with HIV and 17 associated with portal hypertension) were evaluated. Forty-four patients with scleroderma and 22 with HIV infection, but without PAH, were also studied. Circulating levels of EMVs, total (CD31+CD42b-) and activated (CD31+CD42b-CD62E+), as well as circulating PCs (CD34+CD133+CD45low) were measured by flow cytometry and the EMVs/PCs ratio was computed. In treatment-naïve patients, measurements were repeated after 3 months of PAH therapy. Results: Patients with PAH showed higher numbers of EMVs and a lower percentage of PCs, compared with healthy controls. The EMV/PC ratio was increased in PAH patients, and in patients with SSc or HIV without PAH. After starting PAH therapy, individual changes in EMVs and PCs were variable, without significant differences being observed as a group. Conclusion: PAH patients present disturbed vascular homeostasis, reflected in changes in circulating EMV and PC levels, which are not restored with PAH targeted therapy. Combined measurement of circulating EMVs and PCs could be foreseen as a potential biomarker of endothelial dysfunction in PAH