Static and Dynamic Hand Gestures: A Review of Techniques of Virtual Reality Manipulation.

This review explores the historical and current significance of gestures as a universal form of communication with a focus on hand gestures in virtual reality applications. It highlights the evolution of gesture detection systems from the 1990s, which used computer algorithms to find patterns in static images, to the present day where advances in sensor technology, artificial intelligence, and computing power have enabled real-time gesture recognition. The paper emphasizes the role of hand gestures in virtual reality (VR), a field that creates immersive digital experiences through the Ma blending of 3D modeling, sound effects, and sensing technology. This review presents state-of-the-art hardware and software techniques used in hand gesture detection, primarily for VR applications. It discusses the challenges in hand gesture detection, classifies gestures as static and dynamic, and grades their detection difficulty. This paper also reviews the haptic devices used in VR and their advantages and challenges. It provides an overview of the process used in hand gesture acquisition, from inputs and pre-processing to pose detection, for both static and dynamic gestures.

Cyclovirus detection in Chilean adults with and without community-acquired pneumonia.

Cycloviruses (CyV) (genus Cyclovirus, family Circoviridae) are nonenveloped DNA viruses. The first report in humans was in 2010 and research has focused only on disease-associated human sample detection. The only HuACyV (CyCV-ChileNPA1, HuACyV10) reported in the Chilean population was in children (3.3%) with an acute respiratory infection. Its detection in respiratory samples from adults, with/without respiratory disease remains unknown. The aim of this study was to detect HuACyV10 in adults with and without respiratory disease. HuACyV10 was studied in nasopharyngeal swabs from 105 hospitalized adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and 104 adults without respiratory symptoms. Total nucleic acids were extracted, and viral rep and cp gene fragments were amplified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. HuACyV10 was detected in 19.05% adults with CAP and in 0.96% asymptomatic adults, being significantly higher in adult CAP than asymptomatic (n = 1) ones (p = 0.0001). C t values were between 26.7 and 39.6, and the median was 34.1 for rep and 33.8 for the CAP in adults CAP (p = 0.68), and 35.7 and 36.0, respectively, in the asymptomatic case. HuACyV10 detection in CAP adults concentrated in the Autumn-Winter season of the Southern hemisphere. The only asymptomatic adult with HuACyV10 was detected in the Spring-Summer period. In this first report of HuACyV10 in respiratory samples from adults, detection was significantly higher in CAP than in asymptomatic adults. As the sensitivity of both rep and cp genes was similar, both can be applied for detecting HuACyV10. It would be advisable to investigate the pathogenic role of HuACyV10 in adult respiratory infections. ​.

[Yield of two mortality predictors in immunocompetent patients with community acquired pneumonia]. / Rendimiento de dos índices predictores de mortalidad (PSI y CURB-65) en pacientes adultos inmunocompetentes hospitalizados por neumonía adquirida en la comunidad.

BACKGROUND: The severity of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) can be evaluated by the PSI and CURB-65 scales. However, it is unknown whether their predictive capacity varies according to the etiology of the disease. AIM: To compare the performance of these scales in adults with viral, bacterial, mixed, and no agent detected CAP. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 725 patients hospitalized for CAP aged 18 to 95 years (47% females) Urinary S. pneumoniae and Legionella antigens were detected by immuno-chromatography (Binax®). Respiratory viruses and bacteria were detected by PCR in nasopharyngeal smears. The proportions of deaths, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and oxygen therapy were compared between mild and non-severe patients defined by PSI (I/II and I-III) and CURB-65 (1 and 1-2), according to the causative agent. RESULTS: Ten percent of patients died. A causative agent was detected in 65%. The proportion of mild and non-severe patients according to PSI and CURB-65, and of deceased patients, admitted to the ICU and with oxygen therapy was similar in the four categories per agent. There were no deaths among non-severe patients with bacterial CAP. However, 6% of patients with CAP caused by virus or without causative agents, died. No deaths occurred among mild patients with bacterial CAP. In viral CAP, no deaths occurred among patients classified as mild only by PSI. The yields of PSI were greater than those of CURB-65 in non-severe patients who died and were admitted to the ICU with bacterial and viral CAP (5 and 14%; 7 and 12% respectively, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic performance of PSI in CAP varies according to the causative agent in adults. It is higher in non-severe bacterial cases, and superior to CURB-65.

Microblotches on Dermoscopy of Melanocytic Lesions are Associated with Melanoma: A Cross-sectional Study.

Numerous dermoscopic structures for the early detection of melanoma have been described. The aim of this study was to illustrate the characteristics of dermoscopic structures that are similar to blotches, but smaller (termed microblotches), and to evaluate their association with other well-known dermoscopic structures. A cross-sectional study design, including 165 dermoscopic images of melanoma was used to define microblotches, and 241 consecutive images of naevi from the HAM10000 database, were studied to evaluate the prevalence of this criterion in both groups. Microblotches were defined as sharply demarcated structures ≤1 mm, with geographical borders visible only with dermoscopy. Microblotches were present in 38.7% of the melanomas and 6.7% of the naevi. Moreover, microblotches were associated with an odds ratio (OR) of malignancy of 5.79, and were more frequent in invasive melanoma than in the in-situ subtype (OR 2.92). Histologically, they correspond to hyperpigmented parakeratosis or epidermal consumption. In conclusion, microblotches are related to melanomas. This finding could help dermatologists to differentiate between naevi and melanomas.

Comparison of Luminex xTAG® RVP fast assay and real time RT-PCR for the detection of respiratory viruses in adults with community-acquired pneumonia.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the third cause of death worldwide. Viruses are frequently detected in adult CAP. Highly sensitive diagnostic techniques should be used due to poor viral shedding. Different sampling methods can affect viral detection, being necessary to establish the optimal type of sample for identifying respiratory viruses in adults. The detection rates of respiratory viruses by Luminex xTAG® RVP fast assay, real time RT-PCR (rtRT-PCR) (Sacace®), and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) in adult CAP were performed in nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and aspirates (NPA) from 179 hospitalized adults. Positivity was 47.5% for Luminex®, 42.5% for rtRT-PCR (P = 0.3), and 2.7% for IFA (2.7%) (P < 0.0). The sensitivity, specificity, and kappa coefficient of xTAG® RVP compared with rtRT-PCR were 84.2%, 79.6%, and 0.62%, respectively. Luminex® and rtRT-PCR detected 65 (58.0%) and 57 (50.9%) viruses in 112 NPA and 35 (34.3%) and 31 (30.4%) in 102 NPS, respectively (P < 0.01). xTAG® RVP is appropriate for detecting respiratory viruses in CAP adults. Both molecular techniques yielded better results with nasopharyngeal aspirate than swabs.

Pedometers to enhance physical activity in COPD: a randomised controlled trial.

Physical inactivity is a cardinal feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Pedometers, which have been used in healthy populations, might also increase physical activity in patients with COPD. COPD patients taking part in a 3-month individualised programme to promote an increase in their daily physical activity were randomised to either a standard programme of physical activity encouragement alone, or a pedometer-based programme. Assessments were performed by investigators blinded to treatment allocation. Change in average 1-week daily step count, 6-min walking distance (6MWD), modified Medical Research Council scale, St George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) and COPD assessment test (CAT) were compared between groups. 102 patients were recruited, of whom 97 completed the programme (pedometer group: n=50; control group: n=47); 60.8% were male with a mean±sd age of 68.7±8.5 years, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) 66.1±19.4% and FEV1/forced vital capacity 55.2±9.5%. Both groups had comparable characteristics at baseline. The pedometer group had significantly greater improvements in: physical activity 3080±3254 steps·day(-1) versus 138.3±1950 steps·day(-1) (p<0.001); SGRQ -8.8±12.2 versus -3.8±10.9 (p=0.01); CAT score -3.5±5.5 versus -0.6±6.6 (p=0.001); and 6MWD 12.4±34.6 versus -0.7±24.4 m (p=0.02) than patients receiving activity encouragement only. A simple physical activity enhancement programme using pedometers can effectively improve physical activity level and quality of life in COPD patients.

Morphological changes and color development during cookie baking-Kinetic, heat, and mass transfer considerations.

Color and shape are important quality attributes in baked goods, particularly cookies. Composition and processing conditions determine and influence color development and morphological changes in these baked goods. The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the evolution of color and shape during baking to determine useful correlations that can be implemented during the assessment and modeling of the baking process. Cookies (AACC-I standard protocol 10-53.01) were baked at 185, 205, and 225°C. Moisture content, water activity, surface temperature, characteristic dimensions (radius and thickness), and color indexes (lightness, redness, blueness, and browning index [BI]) were monitored at different locations on the cookie surface and baking times. Relationships among the tested conditions were explored using correlation analysis. The cookies' dimensions and color indexes were strongly correlated with changes in moisture content over time, and those relationships were characterized using empirical models. The temperature dependence of the kinetic parameters of the changes in lightness and BI was also described and deemed independent of the location on the cookie surface. This study provides insights into the influence of heat and mass transfer on the physical and physicochemical changes of cookies during baking. The kinetic and secondary models developed in this study can serve as important components for establishing a comprehensive approach for coupling heat transfer, mass transfer, and reaction kinetics to estimate and optimize cookie-baking processes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The findings from this study provide valuable information for better understanding the morphological changes and color developments during the cookie-baking process. The quantitative data and models generated in this study will allow identifying baking conditions for better quality development.

Surface disinfection of wheat kernels using gas phase hydroxyl-radical processes: Effect on germination characteristics, microbial load, and functional properties.

Wheat kernels harbor a diverse microflora that can negatively affect the suitability of the grains for further processing. To reduce surface microflora, a kernel disinfection method is required that does not affect grain functionality. Three different versions of gas phase hydroxyl-radical processes were compared with the common method for grain disinfection, that is, a bleach treatment. The gas phase hydroxyl-radicals are generated by the UV-C mediated degradation of hydrogen peroxide and/or ozone in a near water-free process. It was found that treating kernels with a bleach solution could reduce total aerobic count (TAC) and fungal count to below the level of enumeration. In comparison, the gas phase hydroxyl-radical treatment, that is, H2 O2 -UV-ozone treatment, could support a 1.3 log count reduction (LCR) in TAC and a 1.1 LCR in fungal count. The microbial load reduction for the wholemeal samples was less pronounced as endophytic microorganisms were less affected by all treatments, hinting at a limited penetration depth of the treatments. Despite reducing the microbial load on the kernel surface through the bleach and H2 O2 -UV-ozone treatments, none of these treatments resulted in a reduced microbial count on grains that underwent sprouting after the treatments. No negative effect on germination power or development of the seedling was observed for any of the treatments. The gluten aggregation behavior and xylanase activity of the wholemeal also remained unchanged after the gas phase hydroxyl-radical treatments. Our findings suggest that UV-H2 O2 -ozone treatment shows promise for dry-kernel disinfection, but further optimization of the processing parameters is required.

Community-acquired pneumonia in Chile: the clinical relevance in the detection of viruses and atypical bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Adult community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a relevant worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality, however the aetiology often remains uncertain and the therapy is empirical. We applied conventional and molecular diagnostics to identify viruses and atypical bacteria associated with CAP in Chile. METHODS: We used sputum and blood cultures, IgG/IgM serology and molecular diagnostic techniques (PCR, reverse transcriptase PCR) for detection of classical and atypical bacteria (Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Legionella pneumoniae) and respiratory viruses (adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus, influenza virus, parainfluenzavirus, rhinovirus, coronavirus) in adults >18 years old presenting with CAP in Santiago from February 2005 to September 2007. Severity was qualified at admission by Fine's pneumonia severity index. RESULTS: Overall detection in 356 enrolled adults were 92 (26%) cases of a single bacterial pathogen, 80 (22%) cases of a single viral pathogen, 60 (17%) cases with mixed bacterial and viral infection and 124 (35%) cases with no identified pathogen. Streptococcus pneumoniae and RSV were the most common bacterial and viral pathogens identified. Infectious agent detection by PCR provided greater sensitivity than conventional techniques. To our surprise, no relationship was observed between clinical severity and sole or coinfections. CONCLUSIONS: The use of molecular diagnostics expanded the detection of viruses and atypical bacteria in adults with CAP, as unique or coinfections. Clinical severity and outcome were independent of the aetiological agents detected.

Relationship between severity of adult community-acquired pneumonia and impairment of the antioxidant defense system.

Oxidant/antioxidant imbalance has been reported in some infectious diseases, including community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The aim was to assess the antioxidant status in adults with CAP and its relationship with clinical severity at admission. Fifty-nine patients with CAP were enrolled and categorized at admission by the FINE score, from July 2010 to October 2012. In the same period 61 controls were enrolled. Plasma samples were obtained at admission for determination of the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and lipid peroxidation (8-isoprostane). Erythrocyte reduced (GSH)/oxidized (GSSG) glutathione, malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzyme activity were assessed. Antioxidant status in adults with CAP represented by FRAP and the GSH/GSSG ratio were 16.8% (p=0.03) and 39.7% (p=0.04) lower than control values, respectively. In addition, FRAP values showed a positive correlation with GSH/GSSG ratio (r=0.852; p<0.02; n=59). The CAP group showed greater lipid peroxidation in both plasma and erythrocytes. The FINE score correlated negatively with FRAP (r= -0.718; p<0.05; n=59) and positively with MDA and F2 isoprostane levels (r=0.673; p<0.05; n=59; r=0.892; p<0.01; n=59, respectively). Antioxidant status alterations correlated with clinical severity. The FRAP assay and lipid peroxidation biomarkers may provide a useful parameter for estimating the severity and the clinical outcome of patients with CAP.

Impact of Training Data, Ground Truth and Shape Variability in the Deep Learning-Based Semantic Segmentation of HeLa Cells Observed with Electron Microscopy.

This paper investigates the impact of the amount of training data and the shape variability on the segmentation provided by the deep learning architecture U-Net. Further, the correctness of ground truth (GT) was also evaluated. The input data consisted of a three-dimensional set of images of HeLa cells observed with an electron microscope with dimensions 8192×8192×517. From there, a smaller region of interest (ROI) of 2000×2000×300 was cropped and manually delineated to obtain the ground truth necessary for a quantitative evaluation. A qualitative evaluation was performed on the 8192×8192 slices due to the lack of ground truth. Pairs of patches of data and labels for the classes nucleus, nuclear envelope, cell and background were generated to train U-Net architectures from scratch. Several training strategies were followed, and the results were compared against a traditional image processing algorithm. The correctness of GT, that is, the inclusion of one or more nuclei within the region of interest was also evaluated. The impact of the extent of training data was evaluated by comparing results from 36,000 pairs of data and label patches extracted from the odd slices in the central region, to 135,000 patches obtained from every other slice in the set. Then, 135,000 patches from several cells from the 8192×8192 slices were generated automatically using the image processing algorithm. Finally, the two sets of 135,000 pairs were combined to train once more with 270,000 pairs. As would be expected, the accuracy and Jaccard similarity index improved as the number of pairs increased for the ROI. This was also observed qualitatively for the 8192×8192 slices. When the 8192×8192 slices were segmented with U-Nets trained with 135,000 pairs, the architecture trained with automatically generated pairs provided better results than the architecture trained with the pairs from the manually segmented ground truths. This suggests that the pairs that were extracted automatically from many cells provided a better representation of the four classes of the various cells in the 8192×8192 slice than those pairs that were manually segmented from a single cell. Finally, the two sets of 135,000 pairs were combined, and the U-Net trained with these provided the best results.

Kocuria kristinae neuroinfection in an immunocompetent patient: a case report and review of the literature.

Few cases of disease by Kocuria kristinae have been reported, some in immunocompetent patients but mainly in immunocompromised. The current case report describes a 28-year-old female with an initial diagnosis of pituitary macroadenoma. After the initial surgery, the patient was readmitted due to tension pneumocephalus and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula. Cultures showed K. kristinae in the CSF and Candida albicans in the urine. The patient died after multiple complications. This is the first case of neuroinfection by K. kristinae in the American continent as reviewed. It was not determined as the main cause of death due to the sudden herniation, however, with active infection derived from the identification in two different samples, for this reason, we consider that it could be useful to take it as a cause of disease and a probable cause when the studies for detection of the most common pathogens have been negative.

Role of neutralizing antibodies in adults with community-acquired pneumonia by respiratory syncytial virus.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been implicated in the etiology of adult community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We investigated RSV infection in Chilean adults with CAP using direct viral detection, real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rtRT-PCR), and serology (microneutralization assay). METHODS: RSV, other respiratory viruses, and bacteria were studied by conventional and molecular techniques in adults aged ≥18 years presenting with CAP to the healthcare facilities in Santiago, Chile from February 2005 through December 2007. RESULTS: All 356 adults with CAP enrolled had an acute blood sample collected at enrollment, and 184 had a convalescent blood sample. RSV was detected in 48 cases (13.4%). Immunofluorescence assay and viral isolation each detected only 1 infection (0.2%), whereas rtRT-PCR was positive in 32 (8.9%) cases and serology was positive in 20 (10.8%) cases. CAP clinical characteristics were similar in RSV-infected and non-RSV-infected cases. RSV-specific geometric mean serum-neutralizing antibody titer (GMST) was significantly lower at admission in the 48 RSV-infected cases compared with 308 non-RSV-infected adults (GMST in log(2): RSV/A 8.1 vs 8.9, and RSV/B 9.3 vs 10.4; P < .02). CONCLUSIONS: RSV infection is frequent in Chilean adults with CAP. Microneutralization assay was as sensitive as rtRT-PCR in detecting RSV infection and is a good adjunct assay for diagnostic research. High RSV-specific serum-neutralizing antibody levels were associated with protection against common and severe infection. The development of a vaccine could prevent RSV-related CAP in adults.

IL-7/IL7R axis dysfunction in adults with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP): a cross-sectional study.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a worldwide leading cause of death. Recognized risk factors in some severe cases have not been identified. Lymphocytopenia has been frequently described in CAP. Since IL-7, membrane-bound receptor (IL7Rα;CD127) and soluble IL7Rα (sIL7R) are critical in lymphocytes homeostasis, in this work we aimed to evaluate the involvement of the IL-7/IL7Rα axis in the severity of adult CAP, since it has not been explored. The IL7Rα SNPs rs6897932, rs987106, and rs3194051 SNPs in IL7α were genotyped, the systemic expression of the IL7R gene, sIL7R, IL-7, and levels of peripheral IL7Rα+ T lymphocytes were quantified in 202 hospitalized CAP cases. rs3194051GG was more frequent in non-survivors than in survivors; rs987106TT was more frequent and rs3194051AA less frequent in patients at intensive care unit (ICU) than in those not admitted to ICU. IL7Rα gene expression was lower in non-survivors than in survivors, and in severe than in mild cases. CD3+CD127+ lymphocytes were lower in severe than in mild cases; in non-survivors than in survivors and in ICU than in non- ICU admitted cases. sIL7Rα plasmatic levels were higher in non-survivors than in survivors, and in severe than in mild cases. rs6897932CC, rs987106AA and rs3194051GG carriers showed the highest while rs6897932TT showed the lowest sIL7Rα levels. The AUC of sIL7Rα levels predicting 30-day mortality was 0.71. Plasma IL-7 levels were lower in ICU-admitted than in not ICU-admitted and in non-survivors than in survivors. No additional association was detected. In conclusion, rs3194051GG and rs987106TT IL7R genotypes were associated with a poorer prognosis. A significant association between sIL7R levels and SNPs of the IL7R gene is described for the first time in adult CAP. Increased plasmatic sIL7R could contribute to identifying adult CAP cases at risk of death.

Morphological Estimation of Cellularity on Neo-Adjuvant Treated Breast Cancer Histological Images.

This paper describes a methodology that extracts key morphological features from histological breast cancer images in order to automatically assess Tumour Cellularity (TC) in Neo-Adjuvant treatment (NAT) patients. The response to NAT gives information on therapy efficacy and it is measured by the residual cancer burden index, which is composed of two metrics: TC and the assessment of lymph nodes. The data consist of whole slide images (WSIs) of breast tissue stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) released in the 2019 SPIE Breast Challenge. The methodology proposed is based on traditional computer vision methods (K-means, watershed segmentation, Otsu's binarisation, and morphological operations), implementing colour separation, segmentation, and feature extraction. Correlation between morphological features and the residual TC after a NAT treatment was examined. Linear regression and statistical methods were used and twenty-two key morphological parameters from the nuclei, epithelial region, and the full image were extracted. Subsequently, an automated TC assessment that was based on Machine Learning (ML) algorithms was implemented and trained with only selected key parameters. The methodology was validated with the score assigned by two pathologists through the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The selection of key morphological parameters improved the results reported over other ML methodologies and it was very close to deep learning methodologies. These results are encouraging, as a traditionally-trained ML algorithm can be useful when limited training data are available preventing the use of deep learning approaches.

Immunoglobulins concentration and B cell counts as severity markers in adult community-acquired pneumonia: Cross sectional study.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality. Immunoglobulins (Igs) and B cells quantification studies in CAP are few and show discrepancies. Serum IgA acts as a powerful natural anti-inflammatory factor, but its role in the CAP has not yet been defined. The highly sensitive xMAP Luminex technique allows better immunoglobulins quantification. The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between clinical severity and circulating Igs and B cells in adults with CAP.Igs (M, A, G1, G2, G3, and G4) and B cells were quantified in peripheral blood of 190 Chilean patients ≥18 years old hospitalized for CAP and in 21 adults without respiratory disease, using xMAP Luminex and flow cytometry, respectively. Clinical history was recorded and PSI and CURB-65 scores were calculated for evaluation of clinical severity.The total IgM, IgG2 and total IgG levels were lower in CAP than in asymptomatic adults (P < .05). No significant differences of Igs levels were found between patients classified as severe and mild by PSI and CURB-65 scores. Fatal cases had higher levels of IgA (P < .05). No differences in CD19 B cells frequency was found between CAP and asymptomatic adults (P = .40). In PSI severe cases, CD19 B cells were significantly lower than in mild cases (P = .008). No differences were found in CURB-65 severe and mild groups (P = .11). In fatal cases (11/82) group, CD19 B cells frequency was lower than in 71 survivors (P = .2). No differences in memory B lymphocytes were detected between asymptomatic and CAP adults, severe and mild patients, survivors and fatal cases (P > .05).Serum IgA levels were significantly higher in fatal CAP cases, raising it as a potential biomarker for severe disease considering its relatively universal availability. In PSI severe patients, B cells showed lower levels and could have a role on its physiopathology. Finding new markers rooted in physiopathology could improve the possibility of scoring severe CAP cases. Luminex technology showed promising quantification serum Igs.

Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in adult community-acquired pneumonia by PCR and serology.

Diagnosis of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae in adults is hampered by a lack of rapid and standardized tests for detection. This prospective study was conducted to compare the diagnostic values of an indirect immunofluorescence assay and a 16S rRNA gene PCR for the diagnosis of M. pneumoniae pneumonia in adults. From February 2005 to January 2008, 357 patients (53.8 % males, median age 63 years, range 18-94) admitted for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to two hospitals in Santiago, Chile, were enrolled in the study. Thirty-two patients (9.0 %) met the criteria of current or recent M. pneumoniae infection, and laboratory diagnosis was definitive in 26 cases (81.2 %) and presumptive in six cases (18.8 %). Among the 32 M. pneumoniae infections, the PCR assay was positive in 23 (71.9 %) and the serology in 27 (84.4 %) of the cases. IgM was positive in acute-phase serum specimens in 13 cases (40.6 %) of M. pneumoniae infections. Using serology as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the PCR were 66.7, 98.5, 78.3 and 97.3 %, respectively, whereas the global agreement of the methods was 343/357 (96.1 %). The frequency of M. pneumoniae CAP cases declined significantly during the second year of study, suggesting the end of an epidemic period. In conclusion, although good global agreement was found between PCR and serology, the lower sensitivity of the PCR leads us to recommend the use of both procedures in parallel to confirm M. pneumoniae in CAP in adults.

Oenococcus oeni in Chilean Red Wines: Technological and Genomic Characterization.

The presence and load of species of LAB at the end of the malolactic fermentation (MLF) were investigated in 16 wineries from the different Chilean valleys (Limarí, Casablanca, Maipo, Rapel, and Maule Valleys) during 2012 and 2013, using PCR-RFLP and qPCR. Oenococcus oeni was observed in 80% of the samples collected. Dominance of O. oeni was reflected in the bacterial load (O. oeni/total bacteria) measured by qPCR, corresponding to >85% in most of the samples. A total of 178 LAB isolates were identified after sequencing molecular markers, 95 of them corresponded to O. oeni. Further genetic analyses were performed using MLST (7 genes) including 10 commercial strains; the results indicated that commercial strains were grouped together, while autochthonous strains distributed among different genetic clusters. To pre-select some autochthonous O. oeni, these isolates were also characterized based on technological tests such as ethanol tolerance (12 and 15%), SO2 resistance (0 and 80 mg l-1), and pH (3.1 and 3.6) and malic acid transformation (1.5 and 4 g l-1). For comparison purposes, commercial strain VP41 was also tested. Based on their technological performance, only 3 isolates were selected for further examination (genome analysis) and they were able to reduce malic acid concentration, to grow at low pH 3.1, 15% ethanol and 80 mg l-1 SO2. The genome analyses of three selected isolates were examined and compared to PSU-1 and VP41 strains to study their potential contribution to the organoleptic properties of the final product. The presence and homology of genes potentially related to aromatic profile were compared among those strains. The results indicated high conservation of malolactic enzyme (>99%) and the absence of some genes related to odor such as phenolic acid decarboxylase, in autochthonous strains. Genomic analysis also revealed that these strains shared 470 genes with VP41 and PSU-1 and that autochthonous strains harbor an interesting number of unique genes (>21). Altogether these results reveal the presence of local strains distinguishable from commercial strains at the genetic/genomic level and also having genomic traits that enforce their potential use as starter cultures.

[Association of depression and anxiety in patients with irritable bowel syndrome]. / Asociación de depresión y ansiedad en pacientes con síndrome de intestino irritable.

INTRODUCTION: The irritable bowel syndrome (SII) is characterized by alterations of intestinal motility and visceral sensibility, without organic cause. Is associated a psychiatric alterations and somatic symptoms in 80%, the anxiety or depression precede or is concomitants with gastrointestinal symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To determine association between depression or anxiety on the basis of DSM-IV criteria and Scale of Hamilton in patients with criteria of Rome II. DESIGN: A total one hundred patients were randomized in two groups: Hamilton for anxiety (n = 50) and DSM-IV for depression (n = 50), is correlated bi-variables (Pearson) in a descriptive and transversal study. RESULTS: The female gender represented 76% (n = 76), the relation F/ M; 4:1, the age average 49.7 years (R 18-89). Group DSM-IV in 62% (n = 31) had depression and 54% (n = 27) were women. The group Hamilton in 58% (n = 29) presented anxiety and 50% were women (n = 25). The correlation of Pearson (P < 0.1) for the female with anxiety was of P < 0.05 and in depression of P < 0.01, using an IC 95%. CONCLUSIONS: The manifestation of anxiety or depression appears in more of 50%, affects in greater proportion the female, reason why antidepressing therapy must be contemplated in the handling of the SII.