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The genus Beauveria is considered a cosmopolitan anamorphic and teleomorphic genus of soilborne necrotrophic arthropod-pathogenic fungi that includes ecologically and economically important species. Species identification in Beauveria is difficult because of its structural simplicity and the lack of distinctive phenotypic variation. Therefore, the use of multi-locus sequence data is essential to establish robust species boundaries in addition to DNA-based species delimitation methods using genetic distance, coalescent, and genealogical concordance approaches (polyphasic approaches). In this regard, our study used multilocus phylogeny and five DNA-based methods to delimit species in Beauveria using three molecular makers. These polyphasic analyses allowed for the delimitation of 20–28 species in Beauveria, confirming cryptic diversity in five species (i.e. B. amorpha, B. bassiana, B. diapheromeriphila, and B. pseudobassiana) and supporting the description of B. peruviensis as a new taxon from northeastern Peru. The other five species were not evaluated as they did not have enough data (i.e. B. araneola, B. gryllotalpidicola, B. loeiensis, B. medogensis, and B. rudraprayagi). Our results demonstrate that the congruence among different methods in a polyphasic approach (e.g. genetic distance and coalescence methods) is more likely to show reliably supported species boundaries. Among the methods applied in this study, genetic distance, coalescent approaches, and multilocus phylogeny are crucial when establishing species boundaries in Beauveria.

The direct infusion of bitter solutions in the gastrointestinal tract can reduce the secretion of orexigenic hormones and influence appetite and food intake. We aimed to explore whether oral ingestion of the bitter tastant hydroxychloroquine sulfate can exert similar effects. Ten lean adult women were included in this double-blind, randomized, two-visit, crossover study. After an overnight fast, each volunteer received film-coated tablets containing 400 mg of hydroxychloroquine sulfate (Plaquenil®) or placebo. Plasma-ghrelin, -motilin, -insulin and blood-glucose concentrations were determined every 10 min before and 30 min after feeding; appetite was scored every 10 min. Hunger scores were investigated with a special interest 50–60 min after the ingestion of hydroxychloroquine sulfate, right before a rewarding chocolate milkshake was offered to drink ad libitum. Compared with the placebo, hydroxychloroquine sulfate tended to reduce hunger at the time of interest (p = 0.10). No effect was found upon subsequent milkshake intake. Motilin plasma concentrations were unaltered, but acyl-ghrelin plasma concentrations decreased after the ingestion of hydroxychloroquine sulfate (t = 40–50; p < 0.05). These data suggest that the oral intake of hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets reduces subjective hunger via a ghrelin-dependent mechanism but does not affect motilin release, hedonic food intake or insulin levels in healthy women.

Psychological stress negatively affects the intestinal barrier function in animals and humans. We aimed to study the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 on intestinal permeability and stress-markers during public speech. Healthy students were randomized to L. rhamnosus-containing (test) or acidified (placebo) milk consumed twice daily for 4 weeks, with 46 subjects per treatment group. Small intestinal permeability was quantified by a 2 h urinary lactulose–mannitol ratio (LMR, primary outcome), fractional excretion of lactulose (FEL) and mannitol (FEM). Salivary cortisol, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Perceived Stress scores (PSS) were collected. No between-treatment differences were found for LMR (p = .71), FEL or FEM. Within-treatment analyses showed similar LMR and FEL but a stress-induced increase of FEM with the placebo (p

Introduction Endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) aims to improve pulmonary function in severe emphysema. Physical activity (PA) coaching is expected to improve daily life PA. When improving ventilatory constrains in severe COPD, a better response to PA coaching is expected. The present study investigated the impact of PA coaching in addition to ELVR in severe emphysema. Methods Patients allocated, based on fissure integrity, in the ELVR or no-ELVR cohort, received the PA coaching intervention with a step counter and smartphone application from 3 to 6 months follow-up. The primary end-point of this research question was the change in daily step count from baseline to 6 months follow-up compared between the ELVR and no-ELVR cohort. The secondary end-points were time spent in moderate to vigorous PA, movement intensity and patient-reported experience with PA between ELVR and no-ELVR. Results At 6 months, PA in both ELVR+coaching (1479±460 steps·day−1; p=0.001) and no-ELVR+coaching (1910±663 steps·day−1; p=0.004) improved within group, without significant between-group differences (−405±781 steps·day−1; p=0.60). Patients in the ELVR group tended to experience less difficulty with PA compared to no-ELVR+coaching (7±4 points, p=0.08). Conclusion We found that PA coaching is feasible and can help to enhance PA in patients with severe emphysema. Improving the ventilatory capacity through ELVR is not a prerequisite for a successful coaching intervention to increase objectively measured PA, although it alleviates patients’ experienced difficulty with PA in those with severe COPD.

Esophageal hypomotility in general and especially ineffective esophageal motility according to the Chicago criteria of primary motility disorders of the esophagus, is one of the most frequently diagnosed motility disorders on high resolution manometry and results in a large number of patients visiting gastroenterologists. Most patients with esophageal hypomotility present with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms or dysphagia. The clinical relevance of the motility pattern, however, is not well established but seems to be correlated with disease severity in reflux patients. The correlation with dysphagia is less clear. Prokinetic agents are commonly prescribed as first line pharmacologic intervention to target esophageal smooth muscle contractility and improve esophageal motor functions. However, the beneficial effects of these medications are limited and only confined to some specific drugs. Serotonergic agents, including buspirone, mosapride and prucalopride have been shown to improve parameters of esophageal motility although the effect on symptoms is less clear. Understanding on the complex correlation between esophageal hypomotility and esophageal symptoms as well as the limited evidence of prokinetic agents is necessary for physicians to appropriately manage patients with Ineffective Esophageal Motility (IEM).

La aeroponía es la mejor alternativa para asegurar la disponibilidad de semilla de alta calidad. El presente trabajo de investigación, se llevó acabo en el distrito de Luya Viejo, provincia de Luya, Región Amazonas, durante los meses de junio a diciembre de 2017, con el objetivo de evaluar el rendimiento de semilla prebásica a nivel de invernadero, en tres variedades de papa (Solanum tuberosum) en un sistema aeropónico. Para ello se utilizó el diseño completo al azar (DCA), con tres tratamientos y cinco repeticiones. Para la comparación de medias de los resultados se utilizó la prueba de Tukey al 95 % de confianza y para elprocesamiento de datos se empleó el software R. Asimismo los tratamientos evaluados fueron: T1 (variedad Yungay), T2 (variedad Huayro Amazonense) y T3 (variedad Canchán). Los tubérculos se desarrollaron en una cámara aeropónica conectada por aspersores para la distribución de la solución nutritiva y alimento de las mismas canalizado a través de sus raíces suspendidas en este medio, sin la necesidad de emplear un sustrato como es el caso de un sistema hidropónico. Así mismo, se evaluaron tres variables tales como la altura de planta, número de tubérculos por planta en cosecha y el peso de tubérculo por planta, de lo cual se alcanzó la mayor altura promedio de planta en el tratamiento T1 y la menor altura promedio de planta en el tratamiento T3. Sin embargo, en las variables del número de tubérculos planta en cosecha y peso del tubérculo por planta, no se reportó una diferencia significativa entre tratamientos, por lo que se determinó que, las tres variedades de papa (Solanum tuberosum) tomadas como objeto de estudio, expresan aptitud para ser utilizadas como fuente de propagación de semilla prebásica a nivel de Invernadero.

The smart grid paradigm and the development of smart meters have led to the availability of large volumes of data. This data is expected to assist in power system planning/operation and the transition from passive to active electricity users. With recent advances in machine learning, this data can be used to learn system dynamics. This study explores two model-free reinforcement learning (RL) techniques – policy iteration (PI) and fitted Q-iteration (FQI) for scheduling the operation of flexibility providers – battery and heat pump in a residential microgrid. The proposed algorithms are data-driven and can be easily generalised to fit the control of any flexibility provider without requiring expert knowledge to build a detailed model of the flexibility provider and/or microgrid. The algorithms are tested in multi-agent collaborative and single-agent stochastic microgrid settings – with the uncertainty due to lack of knowledge on future electricity consumption patterns and photovoltaic production. Simulation results show that PI outperforms FQI with a 7.2% increase in photovoltaic self-consumption in the multi-agent setting and a 3.7% increase in the single-agent setting. Both RL algorithms perform better than a rule-based controller, and compete with a model-based optimal controller, and are thus, a valuable alternative to model- and rule-based controllers.

Abstract Background Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are biological vectors of internationally important arboviruses. To understand the role of Culicoides in the transmission of these viruses, it is essential to correctly identify the species involved. Within the western Palaearctic region, the main suspected vector species, C. obsoletus, C. scoticus, C. dewulfi and C. chiopterus, have similar wing patterns, which makes it difficult to separate and identify them correctly. Methods In this study, designed as an inter-laboratory ring trial with twelve partners from Europe and North Africa, we assess four PCR-based assays which are used routinely to differentiate the four species of Culicoides listed above. The assays based on mitochondrial or ribosomal DNA or microarray hybridisation were tested using aliquots of Culicoides DNA (extracted using commercial kits), crude lysates of ground specimens and whole Culicoides (265 individuals), and non-Culicoides Ceratopogonidae (13 individuals) collected from across Europe. Results A total of 800 molecular assays were implemented. The in-house assays functioned effectively, although specificity and sensitivity varied according to the molecular marker and DNA extraction method used. The Obsoletus group specificity was overall high (95-99%) while the sensitivity varied greatly (59.6-100%). DNA extraction methods impacted the sensitivity of the assays as well as the type of sample used as template for the DNA extraction. Conclusions The results are discussed in terms of current use of species diagnostic assays and the future development of molecular tools for the rapid differentiation of cryptic Culicoides species.

Clustering workshop of low TRL Smart Grids and Storage projects, focused on distributed schemes such as MAS, blockchain, P2P, among others. This workshop was organized by DRIvE project. The objective of the event was to establish common goals and methodologies among the participants, and to have a relevant discussion forum.