TRFLP analysis reveals that fungi rather than bacteria are associated with premature yeast flocculation in brewing.

Premature yeast flocculation (PYF) is a sporadic fermentation problem in the brewing industry that results in incomplete yeast utilization of fermentable sugars in wort. Culture-independent, PCR-based fingerprinting techniques were applied in this study to identify the associations between the occurrence of the PYF problem during brewery fermentation with barley malt-associated microbial communities (both bacteria and fungi). Striking differences in the microbial DNA fingerprint patterns for fungi between PYF positive (PYF +ve) and negative (PYF -ve) barley malts were observed using the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) technique. The presence of terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) of 360-460 bp size range, for fungal HaeIII restriction enzyme-derived TRFLP profiles appeared to vary substantially between PYF +ve and PYF -ve samples. The source of the barley malt did not influence the fungal taxa implicated in PYF. TRFLP analysis indicates bacterial taxa are unlikely to be important in causing PYF. Virtual digestion of fungal sequences tentatively linked HaeIII TRFs in the 360-460 bp size range to a diverse range of yeast/yeast-like species. Findings from this study suggest that direct monitoring of barley malt samples using molecular methods could potentially be an efficient and viable alternative for monitoring PYF during brewery fermentations.

The effect of the addition of resistance training to a dietary education intervention on apolipoproteins and diet quality in overweight and obese older adults.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the additive effect of resistance training (RT) to a dietary education (DE) intervention on emerging coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors, concentration of apolipoproteins B (apoB) and A-I (apoA-I), and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet Index scores in overweight and obese older adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was an ancillary study of a randomized clinical trial held in the Fall of 2008 at the University of Rhode Island. Participants were overweight or obese subjects (mean body mass index [BMI] of 31.7 kg/m(2)) randomized into two groups, one participating in DE only (n = 12) and the other participating in DE plus RT (DERT) (n = 15). The intervention involved all subjects participating in 30 minutes of DE per week for 10 weeks. Subjects in the DERT group participated in an additional 40 minutes of RT three times per week for 10 weeks. Measurements taken were anthropometric (height, weight, waist circumference, and body composition using the BOD POD(®) [Body Composition System, v 2.14; Life Measurement Instruments, Concord, CA]), clinical (blood pressure), and biochemical (lipid profile and apoB and apoA-I concentrations), and the DASH Diet Index was used to measure diet quality. RESULTS: 27 subjects (11 males, 16 females), with a mean age of 66.6 ± 4.3 years, were included in analyses. The DERT subjects had significantly better triacylglycerol and apoB concentrations and DASH Diet Index scores than the DE subjects post-intervention. Improvements were seen within the DE group in energy intake, fat-free mass, and systolic blood pressure and within the DERT group in body weight, percentage of body fat, BMI, diastolic blood pressure, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The addition of RT effectively reduced CHD risk factors, body composition, and diet quality in overweight and obese older adults; DERT was more effective than DE alone in improving DASH Diet Index scores and lowering apoB concentrations but was not more effective in increasing apoA-I concentrations. Future research is needed to determine if apolipoproteins are superior to lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in predicting CHD risk.

Effect of moderate intensity resistance training during weight loss on body composition and physical performance in overweight older adults.

The impact of resistance training has not been thoroughly examined in overweight older adults undergoing weight loss. Subjects (n = 27) were overweight and obese (BMI 31.7 +/- 3.6 kg/m(2)) older (age 67 +/- 4 years) adults and were randomized into either a 10-week Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension for weight loss diet (DASH, n = 12) or DASH plus moderate intensity resistance training (DASH-RT, n = 15). Outcomes included weight loss, total body and mid-thigh composition, muscle and physical function. There were no significant weight loss differences between the DASH-RT and DASH groups (-3.6 +/- 0.8 vs. -2.0 +/- 0.9%, p = 0.137). The DASH-RT group had a greater reduction in body fat than the DASH group (-4.1 +/- 0.9 vs. -0.2 +/- 1.0 kg, p = 0.005). The DASH-RT group had greater changes in lean mass (+0.8 +/- 0.4 vs. -1.4 +/- 0.4 kg, p = 0.002) and strength (+60 +/- 18 vs. -5 +/- 9 N, p = 0.008) than the DASH group. There were favorable changes in mid-thigh composition variables in the DASH-RT group that were different than the lack of changes observed in the DASH group, except for intermuscular adipose tissue. Both groups experienced decreases in 400-m walk times showed (DASH -36 +/- 11 s, DASH-RT -40 +/- 7 s) with no differences between groups. Moderate intensity resistance training during weight loss appears to improve fat mass and thigh composition, but weight loss only does not. However, global measures of physical functioning may improve with a weight loss-only program.

Detection of T lymphocytes specific for human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) in patients with seminoma.

Human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) is distinctive among the retroviruses that comprise about 8% of the human genome in that multiple HERV-K proviruses encode full-length viral proteins, and many HERV-K proviruses formed during recent human evolution. HERV-K gag proteins are found in the cytoplasm of primary tumor cells of patients with seminoma. We identified HERV-K-specific T cells in patients with a past history of seminoma using the interferon-gamma ELISPOT assay and an MHC-HERV-K peptide-specific tetramer. A minority of apparently healthy subjects without evident germ cell tumors also made HERV-K-specific T cell responses. In summary, we detected T cell reactivity to HERV-K peptides in both past seminoma patients and a minority of apparently healthy controls.