Combining thermophilic aerobic reactor (TAR) with mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD) improves the degradation of pharmaceutical compounds

The removal efficiency of nine pharmaceutical compounds from primary sludge was evaluated in two different operating conditions: (i) in conventional Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion (MAD) alone and (ii) in a co-treatment process combining Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion and a Thermophilic Aerobic Reactor (MAD-TAR). The pilot scale reactors were fed with primary sludge obtained after decantation of urban wastewater. Concerning the biodegradation of organic matter, thermophilic aeration increased solubilization and hydrolysis yields of digestion, resulting in a further 26% supplementary removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in MAD-TAR process compared to the conventional mesophilic anaerobic digestion. The highest removal rate of target micropollutants were observed for caffeine (CAF) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) (>89%) with no substantial differences between both processes. Furthermore, MAD-TAR process showed a significant increase of removal efficiency for oxazepam (OXA) (73%), propranolol (PRO) (61%) and ofloxacine (OFL) (41%) and a slight increase for diclofenac (DIC) (4%) and 2 hydroxy-ibuprofen (2OH-IBP) (5%). However, ibuprofen (IBP) and carbamazepine (CBZ) were not degraded during both processes. Anaerobic digestion affected the liquid-solid partition of most target compounds. Sorbed fraction of pharmaceutical compounds on the sludge tend to decrease after digestion, this tendency being more pronounced in the case of the MAD-TAR process due to much lower concentration of solids.

Erratum: Evolution of π^{0} Suppression in Au+Au Collisions from sqrt[s_{NN}]=39 to 200 GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 152301 (2012)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.152301.

Self-Assembly of Mitochondria-Targeted Photosensitizer to Increase Photostability and Photodynamic Therapeutic Efficacy in Hypoxia

The development of photosensitizers for cancer photodynamic therapy has been challenging due to their low photostability and therapeutic inefficacy in hypoxic tumor microenvironments. To overcome these issues, we have developed a mitochondria-targeted photosensitizer consisting of an indocyanine moiety with triphenylphosphonium arms, which can self-assemble into spherical micelles directed to mitochondria. Self-assembly of the photosensitizer resulted in a higher photostability by preventing free rotation of the indoline ring of the indocyanine moiety. The mitochondria targeting capability of the photosensitizer allowed it to utilize intramitochondrial oxygen. We found that the mitochondria-targeted photosensitizer localized to mitochondria and induced apoptosis of cancer cells both normoxic and hypoxic conditions through generation of ROS. The micellar self-assemblies of the photosensitizer were further confirmed to selectively localize to tumor tissues in a xenograft tumor mouse model through passive targeting and showed efficient tumor growth inhibition.

OP0100 MOLECULAR PROFILING OF PERIPHERAL IMMUNE CELL SUBSETS IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that affects 1% of the world’s population. Several key biological functions are dysregulated in RA, manifesting clinically as pain, fatigue, and synovitis, with articular destruction, organ-based comorbidities, and functional decline. Defining immune dysregulation in the peripheral blood of patients (pts) with RA will help inform future work to assess the extent to which immune homeostasis can be therapeutically achieved for these pts.

Objectives:

To identify baseline molecular characteristics of the peripheral immune system, at the level of individual immune cell subsets, in pts with RA recruited to clinical trials of the oral, selective Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor, filgotinib.

Methods:

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 324 pts with moderate to severely active RA, who had an inadequate response to methotrexate ([MTX], FINCH-1;NCT02889796; n=109) or who were MTX naïve (FINCH-3;NCT02886728; n=215). PBMC were also collected from 50 demographically matched healthy volunteers (HV). The Immune Profiler platform was used to sort PBMC into 24 immune cell subsets, then quantify their gene expression and chromatin accessibility using RNA-seq and the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq), respectively. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accessible regions (DARs) were identified among immune cell subsets from pts with RA versus HV. Gene set signature scores of Molecular Signatures Database hallmark pathways were calculated using single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) to examine differences in pathway activity between groups.

Results:

A total of 14,500 sequencing datasets were generated from the pt and HV immune cell subsets. Among these, over 26,000 DEGs and 220,000 DARs were identified in RA versus HV (false discovery rate <0.05) across the 24 immune cell subsets. DEGs were identified in all immune cell subsets tested and were most pronounced in natural killer (NK) subsets; most DARs were detected in myeloid and NK subsets. ssGSEA revealed differential pathway signaling in RA versus HV across multiple functions at the immune cell subset level. Myeloid subsets from pts with RA often showed elevated pathway activities versus HV whereas B, T and NK subsets showed a general decrease. In particular, monocyte populations from pts with RA versus HV had elevated pathway activities involved in inflammatory response and interleukin-6/Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling. The B, T and NK subsets showed a general decrease in tumor necrosis factor-α signaling; conversely, monocyte subsets showed an increase. Prior MTX exposure did not have a notable impact on the detected molecular profile.

Conclusion:

Differences in gene expression, hallmark pathway activity, and chromatin accessibility were identified in RA versus HV at the immune cell subset level. Significant contributions to differences in chromatin accessibility identified in the myeloid and NK cell populations suggest that there are more active regulatory sequences in these cell types that are associated with RA. Further investigations based on these findings may increase understanding of the immune regulatory paradigm in the context of RA.

Acknowledgments:

This study was funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc. Editorial support was provided by Fishawack Communications Inc and funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Disclosure of Interests:

Peter C. Taylor Grant/research support from: Celgene, Eli Lilly and Company, Galapagos, and Gilead, Consultant of: AbbVie, Biogen, Eli Lilly and Company, Fresenius, Galapagos, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Nordic Pharma, Pfizer Roche, and UCB, Jinfeng Liu Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences Inc., Roche, Employee of: Gilead Sciences Inc., Luting Zhuo Employee of: Gilead Sciences Inc., Yuan Tian Employee of: Gilead Sciences Inc., Thomas Snyder Employee of: Verily Life Sciences, Charlie Kim Employee of: Verily Life Sciences, Pouya Kheradpour Employee of: Verily Life Sciences, Kat Drake Employee of: Verily Life Sciences, Sam Kim Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences Inc., Employee of: Gilead Sciences Inc., Rachael E. Hawtin Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences Inc., Employee of: Gilead Sciences Inc.

First Measurement of Λ_{c} Baryon Production in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report on the first measurement of the charmed baryon Λ_{c}^{±} production at midrapidity (|y|<1) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV collected by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The Λ_{c}/D^{0} [denoting (Λ_{c}^{+}+Λ_{c}^{-})/(D^{0}+D[over ¯]^{0})] yield ratio is measured to be 1.08±0.16  (stat)±0.26  (sys) in the 0%-20% most central Au+Au collisions for the transverse momentum (p_{T}) range 3<p_{T}<6  GeV/c. This is significantly larger than the pythia model calculations for p+p collisions. The measured Λ_{c}/D^{0} ratio, as a function of p_{T} and collision centrality, is comparable to the baryon-to-meson ratios for light and strange hadrons in Au+Au collisions. Model calculations including coalescence hadronization for charmed baryon and meson formation reproduce the features of our measured Λ_{c}/D^{0} ratio.

Association Between the Use of Benzodiazepines and the Occurrence of Acute Angle-closure Glaucoma in the Elderly: A Population-based Study

Introduction

Acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) is an ophthalmic emergency, accompanied with severe eye pain, headache, and visual changes because of acute intraocular pressure elevation. Among psychotropic drugs, several antidepressants, typical antipsychotics with strong anticholinergic effects, and topiramate have been known to increase a possibility of AACG. Benzodiazepines have been used widely in the treatment of mental and physical illnesses regardless of age or indication. Since benzodiazepines have some anticholinergic properties and affect pupillae muscles, their use could be theoretically a risk factor for AACG. However, it is unclear whether benzodiazepines actually increase the risk of AACG. To our knowledge, there was no population-based study on the risk of benzodiazepines to the occurrence of AACG.

Objectives/aims

To know whether benzodiazepines increase the risk of AACG in a geriatric population.

Methods

We will perform a case-control study using a geriatric cohort from the National Health Insurance database. Case subjects will be defined as cases diagnosed with AACG confirmed by the claim data of laser iridotomy, which is the definitive treatment of AACG. The controls, which were not diagnosed with AACG, will be matched with case subjects according to similar age, sex, and the scores of the Charlson comorbidity index.

Results

The data handling and statistical analyses will be executed in autumn and winter 2016.

Conclusions

Any preliminary findings of this study will be presented at the EPA 2017. We will discuss the importance of a pharmaco-epidemiological study in the geriatric research.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.