Acidification and solar drying of manure-based digestate to produce improved fertilizing products

The increase in energy and fertilizer consumption makes it necessary to develop sustainable alternatives for agriculture. Anaerobic digestion and digestates appeared to be suitable options. However, untreated digestates still have high water content and can increase greenhouse gas emissions during storage and land application. In this study, manure-derived digestate and solid fraction of digestate after separation were treated with a novel solar drying technology to reduce their water content, combined with acidification to reduce the gaseous emissions. The acidified digestate and acidified solid fraction of digestate recovered more nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen than their respective non-acidified products (1.5-1.3 times for TN; 14 times for TAN). Ammonia and methane emissions were reduced up to 94% and 72% respectively, compared to the non-acidified ones, while N₂O increased more than 3 times. Dried digestate and dried acidified digestate can be labeled as NPK organic fertilizer regarding the European regulation, and the dried solid fraction and the improved dried acidified solid fraction can be labeled as N or P organic fertilizer. Moreover, plant tests showed that N concentrations in fresh lettuce leaves were within the EU limit with all products in all the cases. However, zinc concentration appeared to be a limitation in some of the products as their concentration exceeded the European legal limits.

Family aggregation of the Intelligence Quotient: understanding its role in first episode of psychosis

Introduction

The familiality of intelligence quotient (IQ), understood as its similarity among family members, might be related to different manifestations in first episode of psychosis (FEP) patients.

Objectives

To estimate the IQ familiality through the intra-family resemblance score (IRS) in FEP patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives; and to analyze if the deviation from the family-IQ is related to the patients’ premorbid, clinical and cognitive characteristics.

Methods

Individuals from 129 families participated in this study (129 patients, 143 parents, 97 siblings). For each family, two values were estimated: the family-IQ, obtained by the mean IQ of the patient and his/her relatives (using the WAIS vocabulary subtest); and the IRS, an index previously reported that indicate intra-family heterogeneity (IRS<0) or homogeneity (IRS>0) for a given trait. According to the IRS and the family-IQ, patients were assigned to 6 groups (Figure 1).

Results

FEP patients in families with heterogeneous IQ (IRS<0) had a significantly lower IQ than their relatives (p<0.001). Also, those with low IQ and from heterogeneous families had poorer childhood adjustment (p=0.001). The patients with high IQ belonging to homogenous families showed less positive symptoms at baseline (p=0.009). FEP patients in homogenous families due to low IQ evidenced the lowest neuropsychological performance (Figure 2).

Conclusions

The analysis of the IQ familiality and the concordance/discordance of the patients’ and relatives’ IQ, offers a new approach for the characterization of different premorbid, clinical and cognitive profiles in FEP patients. The relationship between deviation from the family-IQ and poor premorbid childhood adjustment supports the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Polymer-Ceramic Composite Membranes for Water Removal in Membrane Reactors

Methanol can be obtained through CO₂ hydrogenation in a membrane reactor with higher yield or lower pressure than in a conventional packed bed reactor. In this study, we explore a new kind of membrane with the potential suitability for such membrane reactors. Silicone–ceramic composite membranes are synthetized and characterized for their capability to selectively remove water from a mixture containing hydrogen, CO₂, and water at temperatures typical for methanol synthesis. We show that this membrane can achieve selective permeation of water under such harsh conditions, and thus is an alternative candidate for use in membrane reactors for processes where water is one of the products and the yield is limited by thermodynamic equilibrium.

[Specific effect of exercise training on depression in COPD patients]

INTRODUCTION

Depression is a common comorbidity in COPD patients, worsening their quality of life and their current level of physical activity. Respiratory rehabilitation is therefore highly recommended for COPD patients but only few of them have access to that kind of program. In real life, exercise training is often the only therapeutic activity provided to patients.

METHODS

The aim of this study was to evaluate the specific effect of exercise training on the level of depression (using Beck Depression inventory short form (BDI-SF)) and quality of life in COPD patients [using the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)]. Five hundred and fifteen COPD patients were enrolled in home-based exercise training programs. 421 programs were completed and the data was available for 182 patients (SGRQ, BDI-SF et TE) at T0 and T12.

RESULTS

Dyspnoea (mMRC), SGRQ, BDI-SF scores and TE were significantly improved by the exercise training: mMRC 2,7±0,9 vs. 2,3±1,2; SGRQ 45±15 vs 34±18; BDI-SF 4,2±5,1 vs. 2,7±4,3; TE 6,4±5,4 vs. 17,2±12,8 respectively at T0 and T12. The improvement of TE was significantly correlated to that of the SGRQ scores (r=0,4; P<0,001) and of the BDI-SF scores (r=-0,24; P=0,001).

CONCLUSION

This home-based exercise training program improved dyspnoea, quality of life, depression and exercise capacity. The improvement of the TE and BDI-SF scores were correlated.

[IgG4-Related Disease: A rare cause of severe interstitial lung disease]

BACKGROUND

The intrathoracic manifestations of IgG4-related disease include a range of conditions and severity, and can on occasion cause acute respiratory failure as reported in the case described here.

OBSERVATION

A 69-year-old male former smoker, was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea, fever, cough, fatigue, and a 3-month history of weight loss. He received high flow oxygen therapy and non-invasive ventilation for severe respiratory failure. Chest computed tomography revealed multifocal condensations and ground glass opacities, accompanied by thickening of the perilymphatic interstitium, mediastinal lymphadenopathy and bilateral pleural effusion. Elevated serum concentrations of IgG4 suggested an IgG4-Related Disease. He developed renal failure and underwent a renal biopsy. Histopathological analysis of which supported the diagnosis by showing dense lymphocytic infiltrate with a count of IgG4+ cells/hpf higher than 60, and storiform fibrosis - a swirling, "cartwheel" pattern of fibrosis which may have a patchy distribution. The patient responded well to steroid therapy.

CONCLUSION

Although respiratory symptoms are usually mild in IgG4-relatd disease, thoracic features can evolve into acute respiratory failure with few extra thoracic manifestations.

Respiratory support in COPD patients after acute exacerbation with monitoring the quality of support (Rescue2-monitor): an open-label, prospective randomized, controlled, superiority clinical trial comparing hospital- versus home-based acute non-invasive ventilation for patients with hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is expected to be the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. Despite improvements in survival by using acute non-invasive ventilation (NIV) to treat patients with exacerbations of COPD complicated by acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF), these patients are at high risk of readmission and further life-threatening events, including death. Recent studies suggested that NIV at home can reduce readmissions, but in a small proportion of patients, and with a high level of expertise. Other studies, however, do not show any benefit of home NIV. This could be related to the fact that respiratory failure in patients with stable COPD and their response to mechanical ventilation are influenced by several pathophysiological factors which frequently coexist in the same patient to varying degrees. These pathophysiological factors might influence the success of home NIV in stable COPD, thus long-term NIV specifically adapted to a patient's "phenotype" is likely to improve prognosis, reduce readmission to hospital, and prevent death. In view of this conundrum, Rescue2-monitor (R2M), an open-label, prospective randomized, controlled study performed in patients with hypercapnic COPD post-AHRF, will investigate the impact of the quality of nocturnal NIV on the readmission-free survival. The primary objective is to show that any of 3 home NIV strategies ("rescue," "non-targeted," and "targeted") will improve readmission-free survival in comparison to no-home NIV. The "targeted" group of patients will receive a treatment with personalized (targeted) ventilation settings and extensive monitoring. Furthermore, the influence of comorbidities typical for COPD patients, such as cardiac insufficiency, OSA, or associated asthma, on ventilation outcomes will be taken into consideration and reasons for non-inclusion of patients will be recorded in order to evaluate the percentage of ventilated COPD patients that are screening failures. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03890224 . Registered on March 26, 2019.

The effect of the AKT1 gene and cannabis use on cognitive performance in healthy subjects

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that the AKT1 gene may modulate the degree to which cannabis use induces cognitive alterations in patients with a psychotic disorder.

AIM

To examine the interplay between AKT1 and cannabis use in terms of the cognitive performance of the general population.

METHODS

Our sample consisted of 389 Spanish university students. Sustained attention was measured via the Continuous Performance Test-Identical Pairs, immediate and delayed verbal memory with the Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale, and working memory with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Lifetime cannabis use frequency was assessed and individuals were classified as cannabis users or non-users. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms of the AKT1 gene were genotyped and, according to previous studies, each subject was defined as a carrier of two, one or no copies of the haplotype (rs2494732(C)-rs1130233(A)). Multiple linear regressions were conducted to test the effect of the genetic variability and cannabis use (and their interaction) on cognitive performance.

RESULTS

An effect of the AKT1 haplotype was found on attention scores: individuals with two copies of the haplotype performed better (β=0.18, p<0.001 (adjusted for false discovery rate)), while neither cannabis nor the AKT1-cannabis interaction was associated with attention. No effect of AKT1, cannabis or the AKT1-cannabis interaction was found on verbal memory or working memory.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides additional evidence that AKT1 modulates cognitive performance. However, in our non-clinical sample, the previously reported interaction between cannabis use and the AKT1 gene was not replicated.

Solar drying in the vineyard: a sustainable technology for the recovery of nutrients from winery organic waste

The present study describes a pilot-scale experimental validation of a forced-convection greenhouse solar dryer, combined with a biofilter, for controlled atmospheric emissions. This set-up was applied to the dewatering of sewage sludge from a biological plant that treated process wastewater in a commercial Mediterranean winery. Experiments were performed after the harvest, from September onwards, during the peak generation of sludge. The average drying rate during the first 10 days of operation ranged from 1.17 to 2.24 kg m^-2 d^-1, depending on the measurement method, during which the water content of the sludge was reduced from 90% down to 67%. Biofiltration was quite inefficient against greenhouse gases (methane and dinitrous oxide), and direct emissions during the drying process were on average 57 g CO₂-eq m^-2 d^-1. Ammonia and volatile organic compounds were removed with average efficiencies of 71% and 35%, but ammonia losses through volatilization represented less than 2% of the initial nitrogen content. The sludge was dried further during November, to the lowest possible water content of 14%. Both the intermediate and final sludge dried materials were characterized for their agronomical value as organic fertilizers.

Influence of DAOA and RGS4 genes on the risk for psychotic disorders and their associated executive dysfunctions: A family-based study

Background

Glutamatergic neurotransmission dysfunction has classically been related to the aetiology of psychotic disorders. A substantial polygenic component shared across these disorders has been reported and molecular genetics studies have associated glutamatergic-related genes, such as d-amino acid oxidase activator (DAOA) and regulator of G-protein signalling 4 (RGS4) with the risk for psychotic disorders. Our aims were to examine: (i) the relationship between DAOA and RGS4 and the risk for psychotic disorders using a family-based association approach, and (ii) whether variations in these genes are associated with differences in patients’ cognitive performance.

Methods

The sample comprised 753 subjects (222 patients with psychotic disorders and 531 first-degree relatives). Six SNPs in DAOA and 5 SNPs in RGS4 were genotyped. Executive cognitive performance was assessed with Trail Making Test B (TMT-B) and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Genetic association analyses were conducted with PLINK, using the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) for the family-based study and linear regression for cognitive performance analyses.

Results

The haplotype GAGACT at DAOA was under-transmitted to patients (P = 0.0008), indicating its association with these disorders. With regards to cognitive performance, the DAOA haplotype GAGGCT was associated with worse scores in TMT-B (P = 0.018) in SZ patients only. RGS4 analyses did not report significant results.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the DAOA gene may contribute to the risk for psychotic disorders and that this gene may play a role as a modulator of executive function, probably through the dysregulation of the glutamatergic signalling.

The role of schizotypal traits and the OXTR gene in theory of mind in schizophrenia: A family-based study

BACKGROUND

There is consistent evidence that theory of mind (ToM) is impaired in schizophrenia (SZ); however, it remains unclear whether such deficits are trait- or state-dependent. We evaluated ToM in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), their healthy first-degree relatives, and controls to test its suitability as an endophenotypic marker. We also studied the modifying effect of markers of clinical and genetic liability to SZ (schizotypy and genetic variability in the oxytocin receptor gene: OXTR) on ToM in healthy individuals.

METHODS

The sample included 38 stable SSD patients, 80 unaffected first-degree relatives, and 81 controls. ToM was assessed using the Hinting Task (HT) and schizotypy via the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B), which generates interpersonal (SPQ-IP), cognitive-perceptual (SPQ-CP), and disorganization (SPQ-D) scores. The polymorphism rs53576 of OXTR was genotyped.

RESULTS

Patients presented poorer HT performance than relatives and controls (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001). High SPQ-IP and SPQ-CP scores correlated with poorer ToM performance in relatives (p = 0.010 and p = 0.030), but not in controls. OXTR was not associated with HT scores, but it showed a modifying effect within controls; high SPQ-CP was related to HT poorer performance conditional to GG genotype (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

ToM deficits were present in patients but not in unaffected relatives or controls. However, our data indicate the usefulness of clinical and genetic liability markers to characterize differences in ToM abilities within healthy individuals. Then, the observed link between ToM and SZ liability suggests the putative role of ToM as an endophenotypic marker. Nevertheless, new analyses in larger samples are needed.

Changes over the last 15 years in the psychopharmacological management of persons with borderline personality disorder

OBJECTIVE

To describe the pharmacological management of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in Spain from 2001 through 2016, the factors associated with prescriptions, and changes in pharmacotherapy over this time period.

METHODS

Retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study conducted in a sample of 457 patients with BPD consecutively admitted to a specialist BPD Program between January 2001 and November 2016. Data on sociodemographic and clinical variables, as well as pharmacological treatment upon the admission to the programme, were used to describe pharmacological prescriptions, the factors associated with these medications, and changes in prescription over the last 15 years.

RESULTS

Most (88.4%) patients were on pharmacological treatment, with 53.8% of persons taking ≥3 medications. No significant changes in these percentages were observed over the study period. The use of tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines decreased, while the use of atypical antipsychotics increased. Axis I comorbidity was the main factor associated with pharmacological treatment and polypharmacy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides further evidence confirming the worldwide overuse of prescription medications for BPD and shows that there has been a shift in the prescription pattern in the last 15 years. These results suggest that real clinical practice only partially adheres to clinical treatment guidelines.

Familial aggregation of schizotypy in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and its relation to clinical and neurodevelopmental characteristics

INTRODUCTION

This study explored schizotypy as a familial liability marker for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) by examining: 1) the aggregation of schizotypy in families with a SSD patient, 2) whether familial resemblance of schizotypy is associated with ridge dissociations (RD), another SSD liability marker, 3) whether schizotypy aggregation patterns influence patients' psychopathology.

METHODS

The sample comprised 30 SSD patients and 82 healthy first-degree relatives. Schizotypy was assessed using the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R). Patients' psychopathology was evaluated using the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History (CASH). RD were identified as anomalies of the dermal ridge junction. Familiality of SIS-R was investigated using a linear mixed model (LMM) and its strength was assessed using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Another LMM using the absolute differences in SIS-R scores between all possible pairs of relatives as the dependent variable was fitted to obtain an intra-family resemblance score, a family-specific indicator of resemblance of SIS-R scores within each family.

RESULTS

1) Schizotypy was familial (ICC = 0.30); families with high resemblance displayed low schizotypy, whereas families with low resemblance included at least one healthy relative with high schizotypy (p < 0.001). 2) Relatives with RD had higher SIS-R scores (p = 0.018) and belonged to families with discordant schizotypy scores among members (p < 0.001). 3) Patients from high schizotypy families showed more severe disorganized symptoms at the psychotic episode (p = 0.035) and 1 year later (p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

Schizotypy is a marker of vulnerability for SSD that runs within a subgroup of families. The schizotypy familial aggregation pattern correlates with RD in relatives and with patients' psychopathology.

Tertiary treatment of a municipal wastewater toward pharmaceuticals removal by chemical and electrochemical advanced oxidation processes

This study focuses on the degradation of pharmaceuticals from a municipal wastewater after secondary treatment by applying various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and electrochemical AOPs (EAOPs) like UVC, H₂O₂/UVC, anodic oxidation (AO), AO with electrogenerated H₂O₂ (AO-H₂O₂), AO-H₂O₂/UVC and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) using either UVC radiation (PEF-UVC) or UVA radiation (PEF-UVA). The municipal wastewater after secondary treatment was spiked with 5.0 mg L^-1 of trimethoprim (TMP) antibiotic. The efficiency of processes to remove TMP followed the order UVC < AO-H₂O₂ < PEF-UVA << AO ≈ PEF-UVC < AO-H₂O₂/UVC < PEF-UVA (pH = 2.8) < H₂O₂/UVC ≈ PEF-UVC (pH = 2.8), using neutral pH, except when identified. While the UVC radiation alone led to a very low TMP removal, the H₂O₂/UVC process promoted a very high TMP degradation due to the production of hydroxyl radicals (OH) by H₂O₂ cleavage. In the AO-H₂O₂/UVC process, the electrogeneration of H₂O₂ can avoid the risks associated with the transportation, storage and manipulation of this oxidant and, furthermore, OH at the anode surface are also formed. Nevertheless, low contents of H₂O₂ were detected mainly at the beginning of the reaction, leading to a lower initial reaction rate when compared with the H₂O₂/UVC system. In the PEF-UVC, the addition of iron at neutral pH led to the visible formation of insoluble iron oxides that can filter the light. At pH 2.8, the iron remained dissolved, thereby promoting the Fenton's reaction and increasing the organics removal. The UVA-driven processes showed limited efficiency when compared with those using UVC light. For all processes with H₂O₂ electrogeneration, the active chlorine species can be scavenged by the H₂O₂, diminishing the efficiency of the processes. This can explain the lower efficiency of AO-H₂O₂ when compared with AO. Moreover, the degradation of the MWWTP effluent spiked with 18 pharmaceuticals in μg L^-1 during AO process was assessed as well as the influence of the following operational variables on the process efficiency: (i) H₂O₂ concentration on H₂O₂/UVC, (ii) current density on AO, AO-H₂O₂, AO-H₂O₂/UVC, PEF-UVC and PEF-UVA, and (iii) pH on PEF-UVA.

A major depression or a bipolar disorder type 2? A cased-focussed psycopathological and psychophysiological challenge for a resident

A 41-year-old woman is diagnosed with a major depression after a few weeks of having been operated of a stomach reduction (bariatric surgery). She goes into old antidepressant medication for a few weeks with an increasing worsening of her state, at the point she is sent to the emergency room with high irritability, intense agitation, suicide thoughts as the highlight symptoms of what we think to be a mixed episode of a bipolar disorder and how we orient the case during hospitalization. The patient follows both public and private psychiatric services and after discharge from acute hospitalization, still with residual depressions symptoms, her private psychiatrist substitutes the given treatment, including mood stabilizers, by only antidepressants. Two weeks after discharge from the hospital, the patient is relocated to our partial hospitalization resource. During her stay in our resource, we decide to keep the new treatment and diagnosis and increase the dosage of one of the antidepressants, which immediately yields to hypomania symptoms, at what we conclude that our patient is better treated as a bipolar type II with a mood stabilizer and low doses of an SRI. We find this to be an interesting case in the both psychopathological and psychophysiological point of view. To understand the case beyond clinical diagnosis, we discuss profoundly whether the bariatric surgery may have a role as a trigger.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Incorporation of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes in a multistage treatment system for sanitary landfill leachate

The current study has proved the technical feasibility of including electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) in a multistage strategy for the remediation of a sanitary landfill leachate that embraced: (i) first biological treatment to remove the biodegradable organic fraction, oxidize ammonium and reduce alkalinity, (ii) coagulation of the bio-treated leachate to precipitate humic acids and particles, followed by separation of the clarified effluent, and (iii) oxidation of the resulting effluent by an EAOP to degrade the recalcitrant organic matter and increase its biodegradability so that a second biological process for removal of biodegradable organics and nitrogen content could be applied. The influence of current density on an UVA photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) process was firstly assessed. The oxidation ability of various EAOPs such as electro-Fenton (EF) with two distinct initial total dissolved iron concentrations ([TDI]0), PEF and solar PEF (SPEF) was further evaluated and these processes were compared with their analogous chemical ones. A detailed assessment of the two first treatment stages was made and the biodegradability enhancement during the SPEF process was determined by a Zahn-Wellens test to define the ideal organics oxidation state to stop the EAOP and apply the second biological treatment. The best current density was 200 mA cm(-2) for a PEF process using a BDD anode, [TDI]0 of 60 mg L(-1), pH 2.8 and 20 °C. The relative oxidation ability of EAOPs increased in the order EF with 12 mg [TDI]0 L(-1) < EF with 60 mg [TDI]0 L(-1) < PEF with 60 mg [TDI]0 L(-1) ≤ SPEF with 60 mg [TDI]0 L(-1), using the abovementioned conditions. While EF process was much superior to the Fenton one, the superiority of PEF over photo-Fenton was less evident and SPEF attained similar degradation to solar photo-Fenton. To provide a final dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of 163 mg L(-1) to fulfill the discharge limits into the environment after a second biological process, 6.2 kJ L(-1) UV energy and 36 kWh m(-3) electrical energy were consumed using SPEF with a BDD anode at 200 mA cm(-2), 60 mg [TDI]0 L(-1), pH 2.8 and 20 °C.

Comparison of human insulin and insulin analogues on hypoglycaemia and metabolic variability in type 1 diabetes using standardized measurements (HYPO score and Lability Index)

To evaluate whether treatment with insulin analogues is associated with a lower risk of hypoglycaemia (HYPO score) and less glycaemic variability (Lability Index) than treatment with human insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes. In a 6-month prospective, open-labelled trial, we randomized 47 patients treated with human insulin to receive treatment with human insulin (n = 21) or insulin analogues (n = 26). HYPO score, Lability Index (LI), and hypoglycaemic episode characteristics were assessed at baseline and at the end of follow-up. A 72-h, continuous glucose monitoring was performed at the end in a subgroup of patients. Groups were compared with nonparametric tests. Significance was defined as P < 0.05. HYPO score (71.5 [36.0-162] vs. 260 [52.0-676], P < 0.05), nocturnal hypoglycaemia (0.4 vs. 1.4 events/patient/4-week, P < 0.05), and <2.5 mmol/l hypoglycaemic events were lower in insulin analogue group after 6 months. There was a trend towards a lower LI in insulin analogue group (74.3 [51.3-133] vs. 123 [76.4-171] mmol/l(2)/h week(-1), P = 0.064). HbA1c and insulin dose were comparable between groups. In type 1 diabetes, insulin analogues were associated with a lower hypoglycaemic risk and a trend towards reduced glycaemic variability compared with human insulin. These effects occurred despite comparable metabolic control.

Morphogenetic action through flux-limited spreading

A central question in biology is how secreted morphogens act to induce different cellular responses within a group of cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Modeling morphogenetic output in multicellular systems has so far employed linear diffusion, which is the normal type of diffusion associated with Brownian processes. However, there is evidence that at least some morphogens, such as Hedgehog (Hh) molecules, may not freely diffuse. Moreover, the mathematical analysis of such models necessarily implies unrealistic instantaneous spreading of morphogen molecules, which are derived from the assumptions of Brownian motion in its continuous formulation. A strict mathematical model considering Fick's diffusion law predicts morphogen exposure of the whole tissue at the same time. Such a strict model thus does not describe true biological patterns, even if similar and attractive patterns appear as results of applying such simple model. To eliminate non-biological behaviors from diffusion models we introduce flux-limited spreading (FLS), which implies a restricted velocity for morphogen propagation and a nonlinear mechanism of transport. Using FLS and focusing on intercellular Hh-Gli signaling, we model a morphogen gradient and highlight the propagation velocity of morphogen particles as a new key biological parameter. This model is then applied to the formation and action of the Sonic Hh (Shh) gradient in the vertebrate embryonic neural tube using our experimental data on Hh spreading in heterologous systems together with published data. Unlike linear diffusion models, FLS modeling predicts concentration fronts and the evolution of gradient dynamics and responses over time. In addition to spreading restrictions by extracellular binding partners, we suggest that the constraints imposed by direct bridges of information transfer such as nanotubes or cytonemes underlie FLS. Indeed, we detect and measure morphogen particle velocity in such cell extensions in different systems.

Optimization of expanded donors using dual kidney transplantation: case-control study

BACKGROUND

Cadaveric donation is now experiencing a trend toward the use of expanded criteria donors (ECD) who may not yield a suitable kidney for single organ transplantation which has occasionally led to their use as dual renal transplantations.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We undertook a case-control study to analyze our experiences between May 2007 and March 2011 with 80 kidneys from ECD who were older than 65 years. Of these, 40 were used as single transplants (STX) and the other 40 as dual cases (DTX). Criteria to determine STX versus DTX were established by biopsy results and other donor factors.

RESULTS

The mean age of the ECD for STX was 68.7 ± 3.0 years and for DTX, 74.2 ± 4.3 years (P < .001), with more women among DTX (75%) versus STX (40%; P < .001). The DTX kidneys showed higher biopsy scores than the STX organs. DTX were older than STX recipients, but there were no differences in cold ischemia time, delayed graft function, hemorrhagic complications or reinterventions. DTX recipients achieved better CrCl at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, although only significantly so at 6 months (53.4 ± 19.5 Ml/min versus 44.5 ± 15.6 mL/min; P < .05). Death-censored graft survival was 90% at 3 years for both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

DTX offered good results for graft survival and renal function, despite the more complicated surgery and worse quality of the allografts. DTX allowed the use of ECD kidneys that showed less satisfactory histologic and donor characteristics.

Effect of organic species on the solar detoxification of water polluted with pesticides

The effect of organic species on a solar-driven photo-Fenton treatment of a mixture of pesticides (methyl-oxydemethon, methidathion, carbaryl and dimethoate) has been studied in this paper. Triethoxyisododecyl alcohol, acetophenone and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) have been used as examples of surfactants, solvents and complexing agents, respectively. An inhibitory effect on mineralization as well as on the elimination of the pesticides was observed in the case of the aliphatic surfactants, most probably due to the competition between the pesticides and the added organic matter for reaction with the relatively unselective hydroxyl radical. A methodology combining chemical analyses and bioassays was tested in order to explore the applicability of coupling a photo-Fenton process with a biological treatment in the presence of the surfactant. Despite the complexity of the mixture under study, a reliable monitoring of the process was accomplished; the biocompatibility of the mixture was enhanced and the optimal irradiation intensity was achieved just after complete removal of the pesticides.

Distribution of uranium isotopes in surface water of the Llobregat river basin (Northeast Spain)

A study is presented on the distribution of (234)U, (238)U, (235)U isotopes in surface water of the Llobregat river basin (Northeast Spain), from 2001 to 2006. Sixty-six superficial water samples were collected at 16 points distributed throughout the Llobregat river basin. Uranium isotopes were measured by alpha spectrometry (PIPS detectors). The test procedure was validated according to the quality requirements of the ISO17025 standard. The activity concentration for the total dissolved uranium ranges from 20 to 261mBqL(-1). The highest concentrations of uranium were detected in an area with formations of sedimentary rock, limestone and lignite. A high degree of radioactive disequilibrium was noted among the uranium isotopes. The (234)U/(238)U activity ratio varied between 1.1 and 1.9 and the waters with the lowest uranium activity registered the highest level of (234)U/(238)U activity ratio. Correlations between uranium activity in the tested water and chemical and physical characteristics of the aquifer were found.