Assessing the endosulfan contamination in an unconfined aquifer

Groundwater samples were analyzed in order to elucidate the fate of endosulfan in the soil and its release mechanism into water of an unconfined aquifer. Residual alfa endosulfan was determined in all the wells; however, beta endosulfan was below 0.001 μg/L. Maximum adsorption rates of alfa and beta endosulfan were 91%–86% on the topsoil; 87%–91% on the subsoil, respectively. About 13%–23% desorption rate on the topsoil and subsoil exhibited the probability of endosulfan movement in the soil. The study showed that a hydrophobic-moderately persistent pesticide can reach to groundwater despite the high clay content of soil.     

Unusual benign solid neoplasms of the kidney: cross-sectional imaging findings

Kidney neoplasms are common diseases with varying prognoses depending on the subtype of the tumor. The most common solid lesion of the kidney is renal cell carcinoma, and the treatment is typically surgical removal. With increasing use of cross-sectional imaging in the last two decades, the detection of renal lesions has significantly increased, especially in asymptomatic patients who are scanned for other reasons. In this article, we present the imaging findings of rare solid benign primary kidney neoplasms including renal leiomyoma, reninoma, carcinoid tumor, metanephric adenoma, solitary fibrous tumor of the kidney, lipomatous hemangiopericytoma of the kidney, renal schwannoma, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the kidney, extramedullary hematopoiesis in the kidney, and extranodal renal Rosai-Dorfman disease. Accurate preoperative or prebiopsy diagnoses of these lesions are unusual; however, informed radiologists may sometimes be able to favorably change the patient management and treatment.Kidney neoplasms are common clinical disorders now being detected in even greater numbers due to the widespread use of cross-sectional imaging. Benign kidney neoplasms, once thought to be highly unusual, are being diagnosed in ever increasing numbers. In one series, 16.1% of patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for a presumed solitary renal cell carcinoma turned out to have a benign diagnosis in the final pathological analysis (1). Recent developments on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have limited value in differentiation between benign and malignant renal masses. Diffusion MRI studies yielded significantly different apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values between benign and malignant renal masses. These studies mostly evaluated the different ADC values between oncocytoma/angiomyolipoma and renal cell carcinomas (2). The role of ADC values in differentiation between uncommon benign renal masses and malignant renal masses has not been well established due to the scarcity of the lesions that we present in this article. Perfusion CT has been reported for the assessment of tumor angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma and in the evaluation of tumor response to antiangiogenesis drugs and cryoablative therapies (3). Despite all these promising new imaging techniques, conventional approach based on imaging findings and percutaneous/surgical tissue diagnosis remain as the mainstay for diagnosis of solid renal lesions. The aim of this pictorial essay is to give practicing radiologists an overview of the imaging findings of rare solid benign neoplasms of the kidney.     

Evaluation of aortic stiffness in tobacco-smoking adolescents.

PURPOSE: To measure the aortic stiffness in tobacco-smoking adolescents and to investigate its relationship to tobacco smoke. METHODS: Aortic strain (S), pressure strain elastic modulus (E(p)), and normalized E(p) (E(p)*) in tobacco-smoking adolescents and the healthy control group were measured by a sphygmomanometer with cuff and transthoracic echocardiography. The study group consisted of 30 healthy cases (M/F: 27/3) as a control group and 30 tobacco-smoking volunteer adolescents (M/F: 28/2). Unpaired Student's t-test was used for comparison of these groups. RESULTS: The mean ages were 16.1 +/- 1.8 years and 16.2 +/- 1.4 years, respectively. The number of cigarettes smoked per day was 31 +/- 7.1 and the duration of smoking was 3.4 +/- 1.1 years. S, E(p) and E(p)* measurements of tobacco smokers were different than the control groups' and this difference was statistically significant. S values were significantly higher in nonsmokers than in smokers; whereas E(p) and E(p)* values were significantly higher in smoker group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that measurement of aortic stiffness with S, E(p), and E(p)* can be used as an early indicator of atherosclerosis in tobacco-smoking adolescents.     

A multidimensional assessment of nutritional and health status of rural elderly Malays

A multidimensional assessment of nutritional and health status comprised of subjective global assessment (SGA), anthropometry function, biochemistry, dietary intake, social and health aspects was carried out on 820 older people (52.8% men and 47.2% women) from four rural areas of Peninsular Malaysia. A proportion of the subjects had been classified as either overweight (25.7%) or chronic energy deficient (20.3%). Although 49% of subjects had normal body weight, 68.4% have been classified as having mild to moderate malnutrition according to the SGA. Only 1.1% and 2.3% had low serum albumin and ferritin, respectively. Almost 80% of subjects, especially men, were at high risk of cardiovascular diseases on the basis of the assessment of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. The majority of the subjects (87.2%) were fully independent in performing daily tasks, with men having a significantly higher score compared to women (p<0.001). However, men were less likely to be able to perform a flexibility test (50.7%) than were women (27.0%) (p<0.05). The mean energy intake for men (1412 +/- 461 kcal/d) and women (1201 +/- 392 kcal/d) were below the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for Malaysia, although this is a difficult assertion to make in an age-group which generally experiences declining energy expenditure. Moreover, 52.5% of men and 47.5% of women might have underreported their food intake. Dietary micronutrients most likely to be deficient were thiamin, riboflavin and calcium. It is concluded that a substantial proportion of rural elderly Malays had problems related to both undernutrition and overnutrition. An appropriate nutrition intervention program is needed to improve the nutritional status of rural elderly Malays.     

Use of peritoneal ultrafiltration in the elderly refractory congestive heart failure patients

Background

Refractory congestive heart failure (RCHF), due to its high mortality and hospitalization rates, is a growing health problem. In this study, as an alternative and/or supportive treatment to conventional medical therapies, we have evaluated the clinical value of peritoneal ultrafiltration, performed as a single daily exchange with icodextrin or conventional dextrose-based peritoneal dialysis solutions, in elderly patients with RCHF.

Methods

This was an observational study of 6 elderly patients with RCHF and non-terminal chronic kidney disease (CKD). Their mean age was 72.8?±?4.9?years. Four of the six patients had NYHA class 4 and two had NYHA class 3 RCHF and a medical history of 18.6?±?14.9?days/year hospitalization on average, due to decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF). Their baseline glomerular filtration rate, as calculated by the MDRD formula was 49.4?±?14.6?mL/min/1.73 m². During hospitalization, patients were initially treated with several sessions of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration and, following the achievement of hemodynamic stabilization, peritoneal ultrafiltration was initiated as the maintenance ultrafiltration modality. Patients were followed up monthly in terms of their clinical status, hospitalization rates, weight changes, serum sodium levels, and renal function. Echocardiographic changes were also evaluated every 3?months.

Results

All patients tolerated peritoneal ultrafiltration well, their functional status improved by 1 or 2 NYHA classes to reach a mean of NYHA class 2 CHF status. During the follow-up period, with a mean daily ultrafiltration rate of 850?±?176?mL, no hospitalization for decompensated CHF or acute renal failure was required. The patients?? renal function was well preserved, with a mean GFR of 49?±?14.6?mL/min/1.73 m² at baseline and 51.6?±?22.9?mL/min/1.73 m² at the 6th month of the study. Additionally, their mean serum sodium levels increased from 128?±?5.7?mEq/L to 138?±?5?mEq/L. Echocardiographic evaluation did not show any significant changes during the observation period. No peritonitis or other non-infectious complication of chronic peritoneal dialysis was seen in any of the patients.

Conclusions

Peritoneal ultrafiltration seems to be an efficient and safe procedure and a treatment of choice in elderly patients with RCHF without non-terminal CKD. Peritoneal ultrafiltration improves the quality of life and the effort capacity, and reduces hospitalization rates due to decompensated heart failure and acute renal failure.     

Lentiviral MGMT-mediated in vivo selection employing a ubiquitous chromatin opening element (A2UCOE) linked to a cellular promoter

Notwithstanding recent successes, insertional mutagenesis as well as silencing and variegation of transgene expression still represent considerable obstacles to hematopoietic gene therapy. This also applies to O⁶-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT)-mediated myeloprotection, a concept recently proven clinically effective in the context of glioblastoma therapy. To improve on this situation we here evaluate a SIN-lentiviral vector expressing the MGMT^P140K-cDNA from a combined A2UCOE/PGK-promoter. In a murine in vivo chemoselection model the A2UCOE.PGK.MGMT construct allowed for significant myeloprotection as well as robust and stable selection of transgenic hematopoietic cells. In contrast, only transient enrichment and severe myelotoxicity was observed for a PGK.MGMT control vector. Selection of A2UCOE.PGK.MGMT-transduced myeloid and lymphoid mature and progenitor cells was demonstrated in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, spleen, and thymus. Unlike the PGK and SFFV promoters used as controls, the A2UCOE.PGK promoter allowed for sustained vector copy number-related transgene expression throughout the experiment indicating an increased resistance to silencing, which was further confirmed by CpG methylation studies of the PGK promoter. Thus, our data support a potential role of the A2UCOE.PGK.MGMT-vector in future MGMT-based myeloprotection and chemoselection strategies, and underlines the suitability of the A2UCOE element to stabilize lentiviral transgene expression in hematopoietic gene therapy.