Ex-situ Bioremediation of Crude Oil in Soil, a Comparative Kinetic Analysis

Weathered crude oil (WCO) removals in shoreline sediment samples were monitored for 60 days in bioremediation experimentation. Experimental modeling was carried out using statistical design of experiments. At optimum conditions maximum of 83.13, 78.06 and 69.92% WCO removals were observed for 2, 16 and 30 g/kg initial oil concentrations, respectively. Significant variations in the crude oil degradation pattern were observed with respect to oil, nutrient and microorganism contents. Crude oil bioremediation were successfully described by a first-order kinetic model. The study indicated that the rate of hydrocarbon biodegradation increased with decrease of crude oil concentrations.     

Application of high resolution X-ray emission spectroscopy on the study of Cr ion adsorption by activated carbon

In this work granular activated carbon has been chosen as an absorbent in order to investigate the Cr(VI) reduced by adsorption experiments. Several batch chromium-sorption experiments were carried out using 0.25 g of granular activated carbon in 50 mL aqueous solution containing approximately 70 and 140 mg L^?1 of Cr(VI) and Cr(III), respectively. Cr–Kβ fluorescence spectra of Cr adsorbed in a carbon matrix and Cr reference materials were measured using a high-resolution Johann-type spectrometer. Based on evidence from the Cr–Kb satellite lines, the Cr(VI) reduction process has actually happened during metal adsorption by the activated carbon.     

Efficacy and safety of dofetilide in patients with atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter

Background  Dofetilide, an I_Kr blocker has been demonstrated to be effective in terminating persistent atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF/AFL), and in maintaining sinus rhythm after direct current cardioversion (CV). It is not known, however, whether pharmacological conversion with dofetilide predicts maintenance of sinus rhythm. In addition, there is limited information comparing the efficacy of dofetilide in persistent versus paroxysmal AF/AFL. Methods and Results  Eighty consecutive patients with AF/AFL (51 persistent, 29 paroxysmal) admitted for initiation of dofetilide were studied. Termination of persistent AF/AFL occurred in 61% of patients while 39% required CV. After 21 ± 19 months of follow-up, 37% of patients with persistent AF/AFL were free of recurrence. Acute conversion with dofetilide did not predict long term efficacy. Dofetilide was more effective in maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with AFL (65%) than in those with AF (25%) (p < 0.05). Dofetilide was more likely to maintain sinus rhythm in patients with persistent than paroxysmal AF/AFL (37 vs. 14%; p < 0.05). Torsades de Pointes developed in two patients despite careful dosing and monitoring of QT changes. Conclusions  Dofetilide is more effective in patients with persistent than in those with paroxysmal AF/AFL. Importantly, short-term response does not necessarily predict long-term efficacy. Significant proarrhythmia can occur even with careful in-hospital monitoring. Dr. Banchs and Dr. Wolbrette contributed equally to this study. Presented in abstract form at the XIII World Congress on Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology; December 3, 2007; Rome and published in abstract form (Giornale Italiano di Aritmologia e Cardiostimolazione 2007;10(3):26).     

Neonatal and fetal exposure to trans-fatty acids retards early growth and adiposity while adversely affecting glucose in mice

Industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFAs) consumed in Western diets are incorporated into maternal and fetal tissues and are passed linearly to offspring via breast milk. We hypothesized that TFA exposure in utero and during lactation in infants would promote obesity and poor glycemic control as compared with unmodified fatty acids. We further hypothesized that in utero exposure alone may program for these outcomes in adulthood. To test this hypothesis, we fed female C57/BL6 mice identical Western diets that differed only in cis- or trans-isomers of C18:1 and then aimed to determine whether maternal transfer of TFAs through pregnancy and lactation alters growth, body composition, and glucose metabolism. Mice were unexposed, exposed during pregnancy, during lactation, or throughout pregnancy and lactation to TFA. Body weight and composition (by computed tomography) and glucose metabolism were assessed at weaning and adulthood. Trans-fatty acid exposure through breast milk caused significant early growth retardation (P < .001) and higher fasting glucose (P = .01), but insulin sensitivity was not different. Elevated plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 in mice consuming TFA-enriched milk (P = .02) may contribute to later catch-up growth and leanness and preserved peripheral insulin sensitivity observed in these mice. Mice exposed to TFA in utero underwent rapid early neonatal growth with TFA-free breast milk and had significantly impaired insulin sensitivity (P < .05) and greater abdominal fat (P = .01). We conclude that very early catch-up growth resulted in impaired peripheral insulin sensitivity in this model of diet-related fetal and neonatal programming. Trans-fatty acid surprisingly retarded growth and adiposity while still adversely affecting glucose metabolism.     

Usefulness of the Piko-6 Portable Device for Early COPD Detection in Primary Care

Introduction

COPD is a highly prevalent but underdiagnosed disease, due to the limited availability of forced spirometry (FS) in primary care (PC). Microspirometers are inexpensive, easy-to-use devices that can measure FEV₆ and FEV₁/FEV₆, and may help reduce underdiagnosis. The aim of this study was to validate the Piko-6 COPD screening device by demonstrating a good correlation with standard FS.

Obstetric complications as a risk factor for first psychotic episodes in childhood and adolescence

There are reports of significant association between obstetric complications (OC) and childhood psychosis. Authors conducted a case-control study of 102 children and adolescents with a first episode psychosis (FEP) and 94 healthy controls (HC), using the obstetric complications scale (OCS) and their medical records, to examine the risk of FPE. Patients were recruited from child and adolescent psychiatry units at six university hospitals and controls from publicly-funded schools of similar characteristics and from the same geographic areas. A logistic regression was performed to quantify the risk of psychosis in childhood and adolescence, based on OC, adjusting for potential confounding factors like socio economic status (SES) and family psychiatric history (FPH). OC appeared more frequently in the records of patients. Significant differences between patients and controls were found in Prenatal OC (15.7% vs. 5.3%, P < 0.05) and among them, bleeding in pregnancy showed the greatest difference between groups (12.7% vs. 2.1%, P < 0.01). In the logistic regression, bleeding in pregnancy showed a crude odds ratio (OR) of 6.7 (95%CI = 1.4–30.6) and 5.1 (CI 95% = 1.0–24.9) adjusted for SES and FPH. Therefore, bleeding in pregnancy is a likely risk factor for early-onset psychosis.