Synergy of the Tropical Earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus and Oil Palm Bagasse in the Removal of Heavy Crude Oil

The tropical endogeic earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus, a non-standard species used in ecotoxicity, has been found in crude oil-contaminated habitats. We estimated the removal of total hydrocarbons from heavy crude “Maya” oil on an artificially contaminated soil with a median lethal concentration of P. corethrurus and an addition of oil palm bagasse. P. corethrurus had a high survival rate, and the addition of oil palm bagasse led to a greater growth and an increase in abundance of bacteria and fungi. The activity of P. corethrurus and the nutritional quality of oil palm bagasse had a significant impact on the removal of a larger amount of petroleum hydrocarbons from contaminated soil. We concluded that the endogeic earthworm P. corethrurus and oil palm bagasse acted synergistically to achieve a more effective removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons from soil. These results show the potential for using P. corethrurus to remove, either directly or indirectly, crude oil from soil.

     

Percepción de profesionales de la salud sobre la intervención grupal socioeducativa con mujeres que presentan síntomas somáticos sin causa orgánica

ObjectiveTo know the perception and opinion of primary care health professionals on the impact of non-medicalizing group educational intervention (GRUSE) with women who present somatic symptoms without organic cause.DesignQualitative phenomenological study.SettingPrimary care health centers in Andalusia, during 2017 and 2018.Participants and/or contextsTwenty-four health professionals, selected according to their level of involvement in the GRUSE strategy (socio-educational groups).MethodA qualitative methodology is applied, through the phenomenological method. The technique used to collect the information is the discussion group, and a content analysis is carried out on it. The software Atlas.ti 8.0 is used as a support resource for the analysis.ResultsHealth professionals highlight group work as a means of achieving change, and point to the importance of intervention as a non-medicalizing strategy. They perceive that the participants obtain some benefits: the improvement of their personal well-being, the increase of their self-esteem and self-determination, and the generation of social networks, benefits that also affect their immediate surroundings.ConclusionsIn the opinion of the professionals, the strategy has positive effects on women and does not mean an increase in resources for the health system. In addition, they express the importance of provide women with tools to cope with daily life problems derivates mostly from gender mandates of a patriarchal society.     

Clonal proliferation of cyclin D1-positive mantle lymphocytes in an asymptomatic patient: an early-stage event in the development or an indolent form of a mantle cell lymphoma?

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B-cell neoplasm with a relatively aggressive clinical course. There is a very small subgroup of patients who present with atypical lymphocytes in peripheral blood, with or without lymphocytosis, lymphadenopathy, or splenomegaly, and with an indolent clinical course. They frequently show mutated IgV(H) genes and CD5 negativity. We report an asymptomatic elderly patient who presented with a single submandibular lymphadenopathy. The biopsy showed immunophenotype and t(11;14)(q13;q32) consistent with MCL. The abnormal lymphoid population was also detected in peripheral blood and bone marrow. The patient has remained asymptomatic for 5 years without receiving any therapy. It is uncertain whether these cases represent an early-stage event in the development or an indolent form of MCL. The existence of such asymptomatic patients with an indolent clinical course should induce a strict clinical judgment in terms of therapeutic decisions.     

Potentiation of acute opioid-induced respiratory depression and reversal of tolerance by the calcium antagonist nimodipine in awake rats

Summary The interaction between sufentanil, a -opioid agonist, and the Ca²⁺ antagonist nimodipine on respiration and on the development of opioid tolerance in awake rats has been analyzed. Our previous work demonstrated that chronic treatment with nimodipine together with sufentanil increases the analgesic potency of the opioid 50 fold. Therefore, we have investigated whether the opioid-induced respiratory depression is potentiated in parallel with the analgesia. Ventilation was measured by the whole body plethysmographic method. In naive rats, sufentanil (10–80 g/kg) consistently induced a dose-dependent respiratory depression. Pretreatment with nimodipine (200 g/kg) potentiated this effect but to a lesser extent than it potentiated analgesia. After chronic administration of the opioid (2 g/h, 7 days) tolerance was manifested as a reduction in both the area under the time course curve and in the maximum effect. Nimodipine (1 g/h) administered concurrently with sufentanil for 7 days counteracted the tolerance to respiratory depression but no additional potentiation was observed. These results demonstrate that the interaction between nimodipine and sufentanil is not limited to antinociception but also exends to respiratory depression. However, compared with analgesia, the clinical relevance of a potential increase in opioid-induced respiratory depression by nimodipine may be negligible.Correspondence to: M. A. Hurlé at the above address     

Cross neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants after repeated doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines

We have measured the humoral response to messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in COVID-19 naïve and convalescent individuals. Third doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines induced a significant increase in potency and breadth of neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC) including Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.2, and BA.2.12.1, that were cross-neutralized at comparable levels and less for BA.4/5. This booster effect was especially important in naïve individuals that only after the third dose achieved a level that was comparable with that of vaccinated COVID-19 convalescents except for BA.4/5. Avidity of RBD-binding antibodies was also significantly increased in naïve individuals after the third dose, indicating an association between affinity maturation and cross neutralization of VoC. These results suggest that at least three antigenic stimuli by infection or vaccination with ancestral SARS-CoV-2 sequences are required to induce high avidity cross-neutralizing antibodies. Nevertheless, the circulation of new subvariants such as BA.4/5 with partial resistance to neutralization will have to be closely monitored and eventually consider for future vaccine developments.     

Evidence for the involvement of 5-HT4 receptors in the 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced pattern of migrating myoelectric complex in sheep

1. The effects induced by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on gastrointestinal myoelectric activity in conscious sheep were recorded through electrodes chronically implanted and analysed by computer. The 5-HT receptors and the cholinergic neuronal pathways involved in these actions were investigated.
2. The intravenous (i.v.) administration of 5-HT (2, 4 and 8 μg kg⁻¹ min⁻¹, 5 min) induced an antral inhibition concomitant with a duodenal activity front that migrated to the jejunum, followed by a period of intestinal inactivity. This myoelectric pattern closely resembled that observed in the phases III and I of the migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) in sheep. The 0.5 μg kg⁻¹ min⁻¹ dose evoked the same pattern in only two out of the six animals used. Likewise, the 1 μg kg⁻¹ min⁻¹ dose similarly affected four of the six animals. In addition, a transient stimulation was observed in the antrum and jejunum when the two highest doses were used.
3. The 5-HT₁ antagonist, methiothepin (0.1 mg kg⁻¹), the 5-HT₂ antagonists, ritanserin (0.1 mg  kg⁻¹) and ketanserin (0.3 mg  kg⁻¹), the 5-HT₃ antagonists, granisetron (0.2 mg kg⁻¹) and ondansetron (0.5 mg kg⁻¹), as well as the 5-HT₄ antagonist, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GR113808","term_id":"238362519","term_text":"GR113808"}}GR113808 (0.2 mg kg⁻¹), did not modify the spontaneous gastrointestinal myoelectric activity. However, the cholinoceptor antagonists, atropine (0.2 mg kg⁻¹) and hexamethonium (2 mg kg⁻¹), inhibited gastrointestinal activity.
4. When these antagonists were injected i.v. 10 min before 5-HT (2 or 4 μg kg⁻¹ min⁻¹, 5 min), only {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GR113808","term_id":"238362519","term_text":"GR113808"}}GR113808, atropine and hexamethonium were able to modify the 5-HT-induced actions, all of them being completely blocked by the three antagonists.
5. Our data show that 5-HT initiates a MMC-like pattern in the gastrointestinal area in sheep through 5-HT₄ receptors. Furthermore, these actions are mediated by cholinergic neural pathways involving muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. However, our results do not indicate a role for either 5-HT₁, 5-HT₂ or 5-HT₃ receptors in the 5-HT-induced effects.

     

Prevalence and control of arterial hypertension in the south-east of Spain: A radical but still insufficient improvement

Stroke mortality rates in Spain are one of the highest in all of Europe. At the same time, the Murcia region (south-east Spain) shows, for both genders, the highest age-adjusted stroke mortality rates in all of Spain. The earliest available hypertension figure estimations for this area go back to 1981, when a high prevalence combined with an almost nonexistent control was detected. One decade later, updated prevalence estimations of hypertension are presented jointly with their degree of control and their association with other risk factors based on the results of a prevalence survey in a random population sample (n = 3,091). Arterial blood pressure was measured following the MONICA protocol, maintaining a tight quality control on between and within-observer variability. As hypertensive was considered as any person with systolic blood pressure (SBP) 140 mmHg or with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 90 mmHg or with antihypertensive pharmacological treatment. Detected prevalence rises to 32.3% (CI 95%: 29.1%–35.5%) among males and to 23.7% (CI 95%: 21.4%– 26%) among females, maintaining its level regarding figures observed back in 1981. However, its control has been increased, especially among hypertensive women [from less than 5% in 1981 to 35% (95% CI: 32%–37.8%) at present]. Hypertension is strongly associated to hipercholesterolemia, overweight, obesity and diabetes (p < 0.01). On the contrary, it shows an opposite association with current smoking, higher educational level and leisure time physical activity (p < 0.01). The highest educational level was associated with better hypertension treatment and control. In summary, while hypertension prevalence is stabilized in our population, its control has improved in a measurable but still insufficient way. These results are in accordance with a decreasing trend in stroke mortality registered in the Murcia Region along the last decade.     

Blood retinol and β-carotene levels in rural Guatemalan preschool children

Plasma retinol and -carotene levels were measured in 502 preschool Guatemalan children from five rural hamlets. Their ages ranged from 6 to 78 months (mean: 42.9±19.2 months); 45% males and 55% females. The mean retinol value in the whole group was 0.9±0.4 µmol/1 (range: 0.1 to 8.4 µmol/1). There was no significant difference between sexes in retinol mean values nor in the incidence of retinol values less than 0.7 µmol/1 (22% in males, 18% in females). When grouped by age and community, significant low retinol mean values were found in two hamlets in the youngest age group (12 to 23 months) as compared to the other age-groups (p<0.05). In the other two hamlets, there were no significant differences among retinol means by age-group. The highest prevalence of deficient retinol values by age-group was in the 12 to 23 months group (40%), and decreased as age increased. The mean value for -carotene in the whole group was 0.13±0.18 µmol/1 (range: 0.01 to 2.23 µmol/1). There were no significant differences in -carotene means between sexes in the whole group. Stratifying the -carotene data by age-groups and community, values were significantly higher in the 48–59 months and 72–83 months groups, as compared with the other age groups in two of the communities (p<0.05). Significant differences across communities for -carotene were found only in the 12 to 23 months group.     

Presence of antibodies to human herpesvirus type 6 and 7 in Hungarian children]

Prevalence of antibodies to variants HHV-6A and B as well as HHV-7, the time of primary infections are not know in Hungarian children. Therefore, antibodies to these viruses were studied in 21 healthy children aged between 6 and 18 months. Lymphoid cultures were infected with standard virus strains for indirect immunofluorescence. IgM, IgG and high avidity IgG after 8M urea treatment were quantified in serial dilutions of sera. It was established that, three of 13 boys had low level (1:20) IgG or IgM antibodies to HHV-6A, but all girls were negative. With exception of one girl and one boy, all had antibodies to HHV-6B in different titres (1:20 to 1:640 by immunofluorescence), in 9 cases only IgM, in further 4 cases only low avidity IgG were detected. Children studied gradually acquired symptom-free HHV-6B infection between age of 8 and 18 months. Antibodies to HHV-7 were found in 3 boys and one girl before their age of 12 months, but the majority were infected after that age. Approximately three quarters of children acquired either HHV-6B or HHV-7 before age of 18 months. More than half of the children were infected with HHV-6B prior to HHV-7. Antibody level to HHV-6B was slightly higher in boys, while that to HHV-7 was higher in girls. In Hungary, childhood infection with HHV-6A seems to be a very rare event. Epidemiology of HHV-6B primary infection is similar to that of industrial countries, while that of HHV-7 resembles data of developing world: onset of antibodies occurs 1 or 2 years earlier than in the industrial nations.     

A pilot study on the antibodies to HHV-6 variants and HHV-7 in CSF of MS patients

In the possible role for human herpesviruses (HHV) in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) neither clear distinction between the two variants of HHV-6, nor the involvement of HHV-7 have been described. Therefore, we quantitated HHV-6 variant specific and HHV-7 reacting antibodies in the CSF of 13 patients with MS or other neurological disorders by ELISA. Predominance in the positivity of IgG (67%) and IgM (44%) to HHV-6B over that of IgG (44%) with no detectable IgM to HHV-6A, and no antibodies to HHV-7 were found in the CSF of MS patients. None of these antibodies were found in the CSF of controls. This suggests that, intrathecal chronic active or primary HHV-6B infection might contribute to MS progression, while the local effects of HHV-6A and HHV-7 seem to be less important.