Ideonella sakaiensis Can Metabolize Bisphenol A as a Carbon Source

Bisphenol A and its analogues represent a significant environmental and public health hazard, particularly affecting the endocrine systems of children and newborns. Due to the growing need for non-pathogenic biodegradation microbial agents as environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions to eliminate endocrine disruptors, this study aimed to investigate the degradation of bisphenol A by Ideonella sakaiensis, based on its currently understood unique enzymatic machinery that is already well known for degrading polyethylene terephthalate. The present study provides novel insights into the metabolic competence and growth particularities of I. sakaiensis. The growth of I. sakaiensis exposed to bisphenol A exceeded that in the control conditions, starting with 72 h in a 70% nutrient-rich medium and starting with 48 h in a 100% nutrient-rich medium. Computational modeling showed that bisphenol A, as well as its analogue bisphenol S, are possible substrates of PETase and MHETase. The use of bisphenol A as a carbon and energy source through a pure I. sakaiensis culture expands the known substrate spectra and the species' potential as a new candidate for bisphenol A bioremediation processes.

Tertiary Treatment of Livestock Wastewater in the Context of Alternative Water Resources for Sustainable Agriculture

The limited availability and quality of water resources are key issues of water management, and the protection and preservation of water resources are a requirement in the context of accelerated economic growth and principles of sustainable development. The experimental research presented in this paper is based on the need to identify alternative water sources and support unconventional wastewater treatment methods which would enable their reuse in areas affected by water scarcity and drought. Livestock wastewater contain significant levels of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and may represent an attractive water source for crop irrigation. This paper evaluates the efficacy of a proposed technological process for tertiary wastewater treatment consisting of two steps: electrochemical treatment for the removal of suspended and colloidal impurities and ozone disinfection. The experimental results showed higher efficiencies for the removal of chemical pollutants (92.5% COD, 79.3% BOD, 98.6% TSS, 41% residue saline) and significant inactivation of microorganisms (over 99.9% for total coliform bacteria and in some cases 100% for faecal coliform bacteria and faecal streptococci). The quality of the effluent complies with the regulations for wastewater use in agriculture and allows its reuse for different categories of use considering the required conditions for soil/crops. The successful application of treated wastewater to agricultural crops depends in a high extent on the good practices aimed on the improvement of crop yield and quality, optimisation of soil productivity and protection of the environment undertaken by the economic entities.

In-silico Optimization of a Batch Bioreactor for mAbs Production in Relationship to the Net Evolution of the Hybridoma Cell Culture

Bioreactor optimization is a common engineering problem difficult to be solved due to the large number of influential variables of high variability. Production of monoclonal antibody is a well-known method to synthesize a large number of identical antibodies (that is of uniform characteristics, also called monoclonal antibodies, mAb). Due to such reasons intense efforts have been invested to maximize the production of mAb by using hybridoma cell culture. Based on an adequate kinetic model from literature (experimentally checked) this paper focus on pointing-out the major role of the net evolution of the viable biomass (growth, and decay) in the location of the optimal operating setpoint (SP) of a three-phase mechanically agitated batch bioreactor (TPMAB) with immobilized hybridoma culture. This in-silico analysis opens the possibility I) to optimize the bioreactor performances by placing the SP in the most favourable location, by adjusting the substrate and biomass initial load in the bioreactor according to the preliminary determined characteristics of a modified / improved biomass; ii) to optimize the batch-to-batch operation mode (not approached here) according to the time-varying characteristics of the biomass culture, or iii) to determine the optimal operation of the bioreactor in a fed-batch operating mode (not approached here).

The Influence of Wastewater from Paper Mills on the Biological Process in the Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

Wastewaters resulting from paper mills have high organic loading that in most cases exceeds the maximum limits allowed for their discharge in the aquatic environment. In the context of concerns regarding the sustainable development of water resources, the identification of solutions for the optimal management of effluent treatment is a challenge of the modern society. This paper depicts the biological treatability of wastewaters resulting from the manufacturing of recycled paper and discusses their effect on the biological process after their admission in the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The Symons criterion and the Zahn-Wellens method were employed in order to study the biodegradability of organic substances as they are useful tools for prefiguring the behaviour of wastewaters during the secondary treatment step.

Technological Solution for the Treatment of Wastewater Resulting from Autochthonous Aquacultures in Order to Protect the Marine Water Quality

This paper depicts the research conducted at a micro-pilot scale on autochthonous cultures in order to develop adequate technological solutions for the treatment of wastewater resulting from shrimp cultures (Palaemonidae) that would ensure the protection of the Black Sea ecosystem and constitute an applicable tool for the development of aquaculture in Romania. The proposed objectives were attained by adopting an integrated system of marine cultures shrimps-mussels-macrophyte algae, followed by a conventional chemical treatment step using aluminium sulphate recovered from metallurgical slags. This system together with wastewater treatment ensures an optimum development of species and a minimum load of pollutants in the aquatic environment.

Treatment attitude and hospitalization: Comparison of oral therapy and long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia

Background

Adherence to prescribed antipsychotic drugs is a crucial factor in predicting medium- to long-term clinical outcome in schizophrenia. A helpful approach to promote adherence in schizophrenia is the use of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics.

Object

To evaluate:

– the global functioning and the hospitalization rate occurred in the year before and in the year following the switch from a low-efficacy oral antipsychotic to either a LAI once-monthly therapy (palmitate paliperidone or olanzapine pamoate) or the corresponding oral compound (paliperidone\risperidone or olanzapine) in schizophrenic patients;

– the treatment attitude and the insight in patients treated with second-generation antipsychotic (SGA)-LAIs and with the corresponding oral compounds.

Method

Sixty adult schizophrenic outpatients: thirty were switched to LAIs and thirty to the corresponding oral antipsychotic. We used the following scales: Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI), Schedule for the Assessment of Insight (SAI), Life Skill Profile (LSP).

Results

Number of hospitalizations per year decreased in both groups (LAIs: from 1.3 ± 0.5 to 0.3 ± 0.5; oral: from 1.3 ± 0.5 to 0.6 ± 0.5). We found a direct association between the “hospitalization event” and the oral drug compared to the corresponding LAI formulation (P = 0.049; OR: 3.05; 95% IC: 1.01–9.26). Patient receiving LAIs achieved a more significant improvement at the LSP score compared to the oral group (P < 0.001 vs. P = 0.0034) and higher DAI (5.9 ± 4.3 vs. −1.1 ± 4.3) and SAI (8.7 ± 2.9 vs. 5.6 ± 2.1).

Conclusions

Our data suggest that SGA-LAIs, improving the adherence to the treatment, may sensitively reduce costs in mental health services.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Awareness of and satisfaction with available treatment options in schizophrenia: Results from a survey of patients and caregivers in Europe

Introduction

Understanding beliefs and concerns of patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers, regarding treatment options, is key to improving their care. Perceived fears can impact adherence to therapy and represent a barrier to prescribers when discussing treatment decisions.

Objectives

Explore patient and caregiver awareness of and satisfaction with available treatment options.

Methods

Independent market research agency commissioned by Janssen, performed an online European survey in 2016 to capture demographics, awareness of available therapies, current treatment satisfaction and adherence from patients with schizophrenia and caregivers.

Results

Results from 166 patients with schizophrenia and 468 caregivers from 12 European countries (France, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands). One-fifth of patients reported they have not discussed alternative treatment options with their healthcare professional (HCP) despite 37% of patients being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their current therapy. HCPs were considered as the primary information source for the majority of patients (73%), although 27% of patients and 25% of caregivers believed that HCPs were not fully aware of all available treatment options. Moreover, 68% of patients treated with oral antipsychotics confirmed they would consider switching to a long-acting antipsychotic treatment, though 32% reported they have not been made aware of it as an option. Many caregivers (46%) reported dissatisfaction with their level of involvement in treatment decisions.

Conclusions

This survey underlines the critical role HCPs play in providing relevant information on treatment alternatives and emphasize the need for an open dialogue on available treatment options between HCPs, patients and caregivers.

Disclosure of interest

Pierre Cherubin is a full-time Janssen employee working within the Medical Affairs Department.

The other authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Photodynamic diagnosis of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer using hexaminolevulinic acid

Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common tumor of the urinary tract. White light cystoscopy (WLC) is currently considered the standard investigation for diagnosis of bladder tumors. Recent studies suggest that using exogenous fluorescence (photodynamic diagnosis, PDD) can improve its diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.

OBJECTIVE

Our study aims to analyze the value of using fluorescent cystoscopy (PDD) in the diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study designed as a prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted over a 12 months period and included 44 patients with primitive NMIBC diagnosed and treated in our department in 2009. Twenty-two patients were included in the study group (PDD), while 22 patients were diagnosed and treated by conventional methods (WLC).

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding age, sex, place of origin, smoking history, clinical symptoms or presence of urological history as well as tumor size, location or number. Fluorescence cystoscopy examination identified 25.8% more tumors than the conventional examination (p=0.004). We demonstrated a significant reduction of tumor recurrence rates at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months by using PDD (HR=0.3271, 95% CI 0.1091-0.9809; p=0.0461).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of PDD in patients with NMIBC results in significant improvement of the efficiency of their initial diagnosis cystoscopy (by over 25%). We demonstrated improved patient prognosis and quality of life following conservative TUR treatment of these tumors by significantly reducing the tumor recurrence rate (by 9-27%) in the first year of follow-up.

Prediction of Dispersion and Bioaccumulation of Chlorinated Benzene Pollutants in a River Section for a Low Level of Discharge

(Poly)chlorinated benzenes (CBz) are a category of persistent organic pollutants (POP) difficult to be removed from wastewaters and environment. CBz with five and six chlorine-atoms in the molecule present a very low biodegradability and high toxicity comparable to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), making their removal incomplete in conventional (chemical-biological) wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and frequent oversteps of the admissible limits in effluents (0.4-3.2 ng/L) are reported worldwide. However, accidental discharges of low loads may turn into a serious pollution problem, even for small POP concentrations in the WWTP effluent, due to their high bioaccumulation capacity in the aquatic environment (biota, sediments). The paper illustrates, by means of a comparative study including eleven CBz, the high pollution potential for the river caused by a low-level but frequent CBz discharge. By using a combined advective-dispersive dynamic model, including the phase-exchange, bioaccumulation in biota and sediments, and the pollutant biodegradation and evaporation, simulations point-out how a CBz release can become dangerous on a long term, by predicting the �moving pollution front� effect propagated downstream the river as soon as the aquatic phase-exchange equilibrium tends to be reached in the critical discharge section.

Life quality of patients undergoing liver transplantation

The aim of this study was to assess the life quality of a group of patients who had undergone liver transplantation using (1) a psychological test to evaluate family relations, work activity, emotional state and social relationships; (2) the quantification of hospital dependence and degree of fitness for work. Included in the study were 32 patients using the following criteria: diagnosis of hepatic cirrhosis and minimum posttransplant follow-up of 6 months. The average age of the study population was 44.8 +/- 10.5 years; there were 23 males and 9 females, with an average follow-up of 15 months. The psychological test used was the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) which consists of 21 items each scoring from 1 to 6 points. The questionnaire was completed before transplantation by all the patients, and after transplantation by 32 patients at 6 months, 20 at 12 months and 12 at 24 months. Hospital dependence was evaluated by the number of admissions and number of days per admission. Lastly, we compared fitness for work before transplantation and at 1 and 2 years after transplantation. The QLS test showed a post-transplant improvement in the four aspects assessed, particularly in the personal aspects (emotions and family) (P < 0.001). Hospital dependence following liver transplantation decreased significantly compared with the pretransplant situation (P < 0.01). Finally, the post-transplant percentage of unfitness for work decreased with time, reaching a significant differences 2 years after transplantation (P < 0.05).