Plastic debris, persistent organic pollutants and their toxicity impacts in coastal areas in Central Chile

The chemical components of plastic wastes have made their disposal a major economic, social, and environmental problem worldwide. This study evaluated the acute toxicity and genotoxicity of marine plastic debris on the beaches of Concepción Bay, Central Chile, taken during three periods (spring, summer, and winter). An integrated approach was used, including chemical and toxicological data, using the Microtox® test with Vibrio fischeri and SOS chromotest with Escherichia coli and concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The results presented here exclusively include the novel data obtained from the winter campaign, revealing high concentrations of PBDEs (238 ± 521 ng g-1). In addition, the genotoxicity and acute toxicity tests were sensitive for most of the samples studied. This investigation is the first attempt to analyse the toxicity of plastic debris in coastal areas along the Chilean coast.

Perioperative intravenous contrast administration and the incidence of acute kidney injury after major gastrointestinal surgery: prospective, multicentre cohort study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the impact of preoperative exposure to intravenous contrast for CT and the risk of developing postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery.

METHODS

This prospective, multicentre cohort study included adults undergoing gastrointestinal resection, stoma reversal or liver resection. Both elective and emergency procedures were included. Preoperative exposure to intravenous contrast was defined as exposure to contrast administered for the purposes of CT up to 7 days before surgery. The primary endpoint was the rate of AKI within 7 days. Propensity score-matched models were adjusted for patient, disease and operative variables. In a sensitivity analysis, a propensity score-matched model explored the association between preoperative exposure to contrast and AKI in the first 48 h after surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 5378 patients were included across 173 centres. Overall, 1249 patients (23·2 per cent) received intravenous contrast. The overall rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery was 13·4 per cent (718 of 5378). In the propensity score-matched model, preoperative exposure to contrast was not associated with AKI within 7 days (odds ratio (OR) 0·95, 95 per cent c.i. 0·73 to 1·21; P = 0·669). The sensitivity analysis showed no association between preoperative contrast administration and AKI within 48 h after operation (OR 1·09, 0·84 to 1·41; P = 0·498).

CONCLUSION

There was no association between preoperative intravenous contrast administered for CT up to 7 days before surgery and postoperative AKI. Risk of contrast-induced nephropathy should not be used as a reason to avoid contrast-enhanced CT.

THU0438 INADEQUATE CARE FOR PATIENTS HOSPITALISED WITH GOUT: EVIDENCE THAT EULAR GUIDANCE IS NOT UTILISED

Background:

Hospitalisations due to gout have increased over the last decade, in direct contrast to declining admissions for other inflammatory arthritides including RA [1]. Gout is a treatable condition with recently published EULAR guidelines [2, 3]. Admissions could be avoided with effective use of urate-lowering therapies (ULT).

Objectives:

We hypothesised that the majority of patients attending hospital with acute gout attacks would not be on ULT. Furthermore, we hypothesised that the majority of patients would not be provided with a plan for ULT commencement and/or uptitration on discharge, leaving them at risk of further hospitalisations.

Methods:

We retrospectively analysed electronic health records for all patients presenting acutely with a primary admission diagnosis of gout (ICD-10 code: M10) at two hospitals in London, UK, from January – December 2017. Analyses of in-hospital gout management were performed for these patients, including to ascertain the number and proportion of patients who: i) had a known history of gout; ii) were receiving ULT at time of attendance; iii) were provided with a discharge plan for ULT commencement and/or uptitration.

Results:

Over a 12-month period, there were 234 emergency attendances for gout in 225 individuals. 80% were male, with a mean age of 58 years. 70/234 (30%) attendances resulted in admission to hospital (mean length of stay: 2 days; range: 0-31 days). 211 patients had routinely captured clinical data available for further analysis. 90/211 (43%) patients had prior diagnoses of gout, of whom 38% were on ULT at presentation (32 allopurinol, 2 febuxostat). 38% of patients were discharged with a plan for ULT commencement and/or uptitration. 20 patients re-presented to hospital with acute gout within 12 months (17/20 were not receiving ULT).

Conclusion:

Most patients hospitalised with gout were not receiving ULT, even those with a prior history of gout attacks. Few were provided with a ULT plan, leaving them at risk of re-admission to hospital. Hospital admissions are unpleasant for patients and incur a high economic burden for health services; if they are to be prevented, there must be a concerted effort to implement and follow gout management guidelines to ensure patients receive ULT at appropriate doses.

References:

[1]Russell M,et al. Return of the King: Rising Incidence of Acute Hospital Admissions due to Gout. J Rheum 2019 Sep 15.

[2]Richette P, et al. 2016 updated EULAR evidence-based recommendations for the management of gout. Ann Rheum Dis 2017;76:29-42.

[3]Richette P, et al. 2018 updated European League Against Rheumatism evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis of gout. Ann Rheum Dis 2020;79:31-38.

Disclosure of Interests: :

None declared

A serial PFASs sorption technique coupled with adapted high volume direct aqueous injection LCMS method

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous global environmental contaminants, environmentally persistent, mobile, can bioaccumulate and are toxic. Increasing emphasis is placed on the immobilisation and removal of PFAS from contaminated environmental matrices such as: potable water, surface water, groundwater, wastewater, sediments and soils (Dauchy et al., 2017; Cao et al., 2019; Hepburn et al., 2019). To achieve this, development of PFAS sorbents is increasingly undertaken (Du et al., 2014). Sorption studies are used to observe the interaction of sorbent and sorbate, but have two key limitations when undertaking sorption experiments for PFAS (1) the experimental protocol and (2) analytical techniques. The current batch sorption methods approached recommended by OECD Guideline 106 (OECD, 2000) are problematic, firstly, due to large sample numbers and PFAS specific laboratory difficulties, including near ubiquitous background PFAS contamination. Secondly, PFAS analytical techniques currently require solid-phase extraction (SPE) to be employed, which is slow and expensive, prior to instrumental analysis with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A suitable alternative approach is needed to mitigate the drawbacks of current methodologies whilst catering for the high sample throughput required by benchtop trials characterising the sorption behaviour of PFAS - sorbent pairings.•

A suitable method for PFAS measurement, overcoming shortcomings of current batch sorption methodologies is presented

•

The method can be applied to a wide range of sorbents and sorption environment conditions associated with PFAS immobilisation or removal in the environment

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The presented method is novel through its high sample throughput, simple approach and minimisation of cross contamination sources

Persistent organic pollutants sorbed in plastic resin pellet - "Nurdles" from coastal areas of Central Chile

Plastic resin pellets were collected from coastal areas (n = 7) of central Chile. Pellets were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for polymer identification and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) determination. Screened compounds were PBDEs (n = 10), PCBs (n = 7), and OCPs (n = 13). Pellets were only found at Lenga Beach (San Vicente Bay), which is likely influenced by the presence of industrial activities in the surrounding coastal area. The diameter of the pellets was 4.0 ± 0.6 cm (n = 370), the color varied from white (32%) to yellowing (68%), and the most prevalent polymer identified was high-density polyethylene (99%). POPs concentrations (ng/g-pellet) ranged from 10 to 133 for Ʃ10PBDEs, from 3 to 60 for Ʃ7PCBs and between 0.1 and 7 for DDTs. Levels of POPs are consistent with other investigations around the world and highlight the sorbtion capacity of plastics resin pellets, and consequently transport of POPs into coastal environments.

Glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) are commonly found in urban streams and wetlands of Melbourne, Australia

Glyphosate is the most widely-used pesticide for weed control in agriculture and in urban and residential areas. This is the first study to quantify glyphosate and AMPA levels in surface water in Australia from different land uses. Glyphosate and AMPA was measured in surface water from 10 rural streams, 30 urban stormwater wetlands and 9 urban streams located in and around the city of Melbourne, Australia on five occasions between October 2017 and February 2018. Glyphosate and AMPA were present in most of the urban surface water samples. The frequency of detection of glyphosate was 77% in wetlands and 79% in urban streams, whereas it was only detected in 4% of the rural streams. Similarly, AMPA detection was 91% in wetlands and 97% in urban streams, whereas it was only present in 6% of the rural stream samples. In both urban streams and wetlands, the highest average glyphosate concentrations occurred in November (1.8 ± 2.2 μg L-1). Overall, wetlands and streams associated with urban land use are vulnerable to glyphosate contamination. These results highlight the importance of screening for contaminants in urban stormwater to identify the source of pollutants that may end up in aquatic ecosystems and the risks therefrom.

Contamination of groundwater with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from legacy landfills in an urban re-development precinct

The extent of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater surrounding legacy landfills is currently poorly constrained. Seventeen PFAS were analysed in groundwater surrounding legacy landfills in a major Australian urban re-development precinct. Sampling locations (n = 13) included sites installed directly in waste material and down-gradient from landfills, some of which exhibited evidence of leachate contamination including elevated concentrations of ammonia-N (≤106 mg/L), bicarbonate (≤1,740 mg/L) and dissolved methane (≤10.4 mg/L). Between one and fourteen PFAS were detected at all sites and PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA and PFBS were detected in all samples. The sum of detected PFAS (∑₁₄PFAS) varied from 26 ng/L at an ambient background site to 5,200 ng/L near a potential industrial point-source. PFHxS had the highest median concentration (34 ng/L; range: 2.6-280 ng/L) followed by PFOS (26 ng/L; range: 1.3-4,800 ng/L), PFHxA (19 ng/L; range: <LOQ - 46 ng/L) and PFOA (12 ng/L; range: 1.7-74 ng/L). Positive correlations between ∑₁₄PFAS, PFOA and other perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) (e.g. PFHxA) with typical leachate indicators including ammonia-N and bicarbonate were observed. In contrast, no such correlations were found with perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) (e.g., PFOS and PFHxS). In addition, a strong positive linear correlation (R² = 0.69) was found between the proportion of PFOA in the sum of detected perfluorinated alkylated acids (PFOA/∑PFAA) and ammonia-N concentrations in groundwater. This is consistent with previous research showing relatively high PFOA/∑PFAA in municipal landfill leachates, and more conservative behaviour (e.g. less sorption and reactivity) of PFCAs during subsurface transport compared to PFSAs. PFOA/∑PFAA in groundwater may therefore be a useful indicator of municipal landfill-derived PFAA. One site with significantly elevated PFOS and PFHxS concentrations (4,800 and 280 ng/L, respectively) appears to be affected by point-source industrial contamination, as landfill leachate indicators were absent.

Comparative characterization of biochars produced at three selected pyrolysis temperatures from common woody and herbaceous waste streams

Biochar, the product of biomass pyrolysis, has been explored as a soil amendment and carbon capture vessel. Recent literature has aligned biochar as a novel sorbent for a host of environmental contaminants. Through the variation of pyrolysis conditions, biochars can be engineered to have qualities desirable in sorbents whilst maintaining their agronomic benefits. This study focuses on identifying the effects that feedstock type and process temperature have on biochar characteristics which may in turn shed light on their potential environmental applications. Using this approach, six biochars were created from two waste biomasses. The biochars exhibited wide ranges of pH (5.6–11.1), surface area (16.2–397.4 m²/g), electrical conductivity (19–2,826 µS/cm), fixed carbon (72–97%), heavy metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Statistically significant trends (P < 0.05) in biochar characteristics dependent upon increasing pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type were identified. Arsenic (>13 mg/kg), chromium (>93 mg/kg), copper (>143 mg/kg) and PAH (>6 mg/kg) concentrations presented themselves as obstacles to land application in a small number of biochars with respects to International Biochar Initiative (IBI) guidelines. However, it was demonstrated that these could be eliminated through employing pyrolysis processes which encompass higher temperatures (>500 °C) and ensuring the use of contaminant-free feedstocks. The variation in surface areas, carbonized fractions and surface functional groups achieved suggest that using the correct feedstock and process, biochar could be produced in Victoria (Australia) from common organic waste streams to the ends of acting as a sorbent, soil enhancer, and a waste management strategy.

Presence and characterization of microplastics in fish of commercial importance from the Biobío region in central Chile

In this study we have identified and characterized microplastic particles (MPs) found in six fish species of commercial importance in central Chile. The fish species belong to different trophic levels and were obtained from the oceanic and coastal habitats. To analyze MPs, the fish gastrointestinal content was extracted, analyzed and characterized using a microscopy equipped with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The MPs found in fish samples were mainly constituted by red microfibers (70-100%) with sizes ranging between 176 and 2842 μm. Polyester, polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were identified as the prevalent polymers detected. The coastal species showed the presence of microfibers with a higher size and abundance (71%) compared to oceanic species (29%), suggesting there is a greater exposure risk. These findings are consistent with results found in other investigations worldwide. However, further research is still needed to accurately establish the potential exposure risk for the public consuming these fish and the impact of MPs in the Chilean fishery activities.

Impact of somatic molecular profiling on clinical trial outcomes in rare epithelial gynecologic cancer patients

OBJECTIVES

Conducting clinical trials in rare malignancies is challenging due to the limited number of patients and differences in biologic behavior. We investigated the feasibility and clinical utility of using genomic profiling for rare gynecologic malignancies.

METHODS

Rare epithelial gynecologic cancer patients were analyzed for somatic variants through an institutional molecular profiling program using the Sequenom MassArray platform or the TruSeq Amplicon Cancer Panel on the MiSeq platform. Clinical trial outcomes by RECIST 1.1, and time on treatment were evaluated.

RESULTS

From March 2012 to November 2015, 767 gynecologic patients were enrolled and 194 (27%) were classified as rare epithelial malignancies. At least one somatic mutation was identified in 72% of patients, most commonly in TP53 (39%), KRAS (28%) and PIK3CA (27%). A total of 14% of patients were treated on genotype-matched trials. There were no significant differences in overall response rate between genotype-matched versus unmatched trials, nor in median time on treatment between genotype trials and the immediate prior systemic standard treatment. Among 13 evaluable Low Grade Serous ovarian cancer patients treated on genotype-matched trials with MEK inhibitor-based targeted combinations, there were four partial responses.

CONCLUSIONS

Somatic molecular profiling is feasible and enables the identification of patients with rare gynecologic cancers who are candidates for genotype-matched clinical trials. Genotype-matched trials, predominantly MEK-based combinations in KRAS and/or NRAS mutant Low Grade Serous ovarian cancer patients, and genotype-unmatched trials, have shown potential clinical activity. Prospective trials with integrated genotyping are warranted to assess the clinical utility of next generation sequencing tests as a standard clinical application in rare malignancies.

A simple and rapid direct injection method for the determination of glyphosate and AMPA in environmental water samples

Glyphosate is currently the most widely used herbicide in the world, yet screening of environmental waters for this chemical is limited by the need for specialized derivatization and measurement methods that can be tedious and time-consuming. In this work, we present a novel method for the detection and quantification at trace levels of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in environmental water samples. The detection and quantification of the analytes was performed by liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Chromatographic separation was achieved with an ion-exchange column and a pH-gradient elution of a solution of ammonium hydroxide and ammonium acetate. The limit of detection for glyphosate and AMPA was 0.25 μg L^-1 and the limit of quantification was 0.5 μg L^-1with a 20-μL injection. The method was used to investigate the levels of glyphosate and AMPA in surface water samples from the Yarra River catchment area and urban constructed stormwater wetlands. The results indicate that at the time of sampling, no glyphosate or AMPA was present in the samples from the Yarra River catchment area (n = 10). However, glyphosate was detected above the limit of quantification in 33% of the wetland samples (n = 12), with concentrations ranging from 1.95 to 2.96 μg L^-1. Similarly, AMPA was quantified in 83% of the wetland samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.55 to 2.42 μg L^-1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pH-gradient LC-MS/MS method for glyphosate and AMPA analysis at ultratrace levels, with minimal sample processing, avoiding costly, time-consuming derivatization and preconcentration steps. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Impacts on the seagrass, Zostera nigricaulis, from the herbicide Fusilade Forte® used in the management of Spartina anglica infestations

The herbicide Fusilade Forte^® (FF) is widely applied in agricultural weed management and in the management of the invasive saltmarsh grass, Spartina anglica (ricegrass or cordgrass). FF (active ingredient fluazifop-P acid, FPA) is selective for poaceous grasses. Its primary mode of action is inhibition of the acetyl coenzyme-A carboxylase (ACCase) specific to this taxonomic group, and its secondary mode is by promotion of oxidative stress. FF is applied to S. anglica infestations in the intertidal zone, in proximity to seagrass meadows. Despite the potential for vital seagrass ecosystems to be exposed to FF, there is limited knowledge of any potential impacts. We investigated impacts of FPA on the endemic Australian seagrass, Zostera nigricaulis, measuring ACCase activity and parameters that reflect oxidative stress: photosynthetic performance, lipid peroxidation and photosynthetic pigment content. Seagrass was exposed to FF (0.01-10mgL^-1 FPA and a control) for 7d, followed by a 7-d recovery in uncontaminated seawater. An enzyme assay demonstrated that FPA ≤10mgL^-1 did not inhibit the activity of ACCase isolated from Z. nigricaulis, demonstrating that this seagrass is resistant to FF's primary mode of action. However, physiological impacts occurred following 7 days exposure to ≥0.1mgL^-1 FPA, including up to a 72% reduction in photosynthetic pigment concentration. After 7-d recovery, photosynthetic pigment content improved in treatment plants; however, treated plants exhibited higher levels of lipid peroxidation. This study demonstrates that while Z. nigricaulis is resistant to FF's primary mode of action, significant physiological impacts occur following 7 days exposure to ≥0.1mgL^-1 FPA. This study provides valuable information on the effects of FF on a non-target species that can better inform approaches to Spartina management in coastal seagrass ecosystems.

Cardiovascular, obstetric and neonatal outcomes in women with previous fontan repair

OBJECTIVES

To determine cardiovascular, obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnancies in women who have a Fontan circulation.

METHODS

A retrospective case note review of all women with a Fontan circulation who attended the joint obstetric cardiac antenatal clinic at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester (UK) between 2004 and 2016 was performed.

RESULTS

In total, there were 19 pregnancies in 9 women with a history of Fontan repair. 23 women with univentricular physiology attended in this time period. 10 pregnancies (53%) resulted in live births; 1 in a stillbirth at 31 weeks gestation and 8 in miscarriage. Cardiovascular complications occurred in 2 pregnancies (11%). There were no thrombotic events, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, or endocarditis in the antenatal or postnatal period. Obstetric complications included miscarriage (26% first trimester, 16% second trimester), along with premature delivery (24-36⁺⁶) (80%) and fetal growth restriction (70%). The majority of women were delivered by caesarean section (60%).

CONCLUSIONS

Women who become pregnant following a Fontan repair carry an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. Fetal and neonatal complication rates are high and emphasize the importance of thorough, multidisciplinary, pre-conceptual assessment and counseling to allow patients to make informed decisions regarding future pregnancy.

The Influence of Posture on Perineal Ultrasound Imaging Parameters

A prospective clinical study was carried out to evaluate the influence of posture on perineal ultrasound imaging parameters. One hundred and thirty-two consecutive women presenting with symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction were examined by multichannel videourodynamics and perineal ultrasound, both supine and standing. Ultrasound included color Doppler imaging when available, i.e. in a subgroup of 99 patients. The position of the bladder neck at rest was higher in the supine position (P<0.001) and it descended further on Valsalva (P < 0.001), to reach an almost identical final position. There was a higher degree of urethral rotation on supine imaging (P = 0.001). Urethral funneling on Valsalva was more likely in the erect position (P < 0.001), as was urine leakage documented by color Doppler imaging (P < 0.001). The effect of a pelvic floor contraction was not significantly influenced by posture. Imaging of the urethrovesical junction should be undertaken in both supine and erect positions to document optimally both hypermobility and funneling or leakage.

Generic Feature Selection with Short Fat Data

Consider a regression problem in which there are many more explanatory variables than data points, i.e., p ≫ n. Essentially, without reducing the number of variables inference is impossible. So, we group the p explanatory variables into blocks by clustering, evaluate statistics on the blocks and then regress the response on these statistics under a penalized error criterion to obtain estimates of the regression coefficients. We examine the performance of this approach for a variety of choices of n, p, classes of statistics, clustering algorithms, penalty terms, and data types. When n is not large, the discrimination over number of statistics is weak, but computations suggest regressing on approximately [n/K] statistics where K is the number of blocks formed by a clustering algorithm. Small deviations from this are observed when the blocks of variables are of very different sizes. Larger deviations are observed when the penalty term is an L^q norm with high enough q.

A phase I study of the combination of ro4929097 and cediranib in patients with advanced solid tumours (PJC-004/NCI 8503)

Background:

The Notch signalling pathway has been implicated in tumour initiation, progression, angiogenesis and development of resistance to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeting, providing a rationale for the combination of RO4929097, a γ-secretase inhibitor, and cediranib, a VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Methods:

Patients received escalating doses of RO4929097 (on a 3 days-on and 4 days-off schedule) in combination with cediranib (once daily). Cycle 1 was 42 days long with RO4929097 given alone for the first 3 weeks followed by the co-administration of both RO4929097 and cediranib starting from day 22. Cycle 2 and onwards were 21 days long. Soluble markers of angiogenesis were measured in plasma samples. Archival tumour specimens were assessed for expression of three different components of Notch signalling pathway and genotyping.

Results:

In total, 20 patients were treated in three dose levels (DLs). The recommended phase II dose was defined as 20 mg for RO4929097 on 3 days-on and 4 days-off schedule and 30 mg daily for cediranib. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were diarrhoea, hypertension, fatigue and nausea. Eleven patients had a best response of stable disease and one patient achieved partial response. We did not detect any correlation between tested biomarkers of angiogenesis or the Notch pathway and treatment effect. There was no correlation between mutational status and time to treatment failure.

Conclusion:

RO4929097 in combination with cediranib is generally well tolerated at the DLs tested. Preliminary evidence of antitumour efficacy with prolonged disease stabilisation in some patients with progressive malignancies warrants further clinical investigation of this treatment strategy.

Gravity Probe B: final results of a space experiment to test general relativity

Gravity Probe B, launched 20 April 2004, is a space experiment testing two fundamental predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity (GR), the geodetic and frame-dragging effects, by means of cryogenic gyroscopes in Earth orbit. Data collection started 28 August 2004 and ended 14 August 2005. Analysis of the data from all four gyroscopes results in a geodetic drift rate of -6601.8±18.3  mas/yr and a frame-dragging drift rate of -37.2±7.2  mas/yr, to be compared with the GR predictions of -6606.1  mas/yr and -39.2  mas/yr, respectively ("mas" is milliarcsecond; 1  mas=4.848×10(-9)  rad).