A dense ring of the trans-Neptunian object Quaoar outside its Roche limit

Planetary rings are observed not only around giant planets1, but also around small bodies such as the Centaur Chariklo2 and the dwarf planet Haumea3. Up to now, all known dense rings were located close enough to their parent bodies, being inside the Roche limit, where tidal forces prevent material with reasonable densities from aggregating into a satellite. Here we report observations of an inhomogeneous ring around the trans-Neptunian body (50000) Quaoar. This trans-Neptunian object has an estimated radius4 of 555 km and possesses a roughly 80-km satellite5 (Weywot) that orbits at 24 Quaoar radii6,7. The detected ring orbits at 7.4 radii from the central body, which is well outside Quaoar's classical Roche limit, thus indicating that this limit does not always determine where ring material can survive. Our local collisional simulations show that elastic collisions, based on laboratory experiments8, can maintain a ring far away from the body. Moreover, Quaoar's ring orbits close to the 1/3 spin-orbit resonance9 with Quaoar, a property shared by Chariklo's2,10,11 and Haumea's3 rings, suggesting that this resonance plays a key role in ring confinement for small bodies.

Mental Health of Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth

The number of UMY in Spain is increasing, since the early 1990s, mostly coming from the Maghreb, although the number of those coming from different sub-Saharan African countries has gradually increased. Most of them leave their countries fleeing poverty, violence, and in search of better opportunities. They may be influenced by traumatic experiences and social stressors that can lead to emotional distress and mental health problems. They have particular needs and characteristics, so the local Child Protection Systems need to adapt their procedures to facilitate the youngsters’ social Integration and psychosocial development. This presentation will describe an ongoing project being carried out in Catalonia, the main objective is to guarantee the right to mental health of UMY in the Protection System through culturally competent biopsychosocial care, and to effectively coordinate care between the public mental health network and the Child Protection System. Finally, through training and the acquisition of competencies, the aim is to avoid burnout in professionals who care for these youths on the front line. The approach is consistent with the cultural consultation models developed in Montreal and London with the goal of providing structural support for localized and culturally competent responses. This project, to be developed over two years, has four main subprojects: 1. On-line training for professionals in “Cultural competence in mental health and psychosocial intervention”. 2. Training of “peer” UMY as “Community Mental Health Agents”. 3. Creation and implementation of multidisciplinary groups of psychosocial intervention. 4. Culturally competent psychiatric and psychological assessment.

Peer Counseling in a Community Based Intervention for Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth

Abstract Body

Uaccompanied migrant youth represent an at-risk population given the complexity of negotiating adolescence in a new culture, isolated from family and friends, without a secure base and subject to discrimination. In addition, many unaccompanied migrant youth have been subject to considerable trauma prior to, during, and post migration. In Spain, as in many countries, the residential, care, and mental health services are not adapted to the specific and complex needs of this population, and to that end complex not only are the youth not well served but providers are increasingly frustrated. The figure of the community health agent has been widely recognized as one that can function as an effective bridge between systems/institutions and marginalized and vulnerable populations. In this presentation we will describe an ongoing project that trains unaccompanied migrant youth who show promise in their cultural adaptation in the areas of cultural competence, mental health care and substance abuse to function as community health agents (or peer counselors) consistent with models of cultural consultation.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Coronary perforations and its clinical impact during CTO recanalization: a 2054 patients pooled analysis from the Latin American (LATAM) CTO registry

Introduction

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO) are the most challenging procedures and still associated with the highest complications rates. Coronary perforation is a life-threatening acute PCI complication, but data are limited regarding its impact on mid-term outcome. We aimed to assess 30-days and 1-year outcomes in CTO PCI patients with coronary perforations.

Purpose

Analyze the clinical impact of Cto perforations during CTO PCI at short and mid-term in a muticenter continental registry in Latin America (LATAM).

Methods

We analyzed data from the continental multicenter Latin America CTO Registry including patients who underwent CTO PCI in 57 centers from 9 countries. Coronary perforation during the index procedure were categorized according to Ellis classification. We assessed 30-days adverse events and 1-year major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular (MACCE) defined as the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization and stroke. MI was defined according both the LATAM CTO protocol and SCAI definitions.

Results

From January 2015 to October 2018, 2054 patients underwent CTO PCI. The median J-CTO score was 2.0 (1.0–3.0) and the median Progress score was 1.0 (0.0–2.0). The overall perforation rate was 3.7% (n=76) in which 55% were Ellis class 1, 24% Ellis class 2 and 21% Ellis class 3. No differences were found in any baseline clinical characteristics. Patients with perforation had more frequently retrograde instrumentation (P<0.01) and antegrade knuckle wire (P<0.01) and lower success rate (P<0.01). At 30-days, perforations were associated with more heart failure (6.6% vs 1.5%, p<0.01), bleeding (15.2% vs 3.7%, p<0.01), transfusion (7.9% vs 1.1%, p<0.01) and cardiac tamponade (13.2% vs 0.4%, p<0.01). After 1-year follow-up, patients with perforations had higher MACCE rates according to both LATAM CTO protocol (18.2 vs. 9.4%; P=0.02) and SCAI definitions (22.7% vs. 11.3%; P<0.01).

Conclusions

In this multicenter continental real-world analysis, coronary perforation in CTO PCI was infrequent and was related with higher anatomical and procedural complexity characteristics. Despite the similarity in clinical characteristics, patients that had coronary perforation were exposed to an increased risk of both hemorrhagic and ischemic events.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

O-147 Differential seminal metabolomic signature is related to sperm quality

Study question

What is the entire metabolomic profile of human semen and does the metabolic composition differ between men with good-quality and low-quality semen?

Summary answer

Human semen contains ∼700 different metabolites, and the metabolomic signature differs between normozoospermic men and men with altered seminal parameters. 

What is known already

Semen contains a wide diversity of metabolites as has been identified in single and targeted metabolite studies. The full composition of metabolites in human semen, however, is not known. The knowledge of the complete metabolic signature in semen and whether there are differences between metabolic composition and seminal quality could enhance our knowledge of possible factors involved in reduced sperm quality and male infertility.

Study design, size, duration

Case-control study, where a total of 100 men (age= 29.73±8.9 years) from March 2019 to March 2020 participated. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Investigación Biomédica de Andalucia.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Semen samples from 69 normozoospermic and 31 oligozoospermic men were collected at the University Hospital and sperm biobank (Ceifer Biobank - NextClinics). The complete metabolome from unprocessed seminal samples was analysed by Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS). Raw data were extracted, peak-identified and quality control processed using Metabolon’s hardware and software (metabolon.com). Multiple regression models controlling for age and sample collection centres were applied using R software. 

Main results and the role of chance

In total, 695 different metabolites were detected in the seminal samples, where docosahexaenoate (DHA; 22:6n3, PubChem ID 445580), choline phosphate (1014), dihomo-linolenate (20:3n3 or n6, 5280581), docosapentaenoate (n6 DPA; 22:5n6, 6441454), adenosine 3’,5’-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP, 6076) and N-acetylalliin (122164824) metabolites were the most prevalent. The seminal metabolomic profiles differed significantly between men with normal and low sperm parameters. The most abundant metabolites in normozoospermic men belonged to Lipid Super-Pathway, while Nucleotide Super-Pathway was predominant in semen samples with low quality (p < 0.05). More specifically, the leading Sub-Pathway in normozoospermic men was Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (n3 and n6), whereas Purine and Pyrimidine Metabolism Sub-Pathway prevailed in low-quality semen samples, where DHA and cAMP dominated in men with normal and low seminal quality parameters, respectively (p < 0.05 in all comparisons). 

Limitations, reasons for caution

This is the first study presenting the entire metabolome signature of unprocessed human semen, and these preliminary results need to be confirmed in a bigger sample size.

Wider implications of the findings

Semen analyses applied in clinics do not evaluate the functional status of sperm, leaving the infertility causes due to male factor frequently unknown. Our study results could help to understand the molecular background of reduced seminal quality and male infertility and lead to identification of molecular biomarkers of functional sperm.

Trial registration number

not applicable

Coumarin-Chalcone Hybrids as Inhibitors of MAO-B: Biological Activity and In Silico Studies

Fourteen coumarin-derived compounds modified at the C3 carbon of coumarin with an α,β-unsaturated ketone were synthesized. These compounds may be designated as chalcocoumarins (3-cinnamoyl-2H-chromen-2-ones). Both chalcones and coumarins are recognized scaffolds in medicinal chemistry, showing diverse biological and pharmacological properties among which neuroprotective activities and multiple enzyme inhibition, including mitochondrial enzyme systems, stand out. The evaluation of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors has aroused considerable interest as therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. Of the fourteen chalcocumarins evaluated here against MAO-B, ChC4 showed the strongest activity in vitro, with IC₅₀ = 0.76 ± 0.08 µM. Computational docking, molecular dynamics and MM/GBSA studies, confirm that ChC4 binds very stably to the active rMAO-B site, explaining the experimental inhibition data.

A multiplanet system of super-Earths orbiting the brightest red dwarf star GJ 887

The closet exoplanets to the Sun provide opportunities for detailed characterization of planets outside the Solar System. We report the discovery, using radial velocity measurements, of a compact multiplanet system of super-Earth exoplanets orbiting the nearby red dwarf star GJ 887. The two planets have orbital periods of 9.3 and 21.8 days. Assuming an Earth-like albedo, the equilibrium temperature of the 21.8-day planet is ~350 kelvin. The planets are interior to, but close to the inner edge of, the liquid-water habitable zone. We also detect an unconfirmed signal with a period of ~50 days, which could correspond to a third super-Earth in a more temperate orbit. Our observations show that GJ 887 has photometric variability below 500 parts per million, which is unusually quiet for a red dwarf.

Live endothelial cells on plasma-nitrided and oxidized titanium: An approach for evaluating biocompatibility

We evaluated the effects of titanium plasma nitriding and oxidation on live endothelial cell viscoelasticity. For this, mechanically polished titanium surfaces and two surfaces treated by planar cathode discharge in nitriding (36N₂ and 24H₂) and oxidant (36O₂ and 24H₂). Surfaces were characterized regarding wettability, roughness and chemical composition. Rabbit aortic endothelial cells (RAECs) were cultured on the titanium surfaces. Cell morphology, viability and viscoelasticity were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction confirmed the presence of TiN_0,26 on the surface (grazing angle theta 1°) of the nitrided samples, decreasing with depth. On the oxidized surface had the formation of TiO₃ on the material surface (Theta 1°) and in the deeper layers was noted, with a marked presence of Ti (Theta 3°). Both plasma treatments increased surface roughness and they are hydrophilic (angle <90°). However, oxidation led to a more hydrophilic titanium surface (66.59° ± 3.65 vs. 76.88° ± 2.68; p = 0.001) due to titanium oxide films in their stoichiometric varieties (Ti₃O, TiO₂, Ti₆O), especially Ti₃O. Despite focal adhesion on the surfaces, viability was different after 24 h, as cell viability on the oxidized surface was higher than on the nitrided surface (9.1 × 10³ vs. 4.5 × 10³cells; p < 0.05). This can be explained by analyzing the viscoelastic property of the cellular cytoskeleton (nuclear and peripheral) by AFM. Surface oxidation significantly increased RAECs viscoelasticity at cell periphery, in comparison to the nucleus (2.36 ± 0.3 vs. 1.5 ± 0.4; p < 0.05), and to the RAECs periphery in contact with nitrided surfaces (1.36 ± 0.7; p < 0.05) and polished surfaces (1.55 ± 0.6; p < 0.05). Taken together, our results have shown that titanium plasma treatment directly increased cell viscoelasticity via surface oxidation, and this mechanobiological property subsequently increased biocompatibility.

Long-term results of hip arthroplasty in patients on dialysis for chronic renal failure. Mortality and implant survival in the National Registry of Uruguay since 2000

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the incidence of mortality, revision and functional assessment after hip arthroplasty in dialysis patients in Uruguay.

METHODS

An observational analytical study of a historical cohort of hip arthroplasties was performed on patients with chronic kidney disease treated with haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis between 1/1/2000-31/12/2013; survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method. Functional and radiological evaluation of the live patients was also carried out. One hundred and forty-one hip arthroplasties, 42 for osteoarthritis (29.8%) and 99 for fractures (70.2%), age 72.3 (SD: 12.1) years (18.9-93.1), 72 women (51.1%) and 69 men (48.9%), 75 left arthroplasties (53.2%) and 66 right (46.8%). The anterolateral approach (115, 81.6%) predominated over the posterolateral approach (26, 18.4%).

RESULTS

Mortality at 30, 180 days, 1 and 5 years of patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis was 2.4, 7.1, 9.5 and 47.6%, respectively, and of patients with fracture it was 7.1, 18.2, 29.3 and 82.6%. Five prosthetic revisions were performed, 3 due to recurrent dislocation, one due to aseptic loosening, and one resection arthroplasty due to infection. Twelve patients were alive at the last control, the average score according to the scale of Merle D'Aubigne-Postel was 6.4 preoperatively, and 11 at the end of the follow-up. The average Barthel index at follow-up was 72.8.

DISCUSSION

The mortality in the medium and long term of these patients was very high, much higher than that observed in patients undergoing the same procedure not on dialysis. The review is exceptional, and the functional evaluation of the few living patients shows poor clinical-radiological results.

The size, shape, density and ring of the dwarf planet Haumea from a stellar occultation

Haumea-one of the four known trans-Neptunian dwarf planets-is a very elongated and rapidly rotating body. In contrast to other dwarf planets, its size, shape, albedo and density are not well constrained. The Centaur Chariklo was the first body other than a giant planet known to have a ring system, and the Centaur Chiron was later found to possess something similar to Chariklo's rings. Here we report observations from multiple Earth-based observatories of Haumea passing in front of a distant star (a multi-chord stellar occultation). Secondary events observed around the main body of Haumea are consistent with the presence of a ring with an opacity of 0.5, width of 70 kilometres and radius of about 2,287 kilometres. The ring is coplanar with both Haumea's equator and the orbit of its satellite Hi'iaka. The radius of the ring places it close to the 3:1 mean-motion resonance with Haumea's spin period-that is, Haumea rotates three times on its axis in the time that a ring particle completes one revolution. The occultation by the main body provides an instantaneous elliptical projected shape with axes of about 1,704 kilometres and 1,138 kilometres. Combined with rotational light curves, the occultation constrains the three-dimensional orientation of Haumea and its triaxial shape, which is inconsistent with a homogeneous body in hydrostatic equilibrium. Haumea's largest axis is at least 2,322 kilometres, larger than previously thought, implying an upper limit for its density of 1,885 kilograms per cubic metre and a geometric albedo of 0.51, both smaller than previous estimates. In addition, this estimate of the density of Haumea is closer to that of Pluto than are previous estimates, in line with expectations. No global nitrogen- or methane-dominated atmosphere was detected.

Tamoxifen induces apoptotic neutrophil efferocytosis in horses

Macrophages and neutrophils are important cellular components in the process of acute inflammation and its subsequent resolution, and evidence increasingly suggests that they play important functions during the resolution of chronic, adaptive inflammatory processes. Exacerbated neutrophil activity can be harmful to surrounding tissues; this is important in a range of diseases, including allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in humans, and equine asthma (also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Tamoxifen (TX) is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor modulator with effects on cell growth and survival. Previous studies showed that TX treatment in horses with induced acute pulmonary inflammation promoted early apoptosis of blood and BALF neutrophils, reduction of BALF neutrophils, and improvement in animals' clinical status. The aim of this study was to describe if TX induces in vitro efferocytosis of neutrophils by alveolar macrophages. Efferocytosis assay, myeloperoxidase (MPO) detection and translocation phosphatidylserine (PS) were performed on neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood samples from five healthy horses. In in vitro samples from heathy horses, TX treatment increases the phenomenon of efferocytosis of peripheral neutrophils by alveolar macrophages. Similar increases in supernatant MPO concentration and PS translocation were observed in TX-treated neutrophils, compared to control cells. In conclusion, these results confirm that tamoxifen has a direct effect on equine peripheral blood neutrophils, through stimulation of the engulfment of apoptotic neutrophils by alveolar macrophages.

Enhancement of struvite pellets crystallization in a full-scale plant using an industrial grade magnesium product

A full-scale struvite crystallization system was operated for the treatment of the centrate obtained from the sludge anaerobic digester in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Additionally, the feasibility of an industrial grade Mg(OH)₂ as a cheap magnesium and alkali source was also investigated. The struvite crystallization plant was operated for two different periods: period I, in which an influent with low phosphate concentration (34.0 mg P·L^-1) was fed to the crystallization plant; and period II, in which an influent with higher phosphate concentration (68.0 mg P·L^-1) was used. A high efficiency of phosphorus recovery by struvite crystallization was obtained, even when the effluent treated had a high level of alkalinity. Phosphorus recovery percentage was around 77%, with a phosphate concentration in the effluent between 10.0 and 30.0 mg P·L^-1. The experiments gained struvite pellets of 0.5-5.0 mm size. Moreover, the consumption of Mg(OH)₂ was estimated at 1.5 mol Mg added·mol P recovered^-1. Thus, industrial grade Mg(OH)₂ can be an economical alternative as magnesium and alkali sources for struvite crystallization at industrial scale.

In Vitro effects of tamoxifen on equine neutrophils

Neutrophils participate in innate immunity as the first line of host defense against microorganisms. However, exacerbated neutrophil activity can be harmful to surrounding tissues; this is important in a range of diseases, including allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in humans, and equine asthma (also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Tamoxifen (TX) is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor modulator with effects on cell growth and survival. Previous preliminary studies showed that TX treatment in horses with induced acute pulmonary inflammation promoted early apoptosis of blood and BALF neutrophils, reduction of BALF neutrophils, and improvement in animals' clinical status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of TX on functional tests in equine peripheral blood neutrophils. Chemotaxis, respiratory burst production and phagocytosis assays were performed on neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood samples from 10 healthy horses. Results showed that IL-8 stimulated cells decrease their chemotactic index when treated with TX (1 and 10μM). Respiratory burst production was also dampened after treatment with TX. In conclusion, these results confirm that tamoxifen has a direct action on equine peripheral blood neutrophils. However, more in vivo and in vitro studies are required to fully understand the mechanisms of action of TX on neutrophils, in order to elucidate if it can be used as treatment in disorders such as allergic asthma in humans and horses.

Influence of dissolved oxygen concentration on the start-up of the anammox-based process: ELAN®

The anammox-based process ELAN® was started-up in two different sequencing batch reactor (SBR) pilot plant reactors treating municipal anaerobic digester supernatant. The main difference in the operation of both reactors was the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the bulk liquid. SBR-1 was started at a DO value of 0.4 mg O2/L whereas SBR-2 was started at DO values of 3.0 mg O2/L. Despite both reactors working at a nitrogen removal rate of around 0.6 g N/(L d), in SBR-1, granules represented only a small fraction of the total biomass and reached a diameter of 1.1 mm after 7 months of operation, while in SBR-2 the biomass was mainly composed of granules with an average diameter of 3.2 mm after the same operational period. Oxygen microelectrode profiling revealed that granules from SBR-2 where only fully penetrated by oxygen with DO concentrations of 8 mg O2/L while granules from SBR-1 were already oxygen penetrated at DO concentrations of 1 mg O2/L. In this way granules from SBR-2 performed better due to the thick layer of ammonia oxidizing bacteria, which accounted for up to 20% of all the microbial populations, which protected the anammox bacteria from non-suitable liquid media conditions.

Implications of full-scale implementation of an anammox-based process as post-treatment of a municipal anaerobic sludge digester operated with co-digestion

The feasibility of treating the supernatant of a municipal sludge digester supplemented with co-substrates by means of an anammox-based process (ELAN(®)) was tested in Guillarei (NW of Spain). Ammonia concentration measured in the supernatant of the sludge digester varied in the range 800-1,500 g N/m(3) due to the fact that the sludge produced in the plant was co-digested with wastes coming from surrounding food industries. Treating this supernatant in the ELAN(®) reactor, nitrogen removal rates up to 1.1 kg N/(m(3) d) were reached in experiments run in a pilot plant reactor operated in batch mode. No nitrite oxidation was registered after several months of operation despite the average dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations being 1.5 g O2/m(3) and the temperature reaching values as low as 18 °C. By keeping the DO set point at 1-2 g O2/m(3) and tuning the hydraulic retention time, the stability of the process was guaranteed and the presence of co-substrates in the anaerobic digester did not affect negatively the operation of the autotrophic nitrogen removal process. Due to the success of the pilot plant experiment, an upscale of the process to full scale is proposed. Mass balances applied to Guillarei wastewater treatment plant revealed that in the main stream line the average denitrification rate calculated with the data of year 2011 was 226 kg N/d. Since the nitrogen removal efficiency is limited by the amount of readily biodegradable organic matter available to carry out denitrification in the water line, the implementation of an anammox-based process to treat the supernatant seems the best option to improve the effluent quality in terms of nitrogen content. The nitrogen removal rate in the sludge line would be 30 times higher than the one in the water line. The implementation of the process would improve the energetic balance and the nitrogen removal performance of the plant.

Apoptotic effects of tamoxifen on leukocytes from horse peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid

A reduction in inflammatory cell apoptosis is an important concept in the maintenance of inflammation and a potential target for the resolution of inflammation in many inflammatory diseases. Dysregulation of apoptosis has been implicated in a range of diseases, including tumors, neurodegenerative disorders and autoimmunity, and may also be implicated in allergic asthma. In horses, recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is an asthma-like condition that is characterized increased survival neutrophil bronchial. Tamoxifen is a synthetic, non-steroidal, anti-estrogen agent that is widely used for treating all stages of breast cancer and has been approved for the prevention of breast cancer in high-risk women. The observed efficacy of tamoxifen has been attributed to both growth arrest and the induction of apoptosis. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the ability of tamoxifen to induce apoptosis in vitro in granulocytic cells from peripheral blood and in mononuclear cells from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in horses. Flow cytometry using commercial AnnexinV-FITC and propidium iodide was used to quantify early and late apoptotic leukocytes, respectively. The results showed a significant increase in early apoptosis in peripheral blood and bronchial granulocytic cells treated with tamoxifen. The rate of early apoptosis of mononuclear cells from blood and BALF when incubated with tamoxifen was significantly lower compared with granulocytic cells. We did not observe a direct effect of tamoxifen on late apoptosis in any of the in vitro assays in the cell types used here. These results indicate that the apoptotic mechanisms under these experimental conditions would affect only blood and BALF granulocytic cells, particularly in early apoptosis. Finally, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to better understand apoptotic mechanisms because tamoxifen could be used to treat chronic, inflammatory pathologies associated with granulocytes and allergic diseases, such as asthma or equine RAO.

Effects of the cycle distribution on the performance of SBRs with aerobic granular biomass

The aerobic granular systems are mainly sequencing batch reactors where the biomass is submitted to feast-famine regimes to promote its aggregation in the form of granules. In these systems, different cycle distributions can be applied for the simultaneous removal of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. In this work two strategies were followed in order to evaluate the effects of the cycle distribution. In the first experiment, the length of the operational cycle was decreased in order to maximize the treatment capacity and consequently the famine/feast ratio was also decreased. In the second experiment, an initial anoxic phase was implemented to improve nitrogen removal efficiency. The results obtained showed that to reduce the famine/feast ratio from 10 to 5 was possible by increasing the treated organic and nitrogen loading rates in the system to 33%, without affecting the removal efficiencies of organic matter (97%) and nitrogen (64%) and producing a slight detriment of the granules characteristics. On the other hand, the implementation of an anoxic phase of 30 min previous to the aerobic one with a pulse-fed mode increased the nitrogen removal of pig manure from 20 to 60%, while the cycle configuration comprising a continuous feeding simultaneous with an anoxic phase of 60 min did not enhance the nitrogen removal and even worsen the ammonia oxidation.

Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Terazosin Effect on Blood Pressure and Urinary Output of Dopamine in Hypertensive Patients

In a parallel, double-blind study, 12 untreated hypertensive patients received terazosin (2-4 mg/day for 4 weeks), and 12 received placebo during the same period. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the terazosin group, from 150 +/- 5.0 mmHg systolic and 99.6 +/- 2.0 diastolic before treatment, to 134.0 +/- 7.0 systolic and 85.6 +/- 3.0 mmHg diastolic at week 4 of treatment. No significant blood pressure changes occurred in the placebo group. Blood pressure decrease showed a positive correlation (r = .62 and r = .52 for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively) with the patient's age (P less than .05). Total plasma cholesterol decreased 18% in the terazosin group (P less than .05) and 9% in the placebo group (P greater than .05). Urinary dopamine excretion decreased significantly from 692.8 +/- 180.0 to 330.5 +/- 52.0 micrograms/24 hours in the terazosin group (P less than .05) and showed a nonsignificant increase in the placebo group. Compared with 22 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers, urinary dopamine excretion in the hypertensive group before treatment was not statistically different (779.3 +/- 83.1 micrograms/24 hours). Dopamine excretion was higher in untreated hypertensive men and in male healthy volunteers compared with women. The decrease of urinary dopamine excretion observed under terazosin treatment could be due to a decrease of kidney dopamine synthesis or release induced by blood pressure reduction, or secondarily to the blockade of kidney alpha 1-receptors, modulating dopamine excretion. No significant changes were observed in urinary excretion of noradrenaline and adrenaline.

Thermal pre-treatment of aerobic granular sludge: impact on anaerobic biodegradability

The aerobic granular systems are a good alternative to the conventional activated sludge (AS) ones to reduce the production of sludge generated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Although the quantity of produced sludge is low its post-treatment is still necessary. In the present work the application of the anaerobic digestion combined with a thermal pre-treatment was studied to treat two different aerobic granular biomasses: one from a reactor fed with pig manure (G1) and another from a reactor fed with a synthetic medium to simulate an urban wastewater (G2). The results obtained with the untreated aerobic granular biomasses showed that their anaerobic biodegradability (BD) (33% for G1 and 49% for G2) was similar to that obtained for an activated sludge (30-50%) and demonstrate the feasibility of their anaerobic digestion. The thermal pre-treatment before the anaerobic digestion was proposed as a good option to enhance the BD when this was initially low (33% G1) with an enhancement between 20% at 60 °C and 88% at 170 °C with respect to the untreated sludge. However when the initial BD was higher (49% G2) the thermal pre-treatment produced a slight improvement in the methane production (14% and 18%) and at high temperatures (190 and 210 °C) which did not justify the application of such a treatment.

Eligibility of the patients admitted to psychiatric inpatient units for participation in catie clinical trial

Introduction

Clinical trials (CT) are the main scientific support of the recommendations of pharmacological treatment of patients with schizophrenia. However, CT tend to strengthen the internal validity at the expense of external validity and the ability to generalize the results to the clinical population. For this reason, in recent years have developed large practical clinical trials that expand the inclusion criteria to incorporate as many real patients as possible. The first and most significant of these trials was the CATIE study (Lieberman et al, 2005).

Objectives

To analyze eligibility for participation in CATIE of patients admitted during 2009 in a psychiatric inpatient unit with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Methods

A total of 145 patients (27.6% females, mean age 39.6+/−12.8 years), consecutively admitted to an inpatient psychiatric ward with a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia were assessed to test if they would fulfill criteria for participation in CATIE.

Results

60 (41.4%) patients did not fulfill CATIE inclusion criteria. Mental retardation (n = 22, p < 0.001), absence of informed consent (n = 15, p < 0.001) and refusal to take oral medication (n = 12, p < 0.001) were the main factors responsible for not meeting inclusion criteria.

Meeting the criteria was not significantly related to gender or specific diagnosis.

Conclusions

41.4% of patients admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit with a diagnosis of schizophrenia did not meet criteria for participation in the CATIE study.

Differences in antipsychotic combination (monotherapy versus polytherapy) between patients with schizophrenia and patients with other psychoses

Introduction

Antipsychotic therapy is the cornerstone of the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychoses. Although clinical guidelines tend to recommend the use of antipsychotics in monotherapy, combination of two or more antipsychotics (that is, polytherapy) is a common habit in clinical practice.

Objectives

To assess differences in antipsychotic combination profile between patients with schizophrenia and patients with other psychoses.

Methods

A total of 241 patients (40.2% females, mean age 39.7+/−13.0 years) consecutively admitted during 2009 to a psychiatric inpatient ward with diagnosis of schizophrenia and other psychoses were assessed.

Results

145 (60.2%) patients were diagnosed with schizophrenia while 96 patients (39.8%) were diagnosed with other psychoses (schizoaffective disorder n = 35, delusional disorder n = 8, schizophreniform disorder n = 8, brief psychotic disorder n = 13, psychotic disorder not otherwise specified n = 27, and other psychoses n = 5). Out of the total sample, polytherapy was used in 150 (62.2%) patients. A total of 100 (69.0%) patients with schizophrenia were on polytherapy, compared to 52.1% of those with other psychoses (p = 0.008). After controlling for age and gender, the association between a diagnosis of schizophrenia and being in polytherapy remained significant (p = 0.046).

Conclusions

Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia are more prone to be in polytherapy than those with other psychoses.

Autotrophic nitrogen removal at low temperature

In this work the autotrophic nitrogen removal was carried out at moderately low temperatures using two configurations: a) two-units one comprising a SHARON reactor coupled to an Anammox SBR and b) single-unit one consisting of a granular SBR performing the CANON process. At 20°C the two-units system was limited by the Anammox step and its nitrogen removal capacity was around ten times lower than the CANON system (0.08 g N/(L d) versus 1 g N/(L d)). When the CANON system was operated at 15°C the average removed nitrogen loading rate decreased to 0.2 g N/(L d). The CANON system was operated in order to limit the ammonia oxidation rate to avoid nitrite inhibition of Anammox bacteria. Since both, temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration regulate ammonia oxidizing bacteria activity, once the temperature of the reactor is decreased the DO concentration must be decreased to avoid the deeper oxygen penetration inside the granule which could cause inhibition of Anammox bacteria by oxygen and/or nitrite.

Maxillary lymphosarcoma in a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

In 1996, lymphosarcoma was observed in a captive adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from northeastern Kansas (USA). A subcutaneous mass on the deer's left cheek was surgically removed and lymphosarcoma was diagnosed. The mass recurred within 3 wk. A second surgical removal was attempted but the tumor had grown much larger, had become intimately involved with the buccal mucosa, and was beginning to interfere with mastication. For these reasons, the deer was euthanized. At postmortem examination the only abnormal findings were the primary tumor and enlarged ipsilateral parotid and mandibular lymph nodes. Histologically these tissues demonstrated changes characteristic of lymphosarcoma but no other organs had evidence of neoplastic disease. A diagnosis of focal lymphosarcoma with local metastasis was made. The organ distribution of lymphosarcoma in this deer differs from previously described cases of lymphosarcoma in cervids.

N-(o-tolyl)-2-bromo-4,5-dimethoxybenzamide

The molecular structure of the title compound, C16H16BrNO3, consists of 2-bromo-4,5-dimethoxy-benzene and o-methylphenyl rings linked by an amide group. The two methoxy groups are almost coplanar with the phenyl ring.

The interface between an alternating CG motif and a random sequence motif displays altered nuclease activity

Previously we described the B-Z junctions produced in oligomers containing (5meCG)4 segments in the presence of 5.0 M NaCl or 50 uM Co(NH3)6+3 [Sheardy, R.D. & Winkle, S.A., Biochemistry 28, 720-725 (1989); Winkle, S.A., Aloyo, M.C., Morales, N., Zambrano, T.Y. & Sheardy, R.D., Biochemistry 30, 10601-10606 (1991)]. The circular dichroism spectra of an analogous unmethylated oligomer containing (CG)4, termed BZ-IV, in 5.0 M NaCl and in 50 uM Co(NH3)+3 suggest, however, that this oligomer does not form a B-Z hybrid. BZ-IV possesses Hha I sites (CGCG) in the (CG)4 segment and an Mbo I site (GATC) at the terminus of the (CG)4 segment. BZ-IV is equally digestible in the presence and absence of cobalt hexamine by Hha I, further indicating that the structure of BZ-IV is fully B-like under these conditions. The Mbo I cleavage site at the juncture between the (CG)4 segment and the adjacent random segment displays enhanced cleavage by both Mbo I and its isoschizomer Sau3AI in the presence of cobalt hexamine. In addition, exonuclease III digestion of BZ-IV is inhibited at this juncture. Actinomycin inhibits Mbo I activity in the presence of cobalt hexamine but not in the absence. Together, these results suggest that enzymes recognize the interfaces of (CG)n and adjacent random sequences as altered substrates even in the absence of a B-Z junction formation.

Enhanced reactivity of a B-Z junction for cleavage by the restriction enzyme MboI

We have been investigating the structure, dynamics, and ligand-binding properties of the interface that exists between a right-handed conformation and a left-handed conformation (i.e., a B-Z junction) in synthetic DNA oligomers. Since exo- and endonuclease activity is known to be sensitive to the conformation of the template DNA, we have designed and synthesized a DNA oligonucleotide of 20 base pairs (designated as BZ-III) with an MboI recognition site (GATC) at the location of a potential B-Z junction. The activity of the MboI enzyme toward this molecule and DNA oligomers that contain multiple MboI sites located at B-Z junctions was monitored in the absence and presence of the Z-conformation-inducing reagent cobalt hexaammine. In all cases, the activity of the enzyme was enhanced in the presence of cobalt hexaammine. The activity of MboI toward BZ-III, in the presence and absence of cobalt hexaammine, was also examined when the DNA oligomer is also in the presence of the DNA binding drugs actinomycin D, ametantrone, or ethidium bromide. In all cases, the activity of the enzyme was inhibited in the presence of drug. The results suggest that B-Z junctions are structurally unique and that this uniqueness may alter nuclease activity at sites in or near the junction.

[The grandparents' club. The results of a working period]

A comparative study was made on the members of the Grandparents' Club from La Salud locality, Quivicán municipality, in order to assess a host of physical and psychic parameters. The results were positive in relation to smoking, obesity and sedentariness, on the basis of preventive programs put into practice since the implementation of the family doctor plan and the grandparents' clubs. There was evidence of improvement in blood pressure requirements, presence of arthralgia, dyspnea due to efforts, normal walking and a lower mean record in the physical fitness tests. At the end of the period under study, the number of drugs taken by the elderly was lower and, from a psychic point of view the elderly people were more capable, more helpful and in general "better".

Surgical management of multiple lung metastases of different origin

A case of synchronous carcinoma of the colon and the kidney with solitary metastatic nodules to each lung from each cancer is presented. The time interval between the original surgery and the first metastasis was 3 months and between the first and second metastases, 7 months. The patient underwent wedge resection of both metastases. Eight years after surgery he remains free of tumor.