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One of the main challenges of tissue engineering in dentistry is to replace bone and dental tissues with strategies or techniques that simulate physiological tissue repair conditions. This systematic review of in vitro studies aimed to evaluate the influence of the addition of nanohydroxyapatite (NHap) to scaffolds on cell proliferation and osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. In vitro studies on human stem cells that proliferated and differentiated into odontogenic and osteogenic cells in scaffolds containing NHap were included in this study. Searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, OpenGrey, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were performed. The total of 333 articles was found across all databases. After reading and analyzing titles and abstracts, 8 articles were selected for full reading and extraction of qualitative data. Results showed that despite the large variability in scaffold composition, NHap-containing scaffolds promoted high rates of cell proliferation, increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity during short culture periods, and induced differentiation, as evidenced by the high expression of genes involved in osteogenesis and odontogenesis. However, further studies with greater standardization regarding NHap concentration, type of scaffolds, and evaluation period are needed to observe possible interference of these criteria in the action of NHap on the proliferation and differentiation of human stem cells.

Purpose: Diagnostic reference levels (DRL) and achievable doses (AD) are important tools for radiation dose optimization. Therefore, a prospective study was performed which aimed to establish a multi-parametric, clinical indication based - DRL(DRL CI ) and clinical indication - AD (AD CI ) for adult CT in Brazil., Methods: The prospective study included 4787 patients (50 ± 18 years old; male:female 2041:2746) at 13 Brazilian sites that have been submitted to head, paranasal sinus, cervical spine, chest, or abdomen-pelvis CT between January and October 2021 for 13 clinical indications. The sites provided the following information: patient age, gender, weight, height, body mass index[BMI], clinical indications, scanner information(vendor, model, detector configuration), scan parameters (number of scan phases, kV, mA, pitch) and dose-related quantities (CT dose index volume- CTDI vol , dose length product- DLP). Median(AD) and 75th(DRL) percentile CTDI vol and DLP values were estimated for each body region and clinical indications. Non-normal data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis test., Results: In majority of Brazilian sites, body region and clinical indications based DRLs were at or lower than the corresponding DRLs in the US and higher than Europe. Although radiation doses varied significantly for patients in different body mass index groups (p < 0.001), within each body region, there were no differences in radiation doses for different clinical indications (p > 0.1). Radiation doses for 7/13 clinical indications were higher using iterative reconstruction technique than for the filtered back projection., Conclusions: There was substantial variation in Brazil DRL CI across different institutions with higher doses compared to the European standards. There was also a lack of clinical indication-based protocol and dose optimization based on different clinical indications for the same body region., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

It is well known that superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) materials is hindered by large fluctuations of the order parameter. They reduce the critical temperature and can even destroy the superconductivity altogether. Here it is demonstrated that the situation changes dramatically when a Q1D pair condensate is coupled to a higher-dimensional stable one, as in recently discovered multiband Q1D superconductors. The fluctuations are suppressed even by vanishingly small pair-exchange coupling between different band condensates and the superconductor is well described by the mean field theory. In this case the low dimensionality effects enhance the coherence of the system instead of suppressing it. As a result, the critical temperature of the multiband Q1D superconductor can increase by orders of magnitude when the system is tuned to the Lifshitz transition with the Fermi level close to the edge of the Q1D band.

The history of medicine abounds in cases of mysterious deaths, especially by infectious diseases, which were probably unresolved because of the lack of knowledge and of appropriate technology. The aim of this study was to exploit contemporary technologies to try to identify the cause of death of a young boy who died from a putative "infection" at the end of the 18th century, and for whom an extraordinarily well-preserved minute bone fragment was available. After confirming the nature of the sample, we used laser microdissection to select the most "informative" area to be examined. Tissue genotyping indicated male gender, thereby confirming the notary's report. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing showed that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were more abundant than Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes , and that Pseudomonas was the most abundant bacterial genus in the Pseudomonadaceae family. These data suggest that the patient most likely died from Pseudomonas osteomyelitis. This case is an example of how new technological approaches, like laser microdissection and next-generation sequencing, can resolve ancient cases of uncertain etiopathology. Lastly, medical samples may contain a wealth of information that may not be accessible until more sophisticated technology becomes available. Therefore, one may envisage the possibility of systematically storing medical samples for evaluation by future generations., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background: Silicone gel-filled implants as opposed to saline-filled breast implants are the most commonly used breast implants in Europe, and this has recently also become the case in the United States. Modern implants have a multiple layer silicone shell and high to very high levels of cohesive silicone gel inside. Although breast magnetic resonance imaging is at present considered the gold standard imaging method for breast implant rupture detection, breast ultrasound (US) imaging is still the first-step investigation in Europe. The aim of this study was to verify whether or not the stepladder sign at US is still associated to intracapsular rupture among the last generation silicone breast implant., Materials and Methods: In this study, 156 patients presenting for breast augmentation, mastopexy with implants and breast reconstruction for a total number of 303 breast implants inserted were enrolled. A preoperative breast ultrasonography was performed, and patients underwent a routine US scan every 6 months for 24 months to evaluate the implant status. A final US evaluation 6 years after implantation was also performed., Results: Stepladder signs were seen at 6 years in 170 implants (56%) of the examined implants at US scan, and only 2 implants showed signs of possible rupture because of severe distortion of the implant profile with or without external silicone collection. A third ruptured implant was detected at magnetic resonance imaging by the presence of breach of the shell at the posterior surface of the implant with small external silicon collection and was eventually confirmed at surgery. Therefore, the overall rupture rate found at the United States at 6 years was about 1% (3 of 303 implants). According to our findings, the stepladder sign at the United States is no longer associated to intracapsular rupture., Conclusions: Plastic surgeons, patients, and financial departments of hospitals would also be delighted to know that surgeons should not take patients back to theater for implant explantation when aging signs are not associated with a visible breach of the implant shell or external silicone collections.

The present article reports the preparation, characterization and performance evaluation of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) based on polyoxyethylene-40 stearate (PEG-40 stearate) for the administration of antifungal agents such as ketoconazole and clotrimazole. These nanoparticles could be useful in the treatment of vaginal infections sustained by Candida albicans. In particular, PEG-40 stearate was made to react with acryloyl chloride in order to introduce an easily polymerizable moiety for the creation of a second shell and to ensure a slow drug release. In addition, the differences on the release profiles between PEG-40 stearate-based nanoparticles, PEG-40 stearate acrylate based and polymerized ones, were analyzed under conditions, simulating the typical environment of Candida albicans infection. Then, the antifungal activity of nanoparticles was also evaluated in terms of minimal inhibitory concentration. Moreover, the nanoparticles were submitted to in vitro studies for evaluating the drug permeability at the site of action. Results indicated that the obtained particles are potentially useful for the treatment of vaginal infections sustained by Candida albicans.

It has been well-characterized that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) physiologically regulates systemic arterial pressure. However, RAS signaling has also been shown to increase cell proliferation during malignancy, and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are able to decrease pro-survival signaling by inhibiting anti-apoptotic molecules and suppressing caspase activity. In this study, the apoptotic effects of telmisartan, a type of ARB, was evaluated using a non-cancerous human renal cell line (HEK) and a human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell line (786). Both types of cells were treated with telmisartan for 4 h, 24 h, and 48 h, and then were assayed for levels of apoptosis, caspase-3, and Bcl-2 using MTT assays, flow cytometry, and immunostaining studies. Analysis of variance was used to identify significant differences between these data (P < 0.05). Following the treatment of 786 cells with 100 µM and 200 µM telmisartan, a marked inhibition of cell proliferation was observed. 50 µM cisplatin also caused high inhibition of these cells. Moreover, these inhibitions were both concentration- and time-dependent (P < 0.05). Various apoptotic effects were also observed compared with control cells at the 24 h and 48 h timepoints assayed (P < 0.001). Furthermore, positive caspase-3 staining and down-regulation of Bcl-2 were detected, consistent with induction of cell death. In contrast, treatment of HEK cells with telmisartan did not produce an apoptotic effect compared with control cells at the 24 h timepoint (P > 0.05). Treatment with cisplatin promoted in HEK cells high index of apoptosis (P < 0.001). Taken together, these results suggest that telmisartan induces apoptosis via down-regulation of Bcl-2 and involvement of caspase-3 in human RCC cells., (© 2014 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.)

This study aims to determine concentrations and characterize trace metals distribution in an affluent of Furnas reservoir, Alfenas-MG. Water and sediment samples were taken monthly, 2010/10-2011/07 in five sites of Córrego do Pântano for subsequent determination of Pb, Cd and Zn levels by chemical analysis. The stream studied is in disagreement with Brazilian legislation for Class II water bodies (CONAMA 357). The highlights are the unsuitable concentrations of Pb for human consumption, according to Ministry of Health 2914 decree, providing risk for population.

This study aimed to characterise canine flow cytometry semen analysis, as well as seminal reactive oxygen species dosage using the Golden Retriever breed as model of study. Moreover, we searched for the influence of muscular dystrophy in Golden Retriever dogs on semen parameters. Thirty-seven semen samples were obtained from healthy Golden Retrievers (n = 15) and from muscular dystrophy affected dogs (n = 22). Sperm-rich fractions were analysed by standardised breeding soundness examination in addition to the assay of fluorescence assisted cell sorting for acrosome integrity, mitochondrial activity and DNA fragmentation. Volume of ejaculate, per cent of motile spermatozoa and vigour were similar between groups; there were no differences in the per cent of minor and major defects. Integrity of acrosomal membrane, mitochondrial potential and sperm DNA fragmentation had no significant differences between groups either. Animals from control group had higher concentration of spontaneous seminal oxidative species in comparison with affected animals. Dogs affected by dystrophy had seminal parameters similar to those observed in healthy dogs except for the lower concentration of oxidative species. Future studies aiming to establish reference values for canine seminal parameters should be considered preferably with distinction of breeds., (© 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Different fluoroquinolon-type antibiotics were conjugated to gelatin with the aim to synthesize biomacromolecules with antimicrobial properties. The covalent linkage of the antibiotic was performed by a radical process involving the residues in the side chains of gelatin able to undergo oxidative modifications. The conjugation of antibiotic moieties onto the protein structure was confirmed by FT-IR, UV-Vis, fluorescence, and calorimetric analyses. Biocompatibility tests were performed on human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells and the antibacterial properties of bioactive polymers were investigated by appropriate tests against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. With regard to the tests conducted in the presence of E. coli, a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 μg mL(-1) was recorded, while in the presence of K. pneumoniae this concentration varies from 0.10 to 1.60 μg mL(-1). In all the conjugates, the drug moieties retain their biological activity and the MIC values are lower than the resistance parameters of fluoroquinolon-type antibiotics versus Enterobacteriacae. The collected data suggest a broad range of applications, from biomedical to pharmaceutical and food science for all conjugates.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the Power Spectrum Density (PSD) of the electroencephalography (EEG) in common sensorimotor balance training tasks of varying difficulty. Sensorimotor balance exercises including alteration of vision, base of support or surface compliance are used to improve postural control. These exercises are presumed to induce supraspinal adaptation, however, there were no studies that investigated the power changes of the cortical activity in these static balance tasks. Our objective was to provide evidence in the cortical involvement with the static balance tasks frequently used in sensorimotor training., Material and Methods: Postural sway and EEG changes of alpha, beta and sigma wave bands were measured in seventeen participants during eight balance tasks of varying difficulty with eyes open and closed, feet in tandem or apart and on foam or a firm surface., Results: The power of beta and sigma bands increased significantly at the parietal and central area of the brain in tasks with eyes open together with one sensory factor (base of support or surface compliance) or two sensory factors (base of support and surface compliance) altered, and in task with three sensory factors (vision, base of support and surface compliance) altered from the control task., Conclusions: This study demonstrated the cortical involvement in the sensorimotor balance tasks, suggesting that these exercises may induce cortical adaptation for postural control. The results support subcortical control with increased task difficulty and the increase in cortical processing when task became extremely challenging.

Several structures of the central nervous system are essential in the sleep-wake regulation process. This study aimed to identify which actigraphic parameters of the sleep-wake cycle (SWC) are compromised after stroke and determine whether low-level physical activity can influence the expression of sleep-cycle temporal variation, in order to discuss the implications for the clinical practice of patient rehabilitation. The study assessed 22 patients (55 ± 12 years) and 24 healthy individuals (57 ± 11 years), of both sexes. The instruments used were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Actigraphy. Data were analyzed by the student t, Mann-Whitney, and Spearman's correlation tests. Patients' activity level was about 28% lower than that of healthy subjects. Furthermore, we recorded around 10% more activity in the sleep phase compared to the controls, indicating that patients suffer from fragmented sleep (p < .001). According to IPAQ classification, we observed that healthy individuals were classified more predominantly as active (66.7%) and patients as irregularly active B (72.8%). A significant correlation was found between IPAQ and total activity (R= -.25; p= .007) and sleep latency (R= .27; p= .0006). In conclusion, the results obtained show a decrease in activity intensity in the SWC and significant sleep alterations related to greater duration, latency, and fragmentation. It is suggested that, in addition to motor impairments, sleep disorder complaints should be given priority during clinical diagnosis of patients with stroke.

Background: Balance is sensed through peripheral and central receptors and mediated by central control through the brain and spinal cord. Although some evidence exists as to the areas of the brain involved and how processing of data occurs in young individuals, nothing has been published on people with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine the electroencephalogram (EEG) during common sensorimotor and balance training tasks and to relate these to task difficulty., Subjects and Methods: Postural sway and EEG change of alpha, beta, and sigma wave bands were measured in 17 young subjects, 10 older subjects, and 10 subjects with diabetes during eight progressively more difficult balance tasks with eyes open and closed, feet in tandem or apart, and on foam or a firm surface., Results: EEG power of beta and sigma wave bands showed significant increases on the cortical and parietal areas of the brain relative to the control tasks when eyes were open (P<0.05). The cortical involvement decreased as the task became more difficult with vision and somatosensory information reduced, whereas that of the parietal area increased with task difficulty. The greatest increase was in subjects with diabetes, and the least was in younger people. Individuals with diabetes had increased sigma and beta EEG power in all regions of the brain examined with increased complexity of the balance task., Conclusions: This study demonstrated cortical and parietal involvement in static balance tasks commonly used in sensorimotor training. The results support the proposal that there was increased subcortical control with increase in task difficulty in the young subjects, but in subjects with diabetes, there was a major increase in activity across the brain.

Sepsis is an increasingly prevalent cause of death, and management in the early stage is a critical issue. However, microbiological findings are generally obtained late during the course of the disease. In this study, we evaluated the clinical utility of procalcitonin (PCT) in improving the diagnosis of bloodstream infections and the potential utility of the SeptiFast (SF) test, a multiplex pathogen detection system, in the etiological diagnosis of immunocompromised patients. Seventy-nine hospitalized immunocompromised patients were included in this study. Our results demonstrate that while the PCT value correlates highly with sepsis, the results do not discriminate adequately enough to justify its independent use as a diagnostic tool. The SF test, combined with blood cultures, improves microbiological data in immunocompromised patients, especially in cases of previous antibiotic therapy and invasive fungal infection., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies show that Asians have an impaired blood flow response (BFR) to occlusion after a single high fat (HF) meal. The mechanism is believed to be the presence and susceptibility to high free radicals in their blood. The free radical concentration after a HF meal has not been examined in Asians. Further the BFR to heat after a single HF meal in Koreans has not been measured., Material/methods: This study evaluated postprandial endothelial function by measuring the BFR to vascular occlusion and local heat before and after a HF meal and the interventional effects of anti-oxidant vitamins on improving endothelial function in young Korean-Asians (K) compared to Caucasians (C) with these assessments. Ten C and ten K participated in the study (mean age 25.3±3.6 years old). BFR to vascular occlusion and local heat and oxidative stress were assessed after a single low fat (LF) and HF meal at 2 hours compared to baseline. After administration of vitamins (1000 mg of vitamin C, 800 IU of vitamin E, and 300 mg of Coenzyme Q-10) for 14 days, the same measurements were made., Results: This study showed that the skin BFR to vascular occlusion and local heat following a HF meal significantly decreased and free radicals significantly increased at 2 hours compared to baseline in K (p<.001), but not in C. When vitamins were given, the BFR to vascular occlusion and local heat before and after HF meal were not significantly different in K and C., Conclusions: These findings suggest that even a single HF meal can reduce endothelial response to stress through an oxidative stress mechanism but can be blocked by antioxidants, probably through scavenging free radicals in K. Since endothelial function improved even before a HF meal in K, endothelial damage from an Americanized diet may be reduced in K by antioxidants.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of low oxygen tension (5% CO(2) , 5% O(2) and 90% N(2) ) on in vitro oocyte maturation using defined media (0.1% polyvinyl alcohol - PVA) or 10% porcine follicular fluid (PFF)-supplemented media. To achieve this goal, oocytes were evaluated regarding cortical granules (GCs) migration, nuclear maturation and sperm penetration. Oocytes were in vitro matured under different conditions: 5% or 20% O(2) atmosphere and 0.1% PVA- or 10% PFF-supplemented media and evaluated at 0 and 44 h of maturation. To evaluate the migration of CGs and nuclear maturation, by confocal microscopy, oocytes were incubated with 100 μg of FITC-PNA/ml and 10 μg/ml of propidium iodide. To address sperm penetration, after maturation, in vitro fertilization for 6 h and in vitro culture for 18 h, zygotes were incubated with 10 mg/ml Hoechst 33342. Pronuclei and polar bodies were quantified using an epifluorescence microscope. Atmosphere conditions did not affect the CGs migration, but media supplementation did. Oocytes matured in 10% PFF media had a higher percentage of CGs in the oocyte periphery than oocytes matured in PVA-supplemented media. However, this fact did not have effect on in vitro sperm penetration levels. No effect of atmosphere conditions and media supplementation was observed on the rates of metaphase II oocytes. Therefore, the use of low oxygen tension in association with PVA maturation media does not improve the in vitro maturation system of porcine oocytes, because its use did not improve nuclear maturation, CGs migration and zygotes monospermic rates., (© 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Objectives: A novel and simple method to synthesize antitubercular-protein conjugate by solid phase synthesis was developed employing a carboxypolystyrene resin. The aim was to covalently bind a drug with antitubercular activity, isoniazid, to a biomacromolecule, gelatin, widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry., Methods: Calorimetric and (1) H NMR analyses were performed to verify the bond formation between the antitubercular drug and gelatin. After absorption isoniazid delivers toxic metabolites and so an oxidation test with tert-butyl hydroperoxide was performed to assess the amount of toxic metabolites released from the prodrug (gelatin linked to isoniazid), compared with isoniazid itself., Key Findings:   Spectrophotometric analysis revealed that the protein derivative was an excellent isoniazid prodrug since there was a 40% reduction in release of toxic metabolites (isonicotinic acid) by the prodrug. The results clearly showed that antitubercular moieties, covalently linked to a natural polymer, allowed the introduction of peculiar features for specific pharmaceutical applications into the macromolecule. In addition, antitubercular activity of the new polymer was determined by Middlebrook 7H11 medium against Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex., Conclusions: The new isoniazid-gelatin conjugate showed significant antitubercular activity and for this reason should be useful as an efficacious tool in the treatment of tuberculosis., (© 2012 The Authors. JPP © 2012 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

Tuberculous meningitis is the most severe form of tuberculosis and causes substantial morbidity and mortality in adults and children. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant (rifampin-isoniazid) strains requires the use of more toxic second-line drugs. We report a case of tuberculous meningitis in a 3-year-old Italian child.

This study investigates the effects of an ethanolic extract from the stem bark of Combretum leprosum Mart. & Eiche (Combretaceae) on experimental ulcers induced by ethanol and indomethacin and on gastric secretion and mucus content in pylorus-ligated rats. The effects were compared with those of ranitidine and carbenoxolone. Combretum leprosum orally administered elicited a complete inhibition of the appearance of gastric lesions induced by ethanol and a partial reduction when indomethacin was used as an ulcerogenic agent. Moreover, the protection against gastric ulceration induced by ethanol was decreased with indomethacin pretreatment. The intraduodenal administration of Combretum leprosum in four-hour pylorus-ligated rats increased the volume and pH of gastric juice while decreasing the acid output and produced a significant increase in gastric wall mucus content. The major compounds detected in a preliminary phytochemical screening were triterpenes, flavonoids, taninns and saponins. This study provides evidence that the ethanolic extract of Combretum leprosum possesses gastroprotective and anti-ulcerogenic effects, which are related to the inhibition of the gastric acid secretion and an increase of mucosal defensive factors such as mucus and prostaglandin.

A liquid alcoholic extract of Papaver somniferum named Elixir Paregorico is extensively used for diarrheal diseases in Brazil. Its increased popularity has brought concerns and fears over the safety of this herbal product. Given the lack of investigative clinical studies, in this regard, this study investigated whether Elixir Paregorico administration causes any noticeable toxic effects in healthy volunteers. In all, 28 middle-aged healthy male (n = 14) and female (n = 14) were enrolled. After screening and a washout period, eligible subjects received four oral doses per day of Elixir Paregorico (3 mL diluted in 30 mL of water) over a 10-day period. Altogether, all 28 participants completed the study. The results of hematological and biochemical tests performed pre and post-treatment were within the normal range. In both male and female volunteers, there were no statistical differences (P > 0.05) in the results of clinical and laboratory tests performed at screening, on 5th and 10th day visits, and at final assessment. Although mild adverse events were related, which subsided spontaneously, no serious untoward reactions were reported following Elixir Paregorico administration. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that Elixir Paregorico administered four times a day for 10 days is safe and does not cause any noticeable toxic effect in healthy volunteers.

We describe a case of asymptomatic infection caused by Diphyllobothrium latum, probably following a meal of "sushi" in a Japanese restaurant in Rome one year before. The diagnosis was obtained observing morphology and seizures of proglottids and ova. We recall the life cycle of this cestode and report criteria for a differential diagnosis with other species of the Diphyllobothrium genus, usually rare in humans, and caused by the ingestion of marine fish and not freshwater fish.

Although septic tanks are amply used for on site sewage treatment, these units have serious drawbacks: the removal efficiency of organic material and suspended solids is low, the units are costly and occupy a large area and operational cost is high due to the need for periodic desludging. In this paper an innovative variant of the UASB reactor is proposed as an alternative for the septic tank. This alternative has several important advantages in comparison with the conventional septic tank: (1) Although the volume of the UASB reactor was about 4 times smaller than the septic tank, its effluent quality was superior, even though small sludge particles were present, (2) desludging of the UASB reactor is unnecessary and even counterproductive, as the sludge mass guarantees proper performance, (3) the UASB reactor is easily transportable (compact and light) and therefore can be produced in series, strongly reducing construction costs and (4) since the concentration of colloids in the UASB effluent is much smaller than in the ST effluent, it is expected that the infiltration of the effluent will be much less problematic.

The performance of a pilot scale sewage treatment system composed of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) digester and a sequencing batch activated sludge reactor (SBR) is described. The system constitutes a simple, economic, and compact treatment option and is able to produce consistently a final effluent quality that is equal or better than that of a conventional activated sludge plant. The entire treatment system had a retention time of only 9h and an average operational temperature of 25 degrees C. Due to the efficient anaerobic pre treatment the aerobic sludge production was low and could easily be accommodated for stabilisation in the UASB reactor. The system exhibited excellent operational stability with full nitrification for aerobic sludge ages longer than 9 days. At shorter sludge ages there was excessive wash out of sludge particles and the sludge mass could not be maintained in the SBR reactor. Sludge settleability was good throughout the experimental investigation period of one year. The reduction of the reactor volume and oxygen consumption was more than 50% compared to conventional activated sludge. The anaerobic excess sludge had a high concentration and good stability so that its dewatering and final disposal was a relatively minor problem.

When ponds are used for wastewater treatment, settleable solids will form a steadily growing bottom sludge layer, which reduces their effective volume. Eventually this sludge must be removed to ensure that the pond maintains the required retention time to keep performing properly. The settleable solids may either be present in the influent or they are formed during the treatment as a result of algal flocculation. An experimental investigation was carried out to evaluate bottom sludge accumulation in a polishing pond used for treatment of UASB effluent. The mass and composition of the bottom sludge formed in a polishing pond was evaluated after the pilot scale pond had been in operation for 1 year and about 60 m3 of digested wastewater had been treated per m3 of pond. The bottom sludge mass represented a solids accumulation of 70 g per m3 of digested wastewater. About half of these solids were the result of settling of influent solids in the first part of the pond, while the other half was attributable to settling of algae, formed in the pond. It is concluded that the bottom sludge growth in a polishing pond is so low, that desludging during the useful life span of the pond will most likely not be necessary. This leads to the important conclusion that excess sludge discharge from UASB reactors (a major factor in operational costs) may be omitted, if a polishing pond is used for post-treatment. The bottom sludge had a high volatile solids concentration (58%) and the macronutrient fractions were also high (3.9% N and 1.1% P of the TSS mass). The bottom sludge was stable and could be dried directly without problems. The hygienic quality of the bottom sludge was very poor: about half the influent helminth eggs during one year of operation were found in the bottom sludge and the faecal coliform concentration was very high.

If nutrient removal is to be obtained in ponds treating sewage, the pH must be raised so that ammonia can desorb and phosphates can precipitate. In this paper it is shown that the pH increase in ponds can be predicted quantitatively from simple stoichiometry, taking into consideration physical and biological carbon dioxide removal, ammonia stripping and calcium carbonate precipitation. Biological CO2 removal by photosynthesis is identified as the main process to effect pH increase in ponds. The rate of pH increase and consequently the required retention time depend on the net rate of CO2 consumption, the extent of ammonium stripping, the characteristics of the influent (alkalinity and pH) as well as factors concerning the environment (temperature) and dimensions (depth) of the pond. A high pH (range 9 to 10) can be obtained in about 5 days if digested sewage is used (low organic material concentration), climate conditions are favourable and the pond is shallow (< 0.5 m deep).

In this paper is presented the study of a Sludge Drying System used to kill pathogenic organisms living in sludge. The system is modeled and the physical parameters thermal capacity, thermal resistance and thermal time constant are estimated using conventional estimation methods.

Carbachol-induced contractions of rat stomach fundus strips, obtained in a nutrient solution containing 1.8 mM Ca2+, were resistant to Ca2+ withdrawal, even after 1 h of bathing the tissues in a nominal 0 Ca2+ solution. This was not observed when K+ was used to evoke contractions, which were rapidly inhibited after Ca2+ removal (t1/2=2 min). The effect of carbachol in 0 Ca2+ solution was reduced by using drugs that reduce intracellular pools of Ca2+, such as caffeine (1-3 mM), ryanodine (30 microM) or thapsigargin (1 microM), corroborating the involvement of intracellular Ca2+ stores. On the other hand, when the 0 Ca2+ solution contained EGTA, a complete decline of carbachol effects was observed within about 8 min, indicating the involvement of extracellular Ca2+. Atomic absorption spectrometry showed that our 0 Ca2+ solution still contained 45 microM Ca2+, which was drastically reduced to 5.9 nM in the presence of EGTA. Taken together, our results indicate that the effects of carbachol are due to the mobilization of caffeine-, ryanodine- and thapsigargin-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ stores, and that these stores are not inactivated or depleted if micromolar concentrations (45 microM), but not nanomolar concentrations (5.9 nM) of Ca2+ are maintained in the extracellular milieu.

Objective: To evaluate efficacy of a balanced fresh paste diet for maintenance of captive neotropical rattlesnakes used for venom production., Design: Controlled clinical trial., Animals: 40 healthy neotropical rattlesnakes., Procedure: Rattlesnakes were force-fed once per week (10% of body weight) for 19 weeks; 20 control snakes received dead mice, whereas 20 test snakes received a balanced fresh paste diet. Ecdysis rates were calculated, and body weight was recorded weekly. After 19 weeks, venom was extracted and analyzed., Results: Sickness or deaths were not observed; weight loss during ecdysis and weight gain overall were similar between groups. Snakes fed the balanced fresh paste diet had similar ecdysis frequency, venom potency, and protein concentration in venom as did snakes fed mice., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Results suggest that a balanced fresh paste diet has sufficient nutritional value to avoid weight loss and death and does not adversely affect venom quality in captive neotropical rattlesnakes.

Polishing ponds are used to improve the quality of effluents from efficient anaerobic sewage treatment plants like UASB reactors, so that the final effluent quality becomes compatible with legal or desired standards. The residual organic material and suspended solids concentrations in the digested sewage are reduced, but often the main objective of polishing ponds is to improve the hygienic quality, measured by the concentration of two indicator organisms: helminth eggs and faecal coliforms (FC). The FC removal is normally the slowest process and for that reason becomes the main design criterion for a polishing pond. By contrast in conventional waste stabilisation pond (WSP) systems the organic material removal is the governing design parameter. The feasibility of operating a single polishing pond for the post-treatment of UASB effluent is shown in this paper and the final effluent quality as a function of the retention time is discussed. Even under the most adverse weather conditions (several weeks of rain) the population of algae remained stable and produced enough oxygen to maintain a predominantly aerobic environment. The final effluent TSS and BOD concentrations were not very low for retention times of less than 1 week, but this could be attributed to the presence of algae in the final effluent. Filtered effluent BOD and TSS concentrations were very low. For retention times of more than 1 week algae were efficiently removed from the liquid phase by the action of predators and algae flocculation and settling, so that a final effluent with a very low BOD and TSS concentrations was produced. To maximise the FC removal efficiency the polishing pond was constructed with the objective of approaching a plug flow regime. However, the observed efficiency was well below the expected value for all retention times, which was attributable to imperfections of the flow regime. From tracer studies it was established that the dispersion number was in the range of 0.14 to 0.16, which means that moderate mixing occurred, even though the pond was designed to avoid mixing as much as possible. Also the dead volume fraction ranging from 0.12 to 0.15 was quite considerable. Due to these imperfections the required retention time for an effluent to be used in unrestricted irrigation was produced for a retention time of about 10 days, twice the value of the minimum retention time for a batch or true plug flow pond. Although the plug flow regime could not be approached in practice, the required retention time of 10 days is still very much shorter than the value used in conventional WSPs (20 to 30 days).

Relaxation induced by NANC-nerve stimulation is reduced by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors but not by superoxide generators or NO scavengers, casting doubts on the precise nature of the neurotransmitter being released by these nerves. The lack of effect of superoxide anion generators to inhibit nitrergic nerve-mediated relaxations has been attributed to the protective action of high tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD). The effects of hydroquinone, hydroxocobalamin and carboxy-PTIO, three NO inactivators which do not depend on superoxide anion generation, upon nitrergic nerve-mediated relaxations of the rat proximal duodenum were determined in order to elucidate whether they are mediated by free NO. GABA and nicotine caused relaxations of isolated segments of the rat proximal duodenum in a concentration-dependent manner that were abolished by tetrodotoxin (TTX). Similarly, transmural electrical stimulation (TES) caused frequency-dependent relaxations that were also abolished by TTX. The NOS inhibitors L-NAME and L-NOARG reduced in a concentration-dependent manner nerve-mediated relaxations elicited by TES, nicotine and GABA. The effect of NOS inhibitors was prevented by L-arginine but not D-arginine. NO caused concentration-dependent relaxations that were not affected by TTX or L-NOARG but were abolished by hydroquinone, hydroxocobalamin and carboxy-PTIO. In contrast, these compounds failed to affect TES-, nicotine- and GABA-induced relaxations. The lack of effect of hydroquinone, hydroxocobalamin and carboxy-PTIO upon nerve-mediated relaxations was unaltered by pretreatment with the SOD irreversible inhibitor DETCA. The present findings show that nitrergic nerve-mediated relaxations of the rat duodenum are unaffected by NO inactivators that do not generate superoxide anion. It is suggested that either a NO-containing molecule that is unreactive with the inactivators tested is the inhibitory neurotransmitter released by nitrergic nerves or that NOS activity fulfills another role in nitrergic nerves which could be related to the release of an still unidentified transmitter.

In rat stomach fundus, contractions induced by Ca2+ (1.8 mM) were strikingly potentiated by thapsigargin. This potentiation was partially inhibited by the blockers of Ca2+ release activated channels (CRACs), miconazole and SK&F96365 ([1-[beta-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propoxy]-4-methoxyphenethyl]-1H-imidazole, HCL]) and slightly blocked by the antagonist of calcium voltage-operated channels (VOCs), isradipine. In dissociated cells in a 0Ca solution, thapsigargin potentiated the increase in intracellular calcium after reintroduction of Ca2+. This potentiation was partially reduced by the CRAC blockers, but not by the VOC blockers. This data suggests that calcium influx increased due to the depletion of intracellular calcium by thapsigargin and that this influx occurs predominantly through CRACs.

The aim of this study was to underline the important role played by respiratory tract pathologies in HIV-infected subjects and to evaluate the incidence of respiratory pathologies in HIV-positive subjects in the province of Cosenza. After examining recently reported data, the authors analyse the patients studied by the Infectious Disease and Pneumology Divisions of the United Hospitals of Cosenza with the collaboration of the Virology Unit over the two-year period 1992-1994. As well as the lower incidence of HIV infection in this area compared to the rest of Italy, the paper highlights the reduced percentage of concomitant respiratory pathologies. The authors attempt to interpret the significance of these results.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of HIV infection and concomitant pathologies, paying special attention to those involving the respiratory tract, in the Province of Cosenza through a retrospective study of patients monitored by the Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Pneumology with the collaboration of the Virology Unit of the United Hospitals of Cosenza. The results obtained show that there is a lower incidence of AIDS and HIV-correlated respiratory pathologies in this area compared to the rest of Italy but, in spite of this, the authors highlight the need in Calabria for those centres and structures that have been planned but never completely realised (Law 135/90; DPR 7/4/94; etc.) which would enable infected subjects to be identified and the necessary measures for prevention, diagnosis and treatment to be implemented.

It is valued the antibacterial activity in vitro of amikacin, tobramicin and gentamicin on 154 bacterial Gram-negative urinary strains using a semi-automatic method ("Abac"). This evaluation is after that one on its accuracy comparing the results with those of the agar diffusion test (Kirby-Bauer).

A person to person outbreak of hepatitis A is described: 90 cases of hepatitis A occurred in a small town in Calabria, southern Italy; all cases were under 18 years of age with the highest age-specific incidence rate in the 6-10 year age group. Transmission was identified by tracing close contacts with other incubating or active cases; only eight out of 90 cases were not identified as having a very probable or possible contact with an infecting case. Transmission was high between family members leading to a secondary family attack rate of 51% in children under 16. An enteric disease educational campaign was carried out together with IgG and no cases of hepatitis A were reported in the two years following the investigation.