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• The role of situational factors known to elicit anger in autonomous driving takeover was examined. • Motive consistency, control potential, and agency impact autonomous driving takeover. • Data clustering revealed four distinct driver profiles. • Anderson's scenario-based method is useful in studying autonomous driving takeover. • Roseman's theory of emotions applied to autonomous driving takeover. Motor vehicle accidents, in part due to human error, continue to cause significant fatalities, a situation that automated vehicles can address when users relinquish driving. However, when the human behind the wheel decides to take over the driving activity, human error is back in the loop. In the context of improving the safety of motorized transportation, this study examines the role of anger in the willingness to take over the driving activity of an automated vehicle classified as levels 4 to 5 according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Our study indirectly induces anger by strategically manipulating factors such as motive consistency, agency caused by others, and control potential - factors that are well documented for their role in eliciting anger. Using a scenario-based approach where participants were instructed to catch an emergency train, we manipulated combinations of four factors selected for their association with anger (e.g., late departure × delayed train × reduced speed due to fog × road blocked by another vehicle). Participants (N = 313) were asked to rate their willingness to take over the driving activity as if they were the protagonist. The results showed that the willingness to take over the driving activity aboard a highly automated vehicle could be influenced by emotions, especially anger, elicited by the evaluation of the driving environment. Participants were more willing to take over driving when they judged the driving environment to be inconsistent with the goal of their trip. However, interaction analyses revealed that increasing motive consistency could moderate the negative influences of control potential and other-caused agency on willingness to take over driving. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct subgroups of drivers: High Takeover Willingness, Low Takeover Willingness, Influenced by Other Road Users, and Goal-Directed drivers, each of which showed a unique response to the driving scenarios. This study suggests that understanding the impact of emotions on the willingness to take over driving will help prevent this type of behavior and improve safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In October 2021, French acute care societies jointly published cognitive aids to standardise practices and limit cognitive biases to ensure greater safety in management of severe trauma patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a checklist on emergency physicians' adherence to the recommendations. This prospective before-and-after study study took place in a French mobile emergency and resuscitation service. All adults trauma patients referred to hospital were included. A checklist on trauma management inspired by the MARCHE acronym was produced. During phase I, the checklist was performed within 24 h after the end of the intervention. During phase II, the checklist was performed during the patient's transport to hospital, thus allowing potentially omitted procedures to be performed initially. The use of the checklist was systematically evaluated using an anonymous questionnaire among doctors and nurses. In phase II, doctors and nurses who did not perform checklist were systematically asked to answer a specific online questionnaire. The primary outcome was the overall omission rate of checklist items during each phase of the study. One hundred and sixteen patients were included, 53 in phase I and 63 in phase II. Eleven patients did not have a checklist in phase II. The overall omission rate of checklist items was significantly lower with checklist (17%) than without (25%) (p = 0.02). This trend increased in proportion to severity with an omission rate of 30% without checklist versus 15% with checklist (p = 0.03) for patients with an ISS ≥ 25. A majority of doctors and nurses who used the checklist considered that it should be made compulsory (82% and 67% respectively). Paradoxically, only 55% of doctors who did not perform the checklist thought it was useful, while the omission rate was significantly higher (17% with checklist compared with 59% without checklist, p < 0.01). This work shows a significant reduction in the number of omissions on the actions carried out during the management of a trauma patient in prehospital settings, allowing better adherence to the recommendations. Its benefit is increased in severely traumatised patients. • Checklist enables better adherence to prehospital trauma management recommendations. • The overall omission rate of checklist items was significantly lower with checklist. • This trend increases in proportion to the severity of the trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Les connectivites se compliquent volontiers de manifestations pulmonaires pouvant toucher l'ensemble des composants de l'appareil respiratoire (parenchyme pulmonaire, voies aériennes, plèvre, vaisseaux...). La fréquence et la sévérité de ces manifestations varient selon le type d'atteinte pulmonaire et la connectivite sous-jacente. La réalisation systématique de scanners thoraciques (TDM-HR) a permis de revoir à la hausse la fréquence de certaines manifestations longtemps asymptomatiques comme la pneumopathie interstitielle diffuse (PID) associée à la polyarthrite rhumatoïde (PR). Certaines de ces manifestations sont évolutives et sont associées à une importante morbi-mortalité telles que les PID associées à la PR, à la sclérodermie systémique ou aux dermatomyosites. L'identification d'une atteinte pulmonaire peut également impacter la prise en charge thérapeutique des patients par la nécessité d'introduire des traitements spécifiques ou d'éviter certains médicaments pneumotoxiques. Un dépistage des patients asymptomatiques est alors indiqué permettant une prise en charge précoce. Pour la sclérodermie systémique, les dermatomyosites et le syndrome de Gougerot-Sjögren, ce dépistage est organisé par des protocoles nationaux de diagnostic et de soin que nous décrirons dans cette revue. Le dépistage des manifestations pulmonaires des autres connectivites telles que la PR-PID ne fait actuellement l'objet d'aucune recommandation malgré une fréquence relativement élevée. Nous tenterons alors d'exposer les données actuelles de la littérature permettant d'argumenter la réalisation d'un dépistage notamment chez les patients asymptomatiques les plus à risque. Pulmonary manifestations often occur in connective tissue diseases (CTD) affecting the different component of the respiratory system (the lung parenchyma, the airways, the pleura, the vascular system...). The frequency and the severity of these manifestations vary according to the type of manifestation and the corresponding CTD. Systematic assessment by chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) lead to reconsider the frequency of some pulmonary manifestations with a long asymptomatic phase such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). Among the pulmonary manifestations associated with CTD, some will progress and may lead to an important disease burden and increase mortality. If a CTD related pulmonary manifestation is detected in a patient, it may impact the therapeutic management including the prescriptions of specific treatments or the restriction of pulmonary toxic drugs. The screening for such manifestations in asymptomatic patients, which enable early deification, is therefore indicated. For systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis and Sjögren syndrome, lung involvement screening has been established in National Diagnostic and Care Protocols (PNDS) that will be developed in this review. For other CTD, there are still no guidelines. Beside a relatively high frequency of RA-ILD, no recommendations have been developed for the screening of RA-ILD. In this review, we will give the recent data that help to discuss and argue the necessity of a screening, notably in high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is no specificity of emergency or long-term management of benign electrical injuries (EI). The main objective of our work was to describe the occurrence of long-term complications of EI considered as benign.Methods: Single-center retrospective study of a cohort of adult patients who consulted for EI without initials signs of severity in an emergency department between 2012 and 2019. All included patients were secondarily contacted by telephone at least one year after their EI to complete a questionnaire.Results: 76 adult patients visited the emergency department and 48 of them could be contacted by phone. 82% of the recalled patients had at least one complication following their EI. The main long-term complications were neurological (65%), psychological (58%) and cardiological (31%). Patients recalled eight years after EI had higher rates of neuropsychological complications than those recalled one year after EI. Only the time spent in the emergency department was statistically longer in patients who developed long-term complications compared to those who did not.Discussion: The occurrence of long-term neuropsychological complications predominates. The knowledge and management of these long-term consequences must be particularly well known by emergency physicians because they are often the first medical contact of the patient. Our results also seem to show a crescendo in time of the occurrence of long-term complications.Conclusion: all health professionals involved in the care of victims of a EI must be made widely aware of the occurrence of these long-term complications, particularly neuropsychological ones, in order to improve the long-term patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effect of a modified technique of posterior reconstruction by iliopectineal ligament suspension during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on recovery of early continence. A prospective, single surgeon, single centre, randomised controlled trial was performed from August 2018 to March 2020 with 171 patients (92 control vs 79 experimental). The posterior reconstruction was done using a standard technique in the control group and was modified for the experimental group by incorporating not only the "Rocco" stitch between Denonvilliers' fascia and the rhabdosphincter but also the iliopectineal ligaments bilaterally to further improve posterior support with this suspensory 'hammock'. Both groups of patients were followed for a year with questionnaires and 24-hour pad tests. Both groups were comparable in terms of baseline demographic, clinical, and pathological characteristics. With regards to recovery of urinary continence, no statistically significant differences were found for socially continent (0-1 pads per day) or fully continent (0 pads per day) rates at all time points examined (1, 3, 6, 12 months). Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups for presence of urinary symptoms, bowel symptoms, sexual function, and hormonal symptoms. The modified technique of posterior reconstruction by iliopectineal ligament suspension is not associated with improved early continence as compared to the standard posterior reconstruction technique during RARP. Future studies may want to explore other variations of suspensory sutures that could strengthen posterior urethral support to achieve earlier recovery of continence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the emergence of values as a key element of societal issues. Specifically, the alleged autononomy of the dynamics of value changes, and its supposedly progressive nature, are analysed. On both aspects the discussion focuses on values and value change in Europe. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is among the most heritable psychiatric disorders, particularly in early-onset cases, owing to multiple genes of small effect. Here we examine a multi-gene risk score (MGRS), to address the gap in multi-gene research in early-onset BD.Methods: MGRS was derived from 34 genetic variants relevant to neuropsychiatric diseases and related systemic processes. Multiple MGRS were calculated across a spectrum of inclusion p-value thresholds, based on allelic associations with BD. Youth participants (123 BD, 103 healthy control [HC]) of European descent were included, of which 101 participants (58 BD, 43 HC) underwent MRI T1-weighted structural neuroimaging. Hierarchical regressions examined for main effects and MGRS-by-diagnosis interaction effects on 6 regions-of-interest (ROIs). Vertex-wise analysis also examined MGRS-by-diagnosis interactions.Results: MGRS based on allelic association p≤0.60 was most robust, explaining 6.8% of variance (t(226)=3.46, p=.001). There was an MGRS-by-diagnosis interaction effect on ventrolateral prefrontal cortex surface area (vlPFC; β=.21, p=.0007). Higher MGRS was associated with larger vlPFC surface area in BD vs. HC. There were 8 significant clusters in vertex-wise analyses, primarily in fronto-temporal regions, including vlPFC.Limitations: Cross-sectional design, modest sample size.Conclusions: There was a diagnosis-by-MGRS interaction effect on vlPFC surface area, a region involved in emotional processing, emotional regulation, and reward response. Vertex-wise analysis also identified several clusters overlapping this region. This preliminary study provides an example of an approach to imaging-genetics that is intermediate between candidate gene and genome-wide association studies, enriched for genetic variants with established relevance to neuropsychiatric diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The futures exercise described in this article, conducted under the auspices of the French government's Commissariat General du Plan (CGP), was the Horizon 2000 project. Two key questions analysed were: should the French be afraid of the of the century; and what will it mean to be French in the year 2000? Following a panoramic view of some key issues for France - globalization of the economy, aging of the population, immigration, language and culture - results of the Horizon 2000 study are summarized. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Introduction: The S100ß protein (PS100ß) is a biomarker, which has demonstrated its importance in diagnoses ruling out intracranial hemorrhages in people with light head traumas This study aims to evaluate if the PS100ß presents an interest in the diagnostic strategy for subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH).Methods: Prospective non-randomized multicentric study in three hospitals from October 2018 to January 2020. Every patient who came into the emergency department for an intense non-traumatic headache lasting less than 3 h received an PS100ß assay and a non-injected head computed tomography (CT) scan. The primary endpoint was the number of patients with a diagnosis of SAH on the head CT scan with a PS100ß level of under 0.10 μg/L.Results: 60 patients were included and five patients had a SAH. Four patients had an SAH with a PS100ß level lower than 0.10 μg/L and one patient had an SAH with a PS100ß level higher than 0.10 μg/L. The negative predictive value for the PS100ß with a discriminating threshold less than or equal to 0,10 μg/L in the diagnosis ruling out SAH was 93% [IC 95%: 0,86-1].Conclusion: S100ß protein assay with a discriminating threshold of 0,10 μg/L does not demonstrate any interest in the diagnostic strategy for non-traumatic SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supraventricular tachycardia is a common cardiac arrhytmia with recurrent episodes. The rapid resolution of supraventricular tachycardia remains a challenge. Vagal manoeuvres are simple and non-invasive but yield positive results in less than half the cases. Currently, the modified Valsalva manoeuvre appears to be the most effective technique. We have tested the effectiveness of the reverse Valsalva manoeuvre without swallowing as new vagal manoeuvre for the treatment of supraventricular tachycardia. This new technique is easy to perform and can be carried out alone by the patient. We report in this series 11 cases of supraventricular tachycardia, 10 of which were effectively reduced after the completion of the reverse Valsava manoeuvre. The very encouraging results of this series of cases will have to be quickly evaluated by a randomised controlled trial. This new technique, which is simple to learn and carry out, could be easily taught throughout the world, including in regions with few health-care resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body composition, currently evaluated by computed tomography scan, is related to poor evolution and severity of Crohn's disease (CD). Few MRI studies have been performed, yet it is the most commonly used imaging modality for the surveillance of the disease. Evaluate the feasibility of MRI body composition measurement and compare the variation according to the activity of the disease. A cohort of 132 consecutive patients was studied. The visceral adiposity index (VAI), subcutaneous adiposity index (SAI) and skeletal muscle index (SMI) were measured. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to disease activity. Sarcopenic status was defined according to the cut off value (SMI < 38.9 cm2/m2 in women and < 54.4 cm2/m2 in men). MRI measurements of body composition parameters were feasible and reproducible. After adjustment, sarcopenia was more common (2.07 [1.02; 4.27], p = 0.046), and the SMI (−4.90 [−9.36; −0.431], p = 0.032) was lower in active disease. The SAI was lower (−14.7 [−29.8; 0.258], p = 0.054) in active disease. The VAI tended to be higher with active disease (3.91 [−3.50; 11.9], p = 0.34), and the VAI/SAI+VAI ratio was higher (9.40 [4.72; 14.1], p <0.001). Assessment of body composition is feasible and reproducible in routine MR and parameters are related to disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The long-term management of perianal Crohn's disease for patients on anti-TNF-α therapy remains challenging. Aim To evaluate the long-term course and complications of patients with perianal fistulas treated with anti-TNF-α based on their clinical remission and healing on MRI. Methods Patients were evaluated clinically and by MRI. Deep remission was defined as clinical remission associated with the absence of contrast enhancement and T2 hyperintensity on MRI. Flare-free survival, surgery and hospitalizations were compared based on the presence or not of deep remission. Results Forty-eight consecutive patients were included with a median follow-up of 62 months after anti-TNF-α first administration. Deep remission was observed in 16 patients (33.4%). For patients in deep remission, the median time to any perianal event was 116 months (95–130) versus 42 months (8–72) in patients with pathological MRI (p < 0.001). Sixteen patients (50%) with pathological MRI had perianal surgery versus 2 (12.5%) in the deep remission group (p < 0.05). The mean duration of cumulative hospital stays was 0.75 ± 0.52 days in the deep remission group versus 19.7 ± 7.4 in the pathological group (p < 0.05). Conclusions Higher flare-free survival and lower rates of surgery and hospitalization were found in patients achieving deep remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A 3D crystal plasticity model is established for monotonic and cyclic simple shear deformation of pure Ti with a harmonic structure. • The crystalline plasticity theory is implemented to model the constitutive behavior of the hexagonal close-packed polycrystals. • The grain size effect on the plastic yielding and hardening properties is considered by means of the Hall-Petch relation. • A special localization-homogenization procedure is adapted to link the microscopic and macroscopic behaviors; • This model is implemented into a finite element code to predict the crystalline plasticity behavior for bimodal HS Ti. Abstract A micromechanical model was developed to describe the monotonic and cyclic simple shear deformation behavior of commercial-purity polycrystalline titanium (CP-Ti) with a harmonic structure (HS) design. The crystalline plasticity theory was implemented to model the constitutive behavior of the hexagonal close-packed (HCP) polycrystals. The grain size effect on the plastic yielding and hardening properties was considered by means of the classic Hall-Petch relation. Multiscale analyses were carried out for a representative volume element (RVE), including an fine-grained (FG) phase and a coarse-grained (CG) phase. This model was implemented into a finite element code (Cast3M) by means of a user subroutine. Monotonic simple shear tests and cyclic shear tests with imposed increasing strain amplitudes were carried out for CG and HS samples. Comparisons between the numerical results and the experimental data revealed the model's ability to describe the overall response correctly for both the HS CP-Ti and the homogenous CG CP-Ti under monotonic and cyclic shear loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an automatic particle detection algorithm to study the time-resolved resuspension of isolated microparticle mono-layers exposed to airflow acceleration followed by steady-state. The algorithm post-processes movies of the deposit behaviour and returns the particle number, the granulometry, and the homogeneity of each frame. It allows the detection and isolation of the particle clusters to process them separately. The algorithm is validated using both synthetic images, and experimental datasets corresponding to ventilated duct cases. The number of particles remaining on the surface over time is returned, and correlations can be made with instantaneous physical parameters of the flow (e.g., centre or friction velocity). The algorithms and data are available online: see Cazes et al. (2023); CAZES et al. (2023), respectively. • Description of an automatic algorithm that detects particles in images. • Direct access to particle number and particle size distribution. • Detection of particle clusters and separation of particles therein. • Fast treatment of large image sequences. • Study of microparticle resuspension using a time-resolved approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histopathological classifications of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) change regularly and the latest WHO classification published in 2022, which concerns all NEN in the body, attempts to standardize classifications in the different locations. Differentiation and proliferation mainly assessed by Ki-67 index are still the cornerstone of those classifications. However, many markers are now used for diagnostic (to check neuroendocrine differentiation, to identify the site of origin of a metastasis, to help separating high-grade neuroendocrine tumors/NET and neuroendocrine carcinoma/NEC), prognostic or theranostic purposes. NENs are often heterogeneous and this can lead to difficulties in classifications, biomarker and prognostic assessment. These different points are discussed successively in this review, insisting especially on the frequent digestive, gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) localizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. Acute infection is mainly asymptomatic. In other cases it mainly causes a flu-like illness, a pneumonia, or an hepatitis. We present an atypical case of an acute Q fever revealed by a massive pleural effusion. We report the case of a 43-year-old man referred to our hospital for an acute respiratory distress. Further analyses showed an exudative eosinophilic pleural effusion, associated with a pulmonary embolism and a deep femoral vein thrombosis. Aetiologic explorations revealed an acute Q fever (IgM and IgG against C. burnetii phase II antigens) associated with anti-phospholipids. The outcome was favorable with vitamin K antagonists, doxycycline, and hydroxychloroquine, till the negativation of the anti-phospholipid antibodies. During acute C. burnetii infections, anti-phospholipid antibodies are highly prevalent but thrombotic complications are rare. The 2023 ACR/EULAR APS criteria restricts the diagnosis of APS, as in our case of acute severe infection. In front of an atypical pneumonia and/or thrombotic events, screening of C. burnetii and anti-phospholipid antibodies could be useful. Given its low level of evidence, prolongated treatment by doxycycline, hydroxychloroquine ± anticoagulant for C. burnetii's associated anti-phospholipid syndrome is discussed, but succeeded in our case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Capturing and incorporating patient-centered factors into 30-day readmission risk prediction after hospitalized heart failure (HF) could improve the modest performance of current models.Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, we developed a patient-centered survey and evaluated the additional predictive utility of the survey compared to a traditional readmission risk model (the Krumholz et al. model). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic quantified the performance of both models. We measured the amount of model improvement with the addition of patient-centered factors to the Krumholz et al. model with the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). In an exploratory analysis, we used hierarchical clustering algorithms to identify groups with similar survey responses and tested for differences between clusters using standard descriptive statistics.Results: From 3/24/2014 to 3/12/2015, 183 patients hospitalized with HF were enrolled from an urban, academic health system and followed for 30days after discharge. The Krumholz et al. plus patient-centered factors model had similar-to-slightly lower performance (AUC [95%CI]:0.62 [0.52, 0.71]; goodness-of-fit P=.10) than the Krumholz et al. model (AUC [95%CI]:0.66 [0.57, 0.76]; goodness-of-fit P=.19). The IDI (95%CI) was 0.003 (-0.014,0.020). We identified three patient clusters based on patient-centered survey responses. The clusters differed with respect to gender, self-rated health, employment status, and prior hospitalization frequency (all P<.05).Conclusions: The addition of patient-centered factors did not improve 30-day readmission model performance. Rather than designing interventions based on predicted readmission risk, tailoring interventions to all patients, based on their characteristics, could inform the design of targeted, readmission reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Les bronchiolites sont définies par une inflammation non spécifique et/ou une fibrose des petites voies aériennes. La polyarthrite rhumatoïde et le syndrome de Gougerot-Sjögren sont les deux principales connectivites associées à un risque de bronchiolite. La prévalence des bronchiolites au cours de ces maladies est difficile à évaluer en l’absence d’uniformité des critères utilisés. La plupart des atteintes bronchiolaires survenant dans ce contexte sont cependant peu ou pas symptomatiques. Des formes sévères entraînant un handicap respiratoire et pouvant mettre en jeu le pronostic vital sont possibles, bien que rares. Le diagnostic repose sur les EFR et le scanner thoracique ; une confirmation histologique est rarement nécessaire. Le traitement associe des mesures non spécifiques (bronchodilatateurs, vaccination, réhabilitation respiratoire), éventuellement des macrolides au long cours, et parfois un essai de corticoïdes avec ou sans immunosuppresseur. Rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome are the two main connective tissue diseases associated with bronchiolar disorders, including constrictive bronchiolitis and cellular bronchiolitis. The prevalence of bronchiolitis is difficult to assess. Most patients have little or no symptoms. More severe and life-threatening bronchiolitis is possible, although rare. The diagnosis of bronchiolar involvement is based on lung imaging and lung function tests; histological proof is usually not required. Treatment includes non-specific measures (bronchodilators, vaccination, rehabilitation), long-term macrolides and a corticosteroid and/or immunosuppressive trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 66-year-old female patient was referred to our hospital for resection of a right atrial mass. Four months earlier, she had suffered an acute cerebrovascular accident due to occlusion of the sylvian segment of the right middle cerebral artery from atheromatous tight stenosis in the right internal carotid artery. Later, investigations with transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a 3.4-cm right atrial mass that was resected surgically. Microscopic evaluation revealed a well-circumscribed nodular tumor, located within the interatrial septum, and corresponding to an angioleiomyoma (ALM). This tumor differs histologically from atrial myxoma. ALM is a ubiquitous benign tumor but has never been reported to occur in the atrium. ALM can mimic cardiac myxoma and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of atrial tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Strong Discontinuity Approach (SDA) is a popular method to incorporate cracks as displacement discontinuities into finite elements. In the first part of the paper, different SDA formulations (denoted as SOS, KOS and SKON) are assessed numerically based upon different error norms including a norm to evaluate the variational consistency of SDA elements. Results are compared with analytical solutions as well as with results from interface elements and the element erosion technique for cohesionless cracks. In the second part of the paper, a new method to improve the computational robustness of SDA analyses is proposed. In addition to using arc-length control to solve the nonlinear equation system, a sequential un- and reloading scheme is proposed with the crack state frozen during unloading to avoid, that more than one new crack segment is activated within an increment. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated by numerical analyses of a tension test on a dog-bone shaped specimen by means of different variants of the SDA and, for comparison, also using interface elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mathematical model to simulate the performance of enzymatic membrane reactors was developed. It was applied to investigate the effectiveness of laccase immobilized over ceramic membranes for the degradation of tetracycline, a common antibiotic appearing as micropollutant in effluents of WWTPs. A process based on large-scale enzymatic membrane reactors in series was proposed for the treatment of the effluents from municipal, hospital and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The obtained results demonstrated the need for high improvements in the amount of enzyme grafted on the membranes or on enzymatic kinetics to afford the technical and economic competitiveness of the investigated designs and the possibility to be implemented within existing installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the characterization of gelatin–ceramic membranes grafted with laccase from Trametes versicolor for the degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants. Tetracycline was chosen as a model substrate to confirm the optimization of the grafting protocol using two kinds of microfiltration membranes with pore diameters equal to 0.2 and 1.4 µm. The preparation of the enzymatic membranes was optimized by varying the concentrations of the enzyme and gelatin solutions used as well as by measurement of active support permeability. An immunogold labeling method coupled with scanning electron microscopy was applied for a first time to determine the spatial distribution of enzymes on the membranes. The amount and distribution of the grafted enzymes were then correlated with the tetracycline depletion observed with the enzymatic membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]