The conventional three-stage BCR sequential extraction method was employed for the fractionation of heavy metals in sewage sludge samples from an urban wastewater treatment plant and from an olive ...oil factory. The results obtained for Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn in these samples were compared with those attained by a simplified extraction procedure based on microwave single extractions and using the same reagents as employed in each individual BCR fraction. The microwave operating conditions in the single extractions (heating time and power) were optimized for all the metals studied in order to achieve an extraction efficiency similar to that of the conventional BCR procedure. The measurement of metals in the extracts was carried out by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The results obtained in the first and third fractions by the proposed procedure were, for all metals, in good agreement with those obtained using the BCR sequential method. Although in the reducible fraction the extraction efficiency of the accelerated procedure was inferior to that of the conventional method, the overall metals leached by both microwave single and sequential extractions were basically the same (recoveries between 90.09 and 103.7%), except for Zn in urban sewage sludges where an extraction efficiency of 87% was achieved. Chemometric analysis showed a good correlation between the results given by the two extraction methodologies compared. The application of the proposed approach to a certified reference material (CRM-601) also provided satisfactory results in the first and third fractions, as it was observed for the sludge samples analysed.
Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) defines a rare group of disorders whose common feature is resistance to the parathyroid hormone. Patients with PHP-Ia display additional hormone resistance, Albright ...hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) and reduced Gsalpha activity in easily accessible cells. This form of PHP is associated with heterozygous inactivating mutations in Gsalpha-coding exons of GNAS, an imprinted gene locus on chromosome 20q13.3. Patients with PHP-Ib typically have isolated parathyroid hormone resistance, lack AHO features and demonstrate normal erythrocyte Gsalpha activity. Instead of coding Gsalpha mutations, patients with PHP-Ib display imprinting defects of GNAS, caused, at least in some cases, by genetic mutations within or nearby this gene.
Two unrelated PHP families, each of which includes at least one patient with a Gsalpha coding mutation and another with GNAS loss of imprinting, are reported here.
One of the patients with GNAS imprinting defects has paternal uniparental isodisomy of chromosome 20q, explaining the observed imprinting abnormalities. The identified Gsalpha coding mutations include a tetranucleotide deletion in exon 7, which is frequently found in PHP-Ia, and a novel single nucleotide change at the acceptor splice junction of intron 11.
These molecular data reveal an interesting mixture, in the same family, of both genetic and epigenetic mutations of the same gene.
To determine the crude and sex- and age-adjusted prevalence rates of atherogenic dyslipidemia (AD) and low HDL-cholesterol levels (low-HDLc), and to assess their associations with cardiovascular risk ...factors, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases.
Population-based cross-sectional study conducted in Primary Care, with randomly selected adult subjects. The AD was considered if the patients had hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL) and low-HDLc (<40 mg/dL men; <50 mg/dL women). Crude and sex- and age-adjusted prevalence rates were determined, and univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to assess related cardiometabolic factors.
Study population with 6,588 adults (55.9% women) with mean age 55.1 (±17.5) years. The mean HDLc levels were 49.2 (±12.6) mg/dL in men and 59.2 (±14.7) mg/dL in women. The crude prevalence rates of low-HDLc and AD were 30.8% (95%CI: 29.7–31.9), and 14.3% (95%CI: 13.5–15.2), respectively. The adjusted prevalence rates of low-HDLc were 28.0% in men and 31.0% in women, and AD were 16.4% in men and 10.6% in women. Seventy-three percent of the population with AD had high or very high cardiovascular risk. The independent factors associated with low HDLc or with AD were diabetes, smoking, abdominal obesity, and obesity. The major factors associated with low HDLc and AD were hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes, respectively.
Almost a third of the adult population had low HDL-C and half of them met AD criteria. Cardiometabolic factors were associated with low HDL-C and AD, highlighting HTG with low HDLc, and DM with AD
Determinar las prevalencias ajustadas por edad y sexo de concentraciones bajas de colesterol HDL (cHDL-bajo) y de dislipidemia aterogénica (DA), y valorar sus asociaciones con factores de riesgo cardiovascular, enfermedad renal crónica, enfermedades cardiovasculares y cardiometabólicas.
Estudio observacional transversal de base poblacional realizado en Atención Primaria, con sujetos adultos seleccionados aleatoriamente. Se consideró DA si los pacientes tenían hipertrigliceridemia (triglicéridos ≥150 mg/dL) y cHDL-bajo (<40 mg/dL hombres; <50 mg/dL mujeres). Se determinaron las tasas de prevalencia crudas y ajustadas por edad y sexo, y se realizó análisis univariado y multivariante para evaluar los factores cardiometabólicos relacionados.
Población de estudio con 6.588 adultos (55,9% mujeres) con edad media 55,1 (±17,5) años. Las medias de cHDL fueron 49,2 (±12,6) mg/dL en hombres y 59,2 (±14,7) mg/dL en mujeres. Las prevalencias crudas de cHDL-bajo y de DA fueron 30,8% (IC95%: 29,7–31,9), y 14,3% (IC95%: 13,5–15,2), respectivamente. Las prevalencias ajustadas de cHDL-bajo fueron 28,0% en hombres y 31,0% en mujeres, y de DA fueron 16,4% en hombres y 10,6% en mujeres. El 73% de la población con DA tenía riesgo cardiovascular alto o muy alto. Los factores independientes asociados con cHDL-bajo o con DA fueron diabetes, tabaquismo, obesidad abdominal y obesidad. Los principales factores asociados con cHDL-bajo y con DA fueron hipertrigliceridemia y diabetes, respectivamente.
Casi un tercio de la población adulta presentaba cHDL-bajo y la mitad de ellos cumplía criterios de DA. Los factores cardiometabólicos se asociaban con cHDL-bajo y DA, destacando la HTG con el cHDL-bajo, y la DM con la DA.
Background: Arthrosis has a huge impact due to its consequences on suffering and function loss and because it damages the well-being and the physical, emotional and social aspects of Health-Related ...Quality of Life. Our objective was to assess the influence of Knee Osteoarthritis and Total Knee Arthroplasty on the perception of the patients with regard to their quality of life, before and after the intervention. Method: We carried out a quasi-experimental intervention study with a before and after design in a sample of 125 patients with knee osteoarthritis who were assessed before and after the operation. They all were operated by the same orthopedic surgeon and with the same type of total knee arthroplasty between the year 2008 and 2012. The Health-Related Quality of Life was assessed with the questionnaire SF-36. Results: We have observed that knee osteoarthritis significantly affects all the dimensions of Health-Related Quality of Life before the operation and that all the dimensions included in the SF-36 show a clinical improvement after the intervention with total knee arthroplasty. When the results of the different scales of quality of life from the SF-36 are compared between the patients in our study and the general population in Spain, only Social Functioning is lower, while five dimensions show similar levels and two of them, Role-Emotional and Mental Health, show an improvement. Therefore, we can state that the operation of total knee arthroplasty significantly improves Health-Related Quality of Life in all its dimensions and components, except for Physical Functioning and Role-Physical, although they also improve over time after the operation. Conclusion: Total knee arthroplasty is justified according to the perception of clinical improvement and the improvement of Health-Related Quality of Life reported by the patients.
Anisakis simplex is a fish parasite that, when accidentally ingested by humans, may cause allergic reactions in sensitized individuals. The main objectives of our study were to: (1) construct a cDNA ...expression library of A. simplex; (2) identify clones producing specific IgE binding protein antigens, and (3) produce and purify the protein/s codified by the isolated clones produced in Escherichia coli.
An expression cDNA library from the third stage larvae (L3) of A. simplex was constructed. This library was first screened with a rabbit anti A. simplex hyperimmune serum. The positive clones, identified using the rabbit serum, were rescreened with a pool of human sera containing high titers of IgE antibodies against A. simplex.
Two positive clones were isolated carrying the genes which codify for paramyosin. The paramyosin protein was produced in E. coli and purified. The partial sequence of a second paramyosin gene was also identified. The frequency of specific IgE binding to the recombinant and native forms of paramyosin using the sera of 26 A. simplex-sensitive individuals was 23 and 88%, respectively. Both paramyosins were able to inhibit 11% of the specific IgE binding to a total extract.
We describe the primary structure of a paramyosin of A. simplex. It can be considered as an allergen based on its IgE binding capacity. We suggest that the recombinant protein does not maintain the complete allergenic properties of the native paramyosin, considering its lower IgE binding capacity of the recombinant protein. However, both proteins have the same specific IgE inhibition capacity. The recombinant protein can be produced in large quantities in E. coli. We propose the term Ani s 2 for this allergen.
We used data collected at >60 stations over a 10 yr period to build the carbon budget of the plankton community in the euphotic layer of the Eastern North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (NASE). ...Autotrophic biomass exceeded microbial heterotrophic biomass by a factor of 1.7. Mean (+/-SE), integrated chlorophyll a concentration and net particulate primary production (PP) were 17 +/- 1 mg m super(-2) and 271 +/- 29 mgC m super(-2) d super(-1), respectively. Protist grazing on phytoplankton represented >90% of PP. Bacterial production (BP) was 17 +/- 3 mgC m super(-2) d super(-1). In vitro O sub(2)-evolution experiments indicated that net community production was -65 +/- 16 mmolO sub(2) m super(-2) d super(-1), while community respiration (CR) averaged 124 +/- 13 mmolO sub(2) m super(-2) d super(-1), equivalent to 1324 +/- 142 mgC m super(-2) d super(-1). However, the sum of the respiration rates by each microbial group, estimated from their biomass and metabolic rates, ranged from 402 to 848 mgC m super(-2) d super(-1). Therefore, CR could not be reconciled with the respiratory fluxes sustained by each microbial group. Comparison between estimated gross photosynthesis by phytoplankton (481 to 616 mgC m super(-2) d super(-1)) and the sum of respiration by each group suggests that the microbial community in the NASE province is close to metabolic balance, which would agree with the observed O sub(2) supersaturation in the euphotic layer. Taking into account the mean open-ocean values for PP, BP, CR and bacterial growth efficiency, we show that bacteria account for approximately 20% of CR. Our results suggest that the view that bacteria dominate carbon cycling in the unproductive ocean must be reconsidered, or else that in vitro incubations misrepresent the real metabolic rates of one or several microbial groups.
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