The present work studies the changes occurring in organic matter, phenols and biotoxicity on composting olive mill wastewater with barley straw. The total organic matter decreased, a drop of 25% was ...reached after the stabilization phase and 52% at the end of the maturation phase. Degradation of the phenols reached 54% and 95%, respectively, after these periods. The toxicity of the water extract, evaluated by the
Photobacterium phosphoreum fluorescence, decreased to disappear after only 2 months of composting. This trend was confirmed by the tight correlation between the physico-chemical and toxicity parameters, indicating that the degradation of organic matter leads to a strong reduction of the C/N ratio and of toxicity. The results obtained indicate a normal process of humification occurring during the composting of the formerly highly toxic olive mill wastewater–straw mixture and resulting in a product, which has good agricultural properties as organic fertilizer.
A clear picture of animal relationships is a prerequisite to understand how the morphological and ecological diversity of animals evolved over time. Among others, the placement of the acoelomorph ...flatworms, Acoela and Nemertodermatida, has fundamental implications for the origin and evolution of various animal organ systems. Their position, however, has been inconsistent in phylogenetic studies using one or several genes. Furthermore, Acoela has been among the least stable taxa in recent animal phylogenomic analyses, which simultaneously examine many genes from many species, while Nemertodermatida has not been sampled in any phylogenomic study. New sequence data are presented here from organisms targeted for their instability or lack of representation in prior analyses, and are analysed in combination with other publicly available data. We also designed new automated explicit methods for identifying and selecting common genes across different species, and developed highly optimized supercomputing tools to reconstruct relationships from gene sequences. The results of the work corroborate several recently established findings about animal relationships and provide new support for the placement of other groups. These new data and methods strongly uphold previous suggestions that Acoelomorpha is sister clade to all other bilaterian animals, find diminishing evidence for the placement of the enigmatic Xenoturbella within Deuterostomia, and place Cycliophora with Entoprocta and Ectoprocta. The work highlights the implications that these arrangements have for metazoan evolution and permits a clearer picture of ancestral morphologies and life histories in the deep past.
The identification of parasites in ancient human faeces is compromised by differential preservation of identifiable parasite structures. However, protein molecules can survive the damage of the ...environment and can be detected even after centuries. In this paper it is shown that is possible to detect copro-antigen of
Entamoeba histolytica in historic and prehistoric human faecal remains, using a commercially available enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) kit. The kit uses monoclonal antibody-peroxidase conjugate specific for
E.
histolytica adhesin. A total of 90 specimens of desiccated faeces found in mummies and ancient organic sediment from South America, North America, Africa, and Europe were examined. The ELISA detected 20 positive samples, dated to about 5300 years before present to the 19th Century
ad. The positive samples are from archaeological sites in Argentina, USA, France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The detection of protozoan antigen using immunoassays is a reliable tool for the studies of intestinal parasites in the past.
Candida nivariensis is a cryptic fungal species classified within the Candida glabrata complex. It was described for the first time in 2005 by the means of DNA sequencing. We report a rare case of C. ...nivariensis deep-seated infection occurring in a 77-year-old man hospitalized for cysto-prostatectomy. Phenotypic testing based on the direct examination and the macroscopic features of the in vitro culture initially suggested C. glabrata species, while MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry enables correct identification. The isolate was found resistant to fluconazole, like in almost 20% of the reported cases. Herein, we present our practical strategy to reliably characterize this rare cryptic species. To date, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry-based analysis showed very good results for such a purpose.
We describe herein how we practically proceeded to definitively identify the first C.auris strain isolated in France from a 58 year-old-Lebanese man who was hospitalized for liver transplantation ...because of severe cirrhosis, and how we implemented adequate means for controlling its widespreading.
For the performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal, it is critical to predict the mobility of radionuclides in the geological barrier that hosts it. A key challenge consists of assessing ...the transferability of current knowledge on the retention properties deduced from model systems to in natura situations. The case of the redox-sensitive element uranium in the Callovo-Oxfordian clay formation (COx) is presented herein. Extensive experimental work was carried out with respect to parameters affecting uranium speciation (pH, PCO2, Ca and redox potential) with illite, COx clay fraction and raw COx claystone. The “bottom-up” approach implemented, with illite and montmorillonite as reactive phases, quantitatively explains the adsorption results of U(VI) and U(IV) on COx. While retention is high for U(IV) (Rd∼104 L kg−1), it remains very low for U(VI) (Rd∼4 L kg−1) due to the formation of soluble ternary Ca(Mg)–U(VI)-carbonate complexes. The applicability of the sorption model was then assessed by comparing predictive analyses with data characterizing the behavior of naturally-occurring U (<3 mg kg−1). The COx clay phase is the largest reservoir of naturally-occurring U (∼65%) but only a small fraction appears to be adsorbed (∼1%). Under representative site conditions (especially with respect to reducing conditions), we have concluded that ternary U(VI) complexes control U speciation in solution while U(IV) surface species dominate U adsorption, with Rd values > 70 L kg−1.
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•The challenge of this work lies in linking the model system to the natural system.•A model is used to describe the reactivity of U(VI) and U(VI) with respect to COx.•Only ∼1% of naturally-occurring U is adsorbed on the COx clay fraction.•U(VI) complexes dominate in solution while U(IV) surface species control U adsorption.
Essentials
Platelet extracellular vesicles (EVs) concentrations measured by flow cytometers are incomparable.
A model is applied to convert ambiguous scatter units to EV diameter in nanometer.
Most ...included flow cytometers lack the sensitivity to detect EVs of 600 nm and smaller.
The model outperforms polystyrene beads for comparability of platelet EV concentrations.
Summary
Background
Detection of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by flow cytometry has poor interlaboratory comparability, owing to differences in flow cytometer (FCM) sensitivity. Previous workshops distributed polystyrene beads to set a scatter‐based diameter gate in order to improve the comparability of EV concentration measurements. However, polystyrene beads provide limited insights into the diameter of detected EVs.
Objectives
To evaluate gates based on the estimated diameter of EVs instead of beads.
Methods
A calibration bead mixture and platelet EV samples were distributed to 33 participants. Beads and a light scattering model were used to set EV diameter gates in order to measure the concentration of CD61–phycoerythrin‐positive platelet EVs.
Results
Of the 46 evaluated FCMs, 21 FCMs detected the 600–1200‐nm EV diameter gate. The 1200–3000‐nm EV diameter gate was detected by 31 FCMs, with a measured EV concentration interlaboratory variability of 81% as compared with 139% with the bead diameter gate. Part of the variation in both approaches is caused by precipitation in some of the provided platelet EV samples. Flow rate calibration proved essential because systems configured to 60 μL min−1 differed six‐fold in measured flow rates between instruments. Conclusions
EV diameter gates improve the interlaboratory variability as compared with previous approaches. Of the evaluated FCMs, 24% could not detect 400‐nm polystyrene beads, and such instruments have limited utility for EV research. Finally, considerable differences were observed in sensitivity between optically similar instruments, indicating that maintenance and training affect the sensitivity.
The main objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of a set of three Mucorales quantitative PCR assays in a retrospective multicentre study. Mucormycosis cases were recorded ...thanks to the French prospective surveillance programme (RESSIF network). The day of sampling of the first histological or mycological positive specimen was defined as day 0 (D0). Detection of circulating DNA was performed on frozen serum samples collected from D–30 to D30, using quantitative PCR assays targeting Rhizomucor, Lichtheimia, Mucor/Rhizopus. Forty-four patients diagnosed with probable (n = 19) or proven (n = 25) mucormycosis were included. Thirty-six of the 44 patients (81%) had at least one PCR-positive serum. The first PCR-positive sample was observed 9 days (range 0–28 days) before diagnosis was made using mycological criteria and at least 2 days (range 0–24 days) before imaging. The identifications provided with the quantitative PCR assays were all concordant with culture and/or PCR-based identification of the causal species. Survival rate at D84 was significantly higher for patients with an initially positive PCR that became negative after treatment initiation than for patients whose PCR remained positive (48% and 4%, respectively; p <10−6). The median time for complete negativity of PCR was 7 days (range 3–19 days) after initiation of l-AmB treatment. Despite some limitations due to the retrospective design of the study, we showed that Mucorales quantitative PCR could not only confirm the mucormycosis diagnosis when other mycological arguments were present but could also anticipate this diagnosis. Quantification of DNA loads may also be a useful adjunct to treatment monitoring.
Polyamide 12 (PA12) nanocomposites based on halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were obtained using a batch internal mixer or a twin-screw mini-compounder. In order to analyze the influence of HNTs ...dispersion on nanocomposite properties, morphological analysis (SEM and TEM) was combined with rheological and thermo-mechanical experiments. The linear viscoelastic properties and the dynamic storage modulus were expectedly found to increase with increasing HNT loading. Higher enhancements were observed for PA12/HNTs nanocomposites obtained by twin-screw mini-compounding. This finding was related to the better degree of dispersion and alignment of the silicate nanotubes throughout the matrix. Thermal stability was also improved by the halloysite nanotubes presumably by an entrapment mechanism of the volatile products inside the hollow tubular structure. DSC measurements further highlighted a nucleation effect of HNTs on the nanocomposites. In view of these results, halloysite nanotubes are promising candidates in the field of PA nanocomposites for structural applications.
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