The treatment of animal slurry is used to improve management on a farm scale. The aim of this laboratory study was to assess the effects of the addition of the additives biochar, alum and ...clinoptilolite before the mechanical separation of whole pig slurry (WS) on the characteristics and emission of NH3, N2O, CO2 and CH4 from solid (SF) and liquid fractions (LF). The additives were mixed with WS (5% w/w), followed by separation, in a total of 12 treatments with 3 replicates, including the controls and WS with additives. Gaseous emissions were measured for 30 d by a photoacoustic multigas monitor, and initial characteristics of the slurries were assessed. The results indicated that the separation of the WS modified the initial physicochemical characteristics and increased the GWP emissions of the SF and LF, but not the NH3 losses. However, the addition of additives before separation increased the nutrient value and reduced the GWP emissions from the SF and LF. Additionally, just the additive alum was effective in the reduction of E. coli. The additives led to significant reductions in NH3 and N2O emissions, with higher reductions in NH3 losses for alum (51% for NH3) and similar N2O losses for all additives (70% for N2O) observed, whereas the CO2 and CH4 emissions were reduced by biochar (25% for CO2 and 50% for CH4) and alum (33% for CO2 and 30% for CH4) but not by clinoptilolite. Although the additives had a positive effect on slurry management, it can be concluded that the addition of alum before mechanical separation has the potential to be the best mitigation measure because it improves the nutrient content and sanitation and decreases gaseous losses from slurry management.
Abstract
Context
Acquired generalized lipodystrophy (AGL), a rare disorder characterized by loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, is estimated to occur in association with autoimmune diseases in ~25% ...of the cases. Common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) is a condition known for its strong association with autoimmune diseases often occurring with negative autoantibodies. To the best of our knowledge, we describe the first known case of AGL in a patient with CVI.
Case Description
A 24-year-old man was referred to our center with hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hepatomegaly, and a clear pattern of generalized fat loss. AGL had been diagnosed on the basis of the clinical and laboratory findings. Because of the presence of associated hypogammaglobulinemia, a diagnosis of CVI was subsequently established.
Conclusions
We propose that AGL be added to the list of possible diseases associated with CVI and, owing to the similar clinical presentation with type 1 diabetes mellitus, be included in the differential diagnosis of this condition, which is present in 1.5% of patients with CVI.
To our knowledge, ours is the first case report of acquired generalized lipodystrophy in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency, a condition associated with a variety of autoimmune disorders.
The best-known etiologies of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia are insulinoma, non-insulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemic syndrome, autoimmune processes, and factitious hypoglycemia. In 2009, a disease ...not associated with classic genetic syndromes and characterized by the presence of multiple pancreatic lesions was described and named insulinomatosis. We present the clinical and pathologic features of four patients with the diagnosis of insulinomatosis, aggregated new clinical data, reviewed extensively the literature, and illustrated the nature and evolution of this recently recognized disease. One of our patients had isolated (without fasting hypoglycemia) postprandial hypoglycemia, an occurrence not previously reported in the literature. Furthermore, we reported the second case presenting malignant disease. All of them had persistent/recurrent hypoglycemia after the first surgery even with pathology confirming the presence of a positive insulin neuroendocrine tumor. In the literature review, 27 sporadic insulinomatosis cases were compiled. All of them had episodes of fasting hypoglycemia except one of our patients. Only two patients had malignant disease, and one of them was from our series. The suspicion of insulinomatosis can be raised before surgery in patients without genetic syndromes, with multiple tumors in the topographic investigation and in those who had persistent or recurrent hypoglycemia after surgical removal of one or more tumors. The definitive diagnosis is established by histology and immunohistochemistry and requires examination of the "macroscopically normal pancreas." Our case series reinforces the marked predominance in women, the high frequency of recurrent hypoglycemia, and consequently, a definitive poor response to the usual surgical treatment.
ABSTRACT
This study describes the synthesis of three new tetra‐ and octa‐thio‐pyridinium phthalocyanine derivatives. PSs 3a and 4a were prepared from the tetramerization of phthalonitriles 1 and 2, ...respectively, whereas PS 5 was prepared from the nucleophilic substitution of the 8 beta fluor atoms of hexadecafluorophthalocyaninatozinc(II) by mercaptopyridine, followed by cationization. The recombinant bioluminescent Escherichia coli strain was used to assess, in real time, the photoinactivation efficiency of these cationic phthalocyanines, under white and red light. The cellular localization and uptake were also determined to assess the potential of the new phthalocyanines as antibacterial agents. Derivative 3a was the most effective PS, causing a 5 logs reduction in bioluminescence after 30 min of irradiation under white or red lights. The photoinactivation efficiency of the phthalocyanine 4a was similar (5 logs reduction in bioluminescence) to that of 3a when irradiated with white light, but the efficiency of inactivation was reduced (2.1 logs reduction in bioluminescence) under red light. The tetra‐substituted phthalocyanine 3a also generates high amounts of singlet oxygen, does not aggregate in PBS and is highly fluorescent, which makes it an effective PS and a promising fluorescent labeling.
Three new cationic thio‐pyridinium phthalocyanines (3a–5a) were prepared and their potential as photosensitizers (PSs) was determined against Escherichia coli. Derivative 3a was the most effective PS, causing a 5 logs reduction in bioluminescence under white or red lights.
Naturally occurring activating mutations in the human LH receptor
(hLHR) gene are the cause of sporadic or familial male
gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty. We have previously
reported three ...different activating mutations of the hLHR gene in four
unrelated Brazilian boys with male-limited precocious puberty. In the
current study, we examined three other Brazilian boys, two brothers and
one unrelated boy, with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty.
Direct sequencing of the entire exon 11 of the hLHR gene in the two
brothers revealed a heterozygous substitution of T for C at nucleotide
1103, resulting in the substitution of leucine at position 368 by
proline in the first transmembrane helix. Their mother carried the same
mutation, establishing the familial nature of this mutation. Human
embryonic 293 cells expressing hLHR(L368P) bound hCG with the same high
affinity as cells expressing the wild-type hLHR. Cells expressing the
novel L368P mutation displayed up to a 12-fold increase in basal cAMP
production compared with cells expressing the same number of cell
surface wild-type hLHR, indicating constitutive activation of the
mutant receptor. In addition, the cAMP levels in cells expressing the
hLHR mutant were further augmented by hCG. Molecular dynamics
simulations suggest that substitution of L368 of the hLHR by proline
results in lack of a salt bridge interaction between D405 and R464
(distance 9.0 Å vs. 4.7 Å in wild-type hLHR) as well
as by the opening of a crevice between the second and third
intracellular loops, which may allow G proteins greater accessibility.
These structural features were shared by other activating mutants of
the hLHR.
Sequencing of exon 11 of the hLHR gene of the unrelated boy
revealed that he carried a homozygous nucleotide substitution causing
an A568V mutation in the third cytoplasmic loop of the receptor. This
mutation was previously found in two unrelated Brazilian boys, but in
heterozygous state. Clinical and hormonal data of the patient with the
homozygous A568V were not different from those individuals with the
Ala568Val mutation in a heterozygous state. Furthermore, the phenotype
caused by dominant activating mutations of the hLHR gene are not
altered when both alleles carry a mutant sequence. Our studies show
that the A568V is the most frequent cause of male-limited precocious
puberty in Brazilian boys. Lastly, the identification of a novel
activating L368P mutation in the first transmembrane helix of two
Brazilian boys with familial male-limited precocious puberty provides
further insights into the mechanism of activation of the hLHR.
This prospective study presents the results of a new approach in the treatment of primary macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PMAH), with simultaneous total adrenalectomy of the larger adrenal gland ...and partial adrenalectomy of the contralateral adrenal gland (adrenal-sparing surgery).
We performed a prospective study including 17 patients with PMAH treated surgically with adrenal-sparing surgery in a tertiary referral hospital, with a median follow-up of 41 months. Clinical, hormonal, and genetic parameters were evaluated before surgery and during follow-up. All patients had at least 1 radiological examination before and after the procedure.
Among the 17 patients, all but 1 patient had complete hypercortisolism control, and 12 recovered normal adrenal function after surgery. Significant improvement in clinical parameters was observed: weight loss (
= .004); reduction of both systolic (
= .001) and diastolic (
= .001) blood pressure; and reduction in the number of antihypertensive drugs (
< .001). Intra-, peri-, and postoperative complications were not observed.
Adrenal-sparing surgery is a safe and feasible procedure to treat patients with PMAH, providing a substantial chance of hypercortisolism control without the disadvantages of lifetime corticosteroid replacement.
The early local exudative cellular reaction in an inflammatory lesion was impaired in alloxan-induced diabetic rats due to reduced migration of neutrophils to the inflamed area. Neutrophils, however, ...were capable of moving from reserve compartments into blood in these animals. Furthermore, the functional integrity of their surface membranes, assessed by the capacity of the cells to adhere to nylon fiber, was not altered by alloxan diabetes. An intrinsic cellular defect also did not occur, because the cells were capable of responding to chemotactic stimuli in the Boyden chamber system, provided they were suspended in Eagle's medium or normal serum. Suspended in the corresponding diabetic serum, a blockade of the chemotactic response was observed. Increasing concentrations of diabetic serum, added to a suspension containing neutrophils collected from normal donors, progressively inhibited the response of the cells to a chemotactic stimulus. Hyperglycemia alone or hyperosmolality secondary to hyperglycemia, the presence of ketone bodies, or a direct effect of alloxan did not explain the results. In addition, the capacity to generate chemotactic factors remained intact in diabetic serum. Pretreatment of the diabetic animals with insulin resulted in a gradual recovery of the chemotactic response in vivo and in vitro. We conclude that alloxan-induced diabetic rat serum contains a substance that inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis and that insulin administration is essential for the clearance of this substance from plasma.
The storage of animal manure is a major source of gaseous emissions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar and clinoptilolite on the composition and gaseous emissions during ...the storage of separated liquid fraction of pig slurry. The experiment was carried out using containers with 6 L of pig slurry each. The additives biochar and clinoptilolite were added alone and mixed to the pig slurry at a rate of 2.5% each, in a total of four treatments with three replicates including the control. Gaseous emissions were monitored by a photoacoustic multigas monitor, and slurry samples were collected at 0 and 85 days and their composition assessed. Results showed that the addition of biochar could modify the physicochemical properties of the slurry. The addition of biochar did not reduce the E. coli during the experiment while clinoptilolite decreased its prevalence. The addition of biochar or clinoptilolite reduced significantly the NH3 emission during the storage of slurry, but no advantages were gained with their combination. The addition of biochar significantly reduced the CO2 and CH4 emissions relative to clinoptilolite, however N2O emissions and global warming potential did not differ among the additives. We conclude that the biochar and clinoptilolite are recommended as a mitigation measure to reduce gaseous emissions and preserve the fertiliser value at slurry storage.
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