Catalytic gasification of biomass (Miscanthus) enhanced by CO2 sorption.

The main objective of this work concerns the coupling of biomass gasification reaction and CO2 sorption. The study shows the feasibility to promote biomass steam gasification in a dense fluidized bed reactor with CO2 sorption to enhance tar removal and hydrogen production. It also proves the efficiency of CaO-Ca12Al14O33/olivine bi-functional materials to reduce heavy tar production. Experiments have been carried out in a fluidized bed gasifier using steam as the fluidizing medium to improve hydrogen production. Bed materials consisting of CaO-based oxide for CO2 sorption (CaO-Ca12Al14O33) deposited on olivine for tar reduction were synthesized, their structural and textural properties were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) methods, and the determination of their sorption capacity and stability analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It appears that this CaO-Ca12Al14O33/olivine sorbent/catalyst presents a good CO2 sorption stability (for seven cycles of carbonation/decarbonation). Compared to olivine and Fe/olivine in a fixed bed reactor for steam reforming of toluene chosen as tar model compound, it shows a better hydrogen production rate and a lower CO2 selectivity due to its sorption on the CaO phase. In the biomass steam gasification, the use of CaO-Ca12Al14O33/olivine as bed material at 700 °C leads to a higher H2 production than olivine at 800 °C thanks to CO2 sorption. Similar tar concentration and lighter tar production (analyzed by HPLC/UV) are observed. At 700 °C, sorbent addition allows to halve tar content and to eliminate the heaviest tars.

The importance of serological assays in diagnosing acute pulmonary histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by inhalation of Histoplasma capsulatum microconidia. The disease does not normally affect immunocompetent individuals after a single, transient inhalation exposure. However, longer exposure may cause chronic or disseminated acute pulmonary infection. Herein, we report the case of a 24-year-old immunocompetent patient, who presented fever, cough and dyspnea for one month. The chest radiography revealed interstitial infiltrate and diffuse micronodules. The patient reported having had close and prolonged contact with bats. Diagnosis was confirmed by positive double immunodifusion and immunoblotting assays. She was treated with ketoconazole (400 mg) and there was complete resolution of the disease.

Use of immunoblotting assay improves the sensitivity of paracoccidioidomycosis diagnosis

The purpose of this work was to evaluate two serological assays: double immunodiffusion (DI) and immunoblotting (IB) in immunodiagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). We evaluated by IB assay 23 sera samples from patients with clinical confirmation of PCM, all of them with negative DI results against culture filtrate from Paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolate 113. For IB, as well as for comparative DI assay, we employed soluble components of the cell wall outer surface (SCCWOS) from P. brasiliensis isolate 113 cultivated at 36°C in Fava-Neto's agar medium for 5 and 10 days. Among the 20 sera samples analyzed by DI, 13 (65 percent) were negative and 7 (35 percent) were positive against SCCWOS obtained on the 5th and 10th days. By IB assay, 95.4 percent and 100 percent of sera reacted against gp43 and gp70 present in SCCWOS from the 5th day and 95.6 percent recognized these fractions when evaluated against SCCWOS from the 10th day. Our results demonstrated that the use of an immunoenzymatic assay significantly improves the sensitivity of PCM immunodiagnosis and also suggests that at least two serological tests for antibody detection should be adopted in cases of questionable diagnosis.

Gut-associated bacterial microbiota in paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and experimental observations in animal models indicate that intestinal commensal bacteria are involved in the initiation and amplification of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). No paediatric reports are available on intestinal endogenous microflora in IBD. AIMS: To investigate and characterise the predominant composition of the mucosa-associated intestinal microflora in colonoscopic biopsy specimens of paediatric patients with newly diagnosed IBD. METHODS: Mucosa-associated bacteria were quantified and isolated from biopsy specimens of the ileum, caecum and rectum obtained at colonoscopy in 12 patients with Crohn's disease, 7 with ulcerative colitis, 6 with indeterminate colitis, 10 with lymphonodular hyperplasia of the distal ileum and in 7 controls. Isolation and characterisation were carried out by conventional culture techniques for aerobic and facultative-anaerobic microorganisms, and molecular analysis (16S rRNA-based amplification and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays) for the detection of anaerobic bacterial groups or species. RESULTS: A higher number of mucosa-associated aerobic and facultative-anaerobic bacteria were found in biopsy specimens of children with IBD than in controls. An overall decrease in some bacterial species or groups belonging to the normal anaerobic intestinal flora was suggested by molecular approaches; in particular, occurrence of Bacteroides vulgatus was low in Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis specimens. CONCLUSION: This is the first paediatric report investigating the intestinal mucosa-associated microflora in patients of the IBD spectrum. These results, although limited by the sample size, allow a better understanding of changes in mucosa-associated bacterial flora in these patients, showing either a predominance of some potentially harmful bacterial groups or a decrease in beneficial bacterial species. These data underline the central role of mucosa-adherent bacteria in IBD.

Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreaks during a third generation cephalosporin restriction policy.

In spite of the adoption of third generation cephalosporin restriction policies, two independent outbreaks by Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae occurred in two different wards (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, NICU and Neurosurgery) of a teaching hospital in Rome, Italy. In the former 19 infected neonates were reported, whereas in the latter there were 10 infected patients. In both wards no differences were observed in the mortality rates in periods of outbreak and those with no outbreak. Molecular typing on a total of 19 isolated strains was carried out and restriction patterns were compared. The PFGE showed that nine isolates responsible for infection in the NICU were all included in three closely related clusters. In Neurosurgery nine strains out of ten were strictly related and part of an outbreak occurring between August-December 2003, while one isolate was temporarily (February 2003) and genetically (seven band differences) unrelated to the outbreak strains. When ESBL producing K. pneumoniae clusters from the two wards (NICU vs Neurosurgery) were compared, they appeared to be completely different both for their genotype pattern and plasmid type or presence, thus demonstrating cross transmission by two different genotypes.

Influencia do controle glicemico na hiperlipemia de mulheres diabeticas (tipo II) / Influency of hyperlipidemia in diabetics women (type II)

Estudamos os niveis sericos de glicose, HbA1c, alfa2 e beta globulinas em 46 mulheres entre 51 e 70 anos, para observar sua correlacao com o perfil lipidico no diabetes mellitus nao insulino dependente, para tentar estabelecer uma associacao entre a hiperlipemia e o controle glicemico inadequado. Dentre os parametros estudados o colesterol total, o HDL-colesterol e os triglicerides se correlacionaram positivamente com a glicemia e as proteinas glicadas nas diabeticas tipo II, o que pode ressaltar o efeito da hiperglicemia no metabolismo lipidico. No nosso estudo houve uma diminuicao de 20 por cento nos niveis de HDL-Col. nas mulheres diabeticas quando comparadas com o grupo controle nao diabetico. Este decrescimo se acentua com a obesidade. Estas diabeticas apresentaram um nivel pouco alterado de colesterol total, com media geral de 243 mg/dl com um risco maior para os problemas cardiovasculares. Observamos tambem um aumento de 2 vezes a media dos niveis de triglicerides, quando comparados com a populacao controle de mesmo sexo, idade e peso semelhantes