Functionalised alginate flow seeding microparticles for use in Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV).

Alginate microparticles as flow seeding fulfil all the requirements that are recommended for the velocity measurements in Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). These spherical microparticles offer the advantage of being environmentally friendly, having excellent seeding properties and they can be produced via a very simple process. In the present study, the performances of alginate microparticles functionalised with a fluorescent dye, Rhodamine B (RhB), for PIV have been studied. The efficacy of fluorescence is appreciated in a number of PIV applications since it can boost the signal-to-noise ratio. Alginate microparticles functionalised with RhB have high emission efficiency, desirable match with fluid density and controlled size. The study of the particles behaviour in strong acid and basic solutions and ammonia is also included. This type of particles can be used for measurements with PIV and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) simultaneously, including acid-base reactions.

Influence of temperature on the partial nitritation of reject water in a granular sequencing batch reactor.

Two Granular Sequencing Batch Reactors were operated to perform partial nitrification of sludge reject water at different temperatures, from 25-41 degrees C. Every temperature was fixed for about a month in order to evaluate the nitritation rate, morphological features of aggregates and bacterial populations. The optimum temperature was found between 33 and 37 degrees C in terms of nitritation rate. Morphological features of granules did not show significant changes with temperature in the range between 28 and 37 degrees C; Feret diameter remained at 5.8 +/- 0.7mm and roundness was 0.76 +/- 0.02. Lower temperatures promoted the appearance of filamentous bacteria, leading to an increase of the sludge volume index (SVI) and a consequent reduction of biomass concentration. When the temperature was increased to 39 degrees C, more than the 80% of aggregates showed a diameter higher than 6mm but density decreased from 28 to 19 g VSS L(-1), resulting in an increase of the SVI from 33 to 80 mL g(-1). The establishment of 41 degrees C caused a rapid destabilization of the system and nitritation activity disappeared. Bacterial populations did not experience significant changes during the experimental period and Nitrosomonas was the dominant species at all the temperatures assayed.

Successful treatment of interstitial pneumonitis with anakinra in a patient with adult-onset Still's disease.

A 29-year-old African woman with active adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) that developed at the end of 2018 presented to our hospital in September 2019 with pleuritic right-sided pain and respiratory insufficiency of almost a month's duration, which had failed to respond to high-dose corticosteroid and antibiotic treatment. A thoracic CT revealed right pleural effusion, multiple consolidations and pulmonary collapse. Besides pulmonary symptoms, the patient had arthralgia, fever, a salmon-coloured rash, leucocytosis and rising inflammatory markers. After an AOSD flare diagnosis was established, intravenous methylprednisolone and painkillers were administered. Due to the severity of the pleural effusion and the lack of response to previous treatments, subcutaneous anakinra was started. Two days after the first dose the patient had almost fully recovered. The success of this case points out the potential effectiveness of anakinra in the prevention of a pulmonary failure and the treatment of a severe intermittent polycyclic pattern of AOSD.