Optimization of simultaneous removal of Cr (VI) and phenol by a native bacterial consortium: its use for bioaugmentation of co-polluted effluents.

AIMS: This study was designed to isolate, identify and characterize micro-organisms or mixed cultures capable of simultaneously removing Cr (VI) and phenol in the surrounding area of a tannery localized in Elena, Córdoba, Argentina. In addition, nutritional and physical factors were optimized in order to improve the removal efficiency in a real effluent. METHODS AND RESULTS: The consortium SFC 500-1, composed of two bacterial strains belonging to Acinetobacter and Bacillus genus, was isolated from the heavily polluted wastewater discharge channel of a local tannery. SFC 500-1 was able to remove phenol at environmentally relevant concentrations (1000 mg l(-1) ) and reduce Cr (VI) to Cr (III), which was immobilized in the bacterial biomass. The consortium simultaneously removed these contaminants under a wide range of physicochemical conditions and different growth media, even in a tannery effluent. CONCLUSION: The ability of SFC 500-1 to simultaneously reduce Cr (VI) and degrade phenol in different synthetic growth media and even in the effluent from which it was isolated with high efficiency makes this consortium a potential candidate for the biotreatment of effluents. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This finding is important, taking into account that industrial effluents present complex mixtures of toxic substances as well as native flora which often affect the bioremediation process. Considering the ecological advantages of using native bacteria for bioremediation, as well as the high efficiency of the consortium SFC 500-1 to simultaneously remove Cr (VI) and phenol, this could be a suitable biological system to improve the biotreatment of polluted effluents through a bioaugmentation strategy.

Congenital microgastria and primary ciliary dyskinesia in a newborn with DiGeorge syndrome and 22q11.2 deletion.

BACKGROUND: Congenital microgastria is an uncommon result of impairment of normal foregut development and rotation during early embryology. Only about 50 cases have been reported in the literature, mostly associated with other multiple congenital anomalies. CASE REPORT: The case of a female newborn with multiple abnormalities, including cardiovascular malformation (type I truncus arteriosus communis) with deletion of chromosome 22q11.2, severe immunodeficiency (DiGeorge syndrome), microgastria, and impaired mucociliary function (primary ciliary dyskinesia) is reported. CONCLUSIONS: An association between the deletion of chromosome 22q11.2, microgastria, and impaired mucociliary function has never been observed before. A casual association seems highly unlikely and we can not exclude the possibility of genetic mechanisms that may link those syndromes.

Unrelated allogeneic bone marrow donation: short- and long-term follow-up of 103 consecutive volunteer donors.

Between 1992 and 1999, 105 unrelated allogeneic bone marrow collections from 103 volunteer donors (65 males and 38 females; median age 33 years) were carried out in three northern Italian centers (Verona, Bolzano and Padova) affiliated with the Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (IBMDR). The average volume of BM collected was equivalent in both genders (1143.1 ml for males and 1054.2 ml for females; P = 0.1), although the average volume collected for unit of body weight and the average post-collection blood volume depletion was higher in females (respectively 17.1 ml/kg and 14.2% in females, 14.8 ml/kg and 12% in males; P= 0.01 and 0.03). There was no statistically significant difference between males and females in the total number of nucleated cells collected. We did not record any acute life-threatening event during or after the bone marrow collections. The most frequent complaint was pain at the collection site (77%) followed by the onset of fatigue (38%) and nausea and vomiting (25%); all of these were short-term problems. Hospitalization was short (average 20.2 h) and donors started their normal daily activities after an average of 5.4 days. We also monitored Hb, serum ferritin levels, WBC and platelet counts in the post-collection period (average follow-up 40.1 months). All donors signed a written informed consent for a further bone marrow collection, if needed. Our findings confirm the short- and long-term safety of allogeneic bone marrow collection in volunteer donors.

Peroxidases from cell suspension cultures of Brassica napus.

Cell suspension cultures of Brassica napus were obtained under different hormonal conditions, using 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and kinetin as growth regulators. They were analyzed as a culture system for peroxidase production in vitro to avoid many of the problems that affect the production from field-grown roots. Total peroxidase specific activities reached a maximum at the end of exponential growth phase of the cultures. Cultures obtained with 4 mg/l of 2,4-D an without kinetin or with 1 mg/l of 2,4-D and the same amount of kinetin produced twice the total activity of root extracts and, in addition, they released peroxidases to the culture medium, which would be advantageous for the commercial production of the enzyme. Peroxidase patterns, obtained by isoelectric focusing of cell extracts and of culture medium of cell suspension cultures, differed from those of root crude extracts from field-grown plants with additional bands of higher isoelectric points. These cultures showed interesting properties and could be considered an alternative source of peroxidases for commercial production and/or to be applied as a model for physiological research.

Amniotic band syndrome: a case report.

Amniotic band syndrome is an uncommon congenital pathological condition that may lead to malformations and foetal-infant death. We report an autoptic case. The patient was a male preterm infant. At 14 weeks of gestation, a routine ultrasonography showed severe craniofacial anomalies and a close contiguity of the foetal head with the amnios. The neonate survived three days, after which an autopsy was carried out. The infant had a frontoparietal meningoencephalocele; a fibrous band was attached to the skin, close to the meningoencephalocele base. Cleft lip and palate, nose deformation and agenesis of the right eye were also present. At the opening of the cranial cavity, occipital hyperostosis was observed. The herniated brain showed anatomical abnormalities that made identification of normal structures difficult. Microscopically, the nervous parenchyma had architectural disorganization and immaturity, and the fibrous band consisted of amniotic membranes. As evident from this case report, amniotic band syndrome may cause severe malformations and foetal-infant death.

Differentiation of PC12 phaeochromocytoma cells induced by v-src oncogene.

PC12 rat phaeochromocytoma cells are a model system that can be used to study both neuronal differentiation and the mechanism of action of nerve growth factor (NGF). PC12 cells respond to NGF protein by shifting from a chromaffin-cell-like phenotype to a neurite-bearing sympathetic neurone-like phenotype. Here we present data on the effect of infection of PC12 cells with retroviruses carrying the src oncogene of Rous sarcoma virus. Previous studies have demonstrated that the expression of src severely affects the synthesis and accumulation of differentiated cell products in a variety of cell types. We show that in the PC12 cell system, expression of v-src appears to have an inductive effect on differentiation that resembles the action of a 'physiological' growth factor.

One-step, high-yield purification of human prostatic acid phosphatase from seminal fluid by gel-filtration HPLC under nondenaturing conditions.

This is a fast, efficient method for purification to homogeneity of human prostatic acid phosphatase [orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (acid optimum), EC 3.1.3.2], from seminal fluid. Use of a "high-pressure" liquid-chromatographic gel-filtration column permits high-yield recovery of the purified enzyme with most of its enzymatic and immunological activity retained.

The v-myc oncogene is sufficient to induce growth transformation of chick neuroretina cells.

A number of studies have shown that full transformation of non-established rodent fibroblasts can be efficiently achieved in vitro by the concerted action of two oncogenes belonging to different complementation groups. Extension of the two-genes carcinogenesis model to other differentiated cell types, presumably endowed with different controls of growth, is desirable for a better understanding of questions such as the host cell selectivity of oncogene action. A recent report claimed that cooperation between two oncogenes, v-myc and v-mil, is required to achieve transformation of chicken embryo neuroretina cells, which are characterized by a limited growth capacity in monolayer culture. Here we present evidence that the v-myc oncogene alone is sufficient to induce growth transformation of glial and neuronal precursor cell types from chick neuroretina. We also report that induction of transformation by v-myc is accompanied by faithful preservation of some of the differentiated functions of the chick cells.

Factors associated with patient satisfaction with care among dermatological outpatients.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that poor patient satisfaction can lead to poor adherence to treatment with consequently poor health outcomes. In order to improve the quality of care perceived by the patient and thus the health outcome, it is important to understand which are the main factors influencing patient satisfaction. OBJECTIVES: To examine factors associated with patient satisfaction with care among dermatological out-patients. METHODS: This longitudinal study is based on a sample of dermatology out-patients. The independent effects on patient's satisfaction of patient characteristics (sociodemographic characteristics, disease severity, quality of life) and of specific aspects of provided health care (the time the physician spent with patients, physician's interpersonal skills, etc.) were examined by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 1389 out-patients were selected at random and invited to participate. Of the 722 patients who agreed to participate, 424 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and 396 of these patients (93.4%) completed the study. Overall satisfaction was reported by 60.0% of patients. The likelihood of overall satisfaction was found to be significantly and independently increased by the physician's ability to give explanations and to show empathy for the patient's condition, and by the older age of patients. The likelihood of satisfaction also increased with increasing disease severity, but decreased with symptom-related poor quality of life. The lowest level of satisfaction was found among patients whose symptom-related quality of life was worse than the clinical severity rated by the dermatologist. CONCLUSIONS: Improving the physician's interpersonal skills can increase patient satisfaction, which is likely to have a positive effect on treatment adherence and health outcomes. Dermatologists succeeded better in establishing a good relationship with clinically more severely affected patients than with patients who were clinically mildly affected despite their quality of life being impaired. Thus, the inclusion of a patient-rated quality of life can be a useful measure in dermatology, as it enables clinicians to perceive the patients' perception of their health status.

Tyrosine phosphorylation pathway is involved in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production; effect of sodium ortho vanadate.

The molecular mechanisms regulating IFN-gamma production have yet to be well characterized. We describe here how treatment of activated cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with the phosphotyrosine phosphatases (PTP) inhibitor sodium ortho vanadate results in greatly enhanced IFN-gamma production. Conversely, cellular proliferation of the same cultures is profoundly inhibited by treatment with vanadate, while the expression of IL-2R and DR molecules on activated lymphocytes remains substantially unmodified. Increased IFN-gamma production, but not inhibition of cellular proliferation, was also observed in mitogen-activated vanadate-treated Jurkat cells. On the other hand, IFN-gamma production induced in cultures of PBMC treated or not with vanadate, was strongly inhibited by incubation with the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor herbimycin A. As a result of the inhibited phosphatase activity, substrates for PTK become hyperphosphorylated on tyrosine residues, as shown by Western blot analysis of cell lysates from cultures of PBMC treated with vanadate. We suggest that the tyrosine phosphorylation pathway plays a role in regulating IFN-gamma production.

A quantitative study of the effects of microphthalmia on the organisation of the primary visual system of the mouse.

The retinal projections of C57BL/Orl mice homozygous for the mutation microphthalmic-white (Miwh) were investigated by autoradiographic and HRP tracing techniques, and compared to those of heterozygous and normal mice of the same inbred strain; the anatomy of the eyes and optic nerves of the three genotypes were also examined. The eye of homozygous mutant mice is considerably reduced in size; the optic nerve shows a decrease in the number of myelinated fibres which is partially compensated by an increase in the proportion of unmyelinated axons. All primary visual centres that are labelled in normal mice receive retinal projections in mutant mice, although these centres are reduced in size in mutants. The reduction is most evident for those centres forming the thalamic relays of the retino-telencephalic pathway, to a lesser extent for the retino-collicular pathway and least of all for the retino-hypothalamic projections. These findings are compared to those obtained in naturally microphthalmic rodent species, and also to the effects of another mutation at the mi locus, maintained on a different background.