Anaerobic removal of 1-methoxy-2-propanol under ambient temperature in an EGSB reactor.

Two laboratory-scale expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors were operated at 18 and 25 °C, respectively, for the treatment of synthetic wastewater composed of ethanol and 1-methoxy-2-propanol (M2P) in a mass ratio of 4:1. Reactors were operated first with continuous wastewater supply and after with discontinuous substrate supply (5 days a week, 16 h a day) to simulate shift working conditions. Under continuous wastewater supply chemical oxygen demand (COD), removal efficiency higher than 95 % was achieved at the end of the trial applying organic loading rates (OLR) of 29 and 43 kg COD m(-3) day(-1) at 18 and 25 °C; thus, corresponding to M2P OLR of 6.4 and 9.3 kg COD m(-3) day(-1), respectively. During intermittent supply of substrate, good performance was recorded at both temperatures with an OLR of 30 kg COD m(-3) day(-1) (M2P OLR of 6.6 kg COD m(-3) day(-1)). After 56 h without substrate supply, a decline in methane yield of 15-30 % was observed due to the deactivation of the biomass. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) assays were carried out at the end of the experiments. SMA values using 1-methoxy-2-propanol as substrate were 24.3 and 7.8 ml CH4 gVSS(-1) day(-1) at 25 °C and at 18 °C, respectively. This is the first attempt to investigate the removal of 1-methoxy-2-propanol by EGSB reactors.

[Relationship between homocysteinaemia and sympathetic skin response in Parkinson's disease]. / Relacion entre homocisteinemia y respuesta simpaticocutanea en la enfermedad de Parkinson.

INTRODUCTION: High levels of homocysteine linked to treatment with levodopa have been observed in patients with Parkinsons disease (PD). Our aim was to assess the influence of serum homocysteine levels and other PD-related on the sympathetic skin response. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted that consecutively included patients with PD. We unilaterally assessed the sympathetic skin response in the upper limbs. We measured the influence of PD severity (measured by the Hoehn and Yahr and the Schwab and England scales, and the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale) and blood homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folic acid levels on the latency and amplitude of the sympathetic skin response. RESULTS: A total of 78 patients were enrolled, and all achieved a sympathetic skin response. In the bivariate analysis, latency was significantly correlated with age, age at PD onset and homocysteinaemia levels. The presence of hyper-homocysteinemia was associated with a longer latency. The amplitude was only correlated with the score on the Schwab and England scale. In the multivariate analysis, age was the only variable that showed a significant association with the latency duration and homocysteine levels. CONCLUSION: A direct association could not be established between the increase in homocysteinaemia levels and sympathetic skin response dysfunction in PD. The results of the multivariate analysis suggest that latency prolongation in elderly patients could be due to the fact that these patients have higher blood levels of homocysteinaemia.

TITLE: Relacion entre homocisteinemia y respuesta simpaticocutanea en la enfermedad de Parkinson.Introduccion. En la enfermedad de Parkinson (EP) se han observado niveles elevados de homocisteina en relacion con el tratamiento con levodopa. Nuestro objetivo ha sido valorar su influencia y la de otras variables relacionadas con la propia EP sobre la respuesta simpaticocutanea. Pacientes y metodos. Estudio observacional, transversal, en el que se incluyo de forma consecutiva a pacientes con EP. Se valoro la respuesta simpaticocutanea de forma unilateral en los miembros superiores, y se determino la influencia de la gravedad de la EP segun la Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, y las escalas de Hoehn y Yahr y de Schwab y England, y de los niveles sanguineos de homocisteina, vitamina B12 y acido folico sobre la latencia y amplitud de la respuesta simpaticocutanea. Resultados. Se incluyo a 78 pacientes. La respuesta simpaticocutanea se obtuvo en todos ellos. En el analisis bivariante, la latencia se correlaciono significativamente con la edad, con la edad de inicio de la EP y con los niveles de homocisteina. La presencia de hiperhomocisteinemia se relaciono con una latencia mas prolongada. La amplitud solo se correlaciono con la puntuacion en la escala de Schwab y England. En el analisis multivariante, la edad fue la unica variable que demostro una asociacion significativa tanto con la duracion de la latencia como con los niveles de homocisteina. Conclusion. No pudo establecerse una asociacion directa entre el aumento de homocisteinemia y la disfuncion de la respuesta simpaticocutanea. Los resultados del analisis multivariante sugieren que la prolongacion de la latencia en los pacientes de una mayor edad podria deberse a que estos presentan unos mayores niveles sanguineos de homocisteina.

ODZ1 allows glioblastoma to sustain invasiveness through a Myc-dependent transcriptional upregulation of RhoA.

Long-term survival remains low for most patients with glioblastoma (GBM), which reveals the need for markers of disease outcome and novel therapeutic targets. We describe that ODZ1 (also known as TENM1), a type II transmembrane protein involved in fetal brain development, plays a crucial role in the invasion of GBM cells. Differentiation of glioblastoma stem-like cells drives the nuclear translocation of an intracellular fragment of ODZ1 through proteolytic cleavage by signal peptide peptidase-like 2a. The intracellular fragment of ODZ1 promotes cytoskeletal remodelling of GBM cells and invasion of the surrounding environment both in vitro and in vivo. Absence of ODZ1 by gene deletion or downregulation of ODZ1 by small interfering RNAs drastically reduces the invasive capacity of GBM cells. This activity is mediated by an ODZ1-triggered transcriptional pathway, through the E-box binding Myc protein, that promotes the expression and activation of Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) and subsequent activation of Rho-associated, coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK). Overexpression of ODZ1 in GBM cells reduced survival of xenografted mice. Consistently, analysis of 122 GBM tumour samples revealed that the number of ODZ1-positive cells inversely correlated with overall and progression-free survival. Our findings establish a novel marker of invading GBM cells and consequently a potential marker of disease progression and a therapeutic target in GBM.

[Study of electroretinogram components using pattern inversion in the early diagnosis of glaucoma]. / Etude des composants de l'électrorétinogramme par inversion de damier dans le diagnostic précoce du glaucome.

Current electrophysiological techniques that help guide the diagnosis of glaucoma include pattern-electroretinogram (PERG) and pattern-visual evoked potential (PEVP) recordings. However, PERG has been recognized over the last decade as a good indicator of retinal ganglion cell function. One hundred seventy one eyes corresponding to 89 subjects were studied using both PERG (gold foil electrodes) and PEVP recordings. Two groups respectively including 32 subjects with ocular hypertension (OHT) and 27 subjects with simple chronic glaucoma (SCG) were compared with a control group composed of 30 healthy age-matched subjects. In regard to PERG recordings, the amplitudes of the P50 and N95 components were measured, but statistically significant differences were shown only for the N95 amplitudes both SCG (P < 0.01) and OHT (P < 0.05) groups. The amplitude and latency of the PEVP P100 component were analyzed. P100 latency was significantly delayed (P < 0.05) in SCG patients only. These findings suggest that the amplitude of the N95 component is the most sensitive electrophysiological parameter for early glaucoma detection.

[Predictive value of the pattern-electroretinogram in glaucoma]. / Valor predictivo del pattern-electrorretinograma en el glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To determine the ability of pattern-electroretinogram (PERG) to discriminate individual evolution of glaucomatous visual field losses in glaucoma suspects. METHODS: We studied 151 eyes of 78 GS, classified depending on their risk to develop glaucomatous damage. The initial visual field was normal. Those eyes showing at least 2 reduced amplitudes in the PERG components (P50, N95 and NP) were considered pathologic. The mean follow-up was 30 months (range: 13-50 months); the VF was evaluated at the end of the study. RESULTS: At the beginning of the study the PERG was pathologic in 65 eyes (43%); in 45 of these eyes (69%) the visual field was pathologic at the end of the study. The positive predictive value of the PERG of visual field glaucomatous changes was 69% and the negative predictive value was 80%. The N95 amplitude showed the best predictive value, with 100% and 77% in the high and medium risk groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The PERG study can discriminate the glaucoma suspects that will develop visual field glaucomatous losses.

P300 endogen evoked potentials in somatization disorder: a controlled study.

INTRODUCTION: Somatization disorder (SD) is considered the most valid, reliable and consistent disorder over time from the entire group of somatoform disorders and the most disabling and expensive for the health system. The aim of this paper is to assess the discriminative, attentional and cognitive process in SD patients by auditory-stimulus P300 evoked potential. DESIGN: case-control study. SAMPLE: cases group is made up of 25 patients, selected from the Miguel Servet University Hospital Somatoform Disorder Unit, that fulfill DSM-IV-TR criteria of SD using EPEP psychiatric interview. Twenty-five healthy and volunteer individuals without psychiatric or neurological disorders or history of disease were selected as control group. Both groups were matched by gender and age. RESULTS: Mean P300 latency was significantly (p<0.01) higher in SD patients than in healthy people. The rest of variables studied (N100 latency, P200 latency, P300 amplitude in Pz) did not show any significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: SD patients show electrophysiological disturbances in the cognitive process of information.

[Neurological involvement in systemic sclerosis]. / Manifestaciones neurológicas en la esclerosis sistémica.

INTRODUCTION: Systemic sclerosis (SS) is recognized as the connective tissue disease which less frequently presents neurological complications; in recent studies it is demonstrated, however, that neurological involvement in SS is more frequent of what it had been assumed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical neurological exploration was done in 26 patients with definitive SS; an electroneurogram was carried out in 23 cases in order to determine the prevalence of central neurological pathology and of peripheral neuropathy, to define its characteristics, and to investigate possible associations with clinical parameters and with autoimmunity. RESULTS: 23 cases (88%) were females and 3 cases (12%) males; the median age was 57.5 12.0 (SD) years, while the median age to the diagnosis was 51.3 12.3 (SD) years and the median period of natural history of disease was 6.2 3.1 years. Seven patients (26.9%) showed involvement of the CNS, being the headache and the neuropsychiatric manifestations the most common conditions (11.5%). Peripheral neuropathy prevalence was 39.1% (9 cases); according to the distribution of the injury, the polyneuropathy prevailed in 30.4% of cases. With regard to the functional selectivity, the sensitive-motor forms were most frequent (55.6%); according to the most involved structure, the axonal neuropathy was most common (44.4%).Discussion. The possible pathogenic mechanisms of the neurological pathology in this disease are discussed.