Bioavailability, mobility and leaching of phosphorus in a Mediterranean agricultural soil (ne Spain) amended with different doses of biosolids.

The precipitation of sparingly soluble calcium phosphate in calcareous soils decreases the bioavailability of macronutrients, which makes their addition by way of fertilisers necessary. Sludge resulting from treating urban wastewater does not only provide significant amounts of phosphorus, but also helps lower the pH, thus increasing its bioavailability. The loss of part of soil nutrients due to irrigation or rain can contaminate groundwater. In order to assess the movement of phosphorus, a experiment was conducted on percolation columns, to which different doses of wastes were applied. The pH decreased by as much as 0.89 units, as well as the assimilable and soluble P, in intervals of 20 cm of depth, obtaining maximum values of 254 mg P kg-1 and 1455 µg P kg-1 respectively, and the P present in the leached water collected, which did not surpass 95 µg PL-1. The intent was to learn which was the majoritarian inorganic formed crystalline phase that immobilised the movement of phosphorus through the percolation column. The results obtained by the diffraction of X-rays are not conclusive, although they point to the formation of octacalcium phosphate. The diffractograms of the studied samples have similar diffraction lines to those of apatites.

Moscatel vine-shoot extracts as a grapevine biostimulant to enhance wine quality.

Non-aromatic vine-shoot extracts (Airén) has been recently proposed as "viticultural biostimulants" when applied to grapevine. In this paper, the application of extracts from non-toasted (MVS) and toasted (MVSToasted) vine-shoots from the well-known aromatic variety such Moscatel were applied on Airén grapevine leaves, observing an increased for grape yield and wines with a lower alcohol degree. All wines at the end of the alcoholic fermentation were characterized by their fruity and floral descriptors, especially MVS wines; and 4 months later, MSV and MVSToasted wines surprised by their higher spicy notes, which correspond with the highest OAVs values for compounds such as norisoprenoids (ß-damascenone), vanillin derivatives (vanillin, acetovanillone) and volatile phenols (guaiacol, syringol), compared to control wine. Wine phenolic composition was affected positively over all by MVS in case of phenolic acids. These results confirm that Moscatel vine-shoot extracts foliar application into Airén non-aromatic grapevines produce an interesting enhance on wine quality.

Factors influencing the formation of histaminol, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and tryptophol in wine: Temperature, alcoholic degree, and amino acids concentration.

The validation of a HPLC-PDA-MS/MS chromatographic method for the quali/quantitative characterization of histaminol, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and tryptophol in wine has been described and discussed. Four standards showed a good linearity with high correlation coefficient values (over 0.9989) and LOD and LOQ were 0.001-0.015 mg/L and 0.004-0.045 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, this study reported how factors such as temperature, alcoholic degree, and amino acids concentration are able to influence the formation of these four alcohols in Monastrell wines. The quantification values of these alcohols has been detected both at the half and end of alcoholic fermentation, and at the end of malolactic fermentation. In relation to interactions between factors, several significant variations emerged (p ⩽ 0.001). The impact of amino acids supplementation in Monastrell must it has been demonstrated, mainly in regards to histaminol and tryptophol.

In vivo lipid peroxidation and platelet activation in cystic fibrosis.

F(2)-isoprostanes are bioactive peroxidation products of arachidonic acid whose urinary excretion provides an index of lipid peroxidation in vivo. We tested the hypothesis that formation of F(2)-isoprostanes is altered in patients with cystic fibrosis and contributes to platelet activation and pulmonary dysfunction in this setting. The urinary excretion of immunoreactive 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) was significantly (p = 0.0001) higher in 36 patients with cystic fibrosis than in 36 age-matched healthy subjects: 618 +/- 406 versus 168 +/- 48 pg/mg creatinine. The urinary excretion of immunoreactive 11-dehydro-thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)), an index of in vivo platelet activation, was also significantly (p = 0.0001) higher in patients than in control subjects: 2,440 +/- 1,453 versus 325 +/- 184 pg/mg creatinine. The excretion rate of 8-iso-PGF(2alpha) was correlated with that of 11-dehydro-TXB(2) (rho = 0.51; p = 0.0026) and inversely related to FEV(1) (rho = -0.40; p = 0.0195). Urinary 8-iso-PGF(2alpha) excretion was largely unaffected during cyclooxygenase inhibition with low-dose aspirin, nimesulide, or ibuprofen, consistent with a noncyclooxygenase mechanism of F(2)-isoprostane formation in cystic fibrosis. Increased vitamin E supplementation (from 200 to 600 mg/d) was associated with statistically significant (p = 0.005) reductions in urinary 8-iso-PGF(2alpha) and 11-dehydro-TXB(2) excretion, by 42% and 29%, respectively. We conclude that enhanced lipid peroxidation is an important feature of cystic fibrosis and may contribute to persistent platelet activation and pulmonary dysfunction via generation of bioactive isoeicosanoids. Our results provide a rationale for reassessing the adequacy of vitamin E supplementation in this setting.

Giant jejunoileal duplication: prenatal diagnosis and complete excision without intestinal resection.

A 7-week-old child presented to the pediatrician after persistent vomiting and abdominal distension developed. Intestinal dilatation had been detected in utero. Emergency ultrasonography showed only small bowel dilatation. There were no signs of intestinal obstruction; however, complete intestinal malrotation was demonstrated by an upper gastrointestinal series and barium enema. Intestinal duplication was also suspected, and emergency laparotomy was performed. A 70-cm-long jejunoileal duplication was found and successfully dissected free from the normal small bowel and excised without intestinal resection-anastomosis. The authors describe this unique case and the surgical technique for the treatment of small bowel duplications.

Use of famotidine in severe exocrine pancreatic insufficiency with persistent maldigestion on enzymatic replacement therapy. A long-term study in cystic fibrosis.

In patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, the use of pancreatic enzyme does not abolish steatorrhea in some cases. We carried out a long-term prospective study in an attempt to clarify the effectiveness of the associated use of famotidine to enzymatic supplementation on fat absorption and nutritional parameters of patients with pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis. We studied 10 patients, mean age 12.5 years, with persistent steatorrhea on enzymatic supplementation. A double-blind crossover design was used and famotidine (1 mg/kg/day) or placebo was given as adjuvant to enzymatic preparations for either of two six-month periods. A statistically significative reduction in fecal wet weight (P less than 0.0001), an improvement in the coefficient of fat absorption (P less than 0.01) and in the steatocrit values (P less than 0.028) were found on famotidine. Moreover, the weight and the height increases were greater after famotidine than after placebo period (respectively, P less than 0.012 and P less than 0.01); also the serum calcium and triglycerides levels were higher after the period on famotidine (respectively, P less than 0.0025 and P less than 0.025). No adverse effects of famotidine were noted. These data suggest that famotidine is a useful adjuvant to pancreatic enzyme therapy in patients with severe pancreatic insufficiency and persistent maldigestion on large doses of pancreatic supplements; in fact, famotidine improves not only fat absorption but the nutritional status of the patients.

Effectiveness of enteric-coated preparations on nutritional parameters in cystic fibrosis. A long-term study.

To evaluate the effectiveness of enteric-coated pancreatic enzyme supplements in comparison to conventional preparations of ingested enzyme on growth and nutritional parameters of patients with cystic fibrosis, we conducted a long-term study involving 40 patients. The data reproduced here were recorded after 6 months of therapy with powder-containing capsules or with enteric-coated products. Fat absorption was estimated by measurement of steatorrhoea with the steatocrit method. All parameters studied improved after enteric-coated pancreatic enzyme therapy, with a statistically significant increase in weight, cholesterol and haemoglobin values. Furthermore, the number of patients with positive steatocrit test was lower after therapy with enteric-coated enzyme supplementation. These findings suggest that the enteric-coated product not only reduces steatorrhoea, but above all improves the nutritional parameters and growth of patients affected by cystic fibrosis.