Distribution of organohalide-respiring bacteria between solid and aqueous phases.

Contemporary microbial monitoring of aquifers relies on groundwater samples to enumerate nonattached cells of interest. One-dimensional column studies quantified the distribution of bacterial cells in solid and the aqueous phases as a function of microbial species, growth substrate availability and porous medium (i.e., Appling soil versus Federal Fine Ottawa sand with 0.75% and 0.01% [w/w] organic carbon, respectively). Without supplied growth substrates, effluent from columns inoculated with the tetrachloroethene- (PCE-) to-ethene-dechlorinating bacterial consortium BDI-SZ containing Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc) strains and Geobacter lovleyi strain SZ (GeoSZ), or inoculated with Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans strain W (AdehalW), captured 94-96, 81-99, and 73-84% of the Dhc, GeoSZ, and AdehalW cells, respectively. Cell retention was organism-specific and increased in the order Dhc < GeoSZ < AdehalW. When amended with 10 mM lactate and 0.11 mM PCE, aqueous samples accounted for 1.3-27 and 0.02-22% of the total Dhc and GeoSZ biomass, respectively. In Appling soil, up to three orders-of-magnitude more cells were associated with the solid phase, and attachment rate coefficients (katt) were consistently greater compared to Federal Fine sand. Cell-solid interaction energies ranged from -2.5 to 787 kT and were consistent with organism-specific deposition behavior, where GeoSZ and AdehalW exhibited greater attachment than Dhc cells. The observed disparities in microbial cell distributions between the aqueous and solid phases imply that groundwater analysis can underestimate the total cell abundance in the aquifer by orders-of-magnitude under conditions of growth and in porous media with elevated organic carbon content. The implications of these findings for monitoring chlorinated solvent sites are discussed.

Design and application of an internal amplification control to improve Dehalococcoides mccartyi 16S rRNA gene enumeration by qPCR.

Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc) strains are keystone bacteria for reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes to nontoxic ethene in contaminated aquifers. Enumeration of Dhc biomarker genes using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in groundwater is a key component of site assessment and bioremediation monitoring. Unfortunately, standardized qPCR procedures that recognize impaired measurements due to PCR inhibition, low template DNA concentrations, or analytical error are not available, thus limiting confidence in qPCR data. To improve contemporary approaches for enumerating Dhc in environmental samples, multiplex qPCR assays were designed to quantify the Dhc 16S rRNA gene and one of two different internal amplification controls (IACs): a modified Dhc 16S rRNA gene fragment (Dhc*) and the firefly luciferase gene luc. The Dhc* IAC exhibited competitive inhibition in qPCR with the Dhc 16S rRNA gene template when the ratio of either target was 100-fold greater than the other target. A multiplex qPCR assay with the luc IAC avoided competitive inhibition and accurately quantified Dhc abundances ranging from ∼10 to 10(7) 16S rRNA gene copies per reaction. The addition of ∼10(6) E. coli luc IAC to simulated groundwater amended with the Dhc-containing consortium KB-1 yielded reproducible luc counts after DNA extraction and multiplex qPCR enumeration. The application of the luc IAC assay improved Dhc biomarker gene quantification from simulated groundwater samples and is a valuable approach for "ground truthing" qPCR data obtained in different laboratories, thus reducing ambiguity associated with qPCR enumeration and reproducibility.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the young adult. Methodology, objectives, and initial data from the JUVENSER registry.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the methodology, objectives, and initial data of the registry of young adult patients diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), JUVENSER. The main objective of the project is to know the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and disease activity of patients with JIA reaching the transition to adulthood. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Longitudinal, prospective, multicentre study, including patients between 16 and 25 years old, with a diagnosis of JIA in any of its categories. The main objective is to determine the characteristics and activity of JIA in the young adult. It includes sociodemographic variables, clinical variables, disease activity and joint damage rates, data on the use of health resources, and treatments used. The total duration of the project will be 3 years. A cohort of 534 young adult patients was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: The JUVENSER registry will constitute a cohort of young adults with JIA, which will allow the evaluation of the clinical characteristics and response to treatment of patients with disease onset in childhood, moving to adult clinics.

Chlorinated ethene source remediation: lessons learned.

Chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE) are widespread groundwater contaminants often released as dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). These contaminants are difficult to remediate, particularly their source zones. This review summarizes the progress made in improving DNAPL source zone remediation over the past decade, and is structured to highlight the important practical lessons learned for improving DNAPL source zone remediation. Experience has shown that complete restoration is rare, and alternative metrics such as mass discharge are often useful for assessing the performance of partial restoration efforts. Experience also has shown that different technologies are needed for different times and locations, and that deliberately combining technologies may improve overall remedy performance. Several injection-based technologies are capable of removing a large fraction of the total contaminant mass, and reducing groundwater concentrations and mass discharge by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. Thermal treatment can remove even more mass, but even these technologies generally leave some contamination in place. Research on better delivery techniques and characterization technologies will likely improve treatment, but managers should anticipate that source treatment will leave some contamination in place that will require future management.

Evaluation of natural attenuation of 1,4-dioxane in groundwater using a 14C assay.

Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) is a preferred remedy for sites contaminated with 1,4-dioxane due to its low cost and limited environmental impacts compared to active remediation. Having a robust estimate of the rate at which biodegradation occurs is an essential component of assessing MNA. In this study, an assay was developed using 14C-labeled 1,4-dioxane to measure rate constants for biodegradation based on accumulation of 14C products. Purification of the 14C-1,4-dioxane stock solution lowered the level of 14C impurities to below 1% of the total 14C activity. This enabled determination of rate constants in groundwater as low as 0.0021 yr-1, equating to a half-life greater than 300 years. Of the 54 groundwater samples collected from 10 sites in the US, statistically significant rate constants were determined with the 14C assay for 24. The median rate constant was 0.0138 yr-1 (half-life = 50 yr); the maximum rate constant was 0.367 yr-1 (half-life = 1.9 yr). The results confirmed that biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane is occurring at 9 of the 10 sites sampled, albeit with considerable variability in the level of activity. The specificity of the assay was confirmed using acetylene and the absence of oxygen to inhibit monooxygenases.

Establishing the prevalence and relative rates of 1,4-dioxane biodegradation in groundwater to improve remedy evaluations.

Options for remediating 1,4-dioxane at groundwater sites are limited due to the physical-chemical properties of this compound. The relevance of natural attenuation processes for 1,4-dioxane was investigated through data from field, lab, and modeling efforts. The objectives were to use multiple lines of evidence for 1,4-dioxane biodegradation to understand the prevalence of this activity and evaluate convergence between lines of evidence. A 14C-1,4-dioxane assay confirmed 1,4-dioxane biodegradation at 9 of 10 sites (median rate constant of 0.0105 yr-1 across wells). Site-wide rate constants were established using a calibrated fate and transport model at 8 sites (median = 0.075 yr-1). The 14C assay constants are likely more conservative, and variability in rates suggested that biodegradation at sites may be localized. Stable isotope fractionation was observed at 7 of 10 sites and served as another direct line of evidence of in situ biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane. This includes sites where indirect lines of evidence, including geochemical conditions or genetic biomarkers for degradation, would not necessarily have been supportive. This highlights the importance of collecting multiple lines of evidence to document 1,4-dioxane natural attenuation, and the widespread prevalence of biodegradation suggests that this process should be part of long-term management decisions.

Liquid-liquid mass transfer of partitioning electron donors in chlorinated solvent source zones.

A combination of batch and column experiments evaluated the mass transfer of two candidate partitioning electron donors (PEDs), n-hexanol (nHex) and n-butyl acetate (nBA), for enhanced bioremediation of trichloroethene (TCE)-dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL). Completely mixed batch reactor experiments yielded equilibrium TCE-DNAPL and water partition coefficients (KNW) for nHex and nBA of 21.7 ± 0.27 and 330.43 ± 6.7, respectively, over a range of initial PED concentrations up to the aqueous solubility limit of ca. 5000 mg/L. First-order liquid-liquid mass transfer rates determined in batch reactors with nBA or nHex concentrations near the aqueous solubility were 0.22 min(-1) and 0.11 min(-1), respectively. Liquid-liquid mass transfer under dynamic flow conditions was assessed in one-dimensional (1-D) abiotic columns packed with Federal Fine Ottawa sand containing a uniform distribution of residual TCE-DNAPL. Following pulse injection of PED solutions at pore-water velocities (vp) ranging from 1.2 to 6.0 m/day, effluent concentration measurements demonstrated that both nHex and nBA partitioned strongly into residual TCE-DNAPL with maximum effluent levels not exceeding 35% and 7%, respectively, of the applied concentrations of 4000 to 5000 mg/L. PEDs persisted at effluent concentrations above 5 mg/L for up to 16 and 80 pore volumes for nHex and nBA, respectively. Mathematical simulations yielded KNW values ranging from 44.7 to 48.2 and 247 to 291 and liquid-liquid mass transfer rates of 0.01 to 0.03 min(-1) and 0.001 to 0.006 min(-1) for nHex and nBA, respectively. The observed TCE-DNAPL and water mass transfer behavior suggests that a single PED injection can persist in a treated source zone for prolonged time periods, thereby reducing the need for, or frequency of, repeated electron donor injections to support bacteria that derive reducing equivalents for TCE reductive dechlorination from PED fermentation.

Identifying and Managing Aqueous Film-Forming Foam-Derived Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment.

The use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) has resulted in the widespread occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater, drinking water, soils, sediments, and receiving waters throughout the United States and other countries. We present the research and development efforts to date by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to measure PFAS in the environment, characterize AFFF-associated sources of PFAS, understand PFAS fate and behavior in the environment, assess the risk to ecological receptors, develop in situ and ex situ treatment technologies for groundwater, treat soils and investigation-derived wastes, and examine the ecotoxicity of PFAS-free fire suppression formulations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:24-36. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Central nervous system involvement in adult-onset relapsing hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis responsive to maintenance treatment with anakinra.

A 43 year-old male presented with a relapsing and progressive systemic inflammatory disorder with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. After a two years follow up, he was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), based on clinical, laboratory and radiological findings. Treatment was started with anakinra, a recombinant humanised interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist. Clinical response was good. Laboratory and radiological findings showed no disease activity throughout a five years follow-up period. Several immunosuppressive agents have been used in HLH without any good outcomes. This is the first case report of HLH with CNS involvement responsive to chronic treatment with anakinra.

Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome. / Síndrome tricorinofalángico.

Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome I (TPRSI) has an autosomal dominant inheritance; the proportion of «de novo¼ cases is unknown1. It is characterized by unique facial features, bulbous nose, flat and elongated nasolabial furrow, thin hair and slow growth. Skeletal abnormalities that include short phalanges and metacarpals -brachydactyly-, cone-shaped epiphyses, hip dysplasia and short stature1-3.

What You Do Not Know Could Hurt You: What Women Wish Their Doctors Had Told Them About Chemotherapy Side Effects on Memory and Response to Alcohol.

For many patients, a cancer diagnosis is followed by chemotherapy treatment, which works by attacking cells that are growing and dividing throughout the body. Although cancer cells grow and divide more quickly than healthy cells, both are targets. The loss of healthy cells is associated with side effects, such as memory loss and altered response to a variety of food and drugs. In this pilot study, we use the "Survey of female cancer treatments, effects on memory and alcohol awareness" to explore trends in female experience and awareness of side effects associated with chemotherapy. We examined 79 female cancer patients, 46 Spanish-speaking women in Puerto Rico and 33 English-speaking women in the continental United States, and compared the rates of a reported memory loss or an altered ethanol response following chemotherapy, whether or not potential side effects were discussed with a medical professional, and whether they experienced changes in alcohol consumption after treatment. A majority of participants reported having experienced short-term memory loss postchemotherapy. Changes in response to alcohol and an altered sensitivity to alcohol were also reported by 25%-47% of the respondents. Additionally, more than half of all female cancer patients reported that they wished they would have received information on the side effects of chemotherapy and secondary medications prior to treatment. The survey results suggest that medical professionals are not adequately informing women of common, potentially harmful side effects of chemotherapy. Women do wish to be more educated about potential side effects related to memory and alcohol and be given the opportunity to discuss potential outcomes with a medical professional prior to treatment to reduce the negative impact of treatment-related side effects on posttreatment quality of life.

Hydraulics of recirculating well pairs for ground water remediation.

Recirculating well pairs are a proven means of implementing bioremediation and may also be useful for applying other in situ ground water remediation technologies. A bromide tracer test was performed to characterize the hydraulic performance of a recirculating well pair installed at Moffett Field, California. In particular, we estimate two important properties of the recirculating well pair: (1) the fraction of captured water that is recycled between the wells, and (2) the travel-time distribution of ground water in the induced zone of recirculation. We also develop theoretical estimates of these two properties and demonstrate they depend upon a dimensionless pumping rate, denoted xi. The bromide breakthrough curve predicted from theory agrees well with that determined experimentally at Moffett Field. The minimum travel time between the wells is denoted t(min). In theory, t(min) depends inversely on Q, the pumping rate in the recirculating wells, and is proportional to a2, the square of the distance between the wells. Both the experimental and theoretical travel-time distributions indicate that at least half the recirculating water travels between the wells along fast flowpaths (travel time < 2*t(min)). Therefore, when designing recirculating well pairs, engineers should ensure that t(min) will be sufficiently high to allow biologically mediated reactions (or other in situ remediation processes) sufficient time to proceed.

Aportación de la resonancia magnética periférica al diagnóstico de leucemia linfoblástica aguda / Peripheral magnetic resonance scan in the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

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Artritis idiopática juvenil en el adulto joven. Metodología, objetivos y datos iniciales del registro JUVENSER / Juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the young adult. Methodology, objectives, and initial data from the JUVENSER registry

Objetivo: Describir la metodología, los objetivos y exponer los datos iniciales del registro de pacientes adultos jóvenes con diagnóstico de artritis idiopática juvenil (AIJ), registro JUVENSER, así como sus fortalezas y limitaciones. El objetivo principal del proyecto es conocer las características sociodemográficas, clínicas y la actividad de la enfermedad de pacientes con AIJ en el periodo de transición a la vida adulta. Material y método: Estudio longitudinal, prospectivo y multicéntrico que incluye pacientes adultos jóvenes, entre 16 y 25 años, con diagnóstico de AIJ en cualquiera de sus categorías, atendidos en consultas de reumatología de 16 centros hospitalarios españoles cuyo objetivo principal es determinar las características y la actividad de las AIJ en los primeros años de la vida adulta. Se diseñó un registro en el que se incluyeron variables sociodemográficas, variables clínicas, índices de actividad y daño articular, datos de la utilización de recursos sanitarios, y los fármacos y tratamientos utilizados. El periodo de reclutamiento fue de 27 meses y la duración total del proyecto serán 3 años. Se ha conseguido una cohorte de 534 pacientes adultos jóvenes. Conclusiones: El registro JUVENSER constituirá una cohorte de pacientes adultos jóvenes con AIJ, que permitirá evaluar las características clínicas y la respuesta al tratamiento de los pacientes con inicio de su enfermedad en edad pediátrica que llegan a las consultas de adultos. Se espera que la información recogida en las visitas suponga una amplia fuente de datos para futuros análisis.(AU)

Objective: To describe the methodology, objectives, and initial data of the registry of young adult patients diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), JUVENSER. The main objective of the project is to know the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and disease activity of patients with JIA reaching the transition to adulthood. Material and method: Longitudinal, prospective, multicentre study, including patients between 16 and 25 years old, with a diagnosis of JIA in any of its categories. The main objective is to determine the characteristics and activity of JIA in the young adult. It includes sociodemographic variables, clinical variables, disease activity and joint damage rates, data on the use of health resources, and treatments used. The total duration of the project will be 3 years. A cohort of 534 young adult patients was obtained. Conclusions: The JUVENSER registry will constitute a cohort of young adults with JIA, which will allow the evaluation of the clinical characteristics and response to treatment of patients with disease onset in childhood, moving to adult clinics.(AU)

Lipomatosis arborescens en rodilla pediátrica. Resonancia magnética nuclear / Lipoma arborescens in pediatric Knee. Nuclear magnetic resonance

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