Pseudoexfoliation and Cataract Syndrome Associated with Genetic and Epidemiological Factors in a Mayan Cohort of Guatemala.

The Mayan population of Guatemala is understudied within eye and vision research. Studying an observational homogenous, geographically isolated population of individuals seeking eye care may identify unique clinical, demographic, environmental and genetic risk factors for blinding eye disease that can inform targeted and effective screening strategies to achieve better and improved health care distribution. This study served to: (a) identify the ocular health needs within this population; and (b) identify any possible modifiable risk factors contributing to disease pathophysiology within this population. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 126 participants. Each participant completed a comprehensive eye examination, provided a blood sample for genetic analysis, and received a structured core baseline interview for a standardized epidemiological questionnaire at the Salama Lions Club Eye Hospital in Salama, Guatemala. Interpreters were available for translation to the patients' native dialect, to assist participants during their visit. We performed a genome-wide association study for ocular disease association on the blood samples using Illumina's HumanOmni2.5-8 chip to examine single nucleotide polymorphism SNPs in this population. After implementing quality control measures, we performed adjusted logistic regression analysis to determine which genetic and epidemiological factors were associated with eye disease. We found that the most prevalent eye conditions were cataracts (54.8%) followed by pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF) (24.6%). The population with both conditions was 22.2%. In our epidemiological analysis, we found that eye disease was significantly associated with advanced age. Cataracts were significantly more common among those living in the 10 districts with the least resources. Furthermore, having cataracts was associated with a greater likelihood of PXF after adjusting for both age and sex. In our genetic analysis, the SNP most nominally significantly associated with PXF lay within the gene KSR2 (p < 1 × 10-5). Several SNPs were associated with cataracts at genome-wide significance after adjusting for covariates (p < 5 × 10-8). About seventy five percent of the 33 cataract-associated SNPs lie within 13 genes, with the majority of genes having only one significant SNP (5 × 10-8). Using bioinformatic tools including PhenGenI, the Ensembl genome browser and literature review, these SNPs and genes have not previously been associated with PXF or cataracts, separately or in combination. This study can aid in understanding the prevalence of eye conditions in this population to better help inform public health planning and the delivery of quality, accessible, and relevant health and preventative care within Salama, Guatemala.

Under-performance evaluation and rehabilitation strategy for waste stabilization ponds in Mexico.

Fourteen high altitude (> 2,500 m amsl) small Waste Stabilisation Pond systems (WSPs) commissioned during the last 12 years in the State of Mexico in Mexico, were built to a common 3-stage design. Each system is comprised of 2 parallel series of bio-digesters, anaerobic and facultative ponds. All fourteen WSP systems produce poor quality effluents, and eight studied in more detail did not meet any of the national standards for discharge to rivers or the standards required for reuse. The under-performance of these WSPs is underlined by the anaerobic condition of the upper reaches of the Lerma river which receives the sewage from the towns served by these treatment plants. Preliminary surveillance diagnostics identified fundamental operational problems in all eight WSP systems located in the upper Lerma catchment. The results of an intensive secondary diagnostic performance evaluation on one system were used to identify the reasons for under-performance. Under-performance was caused by under-design, hydraulic short-circuiting, adverse environmental conditions and poor operation and maintenance. A strategy for improvement of design and operation to meet national standards is presented.

Reducing hydraulic short-circuiting in maturation ponds to maximize pathogen removal using channels and wind breaks.

This paper reports the impact of four sequential maturation pond interventions on the removal of thermotolerant "faecal" coliform bacteria at a full scale WSP system in tropical Colombia. Each intervention was designed to increase hydraulic retention time and was followed by continuous physico-chemical logging and meteorological monitoring, and simultaneous tracer studies to define hydraulic retention time, flow paths and dispersion. Inlet and outlet monitoring showed that, primarily due to hydraulic short-circuiting, the open maturation pond only achieved a 90% reduction in thermotolerant "faecal" coliforms. By contrast, an in-pond batch decay rate study for thermotolerant faecal coliforms showed that a 1 log (90%) reduction was achieved every 24 hours for 4 days at 26 degrees C, so that the maximum theoretical efficiency would be a 2.6 log reduction (99.7%) if hydraulic efficiency was perfect for plug flow. The second intervention was the conversion of the maturation pond to a parallel series of three open channels to attempt to control short-circuiting and convert to plug flow. The channels raised performance to 96%. The introduction of top baffles, at the end of the first and second channels, to attempt to further reduce the effect of surface and sub-surface flow on short-circuiting, actually reduced performance to 92.64%, and were removed. The final intervention, a 2.1 m high wind break around the maturation channels raised efficiency to 98.13%; this performance is almost a half log (0.47) greater than the efficiency (95.1%) predicted from Marais' equation for a completely mixed reactor, and 0.77 log greater than recorded in the open pond. The results have fundamental implications for improving WSP efficiency, for meeting re-use guidelines, for savings in land area and improvement of design of WSPs; they also highlight short-comings in the indiscriminate use of the Marais design equation for faecal coliform removal.

Crassulacean acid metabolism in selected terrestrial succulents in southeastern Jamaica, including two species in the Commelinaceae.

Using determinations of overnigh changes in tissue titratable acidity and of tissue stable carbon isotope ratios, 10 species of terrestrial succulents were investigatedin situ in southeastern Jamaica for the presence of Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Eight of the 10 species exhibited CAM (sensu lato), confirming past reports of CAM inClusia flava (Clusiaceae),Bryophyllum pinnatum (Crassulaceae),Euphorbia tirucalli (Euphorbiaceae), andPedilanthus tithymaloides (Euphorbiaceae) and extending the number of species with CAM in two genera previously known to contain CAM species (Agave sobolifera [Agavaceae] andSansevieria metalllica [Liliaceae]). Stems of bothE. tirucalli andP. tithymaloides exhibited CAM while the leaves of both species were intermediate with regard to photosynthetic pathway. The lack of CAM acid fluctuations inTalinum paniculatum (Portulacaceae) was surprising given past findings with all other species investigated in this genus. Shoots ofPilea microphylla (Urticaceae) were C3 yet were remarkable in their extremely high pH. Both species require further investigation. Nocturnal acid accumulations indicative of CAM were found inTripogandra multiflora andCallisia fragrans, both members of the Commelinaceae. This represents the first report of CAM (probably "CAM-cycling") in this family.

Effect of Potassium Sorbate and Other Treatments on the Microbial Content and Keeping Quality of a Restaurant-Type Mexican Hot Sauce 1, 2.

Spoiled and unspoiled restaurant-made Mexican hot sauces were examined for presence of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Studies to determine whether microorganisms isolated from the sauce could grow and cause spoilage were also carried out. The effects of potassium sorbate at various levels (0, 0.02, 0.03, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2%) on the keeping quality of the sauce were also determined. Spoiled sauce had microbial counts 4 log-cycles higher than the unspoiled sauce. Bacteria were either very few or absent in all the samples and were unable to grow when reinoculated. The pH of the sauce was below 4.5. Yeasts increased after 10 d of incubation and were the main organisms that caused the spoilage. Potassium sorbate at .05% was inhibitory to yeasts in both original and inoculated sauces. Levels of 0.02 and 0.03% were only fungistatic. Benzoic acid at 0.05% was also inhibitory, while heating at 80°C for 10 min did not extend shelf life appreciably, and acidification to pH 3.5 increased shelf life only slightly.

Food availability and marketing: revised paper

This paper provides guidelines for the discussions on the question of food availability and marketing relative to the development of food and nutrition policies. A main theme of the paper revolves around the constraints of food availability both with respect to production and market