Intensification of Red-G dye degradation used in the dyeing of alpaca wool by advanced oxidation processes assisted by hydrodynamic cavitation.

Red-G dye is one of the main dyes used in the textile industry to dye alpaca wool. Therefore, considering the large volume of processed wool in Perú, the development of efficient technologies for its removal is a present scientific issue. In this study, an integrated system based on hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and photo-Fenton process was evaluated to remove the Red-G dye. Using a hybrid cavitation device (venturi + orifice plate), the effect of pH was evaluated, achieving 21 % of removal at pH 2 which was more than 80 % higher compared to pH 4 and 6. The effect of temperature was also evaluated in HC-system at pH 2, where percentage of dye degradation increased at lower temperatures (around 20 °C). Then, 50.7 % of dye was removed under optimized condition of HC-assisted Fenton process (FeSO4:H2O2 of 1:30), that value was improved strongly by UV-light incorporation in the HC-system, increasing to 99 % removal efficiency with respect to HC-assisted Fenton process and reducing the time to 15 min. Finally, the developed cavitation device in combination with photo-Fenton process removed efficiently the dye and thus could be considered an interesting option for application to real wastewater.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome due to malignant hypercalcemia: physiopathological considerations.

CONTEXT: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a neurological entity characterized by seizures, headache, and reversible subcortical vasogenic edema. It is associated with many etiologies, most often hypertension, chronic renal failure, and chemotherapy. Hypercalcemia is rarely associated with PRES. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe and discuss a case of PRES that developed in a patient with malignant hypercalcemia, with emphasis on the possible pathophysiological mechanisms involved. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 38-year-old woman presented with altered mental status. She had a 2-month history of lumbar pain of moderate intensity, weight loss, and gastrointestinal complaints, in addition to a mass in her left breast. Her corrected serum calcium was 14.5 mg/dL. She was normotensive, had no focalizing signs, and her cerebrospinal fluid was normal. Despite treatment, her neurological state did not resolve, and she developed severe headaches at day 4 of her admission. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a bilateral and symmetric hyperintensity in the occipital and parietal lobes on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging, a characteristic highly suggestive of PRES. After correction of hypercalcemia, her symptoms and imaging abnormalities resolved. CONCLUSIONS: The development of PRES in the setting of severe hypercalcemia is extremely rare. Hypercalcemia could lead to PRES in the absence of hypertension by various mechanisms, including vasospasm, endothelial dysfunction, and an inflammatory state. A high index of suspicion is needed in this setting because hypercalcemia can lead to neurological symptomatology, and prompt diagnosis is essential for adequate treatment.

Raised C-reactive protein and impaired flow-mediated vasodilation precede the development of preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate whether impaired flow mediated vasodilation precedes the clinical manifestations of preeclampsia and whether is associated with inflammation. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study in a prospective cohort of 506 normotensive women recruited before the 30th week of gestation (mean gestational age of 21.8 weeks). At enrollment, flow-mediated dilation was measured in the brachial artery using a 7.5-MHz transducer. C-reactive protein plasma concentrations and leukocyte count were also determined at study entry. Patients were followed until delivery, and medical records were reviewed for each patient to confirm the presence or absence of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. RESULTS: Of the women studied, 14 developed preeclampsia, 18 developed gestational hypertension, and 474 remained normotensive. Two normotensive pregnant control subjects were randomly selected for each case, matched by maternal age, gestational age, and body mass index at enrollment. Women who subsequently developed preeclampsia had lower flow-mediated dilation (13.4% +/- 4.3% v 18.2% +/- 7.2, P = .026), higher C-reactive protein plasma concentrations (8.7 +/- 5.5 mg/dL v 5.3 +/- 4.3 mg/dL, P = .022) and leukocyte count (10.3 +/- 2.0 x 10(9)/L v 9.1 +/- 2.0 x 10(9)/L, P = .036) at study entry. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased flow-mediated vasodilation and higher levels of CRP are present in early stages of gestation in women who subsequently develop preeclampsia. These alterations occur before the onset of clinical symptoms of PE. Further studies are needed to confirm that flow-mediated dilation and C-reactive protein could be useful methods to screen women at risk of developing preeclampsia.