Psychosocial recommendations for the care of children and adults with epidermolysis bullosa and their family: evidence based guidelines.

Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is a group of rare genetic disorders resulting in skin fragility and other symptoms. Commissioned by DEBRA International and funded by DEBRA Norway, this evidence-bases guideline provides recommendations to optimise psychosocial wellbeing in EB.An international multidisciplinary panel of social and health care professionals (HCP) and people living with EB was formed. A systematic international literature review was conducted by the panel following the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) methodology. The resulting papers underwent systematic selection and critique processes. Included papers were allocated to 6 different outcome groups to allow data synthesis and exploration: quality of life, coping, family, wellbeing, access to HCP and pain. Based on the evidence in those papers, recommendations were made for individuals living with EB, family and caregivers and HCP working in the field.Few studies have investigated interventions and which factors lead to better outcomes, but general recommendations can be made. EB is a complex disease impacting enormously on every aspect of psychosocial life. People and families living with EB need access to multidisciplinary support, including psychological guidance, in order to improve quality of life and psychosocial wellbeing. Interventions should stimulate social participation to prevent isolation. People with EB and their families should be able to access a supportive network. HCP should be well supported and educated about the complexity of EB. They should work collaboratively with those around the individual with EB (e.g. schools, employers etc.) to provide psychosocial opportunity and care.Attention should be paid to the psychosocial impact of EB as well as physical needs. Directions for research are indicated.

Combination of advanced oxidation processes and gas absorption for the treatment of chlorinated solvents in waste gases.

Treatment of chlorinated organic compounds in waste gases is difficult because of several reasons: these compounds are dioxin precursors when incinerated, and also biological treatment is difficult because of a limited number of suitable microbial degradation pathways. On the other hand, since the 1990s, a new generation of chemical oxidation techniques has been introduced in water treatment. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are based on a combination of UV/H202, UV/O3 or H2O2/O3. The combinations result in the generation of OH-radicals, which subsequently attack the organic pollutants. In this work, the treatment of a gas stream (240 L/h) loaded with 20-40 ppmv trichloroethylene (TCE) is presented. Therefore, a combination of an absorption process in a bubble column with a liquid H2O2/O3 initiated oxidation, was investigated. Removal efficiencies, depending on the dosed H2O2 and O3, up to 94% were found. The production of chloride ions was investigated: the Cl-atoms from the removed TCE could be found back as chloride ions. Next to the experimental work, attention was paid to the mechanisms taking place in the proposed concept. Here, a simulation model was developed, considering gas/liquid mass transfer of TCE and ozone, axial liquid dispersion, advective gas and liquid transport and about 29 chemica reaction steps. The modelling allowed a better understanding of the technique and gives insight in its possibilities and limitations. Finally, it can be concluded that the proposed technique shows interesting perspectives: it is able to transform chlorine in chlorinated solvents into chloride ions effectively at ambient temperature conditions.

Nanovid tracking: a new automatic method for the study of mobility in living cells based on colloidal gold and video microscopy.

We describe a new automatic technique for the study of intracellular mobility. It is based on the visualization of colloidal gold particles by video-enhanced contrast light microscopy (nanometer video microscopy) combined with modern tracking algorithms and image processing hardware. The approach can be used for determining the complete statistics of saltatory motility of a large number of individual moving markers. Complete distributions of jump time, jump velocity, stop time, and orientation can be generated. We also show that this method allows one to study the characteristics of random motion in the cytoplasm of living cells or on cell membranes. The concept is illustrated by two studies. First we present the motility of colloidal gold in an in vitro system of microtubules and a protein extract containing a kinesin-like factor. The algorithm is thoroughly tested by manual tracking of the videotapes. The second study involves the motion of gold particles microinjected in the cytoplasm of PTK-2 cells. Here the results are compared to a study using the spreading of colloidal gold particles after microinjection.

A new culture model facilitating rapid quantitative testing of mitotic spindle inhibition in mammalian cells.

A new culture model, which facilitated both mass screening of potential anticancer drugs acting on microtubules and quantitative experiments with known "antitubulins," was found to have the following advantages: use of mammalian cells (either transformed or not), simplicity of the techniques (phase-contrast microscopy or simple microscopy after Giemsa staining), and ease with which it lent itself to quantification. The model was based on the uniform multimicronucleation response induced by antitubulins in MO cells. The specificity (towards antitubulins) of this response was ascertained by the use of many substances, including most of the known antitubulins and a number of nonrelated cytostatic or cytotoxic compounds. The uniformity of the response was established with the use of time-lapse observation of large numbers of cells and quantitative approaches. The results obtained in this model with the standard antitubulins (colchicine, vinblastine, vincristine) showed similar effects. The major difference between colchicine and the Vinca alkaloids was that colchicine was less reversible, which might be an indication of stronger intracellular binding. The Vinca alkaloids acted synergistically with colchicine when threshold subactive doses were combined, although it is known that they bind at a different site on tubulins. A number of substances that have been claimed or were suspected to interfere with microtubules were tested. The results showed that the following substances were indeed active with MO cells: colchicine, vinblastine, vincristine, podophyllotoxin, rotenone, griseofulvin, mercaptoethanol, benomyl, methyl benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate, and R 17934. Compounds that were inactive on these mammalian cells in culture included isopropyl carbanilate and melatonin, both of which have been shown to be active in other systems.