[Repetitive inappropriate sexual behaviour as a symptom of agitated depression: catatonic stereotypy?] / Repetitief onaangepast seksueel gedrag bij geagiteerde depressie: katatone stereotypie?

Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome characterised by multiple symptoms like stereotypies - repetitive, abnormally frequent, non-goal-directed movements. A problem is the lack of unanimity regarding the number of symptoms needed for diagnosis. We describe repetitive inappropriate sexual behaviour in a patient with bipolar depression and excited catatonia with Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale score of 12. Electroconvulsive therapy resulted in disappearance of catatonia and inappropriate sexual behaviour and remission of depression. A recurrent episode with similar inappropriate sexual behaviour was successfully treated with electroconvulsive therapy. We interpreted the repetitive inappropriate sexual behaviour as a catatonic stereotypy. Similar stereotypies are reported in children with autism. Tics and self-injury in patients with autism are described as a stereotypy within catatonia. The agitated depression is another possible diagnosis with the repetitive inappropriate sexual behaviour as an example of psychomotor agitation. More research is needed towards repetitive inappropriate sexual behaviour as a possible stereotypy within catatonia.

The evolutionary history of hepaciviruses.

In the search for natural reservoirs of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a broad diversity of non-human viruses within the Hepacivirus genus has been uncovered. However, the evolutionary dynamics that shaped the diversity and timescale of hepaciviruses evolution remain elusive. To gain further insights into the origins and evolution of this genus, we screened a large dataset of wild mammal samples (n = 1,672) from Africa and Asia, and generated 34 full-length hepacivirus genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of these data together with publicly available genomes emphasizes the importance of rodents as hepacivirus hosts and we identify 13 rodent species and 3 rodent genera (in Cricetidae and Muridae families) as novel hosts of hepaciviruses. Through co-phylogenetic analyses, we demonstrate that hepacivirus diversity has been affected by cross-species transmission events against the backdrop of detectable signal of virus-host co-divergence in the deep evolutionary history. Using a Bayesian phylogenetic multidimensional scaling approach, we explore the extent to which host relatedness and geographic distances have structured present-day hepacivirus diversity. Our results provide evidence for a substantial structuring of mammalian hepacivirus diversity by host as well as geography, with a somewhat more irregular diffusion process in geographic space. Finally, using a mechanistic model that accounts for substitution saturation, we provide the first formal estimates of the timescale of hepacivirus evolution and estimate the origin of the genus to be about 22 million years ago. Our results offer a comprehensive overview of the micro- and macroevolutionary processes that have shaped hepacivirus diversity and enhance our understanding of the long-term evolution of the Hepacivirus genus.

Assessing the receptor-mediated activity of PAHs using AhR-, ERα- and PPARγ- CALUX bioassays.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a complex group of organic compounds, consisting of at least three fused aromatic rings, which are formed during combustion of organic matter. While some PAHs have been reported to have carcinogenic and/or mutagenic properties, another possible negative health impact is their endocrine disrupting potential. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine both the agonistic and antagonistic endocrine activity of 9 environmentally relevant PAHs using three different CALUX bioassays: The AhR-CALUX, The ERα-CALUX and PPARγ-CALUX. For the PPARγ-CALUX anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene and fluorene showed weak agonistic activity, whilst benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) was the only one exhibiting weak antagonistic activity. For the AhR-CALUX, chrysene was the only PAH that showed relatively strong agonist activity (except for B(a)P which was used as a standard). Pyrene, anthracene and fluoranthene showed weak AhR agonist activity. In the ERα-CALUX bioassay, fluoranthene had agonistic activity whilst B(a)P exhibited both agonistic and antagonistic activity (lowering E2 activity by 30%). Phenanthrene and anthracene had weak ERα agonist activities. These results indicate that certain PAHs have multiple modes of action and can activate/inhibit multiple receptor signaling pathways known to play critical roles in mediating endocrine disruption.

Assessment of estrogenic compounds in paperboard for dry food packaging with the ERE-CALUX bioassay.

Paperboard used as packaging, a non-inert material, can transfer chemicals into food. Over the years, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), such as NonylPhenols (NPs), BisPhenol A (BPA) and phthalates have been shown to migrate from packaging materials into food. Due to chronic exposure and mixture effects of these EDCs, they could cause health effects even at very low doses. Many EDCs are still unknown and many more are still unregulated. The ERE-CALUX bioassay was used as a bioanalytical tool to investigate estrogenic activities of paperboard food packaging and its characteristics, including recycling rate and printing ink. A "worst case" scenario with full extraction is compared to a dry food migration experiment. By measuring an overall estrogenic activity, known and unknown estrogenic chemicals and mixture effects are taken into account and the data are compared to molecule specific analysis. Estrogenic activities ranged from 682 ±â€¯66 pg E2 eq./dm2 to 3250 ±â€¯400 pg E2 eq./dm2 for "worst case" extraction and from 347 ±â€¯30 pg E2 eq./dm2 to 1350 ±â€¯70 pg E2 eq./dm2 for migration experiments. A two-factor ANOVA revealed a relationship between estrogenic activity and the recycling rate of the paperboard, but no significant difference with printing ink was observed for these paperboard samples. Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH) were determined in all extraction and migrations experiment samples. A Spearman rank correlation analysis showed a relationship between the estrogenic activity and the total phthalates as well as with each compound individually.

Endocrine activity in an urban river system and the biodegradation of estrogen-like endocrine disrupting chemicals through a bio-analytical approach using DRE- and ERE-CALUX bioassays.

The Zenne River, crossing the Brussels region (Belgium) is an extremely urbanized river impacted by both domestic and industrial effluents. The objective of this study was to monitor the occurrence and activity of Endocrine Active Substances (EAS) in river water and sediments in the framework of the Environmental Quality Standards Directive (2008/105/EC and 2013/39/EU). Activities were determined using Estrogen and Dioxin Responsive Elements (ERE and DRE) Chemical Activated Luciferase Gene Expression (CALUX) bioassays. A potential contamination source of estrogen active compounds was identified in the river at an industrial area downstream from Brussels with a peak value of 938 pg E2 eq./L water (above the EQS of 0.4 ng/L) and 195 pg E2 eq./g sediment. Estrogens are more abundantly present in the sediments than in the dissolved phase. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed high correlations between Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), Particulate (POC) and Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and estrogenic EAS. The dioxin fractions comply with previous data and all were above the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) low-level risk, with one (42 pg TCDD eq./g sediment) exceeding the high-level risk value for mammals. The self-purifying ability of the Zenne River regarding estrogens was examined with an in vitro biodegradation experiment using the bacterial community naturally present in the river. Hill coefficient and EC50 values (Effective Concentration at 50%) revealed a process of biodegradation in particulate and dissolved phase. The estrogenic activity was decreased by 80%, demonstrating the ability of self-purification of estrogenic compounds in the Zenne River.

Experience with phosphorus removal and sludge handling and disposal in Flanders.

The way excess sludge must be disposed of is a key factor in the choice of the appropriate phosphorus removal technique at municipal wastewater treatment plants. In Europe the ongoing trend of tightening the sludge spreading rules called for a serious reduction of its agricultural utilisation and the expansion of the (co-)incineration disposal route, which led to a shift towards more sophisticated sludge handling techniques. This paper illustrates the impact of different sludge handling techniques on the performance of chemical and enhanced biological phosphorus removal at municipal WWTPs. The main conclusion is that although enhanced biological phosphorus removal is particularly sensitive to the problem of return liquors from sludge treatment processes indirect dewatering and anaerobic stabilisation cannot be discarded altogether when considering its implementation.

A new one-dimensional clarifier model--verification using full-scale experimental data.

A new one-dimensional clarifier model was developed, including components of existing models, and extended with a height-dependent cross-sectional area and two flowrate-dependent dispersion coefficients. This model is evaluated using data from a detailed one-month measuring campaign on a full-scale wastewater treatment plant. The data included hourly sludge concentration profile, sludge heights at 10 minute intervals, sludge concentrations in inlet, effluent and recycle flows and regular settling properties characterised by batch setting tests. Due to the poor quality concentration measurements at the surface of the clarifier, the model was not calibrated to perform well in concentration predictions at this surface. However, excellent descriptive capabilities were obtained for sludge profiles and blanket level. The Cho et al. setting velocity function was found to be significantly better in terms of description capability than the more traditional Vesilind function.

Renovation of the WWTP hove.

The provision of reliable treatment has always been a priority in sanitary engineering. However, there is an ever-increasing pressure to meet desirable standards at reduced costs. This paper sets out a methodology to enhance the likelihood of a satisfactory allocation of the resources while providing reliable treatment. The procedure was gradually developed to optimise the massive capital investment of the Flemish Government to comply with the effluent standards set in the EU Directive 271/91. The methodology makes an extended use of dynamic modelling. To facilitate the identification and estimation of the uncertainty, a probabilistic Monte Carlo engine is coupled to the dynamic models. In doing so this approach provides a way of explicitly incorporating uncertainty and variability in the process analysis. The procedure is examined in an upgrade of a conventional WWTP towards stricter effluent norms on nutrients. The results suggest that the procedure can support the decision-making process under uncertainty conditions and enhance the likelihood of meeting effluent standards not entailing above-normal capital investments. The analysis led to reducing the capital investment by 43%, producing savings of more than 1.2 million Euros.