Quinones as electron acceptors and redox mediators for the anaerobic biotransformation of priority pollutants

Humus is the most abundant organic fraction in the biosphere. It is composed of a complex structure in which recalcitrant polymers prevail with a residence time lasting decades or even centuries. Despite the recalcitrance of humic substances, they have recently been recognized to play an important role on the anaerobic conversion of organic matter by serving as an electron acceptor for microbial respiration. Quinone moieties are the responsible electron-accepting groups accounting for the microbial reduction of humus. Quinones and humus not only serve as terminal electron acceptors for microbial respiration, but they also function as redox mediators during the transfer of electrons in microbial and chemical reactions. In this dissertation the impact of humus and quinone analogues on the anaerobic biotransformation of ecologically important substrates, as well as priority pollutants, was evaluated.Consortia obtained from many different environments including sandy, organic rich, and contaminated sediments, as well as anaerobic and aerobic sludges, showed the capacity for oxidizing a wide variety of ecologically significant substrates, such as lactate and acetate, when the humic model compound, anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS), was provided as a final electron acceptor. AQDS-reducing microorganisms out-competed methanogens for most of the substrates supplied indicating that quinone reduction is a widespread physiological process, which may contribute to important carbon cycling process in many different environments. Quinone and humus reduction was also found in pure cultures of different microorganisms, such as Desulfitobacterium spp. and Methanospirillum hungatei, indicating that the ubiquity of quinone reduction may be due to the wide diversity of microorganisms with the capacity for reducing humic substances. The results also illustrate that phylogenetically distinct microorganisms can channel electrons from anaerobic substrate oxidation via quinone reduction towards the reduction of metal oxides. Quinone respiring microorganisms could also be enriched and immobilized in the microbial community of an anaerobic granular sludge of a upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. The feasibility to immobilize quinone-reducing microorganisms can be applied to accelerate the conversion of xenobiotics susceptible to reductive biotransformations such as azo dyes and polychlorinated compounds in continuous bioreactors.The long-term goal of this research was to explore the capacity of humus respiring consortia for oxidizing priority pollutants through the reduction of humic substances. Anaerobic granular sludge originated from different wastewater treatment plants were shown to oxidize phenol and p -cresol coupled to the reduction of AQDS. Both phenolic contaminants were converted to methane in the absence of the humic analogue, but addition of AQDS as an alternative electron acceptor diverted the flow of electrons from methanogenesis towards quinone reduction. Priority pollutants, which were not degraded under methanogenic conditions, could also be mineralized by humus-respiring consortia when humic substances were provided as an electron acceptor. Enriched sediments from different origins readily mineralized uniformly labeled [ 13C]toluene to 13CO 2 when humic acids or AQDS were provided as terminal electron acceptors. Negligible recovery of 13CO 2 occurred in the absence of humic substances. Additionally, the electrons in the toluene mineralized were recovered stoichiometrically as reduced humus or AH 2 QDS (reduced form of AQDS).Humic substances were also shown to accelerate the transfer of reducing equivalents required for the anaerobic conversion of different pollutants containing electron-withdrawing groups. AQDS supplemented at sub-stoichiometric levels in granular sludge incubations enhanced the rate of conversion of carbon tetrachloride (CT) leading to an increased production of inorganic chloride. Negligible dechlorination occurred in sterile controls with autoclaved sludge and considerably less dechlorination was achieved in active controls lacking AQDS. A humus respiring enrichment culture, composed primarily of a Geobacter sp., derived from the same granular sludge was also shown to dechlorinate CT, yielding similar products as the AQDS-supplemented sludge consortium. Addition of catalytic levels of AQDS to a UASB reactor continuously treating the azo dye, acid orange 7 (AO7), also enhanced the biotransformation of this pollutant to the corresponding aromatic amines. High efficiency (&gt;90 %) of decolorization of AO7 occurred even at a hydraulic residence time of 2 hours with a molar ratio of AQDS/AO7 as low as 1/100, whereas 70 % of color removal occurred in the absence of AQDS under the same hydraulic conditions.The evidences provided in this study indicate that humic substances may play an important role on the stabilization of organic matter, as well as on the intrinsic bioremediation of contaminated environments, by serving as a terminal electron acceptor. The application of humic substances for achieving the bioremediation of contaminated aquifers can be considered. Humus and quinones can also be applied in anaerobic reactors to enhance the conversion of priority pollutants containing electron-withdrawing groups.</p

The Education of the System of Documentation for the student of the Pregrate of Q.F.B in the Fes Zaragoza Unam

Introducción. La carrera Química Farmacéutico Biológica (QFB), cuenta con una Planta Piloto Farmacéutica (PPF) como un recurso del proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje, para el fortalecimiento del conocimiento donde uno de sus puntos esenciales es la documentación. El Sistema de Documentación está destinado a que el estudiante desarrolle actividades experimentales y deje evidencia documentada como lo estipula la reglamentación sanitaria vigente. Objetivo. Presentar la metodología que apoya el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje del Sistema de Documentación a los alumnos del área Farmacéutica. Metodología. Inducción al tema de documentación mediante exposición oral, dando a conocer los diferentes documentos como son: Manual de laboratorio, Procedimientos Normalizados de Operación, entre otros. Cada profesor revisa los documentos generados durante el semestre, y sugiere mejoras en el caso requerido. Resultados. Con base a una evaluación interna, se observa un avance en el conocimiento y aplicación del Sistema Documental, entre los alumnos de sexto a noveno semestre. Conclusión. Al poner en práctica lo establecido en los documentos, se contribuye a la disciplina de la elaboración, difusión y aplicación del Sistema de Documentación, al establecer procesos y flujos que la conforman.Introduction. The race of Pharmaceutical Biological Chemistry (QFB), has a Pharmaceutical Pilot Plant (PPF) as a resource in the teaching-learning process for the strengthening of knowledge where one of his key points is the documentation. The documentation system is designed to enable the student to develop pilot activities and allow documentary evidence as required by health regulations in force. Objective. Present the methodology that supports the teaching-learning process Documentation System for Pharmaceutical area students. Methodology. Induction to the issue of documentation through oral exposure, revealing the various documents such as: laboratory manual, standard operating procedures, among others. Each teacher reviews the documents generated during the semester, and suggest improvements if required. Results. Based on an internal evaluation, there is an advance in knowledge and implementation of the Documentation System, among students in sixth through ninth semester. Conclusion. In implementing the provisions of the documents, it contributes to the discipline of the preparation, dissemination and implementation of documentation systems, to establish processes and flows that make it up

Trends and outcome of neoadjuvant treatment for rectal cancer: A retrospective analysis and critical assessment of a 10-year prospective national registry on behalf of the Spanish Rectal Cancer Project

Introduction: Preoperative treatment and adequate surgery increase local control in rectal cancer. However, modalities and indications for neoadjuvant treatment may be controversial. Aim of this study was to assess the trends of preoperative treatment and outcomes in patients with rectal cancer included in the Rectal Cancer Registry of the Spanish Associations of Surgeons. Method: This is a STROBE-compliant retrospective analysis of a prospective database. All patients operated on with curative intention included in the Rectal Cancer Registry were included. Analyses were performed to compare the use of neoadjuvant/adjuvant treatment in three timeframes: I)2006–2009; II)2010–2013; III)2014–2017. Survival analyses were run for 3-year survival in timeframes I-II. Results: Out of 14, 391 patients, 8871 (61.6%) received neoadjuvant treatment. Long-course chemo/radiotherapy was the most used approach (79.9%), followed by short-course radiotherapy ± chemotherapy (7.6%). The use of neoadjuvant treatment for cancer of the upper third (15-11 cm) increased over time (31.5%vs 34.5%vs 38.6%, p = 0.0018). The complete regression rate slightly increased over time (15.6% vs 16% vs 18.5%; p = 0.0093); the proportion of patients with involved circumferential resection margins (CRM) went down from 8.2% to 7.3%and 5.5% (p = 0.0004). Neoadjuvant treatment significantly decreased positive CRM in lower third tumors (OR 0.71, 0.59–0.87, Cochrane-Mantel-Haenszel P = 0.0008). Most ypN0 patients also received adjuvant therapy. In MR-defined stage III patients, preoperative treatment was associated with significantly longer local-recurrence-free survival (p < 0.0001), and cancer-specific survival (p < 0.0001). The survival benefit was smaller in upper third cancers. Conclusion: There was an increasing trend and a potential overuse of neoadjuvant treatment in cancer of the upper rectum. Most ypN0 patients received postoperative treatment. Involvement of CRM in lower third tumors was reduced after neoadjuvant treatment. Stage III and MRcN + benefited the most

HPM Approximations for Trajectories: From a Golf Ball Path to Mercury’s Orbit

In this work, we propose the approximated analytical solutions for two highly nonlinear problems using the homotopy perturbation method (HPM). We obtained approximations for a golf ball trajectory model and a Mercury orbit’s model. In addition, to enlarge the domain of convergence of the first case study, we apply the Laplace-Padé resummation method to the HPM series solution. For both case studies, we were able to obtain approximations in good agreement with numerical methods, depicting the basic nature of the trajectories of the phenomena

Genome-wide association study identifies 30 Loci Associated with Bipolar Disorder

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) founding member and Bipolar disorder working group co-chair Pamela Sklar. We thank the participants who donated their time, experiences and DNA to this research, and to the clinical and scientific teams that worked with them. We are deeply indebted to the investigators who comprise the PGC. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of any funding or regulatory body. Analyses were carried out on the NL Genetic Cluster Computer (http://www.geneticcluster.org ) hosted by SURFsara, and the Mount Sinai high performance computing cluster (http://hpc.mssm.edu).Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable psychiatric disorder. We performed a genome-wide association study including 20,352 cases and 31,358 controls of European descent, with follow-up analysis of 822 variants with P<1x10-4 in an additional 9,412 cases and 137,760 controls. Eight of the 19 variants that were genome-wide significant (GWS, p < 5x10-8) in the discovery GWAS were not GWS in the combined analysis, consistent with small effect sizes and limited power but also with genetic heterogeneity. In the combined analysis 30 loci were GWS including 20 novel loci. The significant loci contain genes encoding ion channels, neurotransmitter transporters and synaptic components. Pathway analysis revealed nine significantly enriched gene-sets including regulation of insulin secretion and endocannabinoid signaling. BDI is strongly genetically correlated with schizophrenia, driven by psychosis, whereas BDII is more strongly correlated with major depressive disorder. These findings address key clinical questions and provide potential new biological mechanisms for BD.This work was funded in part by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, Stanley Medical Research Institute, University of Michigan, Pritzker Neuropsychiatric Disorders Research Fund L.L.C., Marriot Foundation and the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, the NIMH Intramural Research Program; Canadian Institutes of Health Research; the UK Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR, NRS, MRC, Wellcome Trust; European Research Council; German Ministry for Education and Research, German Research Foundation IZKF of Münster, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, ImmunoSensation, the Dr. Lisa-Oehler Foundation, University of Bonn; the Swiss National Science Foundation; French Foundation FondaMental and ANR; Spanish Ministerio de Economía, CIBERSAM, Industria y Competitividad, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Generalitat de Catalunya, EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme; BBMRI-NL; South-East Norway Regional Health Authority and Mrs. Throne-Holst; Swedish Research Council, Stockholm County Council, Söderström Foundation; Lundbeck Foundation, Aarhus University; Australia NHMRC, NSW Ministry of Health, Janette M O'Neil and Betty C Lynch

Mar Menor: una laguna singular y sensible. Evaluación científica de su estado.

Este libro recopila las aportaciones que equipos de investigación de la Universidad de Murcia, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Instituto Geológico-Minero de España, Universidad de Alicante, el Instituto Español de Oceanografía y otros organismos hicieron en las Jornadas Científicas del Mar Menor, celebradas en diciembre de 2014.La información recogida en este libro se estructura en dos grandes bloques, uno de Biología y Ecología del Mar Menor (capítulos 1 al 8) y otro de Condiciones fisicoquímicas e impacto de actividades humanas en la laguna (capítulos 9 al 14). El primer bloque resume buena parte de los estudios ecológicos realizados en el Mar Menor, que han servido para mejorar su conocimiento y también para cambiar antiguas asunciones sobre la naturaleza y el funcionamiento de estos ecosistemas lagunares (Capítulo 1). El segundo capítulo muestra que esta laguna alberga en zonas someras de su perímetro hábitats fundamentales para mantener y conservar tanto especies migratorias como residentes, que es necesario conocer para paliar el impacto de las actividades humanas que les afectan. En este sentido la reducción de la carga de nutrientes y contaminantes orgánicos e inorgánicos que fluyen hacia el Mar Menor puede ayudar a preservar la laguna en mejores condiciones, bien sea tratando las escorrentías (plantas de tratamiento, humedales artificiales u otras técnicas) y recuperar este agua para uso agrícola o evitar su descarga en la laguna (Capítulo 3). Estas actuaciones serán clave para la conservación de especies emblemáticas como el caballito de mar (Capítulo 4) y reducir el impacto de las proliferaciones masivas de medusas que se producen en la laguna desde 1993 (Capítulo 5). En este mismo sentido los cambios acaecidos en la laguna han favorecido la incursión de invertebrados marinos alóctonos (Capítulo 6) y han afectado a la respuesta de la dinámica poblacional de las aves acuáticas a distintas escalas (Capítulo 7). Para completar este bloque se ofrece una perspectiva histórica de la importancia que ha tenido la investigación sobre acuicultura realizada en esta laguna, que ha servido de base para su gran desarrollo actual (Capítulo 8). El segundo bloque se inicia con una evaluación del origen y evolución del Mar Menor desde el punto de vista geológico, y evidencia su vulnerabilidad ante el deterioro que puede sufrir la desaparición de la barrera de cierre y/o su colmatación (Capítulo 9). En el Capítulo 10 se describe la relevancia que tiene la interacción de los acuíferos del Campo de Cartagena con la laguna, que se produce no sólo a nivel superficial sino también subterráneo. Esta interacción permite el acceso de nutrientes a la laguna, a pesar de la cierta capacidad de depuración de los humedales que le circundan, y también de metales traza por los aportes de residuos mineros (Capítulo 11). De hecho los metales traza están presentes en los sedimentos de la laguna, y su distribución se ha caracterizado en la columna sedimentaria relacionándola con la granulometría y el contenido de materia orgánica del sedimento (Capítulo 12). Posteriormente se describe la entrada de diversos contaminantes orgánicos, incluyendo pesticidas y fármacos a través de la rambla del Albujón, y su distribución estacional en agua y sedimento de la laguna (Capítulo 13). Este segundo bloque finaliza con el Capítulo 14 en el que se describe la bioacumulación de hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos, pesticidas y fármacos en moluscos y peces del Mar Menor, así como los efectos biológicos que la carga contaminante que accede a través de la rambla del Albujón produce en los organismos que allí habitan. El libro concluye con un breve epílogo redactado por los editores de este libro.Versión del edito

Taming the terminological tempest in invasion science

Standardised terminology in science is important for clarity of interpretation and communication. In invasion science – a dynamic and rapidly evolving discipline – the proliferation of technical terminology has lacked a standardised framework for its development. The result is a convoluted and inconsistent usage of terminology, with various discrepancies in descriptions of damage and interventions. A standardised framework is therefore needed for a clear, universally applicable, and consistent terminology to promote more effective communication across researchers, stakeholders, and policymakers. Inconsistencies in terminology stem from the exponential increase in scientific publications on the patterns and processes of biological invasions authored by experts from various disciplines and countries since the 1990s, as well as publications by legislators and policymakers focusing on practical applications, regulations, and management of resources. Aligning and standardising terminology across stakeholders remains a challenge in invasion science. Here, we review and evaluate the multiple terms used in invasion science (e.g. ‘non-native’, ‘alien’, ‘invasive’ or ‘invader’, ‘exotic’, ‘non-indigenous’, ‘naturalised’, ‘pest’) to propose a more simplified and standardised terminology. The streamlined framework we propose and translate into 28 other languages is based on the terms (i) ‘non-native’, denoting species transported beyond their natural biogeographic range, (ii) ‘established non-native’, i.e. those non-native species that have established self-sustaining populations in their new location(s) in the wild, and (iii) ‘invasive non-native’ – populations of established non-native species that have recently spread or are spreading rapidly in their invaded range actively or passively with or without human mediation. We also highlight the importance of conceptualising ‘spread’ for classifying invasiveness and ‘impact’ for management. Finally, we propose a protocol for classifying populations based on (i) dispersal mechanism, (ii) species origin, (iii) population status, and (iv) impact. Collectively and without introducing new terminology, the framework that we present aims to facilitate effective communication and collaboration in invasion science and management of non-native species

Differential clinical characteristics and prognosis of intraventricular conduction defects in patients with chronic heart failure

Intraventricular conduction defects (IVCDs) can impair prognosis of heart failure (HF), but their specific impact is not well established. This study aimed to analyse the clinical profile and outcomes of HF patients with LBBB, right bundle branch block (RBBB), left anterior fascicular block (LAFB), and no IVCDs. Clinical variables and outcomes after a median follow-up of 21 months were analysed in 1762 patients with chronic HF and LBBB (n = 532), RBBB (n = 134), LAFB (n = 154), and no IVCDs (n = 942). LBBB was associated with more marked LV dilation, depressed LVEF, and mitral valve regurgitation. Patients with RBBB presented overt signs of congestive HF and depressed right ventricular motion. The LAFB group presented intermediate clinical characteristics, and patients with no IVCDs were more often women with less enlarged left ventricles and less depressed LVEF. Death occurred in 332 patients (interannual mortality = 10.8%): cardiovascular in 257, extravascular in 61, and of unknown origin in 14 patients. Cardiac death occurred in 230 (pump failure in 171 and sudden death in 59). An adjusted Cox model showed higher risk of cardiac death and pump failure death in the LBBB and RBBB than in the LAFB and the no IVCD groups. LBBB and RBBB are associated with different clinical profiles and both are independent predictors of increased risk of cardiac death in patients with HF. A more favourable prognosis was observed in patients with LAFB and in those free of IVCDs. Further research in HF patients with RBBB is warranted