Biocorrosion and biofilm formation in a nutrient limited heating system subjected to alternating microaerophilic conditions

Severe biofilm formation and biocorrosion have been observed in heating systems even when the water quality complied with existing standards. The coupling between water chemistry, biofilm formation, species composition, and biocorrosion in a heating system was investigated by adding low concentrations of nutrients and oxygen under continuous and alternating dosing regimes. Molecular analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments demonstrated that the amendments did not cause changes in the overall bacterial community composition. The combined alternating dosing of nutrients and oxygen caused increased rates of pitting (bio-) corrosion. Detection of bacteria involved in sulfide production and oxidation by retrieval of the functional dsrAB and apsA genes revealed the presence of Gram-positive sulfate- and sulfite-reducers and an unknown sulfur-oxidizer. Therefore, to control biocorrosion, sources of oxygen and nutrients must be limited, since the effect of the alternating operational conditions apparently is more important than the presence of potentially corrosive biofilm bacteria

The Danish multicentre randomized study of fibrinolytic therapy vs. primary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction (the DANAMI-2 trial)::outcome after 3 years follow-up.

  Udgivelsesdato: 2007-Oct-23Background The DANAMI-2 trial showed that in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a strategy of inter-hospital transfer for primary angioplasty was superior to on-site fibrinolysis at 30 days follow-up. This paper reports on the pre-specified long-term composite endpoint at 3 years follow-up in DANAMI-2. Methods and results We randomized 1572 patients with STEMI to primary angioplasty or intravenous alteplase; 1129 patients were enrolled at 24 referral hospitals and 443 patients at 5 angioplasty centres. Ninety-six percent of inter-hospital transfers for angioplasty were completed within 2 h. No patients were lost to follow-up. The composite endpoint (death, clinical re-infarction, or disabling stroke) was reduced by angioplasty when compared with fibrinolysis at 3 years (19.6 vs. 25.2%, P = 0.006). For patients transferred to angioplasty compared with those receiving on-site fibrinolysis, the composite endpoint occurred in 20.1 vs. 26.7% (P = 0.007), death in 13.6 vs. 16.4% (P = 0.18), clinical re-infarction in 8.9 vs. 12.3% (P = 0.05), and disabling stroke in 3.2 vs. 4.7% (P = 0.23). Conclusion The benefit of transfer for primary angioplasty based on the composite endpoint was sustained after 3 years. For patients with characteristics as those in DANAMI-2, primary angioplasty should be the preferred treatment strategy when inter-hospital transfer can be completed within 2 h

A participatory physical and psychosocial intervention for balancing the demands and resources among industrial workers (PIPPI): study protocol of a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Background: Need for recovery and work ability are strongly associated with high employee turnover, well-being and sickness absence. However, scientific knowledge on effective interventions to improve work ability and decrease need for recovery is scarce. Thus, the present study aims to describe the background, design and protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce need for recovery and improve work ability among industrial workers. Methods/Design: A two-year cluster randomized controlled design will be utilized, in which controls will also receive the intervention in year two. More than 400 workers from three companies in Denmark will be aimed to be cluster randomized into intervention and control groups with at least 200 workers (at least 9 work teams) in each group. An organizational resources audit and subsequent action planning workshop will be carried out to map the existing resources and act upon initiatives not functioning as intended. Workshops will be conducted to train leaders and health and safety representatives in supporting and facilitating the intervention activities. Group and individual level participatory visual mapping sessions will be carried out allowing team members to discuss current physical and psychosocial work demands and resources, and develop action plans to minimize strain and if possible, optimize the resources. At all levels, the intervention will be integrated into the existing organization of work schedules. An extensive process and effect evaluation on need for recovery and work ability will be carried out via questionnaires, observations, interviews and organizational data assessed at several time points throughout the intervention period. Discussion: This study primarily aims to develop, implement and evaluate an intervention based on the abovementioned features which may improve the work environment, available resources and health of industrial workers, and hence their need for recovery and work ability

Amiloride lowers plasma TNF and interleukin-6 but not interleukin-17A in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes

Interleukin (IL)-17A contributes to hypertension in preclinical models. T helper 17 and dendritic cells are activated by NaCl, which could involve the epithelial Naþ channel (ENaC). We hypothesized that the ENaC blocker amiloride reduces plasma IL-17A and related cytokines in patients with hypertension. Concentrations of IL-17A, IFN-c, TNF, IL-6, IL-1b, and IL-10 were determined by immunoassays in plasma from two patient cohorts before and after amiloride treatment: 1) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and treatment-resistant hypertension (n ¼ 69, amiloride 5–10 mg/day for 8 wk) and 2) patients with hypertension and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) (n ¼ 29) on standardized salt intake (amiloride 20–40 mg/day, 2 days). Plasma and tissue from ANG II-hypertensive mice with T1DM treated with amiloride (2 mg/kg/day, 4 days) were analyzed. The effect of amiloride and benzamil on macrophage cytokines was determined in vitro. Plasma cytokines showed higher concentrations (IL-17A ∼40-fold) in patients with T2DM compared with T1DM. In patients with T2DM, amiloride had no effect on IL-17A but lowered TNF and IL-6. In patients with T1DM, amiloride had no effect on IL-17A but increased TNF. In both cohorts, blood pressure decline and plasma Kþ increase did not relate to plasma cytokine changes. In mice, amiloride exerted no effect on IL-17A in the plasma, kidney, aorta, or left cardiac ventricle but increased TNF in cardiac and kidney tissues. In lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human THP-1 macrophages, amiloride and benzamil (from 1 nmol/L) decreased TNF, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-1b. In conclusion, inhibition of ENaC by amiloride reduces proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-6 but not IL-17A in patients with T2DM, potentially by a direct action on macrophages. NEW &amp; NOTEWORTHY ENaC activity may contribute to macrophage-derived cytokine release, since amiloride exerts anti-inflammatory effects by suppression of TNF and IL-6 cytokines in patients with resistant hypertension and type 2 diabetes and in THP-1-derived macrophages in vitro.</p

Tralokinumab Efficacy Over 1 Year in Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: Pooled Data from Two Phase III Trials

Two phase III trials, ECZTRA 1 and 2, confirmed the efficacy and safety of tralokinumab versus placebo in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). To further explore the long-term efficacy of tralokinumab for AD, a pooled analysis of these trials was conducted. ECZTRA 1 and 2 patients (n = 1596 total) were randomized to tralokinumab 300 mg or placebo every 2 weeks (q2w) over 16 weeks. Patients achieving Investigator's Global Assessment of clear/almost clear skin (IGA 0/1) and/or 75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) at Week 16, were re-randomized to tralokinumab q2w, every 4 weeks (q4w), or placebo (tralokinumab withdrawal) for another 36 weeks. Patients not achieving the response criteria at Week 16 received open-label tralokinumab q2w plus optional topical corticosteroids (TCS). A pooled, prespecified analysis assessed the proportions of Week 16 responders that maintained IGA 0/1 and/or EASI-75 at Week 52. Pooled data from all patients initiated with tralokinumab, regardless of the response at Week 16 or dosing regimen received thereafter, were analyzed post hoc. In patients who achieved the primary endpoints at Week 16, IGA 0/1 responses were maintained at Week 52 without rescue treatment (including TCS) by 55.9%, 42.4%, and 34.0% of patients re-randomized to tralokinumab q2w, q4w, or placebo (tralokinumab withdrawal), respectively, while EASI-75 responses were maintained by 57.3%, 50.4%, and 26.4%, respectively (prespecified analysis). In a post hoc analysis of all patients initiated with tralokinumab, response rates improved over time with continued tralokinumab treatment beyond Week 16 to Week 52 for EASI-50 (63.1-82.7%), EASI-75 (37.6-61.8%), EASI-90 (20.4-37.3%), and IGA 0/1 (23.0-36.2%). Tralokinumab treatment provides progressive and sustained improvement over 1 year in the extent and severity of AD in patients with moderate-to-severe AD. NCT03131648 (ECZTRA 1); study start date: 30 May 2017; primary completion date: 7 August 2018; study completion date: 10 October 2019. NCT03160885 (ECZTRA 2); study start date: 12 June 2017; primary completion date: 4 September 2019; study completion date: 14 August 2019. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40257-023-00806-3. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40257-023-00806-3

Comparison of 18F-sodium fluoride uptake in the whole bone, pelvis, and femoral neck of multiple myeloma patients before and after high-dose therapy and conventional-dose chemotherapy

AIM: To compare the effects of high-dose therapy (HDT consisting of high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation) and conventional-dose chemotherapy (non-HDT) on the uptake of 18F-sodium fluoride (NaF) in the whole bone, pelvis, and femoral neck of multiple myeloma (MM) patients.METHOD: The data of 19 MM patients who received HDT (61.5 (SD 5.6) years) and 11 MM patients who received conventional-dose chemotherapy (70.9 (SD 7.2) years) were collected in a prospective study. NaF PET/CT imaging was performed at baseline, and 8 weeks and 2 weeks after treatment for the HDT group and the non-HDT group, respectively. A CT-based algorithm was applied to segment the bones, and the global mean SUV (GSUVmean) of the whole bone and pelvis was calculated (OsiriX MD v.9.0, Pixmeo SARL; Bernex, Switzerland). In addition, regions of interest for the whole, medial, and lateral femoral neck were delineated bilaterally. Whole bone and pelvis measurements were replicated by two observers.RESULTS: The average GSUVmean in the whole bone and pelvis of the patients who underwent HDT significantly decreased from before to after treatment (- 16.27%, p = 0.02 and - 16.54%, p = 0.01, respectively). A significant decrease in the whole and lateral femoral neck was also observed bilaterally in the HDT group. No significant decrease in average GSUVmean was observed in the non-HDT group. A high level of inter-observer reliability was found in intra-class correlation (ICC for pre-treatment whole bone 0.983, post-treatment whole bone 0.989, pre-treatment whole pelvis 0.998, post-treatment whole pelvis 0.996).CONCLUSION: NaF uptake significantly decreased after treatment in patients who received high-dose therapy. A high level of agreement was observed between two operators for whole bone and pelvis measurements.</p

Amyloidosis is a disease with many faces

Amyloidosis is a severe disease caused by protein misfolding and deposition in tissues and organs. Thirty-eight different proteins are known to be amyloidogenic. Amyloidosis is categorized into inherited or acquired, and systemic or localized. Light‐chain (AL)- and transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis are the two most common subtypes. Awareness, early diagnosis, accurate subtyping and relevant treatment are crucial for the management. Novel therapies of systemic AL and ATTR amyloidosis have considerably improved outcome and survival. The aim of this review is to increase awareness and knowledge on diagnosing amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a disease with many faces

Amyloidosis is a severe disease caused by protein misfolding and deposition in tissues and organs. Thirty-eight different proteins are known to be amyloidogenic. Amyloidosis is categorized into inherited or acquired, and systemic or localized. Light‐chain (AL)- and transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis are the two most common subtypes. Awareness, early diagnosis, accurate subtyping and relevant treatment are crucial for the management. Novel therapies of systemic AL and ATTR amyloidosis have considerably improved outcome and survival. The aim of this review is to increase awareness and knowledge on diagnosing amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a disease with many faces

Amyloidosis is a severe disease caused by protein misfolding and deposition in tissues and organs. Thirty-eight different proteins are known to be amyloidogenic. Amyloidosis is categorized into inherited or acquired, and systemic or localized. Light‐chain (AL)- and transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis are the two most common subtypes. Awareness, early diagnosis, accurate subtyping and relevant treatment are crucial for the management. Novel therapies of systemic AL and ATTR amyloidosis have considerably improved outcome and survival. The aim of this review is to increase awareness and knowledge on diagnosing amyloidosis