Environmental Implications of a Stabilization Pond Effluent Released in Paraná River at Ilha Solteira, Brazil: The Quality of Water and Sediment

Sewage treatment plants in Ilha Solteira City, which consist of stabilization ponds, have been modifying water and sediment characteristics around sewage outfall area. Water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen (OD) and conductivity were directly influenced by the sewage outfall. OD values were reported before (6.36 mg L-1) and after (2.94 mg L-1) the sewage outfall. Measurement of organic matter content in the sediment showed the same pattern, with values of 1.34% and 4.80% for the SP1 and SP3 samples, respectively. A copper and zinc analysis indicated that metals are being transported through the water column, and SP3 is an important sedimentation zone. The total concentrations reported for copper are 6.48, 26.97, 37.54, 27.12 and 18.55 mg kg-1 for SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4 and SP5, respectively, and the total concentrations for zinc are 11.21, 48.53, 67.41, 58.62 and 24.76 mg kg-1. Bureau Community of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction indicated the following bioavailability order of copper and zinc: SP1 < SP5 < SP4 < SP3 < SP2. At SP2, more than 70% of the copper and zinc is found in bioavailable fractions. Benthic organism’s analysis indicates that the Oligochaetes correlation with organic matter content is related to the decrease in water quality. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v7i4.77

The MateCat tool

Abstract We present a new web-based CAT tool providing translators with a professional work environment, integrating translation memories, terminology bases, concordancers, and machine translation. The tool is completely developed as open source software and has been already successfully deployed for business, research and education. The MateCat Tool represents today probably the best available open source platform for investigating, integrating, and evaluating under realistic conditions the impact of new machine translation technology on human post-editing

Disinfection of Ocular Cells and Tissues by Atmospheric-Pressure Cold Plasma

Background: Low temperature plasmas have been proposed in medicine as agents for tissue disinfection and have received increasing attention due to the frequency of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. This study explored whether atmospheric-pressure cold plasma (APCP) generated by a new portable device that ionizes a flow of helium gas can inactivate ocular pathogens without causing significant tissue damage. Methodology and Principal Findings: We tested the APCP effects on cultured Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Herpes simplex virus-1, ocular cells (conjunctival fibroblasts and keratocytes) and ex-vivo corneas. Exposure to APCP for 0.5 to 5 minutes significantly reduced microbial viability (colony-forming units) but not human cell viability (MTT assay, FACS and Tunel analysis) or the number of HSV-1 plaque-forming units. Increased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in exposed microorganisms and cells were found using a FACS-activated 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe. Immunoassays demonstrated no induction of thymine dimers in cell cultures and corneal tissues. A transient increased expression of 8-OHdG, genes and proteins related to oxidative stress (OGG1, GPX, NFE2L2) was determined in ocular cells and corneas by HPLC, qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Conclusions: A short application of APCP appears to be an efficient and rapid ocular disinfectant for bacteria and fungi without significant damage on ocular cells and tissues, although the treatment of conjunctival fibroblasts and keratocytes caused a time-restricted generation of intracellular ROS and oxidative stress-related responses

Acute diverticulitis in immunocompromised patients: evidence from an international multicenter observational registry (Web-based International Register of Emergency Surgery and Trauma, Wires-T)

Background: Immunocompromised patients with acute diverticulitis are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to compare clinical presentations, types of treatment, and outcomes between immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with acute diverticulitis. Methods: We compared the data of patients with acute diverticulitis extracted from the Web-based International Registry of Emergency Surgery and Trauma (WIRES-T) from January 2018 to December 2021. First, two groups were identified: medical therapy (A) and surgical therapy (B). Each group was divided into three subgroups: nonimmunocompromised (grade 0), mildly to moderately (grade 1), and severely immunocompromised (grade 2). Results: Data from 482 patients were analyzed—229 patients (47.5%) [M:F = 1:1; median age: 60 (24–95) years] in group A and 253 patients (52.5%) [M:F = 1:1; median age: 71 (26–94) years] in group B. There was a significant difference between the two groups in grade distribution: 69.9% versus 38.3% for grade 0, 26.6% versus 51% for grade 1, and 3.5% versus 10.7% for grade 2 (p &lt; 0.00001). In group A, severe sepsis (p = 0.027) was more common in higher grades of immunodeficiency. Patients with grade 2 needed longer hospitalization (p = 0.005). In group B, a similar condition was found in terms of severe sepsis (p = 0.002), quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score &gt; 2 (p = 0.0002), and Mannheim Peritonitis Index (p = 0.010). A Hartmann’s procedure is mainly performed in grades 1–2 (p &lt; 0.0001). Major complications increased significantly after a Hartmann’s procedure (p = 0.047). Mortality was higher in the immunocompromised patients (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Immunocompromised patients with acute diverticulitis present with a more severe clinical picture. When surgery is required, immunocompromised patients mainly undergo a Hartmann’s procedure. Postoperative morbidity and mortality are, however, higher in immunocompromised patients, who also require a longer hospital stay

Overview of ASDEX Upgrade results

Recent results from the ASDEX Upgrade experimental campaigns 2001 and 2002 are presented. An improved understanding of energy and particle transport emerges in terms of a 'critical gradient' model for the temperature gradients. Coupling this to particle diffusion explains most of the observed behaviour of the density profiles, in particular, the finding that strong central heating reduces the tendency for density profile peaking. Internal transport barriers (ITBs) with electron and ion temperatures in excess of 20 keV (but not simultaneously) have been achieved. By shaping the plasma, a regime with small type II edge localized modes (ELMs) has been established. Here, the maximum power deposited on the target plates was greatly reduced at constant average power. Also, an increase of the ELM frequency by injection of shallow pellets was demonstrated. ELM free operation is possible in the quiescent H-mode regime previously found in DIII-D which has also been established on ASDEX Upgrade. Regarding stability, a regime with benign neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) was found. During electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) stabilization of NTMs, βN could be increased well above the usual onset level without a reappearance of the NTM. Electron cyclotron resonance heating and ECCD have also been used to control the sawtooth repetition frequency at a moderate fraction of the total heating power. The inner wall of the ASDEX Upgrade vessel has increasingly been covered with tungsten without causing detrimental effects on the plasma performance. Regarding scenario integration, a scenario with a large fraction of noninductively driven current (≥50%), but without ITB has been established. It combines improved confinement (τE/τITER98 ≈ 1.2) and stability (βN ≤ 3.5) at high Greenwald fraction (ne/nGW ≈ 0.85) in steady state and with type II ELMy edge and would offer the possibility for long pulses with high fusion power at reduced current in ITER

Correction to: Two years later: Is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still having an impact on emergency surgery? An international cross-sectional survey among WSES members

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is still ongoing and a major challenge for health care services worldwide. In the first WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey, a strong negative impact on emergency surgery (ES) had been described already early in the pandemic situation. However, the knowledge is limited about current effects of the pandemic on patient flow through emergency rooms, daily routine and decision making in ES as well as their changes over time during the last two pandemic years. This second WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey investigates the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on ES during the course of the pandemic. Methods: A web survey had been distributed to medical specialists in ES during a four-week period from January 2022, investigating the impact of the pandemic on patients and septic diseases both requiring ES, structural problems due to the pandemic and time-to-intervention in ES routine. Results: 367 collaborators from 59 countries responded to the survey. The majority indicated that the pandemic still significantly impacts on treatment and outcome of surgical emergency patients (83.1% and 78.5%, respectively). As reasons, the collaborators reported decreased case load in ES (44.7%), but patients presenting with more prolonged and severe diseases, especially concerning perforated appendicitis (62.1%) and diverticulitis (57.5%). Otherwise, approximately 50% of the participants still observe a delay in time-to-intervention in ES compared with the situation before the pandemic. Relevant causes leading to enlarged time-to-intervention in ES during the pandemic are persistent problems with in-hospital logistics, lacks in medical staff as well as operating room and intensive care capacities during the pandemic. This leads not only to the need for triage or transferring of ES patients to other hospitals, reported by 64.0% and 48.8% of the collaborators, respectively, but also to paradigm shifts in treatment modalities to non-operative approaches reported by 67.3% of the participants, especially in uncomplicated appendicitis, cholecystitis and multiple-recurrent diverticulitis. Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still significantly impacts on care and outcome of patients in ES. Well-known problems with in-hospital logistics are not sufficiently resolved by now; however, medical staff shortages and reduced capacities have been dramatically aggravated over last two pandemic years