Physico-chemical characteristics and methanogen communities in swine and dairy manure storage tanks: Spatio-temporal variations and impact on methanogenic activity

Greenhouse gas emissions represent a major environmental problem associated with the management of manure from the livestock industry. Methane is the primary GHG emitted during manure outdoor storage. In this paper, the variability of two swine and two dairy manure storage tanks was surveyed, in terms of physico-chemical and microbiological parameters. The impact of the inter-tank and spatio-temporal variations of these parameters on the methanogenic activity of manure was ascertained. A Partial Least Square regression was carried out, which demonstrated that physico-chemical as well as microbiological parameters had a major influence on the methanogenic activity. Among the 19 parameters included in the regression, the concentrations of VFAs had the strongest negative influence on the methane emission rate of manure, resulting from their well-known inhibitory effect. The relative abundance of two amplicons in archaeal fingerprints was found to positively influence the methanogenic activity, suggesting that Methanoculleus spp. and possibly Methanosarcina spp. are major contributors to methanogenesis in storage tanks. This work gave insights into the mechanisms, which drive methanogenesis in swine and dairy manure storage tanks

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome associated with COVID-19: An Emulated Target Trial Analysis.

RATIONALE: Whether COVID patients may benefit from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) compared with conventional invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the effect of ECMO on 90-Day mortality vs IMV only Methods: Among 4,244 critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 included in a multicenter cohort study, we emulated a target trial comparing the treatment strategies of initiating ECMO vs. no ECMO within 7 days of IMV in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (PaO2/FiO2 <80 or PaCO2 ≥60 mmHg). We controlled for confounding using a multivariable Cox model based on predefined variables. MAIN RESULTS: 1,235 patients met the full eligibility criteria for the emulated trial, among whom 164 patients initiated ECMO. The ECMO strategy had a higher survival probability at Day-7 from the onset of eligibility criteria (87% vs 83%, risk difference: 4%, 95% CI 0;9%) which decreased during follow-up (survival at Day-90: 63% vs 65%, risk difference: -2%, 95% CI -10;5%). However, ECMO was associated with higher survival when performed in high-volume ECMO centers or in regions where a specific ECMO network organization was set up to handle high demand, and when initiated within the first 4 days of MV and in profoundly hypoxemic patients. CONCLUSIONS: In an emulated trial based on a nationwide COVID-19 cohort, we found differential survival over time of an ECMO compared with a no-ECMO strategy. However, ECMO was consistently associated with better outcomes when performed in high-volume centers and in regions with ECMO capacities specifically organized to handle high demand. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

The leaching of metolachlor, atrazine, and two atrazine metabolites in two corn fields in Quebec : a monitoring study and validation of Gleams model

A field study was undertaken during the growing seasons of 1988 and 1989 to investigate leaching characteristics of metolachlor, atrazine and two atrazine metabolites in two agricultural soils of Quebec, namely a sand and a loam field. In both years, atrazine was detected in higher levels in the groundwater of the loam field than of the sand field. Deethylatrazine was the only metabolite found in any significant quantity in soil in 1988 and in groundwater in 1989. Deisopropylatrazine was detected in groundwater at the beginning and at the end of the 1988 season and levels were similar in both fields. Metolach or was never detected in groundwater.GLEAMS predictions favourably compared to field results at the 0-20 cm depth in both years. Half-life, however, had to be reduced by half in 1989 since higher temperature had increased dissipation. GLEAMS has not predicted leaching past 20 cm in either field in 1988 and 1989. During a dry summer, such as 1988 and 1989, leaching is mostly due to macropore flow and desorption of residues, two processes which are difficult to predict with existing models

Hypogammaglobulinemia during Rituximab Maintenance after Transplantation Is a Surrogate Marker for Disease Control in Patients with Mantle-Cell Lymphoma, an Analysis from the LyMa Trial

International audienceHypogammaglobulinemia during Rituximab Maintenance after Transplantation Is a Surrogate Marker for Disease Control in Patients with Mantle-Cell Lymphoma, an Analysis from the LyMa Tria

Classement des masses d’eau du littoral Manche-Atlantique sur la base de l’indicateur DCE «Angiospermes» (2012-2016)

Certaines masses d’eau s’avérant parfois déclassées par cet élément de qualité, le groupe de travail DCE « Eaux Littorales » a sollicité de la part des scientifiques une réflexion sur les raisons de ce mauvais classement et les éventuelles actions de restauration ou d'amélioration de connaissances relatives aux herbiers de ces zones. L’objectif de cette expertise, soutenue par l’Agence Française pour la Biodiversité, et réalisée en collaboration avec les acteurs concernés par l’indicateur « angiospermes » sur les façades Manche-Atlantique, est d’identifier les pressions potentiellement responsables de cette situation (Tableau 1) en prenant également en compte l’effet des différentes métriques de l’indicateur sur les résultats obtenus