Social cognition in people with schizophrenia: A cluster-analytic approach

Background The study aimed to subtype patients with schizophrenia on the basis of social cognition (SC), and to identify cut-offs that best discriminate among subtypes in 809 out-patients recruited in the context of the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses. Method A two-step cluster analysis of The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), the Facial Emotion Identification Test and Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test scores was performed. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to identify the cut-offs of variables that best discriminated among clusters. Results We identified three clusters, characterized by unimpaired (42%), impaired (50.4%) and very impaired (7.5%) SC. Three theory-of-mind domains were more important for the cluster definition as compared with emotion perception and emotional intelligence. Patients more able to understand simple sarcasm (14 for TASIT-SS) were very likely to belong to the unimpaired SC cluster. Compared with patients in the impaired SC cluster, those in the very impaired SC cluster performed significantly worse in lie scenes (TASIT-LI <10), but not in simple sarcasm. Moreover, functioning, neurocognition, disorganization and SC had a linear relationship across the three clusters, while positive symptoms were significantly lower in patients with unimpaired SC as compared with patients with impaired and very impaired SC. On the other hand, negative symptoms were highest in patients with impaired levels of SC. Conclusions If replicated, the identification of such subtypes in clinical practice may help in tailoring rehabilitation efforts to the person's strengths to gain more benefit to the person

Impact of irrigation with treated low quality water on the heavy metal contents of a soil-crop system in Serbia

Water availability for irrigation is a limiting factor for agriculture in Mediterranean countries. An upcoming strategy for increasing water supply is to use treated wastewater for irrigation. A principal drawback of irrigating with wastewater is the potential heavy metal accumulation in soil and foodstuff. Accumulation of heavy metals in soil and potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) irrigated with treated low quality surface water was studied in a three years experiment. The low quality surface water used for irrigation experiments contained a significant proportion of urban sewage and was spiked with selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb) and arsenic before treatment for years 2 and 3. The experiments were carried out during the growing seasons of 2006, 2007 and 2008 on a humogley soil of a commercial vegetable farm, 10 km north of Belgrade, Serbia. The growing seasons started in April/May and finished in August. Irrigation water was treated using (1) a conventional sand filter treatment, and (2) a sand filter combined with a specific filter for heavy metal removal treatment. Irrigation water composition was highly variable and cases both of enrichment and depletion of the measured inorganic trace elements were observed in the treated water, compared to the low quality feed water. In spite of this variability of the irrigation water composition, the soil contents in inorganic elements at the end of the three irrigation years are similar to the initial state. After the third harvest, no impact of the irrigation water on potato quality could be detected except for total sugar and sugar in total solids. Statistical tests (ANOVA) were performed to assess similarities between the different set of samples. The principal conclusion of this investigation is that, when appropriately treated, low quality feed waters with high heavy metal contents can be used for irrigation over several years without significant degradation of soil and produces. Even though, long-term cumulative effects in other pedologic and hydroclimatic settings, irrigation and cropping conditions cannot be excluded.Irrigation, potatoes Solanum tuberosum L. Treated wastewaters Heavy metals Serbia

Faecal contamination and hygiene aspect associated with the use of treated wastewater and canal water for irrigation of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Clean water has become one of the main limiting factors in agricultural food production in Europe, especially for countries around the Mediterranean, who now face more severe and frequent seasonal water shortages. In order to overcome water shortages the European Water Framework Directive encourages and promotes the use of treated urban wastewater in agriculture. However, the use of poor quality water in agriculture poses potential health risks. The application of wastewater through subsurface drip irrigation lines could possibly overcome public health concerns by minimizing contact with wastewater by farmers, farm workers but it is uncertain if the risk for consumers of wastewater irrigated produces would be acceptable. The objective of the current study was therefore to assess whether subsurface irrigation of potatoes with low quality water was associated with higher food safety and reduced human health risks as compared with surface irrigation. The microbial quality of soil and potatoes irrigated by sprinkler, furrow and subsurface drip irrigation, using treated urban wastewater, canal water and tap water were compared at experimental sites near Belgrade, Serbia and in Bologna. Water, soil and potato samples were collected from March 2007 to September 2008 and their faecal contamination estimated by enumeration of the faecal indicator E. coli. In addition, water and potatoes in Italy were analysed for the presence of helminth eggs, another important indicator of faecal pollution. A quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model combined with Monte Carlo simulations was used to assess whether the different irrigation practices and associated health risks complied with guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study found low levels of E. coli in irrigation water (Italy mean value: 1.7 colony forming units (cfu)/ml and Serbia 11 cfu/ml), as well as in soil (Italy mean: 1.0 cfu/g and Serbia 1.1 cfu/g). Similar low concentrations of E. coli were found on potatoes (Italy mean: 1.0 cfu/g and Serbia 0.0 cfu/g). The vast majority (442/516) of the collected different samples were free of E. coli. No helminth eggs were found in any types of irrigation water or on the surface of potatoes. The risk assessment models found the use of treated wastewater to exceed the levels of risks for gastrointestinal disease (1.0×10-3 disease risk) as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the accidental ingestion of soil by farmers (Serbia: 0.22 and Italy: 5.7×10-2). However, samples that exceeded disease risks set by the WHO were collected before initiation of wastewater irrigation and were limited to a few numbers of samples, which would indicate environmental contamination not linked to irrigation practice. Disease risk from consumption of potatoes in Italy and in Serbia was found to be within acceptable levels. No relationship was found between E. coli concentrations in irrigation water, soil and produce. Similar lack of association was found for E. coli findings in sprinkler, furrow or subsurface drip irrigated soils and produce. This indicates that subsurface drip irrigation also can be practiced while ensuring food safety and protecting the health of consumers and farmers