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Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Dec 2022Glass manufacturing operations lead to an increasing number of abandoned slag heaps contaminated with metallic trace elements (MTE). However, the relative influence of...
Glass manufacturing operations lead to an increasing number of abandoned slag heaps contaminated with metallic trace elements (MTE). However, the relative influence of edaphic factors on the biodiversity of glasswork wastelands is still poorly understood although closely related to sustainable land management practices. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to provide new insights into glasswork wastelands through the investigation of (i) Orthoptera, diurnal Lepidoptera, plant communities, and (ii) abiotic parameters in the topsoils. To that end, biodiversity indices were computed from ecological inventories performed on the herbaceous layer. In addition, soil samples were taken from the topsoil layer (0-10 cm) to assess agronomic properties, actually (CEC-exchangeable) and potentially bioavailable MTE fractions (DTPA-extractable) and pseudo-total MTE contents. On the one hand, the studied site was able to support a substantially higher than excepted biodiversity with orthopteran assemblages similar to grasslands and a diurnal Lepidoptera diversity comparable to urban parks. We also noted a positive influence of plant richness on the diurnal Lepidoptera community structure. On the other hand, topsoil analysis revealed a severe Pb contamination (1800-3100 mg kg) and a high potentially bioavailable Pb fraction (800-1300 mg kg). However, CEC-exchangeable MTE concentrations were all below the analytical quantification limits. Moreover, the site was characterized by a medium soil fertility. From these results, Pb contamination does not appear to be a primary limiting factor for the establishment of these communities. We assume that glasswork wasteland ecosytems are more affected by soil fertility or land management practices. To conclude, these sites are able to provide biodiversity ecosystem services, acting as wildlife sanctuaries for Orthoptera and diurnal Lepidoptera, and strategic metals by phytoextraction in a circular economy model. Thus, wasteland management practices should consider the local-scale drivers of biodiversity in order to reach at least the zero net loss of biodiversity.
Topics: Ecosystem; Lead; Soil; Biodiversity; Soil Pollutants; Trace Elements; Plants
PubMed: 36244497
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120431 -
Natural Product Reports Jun 2022Covering up to 2022Gossypol is a polyphenolic compound isolated from cottonseed. There are two optical enantiomers of gossypol, (-)-gossypol and (+)-gossypol. Gossypol... (Review)
Review
Covering up to 2022Gossypol is a polyphenolic compound isolated from cottonseed. There are two optical enantiomers of gossypol, (-)-gossypol and (+)-gossypol. Gossypol exists as three different tautomers, aldehyde, ketone and lactol. Gossypol is toxic and provides a protective mechanism for cotton plants against pests. Gossypol was used as a male contraceptive in China in the 1970s. It was eventually abandoned due to noticeable side effects, disruption of potassium uptake and incomplete reversibility. Gossypol has gained considerable research interest due to its attractive biological activities, especially antitumor and antivirus. Gossypol derivatives are prepared by a structural modification to reduce toxicity and improve their therapeutic effect. This review depicts the bioactivity and regulation mechanisms of gossypol and its derivatives as drug lead compounds, with emphasis on its antitumor mechanism. The design and synthesis of pharmacologically active derivatives based on the structure of gossypol, such as gossypol Schiff bases, apogossypol, gossypolone, are thoroughly discussed. This review aims to serve as a reference for gossypol-based drug discovery and drug design.
Topics: Drug Design; Drug Discovery; Gossypol; Humans; Male; Schiff Bases; Stereoisomerism
PubMed: 35587693
DOI: 10.1039/d1np00080b -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Dec 2023(1) Background: Transvenous lead extraction (TLE) can become far more complex when unanticipated difficulties arise. The aim was to develop a simple scoring system that...
(1) Background: Transvenous lead extraction (TLE) can become far more complex when unanticipated difficulties arise. The aim was to develop a simple scoring system that allows for the prediction of the difficulty and complexity of this significant procedure. (2) Methods: Based on analysis of 3741 TLE procedures with and without complicating factors (extended fluoroscopy time, need for second-line instruments, and advanced techniques and instruments), a five-point Complex Indicator of Difficulty of (TLE) Procedure (CID-TLEP) scale was developed. Two or more points on the CID-TLEP scale indicate a higher level of procedure complexity. (3) Results: Patient age below 51 years at first CIED implantation, number of abandoned leads, number of previous procedures, passive fixation and multiple leads to be extracted, and a ratio of dwell time of oldest lead to patient age during TLE of >0.13 are significant predictors of higher levels of lead extraction complexity. The ROC analysis demonstrates that a point total (being the sum of the odds ratios of the above variables) of >9.697 indicates a 21.83% higher probability of complex TLE (sensitivity 74.08%, specificity 74.46%). Finally, a logistic function was calculated, and we constructed a simple equation for lead extraction complexity that can predict the probability of a difficult procedure. The risk of complex extraction (as a percentage) is calculated as [1/(1 + 55.34 · 0.754)] · 100 ( < 0.001). (4) Conclusion: The LECOM score can effectively predict the risk of a difficult transvenous lead extraction procedure, and predicting the probability of a more complex procedure may help clinicians in planning lead removal and improving patient management.
PubMed: 38137637
DOI: 10.3390/jcm12247568 -
Journal of Internal Medicine Oct 2019The fruitless search for the cause of Crohn's disease has been conducted for more than a century. Various theories, including autoimmunity, mycobacterial infection and... (Review)
Review
The fruitless search for the cause of Crohn's disease has been conducted for more than a century. Various theories, including autoimmunity, mycobacterial infection and aberrant response to food and other ingested materials, have been abandoned for lack of robust proof. This review will provide the evidence, obtained from patients with this condition, that the common predisposition to Crohn's is a failure of the acute inflammatory response to tissue damage. This acute inflammation normally attracts large numbers of neutrophil leucocytes which engulf and clear bacteria and autologous debris from the inflamed site. The underlying predisposition in Crohn's disease is unmasked by damage to the bowel mucosa, predominantly through infection, which allows faecal bowel contents access to the vulnerable tissues within. Consequent upon failure of the clearance of these infectious and antigenic intestinal contents, it becomes contained, leading to a chronic granulomatous inflammation, producing cytokine release, local tissue damage and systemic symptoms. Multiple molecular pathologies extending across the whole spectrum of the acute inflammatory and innate immune response lead to the common predisposition in which defective monocyte and macrophage function plays a central role. Family linkage and exome sequencing together with GWAS have identified some of the molecules involved, including receptors, molecules involved in vesicle trafficking, and effector cells. Current therapy is immunosuppressant, which controls the symptoms but accentuates the underlying problem, which can only logically be tackled by correcting the primary lesion/s by gene therapy or genome editing, or through the development of drugs that stimulate innate immunity.
Topics: Autoimmunity; Crohn Disease; Disease Susceptibility; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators; Intestinal Mucosa; Models, Immunological
PubMed: 31136040
DOI: 10.1111/joim.12945 -
Journal of Biological Rhythms Jun 2022The chronobiology community advocates ending the biannual practice in many countries of adjusting their clocks to observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). Many governments...
The chronobiology community advocates ending the biannual practice in many countries of adjusting their clocks to observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). Many governments are actively considering abandoning this practice. While sleep and circadian experts advocate the adoption of year-round standard time, most jurisdictions are instead considering permanent DST. In guiding advocacy, it is useful to understand the factors that lead governments and citizens to prefer the various options. In October 2021, the Canadian province of Alberta conducted a province-wide referendum on adopting year-round DST, in which more than 1 million valid votes were cast. As this referendum was tied to province-wide municipal elections, the results of the referendum were reported at the community level, allowing a geospatial analysis of preference for permanent DST. While the referendum proposal was narrowly defeated (49.8% in favor), a community-level analysis demonstrated a significant East-West gradient, with eastern communities more strongly in favor and western communities more strongly opposed to the year-round DST. Community size and latitudinal position also contributed to preference, with smaller and more northern communities showing more preference for year-round DST. These findings help identify how geospatial location can influence how citizens feel about the various time options and can further help guide public advocacy efforts by the sleep and circadian communities.
Topics: Canada; Circadian Rhythm; Emotions; Seasons; Sleep
PubMed: 35382618
DOI: 10.1177/07487304221089401 -
JAMA Internal Medicine Dec 2022For patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the decision to initiate anticoagulation involves the choice between warfarin or a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC). How...
IMPORTANCE
For patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the decision to initiate anticoagulation involves the choice between warfarin or a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC). How physicians engage patients in this decision is unknown.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the content of discussions between patients with AF and physicians regarding choice of anticoagulation.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This qualitative content analysis included clinical encounters between physicians and anticoagulation-naive patients discussing anticoagulation initiation between 2014 and 2020.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Themes identified through content analysis.
RESULTS
Of 37 encounters, almost all (34 [92%]) resulted in a prescription for a DOAC. Most (25 [68%]) patients were White; 15 (41%) were female and 22 (59%) were male; and 24 (65%) were aged 65 to 84 years. Twenty-one physicians conducted the included encounters, the majority of whom were cardiologists (14 [67%]) and male (19 [90%]). The analysis revealed 4 major categories and associated subcategories of themes associated with physician discussion of anticoagulation with anticoagulation-naive patients: (1) benefit vs risk of taking anticoagulation-in many cases, this involved an imbalance in completeness of discussion of stroke vs bleeding risk, and physicians often used emotional language; (2) tradeoffs between warfarin and DOACs-physicians typically discussed pros and cons, used persuasive language, and provided mixed signals, telling patients that warfarin and DOACs were basically equivalent, while simultaneously saying warfarin is rat poison; (3) medication costs-physicians often attempted to address patients' questions about out-of-pocket costs but were unable to provide concrete answers, and they often provided free samples or coupons; and (4) DOACs in television commercials-physicians used direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising about DOACs to orient patients to the issue of anticoagulation as well as the advantages of DOACs over warfarin. Patients and physicians also discussed class action lawsuits for DOACs that patients had seen on television.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This qualitative analysis of anticoagulation discussions between physicians and patients during clinical encounters found that physicians engaged in persuasive communication to convince patients to accept anticoagulation with a DOAC, yet they were unable to address questions regarding medication costs. For patients who are ultimately unable to afford DOACs, this may lead to unnecessary financial burden or abandoning prescriptions at the pharmacy, placing them at continued risk of stroke.
Topics: Male; Female; Rats; Animals; Humans; Atrial Fibrillation; Warfarin; Administration, Oral; Time Factors; Anticoagulants; Stroke; Physicians
PubMed: 36315125
DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4918 -
Journal of Cardiovascular... Nov 2020
Topics: Defibrillators, Implantable; Device Removal; Electrodes, Implanted; Equipment Failure; Humans; Pacemaker, Artificial; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Veins
PubMed: 32955129
DOI: 10.1111/jce.14752 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2023The amputee population according to the World-Health-Organization is about 40 million. However, there is a high abandon rate of socket prostheses for the lower limb... (Review)
Review
The amputee population according to the World-Health-Organization is about 40 million. However, there is a high abandon rate of socket prostheses for the lower limb (25%-57%). The direct connection between the external prosthesis and the patient's bone makes osseointegrated prostheses for transfemoral amputees advantageous (e.g., improvement of the motor control) compared to socket prostheses, which are currently the gold standard. However, similarly to other uncemented prostheses, the osseointegrated ones are at risk of aseptic loosening and adverse bone remodelling caused by stress-shielding. The preclinical assessment of these prostheses has already been evaluated using different methods which did not provide unanimous and comparable evidence. To compare data from different investigations, a clear and detailed overview of the methods used to assess the performance is necessary. In this review 17 studies investigating the primary stability, stress shielding and stress concentration of osseointegrated transfemoral prostheses are examined. Primary stability consists in the biomechanical stability upon implant insertion. Primary stability is assessed measuring extraction force (either with a pull-out or a push-out test) and micromotion at the interface between the implant and the host bone with LVDT ( test) or numerical models. Stress-shielding causes adaptive changes in the bone density around metal implants, and thus in the bone strength and stiffness. Stress-shielding is assessed with strain gauges or numerical models measuring the load transfer and the strain distribution on the surface of the femur, and between the implant and the bone respectively. Stress concentration can lead to the formation of cracks inside the bone, resulting in fractures. The stress concentration is assessed measuring the load transfer and the strain energy density at the interface between the implant and the bone, using numerical models. As a result, a global view and consensus about the methods are missing from all these tests. Indeed, different setup and loading scenario were used in the test, while different model parameters (e.g., bone properties) were used in the numerical models. Once the preclinical assessment method is established, it would be important to define thresholds and acceptance criteria for each of the possible failure scenarios investigated.
PubMed: 37662439
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1237919 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Nov 2021As the energy demand is escalating tremendously and crude oil being the primary energy source for at least the next two decades, the production of crude oil should be... (Review)
Review
As the energy demand is escalating tremendously and crude oil being the primary energy source for at least the next two decades, the production of crude oil should be enhanced to meet the global energy needs. This can be achieved by either exploration of new oil fields for crude oil extraction or employing enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology to recover the residual oil from existing marginal oil fields. The former method requires more capital investment and time; therefore, this review focuses on the latter. In general, the abandoned oil fields still have 50% of crude left which is unrecovered due to lack of technology. Hence, EOR came into existence after the conventional methods of recovery (primary and secondary recovery) were found to be inefficient and less economical. Nineteen percent of the EOR projects are based upon cEOR methods worldwide, of which more than 80% of projects use economically feasible polymer flooding process for oil recovery. Both synthetic and naturally derived polymers have been used widely for this purpose; however, many recent studies have shown the lower stability of synthetic polymers under extreme reservoir conditions of high salinity and temperature. Additionally, naturally derived polymers face microbial degradation as the major limitation. Therefore, a number of novel polymers are currently studied for their suitability as an efficient EOR polymer. Latest findings have also revealed that biopolymers play an important role in wettability alteration, pore evolution by bioplugging, and reducing fingering effect. Injection of biopolymers can also lead to the selective plugging of thief zones which redirects water flood to the inaccessible oil pores. Therefore, the current study focuses on such principle and mechanism of polymer flooding along with the reservoir and field characteristics which affects the polymer flooding. It also discusses the scope of biopolymer along with the screening criteria for use of novel polymers and strategies to overcome the problems during polymer flooding. KEY POINTS: • Discussion of macroscopic and microscopic mechanisms of polymer flooding. • Screening criteria of polymers prior to flooding are essential. • Biopolymers are eco-friendly and are applicable for a wide range of reservoir conditions.
Topics: Biopolymers; Oil and Gas Fields; Patient Selection; Petroleum; Polymers
PubMed: 34609524
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11618-y -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jan 2022Interindividual genetic variations determine human's susceptibility to heavy metal-induced toxicity. Thus, we analyzed blood concentrations of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)...
Glutathione S-transferase gene polymorphisms in association with susceptibility to lead toxicity in lead- and cadmium-exposed children near an abandoned lead-zinc mining area in Kabwe, Zambia.
Interindividual genetic variations determine human's susceptibility to heavy metal-induced toxicity. Thus, we analyzed blood concentrations of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in 140 lead-exposed children. Genotyping of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 genes, was carried out to investigate their possible association with heavy metal concentrations and the risk of susceptibility to Pb toxicity. Exposure to both heavy metals was prevalent among the children. The blood Pb level ranged from 3.30 to 74.0 μg dL with an average value of 26.8 μg dL that is five times above its reference level. The average Cd level (0.22 μg L) was below its reference level. The metal-gene interaction showed positive correlation between GSTT1 null genotype and Pb and Cd levels (β = 0.11; p = 0.02 and β = 0.10; p = 0.01, respectively). More pronounced effects (β = 0.19; p < 0.01 and β = 0.25; p = 0.04) were found for the mixture of the three putative genes with blood Pb concentration. The susceptibility analysis using 10 μg dL as blood Pb cutoff level showed a high risk of Pb toxicity (OR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.02-6.32, p = 0.04) for children carrying the GSTP1 Ile/Val genotype. Further, the combined effect of GSTP1 Ile/Val with GSTT1 null genotype was more pronounced and showed an increased risk of susceptibility to Pb toxicity (OR = 11.7; 95% CI: 1.36-102.1, p = 0.02). In summary, this study suggests that GSTT1 null and GSTP1 Ile/Val genotypes are the main genetic factors, and individual and specific combinations of GSTP1 Ile/Val with GSTM1 and GSTT1 GST polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to Pb toxicity.
Topics: Cadmium; Case-Control Studies; Child; Genotype; Glutathione Transferase; Humans; Lead; Mining; Polymorphism, Genetic; Risk Factors; Zambia; Zinc
PubMed: 34453679
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16098-1