Prenatal detection of congenital hypospadias in the wolf-hirschhorn (4p —) syndrome

Hypospadias is one of the most prominent and characteristic midline defects in male infants with the Wolf-Hirschhorn (4p —) syndrome. In this report we present a case in which hypospadias was identified prenatally at 29 weeks' gestation in association with intrauterine growth retardation. Cytogenetic evaluation after birth confirmed a 46, XY, del(4)(p14) karyotype. The prenatal identification of hypospadias in fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation and normal amniotic fluid should suggest a diagnosis of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.     

Effects of ozone fumigation treatment on the removal of residual difenoconazole from strawberries and on their quality

The effect of ozone fumigation on the reduction of difenoconazole residue on strawberries was studied. Strawberries were immersed in 1.0 L of aqueous solution containing 400 μL of the commercial product (250 g L^?1 of difenoconazole) for 1 min. Then, they were dried and exposed to ozone gas (O₃) at concentrations of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.8 mg L^?1 for 1 h. The ozone fumigation treatments reduced the difenoconazole residue on strawberries to concentrations below 0.5 mg kg^?1, which corresponds to a 95% reduction. The strawberries treated with ozone and the control group, which was not treated with ozone, were stored at 4°C for 10 days. Some characteristics of the fruit were monitored throughout this period. Among these, pH, weight loss and total color difference did not change significantly (P > 0.05). The fumigation with ozone significantly affected the soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content (vitamin C) of the strawberries preventing a sharp reduction of these parameters during storage.     

Potential ability of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) to phytomanage an urban brownfield soil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The ability of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Badischer Geudertheimer) for phytomanaging and remediating soil ecological functions at a...     

Remediation potential of caffeine,oxybenzone, and triclosan by the salt marsh plants <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spartina maritima</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halimione portulacoides</Emphasis>

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have attracted increasing concern during the last decade because of their widespread uses and continuous release to the aquatic environment. This work aimed to study the distribution of caffeine (CAF), oxybenzone (MBPh), and triclosan (TCS) when they arrive in salt marsh areas and to assess their remediation potential by two different species of salt marsh plants: Spartina maritima and Halimione portulacoides. Experiments were carried out in the laboratory either in hydroponics (sediment elutriate) or in sediment soaked in elutriate, for 10 days. Controls without plants were also carried out. CAF, MBPh, and TCS were added to the media. In unvegetated sediment soaked in elutriate, CAF was mainly in the liquid phase (83%), whereas MBPh and TCS were in the solid phase (90% and 56%, respectively); the highest remediation was achieved for TCS (40%) and mainly attributed to bioremediation. The presence of plants in sediment soaked in elutriate-enhanced PPCPs remediation, decreasing CAF and TCS levels between approximately 20-30% and MBPh by 40%.. Plant uptake, adsorption to plant roots/sediments, and bio/rhizoremediation are strong hypothesis to explain the decrease of contaminants either in water or sediment fractions, according to PPCPs characteristics.     

Effects of air/fuel ratio on gas emissions in a small spark-ignited non-road engine operating with different gasoline/ethanol blends

This study investigates the effects of several blends of gasoline and anhydrous ethanol on exhaust emission concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (HCs), and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) from a small spark-ignited non-road engine (SSINRE). Tests were carried out for different air/fuel equivalence ratios as measured by lambda (λ). A 196 cm³ single-cylinder four-stroke engine-generator operating at a constant load of 2.0 kW was used; pollutant gas concentrations were measured with an automatic analyzer similar to those typically used in vehicle inspections. The results showed that as the ethanol content of the mixture increased the concentrations of CO, HCs, and NO_x reduced by 15, 53, and 34%, respectively, for values of λ < 1 (rich mixture) and by 52, 31, and 16% for values of λ > 1 (lean mixture). Overall, addition of anhydrous ethanol to the gasoline helped to reduce emissions of the pollutant gases investigated, what contributes to photochemical smog reduction and quality of life in urban areas.     

Biological properties of mud extracts derived from various spa resorts

Spa resorts are known for thousands of years for their healing properties and have been empirically used for the treatment of many inflammatory conditions. Mud is one of the most often used natural materials for preventive, healing and cosmetic reasons and although it has been used since the antiquity, little light has been shed on its physical, chemical and biological properties. In this study we examined the effect of mud extracts on the expression of adhesion molecules (CAMs) by endothelial cells as well as their effects on monocyte adhesion to activated endothelial cells. Most of mud extracts inhibited the expression of VCAM-1 by endothelial cells and reduced monocyte adhesion to activated endothelial cells, indicating a potent anti-inflammatory activity. Furthermore, the mud extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity; however, most of them appeared inactive against S. aureus and S. epidermidis. One of the mud extracts (showing the best stabilization features) increased significantly the expression of genes involved in cell protection, longevity and hydration of human keratinocytes, such as, collagen 6A1, forkhead box O3, sirtuin-1, superoxide dismutase 1 and aquaporin-3. The present study reveals that mud exerts important beneficial effects including anti-inflammatory and anti-aging activity as well as moisturizing effects, implicating important cosmeceutical applications.     

Optimization of Fenton's oxidation of chemical laboratory wastewaters using the response surface methodology

Establishing a treatment process for practical and economic disposal of laboratory wastewaters has become an urgent environmental concern of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Universidade Estadual de Maringá (State University of Maringá), Brazil. Fenton and related reactions are potentially useful oxidation processes for destroying toxic organic compounds in water. In these reactions, hydrogen peroxide is combined with ferrous or ferric iron in the presence or absence of light to generate hydroxyl radicals (.OH). The feasibility of Fenton's reagent to treat waste chemicals from an academic research laboratory was investigated in this study. A response surface methodology was applied to optimize the Fenton oxidation process conditions using chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal as the target parameter to optimize, and the reagent concentrations, as related to the initial concentration of organic matter in the effluent, and pH as the control factors to be optimized. Maximal COD removal (92.3%) was achieved when wastewater samples were treated at pH 4 in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and iron in the ratios [COD]:[H2O2]=1:9 and [H2O2]:[Fe2+]=4.5:1. Under these conditions, it was possible to obtain simultaneously maximal COD removal and minimal chemical sludge after treatment, which is a residue that needs further processing.     

GC-MS analyses and chemometric processing to discriminate the local and long-distance sources of PAHs associated to atmospheric PM2.5

Purpose

This study presents a procedure to differentiate the local and remote sources of particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Methods

Data were collected during an extended PM_2.5 sampling campaign (2009?C2010) carried out for 1?year in Venice-Mestre, Italy, at three stations with different emissive scenarios: urban, industrial, and semirural background. Diagnostic ratios and factor analysis were initially applied to point out the most probable sources. In a second step, the areal distribution of the identified sources was studied by applying the discriminant analysis on factor scores. Third, samples collected in days with similar atmospheric circulation patterns were grouped using a cluster analysis on wind data. Local contributions to PM_2.5 and PAHs were then assessed by interpreting cluster results with chemical data.

Results

Results evidenced that significantly lower levels of PM_2.5 and PAHs were found when faster winds changed air masses, whereas in presence of scarce ventilation, locally emitted pollutants were trapped and concentrations increased. This way, an estimation of pollutant loads due to local sources can be derived from data collected in days with similar wind patterns. Long-range contributions were detected by a cluster analysis on the air mass back-trajectories. Results revealed that PM_2.5 concentrations were relatively high when air masses had passed over the Po Valley. However, external sources do not significantly contribute to the PAHs load.

Conclusions

The proposed procedure can be applied to other environments with minor modifications, and the obtained information can be useful to design local and national air pollution control strategies.     

Isolation and characterization of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a virgin Brazilian Amazon region with potential to degrade atrazine

The use of pesticides to increase agricultural production can result in the contamination of the environment, causing changes in the genetic structure of organisms and in the loss of biodiversity. This practice is also inducing changes in the rainforest ecosystem. In this work, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from a preservation soil area of the Brazilian Amazon Forest, without usage of any pesticide, was evaluated for its potential to degrade atrazine. This isolate presented all responsible genes (atzA, atzB, atzC, atzD, atzE, and atzF) for atrazine mineralization and demonstrated capacity to use atrazine as a nitrogen source, having achieved a reduction of 44 % of the initial concentration of atrazine after 24 h. These results confirm gene dispersion and/or a possible contamination of the area with the herbicide, which reinforces global concern of the increase and intensive use of pesticides worldwide.