Effect of nano-ZnO on biogas generation from simulated landfills.

Extensive use of nanomaterials in commercial consumer products and industrial applications eventually leads to their release to the waste streams and the environment. Nano-ZnO is one of the most widely-used nanomaterials (NMs) due to its unique properties. It is also known to impact biological processes adversely. In this study, the effect of nano-ZnO on biogas generation from sanitary landfills was investigated. Two conventional and two bioreactor landfills were operated using real MSW samples at mesophilic temperature (35°C) for a period of about 1year. 100mg nano-ZnO/kg of dry waste was added to the simulated landfill reactors. Daily gas production, gas composition and leachate Zn concentrations were regularly monitored. A model describing the fate of the nano-ZnO was also developed. The results obtained indicated that as much as 99% of the nano-ZnO was retained within the waste matrix for both reactor operation modes. Waste stabilization was faster in simulated landfill bioreactors with and without the addition of nano-ZnO. Moreover, the presence of the nano-ZnO within the waste led to a decrease in biogas production of about 15%, suggesting that the nano-ZnO might have some inhibitory effects on waste stabilization. This reduction can have potentially significant implications on waste stabilization and the use of biogas from landfills as a renewable energy source.

A liver nodule in a patient transplanted for primary sclerosing cholangitis: an interdisciplinary diagnostic approach.

We report the case of a 53-year-old female patient who was transplanted with the liver of a 71-year-old male donor for advanced primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and who additionally was diagnosed with a histologically non-classifiable colitis shortly before transplantation. Upon follow-up abdominal ultrasound 4 months after transplantation, a liver lesion measuring 16 × 23 mm was detected in the transplanted liver. This lesion had not been noticed immediately after transplantation and showed a pattern suspicious for malignancy in contrast-enhanced ultrasound. In line, a biopsy revealed the presence of a metastasis of an adenocarcinoma of colorectal origin, suggesting that a colitis- and PSC-associated colorectal cancer of the recipient might have been overseen upon the initial diagnostic workup. Despite two negative follow-up colonoscopies, this hypothesis was further supported by a strong positive signal in projection to the cecum in a subsequently performed PET/CT-scan. However, surgical resection of the right colon that was performed simultaneously with the atypical resection of the liver metastasis only revealed an inflamed diverticulum but no malignancy in the resected colon segment. Moreover, cytogenetic and molecular genetic testing on the resected specimens clearly attributed the metastasis to the male donor. On the one hand, this case underlines the necessity of endoscopic surveillance of patients with PSC and/or inflammatory bowel disease as well as the challenges in diagnosis of colitis-associated cancer. On the other hand, it shows that the acceptance of organs from elderly donors in times of organ shortage might be linked to an increased risk of donor transmitted malignancies.

Bypass during Liver Transplantation: Anachronism or Revival? Liver Transplantation Using a Combined Venovenous/Portal Venous Bypass-Experiences with 163 Liver Transplants in a Newly Established Liver Transplantation Program.

Introduction. The venovenous/portal venous (VVP) bypass technique has generally become obsolete in liver transplantation (LT) today. We evaluated our experience with 163 consecutive LTs that used a VVP bypass. Patients and Methods. The liver transplant program was started in our center in 2010. LTs were performed using an extracorporal bypass device. Results. Mean operative time was 269 minutes and warm ischemic time 43 minutes. The median number of transfusion of packed cells and plasma was 7 and 14. There was no intraoperative death, and the 30-day mortality was 3%. Severe bypass-induced complications did not occur. Discussion. The introduction of a new LT program requires maximum safety measures for all of the parties involved. Both surgical and anaesthesiological management (reperfusion) can be controlled very reliably using a VVP bypass device. Particularly when using marginal grafts, this approach helps to minimise both surgical and anaesthesiological complications in terms of less volume overload, less use of vasopressive drugs, less myocardial injury, and better peripheral blood circulation. Conclusion. Based on our experiences while establishing a new liver transplantation program, we advocate the reappraisal of the extracorporeal VVP bypass.

Distinct patterns of IgG and IgA against food and microbial antigens in serum and feces of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with a defective intestinal barrier and enhanced adaptive immune responses against commensal microbiota. Immune responses against food antigens in IBD patients remain poorly defined. METHODS: IgG and IgA specific for food and microfloral antigens (wheat and milk extracts; purified ovalbumin; Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis lysates; mannan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were analyzed by ELISA in the serum and feces of patients with Crohn's disease (CD; n = 52 for serum and n = 20 for feces), ulcerative colitis (UC; n = 29; n = 17), acute gastroenteritis/colitis (AGE; n = 12; n = 9) as well as non-inflammatory controls (n = 61; n = 39). RESULTS: Serum anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) and anti-B. fragilis IgG and IgA levels were increased in CD patients whereas antibody (Ab) levels against E. coli and food antigens were not significantly different within the patient groups and controls. Subgroup analysis revealed that CD patients with severe diseases defined by stricturing and penetrating lesions have slightly higher anti-food and anti-microbial IgA levels whereas CD and UC patients with arthropathy have decreased anti-food IgG levels. Treatment with anti-TNF-α Abs in CD patients was associated with significantly decreased ASCA IgG and IgA and anti-E. coli IgG. In the feces specific IgG levels against all antigens were higher in CD and AGE patients while specific IgA levels were higher in non-IBD patients. Anti-food IgG and IgA levels did not correlate with food intolerance. SUMMARY: In contrast to anti-microbial Abs, we found only minor changes in serum anti-food Ab levels in specific subgroups of IBD patients. Fecal Ab levels towards microbial and food antigens show distinct patterns in controls, CD and UC patients.

Allocation procedure has no impact on patient and graft outcome after liver transplantation.

The aim of our study was to compare the postoperative outcome after liver transplantation (LT) in patients who received a donor liver via standard or rescue allocation (RA). Special emphasize was laid on the effect extended donor criteria might have on the outcome. One hundred and ten LTs have been performed at the University Hospital Aachen, Germany. A total of 49 patients were included in the standard allocation (SA) group and 53 patients in the RA group. The outcome of LT in both groups was evaluated by the length of stay on the intensive care unit (ICU), duration of hospitalization, 1-year patient survival, 1-year graft survival, incidence of primary nonfunction and major complications. Patients in group RA had a significant shorter ICU and overall hospital stay. The 1-year graft survival was 87.8% in group SA and 88.7% in group RA. The 1-year patient survival was 87.9% in group SA and 96.2% in group RA. The number of re-LT was 2% in group SA and 7.5% in group RA. Organs that were rejected for transplantation several times can successfully be transplanted through the RA procedure, thereby enlarging the donor pool without negative effects on the quality of LT.