An ecohydrological approach to the river contamination by PCDDs, PCDFs and dl-PCBs - concentrations, distribution and removal using phytoremediation techniques.

The levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in the Pilica River and Sulejów Reservoir were found to be 46% higher during the flood season than during stable flow periods. In addition, PCDD/PCDF and dl-PCB mass loads increased by 5- to 12-fold and by 23- to 60-fold for toxic equivalency (TEQ) during flooding. The Sulejów Reservoir was found to play a positive role in reducing PCDD, PCDF and dl-PCB transport within the study period, with reductions ranging from 17 to 83% for total concentrations, and 33 to 79% for TEQ. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WTPs) were not efficient at mass concentration removal, with small displaying the least efficiency. WTPs discharge pollutants into the aquatic environment, they also produce sludge that requires disposal, similar to reservoir sediments. Sludge- or sediment-born PCDDs, PCDFs and dl-PCBs may be removed using phytoremediation. The cultivation of cucumber and zucchini, two efficient phytoremediators of organic pollutants, on polluted substrate resulted in a mean decrease in PCDD + PCDF + dl-PCB TEQ concentrations: 64% for cucumber and 69% for zucchini in sludge-amended soil, and by 52% for cucumber and 51% for zucchini in sediment-amended soil.

Note: Flow mediated skin fluorescence--A novel technique for evaluation of cutaneous microcirculation.

This note describes a newly developed technique for evaluation of cutaneous microcirculation. The technique called Flow Mediated Skin Fluorescence (FMSF) is based on monitoring of NADH fluorescence intensity emitted from the skin tissue cells of a forearm. The changes in fluorescence intensity as a function of time in response to blocking and releasing of blood flow in a forearm are used as a measure of oxygen transport with blood to the tissue, which directly correlates with the skin microcirculation status. Preliminary results collected for healthy volunteers and patients experiencing serious cardiovascular problems indicated a usefulness of FMSF technique for evaluation of health related perturbations in cutaneous microcirculation.

[Personalized drug therapy based on genetics. Possibilities and examples from clinical practice]. / Personalisierte Arzneitherapie auf genetischer Grundlage. Möglichkeiten und Beispiele aus der Praxis.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacogenetics are an important component in the individualization of treatment; however, pharmacogenetic diagnostics have so far not been used to any great extent in clinical practice. A consistent consideration of individual patient factors, such as pharmacogenetics may help to improve drug therapy and increase individual safety and efficacy aspects. OBJECTIVE: A brief summary of structures and effects of genetic variations on drug efficacy is presented. Some frequently prescribed pharmaceuticals are specified. Furthermore, the feasibility of pharmacogenetic diagnostics and dose recommendations in the clinical practice are described. CURRENT DATA: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) as the European approval authority has already extended the drug labels of more than 70 pharmaceuticals by information on pharmacogenetic biomarkers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more than 150. This is a crucial step towards targeted medicine. Guidelines on dose and therapy adjustments are provided by the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium of the Pharmacogenomics Research Network. CONCLUSION: It is fundamental to consider individual patient factors for successful drug therapy. Dose and therapy recommendations based on pharmacogenetic diagnostics are highly important for individualization as well as improvement of safety and efficiency of drug therapy.

Spatial distribution and reduction of PCDD/PCDF toxic equivalents along three shallow lowland reservoirs.

Reservoirs situated along a river continuum are ecosystems where rates of transfer of suspended matter and associated micropollutants are reduced due to sedimentation, accumulation, and biological and physical transformation processes. Among the micropollutants, PCDDs and PCDFs are substances that are highly toxic and carcinogenic for humans and animals. They are emitted and dispersed in the environment throughout the whole catchment area and may accumulate in aquatic and terrestrial food chains, creating a risk for human health. A wealth of data exists indicating the increase in the concentrations of pollutants along a river continuum. A comparative analysis of total, individual, and TEQ PCDD/PCDF concentrations in large lowland, shallow reservoirs located in different catchments ("I"-industrial/urban/agricultural, "U"-urban/agricultural, and "A"-agricultural/rural) showed decreases of the TEQ concentrations in bottom sediments along a gradient from the middle sections to the dam walls. Moreover, penta-, hexa-, and heptachlorinated CDD/CDF congeners were reduced from 28.8 up to 93.6 % in all three types of reservoirs. A further analysis of water samples from the inlets and outlets of the "A" reservoir confirmed this tendency.

Domain-wall movement control in Co/Au multilayers by He(+)-ion-bombardment-induced lateral coercivity gradients.

Defined perpendicular anisotropy gradients in the Co sublayers of a [Co(0.6 nm)/Au(2 nm)](3) sputter-deposited multilayer have been introduced by light ion bombardment through a wedged Au stopper layer. Within such a layer system, domain walls between up- and down-magnetized areas are controllably movable by an external perpendicular homogeneous magnetic field. This method and layer system is very promising for a controlled magnetic particle transport within the stray fields of the moving domain walls.

The Perseus Exobiology mission on MIR: behaviour of amino acids and peptides in Earth orbit.

Leucine, alpha-methyl leucine and two peptides were exposed to space conditions on board the MIR station during the Perseus-Exobiology mission. This long duration space mission was aimed at testing the delivery of prebiotic building blocks. During this mission, two amino acids (leucine and alpha-methyl leucine) and two peptides (leucine-diketopiperazine and trileucine thioethylester) were exposed in Earth orbit for three months. Basalt, clay and meteorite powder were also mixed with the samples in order to simulate the effects of potential meteorite protection. Analysis of the material after the flight did not reveal any racemization or polymerisation but did provide information regarding photochemical pathways for the degradation of leucine and of the tripeptide. Amino acids appeared to be more sensitive to UV radiation than peptides, the cyclic dipeptide being found to be as particularly resistant. Meteorite powder which exhibits the highest absorption in Vacuum UltraViolet (VUV) afforded the best protection to the organic molecules whereas montmorillonite clay, almost transparent in VUV, was the least efficient. By varying the thickness of the meteorite, we found that the threshold for efficient protection against radiation was about 5 microm. The possible exogenous origin of biological building blocks is discussed with respect to the stability to the molecules and the nature of the associated minerals.

Coexistence of arthritis, subcutaneous fat necrosis, and pseudocyst of pancreas.

A 29-year-old woman was observed with subcutaneous fat necrosis, arthritis, and a giant pseudocyst of the pancreas. Surgical removal of the cyst resulted in a remission of the inflammatory process in the joints as well as within the subcutaneous tissue.