Environmental monitoring of pesticide residues from farms at a neighbouring primary and pre-school in the Western Cape in South Africa.

Concerns about pesticide drift from neighbouring vineyards affecting children attending school on a farm adjacent to an urban suburb of Cape Town, Western Cape in South Africa were investigated. The study involved a before-after design, measuring levels of environmental exposure before and during pesticide application activities on the neighbouring farms. Samples were collected in air, dust and grass cuttings at the preschool and primary school located on the farms during September-December in 2010 and tested for pesticides using multi-pesticide methods. Eleven different pesticides were detected in the various samples. Six of these chemicals (endosulfan, dimethomorph, penconazole, cyprodinil, boscalid and bromopropylate) were on the spraying schedules of the two farms neighbouring the schools and the timing and location of detection were generally consistent with farm application. Three pesticides detected (chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, permethrin) are agents commonly used in household applications and one (pyriproxifen) is used in pet treatment agents. Kresoxim-methyl, the other pesticide detected, is likely to come from drift from other farms in the area. The concentration of pesticides was all lower than 0.1 µg/m(3) in air and 0.1 µg/kg in dust and grass apart from permethrin and cypermethrin. The findings confirm the presence of drift onto the school premises and concentrations found in this study were generally low in comparison to that detected in other studies. Regular monitoring to track the effectiveness of containment and mitigation measures that reduce drift is recommended.

Beneficial effects of oxygen addition and hybrid poplar phytoremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils.

Laboratory scale experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of a phytoremediation system using poplar trees on the smear zone-soil gases for petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soil. Eight clear polyvinyl chloride (PVC) columns (1.5 mx0.1 m) were packed with the contaminated soil covered with clean top soil. Five ports were installed on the front side of each column for soil gas sampling. Hybrid poplar trees (Populus deltoides X nigra DN34) were grown in 4 columns. The remaining four columns were used as controls (no trees). Three of the tree columns and 3 of the controls had induced air flow. An experimental apparatus was established to allow for the induced air to flow through the air flow columns. Average air flow rates of 0.43 L/d, 0.71 L/d and 1.50 L/d were tested. The columns were operated for 78 days. During the experiments, the effect of oxygen addition, through the induced air, on the development of poplar roots in the hydrocarbons contaminated soil was investigated. In addition, the compositions and concentrations of the soil gases at different soil depths were evaluated during the course of the experiments.

[Muscle activation patterns and gait biomechanics in patients with ankylosing spondylitis]. / Pattern di attivazione muscolare e biomeccanica del passo in pazienti con spondilite anchilosante.

UNLABELLED: Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) may experience a progressive spinal kyphosis, which induces a forward and downward displacement of the centre of mass (COM) of the trunk with consequent use of mechanisms to compensate for the displacement of the trunk. The analysis of patterns of movement gives an important opportunity for follow-up of patients and is an useful tool to plan a therapeutic and rehabilitative program. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to contribute to the description of abnormalities of gait biomechanics in patients with AS and to individualize, if existing, a typical pattern of these patients. METHODS: Five patients with AS (3 men, 2 women) were evaluated by gait analysis. Each patient was assessed with dynamic electromyography, with survey of phases of gait cycle and 3D video-analysis of gait related to data of platform (Digivec) which allows to display real time the force vector of reaction foot-ground overlapping the screen image of patient. RESULTS: The dynamometric platform located the following problems: increasing of the medium-lateral component of the reaction force on the ground in the mild and terminal stance. The anterior-posterior reaction force is diminished in both the initial and the terminal component. The timing of activation of the tibialis anterior results prolonged while the timing of activation of the gastrocnemius medialis results delayed. CONCLUSION: The patients with AS prefer therefore an eccentric contraction of the tibial anterior in comparison to a concentric contraction of the gastrocnemius medialis, "opting" for a gait strategy that confers greater stability but limited power.

Usefulness of gait analysis for rehabilitation and follow-up in a patient with neurolupus. A case report.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are very common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and can lead to a severe impairment of quality of life. Among neurological manifestations of SLE, altered gait patterns are common but usually not studied. Gait analysis allows us to evaluate the patients' skills, and in this way to plan a specific therapeutic-rehabilitative intervention. We describe the gait pattern of a patient with neurolupus, whose gait was characterized by a diminished propulsion capacity, a diminished load acceptance, a diminished progression of the pressure centre in a posterior-anterior sense, a diminished myoelectric activity in the swing and stence phases. We suggest that gait analysis may be a sensitive indicator of cerebral dysfunction and can be also an useful tool for the follow up of patients with neuropsychiatric SLE.

[On the hypouricemic action of an alkaline mineral water in the aged]. / Sull'attività ipouricemizzante di un'acqua medio-minerale alcalina negli anziani

The importance of loading tests, particularly venous loading with fructose, in the determination of changes in purine metabolism is stressed. Such changes may well be present even if basic uricaemia is within the limits of normal. Fructose loading was used to determine the hypouricaemising and uricosuric effects of a mediomineral water in aged subjects following daily administration. A hypouricaemising effect was noted and there was an improvement in loading curve patterns. This effect is considered to be primarily due to the uricosuric activity of the water itself. Sugar tolerance and the insulin response to loading, on the other hand, were not altered by the treatment.