A new fistulose demosponge species from the Persian Gulf.

During a scientific expedition to the Palinurus Rock, Persian Gulf, Iraq, a reef, which was discovered first in 2012, we found a new species which we tentatively assigned to Ciocalypta (Porifera, Demospongiae, Suberitida, Halichondriidae). Genetic results from different authors (Morrow Cardenas, 2015, Redmond et al., 2013, Erpenbeck et al., 2012) suggest that several species of Ciocalypta and other species from Suberitida (e.g. several Axinyssa, Petromica, Topsentia, Cymbastela, Halichondria (Eumastia)) are indeed no Suberitida but belong to taxa yet unnamed. The species described here genetically clearly belongs to this new taxon outside Suberitida which awaits definition. Morphologically the new species clearly would be classified as Ciocalypta. Therefore the new species is described and compared to similar morphological species, some of them, as the type species, true Suberitida and true Ciocalypta, others belong to taxa still in need of a name.

Analysis of selected glutathione S-transferase gene polymorphisms in Malaysian type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with and without cardiovascular disease.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is believed to be associated with excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) polymorphisms result in decreased or absent enzyme activity and altered oxidative stress, and have been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The present study assessed the effect of GST polymorphisms on the risk of developing T2DM in individuals of Malaysian Malay ethnicity. A total of 287 subjects, consisting of 87 T2DM and 64 CVD/T2DM patients, as well as 136 healthy gender- and age-matched controls were genotyped for selected polymorphisms to evaluate associations with T2DM susceptibility. Genomic DNA was extracted using commercially available kits, and GSTM1, GSTT1, and α-globin sequences were amplified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Biochemical parameters were measured with a Hitachi autoanalyzer. The Fisher exact test, the chi-square statistic, and means ± standard deviations were calculated using the SPSS software. Overall, we observed no significant differences regarding genotype and allele frequencies between each group (P = 0.224 and 0.199, respectively). However, in the combined analysis of genotypes and blood measurements, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and triglyceride levels, followed by age, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, and history of T2DM significantly differed according to GST polymorphism (P ˂ 0.05). Genetically induced absence of the GSTT1 enzyme is an independent and powerful predictor of premature vascular morbidity and death in individuals with T2DM, and might be triggered by cigarette smoking's oxidative effects. These polymorphisms could be screened in other ethnicities within Malaysia to determine further possible risk factors.

Heavy metals content of municipal wastewater and sludges in Kuwait.

Municipal wastewater may contain heavy metals, which are hazardous to the environment and humans. With stringent regulations concerning water reuse and sludge utilization in agriculture, there is a great need to determine levels of heavy metals in liquid wastes, sludges and agricultural crops. The state of Kuwait has programs to utilize waste sludge produced at wastewater treatment plants as soil conditioner and fertilizer for greenery and agricultural development projects and to reuse treated wastewater effluents in irrigation. The common metals found in Kuwait's raw wastewater and sludge are Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The effects of accumulation of heavy metals in soil are long lasting and even permanent. In this study, the variations in the concentration levels of heavy metals were measured in wastewater and sludge produced at Ardiya municipal wastewater treatment plant in Kuwait. A relationship was observed between the concentrations of heavy metals in treated wastewater and sludge used for agriculture and the level of accumulated heavy metals found in residual tissues of some crops.

Ion exchange extraction of heavy metals from wastewater sludges.

Heavy metals are common contaminants of some industrial wastewater. They find their way to municipal wastewaters due to industrial discharges into the sewerage system or through household chemicals. The most common heavy metals found in wastewaters are lead, copper, nickel, cadmium, zinc, mercury, arsenic, and chromium. Such metals are toxic and pose serious threats to the environment and public health. In recent years, the ion exchange process has been increasingly used for the removal of heavy metals or the recovery of precious metals. It is a versatile separation process with the potential for broad applications in the water and wastewater treatment field. This article summarizes the results obtained from a laboratory study on the removal of heavy metals from municipal wastewater sludges obtained from Ardhiya plant in Kuwait. Data on heavy metal content of the wastewater and sludge samples collected from the plant are presented. The results obtained from laboratory experiments using a commercially available ion exchange resin to remove heavy metals from sludge were discussed. A technique was developed to solubilize such heavy metals from the sludge for subsequent treatment by the ion exchange process. The results showed high efficiency of extraction, almost 99.9%, of heavy metals in the concentration range bound in wastewater effluents and sludges. Selective removal of heavy metals from a contaminated wastewater/sludge combines the benefits of being economically prudent and providing the possibility of reuse/recycle of the treated wastewater effluents and sludges.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal. Therapeutic prognosis based on a proposed staging system.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the adequacy of the proposed TNM staging system and evaluate the therapeutic modalities used at our institution in an attempt to synthesize guidelines for therapy of primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the temporal bone. DESIGN: Case series of 22 patients with previously untreated or residual SCC of the temporal bone treated between 1970 and 1990. Mean follow-up of the surviving patients was 124.5 months (range, 46 to 210 months). SETTING: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, an ambulatory and hospitalized care referral center. PATIENTS: The hospital charts of 41 patients with carcinoma of the temporal bone seen between 1970 and 1990 were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-two of these patients had previously untreated or residual SCC of the external auditory canal and were chosen for this study. Information was collected regarding symptoms, tumor location, treatment methods, pathologic diagnosis, and patient outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Accuracy of proposed staging system in predicting 5-year survival. Effect of surgery alone, radiotherapy alone, and surgery combined with radiotherapy on survival. RESULTS: Using the Pittsburgh staging system, the conditions of eight patients (36%) were staged at T1, four (18%) were staged at T2, six (27%) were staged at T3, and four (18%) were staged at T4. (The 19 patients with either recurrent disease or non-SCC were also treated, but their conditions were not staged). Statistical validation is impossible owing to the small sample sizes. Combination therapy with surgery and radiotherapy provided a higher 5-year survival rate than surgery or radiotherapy alone. Extrapolation of our data confirms that a staging system is useful in planning therapy. Surgical resection followed by radiotherapy is the preferred treatment for SCCs of the external auditory canal.