Maternal and Fetal Effects of Gestational Vitamin D Concentration.

Most (90%) vitamin D synthesis occurs in the skin using sunlight (ultraviolet rays), and 10% is obtained through food. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for skeletal growth and maintenance, cell proliferation and differentiation, and immune function. This study investigated whether maternal serum vitamin D concentrations induce maternofetal effects. Hematological analysis, serological changes, and precision fetal ultrasound findings were analyzed by maternal vitamin D concentration in gestational weeks 22-25 to ascertain direct effects on fetal growth. Bone density-vitamin D concentration correlation was analyzed. No hematologic or serological effect of maternal vitamin D concentration was detected; however, the sexually transmitted infection and cross-infection rates were inversely proportional to maternal vitamin D concentration. No significant correlation between vitamin D concentration and vertebral and femoral BMD was detected. For fetal growth, biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length, and humerus length were analyzed. Humerus (p < 0.05) and femur (p < 0.001) lengths were higher in the vitamin D-sufficient group than in the vitamin D-deficient group. Vitamin D concentration did not positively affect hematologic changes and bone density; maternal vitamin D concentration essentially affected fetal bone growth. Vitamin D inhibits sexually transmitted infections in mothers and promotes fetal bone growth. Prevention of vitamin D deficiency, supplementation, or outdoor activities is recommended.

Simultaneous biodegradation of carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene in a coupled anaerobic/aerobic biobarrier.

Simultaneous biodegradation of carbon tetrachloride (CT) and trichloroethylene (TCE) in a biobarrier with polyethylene glycol (PEG) carriers was studied. Toluene/methanol and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were used as electron donors and an electron acceptor source, respectively, in order to develop a biologically active zone. The average removal efficiencies for TCE and toluene were over 99.3%, leaving the respective residual concentrations of ∼12 and ∼57µg/L, which are below or close to the groundwater quality standards. The removal efficiency for CT was ∼98.1%, with its residual concentration (65.8µg/L) slightly over the standards. TCE was aerobically cometabolized with toluene as substrate while CT was anaerobically dechlorinated in the presence of electron donors, with the respective stoichiometric amount of chloride released. The oxygen supply at equivalent to 50% chemical oxygen demand of the injected electron donors supported successful toluene oxidation and also allowed local anaerobic environments for CT reduction. The originally augmented (immobilized in PEG carriers) aerobic microbes were gradually outcompeted in obtaining substrate and oxygen. Instead, newly developed biofilms originated from indigenous microbes in soil adapted to the coupled anaerobic/aerobic environment in the carrier for the simultaneous and almost complete removal of CT, TCE, and toluene. The declined removal rates when temperature fell from 28 to 18°C were recovered by doubling the retention time (7.2 days).

Characterization of refractory matters in dyeing wastewater during a full-scale Fenton process following pure-oxygen activated sludge treatment.

Refractory pollutants in raw and treated dyeing wastewaters were characterized using fractional molecular weight cut-off, Ultraviolet-vis spectrophotometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI/MS). Significant organics and color compounds remained after biological (pure-oxygen activated sludge) and chemical (Fenton) treatments at a dyeing wastewater treatment plant (flow rate ∼100,000m(3)/d). HPLC-ESI/MS analysis revealed that some organic compounds disappeared after the biological treatment but reappeared after the chemical oxidation process, and some of that were originally absent in the raw dyeing wastewater was formed after the biological or chemical treatment. It appeared that the Fenton process merely impaired the color-imparting bonds in the dye materials instead of completely degrading them. Nevertheless, this process did significantly reduce the soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD, 66%) and color (73%) remaining after initial biological treatment which reduced SCOD by 53% and color by 13% in raw wastewater. Biological treatment decreased the degradable compounds substantially, in such a way that the following Fenton process could effectively remove recalcitrant compounds, making the overall hybrid system more economical. In addition, ferric ion inherent to the Fenton reaction effectively coagulated particulate matters not removed via biological and chemical oxidation.

Supportive management resolved a colonic intramural hematoma in an anticoagulant user.

Intramural hematomas of the colon are rare. Intramural hematomas of the gastrointestinal tract often result from blunt trauma, although they may also occur spontaneously in patients taking anticoagulants or those with blood dyscrasia. Affected patients present with abdominal pain and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, as well as occasional signs of intestinal obstruction. The diagnosis is made using colonoscopy and abdominal CT. Resection of the involved bowel segment is accepted as the standard therapy; however, experience with conservative treatment has also been reported. We herein report the case of a 62-year-old woman taking warfarin who was diagnosed with a colonic intramural hematoma and completely recovered with conservative management.

Autotrophic denitrification of nitrate and nitrite using thiosulfate as an electron donor.

This study was carried out to determine the possibility of autotrophic denitritation using thiosulfate as an electron donor, compare the kinetics of autotrophic denitrification and denitritation, and to study the effects of pH and sulfur/nitrogen (S/N) ratio on the denitrification rate of nitrite. Both nitrate and nitrite were removed by autotrophic denitrification using thiosulfate as an electron donor at concentrations up to 800 mg-N/L. Denitrification required a S/N ratio of 5.1 for complete denitrification, but denitritation was complete at a S/N ratio of 2.5, which indicated an electron donor cost savings of 50%. Also, pH during denitrification decreased but increased with nitrite, implying additional alkalinity savings. Finally, the highest specific substrate utilization rate of nitrite was slightly higher than that of nitrate reduction, and biomass yield for denitrification was relatively higher than that of denitritation, showing less sludge production and resulting in lower sludge handling costs.

Identification of hypothalamic neuron-derived neurotrophic factor as a novel factor modulating appetite.

Disruption of finely coordinated neuropeptide signals in the hypothalamus can result in altered food intake and body weight. We identified neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NENF) as a novel secreted protein through a large-scale screen aimed at identifying novel secreted hypothalamic proteins that regulate food intake. We observed robust Nenf expression in hypothalamic nuclei known to regulate food intake, and its expression was altered under the diet-induced obese (DIO) condition relative to the fed state. Hypothalamic Nenf mRNA was regulated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling, itself an important regulator of appetite. Delivery of purified recombinant BDNF into the lateral cerebral ventricle decreased hypothalamic Nenf expression, while pharmacological inhibition of trkB signaling increased Nenf mRNA expression. Furthermore, recombinant NENF administered via an intracerebroventricular cannula decreased food intake and body weight and increased hypothalamic Pomc and Mc4r mRNA expression. Importantly, the appetite-suppressing effect of NENF was abrogated in obese mice fed a high-fat diet, demonstrating a diet-dependent modulation of NENF function. We propose the existence of a regulatory circuit involving BDNF, NENF, and melanocortin signaling. Our study validates the power of using an integrated experimental and bioinformatic approach to identify novel CNS-derived proteins with appetite-modulating function and reveals NENF as an important central modulator of food intake.

Estrogen-related receptor ß deletion modulates whole-body energy balance via estrogen-related receptor γ and attenuates neuropeptide Y gene expression.

Estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) α, ß and γ are orphan nuclear hormone receptors with no known ligands. Little is known concerning the role of ERRß in energy homeostasis, as complete ERRß-null mice die mid-gestation. We generated two viable conditional ERRß-null mouse models to address its metabolic function. Whole-body deletion of ERRß in Sox2-Cre:ERRß(lox/lox) mice resulted in major alterations in body composition, metabolic rate, meal patterns and voluntary physical activity levels. Nestin-Cre:ERRß(lox/lox) mice exhibited decreased expression of ERRß in hindbrain neurons, the predominant site of expression, decreased neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression in the hindbrain, increased lean body mass, insulin sensitivity, increased energy expenditure, decreased satiety and decreased time between meals. In the absence of ERRß, increased ERRγ signaling decreased satiety and the duration of time between meals, similar to meal patterns observed for both the Sox2-Cre:ERRß(lox/lox) and Nestin-Cre:ERRß(lox/lox) strains of mice. Central and/or peripheral ERRγ signaling may modulate these phenotypes by decreasing NPY gene expression. Overall, the relative expression ratio between ERRß and ERRγ may be important in modulating ingestive behavior, specifically satiety, gene expression, as well as whole-body energy balance.