Marine environments are the warehouse of a variety of novel bioactive compounds prone to be explored by food and feed industry. The growing interest in sulphated polysaccharides has led to the search for new sustainable sources, such as seawater. These compounds are naturally concentrated in salt pan brine water due to their evaporation by wind and sunlight.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcid mine drainage (AMD) nature, persistence and the considerable amount of toxic elements cause significant environmental damage. Traditional passive treatment systems typically focus on neutralizing AMD using limestone and removing common toxic metal(loid)s, and often overlook the recovery of economic and strategic elements (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Med Interne
September 2024
Because Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a rare disease, and due to the significant prognostic impact of early management, a diagnosis confirmed by a physician with experience in SLE is recommended, for example from an expert center. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, existing manifestations should be identified in particular, renal involvement by an assessment of proteinuria, disease activity and severity should be determined, potential complications anticipated, associated diseases searched for, and the patient's socioprofessional and family context noted. Therapeutic management of SLE includes patient education on recognizing symptoms, understanding disease progression as well as when they should seek medical advice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Sustain Resour Manag
July 2024
Given the significant industrial applications of rare earth elements (REEs), supply chain constraints, and negative environmental impacts associated with their extraction, finding alternative sources has become a critical challenge. Previously, we highlighted the potential of living sp. in the removal and pre-concentration of Y from a solution obtained by sequential acid leaching of spent fluorescent lamps (SFLs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
September 2023
In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied with a Box-Behnken design to optimize the biosorption (removal and bioconcentration) of rare earth elements (REEs) (Y, La, Ce Eu, Gd, Tb) by living Ulva sp. from diluted industrial wastewaters (also containing Pt and the classic contaminants Hg, Pb, Zn, Cu, Co, and Cd). Element concentration (A: 10-190 μg/L), wastewater salinity (B: 15-35), and Ulva sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDue to global climate change, droughts are likely to become more frequent and more severe in many regions such as in South Africa. In Limpopo, observed high climate variability and projected future climate change will likely increase future maize production risks. This paper evaluates drought patterns in Limpopo at two representative sites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMercury (Hg) is a global and top priority contaminant, toxic at low concentrations. Although it has been progressively eliminated from processes, this metal continues to circulate in the atmosphere, soil, and water. In this work, the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) combined with a Box-Behnken Design (3 factors - 3 levels) was used to optimize key operational conditions that influence the removal and uptake of Hg by living macroalga Ulva sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo routinely assess whether consumed food meets international guidelines, a single analytical method able to quantify minerals and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in real food matrices is required. This work validated a simple and efficient method to quantify nine elements in different food matrices by ICP-MS. Samples from local markets (chicken, mussels, fish, rice, and seaweed) and certified reference materials were digested with HNO 68 % and HO 30 %.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) usually occurs following viral respiratory tract infection. In the context of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we describe a case series of patients who developed IgAV following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods: This national multicenter retrospective study included patients with IgAV following SARS-CoV-2 infection from January 1, 2020, to January 1, 2022.
Dysprosium (Dy) is a rare earth element with a high economic and strategic value, and simultaneously an emerging contaminant, whose removal from wastewaters is gaining increasing attention. In this work, the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) combined with a Box-Behnken Design (3 factors-3 levels) was used to optimize the key operational conditions that influence the uptake of Dy by two living seaweed, Ulva sp. and Gracilaria sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
September 2021
Europium (Eu) strategic importance for the manufacturing industry, high economic value and high supply risk, categorizes it as critical raw material. Due to anthropogenic contamination, Eu levels in ecosystems have been growing, which opens opportunities for innovation: its recovery and recycling from contaminated water as element source - circular economy. In this pioneering study, six widely available living marine macroalgae (Ulva intestinalis, Ulva lactuca, Gracilaria sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe high demand for greener energy and technological innovation require some crucial elements, such as the rare earths Nd and Dy. Being considered two of the most critical elements (high supply risk), it is vital to recover them from wastes/wastewaters, for later reuse. Here, the influence of operational parameters, such as biosorbent stock density (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
June 2021
Mercury is a very toxic metal that persists and accumulates in the living organisms present in the aquatic systems and its elimination is an urgent need. Two green (Ulva intestinalis and Ulva lactuca), brown (Fucus spiralis and Fucus vesiculosus), and red (Gracilaria sp. and Osmundea pinnatifida) marine macroalgae were tested for mercury removal from saline waters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) deficiency, an enzyme responsible for glycosaminoglycan degradation. Musculoskeletal impairment is an important component of the morbidity related to the disease, as it has a major impact on patients' quality of life. To understand how this disease affects bone structure, morphological, biomechanical and histological analyses of femurs from 3- and 6-month-old wild type (Idua +/+) and MPS I knockout mice (Idua -/-) were performed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough treatable with antibiotics, tuberculosis is a leading cause of death. Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibiotic resistance is becoming increasingly common and disease control is challenging. Conventional drug susceptibility testing takes weeks to produce results, and treatment is often initiated empirically.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Pollut
December 2020
Considering the increasing use of Lithium (Li) and the necessity to fulfil this demand, labile Li occurrence in the environment will be enhanced. Thus, additional research is needed regarding the presence of this element in marine environment and its potential toxic impacts towards inhabiting wildlife. The aim of the present study was to evaluate Li toxicity based on the exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to this metal, assessing the biochemical changes related with mussels' metabolism, oxidative stress and neurotoxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConcentrations of 16 elements (K, Na, Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, Hg, Se, As, Cu, Cd, Mn, Ni, Cr, Pb and Co) were determined in dorsal white and dark muscle of Xiphias gladius, sampled at various positions of a single swordfish and at the same position of eight specimens. Hg was quantified by thermal decomposition atomic absorption spectrometry (LECO AMA-254) and the rest of the elements by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) or mass spectrometry (ICP MS). Element partitioning differed in dark and white muscle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPotentially toxic elements (PTEs) are of major concern due to their high persistence and toxicity. Recently, rare earth elements (REEs) concentration in aquatic ecosystems has been increasing due to their application in modern technologies. Thus, this work aimed to study, for the first time, the influence of REEs (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium and yttrium) and of salinity (10 and 30) on the removal of PTEs (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni and Pb) from contaminated waters by living macroalgae (Fucus spiralis, Fucus vesiculosus, Gracilaria sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
December 2020
Gadolinium (Gd) is a rare earth associated with hospital and urban wastewaters due to its application as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging. In this work, the uptake of Gd from contaminated seawater by three living marine macroalgae, Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta), Fucus spiralis (Phaeophyta) and Gracilaria sp. (Rhodophyta) was studied along 72 h.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Pollut
September 2020
Myctophids are the most abundant fish group in the Southern Ocean pelagic ecosystem and are an important link in the Antarctic marine food web. Due to their major ecological role, evaluating the level of mercury (Hg) contamination in myctophids is important as a step towards understanding the trophic pathway of this contaminant. The concentrations of total Hg were determined in muscle, gill, heart and liver tissue of 9 myctophid species to quantify tissue partitioning variability between species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the face of climate change scenarios, it is important to evaluate the possibility of an increase in the incidence of corn crop diseases and to promote studies aimed at creating mitigation measures. This paper aims to study the impacts that regional climate changes may have on the potential occurrence of corn common rust (Puccinia sorghi), in the region of Castro, Paraná (Brazil). The Eta climate model was driven by the global model CanESM2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTuberculosis patients taking second line drugs such as ethionamide (ETH) have often experienced previous treatment failure and usually have a complex history of disease and treatment that can span decades. Mutations in the ETH activating enzyme, EthA, confer resistance through undescribed mechanisms. To explore the impact of EthA mutations on ETH resistance, data from a total of 160 ETH isolates was analysed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynaecological cancer, with more than 7000 new cases registered in the UK in 2014. In patients suitable for surgery, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidance for treatment recommends surgical resection of all macroscopic tumour, followed by chemotherapy. The surgical procedure can be extensive and associated with substantial blood loss which is conventionally replaced with a donor blood transfusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate the performance of salivary gland ultrasonography for the diagnosis of primary and secondary Sjögren's syndromes (pSS and sSS).
Method: Multicenter cross-sectional study on 97 patients with clinical sicca symptoms. The pSS (n = 22) met the American-European Consensus Group (AECG) classification criteria.
Tuberculosis (Edinb)
December 2017
Tuberculosis is a major public health concern, and diagnostic strategies applied to animal populations are scarce. As part of ongoing efforts to control tuberculosis dissemination at our animal facility, two non-human primates (NHP, Saimiri sciureus) presenting cutaneous lesions were examined for mycobacterial infection. Both animals tested positive for acid-fast bacilli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis using a molecular assay (IS6110 PCR).
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