Residual pH Research Articles

Effectiveness of three treatment methods on melanosis inhibition and SO2 residual concentration in pink shrimps (Parapenaeus Longirostris) after various sulphite-based treatments in Morocco

ABSTRACT Melanosis in seafood is a natural post-mortem enzymatic process that results from the action of polyphenol oxidase from the animal’s own tissues. It reduces the organoleptic quality of the shrimp and their commercial value. This work concerns prevention of melanosis in pink shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) using the latest technology of enzymatic biosensor for sulphite detection. Three application methods (dipping, dusting, and spraying) with four commercial products were tested. Sulphite concentrations (1–3%) were applied for 1–10 min. Parameters measured included residual SO2 levels, pH, melanosis, and odour. Findings showed that the dusting method gave the best sensory scores, but had harmful residual SO2 values. The dipping method provided safe SO₂ levels below normative limits, when using products with 240 g Kg−1 SO₂ content applied at 1.25% bisulphite/seawater for 1 minute. Regarding the spraying method, the results remain promising. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to understand its potential and limitations fully.

Comparison of different preoperative fasting times for pediatric elective surgical procedures: A randomized controlled trial.

To compare the mean residual gastric volume and gastric pH with standard and liberal fasting in children undergoing general anesthesia for elective procedures. A randomized controlled trial (NCT05922072) was conducted at Department of Pediatric Surgery, Mayo Hospital Lahore from June 2021 to December 2021 and 120 patients undergoing elective daycare surgical procedures under general anesthesia were enrolled. Patients were divided into Group-A (Standard fasting) and Group-B (Liberal fasting). Group-A with 6-, 4- and 2-hours Nil per oral (NPO) for solids/ formula milk, breast milk and clear fluid, while Group-B with six, four and one hour NPO for solids/ formula milk, breast milk and clear fluid respectively. Residual gastric volume and pH were measured after anesthetizing the patient. Effect modifiers like age, gender, duration of anesthesia and procedure were controlled through stratification. Post-stratification, t-test was applied and p-value less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. In Group-A, mean age was 6.1±4.5 years and 6.4±4.6 years in Group-B. Mean residual gastric volume with standard fasting was 0.67±0.48 ml and liberal fasting 0.80±0.44 ml (p value 0.13). Mean gastric fluid pH with standard fasting was 1.72±0.78 as compared to liberal fasting 1.63±0.70 (p value 0.53). Free fluid fasting allows for significantly shorter fasting times, though statistically insignificant higher residual gastric volume was recorded in liberal fasting group with a lower pH.

Investigating the effect of refining parameters on acetic acid removal and the quality of crude epoxidized soybean oil

AbstractWashing crude epoxidized oil is an indispensable step for the removal of residual acetic acid and unreacted hydrogen peroxide after epoxidation. There are many studies on the epoxidation of vegetable oils but there are many discrepancies in the washing process which likely leads to water wastage, excess use of neutralizing agent, and additional processing time. Hence, this study aims to optimize the washing step by analyzing the quality of each washing step and developing a model that can predict the amount of acid removed. Soybean oil (1.5 kg) was epoxidized at 60°C for 5.5 h using Amberlite IR 120H as a heterogeneous catalyst. To determine the optimum water washing level, process parameters such as number of washing cycles (1–5), proportion of epoxidized oil to water volume (1:0.5, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5), and water temperature (20, 40, and 60°C) were examined. The main responses were the residual acid value and pH of the washed epoxidized oil. Results revealed that 64% of the acid was removed after 5 washing cycles irrespective of the washing water temperature and proportion. In contrast, approximately 57% of the acid was removed in the first two washing cycles. Increasing the temperature of the water affected acid removal; with approximately 54% of acid removed at 20°C compared to 60% at 60°C. Doubling or tripling the amount of water needed above a 1:0.5 ratio did not significantly affect the amount of acid removed. The model developed was significant with a predicted R2 of 96% and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.1 when the model was validated at different washing scenarios. Therefore, this study shows that it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of water used and processing time while maintaining resin qualities.

Water quality prediction using ARIMA-SSA-LSTM combination model

ABSTRACT The water quality index model is a popular tool for evaluating drinking water quality. To overcome low precision and significant errors in the traditional single prediction model, a novel autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA)-sparrow search algorithm (SSA)-long short-term memory (LSTM) combination model is proposed to accurately predict residual chlorine, turbidity, and pH in drinking water. First, the ARIMA model is used to extract the linear part of water quality data and output the nonlinear residual. Then, the LSTM model is used to predict the residual, and the SSA is used to find the optimal hyperparameters of the LSTM model, which plays an essential role in reducing the error of the model. To prove the superiority of the model developed, the ARIMA-SSA-LSTM model is compared with SSA-LSTM, whale optimization algorithm-LSTM, PSO-LSTM, ARIMA-LSTM, ARIMA, and LSTM. The results show that the coefficient of determination (R2) of the combination model for residual chlorine, turbidity, and pH are 0.950, 0.990, and 0.998, respectively, which are greater than all comparison models. Therefore, the model is more suitable for the prediction and analysis of water quality data.

The insightful water quality analysis and predictive model establishment via machine learning in dual-source drinking water distribution system

Dual-source drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) over single-source water supply systems are becoming more practical in providing water for megacities. However, the more complex water supply problems are also generated, especially at the hydraulic junction. Herein, we have sampled for a one-year and analyzed the water quality at the hydraulic junction of a dual-source DWDS. The results show that visible changes in drinking water quality, including turbidity, pH, UV254, DOC, residual chlorine, and trihalomethanes (TMHs), are observed at the sample point between 10 and 12 km to one drinking water plant. The average concentration of residual chlorine decreases from 0.74 ± 0.05 mg/L to 0.31 ± 0.11 mg/L during the water supplied from 0 to 10 km and then increases to 0.75 ± 0.05 mg/L at the end of 22 km. Whereas the THMs shows an opposite trend, the concentration reaches to a peak level at hydraulic junction area (10–12 km). According to parallel factor (PARAFAC) and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) analysis, organic matters vary significantly during water distribution, and tryptophan-like substances and amino acids are closely related to the level of THMs. The hydraulic junction area is confirmed to be located at 10–12 km based on the water quality variation. Furthermore, data-driven models are established by machine learning (ML) with test R2 higher than 0.8 for THMs prediction. And the SHAP analysis explains the model results and identifies the positive (water temperature and water supply distance) and negative (residual chlorine and pH) key factors influencing the THMs formation. This study conducts a deep understanding of water quality at the hydraulic junction areas and establishes predictive models for THMs formation in dual-sources DWDS.

Correlation between bacterial microbiome and Legionella species in water from public bath facilities by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

Public bath facilities are major sources of sporadic cases and outbreaks of Legionella infections. Recently, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing has been used to analyze bacterial characteristics in various water samples from both artificial and natural environments, with a particular focus on Legionella bacterial species. However, the relationship between the bacterial community and Legionella species in the water from public bath facilities remains unclear. In terms of hygiene management, it is important to reduce the growth of Legionella species by disinfecting the water in public bath facilities. Our findings contribute to the establishment of appropriate hygiene management practices and provide a basis for understanding the potential health effects of using bath and shower water available in public bath facilities.

A physicochemical evaluation of ossein-hydroxyapatite within the bovine bone matrix revealed demineralization and making type I collagen available as a result of processing and solubilization by acids.

Bovine bone is an animal-origin matrix rich in type I collagen (COL I) and it necessitates prior demineralization and makes COL I available. This study investigated the ossein-hydroxyapatite physicochemical properties evaluation as a result of processing and solubilization by acids and revealed the bone matrix demineralization and making COL I available. The tibia residue from bovine sources was processed, ground, and transformed into bone matrix powder. The bone matrix was solubilized in acetic acid followed by lactic acid. The bone matrix was evaluated as a result of processing and solubilization by acids: ossein and hydroxyapatite percentages by nitrogen and ash content, mineral content, particle size distribution, Fourier-transformation infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope. For the obtained residual extracts, pH and mineral content were evaluated. The solubilization by acids affected the ossein-hydroxyapatite physicochemical properties, and the bone matrix solubilized by acetic and lactic acid showed the preservation of the ossein alongside the loss of hydroxyapatite. The processing and the solubilization by acids were revealed to be a alternative to bone matrix demineralization and enabling the accessibility of bone COL I. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Bovine bone is an abundant type I collagen source, but processing maneuvers and demineralization effect present limitations due to the rigidity of the structural components. Exploring methodologies to process and demineralize will allow type I collagen to be obtained from the bone source, and direct and amplify the potentialities in the chemical and food industries. The research focused on bone sources and collagen availability holds paramount significance, and promotes repurposing agribusiness residues and development of protein-base products.

Comparative analysis of the quality of platelet concentrates produced by apheresis procedures, platelet rich plasma, and buffy coat.

Platelet concentrates (PCs) could be prepared using either whole-blood processes or apheresis instruments. During collection, processing and storage, some biochemical and functional changes occur, which may result in quality reduction. Quality evaluation of PCs may be helpful for the precise control of platelet (PLT) inventory to reduce the risk of refractoriness and adverse effects caused by platelet transfusion. The study was aimed to evaluate the quality of PCs which were produced by five processes: apheresis (AP) procedures (using three different cell separators: Amicus, Trima Accel and MCS+ instruments), platelet rich plasma (PRP), and buffy coat (BC). A total of 100 PCs (20 of each group) were assessed in respect of routine quality control, morphology, size distribution, destroyed and activated platelets, and production of platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs). All PCs have satisfied the recommended quality of volume, platelet count, residual WBC count, residual RBC count, pH, and sterility according to the Chinese Technical Manual. There was no difference among the 5 groups in morphology and size of PLT and PMPs. Dynamic light scattering test showed that apheresis PCs showed peaks around 10-20 nm, but not whole blood-derived PCs. PCs prepared by Amicus had the relatively high percentage of destroyed platelet, activated platelets and PMPs than other groups. The data suggested high heterogeneity of PMPs, destroyed and activated platelets in PCs produced by different processes, which might be helpful to manage the platelet inventory for targeted use.

Gastric residual volume, safety, and effectiveness of drinking 250 mL of glucose solution 2-3 hours before surgery in gastric cancer patients: a multicenter, single-blind, randomized-controlled trial.

Carbohydrate drinking 2-3 hours before surgery has been widely adopted in colorectal operations. However, there is little direct evidence regarding its application in gastric cancer surgery. We aimed to evaluate the gastric residual volume, safety, and effectiveness of drinking 250 mL of 5% glucose solution 2-3 hours before elective gastric cancer surgery. We conducted an investigator-initiated, multicenter, randomized-controlled, parallel group, and equivalence trial. Eighty-eight patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were randomized into study or control group. Patients in the control group followed the traditional routine of 6-8 hours preoperative fasting, while those in the study group drank 250 mL of 5% glucose solution 2-3 hours before surgery. Immediately following tracheal intubation, gastric contents were aspirated through gastroscopy. The primary outcome was preoperative gastric residual volume. Eighty-three patients were eventually analysed in the study (42 in the study group and 41 in the control group). Two groups were comparable at baseline characteristics. There were no statistical differences in residual gastric fluid volumes (35.86 ± 27.13 vs 27.70 ± 20.37 mL, P = 0.135) and pH values (2.81 ± 1.99 vs 2.66 ± 1.68, P = 0.708) between the two groups. Preoperative discomfort was significantly more decreased in the study group than in the control group (thirst score: 1.49 ± 1.23 vs 4.14 ± 2.07, P < 0.001; hunger score: 1.66 ± 1.18 vs 3.00 ± 2.32, P = 0.007). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of postoperative complications (19.05% vs 17.07%, P = 0.815). Drinking 250 mL of 5% glucose solution 2-3 hours before surgery in elective gastric cancer patients shows benefits in lowering thirst and hunger scores without increasing gastric residual volume and perioperative complications.

Long-term effects of pulmonary endarterectomy on pulmonary hemodynamics, cardiac function, and exercise capacity in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Long-term changes in exercise capacity and cardiopulmonary hemodynamics after pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) have been poorly described. We analyzed the data from 2 prospective surgical CTEPH cohorts in Hammersmith Hospital, London, and Amsterdam UMC. A structured multimodal follow-up was adopted, consisting of right heart catheterization, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing before and after PEA. Preoperative predictors of residual pulmonary hypertension (PH; mean pulmonary artery pressure >20mm Hg and pulmonary vascular resistance ≥2WU) and long-term exercise intolerance (VO2max <80%) at 18months were analyzed. A total of 118 patients (61 from London and 57 from Amsterdam) were included in the analysis. Both cohorts displayed a significant improvement of pulmonary hemodynamics, right ventricular (RV) function, and exercise capacity 6months after PEA. Between 6 and 18months after PEA, there were no further improvements in hemodynamics and RV function, but the proportion of patients with impaired exercise capacity was high and slightly increased over time (52%-59% from 6 to 18months). Long-term exercise intolerance was common and associated with preoperative diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), preoperative mixed venous oxygen saturation, and postoperative PH and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF). Clinically significant RV deterioration (RVEF decline >3%; 5 [9%] of 57 patients) and recurrent PH (5 [14%] of 36 patients) rarely occurred beyond 6months after PEA. Age and preoperative DLCO were predictors of residual PH post-PEA. Restoration in exercise tolerance, cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, and RV function occurs within 6months. No substantial changes occurred between 6 and 18months after PEA in the Amsterdam cohort. Nevertheless, long-term exercise intolerance is common and associated with postoperative RV function.

Clinical impact of residual pulmonary hypertension based on revised criteria after balloon pulmonary angioplasty

Abstract Background Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) improves haemodynamics, exercise capacity, and prognosis in patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). However, the treatment goal of BPA is not well established. The European Society of Cardiology guidelines published in 2022 revised the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension from resting mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) ≥25 mmHg to mPAP &amp;gt;20 mmHg because mild elevation of pulmonary hypertension has decreased exercise capacity and worsened the prognosis. The clinical impact of normalization in resting pulmonary hypertension after balloon pulmonary angioplasty is not investigated. Purpose The purpose of this study is to clarify the clinical impact of mPAP normalization after BPA as a treatment goal in patients with CTEPH. Methods We retrospectively reviewed consecutive 236 CTEPH patients (68 [55,75] yrs., Male 52 (22%)) who completed BPA procedures from July 2009 to December 2020 and had haemodynamics evaluation after the procedures and had mPAP &amp;lt;30 mm Hg after BPA. We extracted two groups with mPAP &amp;lt;20 mmHg (Non-PH group) and 21≤ mPAP &amp;lt;30 mmHg (Residual-PH group) after BPA. Results The median follow-up period from the final BPA session was 38 [22,61] months. In both the Non-PH and Residual-PH groups, BPA significantly improved mPAP (37 [29,43] to 18 [16,19] mmHg, P&amp;lt;0.01 and 38 [34,45] to 23 [22,26], P&amp;lt;0.01, respectively) and cardiac index (CI) (2.15 [1.86,2.63] to 2.39 [2.11,2.80] L/min/m2, P&amp;lt;0.01 and 2.25 [1.87,2.63] to 2.50 [2.23,2.88] L/min/m2, P&amp;lt;0.01, respectively). There were no significant differences in CI after BPA between the Non-PH and Residual-PH groups. The 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) after BPA was shorter in the Residual-PH group than in the Non-PH group (435m and 480m, P&amp;lt;0.01). However, the estimated 5-year survival in the Non-PH and Residual-PH groups was comparable (96.3% and 99.1%, P=0.23, Figure 1). Patients in the Residual-PH group showed significantly shorter 6MWD and higher mPAP before BPA, and required more procedures (P&amp;lt;0.01, 0.02, 0.03, respectively). Additional multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that shorter 6MWD before BPA was a significant predictor of residual PH (odds ratio=1.03, P=0.04). Conclusions The Residual-PH group had lower exercise capacity than the Non-PH group, although the prognosis in the Residual-PH group was similar to that in the Non-PH group.Figure 1

Geomechanical Properties of Clay Stabilised with Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Subjected to Long-Term Sulfate Attack

Fly ash-based geopolymers have emerged as an eco-friendly alternative binder compared to conventional Portland cement for soil stabilisation. However, the gap in the current literature is the lack of a comprehensive study regarding the geomechanical behaviour of fly ash geopolymer-treated clay subjected to long-term sulfate attack, particularly in terms of potential ettringite formation and the corresponding impact on cementitious soil structure. The goal of this paper is to address this knowledge gap and provide a comprehensive study to fulfil it. In this work, sulfate attack was simulated by submerging geopolymer-treated clay specimens in two distinct sulfate-based solutions (i.e., sodium and magnesium), for one year. Subsequently, comparative analyses of the geomechanical and microstructural changes in geopolymer-treated clay under various curing conditions were conducted through unconfined compressive strength, direct shear, volume change and microscopic tests. The findings indicate that the addition of geopolymer for the stabilisation of clay soil significantly improves soil strength without affecting the soil volumetric response. Although the clay used exhibited similar qualitative stress–strain behaviour across all simulated attacks, notable quantitative differences emerged in the peak strength, stiffness and shear strength parameters. Such discrepancies can primarily be attributed to the varying buffering capacities (i.e., pH changes associated with acidification) of the sulfate solutions and the subsequent residual pH, cementitious product formation and strength enhancement within the treated clay.

Growth of alfalfa in the presence of metabolites from a dark septate endophyte strain Alternaria sp. 17463 cultured with a non-ionic surfactant and emulsifier.

Dark septate endophytes (DSE) was widely used in the agriculture and ecological restoration. The objective of this work was to assess the effect of culture media non-ionic surfactant and emulsifier on the biomass and metabolites of DSE strain Alternaria sp. 17463. Changes in the composition of DSE metabolites following the addition of Tween 80 during liquid culture of a DSE fungus were analyzed and used in growth tests of alfalfa.Shaking flask fermentation was carried out and the surfactant was fed to the fungus during the fermentation. The residual sugar content and pH declined significantly in the medium and the biomass of DSE increased by 7.27% over controls with no surfactant. Metabolomics analysis showed that adding the surfactant significantly increased the content of 63 metabolites (P<0.05). These include lipids and lipid-like molecules, organooxygen compounds, amino acids and organic acids, and flavonoids. Enrichment analysis of metabolic pathways indicates that surfactant addition promoted carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid synthesis. A plant hydroponic experiment indicated that these changes in metabolites altered the root structure of alfalfa seedlings. They also promoted significant increases in root length and root surface area, and increased alfalfa total biomass by 50.2%. Addition of the surfactant promoted sugar utilization by the DSE fungus and increased the synthesis of lipids and amino acids, resulting in the ability of the fungal metabolites to change root structure and promote plant growth.

Modulating in vitro fecal fermentation behavior of sodium alginate by Ca2+ cross-linking

Slow fermentable dietary fibers can be utilized by human gut microbiota in the distal region of the colon and thus exert a sufficient short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) supplement in the distal region of the human colon. Alginate (Alg) based microgels are widely fabricated and used to control their digestion by digestive enzymes releasing active substances site-specifically. Herein, sodium alginate microgels with gradient calcium-ion (Ca2+) cross-linking densities were developed, restricting their degradation by gut microbiota. Alg microgels were prepared using high-speed shearing after Alg was cross-linked with 10, 40, and 60 mmol/L Ca2+, respectively (named 10-Alg, 40-Alg, and 60-Alg). The fluorescence and atomic force microscopic results showed that the 40-Alg particle has the densest structure among the three cross-linked Alg. In vitro human fecal fermentation results revealed that the Ca2+ cross-linking exerted more restricting effects than delaying effects on the fermentation of Alg, and the 40-Alg exhibited the slowest fermentation rate and the least fermentation extent, by characterizing the residual total carbohydrate content, residual monosaccharide content, pH, and total short-chain fatty acids. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results indicated that cross-linking structures shaped a high specifical Bacteroides-type microbial community and that OTU205 (Bacteroides_xylanisolvens) highly correlated to the cross-linking density (R = 0.65, p = 0.047). In sum, Ca2+ cross-linking generated a dense and compact structure of sodium alginate that facilitated a more restricted fermentation property and specificity-targeting microbial community structure in comparison to the original sodium alginate.

Quality Assessment of Sokoto Water Distribution Networks

The research is on the quality assessment of Sokoto water distribution networks. Sample coordinates of the study area were taken using GPS, the experiments were carried out at different consumer locations with thirty (30) samples of water collected weekly for four (4) weeks, to determine various purification parameters that are related to both bulk (kb) and wall (KW) reactions coefficients for Sokoto water distribution pipe network, these include residual chlorine, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature and conductivity. pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) and conductivity have average values ranging from 6.7 to 7.5; 1.1 to 6.5ppm; 310 to 520 μs/cm respectively and conform to the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ), except temperature which has the average values between 29 oC, and 32.6oC, and the individual values between 26 oC, and 38.4oC, chlorine residual average values obtained, ranging from 0.11mg/l to 0.26mg/l with the lowest individual value obtained being 0.011mg/l. The age of water supply from the treatment plants in the distribution network is 6 hours and both first and second-order decay reactions were ascertained from the graph and first-order decay having the highest number of occurrences was used in Epanet 2.0 water quality modeling. The kb values ranged from 0.0025 to 0.013md-1. A total of 86 out of the 120 samples, which constitute 71.7% were straight lines which indicate first-order and thus, the average kb was determined to be 0.006/day (0.144/hour). It was observed that of all the 120 samples examined in the study, chlorine reaction with natural organic matter (NOM) was small. The average kw for Sokoto WDS was deduced to be 0.078m/h, considering, the following steel pipe conditions used in the network area. kW (ft/h), -α =-38.5, H-W C=150, kW = 38.5/150 = 0.257ft/h = 0.078m/h (-0.078m/h).

Effect of formalin percentage, incubation time and temperature on Clostridium chauvoei culture inactivation and immunogenicity

ObjectivesIn order to find the optimal inactivation conditions for Clostridium chauvoei culture, different factors were investigated and the immunogenicity of inactivated cultures was studied. MethodsC. chauvoei was cultured with different formalin percentages (0.3, 0.5 or 0.7% V/V), inactivation temperatures (37 °C or room temperature) and incubation times (one or two weeks). Sterility tests were performed and residual formaldehyde and pH were measured. Rabbits were immunized twice with inactivated cultures and sera were used for detection of immune response. ResultsIn the one-week experiment, 0.5 and 0.7% formalin inactivated the bacteria after one week, and the percentage of 0.3 inactivated after three weeks. The residual formaldehyde at weeks 1 and 8 was not significantly different. In the two-week experiment, cultures treated with 0.3 and 0.5% formalin were inactivated after four weeks, and those with 0.7% formalin were inactivated after three weeks. Residual formaldehyde at week 8 differed significantly from that of week 1. Residual formaldehyde was affected by incubation temperature since it was lower at 37 °C than in room temperature. Also, a significant effect was observed for formalin on pH, as higher formalin contents led to lower pH values of the cultures. ELISA showed the lowest antibody titer achieved by 0.7% formalin group. Antibody titer was not different between 0.3 and 0.5% formalin. ConclusionsThe best condition for inactivation of C. chauvoei was considered as one-week incubation with 0.5% formalin at 37 °C, leading to a high antibody response.

Microbiological Quality Assessment of Drinking Water at Al-Hayy City, Southern Iraq.

The microbial quality of drinking water which distributed form Al-Hayy water treatment plant and number of residential areas fed by these water treatment plant was studied each month over six month during a period extended from the October 2016 to April 2017,through the purification stages up to residential sites at different areas situated with various distances from the supplying source, two samples were taken monthly. This station derived their water from AL-Gharraf River in the southeastern part of Iraq, where the feed areas of the city with drinking water. This study included detection of bacteria, evidence of contamination of water (coliform, faecal coliform, Escherichia coli, faecal streptococcus bacteria and total bacteria count), also some physical and chemical variables ware like (temperature, turbidity, free residual chlorine and pH) . Results of Bacteriological tests showed increasing in TPC, TC, FC, E.coli and FS bacteria in December and January in all study locations as compared to those of the other months for water plant raw and drinking water and the FS values were less than other bacterial types for water plant. The TPC results of drinking water exceed 100 cell/ml, the allowable limit for drinking water, for all samples of water plant. On the other hand the TC, FC and E.coli exceeded zero cell/100ml, the allowable limit for drinking water, in many drinking water samples for water plant with increasing of temperature in summer months. Physiochemical tests showed that air temperature at sampling time was varied between17 and 34°C and between11.5 and 29°C, for water temperature at sampling time also. The results of pH means were within the allowable limit, ranging from 7.2 in October to 7.9 in April.The highest mean value of turbidity recorded for raw water was in December with 89 NTU and the lowest value was in April with 30 NTU, while the highest mean value recorded for Drinking water was 20 NTU again in December and the lowest value was 1 NTU in April. The highest mean value of residual chlorine was recorded in March with 3.8 mg/L, the lowest value was 0 mg/L in some of the farthest points of the plant.

The risk profile change in patients with severe chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension treated with subcutaneous treprostinil.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is successfully treatable with pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA), balloon pulmonary angioplasty, and medical therapy. Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Management risk score (RRS) is able to predict long-term outcome in inoperable patients or in patients with residual PH after surgery. We performed a post hoc analysis of RRS in patients who were enrolled in the CTREPH study (NCT01416636), a randomized, double-blind clinical trial comparing high-dose and low-dose subcutaneous (SC) treprostinil in patients with severe CTEPH that was classified by an interdisciplinary CTEPH team as nonoperable, or as persistent or recurrent pulmonary hypertension after PEA. Baseline mean RRS was similar in both treatment groups (8.7 in high-dose arm vs. 8.6 in low-dose arm), but mean RRS change from baseline to Week 24 was greater in the high-dose treprostinil group than in the low-dose treprostinil group (-0.88 vs. -0.17). The difference in RRS change from baseline to Week 24 between high dose versus low dose was statistically significant with mean difference of -0.70 (95% confidence interval: -1.36 to -0.05, p = 0.0352), and was driven mainly by improvement of World Health Organization functional class and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide concentration. SC treprostinil therapy administered in standard dose had positive effect on the risk profile measured by RRS in patients with inoperable or persistent/recurrent severe CTEPH. Although our study was limited by the small sample size and post hoc nature, assessment of risk profile is of great importance to this particular patient population with very poor prognosis.

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty outcomes in patients previously treated by pulmonary endarterectomy surgery are inferior to those of inoperable patients

AbstractPulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) may not achieve full clearance of vascular obstructions in patients with more distal chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) may be indicated to treat these residual vascular lesions. We compared whether patients post‐PEA (PP) treated by BPA derived similar benefit to those who had inoperable CTEPH (IC), and assessed predictors of BPA response after surgery. We treated 109 patients with BPA—89 with IC and 20 PP. Serial right heart catheterization performed at baseline (immediately before BPA) and 3 months after completing BPA, compared pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) as well as change in WHO functional class and 6‐minute walk distance. We also assessed the impact of total thrombus tail length (TTTL) from photographed PEA surgical specimens and PP computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA)‐quantified residual disease burden on BPA response. PP and IC groups did not differ significantly in terms of demographics, baseline hemodynamics or procedural characteristics. However, IC derived greater hemodynamic benefit from BPA: ΔPVR (−27.9 ± 20.2% vs. −13.9 ± 23.9%, p &lt; 0.05) and ΔmPAP (−17.1 ± 14.4% vs. −8.5 ± 18.0%, p &lt; 0.05). There was a negative correlation between pre‐BPA PVR and TTTL (r = −0.47, p &lt; 0.05) which persisted post‐BPA. PVR, mPAP, WHO FC and 6MWD were not improved significantly post‐BPA in PP patients. BPA response was not related to TTTL terciles or CTPA‐quantified residual disease burden. Patients PP experienced inferior response to BPA, despite similar baseline and procedural characteristics to IC. BPA does not abolish the relationship between TTTL and postsurgical PVR in PP patients, suggesting that BPA is less effective in treating residual PH after surgery in an experienced surgical center.

Occurrence of L1M Elements in Chromosomal Rearrangements Associated to Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Insights from Patient-Specific Breakpoints Characterization.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare myeloproliferative disorder caused by the reciprocal translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11) in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). This chromosomal translocation results in the formation of an extra-short chromosome 22, called a Philadelphia chromosome (Ph), containing the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene responsible for the expression of a constitutively active tyrosine kinase that causes uncontrolled growth and replication of leukemic cells. Mechanisms behind the formation of this chromosomal rearrangement are not well known, even if, as observed in tumors, repetitive DNA may be involved as core elements in chromosomal rearrangements. We have participated in the explorative investigations of the PhilosoPhi34 study to evaluate residual Ph+ cells in patients with negative FISH analysis on CD34+/lin- cells with gDNA qPCR. Using targeted next-generation deep sequencing strategies, we analyzed the genomic region around the t(9;22) translocations of 82 CML patients and one CML cell line and assessed the relevance of interspersed repeat elements at breakpoints (BP). We found a statistically higher presence of LINE elements, in particular belonging to the subfamily L1M, in BP cluster regions of both chromosome 22 and 9 compared to the whole human genome. These data suggest that L1M elements could be potential drivers of t(9;22) translocation leading to the generation of the BCR-ABL1 chimeric gene and the expression of the active BCR-ABL1-controlled tyrosine kinase chimeric protein responsible for CML.