Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor, a game-changer in cystic fibrosis: The Portuguese experience.

Background: Phase 3 trials of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) combination treatment in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) with ≥1 F508del-CFTR allele showed profound short-term effects on lung function, weight, and pulmonary exacerbations (PEx). The authors conducted a 12-month study to add evidence on the real-world long-term effectiveness and safety of CFTR modulator therapy with ELX/TEZ/IVA in Portuguese CF adult population.

Methods: Ambispective, multicentre, observational, real-life study involving all the Portuguese CF Reference Centres.

Arsenic and antimony desorption in water treatment processes: Scaling up challenges with emerging adsorbents.

The metalloids arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) belong to the pnictogen group of the periodic table; they share many characteristics, including their toxic and carcinogenic properties; and rank as high-priority pollutants in the United States and the European Union. Adsorption is one of the most effective techniques for removing both elements and desorption, for further reuse, is a part of the process to make adsorption more sustainable and feasible. This review presents the current state of knowledge on arsenic and antimony desorption from exhausted adsorbents previously used in water treatment, that has been reported in the literature.

[The Impact of CFTR Modulating Therapy on Chronic Lung Infection in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis].

Cystic fibrosis is the most common lethal genetic disease in the white population, affecting approximately 80 000 people worldwide. It is an autosomal recessive, monogenic, and multisystemic disease, with over 2000 mutations described in the CFTR protein gene. The dysfunction of this protein leads to a decrease in the secretion of chlorine and bicarbonate, sodium hyperabsorption, and consequent water absorption, resulting in the thickening of secretions and accumulation of pathogens.

Anaerobic co-digestion of marine macroalgae waste and fruit waste: Effect of mixture ratio on biogas production.

Marine macroalgae waste (MMW) was used at different mixing ratios with fruit waste (FW) to evaluate the potential of co-digestion in enhancing methane yield. The process was conducted at mesophilic conditions (37 °C) with a fixed amount of biomass (10 g, 3.5% TS) and inoculum (150 mL; digested sewage sludge) and using MMW:FW ratios from 40:60 to 70:30.

Cow's milk allergy immunoglobulin E-mediated: intake of proteins and amino acids.

Objective: Children with cow's milk allergy may be at nutritional risk due to the lower intake of nutrients, such as protein, calcium, and vitamin A, which are present in cow's milk. The objective was to evaluate children's diets with Children with cow's milk allergy compared with healthy controls as well as to compare the intake of proteins and amino acids from the diet followed by Children with cow's milk allergy who consume special infant formula or plant-based dairy alternatives with Children with cow's milk allergy who do not consume special infant formula or plant-based dairy alternatives.

Methods: Through a cross-sectional controlled study, the dietary intake of 57 children (27 with immunoglobulin E-mediated Children with cow's milk allergy and 30 healthy controls) was evaluated.

Biogas production from residual marine macroalgae biomass: Kinetic modelling approach.

Modelling the conversion of residual biomass to renewable fuels is of high relevance to promote the development of effective technological solutions. The present study compares the performance of five different kinetic models (pseudo-first-order kinetics, logistics, modified Gompertz, double-Gompertz, and multi-Gompertz) to describe the cumulative methane production during a low-solids anaerobic digestion of marine macroalgae waste. Different substrate concentrations were evaluated (0.

Efficient removal of arsenic from aqueous solution by continuous adsorption onto iron-coated cork granulates.

The search for low-cost technologies for arsenic removal from water is in high demand due to its human toxicity, even at low concentrations. Adsorption can be a cost-effective water treatment technique if applied with inexpensive materials. Arsenic continuous removal by adsorption onto an alternative modified biosorbent, iron-coated cork granulates (ICG), was investigated in this work.

Tannin-based coagulants: Current development and prospects on synthesis and uses.

Population growth, industrialization, urbanization, and agriculture lead to a decrease in the availability of clean water. Coagulation/flocculation is one of the most common operations in water, urban wastewater, and industrial effluents treatment systems. Usually, this process is achieved using conventional coagulants that have their performance affected by pH, are poorly biodegradable, produce a huge volume of sludge, and are associated with degenerative diseases.

Salivary Microbial Dysbiosis Is Associated With Peri-Implantitis: A Case-Control Study in a Brazilian Population.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the salivary microbiome in healthy peri-implant sites and those with peri-implantitis.

Methods: Saliva samples were collected from 21 participants with healthy peri-implant sites and 21 participants with peri-implantitis. The V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using the Ion Torrent PGM System (Ion 318™ Chip v2 400).

Marine macroalgae waste: A potential feedstock for biogas production.

In the present study, marine macroalgae waste, mainly composed by Saccorhiza polyschides, was collected from a beach in northern Portugal and evaluated as feedstock for anaerobic digestion. Batch experiments (500 mL flasks, 300 mL working volume) were conducted at the following conditions: mesophilic temperature (37 °C); 80 rpm stirring speed; 150 mL inoculum (anaerobically digested sludge) and variable total solids content (0.9, 1.

The Role of Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis and Decision Algorithm for the Management of Pneumothorax after Transbronchial Lung Cryobiopsy.

Background: Pneumothorax is one of the main complications of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC). Chest ultrasound (CUS) is a radiation-free alternative method for pneumothorax detection.

Objective: We tested CUS diagnostic accuracy for pneumothorax and assessed its role in the decision algorithm for pneumothorax management.

Antimony removal from water by pine bark tannin resin: Batch and fixed-bed adsorption.

Antimony is present in water by natural causes but is also mobilized in the environment by anthropogenic activities, particularly mining. Considering its toxicological behavior, antimony removal from contaminated groundwater and mine effluents is necessary. In this work, Sb(III) and Sb(V) removal from aqueous solution was studied using a resin prepared from pine bark tannins.

Superior operational stability of immobilized L-asparaginase over surface-modified carbon nanotubes.

L-asparaginase (ASNase, EC 3.5.1.

Establishing the state-of-the-art on the adsorption of coexisting pnictogens in water: A literature review.

The occurrence of pnictogens, namely phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony, can be observed in soils, sediments and mining areas, and their coexistence requires a multifaceted approach to the design of adsorption systems to maximize their simultaneous removal efficiency. Therefore, this work aims to provide an extensive literature review of P, As, and Sb adsorption in multicomponent systems and the statistical treatment of the quantitative results. Binary As-P systems have been the most studied in the literature.

How does the pre-treatment of landfill leachate impact the performance of O and O/UVC processes?

In this study, O and O/UVC processes were evaluated for the treatment of landfill leachate after biological nitrification/denitrification, coagulation, or their combinations. The O-driven stage efficiency was assessed by the removal of color, organic matter (dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD)), and biodegradability increase (Zahn-Wellens test). Also, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) and size exclusion chromatography coupled with OC detector (SEC-OCD) analysis were carried out for each strategy.

Bromate removal from water intended for human consumption by heterogeneous photocatalysis: Effect of major dissolved water constituents.

This study focuses on the influence of major dissolved constituents naturally found in waters intended for human consumption on bromate (BrO) reduction by heterogeneous photocatalysis. The individual and combined effect of chloride (Cl), bicarbonate/carbonic acid (HCO/HCO), nitrate (NO), sulphate (SO) and humic acids (HAs) on BrO reduction was evaluated in synthetic waters (SWs). Additionally, freshwaters (FWs) from a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) were tested and directly compared to SWs.

A tube-in-tube membrane microreactor for tertiary treatment of urban wastewaters by photo-Fenton at neutral pH: A proof of concept.

This work presents a disruptive approach to promote highly-efficient photo-Fenton process at neutral pH under continuous mode operation. The system consists of a tube-in-tube membrane reactor designed for continuous-flow titration of low iron doses to the annular reaction zone (ARZ). A concentrated acidic ferrous ion (Fe) solution is fed by the lumen-side of the membrane, permeating through the membrane pores (inside-out mode), being dosed and uniformly delivered to the membrane shell-side.

Correction: A Prediction Rule to Stratify Mortality Risk of Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Multicomponent adsorption of pentavalent As, Sb and P onto iron-coated cork granulates.

The assessment of multicomponent adsorption of pentavalent metalloids is important since they are often found together in groundwaters and mining runoff. For this purpose, adsorption of As(V), Sb(V) and P(V) onto iron-coated cork granulates was studied in binary and ternary systems. Data from equilibrium and kinetic studies revealed that uptake of these contaminants is a multilayer, heterogeneous process well described by Freundlich, extended Freundlich and Elovich models.

Integration of Fenton's reaction based processes and cation exchange processes in textile wastewater treatment as a strategy for water reuse.

The remediation of a real textile wastewater aiming its reuse in the textile industry was carried out by integrating two processes: (i) a chemical or electrochemical advanced oxidation process (AOP or EAOP) based on Fenton's reaction for organics degradation, and (ii) a cation exchange process using marine macroalgae for removal of the iron acting in the Fenton's reaction based processes. Four AOPs/EAOPs at acidic pH 2.8 were tested: Fenton, photo-Fenton with ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation (PF/UVA), electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton with UVA radiation (PEF/UVA).

Development and characterization of a novel l-asparaginase/MWCNT nanobioconjugate.

The enzyme l-asparaginase (ASNase) presents effective antineoplastic properties used for acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment besides their potential use in the food sector to decrease the acrylamide formation. Considering their applications, the improvement of this enzyme's properties by efficient immobilization techniques is in high demand. Carbon nanotubes are promising enzyme immobilization supports, since these materials have increased surface area and effective capacity for enzyme loading.

Development of a treatment train for the remediation of a hazardous industrial waste landfill leachate: A big challenge.

This study focuses on the development of a treatment train for a leachate from a hazardous industrial waste landfill (HIWL) previously treated by: (i) catalytic oxidation with hydrogen peroxide (HO) for sulphide and sulphite conversion into oxidized sulphur species, including sulphate, and (ii) chemical precipitation of sulphate as barite. The complete treatment line counted on four more stages: (iii) 1 biological oxidation for removal of biodegradable organic compounds and nitrogen species, (iv) coagulation with ferric chloride (coagulant dose of 100 mg Fe L, pH 2.8) for removal of a fraction of recalcitrant organics and suspended solids, (v) photo-Fenton oxidation using ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation (PF-UVA) (pH 2.

Ozone-driven processes for mature urban landfill leachate treatment: Organic matter degradation, biodegradability enhancement and treatment costs for different reactors configuration.

In this work, the application of ozone-driven processes for the treatment of mature landfill leachate was investigated by testing different system setups. As a first approach, ozonation (O-only) was tested, using a porous ceramic diffuser combined with a bubble column (BC), and the best operational conditions were established for leachate treatment (initial pH = 9.0; inlet ozone dose = 18 mg O/min).