Gene and metabolite expression dependence on body mass index in human myocardium.

We hypothesized that body mass index (BMI) dependent changes in myocardial gene expression and energy-related metabolites underlie the biphasic association between BMI and mortality (the obesity paradox) in cardiac surgery. We performed transcriptome profiling and measured a panel of 144 metabolites in 53 and 55, respectively, myocardial biopsies from a cohort of sixty-six adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (registration: NCT02908009). The initial analysis identified 239 transcripts with biphasic BMI dependence.

Management of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: Diagnostic consideration of sensitization to non-frequent pollen allergens.

Background: Diagnosis of pollen allergies is mainly based on test allergens for skin prick testing. In the minimum battery of test inhalant allergens recommended by the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network 10 pollen allergens are included. Complementary other pollen allergens may need to be considered; however, respective awareness may not always be granted.

"New" inhalant plant allergens.

Specific IgE measurements obtained from patients suffering from respiratory allergy (n = 952) show that, despite similar climatic conditions, there are clear regional differences in pollen sensitization between North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. The data on sensitization levels and pollen concentration was taken from the research and development project Ufoplan 3710 61 228 of the German Environment Agency for North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria (2011 - 2014). Most poly-sensitized patients have already shown sensitization, both in the form of cross-reactivity and species-specific sensitization, to "new" pollen allergens, such as Bermuda grass and olive tree.

Intravenous sildenafil citrate and post-cardiac surgery acute kidney injury: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: This study assessed whether i.v. sildenafil citrate prevented acute kidney injury in at-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

A Comparison of Red Cell Rejuvenation versus Mechanical Washing for the Prevention of Transfusion-associated Organ Injury in Swine.

Background: We evaluated the effects of two interventions that modify the red cell storage lesion on kidney and lung injury in experimental models of transfusion.

Methods: White-landrace pigs (n = 32) were allocated to receive sham transfusion (crystalloid), 14-day stored allogeneic red cells, 14-day red cells washed using the red cells washing/salvage system (CATS; Fresenius, Germany), or 14-day red cells rejuvenated using the inosine solution (Rejuvesol solution; Zimmer Biomet, USA) and washed using the CATS device. Functional, biochemical, and histologic markers of organ injury were assessed for up to 24 h posttransfusion.

Integrated metabolic models for xenobiotic induced mitochondrial toxicity in skeletal muscle.

There is a need for robust in vitro models to sensitively capture skeletal muscle adverse toxicities early in the research and development of novel xenobiotics. To this end, an in vitro rat skeletal muscle model (L6) was used to study the translation of transcriptomics data generated from an in vivo rat model. Novel sulfonyl isoxazoline herbicides were associated with skeletal muscle toxicity in an in vivo rat model.

Randomized trial of red cell washing for the prevention of transfusion-associated organ injury in cardiac surgery.

Background: Experimental studies suggest that mechanical cell washing to remove pro-inflammatory components that accumulate in the supernatant of stored donor red blood cells (RBCs) might reduce inflammation and organ injury in transfused patients.

Methods: Cardiac surgery patients at increased risk of large-volume RBC transfusion were eligible. Participants were randomized to receive either mechanically washed allogenic RBCs or standard care RBCs.

A Phase I study to determine the pharmacokinetic profile, safety and tolerability of sildenafil (Revatio ) in cardiac surgery: the REVAKI-1 study.

Aims: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and severe complication of cardiac surgery. There is no effective prevention or treatment. Sildenafil citrate (Revatio , Pfizer Inc.

Bacterial diversity and antibiotic resistances of abundant aerobic culturable bacteria in input and output samples of 15 German biogas plants.

Aim: Determination of the diversities and antibiotic resistances of the most abundant aerobic culturable bacteria and their survival in 15 German biogas plants (BGPs).

Methods And Results: Microbiological standard media (complex and selective media) were applied to enumerate mesophilic and oligotrophic bacteria (Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella, staphylococci and enterococci) in input and output samples of BGPs. Concentrations of aerobic culturable bacteria in outputs were mostly one to two orders of magnitude lower than in input samples.

Trial protocol for a randomised controlled trial of red cell washing for the attenuation of transfusion-associated organ injury in cardiac surgery: the REDWASH trial.

Introduction: It has been suggested that removal of proinflammatory substances that accumulate in stored donor red cells by mechanical cell washing may attenuate inflammation and organ injury in transfused cardiac surgery patients. This trial will test the hypotheses that the severity of the postoperative inflammatory response will be less and postoperative recovery faster if patients undergoing cardiac surgery receive washed red cells compared with standard care (unwashed red cells).

Methods And Analysis: Adult (≥16 years) cardiac surgery patients identified at being at increased risk for receiving large volume red cell transfusions at 1 of 3 UK cardiac centres will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either red cell washing or standard care.

Potential health risk of allergenic pollen with climate change associated spreading capacity: Ragweed and olive sensitization in two German federal states.

Background: Global climate changes may influence the geographical spread of allergenic plants thus causing new allergen challenges.

Objective: Allergy patients from two German federal states were compared for their status quo sensitization to ragweed, an establishing allergen, olive, a non-established allergen, and the native allergens birch, mugwort, and ash.

Methods: Between 2011 and 2013, 476 adult allergy patients per region were recruited.

Improved detection of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in input and output samples of German biogas plants by a selective pre-enrichment procedure.

The presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli was investigated in input (manure from livestock husbandry) and output samples of six German biogas plants in 2012 (one sampling per biogas plant) and two German biogas plants investigated in an annual cycle four times in 2013/2014. ESBL-producing Escherichia coli were cultured by direct plating on CHROMagar ESBL from input samples in the range of 100 to 104 colony forming units (CFU) per g dry weight but not from output sample. This initially indicated a complete elimination of ESBL-producing E.

Selection of organic process and source indicator substances for the anthropogenically influenced water cycle.

An increasing number of organic micropollutants (OMP) is detected in anthropogenically influenced water cycles. Source control and effective natural and technical barriers are essential to maintain a high quality of drinking water resources under these circumstances. Based on the literature and our own research this study proposes a limited number of OMP that can serve as indicator substances for the major sources of OMP, such as wastewater treatment plants, agriculture and surface runoff.

Factors influencing sorption of ciprofloxacin onto activated sludge: experimental assessment and modelling implications.

Many of the pharmaceuticals and personal care products occurring in municipal sewage are ionizing substances, and their partitioning behaviour is affected by ionic interactions with solid matrices. In activated sludge systems, such interactions have currently not been adequately understood and described, particularly for zwitterionic chemicals. Here we present an assessment of the effects of pH and iron salt dosing on the sorption of ciprofloxacin onto activated sludge using laboratory experiments and full-scale fate modelling.

Modulation of mitochondrial bioenergetics in a skeletal muscle cell line model of mitochondrial toxicity.

Mitochondrial toxicity is increasingly being implicated as a contributing factor to many xenobiotic-induced organ toxicities, including skeletal muscle toxicity. This has necessitated the need for predictive in vitro models that are able to sensitively detect mitochondrial toxicity of chemical entities early in the research and development process. One such cell model involves substituting galactose for glucose in the culture media.

Rhodococcus defluvii sp. nov., isolated from wastewater of a bioreactor and formal proposal to reclassify [Corynebacterium hoagii] and Rhodococcus equi as Rhodococcus hoagii comb. nov.

A Gram-stain-positive, non-endospore-forming rod-shaped bacterium, strain Ca11(T), was isolated from a bioreactor with extensive phosphorus removal and was studied in detail for its taxonomic allocation. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed closest sequence similarity of the strain to type strains of [Corynebacterium hoagii] and Rhodococcus equi (98.9%), Rhodococcus koreensis and Rhodococcus wratislaviensis (both 98.

Pro-inflammatory effects and oxidative stress in lung macrophages and epithelial cells induced by ambient particulate matter.

The objective of this study was to compare the toxicological effects of different source-related ambient PM10 samples in regard to their chemical composition. In this context we investigated airborne PM from different sites in Aachen, Germany. For the toxicological investigation human alveolar epithelial cells (A549) and murine macrophages (RAW264.

Fictibacillus phosphorivorans gen. nov., sp. nov. and proposal to reclassify Bacillus arsenicus, Bacillus barbaricus, Bacillus macauensis, Bacillus nanhaiensis, Bacillus rigui, Bacillus solisalsi and Bacillus gelatini in the genus Fictibacillus.

A Gram-positive-staining, aerobic, endospore-forming bacterium (Ca7(T)) was isolated from a bioreactor showing extensive phosphorus removal. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity comparisons, strain Ca7(T) was grouped in the genus Bacillus, most closely related to Bacillus nanhaiensis JSM 082006(T) (100 %), Bacillus barbaricus V2-BIII-A2(T) (99.2 %) and Bacillus arsenicus Con a/3(T) (97.

Gordonia phosphorivorans sp. nov., isolated from a wastewater bioreactor with phosphorus removal.

Two Gram-stain-positive, non-endospore-forming actinobacteria (Ca8(T)and Ca14) were isolated from a bioreactor with extensive phosphorus removal. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity comparisons, strains Ca8(T) and Ca14 were shown to belong to the genus Gordonia and were most closely related to Gordonia hirsuta DSM 44140(T) (98.0 % sequence similarity) and Gordonia hydrophobica DSM 44015(T) (97.

Ecotoxicity and genotoxicity assessment of cytotoxic antineoplastic drugs and their metabolites.

In spite of growing scientific concern about pharmaceuticals in the environment, there is still a lack of information especially with regard to their metabolites. The present study investigated ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of three widely used cytostatic agents 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), cytarabine (CYT) and gemcitabine (GemC) and their major human metabolites, i.e.

Removal of endocrine disruptors and cytostatics from effluent by nanofiltration in combination with adsorption on powdered activated carbon.

Direct capillary nanofiltration also in combination with an upstream powdered activated carbon treatment was tested for high quality water reuse of tertiary effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Two endocrine disruptors (BPA and EE2) and two cytostatics (CytR and 5-FU) were spiked in concentrations of 1 to 2 microg/L to evaluate the process performance. In direct NF the real total removal of the micropollutants was between 5 and 40%.

Occurrence and composition of extracellular lipids and polysaccharides in a full-scale membrane bioreactor.

The aim of this study was to characterize the polysaccharides and lipid fractions of membrane foulants in a full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating municipal wastewater. Both of these polymeric compounds are major components of bacterial lipopolysaccharides and are impacting membrane fouling; however most of the data so far have been collected by determining sum parameters rather than the detailed composition of these polymers. Photometric analysis of sugars showed that uronic acids (glucuronic, mannuronic and galacturonic acid) as common units of bacterial polysaccharides accounted for 8% (w/w) of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in activated sludge flocs.