[Creation of an inter-sector COVID-19 care unit for psychiatric patients].

The COVID-19 health crisis forced Charles-Perrens General Hospital in Bordeaux to convert a conventional psychiatric unit into a specific unit to care for patients with mental disorders who are potentially infected with the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Resources and competences from across the hospital were mobilised to enable the unit's health professionals to accomplish this mission. This article looks back at the experience.

Bioremediation of copper-contaminated soils by bacteria.

Although copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for all living organisms, it can be toxic at low concentrations. Its beneficial effects are therefore only observed for a narrow range of concentrations. Anthropogenic activities such as fungicide spraying and mining have resulted in the Cu contamination of environmental compartments (soil, water and sediment) at levels sometimes exceeding the toxicity threshold.

Selection of low cost materials for the sorption of copper and herbicides as single or mixed compounds in increasing complexity matrices.

Low cost materials (sugar beet pulp, corncob, corncob char, perlite, vermiculite, sand, sediment) have been tested for their ability to quickly sorb copper, glyphosate, diuron and 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) as single or mixed compounds. Tests have been performed in increasingly complex liquid matrices: ultra pure water (UPW), runoff water (RW) and sediment extract medium (SEM). Highest sorption levels in UPW are achieved with corncob char for Cu (93%), glyphosate (74%), diuron (98%) and 3,4-DCA (99%).

New insights into the metal specificity of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyoverdine-iron uptake pathway.

Pyoverdine (PvdI) is the major siderophore secreted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAOI in order to get access to iron. After being loaded with iron in the extracellular medium, PvdI is transported across the bacterial outer membrane by the transporter, FpvAI. We used the spectral properties of PvdI to show that in addition to Fe(3+), this siderophore also chelates, but with lower efficiencies, all the 16 metals used in our screening.

Enhanced phytoextraction of an agricultural Cr- and Pb-contaminated soil by bioaugmentation with siderophore-producing bacteria.

Bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction may enhance the phytoextraction efficiency thanks to larger metal mobilization by microbial metabolites. Green fluorescent protein-tagged cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens or Ralstonia metallidurans, able to produce siderophores, were inoculated in an agricultural soil containing Cr (488 mg kg(-1)) and Pb (382 mg kg(-1)) and maize was cultivated. Bacteria were inoculated as free or immobilized cells in Ca-alginate beads, with skim milk in the aim at improving both the bacterial survival and the in situ siderophore production.

Performance of bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction applied to metal contaminated soils: a review.

Bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction is a promising method for the cleaning-up of soils contaminated by metals. Bacteria mainly Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and fungi mainly Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) associated with hyperaccumulating or non-hyperaccumulating plants were analyzed on the basis of a bioprocess engineering approach (concentration and amount of metals extracted by plants, translocation and bioconcentration factor, and plant biomass). In average bioaugmentation increased metals accumulated by shoots by a factor of about 2 (metal concentration) and 5 (amount) without any obvious differences between bacteria and fungi.

Soil bioaugmentation by free and immobilized bacteria to reduce potentially phytoavailable cadmium.

Soil bioaugmentation was performed in soil pots to reduce the cadmium potentially available for plants. A Bacillus sp. (isolate ZAN-044) and a Streptomyces sp.

Impact of substrates and cell immobilization on siderophore activity by Pseudomonads in a Fe and/or Cr, Hg, Pb containing-medium.

To increase the amount of bioavailable metals in phytoextraction purposes, soil bioaugmentation with Pseudomonads, as siderophore producers with high metal complexation levels, could be relevant. Unfortunately, siderophore synthesis may be inhibited by soluble iron in soil and bacteria can suffer at the same time from the toxicity of some other metals, predation and oligotrophy. To overcome these drawbacks, we attempted to co-locate a carbon substrate and Pseudomonas aeruginosa or P.

Siderophore production by using free and immobilized cells of two pseudomonads cultivated in a medium enriched with Fe and/or toxic metals (Cr, Hg, Pb).

Pseudomonads are serious candidates for siderophore production applied to toxic metal (TM) solubilization. The bioaugmentation of contaminated soils by these TM-solubilizing bacteria combined with phytoextraction is an emerging clean-up technology. Unfortunately, siderophore synthesis may be drastically reduced by soluble iron in soils and bacteria can suffer from TM toxicity.

Bioaugmentation with a Bacillus sp. to reduce the phytoavailable Cd of an agricultural soil: comparison of free and immobilized microbial inocula.

In order to reduce the cadmium potentially available for plants, soil bioaugmentation was performed by using a Bacillus sp. In a pot experimentation, sterilized and non-sterilized soils were inoculated using free or immobilized cells entrapped in alginate beads. This test was carried out with different inoculum sizes (2 x 10(10) and 2 x 10(11)CFU kg(-1) dw of soil) and alginate bead compositions (10 and 15 g of both alginate and CaCl(2) l(-1)).

Immediate treatment with propranolol decreases posttraumatic stress disorder two months after trauma.

Background: This study investigated the efficacy of propranolol prescribed shortly after trauma exposure in the prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and diagnosis.

Methods: Eleven patients received 40 mg of propranolol 3 times daily for 7 days, followed by a taper period of 8-12 days. They were compared with eight patients who refused propranolol but agreed to participate in the study.