Polyurethane waste valorization: A Two-Phase process using Ozonization and Rhodococcus pyridinivorans fermentation for biofertilizer production.

A circular economy process has been developed to convert polyurethane waste into biofertilizing microorganisms through a sequential chemical/biological process. The chemical phase involves the complete depolymerization of polyurethane using ozone attack, generating an aqueous extract (OLE) composed of small, bioavailable molecules such as polyols, isocyanate derivatives, and carboxylic acids. The biological phase utilizes OLE for the generation of biomass with biofertilizing functional activity through Rhodococcus pyridinivorans fermentation.

Design and Development of a Web-Based Prospective Nationwide Registry for Ocular Inflammatory Diseases: UVEITE.PT - The Portuguese Ocular Inflammation Registry.

Uveitis is a heterogeneous collection of infrequent diseases, which poses significant challenges to cost-effective research in the field. Medical registries are being increasingly recognized as crucial tools to provide high-quality data, thus enabling prospective clinical research. This paper describes the design and technical structure development of an innovative countrywide electronic medical record for uveitis, Uveite.

Eales' Disease: When the Rare Sounds Frequent.

Eales' disease is a peripheral occlusive retinal phlebitis, with an unclear pathogenesis. The classic association with hypersensitivity to protein infers that immunologic disturbance may be involved. Here, we described three cases of Eales' disease.

Prognostic biomarkers of chronic diabetic macular edema treated with a fiuocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant.

Background: This study aimed to investigate retinal imaging biomarkers, such as disorganization of the retinal inner layers (DRIL) and/or ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and functional outcomes in eyes treated with 0.2 µg/day of a fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant (FAc) after an insufficient response to previous treatments.

Methods: This was a retrospective comparative study of 18 eyes (15 patients) with persistent and/or recurrent diabetic macular edema (DME) treated with FAc.

Tubulointerstitial Nephritis and Uveitis Syndrome: Case Series and Literature Review.

Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome (TINU) is a rare oculorenal inflammatory entity with a probable autoimmune etiology. Interstitial nephritis may be asymptomatic and usually has a benign course with spontaneous resolution. Uveitis, instead, is classically anterior, bilateral, and nongranulomatous, but it can be unilateral and presents as posterior uveitis or panuveitis, sometimes with a chronic or recurrent evolution.

Cryptic speciation of the zoogonid digenean Diphterostomum flavum n. sp. demonstrated by morphological and molecular data.

Diphterostomum brusinae (Zoogonidae) is a digenean species that has been recorded worldwide parasitizing marine fishes. Several species have been synonymized with D. brusinae because they lack conspicuous morphological differences.

A challenged case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome: when dermatological manifestations came first.

Introduction: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (VKHS) is an inflammatory systemic autoimmune disease principally affecting pigmented tissues in the ocular, auditory, integumentary and central nervous systems. Patients are generally women in the fourth decade of life. The prognosis is correlated mainly with the time between diagnosis and the start of treatment and number of recurrent episodes of inflammation.

Redescription and life cycle of the monorchiid Postmonorcheides maclovini Szidat, 1950 (Digenea) from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Morphological and molecular data.

The adult monorchiid, Postmonorcheides maclovini Szidat, 1950, digenean parasite of the Patagonian blennie Eleginops maclovinus (Cuvier) (Eleginopidae) from Puerto Deseado (47° 45' S, 65° 55' W), Argentina, was characterized and its life cycle elucidated. P. maclovinus is the only species of the genus Postmonorcheides, proposed by Szidat (1950) from Tierra del Fuego province (~54° S), Argentina.

Revision of the family Gymnophallidae Odhner, 1905 (Digenea) based on morphological and molecular data.

This paper reviews the family Gymnophallidae, recognizing as valid seven genera; four within the subfamily Gymnophallinae: Gymnophallus Odhner, 1900 (syn. Meiogymnophallus Ching, 1965), Paragymnophallus Ching, 1973, Pseudogymnophallus Hoberg, 1981, and Bartolius Cremonte, 2001, and three in the Parvatrematinae: Parvatrema Cable, 1953, Lacunovermis Ching, 1965, and Gymnophalloides Fujita, 1925. Specimens representing one species of each available genus were chosen from those well-described and non controversial species, for which strong morphological information was available, and used for molecular studies (ITS1-5.

Ocular Toxicity Secondary to Asclepias physocarpa: The Balloon Plant.

We report a case of a 65-year-old woman with symptoms of blurred vision and ocular irritation a few hours after accidental contact of the right eye with Asclepias physocarpa milky latex. Observation showed a diffuse conjunctival hyperemia and stromal corneal edema with Descemet's membrane folds. Recovery was fast and apparently complete in less than one month.

Horizontal Gaze Palsy With Progressive Scoliosis and Severe Keratoconus With a Compound Heterozygous Mutation in ROBO3.

The authors report the case of a child with horizontal gaze palsy with progressive scoliosis and keratoconus. ROBO3 analysis identified compound heterozygous mutations. Keratoconus surgical approach resulted in visual acuity improvement in both eyes.

Horizontal Gaze Palsy With Progressive Scoliosis and Severe Keratoconus With a Compound Heterozygous Mutation in ROBO3.

The authors report the case of a child with horizontal gaze palsy with progressive scoliosis and keratoconus. ROBO3 analysis identified compound heterozygous mutations. Keratoconus surgical approach resulted in visual acuity improvement in both eyes.

Common phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance patterns found in a case study of multiresistant E. coli from cohabitant pets, humans, and household surfaces.

The objective of the study described in this article was to characterize the antimicrobial resistance profiles among E. coli strains isolated from cohabitant pets and humans, evaluating the concurrent colonization of pets, owners, and home surfaces by bacteria carrying the same antimicrobial-resistant genes. The authors also intended to assess whether household surfaces and objects could contribute to the within-household antimicrobial-resistant gene diffusion between human and animal cohabitants.

Optic neuritis in an adult patient with chickenpox.

Central nervous system involvement in a patient with primary infection with Varicella zoster virus is rare, especially in the immunocompetent adult. In particular, isolated optic neuritis has been described in a small number of cases. The authors present a case of optic neuritis in an immunocompetent patient.

A new species of gymnophallid (Digenea) and an amended diagnosis of the genus Gymnophalloides fujita, 1925.

Morphological and molecular evidence suggest that specimens formerly described as Lacunovermis sp. from Nacella (Patinigera) spp. (Patellogastropoda: Patellidae) belong to a new species of Gymnophalloides Fujita, 1925 .

Morphology, ultrastructure, genetics, and morphometrics of Diplostomum sp. (Digenea: Diplostomidae) metacercariae infecting the European flounder, Platichthys flesus (L.) (Teleostei: Pleuronectidae), off the northwest coast of Portugal.

The morphology, ultrastructure, genetics, and morphometrics of a species of Diplostomum von Nordmann 1832 (Digenea: Diplostomidae), isolated from the European flounder (Platichthys flesus (L.)) caught off the northwest coast of Portugal, are characterized. The metacercarial stage was found unencysted in the lens capsule of the eye.

Morphological and molecular study of Microphallus primas (Digenea: Microphallidae) metacercaria, infecting the shore crab Carcinus maenas from northern Portugal.

The present study describes the anatomy and surface topography of the metacercaria of Microphallusprimas (Jägerskiöld, 1909) infecting the shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.) in Aveiro estuary, northern Portugal. The metacercaria species identification resulted from the combined use of morphological and molecular data, particularly the 28S rDNA gene.

Identification and description of Bucephalus minimus (Digenea: Bucephalidae) life cycle in Portugal: morphological, histopathological, and molecular data.

The cercaria of Bucephalus minimus infects the digestive gland and gonads of its first intermediate host, the edible cockle, Cerastoderma edule. Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the cercaria showed a tail formed by a central stem, with 2 long contractile arms presenting distinct morphological surfaces. The encysted metacercaria naturally infected the flathead grey mullet, Mugil cephalus.

Clarification of Cercaria sevillana (Digenea: Microphallidae) life cycle using morphological and molecular data.

Cercaria sevillana is the cercaria larval stage that infects the gonads and the digestive gland of its first intermediate host, Nassarius reticulatus. In this study the decapodous crustacean Carcinus maenas was used to determine if it would serve as second intermediate host in the parasite's life cycle. The latter hypothesis was based on the knowledge that C.