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A method for the quantification of the sum of short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) by GC–ECNI-MS was developed. This method is suited to the special demands of environmental sediment analysis using an approach of sum determination by multiple regression quantification and is independent of the chlorine content as well as robust against changes in C-number distribution of the SCCPs to be analysed. The method is based on the integration of the signals for two selected m/z values (375 and 423) over the full retention range of the SCCPs. The calibration is performed using three synthetic mixtures representing the variety of SCCP-mixtures as found in environmental samples as well as in technical mixtures. Quantification is performed using a multiple linear regression calibration with two selected m/z value signals achieving an LOQ of 0.6 μg/g sediment. The proposed quantification procedure for sediments was verified by 16 independently prepared and differently composed SCCP-mixtures mimicking a variety of sediment samples quoted in literature. For the analysis of the sediment samples a two-step clean-up was applied comprising a column chromatographic clean-up and GPC. The method allows for a standardized analysis according to the European water framework directive, especially in the case of trend monitoring of sediments.

Cells sense external stimuli with receptors and further process these stimuli via a variety of signaling pathways consisting of complex biochemical reaction cascades. For decades, cellular signaling was measured at population average level with snapshot data, without taking into account changing signaling activity over time (e.g. signaling dynamics) and cell-to-cell heterogeneity. Recent studies however show the importance of signaling dynamics for controlling future cell fates. As a master regulator of immune responses, the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (Nf-κB) coordinates the expression of hundreds of target genes including its own inhibitors NFKBIA and TNFAIP3 in many cell types. While a link between Nf-κB dynamics and future cell state was shown in cell lines, its role in relevant primary cell types remains elusive. Here, we use continuous single-cell quantitative time-lapse imaging of 10 different hematopoietic cell types, including stem and early progenitor cells, from a GFPp65/H2BmCherry reporter mouse line, in custom microfluidic devices, to observe the dynamics of the Nf-κB signaling pathway activity, and investigate how those dynamics influence their fates. We demonstrate that upon an inflammatory challenge by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), different HSPCs exhibit different and cell type specific Nf-κB dynamics including sustained, transient and oscillatory behaviors. RNA expression kinetics analyses identify molecular regulators responsible for these different dynamics. Additionally, Nf-κB signaling dynamics can identify novel progenitor cell subpopulations with distinct lineage potential. These data demonstrate that signaling dynamics can identify subpopulations of traditionally described cell populations, and suggest a role of Nf-κB signaling dynamics for lineage choice and cell fate control.

In the course of the establishment of (68)Ga-DOTA-TATE production for clinical use a shoulder comprising presumably several impurities was observed in the chromatogram of the analytical radio-HPLC. LC-MS/MS results support the hypothesis that some of these radioimpurities are radiolytic oxidation by-products of (68)Ga-DOTA-TATE. A new HPLC method was developed for quality control of (68)Ga-DOTA-TATE. Significant improvement on the radiochemical purity of (68)Ga-DOTA-TATE was achieved by the addition of ascorbic acid or ethanol to the reaction mixture.

For detection of hypoxic tumor tissue, all radiotracers synthesized until now, are based on the concept that cellular uptake is being controlled by diffusion. As a new approach, we chose the concept to have the tracer hypothetically transported into the cells by well known carrier systems like the amino acid transporters. For this purpose, radiosynthesis of O-[2-[18F]fluoro-3-(2-nitro-1H-imidazole-1yl)propyl]tyrosine ([18F]FNT]) was carried out from methyl 2-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-(4-3-(2-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-2-(tosyloxy)propoxy) phenyl)propanoate via no-carrier-added nucleophilic aliphatic substitution. After labelling, 81 ± 0.9% of labelled intermediate i.e. methyl 2-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-(4-(2-[18F]fluoro-3-(2-nitro-1H-imidazole-1-yl)propoxy) phenyl)propanoate was obtained at 140 °C. At the end of radiosynthesis, [18F]FNT was obtained in an overall radiochemical yield of 40 ± 0.9% (not decay corrected) within 90 min in a radiochemical purity of >98% in a formulation ready for application in the clinical studies for PET imaging of hypoxia.

International audience; A first preliminary interlaboratory trial was planned to prepare ISO/DIS 12010: Water quality - determination of short chain polychlorinated alkanes (SCCP) in water - method using GC/MS and electron capture negative ionisation (ECNI). The task was to determine the sum of short chain polychlorinated n-alkanes with carbon chain lengths of C10-C13 and a chlorine content between 49 and 67% in water by GC-ECNI-MS and quantification by multiple linear regression described in ISO/DIS 12010 as the compulsory method. Distributed samples were obtained from a real water extract spiked with a target concentration of 0.4 micro g/mL sum of SCCP, i.e. the environmental quality target level according to the Water Framework Directive. The interlaboratory trial included the calibration, a column chromatographic clean up, a concentration step and an integration of chromatographic unresolved humps as well as the quantification with multiple linear regression. Reproducibility standard deviations between 21.5 and 22.9% were achieved by 17 participating laboratories from four countries. The method outlined no significant difference of the results between the standard solution and a real water matrix extract. On the basis of this succeeded preliminary interlaboratory trial the final interlaboratory trial for validation of ISO 12010 was prepared in autumn 2010.

As model reactions for the introduction of 18F into protected aromatic amino acids, the replacement of NO2, Cl, Br and F by [18F]fluoride in 2-isophthalaldehyde and 2-terephthalaldehyde derivatives which model 18F-DOPA and 18F-tyrosine was investigated by comparing labelling yields and reaction rates with those of corresponding mono-aldehyde compounds. All isophthalaldehydes showed maximum radiochemical yields (79 to 86%) at 140°C and in comparison with the corresponding mono-aldehydes the reaction proceeded faster. At lower temperature the reaction already resulted in high yields, e.g. 2-nitroisophthalaldehyde was labelled with a yield of 78% at 25°C after 7 min, whereas 2-nitrobenzaldehyde only reached a yield of 1.7% under the same reaction conditions. The 18F/NO2 exchange in nitroterephthalaldehydes proceeded more slowly and with lower radiochemical yields when compared with corresponding isophthalaldehydes and monoaldehydes. The decarbonylation of 18F-labelled aromatic dialdehydic compounds with 4 eq. of Wilkinson's catalyst at 150°C in benzonitrile resulted in high yields, e.g. 2-[18F]fluoro-5-methoxyisophthalaldehyde and 4-[18F]fluoro-2-methoxy-5-methylisophthalaldehyde were decarbonylated efficiently with yields of 67±3% and 72±2%, respectively. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This study investigated the long-term fate of 3 H-ivermectin and its metabolites in aerobic sediment/water systems. Total radioactivity in sediment and water was measured by Liquid Scintillation Counting and Radio-HPLC was used for determination of transformation products. The test system, containing a cooling and a water trap, showed excellent applicability for studying environmental fate of 3 H-labelled compounds. A complete mass balance was obtained over the whole duration with total recoveries ranging from 91.3% to 98.8%. In water, a DT 50 -value of ivermectin of 90 -value of 16.8 d were obtained. The DT 50 -value of ivermectin in the entire system was 127 d. Maximum distribution coefficients were calculated to K d = 160 L kg −1 and K oc = 3550 L kg −1 . The fraction of bound residues increased to a maximum percentage of 30.4% after 188 d. In total about 31.3% of the initially applied ivermectin were transformed after 188 d. Two transformation products ivermectin monosaccharide and ivermectin aglycone, could be identified in samples from day 100 and 188, respectively. However, additional peaks which were observed in the radio-chromatograms indicate that several other transformation product are formed.

The synthesis of the three 18F-labeled 2-nitroimidazoyl oximes is described to be used as possible hypoxia tumor imaging agents. The title oximes were successfully synthesized in a four step sequence, characterized, and finally radiolabeled. Under optimized labeling conditions, the radiochemical yields of the three markers were in the range of 69–80%.

As model reactions for the introduction of [ 18 F]fluorine into aromatic amino acids, the replacement of NO 2 by [ 18 F]fluoride ion in mono- to tetra-methoxy-substituted ortho -nitrobenzaldehydes was systematically investigated. Unexpectedly, the highly methoxylated precursors 2,3,4-trimethoxy-6-nitrobenzaldehyde and 2,3,4,5-tetramethoxy-6-nitrobenzaldehyde showed high maximum radiochemical yields (82% and 48% respectively). When the electrophilicity of the leaving group substituted carbon atom is expressed by its 13 C NMR chemical shift a good correlation with the reaction rate at the beginning of the reaction (first min) was found ( R 2 = 0.89), whereas the maximum radiochemical yields correlated much poorer with this electrophilicity parameter. This may be caused by side reactions becoming influencial in the further reaction course. As possible side reactions the demethylation of methoxy groups and intramolecular redox reactions could be detected by HPLC/MS.

For a series of benzaldehydes only with a leaving group or with both a leaving group and a single methoxy substituent 18F-fluorination via nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) was studied in DMF and Me2SO. In general, the radiochemical yields were clearly higher in DMF than in Me2SO. In the fluorodehalogenation reaction (leaving group: halogen = Br, Cl), extremely low radiochemical yields were observed in Me2SO (

For 18F-labelling of aromatic amino acids such as tyrosine and DOPA simple and efficient procedures have been under development for quite a while. The direct introduction of 18F using [18F]fluoride can principally be realized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr). However, this requires the presence of an appropriate leaving group and an auxiliary substituent, which is able to reduce the electron density of the benzene ring. Furthermore, this auxiliary substituent should be removable easily after the introduction of 18F. The electron-withdrawing formyl substituent meets both requirements. It facilitates nucleophilic attack in the ortho and/or para position and is easily removed in a decarbonylation reaction mediated by Wilkinson's catalyst (RhCl(PPh3)3). In order to evaluate the reaction conditions for a possible synthesis of 2-[18F]fluoro-5-hydroxyphenylalanine ([18F]-m-tyrosine), 2-[18F]fluoro-4-hydroxyphenylalanine ([18F]-p-tyrosine) or 2-[18F]fluoro-4,5-hydroxyphenylalanine ([18F]FDOPA), the dependence of the decarbonylation reaction on solvent, temperature, reaction time and catalyst concentration was studied using appropriate model compounds. Optimum yields of 81%, 89% and 88% could be achieved using benzonitrile as solvent and 2M equivalents of RhCl(PPh3)3 (based on labelling precursor) at 150 degrees C reaction temperature within 20 min reaction time for compounds modelling [18F]-m-tyrosine, [18F]-p-tyrosine and [18F]FDOPA, respectively.

A multi-residue method was developed that allows for the simultaneous determination of psychoactive compounds such as opioids, tranquilizers, antiepileptics (primidone, carbamazepine plus two metabolites),the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine, the antidepressant doxepin, as well as the calcium channel blocker verapamil in raw and treated wastewater, surface water, groundwater, and drinking water. After solid-phase extraction with Oasis HLB at neutral pH, the analytes were detected by LC electrospray tandem MS in the positive ion mode. With a few exceptions relative recoveries of the analytes exceeded 70%. The limits of quantification were in the low ng/L range. Matrix effects were compensated by using appropriate deuterated or 13C-15N-labeled surrogate standards. For raw and treated wastewater, concentration factors were lowered to reduce matrix effects. Most analytes (15 of 20) were found in raw and treated wastewater as well as in surface water, and hence, are presumably ubiquitously present in the environment. Antiepileptics, the opium alkaloids morphine and codeine, dihydrocodeine, the two tranquilizers oxazepam and temazepam, the opioid tramadol, doxepin, and verapamil were detected in STP discharges and German rivers at concentrations up to the microg/L range. In drinking water, only carbamazepine, its metabolite 10,11-dihydroxy-10,11-dihydrocarbamazepine, and primidone were present at concentrations up to 0.020 microg/L.

A simple classification scheme is suggested to characterize the biological degradation of micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, musk fragrances and estrogens during wastewater treatment. The scheme should be a basis for the discussion about potential removal efficiencies. Hence, the biological degradation of 25 pharmaceuticals, hormones and fragrances was studied in batch experiments at typical concentration levels using activated sewage sludge originating from nutrient-eliminating municipal wastewater treatment plants. Since pseudo first-order degradation kinetics was observed for all compounds down to ng L(-1) levels, the removal rates can be predicted for various reactor configurations. Therefore dilution of wastewater (e.g. by extraneous water) is expected to reduce the degree of biological removal. Wastewater segregation and treatment at the source are therefore to be favoured for elimination of persistent micropollutants over centralized end-of-pipe treatment. For reactor configurations typical for nutrient removal in municipal wastewater, the derived formula for predicting removal allows the identification of three groups of micropollutants according to their degradation constant k(biol): compounds with k(biol)0.1 L g(SS)(-1)d(-1) are not removed to a significant extent (20%), compounds with k(biol)10 L g(SS)(-1)d(-1) transformed by90% and in-between moderate removal is expected. Based on the degradation of a heterogeneous group of 35 compounds (including literature data), state of the art biological treatment schemes for municipal wastewater are not efficient in degrading pharmaceuticals: only 4 out of 35 compounds are degraded by more than 90% while 17 compounds are removed by less than 50%.

Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was optimized and validated for the determination of sulfonamide and macrolide antimicrobials and trimethoprim in sewage sludge samples. A mixture of water/methanol (50:50, v/v) was found as the most efficient extraction solvent. A temperature of 100 degrees C and a pressure of 100 bar were chosen for extraction. Two cycles of 5 min each efficiently extracted at least 97% of the total extractable amount of all studied analytes from activated sludge. The limits of quantification (S/N= 10) varied between 3 and 41 microg/kg dry weight (dw) and the relative recoveries ranged between 78 and 142%. Additionally, the influence of pH and different LC/MS/MS systems on the absolute recoveries was assessed. Of the investigated antimicrobials sulfapyridin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, azithromycin, clarithromycin and roxithromycin were detected in municipal sewage sludge samples. Concentrations in activated sludge ranged up to 197 microg/kgdw. In comparison, results obtained by ultrasonic solvent extraction were significantly lower for sulfonamides and in tendency lower for macrolides.

Analytical methods have been developed that allow for the determination of antiphlogistics, lipid regulators, the antiepileptic carbamazepine, cytostatic agents, the psychiatric drug diazepam and iodinated contrast media (ICM) as well as two major polycyclic musk fragrances HHCB (galaxolide) and AHTN (tonalide) in activated and digested sludge. The procedures consist of ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE) using methanol/acetone or pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) using 100% methanol. Clean-up was performed with C18ec material and silica gel followed by LC tandem MS (electrospray or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization) detection for pharmaceuticals and iodinated contrast media as well as GC/MS in the SIM mode for musk fragrances. Absolute recoveries from spiked activated sludge in general ranged from 88+/-4 to 119+/-20% for ICM and were 78+/-15 and 87+/-10% for the AHTN and HHCB, respectively. For the pharmaceuticals, absolute recoveries in activated sludge ranged between 43 and 78%. Subsequently, compensation of losses was carried out by using surrogate standards (acidic pharmaceuticals: fenoprop, neutral pharmaceuticals: dihydro-carbamazepine, musk fragrances: AHTN-D3). With one exception the recoveries were also adequate in digested sludge ranging from 43% to 120%.

Analytical methods have been developed for the determination of eight acidic pharmaceuticals and two metabolites, seven antibiotics and the parasiticide ivermectin in a selected river sediment. The sediments were solvent extracted with ultrasonic assistance. A solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up step was performed thereafter. The acidic compounds clofibric acid, diclofenac, fenoprofen, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, 2-hydroxy-ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, naproxen and the parasiticide ivermectin were measured in the negative mode by LC–APCI–tandem MS, whereas the antibiotics clarithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim were detected in the positive mode by LC–ESI–tandem MS. Bezafibrate could not be determined in the sediment using the method developed. The limit of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.4 to 8 ng g−1 for the acidic pharmaceuticals, sulfadiazine and ivermectin and was 20 ng g−1 for the other antibiotics.

Summary The growing rate of microbial pathogens becoming resistant to standard antibiotics is an important threat to public health. In order to assess the role of antibiotics in the environment on the spread of resistance factors, the impact of subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics in sewage on gene transfer was investigated using conjugative gentamicin resistance (aacA–aphD) plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, the concentration of antibiotics in hospital sewage was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Several antibiotics were found to be present in sewage, e.g. ciprofloxacin up to 0.051 mg l−1 and erythromycin up to 0.027 mg l−1. Resistance plasmid transfer occurred both on solidified (dewatered) sewage and in liquid sewage in a bioreactor with a frequency of 1.1 × 10−5−5.0 × 10−8. However, low-level concentrations of antibiotics measured in sewage are below concentrations that can increase plasmid transfer frequencies of gentamicin resistance plasmids of staphylococci.

In the course of the establishment of (68)Ga-DOTA-TATE production for clinical use a shoulder comprising presumably several impurities was observed in the chromatogram of the analytical radio-HPLC. LC-MS/MS results support the hypothesis that some of these radioimpurities are radiolytic oxidation by-products of (68)Ga-DOTA-TATE. A new HPLC method was developed for quality control of (68)Ga-DOTA-TATE. Significant improvement on the radiochemical purity of (68)Ga-DOTA-TATE was achieved by the addition of ascorbic acid or ethanol to the reaction mixture.

The veterinary parasiticide ivermectin was selected as a case study compound within the project ERAPharm (Environmental Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals). Based on experimental data generated within ERAPharm and additional literature data, an environmental risk assessment (ERA) was performed mainly according to international and European guidelines. For the environmental compartments surface water, sediment, and dung, a risk was indicated at all levels of the tiered assessment approach. Only for soil was no risk indicated after the lower tier assessment. However, the use of effects data from additional 2-species and multispecies studies resulted in a risk indication for collembolans. Although previously performed ERAs for ivermectin revealed no concern for the aquatic compartment, and transient effects on dung-insect populations were not considered as relevant, the present ERA clearly demonstrates unacceptable risks for all investigated environmental compartments and hence suggests the necessity of reassessing ivermectin-containing products. Based on this case study, several gaps in the existing guidelines for ERA of pharmaceuticals were shown and improvements have been suggested. The action limit at the start of the ERA, for example, is not protective for substances such as ivermectin when used on intensively reared animals. Furthermore, initial predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) of ivermectin in soil were estimated to be lower than refined PECs, indicating that the currently used tiered approach for exposure assessment is not appropriate for substances with potential for accumulation in soil. In addition, guidance is lacking for the assessment of effects at higher tiers of the ERA, e.g.;for field studies or a tiered effects assessment in the dung compartment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2010;6567587. © 2010 SETAC.

In water/soil systems, the iodinated contrast medium iopromide was quantitatively biotransformed into several transformation products (TPs). Twelve TPs were identified via HPLC-UV and LC tandem MS. The chemical structures of the TPs were elucidated via fragmentation in MS2 and MS3 of LC tandem MS with a linear ion trap and 1H and 13C NMR analyses. All TPs exhibited transformations at the side chains containing either carboxylic moieties and/or primary and secondary amide moieties, while the triiodoisophthalic acid structure remained unaltered. A transformation pathway was proposed based on the sequence of TP formation in aerobic batch experiments. Additionally, the occurrence of iopromide TPs was investigated in native water samples. All TPs identified were found in municipal WWTP effluents because of their formation during biological wastewater treatment with maximum concentrations of up to 3.7 +/- 0.9 microg/L (TP 819). Predominantly, those TPs were present at higher concentrations in WWTP effluents which were formed at the beginning of the transformation pathway. Furthermore, four TPs formed at the end of the transformation pathway (TP 759, 701A/B, and 643) were also found in bank filtrate up to 0.050 microg/L and in groundwater of an wastewater irrigation area up to 4.6 microg/L.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) maintain lifelong blood homeostasis. While many of the cell-intrinsic mechanisms regulating HSC function at steady state have been well characterized, the role of inflammatory cytokines and other environmental factors in tailoring blood production following physiological insults has become a topic of emerging interest. The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a prototypical pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in host inflammatory responses to injury and infection, and is associated with elevated myeloid cell production. Importantly, IL-1 also drives a wide range of chronic inflammatory conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and arthritis that are often characterized by deregulated blood homeostasis. Here, we show at single-cell resolution using continuous tracking technology that IL-1 drives accelerated HSC cell division kinetics and myeloid differentiation via the rapid activation of a precocious PU.1-dependent myeloid gene program. Activation of this program requires direct IL-1R signaling and subsequent activation of IKK kinases, and instructively primes HSCs to adopt a myeloid fate. Strikingly, we demonstrate that IL-1 produced by myeloid cells and endothelial cells of the bone marrow (BM) niche exerts similar effects in vivo, and is required for efficient myeloid recovery following acute challenges such as transplantation or myeloablation. On the other hand, we find that chronic IL-1 exposure substantially remodels HSC blood output, resulting in myeloid overproduction and expansion of myeloid-biased multipotent progenitor (MPP) compartments at the expense of lymphoid and erythroid lineages. Critically, chronic IL-1 erodes HSC self-renewal, significantly impairing their regenerative capacity following transplantation. On the other hand, chronically exposed HSCs recover their function upon IL-1 withdrawal. Collectively, these findings identify IL-1 as a critical regulator of HSC fate and lineage specification via activation of a PU.1 circuit. They also demonstrate a role for IL-1 as a double-edged sword in HSC biology, promoting HSC regeneration in response to acute insults while severely disrupting HSC self-renewal and lineage output during chronic exposure, hence identifying IL-1 as an important and therapeutically targetable factor underwriting myeloid overproduction and other deregulations that contribute to the pathogenesis of a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases and blood disorders. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

In recent years there has been growing interest on the occurrence and the fate of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. Nevertheless, few data are available covering the fate of the pharmaceuticals in the water/sediment compartment. In this study, the environmental fate of 10 selected pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical metabolites was investigated in water/sediment systems including both the analysis of water and sediment. The experiments covered the application of four 14C-labeled pharmaceuticals (diazepam, ibuprofen, iopromide, and paracetamol) for which radio-TLC analysis was used as well as six nonlabeled compounds (carbamazepine, clofibric acid, 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxycarbamazepine, 2-hydroxyibuprofen, ivermectin, and oxazepam), which were analyzed via LC-tandem MS. Ibuprofen, 2-hydroxyibuprofen, and paracetamol displayed a low persistence with DT50 values in the water/sediment systemor =20 d. The sediment played a key role in the elimination of paracetamol due to the rapid and extensive formation of bound residues. A moderate persistence was found for ivermectin and oxazepam with DT50 values of 15 and 54 d, respectively. Lopromide, for which no corresponding DT50 values could be calculated, also exhibited a moderate persistence and was transformed into at least four transformation products. For diazepam, carbamazepine, 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxycarbamazepine, and clofibric acid, system DT90 values of365 d were found, which exhibit their high persistence in the water/sediment system. An elevated level of sorption onto the sediment was observed for ivermectin, diazepam, oxazepam, and carbamazepine. Respective Koc values calculated from the experimental data ranged from 1172 L x kg(-1) for ivermectin down to 83 L x kg(-1) for carbamazepine.

To reduce the release of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors into the aquatic environment or to remove them from wastewater intended for direct or indirect reuse, the application of advanced wastewater treatment may be required. In the present study, municipal wastewater effluents were treated with ozone (O3) in a pilot-scale plant consisting of two bubble columns. The investigated effluents, which varied in suspended solids concentrations, comprised an effluent of conventional activated sludge treatment (CAS), the same effluent dosed with 15 mg of TSS L(-1) of activated sludge (CAS + SS), and the effluent of a membrane bioreactor pilot plant (MBR). Selected classes of pharmaceuticals were spiked in the wastewater at realistic levels ranging from 0.5 to 5 microg L(-1). Samples taken at the inlet and the outlet of the pilot plant were analyzed with liquid chromatography (LC)-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (MS). Macrolide and sulfonamide antibiotics, estrogens, and the acidic pharmaceuticals diclofenac, naproxen, and indomethacin were oxidized by more than 90-99% for O3 dosesor = 2 mg L(-1) in all effluents. X-ray contrast media and a few acidic pharmaceuticals were only partly oxidized, but no significant differences were observed among the three effluents. These results show that many pharmaceuticals present in wastewater can be efficiently oxidized with O3 and that suspended solids have only a minor influence on the oxidation efficiency of nonsorbing micropollutants.

A method for the determination of gentamicin residues in hospital wastewater has been developed using kanamycin as a surrogate standard. The method consists of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and detection by ion-pair chromatography with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ES-tandem MS). The SPE was performed on a weak cation exchanger. Filtration should be avoided in the sample preparation, otherwise a significant loss of gentamicin occurs. Chromatographic separation on a C18-column was achieved using a ternary eluent containing methanol, water and 1(-1) heptafluorobutyric acid solution. Mean relative recoveries of the analytes in hospital wastewater varied between 107 and 111%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.20 microg l(-1) in hospital wastewater. Gentamicin was found in native hospital wastewater in a concentration range between 0.4 and 7.6 microg l(-1).

The growing rate of microbial pathogens becoming resistant to standard antibiotics is an important threat to public health. In order to assess the role of antibiotics in the environment on the spread of resistance factors, the impact of subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics in sewage on gene transfer was investigated using conjugative gentamicin resistance (aacA-aphD) plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, the concentration of antibiotics in hospital sewage was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Several antibiotics were found to be present in sewage, e.g. ciprofloxacin up to 0.051 mgl(-1) and erythromycin up to 0.027 mgl(-1). Resistance plasmid transfer occurred both on solidified (dewatered) sewage and in liquid sewage in a bioreactor with a frequency of 1.1x10(-5)-5.0x10(-8). However, low-level concentrations of antibiotics measured in sewage are below concentrations that can increase plasmid transfer frequencies of gentamicin resistance plasmids of staphylococci.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a rare population of self-renewing bone marrow (BM) cells that give rise to all lineages of mature blood cells including those comprising the immune system. While many regulatory factors controlling HSC differentiation and blood production have been identified, the role of inflammatory cytokines in this process is still largely unknown. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a prototypical inflammatory cytokine with critical functions in innate immune responses. While IL-1 is associated with increased myeloid cell production, whether it regulates myeloid lineage specification from HSCs remains unclear. Here, we use cutting-edge approaches to directly interrogate the role of IL-1 in regulating HSC differentiation during steady state and in response to hematopoietic stress. Using continuous single-cell tracking technology, we find that IL-1 accelerates HSC growth and instructs HSC differentiation along the granulocyte–macrophage (GM) lineage in vitro. Strikingly, these effects are accompanied by the rapid activation of a gene program driven by the transcription factor Pu.1, the master regulator of GM lineage commitment, as shown by qRT-PCR analyses and lineage tracking in Pu.1-eYFP reporter mice. Consistent with these in vitro observations, the pool of HSC-derived progenitor cells giving rise to the GM lineage is significantly reduced in size in IL-1 receptor (Il1r1)-deficient mice and Il1r1-deficient mice show significantly impaired recovery of GM-lineage output following 5-FU-mediated myeloablation. We are now working at identifying the cellular components of the BM microenvironment that produce IL-1 in these conditions. Collectively, our results identify IL-1 as a key regulator of myeloid cell production from HSCs and provide compelling evidence for a direct role of inflammatory cytokines in shaping the immune system. They advance our understanding of how blood cell production is regulated in both steady state and stress conditions, which could have important implications for the treatment of acute inflammation and autoimmune diseases.