Nitrate and chloride concentrations in the high plains aquifer,Texas

Groundwater nitrate and chloride concentrations were compiled for 122 wells in a rural, three‐county area of northwest Texas. The counties are located on the High Plains aquifer, a major source of groundwater in the region. Cropland/pasture is the predominant land use in the study area. The area also contains numerous cattle feedlots. Fertilizer and manure associated with those land uses are potential sources of ground‐water contamination. Although locally elevated above background levels, none of the chemical concentrations exceeded the primary drinking water standard of 44.27 mg/L for nitrate (10mg/L for NO₃ — N) or secondary standard of 250mg/L for chloride. Rank correlations between nitrate and chloride were statistically significant in two of the three counties, where the solutes may have originated from a common surface source. Denitrification and scant precipitation recharge may account for an absence of nitrate levels above the drinking water standard.     

Farm-scale bio-power-to-methane: Comparative analyses of economic and environmental feasibility

Power-to-gas technologies are considered to be part of the future energy system, but their viability and applicability need to be assessed. Therefore, models for the viability of farm-scale bio-power-to-methane supply chains to produce green gas were analysed in terms of levelised cost of energy, energy efficiency and saving of greenhouse gas emission. In bio-power-to-methane, hydrogen from electrolysis driven by surplus renewable electricity and carbon dioxide from biogas are converted to methane by microbes in an ex situ trickle-bed reactor. Such bio-methanation could replace the current upgrading of biogas to green gas with membrane technology. Four scenarios were compared: a reference scenario without bio-methanation (A), bio-methanation (B), bio-methanation combined with membrane upgrading (C) and the latter with use of renewable energy only (all-green; D). The reference scenario (A) has the lowest costs for green gas production, but the bio-methanation scenarios (B-D) have higher energy efficiencies and environmental benefits. The higher costs of the bio-methanation scenarios are largely due to electrolysis, whereas the environmental benefits are due to the use of renewable electricity. Only the all-green scenario (D) meets the 2026 EU goal of 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but it would require a CO₂ price of 200 € t⁻¹ to achieve the levelised cost of energy of 65 €ct Nm⁻³ of the reference scenario. Inclusion of the intermittency of renewable energy in the scenarios substantially increases the costs. Further greening of the bio-methanation supply chain and how intermittency is best taken into account need further investigation.     

The Promises of Natural Killer Cell Therapy in Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a gynaecological disease defined by the growth of endometrium-like tissue outside the uterus. The disease is present in approximately 5–10% of women of reproductive age and causes pelvic pain and infertility. The pathophysiology is not completely understood, but retrograde menstruation and deficiency in natural killer (NK) cells that clear endometriotic cells in the peritoneal cavity play an important role. Nowadays, hormonal therapy and surgery to remove endometriosis lesions are used as treatment. However, these therapies do not work for all patients, and hormonal therapy prevents patients from getting pregnant. Therefore, new treatment strategies should be developed. Since the cytotoxicity of NK cells is decreased in endometriosis, we performed a literature search into the possibility of NK cell therapy. Available treatment options include the inhibition of receptor–ligand interaction for KIR2DL1, NKG2A, LILRB1/2, and PD-1/PD-L1; inhibition of TGF-β; stimulation of NK cells with IL-2; and mycobacterial treatment with BCG. In preclinical work, these therapies show promising results but unfortunately have side effects, which have not specifically been studied in endometriosis patients. Before NK cell treatment can be used in the clinic, more research is needed.     

Specificity and affinity of 26 monoclonal antibodies against the CA 125 antigen: first report from the ISOBM TD-1 workshop. International Society for Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine

The specificity of 26 monoclonal antibodies against the CA 125 antigen was investigated in two phases of the ISOBM TD-1 workshop. The binding specificity was studied using CA 125 immunoextracted by specific antibodies immobilized on various solid phases, or on the surface of human cell lines. Immunometric assays using all possible antibody combinations were used to study the topography of antibody binding sites on the antigen. We conclude that the CA 125 antigen carries only two major antigenic domains, which classifies the antibodies as OC125-like (group A) or M11-like (group B). One antibody, OV 197, showed binding specificity related to some of the OC125-like antibodies, but was classified into a separate group C. The OC125-like group of antibodies has four subgroups with different binding specificities. These are A1 = OC 125 and K 95, A2 = K 93, A3 = B43.13, and A4 = ZS 33, B27.1 and CCD 247. Binding of nonlabelled OC 125 or K 95 to CA 125 caused a marked increase in binding of labelled OV 197 to the complex. This conformational change was not observed with any other antibody combinations. Antibody B43.13 could form immunometric assay combinations particularly with antibodies of subgroup A4, indicating that the B43.13 epitope is in the periphery of the binding area of OC125-like antibodies. The M11-like group of antibodies is more homogenous with strong cross-inhibition between most antibodies. Only one antibody, ZR 38, would form an immunoassay combination with other M11-like antibodies and thus represents a distinct subgroup. The main group of M11-like antibodies are M 11, ZR 45, MA602-6, K 91, OV 185, K 101, K 90, K 96, K 97, K 102, CCD 242, 145-9, and 130-22. Antibody OV 197 binds to a domain designated C and is unique, as stated above. Antibody pairs from any two of the three groups may be used in immunometric assays. Three antibodies were not studied by complete cross-inhibition due to low affinity (OV 198 and K 100) or lack of material (MA602-1). OV 198 and K 100 are most likely OC125-like and MA602-1 is M11-like. Antibody affinity was estimated with labelled antigen in solution or with antigen absorbed on microtiter wells. Western blot analysis showed staining both in the stacking gel and corresponding to a molecule of 200 kDa. There was a marked difference between the antibodies in their ability to bind to CA 125 immobilized on a membrane. Strongest binding was observed with the M11-like antibodies, particularly M 11, K 96, K 97, MA602-6, 145-9. Antibodies belonging to the subgroup A4 were the only OC 125-like antibodies which reacted well with CA 125 in Western analysis. Digestion of CA 125 with proteolytic enzymes showed it to be particularly sensitive to trypsin cleavage. However, no low molecular weight fragments with preserved immunoreactivity were found.