Grease waste and sewage sludge co-digestion enhancement by thermal hydrolysis: batch and fed-batch assays

Grease waste (GW) is an adequate substrate for sewage sludge co-digestion since, coming from a waste water treatment plant, it has a high methane potential (489 NmLCH(4)/gVSin); however, no synergistic effect takes place when co-digesting with 52%VS grease. Conversely, thermal hydrolysis (TH) improves the anaerobic digestion of GW (43% higher kinetics) and biological sludge (29% more methane potential). Therefore, the application of TH to a co-digestion process was further studied. First, biochemical methane potential tests showed that the best configuration to implement the TH to the co-digestion process is pretreating the biological sludge alone, providing a 7.5% higher methane production (398 NmLCH(4)/gVSin), 20% faster kinetics and no lag-phase. Its implementation in a fed-batch operation resulted in considerable methane production (363 NmLCH(4)/gVSin) and TH improved the rheology and dewaterability properties of the digestate. This leads to important economical savings when combined with co-digestion, reducing final waste management costs and showing interesting potential for full-scale application.

Dermatofibroma of the face: a clinicopathologic study of 20 cases

INTRODUCTION

Dermatofibroma is one of the most common benign skin tumors. It typically develops on the lower limbs between the third and fifth decade of life and is more common in women. Clinical diagnosis is often straightforward. Dermatofibromas are associated with a very low rate of local recurrence following excision.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the clinical and histologic features of dermatofibroma of the face based on our experience.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Descriptive retrospective study of the clinicopathologic features of dermatofibromas of the face diagnosed at the dermatology department of Hospital General Universitario de Valencia between 1990 and 2012.

RESULTS

Twenty cases of dermatofibroma of the face (1.11% of all dermatofibromas diagnosed) were studied. The age at onset varied widely, from 28 to 84 years. The mean age at onset was 57.15 years and the median was 54 years. There were 11 women and 9 men. Mean follow-up was 83 months and there were no local recurrences. All the tumors were confined to the papillary and reticular dermis and the storiform pattern was the most common growth pattern observed.

CONCLUSIONS

This study of facial dermatofibromas diagnosed at our hospital over a period of 22 years suggests that the face is an uncommon site but that dermatofibromas in this location behave similarly to those occurring elsewhere on the body.

A polymorphism in the TYMP gene is associated with the outcome of HLA-identical sibling allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP), an enzyme involved in nucleotide synthesis, has been implicated in critical biological processes such as DNA replication, protection against mutations, and tissue repair. In this work, we retrospectively evaluated the influence of a polymorphism in the TYMP gene (rs112723255; G/A) upon the outcome of 448 patients subjected to allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) from an human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling donor. The TYMP genotype of patients correlated with overall survival-carriers of the minor allele (A) being at an increased risk of dying after transplantation (hazard ratio, HR = 1.9; P = 0.004). This effect was mostly due to differences in transplant toxicity-related mortality (HR = 2.5; P = 0.029). In addition, the TYMP genotype of donors was associated with the risk of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)-carriers of the minor allele being at an increased risk of developing this complication ([HR] = 1.7; P = 0.039). The impact of such polymorphism on the risk of chronic GVHD is limited to patients transplanted in early stage disease (HR = 2.2; P = 0.019). The combination of a donor harboring the minor allele with a patient homozygous for the major allele was associated with the highest risk of chronic GVHD (HR = 2.8; P = 0.008). These findings provide the first evidence of the significant impact of the TYMP genotype upon the clinical outcome of patients treated with HLA-identical sibling allo-SCT.

Generating reference models for structurally complex data. Application to the stabilometry medical domain

OBJECTIVES

We present a framework specially designed to deal with structurally complex data, where all individuals have the same structure, as is the case in many medical domains. A structurally complex individual may be composed of any type of single-valued or multivalued attributes, including time series, for example. These attributes are structured according to domain-dependent hierarchies. Our aim is to generate reference models of population groups. These models represent the population archetype and are very useful for supporting such important tasks as diagnosis, detecting fraud, analyzing patient evolution, identifying control groups, etc.

METHODS

We have developed a conceptual model to represent structurally complex data hierarchically. Additionally, we have devised a method that uses the similarity tree concept to measure how similar two structurally complex individuals are, plus an outlier detection and filtering method. These methods provide the groundwork for the method that we have designed for generating reference models of a set of structurally complex individuals. A key idea of this method is to use event-based analysis for modeling time series.

RESULTS

The proposed framework has been applied to the medical field of stabilometry. To validate the outlier detection method we used 142 individuals, and there was a match between the outlier ratings by the experts and by the system for 139 individuals (97.8%). To validate the reference model generation method, we applied k-fold cross validation (k = 5) with 60 athletes (basketball players and ice-skaters), and the system correctly classified 55 (91.7%). We then added 30 non-athletes as a control group, and the method output the correct result in a very high percentage of cases (96.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

We have achieved very satisfactory results for the tests on data from such a complex domain as stabilometry and for the comparison of the reference model generation method with other methods. This supports the validity of this framework.

Phytophthora Crown and Root Rot of Zucchini Squash in Almería, Spain

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) is intensively cropped in approximately 4,500 ha of plastic houses in southern Spain. In 2008 to 2009, Consul, Cronos, and Tosca zucchini plants showed symptoms of leaf wilting, basal stem necrosis, and plant death. Incidences of dead plants were 20 to 30% and these plants were distributed in clusters. Phytophthora capsici Leonian was isolated from the basal stems of symptomatic plants, using PDA and cornmeal agar amended with a pimaricin, ampicillin, and rifampicin. Five resultant isolates (PCl-211, PCl-221, PCl-611, PCl-612, and PCl-811) on lima beans agar (LBA) produced white mycelia with lemon-shaped and papillate sporangia borne on long pedicels, but no oospores or chlamydospores. These isolates had an identical ribosomal DNA ITS sequence, matching with that of P. capsici in GenBank. The sequences of two representative isolates, PCl-211 and PCl-811, were deposited in GenBank with accession nos. KC662328 and KC688317, respectively. The pathogenicity of these five isolates was tested on zucchini cv. Consul in 1-liter containers filled with vermiculite in May and September of 2009. Plants were inoculated at the 2 to 3 true-leaf stage. Plates with LBA fully covered with colony of each isolate were separately blended and homogenized with 300 ml of sterile distilled water. Inocula were poured around stem at 50 ml per plant. Each experiment had three replicates and four plants per replicate. Treatments with different isolates were arranged in a randomized complete block design. In both experiments, 12 uninoculated plants served as controls. Test plants were maintained for a month following inoculation in a greenhouse with mean temperatures ranging from 21.9 to 27.9°C and from 20.7 to 24.6°C for the May and September experiments, respectively. The first wilting occurred 5 days after inoculation. At the end of the May experiment, all control plants and those inoculated with PCl-221 remained asymptomatic while 83.3% of those inoculated with PCl-211 and 100% of those with the other isolates were dead. Inoculated plants exhibited crown and root rots, excluding the secondary roots. In the September experiment, 83.3% and 33.3% of plants inoculated with PCl-211 and PCl-221, respectively, were symptomatic, while all plants inoculated with the other isolates were dead. The control plants remained healthy. The pathogen was consistently recovered from symptomatic plants in both experiments. Although P. capsici was reported in peppers (Capsicum annuum) in several provinces of Spain (1), to our knowledge, this is the first report of P. capsici as the causal agent of crown rot in zucchini plants in plastic houses in the Almería Province of Spain, one of the world's largest concentrations of greenhouses. Reference: (1) J. L. Andrés et al. Span J Agric Res 3:326, 2005.

Evaluation of the use of pooled fecal samples for the diagnosis of protostrongylid infections in sheep

The Baermann-Wetzel method is the recommended test for the diagnosis of lungworm infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of pooled fecal samples for the diagnosis of protostrongylid infections in sheep flocks and to investigate the sensitivity of the pooled Baermann-Wetzel technique in relation to individual analysis, which is time consuming and expensive. Fecal samples were taken from 10 sheep flocks positive for protostrongylids located in northwestern Spain. Ten pools composed of 6 individual fecal samples, chosen at random from the entire flock sampling, were performed for each flock at the same time as individual analyses. Protostrongylid larvae were detected in 56 pools, with a 56% flock sensitivity. Flock sensitivity was positively associated with the within-flock prevalence (P<0.001), but not with the mean larvae output. A high sensitivity (78.3%) has been observed in flocks with medium or high prevalence, so pooled fecal samples can be used in those flocks that require an effective treatment regimen against these nematodes.

Spatial population structure of the Neotropical tiger catfish Pseudoplatystoma metaense: skull and otolith shape variation

Using geometric morphometrics, the skull and otolith of tiger catfish Pseudoplatystoma metaense were analysed to identify population structure in tributaries of the Apure River (i.e. the Sarare, Caparo, Guanare, Portuguesa and San Carlos Rivers) in the Orinoco basin, Venezuela. The analyses show uniformity in skull and otolith shapes of P. metaense within and among four tributaries, with only the Caparo River showing significant differences. Within the Apure basin, the stock of P. metaense was differentiated through spawning, refuge and nursery areas. This study concludes that populations of P. metaense from each major tributary in the Orinoco basin should be considered as part of a metapopulation system for management purposes. Human disturbances in the catchment have directly reduced the spawning areas available to this species, decreased the total biomass and changed the spatial distribution of spawning areas.

A 100 kV, 60 A solid state 4 kHz switching modulator for high power klystron driving

A solid state high power modulator capable of delivering 120 kV and 60 A developed in collaboration with the JEMA Corporation, ESS Bilbao, and the SNS (ORNL) for driving high power klystrons is presented. Pulses with less than 10 μs risetime and flatness under 0.1% are obtained with programmable frequency pulses between 2 and 50 Hz. Eight solid state switches combined with custom air-insulated high voltage transformers working at a switching frequency of 4 kHz produce high quality pulses by phase shifting the transformer drives. Each relative high frequency stage pumps a double stage high voltage Marx generator that supplies the output pulse shape and frequency. This merged topology between a Marx generator and direct modulator takes advantage of the strengths of both approaches. Low energy storage in the output stages assures safe operation in case of a load arc discharge. Real time voltage correction during the pulse is also provided to compensate for the droop inherent with the use of low energy storage in the output stages. Data at full power with a dummy resistive load are presented.

Effect of additives on ozone-based decomposition of Reactive Black 5 and Direct Red 28 dyes

In this research, ozonation of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and Direct Red 28 (DR28) under the presence of Na2SO4 and Na2CO3 used as textile additives was investigated. The effect of these salts on discoloration, degradation dynamics, and the composition of the final compounds were studied. Different systems were evaluated; such as RB5-Na2SO4 (100 g/L), RB5-Na2CO3 (30 g/L), RB5-Na2SO4/Na2CO3 (100 g/ L/30 g/L), and DR28-Na2SO4 (10 g/L, 40 g/L, and 80 g/L) with dye concentrations of 50, 150, and 250 mg/L without pH adjustment. Discoloration of RB5 and DR28 with and without additives was determined by visible and UV (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Decomposition of the dyes and the dynamics of intermediates and final byproducts were followed by high performance liquid chromatography. The presence of additives accelerated discoloration and decomposition for both dyes (more than 50%). The accumulation of oxalic and formic acids was observed. Possible mechanism schemes of ozonation for both dyes are proposed.

Influenza A H1N1/2009 infection in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients

AIM AND METHOD

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of pandemic influenza A H1N1/2009 (pH1N1) infection, in a retrospective cohort of pediatric patients with kidney and/or liver transplant and confirmed pH1N1 infection from June to December 2009, diagnosed in 2 Spanish teaching hospitals.

RESULTS

Forty-nine patients were included. Pneumonia was diagnosed in 4 patients (8.2%), and 3 of them required respiratory support. There were no related deaths.

CONCLUSION

Antiviral treatment within 48 h was associated with a lower likelihood of pneumonia (0/38, 0%) than treatment started after 48 h (4/11, 36.3%) (P < 0.01).

Y-stent-assisted coil embolization of anterior circulation aneurysms using two Solitaire AB devices: a single center experience

Wide-neck intracranial aneurysms remain a challenge to endovascular treatment. We describe our experience in repairing wide-neck aneurysms of the anterior circulation located at arterial branch points using coil embolization assisted by Y-stenting using two Solitaire(®) stents.Six wide-neck intracranial aneurysms located on the middle cerebral artery bifurcation( 3), pericallosal artery( 1), and anterior communicating artery( 2) were repaired by Y-stent-assisted coil embolization using two Solitaire(®) stents. Four cases were incidental findings of aneurysm and two cases were previously treated ruptured aneurysms that had undergone recanalization. All the cases were successfully treated without complications. Follow-up by digital subtraction angiography and magnetic resonance angiography at six months showed the stents to be patent with no recanalization of the aneurysm sacs. Repairing wide-neck aneurysms of the anterior circulation by Y-stent-assisted coil embolization using two Solitaire(®) stents is a simple and safe method of treating complex aneurysms. While the results are promising, larger series with longer term follow-ups are needed to corroborate that this treatment method is superior to other techniques.

Optimization of municipal sludge and grease co-digestion using disintegration technologies

Many drivers tend to foster the development of renewable energy production in wastewater treatment plants as many expectations rely upon energy recovery from sewage sludge, for example through biogas use. This paper is focused on the assessment of grease waste (GW) as an adequate substrate for co-digestion with municipal sludge, as it has a methane potential of 479-710 LCH(4)/kg VS, as well as the evaluation of disintegration technologies as a method to optimize the co-digestion process. With this objective three different pre-treatments have been selected for evaluation: thermal hydrolysis, ultrasound and enzymatic treatment. Results have shown that co-digestion processes without pre-treatment had a maximum increment of 128% of the volumetric methane productivity when GW addition was 23% inlet (at 20 days of HRT and with an OLR of 3.0 kg COD/m(3)d), compared with conventional digestion of sewage sludge alone. Concerning the application of the selected disintegration technologies, all pre-treatments showed improvements in terms of methane yield (51.8, 89.5 and 57.6% more for thermal hydrolysis, ultrasound and enzymatic treatment, respectively, compared with non-pretreated wastes), thermal hydrolysis of GW and secondary sludge being the best configuration as it improved the solubilization of the organic matter and the hydrodynamic characteristics of digestates.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among human immunodeficiency virus-infected subjects is widely influenced by the diagnostic criteria

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR), and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definitions.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out with 159 consecutive adult HIV-infected subjects (120 males and 39 females) under HAART. Anthropometric and laboratory parameters were measured by standard methods. Hyperinsulinemia was defined by a fasting concentration >75th percentile of values obtained in healthy individuals (107.5 pmol/L).

RESULTS

The prevalence of ATP III-defined metabolic syndrome was 10.1%; it was 28.3% according to EGIR criteria and 15.1% using the IDF definition. The concordance between the definitions was low (kappa coefficient ranging between 0.134 and 0.296). All subjects with EGIR-defined metabolic syndrome had hyperinsulinemia, but only 50% of those with ATP III-defined metabolic syndrome and 62.5% in the IDF metabolic syndrome population had hyperinsulinemia.

CONCLUSIONS

The inclusion of hyperinsulinemia as a criterion in the EGIR metabolic syndrome definition made it more discriminative than the ATP III definition, both in men and women, and than the IDF definition in men to identify metabolic syndrome in HIV-infected subjects under HAART.

Severe Hypocalcemia due to Vitamin D Deficiency after Extended Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Vitamin D deficiency is a well-known comorbidity of obesity that can be exacerbated after bariatric surgery and can predispose the patient for hypocalcemia. Vitamin D and calcium doses to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency after weight loss surgery are not well defined. We describe a patient who developed severe hypocalcemia due to vitamin D deficiency 5 years after an extended Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for a type II obesity. No precipitating factors were present and malabsorption induced by the bypass was considered to be the main causative factor. High doses of vitamin D and calcium were needed to reach and maintain normal calcium and vitamin D concentrations. This case emphasises the importance of routine screening for vitamin D deficiency in obese individuals and reflects that while consensus does not exist regarding optimal dosage, vitamin D replacement should be tittered based on calcidiol levels.

Bullous pemphigoid in a patient with suspected non-Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa

A 56-year-old man with lifelong trauma-induced blisters, nail dystrophy and dental enamel hypoplasia presented with a new spontaneous blistering eruption. Clinicopathologically, he had evidence of both an inherited and an acquired blistering disorder: non-Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (nHJEB) and bullous pemphigoid (BP). HIstological examination of a skin biopsy found reduced (but not absent) collagen XVII in nonlesional skin, in vivo bound anticollagen XVII antibodies in perilesional skin, and prominent eosinophils in perilesional and lesional skin, with subepidermal blistering. Circulating anticollagen XVII antibodies were also present. Treatment with oral corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil led to clinical control of the BP but had no effect on the mechanobullous blistering. Our patient is unusual in that his skin retains some labelling for collagen XVII rather than having the complete absence of immunoreactivity expected in patients with generalized nHJEB. Moreover, we were unable to identify any pathogenic mutations in the COL17A1 gene encoding collagen XVII (or in other EB-associated basement membrane genes). It is plausible that the long-term consequences of basement membrane disruption in our patient, perhaps associated with atypical inherited COL17A1 pathology, might result in a conformationally altered and more immunogenic protein with the subsequent development of anticollagen XVII antibodies and BP as a secondary pathology.

Integral valorization of tagasaste (Chamaecytisus proliferus) under hydrothermal and pulp processing

Tagasaste wood (Chamaecytisus proliferus L.F. ssp palmensis) was characterized, chemical and energy terms, and assessed its potential as a lignocellulosic raw material, and its integral fractionation by autohydrolysis and delignification with ethanol. The hydrothermal treatment of the raw material at 175-185 degrees C provided a liquor containing a substantially increased amount of oligomers (between 16.6% and 47.4% as percentages with respect to the content of the raw material in each polymer fraction). A cellulose pulp with autohydrolysis treatment increased yields (53-60%), reduced Kappa number (28.8-34.6) but also viscosity (755-857 mL/g), and decreased paper strength (2.97-5.22 kN m/kg). However, beating ethanol cellulose from tagasaste was found to improve its strength-related properties more markedly than in soda pulp from the same material (tensile index of 44 kN m/kg).

Changes in the regional prevalence of child obesity in 4th, 8th, and 11th grade students in Texas from 2000-2002 to 2004-2005

Although national and state estimates of child obesity are available, data at these levels are insufficient to monitor effects of local obesity prevention initiatives. The purpose of this study was to examine regional changes in the prevalence of obesity due to statewide policies and programs among children in grades 4, 8, and 11 in Texas Health Services Regions (HSRs) between 2000-2002 and 2004-2005, and nine selected counties in 2004-2005. A cross-sectional, probability-based sample of 23,190 Texas students in grades 4, 8, and 11 were weighed and measured to obtain BMI. Obesity was >95th percentile for BMI by age/sex using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. Child obesity prevalence significantly decreased between 2000-2002 and 2004-2005 for 4th grade students in the El Paso HSR (-7.0%, P = 0.005). A leveling off in the prevalence of obesity was noted for all other regions for grades 4, 8, and 11. County-level data supported the statistically significant decreases noted in the El Paso region. The reduction of child obesity levels observed in the El Paso area is one of the few examples of effective programs and policies based on a population-wide survey: in this region, a local foundation funded extensive regional implementation of community programs for obesity prevention, including an evidence-based elementary school-based health promotion program, adult nutrition and physical activity programs, and a radio and television advertising campaign. Results emphasize the need for sustained school, community, and policy efforts, and that these efforts can result in decreases in child obesity at the population level.

[Circumferences to evaluate changes in body mass and amount of total fat of women in second and third trimester of pregnancy]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the maternal nutritional state through simple anthropometric indicators as middle-arm circumference (MAC), half thigh (HTC) and calf (CC), to value changes in the body mass and quantity of total fat, in women on second and third pregnancy trimester.

METHODOLOGY

A sample of 76 pregnant aged between 18 and 40 years, from suburban communities of the municipalities Baruta and The Hatillo, Venezuela were evaluated. Weigh, height, MAC, HTC and CC, besides triceps, biceps, subscapular, half thigh and calf skinfolds were measured that allowed the construction of indicators of mass and quantity of total body fat.

RESULTS

The HTC and CC showed differences (p < 0.05) between second and third pregnancy trimester. Average values of MAC presented no statistical significance among the evaluated trimesters, neither the arm fat area, but the thigh fat area and calf what could explain the differences observed in the circumferences of these members among the evaluated trimesters.

CONCLUSIONS

Circumferences of inferior members (half thigh and calf), probably be the variables that can be used for evaluate the anthropometric nutritional maternal status, allow to predict the possible changes in the fat component, and therefore in the body composition of pregnant.

Characterization of a ceramic ultrafiltration membrane in different operational states after its use in a heavy-metal ion removal process

In the present study, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique has been used to characterize a Carbosep M5 ceramic membrane (MWCO=10kDa, TiO(2)-ZrO(2) active layer). This membrane was previously used in a polymer supported ultrafiltration (PSU) process to recover copper, using partially ethoxylated polyethylenimine as the water-soluble polymer. The membrane was characterized in four different operational states: new, new and cleaned, fouled in a PSU stage and cleaned after a PSU process. The influence of the membrane state on pore opening size distribution and roughness was studied, finding a 16% decrease in the former and a 20% increase in the latter due to foulant deposition upon the membrane active layer. Phase angle distribution was also analyzed to indicate the foulant spreading on the membrane surface. These phase angle measurements can be related to pore opening size and roughness, concluding that the cleaning procedure is not totally effective and that foulant presence on the membrane active layer is not remarkable. Finally, AFM was used to measure the influence of pH on adhesion forces between a silica probe and the membrane active layer. These results can be related to the flux evolution vs pH in PSU experiments, finding both lowest adhesion and highest flux at pH 6.

Immunolocalization of NK-1 receptor and Substance P in human normal placenta

A role for Substance P (SP) in human placenta is not known, although is possible that regulates placental physiology through the Neurokinin (NK)-1 receptor. Ten human normal placenta tissues were studied by immunohistochemistry to demonstrate the localization of NK-1 receptor and SP. An immunostaining pattern for NK-1 receptor and SP was observed in the endothelium and myocytes of fetal blood vessels, decidua and trophoblast. The SP is located in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus whereas NK-1 receptor in cytoplasmic. These findings reported here for the fist time, suggest a role for the SP and NK-1 receptor in the placental physiology.

[Long-term safety and efficacy of etanercept in the treatment of psoriasis]

BACKGROUND

Clinical experience has shown that, in patients with psoriasis, suspending treatment with etanercept at week 24, as indicated in the prescribing information, may lead to a rebound effect. Several clinical trials support long-term use of etanercept, which was shown to have a good safety and efficacy profile.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This was a retrospective, observational study of 43 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, with and without joint involvement, who received continuous treatment with etanercept for more than 24 weeks.

RESULTS

Etanercept was administered for a mean of 57 weeks. Overall, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score decreased from a baseline value of 22.5 to 4.3 after treatment. In addition, with continuous treatment, most patients maintained decreases in PASI scores of 50% and even of 75%. Some patients without significant improvement in their PASI score in the first 24 weeks did manage to achieve significant results after prolonged treatment. These outcomes were achieved with a low incidence of adverse effects (reported in 13 patients [30.2%]), which were generally mild.

CONCLUSION

We present our clinical experience with long-term etanercept treatment in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, with and without associated joint involvement. The efficacy and safety profiles were found to be favorable.