) Fresh yield and phytochemical accumulation on spinach grown in different coir types

The objective of this study was to evaluate if coir can replace peat as growing media in spinach production in phytonutrient content and antioxidant activity terms. The effects of four commercial substrates peat; and three coir types: cocopeat, coir-crush chips, and coir medium, on growth, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, total:carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, proline, glutathione content, and glutathione reductase activity were evaluated in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. ‘Manatee’). Soil blocked spinach seedlings (five seedlings per block) were transplanted into styrofoam planting boxes (100-cm long × 25-cm wide × 10-cm high) filled with 14 L of substrate. Each planting box was irrigated daily by drip with a complete nutrient solution. Yield (fresh yield) in cocopeat and coir medium were similar to those obtained in peat. Leaf-blade total chlorophyll was higher in peat than in the other substrates. However, leaf-blade total carotenoids and anthocyanins were not affected by substrate type and leaf-blade flavonoids and total glutathione (GSH+GSSG) contents were higher in plants grown in the different types of coir than in peat. Leaf-blade proline levels in plants grown in different types of coir were similar to that recorded in plants grown in peat ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 mg 100 g-1 FW. The findings of this study indicate that coir could be an alternative to peat but depends on the coir type

Effects of Coir-Based Growing Medium with Municipal Solid Waste Compost or Biochar on Plant Growth, Mineral Nutrition, and Accumulation of Phytochemicals in Spinach

The use of municipal solid waste compost (MSW) and biochar, two renewable resources with a low carbon footprint as components of substrates, may be an alternative to reducing peat and coir usage. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of selectively collected MSW and biochar as components of the coir-based substrate to spinach grown. An experiment was carried out to evaluate five substrates, coir and four coir-based blends (coir + biochar + perlite, coir + municipal waste compost + perlite, coir + biochar + pine bark, and coir + biochar + pine bark) with 12% (v/v) MSW or biochar and 10% (v/v) perlite or pine bark. Spinach seedlings were transplanted into Styrofoam planting boxes filled with the substrate. Each planting box was irrigated daily by drip with a complete nutrient solution. Plants grown with MSW had a higher content of calcium. Shoot Mn increased in the biochar-containing mixes. The shoot dry weight of the plants grown in the diferente blends was higher than those grown in coir. Fresh yield was higher in mixes with MSW and perlite (3 kg/m2) or pine bark (2.87 kg/m2). Total phenols and DPPH antioxidant activity were not affected by the substrates. However, shoot ascorbate (AsA) content was higher or equal to those plants grown in coir. MSW and biochar are alternatives to reduce the use of coir and peat

Self-Insertion of Foreign Bodies in Urethra and Bladder: Report of Three Pediatric Cases

Self-inserted urethrovesical foreign bodies are rare in children.We present three cases and discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of such patients. In case 1, a 16-year-old boy introduced a wire into the urethra and partially into the bladder three days before. In case 2, a 4-year-old boy introduced a hairpin in the urethra in the same day. In case 3, a 11-year-old boy introduced a sewing needle in the urethra a few hours before. Cystourethroscopy and suprapubic cystotomy were used to remove the foreign bodies. The presentation of urethrovesical foreign bodies can vary widely, as can the type of object inserted. Foreign body retrieval is determined by its morphology and the patient’s conditions with the aim to minimise urothelial trauma and preserve erectile function. Definitive treatment is usually the endoscopic removal, however sometimes surgical intervention may be required. It is advocated follow-up with long duration, which is necessary to diagnose the long-term complications including urethral stricture.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of lipids and oleic acid on biomass development in anaerobic fixed-bed reactors. Part I: biofilm growth and activity

Two similar anaerobic fixed-bed bioreactors which allowed the biomass to be periodically withdrawn were run in parallel. After feeding each digester with synthetic dairy wastes of different lipid content (Period I), both digesters were fed with increasing sodium oleate concentrations with skim milk as co-substrate (Period II) and oleate as the sole carbon source (Period III). In Period I, the digester fed with lipids was more effcient and exhibited lower levels of volatile fatty acids than the digester fed without lipids. The biofilm built up in the presence of lipids was thinner, but more resistant to the presence of oleate than the biofilm formed in the absence of lipids, which lost 53% of its solids after contacting with oleic acid. The specific methanogenic activity with butyrate as substrate was enhanced in the presence of lipids, but no significant effect was detected on the acetoclastic and hydrogenophilic activities, which remained similar for both digesters along the trial period

Effects of lipids and oleic acid on biomass development in anaerobic fixed-bed reactors. Part II : oleic acid toxicity and biodegradability

Oleic acid toxicity and biodegradability were followed during long-term operation of two similar anaerobic fixed-bed units. When treating an oleate based effluent, the sludge from the bioreactor that was acclimated with lipids during the first operation period, showed a higher tolerance to oleic acid toxicity (IC50=137 mg/l) compared with the sludge fed with a non-fat substrate (IC50=80 mg/l). This sludge showed also the highest biodegradation capacity of oleic acid, achieving maximum methane production rates between 33 and 46 mlCH4_(STP)/gVS.day and maximum percentages of methanization between 85 and 98% for the range of concentrations between 500 and 900 mg oleate/l. When oleate was the sole carbon source fed to both digesters, the biomass became encapsulated with organic matter, possibly oleate or an intermediate of its degradation, e.g. stearate that was degraded at a maximum rate of 99 mlCH4_(STP)/gVS.day. This suggests the possibility of using adsorption-degradation cycles for the treatment of LCFA based effluents. Both tolerance to toxicity and biodegradability of oleic acid were improved by acclimatization with lipids or oleate below a threshold concentration

Production of 1,3-propanediol in EGSB reactors by open mixed cultures using glycerol as the carbon source

Two pre-treatments (granules disruption and heat) were applied to granular sludge to favour the production of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) from glycerol by non-methanogenic bacteria in expanded granular sludge blanket (EGSB) reactors. Different hydraulic retention times (HRT) were tested to achieve a maximum yield of 0.59 mol of 1,3-PDO/mol of glycerol in the control (no treatment) reactor at an HRT of 12 h. Molecular biology tools were used to evaluate the microbial community present in the inoculum and biomass for each HRT studied. Variations in the HRT had a critical impact in the dominant community of microorganisms. No appreciable differences in microbial population were observed between the reactors operated with heat–treated and disrupted granules at low HRTs. Additionally, the production of H2 was observed at the beginning of the operation, however this was associated with low production of 1,3-PDO. In turn, no methane production was observed. This study proves the feasibility of 1,3-PDO production in EGSB reactors, which have the advantage of being operated under non-sterile conditions and represent a novel strategy to valorise glycerol being generated as by-product in the biodiesel industry

Tailoring carbon nanotubes to enhance their efficiency as electron shuttle on the biological removal of acid orange 10 under anaerobic conditions

Anaerobic treatments have been described for the biodegradation of pollutants. However, the reactions proceed slowly due to the recalcitrant nature of these compounds. Carbon nanomaterials (CNM) intermediate in, and favor, the electron transfer, accelerating the anaerobic reduction of pollutants, which act as final electron acceptors. In the present work, different carbon nanotubes (CNT) with modified surface chemistry, namely CNT oxidized with HNO3 (CNT_HNO3) and CNT doped with nitrogen in a ball milling process (CNT_N_MB) were prepared using commercial CNT as a starting material. The new CNM were tested as redox mediators (RM), 0.1 g L−1, in the biological reduction of the azo dye, Acid Orange 10 (AO10), with an anaerobic granular sludge, over 48 h of reaction. Methane production was also assessed to verify the microorganism’s activity and the CNM’s effect on the methanogenic activity. An improvement in the biological removal of AO10 occurred with all CNM (above 90%), when compared with the control without CNM (only 32.4 ± 0.3%). The best results were obtained with CNT_N_MB, which achieved 98.2 ± 0.1% biological AO10 removal, and an 11-fold reduction rate increase. In order to confer magnetic properties to the CNM, tailored CNT were impregnated with 2% of iron-samples: CNTThis study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE‐01‐0145‐ FEDER‐000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 ‐ Programa Operacional Regional do Norte, as well as FCT/MCTES trough national funds (PIDDAC) and Base Funding – UIDB/50020/20 of the Associate Laboratory LSRE‐LCM – funded by national funds rough FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC). Ana Rita Silva holds a Grant from FCT, reference SFRH/BD/131905/2017. Salomé. G.P. Soares acknowledges FCT funding under the Scientific Employment Stimulus ‐ Institutional Call CEECINST/00049/2018.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Selective enrichment of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria producing storage compounds of biotechnological relevance

Hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria are important players in bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated ecosystems with additional potential for application in biological treatment of industrial wastewaters. Synthesis and accumulation of storage lipids such as triacylglycerols (TAGs) and wax esters (WEs), as well as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers, has been reported in this group of bacteria when submitted to growth ‐ limiting conditions (e.g. nitrogen limitation). These compounds are relevant raw materials for a variety of industrial applications in biofuels and oleochemicals production. Its biosynthesis in combination with industrial wastewater treatment can contribute to make the process more economic and environmentally sustainable. The aim of this work was to obtain suitable inocula for use in biotechnological processes to produce valuable bacterial products from hydrocarbon ‐ based wastewaters. These carbon ‐ rich nutrient ‐ poor wastewaters exhibited appropriated conditions to promote bacterial storage materials production, thus being an interesting application target for the proposed combined approach. (...

Influence of lipid acclimatization on the oleic acid toxicity towards methanogenic acetoclastic bacteria

Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (IBQF)