Assessment of landfill protection systems in Japan - a case study

Landfilling of untreated waste is still seen as an acceptable practice in many developed countries. Sanitary landfills are facilities for the disposal of untreated mixed municipal solid waste as a major waste stream. The Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act of 1970 is the main waste legislation in Japan. Waste management methods differ in Japan from the European Union and other countries. As waste incineration is prevalent in Japan, the final waste disposal rate in landfills is extremely low, occupying less than 5% of the waste generated. In Japan, there are obligatory barrier systems, treatment facilities for leachate and concrete structures for major facilities (waste storage structures, barriers, and leachate treatment facilities), landfill operations (dumping and soil covering) and management facilities (weighing and monitoring equipment) which are identified in the Guideline Manual of Landfill Site. This work examines the landfill protection systems in Japan based on two case studies from selected research facilitiesO

Supplementation of standard antibiotic therapy with oral probiotics for bacterial vaginosis and aerobic vaginitis : a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND: This multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to determine whether the use of oral probiotic preparation (prOVag®) containing three Lactobacillus strains together with standard metronidazole treatment and also targeted antibiotic treatment (following the failure of metronidazole therapy) could reduce the recurrence rates of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and aerobic vaginitis (AV). METHODS: Patients at private gynaecological clinics in Poland with histories of recurrent BV/AV and current symptoms were randomly allocated to receive metronidazole and probiotic or placebo, and assessed monthly on visits II and III-V. The total number of study visits was 5–6 (I, II, II bis – if applicable, III, IV, V). One probiotic or placebo capsule was administered with metronidazole/targeted antibiotic twice daily for 10 days; during follow up, patients took one capsule daily for 10 days perimenstrually. Clinical examination and vaginal swabbing were performed at each visit. Primary outcomes were clinical or microbiological BV/AV recurrence and probiotic safety. Secondary outcomes were vaginal pH, Nugent score, and Lactobacillus counts in the vaginal microbiota. Safety analysis was performed in 578 (probiotic, n = 285; placebo, n = 293) 18–50-year-old women who were randomised. RESULTS: BV/AV was confirmed microbiologically in 241 (probiotic, n = 118; placebo, n = 123) participants, who continued the trial. Data from 154 (probiotic, n = 73; placebo, n = 81) participants who completed the study were analysed to determine the efficacy of prOVag. Additional analyses included 37 (probiotic, n = 22; placebo, n = 15) participants who received targeted antibiotics and probiotics or placebo. prOVag lengthened the time to clinical relapse of BV/AV symptoms up to 51 % (p < 0.05) compared with placebo; AV relapse was delayed by up to 76 % (p < 0.05). Probiotic use also reduced and maintained low vaginal pH and Nugent score, and increased vaginal Lactobacillus counts following standard treatment. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that oral probiotics lengthened remission in patients with recurrent BV/AV and improved clinical and microbiological parameters. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01993524; 20 November 2013. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0246-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

A State of Review on Instigating Resources and Technological Sustainable Approaches in Green Construction

Green building is a way to reduce the impact of the building stock on the environment, society, and economy. Despite the significance of a systematic review for the upcoming project, few studies have been conducted. Studies within the eco-friendly construction scope have been boosted in the past few decades. The present review study intends to critically analyse the available literature on green buildings by identifying the prevalent research approaches and themes. Among these recurring issues are the definition and scope of green buildings, the quantification of green buildings' advantages over conventional ones, and several green building production strategies. The study concludes that the available research focuses mainly on the environmental side of green buildings. In contrast, other crucial points of green building sustainability, such as social impacts, are often neglected. Future research objectives include the effects of climate on the effectiveness of green building assessment methods; verification of the actual performance of green buildings; specific demographic requirements; and future-proofing.O

Risk factors of pelvic organ prolapsed in women qualified to reconstructive surgery – the Polish multicenter study

To evaluate the prevalence rate of various pelvic floor disorders among patients treated in 8 academic centers in Poland due to pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Results: The mean age of affected women with POP was 61,25 years (median 61), and mean BMI – 27.62 (median – 27.29). 80% of women were menopausal. Mean time of symptoms related to disease was 65,6 months; whereas the time relapsed from first doctor diagnosis of POP to hospital admission was 50.6 months. 97.4% affected women were multiparous. Only 1.21% women with POP were nulliparous. Family history of prolapse was found in 13.4% of patients, whereas familial positive history of urinary incontinence was 10%. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among the analyzed group were as follows: frequency – almost 50%, urgency 32.2%, feeling of improper voiding – 29,6% and voiding difficulty – 17.7%. Functional disorders of lower bowel were found in 43% of patients and the most prevalent symptom was constipation (31%), followed by empting difficulty (12%), dyschesia (9%), and urge stool empting (7.7%). Cardiovascular diseases were found among 43% of respondents, whereas pulmonary diseases with chronic coughing were present in 20% of the analyzed population. Subjective POP symptoms reported by women were as follows: feeling of heaviness in lower abdomen – 37.8%, perineal pain – 27.8%, lumbosacral pain – 34.2%, and abdominal pain – 28.4%. Female sexual disorders were reported by 9,8% women and dyspareunia was found in 7.6% of responders. POP was the main reason for sexual abstinence only in 1 out of 10 patients. More than 30% of patients from the study group underwent previously pelvic surgery due to various reasons. POP related quality of life measured by VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) was 61.4 points (median – 60). The most common finding during gynecological examination was cystocele – 96.5%, followed by rectoenterocele – 92.7%, and central defect – 79%. Mean POP quantification was stage III in POP-Q scale. LUTS symptoms (urinary incontinence, urgency and voiding difficulties) were present among 81% of patients whereas lower gastrointestinal disorders (constipation, fecal incontinence, dyschesia) were found in 43% of women affected by POP

Food Waste – Challenges and Approaches for New Devices

Food waste has recently received attention due to its environmental, economic and social impacts. Final processing of food waste encounters a number of technical challenges, arising from weak physical structure of food waste with weak porosity, high content of water, and low carbon-to-nitrogen relation. This study deals with the research of food waste processing in households by using an automatic device. The main objective of the study was to assess the toxicity of the end-product produced by an automatic device. The research included 10 experiments. The input foundation consisted of common food waste generated in household kitchens. Following its processing, the end-product was tested in a pot experiment for the germination capacity and biomass increase in different concentrations. The end-product was mixed with the reference soil in concentrations 5/95, 30/70, 50/50 (tested/reference substrate). The testing included three different plant species, i.e. Sinapis alba L., Hordeum vulgare L. and Cannabis sativa L. The germination capacity of plants and their increase in biomass were evaluated after 21 days. The increase in biomass was monitored by using the Before-After-Control-Impact method. The plants developed much better without the end-product additive to the soil substrate than with its small addition. The best germination capacity in the case of end-product addition was observed in the concentration ratio 30/70 in all plants. In spite of this, the highest increase in biomass was recorded in the concentration ratio 5/95. This might have caused the occurrence of mould in the pots. The test shows that the end-product made of food waste is toxic to plants; therefore, it is not recommended for direct application as a soil amendment

Consumption and Savings of Drinking Water in Selected Objects

Water is essential to the proper functioning of kindergartens and schools. Nevertheless, water consumption in public facilities is usually high, often exceeding the average household water consumption. Recently, increasing pressure on this valuable and depletable natural resource has been noticed and, therefore, it is interesting to study the water consumption in kindergartens and the possibilities of water saving. The present work examined 6 kindergarten facilities in Kyjov, Czech Republic, where the equipment has been enhanced with the faucet water saving technology. The work analyzed the impact of the equipment on the reduction of water consumption as a raw material and on the financial and economic profitability. The results were estimated based on the variation of two parameters such as average daily water consumption and demand per person. The experiment showed that installing the savers resulted in water savings ranging from 8% to 18.7% for average daily consumption and from 10.02% to 23.2% for per capita demand

Impact of Cigarette Butts on Plant Germination Based on Sinapis alba L. and Hordeum vulgare L. Seeds

Cigarette butts (CBs) have only recently begun to be considered environmentally harmful waste. CBs are common waste in the environment, that can cause air, soil, and water pollution and pose a threat to the living. CBs should be treated as toxic and hazardous waste due to its slow decomposition and accumulation of many toxic substances. There is a lack of research on the adaptation of CBs to the environment and what impact they have on vegetation. Therefore, the present work aimed to understand the toxicity of smoked CBs. Leachates of various concentrations were assessed with ecotoxicological tests. The effect of CBs on germination and development of plants at their early stage of growth was determined. Seeds of Sinapis alba L. and Hordeum vulgare L. were used in the CBs toxicity test. Two-way ANOVA was conducted to compare the main effects on plants. From the results, it is evident that low concentrations of toxic substances contained in CBs have a positive effect on plants; however, Hordeum vulgare L. expresses higher toxic resistance than Sinapis alba L. It has been proven that high concentrations of CBs in a water solution have negative effects on seed germination and radical growth. This research shows that varied plant species can cope with different levels of contamination by hazardous elements. CBs are an important source of contamination for the environment and the hazardous elements that are released from them when inappropriately disposed of can impair the development of plants and accumulate in them

LC-ESI-MS profiling of Potentilla norvegica and evaluation of its biological activities

Potentilla L. species have a long history of use in folk medicine for the management of various human ailments. Despite the tremendous number of studies describing the phytochemical and pharmacological profile of a number of Potentilla species, there is a paucity of scientific data regarding the biological activity of Potentilla norvegica. Thus, the present study endeavored to assess the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and secondary metabolite composition of this plant using LC-ESI-MS-TOF analysis and determined the biological potential of P. norvegica extracts and fractions. Assessment of the antioxidant potential was performed in vitro by using five standard assays (FRAP, CUPRAC, ABTS, DPPH, and metal chelation assays). Moreover, the inhibition of selected enzymes (alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase) was examined. During the study, the following extracts and fractions of aerial parts of P. norvegica were analyzed: water (PN1), 50% MeOH (PN2), MeOH (PN3), Et2O (PN4), EtOAc (PN5), and n-BuOH (PN6). The highest TPC and TFC were found in the PN4 fraction (486.21 14.58 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g extract and 24.22 +/- 0.93 mg rutin equivalents (RE)/g extract, respectively), which may be attributed to the highest ABTS, CUPRAC and metal chelation activities of this fraction (with values of 3.01 +/- 0.01, 5.90 +/- 0.73 mmol Trolox equivalents (TE)/g extract and 20.15 +/- 0.11 mg EDTA equivalents (EDTAE)/g extract, respectively). Furthermore, the PN5 fraction was found to be the most effective in the phosphomolybdenum, DPPH and FRAP assays (5.06 +/- 0.02, 1.55 +/- 0.01 and 5.19 +/- 0.12 mmol TE/ g extract, respectively). PN2 exhibited the highest inhibitory potential against AChE and BChE (2.58 +/- 0.01 and 2.31 +/- 0.13 mg galantamine equivalents (GALAE)/g extract, respectively), which is probably related to the more complete fingerprint of the analyzed extract. Tyrosinase was inhibited most potently by the PN1 extract (50.33 +/- 1.63 mg kojic acid equivalents (KAE)/g extract). However, all the extracts and fractions exerted mild activity against alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase (the highest values were 2.03 +/- 0.02 and 0.30 +/- 0.03 mmol acarbose equivalents (ACE)/g extract for PN4 and PN3, respectively). Furthermore, LC-ESI-MS analysis revealed the predominant presence of polyphenolics, with the presence of acacetin indicated in the Potentilla genus for the second time. These observations highlighted the potential applications of P. norvegica as a valuable source of antioxidants, with interesting activities for the development of new treatment strategies against several human diseases in the pharmaceutical sector. (C) 2021 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Use of SFRC in Structures and Its Current State of Development in the Construction Industry

In recent years, concrete technology has advanced, prompting engineers and researchers to adopt advanced materials to improve strength and durability. Steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) represents the substantial modification of concrete materials to improve their structural properties, particularly their flexural and tensile strength. Whether SFRC is stronger than conventional concrete depends on a variety of variables, including the volume, size, percentage, shape, and distribution of fibers. This article provides a comprehensive discussion of the properties of SFRC, such as durability, fire resistance, and impact resistance or blast loading, as well as the application of SFRC in structural members including beams, columns, slabs, and walls. The application of steel fibers in various types of concrete, including pre-stressed, pre-cast, self-compacting, and geopolymer concrete, was also examined in this comparative analysis review, and recommendations for the future scope of SFRC were identified