Diet And Epidemiology- Their Effect On Esophageal Carcinoma

Oesophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer fatalities and the eighth most prevalent type of cancer overall. It is distinguished by a high death rate, a dismal prognosis at the time of diagnosis, and regional diversity. The incidence of oesophageal cancer today is changing. Even while oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma is the most common kind globally, esophageal adenocarcinoma is quickly overtaking it in wealthy nations. Low socioeconomic status is one risk factor for the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Nitrosamine intake, and use of cigarettes, alcohol, and hot beverages are also the reasons behind it. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that vitamin deficiencies contribute to the emergence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. These include folate, vitamins C and E. Risk factors for esophageal adenocarcinoma include Barrett’s oesophagus, gastroesophageal reflux syndrome, obesity. Each year, more than 600,000 people worldwide receive an esophageal cancer diagnosis, and the five-year survival rate is less than 20%. There are significant regional differences in the incidence rates of the two common histological subtypes of esophageal Cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Early detection and screening are key to lowering the incidence and mortality of advanced Esophageal Cancer. There are currently no standards for esophageal squamous cell cancer screening. There are currently no standard guidelines for the early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Though there is more clear data in the form of randomised controlled trials, guidelines for esophageal cancer are less well defined

Electrochemical synthesis of propionic acid from reduction of ethanol and carbon dioxide at various applied potentials

The synthesis of value-added compounds other than acetate at high rates while utilizing cheap electrode materials is one of the current difficulties faced in microbial electrosynthesis. The present study investigated the production of higher chain volatile fatty acids from the reduction of ethanol and CO2 using unmodified carbon felt at different negative cathode potentials viz. −0.8, −1.0 and −1.2 V vs Ag/AgCl. Propionic acid was produced as secondary main product after acetic acid. The applied voltage of −1.2 V reported the highest amount of acetic acid with production rates of 949 mg L−1 d−1 (15.81 mM d−1). The increased cathode potential from −0.8 to − 1.2 V enhanced the maximum acetic acid production. The maximum acetic acid production achieved at a voltage of −1.2 V was 1.72 and 1.17 folds higher than MES operation at −0.8 and −1.0 V, respectively. Highest amount of propionic acid with the production rates of 322 mg L−1 d−1 (4.34 mM d−1) was obtained at −1.0 V, which was 1.20 and 2.12 times higher than the MES operation at −0.8 and −1.2 V, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed dense biofilm and strong attachment of diverse microorganisms on the biocathode

A techno-economic assessment of nutrient recovery from wastewater using microalgae: scenario in India collected from published literature

The true potential of the microalgae-based wastewater treatment (MWT) process is determined based on whether the process will provide a positive energy output and whether it is economically viable. The objectives of this study are dynamic modelling of microalgae growth based on initial wastewater concentration, temperature, solar radiation and a techno-economic assessment for an MWT scheme for application in a hot, dry climate. Through reference to relevant literature data on MWT in the Indian subcontinent, a selection of appropriate microalgal species Chlorella and Scenedesmus was made. The dynamic model developed was successfully calibrated and validated using independent experimental data collected from the published literature. Cost of production of bio-crude from microalgae grown in a hybrid photobioreactor and pond system in kitchen wastewater of Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad was calculated. A break-even selling price (BESP) of US$0.549/kg was obtained for the microalgae biomass. The cost of production of 1 L bio-crude was US$0.96 (Rs 69-74), which is comparable with crude oil cost. The model developed can be used by practising engineers to predict biomass growth and nutrient removal, thereby achieving a break-even point for cost efficiency

Impact of lockdown associated with COVID19 on air quality and emissions from transportation sector: case study in selected Indian metropolitan cities

This study examines the impact of air quality in selected Indian metropolitan cities during the COVID19 pandemic lockdown period. Concentrations of air quality parameters such as PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO during the transition to lockdown and the actual lockdown period were compared with business as usual periods (a period prior to COVID19 lockdown and a corresponding period in 2019) to estimate the reduction in emission in four major IT hubs in India namely Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. A 40–45% reduction in PM2.5 concentration was observed, in these cities, during the lockdown compared to the corresponding period in 2019 and a 20–45% reduction was observed compared to business as usual period in 2020. A vehicle kilometer traveled (VKT)-related questionnaire survey-based study in Hyderabad revealed that, with 48% of population utilizing work-from-home during the transition to lockdown period, vehicular PM2.5 emission in Hyderabad reduced by 54% compared to usual traffic emissions prior to COVID19 lockdown. Furthermore, it was estimated that emission of up to 3243, 777, 113, and 54 tons/year of CO, NOx, PM2.5, and SO2, respectively, could be avoided in Hyderabad alone, if work-from-home is implemented on a 2 days/week basis. The experience from this study can be used to develop policies favoring reduced use of private vehicles or implementation of work-from-home to combat air pollution and reduce carbon emissions. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature

The effects of digestate pyrolysis liquid on the thermophilic anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge — Perspective for a centralized biogas plant using thermal hydrolysis pretreatment

The use of pyrolysis process to valorize digestate from anaerobic digestion (AD) of municipal sewage sludge for biochar production was piloted in a central biogas plant. The pyrolysis also generates pyrolysis liquid with high organics and nutrient contents that currently has no value and requires treatment, which could potentially be done in AD. As the pyrolysis liquid may contain inhibitory compounds, we investigated the effects of adding the pyrolysis liquid on AD of sewage sludge and thermal hydrolysis pretreated sewage sludge (THSS) simulating the full-scale centralized biogas plant conditions. In batch assays, the pyrolysis liquid as such did not produce any methane, and the 1% and 5% (v/w) shares suppressed the methane production from THSS by 14–19%, while a smaller decrease in methane production was observed with sewage sludge. However, in the semi-continuous reactor experiments, pyrolysis liquid at a 1% (v/w) share was added in sewage sludge or THSS feed without affecting the methane yields or digestate characteristics. The laboratory results indicated that pyrolysis liquid can be treated in AD, while extrapolating the results to the centralized biogas plant indicated minor increase in the overall methane production and an increased potential for ammonium recovery. © 2022 The Author(s

Conversion of boreal lake sedimented pulp mill fibre into biogas: a two-stage hydrogen and methane production

Peer reviewe

Microbial electrosynthesis: Towards sustainable biorefineries for production of green chemicals from CO2 emissions

Decarbonisation of the economy has become a priority at the global level, and the resulting legislative pressure is pushing the chemical and energy industries away from fossil fuels. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) has emerged as a promising technology to promote this transition, which will further benefit from the decreasing cost of renewable energy. However, several technological challenges need to be addressed before the MES technology can reach its maturity. The aim of this review is to critically discuss the bottlenecks hampering the industrial adoption of MES, considering the whole production process (from the CO2 source to the marketable products), and indicate future directions. A flexible stack design, with flat or tubular MES modules and direct CO2 supply, is required for site-specific decentralised applications. The experience gained for scaling-up electrochemical cells (e.g. electrolysers) can serve as a guideline for realising pilot MES stacks to be technologically and economically evaluated in industrially relevant conditions. Maximising CO2 abatement rate by targeting high-rate production of acetate can promote adoption of MES technology in the short term. However, the development of a replicable and robust strategy for production and in-line extraction of higher-value products (e.g. caproic acid and hexanol) at the cathode, and meaningful exploitation of the currently overlooked anodic reactions, can further boost MES cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the use of energy storage and smart electronics can alleviate the fluctuations of renewable energy supply. Despite the unresolved challenges, the flexible MES technology can be applied to decarbonise flue gas from different sources, to upgrade industrial and wastewater treatment plants, and to produce a wide array of green and sustainable chemicals. The combination of these benefits can support the industrial adoption of MES over competing technologies. © 2020 The Author

Role of Autoimmune Susceptibility Gene, PTPN2, in Mediating Host-Pathobiont Interaction

The intestinal epithelium acts as a physical barrier between the luminal microbes and the immune cells in the lamina propria while also coordinating a very delicate equilibrium to maintain mucosal homeostasis. Dysregulation in the physical barrier leads to inflammatory conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in the gene protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) has been implicated in IBD. These SNPs cause loss-of-function in the protein product of PTPN2 – T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP). Along with genetic susceptibilities, alterations in the gut microbiota and expansion of pathobionts such as adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) have also been associated with IBD. Our previous work showed, mice deficient for the expression of the IBD risk gene, Ptpn2, exhibit a microbial shift and pronounced expansion of a novel murine adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (mAIEC) strain. In this dissertation, we aimed to investigate how PTPN2 expression in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) maintains equilibrium between the commensal bacteria and restricts invading pathobionts like mAIEC. To do so, we used, tamoxifen-inducible, IEC-specific knockout mice (Ptpn2∆IEC) and control floxed (Ptpn2fl/fl ) mice. We also used, Caco-2 BBe colonic IECs which were genetically modified by CRISPR-Cas9 to carry the SNP rs1893217 (PTPN2-KI) or a complete knockout of PTPN2 gene (PTPN2-KO). Overall, in this dissertation we have demonstrated a critical role of intestinal epithelial PTPN2 in mucosal immunity at it promotes anti-microbial peptide defenses and enhances barrier function during infection from pathobionts like mAIEC. Additionally, we also revealed that epithelial PTPN2 is crucial for maintaining immune-cytokine regulatory landscape of the gut to withstand pathobiont colonization. We also demonstrate a role for PTPN2 in regulating host proteins that mediate AIEC entry into host cell. These finding provide an essential cell-specific role for this clinically relevant gene in the maintenance of multiple aspects of mucosal barrier defenses against harmful bacteria

Bio-hydrogen Production from Sewage Sludge: Screening for Pretreatments and Semi-continuous Reactor Operation

The high volumes of sewage sludge produced have raised interests for simultaneous treatment and clean energy production, e.g. in the form of hydrogen. Pretreatment of sewage sludge is required to enhance microbial degradation and in turn hydrogen yield from sewage sludge. The potential of five substrate pretreatments, individually and in combinations, to increase biohydrogen production from mixed primary and secondary sewage sludge at four incubation pH (5, 7, 9, and 11) was studied in batch assays. Alkali + ultrasonication pretreatment increased the hydrogen production almost seven times (0.35 mmol H2/g VS) compared to untreated sewage sludge at initial pH 11. In general, higher hydrogen yields and lower acetate concentrations were obtained under alkaline conditions (pH 9 and 11), being more favorable for protein degradation and not favorable for hydrogen consumption via homoacetogenesis. Subsequently, fermentation of alkali + ultrasonication pretreated sewage sludge in a semi-continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) produced a maximum hydrogen yield of 0.1 mmol H2/g VS, three times higher than the yield obtained from alkali pretreated sludge. The gas produced in the CSTRs contained a low concentration of CO2 (< 5%), and is thus easily upgradable to biohydrogen