Assessment of a Two-Stage Wood Chip-Based Biofilter Using Solid-Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Olfactometry

A mobile pilot-scale biofilter testing laboratory, which consisted of one- and two-stage biofilter reactor barrels, was developed where two types of wood chips (western cedar and hard wood) were examined to treat odor emissions from a deep-pit swine finishing facility in central Iowa. The biofilters were operated continuously from July 20 to October 17, 2007 at differe nt air flow rates resulting in variable empty bed residence times. During this test period, solid-phase microextraction 85 µm Carboxen/PDMS fibers were used to extract volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from both the control plenum and biofilter treatment. Analyses of VOCs were carried out using a multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry system. Reductions of nine odorous compounds were reported. An overall average reduction efficiency of 98.9% and 96.4% was achieved for two-stage western cedar and hardwood biofilters, respectively. The results showed that maintaining proper moisture content is critical to the success of wood chip-based biofilter

Odor and Odorous Chemical Emissions from Animal Buildings: Part 5. Simultaneous Chemical and Sensory Analysis with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Olfactometry

Simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O) for air samples collected at barn exhaust fans were used for quantification and ranking of the odor impacts of target odorous gases. Fifteen target odorous VOCs (odorants) were selected. Air samples were collected at dairy barns in Wisconsin and Indiana and at swine barns in Iowa and Indiana over a one-year period. The livestock facilities with these barns participated in the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study (NAEMS). Gas concentrations, odor character and intensity, hedonic tone, and odor peak area of the target odorants in air samples were measured simultaneously with GC-MS-O. The four individual odorants emitted from both dairy and swine sites with the largest odor impacts (measured as odor activity value, OAV) were 4-methyl phenol, butanoic acid, 3-methyl butanoic acid, and indole. The total odor (limited to target VOCs and referred to as the measured concentrations, odor intensities, and OAVs) emitted from the swine sites was generally greater than that from the dairy sites. The Weber-Fechner law was used to correlate measured odor intensities with chemical concentrations. Odorants with higher mean OAV followed the Weber-Fechner law much better than odorants with lower mean OAV. The correlations between odor intensities and chemical concentrations were much better for the swine sites (typically p \u3c 0.05 and R2 = 0.16 to 0.51) than for the dairy sites (typically p \u3e 0.05 and R2 \u3c 0.15). Linking specific gases to odor could assist in the development and evaluation of odor mitigation technologies for solving livestock odor nuisance problems

Homocysteine Aggravates Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction in Rats with Experimental Uremia

Background/Aims: Previous studies have shown that homocysteine (Hcy) is an important intestinal-derived uremic toxin. However, whether Hcy is involved in the epithelial barrier dysfunction observed in uremia remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Hcy on intestinal permeability and intestinal barrier structure and function in adenine-induced uremic rats. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: normal control (group NC), Hcy (group H), uremia (group U), uremia + Hcy (group UH), and uremia + Hcy + VSL#3 (group UHV). Experimental uremia was induced by intragastric adenine administration, and Hcy was injected subcutaneously. The animal models were assessed for renal function and pathological tissue staining. The pathological changes of intestinal tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and electron microscopy. The serum and intestinal tissue levels of Hcy, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as serum endotoxin and intestinal permeability were assessed. The levels of the tight junction proteins claudin-1, occludin, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were assessed by western blotting. Results: Blood analyses and renal pathology indicated that experimental uremia was induced successfully. Pathological damage to intestinal structure was most obvious in group UH. Serum and tissue Hcy, serum endotoxin, and intestinal permeability were significantly elevated in group UH. The protein levels of claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1 were decreased to various degrees in group UH compared with groups NC, H, and U. The serum and tissue levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA were significantly increased, while SOD activity was markedly decreased. Supplementation with the probiotic VSL#3 improved these parameters to various degrees and up-regulated the abundance of tight junction proteins, which indicated a role for Hcy in the increase of intestinal permeability and destruction of the epithelial barrier in uremia. Conclusion: Hcy aggravates the increase of intestinal permeability and destruction of the epithelial barrier by stimulating inflammatory and oxidative damage. Probiotic administration can ameliorate this damage by reducing the levels of Hcy-induced inflammation and oxidation

Comparative analysis of the efficacies of probiotic supplementation and glucose-lowering drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of probiotics and glucose-lowering drugs (thiazolidinedione [TZD], glucagon-like pep-tide-1 receptor agonists [GLP-1 RA], dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors, and sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors [SGLT-2i]) in patients with type 2 diabetes from randomized con-trolled trials (RCTs). The PubMed, Web of science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched on the treatment effects of probiotics and glucose-lowering drugs on glycemia, lipids, and blood pressure metabolism published between Jan 2015 and April 2021. We performed meta-analyses using the random-effects model. We included 25 RCTs (2,843 participants). Overall, GLP-1RA, SGLT-2i, and TZD significantly reduce fasting blood sugar (FBS) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), whereas GLP-1 RA increased the risk of hypoglycaemia. Multispecies probiotics decrease FBS, total cholesterol (TC), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP). Moreover, subgroup analyses indicated that participants aged >55 years, BMI ≥30 kg/m2, longer duration of intervention, and subjects from Eastern countries, showed significantly higher reduction in FBS and HbA1c, TC, TG and SBP. This meta-analysis revealed that including multiple probiotic rather than glucose-lowering drugs might be more beneficial regarding T2D prevention who suffering from simultaneously hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among cancer patients in Shanghai: a cross-sectional study

Background and purpose: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) can cause severe damage to body functions and even lead to death. The prevention of CINV is critically important in patients receiving emetogenic chemotherapy regimen. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and treatment of CINV in Grade-A tertiary hospitals in Shanghai and explore risk factors of CINV to improve its management. Methods: The clinical data of 376 cancer patients in Grade-A tertiary hospitals in Shanghai from October 2022 to December 2022 were collected retrospectively. The questionnaire was used to conduct a cross-sectional study. The univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the influencing factors of CINV. Results: The management and coincidence of the guideline in 2022 significantly improved compared to five years ago. For patients receiving high-emetic-risk chemotherapy regimen, the coincidence of the guideline increased from 21.6% to 67.0%. For patients receiving moderate-emetic-risk chemotherapy regimen, the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonist was not significantly associated with CINV. Multivariable analysis showed that the chemotherapy regimen was the only risk factor for CINV during the whole period (P<0.05). Conclusion: The chemotherapy regimen is the main risk factor for CINV. To control CINV better, clinical practitioners should focus on the intrinsic risk of chemotherapy regimens preferentially, estimate the risk and adhere better to guidelines

Seasonal Ammonia Emissions from a Free-Stall Dairy in Central Texas

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Zanieczyszczenie, szczęście i chęć płacenia podatków: efekt wartości w ramach publicznych polityk ekologicznych

As China’s economic development pattern is marked by an excessive consumption of fossil fuels, environmental pollution problems in China are getting increasingly serious and threatening residents’ fundamental demands for a high quality of life. It has become a handicap to sustainable economic development and social well-being. In this paper, the happiness index method were used, and models depicting the relationship between residents’ sense of happiness and environmental pollution factors and between the willingness to pay taxes and environmental pollution factors have been established. The results show that environmental pollution, especially air pollution, significantly affects the residents’ sense of happiness. To improve residential environment quality and reduce pollution, residents are willing to pay the relevant taxes. If pollution control is considered a public policy, there exists a substantive weight of government between residents’ income and environmental quality. This will influence the choice of environmental public policy.Rozwój ekonomiczny Chin powiązany jest z nadmiernym zużywaniem paliw kopalnych, a zanieczyszczenia środowiska osiągają poziom, który stanowi zagrożenie dla oczekiwanego przez obywateli wysokiego poziomu życia. Stało się to przeszkodą dla zrównoważonego rozwoju gospodarczego i dobrobytu społecznego. W niniejszym opracowaniu wykorzystano metodę wskaźnika szczęścia. Opracowano modele obrazujące związek między poczuciem szczęścia mieszkańców a zanieczyszczeniami środowiska oraz między chęcią płacenia podatków a czynnikami zanieczyszczenia środowiska. Wyniki pokazują, że zanieczyszczenie środowiska, w szczególności zanieczyszczenie powietrza, znacząco wpływa na poczucie szczęścia mieszkańców. Aby poprawić jakość środowiska mieszkańców i zmniejszyć zanieczyszczenie, obywatele są skłonni zapłacić odpowiednie podatki. Jeżeli kontrola zanieczyszczeń jest uważana za politykę publiczną, rząd odgrywa istotną rolę w kształtowaniu relacji między dochodami mieszkańców a jakością środowiska. Wpłynie to bowiem na wybór polityki publicznej dotyczącej środowiska

Odor reduction during biofiltration as affected by air flow rate and media moisture content

A mobile biofilter testing laboratory was developed where two types of wood chips (western cedar and hardwood) were examined to treat odor emissions from a deep-pit swine finishing facility in central Iowa. The biofilters were run continuously for 12 weeks at different air flow rates resulting in variable empty bed residence times. During this test period, a dynamic forced-choice olfactometer was used to evaluate odor concentrations from both the control plenum and biofilter treatments. Analyses of separated odors were carried out using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometer (GC-MS-O) system. Olfactometry results indicated that both types of chips achieved significant reductions in odor and hydrogen sulfide concentrations. GC-MS-O results showed both treatments reached high reduction efficiency for four main groups of odorous compounds. Effects of three different levels of media moisture content were also evaluated. The results showed that proper moisture content is a key factor for the success of wood chip-based biofilters.This is an ASABE Meeting Presentation, Paper No. 083859.</p