Improvement of the Wastewater Biodegradability by Means of Photocatalytic and Wet Oxidation Processes in the Presence of Hydrogen Peroxide

In this study, the effectiveness of photocatalytic oxidation (PO) and wet oxidation (WO) processes as a pre-treatment step on improvement of biodegradability and colour removal of mixture of raw domestic and pre-treated industrial wastewaters, have been evaluated. More oxygen was obtained by H2O2 (as an oxidant in WO and PO processes) than stoichiometric demand. PO of the wastewater was carried out by illumination of the wastewater with UV lamp (at room temperature, atmospheric pressure, 16.5 h reaction time) and WO of the wastewater was carried out by means of thermal oxidation at autoclave conditions (at 118–120 oC, 1.9–2 bar, 3 h reaction time). 1 g L–1 TiO2 in PO process and 0.2 mg L–1 Cu++ in WO process were used as catalyst. The results obtained from experiments were not compared with each other due to the difference between the quality and quantity of the used catalyst and the consumed energy. Colour removal efficiency was 33 % for WO process and 77.6 % for PO process. By applying WO process, 72.7 % increase in the reaction rate coefficient describing the degradability of organic compounds in wastewater was obtained, but this value was 34.5 % in PO process

Kinetic and stoichiometric characterization of anoxic sulfideoxidation by SO-NR mixed cultures from anoxic biotrickling filters.

Monitoring the biological activity in biotrickling filters is difficult since it implies estimating biomass concentration and its growth yield, which can hardly be measured in immobilized biomass systems. In this study, the characterization of a sulfide-oxidizing nitrate-reducing biomass obtained from an anoxic biotrickling filter was performed through the application of respirometric and titrimetric techniques. Previously, the biomass was maintained in a continuous stirred tank reactor under steady-state conditions resulting in a growth yield of 0.328±0.045 g VSS/g S. To properly assess biological activity in respirometric tests, abiotic assays were conducted to characterize the stripping of CO2 and sulfide. The global mass transfer coefficient for both processes was estimated. Subsequently, different respirometric tests were performed: (1) to solve the stoichiometry related to the autotrophic denitrification of sulfide using either nitrate or nitrite as electron acceptors, (2) to evaluate the inhibition caused by nitrite and sulfide on sulfide oxidation, and (3) to propose, calibrate, and validate a kinetic model considering both electron acceptors in the overall anoxic biodesulfurization process. The kinetic model considered a Haldane-type equation to describe sulfide and nitrite inhibitions, a non-competitive inhibition to reflect the effect of sulfide on the elemental sulfur oxidation besides single-step denitrification since no nitrite was produced during the biological assays

Cotton in the new millennium: advances, economics, perceptions and problems

Cotton is the most significant natural fibre and has been a preferred choice of the textile industry and consumers since the industrial revolution began. The share of man-made fibres, both regenerated and synthetic fibres, has grown considerably in recent times but cotton production has also been on the rise and accounts for about half of the fibres used for apparel and textile goods. To cotton’s advantage, the premium attached to the presence of cotton fibre and the general positive consumer perception is well established, however, compared to commodity man-made fibres and high performance fibres, cotton has limitations in terms of its mechanical properties but can help to overcome moisture management issues that arise with performance apparel during active wear. This issue of Textile Progress aims to: i. Report on advances in cotton cultivation and processing as well as improvements to conventional cotton cultivation and ginning. The processing of cotton in the textile industry from fibre to finished fabric, cotton and its blends, and their applications in technical textiles are also covered. ii. Explore the economic impact of cotton in different parts of the world including an overview of global cotton trade. iii. Examine the environmental perception of cotton fibre and efforts in organic and genetically-modified (GM) cotton production. The topic of naturally-coloured cotton, post-consumer waste is covered and the environmental impacts of cotton cultivation and processing are discussed. Hazardous effects of cultivation, such as the extensive use of pesticides, insecticides and irrigation with fresh water, and consequences of the use of GM cotton and cotton fibres in general on the climate are summarised and the effects of cotton processing on workers are addressed. The potential hazards during cotton cultivation, processing and use are also included. iv. Examine how the properties of cotton textiles can be enhanced, for example, by improving wrinkle recovery and reducing the flammability of cotton fibre

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

An algorithm to predict risk of Type 2 diabetes in Turkish adults: Contribution of C-reactive protein

Background and aim: An algorithm for predicting Type 2 diabetes (DM) risk in a population with prevalent metabolic syndrome (MetS) is needed since ethnicity influences the pathogenesis of DM. Material and methods: The 8 yr risk of DM was estimated in 2261 middle-aged Turkish adults free of DM at baseline who were followed for over 7.6 yr. DM newly developed in 212 subjects. Cox proportional hazard regression and 15 variables were used to predict DM. Discrimination was assessed with area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AROC). Results: In multivariable analysis, height, family income brackets, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, alcohol usage, and HDL-cholesterol levels were not predictive in either sex. In addition to sex, family history of DM, fasting glucose, and waist circumference were predictors, in men, age and non-HDL-cholesterol, while in women physical inactivity and serum C-reactive protein were so. AROC of the final model was 0.783 in men, 0.772 in women (p<0.001 each). An algorithm using the stated 7 variables was developed separately for each sex. Men and women in the top quintile of risk score were, respectively, 20 and 50 times and significantly more likely to develop DM than those in the bottom quintile. The predictive value of the algorithm was validated in 2 split samples. Conclusions: A marker of low grade inflammation provides useful predictive ability beyond other simple predictors in a female population with MetS prevailing. The derived simple algorithm may be useful in estimating the 8-yr risk of DM among middle-aged Turkish men and women. (J. Endocrinol. Invest. 34: 580-586, 2011) (C) 2011, Editrice Kurti

Analysis of Inlet Configurations on the Microclimate Conditions of a Novel Standalone Agricultural Greenhouse for Egypt Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Water shortage, human population increase, and lack of food resources have directed societies towards sustainable energy and water resources, especially for agriculture. While open agriculture requires a massive amount of water and energy, the requirements of horticultural systems can be controlled to provide standard conditions for the plants to grow, with significant decrease in water consumption. A greenhouse is a transparent indoor environment used for horticulture, as it allows for reasonable control of the microclimate conditions (e.g., temperature, air velocity, rate of ventilation, and humidity). While such systems create a controlled environment for the plants, the greenhouses need ventilation to provide fresh air. In order to have a sustainable venting mechanism, a novel solution has been proposed in this study providing a naturally ventilating system required for the plants, while at the same time reducing the energy requirements for cooling or other forced ventilation techniques. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to analyse the ventilation requirements for different vent opening scenarios, showing the importance of inlet locations for the proposed sustainable greenhouse system

Anomalous heating rate response of beta irradiated Sm3+ and Tb3+ doped BaAl2O4 phosphors

The stuffed derivative of the tridymite structure, the oxide BaAl2O4 has been regarded as a long persistent phosphor. Thermoluminescence (TL) glow curve peaks of thin pellet samples of undoped and, Sm3+ and Tb3+ doped BaAl2O4 prepared by combustion method was reported. The structure of the compounds was monitored by X-ray diffraction and found a single-phase compound with a hexagonal structure. Performing a series of TL measurements for the temperature range from room temperature to 400 °C, the effect of beta radiation dose on TL response, various TL heating rate (HR) properties of undoped and Sm3+ and Tb3+ doped BaAl2O4 phosphors were investigated. Peak shape method was also utilized to assess the trap parameters. The activation energy of the main peak at 128 °C was found to be 0.97 eV. TL glow curves obtained from undoped and Tb3+ doped BaAl2O4 decrease with increasing HR value (varying from 0.5 to 15 °C s−1) in a way matching with thermal quenching effect. Contrary to expectations, anomalous HR dependence was observed on Sm3+ doped BaAl2O4 sample and a semi-localized transition model has been used in order to explain such behaviour. © 2018 Elsevier B.V