Editorial: Sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery

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Comparison of Two Mathematical Models for Greenhouse Gas Emission from Membrane Bioreactors

In this study two mathematical models (Model I and Model II), able to predict the nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from an University Cape Town (UCT) \u2013 membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant, have been compared. Model I considers the N2O production only during the denitrification. Model II takes into account the two ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) formation pathways for N2O. Both models were calibrated adopting real data. Results highlight that Model II had a better capability of reproducing the measured data especially in terms of N2O model outputs. Indeed, the average efficiency related to the N2O model outputs was equal to 0.3 and 0.38 for Model I and Model II respectively

Advanced biological technologies for removal and recovery of reactive nitrogen (Nr) from wastewaters

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Effect of organic loading rate on the production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates from sewage sludge

The aim of this work was to study the effect of organic loading rate on the production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from sewage sludge. Synthesis of PHA using sewage sludge as platform was achieved in this work. Three pilot-scale selection-sequencing batch reactors (S-SBR) were used for obtaining a culture able to accumulate PHA following a strategy of aerobic dynamic feeding (ADF) at different volumetric organic-loading-rate (vOLR): 1.3, 1.8 and 0.8 g COD L-1 d-1 for S-SBR 1, S-SBR 2 and S-SBR 3, respectively. Decreasing the vOLR enhanced the general performance of the process as for organic matter removal (from 99.2% ± 0.3% in S-SBR-3 to 92 ± 2 in S-SBR-2) while the opposite trend was recorded for PHA production (6.0 PHA % w/w in S-SBR-3 vs 13.7 PHA % w/w in S-SBR-2 at the end of the feast phase). Furthermore, indirect and direct emissions, as N2O, were evaluated during the process for the first time. Finally, three accumulation tests were performed achieving 24% w/w

IR ion spectroscopy in a combined approach with MS/MS and IM-MS to discriminate epimeric anthocyanin glycosides (cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and -galactoside)

Anthocyanins are widespread in plants and flowers, being responsible for their different colouring. Two representative members of this family have been selected, cyanidin 3-O-β-glucopyranoside and 3-O-β-galactopyranoside, and probed by mass spectrometry based methods, testing their performance in discriminating between the two epimers. The native anthocyanins, delivered into the gas phase by electrospray ionization, display a comparable drift time in ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) and a common fragment, corresponding to loss of the sugar moiety, in their collision induced dissociation (CID) pattern. However, the IR multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectra in the fingerprint range show a feature particularly evident in the case of the glucoside. This signature is used to identify the presence of cyanidin 3-O-β-glucopyranoside in a natural extract of pomegranate. In an effort to increase any differentiation between the two epimers, aluminum complexes were prepared and sampled for elemental composition by FT-ICR-MS. CID experiments now display an extensive fragmentation pattern, showing few product ions peculiar to each species. More noteworthy is the IRMPD behavior in the OH stretching range showing significant differences in the spectra of the two epimers. DFT calculations allow to interpret the observed distinct bands due to a varied network of hydrogen bonding and relative conformer stability

A CBCT based analysis of the correlation between volumetric morphology of the frontal sinuses and the facial growth pattern in caucasian subjects. A cross-sectional study

open7noBackground: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between frontal sinus shape and facial growth pattern. Methods: The three-dimensional examination was carried out by means of 80 CBCT scans selected from a sample of 1247 records of patients treated, for different reason, at the Department of Biomedical Surgical and Dental Sciences at University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milan. The sample (age ranges between 12 and 40 years) was divided according to gender and age in four groups (12-17, 18-20, 21-30, 31-40). Left and right frontal sinus volume (VOL), surface (SUP) and linear maximum width (XMAX), depth (ZMAX) and height (YMAX) were calculated using Mimics Research 17.0 (Materialise N.V., Leuven, Belgium). Cephalometric analysis has been performed for all subjects to categorize the patients depending on their facial growth pattern. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were performed to investigate any association of frontal sinuses measurements (height, width, depth, volume and surface) and cephalometric variables. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 160 frontal sinuses were measures in 80 patients: 40 men and 40 women, average age of 23.5 ±14.6. Globally the frontal sinuses had the following average dimensions: volumes of 9055.8 ± 6505 mm3 and surfaces of 3820.3 ± 2125 mm2. The statistical analysis showed that frontal sinus volume was statistically significant (p=0.003) greater for male (11,425 mm3) than female (6597.5 mm3). Similarly, the surface showed to be greater in men than in women (p=0.005). No correlation between age and frontal sinuses characteristics has been found. A statistically significant (p<0.05) increase of frontal sinus depth, surface and volume was correlated with SNB angle. In addition, frontal sinus volume increased in subjects with greater anterior skeletal dimension values and with a superior length of the cranial base. Furthermore, a decrease of ANB has been found related to an increase in frontal sinus volume (p=0.04). Conclusions: The present study showed a correlation between frontal sinuses dimensions and craniofacial aspects, despite the inter-individual variability of their morphology. The results suggested that young adults in whom the frontal sinuses have reached their maximum size, while vertical growth continues, a larger frontal sinus may be associated with future vertical growth.openAbate A.; Gaffuri F.; Lanteri V.; Fama A.; Ugolini A.; Mannina L.; Maspero C.Abate, A.; Gaffuri, F.; Lanteri, V.; Fama, A.; Ugolini, A.; Mannina, L.; Maspero, C

New hybrid tomato cultivars: an NMR-based chemical characterization

Bamano, King Creole, Sugarland, and DulceMiel hybrid tomato cultivars have been recently introduced in the Lazio area (Central Italy) to expand and valorize the regional/national market. Tomatoes from these cultivars, together with tomatoes from the native Fiaschetta cultivar, were sampled at the proper ripening time for the fresh market and characterized to obtain and compare their metabolite profiles. The Bligh-Dyer extraction protocol was carried out, and the resulting organic and hydroalcoholic fractions were analyzed by high-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. NMR data relative to quantified metabolites (sugars, amino acids, organic acids, sterols, and fatty acids) allowed to point out similarities and differences among cultivars. DulceMiel hybrid and Fiaschetta native cultivars showed some common aspects having the highest levels of the most abundant amino acids as well as comparable amounts of organic acids, amino acids, stigmasterol, and linoleic and linolenic acids. However, DulceMiel turned out to have higher levels of glucose, fructose, and galactose with respect to Fiaschetta, reflecting the particular taste of the DulceMiel product. King Creole, Bamano, and Sugarland hybrid cultivars were generally characterized by the lowest content of amino acids and organic acids. King Creole showed the highest content of malic acid, whereas Bamano was characterized by the highest levels of glucose and fructose

Roadmapping the Transition to Water Resource Recovery Facilities: The Two Demonstration Case Studies of Corleone and Marineo (Italy)

The current exploitation of freshwater, as well as the significant increase in sewage sludge production from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), represent nowadays a critical issue for the implementation of sustainable development consistent with the circular economy concept. There is an urgent need to rethink the concept of WWTPs from the conventional approach consisting in pollutant removal plants to water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the demonstration case studies at the Marineo and Corleone WRRFs in Sicily (IT), with the final aim showing the effectiveness of the resources recovery systems, as well as the importance of plant optimization to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from WRRFs. This study is part of the H2020 European Project “Achieving wider uptake of water-smart solutions—Wider-Uptake”, which final aim is to demonstrate the water-smart solution feasibility in the wastewater sector. The main project goal is to overcome the existing barriers that hamper the transition to circularity through the implementation of a governance analysis tool. The preliminary actions in the two demonstration cases are first presented, while, subsequently, the water-smart solutions to be implemented are thoroughly described, highlighting their roles in the transition process. The achieved preliminary results underlined the significant potential of WRRF application, a great chance to demonstrate the feasibility of innovative solutions in the wastewater sector to overcome the existing social, administrative and technical barriers

Characterization of the chemopreventive properties of cannabis sativa L. Inflorescences from monoecious cultivars grown in central Italy

Hemp bioproducts hold great promise as valuable materials for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications due to their diverse bioactive compounds and potential health benefits. In line with this interest and in an attempt to valorize the Lazio Region crops, this present study investigated chemically characterized hydroalcoholic and organic extracts, obtained from the inflorescences of locally cultivated Felina 32, USO 31, Ferimon and Fedora 17 hemp varieties. In order to highlight the possible chemopreventive power of the tested samples, a bioactivity screening was performed, which included studying the antimutagenic activity, radical scavenging power, cytotoxicity in human hepatoma HepG2 cells, leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and modulation of the oxidative stress parameters and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) involved in the regulation of the cell transformation and cancer proliferation. Tolerability studies in noncancerous H69 cholangiocytes were performed, too. The organic extracts showed moderate to strong antimutagenic activities and a marked cytotoxicity in the HepG2 cells, associated with an increased oxidative stress and LDH release, and to a G6PDH modulation. The hydroalcoholic extracts mainly exhibited radical scavenging properties with weak or null activities in the other assays. The extracts were usually well-tolerated in H69 cells, except for the highest concentrations which impaired cell viability, likely due to an increased oxidative stress. The obtained results suggest a possibility in the inflorescences from the Felina 32, USO 31, Ferimon and Fedora 17 hemp varieties as source of bioactive compounds endowed with genoprotective and chemopreventive properties that could be harnessed as preventive or adjuvant healing strategies

Identificación de tetrahidrogeranilgeraniol y dihidrogeranilgeraniol en aceites de oliva virgen extra

Olive oil contains many different compounds which are responsible for its nutritional and sensorial value. However, some compounds present in olive oil at very low amounts have not yet been identified. Here, the detection of tetrahydrogeranylgeraniol and dihydrogeranylgeraniol, in both the total aliphatic alcohol and waxy fractions of extra virgin olive oil, is reported for the first time using GC and GC-MS methodologies. It was suggested that tetrahydrogeranylgeraniol and dihydrogeranylgeraniol do not originate from the hydrolysis of the chlorophyll but are present as diterpenic esters.Los aceites de oliva contienen muchos compuestos diferentes responsables de su valor nutricional y sensorial. Sin embargo, algunos compuestos presentes en los aceites de oliva en cantidades muy bajas aún no se han identificado. En este trabajo la detección de tetrahidrogeranilgeraniol y dihidrogeranilgeraniol, en las fracciones de alcoholes alifáticos totales y en la de ceras de los aceites de oliva virgen extra, es reportado por primera vez utilizando metodologías de GC y GC-MS. Se sugiere que el tetrahidrogeranilgeraniol y el dihidrogeranilgeraniol no se originan por hidrólisis de la clorofila, sino que están presentes como ésteres diterpénicos