Regeneration of Used Engine Lubrication Oil by Solvent Extraction. The Solvent Influence on Oil Ratio

Huge amounts of used lubricating oils from automotive sources are disposed of as a harmful waste into the environment. For this reason, means to recover and reuse these wastes need to be found. Problems arising from acid treatment include environmental problems associated with the disposal of acid sludge and spent earth, low product yield (45–65%) and incomplete removal of metals. The processes of re-refining of used lubricating oils depend greatly on the nature of the oil base stock and on the nature and amount of contaminants in the lubricant resulting from operations. The study was carried out on a sample of 15W40 type of used oil collected from one automobile. The re-refining process of used oil consists of dehydration, solvent extraction, solvent stripping and vacuum distillation. This study aims to investigate a process of solvent extraction of an alcohol–ketone mixture as a pre-treatment step followed by vacuum distillation at 5 mmHg. The primary step was conducted before the solvent extraction that involves dehydration to remove the water and fuel contaminants from the used oil by vacuum distillation. The solvent extraction and vacuum distillation steps were used to remove higher molecular weight contaminants. The investigated solvent to oil ratios was 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The solvent composition is 25% 2-propanol, 50% 1-butanol and 25% butanone or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). The percentage of oil recovery for the solvent to oil ratio of 6:1 is further improved, but for the ratio values higher than 6:1, the operation was considered economically not feasible. Finally, the rerefined oil properties were compared to the commercial virgin lubricating oil properties

The importance of early arthritis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disorder that manifests predominantly in the synovial joint, where it causes a chronic inflammatory process, leading to early osteoarticular destructions. These destructions are progressive and irreversible, generating a significant functional deficiency. During the last years, the diagnostic approach of RA has focused on early arthritis. Early arthritis can develop into established RA or another established arthropathy, like systemic lupus erythematosus or psoriatic arthritis. It can have a spontaneous resolution or may remain undifferentiated for indefinite periods of time. The management of early arthritis has changed considerably in the past few years, under the influence of new concepts of diagnosis and new effective therapies. The treatment goal of early arthritis should now be the clinical remission and prevention of joint destruction. Methotrexate is the first line of therapy, used to treat early arthralgia and to reverse or limit impending exacerbation to RA. Biological treatment is used as a second line therapy in patients with severe disease who do not respond or have a contraindication to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Patients with early arthritis should usually be identified and directed to rheumatologists to confirm the presence of arthritis, and to establish the correct diagnosis plus to initiate the proper treatment strategies

Biofilms Formed by Pathogens in Food and Food Processing Environments

This chapter presents the ability of some pathogenic (Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and toxigenic bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus) to form biofilms and contribute to the persistence of these microorganisms in the food industry. Particularities regarding attachment and composition of biofilms formed in food and food processing environments are presented and genes involved in biofilm production are mentioned. To give a perspective on how to fight against biofilms with new means, nonconventional methods based on bacteriocins, bacteriophages, disruptive enzymes, essential oils, nanoemulsions and nanoparticles, and use of alternative technologies (cold plasma, ultrasounds, light-assisted technologies, pulsed electric field, and high pressure processing) are shortly described

New oral anticoagulants and their reversal agents

Atrial fibrillation is a commonly encountered pathology in medical practice, and its prevalence has shown a continuous rise over the past years. Atrial fibrillation has a significant impact on patients\u27 quality of life, not only due to the standard anticoagulant treatment with vitamin K antagonists that require close monitoring and dose adjustment, but also due to the fragile equilibrium between hemorrhagic and thrombotic risks. The introduction of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in the treatment guidelines for atrial fibrillation has improved the quality of life, as NOACs do not require close monitoring or dose adjustments. However, even if the safety profile of the NOACs regarding the hemorrhagic risk is superior to vitamin K antagonists, the problem raised by an unexpected hemorrhage (e.g. severe hemorrhage after an accident) and the need for efficient hemostasis in a chronic anticoagulated patient has remained unsolved. To find a solution for this problem, reversal agents for NOACs have been developed and tested, and two of them, idarucizumab and andexanet-alpha, have already been approved by the FDA, thus making NOACs increasingly appealing as a choice of anticoagulation treatment

Pasteurised eggs - a food safety solution against Salmonella backed by sensorial analysis of dishes traditionally containing raw or undercooked eggs

This study evaluates the potential of pasteurised eggs to be used as a replacement for raw eggs in recipes where eggs remain uncooked or undercooked. Sensory tests were performed by 178 untrained panellists (143 from Portugal and 35 from Romania) using a 9-point hedonic scale. The tested recipes were tiramisu, chocolate mousse, eggnog, hollandaise sauce, and condensed milk mousse (Baba de camelo). While in Portugal the colour and texture of the chocolate mousse prepared with pasteurised and unpasteurised eggs differed significantly, no significant differences in regards to the organoleptic attributes were recorded in Romania. Nonetheless, the results revealed comparable distribution scores regarding the overall acceptability for all the recipes indicating an agreement among panellists for both raw and pasteurised eggs dishes in both countries. The regression analysis showed that the main drivers of consumers’ acceptance of dishes made with pasteurised eggs are flavour and texture. This research demonstrates that five dishes prepared with liquid pasteurised eggs are accepted by consumers as they cannot clearly be distinguished from their counterparts prepared with raw eggs. As Salmonella-contaminated eggs are the most frequent cause of salmonellosis, pasteurised eggs can be used as a safer ingredient to substitute shell eggs in raw egg-based dishes without significant reduction of the sensory quality of the dish. Since liquid pasteurised eggs are already widely used, especially by industry and restaurants, we provide reasons supporting pasteurisation of eggs in shell as a more convenient solution for consumers. Pasteurised eggs, either liquid or in shell, constitute a way to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases by diminishing the number of cases of salmonellosis associated with cooking at home. Researchers and food safety authorities can use our results as a starting point for future studies or intervention strategies.CC BY-NC-NDinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN EXPOSURE TO TOLUENE DIISOCYANATE

Assessment of human exposure to toluene diisocyanate. Toluene diisocyanate (TDI), an aromatic compound, may be dangerous for human health. Diisocyanates have wide industrial use in the fabrication of flexible and rigid foams, fibers, elastomers, and coatings such as paints and varnishes. Isocyanates are known skin and respiratory sensitizers, and proper engineering controls should be in place to prevent exposure to isocyanate liquid and vapor; exposure to TDI vapors is well documented to increase asthma risk. The study focused on the exposure of workers and nearby populations to toluene diisocyanate in a Polyurethane Foam Factory located in Baia Mare, Romania. Workplace air measurements were performed in different departments of the plant, after sampling either in fixed points or as personal monitoring. Sampling in four different locations of Baia Mare town was carried out, - during and after the foaming process. TDI sampling was performed on silica cartridge followed by GC-MS analysis. TDI concentration at workplace was lower than 0,035 mg/m³, which represents the permissible exposure limit, while in the city the TDI concentration had shown values below 0,20 μg/m³. Health assessment of a group of 49 workers was based on questionnaire interview, determination of TDI antibodies and lung function tests. Data collected until this stage do not show any negative effects of TDI on the employees health. Since this plant had only recently begun operating, continuous workplace and ambient air TDI monitoring, along with workers health surveillance, is deemed necessary

Anxiety and Fear in Cancer Patients

Anxiety is a highly prevalent disorder in cancer patients, but it is often underdiagnosed in this setting. Receiving diagnosis of cancer leads the establishment of several psychological dynamics: fear of dying, uncertainty, loss of control, change in interpersonal relationships and self-image. Several clinically significant studies have supported the belief that cancer patients are more apt to suffer from anxiety, stress, depression and other emotional challenges. The study focuses on anxiety among cancer patients. It aims at investigating cancer and symptoms the disease has on the anxiety level of patients.</p