TRANSFORMING THE RAW MATERIAL INDUSTRY WITH RESPECT TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Moving from the traditional industrial model, in which waste is considered the norm, EU needs to develop an integrated industrial integrated systems in which everything has a next use. By exchanging industrial energy, water, by-products and materials between sectors, waste from one industry becomes raw material for another. Industry is encouraged to emulate the sustainable cycles of nature, minimizing the burden imposed on the earth and using its resources more efficiently. The raw materials industry transformation with respect to the environment is an integral part of these initiatives and efforts. The paper aims to consider what would be required for mining companies to operate as a modern advanced technology-driven business. It reviews how waste management is a business strategy and examines issues of cost reduction with respect to the environmen

INCREASING DUST-CHAMBER EFFICIENCY OF ROTARY FURNACE FOR MAGNESITE TREATMENT

Magnesite is a basic carbonate material used as caustic magnesia in agriculture and industry and as raw material for the production of sintered magnesia. As a basic refractory material, the magnesite is mainly used for high-temperature aggregates in the mining and processing industry. In the mechanical and heat treatment of magnesite due to decrepitation of magnesite, a number of fine grained and dust particles are formed. Currently, only part of the material is processed. This paper presents new opportunities for improving the capture process of dust wastes (flue dust). The solution is focused on application to the rotary kilns (RP). The proposed solution allows a significant contribution to the capture and subsequent treatment of the flue dust. Thus, partially implemented adjustments create the possibility of effective recovery of this type of waste

INCREASING DUST-CHAMBER EFFICIENCY OF ROTARY FURNACE FOR MAGNESITE TREATMENT

Magnesite is a basic carbonate material used as caustic magnesia in agriculture and industry and as raw material for the production of sintered magnesia. As a basic refractory material, the magnesite is mainly used for high-temperature aggregates in the mining and processing industry. In the mechanical and heat treatment of magnesite due to decrepitation of magnesite, a number of fine grained and dust particles are formed. Currently, only part of the material is processed. This paper presents new opportunities for improving the capture process of dust wastes (flue dust). The solution is focused on application to the rotary kilns (RP). The proposed solution allows a significant contribution to the capture and subsequent treatment of the flue dust. Thus, partially implemented adjustments create the possibility of effective recovery of this type of waste

Mycobacterial load assay

Tuberculosis is a difficult disease to treat, a process made more harder as tools to monitor treatment response only provide a result long after the patient has provided a sample. The mycobacterial load assay (MBLA) provides a simple molecular test to quantify and determine the viability of M. tuberculosis in human or other samples.Postprin

Effect of breed on some parameters of egg quality in laying hens

DOI: 10.15414/afz.2015.18.01.20–24Received 24. September2014 ǀ Accepted 16. March 2015 ǀ Available online 31. March 2015The objective of this study was to compare some internal and external quality parameters of eggs between Oravka and Rhode Island Red laying hens. The flocks kept in National Agriculture and Food Centre - Research Institute of Animal Production Nitra (RIAP Nitra) were involved in the experiment. The females of both breeds were of the same age (11 months, 5th month of lay). Eggs were collected during three days consecutively (10 eggs per breed and day) and were analysed in the laboratory of Department of Poultry Science and Small Animal Husbandry at the Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources of Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. There were 11 females in each group and a total of 30 eggs in each group were analysed. The females were housed in outdoor unheated roofed wooden chicken coop with free range available; fed standard feed ad libitum. The average egg weight was significantly (P≤0.01) affected by breed. Females of Oravka breed were of heavier eggs (60.96 ± 0.56 g) than females of Rhode Island Red (57.60 ±0.76 g). The significant differences were also found in egg width and egg length, however, no significant differences were found in egg shape index. The egg shell thickness significantly differed (P≤0.01) between Oravka and Rhode Island Red (367.78 ±3.12 μm vs. 379.33 ±2.49 μm). The albumen weight was significantly higher in Oravka breed (34.96 ±0.58 g) than in Rhode Island Red breed (32.78 ±0.73 g). No statistical differences were found in the remaining albumen characteristics. However, the slight difference (P≤0.10) was found in Haugh Unit (71.46 ± 1.64 HU for Oravka vs. 74.45 ±1.53 HU for Rhode Island Red). With yolk characteristics, yolk weight and yolk colour significantly differed (P ≤ 0.01) between Oravka breed (19.93 ±0.23 g and 10.60 ±0.09 oHLR) and Rhode Island Red breed (18.61 ±0.20 g and 11.10 ±0.20 oHLR). No statistical differences were found in the remaining yolk characteristics, except for a slight difference (P ≤ 0.10) in yolk index (42.14 ±0.50 % for Oravka and 40.31 ±1.00 % for Rhode Island Red). Keywords: females, Oravka, Rhode Island Red, eg

Towards Uniform Gene Bank Documentation In Europe – The Experience From The EFABISnet Project

In the EFABISnet project, a collaborative effort of EAAP, FAO and partners from 14 European countries, in cooperation with the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP), national information systems for monitoring the animal genetic resources on breed level were established in Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. The network was soon extended beyond the project plans, with the establishment of EFABIS databases in Finland, Greece, and Hungary. The network was then complemented by a set of inventories of national gene bank collections to strengthen the documentation of ex situ conservation programmes. These documentation systems were established by the National Focal Points for management of farm animal genetic resources. Here we present the experience gained in establishment of these national inventories of gene banks and their relevance to the Strategic Priority Areas of the Global Plan of Action which could be useful for other areas in the world

A tuberculosis molecular bacterial load assay (TB-MBLA)

Funding: European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) – Pan African Biomarker Expansion program (PanBIOME) grant SP.2011.41304.008. Support was also obtained the University of St Andrews School of Medicine research grant.Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a pathogen classified by the United Nations (UN) as a dangerous category B biological substance. For the sake of the workers’ safety, handling of all samples presumed to carry Mtb must be conducted in a containment level (CL) 3 laboratory. The TB molecular bacterial load assay (TB-MBLA) test is a reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) test that quantifies Mtb bacillary load using primers and dual-labelled probes for 16S rRNA. We describe the use of heat inactivation to render TB samples noninfectious while preserving RNA for the TB-MBLA. A 1 mL aliquot of the sputum sample in tightly closed 15 mL centrifuge tubes is boiled for 20 min at either 80 °C, 85 °C, or 95 °C to inactivate Mtb bacilli. Cultivation of the heat inactivated and control (live) samples for 42 days confirmed the death of TB. The inactivated sample is then spiked with 100 µL of the extraction control and RNA is extracted following the standard RNA isolation procedure. No growth was observed in the cultures of heat treated samples. The isolated RNA is subjected to real-time RT-qPCR, which amplifies a specific target in the Mtb 16S rRNA gene, yielding results in the form of quantification cycles (Cq). A standard curve is used to translate Cq into bacterial load, or estimated colony forming units per mL (eCFU/mL). There is an inverse relationship between Cq and the bacterial load of a sample. The limitation is that heat inactivation lyses some cells, exposing the RNA to RNases that cause a loss of <1 log10eCFU/mL (i.e., <10 CFU/mL). Further studies will determine the proportion of very low burden patients that cause false negative results due to heat inactivation.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance trends of pathogens causing urinary tract infections in Mwanza, Tanzania: a comparative study during and after the implementation of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2017-2022)

Objectives: To delineate the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends of pathogens causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) during (June 2019-June 2020) and after (March-July 2023) the implementation of the National Action Plan on AMR 2017-2022 in Mwanza, Tanzania. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 2097 patients with clinical symptoms of UTIs during (n = 1144) and after (n = 953) the National Action Plan on AMR 2017-2022. Quantitative urine culture was done to isolate significant bacteria causing UTI, which were then identified to the species level and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Tabulations, descriptive, and logistic regression analyses were used to analyze categorical and continuous variables, as well as the association between outcome and independent variables. Statistical significance was defined as P ≤0.05 at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The overall prevalence of culture-positive UTIs was 22.8% (479 of 2097; 95% CI: 21.1-24.7%), with no significant difference between the study periods (21.8% [249 of 1144; 95% CI: 19.5-24.3%]) vs 24.1% (230 of 953; 95% CI: 21.5-26.9%), P = 0.274). We observed a significant increase in resistance to ciprofloxacin (32.0% vs 45.8%, P = 0.0481) and third-generation cephalosporins (marked by extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales [ESBL-PE], 38.7% vs 56.9%, P = 0.0307). Additionally, UTIs caused by ESBL-PE is significantly common among patients in higher-tier hospitals (58.4% vs 34.0%; OR [95% CI]: 2.51 [1.41-4.48], P = 0.002). Conclusions: There was a significant increase in bacterial resistance to ciprofloxacin and third-generation cephalosporins, as well as ESBL-PE. These results emphasize the critical need to enhance AMR surveillance, improve infection prevention and control measures, and strengthen antimicrobial stewardship programs

Complete genome sequences of three invasive strains of Streptococcus pyogenes subtype emm5.23 isolated in Scotland

Streptococcus pyogenes emm5.23 is uncommon; however, it has recently been involved in a relatively high proportion of cases of invasive disease in Scotland. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of three emm5.23 isolates, which may be used as a reference for investigating the virulence and epidemiology of this strain

Genomic epidemiology of clinical ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a German hospital suggests infections are primarily community- and regionally-acquired

Clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates that produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) have been increasingly reported at a global scale. However, comprehensive data on the molecular epidemiology of ESBL-producing strains are limited and few studies have been conducted in non-outbreak situations. We used whole-genome sequencing to describe the population structure of 294 ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates that were recovered from a German community hospital throughout a 1 year sampling period in a non-outbreak situation. We found a high proportion of E. coli isolates (61.5 %) belonged to the globally disseminated extraintestinal pathogenic ST131, whereas a wider diversity of STs was observed among K. pneumoniae isolates. The E. coli ST131 population in this study was shaped by multiple introductions of strains as demonstrated by contextual genomic analysis including ST131 strains from other geographical sources. While no recent common ancestor of the isolates of the current study and other international isolates was found, our clinical isolates clustered with those previously recovered in the region. Furthermore, we found that the isolation of ESBL-producing clinical strains in hospitalized patients could only rarely be associated with likely patient-to-patient transmission, indicating primarily a community and regional acquisition of strains. Further genomic analyses of clinical, carriage and environmental isolates is needed to uncover hidden transmissions and thus discover the most common sources of ESBL-producing pathogen infections in our hospitals