In recent years, issues relating to fat, oil and grease (FOG) in sewer systems have intensified. In the media, sewer blockages caused by FOG waste deposits, commonly referred to as ‘fatbergs’, are ...becoming a reminder of the problems that FOG waste can cause when left untreated. These FOG blockages lead to sanitary sewer overflows, property flooding and contamination of water bodies with sewage. Despite these financial and environmentally detrimental effects, a homogenous FOG waste management method has not been developed internationally. However, some successful enduring FOG management programmes have been established, such as in Dublin city and in Scandinavian countries. The aim of this paper is to carry out a review on existing FOG research and management approaches. FOG management involves comprehending: (1) FOG deposition factors in the sewer, (2) FOG prevention and awareness tactics undertaken internationally and (3) potential utilisation methods for FOG waste. This review will highlight that preventing FOG from entering the sewer is the most common approach, often through simple awareness campaigns. The diverted FOG is rarely valorised to bioenergy or biomaterials, despite its potential. Thus, all facets of the FOG waste lifecycle must be identified and managed. Advancements in processes and techniques must be assessed to best determine the future evolution of FOG waste management to assist in achieving a sustainable urban environment.
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•Review of fat, oil and grease (FOG) sewer system blockage formation.•Review of international FOG management programmes from education and awareness to FOG preventative measures.•Trends for FOG utilisation.•Future strategies for FOG management.
Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) released from agriculture is contributing significantly to acidification and atmospheric NH3 may have on human health is much less readily available. The potential direct ...impact of NH3 on the health of the general public is under-represented in scientific literature, though there have been several studies which indicate that NH3 has a direct effect on the respiratory health of those who handle livestock. These health impacts can include a reduced lung function, irritation to the throat and eyes, and increased coughing and phlegm expulsion. More recent studies have indicated that agricultural NH3 may directly influence the early on-set of asthma in young children. In addition to the potential direct impact of ammonia, it is also a substantial contributor to the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) fraction (namely the US and Europe); where it accounts for the formation of 30% and 50% of all PM2.5 respectively. PM2.5 has the ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and cause long term illnesses such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Hence, PM2.5 causes economic losses which equate to billions of dollars (US) to the global economy annually. Both premature deaths associated with the health impacts from PM2.5 and economic losses could be mitigated with a reduction in NH3 emissions resulting from agriculture. As agriculture contributes to more than 81% of all global NH3 emissions, it is imperative that food production does not come at a cost to the world's ability to breathe; where reductions in NH3 emissions can be easier to achieve than other associated pollutants.
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•81% of global ammonia emissions are a result of agriculture.•Ammonia contributes to 50% (EU) and 30% (US) of PM2.5 air pollution.•PM2.5 causes chronic respiratory illnesses and can lead to premature mortality.•Reducing ammonia emissions can reduce ambient PM2.5, reducing premature mortality.•Regulating NH3 as a precursor to PM2.5 is cost efficient, and will protect human health.
White clover (WC) offers an alternative source of nitrogen (N) for pasture-based systems. Substituting energy- and carbon-intensive synthetic N fertilizers with N derived from biological fixation by ...WC has been highlighted as a promising environmental mitigation strategy through the omission of emissions, pollutants, and energy usage during the production and application of synthetic fertilizer. Therefore, the objective was to investigate the effect of the inclusion of WC in perennial ryegrass (PRG) swards on the environmental impact of pasture-based dairy systems. Cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment of 3 pasture-based dairy systems were conducted: (1) a PRG–WC sward receiving 150 kg of N/ha per year (CL150), (2) a PRG–WC sward receiving 250 kg of N/ha per year (CL250), and (3) a PRG-only sward receiving 250 kg of N/ha per year (GR250). A dairy environmental model was updated with country-specific N excretion equations and recently developed N2O, NH3, and NO3− emission factors. The environmental impact categories assessed were global warming potential, nonrenewable energy, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential (marine and freshwater). Impact categories were expressed using 2 functional units: per hectare and per metric tonne of fat- and protein-corrected milk. The GR250 system had the lowest milk production and highest global warming potential, nonrenewable energy, and acidification potential per tonne of fat- and protein-corrected milk for all systems. The CL250 system produced the most milk and had the highest environmental impact across all categories when expressed on an area basis. It also had the highest marine eutrophication potential for both functional units. The impact category freshwater eutrophication potential did not differ across the 3 systems. The CL150 system had the lowest environmental impact across all categories and functional units. This life cycle assessment study demonstrates that the substitution of synthetic N fertilizer with atmospheric N fixed by WC has potential to reduce the environmental impact of intensive pasture-based dairy systems in temperate regions, not only through improvement in animal performance but also through the reduction in total emissions and pollutants contributing to the environmental indicators assessed.
Caribbean Acropora spp. corals have undergone a decline in cover since the second half of the twentieth century. Loss of these architecturally complex and fast-growing corals has resulted in ...significant, cascading changes to the character, diversity, and available eco-spaces of Caribbean reefs. Few thriving Acropora spp. populations exist today in the Caribbean and western North Atlantic seas, and our limited ability to access data from reefs assessed via long-term monitoring efforts means that reef scientists are challenged to determine resilience and longevity of existing Acropora spp. reefs. Here we used multiple dating methods to measure reef longevity and determine whether Coral Gardens Reef, Belize, is a refuge for Acropora cervicornis against the backdrop of wider Caribbean decline. We used a new genetic-aging technique to identify sample sites, and radiocarbon and high-precision uranium-thorium (U-Th) dating techniques to test whether one of the largest populations of extant A. cervicornis in the western Caribbean is newly established after the 1980s, or represents a longer-lived, stable population. We did so with respect for ethical sampling of a threatened species. Our data show corals ranging in age from 1910 (.sup.14 C) or 1915 (.sup.230 Th) to at least November 2019. While we cannot exclude the possibility of short gaps in the residence of A. cervicornis earlier in the record, the data show consistent and sustained living coral throughout the 1980s and up to at least 2019. We suggest that Coral Gardens has served as a refuge for A. cervicornis and that identifying other, similar sites may be critical to efforts to grow, preserve, conserve, and seed besieged Caribbean reefs.
New Findings
What is the topic of this review?
This review discusses the evidence of the benefits of exercise training for β‐cell health through improvements in function, proliferation and survival ...which may have implications in the treatment of diabetes.
What advances does it highlight?
This review highlights how exercise may modulate β‐cell health in the context of diabetes and highlights the need for further exploration of whether β‐cell preserving effects of exercise translates to T1D.
Physical exercise is a core therapy for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Whilst the benefits of exercise for different physiological systems are recognised, the effect of exercise specifically on the pancreatic β‐cell is not well described. Here we review the effects of physical exercise on β‐cell health. We show that exercise improves β‐cell mass and function. The improved function manifests primarily through the increased insulin content of the β‐cell and its increased ability to secrete insulin in response to a glucose stimulus. We review the evidence relating to glucose sensing, insulin signalling, β‐cell proliferation and β‐cell apoptosis in humans and animal models with acute exercise and following exercise training programmes. Some of the mechanisms through which these benefits manifest are discussed.
The aim of this study was to provide a simple, cost-effective, risk-based map of terrestrial areas in Ireland where environmental quality may be at risk from atmospheric ammonia. This risk-based ...approach identifies Natura 2000 sites in Ireland at risk from agricultural atmospheric ammonia, collating best available data using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). In mapping ammonia risk on sensitive habitats (MARSH), the method identifies sources of ammonia, classifying them on a scale of risk from 0 to 5. These sources are subsequently summed based on a weighting determined by their contribution to national emissions divided by their potentially impacted area. A Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.72 allows for concentrations from United Kingdom's FRAME modelling to be applied to the MARSH model, which are corrected based on recent monitoring. Applying Designation Weighted Indicators (DWI), the MARSH model predicts that 80.7, 34.3 and 5.9% of Natura 2000 sites in Ireland may exceed ambient concentrations of 1, 2, and 3 μg/m3, respectively. A Nitroindex map of Ireland based on available lichen records was also developed and is presented as part of this study. This Nitroindex was used to identify areas where impacts have already been recorded, thus informing the classification of sites “at-risk”. The combination of both the MARSH and Nitroindex models ascertains which Natura 2000 sites are most at risk, thereby providing valuable data to relevant authorities. The MARSH model acts as a first step towards screening and assessing Natura 2000 sites most at risk from atmospheric ammonia, providing a tool to demonstrate compliance with the National Emissions Ceilings Directive.
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•A GIS risk-based approach gauges atmospheric NH3 impacts in Ireland•Integrates best available agricultural data to identify “at-risk” areas in Ireland•Provides stakeholders with an atmospheric ammonia risk map for Ireland•80.7% of Natura 2000 sites likely to exceed critical level of 1 μg/m3•5.9% of Natura 2000 sites likely to exceed critical level of 3 μg/m3
•Valorisation of Arbutus unedo L. fruits by producing catechin extracts.•Optimization of conventional and alternative techniques for catechin extraction.•Use of response surface methodology to ...optimize the extraction process.•Comparison of catechin extraction yield for different extraction techniques.•Catechin production for industrial applications.
This study compares three extraction techniques (maceration, microwave and ultrasound) for catechin recover from Arbutus unedo fruit extracts. To obtain the conditions that maximize catechin extraction yield, a response surface methodology was applied using a 3-level full factorial Box–Behnken design in which the processing time (t), temperature (T), ultrasonic power (W) and ethanol percentage (Et%) were the relevant independent variables with the response (catechin content, mg/g dw) measured by HPLC-PDA. A fixed solid/solvent ratio of 50g/L was used in all techniques. Maceration and microwave extractions were found to be the most effective methods, capable of yielding 1.38±0.1 and 1.70±0.3mg/g dw of catechin, respectively at the optimal extraction conditions. The optimal conditions for maceration were 93.2±3.7min, 79.6±5.2°C and 23.1±3.7% of ethanol, while for the microwave extraction were 42.2±4.1min, 137.1±8.1°C and 12.1±1.1% of ethanol. Comparatively with maceration, the microwave system was a faster solution, conducting to slightly higher catechin yields, but using higher temperatures to reach similar values. The ultrasound method was the least effective solution, yielding 0.71±0.1mg/g dw of catechin at 42.4±3.6min, 314.9±21.2W and 40.3±3.8% ethanol. The results highlight the potential of using A. unedo fruits bio-residues as a productive source of catechin.
The clinical relevance of targeting the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway, activated in 70% to 80% of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), is unknown.
Selumetinib is an oral small-molecule inhibitor ...of MAP-ERK kinase (MEK)-1/2. Forty-seven patients with relapsed/refractory AML or 60 years old or more with untreated AML were enrolled on a phase II study. Patients were stratified by FLT3 ITD mutation status. The primary endpoint was response rate (complete, partial, and minor). Leukemia cells were analyzed for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and mTOR phosphorylation.
Common drug-related toxicities were grade 1-2 diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash. In the FLT3 wild-type cohort, six of 36 (17%) patients had a response one partial response, three minor responses, two unconfirmed minor responses (uMR). No patient with FLT3 ITD responded. NRAS and KRAS mutations were detected in 7% and 2% of patients, respectively. The sole patient with KRAS mutation had uMR with hematologic improvement in platelets. Baseline p-ERK activation was observed in 85% of patients analyzed but did not correlate with a response. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3733542 in exon 18 of the KIT gene was detected in significantly higher number of patients with response/stable disease compared with nonresponders (60% vs. 23%; P = 0.027).
Selumetinib is associated with modest single-agent antileukemic activity in advanced AML. However, given its favorable toxicity profile, combination with drugs that target other signaling pathways in AML should be considered. The potential association of SNP rs3733542 in exon 18 of the KIT gene with antileukemic activity of selumetinib is intriguing, but will require validation in larger trials.
The development of new antioxidant compounds for incorporation in foods is a rapidly growing research area. The resulting interactions between complex antioxidant mixtures are a key issue; however, ...research in this area is still in its infancy. Experimental antioxidant models based on conventional dose-responses, that can predict joint effects of chemical mixtures, are urgently needed. This paper illustrates a methodological procedure for single electron transfer (SET) antioxidant assays to determine the synergistic and antagonistic effects of combining binary mixtures of antioxidants. Despite the abundance of theories and procedures to describe the synergistic/antagonistic effects in SET assays, they appear to be inadequate. Some features hindering advances in this field include the lack of: (1) experimental design, as a result of the extended use of unambiguous and simplistic procedures to quantify the effects of joint responses, based on single-dose values; (2) detailed mathematical hypotheses to quantify dose-response values, which in addition causes the associated difficulties for assessing the statistical consistence of the results; and (3) functional approaches that consider the possibility of interactive effects. This paper proposes solutions for each of these limitations. Established ideas from existing fields are used to replace the current simplistic procedures, in order to quantify the effects of joint responses. One of the common hypothesis (known as concentration addition) for describing the combined effects is established for SET assays. A dose dependent mathematical model representative of this hypothesis, based on probability functions with meaningful parameters, is applied. The interactive effects between antioxidants are introduced into the model with simple auxiliary functions that describe the variations induced by each antioxidant in the parameters that define the effects of the other. Finally, a comprehensive index to summarize the complex parametric responses in one single value is proposed. Although the approach was experimentally demonstrated just in two classical SET assays (DPPH and ABTS), the results could be directly expanded in future to other types of classical SET assays. The methodology proposed is more complex than some relatively common approaches; nevertheless we believe that it is free of the controversial aspects listed above. Statistically consistent responses of null, synergy and antagonism effects were found when characterizing the interactions between several pairs of individual and complex mixtures of chemical antioxidant agents. Chemical compounds studied in this article * Butyl-hydroxyanisole (CID 24667) * Propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate (CID 4947) * Butyl-hydroxytoluene (CID 15570435) * 6-Ethoxy-2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline (CID 3293) * 6-Hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (CID 40634) * (2R)-2,5,7,8-Tetramethyl-2-(4R,8R)-(4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl)-6- c hromanol (CID 14985) * (5R)-(1S)-1,2-Dihydroxyethyl-3,4-dihydroxyfuran-2(5H)-one (CID 54670067)
β-Carotene and crocin bleaching reactions are the basis of two methods extensively used to quantify antioxidant and pro-oxidant activities. They are appropriate for lipophilic and hydrophilic ...matrices, respectively, and can provide useful complementary information in the study of complex natural extracts containing components with variable degrees of polarity. In this regard, a microplate procedure (Carotene Combined Bleaching) is proposed that enables the combination of both methods in a single, informative and less expensive method which is also faster to carry out. As an illustrative model, the method was applied to test a set of commercial lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidants and some predictable pro-oxidant agents. Afterwards, as a food compound case study, the antioxidant activity of five types of tea extracts (Green, Blue, White, Black and Red) were characterized and their equivalent potential activity was calculated using commercial antioxidants on the basis of the new procedure developed in this research. The activity of the tea extracts decreased in the following order: (a) In a predominantly lipophilic environment: White>Black>Red>Blue>Green tea extracts; and (b) In a predominantly hydrophilic environment: Green>Red>White>Black>Blue tea extracts.
► A new combined procedure for microplate was developed. ► Enables the analysis of anti/pro-oxidants for lipo/hydro-philic environs in one assay. ► A robust quantification procedure is used. ► A consistent routine for a microplate assay is proposed avoiding over-standardization. ► Equivalent potential activities of different tea extracts were provided.
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