The removal efficiency of nine pharmaceutical compounds from primary sludge was evaluated in two different operating conditions: (i) in conventional Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion (MAD) alone and ...(ii) in a co-treatment process combining Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion and a Thermophilic Aerobic Reactor (MAD-TAR). The pilot scale reactors were fed with primary sludge obtained after decantation of urban wastewater. Concerning the biodegradation of organic matter, thermophilic aeration increased solubilization and hydrolysis yields of digestion, resulting in a further 26% supplementary removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in MAD-TAR process compared to the conventional mesophilic anaerobic digestion. The highest removal rate of target micropollutants were observed for caffeine (CAF) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) (>89%) with no substantial differences between both processes. Furthermore, MAD-TAR process showed a significant increase of removal efficiency for oxazepam (OXA) (73%), propranolol (PRO) (61%) and ofloxacine (OFL) (41%) and a slight increase for diclofenac (DIC) (4%) and 2 hydroxy-ibuprofen (2OH-IBP) (5%). However, ibuprofen (IBP) and carbamazepine (CBZ) were not degraded during both processes. Anaerobic digestion affected the liquid-solid partition of most target compounds. Sorbed fraction of pharmaceutical compounds on the sludge tend to decrease after digestion, this tendency being more pronounced in the case of the MAD-TAR process due to much lower concentration of solids.
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•A hybrid digester was implemented to evaluate pharmaceutical compounds removal.•MAD-TAR allowed a better removal of VSS (76%) compared to MAD (47%).•Removal higher than 90% was found for CAF and SMX whatever the process.•Moderate (DIC, 2OH-IBP) to high (OXA, PRO, OFL) removal was observed in MAD-TAR.•Biodegradable compounds removal was correlated with their fraction in liquid phase.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one type of tumor with the highest frequency and mortality worldwide. Although current treatments increase patient survival, it is important to detect CRC in early stages; ...however, most CRC, despite responding favorably to treatment, develop resistance and present recurrence, a situation that will inevitably lead to death. In recent years, it has been shown that the main reason for drug resistance is the presence of colon cancer stem cells (CSC). Pericytes are also capable of tumor homing and are important cellular components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), contributing to the formation of vessels and promoting metastasis; however, they have not been considered very important as a therapeutic target in cancer. In this review, we highlight the contribution of pericytes and cancer stem cells to some classical hallmarks of cancer, namely, tumor angiogenesis, growth, metastasis, and evasion of immune destruction, and discuss therapies targeting pericytes and cancer stem cells in CRC.
•Design of a Multiple Compound Parabolic Concentrator between 1 and 2 suns.•Immobilization of the TiO2 to avoid its separation and recovery.•Photodegradation studies of carbaryl pesticides as a ...function of solar concentration.•Improving the photocatalytic degradation ratio with increasing solar concentration.
Photodegradation studies of carbaryl pesticides were performed as a function of solar concentration using newly designed CPC collectors with different geometric solar concentration ratios. Design of a Multiple Compound Parabolic Concentrator, or MCPC, was performed by taking into account both that photocatalytic degradation efficiency is a function of the square root of photon flow intensity that excites the photocatalyst and that TiO2 is able to absorb more sunlight (photons) than the provided in utilising a 1-sun geometric concentration ratio (CR). The Multiple Compound Parabolic Concentrator was initially designed to carry out photocatalytic degradation studies as a function of geometric solar concentration ratio between 1 sun and 2 suns and subsequently to explore the possibility of using CPC collectors in photocatalysis studies with a solar concentration ratio greater than 1 sun. TiO2 photocatalysts, immobilised over 1.40-meter-long Duran glass tubes, were specially fabricated for this experiment. Finally, to evaluate the photoreactor performance, the photocatalytic degradation of the carbaryl pesticide was used carried out. When the photocatalytic reactor equipped with the CPC solar concentrator of 1 sun was used to carry out degradation processes under UV+TiO2 and UV+TiO2+H2O2 conditions, degradation levels of 41% and 79% were reached, respectively. Alternatively, when the photocatalytic reactor equipped with the CPC solar concentrator of 2 suns was used to degrade the same pollutant under the same conditions, degradation levels of 54% and 92% were achieved, respectively. To complete the characterisation of the above mentioned degradation processes, the experimental values of parameters such as global kinetic constants, TOC and COD, were determined.
Early sex determination methods are not only crucial in the worldwide massive poultry industry, but also for small-holder producers. The profitability of sexing techniques must be accounted for when ...aiming to boost management, nutrition, and conservation practices in endangered poultry breeds. This becomes pivotal when the local breed dealt with belongs to an understudied species, such as the turkey. So, the main objective of this study is to identify which method combination may report a higher likelihood of successful sex determination in poults across the three-pattern varieties of the Andalusian turkey breed. A total of 84 one to two days old Andalusian turkey poults (42 black, 28 black-roan, and 14 bronze-roan) were evaluated in this study. Sex determination was performed using 15 methods, which included testing external egg metrics and eggshell color, poult morphological appraisal and phaneroptics, and behavioral traits. Possible differences across plumage varieties and the interaction between sex and plumage were observed when external egg quality was measured. Sex determination through behavioral methods in black base feathered (black and black-roan) male sex individuals showed seven times higher sensitivity when compared to the rest of the studied individuals (χ
2
= 7.14, df = 1,
P
< 0.01). In contrast, for the black-roan plumage females, the method based on the color of down feathers was approximately four times more sensitive (χ
2
= 3.95, df = 1,
P
≤ 0.05). For the bronze-roan pattern, none of the sexing techniques was reported to efficiently predict sex itself. However, the most proper method combination to determine sex, independent of plumage color, was physical external egg characteristics, the color of down feathers, and behavioral approaches (“English method” and “slap technique”). The specificity values were found to be 49.12, 93.33, and 100%, while the sensitivity values were observed to be 74.64, 91.03, and 100%, which translated into accuracy of 63.10, 92.26, and 100% in black, black-roan, and bronze-roan poults, respectively. Our results suggest that the method combination tested in this study could be considered a highly accurate, simple, and affordable alternative for sex determination in turkeys. This could mean a pivotal advance for small producers of turkeys, as early sex detection can help to plan timely conservational management strategies, which is of prominent importance in the context of endangered poultry breeds.
Solar photocatalytic activity for an azo dye degradation by microspheres of iron doped TiO2.
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•Ultrafine anatase and anatase/rutile microspheres are generated by sol-gel/hydrothermal ...treatment.•High performance Iron dopeded-TiO2 with large specific BET surface area is obtained by the sol-gel/hydrothermal process.•The Fe:TiO2 showed high photocatalytic reactivity during dye degradation due to the narrowing of band gap.
TiO2 and iron-doped TiO2 microsized powder is prepared by sol–gel method combined with hydrothermal treatment as an alternative to obtain high specific area under controlled conditions. Synthesis parameters such as temperature of hydrothermal treatment (125 °C–210 °C), calcination temperature (500 °C–900 °C), and calcination time (1 h–9 h) along with operational parameter as solution pH (3, 7 and 9) in the solar photocatalytic reaction are assessed. TiO2 and iron-doped TiO2 micro powders are characterized by XRD studies, FE-SEM, specific area BET and photocatalytic activity by basic orange 2 (BO2) mineralization under solar irradiation. Results showed that ultrafine anatase microspheres are generated by sol-gel/hydrothermal treatment. Iron-doped TiO2, prepared by consecutive steps such as sol-gel/hydrothermal treatment at 200 °C, washed with ethanol, followed by calcination at 600 °C and dried with a rotary evaporator, showed the highest discoloration and mineralization of BO2. Outstanding performance is observed when compared with commercial TiO2 (Hombikat).
•Methanolic Ustilago maydis extract was obtained.•It was used as corrosion inhibitor for 1018 carbon steel in 0.5 M H2SO4.•Weight loss and electrochemical tests were carried out at 25, 40 and ...60 °C.•Quantum chemical calculations using DFT technique were carried out.
A study on the use of Ustilago maydis extract as a green corrosion inhibitor for 1018 carbon steel in 0.5 m H2SO4 by using gravimetric, potentiodynamic polarization curves, linear polarization resistance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy electrochemical techniques at 25, 40 and 60 °C. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to know the relationship between inhibitor electronic properties and inhibition efficiency. Weight loss results indicated that Ustilago maydis was a good corrosion inhibitor with an efficiency that increased with its concentration but decreased with the temperature. However, the efficiency was around 60% because it was physically adsorbed on to the steel surface according to a Langmuir type of adsorption isotherm obtaining relatively low free energy values, which lied between −14.8 and −27 kJ/mol at 25 and 60 °C respectively. Activation energy decreased in presence of Ustilago maydis making corrosion process more difficult to occur. Potentiodynamic polarization curves showed a decrease in the corrosion current density in one order of magnitude and determined this extract as a cathodic type of corrosion inhibitor affecting. There was no evidence of a passive film, whereas the corrosion mechanism was controlled by the adsorption/desorption of some intermediate species and the double electrochemical layer resistance increased with the addition of the inhibitor. Gas chromatography showed that the main compounds found in this extract included D-Mannose, β-D-Glucopyranose,4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl, Melibiose and Arabinose, whereas quantum chemical calculations by density functional theory analysis showed that Melibiose had the highest inhibition efficiency because it had the highest EHOMO value and lowest gap energy value, ∆E.
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TiO2 and iron-doped TiO2 microsized powder is prepared by sol–gel method combined with hydrothermal treatment as an alternative to obtain high specific area under controlled conditions. Synthesis ...parameters such as temperature of hydrothermal treatment (125 °C–210 °C), calcination temperature (500 °C–900 °C), and calcination time (1 h–9 h) along with operational parameter as solution pH (3, 7 and 9) in the solar photocatalytic reaction are assessed. TiO2 and iron-doped TiO2 micro powders are characterized by XRD studies, FE-SEM, specific area BET and photocatalytic activity by basic orange 2 (BO2) mineralization under solar irradiation. Results showed that ultrafine anatase microspheres are generated by sol-gel/hydrothermal treatment. Iron-doped TiO2, prepared by consecutive steps such as sol-gel/hydrothermal treatment at 200 °C, washed with ethanol, followed by calcination at 600 °C and dried with a rotary evaporator, showed the highest discoloration and mineralization of BO2. Outstanding performance is observed when compared with commercial TiO2 (Hombikat).
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