Microorganisms from L. terrestris gut previously exposed to different types of plastic (PET, LDPE, LLDPE, and PS) were studied to be used as probiotics of earthworms in plastic-contaminated soils ...(LDPE, LLDPE and recycled mulching film) at mesocosm-scale trials. The most abundant morphotypes with enzymatic capacities of interest were identified. Pseudomonas alkylphenolica (PL4) and Pseudomonas putida (PL5) strains were selected to be used as inoculants using Morus alba leaves as carriers to strengthen the intestinal microbiota of earthworms. Culture (selective cetrimide agar medium) and molecular (qPCR) techniques were used to trace the presence of the inoculum in the intestine of the earthworms. Additionally, a metataxonomic analysis was carried out to study the biodiversity and functionality of the earthworm microbiome, and their measure of survival and weight. Probiotics improved the survival rates of earthworms exposed to plastics, which also increased the abundance of microbial groups of interest in plastic bioremediation tasks.
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•Exposure of earthworms to plastics for enrichment of the specialized microbiota.•Cultivar and molecular techniques for tracking probiotics in the gut microbiome.•Probiotics increased the abundance of functional microbiota in L. terrestris.•Plastics and probiotics modify microbial structure of L. terrestris gut.•Selected probiotics boosted plastic-exposed L. terrestris survival rate.
Background and ImportanceThe melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), component of the leptin-melanocortin pathway, plays a part in body weight regulation (hunger, satiety and energy ...expenditure).Setmelanotide is a highly potent MC4R-agonist that leads to weight loss in Monogenic Obesity (MO) individuals with complete pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) deficiency or leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency.Aim and ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy of setmelanotide in a 3-year-old paediatric patient with MO due to LEPR deficiency (off-label use).Material and MethodsObservational, retrospective and descriptive study of a child with MO in a third-tier hospital for 6 months (April to September 2023).The information was obtained from the Electronic Clinical History and the Pharmacy Service Managing Software.ResultsThe child born at 36+2 weeks with a weight appropriate to his gestational age (2.5 kg).He was admitted in an obesity study in May 2021. He was diagnosed with MO due to LEPR deficiency in September 2021.The child started with setmelanotide 0.5mg in April 2023 and was increased to a current dose of 1.5mg daily subcutaneous injection.He has lost weight from 40 to 38 kg in 6 months. He also eats less food and his craving for food has decreased. Analytical levels improved from October 22 to May 23: triglycerides: 99 to 75 mg/mL; cholesterol 217 to 139 mg/dL; LDL 144 to 72 mg/dL. The patient has decreased in adipose component and has increased in muscle mass. Progress in mobility, crawling and kneeling. Sleeps through the night with a daytime nap, not always.There are no alternative treatments suitable for the patient‘s age.Setmelanotide has demonstrated statistically significant weight loss with at least a 5% decrease in body weight after 6 months and decreased appetite, therefore it could reach a 10% after 1 year.The child has skin rash and skin hyperpigmentation (activity at melanocortin 1-receptors (MC1R) as adverse effects.Conclusion and RelevanceSetmelanotide is the first European Medicines Agency approved medication for the treatment of POMC and LEPR deficiency in patients (children from 6 years old and adults) with MO.In our case report is an off-label use and the child has been treated efficiently with setmelanotide for 6 months with a reduction in weight, hunger and analytical parameters.We should evaluate the response after 1-year with setmelanotide to confirm that the treatment objectives are achieved (10%weight loss in 1-year).References and/or AcknowledgementsConflict of InterestNo conflict of interest.
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•Composting on an industrial scale hinders the standardization of the processes.•Evolution of protease and urease activities depended largely on the raw materials.•PMN-K and lipase ...activities were linked to the transformation of nitrogen fractions.•Raw materials determined the enzymatic pattern evolution of composting processes.•Different materials evolve into biotransformed products that meet quality standards.
Success of composting as an ecological technology for organic waste management has allowed its implementation in the current circular economy models. However, composting on an industrial scale often shows drawbacks and peculiarities. In this work, a comparative analysis of 15 industrial composting facilities was carried out in which different anthropogenic organic waste were processed. Results showed that composting process on an industrial scale did not always evolve in a standard way. Monitoring parameters as well as enzymatic activity depended largely on the raw materials and were strongly linked to the transformation of nitrogen fractions. Despite the heterogeneity of the processes and raw materials, microbial activity managed to the optimal biotransformation, obtaining products that comply with the agronomic quality standards. This work represents a breakthrough in composting and provides new knowledge for better management of this process on an industrial scale.
A combined theoretical and experimental study was performed to elucidate the photocatalytic potential of tenorite, CuO (1 1 0) and to assess the evolution pathway of carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution ...pathway. The calculations were performed with density functional theory (DFT) at a DFT + U + J0 and spin polarized level. The CuO was experimentally synthesized and characterized with structural and optical methodologies. The band structure and density of states revealed the rise of band gaps at 1.24 and 1.03 eV with direct and indirect band gap nature, respectively. These values are in accordance with the experimental evidence at 1.28 and 0.96 eV; respectively, which were obtained by UV-Vis DRS. Such a behavior could be related to enhanced photocatalytic activity among copper oxide materials. Experimental evidence such as SEM images and work function measurements were also performed to evaluate the oxide. The redox potential suggests a catalytic character of tenorite (1 1 0) for the CO2 transformation through aldehydes (methanal) intermediate formation. Furthermore, a route through methylene glycol CH2(OH)2 was also explored with the theoretical methodology. The reaction path exhibits an immediate reduction of ▪ into a •OH radical and an OH− anion, in the first step. This •OH radical attacks a double bond (C = O) of ▪ to form bicarbonate (▪−) and subsequently, carbonic acid (▪). The carbonic acid reacts with other •OH radical to finally form orthocarbonic acid (▪).
•DFT calculations evidenced selective CuO photocatalytic potential in tenorite phase•DFT and experiments revealed the CO2 evolution reaction on CuO (1 1 0) facet.•Theoretical calculations showed •OH radical formation is virtually immediate on CuO.•The carbonic acid is allowed to react with other •OH radical to form orthocarbonic acid.•Theory and experiment evidenced both direct and indirect band gaps in tenorite.
Background and ImportanceInterstitial lung diseases (ILD) is a group of rare diseases with bad prognosis, being Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) the most frequent of them. They can be treated with ...antifibrotic drugs: nintedanib or pirfenidone. However, these drugs have a high rate of adverse effects, which has a significant impact on treatment persistence.Aim and ObjectivesTo analyse the safety of pirfenidone and nintedanib in patients with ILD as well as treatment’s persistence, in a third-level hospital.Material and MethodsRetrospective observational study of patients with ILD treated with antifibrotic drugs from January 2016 to August 2022. Variables: sex, age, drug, duration of antifibrotic treatment, associated drug, switch to another antifibrotic drug, side effects, discontinuations, deaths. Information was collected from the hospital’s information systems.Results66 patients, 67% men, mean age 67 (47–86).44 patients with nintedanib: 23 IPF, 14 progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), 2 ILD associated with systemic sclerosis, 4 fibroemphysema and 1 ILD not classified. 5 of them were treated with an associated immunosuppressive drug: mycophenolate mofetil. 12 patients needed a dose reduction due to gastrointestinal effects: 100% diarrhea, 80% nausea. 1 patient needed temporary discontinuation due to increased transaminases, which were finally stabilised, being able to return to a higher dose. 2 patients needed discontinuation of treatment due to bleeding: 1 patient was on antiplatelet therapy and the other had a background of epistaxis. These two patients switched to pirfenidone.22 patients with pirfenidone: all of them IPF. 2 patients needed dose reduction due to diarrhoea and 2 needed treatment discontinuation due to severe sunburns. These patients switched to nintedanib.Persistence until progression18 months with nintedanib and 24 months with pirfenidone. 8 patients died during treatment, 4 of them because of COVID-19 infection.Conclusion and RelevanceThanks to a close follow-up in patients with ILD, it is possible to modify the dose and to achieve greater tolerance to treatments. The pandemic affected negatively during the year 2020, not only because of the impossibility of receiving medical appointments, but also due to the acceleration of their death. The rapid establishment of anti-fibrotic treatment and the adequate control of adverse effects are the key for this type of patients.References and/or AcknowledgementsConflict of InterestNo conflict of interest
Although long/continuous metallic chips are easily recycled by melting, this is not the case for discontinuous milling chips. The present study aimed to reduce waste generation and to facilitate the ...use of this byproduct in order to obtain a metallic-oxide composite. Chips were collected after machining Al-Si-Zn-Mg alloy parts, and powders were obtained through grinding processes. Grinding was performed at 45, 69, and 94 h, with grinding bodies/chips volume ratios of 6:1, 8:1, 10:1 and 12:1. The resulting powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, laser granulometry, and X-ray diffraction. After grinding, the particles were compacted and sintered, and hardness was evaluated. It was found that metallic powder is formed through plastic deformation, hardening, fracture, and dynamic recrystallization. It was possible to obtain samples with lower apparent density and higher hardness by powder metallurgy from Al-Si-Zn-Mg alloy chips than from the bulk. Powder was obtained after grinding, and samples were obtained by compacting and sintering. The higher hardness value was attributed to the presence of Al2O3 formed in the particles during grinding, which acts as a second reinforcing phase in the sintered samples, and as a retardant of intermetallic phase growing.
Many alternatives for the proper disposal of horticultural plant wastes have been studied, and composting is one of the most attractive due to its insignificant environmental impact and low cost. The ...quality of compost for agronomical use is related to the degree of organic matter maturation and stabilization. Traditional parameters as well as temperature, ratio C/N, cationic exchange capacity, extractable carbon, or evolution of humificated substances have been successfully used to assess compost maturity and stability. However, microorganisms frequently isolated during composting release a wide range of hydrolytic enzymes, whose activity could apparently give interesting information on the rate of decomposition of organic matter and, therefore, on the product stability. The aim of this work was to study the evolution of some important enzymatic activities during composting of agricultural wastes and their comparison with other chemical parameters commonly employed as quality and maturity indexes, to establish a relationship between the degradation intensity of specific organic carbon fractions throughout the process. In this work, the chemical and biochemical parameters of plant wastes were studied along a composting process of 189 days to evaluate their importance as tools for compost characterization. Results showed an intense enzymatic activity during the first 2–3 weeks of composting (bio-oxidative phase), because of the availability of easily decomposable organic compounds. From a biological point of view, a less intense phase was observed between second and third month of composting (mesophilic or cooling phase). Finally, chemical humification parameters were more closely associated with the period between 119 and 189 days (maturation phase). Significant correlations between the enzymatic activities as well as between enzyme activities and other more traditional parameters were also highlighted, indicating that both kind of indexes can be a reliable tool to determine the degree of stability and maturation of horticultural plant wastes based-compost.
•Enzymatic and temperature patterns registered inside the pile are directly related.•Enzymatic activity reaches its peak during the first days of the composting process.•When piles begin to cool, the enzymatic activity decreases noticeably.•The intensity of the enzymatic activity indirectly affects the humification process.
The roughly 600 km long Central Cordillera of Colombia shows a varied tectonic, magmatic, and exhumation history, despite the reasonably homogenous appearance concerning topography, outcropping ...lithologies, and strike. Here we show with new geo-thermochronological data the thermal evolution of the southern Central Cordillera since the Early Jurassic. Extensive Jurassic magmatism is recorded by U–Pb crystallization ages of arc plutons intruded by dike swarms and collateral volcaniclastic flows. Inverse modeling of zircon and apatite fission-track ages from Central Cordillera reveals a long period of slow cooling since the Early Cretaceous at rates of 2–3 °C/Myr, based on best-fit t-T path solutions. The Early Cretaceous phase is recorded by the cooling of Jurassic granitoids, most likely driven by slow erosional exhumation along the western flank of the Central Cordillera related to the collision and accretion of the Quebradagrande arc against the continental margin. The Late Cretaceous rapid exhumation event caused by the ~80-70 Ma collision and accretion of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province at the western margin of South America observed in other parts of the Central Cordillera, is not detectable in our study area . During the Eocene-Oligocene (ca. 45-31 Ma), the obtained time-temperature paths are compatible with slow cooling rates between 1 and 2 °C/Myr and slow exhumation at long-term average rates of about 0.1 km/Myr. The combination of geo-thermochronological data and petrology of clastic basin sediments presented in this study indicates that the unroofing of the southern Central Cordillera crystalline basement also occurred during the Eocene-Oligocene phase of the Andean Orogeny, as widely recognized by a major unconformity. The exhumation was coeval with the reactivation of crustal structures, such as the Plata-Chusma fault, as evidenced by the syn-tectonic deposits of the Gualanday Group.
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•Slow monotonic cooling of the southern Central Cordillera.•Provenance analysis of Gualanday Group (U–Pb & Fission-track).•Compositional shift due unroofing of the Central Cordillera.•Plata-Chusma fault activity.
Three pedestrian portal monitor systems, designed to detect illicit trafficking or inadvertent movement of radioactive materials carried by passengers at airports, have been evaluated. The systems ...were supplied by three manufacturers: Bicron, Exploranium and Thermo-Eberline. In an initial evaluation, conducted at the Laboratory of Nuclear Engineering of the School of Civil Engineering, it was observed that the FHT-1372 system manufactured by Thermo-Eberline gave a more sensitive response and allowed the measurement of total photon dose rate and artificial photon dose rate. Therefore, this system was installed at Barajas International Airport in Madrid in 2002 for a period of 108 days in order to select an appropriate investigation level (defined as the radiation level that is selected as the trigger for further investigation). During this period 1,339,931 passengers were screened and a total of 39 alarms were triggered, 5 of which with a value 10 times the mean value of the natural background from photon radiation (which was 85 nSv/h), and no alarms exceeded 100 μSv/h at 1 m distance, which is the level of response for legal transport of radioactive materials set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). An investigation level of approximately 1.3 times the natural background was finally selected. This value coincides with the results obtained in the ITRAP (Illicit Trafficking Radiation Detection Assessment Program) carried out by the IAEA.
Abstract The objectives of this research were to study (1) the dispersion of MWCNTs in an aqueous system by three commercial admixtures (CAds) for concrete, and (2) the effect of CAds and MWCNTs on ...indirect tensile strength and electrical conductivity of MWCNTs-high early strength (HE) cement-mortar composites. To achieve the objectives, we dispersed MWCNTs in an aqueous system with (1) hydroxylated polymers-based water reducing plasticizer (HPs), a nonionic compound, (2) Naphthalene based superplasticizer (SNF), an anionic compound, and (3) calcium chloride-based accelerating agent (CC) a neutral amphoteric salt. We prepared a total of 242 samples grouped in three sets: (1) Plain mortar PM (water + HE cement + Sand), (2) PM+CAd, and (3) PM+CAd+MWCNTs. The three CAds dispersed MWCNTs in an aqueous solution. The CC and HPs admixtures have a two-time bigger dispersing power than the SNF. They demand half of SNF’s ultrasound energy for optimal dispersion. Although the SNF (anionic) based superplasticizer resulted incompatible with the HE cement, it improved the indirect tensile strength of PM+SNF+MWCNTs composite. In contrast, the CC (amphoteric) based accelerating agent was compatible with the HE cement; the CC adsorption on the MWCNTs surface favors an improvement in the electrical conductivity of PM+CAd+MWCNTs composite.
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