Techno-economic feasibility of a recycling plant for the extraction of metals and boehmite from hazardous petroleum spent catalysts.

Petroleum spent hydroprocessing catalysts are hazardous solid waste, the efficient recycling of which is a serious challenge to refineries. However, information on the economic feasibility of spent catalysts recycling plants is scarce, which is critical for environmental authorities and decision-makers. In this work, an innovative recycling scheme targeting hydrometallurgical recovery of base metals (Ni, Mo, and V) and transforming low-value Al residue into a high-value boehmite (γ-AlOOH) as the key product was considered an efficient way to beneficiate the hazardous spent hydroprocessing catalysts. A preliminary techno-economic evaluation of such a recycling scheme was performed to assess the feasibility of the proposed recycling scheme. The recovery cost (valuable metals and boehmite) and potential revenue were estimated to study the economics of the process. The preliminary results have suggested that the recycling scheme is economically feasible with a high internal rate of return (IRR) of 12.3%, a net present value of 38.6 million USD, and a short payback period of 8.7 years. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis (± 10%) conducted on key parameters showed that the selling prices of the finished products and the cost of chemicals were the most important factors affecting plant economics. Overall, the recycling scheme was sustainable and avoided landfilling of spent catalysts as the residue can be beneficiated into a high-value product. The results from the economic feasibility study are likely to assist the stakeholders and decision-makers in making investment and policy decisions for the valorization of spent hydroprocessing catalysts.

Feasibility assessment of crowdsourcing slogans for promoting household waste segregation in India: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Crowdsourcing is an emerging technique to engage or access a wider set of experts and multiple stakeholders through online platforms, which might effectively be employed in waste management. Therefore, we assessed the feasibility of the crowdsourcing method to provide an alternative approach that can improve household waste segregation using an "online-slogan-contest". Methods: The contest was promoted via targeted emails to various governmental and non-governmental organizations and through social media platforms for around 4 weeks (25 days). The entries were received through a Google form. The slogans were assessed by the experts and analyzed using content analysis methods. Results: Total 969 entries were received from different geographic regions in India. Of that, 456 were in English and 513 in Hindi. Five themes of waste segregation emerged from the received slogans: (1) Community awareness, responsibility, and support, (2) Significance of household waste segregation, (3) Use of separate dustbins, (4) Health and well-being, and (5) Environment and sustainability. Discussion: Crowdsourcing approaches can be used by local authorities for improving waste management approaches and are recommended as these involve a wider audience within a short time frame. Moreover, this approach is flexible and integrating crowdsourcing approaches strengthens our understanding of existing waste management activities.

Introducing the Microbes and Social Equity Working Group: Considering the Microbial Components of Social, Environmental, and Health Justice.

Humans are inextricably linked to each other and our natural world, and microorganisms lie at the nexus of those interactions. Microorganisms form genetically flexible, taxonomically diverse, and biochemically rich communities, i.e., microbiomes that are integral to the health and development of macroorganisms, societies, and ecosystems. Yet engagement with beneficial microbiomes is dictated by access to public resources, such as nutritious food, clean water and air, safe shelter, social interactions, and effective medicine. In this way, microbiomes have sociopolitical contexts that must be considered. The Microbes and Social Equity (MSE) Working Group connects microbiology with social equity research, education, policy, and practice to understand the interplay of microorganisms, individuals, societies, and ecosystems. Here, we outline opportunities for integrating microbiology and social equity work through broadening education and training; diversifying research topics, methods, and perspectives; and advocating for evidence-based public policy that supports sustainable, equitable, and microbial wealth for all.

Impact of a package of diagnostic tools, clinical algorithm, and training and communication on outpatient acute fever case management in low- and middle-income countries: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The management of acute febrile illnesses places a heavy burden on clinical services in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Bacterial and viral aetiologies of acute fevers are often clinically indistinguishable and, in the absence of diagnostic tests, the 'just-in-case' use of antibiotics by many health workers has become common practice, which has an impact on drug-resistant infections. Our study aims to answer the following question: in patients with undifferentiated febrile illness presenting to outpatient clinics/peripheral health centres in LMICs, can we demonstrate an improvement in clinical outcomes and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescription over current practice by using a combination of simple, accurate diagnostic tests, clinical algorithms, and training and communication (intervention package)? METHODS: We designed a randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the impact of our intervention package on clinical outcomes and antibiotic prescription rates in acute febrile illnesses. Available, point-of-care, pathogen-specific and non-pathogen specific (host markers), rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) included in the intervention package were selected based on pre-defined criteria. Nine clinical study sites in six countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Uganda), which represent heterogeneous outpatient care settings, were selected. We considered the expected seasonal variations in the incidence of acute febrile illnesses across all the sites by ensuring a recruitment period of 12 months. A master protocol was developed and adapted for country-specific ethical submissions. Diagnostic algorithms and choice of RDTs acknowledged current data on aetiologies of acute febrile illnesses in each country. We included a qualitative evaluation of drivers and/or deterrents of uptake of new diagnostics and antibiotic use for acute febrile illnesses. Sample size estimations were based on historical site data of antibiotic prescription practices for malarial and non-malarial acute fevers. Overall, 9 semi-independent studies will enrol a minimum of 21,876 patients and an aggregate data meta-analysis will be conducted on completion. DISCUSSION: This study is expected to generate vital evidence needed to inform policy decisions on the role of rapid diagnostic tests in the clinical management of acute febrile illnesses, with a view to controlling the rise of antimicrobial resistance in LMICs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04081051 . Registered on 6 September 2019. Protocol version 1.4 dated 20 December 2019.

Is Long-Term Heavy Metal Exposure Driving Carriage of Antibiotic Resistance in Environmental Opportunistic Pathogens: A Comprehensive Phenomic and Genomic Assessment Using Serratia sp. SRS-8-S-2018.

The carriage of both, heavy metal and antibiotic resistance appears to be a common trait in bacterial communities native to long-term contaminated habitats, including the Savannah River Site (SRS). There is widespread soil contamination at the SRS; a United States Department of Energy (DOE) facility with long-term contamination from past industrial and nuclear weapons production activities. To further evaluate the genomic and metabolic traits that underpin metal and antibiotic resistance, a robust mercury (Hg) and uranium (U)-resistant strain- SRS-8-S-2018, was isolated. Minimum inhibitory concentration of this strain revealed resistance to Hg (10 µg/ml) and U (5 mM), the two main heavy metal contaminants at the SRS. Metabolic assessment of strain SRS-8-S-2018 using Biolog metabolic fingerprinting analysis revealed preference for carbohydrate utilization followed by polymers, amino acids, carboxy acids, and esters; this physiological activity diminished when Hg stress was provided at 1 and 3 µg/ml and completely ceased at 5 µg/ml Hg, indicating that continued release of Hg will have negative metabolic impacts to even those microorganisms that possess high resistance ability. Development of antibiotic resistance in strain SRS-8-S-2018 was evaluated at a functional level using phenomics, which confirmed broad resistance against 70.8% of the 48 antibiotics tested. Evolutionary and adaptive traits of strain SRS-8-S-2018 were further assessed using genomics, which revealed the strain to taxonomically affiliate with Serratia marcescens species, possessing a genome size of 5,323,630 bp, 5,261 proteins (CDS), 55 genes for transfer RNA (tRNA), and an average G + C content of 59.48. Comparative genomics with closest taxonomic relatives revealed 360 distinct genes in SRS-8-S-2018, with multiple functions related to both, antibiotic and heavy metal resistance, which likely facilitates the strain's survival in a metalliferous soil habitat. Comparisons drawn between the environmentally isolated Serratia SRS-8-S-2018 with 31 other strains revealed a closer functional association with medically relevant isolates suggesting that propensity of environmental Serratia isolates in acquiring virulence traits, as a function of long-term exposure to heavy metals, which is facilitating development, recruitment and proliferation of not only metal resistant genes (MRGs) but antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs), which can potentially trigger future bacterial pathogen outbreaks emanating from contaminated environmental habitats.

Falls in older aged adults in 22 European countries: incidence, mortality and burden of disease from 1990 to 2017.

INTRODUCTION: Falls in older aged adults are an important public health problem. Insight into differences in fall-related injury rates between countries can serve as important input for identifying and evaluating prevention strategies. The objectives of this study were to compare Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 estimates on incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to fall-related injury in older adults across 22 countries in the Western European region and to examine changes over a 28-year period. METHODS: We performed a secondary database descriptive study using the GBD 2017 results on age-standardised fall-related injury in older adults aged 70 years and older in 22 countries from 1990 to 2017. RESULTS: In 2017, in the Western European region, 13 840 per 100 000 (uncertainty interval (UI) 11 837-16 113) older adults sought medical treatment for fall-related injury, ranging from 7594 per 100 000 (UI 6326-9032) in Greece to 19 796 per 100 000 (UI 15 536-24 233) in Norway. Since 1990, fall-related injury DALY rates showed little change for the whole region, but patterns varied widely between countries. Some countries (eg, Belgium and Netherlands) have lost their favourable positions due to an increasing fall-related injury burden of disease since 1990. CONCLUSIONS: From 1990 to 2017, there was considerable variation in fall-related injury incidence, mortality, DALY rates and its composites in the 22 countries in the Western European region. It may be useful to assess which fall prevention measures have been taken in countries that showed continuous low or decreasing incidence, death and DALY rates despite ageing of the population.

Assessment of school readiness of children and factors associated with risk of inadequate school readiness in Ujjain, India: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE: School readiness is a condition or state indicating that the child is ready to learn in a formal educational set-up. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and factors associated with school readiness in urban schoolchildren in Ujjain, India. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2016 to March 2017. Two English-medium schools were conveniently selected. All children aged 5-7 years were eligible to participate. A subscale of Differential Ability Scales-Second Edition, namely 'school readiness scale', was used to assess school readiness in three major domains-early number concept, matching letter-like forms and phonological processing. Data on factors associated with school readiness were collected through parent interview. Quantile regression analysis was used to explore school readiness scores. RESULTS: This study included 203 school-going children (105 boys and 98 girls) having a mean (SD) age of 67.7 (±0.51) months. The phonological processing and matching letter-like forms had 31.5% and 30.5% children, respectively, in lower quantiles (≤25th). The higher quantile (≥75th) scores were achieved for phonological processing and early number concept (47.7% and 44.8% children, respectively). The results of quantile regression showed negative association of school readiness scores with age of children, lower socioeconomic status and hospitalisation status, especially in the lower quantiles (≤25th). The 10th, 50th and 75th quantile scores were positively correlated with the increasing education status of the mother. Birth weight was positively associated with the median and higher quantile scores (≥75th). CONCLUSIONS: School readiness in a middle-class urban setting in India was negatively associated with lower age of the child, lower socioeconomic status, hospitalisation and positively correlated with increasing birth weight and maternal education. Lower quantile scores were achieved in matching letter-like forms, which measures complex visual-spatial processing, and phonological ability, which correlates with acquired verbal concepts. Focused interventions are needed to improve these skills.

Characteristics of a Nationwide Voluntary Antibiotic Resistance Awareness Campaign in India; Future Paths and Pointers for Resource Limited Settings/Low and Middle Income Countries.

Antibiotic resistance has reached alarming proportions globally, prompting the World Health Organization to advise nations to take up antibiotic awareness campaigns. Several campaigns have been taken up worldwide, mostly by governments. The government of India asked manufacturers to append a 'redline' to packages of antibiotics as identification marks and conducted a campaign to inform the general public about it and appropriate antibiotic use. We investigated whether an antibiotic resistance awareness campaign could be organized voluntarily in India and determined the characteristics of the voluntarily organized campaign by administering a questionnaire to the coordinators, who participated in organizing the voluntary campaign India. The campaign characteristics were: multiple electro-physical pedagogical and participatory techniques were used, 49 physical events were organized in various parts of India that included lectures, posters, booklet/pamphlet distribution, audio and video messages, competitions, and mass contact rallies along with broadcast of messages in 11 local languages using community radio stations (CRS) spread all over India. The median values for campaign events were: expenditure-3000 Indian Rupees/day (US$~47), time for planning-1 day, program spread-4 days, program time-4 h, direct and indirect reach of the message-respectively 250 and 500 persons/event. A 2 min play entitled 'Take antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor' was broadcast 10 times/day for 5 days on CRS with listener reach of ~5 million persons. More than 85%ofcoordinators thought that the campaign created adequate awareness about appropriate antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. The voluntary campaign has implications for resource limited settings/low and middle income countries.

Catalytic potential of selected metal ions for bioleaching, and potential techno-economic and environmental issues: A critical review.

Bioleaching is considered to be a low-cost, eco-friendly technique for leaching valuable metals from a variety of matrixes. However, the inherent slow dissolution kinetics and low metal leaching yields have restricted its wider commercial applicability. Recent advancements in bio-hydrometallurgy have suggested that these critical issues can be successfully alleviated through the addition of a catalyst. The catalyzing properties of a variety of metals ions (Ag+, Hg++, Bi+++, Cu++, Co++ etc.) during bioleaching have been successfully demonstrated. In this article, the role and mechanisms of these metal species in catalyzing bioleaching from different minerals (chalcopyrite, complex sulfides, etc.) and waste materials (spent batteries) are reviewed, techno-economic and environmental challenges associated with the use of metals ions as catalysts are identified, and future prospectives are discussed. Based on the analysis, it is suggested that metal ion-catalyzed bioleaching will play a key role in the development of future industrial bio-hydrometallurgical processes.

Antibiotic Prescribing among Pediatric Inpatients with Potential Infections in Two Private Sector Hospitals in Central India.

INTRODUCTION: Infectious diseases are one of the major causes of child mortality in India. Pediatric patients are commonly prescribed antibiotics for non-bacterial infections. Monitoring of local antibiotic prescribing with respect to the diagnosis is necessary to improve the prescribing practices. The aim of the study was to describe antibiotic prescribing for potential infections among patients admitted in pediatric departments in two private sector hospitals; one teaching (TH) and one non-teaching (NTH) in Central India. METHODS: Data from all patients admitted at the pediatric departments of both study hospitals was collected manually, for 3 years (2008-2011) using a customized form. Data from inpatients aged 0-18 years, diagnosed with; acute gastroenteritis (AGE), respiratory tract infections, enteric fever, viral fever or unspecified fever were focused for analysis. Antibiotic prescriptions were analysed using the WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system and defined daily doses (DDDs). Adherence to the Indian Academy of Pediatrics list of essential medicines (IAP-LEM) was investigated. P-values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Oftotal6, 825 inpatients admitted at two pediatric departments, 510 patients from the TH and 2,479from the NTH were selected based on the assigned potential infectious diagnoses. Of these, 224 patients (44%) at the TH and 2,088 (84%) at the NTH were prescribed at least one antibiotic during hospital stay (odds ratio-0.69, 95%confidence interval-0.52 to 0.93; p<0.001). Patients with AGE, viral- and enteric fever were frequently prescribed antibiotics at both hospitals, yet higher proportion were prescribed antibiotics at the NTH compared to the TH. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were the most commonly prescribed antibiotic class in both hospitals, namely third generation cephalosporins, J01DD (69%) at the TH, and new fixed dose combinations of antibiotics J01R (FDCs, 42%) at the NTH. At the TH, 37% of the antibiotic prescriptions were comprised of antibiotics listed in the IAP-LEM, compared to 24% at the NTH (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Broad-spectrum antibiotics were prescribed frequently in both hospitals also for the un-indicated conditions such as viral fever and enteric fever. At the NTH, new FDCs were more frequently prescribed and adherence to the IAP-LEM was substantially lower at the NTH compared to the TH. The results demonstrate need to develop diagnosis-specific prescribing guidelines to facilitate rational use of antibiotics and implement antibiotic stewardship program.

Metagenomic assessment of the eastern oyster-associated microbiota.

Bacteria associated with the Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) native to Apalachicola Bay, FL, were investigated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon metagenomic sequencing which revealed that the oyster microbiome was predominated by Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria. We also found that the oyster tissues were predominated by the pathogenic and symbiotic Photobacterium spp. (formerly known as Vibrio damselae).

Platelet-derived growth factor expression correlates with tumor grade and proliferative activity in human oligodendrogliomas.

BACKGROUND: For the last one and a half decade, it has been found that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) promotes glial tumor growth through autocrine and paracrine loops, by expression of PDGFalpha receptor (PDGFRalpha) on glioma cells and PDGFbeta receptor (PDGFRbeta) on proliferating endothelial cells. However, studies on oligodendrogliomas, correlating expression of PDGF and its receptor with tumor grade and proliferative activity, through MIB-1 labeling index (LI) are relatively few as compared to astroglial counterpart. METHODS: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 55 cases of oligodendrogliomas (34 World Health Organization [WHO] grade II and 21 WHO grade III tumors) were subjected to immunohistochemistry. MIB-1 LI was calculated, and a semiquantitative scoring system for expression of PDGF and PDGFRalpha was used. RESULTS: MIB-1 LI and PDGF expression increased with histologic grades of malignancy ("t" test, P < .001 and Mann Whitney test, U = 109, P < .001 respectively). The PDGF expression scores had a positive correlation with MIB-1 LI, irrespective of tumor grade (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = 0.566; P < .001). However, there was no significant difference of PDGFRalpha expression between 2 grades of tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that MIB-1 LI is a rapid and cost-effective modality for predicting tumor grade in oligodendrogliomas. Immunohistochemistry for PDGF was found to be useful in differentiating various grades of oligodendroglioma, and therefore, it may be involved in tumor cell proliferation and malignant transformation. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, although expressed in oligodendroglial neoplasms, was not found to be useful in predicting tumor grade.

Bioleaching of heavy metals from sewage sludge: a review.

During the treatment of sewage, a huge volume of sludge is generated, which is disposed of on land as soil fertilizer/conditioner due to the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients. However, the presence of toxic heavy metals and other toxic compounds in the sludge restricts its use as a fertilizer. Over the years, bioleaching has been developed as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective technology for the removal of heavy metals from the sludge. The present paper gives an overview of the various bioleaching studies carried out in different modes of operation. The various important aspects such as pathogen destruction, odor reduction and metal recovery from acidic leachate also have been discussed. Further, a detailed discussion was made on the various technical problems associated with the bioleaching process, which need to be addressed while developing the process on a larger scale.