Techno-economic assessment of bioleaching for metallurgical by-products.

This study focused on the economic feasibility of two potential industrial-scale bioleaching technologies for metal recovery from specific metallurgical by-products, mainly basic oxygen steelmaking dust (BOS-D) and goethite. The investigation compared two bioleaching scaling technology configurations, including an aerated bioreactor and an aerated and stirred bioreactor across different scenarios. Results indicated that bioleaching using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans proved financially viable for copper extraction from goethite, particularly when 5% and 10% pulp densities were used in the aerated bioreactor, and when 10% pulp density was used in the aerated and stirred bioreactor. Notably, a net present value (NPV) of $1,275,499k and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 65% for Cu recovery from goethite were achieved over 20-years after project started using the aerated and stirred bioreactor plant with a capital expenditure (CAPEX) of $119,816,550 and an operational expenditure (OPEX) of $5,896,580/year. It is expected that plant will start to make profit after one year of operation. Aerated and stirred bioreactor plant appeared more reliable alternative compared to the aerated bioreactor plant as the plant consists of 12 reactors which can allow better management and operation in small volume with multiple reactors. Despite the limitations, this techno-economic assessment emphasized the significance of selective metal recovery and plant design, and underscored the major expenses associated with the process.

Machine learning-based soil quality assessment for enhancing environmental monitoring in iron ore mining-impacted ecosystems.

In November 2015, a catastrophic rupture of the Fundão dam in Mariana (Brazil), resulted in extensive socio-economic and environmental repercussions that persist to this day. In response, several reforestation programs were initiated to remediate the impacted regions. However, accurately assessing soil health in these areas is a complex endeavor. This study employs machine learning techniques to predict soil quality indicators that effectively differentiate between the stages of recovery in these areas. For this, a comprehensive set of soil parameters, encompassing 3 biological, 16 chemical, and 3 physical parameters, were evaluated for samples exposed to mining tailings and those unaffected, totaling 81 and 6 samples, respectively, which were evaluated over 2 years. The most robust model was the decision tree with a restriction of fewer levels to simplify the tree structure. In this model, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), Microbial Biomass Carbon (MBC), Base Saturation (BS), and Effective Cation Exchange Capacity (eCEC) emerged as the most pivotal factors influencing model fitting. This model achieved an accuracy score of 92% during training and 93% during testing for determining stages of recovery. The model developed in this study has the potential to revolutionize the monitoring efforts conducted by regulatory agencies in these regions. By reducing the number of parameters that necessitate evaluation, this enhanced efficiency promises to expedite recovery monitoring, simultaneously enhancing cost-effectiveness while upholding the analytical rigor of assessments.

Assessment of the induced effect of selected iron hydroxysulfates biosynthesized using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans for biomineralization of acid mine drainage.

Soluble iron and sulfate in acid mine drainage (AMD) can be greatly removed through the formation of minerals facilitated by seed crystals. However, the difference in the effects of jarosite and schwertmannite as endogenous seed crystals to induce AMD mineralization remains unclear. This paper intends to study the effect of Fe2+ oxidation and Fe3+ mineralization in the biosynthesis of minerals using different addition amounts and methods of jarosite or schwertmannite. The results showed that the addition amount and method of different seed crystals had no effect on the Fe2+ bio-oxidation but would change the Fe3+ mineralization efficiency. With the same amount of seed crystals added, jarosite exhibited a higher capacity to promote Fe3+ mineralization than schwertmannite. Adding seed crystals before the initiation of Fe2+ oxidation (0 h) could significantly promote Fe3+ mineralization efficiency. With the increase of seed crystals, jarosite could not only shorten the time required for mineral synthesis but also improve the final mineral yield, whereas schwertmannite could only shorten the time required for mineral synthesis. When Fe2+ was completely oxidized to Fe3+ (48 h), the supplementary of jarosite could still effectively improve Fe3+ mineralization efficiency, but the addition of schwertmannite no longer affected the final mineralization degree.

Assessment of goethite-combined/modified biochar for cadmium and arsenic remediation in alkaline paddy soil.

The opposed transformation of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in paddy soil postures numerous challenges for their simultaneous remediation. An incubation study was conducted on the immobilization of Cd and As by biochar (BC), goethite (G), goethite-combined biochar (BC + G), and goethite-modified biochar (GBC). The results showed that biochar effectively immobilized Cd while significantly increasing As mobility, whereas goethite effectively immobilized As more than Cd. BC + G treatment significantly decreased toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) and CaCl2-extractable Cd by 22.70% and 40.15%; meanwhile, TCLP and NaHCO3-As were significantly reduced by 38.25% and 31.87%, respectively, compared with the control. This study found that GBC was the optimum amendment within the immobilization efficiency for CaCl2-Cd (57.03%) and TCLP-As (61.11%). BC + G and GBC applications showed some interactions between biochar and goethite, which played an essential role in immobilizing Cd and As simultaneously. Therefore, GBC showed a great benefit in being a low-cost and efficient environmental amendment for Cd and As remediation in alkaline co-contaminated paddy soil.

Eficacia, seguridad y adherencia del hierro polimaltosado en el tratamiento de la anemia en gestantes y puérperas / Efficacy, security and adherence to the polymaltose hierro in the treatment of anemia in pregnant and postpartum women

ANTECEDENTES: La anemia es un problema de salud pública que afecta principalmente a niños menores de cinco años, mujeres en edad fértil y gestantes. La anemia por deficiencia de hierro es la más prevalente entre los tipos de anemia y genera desventajas a nivel cognitivo, económico, de salud, entre otros. La Organización Mundial de la Salud propuso la administración diaria de suplemento de hierro y ácido fólico durante el embarazo. La normatividad vigente considera dos tipos de preparaciones de hierro oral, el sulfato ferroso y el hierro polimaltosado, para el manejo de la anemia en gestantes. El manejo terapéutico consiste en administrar diariamente 120 mg de hierro elemental más ácido fólico durante 6 meses. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la eficacia, seguridad y adherencia del hierro polimaltosado en el tratamiento de anemia por deficiencia de hierro en comparación con el sulfato ferroso, en gestantes y puérperas. METODOLOGÍA: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura en las bases de datos Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Lilacs y literatura gris. La búsqueda se realizó hasta el 30 de enero del 2021, sin restricciones de idioma ni año de publicación. RESULTADOS: La búsqueda sistemática recuperó 92 artículos científicos. Después de la lectura por título y resumen, se seleccionaron 7 estudios para la lectura a texto completo, de los cuales se excluyeron cinco estudios. Finalmente, se incluyeron dos ensayos clínicos en la presente revisión. Los ensayos clínicos incluyeron a gestantes con diagnóstico de anemia por deficiencia de hierro para comparar la eficacia y seguridad entre el sulfato ferroso y hierro polimaltosado. En ambos estudios se reporta un incremento significativo en los niveles de hemoglobina, en el grupo que recibió sulfato ferroso y hierro polimaltosado. Sin embargo, no se encontraron diferencias significativas al comparar los incrementos promedio entre los grupos. En ambos estudios se reportan diferencias significativas al observar los valores de ferritina sérica, donde el incremento fue mayor en el grupo de hierro polimaltosado. Respecto a los resultados asociados a seguridad del hierro polimaltosado, ambos estudios coinciden que los efectos adversos fueron más comunes en el grupo sulfato ferroso, con diferencia estadísticamente significativa. Los principales efectos adversos fueron intolerancias gastrointestinales, vómitos y estreñimiento. Un estudio reportó que la adherencia fue significativamente mayor en el grupo de hierro polimaltosado, en comparación al grupo sulfato ferroso. No se identificaron estudios en puérperas. CONCLUSIONES: El sulfato ferroso y el hierro polimaltosado presentan similar eficacia en el tratamiento de la anemia en la gestante, sin embargo, el tratamiento con hierro polimaltosado presenta menos efectos adversos comparado con el sulfato ferroso, y también mayor adherencia al tratamiento en gestantes.

An efficient, economical, and easy mass production biochar supported zero-valent iron composite derived from direct-reduction natural goethite for Cu(II) and Cr(VI) remove.

In this study, a novel biochar-supported zero-valent iron (ZVI) composite was synthesised by a one-pot co-pyrolysis reduction method, and was used to remove Cu(II) and Cr(VI). The raw materials for the composite were derived from natural bagasse/straw and goethite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TG), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis were used to characterise the biochar and biochar-supported ZVI composites. Batch removal experiments on the effects of the initial pH and citric acid concentrations were performed as well as kinetic studies and isotherm experiments. The composite materials showed better Cu(II) and Cr(VI) removal performance than single biochar and mineral. The removal of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) is pH-dependent, and proceeds via heterogeneous multilayer chemisorption. Electrochemical analysis revealed that straw biochar-supported ZVI composite exhibited greater electrical conductivity and electron transfer rate than pure biochar and ZVI. FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) elucidated the uptake mechanism, showing that Cu(II) and Cr(VI) were easily adsorbed onto the biochar surface and were then reduced by ZVI. These results indicate that biochar-supported ZVI composite is effective for heavy metal remediation, which is economical, environment-friendly, and suitable for mass production.

Boosted sono-oxidative catalytic degradation of Brilliant green dye by magnetic MgFe2O4 catalyst: Degradation mechanism, assessment of bio-toxicity and cost analysis.

The magnetic MgFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated via a facile co-precipitation technique and was comprehensively characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX and VSM. The prepared NPs were used as catalyst in presence of ultrasound (US) irradiation to activate persulfate (PS) for generation of sulfate radicals (SO4·-) for boosted degradation of toxic Brilliant Green (BG) dye. Preliminary experiments revealed that highest BG dye degradation efficiency of 91.63% was achieved at MgFe2O4 catalyst dose of 1.0 g/L, PS dose of 300 mg/L, and initial dye concentration of 70 ppm within 15 min of US irradiation. However, only US, US in presence of PS oxidation and US in presence of MgFe2O4 catalyst have shown 20.2%, 83.6% and 45.0% of BG dye removal, respectively. Furthermore, response surface methodology (RSM) based central composite design (CCD) was executed to investigate the effect of interaction between independent variables such as MgFe2O4 catalyst dose (0.5-1.5 g/L), PS dose (150-350 mg/L), initial BG dye concentration (50-150 ppm) and US irradiation time (4-12 min). The RSM based quadratic model was used to predict the experimental data, and the prediction accuracy was confirmed by analysis of variance (R2 = 0.98). The established RSM model has predicted the optimum experimental conditions as MgFe2O4 catalyst dose of 0.75 g/L, PS dose of 300 mg/L, initial dye concentration of 75 ppm and sonication time of 10 min. Subsequently, the treatment cost analysis was performed for all thirty experimental runs of CCD, and the RSM predicted response was found to be evidently optimum as this has delivered best economic condition (140 $/kg of BG removed) with respect to relative dye removal (%). COD removal and residual sulfate analysis have demonstrated satisfactory reduction of COD (90.31%) as well as sulfate ions (42.87 ppm) in the dye solution after treatment. Results of degradation pathway analysis portrayed the transformation of BG molecule (M/Z ratio 385) into simpler fractions with M/Z ratio of 193, 161, 73, and 61. Moreover, the toxicity analysis revealed that sono-catalytically activated PS system has efficiently reduced the toxicity level of BG dye from 93.9% to 5.13%.

In Vitro Assessment of Arsenic Release and Transformation from As(V)-Sorbed Goethite and Jarosite: The Influence of Human Gut Microbiota.

The importance of arsenic metabolism by gut microbiota has been evidenced in risk characterization from As exposures. In this study, we evaluated the metabolic potency of human gut microbiota toward As(V)-sorbed goethite and jarosite, presenting different behaviors of As release, and the solid-liquid transformation and partitioning. The release of As occurred mainly in the small intestinal phase for jarosite and in the colon phase for goethite, respectively. We found higher degree of As(V) and Fe(III) reduction by human gut microbiota in the colon digests of goethite than jarosite. Speciation analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy, revealed that 43.2% and 8.5% of total As was present as As(III) in the liquid and solid phase, respectively, after goethite incubation, whereas almost all generated As(III) was in the colon digests of jarosite. Therefore, As bioaccessibility in human gastrointestinal tract was predominantly contributed to Fe(III) dissolution in jarosite, and to microbial reduction of Fe(III) and As(V) in goethite. It expanded our knowledge on the role of Fe minerals in human health risk assessment associated with soil As exposures.

Reported Severe Hypersensitivity Reactions after Intravenous Iron Administration in the European Economic Area (EEA) Before and After Implementation of Risk Minimization Measures.

INTRODUCTION: Severe hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) such as anaphylaxis are of great clinical concern because of their life-threatening potential. The adverse events attributable to intravenous iron products include HSRs. An investigation by the European Medicines Agency presented in late 2013 resulted in the implementation of risk minimization measures (RMMs). OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the number of severe HSRs reported for intravenous iron substances related to exposure for the 4-year periods before and after this implementation. METHODS: This was a retrospective pharmacoepidemiologic study with a case-population design. We obtained information from the safety surveillance database EudraVigilance on spontaneously reported severe HSRs using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities preferred terms "anaphylactic reaction/shock" and "anaphylactoid reaction/shock". Exposure was estimated using IQVIA MIDAS sales data in European economic area countries. RESULTS: Reporting rates for individual products were heterogenous, and the implementation of RMMs appeared to have no clear impact. Reporting rates remained low for the full study period for iron sucrose (0.03-0.20) and ferric gluconate (0.02-0.14) and were higher at the beginning and lower at the end of the study period for ferric carboxymaltose (1.47-0.18). No clear trend was detected for iron dextran (range 0.22-2.80) and iron (III) isomaltoside 1000 (range 0-7.94). CONCLUSIONS: Future research is needed to investigate whether the wide variability in reporting rates for severe HSRs associated with these intravenous iron products are due to potential differences in the safety profiles of these substances.

Assessment of schwertmannite, jarosite and goethite as adsorbents for efficient adsorption of phenanthrene in water and the regeneration of spent adsorbents by heterogeneous fenton-like reaction.

Schwertmannite, jarosite or goethite are commonly used to remove metals and/or metalloids from contaminated water via adsorption processes, but it is still unclear whether they can be used as adsorbents to remove hydrophobic organic pollutants (HOCs), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), from groundwater or wastewater. Here, the feasibility of using these iron (oxyhydr) oxide minerals as adsorbents for phenanthrene (a model PAH) adsorption and regenerating the spent adsorbents via heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction was investigated. Results showed that they exhibited rapid adsorption rates and considerable adsorption capacities for phenanthrene. The maximum Langmuir capacities (Qmax) for phenanthrene adsorption at 28 °C were in an ascending order of goethite (567 µg·g-1) < schwertmannite (727 µg·g-1) < jarosite (2088 µg·g-1). The adsorption process was a spontaneous and exothermic process along with the decrease of randomness at the solid/liquid interfaces, which was influenced by temperature, adsorbent dosage, and the coexistence of inorganic anions. Both schwertmannite and jarosite were superior to goethite in light of their easy separation from the bulk solution after the adsorption processes. A multi-cycle experiment demonstrated that the regeneration efficiency of schwertmannite (97.9-99.7%) was much higher than that of jarosite (80.1-87.2%), and the mineral structure, morphology and functional groups of schwertmannite were not changed during the successive adsorption-regeneration processes. Therefore, among the investigated three iron (oxyhydr) oxide minerals, schwertmannite was an attractive and regenerable adsorbent for the removal of phenanthrene from water owing to its high adsorption capacity, good separation ability, and excellent reusability.

Eficacia y seguridad del hierro polimaltosado para la prevención y tratamiento de anemia infantil (versión 2) / Efficacy and safety of polymaltosed iron for prevention and treatment of childhood anemia (version 2)

INTRODUCCIÓN: Cuadro clínico: La anemia por deficiencia de hierro es una enfermedad causada por la reducción del número, tamaño de eritrocitos en la sangre o concentración de hemoglobina, lo que ocasiona la diminución de la capacidad de la sangre para transportar el oxígeno, como resultado de la deficiencia de uno o más nutrientes esenciales, siendo la carencia de hierro la causa principal y más ampliamente reconocida. Estudios refieren que la anemia por deficiencia de hierro está asociada con alteraciones funcionales que afectan el desarrollo cognitivo, la capacidad de aprendizaje, los mecanismos de inmunidad y la capacidad futura de trabajo durante la adultez. La deficiencia de hierro durante el embarazo también se asocia con una variedad de resultados adversos tanto para la madre como el niño, incluyendo un mayor riesgo de sepsis, mortalidad materna, mortalidad perinatal y bajo peso al nacer. Descripción de la tecnología: El complejo de hierro polimaltosado es un complejo macromolécular hidrosoluble que consiste en núcleos de hierro férrico envueltos por moléculas no covalentes de polimaltosa, que se utiliza para el tratamiento por vía oral. Algunos estudios han informado que presenta similar biodisponibilidad, mayor adherencia y menores efectos adversos que el sulfato ferroso en niños. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la efectividad y seguridad del hierro polimaltosado en la prevención y tratamiento de anemia por deficiencia de hierro en comparación con el sulfato ferroso, en niños menores de 5 años, para la toma de decisiones en relación con su posible inclusión en los planes de cobertura del país. METODOLOGÍA: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en los repositorios de las principales Agencias de Evaluación de Tecnologías Sanitarias internacionales, y los buscadores de GPC internacionales, posteriormente se realizó la búsqueda en las bases de datos: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, LILACS, tripdatabase hasta julio del 2019. Adicionalmente, se hizo una búsqueda en los repositorios de agencias de evaluaciones de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS), guías de práctica clínica (GPC) y evaluaciones económicas (EE). Se incluyeron todos los diseños de estudios, sin restricciones de año de publicación o idioma. RESULTADOS: La estrategia de búsqueda en los repositorios arrojó 104 reportes de los cuales se seleccionaron 15 estudios para el análisis de la evidencia: catorce ensayos clínicos y 1 revisión sistemática. Se identificaron 3 ETS. No se identificaron GPC que mencionaran la tecnología sanitaria en evaluación, ni EE de la región. En ocho de los estudios identificados, el sulfato ferroso ha demostrado ser más eficaz que el hierro polimaltosado en el tratamiento de la anemia por deficiencia de hierro en niños menores de cinco años, mientras que siete estudios concluyen que la eficacia es similar en ambos tratamientos. La mayoría de los estudios refieren que el tratamiento con hierro polimaltosado ha presentado menos efectos adversos y mayor adherencia al tratamiento, comparado con el sulfato ferroso. CONCLUSIONES: La evidencia sobre la eficacia del hierro polimaltosado, no es concluyente, debido a que algunos estudios presentan que el sulfato ferroso es más eficaz que el hierro polimaltosado, mientras que otros concluyen que tienen similar eficacia. Sin embargo, la mayoría de estudios encuentran que el hierro polimaltosado presenta menos efectos adversos y mayor adherencia al tratamiento.

Nano-Fe3C@PGC as a novel low-cost anode electrocatalyst for superior performance microbial fuel cells.

We report a novel anode electrocatalyst, iron carbide nanoparticles dispersed in porous graphitized carbon (Nano-Fe3C@PGC), which is synthesized by facile approach involving a direct pyrolysis of ferrous gluconate and a following removal of free iron, but provides microbial fuel cells with superior performances. The physical characterizations confirm the unique configuration of iron carbide nanoparticles with porous graphitized carbon. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the as-synthesized Nano-Fe3C@PGC exhibits an outstanding electrocatalytic activity toward the charge transfer between bacteria and anode. Equipped with Nano-Fe3C@PGC, the microbial fuel cells based on a mixed bacterium culture yields a power density of 1856 mW m-2. The resulting excellent performance is attributed to the large electrochemical active area and the high electronic conductivity that porous graphitized carbon provides and the enriched electrochemically active microorganisms and enhanced activity towards the redox reactions in microorganisms by Fe3C nanoparticles.

Assessment of adherence to iron supplementation among pregnant women in the Yaounde gynaeco-obstetric and paediatric hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Anemia is a global problem affecting 41.8% of pregnant women. Iron deficiency is the leading cause during pregnancy. Its prevalence among Cameroonian pregnant women was estimated at 50.9% in 2004. Few studies have evaluated women's adherence to iron supplementation prescribed during pregnancy. We carried this study in order to evaluate the rate of adherence to iron supplementation and its determinants during pregnancy. METHODS: The study was cross-sectional descriptive, on postpartum women at the Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital of Yaoundé during three months. Adherence was measured using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). The total score was classified as low, moderate and high adherence. RESULTS: For a total of 304 recruited women, 16.4% were highly compliant, 27.6% moderately compliant, while 56% were low compliant with iron supplementation during pregnancy. The reasons for non-adherence were side effects (19.7%), forgetting (70.1%) and inaccessibility of iron supplements (20.1%). Up to 85 (or 28%) women found it boring to take medication daily. Women with no side effects were about thrice most likely to adhere to the iron supplementation than those with side effects: OR = 3.73 [2.43-5.71]; P = 0.04. Women aged 25 years and above were more likely to be non-compliant to iron supplementation than those youngers: OR = 0.40 [0.31-0.88]; P = 0.02. CONCLUSION: To improve adherence to antenatal iron supplementation, it is important to increase communication for behavior change and counseling before or during antenatal care. Forgetting being the main reason for non-adherence, women should keep their iron in a place of easy access.

Treating Anemia in the Preanesthesia Assessment Clinic: Results of a Retrospective Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative anemia is challenging during hospital stay because anemia and red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are associated with an increased morbidity and mortality. With the implementation of patient blood management (PBM), a preanesthesia assessment clinic to screen and treat anemia before elective surgery was institutionalized at Muenster University Hospital, Germany. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the association between treating preoperative anemic patients with intravenous iron (IVI) and (primarily) presurgical hemoglobin levels and (secondarily) use of RBCs and mortality. METHODS: Between April 1, 2014, and July 4, 2016, patients scheduled for elective surgery with a risk for RBC transfusions >10% in 2013 were screened for preoperative anemia and, if indicated, treated with IVI. Patients' data, time span between visit in the anesthesia/PBM clinic and surgery, demographic data, type of surgery, the difference of hemoglobin levels between visit and surgery, RBC transfusion, infectious-related International Classification of Disease codes during hospital stay, and 1-year survival were determined retrospectively by screening electronic data files. In addition, patients were interviewed about adverse events, health-related events, and infections via telephone 30, 90, and 365 days after visiting the anesthesia/PBM clinic. RESULTS: A total of 1101 patients were seen in the anesthesia/PBM clinic between days -28 and -1 (median [Q1-Q3], -3 days [-1, -9 days]) before elective surgery. Approximately 29% of patients presented with anemia, 46.8% of these anemic patients were treated with ferric carboxymaltose (500-1000 mg).In the primary analysis, hemoglobin levels at median were associated with a reduction between the visit in the anesthesia/PBM clinic and the surgery in all nonanemic patients on beginning of medical treatment (nonanemic patients at median -2.8 g/dL [-4, -0.9 g/dL], while anemic patients without IVI presented with median differences of -0.8 g/dL [-2, 0 g/dL] and anemic patients with IVI of 0 g/dL [-1.0, 0.5 g/dL]). Hemoglobin levels raised best at substitution 22-28 days before surgery (0.95 g/dL [-0.35, 1.18 g/dL]). Due to the selection criteria, transfusion rates were high in the cohort. Overall, there was no association between IVI treatment and the use of RBC transfusions (odds ratio for use of RBCs in anemic patients, no IVI versus IVI: 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-1.82). Patients treated with or without IVI presented a comparable range of International Classification of Disease codes related to infections. Telephone interviews indicated similar adverse events, health-related events, and infections. Cox regression analysis showed an association between anemia and reduced survival, regardless of IVI. CONCLUSIONS: An anemia clinic within the preanesthesia assessment clinic is a feasible and effective approach to treat preoperative anemia. The IVI supplementation was safe but was associated with decreased RBC transfusions in gynecology/obstetric patients only. The conclusions from this retrospective analysis have to be tested in prospective, controlled trials.

Radial haemostasis is facilitated with a potassium ferrate haemostatic patch: the Statseal with TR Band assessment trial (STAT).

AIMS: Haemostasis is a limiting factor for discharge after uncomplicated transradial procedures. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a potassium ferrate haemostatic patch (PFHP) could serve as an adjunct to the air-bladder TR Band (TRB) to facilitate implementation of a rapid deflation protocol. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a prospective multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing radial haemostatic protocols. Deflation of the TRB was attempted at 40 minutes with PFHP and at 120 minutes without the PFHP. The primary outcome was time to full deflation of the TRB with haemostasis. At four US sites, 180 patients were enrolled after receiving a minimum of 5,000 units of unfractionated heparin or bivalirudin. Interventions comprised 30% of procedures. Successful TRB deflation occurred at 43±14 minutes with PFHP and 160±43 minutes without PFHP (p<0.001). Minor haematomas occurred in nine (10.3%) of the TRB patients and 16 (17.2%) of the PFHP patients (p=0.20). Radial artery occlusion occurred in 2% of patients in the PFHP group (p=NS). Outpatients randomised to PFHP were discharged 51±83.5 minutes earlier than control. CONCLUSIONS: The PFHP haemostatic patch facilitated early deflation of the TRB with a non-significant increase in forearm haematomas. Use of the PFHP may improve patient throughput and allow earlier discharge following transradial procedures.

Assessment of toxic effects of magnetic particles used for lake restoration on Chlorella sp. and on Brachionus calyciflorus.

Laboratory tests, by following standardized Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) protocols, were run for evaluating the acute effects of iron magnetic microparticles (MPs), recently proposed for lake restoration, on Chlorella sp. (algal growth) and on the rotifer B. calyciflorus (mortality). In addition, the MPs potential indirect effects on rotifer egg bank were assessed by performing hatching rate test with B. calyciflorus cysts in contact with dissolved iron (Tot-Fedis). In the algal growth test, no inhibition occurred at the two lowest MPs concentrations (0.01 and 0.05 g l-1) which would correspond, considering the adsorption efficiency ratio (Phosphorus: MPs), to P concentrations lower than 0.94 mg P l-1, much higher than typical concentrations found in natural waters. For higher MPs dose (EC50 for Chlorella sp. was 0.15 g l-1), no nutrient limitations but high turbidity and Tot-Fedis values cause negative effects on algal growth. For the case of B. calyciflorus, LC50 was 1.63 g MPs l-1 (corresponding to 30.7 mg P l-1). When analyzing Tot-Fedis effect, the hatching rate of B. calyciflorus cysts was 100% for all treatments. To sum up our results for B. calyciflorus acute and chronic toxicity tests, it is extremely unlikely the mortality of adult organisms in contact with MPs as well as an affectation of the rotifer egg bank. In conclusion, it is expected that MPs addition in a real whole-lake application cause minor lethal and sublethal effects on both Chlorella sp. and B. calyciflorus.

Assessment of biofilm changes and concentration-depth profiles during arsenopyrite oxidation by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans.

Biofilm formation and evolution are key factors to consider to better understand the kinetics of arsenopyrite biooxidation. Chemical and surface analyses were carried out using Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), glow discharge spectroscopy (GDS), and protein analysis (i.e., quantification) in order to evaluate the formation of intermediate secondary compounds and any significant changes arising in the biofilm structure of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans during a 120-h period of biooxidation. Results show that the biofilm first evolves from a low cell density structure (1 to 12 h) into a formation of microcolonies (24 to 120 h) and then finally becomes enclosed by a secondary compound matrix that includes pyrite (FeS2)-like, S n2-/S0, and As2S3 compounds, as shown by Raman and SEM-EDS. GDS analyses (concentration-depth profiles, i.e., 12 h) indicate significant differences for depth speciation between abiotic control and biooxidized surfaces, thus providing a quantitative assessment of surface-bulk changes across samples (i.e. reactivity and /or structure-activity relationship). Respectively, quantitative protein analyses and CLSM analyses suggest variations in the type of extracellular protein expressed and changes in the biofilm structure from hydrophilic (i.e., exopolysaccharides) to hydrophobic (i.e., lipids) due to arsenopyrite and cell interactions during the 120-h period of biooxidation. We suggest feasible environmental and industrial implications for arsenopyrite biooxidation based on the findings of this study.