Sustainable use of wastes as reactive material in permeable reactive barrier for remediation of acid mine drainage: Batch and continuous studies.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of the use of different industrial and agricultural wastes as reactive materials in Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRB) for Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) remediation. Sugar foam (SF), paper mill sludge (PMS), drinking water sludge (DWS) and olive mill waste (OMW) were evaluated in terms of pH neutralization and metal removal from AMD. Laboratory batch tests and continuous pilot scale up-flow columns containing 82% of Volcanic Slag (VS), as porous fill material, and 18% w/w of one of the industrial and agricultural wastes previously indicated, were tested. From the batch tests it was observed that the reactive material presenting the best results were the SF and the PMS. The results obtained in all the PRB were accurately described by a pseudo-first order model, presenting coefficient of determination higher than 0.96 in all the cases. During the continuous operation of the PRB, the porosity and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of most of the up-flow columns strongly decreased due to chemical precipitation and biofilm growth. The SF presented a significant number of fine particles that were washed out by the liquid flow, generating an effluent with very high total suspended solid concentration. Despite SF was the material with the highest alkalinity potential, the reduction of the HRT limited its neutralization and metal removal capacity. PMS and DWS presented the best pollutant removal yields in the continuous operation of the PRB, ranging from 55 to 99% and 55-95% (except in the case of the Mn), respectively. These results allowed the metal removal from the AMD. Additionally, these wastes presented very good biological sulphate reduction. Based on these results, the use of PMS and DWS as reactive material in PRB would allow to simultaneously valorise the industrial waste, which is very interesting within the circular economy framework, and to remove metals from the AMD by means of a low-cost and environmentally sustainable procedure.

Acrylamide bioaccessibility in potato and veggie chips. Impact of in vitro colonic fermentation on the non-bioaccessible fraction.

Potato-based products contribute largely to the daily intake of acrylamide. In addition to potato crisps, the European Commission has included veggie crisps in the list of foods that should be monitored for their acrylamide content. In the present study, acrylamide content in potato and veggie chips (sweet potato, beetroot and carrot) and their bioaccessibility after in vitro digestion was assessed. The non-bioaccessible fraction was also submitted to in vitro fermentation under colonic conditions. Faecal samples from volunteers of three age groups (children, adolescents and adults) were used to evaluate the microbiota effect on the acrylamide availability. Sweet potato chips exhibited the highest acrylamide content (2342 µg/kg), followed by carrot (1279 µg/kg), beetroot (947 µg/kg) and potato chips (524 µg/kg). After in vitro digestion, acrylamide bioaccessibility was significantly lower in veggie chips (59.7-60.4 %) than in potato chips (71.7 %). Potato and sweet potato chips showed the significantly lowest acrylamide content in the non-bioaccessible fraction (22.8 and 24.1 %, respectively) as compared with beetroot chips (28.4 %). After the fermentation step, acrylamide percentage in the soluble fraction of veggie chips ranged from 43.03 to 71.89 %, the highest values being observed in sweet potato chips fermented with microbiota from children. This fact would involve that the acrylamide was released from the non-bioaccessible fractions by the microbiota. These findings point out that the levels of potentially absorbable acrylamide after the complete gastrointestinal process could be modulated by both the food matrix composition and the microbiota. These factors should be further considered for a more precise risk assessment of dietary acrylamide in humans.

Assessment of the acrylamide bioaccessibility in cereal and potato-based foods after in vitro digestion.

Acrylamide bioaccessibility during and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of cereal and potato-based foods was monitored. Isolated vs combined meals were evaluated with the aim of investigating acrylamide-food matrix interactions. The meals considered were breakfast cereals, biscuits, patatas a lo pobre (patatas-pobre) and French fries for isolated foods; breakfast cereals with yoghurt, biscuits with milk, patatas-pobre with scrambled eggs and French fries with meat steak for combined foods. The non-bioaccessible fraction of acrylamide tended to decrease during the digestion process in all the systems. However, the final bioaccessible acrylamide was affected by the food matrix composition (fibre, protein, sugars and lipids). The digestion of breakfast cereals, biscuits with milk, patatas-pobre and patatas-pobre with scrambled eggs led to acrylamide bioaccessibility below the initial content of the contaminant in the meals. In absolute values, the combined consumption of biscuits and milk significantly reduced the bioaccessible acrylamide compared with isolated biscuits (from 212 to 122 ng; p < 0.05). The presence of protein sources (egg or meat steak) in the potato-based products significantly decreased the acrylamide bioaccessibility, which was more prominent in the French fries-meat steak system (from 2100 to 1698 ng; p < 0.05). These findings establish the importance of considering complete meals and not only isolated foods as well as the study of the non-bioaccessible fractions for a better understanding of acrylamide bioaccessibility, its recovery and interactions during gastrointestinal digestion.

Characterization and application of a coating of starch extracted from avocado (Persea americana L. cv. Hass) seeds as an alternative to reduce acrylamide content in French fries.

The starch extracted from avocado (Persea americana L. cv. Hass) seeds was characterized and used in the preparation of an edible coating to reduce the oil uptake and acrylamide content in French fries. Starch characterization was carried out using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, gelatinization, and scanning electron microscopy. Uncoated (UFF) and coated (CFF) French fries were compared and evaluated for moisture, water activity (Aw), fat, color, firmness, acrylamide content, and sensorial analysis. The extracted starch presented a high crystalline structure and good stability to mechanical work and heat treatments. The CFF French fries showed significantly higher Aw, color parameter a*, but lower luminosity and acrylamide content than UFF samples. Similarly, the CFF samples tended to decrease the fat content, although without statistical differences. Avocado seed starch can be an economical and technically feasible alternative to the food industry as an effective coating to reduce acrylamide content in French fries.

Impact of the consumer cooking practices on acrylamide formation during the preparation of French fries in Spanish households.

An observational study in 208 volunteers in households from 30 Spanish provinces was conducted from May to June 2017 in order to evaluate the formation of acrylamide during the preparation of French fries from fresh potatoes. Consumer cooking practices and household typology were evaluated with an ad-hoc questionnaire. Potatoes (fresh and fried) and frying oil were collected from the households. A total of 36.1% of samples contained acrylamide above the benchmark level for French fries (500 µg kg-1). The mean acrylamide content (550 µg kg-1) and P95 (1747 µg kg-1) were higher than values reported by EFSA (308 µg kg-1 and 971 µg kg-1, respectively). Although the colour 'golden' was the criteria to decide the end-point of frying, nearly 40% of the consumers misclassified it. Acrylamide was significantly correlated with the colour parameter a*, even in this random scenario of frying practices, and is able to distinguish above and below the established benchmark level of 500 µg kg-1 for acrylamide.

Modelization of anaerobic processes during co-digestion of slowly biodegradable substrates.

The influence of the soluble substrates over the anaerobic processes has been extensively investigated, but little is known about the effects of particulate substrate. The biodegradation of these substrates starts with the hydrolytic step, this process is slower than the other ones involved in the biodegradation of particulate substrates and usually becomes the rate-limiting step. This study investigate the effect of the initial total solids (TS) concentration on the anaerobic co-digestion of two slowly biodegradable organic substrates. The wastes mixtures were prepared at different dilutions in the range from 10% to 28% TS. From these experiments it was observed that as TS concentration increased, the methane production decreased. These results were modelled and it was observed that neither hydrolysis nor fermentation stages controlled the methane production rate. Being a substrate inhibition event experienced at the methanogenic stage the responsible of the lower methane production when operating at high TS concentrations.

Removal of oxyfluorfen from polluted effluents by combined bio-electro processes.

In this work, the combination of biological and electrochemical processes to mineralize oxyfluorfen has been studied. First, an acclimatized mixed-culture biological treatment was used to degrade the biodegradable fraction of the pesticide, reaching up to 90% removal. After that, the non-biodegraded fraction was oxidised by electrolysis using boron-doped diamond as the anode. The results showed that the electrochemical technique was able to completely mineralize the residual pollutants. The study of the influence of the supporting electrolyte on the electrochemical process showed that the trace mineral solution used in the biological treatment was enough to completely mineralize the oxyfluorfen, resulting in total organic carbon removal rates that were well-fitted by a first-order model with a kinetic constant of 0.91 h-1. However, the first-order degradation rate increased approximately 20% when Na2SO4 was added as supporting electrolyte, reaching a degradation rate of 1.16 h-1 with a power consumption that was approximately 70% lower.

The formation of potentially harmful compounds in churros, a Spanish fried-dough pastry, as influenced by deep frying conditions.

Colour, moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and acrylamide (AA) were investigated in traditional Spanish churros. Samples were deep-fried in sunflower oil at lab-scale temperatures of 180, 190 and 200°C and for frying times of 2, 3, 5 and 7min. Fresh made churros were also obtained from local producers. HMF ranged from 1.2±0.02 to 221.4±2.02mg/kg for lab-scale experiments and an average of 74.3±47.5mg/kg was recorded in commercial samples. AA ranged from below the limit of quantitation to 90±0.6µg/kg for lab-scale experiments and an average of 46±24.5µg/kg was measured in commercial samples. Temperatures between 185 and 200°C are commonly used to obtain churros with an acceptable palatability and a crispy surface. However, HMF and AA levels increased nearly two-fold from 190 to 200°C at the same frying times, indicating that a more precise control of frying temperatures is required to minimize their formation.

Recycling of waste engine oil for diesel production.

The aim of this work was to recycle waste engine oil until converting it into reusable product, diesel fuel. The waste oil was treated using pyrolytic distillation. The effect of two additives (sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate) in the purification of the obtained fuel was also studied. Moreover, the influence of the number of distillations were analysed. Some thermal and physicochemical properties (density, viscosity, colour, turbidity, acidity value, distillation curves, cetane number, corrosiveness to Cu, water content, flash point and hydrocarbons) were determined to analyse the quality of the obtained fuel. The best results were obtained with 2% of sodium carbonate and two successive distillations. The obtained results showed that pyrolytic distillation of waste engine oil is an excellent way to produce diesel fuel to be used in engines.

Familial dilated cardiomyopathy: A multidisciplinary entity, from basic screening to novel circulating biomarkers.

Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy has become one of the most prevalent inherited cardiomyopathies over the past decades. Genetic screening of first-degree relatives has revealed that 30-50% of the cases have a familial origin. Similar to other heart diseases, familial dilated cardiomyopathy is characterized by a high genetic heterogeneity that complicates family studies. Cli'nical screening, 12-lead electrocardiogram and transthoracic echocardiogram are recommended for patients and first-degree family members. Magnetic resonance also needs to be considered. Genetic technologies have become fundamental for the clinical management of this disease. New generation sequencing methods have made genetic testing feasible for extensive panels of genes related to the disease. Recently, new imaging modalities such as speckle-tracking, strain and strain rate or magnetic resonance, and circulating biomarkers such as non-coding RNAs, have emerged as potential strategies to help cardiologists in their clinical practice. Imaging, genetic and blood-based techniques should be considered together in the evaluation and testing of familial dilated cardiomyopathy. Here, we discuss the current procedures and novel approaches for the clinical management of familial dilated cardiomyopathy.

An investigation of process contaminants' formation during the deep frying of breadcrumbs using a bread coat model.

The formation of acrylamide, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural was investigated in a deep fried breadcrumb coat model resembling the coat batter of breaded foods. The influence of the composition of the breadcrumb and the frying conditions on the formation of these contaminants was evaluated. Six wheat-based flour formulations of breadcrumbs were deep fried in sunflower oil at temperatures between 170-200 °C and for frying times of 1-5 minutes. Results showed significant differences in the levels of contaminants according to the concentration of the potential precursors in the breadcrumbs. HMF was influenced by the sugar content in the breadcrumbs whereas levels of acrylamide were significantly correlated with the ratio between asparagine and reducing sugars. Acrylamide, HMF and furfural were directly related to the frying time and temperature. The composition of the breadcrumb and the compounds formed during frying contributed to the total antioxidant capacity of the fried samples. The bread coat model is a useful tool in the formulation of breaded foods since it allows the evaluation of the contribution of breadcrumbs in the formation of process contaminants after frying.

Long-term effects of the transient COD concentration on the performance of microbial fuel cells.

In this work, the long-term effects of transient chemical oxygen demands (COD) concentrations over the performance of a microbial fuel cell were studied. From the obtained results, it was observed that the repetitive change in the COD loading rate during 12 h conditioned the behavior of the system during periods of up to 7 days. The main modifications were the enhancement of the COD consumption rate and the exerted current. These enhancements yielded increasing Coulombic efficiencies (CEs) when working with COD concentrations of 300 mg/L, but constant CEs when working with COD concentrations from 900 to 1800 mg/L. This effect could be explained by the higher affinity for the substrate of Geobacter than that of the nonelectrogenic organisms such as Clostridia. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:883-890, 2016.

Detection of anti-HLA antibody by flow cytometry in patients with a left ventricular assist device is associated with early rejection following heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a bridge to heart transplantation (HT) often have elevated levels of panel reactive antibodies (PRA). The clinical significance of anti-human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies detected by flow cytometry in PRA negative patients remains unclear. METHODS: Eighteen patients who underwent LVAD placement as a successful bridge to HT had standard anti-human globulin complement-dependent cytotoxicity and retrospective flow cytometry assays performed to detect class I anti-HLA antibodies. A positive flow result was defined as a fluorescent ratio of 23:1 versus a negative control. RESULTS: Six patients had anti-HLA antibodies detected by flow cytometry. Univariate analysis demonstrated more moderate-severe rejection episodes (ISHLT > or = IIIA) at 2 months (0.83+/-0.75 vs. 0; P=0.04) and a trend toward decreased time to first rejection (61+/-17 vs. 225+/-62 days; P=0.06) in these patients. No differences were observed in donor-recipient HLA mismatch or 1 year Kaplan-Meier survival between patients with or without anti-HLA antibodies. CONCLUSION: Despite a negative PRA, LVAD patients with class I anti-HLA antibodies detected by flow cytometry have a greater incidence of moderate-severe rejection in the first 2 months after HT. Flow cytometry may be a useful clinical tool in screening PRA negative LVAD patients before transplantation. Patients with positive anti-HLA antibody screening by flow cytometry may require more intensive immunosuppression in the early post-HT period.

Shuttle versus six-minute walk test in the prediction of outcome in chronic heart failure.

We prospectively analysed the potential usefulness of a symptom-limited walk test, the shuttle walk test (SWT), in the prediction of major cardiac events in 46 consecutive patients with chronic heart failure (NYHA class II-IV, ejection fraction <0.40) and compared it with that of a time-limited walk test, the six-minute walk test (6-MT). After a mean follow-up of 17 months (range, 8-28 months), 15 of 46 patients (33%) experienced a major cardiac event, defined as a cardiac death, urgent transplantation, or hospital admission for continuous inotropic or mechanical support. Distance walked in the SWT was shown to be a predictor of outcome at one year of follow-up (P=0.03), but distance ambulated in the 6-MT was not (P=0.07). In multivariate analysis, percentage of age-gender predicted peak oxygen uptake was the best predictor of major cardiac events. When patients were divided into tertiles according to performance in both walk tests, there was an overall difference in event-free survival at 12 months among SWT tertiles (P=0.004), but not among 6-MT tertiles (P=0.09). A low performance in the SWT (distance ambulated <450 m) allowed identification of a subgroup of patients with a high risk for major cardiac events at short-term. We conclude that, in patients with chronic heart failure, distance ambulated in the SWT predicts event-free survival at one year better than that in the 6-MT.

Effect of malondialdehyde on the determination of furosine in milk-based products.

For nutritional purposes the recombination of milk or milk proteins with polyunsaturated fatty acids had long been considered in newly designed products, such as functional foods. Four milk-resembling model systems were prepared having malondialdehyde content ups to 1 mM. Systems were heated between 110 and 150 degrees C for up to 30 min. The effect of the presence of bifunctional aldehydes on the determination of furosine as a heat-induced marker was investigated. Levels of 0.01 mM MAD in the reaction mixture could affect significantly the determination of furosine in a milk-based system. Impairment of lysyl residues through the analysis of furosine could be underestimated in the presence of malondialdehyde.

First Report of Banana mild mosaic virus Isolated from Plantains (Musa AAB) in Colombia.

Plantains (Musa AAB) are important sources of food and income for millions of people in Colombia and other developing countries. Colombia is the largest producer of plantains (2) and the third largest exporter of bananas in the world. In 2001, plants of 'Dominico-Hartón' plantain showing mild chlorotic streak symptoms were observed in northwestern Colombia. Electron microscopy of symptomatic tissue extracts revealed the presence of filamentous virus-like particles approximately 800 nm long. Immunocapture reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to test for the presence of Banana mild mosaic virus (BanMMV) as described by J. E. Thomas (unpublished, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Australia) and Sharman et al. (3). For polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the upstream primer No. 193 (5'-CAC TTA GGT TTG TGT GAT GT-3') (designed in this study by using the computer Program DNAMAN Version 4.13) and the downstream primer Poty1 (5'-GGA TCC CGG GTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT V-3') (1,3; J. E. Thomas, unpublished, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Australia) were used. Amplification products of the expected size (approximately 900 bp) were obtained and sequenced after cloning in a pCR2.1 plasmid vector. Analyses of nucleic acid sequences using the international sequence databases and the BLAST program yielded nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarities of 80 to 83% and 90 to 92%, respectively, with an Australian isolate of BanMMV (GenBank Accession No. AF314662). The coat protein (CP) gene of the Colombian BanMMV isolate consists of 717 nucleotides. When the CP of the Colombian BanMMV isolates (GenBank Accession Nos. AY319331, AY319332, and AY319333) was compared with the CP of the Australian isolate, a highly variable region was observed in the N-terminus region. To our knowledge, this is the first report of BanMMV isolated from plantains in Colombia and the presence of molecular variability in the CP of BanMMV isolates. BanMMV has been found in Colombia associated with Banana streak virus and Cucumber mosaic virus in plantain. References: (1) A. Gibbs and A. Mackenzie. J. Virol.Methods 63:9, 1997 (2) N. S. Price. Infomusa 8(2):26, 1999. (3) M. Sharman et al. J. Virol. Methods 89:75, 2000.

[The prognosis of mediastinal lymph node infiltration (N2) in patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) who have undergone curative treatment]. / Pronóstico de la infiltración ganglionar mediastínica (N2) en pacientes con carcinoma de pulmón de células no microcelulares (CPCNM) intervenidos con intenciones curativas.

In this prospective study of 148 surgically treated patients with non-small cell carcinoma of the lung (NSCLC) who were followed for 5 to 7 years, we analyzed the prognostic value of mediastinal lymph node invasion (N2) and survival after 5 years depending on different characteristics. Forty-two (28.4%) patients were N2. Survival in this sample was 9%. Twenty-seven T2N2 patients (among whom survival was 13%) were selected from this group and classified according to whether lymph node invasion was intranodal (survival 39%) or extracapsular (survival 5%) (p < or = 0.05). We also evaluated the prognostic value of different ganglionic areas in accordance to the maps suggested by the American Thoracic Society (ATS). There were no survivors for areas 2, 8 and 9, and no patient with invasion of more than two areas lived more than 18 months. Significant differences in survival were found among patients with invasion of areas 10 and 11. We conclude a) that global analysis of N2 is of such little value in predicting survival that surgery is not justified unless screening criteria are applied; b) that extracapsular invasion rules out surgical treatment; c) that the prognostic value of ganglionic areas is not entirely clear, although the prognosis seems to be poorer for invasion of areas 2, 8 and 9 or invasion of more than 2 areas, and d) that invasion of area 10 would appear to be better classified as N2 than as N1.

[The role of computed tomography (CT) of the thorax in defining the anatomical extent in bronchogenic carcinoma (BC)]. / Papel de la tomografía computarizada (TC) de tórax en la definición de la extensión anatómica en el carcinoma broncogénico (CB).

A series of 129 carriers of non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma (BC), in whom computed tomography (CT) of the thorax was performed as part of the preoperative study, are presented. The results of CT were compared with those of thoracotomy in terms of sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). Thoracic wall (prevalence 0.18): SEN, SP, PPV and NPV were 0.65, 0.92, 0.63 and 0.92, respectively. In peripheral tumors these values were 0.85, 0.90, 0.69 and 0.96, respectively. CT demonstrating invasion of the thoracic wall thus requires confirmation for the purpose of surgical staging. If CT reveals an intact wall, however, surgery may take place immediately. Malignant mediastinal lymph nodes: (prevalence 0.36): SEN, SP, PPV, and NPV were 0.70, 0.89, 0.78 and 0.84, respectively. For peripheral tumors these values were 0.78, 0.93, 0.82 and 0.91, respectively. CT demonstrating malignant mediastinal lymph nodes should be confirmed by mediastinoscopy. If mediastinal malignancy is not observed by CT, thoracotomy may be performed in peripherally located tumors; in centrally located tumors, however, the absence of adenopathy should be confirmed by mediastinoscopy.

[A multivariate prospective study of prognostic factors in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC): the results at 5 years]. / Estudio prospectivo multivariante sobre factores pronósticos en el carcinoma de pulmón no microcelular (CPNM): resultados a 5 años.

We present the results of a 5-year prospective study of 153 patients with a diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma (BC) who underwent curative surgery. Clinical and anatomical variables were analyzed by multiple regression analysis for prediction of death. Among the anatomical variables, the most significant were the following: stages of anatomical spread (p < or = 0.00000), ganglionic state (p < or = 0.00000), type for surgery (curative or non-curative) (p < or = 0.00000) and state of tumor (p = 0.00012). Significant clinical variables were clinical stage by Feinstein's classification (p = 0.00037), functional capacity (ECOG scale) (p = 0.01196) and tumor size measured conventionally (p = 0.01196). These variables were entered into a multivariate model for prognostic prediction in order to determine the patient's relative risk over time. The best combination of anatomical variables was obtained by associating the stages of spread and ganglionic state (chi 2 = 34.24; p = < 0.00000); the best combination of clinical variables was clinical stage and tumor size (chi 2 = 17.37; p = 0.00023). Thus, although the anatomical variables are more important than clinical ones, the latter have independent prognostic value, are easy to obtain and are available before surgery. They therefore represent an alternative to prognosis based on anatomical spread.