Mechanisms for enhanced lignin humification with reduced organic matter loss by goethite in biogas residue composting.

In this study, effects of three iron (oxyhydr)oxides on the biogas residue composting, i.e., composting with goethite (CFe1), hematite (CFe2) or magnetite (CFe3), were investigated. Results showed that composting performance of CFe1 was much better than those of CFe2 and CFe3. Addition of goethite increased temperature of CFe1 and enhanced lignin humification. More than 31.49% of Fe(III) in goethite was reduced to amorphous Fe(II) during the composting, suggesting that goethite worked as electron acceptor for microbial metabolism and heat generation. The functional bacteria Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria, and genes encoding key enzymes (AA1 family), which play essential roles in humification of lignin, were enriched in CFe1. Besides, goethite reduced 10.96% organic matter (OM) loss probably by increasing the molecular size and aggregation of OM for its protection during the composting. This study shows that adding goethite is an efficient strategy to enhancing the humification of lignin-rich biowaste.

Development of Hydrogels for Microneedle-Assisted Transdermal Delivery of Naloxone for Opioid-Induced Pruritus.

Transdermal naloxone delivery could be a potential option for treating opioid-induced pruritus, but naloxone does not permeate skin well because of its hydrophilic nature. Microneedles (MNs) could overcome the skin barrier by painlessly creating microchannels in the skin to permit naloxone absorption to therapeutic levels. This study investigated how ionization correlates with naloxone permeation across MN-treated skin. Hydrogels containing 0.2, 0.5, or 1% naloxone were formulated with 1% cross-linked polyacrylic acid (polymer) and adjusted to pH 5, 6.5, or 7.4. Porcine skin was treated with MNs and naloxone gel, and in vitro permeation studies were performed using an in-line diffusion setup. Gel structural properties were evaluated using rheology. All gels had viscoelastic properties and good spreadability. Naloxone permeation through intact skin was highest from pH 7.4 gels when naloxone is unionized, in contrast with undetectable concentrations permeated from pH 5 gels with 100% ionization. Combining MN treatment with pH 5 gels significantly enhanced permeation and resulted in steady-state flux that would achieve therapeutic delivery. Absorption lag time was affected by MN length and naloxone gel concentration. Polymer concentration did not influence drug permeability. This study demonstrates that transdermal naloxone delivery with MNs is a viable treatment option for opioid-induced pruritus.

An enhanced anaerobic membrane bioreactor treating bamboo industry wastewater by bamboo charcoal addition: Performance and microbial community analysis.

In this study, two anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) were operated for 150days to treat bamboo industry wastewater (BIWW), and one of them was enhanced with bamboo charcoal (B-AnMBR). During the steady period, average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies of 94.5±2.9% and 89.1±3.1% were achieved in B-AnMBR and AnMBR, respectively. The addition of bamboo charcoal (BC) increased the amount of biomass and improved the performance of the systems. A higher biogas production and methane yield were also observed in B-AnMBR. Regarding the issue of membrane fouling, BC lowered the soluble microbial product (SMP) content by approximately 62.73mg/L and decreased the membrane resistance, thereby mitigating membrane fouling. Analysis of the microbial communities demonstrated that BC increased the microbial diversity and promoted the activity of Methanosaeta, Methanospirillum, and Methanobacterium, which are dominant in methane production.