Assessing the Impact of PM2.5-Bound Arsenic on Cardiovascular Risk among Workers in a Non-ferrous Metal Smelting Area: Insights from Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability.

Inhalation of fine particulate matter PM2.5-bound arsenic (PM2.5-As) may cause significant cardiovascular damage, due to its high concentration, long transmission range, and good absorption efficiency in organisms. However, both the contribution and the effect of the arsenic exposure pathway, with PM2.5 as the medium, on cardiovascular system damage in nonferrous smelting sites remain to be studied. In this work, a one-year site sample collection and analysis work showed that the annual concentration of PM2.5-As reached 0.74 µg/m3, which was 120 times the national standard. The predominant species in the PM2.5 samples were As (V) and As (III). A panel study among workers revealed that PM2.5-As exposure dominantly contributed to human absorption of As. After exposure of mice to PM2.5-As for 8 weeks, the accumulation of As in the high exposure group reached equilibrium, and its bioavailability was 24.5%. A series of animal experiments revealed that PM2.5-As exposure induced cardiac injury and dysfunction at the environmental relevant concentration and speciation. By integrating environmental and animal exposure assessments, more accurate health risk assessment models exposed to PM2.5-As were established for metal smelting areas. Therefore, our research provides an important scientific basis for relevant departments to formulate industry supervision, prevention and control policies.

A highly efficient process to enhance the bioleaching of spent lithium-ion batteries by bifunctional pyrite combined with elemental sulfur.

Bioleaching technologies have been shown to be an environmentally friendly and economically beneficial tool for extracting metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, conventional bioleaching methods have exhibited low efficiency in recovering metals from spent LIBs. Therefore, relied on the sustainability principle of using waste to treat waste, this study employed pyrite (FeS2) as an energy substance with reducing properties and investigated its effects in combination with elemental sulfur (S0) or FeSO4 on metals bioleaching from spent LIBs. Results demonstrated that the bioleaching efficiency was significantly higher in the leaching system constructed with FeS2 + S0, than in the FeS2 + FeSO4 or FeS2 system. When the pulp densities of FeS2, S0 and spent LIBs were 10 g L-1, 5 g L-1 and 10 g L-1, respectively, the leaching efficiency of Li, Ni, Co and Mn all reached 100%. Mechanistic analysis reveals that in the FeS2 + S0 system, the activity and acid-producing capabilities of iron-sulfur oxidizing bacteria were enhanced, promoting the generation of Fe (Ⅱ) and reducible sulfur compounds. Simultaneously, bio-acids were shown to disrupt the structure of the LIBs, thereby increasing the contact area between Fe (Ⅱ) and sulfur compounds containing high-valence metals. This effectively promoted the reduction of high-valence metals, thereby enhancing their leaching efficiency. Overall, the FeS2 + S0 bioleaching process constructed in this study, improved the leaching efficiency of LIBs while also effectively utilizing waste, providing technical support for the comprehensive and sustainable management of solid waste.

Feasibility of low-intensity ultrasound treatment with hydroxylamine to accelerate the initiation of partial nitrification and allow operation under intermittent aeration.

Partial nitrification is a key aspect of efficient nitrogen removal, although practically it suffers from long start-up cycles and unstable long-term operational performance. To address these drawbacks, this study investigated the effect of low intensity ultrasound treatment combined with hydroxylamine (NH2OH) on the performance of partial nitrification. Results show that compared with the control group, low-intensity ultrasound treatment (0.10 W/mL, 15 min) combined with NH2OH (5 mg/L) reduced the time required for partial nitrification initiation by 6 days, increasing the nitrite accumulation rate (NAR) and ammonia nitrogen removal rate (NRR) by 20.4% and 6.7%, respectively, achieving 96.48% NRR. Mechanistic analysis showed that NH2OH enhanced ammonia oxidation, inhibited nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) activity and shortened the time required for partial nitrification initiation. Furthermore, ultrasonication combined with NH2OH dosing stimulated EPS (extracellular polymeric substances) secretion, increased carbonyl, hydroxyl and amine functional group abundances and enhanced mass transfer. In addition, 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that ultrasonication-sensitive Nitrospira disappeared from the ultrasound + NH2OH system, while Nitrosomonas gradually became the dominant group. Collectively, the results of this study provide valuable insight into the enhancement of partial nitrification start-up during the process of wastewater nitrogen removal.

Contribution and Effects of PM2.5-Bound Lead to the Cardiovascular Risk of Workers in a Non-Ferrous Metal Smelting Area Considering Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability.

Lead is known to have toxic effects on the cardiovascular system. Owing to its high concentration, transmission range, and absorption efficiency in organisms, inhalation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-bound lead (PM2.5-Pb) may cause significant cardiovascular damage. However, the contribution and adverse effects of PM2.5-Pb on workers and residents in non-ferrous metal smelting areas are not fully understood. In this work, the concentration and chemical speciation of PM2.5-Pb were analyzed to determine its pollution characteristics at a typical non-ferrous metal smelting site. A panel study conducted among factory workers revealed that PM2.5-Pb exposure makes an important contribution to the human absorption of Pb. Although the chemical speciation of PM2.5-Pb suggested poor water solubility, a high bioavailability was observed in mice (tissue average value: 50.1%, range: 31.1-71.1%) subjected to inhalation exposure for 8 weeks. Based on the bioavailability data, the relationship between PM2.5-Pb exposure and cardiovascular damage was evaluated in animal simulation experiments. Finally, a damage threshold and cardiovascular-specific risk assessment model were established for the non-ferrous metal smelting area. Our project not only accurately estimates the risk of PM2.5-bound heavy metals on the cardiovascular system but also offers a scientific basis for future prevention and therapy of PM2.5-Pb-related diseases.

Effect of elevated fasting blood glucose level on the 1-year mortality and sequelae in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: A bidirectional cohort study.

To observe the predictive effect of fasting blood glucose (FBG) level on the prognosis, clinical sequelae, and pulmonary absorption in hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with and without a history of diabetes, respectively, and to evaluate the correlation between the dynamic changes of FBG and poor prognosis. In this bidirectional cohort study, we enrolled 2545 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (439 diabetics and 2106 without a diabetic history) and followed up for 1 year. The patients were divided according to the level of admission FBG. The dynamic changes of FBG were compared between the survival and the death cases. The prediction effect of FBG on 1-year mortality and sequelae was analyzed. The 1-year all cause mortality rate and in-hospital mortality rate of COVID-19 patients were J-curve correlated with FBG (p < 0.001 for both in the nondiabetic history group, p = 0.004 and p = 0.01 in the diabetic history group). FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L had a higher risk of developing sequelae (p = 0.025) and have slower recovery of abnormal lung scans (p < 0.001) in patients who denied a history of diabetes. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L was an independent risk factor for the mortality of COVID-19 regardless of the presence or deny a history of diabetes (hazard atio [HR] = 10.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.15-15.83, p < 0.001; HR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.56-9.77, p = 0.004, respectively). Our study shows that FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L can be a predictive factor of 1-year all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients, independent of diabetes history. FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L has an advantage in predicting the severity, clinical sequelae, and pulmonary absorption in COVID-19 patients without a history of diabetes. Early detection, timely treatment, and strict control of blood glucose when finding hyperglycemia in COVID-19 patients (with or without diabetes) are critical for their prognosis.

A Rapid Self-Alignment Strategy for a Launch Vehicle on an Offshore Launching Platform.

To reduce the impact of offshore launching platform motion and swaying on the self-alignment accuracy of a launch vehicle, a rapid self-alignment strategy, which involves an optimal combination of anti-swaying coarse alignment (ASCA), backtracking navigation, and reverse Kalman filtering is proposed. During the entire alignment process, the data provided by the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) are stored and then applied to forward and backtrack self-alignment. This work elaborates the basic principles of coarse alignment and then analyzes the influence of ASCA time on alignment accuracy. An error model was built for the reverse fine alignment system. The coarse alignment was carried out based on the above work, then the state of the alignment system was retraced using the reverse inertial navigation solution and reverse Kalman filtering with the proposed strategy. A cycle-index control function was designed to approximate strict backtracking navigation. Finally, the attitude error was compensated for after the completion of the first and the last forward navigation. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, numerical simulations were carried out in a scenario of launch vehicle motion and swaying. The proposed strategy can maximize the utilization of SINS data and hence improve the alignment accuracy and further reduce the alignment time. The results show that the fully autonomous alignment technology of the SINS can replace the complex optical aiming system and realize the determination of the initial attitude of a launch vehicle before launch.

A designed moderately thermophilic consortia with a better performance for leaching high grade fine lead-zinc sulfide ore.

Unwieldy fine sulfide ores are produced during mining; without being appropriately disposed of, they can cause environmental pollution and waste resources. This study investigated the leaching performance of a moderately thermophilic consortia (Leptospirillum ferriphilum + Acidithiobacillus caldus + Sulfobacillus benefaciens) for fine lead-zinc sulfide raw ore. The results showed this microbial community created a low pH, high ORP, and high cell concentration environment for mineral leaching, improving bioleaching efficiency. Under the action of this consortia, the zinc leaching rate reached 96.44 in 8 days, and reached 100% after 12 days. EPS analysis indicated that the consortia could mediate the secretion of more polysaccharides to ensure leaching efficiency. EPS levels and amino acids were the main factors affecting bioleaching. An analysis of mineral surface characteristics showed the consortia effectively leached pyrite and sphalerite from the fine sulfide ore, and prevented the mineral surface forming the jarosite that could hinder bioleaching. This study found that bioleaching reduced the potential environmental toxicity of the minerals, providing an important reference for guiding the bioleaching of unwieldy fine sulfide raw ore.

One-year mortality and consequences of COVID-19 in cancer patients: A cohort study.

The 1-year mortality and health consequences of COVID-19 in cancer patients are relatively underexplored. In this multicenter cohort study, 166 COVID-19 patients with cancer were compared with 498 non-cancer COVID-19 patients and 498 non-COVID cancer patients. The 1-year all-cause mortality and hospital mortality rates in Cancer COVID-19 Cohort (30% and 20%) were significantly higher than those in COVID-19 Cohort (9% and 8%, both P < .001) and Cancer Cohort (16% and 2%, both P < 0.001). The 12-month all-cause post-discharge mortality rate in survival discharged Cancer COVID-19 Cohort (8%) was higher than that in COVID-19 Cohort (0.4%, P < .001) but similar to that in Cancer Cohort (15%, P = .084). The incidence of sequelae in Cancer COVID-19 Cohort (23%, 26/114) is similar to that in COVID-19 Cohort (30%, 130/432, P = .13). The 1-year all-cause mortality was high among patients with hematologic malignancies (59%), followed by those who have nasopharyngeal, brain, and skin tumors (45%), digestive system neoplasm (43%), and lung cancers (32%). The rate was moderate among patients with genitourinary (14%), female genital (13%), breast (11%), and thyroid tumors (0). COVID-19 patients with cancer showed a high rate of in-hospital mortality and 1-year all-cause mortality, but the 12-month all-cause post-discharge mortality rate in survival discharged cancer COVID-19 patients was similar to that in Cancer Cohort. Comparing to COVID-19 Cohort, risk stratification showed that hematologic, nasopharyngeal, brain, digestive system, and lung tumors were high risk (44% vs 9%, P < 0.001), while genitourinary, female genital, breast, and thyroid tumors had moderate risk (10% vs 9%, P = .85) in COVID-19 Cancer Cohort. Different tumor subtypes had different effects on COVID-19. But if cancer patients with COVID-19 manage to survive their COVID-19 infections, then long-term mortality appears to be similar to the cancer patients without COVID-19, and their long-term clinical sequelae were similar to the COVID-19 patients without cancer.

Ultrasonic coupled bioleaching pretreatment for enhancing sewage sludge dewatering: Simultaneously mitigating antibiotic resistant genes and changing microbial communities.

In this study, ultrasonic as a pretreatment coupled with bioleaching was used to enhance sludge dewaterability. Changes in microbial diversity and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) were studied during the combined treatment process. The results show that under optimal conditions, combined ultrasonic and bioleaching treatment led to decreases in the specific resistance of filtration and bioleaching time by 7.59% and 12.5%, respectively, compared with single bioleaching process. Using high pressure filtration system, the water content of sludge cake treated by the combined treatment was decreased to 58.04%, which was 10.04% lower than bioleaching sludge. After combined treatment, the microbial diversity and the total number of bacteria in the sludge decreased significantly, which caused the decreases in the absolute abundance of sulfonamide and tetracycline ARGs by 1.56-1.58 and 0.34-1.23 log units, respectively. However, the decrease in the total bacterial biomass was greater than the decrease in the number of potential hosts carrying the tetracycline ARG, resulting in an increase in the relative abundance of tetracycline gene. Furthermore, this study proposed a mechanism of the dewatering and ARGs, involving the combined ultrasonic and bioleaching treatment: Firstly, ultrasonic cavitation causes extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to fall off the surface of sludge; Secondly, this faster and directly makes bacteria cells affected by bio-acidification and bio-oxidation. In this case, the cells could be more easily destroyed by the combined ultrasonic and bioleaching treatment, compared with individual bioleaching treatment; As a result, stronger dewaterability and more removal rates of ARGs were achieved under the combined treatment. The economic analyses showed that the combined ultrasonic and bioleaching treatment is a more practical and economical technique for achieving deep dewatering of sludge.

Ultrasound-guided transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy: a new guidance method that reduces radiation doses.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to establish a new method to reduce the radiation dose during puncture and cannulation in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD). METHODS: Sixty patients with lumbar disk herniation undergoing PELD were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into an ultrasound (US) guidance group and an X-ray guidance group. The puncture, cannulation, and total operation times; number of fluoroscopy shots; and radiation dose were recorded in both groups. The factors influencing the operation were analyzed. The clinical effect of PELD was evaluated using the straight leg elevation test, visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI). The researchers who collected and analyzed the data were blinded to the group assignments. RESULTS: The puncture, cannulation and operation times in the US group were comparable to those in the X-ray group. The patients in the US group received 2.13 ± 0.35 fluoroscopy shots and a radiation dose of 5.34 ± 0.63 (mSV), which were significantly lower than the values in the X-ray group (7.57 shots ± 2.99 shots and 18.25 mSV ± 10.52 mSV) (P < 0.001). In the US group, the puncture time was significantly longer at the L5-S1 level, in patients with a BMI greater than 28 kg/m2 and in patients with a high iliac crest. The US and X-ray groups had comparable VAS and ODI scores 1 h and 3 months after PELD, and the VAS scores were significantly lower after PELD (all P < 0.001). No complications were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: US guidance is a new method that reduces the radiation dose required during puncture and cannulation in PELD. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Passivation of metal sulfides by a marine bacterium for acid mine drainage control.

Acid mine drainage originates from metal sulfides oxidation, which results in acidic metal-rich leachate. In this study, a novel and environmentally friendly approach was demonstrated to passivate pyrite and lead-zinc tailings, respectively. The key to this approach is to develop biofilms of the marine bacterium Qipengyuania flava S1. Biofilms can induce biomineralization, thereby isolating metal sulfides from air and water. The stability and biological toxicity of the bio-passivation layers were evaluated by leaching bio-passivated pyrite or tailings in initially acidic H2O2 solutions with shaking for 180 days and then cultivating Brassica chinensis and Allium cepa with the leachates. Our results showed that after passivation, the amount of iron released by pyrite decreased by at least 99.2 ± 0.2 (in wt%). For lead-zinc tailings after passivation, the released metal ions (Fe+Al+Pb+Zn) decreased by at least 52.0 ± 3.2 (in wt%). The bio-passivation layers also maintained the pH of the leachate in the range of 7.5-8.0. Before bio-passivation, compared with mineral water, the pyrite leachate significantly inhibited the growth of the two plants, and the tailings leachate significantly inhibited the growth of A. cepa, whereas the bio-passivated pyrite or tailings leachate did not show any inhibitory effect.

Effects of hemoperfusion first aid process reengineering on electrolyte disturbance, liver function and prognosis in patients with acute poisoning.

Acute poisoning is a frequently encountered medical emergency in the emergency room, typically resulting from the incorrect use of drugs or pesticides, and is characterized by sudden onset of severe symptoms, often leading to fatalities. This research was to explore the effect of hemoperfusion first aid process reengineering on electrolyte disturbance, liver function and prognosis in patients with acute poisoning. From August 2019 to July 2021, 137 patients with acute poisoning who received first aid process reengineering were selected as the observation group, and 151 patients with acute poisoning who received routine first aid were selected as the control group. The success rate, first aid-related indicators, electrolyte, liver function, and prognosis and survival were recorded after first aid treatment. The observation group had a 100% effective rate on the third day of first aid, which was significantly higher than the control group (91.39%). The observation group also had shorter time for emesis induction, poisoning assessment, venous transfusion, consciousness recovery, opening of the blood purification circuit, and start of hemoperfusion than the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the observation group showed lower levels of alpionine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, serum creatinine, and urea nitrogen after treatment, and a significantly lower mortality rate (6.57%) than the control group (26.28%) (P < 0.05). Hemoperfusion first aid process reengineering in patients with acute poisoning can improve the success rate of first aid, shorten the time of first aid, improve the electrolyte disturbance, treatment effect, liver function and blood routine of the patients.

Causal association of calcific aortic valve stenosis and atrial fibrillation: a Mendelian randomization study.

Calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in observational studies, but whether these associations are causal has not been determined. This study aimed to explore the potential causal relationship between CAVS and AF via Mendelian randomization (MR). Genetic variants from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data of the European population for CAVS were used to investigate the association with AF. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach was used to obtain the primary causal inference, and several sensitivity analysis approaches, such as the MR‒Egger and weighted median (WM), were performed to assess the robustness of the results. A total of nineteen valid and independent genetic SNPs associated with CAVS were obtained from the GWAS database. Genetically predicted CAVS (OR: 1.105; 95% CI: 1.072-1.139; p = 8.60E-11) was associated with an increased risk of AF. Similar results were discovered in the sensitivity analyses by using MR Egger and weighted median approaches. An MR design was used to reduce confounding variables and the potential for reverse causality bias. The results provide genetic evidence that CAVS considerably increased the risk of AF.

A new path for ultrasound-guided intra-articular hip puncture in patients without hip joint effusion.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish a new path for ultrasound (US)-guided intra-articular hip joint puncture in patients without hip joint effusion. METHODS: In total, 113 consecutive patients were enrolled from August to October 2021. Moreover, 125 hip joint punctures were performed in 113 consecutive patients. All patients were randomly divided into two groups: the new-puncture path (the puncture of the needle along the long axis of the femoral neck from the proximal to the distal side) and classic-puncture path (the puncture of the needle along the long axis of the femoral neck from the distal to the proximal side) groups. Four outcomes, including single-puncture technical success, visual analog scale (VAS) score during puncture, puncture depth, and puncture time, were compared between the groups. Complications were compared between the groups. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the factors related to the four outcomes. RESULTS: No significant differences in single-puncture technical success, VAS score during puncture, and complications were observed between the two groups. The puncture depth was shorter in the new-puncture path group than in the classic-puncture path group. The puncture time was shorter in the new-puncture path group than in the classic-puncture path group. The puncture depth was correlated with the puncture path, body mass index, and sex. The puncture time was correlated with the puncture path. CONCLUSION: The new-puncture path can be used as a new US-guided hip puncture path for patients without hip joint effusion, with the advantages of shorter puncture path and puncture time. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The current study introduces a new-puncture path that can be added with the classic-puncture path.

Oxytetracycline and heavy metals promote the migration of resistance genes in the intestinal microbiome by plasmid transfer.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been considered the most important pathway to introduce antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which seriously threatens human health and biological security. The presence of ARGs in the aquatic environment and their effect on the intestinal micro-ecosystem of aquatic animals can occur easily. To investigate the HGT potential and rule of exogenous ARGs in the intestinal flora, a visual conjugative model was developed, including the donor of dual-fluorescent bacterium and the recipient of Xenopus tropicalis intestinal microbiome. Some common pollutants of oxytetracycline (OTC) and three heavy metals (Zn, Cu and Pb) were selected as the stressor. The multi-techniques of flow cytometry (FCM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), single-cell Raman spectroscopy with sorting (SCRSS) and indicator analysis were used in this study. The results showed that ARG transfer could occur more easily under stressors. Moreover, the conjugation efficiency mainly depended on the viability of the intestinal bacteria. The mechanisms of OTC and heavy metal stressing conjugation included the upregulation of ompC, traJ, traG and the downregulation of korA gene. Moreover, the enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT, GSH-PX increased and the bacterial surface appearance also changed. The predominant recipient was identified as Citrobacter freundi by SCRSS, in which the abundance and quantity of ARG after conjugation were higher than those before. Therefore, since the diversity of potential recipients in the intestine are very high, the migration of invasive ARGs in the microbiome should be given more attention to prevent its potential risks to public health.

Comprehensive insights into the gallic acid assisted bioleaching process for spent LIBs: Relationships among bacterial functional genes, Co(III) reduction and metal dissolution behavior.

Despite the growing demand for resource recovery from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) by bioleaching, low Co leaching efficiency has hindered the development and application of this technology. Therefore, a novel process was designed, combining gallic acid (GA) and mixed culture bioleaching (MCB), to enhance the removal of metals from spent LIBs. Results indicated that the GA + MCB process achieved 98.03% Co and 98.02% Li leaching from spent LIBs, simultaneously reducing the biotoxicity, phytotoxicity and leaching toxicity of spent LIBs under optimal conditions. The results of mechanism analysis demonstrated that functional microorganisms adapted to the leaching system through various strategies, including oxidative stress reduction, DNA damage repair, heavy metal resistance and biofilm formation, maintaining normal physiological activities and the continuous production of biological acid. The biological acid erodes the surface of waste LIBs, causing some Co and a large amount of Li to be released, while also increasing the contact area between GA and Co(III). Therefore, GA is beneficial for reducing insoluble Co(III), forming soluble Co(II). Finally, biological acid can effectively promote Co(II) leaching. Collectively, the results of this study provide valuable insight into the simultaneous enhancement of metal extraction and the mitigation of environmental pollution from spent LIBs.

Spatial distribution and influencing factors of China's household biogas: evidence from provincial-level data.

To address the adjustment of the Chinese agricultural industry and to better promote the development of Chinese household biogas, this article summarizes and analyzes the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of the type and number of biogas digesters, biogas production, biogas fermentation materials, and methods of fermentation residue utilization and ecological agriculture with household biogas by compiling a dataset covering 31 provincial administrative regions in China. The results show that hydraulic biogas digesters are distributed mainly in northwestern and northeastern China; in addition, continuously stirred biogas digesters and bottom-discharging biogas digesters are distributed mainly in southern and northern China, respectively. Because of temperature and population, the Sichuan and Henan Provinces have the highest number of biogas digesters and biogas production. The type of biogas fermentation materials depends on the local raw materials. Biogas slurry and residue are widely used as fertilizers; furthermore, biogas slurry is used for seed soaking in northeastern and southern China, and biogas residue is used as feed in central southern and northern China. The "Three-in-one" and "Four-in-one" biogas ecological models are used mostly in southern and northern China, respectively, and both are mainly affected by temperature. Finally, we propose various problems and countermeasures to enhance the development of the household biogas industry in China. Our findings are critical for China's policymakers to adopt effective measures for promoting the development of cleaner energy and the layout of the agricultural industry.

Effect of diurnal temperature range on bioleaching of sulfide ore by an artificial microbial consortium.

Temperature is considered to be one of the main factors affecting bioleaching, but few studies have assessed the effects of diurnal temperature range (DTR) on the bioleaching process. This study investigates the effects of different bioleaching temperatures (30 and 40 °C) and DTR on the bioleaching of metal sulfide ores by microbial communities. The results showed that DTR had an obvious inhibitory effect on the bioleaching efficiency of the artificial microbial community, although this effect was mainly concentrated in the early and middle stages (0-18 days) of exposure, gradually decreasing until almost disappearing in the late stage (18-24 days). Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) analysis showed that DTR did not change the composition of the EPS matrix (humic acid-like substances, polysaccharides and protein-like substances), but had a significant effect on the generative behavior of EPS, inhibiting the secretion of EPS during the early and middle stages of the bioleaching process. However, the continual increase in EPS secretion in the bioleaching system gradually reduced the adverse effects of DTR on mineral dissolution. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy- energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) analysis of the bioleached residue showed that DTR had no obvious effect on the mineralogical characteristics of sulfide ore. Therefore, in industrial sulfide ore bioleaching applications, in order to accelerate the artificial microbial community start-up process, temperature control measures should be increased in the bioleaching process to reduce the adverse effects of DTR on mineral dissolution.

Feasibility of reduced iron species for promoting Li and Co recovery from spent LiCoO2 batteries using a mixed-culture bioleaching process.

The recovery of metals from spent LiCoO2 batteries (SLBs) is essential to avoid resource wastage and the production of hazardous waste. However, the major challenge in regard to recovering metals from SLBs using traditional bioleaching is the low Co yield. To overcome this issue, a mixed culture of Acidithiobacillus caldus and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans was designed for use in SLBs leaching in this study. With the assistance of Fe2+ as a reductant, 99% of Co and 100% of Li were leached using the above mixed-culture bioleaching (MCB) process, thus solving the problem of low metal leaching efficiency from SLBs. Analysis of the underlying mechanism revealed that the effective extraction of metals from SLBs by the Fe2+-MCB process relied on Fe2+-releasing electrons to reduce refractory Co(III) to Co(II) that can be easily bioleached. Finally, the hazardous SLBs was transformed into a non-toxic material after treatment utilizing the Fe2+-MCB process. However, effective SLBs leaching was not achieved by the addition of Fe0 to the MCB system. Only 25% Co and 31% Li yields were obtained, as the addition of Fe0 caused acid consumption and bacterial apoptosis. Overall, this study revealed that reductants that cause acid consumption and harm bacteria should be ruled out for use in reductant-assisted bioleaching processes for extracting metals from SLBs.

Utility of Ultrasound-Guided Anesthetic Intra-articular Injection to Estimate the Outcome of Hip Arthroscopy in Patients with Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of ultrasound (US) guided intra-hip joint injection to estimate the outcome of hip arthroscopy in patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. METHODS: Patients with FAI syndrome (n = 60) were prospectively enrolled in our study. Before hip arthroscopy, a mix of 4 mL 2% lidocaine and 4 mL 1% ropivacaine were injected into the hip joint under the guidance of US. The clinical efficacy of the intra-articular injection was evaluated by comparing the visual analog scale (VAS) and international hip outcome tool 12 (iHOT-12) results before and after the injection. The outcome of hip arthroscopy was evaluated by iHOT-12, the modified Harris hip score (MHHS), and the patient's satisfaction 12 months after the operation. The outcome of intra-articular injection and hip arthroscopy were compared. Factors related to the outcomes of hip arthroscopy were evaluated. The correlation between the efficacy of intra-hip joint injection and arthroscopy was evaluated. RESULTS: The VAS of patients decreased from 11.3 ± 7.7 to 3.3 ± 4.5, and the iHOT-12 increased from 52.1 ± 23.2 to 84.1 ± 18.1 after intra-articular injection (all P < 0.001). The iHOT-12 score increased from 52.1 ± 23.2 to 78.9 ± 19.2, and the MHHS increased from 66.5 ± 6.8 to 81.6 ± 8.1 after hip arthroscopy (all P < 0.001). The satisfaction rate of arthroscopy, including very satisfied and effective patients, was 93.3%. Multi-variable logistic regression showed that only iHOT-12 improved value after injection was included in the regression formula of satisfaction, with the ß of -0.154, standard error of 0.071, Wald value of 4.720, and OR of 0.857 (95%CI 0.746-0.985) (P = 0.03). Significant correlation was detected between iHOT-12 scores after intra-articular anesthesia and at 12 months after arthroscopy (r = 0.784, P < 0.001). So was the iHOT-12 improved value (r = 0.781, P < 0.001) and the iHOT-12 improved ratio (r = 0.848, P < 0.001). If we had performed arthroscopy only on patients with post-injection iHOT-12 score improvement ≥10, the satisfaction rate of arthroscopy would have increased to 96.6%. CONCLUSIONS: US-guided intra-hip joint injection may provide a feasible way to estimate the outcome of hip arthroscopy in patients with FAI syndrome, and could be used as a method for indication selection of hip arthroscopy.