Combining pretreatments and co-fermentation as successful approach to improve biohydrogen production from dairy cow manure.

The present paper is focused on enhancing the production of biohydrogen (bioH2) from dairy cow manure (DCM) through dark fermentation (DF). Two enhancement production strategies have been tested: i) the combination of H2O2 with sonification as pretreatment and ii) the co-fermentation with cheese whey as co-substrate. Concerning the pretreatment, the best combination was investigated according to the response surface methodology (RSM) by varying H2O2 dosage between 0.0015 and 0.06 g/gTS and ultrasonic specific energy input (USEI) between 35.48 and 1419.36 J/gTS. The increase of carbohydrates concentration was used as target parameter. Results showed that the combination of 0.06 g/gTS of H2O2 with 1419.36 J/gTS of USEI maximized the concentration of carbohydrates. The optimized conditions were used to pretreat the substrate prior conducting DF tests. The use of pretreatment resulted in obtaining a cumulative bioH2 volume of 51.25 mL/L and enhanced the bioH2 production by 125% compared to the control test conducted using raw DCM. Moreover, the second strategy, i.e. co-fermentation with cheese whey (20% v/v) as co-substrate ended up to enhancing the DF performance as the bioH2 production reached a value of 334.90 mL/L with an increase of 1372% compared to the control DF test. To further improve the process, dark fermentation effluents (DFEs) were valorized via photo fermentation (PF), obtaining an additional hydrogen production aliquot.

Biosorption of rare earth elements from luminophores by G. sulphuraria (Cyanidiophytina, Rhodophyta).

Lanthanides are indispensable constituents of modern technologies and are often challenging to acquire from natural resources. The demand for REEs is so high that there is a clear need to develop efficient and eco-friendly recycling methods. In the present study, freeze-dried biomass of the polyextremophile Galdieria sulphuraria was employed to recover REEs from spent fluorescent lamps (FL) luminophores by pretreating the freeze-dried biomass with an acid solution to favour ion exchange and enhance the binding sites on the cell surface available for the metal ions. Lanthanides were extracted from the luminophores using sulfuric acid solutions according to standardised procedures, and the effect of biosorbent dosage (0.5-5 mg/ml) and biosorption time (5-60 min) were evaluated. The content of individual REEs in the luminophores and the resulting algal biomass were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The most abundant REE in the luminophores was yttrium (287.42 mg/g dm, 91.60% of all REEs), followed by europium (20.98 mg/g, 6.69%); cerium, gadolinium, terbium and lanthanum was in trace. The best biosorption performances were achieved after 5 min and at the lowest biosorbent dosage (0.5 mg/mL). The highest total metal amount corresponded to 41.61 mg/g dried mass, and yttrium was the most adsorbed metal (34.59 mg/g dm, 82.88%), followed by cerium (4.01 mg/g); all other metals were less than 2 mg/g. The rapidity of the biosorption process and the low biosorbent dosage required confirmed this microalga as a promising material for creating an eco-sustainable protocol for recycling REEs.

A combined system for asbestos-cement waste degradation by dark fermentation and resulting supernatant valorization in anaerobic digestion.

The use of biological processes for the treatment of asbestos cement waste (ACW) has gained interest in recent years. Nevertheless, this methodology is not yet consolidated because of the incomplete ACW conversion during the biological treatment and the consequent need for further treatments that generally require a high amount of energy and chemicals. In this study, the efficiency of both mesophilic and thermophilic dark fermentation (DF) fed with glucose in fed-batch conditions was assessed for ACW biological treatment. Both thermophilic and mesophilic DF of glucose resulted in a partial conversion of glucose into organic acids that successfully degraded all the asbestos fibers contained in an ACW sample. A hydrogen-rich biogas was produced as well: at the end of the mesophilic DF treatment 0.14 LH2 gglucose-1 were obtained. In addition, the anaerobic digestion (AD) of the DF supernatants led to the production of 0.38 LCH4 gCOD-1.

A potential risk assessment tool to monitor pathogens circulation in coastal waters.

The present study reports data on a 20 months campaign monitoring enteric viruses (hepatitis A, norovirus, rotavirus, astrovirus, sapovirus, and aichivirus) and bacteria (Salmonella spp.) in seawater. The aim of this work was to assess the potential correlation among the presence of viruses/bacteria and different environmental factors like seasonality, water discharge sources (treated and untreated wastewater, mixed waters and raw water) as well as influence of the Italian lockdown measure against COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed different prevalence of the investigated viruses with values equal to 16 % for norovirus GI, 15.1 % for norovirus GII, followed by 13.8 % for astrovirus, and 13.3 % for sapovirus. Rotavirus was detected in the 8.4 % of samples and aichivirus was detected with the lowest prevalence of 3.5 %. Hepatitis A virus was never identified in the monitoring campaign. Salmonella spp. was detected with a prevalence of 36.6 %. Statistical analysis displayed a high correlation for the two noroviruses simultaneous detection (NGI and NGII) while a lower correlation was found for co-presence of noroviruses with astrovirus, sapovirus or Salmonella spp. A significant decrease of enteric pathogens in seawater was observed during the restrictions period. Results on seasonality highlighted a higher viral prevalence correlated to the wet season for all the pathogens but rotavirus and aichivirus, which instead showed an opposite trend and a higher incidence in the dry season. With respect to discharge typology, some viruses displayed a higher prevalence in treated waters (astrovirus, rotavirus, sapovirus and aichivirus) while the other investigated pathogens (noroviruses and Salmonella spp.) showed a higher prevalence in mixed waters. The main observations of this work were used to define a potential monitoring strategy that could be useful for sanitary Authorities to implement surveillance plans aimed at preventing possible sanitary outbreaks and/or environmental quality deterioration.

Current emerging SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Potential direct/indirect negative impacts of virus persistence and related therapeutic drugs on the aquatic compartments.

The purpose of the present work is to provide a complete overview of possible direct/indirect implications on the quality of aquatic compartments due to the recent SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. With this aim, the environmental impacts are mainly related to i) the virus persistence in sewage and wastewaters, and ii) possible fate in aquatic compartments of drugs tested and administered to SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Because SARS-CoV-2 spread is very recent, and there is a lack of specific studies on this strain, the virus persistence in wastewaters, the parameters influencing the persistence, as well as the detection methodologies are referenced to the general coronaviruses group. However, the present detailed report of up-to-date knowledge on this topic can provide a useful source for further studies focusing on more deepened investigations of SARS-CoV-2 behaviour in the environment. Such a perspective is significant not only for the control of virus diffusion but also represents a crucial point for the identification of produced alteration to the environmental quality.

Simultaneous removal of Cr(III) from high contaminated soil and recovery of lactic acid from the spent solution.

It is proposed a closed-loop treatment cycle for Cr(III) removal from contaminated soils (2080 mg/kg). The treatment includes the use of lactic acid as washing agent, and the recovery of both Cr(II) and lactic acid from the spent solution. Results indicate that Cr(III) removal efficiency can be very high, passing 70% in all tested operative conditions. The metal forms strong complexes with lactic acid, and therefore cannot be eliminated through direct precipitation simply increasing the pH value. Therefore, lactic acid is preliminarily extracted from the solution using n-butanol at very acidic pH. The obtained extraction degree is generally high, varying between 0.5 and 1 according to the amount of used n-butanol solution. After lactic acid extraction, almost 100% of chromium can be recovered through precipitation in alkaline conditions. Lactic acid, in turns, can be purified and reused for a new washing treatment, separating it from n-butanol solution through water extraction. The extraction efficiency is once more satisfying (around 0.5), and not dependent on the operative pH.

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during anaerobic biostimulation of marine sediments.

This study proposes the supplementation of digestate, fresh organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and a nutrient solution during the anaerobic biostimulation of marine sediments contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The experimental activity was conducted with four PAHs (i.e. phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene) under controlled mesophilic conditions (37 ± 1 °C) in 100 mL serum bottles maintained at 130 rpm. After 120 days of incubation, the highest total PAH degradation of 53 and 55% was observed in the experiments with digestate + nutrients and OFMSW + nutrients, respectively. Phenanthrene was the most degraded PAH and the highest removal of 69% was achieved with OFMSW + nutrients. The anaerobic PAH degradation proceeded through the accumulation of volatile fatty acids and the production of hydrogen and methane as biogas constituents. The highest cumulative biohydrogen production of 80 mL H2·g VS-1 was obtained when OFMSW was used as the sole amendment, whereas the highest biomethane yield of 140 mL CH4·g VS-1 was obtained with OFMSW + nutrients. The evolution of PAH removal during anaerobic digestion revealed a higher impact of the methanogenic phase rather than acidogenic phase on PAH degradation.

Cerium and erbium effects on Daphnia magna generations: A multiple endpoints approach.

Cerium (Ce, CeCl3) and Erbium (Er, ErCl3) are increasingly used in many electronic devices facilitating the alteration of their biogeochemical cycles (e.g. e-waste). Previous surveys stated that their environmental concentrations due to natural or anthropogenic events can reach up to 161 µg/L in ore mine effluent for Ce with a mean water concentration of 0.79 µg/L, and 11.9 µg/L for Er in ore mine effluents with a mean water concentration of 0.004 µg/L. Their potential effects onto aquatic organisms are still relatively unexplored. In this study, long-term multigenerational effects on Daphnia magna were assessed using various exposure times (3, 7, 14, and 21 days) in three generations (F0, F1 and F2). Each generation was exposed to environmental concentrations of Ce and Er (0.54 and 0.43 µg/L, respectively - mean values) and effects included organisms' size, parental reproduction, and survival, determination of reactive oxygen species (ROS), enzymatic activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST)), gene expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, and uptake. Results evidenced that chronic multi-generational exposure of daphnids to Ce and Er reduced survival, growth and reproduction, decreasing ROS, SOD and CAT from F0 to F2. Ce reduced the number of generated offsprings after each generation, while Er delayed the time of offsprings emergence, but not their number. ROS, SOD, CAT and GST evidenced that Er is slightly more toxic than Ce. Up- and downregulation of genes was limited, but Ce and Er activated the ABC transporters. Uptake of Ce and Er decreased through exposure time and generations.

Biodegradation, ecotoxicity and UV254/H2O2 treatment of imidazole, 1-methyl-imidazole and N,N'-alkyl-imidazolium chlorides in water.

Imidazole-based compounds are used as reagents for the manufacturing of other compounds including imidazolium-based ionic liquids, which have been recently proposed as a green alternative to conventional solvents. Since some imidazole-based compounds have been demonstrated to be harmful to aquatic organisms, the removal of imidazole, 1-methylimidazole, 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride and 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride from aqueous solutions was attempted by biological oxidation, direct UV254 photolysis, and UV254/H2O2 process at pH 5.5 and 8.5. Results showed that UV254/H2O2 treatment is an effective tool for the removal of the selected compounds at both pHs. In fact, the kinetic constants of the reaction between the photogenerated HO radicals and the four target compounds, estimated by means of both numerical and competition kinetic method, range between 2.32·109 M-1 s-1 and 5.52 ·109 M-1 s-1. Moreover, an ecotoxicity assessment of the contaminated water before and after initial treatment without further processing was assessed by using two living aquatic organisms: Raphidocelis subcapitata and Daphnia magna. The results of this assessment not only corresponded closely to previous findings (in terms of EC50 values) reported in the literature, but also indicated that, in some cases, UV254/H2O2 oxidation by-products could be even more toxic than parent compounds.

Ethical considerations for planetary protection in space exploration: a workshop.

With the recognition of an increasing potential for discovery of extraterrestrial life, a diverse set of researchers have noted a need to examine the foundational ethical principles that should frame our collective space activities as we explore outer space. A COSPAR Workshop on Ethical Considerations for Planetary Protection in Space Exploration was convened at Princeton University on June 8-10, 2010, to examine whether planetary protection measures and practices should be extended to protect planetary environments within an ethical framework that goes beyond "science protection" per se. The workshop had been in development prior to a 2006 NRC report on preventing the forward contamination of Mars, although it responded directly to one of the recommendations of that report and to several peer-reviewed papers as well. The workshop focused on the implications and responsibilities engendered when exploring outer space while avoiding harmful impacts on planetary bodies. Over 3 days, workshop participants developed a set of recommendations addressing the need for a revised policy framework to address "harmful contamination" beyond biological contamination, noting that it is important to maintain the current COSPAR planetary protection policy for scientific exploration and activities. The attendees agreed that there is need for further study of the ethical considerations used on Earth and the examination of management options and governmental mechanisms useful for establishing an environmental stewardship framework that incorporates both scientific input and enforcement. Scientists need to undertake public dialogue to communicate widely about these future policy deliberations and to ensure public involvement in decision making. A number of incremental steps have been taken since the workshop to implement some of these recommendations.

The astrobiology primer: an outline of general knowledge--version 1, 2006.

The Astrobiology Primer has been created as a reference tool for those who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. The field incorporates many diverse research endeavors, but it is our hope that this slim volume will present the reader with all he or she needs to know to become involved and to understand, at least at a fundamental level, the state of the art. Each section includes a brief overview of a topic and a short list of readable and important literature for those interested in deeper knowledge. Because of the great diversity of material, each section was written by a different author with a different expertise. Contributors, authors, and editors are listed at the beginning, along with a list of those chapters and sections for which they were responsible. We are deeply indebted to the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), in particular to Estelle Dodson, David Morrison, Ed Goolish, Krisstina Wilmoth, and Rose Grymes for their continued enthusiasm and support. The Primer came about in large part because of NAI support for graduate student research, collaboration, and inclusion as well as direct funding. We have entitled the Primer version 1 in hope that it will be only the first in a series, whose future volumes will be produced every 3-5 years. This way we can insure that the Primer keeps up with the current state of research. We hope that it will be a great resource for anyone trying to stay abreast of an ever-changing field.

Integrating public perspectives in sample return planning.

Planning for extraterrestrial sample returns--whether from Mars or other solar system bodies--must be done in a way that integrates planetary protection concerns with the usual mission technical and scientific considerations. Understanding and addressing legitimate societal concerns about the possible risks of sample return will be a critical part of the public decision making process ahead. This paper presents the results of two studies, one with lay audiences, the other with expert microbiologists designed to gather information on attitudes and concerns about sample return risks and planetary protection. Focus group interviews with lay subjects, using generic information about Mars sample return and a preliminary environmental impact assessment, were designed to obtain an indication of how the factual content is perceived and understood by the public. A research survey of microbiologists gathered information on experts' views and attitudes about sample return, risk management approaches and space exploration risks. These findings, combined with earlier research results on risk perception, will be useful in identifying levels of concern and potential conflicts in understanding between experts and the public about sample return risks. The information will be helpful in guiding development of the environmental impact statement and also has applicability to proposals for sample return from other solar system bodies where scientific uncertainty about extraterrestrial life may persist at the time of mission planning.

Planetary protection, legal ambiguity and the decision making process for Mars sample return.

As scientists and mission planners develop planetary protection requirements for future Mars sample return missions, they must recognize the socio-political context in which decisions about the mission will be made and pay careful attention to public concerns about potential back contamination of Earth. To the extent that planetary protection questions are unresolved or unaddressed at the time of an actual mission, they offer convenient footholds for public challenges in both legal and decision making realms, over which NASA will have little direct control. In this paper, two particular non-scientific areas of special concern are discussed in detail: 1) legal issues and 2) the decision making process. Understanding these areas is critical for addressing legitimate public concerns as well as for fulfilling procedural requirements regardless whether sample return evokes public controversy. Legal issues with the potential to complicate future missions include: procedural review under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); uncertainty about institutional control and authority; conflicting regulations and overlapping jurisdictions; questions about international treaty obligations and large scale impacts; uncertanities about the nature of the organism; and constitutional and regulatory concerns about quarantine, public health and safety. In light of these important legal issues, it is critical that NASA consider the role and timing of public involvement in the decision making process as a way of anticipating problem areas and preparing for legitimate public questions and challenges to sample return missions.

Societal issues as Mars mission impediments: planetary protection and contamination concerns.

Societal and non-scientific factors represent potentially significant impediments for future Mars missions, especially in areas involving planetary protection. This paper analyzes public concerns about forward contamination to Mars and back contamination to Earth, evaluates major areas where lack of information may lead to uncontrollable impacts on future missions, and concludes that NASA should adopt a strategy that actively plans both the generation and subsequent management of planetary protection information to ensure that key audiences obtain needed information in a timely manner. Delay or avoidance in dealing with societal issues early in mission planning will increase the likelihood of public opposition, cost increases and missed launch windows. While this analysis of social and non-scientific considerations focuses on future Mars missions, the findings are also relevant for RTG launches, nuclear propulsion and other NASA activities perceived to have health, safety or environmental implications.

Anticipating the reaction: public concern about sample return missions.

NASA: Shifts in public attitude that may affect extraterrestrial sample return include increased public participation in the legal and regulatory environment, institutionalized public vigilance, politicization of technological debates and shifts in the nature of public decision-making, and a risk-averse public accustomed to mass media coverage that focuses on hazards and disasters. The ice-minus recombinant DNA experiment is used as an example of the effects of public opinion on scientific experimentation.^ieng

Physiatrics at the forefront: physical medicine and rehabilitation in the 1990s.

Physiatry, a specialty title derived from the word "physical," is the second-fastest-growing medical specialty in the United States. The interdisciplinary team-management system is the key to the success of physiatric services. The goal is to maximize functional outcome for physically challenged patients who have any of a broad scope of disorders causing disabilities or pain. Rehabilitation of these patients is cost-effective and provides improved quality of life for those treated. The job of the four excellent Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) training programs in Texas is to educate young physicians with knowledge regarding medicine, general science, electrodiagnostics, and allied health-care science. Young physiatrists may gravitate towards various subspecialties in the field or choose to provide a variety of services to assist other physicians in the management of patients over a prolonged period. In the age of managed competition, costs versus access, and quality-of-care issues, physiatrists must educate physicians, the public, legislators, and insurance carriers (federal, state, workers' compensation, and third-party) as to why rehabilitation should be included in any and every health-care plan.

Diabetic Charcot spine as cauda equina syndrome: an unusual presentation.

Some 6% to 21% of Charcot joints occur in the spine. The underlying disease is usually tabes dorsalis, but diabetes mellitus is another etiology. Degeneration of spinal elements is accelerated and lumbar spinal stenosis with weakness may occur, as has been reported in tabetic arthropathy. The case presented is unusual in two respects: first, the Charcot spine was secondary to diabetic complications, which resulted in a compressive cauda equina syndrome; second, the patient presented with progressive paraparesis and bowel and bladder dysfunction but physical examination by several examiners revealed no clinically evident sensory abnormality. The patient had vague and inconsistent sensory complaints for several years preceding definitive workup, but the overall picture of his disease process only could be made following multiple laboratory, electrodiagnostic, microbiologic, and radiologic testing. The patient presented with subacute paraparesis, providing a wide differential diagnosis ranging from Guillain-Barré syndrome to spinal neoplasm. The physical, radiologic, laboratory, electrophysiologic, histologic/pathologic findings, treatment, and recovery status are included in this report.

Antibody against viruses in maternal and cord sera: non-specific inhibitors are found to higher titre on the maternal side of the circulation.

Pregnancies were identified in which maternal IgG antibodies against rubella virus were not detectable by single radial haemolysis. Twenty paired maternal/cord sera were then tested for haemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) activity against rubella virus without kaolin pretreatment of the sera. In the absence of specific antibody, the HI activity observed could thus be ascribed to the effect of non-specific inhibitors. The HI activity in maternal sera was significantly (P less than 0.001) higher than that in cord sera. The 20 pairs of sera were similarly tested against a bunyavirus, an alphavirus and a flavivirus, both with and without kaolin pretreatment. The results showed non-specific inhibitors were found to higher titre in maternal sera, with the difference being statistically significant (P less than 0.001) for each of the three viruses.

Leptospires in wildlife from Trinidad and Grenada.

Serum samples from 894 wild animals (representing 31 species) from Trinidad and Grenada were examined by the microscopic agglutination test for leptospiral antibodies; 198 were positive. These included 39 bats, 88 mongooses, six opossums, 10 peridomestic rodents, 15 forest rodents, 10 lizards, and 30 toads. Thirteen pathogenic serogroups were involved. Thirty-nine Leptospira isolates were reported from mongooses, opossums, rodents and toads.