Effects of pH-varying thermal modification on sewage sludge: A focus on releasing nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing substances.

Sewage sludge is promising for the recovery and utilisation of nutrient components, but its complex nature hinders the release of these components. The combination of pH and thermal modifications shows promise for the release of nutrient components from sludge. However, comprehensive studies on the full spectrum of pH levels and corresponding mechanisms of pH-varying thermal modification are lacking. In this study, the main nutrient components, physicochemical properties, molecular structure, and noncovalent interactions of sludge were comprehensively investigated through pH-varying thermal modification (within a pH range of 2.0 to 12.0 under the same thermal condition). The experimental results showed that the release of main organics, particularly nitrogen (N)-containing organics, was well-fitted, with a tick-like function (R2: 0.74-0.96). The thermal protons exhibited a notable accumulative mutagenic effect on the N-containing organics release, while the thermal hydroxyl ions had a more direct effect, as revealed by the changes in multivalent metals and molecular structures with the protonation-deprotonation of carboxyl groups. The driving force for the release of N-containing organics was identified as the fluctuation of electrostatic interactions at the solid-liquid interface of the sludge. However, the release of phosphorus (P)-containing substances exhibited a contrasting response to that of N-containing substances with varying pH, likely because the reaction sites of thermal protons and thermal hydroxyl ions for P-containing substances were different. Moreover, high concentrations of thermal protons and hydroxyl ions collapsed the Lifshitz-van der Waals interactions of sludge, resulting in a decrease in viscoelasticity and binding strength. These propositions were further confirmed through statistical analyses of the main indicators of the main nutrient components, physicochemical properties, and noncovalent interactions of sludge. These findings can provide a basis for optimising characteristic-specific methods to recovery nutrient components (N/P) from sludge.

Improving anaerobic digestion performance after severe acidification: Unveiling the impacts of Fe3O4-bentonite composites in co-digestion of waste activated sludge and food waste.

Acidification recovery in anaerobic digestion of food waste is challenging. This study explored its in-situ recovery using a co-substrate of food waste and waste activated sludge. Fe3O4 and bentonite were used as conductor and carrier, respectively, to enhance AD performance under severe acidification. The application of Fe3O4-bentonite resulted in a 152% increase in cumulative methane in the Fe3O4-bentonite 10 digester, demonstrating its effectiveness in restoring the acidified AD system. In acidified systems, bentonite enhanced the diversity and richness of microbial communities due to its buffering capacity. The excessive non-conductive polysaccharides excreted by bacteria in extracellular polymeric substances reduced the possibility of electron transfer by Fe3O4. However, in the synergistic application of Fe3O4 and bentonite, this resistance was alleviated, increasing the possibility of direct interspecies electron transfer, and accelerating the consumption of volatile fatty acids. This approach of integrating carrier and conductive materials is significant for in-situ restoration of acidified systems.

A novel SLC3A2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate exerts potent antitumor efficacy in head and neck squamous cell cancer.

The development of innovative therapeutic strategies for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a critical medical requirement. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) targeting tumor-specific surface antigens have demonstrated clinical effectiveness in treating hematologic and solid malignancies. Our investigation revealed high expression levels of SLC3A2 in HNSCC tissue and cell lines. This study aimed to develop a novel anti-SLC3A2 ADC and assess its antitumor effects on HNSCC both in vitro and in vivo. This study developed a potent anti-SLC3A2 ADC (19G4-MMAE) and systematically investigated its drug delivery potential and antitumor efficacy in preclinical models. This study revealed that 19G4-MMAE exhibited specific binding to SLC3A2 and effectively targeted lysosomes. Moreover, 19G4-MMAE induced a significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in SLC3A2-positive HNSCC cells. The compound demonstrated potent antitumor effects derived from MMAE against SLC3A2-expressing HNSCC in preclinical models, displaying a favorable safety profile. These findings suggest that targeting SLC3A2 with an anti-SLC3A2 ADC could be a promising therapeutic approach for treating HNSCC patients.

Improved microalgae growth and lipid production in anaerobic digestate with ultraviolet radiation pretreatment.

Inappropriate sterilization strategies inhibit microalgal growth when culturing microalgae with anaerobic digestate. This study aimed to scientifically select a low-cost disinfection pretreatment of anaerobic digestate for large-scale microalgae cultivations. In this work, three different methods, including autoclaving, ultraviolet or NaClO treatments, were employed to sterilize the municipal anaerobic digestate. Scenedesmus quadricauda was then cultured in diluted liquid digestate for the simultaneous lipid production and nutrient removal. The results indicated that the growth of S. quadricauda was inhibited after NaClO treatment due to the residual free chlorine. The 15-min ultraviolet effectively mitigated microbial contamination and increasing nutrient availability, enhancing the electron transport of microalgal photosynthesis. After 6-days cultivation, the microalgal biomass concentration of the ultraviolet group was 1.09 g/L, comparable to that of the autoclaving group (1.15 g/L). High nutrient removal efficiency was observed: COD (93.30 %), NH4+-N (92.56 %), TN (85.82 %) and TP (95.12 %). Moreover, S. quadricauda outcompeted the indigenous microorganisms, contributing to its dominance in the culture system of ultraviolet group. The facultative anaerobe Comamonadaceae and aerobes Moraxellaceae, rather than strict anaerobe Paludibacteraceae and Bacteroidetes_vadinHA17, played vital roles in synergistic removal of contaminants by bacteria and algae. The potential competition for nitrogen and phosphorus by bacteria contributed to the ultraviolet group having the greatest lipid content (48.19 %). Therefore, this work suggested using 15-min ultraviolet treatment for anaerobic digestate in large-scale microalgae cultivation.

Constructing Efficient CuAg Nanoalloys on Ce0.90In0.10Oδ for Methanol Deep Oxidation Catalysis at Low Temperature.

So far, it is still extremely challenging to develop an efficient catalyst for deep oxidation of methanol at low temperature. Herein, we report the construction of the highly dispersed CuAg alloy on the surface of Ce0.90In0.10Oδ nanorods support for catalyzing methanol deep oxidation. The composition, structure and properties of catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the CuxAg100-x/Ce0.90In0.10Oδ alloy catalysts exhibit superior catalytic activity and stability compared to pure Ag/Ce0.90In0.10Oδ, with the highest activity observed for Cu40Ag60/Ce0.90In0.10Oδ, accompanied by the light-off temperature (T50) and full conversion temperature (T90) of 115 and 145 °C, respectively. This is attributed to the synergistic effect of CuAg alloy, which results in electron transfer, generating more Ag0, and enhanced interaction between CuAg alloy and the support, leading to increased Ce3+ content and higher oxygen vacancy concentration. This work successfully applies CuAg alloy catalysts in thermo-catalytic reaction, offering promising prospects for CuAg alloy catalysts in the methanol deep oxidation.

Improved antitumor effects elicited by an oncolytic HSV-1 expressing a novel B7H3nb/CD3 BsAb.

Oncolytic viruses have emerged as a promising modality for cancer treatment due to their unique abilities to directly destroy tumor cells and modulate the tumor microenvironment. Bispecific T-cell engagers (BsAbs) have been developed to activate and redirect cytotoxic T lymphocytes, enhancing the antitumor response. To take advantage of the specific infection capacity and carrying ability of exogenous genes, we generated a recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-1dko-B7H3nb/CD3 or HSV-1dko-B7H3nb/mCD3, carrying a B7H3nb/CD3 or B7H3nb/mCD3 BsAb that replicates and expresses BsAb in tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. The new generation of oncolytic viruses has been genetically modified using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and the cre-loxp system to increase the efficiency of HSV genome editing. Additionally, we used two fully immunocompetent models (GL261 and MC38) to assess the antitumor effect of HSV-1dko-B7H3nb/mCD3. Compared with the HSV-1dko control virus, HSV-1dko-B7H3nb/mCD3 induced enhanced anti-tumor immune responses and T-cell infiltration in both GL261 and MC38 models, resulting in improved treatment efficacy in the latter. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis of the tumor microenvironment confirmed an increase in NK cells and effector CD8+ T cells, and a decrease in immunosuppressive cells, including FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and CD206+ macrophages (M2). Overall, our study identified a novel camel B7H3 nanobody and described the genetic modification of the HSV-1 genome using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and the cre-loxp system. Our findings indicate that expressing B7H3nb/CD3 BsAb could improve the antitumor effects of HSV-1 based oncolytic virus.

Delivery of CD47-SIRPα checkpoint blocker by BCMA-directed UCAR-T cells enhances antitumor efficacy in multiple myeloma.

In the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients, BCMA-directed autologous CAR-T cells have showed excellent anti-tumor activity. However, their widespread application is limited due to the arguably cost and time-consuming. Multiple myeloma cells highly expressed CD47 molecule and interact with the SIRPα ligand on the surface of macrophages, in which evade the clearance of macrophages through the activation of "don't eat me" signal. In this study, a BCMA-directed universal CAR-T cells, BC404-UCART, secreting a CD47-SIRPα blocker was developed using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system. BC404-UCART cells significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival of mice in the xenograft model. The anti-tumor activity of BC404-UCART cells was achieved via two mechanisms, on the one hand, the UCAR-T cells directly killed tumor cells, on the other hand, the BC404-UCART cells enhanced the phagocytosis of macrophages by secreting anti-CD47 nanobody hu404-hfc fusion that blocked the "don't eat me" signal between macrophages and tumor cells, which provides a potential strategy for the development of novel "off-the-shelf" cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Formation of autotrophic nitrogen removal granular sludge driven by the dual-partition airlift internal circulation: Insights from performance assessment, community succession, and metabolic mechanism.

Granular sludge has been recognized as an effective method for the application and industrialization of the anammox-based process due to its good biomass retention capacity and environmental tolerance. In this study, a one-stage autotrophic nitrogen removal (ANR) dual-partition system with airlift internal circulation was implemented for 320 days. A high nitrogen removal efficiency of 84.6% was obtained, while the nitrogen removal rate reached 1.28 g-N/L/d. ANR granular sludge dominated by Nitrosomonas and Candidatus Brocadia was successfully cultivated. Results showed that activity and abundance of functional flora first increased with granulation process, but eventually declined slightly when particle size exceeded the optimal range. Total anammox activity was observed to be significantly correlated with protein content (R2 = 0.9623) and nitrogen removal performance (R2 = 0.8796). Correlation network revealed that AnAOB had complex interactions with other bacteria, both synergy for nitrogen removal and competition for substrate. Changes in abundances of genes encoding the Carbohydrate Metabolism, Energy Metabolism, and Membrane Transport suggested energy production and material transfer were possibly blocked with further sludge granulation. Formation of ANR granular sludge promoted the interactions and metabolism of functional microorganisms, and the complex nitrogen metabolic pathways improved the performance stability. These results validated the feasibility of granule formation in the airlift dual-partition system and revealed the response of the ANR system to sludge granulation.

Revealing the response of community structure and metabolic pathway to varying organic matter stress in a dissolved oxygen-differentiated airlift internal circulation partial nitritation-anammox system.

In practice, the influent organic matter is often pre-treated to reduce the impact on partial nitritation-anammox (PNA) process. However, the influent organics may also drive the denitrification process and improve total nitrogen removal efficiency of the PNA process. Thus, we designed and operated a novel dissolved oxygen-differentiated airlift internal circulation PNA (PNA-DOAIC) system in this study at various influent C/N ratios of 0-4.0. Nitrogen removal performance, microbial activity and community, and metabolic pathways in response to varying organic matter stress were investigated via the continuous experiment combined with batch test. The results showed that the optimum influent C/N ratio was 2.0 in this system, and the efficient and stable operation was still maintained at the C/N ratios of 0-3. At this time, the TN removal efficiency and removal rate could reach 95.1 % and 0.93 kg-N/m3/d, respectively, while COD efficiency remained at 95.4 %. Efficient removal performance was achieved via the PNA coupled with denitrification. However, the anammox bacteria (AnAOB) activity and abundance declined persistently as the influent C/N ratio was further raised, and heterotrophic bacteria gradually replaced AnAOB as dominate genus. Meanwhile, metabolic functions involving the material exchange and organic degradation were significantly enhanced. Nitrogen removal pathways changed from PNA to the nitrification-denitrification process. This study provides deep insights into effects of organic matter on the PNA process and can expand the application scope of this novel PNA-DOAIC bioreactor.

A drug screening to identify novel combinatorial strategies for boosting cancer immunotherapy efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) have made remarkable breakthroughs in cancer treatment, but the efficacy is still limited for solid tumors due to tumor antigen heterogeneity and the tumor immune microenvironment. The restrained treatment efficacy prompted us to seek new potential therapeutic methods. METHODS: In this study, we conducted a small molecule compound library screen in a human BC cell line to identify whether certain drugs contribute to CAR T cell killing. Signaling pathways of tumor cells and T cells affected by the screened drugs were predicted via RNA sequencing. Among them, the antitumor activities of JK184 in combination with CAR T cells or ICBs were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: We selected three small molecule drugs from a compound library, among which JK184 directly induces tumor cell apoptosis by inhibiting the Hedgehog signaling pathway, modulates B7-H3 CAR T cells to an effector memory phenotype, and promotes B7-H3 CAR T cells cytokine secretion in vitro. In addition, our data suggested that JK184 exerts antitumor activities and strongly synergizes with B7-H3 CAR T cells or ICBs in vivo. Mechanistically, JK184 enhances B7-H3 CAR T cells infiltrating in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, JK184 combined with ICB markedly reshaped the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing effector T cells infiltration and inflammation cytokine secretion, inhibiting the recruitment of MDSCs and the transition of M2-type macrophages in an immunocompetent mouse model. CONCLUSION: These data show that JK184 may be a potential adjutant in combination with CAR T cells or ICB therapy.

On the Problems and Countermeasures of College Students' Mental Health and Safe Work under Network Environment.

Under the network environment, mental health and safety work on college is related to national security and campus security. Moreover, it affects the healthy development of college students. In the era of ever-changing mobile Internet, colleges and universities must take practical countermeasures against the problems in mental health and safety education on college and improve the relevance and effectiveness of college students' network safety education. This paper first finds the problems of college students' mental health and safety through questionnaire survey and analyzes the current situation of college students' mental health and safety under the current networked environment. In response to the problems found, we propose complete and systematic educational countermeasures. At the same time, we need to firmly establish the strategic awareness of network security education and strengthen the construction of network security education in colleges and universities. We should strengthen the construction of network security education in colleges and universities, form a joint effort of schools, families, government, and society, and improve the quality and effectiveness of network security education.

Effect of modified CeO2 on the performance of PdCu/Ce1-xTixO2 catalyst for methanol purification.

In this paper, we prepared a series of Ce1-xTixO2 (x = 0-0.20) nanorods by hydrothermal method, which were used to construct the PdCu/Ce1-xTixO2 catalysts. The Ce1-xTixO2 and PdCu/Ce1-xTixO2 samples were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), etc. Catalytic activity, stability, and repeatability of the catalysts for methanol oxidation were investigated. The results show that doping a proper amount of titanium could strengthen the interaction between Ce1-xTixO2 support and PdCu nanoalloy, thus increasing the oxygen vacancy concentration and promoting Pd species with a higher oxidation state. These modified properties are beneficial for the deep oxidation of methanol. The light-off temperature (T50) and full-conversion temperature (T90) of methanol over the PdCu/CeO2 catalyst are 108 °C and 159 °C, respectively. The greatest activity improvement is found for PdCu/Ce0.9Ti0.1O2, which shows the lowest T50 of 88 °C and T90 of 138 °C. Furthermore, neither PdCu/CeO2 nor the modified PdCu/CeO2 catalyst produces by-products and exhibit excellent stability and repeatability throughout the whole test period. This study provides a reference for in-depth understanding and designing of efficient and stable CeO2-based oxidation catalysts.

Contributions of MOF-808 to methane production from anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.

The bioconversion of waste activated sludge (WAS) into methane is usually limited by the poor hydrolysis of sludge and/or poor syntrophic methanogenesis during anaerobic digestion (AD). In this study, the underlying mechanism of MOF-808 enhancing hydrolysis and syntrophic methanogenesis during AD process of WAS was investigated. Experimentally, with the effects of MOF-808 (150 mg MOF-808/g Volatile Solid (VS)), the methane production and the proportion of methane in biogas increased by approximately 26.7% and 15.6%, respectively, and the lag phase of methanogenesis decreased by 50.8%, which indicate that MOF-808 enhanced the generation efficiency of methane. The changes in activities of main hydrolytic enzymes with and without MOF-808 (150 mg MOF-808/g VS) during AD process revealed that MOF-808 improved the enzymatic hydrolysis of sludge, and the abiotic hydrolysis of sludge extracellular organic substances by MOF-808 shows that the maximum proportion and the initial increasing rate of low-molecular weight fractions increased by 60% and 583.7%, respectively, indicating that MOF-808 can greatly enhance the hydrolysis degree and rate of sludge via abiotic effect. These demonstrate that MOF-808 enhanced both biological and abiotic hydrolysis of sludge during AD. In addition, changes in the concentrations of acetate kinase and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) with and without MOF-808 (150 mg MOF-808/g VS) during AD process showed that MOF-808 accelerated the bioconversion of VFAs to methane, suggesting MOF-808 has a positive effect on syntrophic metabolism for methanogenesis. Moreover, further analyses of the microbial community structure of sludge samples with and without MOF-808 (150 mg MOF-808/g VS) showed that MOF-808 enriched hydrogen-producing bacteria and mixotrophic methanogens (i.e. Methanosarcina), and changed the methanogenic pathway via accelerating proton transfer between syntrophic anaerobes, especially improving the reduction of CO2 to methane, and resulting in highly efficient syntrophic methanogenesis. These findings, however, may provide an important reference for enhancing AD efficiency of WAS based on MOF-like materials.

Renal artery thrombosis in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is identified as the pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). The intravascular thrombotic phenomena related to the COVID-19 are emerging as an important complication that contribute to significant mortality. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a 62-year-old man with severe COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes. After symptomatic and supportive treatment, the respiratory function was gradually improved. However, the patient suddenly developed abdominal pain, and the enhanced CT scan revealed renal artery thrombosis. Given the risk of surgery and the duration of the disease, clopidogrel and heparin sodium were included in the subsequent treatment. The patient recovered and remained stable upon follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombosis is at a high risk in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia because of hypercoagulable state, blood stasis and endothelial injury. Thrombotic events caused by hypercoagulation status secondary to vascular endothelial injury deserves our attention. Because timely anticoagulation can reduce the risk of early complications, as illustrated in this case report.

Knockdown of lncRNA MEG8 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion, but promotes cell apoptosis in hemangioma, via miR­203­induced mediation of the Notch signaling pathway.

As a member of the long non­coding (lnc)RNA family, lncRNA maternally expressed 8, small nucleolar RNA host gene (MEG8), has been reported to serve an oncogenic role in several types of malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma, non­small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of the knockdown of MEG8 on human hemangioma endothelial cell (HemEC) proliferation, apoptosis and invasion, in addition to determining the underlying molecular mechanism. The knockdown of lncRNA MEG8 was achieved by transfecting lncRNA MEG8 small interfering (si)RNA into HemECs, while the combined knockdown of lncRNA MEG8 knockdown and microRNA (miR)­203 was established by co­transfecting lncRNA MEG8 siRNA and a miR­203 inhibitor into HemECs. The cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion and the expression levels of miR­34a, miR­200b, miR­200b and Notch signaling pathway­related factors were detected via CCK­8 Kit, flow cytometry, Transwell, reverse transcription­quantitative PCR and western blot assay, respectively. The knockdown of lncRNA MEG8 significantly inhibited proliferation (P<0.05) and invasion (P<0.05), but promoted apoptosis (P<0.01) in HemECs. Furthermore, lncRNA MEG8 knockdown upregulated miR­203 (P<0.01) expression, but did not alter miR­34a or miR­200b expression (both P>0.05). Subsequent experiments revealed that miR­203 silencing exerted no significant effect on the expression levels of lncRNA MEG8 (P>0.05) in HemECs. In addition, miR­203 silencing increased cell proliferation (P<0.05) and invasion (P<0.01), but suppressed apoptosis (P<0.05). miR­203 silencing also reversed the effect of lncRNA MEG8 knockdown on the proliferation (P<0.05), apoptosis (P<0.001) and invasion (P<0.01) of HemECs. Moreover, lncRNA MEG8 knockdown downregulated jagged canonical notch ligand 1 (JAG1; P<0.05) and Notch1 (P<0.05) expression levels, while miR­203 silencing upregulated JAG1 (P<0.01) and Notch1 (P<0.01) expression levels and reversed the effects of lncRNA MEG8 knockdown on JAG1 (P<0.01) and Notch1 (P<0.01) expression in HemECs. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that lncRNA MEG8 knockdown may inhibit cell proliferation and invasion, but promote cell apoptosis in hemangioma via miR­203­induced mediation of the Notch signaling pathway.

Secondary acidogenic fermentation of waste activated sludge via voltage supplementation: Insights from sludge structure and enzymes activity.

Microbial electrolysis cells were integrated with the anaerobic digestion at different fermentation stage (0th day and 30th day) to explore the bio-electrochemical enhancement of acidogenic fermentation from waste activated sludge. Results showed that significant increases in volatile fatty acid production can be achieved by electrically-assisted acidogenic fermentation (0th day to 12th day). In comparison, volatile fatty acid production during secondary acidogenic fermentation (30th day to 42nd day) via voltage supplementation was also investigated. The concentrations of soluble total organic carbon, soluble protein, soluble polysaccharide via voltage supplementation during the secondary acidogenic fermentation process were improved from 69.9, 50.3, and 18.8 mg/L to 260.6, 135.6, and 43.8 mg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, fractal dimension (Df) value was decreased via voltage supplementation along with the significantly improving of protease and α-glucosidase activities. These results suggest that the presence of voltage brought a secondary solubilization and hydrolysis of sludge via loosening sludge structure and promoting corresponding enzymes activities, thus improved the secondary acidogenic fermentation performance of sludge.

Meta-analysis: combination of meropenem vs ceftazidime and amikacin for empirical treatment of cancer patients with febrile neutropenia.

BACKGROUND: Meropenem monotherapy vs ceftazidime plus amikacin have been approved for use against febrile neutropenia. To assess the effectiveness and safety of them for empirical treatment of cancer patients with febrile neutropenia, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials on ceftazidime plus amikacin, or/and monotherapy with meropenem for the treatment of cancer patients with febrile neutropenia were identified by searching Cochrane Library, PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley Online, Science Citation Index, Google (scholar), National Center for Biotechnology Information, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Data on interventions, participants' characteristics and the outcomes of therapy, were extracted for statistical analysis. Seven trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria. RESULT: The treatment with ceftazidime plus amikacin was more effective than meropenem (OR = 1.17; 95% CI 0.93-1.46; 1270 participants). However, the treatment effects of the 2 therapy methods were almost parallel in adults (OR = 1.15; 95% CI 0.91-1.46; 1130 participants older than 16). Drug-related adverse effects afflicted more patients treated with ceftazidime plus amikacin (OR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.52-1.15; 1445 participants). The common responses were nausea, diarrhea, rash, and increased in serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase and bilirubin. CONCLUSION: Ceftazidime plus amikacin should be the first choice for empirical treatment of cancer patients with febrile neutropenia, and meropenem may be chosen as a last defense against pathogenic bacteria.

Effects of green waste addition on waste activated sludge and fat, oil and grease co-digestion in mesophilic batch digester.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is regarded as an effective method to treat waste activated sludge (WAS) and fat, oil and grease (FOG). Co-digestion of WAS/FOG could promote the methane yield but it will cause acid and salinity inhibition. Green waste (GW) was added into the digesters, and its effects on co-digestion of WAS and FOG in the mesophilic batch digester were investigated. Digestive performances (such as hydrolysis, acidogenesis and methanogenesis) were studied emphatically. The results showed that digester L6 (WAS:FOG:GW = 1:2:1, VS basis) presented the highest specific methane yield (SMY, 341.5 mL/g VS). The results of kinetics study verified that there was a slower hydrolysis rate when GW was applied as a co-substrate, which could reduce the potential of acid inhibition. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) and electrical conductivity analysis showed that GW addition could keep moderate VFA concentrations and alleviate the negative effects of high-salinity substrates on the digestive systems. The microbial community and diversity analysis proved that GW addition was beneficial to keep the balance of hydrolytic bacteria, acidogens and acetogens. The results of this study indicated that GW addition could enhance the energy recovery and system stability in the WAS/FOG co-digestive system.

Effects of hydrothermal pretreatment on the mono- and co-digestion of waste activated sludge and wheat straw.

The refractory properties of waste activated sludge and wheat straw inhibit their bioenergy recovery by anaerobic digestion. This paper attempted to estimate the digestive performance, energy conversion efficiency and economic feasibility of wheat straw mono-digestion and its co-digestion with sludge by hydrothermal pretreatment at different temperature gradients (125, 150 and 175 °C). The results illustrated that the hydrolysis of both wheat straw and sludge were improved with the temperature increasing. It is noted that after pretreatment at 175 °C, wheat straw mono-digestion obtained the cumulative specific methane yield of 168.8 mL/g·VS, 6.9% reduction compared to the unpretreated straw (181.4 mL/g·VS) due to the inhibition by by-products (furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, 5-HMF) formed at high temperatures. The highest cumulative specific methane yield of 225.7 mL/g·VS was achieved by the co-digestion of pretreated wheat straw and pretreated sludge under 175 °C, indicating that the participation of sludge in co-digestion improved the buffer capacity of the system to relieve the inhibition. In addition, the co-digestion of sludge and wheat straw both pretreated at 175 °C obtained the maximum energy production of 7901.1 MJ/t, 52% promotion compared to the mono-digestion without pretreatment. The results of economic analysis showed that the mono-digestion of wheat straw obtained relatively low net profits and the mono-digestion of sludge pretreated at 175 °C achieved the highest net profit of 31.44 US$/t. These results suggest that the co-digestion of both pretreated wheat straw and sludge can achieve the highest biogas production and energy conversion efficiency.