Abatement of odor emissions from wastewater treatment plants using biochar.

Odor is a critical environmental problem that negatively affects people's quality of life. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) often emit various odorous compounds, such as ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and organosulfur. Abatement of odor emissions from WWTPs using biochar may contribute to achieving carbon neutrality due to the carbon negative nature, CO2 sorption, and negative priming effects of biochar. Biochar has a high specific surface area and microporous structure with appropriate activation, which is suitable for sorption purposes. Various research directions have been proposed to determine the biochar removal efficiency for different odorants released from WWTPs. According to the literature survey, the pre- and post-treatments (e.g., thermal treatment, chemical treatment, and metal impregnation) of biochar could enhance the removal capacity for the odorants emitted from WWTPs at comparable conditions, compared to unmodified biochar. The feedstock and production condition (particularly, pyrolysis temperature) of a biochar and initial concentration of an odorant markedly affect the biochar's odorant removal capacity and efficiency. Moreover, different adsorption systems for the removal of odorants emitted from WWTPs follow different adsorption models. Further research is required to establish the practical use of biochar for the mitigation of odors released from WWTPs.

Reduction of odor-causing compounds in wastewater using biochar: A review.

Wastewater contains chemical compounds that cause malodors, such as ammonium cation, dimethyl sulfide, and volatile organic compounds. Biochar-based reduction in the odorants has been proposed as an effective approach along with maintaining environmental neutrality as biochar is a sustainable material made from biomass and biowaste. Biochar can have high specific surface area and microporous structure with proper activation, appropriate for sorption purposes. Recently, various research directions have been proposed to determine the removal efficiency of biochar for different odorants contained in wastewater. This article is aimed at providing the most updated review of biochar-based removal of odor-causing compounds in wastewater while highlighting the current advances. It was distinguished that the odorant removal performance of biochar is highly associated with the raw material and modification method of biochar, and the kind of odorants. Further research should be required for more practical use of biochar for the reduction of odorants in wastewater.

Plastic-Waste-Derived Char as an Additive for Epoxy Composite.

Tremendous amounts of plastic waste are generated daily. The indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste can cause serious global environmental issues, such as leakages of microplastics into the ecosystem. Thus, it is necessary to find a more sustainable way to reduce the volume of plastic waste by converting it into usable materials. Pyrolysis provides a sustainable solution for the production of carbonaceous materials (e.g., char). Plastic-waste-derived char can be used as an additive in epoxy composites to improve the properties and performance of neat epoxy resins. This review compiles relevant knowledge on the potential of additives for epoxy composites originating from plastic waste. It also highlights the potential of plastic-waste-derived char materials for use in materials in various industries.

Performance Validation of Three Scoring Systems for the Prediction of Thrombotic Microangiopathy Due to Severe ADAMTS13 Deficiency and the Response to Therapeutic Plasma Exchange: First Study in Korea.

Background: The BENTLEY score (B-S), French thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) Reference Center score (FTMA-S), and PLASMIC score (PLASMIC-S) have been developed for TMA diagnostic prediction. We retrospectively validated their predictive performances in patients with severe (<10%) disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) deficiency in terms of the risk of TMA and response to therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). Methods: The predictive performances of the three scoring systems were compared in 145 patients with suspected TMA who underwent ADAMTS13 activity tests between January 2014 and September 2022. The response to TPE and mortality in TMA-positive patients were compared after risk stratification, using the Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's exact tests. Results: The PLASMIC-S, FTMA-S, and B-S showed area under the curve values of 0.820, 0.636, and 0.513, respectively, for predicting TMA positivity in high-risk patients. The PLASMIC-S showed higher sensitivity (81.8%), negative predictive value (91.2%), positive predictive value (PPV; 66.7%), and accuracy (82.1%) than the FTMA-S (72.7%, 82.1%, 41.0%, and 60.0%, respectively) and B-S (4.6%, 70.2%, 50.0%, and 69.7%, respectively). The PLASMIC-S also showed higher specificity than the FTMA-S (82.2% vs. 54.5%). The modified PLASMIC-S, including lactate dehydrogenase/upper limit of normal ratios, increased the specificity, PPV, and accuracy to 97.0%, 92.3%, and 92.4%, respectively. In TMA-positive patients, high risk assessed by the PLASMIC-S predicted higher platelet recovery rates and less TPE sessions required for recovery than for those assessed at low-to-intermediate risk. Conclusions: PLASMIC-S is the preferred scoring system for detecting patients with TMA positivity and for prognosis before confirmation of ADAMTS13 activity.

Research use only and cell population data items obtained from the Beckman Coulter DxH800 automated hematology analyzer are useful in discriminating MDS patients from those with cytopenia without MDS.

We investigated the performance of research use only/cell population data (RUO/CPD) items obtained from the Beckman Coulter DxH800 automated hematologic analyzer in discriminating MDS patients from cytopenic patients without MDS.Total of 14 routine CBC, 18 research use only (RUO) items, and 70 CPD items were obtained retrospectively at diagnosis. The results were then compared between 94 MDS patients and 100 cytopenic patients without MDS. In items with statistically significant differences, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed and the results were compared.Four CBC/RUO items [red cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD), immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF), mean sphered cell volume (MSCV), high light scatter reticulocytes (HLR)], and two CPD items [mean volume of neutrophils (NE-V-Mean) and mean volume of early granulated cells (EGC-V-Mean)] showed area-under the curve (AUC) scores > 0.750. Notably, four RUO/CPD items (MSCV > 81.4/HLR > 0.15%/NE-V-Mean > 145/EGC-V-Mean > 156) showed high sensitivity (91.9%/93.6%/88.1%/90.2%, respectively) in discriminating MDS patients from cytopenic patients without MDS. With these six items, scores ≥ 4 (defined as ≥ 4 items exceeding cutoff values out of six items) showed AUC scores/sensitivity/specificity/accuracy (0.891/87.3%/79.0%/83.0%, respectively).Six CBC/RUO/CPD items showed satisfactory AUC scores of > 0.750, and four RUO/CPD items showed high sensitivity in discriminating MDS patients from cytopenic patients without MDS. Scoring system with six items showed high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy with decision criteria of ≥ 4 scores. Therefore, DxH800 RUO/CPD items would be useful in discriminating MDS patients from cytopenic patients without MDS.

Single-Use Disposable Waste Upcycling via Thermochemical Conversion Pathway.

Herein, the pyrolysis of two types of single-use disposable waste (single-use food containers and corrugated fiberboard) was investigated as an approach to cleanly dispose of municipal solid waste, including plastic waste. For the pyrolysis of single-use food containers or corrugated fiberboard, an increase in temperature tended to increase the yield of pyrolytic gas (i.e., non-condensable gases) and decrease the yield of pyrolytic liquid (i.e., a mixture of condensable compounds) and solid residue. The single-use food container-derived pyrolytic product was largely composed of hydrocarbons with a wide range of carbon numbers from C1 to C32, while the corrugated fiberboard-derived pyrolytic product was composed of a variety of chemical groups such as phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and oxygenates involving alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, acetates, and esters. Changes in the pyrolysis temperature from 500 °C to 900 °C had no significant effect on the selectivity toward each chemical group found in the pyrolytic liquid derived from either the single-use food containers or corrugated fiberboard. The co-pyrolysis of the single-use food containers and corrugated fiberboard led to 6 times higher hydrogen (H2) selectivity than the pyrolysis of the single-use food containers only. Furthermore, the co-pyrolysis did not form phenolic compounds or polycyclic aromatic compounds that are hazardous environmental pollutants (0% selectivity), indicating that the co-pyrolysis process is an eco-friendly method to treat single-use disposable waste.

Distinct Clinical Features of Plasma Cell Myeloma Patients Exhibiting Dysmorphic Plasma Cells: Association with More Plasma Cells at Diagnosis.

Dysmorphic plasma cells are occasionally found in bone marrow (BM) aspirates of plasma cell myeloma (PCM) patients. We retrospectively analyzed the incidences of significant dysmorphic plasma cells (SDPC) presentations and their associations with clinical features in PCM patients. Total 91 PCM patients diagnosed from January 2013 to December 2017 at author's institution were enrolled. SDPC presentation was determined as ≥ 5% (SDPC5) or ≥ 10% (SDPC10) among total PC and clinical features of PCM patients were compared with respect to SDPC presentation status. Incidence of SDPC5/SDPC10 presentation was 39.6%/18.7%. Patients with SDPC5/SDPC10 showed significantly more BM PC (P = 0.004/0.020) and higher incidences of CKS1B gains (P = 0.022/0.001) and RB1 loss (P = 0.032 for SDPC10 only) at diagnosis than those without SDPC5/SDPC10. Patients with SDPC5/SDPC10 also showed significantly greater absolute BM PC (P = 0.007/0.034 and 0.047/0.049 for 1st and 2nd follow-up, respectively) and serum M-protein (P = 0.041/0.044 and 0.039/0.049 for 1st and 2nd follow-up, respectively) reductions after chemotherapy than those without SDPC5/SDPC10. SDPC5/SDPC10 presentation was confirmed as an independent predictor of BM PC ≥ 37.7% [hazard ratio (HR) 4.649/2.613, P = 0.005/0.039]. Our present study demonstrated that SDPC presentation would be an independent predictor of more BM PC at diagnosis in PCM patients. Associations between SDPC presentation and higher incidence of CKS1B gains and RB1 loss, greater PC/serum monoclonal protein reductions after chemotherapy were also identified. Association between SDPC presentation and favorable treatment response should be evaluated in more comprehensive study.

Performance Evaluation of Automated Immunohematology Analyzer IH-500 for Blood Bank Testing.

The automated immunohematology analyzer IH-500 (Bio-rad, Cressier FR, Switzerland) was developed recently for blood bank tests and this study evaluated performance of IH-500. 200 blood samples for ABO/Rh typing were collected. ABO/Rh typing results measured by IH-500 was compared with conventional manual methods. Antibody screening tests were performed with 100 samples using both IH-500 and the Ortho BioVue System, and results were compared. Antibody identification tests were conducted on 5 samples using both IH-500 and the Ortho BioVue System and results were compared. Crossmatching was performed with both IH-500 and conventional manual tube method using 4 patient serum samples and 10 blood cell donors, and 40 results were compared. Isoagglutinin titer of anti-A and anti-B was determined in 10 samples using both IH-500 and the automated analyzer Ortho AutoVue Innova and concordance rates were obtained. The concordance rates of ABO/Rh typing, antibody screening test, antibody identification test, and crossmatching between comparative manual methods and the IH-500 were all 100%. In the evaluation of isoagglutinin titer, 8 (80.0%) results out of 10 samples (80%) showed results within ± 1 titer between the IH-500 and the AutoVue Innova, which indicates the concordance rates of 80.0%. IH-500 reported results with two titers lower than Ortho AutoVue Innova in two samples. The IH-500 demonstrated good concordance rates and provided reliable results compared to comparative manual methods in the blood bank testing. IH-500 would be useful as a possible replacement for conventionally performed manual methods in blood bank testing.

Changes in ginsenoside patterns of red ginseng extracts according to manufacturing and storage conditions.

Although the pharmacological action of red ginseng is mostly generated by ginsenosides, contents of ginsenosides in manufactured extracts are still varying according to processing and storage conditions. Rg1, Rb1, and Rh1 levels significantly decreased overtime under pH adjustment and thermal treatment during storage, and these changes were exacerbated at lower pH and higher storage temperature. However, Rg3 level showed the opposite pattern compared to other ginsenosides. Rg3 level linearly increased at higher temperature and pH while significantly decreased at pH 2. Furthermore, Rg3 level constantly increased during storage. This is the first combined study on the effects of manufacturing and storage conditions on ginsenoside contents of red-ginseng-extract products. To minimize loss of major marker and bioactive compounds of red ginseng products during manufacturing processes and storage, it is recommended that red-ginseng-extracts be maintained at pH 6-8, sterilized at below 105 °C, and stored at below 25 °C.

Ligularia fischeri extract attenuates liver damage induced by chronic alcohol intake.

Context Ligularia fischeri (Ledebour) Turcz. (Compositae) has been used as a leafy vegetable and in traditional medicine to treat hepatic disorder in East Asia. Objective The present study explores the antioxidant activity of LF aqueous extract on EtOH-induced oxidative stress accompanied by hepatotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo. Materials and methods In vitro study using the mouse liver NCTC-1469 cell line was conducted to estimate the cytotoxicity as well as the inhibitory effect of LF extract against alcohol-treated cell damage. In vivo study used an alcohol-fed Wister rat model orally administered EtOH (3.95 g/kg of body weight/d) with or without LF extract (100 or 200 mg/kg body weight) for 6 weeks. Serum and liver tissue were collected to evaluate hepatic injury and antioxidant-related enzyme activity. Results The EC50 value for the DPPH radical scavenging capacity of LF extract was 451.5 µg/mL, whereas the IC50 value of LF extract in terms of EtOH-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was 98.3 µg/mL without cell cytotoxicity. LF extract (200 mg/kg body weight) significantly reduced the triglyceride content of serum (33%) as well as hepatic lipid peroxidation (36%), whereas SOD activity was elevated three-fold. LF extract suppressed expression of CYP2E1 and TNF-α, and attenuated alcohol-induced abnormal morphological changes. Discussion and conclusion LF extract attenuated liver damage induced by alcoholic oxidative stress through inhibition of ROS generation, down-regulation of CYP2E1, and activation of hepatic antioxidative enzymes. Homeostasis of the antioxidative defence system in the liver by LF extract mitigated hepatic disorder following chronic alcohol intake.

Relationship between prenatal and postnatal exposures to folate and risks of allergic and respiratory diseases in early childhood.

BACKGROUND: It is uncertain whether folate is risk or preventive factor for allergic and respiratory diseases. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between maternal or offspring folate status and subsequent development of allergic and respiratory diseases in early childhood. METHODS: In total, 917 mother-child pairs from a prospective birth cohort in South Korea were studied. Data regarding the children's allergic and respiratory outcomes were obtained from standardized questionnaires completed by the mothers at postnatal months 6, 12, and 24. Serum folate levels were measured in the mothers at mid- and late-pregnancy, and in their children at 24 months of age. Atopic biomarkers were measured in the cord blood (CB) and at 24 months after birth. Biomarkers and clinical outcomes were analyzed and compared between the mother-child pairs divided into two groups according to median serum folate status at mid- and late-pregnancy. RESULTS: Serum folate levels during mid-pregnancy were inversely associated with CB eosinophil count (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.96) and positively associated with CB interleukin-10 levels (1.47, 1.11-1.94). Maternal folate level above the median value (≥9.5 ng/ml) during mid-pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk for the child of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) at 6 months of age (adjusted OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.28-0.91) and atopic dermatitis (AD) at 24 months (adjusted OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31-0.88), but not with LRTIs and AD at other ages. CONCLUSIONS: A relatively high maternal serum folate level in mid-pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of LRTIs and AD in early childhood.

Modified transtibial versus anteromedial portal technique in anatomic single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: comparison of femoral tunnel position and clinical results.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have compared a conventional transtibial technique with an anteromedial (AM) portal technique for single-bundle (SB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, no study to date has investigated whether the modified transtibial technique results in the femoral tunnel being in a similar anatomic position and produces similar clinical outcomes with those of the AM portal technique. PURPOSE: To compare the clinical outcomes and femoral tunnel position of SB ACL reconstruction using a modified transtibial technique (creating a femoral tunnel with varus and internal rotation of the tibia as well as modification of the tibial tunnel orientation) with those of SB ACL reconstruction using an AM portal technique. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS: A total of 40 patients (40 knees) who underwent arthroscopic SB ACL reconstruction were included in this study. Patients were randomized using a computer-generated sequence into 2 groups: 20 patients by the modified transtibial technique (group 1) and 20 patients by the AM portal technique (group 2). Clinical evaluations included the 2000 International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective knee score, Lysholm knee score, Tegner activity scale, Lachman test, pivot-shift test, 2000 IKDC knee examination, and KT-1000 arthrometer measurement. Three-dimensional computed tomography scans were analyzed according to the quadrant method, and the obliquity of the femoral tunnels in the coronal and sagittal planes and the size of the tunnel orifice were measured. RESULTS: All clinical parameters improved significantly after SB ACL reconstruction, with no between-group differences. The mean distance of the femoral tunnel center location from the posterior condylar surface (0.8% difference; P = .167) and from the Blumensaat line (2.1% difference; P = .067) was similar in groups 1 and 2. The mean coronal obliquity of the femoral tunnel was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 (42.5° ± 6.1° vs 49.3° ± 7.2°, respectively; P = .001), but the mean sagittal obliquity was similar between the 2 groups (41.9° ± 6.1° vs 43.3° ± 5.4°, respectively; P = .303). The mean area of the tunnel orifice was significantly greater in group 1 than in group 2 (11.6 ± 1.4 × 9.2 ± 1.6 mm vs 10.3 ± 1.1 × 9.1 ± 1.4 mm, respectively; P = .013). CONCLUSION: The modified transtibial technique for SB ACL reconstruction showed good clinical results and anatomic placement of the femoral tunnel, similar with those of the AM portal technique.

Total Knee Arthroplasty Using a Posterior Cruciate Ligament Sacrificing Medial Pivot Knee: Minimum 5-year Follow-up Results.

PURPOSE: To evaluate minimum 5-year follow-up clinical and radiological results of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using a posterior cruciate ligament sacrificing (PS), non-substituting Advance Medial Pivot Knee. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty knees in 80 patients who could be followed up for more than 5 years after TKA using the PS Advance Medial Pivot Knee were evaluated retrospectively. The evaluations included the preoperative and postoperative range of motion (ROM), tibiofemoral angle, Knee Society (KS) knee and function scores, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. RESULTS: The ROM increased from a preoperative mean flexion contracture of 7.6° and further flexion of 115.1° to a postoperative mean flexion contracture of 1.5° and further flexion of 120.5°. The tibiofemoral angle was changed from 4.6° varus preoperatively to 5.8° valgus postoperatively. The KS knee and function scores as well as WOMAC score significantly improved after surgery (p<0.05). Complications developed in 4 cases (3.3%): 2 cases of periprosthetic patellar fracture (1.7%) and 2 cases of aseptic loosening (1.7%). The seven-year survival rate was 98.1% in the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The minimum 5-year follow-up results of TKA using the PS Medial Pivot Knee were satisfactory.

Targeted theranostic nanoparticles: receptor-mediated entry into cells, pH-induced signal generation and cytosolic delivery.

Virus-like theranostic nanoparticles: virus-like poly(amino acid) nanoparticles are synthesized that can be internalized via receptor-mediated endocytosis, resulting in encapsulated pH-activatable fluorescence probes that can be turned on in acidic environments but otherwise remain undetectable. The encapsulated anticancer drugs are also released into cytosol by endosome disruption.

MONW phenotype is associated with advanced colorectal adenoma in Korean men.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a relationship between colorectal adenoma and metabolically obese but normal weight (MONW) among Korean men and women. The MONW phenotype is defined as a BMI <25, but fulfilling the metabolic syndrome (MS) criteria with a modified waist circumference (≥90 cm for men and ≥85 cm for women) appropriate for Korean. A total of 3,430 subjects (2,263 men and 1,167 women; 23-75 years old) were included in the study. Colorectal adenomas were diagnosed in 775 men and 199 women. The rate of advanced adenomas in males was 24.3% and in females 21.1%. A significant association between MONW and advanced colorectal adenoma was found in men (age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-3.47) but not in women (age-adjusted OR = 1.80, 95% CI: 0.50-6.45). The findings suggest that men with MONW may have an increased risk of developing advanced colorectal adenoma whereas this does not seem true for females.

Antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes on fresh lettuce.

Plant extracts have been found to be effective in reducing microorganisms. This study evaluated antimicrobial activity of 12 plant extracts against Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes by using a disk diffusion assay, and Syzygium aromaticum (clove) showed the highest inhibitory effect. To investigate the efficacy of clove extract that inactivates pathogens on lettuce, inoculated lettuce with S. Typhimurium, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes was treated with diluted clove extracts or distilled water for 0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 min. Clove extract treatment significantly reduced populations of the 3 tested pathogens from the surface of lettuce. Practical Application: This result indicated that clove extract is a useful antimicrobial agent to reduce the microbial level of foodborne pathogens on fresh lettuce. It also might be a natural antimicrobial for reducing or replacing chemical sanitizers in food preservation.