Valorisation of cellulosic rejections from wastewater treatment plants through sugar production.

The widespread use of wipes and other sanitary products made of nonwoven fibres has led to an enormous problem in wastewater treatment systems that has been underestimated for some time. To date, there are no practical alternatives for recycling and valorisation. In this study, cellulosic rejections recovered from a wastewater treatment plant in Barcelona (Spain) were characterised and treated using hydrothermal and enzymatic methods to obtain free sugars. Steam explosion and autoclave pre-treatments were performed at different temperatures (120, 130, or 150 °C) and residence times (10-40 min) under neutral, acidic or basic conditions. The solids obtained after the pre-treatment, as well as the untreated material, were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using commercial enzymes. The untreated substrate reached the highest sugar production: 29 g glucose and xylose per 100 g of the cellulosic rejections, equivalent to 86% of the sugars contained in the initial material. These sugars can subsequently be transformed into biofuels or bioproducts within a biorefinery approach.

Valoración de la respuesta endoscópica al tratamiento con argón plasma en la rectitis actínica crónica / No disponible

Objetivo: valorar la mejoría endoscópica tras el tratamientocon argón plasma utilizado para el control sintomático de las rectitisactínicas crónicas.Diseño y pacientes: estudio prospectivo de 48 meses de duración,con 38 pacientes (26 hombres y 12 mujeres, con edadmedia de 70,9 ± 7,38 años). Todos presentaban algún grado derectorragia y/o anemia. Se realizaron entrevistas clínicas, analíticasy sesiones endoscópicas con argón, de forma periódica mensual,hasta la normalización analítica y cese del sangrado, con unseguimiento posterior de 24 meses. Para valorar la mejoría se utilizaronparámetros analíticos, gradación de sangrado (Chutckan)y un índice endoscópico.Resultados: el tiempo medio trascurrido entre el inicio y la finalizacióndel seguimiento fue de 28,5 ± 3,9 meses. La media desesiones administradas por paciente ha sido de 3,6 ± 2,7. Sicomparamos los síntomas antes, después del tratamiento existeuna disminución significativa en el grado de rectorragia según laclasificación de Chutkan (2,29 ± 1,08 vs. 0,59 ± 1,12, p <0,05). Cuando comparamos los valores medios de la hemoglobina,antes y después del tratamiento apreciamos una aumento estadísticamentesignificativo (11,33 ± 3,05 mg/dl vs. 14,014 ±1,29 mg/dl, p < 0,001) así como los valores medios de ferritina(31,15 ± 66, 45 μg/dl vs. 80,60 ± 55,60 μg/dl, p < 0,05). En elíndice endoscópico, también existe una mejoría evidente de laafectación endoscópica tras el tratamiento con respecto a la friabilidad(p < 0,0001) y porcentaje de mucosa afecta (p < 0,0001).Conclusión: el argón plasma es eficaz y la realización del índiceendoscópico es una herramienta útil para valorar la mejoría endoscópicade las lesiones tras el tratamiento

Objectives: to evaluate endoscopic improvement after argonplasma coagulation (APC) in symptomatic patients with chronicradiation proctopathy.Methods and patients: a prospective study of 38 patientswith radiation proctitis (26 males and 12 females, mean age 70.9± 7.38 yrs), and with rectal bleeding and or anemia. We performedmonthly interviews, blood tests, and APC sessions untilrectal bleeding had ceased and hemoglobin and ferritin levels wereimproved, with a follow-up of 24 months. We used blood testing,bleeding scores (Chutckhan’s index), and endoscopic scores toevaluate improvement.Results: mean time between inclusion and follow-up completionwas 28.5 ± 3.9 months. Mean number of sessions per patientwas 3.6 ± 2.7. There was a significant decrease (2.29 ± 1.8vs. 0.59 ± 1.12, p < 0.05) in rectal bleeding (Chutckan score)from baseline after APC. There was a significant increase in hemoglobinlevels (11.3 ± 3.05 vs. 14.014 ± 1.29, p < 0.001) andferritin levels (31.15 ± 66.45 vs. 80.60 ± 55.6, p < 0.05) frombaseline after APC. Also, there was improvement in the endoscopicindex at the end of treatment, as well as in friability (p <0.0001) and involved surface area (p < 0.0001).Conclusion: argon plasma coagulation is an effective technique,and the endoscopic index is a useful tool to evaluate endoscopicimprovement

[Evaluation of the endoscopic response to argon plasma coagulation in patients with chronic radiation proctopathy]. / Valoración de la respuesta endoscópica al tratamiento con argón plasma en la rectitis actínica crónica.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate endoscopic improvement after argon plasma coagulation (APC) in symptomatic patients with chronic radiation proctopathy. METHODS AND PATIENTS: A prospective study of 38 patients with radiation proctitis (26 males and 12 females, mean age 70.9 +/- 7.38 yrs), and with rectal bleeding and or anemia. We performed monthly interviews, blood tests, and APC sessions until rectal bleeding had ceased and hemoglobin and ferritin levels were improved, with a follow-up of 24 months. We used blood testing, bleeding scores (Chutckhan's index), and endoscopic scores to evaluate improvement. RESULTS: Mean time between inclusion and follow-up completion was 28.5 +/- 3.9 months. Mean number of sessions per patient was 3.6 +/- 2.7. There was a significant decrease (2.29 +/- 1.8 vs. 0.59 +/- 1.12, p < 0.05) in rectal bleeding (Chutckan score) from baseline after APC. There was a significant increase in hemoglobin levels (11.3 +/- 3.05 vs. 14.014 +/- 1.29, p < 0.001) and ferritin levels (31.15 +/- 66.45 vs. 80.60 +/- 55.6, p < 0.05) from baseline after APC. Also, there was improvement in the endoscopic index at the end of treatment, as well as in friability (p < 0.0001) and involved surface area (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Argon plasma coagulation is an effective technique, and the endoscopic index is a useful tool to evaluate endoscopic improvement.