Biochemical methane potential and active microbial communities during anaerobic digestion of biodegradable plastics at different inoculum-substrate ratios.

The influence of the inoculum-substrate ratio (ISR) on the mesophilic and thermophilic biochemical methane potential test of two biodegradable plastics was evaluated. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) were selected for this study, the first for being recalcitrant to mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) and the second, by contrast, for being readily biodegradable. Several ISRs, calculated on the basis of volatile solids (VS), were tested: 1, 2, 2.85, 4, and 10 g(VS of inoculum).g(VS of substrate)-1. A high ISR was associated with an enhanced methane production rate (i.e., biodegradation kinetics). However, the ultimate methane production did not change, except when inhibition was observed. Indeed, applying the lowest ISR to readily biodegradable plastics such as PHB resulted in inhibition of methane production. Based on these experiments, in order to have reproducible degradation kinetics and optimal methane production, an ISR between 2.85 and 4 is recommended for biodegradable plastics. The active microbial communities were analyzed, and the active bacteria differed depending on the plastic digested (PLA versus PHB) and the temperature of the process (mesophilic versus thermophilic). Previously identified PHB degraders (Ilyobacter delafieldii and Enterobacter) were detected in PHB-fed reactors. Thermogutta and Tepidanaerobacter were detected during the thermophilic AD of PLA, and they are probably involved in PLA hydrolysis and lactate conversion, respectively.

Segmentation of Mueller matrix images under non-uniform illumination.

The recently proposed restoration-segmentation algorithms dedicated to polarization encoded images suffer two important limitations: the number of classes into which the image is segmented is not obtained automatically, and more importantly the quality of the segmentation is affected by the nonuniformity of the illumination of the scene. We propose here a new method addressing these issues. It is based on a global estimation-segmentation approach, explicitly modeling the nonuniform illumination. The physical admissibility of the retrieved Mueller matrices is ensured. Results stemming from synthetic and real data are provided and support the proposed approach.

Active microbial communities during biodegradation of biodegradable plastics by mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion.

Biodegradable plastics, if they are not properly managed at their end-of-life, can have the same hazardous environmental consequences as conventional plastics. This study investigates the treatment of the main biodegradable plastics under mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion using biochemical methane potential test and the microorganisms involved in the process using amplicon sequencing of the 16 S rRNA. Here we showed that, only PHB and TPS undergone important and rapid biodegradation under mesophilic condition (38 °C). By contrast, PCL and PLA exhibited very low biodegradation rate as 500 days were required to reach the ultimate methane yield. Little or no degradation occurred for PBAT and PBS at 38 °C. Under thermophilic conditions (58 °C), TPS, PHB, and PLA reached high levels of biodegradation in a relatively short period (< 100 d). While PBS, PBAT, and PCL could not be converted into methane at 58 °C. PHB degraders (Enterobacter and Cupriavidus) and lactate-utilizing bacteria (Moorella and Tepidimicrobium) appeared to play an important role in the PHB and PLA degradation, respectively. This work not only provides crucial data on the anaerobic digestion of the main biodegradable plastics but also enriches the understanding of the microorganisms involved in this process, which are of great importance for future development of the treatment of biodegradable plastics in anaerobic digestion systems.

Simulation of biowastes and biodegradable plastics co-digestion in semi-continuous reactors: Performances and agronomic evaluation.

The development of selective biowaste collection in most European countries provides new opportunities for the anaerobic digestion sector. In parallel, extensive development of biodegradable plastics like polylactic-acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), which facilitates the replacement of conventional plastics, has taken place in the past decade. This study investigated anaerobic co-digestion in semi-continuous reactors of biowastes (75 % Volatil Solids) and biodegradable plastics (25 % Volatil Solids, PLA and PHB). PHB was estimated to be fully biodegraded in the reactors. By contrast, PLA accumulated in the reactor, and an average biodegradation of 47.6 ± 17.9 % was estimated during the third hydraulic retention time. Pretreatment of PLA, by thermo-alkaline hydrolysis at 70 °C, with 2.5 w/v of Ca(OH)2 for 48 h, improved the biodegradation yield of PLA to 77.5 ± 9.3 %. Finally, it was highlighted that PLA or PHB addition to the feed did not further affect the agronomic properties of the digestate.

The impact of the healthcare system in Barbados (provision of health insurance and the benefit service scheme) on the use of herbal remedies by Christian churchgoers.

AIM: To determine the impact of health insurance and the government's Benefit Service Scheme, a system that provides free drugs to treat mostly chronic illnesses to persons aged 16 to 65 years, on the use of herbal remedies by Christian churchgoers in Barbados. METHODS: The eleven parishes of Barbados were sampled over a six-week period using a survey instrument developed and tested over a four-week period prior to administration. Persons were asked to participate and after written informed consent, they were interviewed by the research team. The data were analysed by the use of IBM SPSS version 19. The data were all nominal, so descriptive statistics including counts, the frequencies, odds ratios and percentages were calculated. RESULTS: More than half of the participants (59.2%) were female, a little less than a third (29.9%) were male, and one tenth of the participants (10.9%) did not indicate their gender The majority of the participants were between the ages of 41 and 70 years, with the age range of 51-60 years comprising 26.1% of the sample interviewed. Almost all of the participants were born in Barbados (92.5%). Approximately 33% of the respondents indicated that they used herbal remedies to treat various ailments including chronic conditions. The odds ratio of persons using herbal remedies and having health insurance to persons not using herbal remedies and having health insurance is 1.01 (95% CI 0.621, 1.632). There was an increase in the numbers of respondents using herbal remedies as age increased. This trend continued until the age group 71-80 years which showed a reduction in the use of herbal remedies, 32.6% of respondents compared with 38.3% of respondents in the 61-70-year category. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrated that only a third of the study population is using herbal remedies for ailments. Health insurance was not an indicator neither did it influence the use of herbal remedies by respondents. The use of herbal remedies may not be associated with affluence. The reduction in the use of herbal remedies in the age group 71-80 years could be due to primarily a lower response rate from this age group, and secondarily due to the Benefit Service Scheme offering free medication to persons who have passed the age of 65 years.

Methane production and active microbial communities during anaerobic digestion of three commercial biodegradable coffee capsules under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions.

Biodegradable plastics market is increasing these last decades, including for coffee capsules. Anaerobic digestion, as a potential end-of-life scenario for plastic waste, has to be investigated. For this purpose, mesophilic (38 °C) and thermophilic (58 °C) anaerobic digestion tests on three coffee capsules made up with biodegradable plastic (Beanarella®, Launay® or Tintoretto®) and spent coffee (control) were compared by their methane production and the microbial communities active during the process. Mesophilic biodegradation of the capsules was slow and did not reach completion after 100 days, methane production ranged between 67 and 127 NL (CH4) kg-1 (VS). Thermophilic anaerobic digestion resulted in a better biodegradation and reached completion around 100 days, methane productions were between 257 and 294 NL (CH4) kg-1 (VS). The microbial populations from the reactors fed with plastics versus spent coffee grounds were significantly different, under both the mesophilic and the thermophilic conditions. However, the different biodegradable plastics only had a small impact on the main microbial community composition at a similar operational temperature and sampling time. Interestingly, the genus Tepidimicrobium was identified as a potential key microorganisms involved in the thermophilic conversion of biodegradable plastic in methane.

First evaluation of the effect of microorganisms on steady state hydroxyl radical concentrations in atmospheric waters.

Clouds are complex multiphasic media where efficient chemical reactions take place and where microorganisms have been found to be metabolically active. Hydroxyl radical is the main oxidant in cloud water, and more generally in the atmosphere, during the day and drives the cloud oxidative capacity. However, only one measurement of the steady state hydroxyl radical concentrations in cloud water has been reported so far. Cloud chemistry models are used to estimate the hydroxyl radical concentrations with values ranging from 10-12 to 10-15 M that are surely overestimated due to a lack of knowledge about the speciation of the organic matter acting as a sink for hydroxyl radicals. The aim of this work is to quantify the concentration of hydroxyl radicals at steady state in rain and cloud waters and to measure the impact of native microflora on this concentration. First, the non-toxicity of terephthalic acid as probe is controlled before the analysis in real atmospheric water samples. Higher concentrations of hydroxyl radicals are found in cloud waters than in rain waters, with a mean value "1.6 ±â€¯1.5" × 10-16 M and "7.2 ±â€¯5.0" × 10-16 M for rain and cloud waters respectively and no real impact of microorganisms was observed. This method allows the measurement of steady state hydroxyl radical levels at very low concentrations (down to 10-17 M) and it is biocompatible, fast and easy to handle. It is a useful tool, complementary to other methods, to give a better overview of atmospheric water oxidant capacity.

Detection of semi-volatile compounds in cloud waters by GC×GC-TOF-MS. Evidence of phenols and phthalates as priority pollutants.

Although organic species are transported and efficiently transformed in clouds, more than 60% of this organic matter remains unspeciated. Using GCxGC-HRMS technique we were able to detect and identify over 100 semi-volatile compounds in 3 cloud samples collected at the PUY station (puy de Dôme mountain, France) while they were present at low concentrations in a very small sample volume (<25 mL of cloud water). The vast majority (∼90%) of the detected compounds was oxygenated, while the absence of halogenated organic compounds should be specially mentioned. This could reflect both the oxidation processes in the atmosphere (gas and water phase) but also the need of the compounds to be soluble enough to be transferred and dissolved in the cloud droplets. Furans, esters, ketones, amides and pyridines represent the major classes of compounds demonstrating a large variety of potential pollutants. Beside these compounds, priority pollutants from the US EPA list were identified and quantified. We found phenols (phenol, benzyl alcohol, p-cresole, 4-ethylphenol, 3,4-dimethylphenol, 4-nitrophenol) and dialkylphthalates (dimethylphthalate, diethylphthalate, di-n-butylphthalate, bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate, butylbenzylphthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate). In general, the concentrations of phthalates (from 0.09 to 52 µg L-1) were much higher than those of phenols (from 0.03 to 0.74 µg L-1). To our knowledge phthalates in clouds are described here for the first time. We investigated the variability of phenols and phthalates concentrations with cloud air mass origins (marine vs continental) and seasons (winter vs summer). Although both factors seem to have an influence, it is difficult to deduce general trends; further work should be conducted on large series of cloud samples collected in different geographic areas and at different seasons.

Draft Genome Sequence of Rhodococcus enclensis 23b-28, a Model Strain Isolated from Cloud Water.

The whole genome of Rhodococcus enclensis 23b-28, a bacterial strain isolated from cloud water, was sequenced. This microorganism is equipped with genes able to degrade aromatic compounds and could thus play a role in complex organic matter decomposition in cloud water.

Wheat gluten used as a clarifying agent of red wines.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy caused a situation of crisis leading the public and winemakers to lose their confidence in the use of gelatin as a fining agent and to reject animal proteins in general. Therefore, we started the search for a substitute for gelatin and egg protein by comparing gluten with these fining treatments currently used. This study concerned the fining of a Burgundy red wine (Rully, Controlled Appellation). For 6 g/hL, enzymatically hydrolyzed glutens (EHG) gave better efficiencies than deamidated glutens. The efficiency of the egg proteins treatment was situated between those of the hydrolyzed glutens and deamidated glutens. For 12 and 18 g/hL, turbidities of the wine treated by five glutens were 67 to 86% less than that of the control wine. Better results were obtained with egg proteins for short kinetics particularly. Wine fining with gluten was always better than gelatin treatments. The differences between the five glutens became very small when the dose incorporated in the wine increased. The volumes of lees generated by fining with gluten are situated between the values obtained with egg proteins and gelatin. After fining, immunodetection with gluten polyclonal antibodies failed to detect residual deamidated gluten.

[Population survey of a pediatric department in Dakar]. / Enquête sur la population d'un service de pédiatrie dakarois.

The survey includes 4.876 children registered in 1983 and 1984. Girls appear to be less frequently admitted than boys (42% and 58% respectively) but they die significantly more often. Lethal rates, all ages merged, are respectively 19 and 15.4%. For both sexes, this rate reaches 47% during the only first month. It is during the hot season that mortality is evidently the highest, because diarrhea, malnutrition and malaria are much more frequent during this season. In 40% of the cases, death occurs during the first 24 hours of hospitalization. A better monitoring during pregnancy and nutrition education would certainly reduce such an over-mortality.

[Morbidity and mortality in a pediatric department in Dakar]. / Etude de la morbidité et de la mortalité dans un service de pédiatrie à Dakar.

The authors study, for the year 1983, the morbidity and the mortality in a pediatrics department in Dakar. Despite the fact that the patients admitted belong to a privileged group of the senegalese population, the mortality rate is high (17%), mainly during the neonatal period (51.5%), and within the age group of 1 to 23 months (21%). Seasonal influence is obvious. Admissions and deaths are significantly more numerous from june to december. The diseases of concern are still diarrhea, malnutrition and respiratory diseases.

The impact of the healthcare system in Barbados (Provision of health insurance and the Benefit Service Scheme) on the use of herbal remedies by Christian churchgoers / El Impacto del sistema de salud en Barbados (Provisión de seguro de salud y Plan de Servicios y Beneficios) sobre el uso de remedios herbarios por parte de los feligreses Cristianos

AIM: To determine the impact of health insurance and the government's Benefit Service Scheme, a system that provides free drugs to treat mostly chronic illnesses to persons aged 16 to 65 years, on the use of herbal remedies by Christian churchgoers in Barbados. METHODS: The eleven parishes of Barbados were sampled over a six-week period using a survey instrument developed and tested over a four-week period prior to administration. Persons were asked to participate and after written informed consent, they were interviewed by the research team. The data were analysed by the use of IBM SPSS version 19. The data were all nominal, so descriptive statistics including counts, the frequencies, odds ratios and percentages were calculated. RESULTS: More than half of the participants (59.2%) were female, a little less than a third (29.9%) were male, and one tenth of the participants (10.9%) did not indicate their gender. The majority of the participants were between the ages of 41 and 70 years, with the age range of 51-60 years comprising 26.1% of the sample interviewed. Almost all of the participants were born in Barbados (92.5%). Approximately 33% of the respondents indicated that they used herbal remedies to treat various ailments including chronic conditions. The odds ratio of persons using herbal remedies and having health insurance to persons not using herbal remedies and having health insurance is 1.01 (95% CI 0.621, 1.632). There was an increase in the numbers of respondents using herbal remedies as age increased. This trend continued until the age group 71-80 years which showed a reduction in the use of herbal remedies, 32.6% of respondents compared with 38.3% of respondents in the 61-70-year category. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrated that only a third of the study population is using herbal remedies for ailments. Health insurance was not an indicator neither did it influence the use of herbal remedies by respondents. The use of herbal remedies may not be associated with affluence. The reduction in the use of herbal remedies in the age group 71-80 years could be due to primarily a lower response rate from this age group, and secondarily due to the Benefit Service Scheme offering free medication to persons who have passed the age of 65 years.

OBJETIVO: Investigar si el Seguro de Saludy el Plan de Servicios y Beneficios del Gobierno - un sistema que proporciona medicina libremente para tratar principalmente enfermedades crónicas en personas de 16 a 65 anos de edad - influyen en el uso de remedios herbarios por los feligreses cristianos en Barbados. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un muestreo en once provincias de Barbados por un período de seis semanas, usando como instrumento una encuesta desarrollada y probada durante un período de cuatro semanas antes de ser aplicada. Se le pidió participación a distintas personas y luego de obtener el consen-timiento informado por escrito, las mismas fueron entrevistadas por el equipo de investigación. Los datos fueron analizados mediante la versión 19 de IBM SPSS. Todos los datos eran nominales, de modo que se calcularon las estadísticas descriptivas, incluyendo conteos, frecuencia, cociente de probabilidades (odds ratio), y porcentajes. RESULTADOS: Más de la mitad de los participantes (59.2%) eran mujeres; poco menos de un tercio (29.9%) eran hombres; y una décima parte de los participantes (10.9%) no indicó su sexo. La mayoría de los participantes se encontraban entre las edades de 41 y 70 anos, para un rango de edad de 51-60 anos que comprendía el 26.1% de la muestra entrevistada. Casi todos los participantes nacieron en Barbados (92.5%). Aproximadamente 33% de los entrevistados indicaron que usaban remedios herbarios para tratar varias dolencias, incluyendo condiciones crónicas. El odds ratio de las personas que usan remedios herbarios y poseen seguro de salud es 1.01 (95% CI 0.621, 1.632). Seprodujo un aumento en el número de entrevistados que usaban remedios herbarios, según aumentaba su edad. Esta tendencia continuó hasta el grupo etario de 71-80 anos, el cual mostró una reducción en el uso de remedios herbarios, 32.6% de los entrevistados en comparación con el 38.3% de los entrevistados en la categoría de los 61-70 anos. CONCLUSIONS: Los datos mostraron que sólo una tercera parte de la población está usando remedios herbarios para sus dolencias. El seguro de salud no fue un indicador ni influyó sobre el uso de remedios herbarios por los entrevistados. El uso de remedios herbarios no puede asociarse con la afluencia. La reducción en el uso de remedios herbarios en el grupo etario 71-80 anos podrían deberse principalmente a una tasa de respuesta más baja de este grupo etario, y secundariamente al Plan de Servicios y Beneficios que ofrece medicamentos gratuitamente a personas que han pasado la edad de 65 anos.

In vivo ciliogenesis in human fetal tracheal epithelium.

Development of ciliated cells (CC) in the fetal human trachea was studied by light and electron microscopy in specimens obtained from 45 embryos or fetuses aged from 9 to 27 weeks of gestation (menstrual age). Four stages could be recognized during tracheal development. Up to 11 weeks (stage I), the trachea was covered with a columnar undifferentiated epithelium with abundant glycogen, apical microvilli, and primary cilia. From 12 to 18-19 weeks (stage II), centriologenesis and secondary ciliogenesis were very active, and the percentage of CC and secretory cells (SC) progressively increased. From 20 to 22-23 weeks, the density of CC was higher but, in parallel, the percentage of SC decreased (stage III). Throughout this period, the different steps of ciliogenesis could be identified in the same field, and the ciliated borders consisted of ciliary shafts with a disorderly arrangement. Megacilia were identified. Some of the preciliated cells had both cilia and secretory granules in their apical cytoplasm. After 24 weeks (stage IV), the ciliated border was apparently mature, the rootlets lengthened, and the cilia were correctly orientated. Whatever the fetal age, the density of CC was significantly higher (P less than .01) in the dorsal trachea compared to the ventral trachea. There are many similarities between animal and human ciliogenesis, but in human fetuses, most of the ciliary differentiation occurs early, during the first half of gestation. As demonstrated in experimental models, SC likely play a major role in genesis of CC during the fetal development of the human trachea.