Exploiting the Thermotolerance of Clostridium Strain M1NH for Efficient Caproic Acid Fermentation from Ethanol and Acetic Acid.

A novel thermotolerant caproic acid-producing bacterial strain, Clostridium M1NH, was successfully isolated from sewage sludge. Ethanol and acetic acid at a molar ratio of 4:1 proved to be the optimal substrates, yielding a maximum caproic acid production of 3.5 g/L. Clostridium M1NH exhibited remarkable tolerance to high concentrations of ethanol (up to 5% v/v), acetic acid (up to 5% w/v), and caproic acid (up to 2% w/v). The strain also demonstrated a wide pH tolerance range (pH 5.5-7.5) and an elevated temperature optimum between 35 and 40 °C. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that Clostridium M1NH shares a 98% similarity with Clostridium luticellarii DSM 29923 T. The robustness of strain M1NH and its efficient caproic acid production from low-cost substrates highlight its potential for sustainable bio-based chemical production. The maximum caproic acid yield achieved by Clostridium M1NH was 1.6-fold higher than that reported for C. kluyveri under similar fermentation conditions. This study opens new avenues for valorizing waste streams and advancing a circular economy model in the chemical industry.

Bernard-Soulier syndrome caused by a novel GP1BB variant and 22q11.2 deletion.

Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS) is caused by defects in GP1BA, GP1BB, or GP9 genes. Patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) are obligate carriers of BSS because GP1BB resides on chromosome 22q11.2. A 15-month-old girl without bleeding symptoms had giant platelets and thrombocytopenia. Physical findings and macrothrombocytopenia suggested 22q11.2DS, which was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Flow cytometry showed decreased GPIbα on the platelets. Gene panel testing revealed a novel variant in GP1BB, p.(Val169_Leu172del). These findings confirmed that the patient had BSS. This case suggests that any patient with 22q11.2DS and macrothrombocytopenia should be further tested for BSS.

Two-Stage and One-Stage Anaerobic Co-digestion of Vinasse and Spent Brewer Yeast Cells for Biohydrogen and Methane Production.

This study aimed to evaluate the two-stage and one-stage anaerobic co-digestion of vinasse and spent brewer yeast cells (SBY) for biohydrogen and methane production. Optimization of the vinasse-to-SBY ratio and fly ash concentration of the two-stage and one-stage production processes was investigated. In the two-stage process, the vinasse-to-SBY ratio and fly ash concentration were optimized, and the leftover effluent was used for methane production. The optimum conditions for biohydrogen production were a vinasse-to-SBY ratio of 7:3% v/w and fly ash concentration of 0.4% w/v, in which the maximum hydrogen yield was 43.7 ml-H2/g-VSadded. In contrast, a vinasse-to-SBY ratio of 10:0% v/w and fly ash concentration of 0.2% w/v were considered optimal for methane production, and resulted in a maximum methane yield of 214.6 ml-CH4/g-VSadded. For the one-stage process, a vinasse-to-SBY ratio of 10:0% v/w and fly ash concentration of 0.1% w/v were considered optimal, and resulted in a maximum methane yield of 243.6 ml-CH4/g-VSadded. In the two-stage process, the energy yield from hydrogen (0.05-0.47 kJ/g-VSadded) was 0.62%-11.78%, and the major fraction was approximately 88.22%-99.38% gain from methane (3.19-7.73 kJ/g-VSadded). For the one-stage process, the total energy yield distribution ranged from 4.20 to 8.77 kJ/g-VSadded.

Two-stage biohydrogen and methane production from sugarcane-based sugar and ethanol industrial wastes: A comprehensive review.

The transition to renewable energy sources is crucial to ensure a sustainable future. Although the sugar and ethanol industries benefit from this transition, there are untapped opportunities to utilize the waste generated from the sugar and ethanol process chains through two-stage anaerobic digestion (TSAD). This review comprehensively discusses the utilization of various sugarcane-based industrial wastes by TSAD for sequential biohydrogen and methane production. Factors influencing TSAD process performance, including pH, temperature, hydraulic retention time, volatile fatty acids and alkalinity, nutrient imbalance, microbial population, and inhibitors, were discussed in detail. The potential of TSAD to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases is demonstrated. Recent findings, implications, and promising future research related to TSAD, including the integration of meta-omics approaches, gene manipulation and bioaugmentation, and application of artificial intelligence, are highlighted. The review can serve as important literature for the implementation, improvement, and advancements in TSAD research.

Enhancing the Biological Oxidation of H2S in a Sewer Pipe with Highly Conductive Concrete and Electricity-Producing Bacteria.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) generated in sewer systems is problematic to public health and the environment, owing to its corrosive consequences, odor concerns, and poison control issues. In a previous work, conductive concrete, based on amorphous carbon with a mechanism that operates as a microbial fuel cell was investigated. The objective of the present study is to develop additional materials for highly conductive concrete, to mitigate the concentration of H2S in sewer pipes. Adsorption experiments were conducted to elucidate the role of the H2S reduction. Additionally, electricity-producing bacteria (EPB), isolated from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, were inoculated to improve the H2S reduction. The experimental results showed that inoculation with EPB could decrease the concentration of H2S, indicating that H2S was biologically oxidized by EPB. Several types of new materials containing acetylene black, or magnetite were discovered for use as conductive concrete, and their abilities to enhance the biological oxidation of H2S were evaluated. These conductive concretes were more effective than the commercial conductive concrete, based on amorphous carbon, in decreasing the H2S concentration in sewer pipes.

Influence of Salts on the Photocatalytic Degradation of Formic Acid in Wastewater.

Conventional wastewater treatment technologies have difficulties in feasibly removing persistent organics. The photocatalytic oxidation of these contaminants offers an economical and environmentally friendly solution. In this study, TiO2 membranes and Ag/TiO2 membranes were prepared and used for the decomposition of dissolved formic acid in wastewater. The photochemical deposition of silver on a TiO2 membrane improved the decomposition rate. The rate doubled by depositing ca. 2.5 mg of Ag per 1 g of TiO2. The influence of salinity on formic acid decomposition was studied. The presence of inorganic salts reduced the treatment performance of the TiO2 membranes to half. Ag/TiO2 membranes had a larger reduction of ca. 40%. The performance was recovered by washing the membranes with water. The anion adsorption on the membrane surface likely caused the performance reduction.

Effects of Stepwise Temperature Shifts in Anaerobic Digestion for Treating Municipal Wastewater Sludge: A Genomic Study.

In wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), anaerobic digester (AD) units are commonly operated under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. In some cases, during the dry season, maintaining a stable temperature in the digester requires additional power to operate a conditioning system. Without proper conditioning systems, methanogens are vulnerable to temperature shifts. This study investigated the effects of temperature shifts on CH4 gas production and microbial diversity during anaerobic digestion of anaerobic sewage sludge using a metagenomic approach. The research was conducted in lab-scale AD under stepwise upshifted temperature from 42 to 48 °C. The results showed that significant methanogen population reduction during the temperature shift affected the CH4 production. With 70 days of incubation each, CH4 production decreased from 4.55 L·g-1-chemical oxygen demand (COD) at 42 °C with methanogen/total population (M·TP-1) ratio of 0.041 to 1.52 L·g-1 COD (M·TP-1 ratio 0.027) and then to 0.94 L·g-1 COD ( M·TP-1 ratio 0.026) after the temperature was shifted to 45 °C and 48 °C, respectively. Methanosaeta was the most prevalent methanogen during the thermal change. This finding suggests that the Methanosaeta genus was a thermotolerant archaea. Anaerobaculum, Fervidobacterium, and Tepidanaerobacter were bacterial genera and grew well in shifted-up temperatures, implying heat-resistant characteristics.

Study of air-water interface generator as oxygen transfer enhancer in diffused aeration system.

An air-water interface generator is a proposed apparatus aiming to enhance oxygen transfer by increasing the contact area between air and water. It has been proved that this apparatus could increase the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient in laboratory scale. Therefore, it is important to study about upscaling in order to apply this apparatus in an actual aeration tank. In this study, the apparatus was investigated for the effect of water volume and water depth on the oxygen transfer process. Referring to the experimental results, an air flow rate approximately 31.5-32.5 m3/hr per m3 of water could achieve satisfactory degrees of both oxygen transfer performance and efficiency. Moreover, an empirical model with ±40 % error was also proposed. From the model, the enhancement of volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient around 30 % could be estimated.

Microplastics in the sediments of small-scale Japanese rivers: Abundance and distribution, characterization, sources-to-sink, and ecological risks.

Microplastic pollution in small-scale river sediments remains mostly unknown. This study explored microplastics in the sediments of four small-scale Japanese rivers in Yamaguchi Prefecture: the Awano, Ayaragi, Asa, and Majime. Sediment samples (n = 23) were collected from the selected stations. Density separation and wet peroxidation methods were applied to extract microplastics. Polymers were detected through attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Microplastic abundance indicated relatively moderate values in the small-scale Japanese rivers compared to other rivers around the world. Large microplastics (1-5 mm) in size, fragments in shape, and high-density particles of diverse polymers dominated. Polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and polypropylene were the major polymers. The polymers-polyvinyl chloride, polymethylmethacrylate, polyurethane, fluorinated ethylene propylene, and polybutylene in sediments were distinct from those detected in surface water, as were the predominance of large-size (1-5 mm) and fragment-shape microplastics. In contrast to surface water, sediments preserved both common and distinctive microplastics. Thus, the riverine sediment compartment acted as microplastic sink. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis suggested the presence of weathered microplastics in sediments. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis (EDX) revealed metal contaminants on the microplastic surfaces, indicating synergistic hazard potentials in the riverine ecosystems. Ecological risk assessment results suggested low to very high risks of microplastic pollution for the rivers. The higher abundances of microplastics and highly toxic polymers contributed to the elevated ecological risks. Polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyurethane, and polymethylmethacrylate were the detected highly toxic polymers. The urban and residential areas affected stations ranked high to very high ecological risks. The sites posing very high ecological risks were regarded as pollution hotspots. Overall, this study developed new insights into microplastic pollution in the small-scale rivers and ecological risks for riverine environments, as well as providing a baseline for more comprehensive risk assessments and developing pollution control and management strategies.

Assessing small-scale freshwater microplastics pollution, land-use, source-to-sink conduits, and pollution risks: Perspectives from Japanese rivers polluted with microplastics.

Rivers are vital for understanding freshwater microplastics pollution, along with the conduits from land-sources to marine-sinks. In this study, we investigated microplastics in the small-scale Awano and Ayaragi rivers, which flow into the Sea of Japan (SJ), and the Asa and Majime rivers, which flow into the Seto Inland Sea (SIS) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Surface water samples were collected from 29 stations. Filtration, wet peroxidation, and density separation methods were employed to extract microplastics. Polymers were identified via attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Microplastics abundances and comparisons among different rivers revealed that these small-scale rivers were highly polluted than others around the world. Characterization demonstrated that small microplastics (<1000 µm) in size, fibers and fragments in shape and the polymers-polyethylene, polypropylene, vinylon, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene were dominant. These small-scale rivers emitted substantially higher quantities of Japan land-sourced microplastics (0.4-154.27 billions/day and 0.01-17.55 tons/day) into the SJ and SIS environments than larger rivers in other countries compared to basin areas. The pollution load index indicated that all the river stations were polluted with microplastics. An assessment of the polymeric and pollution risks revealed variably low to high risks. The higher were the abundances of microplastics and toxic polymers, the higher were the pollution level and risks. The sites at high risk of pollution were regarded as hotspots. Both point and non-point land-uses sources of pollution could release microplastics into the river freshwater environments, affected posing high risks and hotspots. Moreover, the pollution characteristics (shapes-sizes-polymers) indicated serious ecotoxicological threats to these rivers and their downstream environments. This study provided new insights into river microplastics pollution and revealed small-scale rivers to be prominent source-to-sink microplastics conduits. Risk assessments provided a baseline for future comprehensive assessments and developing practical approaches to wards setting water quality criteria, pollution control and management.

Improvement of oxygen transfer by increasing contact area between gas and liquid using air-water interface generator.

In this current study, an apparatus called air-water interface generator was investigated for oxygen transfer enhancement by increasing a contact area between air and water. The effect of this apparatus and its optimal installation condition were investigated. The total volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLaT) in this study was divided into volumetric oxygen transfer for the bubble transfer (kLaB), volumetric oxygen transfer for the inner interface transfer inside the apparatus (kLaI), and volumetric oxygen transfer for the free water surface transfer (kLaS). The experimental results show that the apparatus installed near the water surface could increase the oxygen transfer 18% due to the presence of an inner interface. Additionally, the effect of the number and the position of apparatus on bubble dispersion should also be taken into consideration since the bubble transfer makes the most significant contribution to total oxygen transfer in the diffused aeration system.

Influence of water-film-forming-unit on the enhanced removal of carbon dioxide from mixed gas using water absorption apparatus.

This research uses tap water to absorb carbon dioxide from mixed gas (N2 and CO2) in an absorption apparatus coupled with a water-film-forming-unit (WFFU). The objective is to assess the benefits of using a WFFU to enhance CO2 removal efficiency at low pressure conditions. Based on our results, the WFFU significantly improves CO2 capture at 0.30 MPa in a water absorption system with two WFFUs. The CO2 removal efficiency was 20% greater than for systems without WFFUs. Moreover, statistical data attained by the Taguchi analysis method showed that the number of WFFUs used in the absorption system has the greatest influence on CO2 removal efficiency (contribution percentage = 50.65%) compared to gas pressure, initial CO2 concentration, gas-to-liquid ratio, and liquid temperature. We also thoroughly investigated the effects of these factors on CO2 removal performance. The optimum conditions for CO2 removal efficiency in a system equipped with two WFFUs are low temperature, low gas-to-liquid ratio, low gas pressure (0.25-0.30 MPa), and high inlet CO2 concentration. These findings could provide an effective method for capturing CO2 from exhaust gases, and thus help mitigate global warming.

Chemoradiotherapy for Unresectable INI1-negative Chordoma in a Child.

The characteristics of chordomas in children are distinct from those in adults. In particular, the prognosis of patients with INI1-negative chordoma is dismal. The standard treatment for localized chordoma, complete surgical resection with a wide margin, is seldom feasible for chordomas arising at the clivus in children, mainly due to associated complications. Therefore, other treatments for unresectable chordomas in children, including chemoradiotherapy, must be explored. Here, we report a 7-year-old girl with an INI1-negative chordoma of the clivus, who responded to conventional chemotherapy plus radiotherapy. Without surgical resection, she remains alive after 1 year and 7 months of the initial diagnosis.

Instantaneous measurement of high-power millimeter-wave beam for 28 GHz gyrotron.

An instantaneous measurement system of high-power millimeter-wave was proposed and demonstrated with a 28 GHz gyrotron at the Plasma Research Center, University of Tsukuba. The high-power detector consists of an attenuator and a linear polarized microstrip antenna with an F-class load rectifier, which is a commonly used system for radio-frequency wireless power transmission. The detector obtained the power distribution of the gyrotron output beam which showed good agreement with the infrared camera image. The rectenna array detector received 45 W RF input power with a 0.4 ms response time. The results revealed that the proposed narrow band detector is useful as an imaging sensor and power meter for high-power millimeter-wave beam output with a wide wavelength range.

[Recurrent thrombosed external hemorrhoids due to L-asparaginase administration in a Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia patient].

A 13-year-old female developed L-asparaginase (L-ASP) -associated thrombosed external hemorrhoids (TEH) during chemotherapy for Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. While undergoing induction therapy combined with imatinib, she experienced intense anal pain a day after the four-time administration of L-ASP. The anal verge contained painful bluish hemorrhoids, which reportedly were absent before the therapy commencement. Hemorrhoids occurred 5-9 days after every L-ASP treatment, which was eventually diagnosed as L-ASP-associated TEH. After the failure of conservative treatment, opioid therapy was initiated. During myeloid reconstitution, she underwent divided ligation of hemorrhoids; however, the hemorrhoids became necrotic and formed an ulcerated tissue bed. This case suggests that while undertaking L-ASP therapy in adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, physicians should monitor signs of hemorrhoids and consider divided ligation when appropriate.

Response surface method for modeling the removal of carbon dioxide from a simulated gas using water absorption enhanced with a liquid-film-forming device.

This paper presents the results from using a physical absorption process to absorb gaseous CO2 mixed with N2 using water by producing tiny bubbles via a liquid-film-forming device (LFFD) that improves the solubility of CO2 in water. The influence of various parameters-pressure, initial CO2 concentration, gas-to-liquid ratios, and temperature-on the CO2 removal efficiency and its absorption rate in water were investigated and estimated thoroughly by statistical polynomial models obtained by the utilization of the response surface method (RSM) with a central composite design (CCD). Based on the analysis, a high efficiency of CO2 capture can be reached in conditions such as low pressure, high CO2 concentration at the inlet, low gas/liquid ratio, and low temperature. For instance, the highest removal efficiency in the RSM-CCD experimental matrix of nearly 80% occurred for run number 20, which was conducted at 0.30MPa, CO2 concentration of 35%, gas/liquid ratio of 0.71, and temperature of 15°C. Furthermore, the coefficients of determination, R2, were 0.996 for the removal rate and 0.982 for the absorption rate, implying that the predicted values computed by the constructed models correlate strongly and fit well with the experimental values. The results obtained provide essential information for implementing this method properly and effectively and contribute a promising approach to the problem of CO2 capture in air pollution treatment.

Purification of leukemic blast cells from blood smears using laser microdissection.

In treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), prognostic factors, including gene mutation and abnormal gene expression, enable risk stratification of patients. However, in the case of a small proportion of leukemic blast cells, such as AML associated with Down syndrome (AML-DS), it is not possible to examine prognostic factors precisely due to the large proportion of normal cells. Here, we present a novel method for examining prognostic factors by making a smear on a membrane slide glass from a small amount of diagnostic specimen and collecting highly pure leukemic blast cells by laser microdissection (LMD). We verified the effectiveness of this method using 10% KPAM1 cell line suspension and peripheral blood containing 20% blast cells obtained from a patient with transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM). After making blood smears, approximately 100 cells were collected and analyzed by direct sequencing. Frameshift mutations (2 bp deletion and 17 bp duplication, respectively) in GATA-1 were detected in each sample, suggesting KPAM1 and TAM blast cells were accurately purified. This novel method enables us to precisely examine prognostic factors in many cases, even in cases with a small proportion of leukemic blast cells or small specimens to preserve.

Effect of biogas sparging on the performance of bio-hydrogen reactor over a long-term operation.

This study aimed to enhance hydrogen production from sugarcane syrup by biogas sparging. Two-stage continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor were used to produce hydrogen and methane, respectively. Biogas produced from the UASB was used to sparge into the CSTR. Results indicated that sparging with biogas increased the hydrogen production rate (HPR) by 35% (from 17.1 to 23.1 L/L.d) resulted from a reduction in the hydrogen partial pressure. A fluctuation of HPR was observed during a long term monitoring because CO2 in the sparging gas and carbon source in the feedstock were consumed by Enterobacter sp. to produce succinic acid without hydrogen production. Mixed gas released from the CSTR after the sparging can be considered as bio-hythane (H2+CH4). In addition, a continuous sparging biogas into CSTR release a partial pressure in the headspace of the methane reactor. In consequent, the methane production rate is increased.

[Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation during the management of severe spinal muscular atrophy type I].

Patients with spinal muscular atrophy type Ⅰ (SMA Ⅰ) with the onset before the age of 3 months are considered as severe form of SMA Ⅰ (severe SMA Ⅰ) and have poor prognosis. Here, we report the efficacy of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in a patient with severe SMA Ⅰ. She was born with generalized hypotonia and feeding difficulties, and had SMN1 gene mutations (the deletion of exons 7 and 8). At 1 month of age, she was intubated because of respiratory failure due to a respiratory tract infection, and extubation proved difficult. Her parents decided that NPPV and a mechanical in-exsufflator (MI-E) should be used for respiratory management rather than a tracheotomy. The NPPV improved her peripheral coldness, cold sweats, chest wall movement, and heart rate and enabled her to sleep well. At 1 year and 2 months, chest computed tomography revealed mild pneumonia and did not show any atelectasis. The NPPV facilitated discharge, and the patient had a good quality of life (QOL) from the point of view of voice production, the ability to move easily, the simplicity of bathing, and the low level of discomfort she experienced. However, she suffered repeated episodes of aspiration pneumonia and airway obstruction (by sputum) after 11 months of age. Thereafter, she required continuous NPPV and high-span inspiratory positive airway pressure (21 cmH2O). At 1 year and 4 months, she died of respiratory failure at home. As her bulbar weakness worsened, respiratory management with NPPV became difficult. However, the long-term use of NPPV together with high-span positive inspiratory pressure plus positive end-expiratory pressure, and a high-pressure MI-E at an early age might improve respiratory management outcomes and patient prognosis. In our case, NPPV was effective at improving ventilation and preventing atelectasis and helped to provide the patient with a good QOL.

Study of the liquid-film-forming apparatus as an alternative aeration system: design criteria and operating condition.

Aeration is an important factor in aquaculture systems because it is a vital condition for all organisms that live in water and respire aerobically. Generally, mechanical surface aerators are widely used in Thailand due to their advantage for increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) and for their horizontal mixing of aquaculture ponds with large surface areas. However, these systems still have some drawbacks, primarily the low oxygen transfer efficiency (OTE) and energy. Regarding this issue, alternative aeration systems should be studied and applied. Therefore, this research aims to study the aeration mechanism obtained by the diffused-air aeration combined with a liquid-film-forming apparatus (LFFA). The effect of gas flow rates, types, and patterns of aerator installation were investigated in an aquaculture pond of 10 m × 10 m × 1.5 m. The analytical parameters were volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa), OTE, and aeration efficiency (AE). From the results, the '4-D' with partitions was proposed as the suitable pattern for the LFFA installation. The advantage could be obtained from high energy performance with 1.2 kg/kW h of AE. Then, the operation conditions can be applied as a design guideline for this alternative aeration system in the aquaculture ponds.