Effect of organic mineral supplementation in reducing oxidative stress in Holstein calves during short-term heat stress and recovery conditions.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of inorganic and organic minerals on physiological responses, oxidative stress reduction, and rumen microbiota in Holstein bull calves (123.81 ± 9.76 kg; 5 months old) during short-term heat stress (HS) and recovery periods. Eight Holstein calves were randomly assigned to four treatment groups: no mineral supplementation (Con), inorganic minerals (IM), organic minerals (OM), and high-concentration organic minerals (HOM) and two thermal environments (HS and recovery) using 4 × 2 factorial arrangement in a crossover design of four periods of 35 d. Calves were maintained in a temperature-controlled barn. The experimental period consisted of 14 d of HS, 14 d of recovery condititon, and a 7-d washing period. RESULTS: Body temperature and respiration rate were higher in HS than in the recovery conditions (P < 0.05). Selenium concentration in serum was high in the HOM-supplemented calves in both HS (90.38 µg/dL) and recovery periods (102.00 µg/dL) (P < 0.05). During the HS period, the serum cortisol was 20.26 ng/mL in the HOM group, which was 5.60 ng/mL lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). The total antioxidant status was the highest in the OM group (2.71 mmol Trolox equivalent/L), followed by the HOM group during HS, whereas it was highest in the HOM group (2.58 mmol Trolox equivalent/L) during the recovery period (P < 0.05). Plasma malondialdehyde and HSP70 levels were decreased by HOM supplementation during the HS and recovery periods, whereas SOD and GPX levels were not significantly affected (P > 0.05). The principal coordinate analysis represented that the overall rumen microbiota was not influenced by mineral supplementation; however, temperature-induced microbial structure shifts were indicated (PERMANOVA: P < 0.05). At the phylum level, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria decreased, whereas Fibrobacteres, Spirochaetes, and Tenericutes increased (P < 0.05), under HS conditions. The genus Treponema increased under HS conditions, while Christensenella was higher in recovery conditions (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HOM supplementation during HS reduced cortisol concentrations and increased total antioxidant status in Holstein bull calves, suggesting that high organic mineral supplementation may alleviate the adverse effects of HS.

Effects of Italian ryegrass silage-based total mixed ration on rumen fermentation, growth performance, blood metabolites, and bacterial communities of growing Hanwoo heifers.

This study utilized Italian ryegrass silage (IRGS) - based total mixed ration (TMR) as feedstuff and evaluated its effects on rumen fermentation, growth performance, blood parameters, and bacterial community in growing Hanwoo heifers. Twenty-seven Hanwoo heifers (body weight [BW], 225.11 ± 10.57 kg) were randomly allocated to three experimental diets. Heifers were fed 1 of 3 treatments as follows: TMR with oat, timothy, and alfalfa hay (CON), TMR with 19% of IRGS (L-IRGS), and TMR with 36% of IRGS (H-IRGS). Feeding high levels of IRGS (H-IRGS) and CON TMR to heifers resulted in a greater molar proportion of propionate in the rumen. The impact of different TMR diets on the BW, average daily gain, dry matter intake, and feed conversion ratio of Hanwoo heifers during the growing period did not differ (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the blood metabolites, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, and total cholesterol of the heifers were not affected by the different TMR diets (p > 0.05). In terms of rumen bacterial community composition, 264 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were observed across the three TMR diets with 240, 239, and 220 OTUs in CON, L-IRGS, and H-IRGS, respectively. IRGS-based diets increased the relative abundances of genera belonging to phylum Bacteroidetes but decreased the abundances of genus belonging to phylum Firmicutes compared with the control. Data showed that Bacteroidetes was the most dominant phylum, while Prevotella ruminicola was the dominant species across the three TMR groups. The relative abundance of Ruminococcus bromii in the rumen increased in heifers fed with high inclusion of IRGS in the TMR (H-IRGS TMR). The relative abundance of R. bromii in the rumen significantly increased when heifers were fed H-IRGS TMR while P. ruminicola increased in both L-IRGS and H-IRGS TMR groups. Results from the current study demonstrate that the inclusion of IRGS in the TMR is comparable with the TMR containing high-quality forage (CON). Thus, a high level of IRGS can be used as a replacement forage ingredient in TMR feeding and had a beneficial effect of possibly modulating the rumen bacterial community toward mainly propionate-producing microorganisms.

Synthesis of a Grease Thickener from Cashew Nut Shell Liquor.

Thickener, also known as a gelling agent, is a critical component of lubricating greases. The most critical property of thickener, temperature resistance, is determined by the molecular structure of the compounds. Currently, all high-temperature-resistant thickeners are based on 12-hydroxystearic acid, which is exclusively produced from castor oil. Since castor oil is also an important reagent for other processes, finding a sustainable alternative to 12-hydroxystearic acid has significant economic implications. This study synthesises an alternative thickener from abundant agricultural waste, cashew nut shell liquor (CNSL). The synthesis and separation procedure contains three steps: (i) forming and separating calcium anacardate by precipitation, (ii) forming and separating anacardic acid (iii) forming lithium anacardate. The obtained lithium anacardate can be used as a thickener for lubricating grease. It was found that the recovery of anacardic acid was around 80%. The optimal reaction temperature and time conditions for lithium anacardate were 100 °C and 1 h, respectively. The method provides an economical alternative to castor and other vegetable oils. The procedure presents a simple pathway to produce the precursor for the lubricating grease from agricultural waste. The first reaction step can be combined with the existing distillation of cashew nut shell processing. An effective application can promote CNSL to a sustainable feedstock for green chemistry. The process can also be combined with recycled lithium from the spent batteries to improve the sustainability of the battery industry.

Comparison between Cashew-Based and Petrochemical Hydroxyoximes: Insights from Molecular Simulations.

Solvent extraction has been ubiquitously used to recover valuable metals from wastes such as spent batteries and electrical boards. With increasing demands for energy transition, there is a critical need to improve the recycling rate of critical metals, including copper. Therefore, the sustainability of reagents is critical for the overall sustainability of the process. Yet, the recycling process relies on functional organic compounds based on the hydroxyoxime group. To date, hydroxyoxime extractants have been produced from petrol-based chemical feedstocks. Recently, natural-based cardanol has been used to produce an alternative hydroxyoxime. The natural-based oxime has been employed to recover valuable metals (Ga, Ni, Co) via a liquid/liquid extraction process. The natural compound has a distinctive structure with 15 carbons in the alkyl tail. In contrast, petrol-based hydroxyoximes have only 12 or fewer carbons. However, the molecular advantages of this natural-based compound over the current petrol-based ones remain unclear. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation was employed to investigate the effect of extractant hydrocarbon chains on the extraction of copper ions. Two hydroxyoxime extractants with 12 and 15 carbons in the alkyl chain were found to have similar interactions with Cu2+ ions. Yet, a slight molecular binding increase was observed when the carbon chain was increased. In addition, lengthening the carbon chain made the extracting stage easier and the stripping stage harder. The binding would result in a lower pH in the extraction step and a lower pH in the stripping step. The insights from this molecular study would help design the extraction circuit using natural-based hydroxyoxime extractants. A successful application of cashew-based cardanol will improve the environmental benefits of the recycling process. With cashew-producing regions in developing countries, the application also improves these regions' social and economic sustainability.

Influence of dietary organic trace minerals on enteric methane emissions and rumen microbiota of heat-stressed dairy steers.

Ruminants are the main contributors to methane (CH4), a greenhouse gas emitted by livestock, which leads to global warming. In addition, animals experience heat stress (HS) when exposed to high ambient temperatures. Organic trace minerals are commonly used to prevent the adverse effects of HS in ruminants; however, little is known about the role of these minerals in reducing enteric methane emissions. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the influence of dietary organic trace minerals on rumen fermentation characteristics, enteric methane emissions, and the composition of rumen bacteria and methanogens in heat-stressed dairy steers. Holstein (n=3) and Jersey (n=3) steers were kept separately within a 3×3 Latin square design, and the animals were exposed to HS conditions (Temperature-Humidity Index [THI], 82.79 ± 1.10). For each experiment, the treatments included a Control (Con) consisting of only basal total mixed rations (TMR), National Research Council (NRC) recommended mineral supplementation group (NM; TMR + [Se 0.1 ppm + Zn 30 ppm + Cu 10 ppm]/kg dry matter), and higher concentration of mineral supplementation group (HM; basal TMR + [Se 3.5 ppm + Zn 350 ppm + Cu 28 ppm]/kg dry matter). Higher concentrations of trace mineral supplementation had no influence on methane emissions and rumen bacterial and methanogen communities regardless of breed (p > 0.05). Holstein steers had higher ruminal pH and lower total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations than Jersey steers (p < 0.05). Methane production (g/d) and yield (g/kg dry matter intake) were higher in Jersey steers than in Holstein steers (p < 0.05). The relative abundances of Methanosarcina and Methanobrevibacter olleyae were significantly higher in Holstein steers than in Jersey steers (p < 0.05). Overall, dietary organic trace minerals have no influence on enteric methane emissions in heat-stressed dairy steers; however, breed can influence it through selective alteration of the rumen methanogen community.

Image Turing test and its applications on synthetic chest radiographs by using the progressive growing generative adversarial network.

The generative adversarial network (GAN) is a promising deep learning method for generating images. We evaluated the generation of highly realistic and high-resolution chest radiographs (CXRs) using progressive growing GAN (PGGAN). We trained two PGGAN models using normal and abnormal CXRs, solely relying on normal CXRs to demonstrate the quality of synthetic CXRs that were 1000 × 1000 pixels in size. Image Turing tests were evaluated by six radiologists in a binary fashion using two independent validation sets to judge the authenticity of each CXR, with a mean accuracy of 67.42% and 69.92% for the first and second trials, respectively. Inter-reader agreements were poor for the first (κ = 0.10) and second (κ = 0.14) Turing tests. Additionally, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to classify normal or abnormal CXR using only real images and/or synthetic images mixed datasets. The accuracy of the CNN model trained using a mixed dataset of synthetic and real data was 93.3%, compared to 91.0% for the model built using only the real data. PGGAN was able to generate CXRs that were identical to real CXRs, and this showed promise to overcome imbalances between classes in CNN training.

[Imaging for Multiple Myeloma according to the Recent International Myeloma Working Group Guidelines: Analysis of Image Acquisition Techniques and Response Evaluation in Whole-Body MRI according to MY-RADS]. / International Myeloma Working Group의 ìµœì‹ ê°€ì´ë“œë¼ì¸ì— 따른 다발성 ê³¨ìˆ˜ì¢ ì˜ 영상검사법 및 MY-RADS에 따른 ì „ì‹ MRI에서의 영상 획득과 반응 평가 소개.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant hematologic disease caused by the proliferation of clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow, and its incidence is increasing in Korea. With the development of treatments for MM, the need for early diagnosis and treatment has emerged. In recent years, the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) has been constantly revising the laboratory and radiological diagnostic criteria for MM. In addition, as whole-body MRI (WBMR) has been increasing used in the diagnosis and treatment response evaluation of patients with MM, the Myeloma Response Assessment and Diagnosis System (MY-RADS) was created to standardize WBMR image acquisition techniques, image interpretation, and response evaluation methods. Radiologists need to have a detailed knowledge of the features of MM for accurate diagnosis. Thus, in this review article, we describe the imaging method for MM according to the latest IMWG guidelines as well as the image acquisition and response evaluation technique for WBMR according to MY-RADS.

Increasing buffering capacity enhances rumen fermentation characteristics and alters rumen microbiota composition of high-concentrate fed Hanwoo steers.

The buffering capacity of buffer agents and their effects on in vitro and in vivo rumen fermentation characteristics, and bacterial composition of a high-concentrate fed Hanwoo steers were investigated in this study. Treatments were comprised of CON (no buffer added), BC0.3% (low buffering capacity, 0.3% buffer), BC0.5% (medium buffering capacity, 0.5% buffer), and BC0.9% (high buffering capacity, 0.9% buffer). Four Hanwoo steers in a 4 × 4 Latin square design were used for the in vivo trial to assess the effect of treatments. Results on in vitro experiment showed that buffering capacity, pH, and ammonia-nitrogen concentration (NH3-N) were significantly higher in BC0.9% and BC0.5% than the other treatments after 24 h incubation. Individual and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration of CON were lowest compared to treatment groups. Meanwhile, in vivo experiment revealed that Bacteroidetes were dominant for all treatments followed by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The abundances of Barnesiella intestinihominis, Treponema porcinum, and Vibrio marisflavi were relatively highest under BC0.9%, Ruminoccocus bromii and Succiniclasticum ruminis under BC0.5%, and Bacteroides massiliensis under BC0.3%. The normalized data of relative abundance of observed OTUs' representative families have grouped the CON with BC0.3% in the same cluster, whereas BC0.5% and BC0.9% were clustered separately which indicates the effect of varying buffering capacity of buffer agents. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) on unweighted UniFrac distances revealed close similarity of bacterial community structures within and between treatments and control, in which BC0.9% and BC0.3% groups showed dispersed community distribution. Overall, increasing the buffering capacity by supplementation of BC0.5% and and BC0.9% buffer agents enhanced rumen fermentation characteristics and altered the rumen bacterial community, which could help prevent ruminal acidosis during a high-concentrate diet.

Higher Concentration of Dietary Selenium, Zinc, and Copper Complex Reduces Heat Stress-Associated Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Alteration in the Blood of Holstein and Jersey Steers.

This study investigated the influence of high concentrations of dietary minerals on reducing heat stress (HS)-associated oxidative stress and metabolic alterations in the blood of Holstein and Jersey steers. Holstein steers and Jersey steers were separately maintained under a 3 × 3 Latin square design during the summer conditions. For each trial, the treatments included Control (Con; fed basal TMR without additional mineral supplementation), NM (NRC recommended mineral supplementation group; [basal TMR + (Se 0.1 ppm + Zn 30 ppm + Cu 10 ppm) as DM basis]), and HM (higher than NRC recommended mineral supplementation group; [basal TMR + (Se 3.5 ppm + Zn 350 ppm + Cu 28 ppm) as DM basis]). Blood samples were collected at the end of each 20-day feeding trial. In both breeds, a higher superoxide dismutase concentration (U/mL) along with lower HSP27 (µg/L) and HSP70 (µg/L) concentrations were observed in both mineral-supplemented groups compared to the Con group (p < 0.05). The HM group had significantly higher lactic acid levels in Jersey steers (p < 0.05), and tended to have higher alanine levels in Holstein steers (p = 0.051). Based on star pattern recognition analysis, the levels of succinic acid, malic acid, γ-linolenic acid, 13-methyltetradecanoic acid, and tyrosine decreased, whereas palmitoleic acid increased with increasing mineral concentrations in both breeds. Different treatment groups of both breeds were separated according to the VIP scores of the top 15 metabolites through PLS−DA analysis; however, their metabolic trend was mostly associated with the glucose homeostasis. Overall, the results suggested that supplementation with a higher-than-recommended concentration of dietary minerals rich in organic Se, as was the case in the HM group, would help to prevent HS-associated oxidative stress and metabolic alterations in Holstein and Jersey steers.

Plant-derived saponin enhances biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the rhizosphere of native wild plants.

Plant-derived saponins are bioactive surfactant compounds that can solubilize organic pollutants in environmental matrices, thereby facilitating pollutant remediation. Externally applied saponin has potential to enhance total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) biodegradation in the root zone (rhizosphere) of wild plants, but the associated mechanisms are not well understood. For the first time, this study evaluated a triterpenoid saponin (from red ash leaves, Alphitonia excelsa) in comparison to a synthetic surfactant (Triton X-100) for their effects on plant growth and biodegradation of TPH in the rhizosphere of two native wild species (a grass, Chloris truncata, and a shrub, Hakea prostrata). The addition of Triton X-100 at the highest level (1000 mg/kg) in the polluted soil significantly hindered the plant growth (reduced plant biomass and photosynthesis) and associated rhizosphere microbial activity in both the studied plants. Therefore, TPH removal in the rhizosphere of both plant species treated with the synthetic surfactant was not enhanced (at the lower level, 500 mg/kg soil) and even slightly decreased (at the highest level) compared to that in the surfactant-free (control) treatment. By contrast, TPH removal was significantly increased with saponin application (up to 60% in C. truncata at 1000 mg/kg due to enhanced plant growth and associated rhizosphere microbial activity). No significant difference was observed between the two saponin application levels. Dehydrogenase activity positively correlated with TPH removal (p < 0.001) and thus this parameter could be used as an indicator to predict the rhizoremediation efficiency. This work indicates that saponin-amended rhizoremediation could be an environmentally friendly and effective biological approach to remediate TPH-polluted soils. It was clear that the enhanced plant growth and rhizosphere microbial activity played a crucial role in TPH rhizoremediation efficiency. The saponin-induced molecular processes that promoted plant growth and soil microbial activity in the rhizosphere warrant further studies.

Patient recalls associated with resident-to-attending radiology report discrepancies: predictive factors for risky discrepancies.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify predictive factors for risky discrepancies in the emergency department (ED) by analyzing patient recalls associated with resident-to-attending radiology report discrepancies (RRDs). RESULTS: This retrospective study analyzed 759 RRDs in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging and their outcomes from 2013 to 2021. After excluding 73 patients lost to follow-up, we included 686 records in the final analysis. Risky discrepancies were defined as RRDs resulting in (1) inpatient management (hospitalization) and (2) adverse outcomes (delayed operations, 30-day in-hospital mortality, or intensive care unit admission). Predictors of risky discrepancies were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The overall RRD rate was 0.4% (759 of 171,419). Of 686 eligible patients, 21.4% (147 of 686) received inpatient management, and 6.0% (41 of 686) experienced adverse outcomes. RRDs with neurological diseases were associated with the highest ED revisit rate (79.4%, 81 of 102) but not with risky RRDs. Predictive factors of inpatient management were critical finding (odds ratio [OR], 5.60; p < 0.001), CT examination (OR, 3.93; p = 0.01), digestive diseases (OR, 2.54; p < 0.001), and late finalized report (OR, 1.65; p = 0.02). Digestive diseases (OR, 6.14; p = 0.006) were identified as the only significant predictor of adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Risky RRDs were associated with several factors, including CT examination, digestive diseases, and late finalized reports, as well as critical image findings. This knowledge could aid in determining the priority of discrepancies for the appropriate management of RRDs.

Reversible Symptom Aggravation by Intake of Taurine-Rich Foods in Patients with Venous Congestive Myelopathy: Controlled Case Series Study.

PURPOSE: Reversible aggravation of myelopathy symptoms was observed after the intake of taurine-rich foods in patients with venous congestive myelopathy (VCM) caused by a spinal arteriovenous shunt (SAVS), and the taurine-challenge test was applied to demonstrate an association between taurine and VCM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study reviewed any aggravation history of myelopathy symptoms, including walking difficulty, after consuming taurine-rich foods among 133 consecutive patients with a SAVS from a prospective institutional database from June 2013 to February 2021. The type of taurine-rich foods, demographic data, arteriovenous shunt level, and follow-up periods were obtained. For the controlled taurine challenge test, Bacchus® (Dong-A Pharmaceutical, Seoul, Korea), a taurine-rich drink, was given to patients who fulfilled test criteria of recovered VCM (pain-sensory-motor-sphincter scale ≥2, improvement of spinal cord signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging, and follow-up >6 months after SAVS treatment) to confirm the disappearance of such aggravation. RESULTS: Ten patients had an aggravation history related to food. Webfoot octopus, small octopus, squid, crab, scallop, and taurine-rich energy drink (Bacchus®) were related to such aggravation in patients with VCM. Aggravation appeared about 30 minutes after food intake followed by expressions such as 'I could not walk and collapsed to the ground' and usually lasted for about 3 hours, followed by a slow recovery after taking rest. Four patients who met the test criteria underwent the taurine challenge with Bacchus® and revealed no further symptom aggravation, suggesting that taurine did not affect patients after recovery from VCM. CONCLUSION: The association between taurine-rich food and reversible symptom aggravation can appear in patients with VCM and disappear after VCM treatment. Aggravation of venous hypertension in the spinal cord is suggested as a mechanism but further elucidation is needed.

Safety and immunogenicity of Nanocovax, a SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein vaccine: Interim results of a double-blind, randomised controlled phase 1 and 2 trial.

Background: Nanocovax is a recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 subunit vaccine composed of full-length prefusion stabilized recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins (S-2P) and aluminium hydroxide adjuvant. Methods: We conducted a dose-escalation, open label trial (phase 1) and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (phase 2) to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the Nanocovax vaccine (in 25 mcg, 50 mcg, and 75 mcg doses, aluminium hydroxide adjuvanted (0·5 mg/dose) in 2-dose regime, 28 days apart (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04683484). In phase 1, 60 participants received two intramuscular injection of the vaccine following dose-escalation procedure. The primary outcomes were reactogenicity and laboratory tests to evaluate the vaccine safety. In phase 2, 560 healthy adults received either vaccine doses similar in phase 1 (25 or 50 or 75 mcg S antigen in 0·5 mg aluminium per dose) or adjuvant (0·5 mg aluminium) in a ratio of 2:2:2:1. One primary outcome was the vaccine safety, including solicited adverse events for 7 day and unsolicited adverse events for 28 days after each injection as well as serious adverse event or adverse events of special interest throughout the study period. Another primary outcome was anti-S IgG antibody response (Index unit/ml). Secondary outcomes were surrogate virus neutralisation (inhibition percentage), wild-type SARS-CoV-2 neutralisation (dilution fold), and T-cell responses by intracellular staining for interferon gamma (IFNg). Anti-S IgG and neutralising antibody levels were compared with convalescent serum samples from symptomatic Covid-19 patients. Findings: For phase 1 study, no serious adverse events were observed for all 60 participants. Most adverse events were grade 1 and disappeared shortly after injection. For phase 2 study, after randomisation, 480 participants were assigned to receive the vaccine with adjuvant, and 80 participants were assigned to receive the placebo (adjuvant only). Reactogenicity was absent or mild in the majority of participants and of short duration (mean ≤3 days). Unsolicited adverse events were mild in most participants. There were no serious adverse events related to Nanocovax. Regarding the immunogenicity, Nanocovax induced robust anti-S antibody responses. In general, there humoral responses were similar among vaccine groups which reached their peaks at day 42 and declined afterward. At day 42, IgG levels of vaccine groups were 60·48 [CI95%: 51·12-71·55], 49·11 [41·26-58·46], 57·18 [48·4-67·5] compared to 7·10 [6·32-13·92] of convalescent samples. IgG levels reported here can be converted to WHO international standard binding antibody unit (BAU/ml) by multiplying them to a conversion factor of 21·8. Neutralising antibody titre of vaccine groups at day 42 were 89·2 [52·2-152·3], 80·0 [50·8-125.9] and 95·1 [63·1-143·6], compared to 55·1 [33·4-91·0] of the convalescent group. Interpretation: Up to day 90, Nanocovax was found to be safe, well tolerated, and induced robust immune responses. Funding: This work was funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, and Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC.

Recovery, regeneration and sustainable management of spent adsorbents from wastewater treatment streams: A review.

Adsorption is the most widely adopted, effective, and reliable treatment process for the removal of inorganic and organic contaminants from wastewater. One of the major issues with the adsorption-treatment process for the removal of contaminants from wastewater streams is the recovery and sustainable management of spent adsorbents. This review focuses on the effectiveness of emerging adsorbents and how the spent adsorbents could be recovered, regenerated, and further managed through reuse or safe disposal. The critical analysis of both conventional and emerging adsorbents on organic and inorganic contaminants in wastewater systems are evaluated. The various recovery and regeneration techniques of spent adsorbents including magnetic separation, filtration, thermal desorption and decomposition, chemical desorption, supercritical fluid desorption, advanced oxidation process and microbial assisted adsorbent regeneration are discussed in detail. The current challenges for the recovery and regeneration of adsorbents and the methodologies used for solving those problems are covered. The spent adsorbents are managed through regeneration for reuse (such as soil amendment, capacitor, catalyst/catalyst support) or safe disposal involving incineration and landfilling. Sustainable management of spent adsorbents, including processes involved in the recovery and regeneration of adsorbents for reuse, is examined in the context of resource recovery and circular economy. Finally, the review ends with the current drawbacks in the recovery and management of the spent adsorbents and the future directions for the economic and environmental feasibility of the system for industrial-scale application.

Antimony contamination and its risk management in complex environmental settings: A review.

Antimony (Sb) is introduced into soils, sediments, and aquatic environments from various sources such as weathering of sulfide ores, leaching of mining wastes, and anthropogenic activities. High Sb concentrations are toxic to ecosystems and potentially to public health via the accumulation in food chain. Although Sb is poisonous and carcinogenic to humans, the exact mechanisms causing toxicity still remain unclear. Most studies concerning the remediation of soils and aquatic environments contaminated with Sb have evaluated various amendments that reduce Sb bioavailability and toxicity. However, there is no comprehensive review on the biogeochemistry and transformation of Sb related to its remediation. Therefore, the present review summarizes: (1) the sources of Sb and its geochemical distribution and speciation in soils and aquatic environments, (2) the biogeochemical processes that govern Sb mobilization, bioavailability, toxicity in soils and aquatic environments, and possible threats to human and ecosystem health, and (3) the approaches used to remediate Sb-contaminated soils and water and mitigate potential environmental and health risks. Knowledge gaps and future research needs also are discussed. The review presents up-to-date knowledge about the fate of Sb in soils and aquatic environments and contributes to an important insight into the environmental hazards of Sb. The findings from the review should help to develop innovative and appropriate technologies for controlling Sb bioavailability and toxicity and sustainably managing Sb-polluted soils and water, subsequently minimizing its environmental and human health risks.

Value of dehydrated food waste fertiliser products in increasing soil health and crop productivity.

Dehydration of food waste is a technique in which food waste is dewatered to form a low moisture product. This research characterised the physicochemical properties of different dehydrated food waste products and examined their value in improving physical, biological, and chemical properties of soils. Dehydrated food waste products were slightly acidic (4.7-5.1) with high levels of electrical conductivity (EC) (4.83-7.64 mS cm-1). The products were composed of complex carbohydrates, polysaccharides, alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acid, lipids, and fats and contained high levels of total and available nutrients. Dehydrated food wastes slightly impacted the soil pH; however, they significantly increased soil EC, which may cause soil salinity when applied repeatedly. The food waste products also increased macro-nutrients (N, P, and K) for plants across different soil types. Carbon and nutrients in dehydrated food waste increased microbial activity, measured by basal respiration. Delayed germination and reduced plant growth of corn (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants were observed at high application rates of dehydrated food waste. This may have resulted from a combination of phytotoxins, anoxic conditions, salinity as well as the water-repellent nature of dehydrated food waste. However, release of nutrients increased nutrient uptake and plant biomass in corn and wheat plants at low levels of food waste application. The dehydrated food waste products may require composting prior to soil application or incorporation into soil for a long duration prior to planting. These processes will overcome the limitations of phytotoxins, anoxic conditions, salinity, and water repellence. Further work is required to optimise the levels of dehydrated food waste application to improve soil health and crop productivity.

Phosphorus application enhances alkane hydroxylase gene abundance in the rhizosphere of wild plants grown in petroleum-hydrocarbon-contaminated soil.

This study assessed the ability of phosphorus (P) fertilizer to remediate the rhizosphere of three wild plant species (Banksia seminuda, a tree; Chloris truncata, a grass; and Hakea prostrata, a shrub) growing in a soil contaminated with total (aliphatic) petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH). Plant growth, photosynthesis (via chlorophyll fluorescence), soil microbial activity, alkane hydroxylase AlkB (aliphatic hydrocarbon-degrading) gene abundance, and TPH removal were evaluated 120 days after planting. Overall, although TPH served as an additional carbon source for soil microorganisms, the presence of TPH in soil resulted in decreased plant growth and photosynthesis. However, growth, photosynthesis, microbial activities, and AlkB gene abundance were enhanced by the application of P fertilizer, thereby increasing TPH removal rates, although the extent and optimum P dosage varied among the plant species. The highest TPH removal (64.66%) was observed in soil planted with the Poaceae species, C. truncata, and amended with 100 mg P kg-1 soil, while H. prostrata showed higher TPH removal compared to the plant belonging to the same Proteaceae family, B. seminuda. The presence of plants resulted in higher AlkB gene abundance and TPH removal relative to the unplanted control. The removal of TPH was associated directly with AlkB gene abundance (R2 > 0.9, p < 0.001), which was affected by plant identity and P levels. The results indicated that an integrated approach involving wild plant species and optimum P amendment, which was determined through experimentation using different plant species, was an efficient way to remediate soil contaminated with TPH.

Treatment processes to eliminate potential environmental hazards and restore agronomic value of sewage sludge: A review.

Land application of sewage sludge is increasingly used as an alternative to landfilling and incineration owing to a considerable content of carbon and essential plant nutrients in sewage sludge. However, the presence of chemical and biological contaminants in sewage sludge poses potential dangers; therefore, sewage sludge must be suitably treated before being applied to soils. The most common methods include anaerobic digestion, aerobic composting, lime stabilization, incineration, and pyrolysis. These methods aim at stabilizing sewage sludge, to eliminate its potential environmental pollution and restore its agronomic value. To achieve best results on land, a comprehensive understanding of the transformation of organic matter, nutrients, and contaminants during these sewage-sludge treatments is essential; however, this information is still lacking. This review aims to fill this knowledge gap by presenting various approaches to treat sewage sludge, transformation processes of some major nutrients and pollutants during treatment, and potential impacts on soils. Despite these treatments, overtime there are still some potential risks of land application of treated sewage sludge. Potentially toxic substances remain the main concern regarding the reuse of treated sewage sludge on land. Therefore, further treatment may be applied, and long-term field studies are warranted, to prevent possible adverse effects of treated sewage sludge on the ecosystem and human health and enable its land application.

From mine to mind and mobiles - Lithium contamination and its risk management.

With the ever-increasing demand for lithium (Li) for portable energy storage devices, there is a global concern associated with environmental contamination of Li, via the production, use, and disposal of Li-containing products, including mobile phones and mood-stabilizing drugs. While geogenic Li is sparingly soluble, Li added to soil is one of the most mobile cations in soil, which can leach to groundwater and reach surface water through runoff. Lithium is readily taken up by plants and has relatively high plant accumulation coefficient, albeit the underlying mechanisms have not been well described. Therefore, soil contamination with Li could reach the food chain due to its mobility in surface- and ground-waters and uptake into plants. High environmental Li levels adversely affect the health of humans, animals, and plants. Lithium toxicity can be considerably managed through various remediation approaches such as immobilization using clay-like amendments and/or chelate-enhanced phytoremediation. This review integrates fundamental aspects of Li distribution and behaviour in terrestrial and aquatic environments in an effort to efficiently remediate Li-contaminated ecosystems. As research to date has not provided a clear picture of how the increased production and disposal of Li-based products adversely impact human and ecosystem health, there is an urgent need for further studies on this field.

Kimchi cabbage (Brassica rapa L.) by-products treated with calcium oxide and alkaline hydrogen peroxide as feed ingredient for Holstein steers.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Kimchi cabbage by-products either treated or untreated with calcium oxide (CaO) and alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) as substitutional ingredient of total mixed ration (TMR) on in vitro fermentation, in situ disappearance and growth performance of Holstein steers. Cannulated Holstein (600 ± 47 kg) was used for both the in vitro and in situ experiments. The treatments used were TMR only (CON), TMR + 30% Kimchi cabbage by-products fresh matter (FM) basis (TC), TMR + 30% Kimchi cabbage by-products FM basis + 5% CaO FM basis (TCC), and TMR + 30% Kimchi cabbage by-products FM basis + 5% CaO FM basis + 3.22% AHP FM basis (TCCA). For in vivo experiment, thirty-four Holstein steers (273 ± 45 kg) were subjected to a 150-day feeding trial, divided into two groups: CON and TC. In the in vitro experiment, pH of TCCA was greatest (p < 0.05) among other treatments at all incubation times. Ammonia nitrogen and volatile fatty acid concentrations were not significantly different for each treatment. However, butyrate was greater (p < 0.05) in TCC and CON than in both TC and TCCA. During in situ experiment, the dry matter (DM) disappearance was greatest (p < 0.05) in TCCA among other treatments. Also, disappearance of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were observed greatest (p > 0.05) in TCCA treatment. In the in vivo experiment, average daily gain (ADG) did not differ between CON and TC. In blood profile analysis, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total protein concentration were not significantly different between treatments. But, creatinine concentration was greater (p < 0.05) in TC than in CON. Overall results suggest that Kimchi cabbage by-products either treated or untreated with CaO and AHP can be used as substitutional ingredient in TMR for Holstein steers.