Biological Treatment Research Articles

Enhancing the feed efficiency of crop residues in ruminants: a comprehensive review

Abstract Worldwide, the production of agricultural residues exceeds five billion metric tons per year. Regardless of their many applications and substantial potential to increase crop and animal productivity, many crop residues, particularly in Asian, African, and Arabian nations, are burned. This detrimental practice limits the recycling of soil nutrients while increasing air pollution and wellness risks. Enhancing feed efficiency while simultaneously lowering production costs and increasing animal protein is a key objective of nutritional supplements in livestock feeding. Antibiotics have been utilized in farm animals at sub-therapeutic levels to increase feed use effectiveness and digestion, as well as animal welfare and performance. However, the present ban on antibiotics as nutritional supplements has boosted the search for substitutes, with natural feed additives considered cutting-edge options. On the other hand, feed that has undergone biological treatment improves animal productivity, feed intake, and digestibility. Nevertheless, the absence of agents and expertise and substrate weight decrease may result in a 40% dry matter loss limits application. In this review, we look at the importance of detrimental residue administration and the advancement and adoption of technologies to handle surplus residue.

Use of pseudomonas fluorecens isolated from the Serra de Ouro Branco State Park/Minas Gerais - Brazil in the biodegradation of residual automotive lubricating oils

About 2% of the oil consumed worldwide is related to the production of automotive and industrial lubricating oils. The pollution derived from these oils in aquatic and terrestrial environments is responsible for several ecological and social problems due to their toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic properties. Thus, studies related to bioremediation are of importance, and the use of biological treatments, such as biodegradation, is a viable and effective alternative for the treatment of these compounds. The present study aimed to evaluate the biodegradation performance of residual automotive lubricating oils using the lipases Pseudomonas fluorecens obtained in bioprospecting carried out in the Serra do Ouro Branco State Park, Minas Gerais. Through the colorimetric method using the redox indicator 2.6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP), the biodegradability of residual oils was monitored. The results obtained demonstrated the potential of the selected bacteria, since they degraded approximately 61.74 to 83.8 % of the waste studied.

METHODOLOGY FOR QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE FILAMENTOUS INDEX IN TECHNOLOGIES OF BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT

For the quantitative control of the filamentous index in biological treatment facilities, a computerized methodology has been developed within the presented study. Its use enhances the reliability and techno-genic safety of operating biological treatment facilities. Problems related to filamentous microorganisms, which can hinder effective wastewater treatment, are considered. Sludge bulking occurs when the intensive growth of these microorganisms complicates the separation of activated sludge from treated wastewater, leading to various operational issues. The study emphasizes the importance of microscopic analysis in identifying and addressing problems associated with filamentous organisms. The use of microscopic analysis as a crucial tool for managing activated sludge issues is discussed. The classification system developed by D. Eikelboom, which identifies 21 types of filamentous organisms based on visual characteristics, is described in detail. The filamentous index, a key parameter for monitoring the quality of activated sludge, is examined in detail, along with methods to minimize subjective evaluation factors using computer technologies. The primary goal of the study is to develop a computerized methodology for the rapid quantitative determination of the filamentous index, and area of filamentous microorganisms in activated sludge. The ImageJ software was used for processing microphotographs of sludge, enabling precise measurements of geometric characteristics. The analysis includes processing images from Eikelboom's work to establish reference values for the filamentous index. Microsoft Excel software was used for theoretical calculations and statistical analysis of experimental data. The results of the research, which confirm the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies, are presented. Keywords: activated sludge, sludge bulking, filamentous index, quantitative analysis, treatment efficiency.

A rare case of isolated melanoma of the sphenoid sinus

<b>Introduction:</b> Sphenoid sinus melanoma is extremely rare – only 7 cases have been described in the available literature.<b>Aim:</b> We present the next case of a 77-year-old female with melanoma of the left sphenoid sinus treated in our ENT Department.<b>Case study:</b> A 77-year-old female was admitted to our department due to the histologically confirmed left sphenoid sinus malignant melanoma. During admission, the patient was treated with Pembrolizumab at the Oncology Center in Gliwice. In our department, she underwent endoscopic surgery of the left sphenoid sinus and nasopharynx six times. The patient’s last admission on 04/2023 was caused by the heavy epistaxis from the left nasal cavity. She died less than a year after the last surgical intervention (04/2023) due to the generalization of the neoplastic disease.<b>Conclusions:</b> Malignant melanoma of the sphenoid sinus is an extremely rare neoplasm. The endoscopic resection of the tumor remains the treatment of choice. However, newer modalities like biologic and immunomodulatory treatments are being studied. The 5-year survival rates in these cases are only 10–15%.

A comparison of the impact of anti-IL5/5r therapies in allergic versus non-allergic patients with severe eosinophilic asthma in a real-life setting

Objective This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of allergic patients (AP) and non-allergic patients (NAP) with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) treated with anti-IL5/IL5R biologic agents (mepolizumab, benralizumab, or reslizumab) over one year. Sub-analyses assessed treatment response variations between AP and NAP based on the biological used and compared outcomes among AP with and without fungal allergy. Methods Observational retrospective analysis. Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, pulmonary function tests, Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, oral corticosteroid (OCS) usage, and exacerbation frequency were assessed at the initiation of biological treatment and after one year. Results Sixty-five patients with SEA were included, 41 AP and 24 NAP. 55.4% were treated with mepolizumab, 33.8% with benralizumab, and 10.8% with reslizumab. Before anti-IL5/5R treatment, AP had worse baseline outcomes but there were no differences in pulmonary function. Mean annual exacerbation rate and percentage of patients requiring OCS and dose of prednisone were higher in AP than NAP. AP had significantly higher total IgE values. After one year of treatment, more AP discontinued OCS than NAP (p = 0.025). Both experienced a significant reduction in exacerbation frequency (p = 0.001) and improved respiratory function. 70.7% of AP and 60% of NAP improved ACT ≥3 points. There was no significant difference between AP and NAP using mepolizumab (p = 0.145) or benralizumab (p = 0.174) in reducing OCS. Conclusions Anti-IL5/IL5R reduced the need for OCS and improved asthma control, regardless of allergic status. Fungal allergy led to lower ACT scores and higher exacerbations than other allergens; both groups improved with anti-IL5/ILR.

Performance evaluation of integrated Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor with trickling filter used for municipal wastewater treatment and effluent reuse potential for agriculture

Effluent reuse is a rapidly growing field of research where assessing the quality of effluent is one of the focus areas. This research examines the viability of using wastewater in agriculture by testing an integrated Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor with a trickling filter (TF) system during the dry season. Compliance monitoring was conducted for 30 days from May 11 to June 9 of 2021. Samples were collected, handled, and analyzed following standard wastewater analysis procedures for biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), cations, anions, heavy metals, E. coli, and helminth egg. The UASB-TF system in Kality wastewater treatment performed well in removing COD, BOD5, and TSS with average removal rates of 80.5%, 82.9%, and 80.9%, respectively, compared well with similar treatment configurations. The effluent quality satisfied the national inland discharge limit with a residual concentration of 125.1 mg/L for COD, 61.7 mg/L for BOD5 and 85.8 mg/L for TSS. On the other hand, high concentrations of chromium, nitrate-nitrogen, and helminth egg count restricted effluent reuse for agricultural purposes due to high health risks and environmental contamination. We found out that discharging industrial sewage into the domestic sewer network could inhibit microbial growth and affect the biological treatment processes. Furthermore, adopting integrated treatment systems in developing countries might face operational challenges and monitoring nitrate, helminth egg, and heavy metals would help provide timely operational feedback. An appropriate tertiary treatment unit—constructed wetlands or polishing ponds—is therefore needed to be introduced to ensure effluent reuse for agricultural purposes.

Factors Associated With Successful Withdrawal of Biologic Agents in Children With Colchicine-Resistant Familial Mediterranean Fever.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disease, and colchicine is the mainstay of treatment. Approximately 5%-10% of patients may respond inadequately to colchicine, and anti-interleukin-1 (anti-IL-1) agents are important treatment options in these patients. The aim of this study was to see whether there is any factor associated with the withdrawal of these anti-IL-1 agents and to investigate the characteristics of colchicine-resistant FMF patients who needed biological therapy. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and disease severity of patients, at 2 referral centers, between 2012 and 2022, in whom anti-IL-1 treatment was continued and discontinued, were compared in this study. The international severity scoring system for FMF (ISSF) was used for disease severity assessment. In 64 colchicine-resistant FMF patients, the median (interquartile range) duration of biological treatment was 39 (45) months. Treatment of 26 patients (40.6%) was started with anakinra and 38 (59.4%) with canakinumab. During follow-up, anti-IL-1 treatment was discontinued in 23 patients (35.9%). High ISSF scores before biological treatment, presence of exertional leg pain, subclinical inflammation, and comorbidity were found to be statistically more frequent in the group whose biological therapy could not be discontinued (p = 0.009, p = 0.006, p = 0.026, p = 0.001, respectively). Low ISSF scores before biological treatment with no accompanying exertional leg pain, subclinical inflammation, and comorbidities may be stated as an associated factors in terms of the discontinuation of biological agents in colchicine-resistant pediatric FMF patients.

Insights into the role of electrochemical stimulation on sulfur-driven biodegradation of antibiotics in wastewater treatment

The presence of antibiotics in wastewater poses significant threat to our ecosystems and health. Traditional biological wastewater treatment technologies have several limitations in treating antibiotic-contaminated wastewaters, such as low removal efficiency and poor process resilience. Here, a novel electrochemical-coupled sulfur-mediated biological system was developed for treating wastewater co-contaminated with several antibiotics (e.g., ciprofloxacin (CIP), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), chloramphenicol (CAP)). Superior removal of CIP, SMX, and CAP with efficiencies ranging from 40.6 ± 2.6 % to 98.4 ± 1.6 % was achieved at high concentrations of 1000 μg/L in the electrochemical-coupled sulfur-mediated biological system, whereas the efficiencies ranged from 30.4 ± 2.3 % to 98.2 ± 1.4 % in the control system (without electrochemical stimulation). The biodegradation rates of CIP, SMX, and CAP increased by 1.5∼1.9-folds under electrochemical stimulation compared to the control. The insights into the role of electrochemical stimulation for multiple antibiotics biodegradation enhancement was elucidated through a combination of metagenomic and electrochemical analyses. Results showed that sustained electrochemical stimulation significantly enriched the sulfate-reducing and electroactive bacteria (e.g., Desulfobulbus, Longilinea, and Lentimicrobiumin on biocathode and Geobactor on bioanode), and boosted the secretion of electron transport mediators (e.g., cytochrome c and extracellular polymeric substances), which facilitated the microbial extracellular electron transfer processes and subsequent antibiotics removal in the sulfur-mediated biological system. Furthermore, under electrochemical stimulation, functional genes associated with sulfur and carbon metabolism and electron transfer were more abundant, and the microbial metabolic processes were enhanced, contributing to antibiotics biodegradation. Our study for the first time demonstrated that the synergistic effects of electrochemical-coupled sulfur-mediated biological system was capable of overcoming the limitations of conventional biological treatment processes. This study shed light on the mechanism of enhanced antibiotics biodegradation via electrochemical stimulation, which could be employed in sulfur-mediated bioprocess for treating antibiotic-contaminated wastewaters.

Impact of the Peripheral Ligand Layer on the Excited-State Deactivation Mechanism of Au38S2(S-Adm)20 and Au30(S-Adm)18 (S-Adm = Adamantanethiolate) Clusters.

Gold nanoclusters are ideal fluorescent labels for biological imaging, disease diagnosis, and treatment. Understanding the origin of the photoluminescence phenomenon in ligand-protected gold nanoclusters is crucial for both basic science and practical applications. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations were performed to study the mechanism of excited state deactivation of Au38S2(S-Adm)20 and Au30(S-Adm)18 (S-Adm = adamantanethiolate) clusters, which have similar sizes and compositions. The computational results indicate that the differences in structural symmetry and peripheral ligand layer lead to quite different excited state deactivation mechanisms and excited state lifetimes in Au38S2(S-Adm)20 and Au30(S-Adm)18. Specifically, the μ3-S atoms and bridging thiolate (SR) in the ligand layer of Au38S2(S-Adm)20 significantly suppress the structural relaxation of ligand motifs, resulting in a prolonged excited state lifetime and higher quantum yield. For the Au30(S-Adm)18, due to the symmetry forbidden and large structural relaxation of the ligand shell, a rapid nonradiative transition process resulted. This study provides new insights into how the photoluminescence of ligand-protected gold nanoclusters is influenced by their structure and symmetry.

Analysis of dissolved organic matter characteristics in pharmaceutical wastewater via spectroscopy combined with Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Studying the changes in organic matter and characteristic pollutants during the treatment of penicillin-containing pharmaceutical wastewater, which can be reflected by changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM), is crucial for improving the effectiveness of wastewater treatment units and systems. Herein, water quality indicators, spectroscopic methods, and Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry were utilized to characterize the general molecular compositions and specific molecular changes in DOM during the treatment of typical penicillin-containing pharmaceutical wastewater, including in each of the influent, physicochemical treatment, biological treatment, oxidation treatment, and effluent stages. The influent exhibited a high organic matter content (concentration of dissolved organic carbon >10,000 mg·L−1), its DOM mainly contained protein- and lignin-like substances composed of CHON and CHONS molecules, and the relative intensity (RI) of penicillin was extremely high (RI = 0.220). Compared with the influent, the abundance of CHON and CHONS molecules detected after physicochemical treatment decreased by 70.3 % and 62.5 %, respectively, and the RI of penicillin decreased by 85.5 %. Biological treatment caused substantial changes in DOM components through oxidation, dealkylation, and denitrification reactions, accounting for 36.8 %, 28.9 %, and 14.8 % of the total identified reactions, respectively. Additionally, lignin-like substances were generated in large quantities, the overall humification level significantly increased, and the RI value increased for the penicillin intermediate, 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA). Oxidation treatment effectively removed phosphorus-containing substances and some lignin-like substances produced by biological treatment; however, it was not effective in removing characteristic pollutants such as 6-APA. Such characteristic substances continued to be present in the effluent, and the DOM mainly contained protein- and humus-like substances, accounting for 30.8 % and 47.3 %, respectively. The study findings reveal the changes in organic matter and characteristic pollutants during the treatment of penicillin-containing wastewater from the perspective of the general molecular composition and specific molecular changes in DOM, providing support for further exploration of wastewater treatment mechanisms and improvements in treatment unit efficiency.

Should the Dermatological Assessment of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Become Standard during Qualifications for Biological Treatment? A Retrospective, Single-Center Experience from a Tertiary Center.

Background: Oncological anxiety associated with biological therapy is a particular challenge in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and it has raised questions about the need for the dermatological assessment of the skin before starting biological therapy. Methods: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of dermal lesions, including cutaneous malignancies, in IBD patients. This retrospective, single-center study evaluated 805 IBD patients who qualified for biological treatment and were subjected to a dermatological assessment. Results: Dermal lesions (DLs) were found in 15.5% (125) of IBD patients. A risk factor for DLs was higher with body mass index (OR = 1.08, 95% CI [1.02; 1.14], p = 0.007). Surprisingly, there was no effect of thiopurines between the groups with and without DLs (90.4% vs. 84.6%, MD = 0.06, 95% CI [0.01; 0.12], p = 0.118). Moreover, cutaneous malignancies were diagnosed in 9 cases (1.1%), including 4 basal cell carcinomas, 4 squamous cell carcinomas, and 1 melanoma skin cancer. Only 13.4% of patients complied with our strict policy of skin surveillance every 6-8 months. Conclusions: DLs, including cutaneous malignancies, are common in patients with IBD, making skin monitoring at the initiation of biological treatment an extremely useful tool. The lack of effect of the drugs used suggests that skin surveillance is necessary in all IBD patients. The low compliance of skin monitoring among immunosuppressed patients indicates the need for better education on the prevention of cutaneous malignancies.

Collagen II enrichment through scAAV6-RNAi-mediated inhibition of matrix-metalloproteinases 3 and 13 in degenerative nucleus-pulposus cells degenerative disc disease and biological treatment strategies.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration damaging the extracellular matrix (ECM) of IVDs is the main cause of spine-associated disorders. Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a multifaceted disorder, where environmental factors, inflammatory cytokines and catabolic enzymes act together. DDD starts typically due to imbalance between ECM biosynthesis and degradation within IVDs, especially through unbalanced degradation of aggrecan and collagen II in nucleus pulposus (NP). Current treatment approaches are primarily based on conservative or surgical therapies, which are insufficient for biological regeneration. The disintegrins and metalloproteinases with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTSs) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the key proteolytic enzymes for degradation of aggrecan and collagens. Previously, high expression levels of ADAMTS4, ADAMTS5, MMP3 and MMP13, which are accompanied with low levels of aggrecan and collagen II, were demonstrated in degenerative human NP cells. Moreover, self-complementary adeno-associated virus type 6 (scAAV6) mediated inhibitions of ADAMTS4 and ADAMTS5 by RNA-interference (RNAi) could specifically enhance aggrecan level. Thus, MMPs are apparently the main degrading enzymes of collagen II in NP. Furthermore, scAAV6-mediated inhibitions of MMP3 and MMP13 have not yet been investigated. Therefore, we attempted to enhance the level of collagen II in degenerative NP cells by scAAV6-RNAi-mediated inhibitions of MMP3 and MMP13. MRI was used to determine preoperative grading of IVD degeneration in patients. After isolation and culturing of NP cells, cells were transduced with scAAV6-shRNAs targeting MMP3 or MMP13; and analysed by fluorescence microscopy, FACS, MTT assay, RT-qPCR, ELISA and western blotting. scAAV6-shRNRs have no impact on cell viability and proliferation, despite high transduction efficiencies (98.6%) and transduction units (1383 TU/Cell). Combined knockdown of MMP3 (92.8%) and MMP13 (90.9%) resulted in highest enhancement of collagen II (143.2%), whereby treatment effects were significant over 56days (p < 0.001). Conclusively, scAAV6-RNAi-mediated inhibitions of MMP3 and MMP13 help to progress less immunogenic and enduring biological treatments in DDD.

Assessment of process water quality (depending on the presence of process water systems) in car wash facilities across Germany and the Netherlands

ABSTRACT There are around 2,500 car wash lines in Germany, consuming around 30 million m3 of drinking water per year. In view of the increasing scarcity of water, this level of consumption could soon be restricted by law, as it is in some countries. There are only a few systematic studies on process water systems in car wash lines in Middle Europe; we therefore carried out a survey to determine process water quality parameters (COD, turbidity, water hardness, pH, conductivity, dissolved O2, and temperature). Data were collected and analysed from 63 different locations in Germany and the Netherlands. In addition, longitudinal parameters were measured for 1 year at a single state-of-the-art site in Germany. The scatter of the observed values was quite considerable. The average COD in water of car wash sites with biological treatment was found to be significantly lower than in car wash sites working with filter treatment. Overall, the deviation of the pollution parameters was higher than expected. Surprisingly, there is hardly any reliable data on freshwater consumption in the car wash facilities. As most of the long-established facilities do not have a modern water treatment system, freshwater consumption is up to 300 L per car washed.

LANDFILL MINING IN THE FRAMEWORK OF INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDY OF AN ITALIAN LANDFILL

A remediation project involving landfill mining (LFM) was designed and is ongoing at the 40-year-old Villadose landfill in Rovigo, Italy. The original natural clay lining the bottom of the old landfill is being recovered and used as technical material. Meanwhile newly constructed landfill sectors, designed to contained more than four times more waste than previously are being filled with both excavated waste and fresh municipal solid waste. A laboratory scale experiment was conducted to simulate the expected landfill conditions and analyse the effects of different waste fractions on emissions. The fresh municipal waste although pretreated at a mechanical biological treatment plant shows a significant residual emission potential, in terms of TOC, and NH4. A landfill housing such quality of waste would not be expected to have achieved final storage quality by the end of its aftercare life. The joint disposal of this waste fraction and the substantially degraded excavated waste may contribute to shortening this timeline. This paper reports the landfill mining operation, an assessment of the emissions from the landfill simulation reactors and the implications for the expected landfill behaviour.

Eczematous reactions in patients with plaque psoriasis receiving biological therapy: an observational study.

The use of biologic agents, mainly tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-17A inhibitors, was associated with cutaneous side effects, but the factors associated with eczematous reactions occurring during biologic treatments are not completely known. An observational, retrospective, multicentre Italian study evaluated the clinical features and the management of eczematous eruptions in 54 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis who developed eczema after treatment with biological agents (anti-IL-17 or 23). Many of these patients had personal and family history of atopy. Eczematous reactions developed between a few days and 3 years after initiation of the biologic drug. The highest proportion of cases associated with eczematous reactions during biologic treatments was seen in patients on anti-IL-17 agents, including brodalumab. We observed that eczema rapidly remitted without relapse in all patients who switched to anti-IL-23 agents. Among our cases, fast responders to psoriasis therapy seem to have more persistent eczematous reactions. Patients with psoriasis and a history of atopic dermatitis should be treated with an IL-23 inhibitor due to its efficacy in psoriasis and the rarely reported eczematous reaction.

Pain Interference in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Despite treatment advances, pain remains a serious problem for many children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). To better understand pain in children with JIA and identify potentially modifiable factors, this study evaluated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Pain Interference (PI) and its relationships with other pain measures and demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and functional variables. This cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study used descriptive statistics and a mix of bivariate and multivariable analyses to describe PI and characterize relationships with other measures and variables. Among 355 children with JIA, 27% reported moderate or severe PI and 13.3% reported daily pain. PI correlated with other pain measures. Increasing age, decreasing disease duration, and increasing number of active joints, as well as presence of active disease, steroid treatment, and biologic treatment, were associated with greater PI. All PROMIS psychosocial and functional measures were associated with PI in the expected direction except for PROMIS Pediatric Physical Activity, which showed no association. In multivariable analyses, only PROMIS Fatigue, PROMIS Mobility, and the exploratory interaction of PROMIS Anxiety and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment were significant. Moderate and severe PI was prevalent in this sample of children with JIA. PI increased with age and indicators of disease activity, but was more strongly associated with increasing fatigue and decreasing mobility. Findings support the use of PI as a short, easily administered multidimensional pain measure as part of routine clinical care. Fatigue, mobility, and disease activity should be assessed further when PI is high.

Candidate Biomarkers For Response To Treatment In Psoriatic Disease.

To determine whether biologic therapy alters serum CXCL10, MMP3, S100A8, ACP5, and CCL2 levels in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and psoriasis (PsC) patients, and whether baseline levels of these proteins predict response to treatment for PsA. We included PsA patients on TNF inhibitors (TNFi), Interleukin-17 inhibitors (IL-17i), methotrexate (MTX), and untreated with bDMARDs or csDMARDs (untreated) and PsC patients on bDMARDs and matched untreated. Serum samples at baseline and 3-6 months follow-up were retrieved from the biobank. Protein levels were quantified using a Luminex multiplex assay. We compared follow-up vs baseline protein levels within groups and change in levels between groups. For the predictive potential of the biomarkers, we developed logistic regression classification models. Response to treatment was defined as: 1. Achieving low disease activity or remission (according to DAPSA), 2. 75% reduction in PASI, and 3. 50% reduction in actively inflamed joint count. In PsA, TNFi reduced serum levels of all five proteins, IL-17i increased ACP5 and CCL2, and MTX reduced MMP3. Changes in MMP3 and S100A8 levels were significantly different between untreated PsA and matched biologic-treated PsA (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between treated or untreated PsC patients. Baseline levels of CXCL10, MMP3, S100A8, and ACP5 had good predictive value (AUC>0.8) for response to biologics in PsA patients. Biologics treatment and MTX affect serum CXCL10, MMP3, S100A8, ACP5, and CCL2 levels in PsA patients. MMP3, S100A8, ACP5, and CXCL10 have potential use as serum biomarkers to predict response to treatment for PsA.

Bioremediation of Fishery Waste Using Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.)

Abstract One of the relatively affordable and safe waste treatment is biological treatment by utilising certain plants as biofilters. The water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) is an aquatic plant that is usually considered a weed by the community. These plants can be used to absorb toxic elements in wastewater. The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between Pistia stratiotes L. and the decrease in the organic matter content of fishery processing wastewater. The research method involved varying the effectiveness of the relationship between the bacteria and the water lettuce, the cover rate of the water slide plants and measuring water quality. Water quality measurements include: analysis of BOD5, COD, TSS, pH and temperature. Data analysis with regression and correlation tests using SPSS 28 software. In this study, the density of Pistia stratiotes L. used was 0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 %. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the effectiveness of the Pistia stratiotes L. in reducing levels of BOD5, COD and TSS is highest at a density of 100 % with the effectiveness values of each 23.7 mg/L, 58.7 mg/L and 2.67 mg/L.

Effect of secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment methods on opioids and the subsequent environmental impact of effluent and biosolids

Opioids are widely distributed, potent prescription analgesics that are known to be diverted for illicit use. Their prevalence of use is reflected by high concentrations of parent compounds and/or metabolites found in samples collected from wastewater treatment plants. Given that treatment byproducts enter the environment through several routes, the consequences of insufficient removal by treatment methods include unwanted environmental exposure and potential to disrupt ecosystems. Activated sludge treatment has been widely investigated for a large suite of prescription opioids but the same cannot be said for UV and chlorination. Additionally, the biosolid cycle of opioids has been overlooked previously. This study aimed to determine the extent to which secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment methods remove opioids from influent, and the associated environmental exposure for those persistent, as well as the fate of opioids in biosolids. Membrane bioreactor treatment proved effective for natural and semi-synthetic opioids while the effect of UV treatment was negligible. Chlorination was the most effective treatment method resulting in effluent with concentrations below theoretical predicted no-effect concentration. Biosolids are not subjected to any additional biological or chemical treatment after membrane bioreactor treatment and the levels detected in biosolid used as fertiliser had several opioids at potentially hazardous concentrations, indicated by a QSAR theoretical model. This data indicates a potential issue regarding the treatment process of biosolids and reliance on chlorination for effluent treatment that should be investigated in other treatment plants.

49780 Biologic and Oral Small Molecule Treatment for Prurigo Nodularis: An Evidence-Based Review

49780 Biologic and Oral Small Molecule Treatment for Prurigo Nodularis: An Evidence-Based Review