Effect Of Pretreatment Research Articles

Oral curcumin ameliorates acute murine campylobacteriosis

IntroductionHuman infections with the food-borne enteropathogen Campylobacter jejuni are responsible for increasing incidences of acute campylobacteriosis cases worldwide. Since antibiotic treatment is usually not indicated and the severity of the enteritis directly correlates with the risk of developing serious autoimmune disease later-on, novel antibiotics-independent intervention strategies with non-toxic compounds to ameliorate and even prevent campylobacteriosis are utmost wanted. Given its known pleiotropic health-promoting properties, curcumin constitutes such a promising candidate molecule. In our actual preclinical placebo-controlled intervention trial, we tested the anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects of oral curcumin pretreatment during acute experimental campylobacteriosis.MethodsTherefore, secondary abiotic IL-10-/- mice were challenged with synthetic curcumin via the drinking water starting a week prior oral C. jejuni infection. To assess anti-pathogenic, clinical, immune-modulatory, and functional effects of curcumin prophylaxis, gastrointestinal C. jejuni bacteria were cultured, clinical signs and colonic histopathological changes quantitated, pro-inflammatory immune cell responses determined by in situ immunohistochemistry and intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic pro-inflammatory mediator measurements, and finally, intestinal epithelial barrier function tested by electrophysiological resistance analysis of colonic ex vivo biopsies in the Ussing chamber.Results and discussionWhereas placebo counterparts were suffering from severe enterocolitis characterized by wasting symptoms and bloody diarrhea on day 6 post-infection, curcumin pretreated mice, however, were clinically far less compromised and displayed less severe microscopic inflammatory sequelae such as histopathological changes and epithelial cell apoptosis in the colon. In addition, curcumin pretreatment could mitigate pro-inflammatory innate and adaptive immune responses in the intestinal tract and importantly, rescue colonic epithelial barrier integrity upon C. jejuni infection. Remarkably, the disease-mitigating effects of exogenous curcumin was also observed in organs beyond the infected intestines and strikingly, even systemically given basal hepatic, renal, and serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory mediators measured in curcumin pretreated mice on day 6 post-infection. In conclusion, the anti-Campylobacter and disease-mitigating including anti-inflammatory effects upon oral curcumin application observed here highlight the polyphenolic compound as a promising antibiotics-independent option for the prevention from severe acute campylobacteriosis and its potential post-infectious complications.

#537 Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits: effects of pretreatment on posttransplant outcomes

Abstract Background and Aims Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits (PGNMID) has a poor renal prognosis and a high rate of recurrence after kidney transplantation, up to 90%, typically within the first-year post-transplant. Nearly 50% of patients lose their renal allograft within 3 years of recurrence. It has been suggested that pretreatment therapy (with B cell depleting or plasma-cell directed therapy) can help prevent recurrence or modulate the course of disease post-transplant. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of pretreatment therapy given within 6 months prior to kidney transplant on outcomes including PGNMID recurrence and all cause graft loss. Method Between 1996 and 2022, a total of 28 patients with biopsy-proven PGNMID as the cause of end stage kidney disease received a total of 31 kidney transplants. All patients had at least one year of follow-up data, for all but one patient this included surveillance kidney transplant biopsies completed at our center. Recurrence was defined histologically by immunofluorescence finding of monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits, independent of other histological or clinical parameters. The incidence of recurrence and all cause graft loss were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plots. Results Median age of patients at transplant was 57 years, 87% were white, 65% were male, 74% received living donor transplant, 59% received thymoglobulin induction, 81% received maintenance with tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and prednisone. Median follow up time was 80 months. A total of 9 patients received pretreatment within 6 months of transplant, 8 received Rituximab and one received Daratumumab. The pretreatment group was generally younger at transplant (53 years vs 57 years) and had a shorter median follow up time (65 months vs 96.5 months), but neither were statistically significant. Overall recurrence rate was 78% for pretreatment and 91% for control, though difference in time to recurrence was not statistically significant (Fig. 1). The difference in all cause graft loss between groups was not statistically significant, however, none in the pretreatment group had graft loss by 60 months (Fig. 2). One patient who received daratumumab had no recurrence by 1 year post-transplant. Conclusion In kidney transplant recipients with PGNMID, pretreatment (primarily with rituximab) may be modulating the post-transplant course of disease. Further studies are needed to determine the extent of this effect and if plasma-cell directed vs B-cell directed therapy may be superior.

Influences of pretreatment methods on the mechanical and environmental behaviors of PG-GGBS-LM ternary stabilizer.

Phosphogypsum is a kind of acidic industrial byproducts with high content of soluble phosphorus and fluorine pollutants, which requires to be pretreated when used as cementitious material to (partial) replace traditional Portland cement. In this study, five different pretreatment methods were proposed for comparative analysis to examine the pretreatment effect on the mechanical and environmental behaviors of ternary phosphogypsum (PG), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), and lime (LM) mixed stabilizer. Series laboratory tests, including unconfined compressive strength (UCS), pH, phosphorus (P)/fluorine (F) leaching, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests, were conducted to comprehend the macro- and microscopic mechanism. The results show that it is essential to grind raw PG to finer powdered state, so that it reacts more easily and quickly with LM and water. In addition, it was noticed that the UCS and P/F leaching concentration are not only affected by the mixing proportion of the PG-GGBS-LM ternary stabilizer, but also by the curing duration. The UCS increases rapidly from initial curing period and then grows slowly after 28days of curing. From the perspective of strength evolution, mixing proportion of PG: GGBS: LM = 15:80:5 is optimal, but considering the economy and environmental related issues, PG: GGBS: LM = 30:65:5 was regarded as a more attractive choice. The findings can provide a reference for the selection of pretreatment methods and design of PG-based cementitious materials suited for stabilized soils.

Effect of pretreatment and activation conditions on pore development of coal-based activated carbon

Abundant pore volume and appropriate pore configuration are two crucial characteristics of high-performance carbonaceous adsorbents and catalysts. In this study, influences of pre-treatments (e.g., breaking, sieving and ash removal by acid) and activation conditions (e.g., activation time) on pore parameters (including BET surface area, pore diameter and pore hierarchy degree) of resultant activated carbon were systematically investigated. In addition, the difference between conventional carbonization-activation (i.e., the two-step preparation method) and one-step activation in pore development of activated carbons was revealed. The sample prepared by a 120-minute one-step activation exhibited a BET surface area high to 1038.1 m2/g and a pore hierarchy at 50.7 %. Based on the kinetics analysis using TGA reactor, reaction between the activator (i.e., CO2) and carbon matrix was found enhanced in one-step activation, contributing to the generation of mesopores. Remarkably, a new indicator, Effective Activation Rate (EAR) was proposed to accurately describe the activation rate in one-step synthesis after decoupling the release of moisture and volatile compounds. The above conclusions provide guidance for flexibly regulating the pore configurations of activated carbons derived from natural precursors.

Pristimerin enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via ROS-mediated deactivation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

To explore the effect of pristimerin combined with cisplatin on proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. CCK-8 assay was used to examine the survival rate of HNE-1 and CNE-2Z cells following treatment for 24 h with different concentrations of pristimerin, cisplatin or their combination. The changes in colony formation ability, apoptosis, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of the treated cells were analyzed using colony formation assay and flow cytometry. Western blotting was performed to detect the changes in protein expressions in the cells. The effects of pre-treatment with NAC on proliferation, apoptosis, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were observed in pristimerin- and/or cisplatin-treated cells. Both pristimerin and cisplatin significantly lowered the survival rate of HNE-1 and CNE-2Z cells (P < 0.05). Compared with pristimerin or cisplatin alone, their combination more strongly inhibited survival and colony formation ability of the cells, increased cell apoptosis rate and intracellular ROS levels, upregulated the protein expressions of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP, and downregulated the protein expressions of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, PARP and p-PI3K and p-AKT (P < 0.05). NAC pretreatment significantly attenuated proliferation inhibition and apoptosis-promoting effects of pristimerin combined with cisplatin, and partially restored the downregulated protein expressions of p-PI3K and p-AKT in HNE-1 and CNE-2Z cells with the combined treatment (P < 0.05). Pristimerin can enhance cisplatin-induced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, the mechanism of which may involve ROS-mediated deactivation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Enhancing infrared drying of red dragon fruit by novel and innovative thermoultrasound and microwave-mediated freeze-thaw pretreatments

This study investigated the effectiveness of novel and innovative pretreatments (NIP) using thermoultrasound and microwave-mediated freeze-thaw (TSFT, MWFT) for improving the mid-infrared drying of dragon fruit, as compared with recent pretreatment methods using cold plasma (CP), ultrasound (US), edible coating (EC), microwave and infrared blanching (MWB, IRB). Except for EC, all selected pretreatment methods induced ultrastructural changes, resulting in accelerated moisture removal and reduced drying time. In addition, all the pretreatments also induced modifications in colour, structure, and texture, with NIP demonstrating superior outcomes for colour, rehydration, shrinkage, and hardness properties. Blanching pretreatments (MWB and IRB) improved phytochemical and antioxidant properties, including total phenolics, betacyanin, betaxanthin, CUPRAC, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and ABTS, except for ascorbic acid, which was better preserved by TSFT. The study underscores the time-saving and quality enhancement advantage of NIP, over other recent methods for improving mid-infrared drying.

Correlation of Viscoelastic Properties with Water Status of Scallop Adductors During Heat Pump Drying: Effects of Ultrasound Pretreatment and Drying Conditions

Correlation of Viscoelastic Properties with Water Status of Scallop Adductors During Heat Pump Drying: Effects of Ultrasound Pretreatment and Drying Conditions

Quantitative assessment of ash effects on densifying lignocellulosic biomass with chemicals followed by autoclave (DLCA) pretreatment

Ash in lignocellulose is critical in interfering biomass pretreatment. Densifying Lignocellulosic biomass with Chemicals followed by Autoclave (DLCA) is a novel and efficient pretreatment method, whereas the specific effects of ash on DLCA pretreatment remain unclear. Herein, we quantitatively investigated the impacts of ash contents on the pretreatment effectiveness, enzymatic digestibility, and fermentability of DLCA pretreated corn stover (DLCA-CS). With the ash contents increasing from 3.36 % to 9.50 %, the DLCA-CS with addition of sulfuric acid (sa) showed decreased pretreatment efficiency and enzymatic digestibility, whereas these characteristics of DLCA-CS with addition of calcium hydroxide (ch) were improved with increasing ash contents. Further pH measurement during the biomass pretreatment revealed that the anions involved in ash neutralized the sulfuric acid, thus decreasing the pretreatment efficiency and enzymatic digestibility of DLCA(sa)-CS, while the anions can cooperated with the calcium hydroxide, thus increasing the pretreatment efficiency and enzymatic digestibility of DLCA(ch)-CS. The highest ethanol production of DLCA(sa)-CS (60.7 g/L) and DLCA(ch)-CS (66.5 g/L) at 25 % solid loading was achieved with a low ash content of 3.36 % without detoxification step. This study highlights the importance of controlling the ash contents for enhancing the efficiency of DLCA pretreatment.

Supercritical CO2 extraction increases the recovery levels of omega-3 fatty acids in Tetraselmis chuii extracts

Tetraselmis chuii is a microalgae marketed as ingredient meeting the acceptance criteria for novel foods established by the European Union and can be an important source of healthy fatty acids (FA). The aim of this research was to characterize the FA profile of T. chuii fractions obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) extraction operating with two sequential co-solvents and to evaluate the effect of biomass pretreatment (freeze/thaw cycles followed by ultrasounds). T. chuii biomass was confirmed to be an important source of omega-3 FA, mainly due to the abundance of α-linolenic acid, and pre-treatment significantly improved the lipid yield. Other omega-3 FA, such as 16:3, 16:4, 18:4, 18:5, 20:3 and 20:5, were also detected in different proportions. When SCCO2 extraction of pretreated and un-pretreated T. chuii was compared with conventional solvent extraction, the nutritional quality indices of the extracts were improved by the use of SCCO2.

Effect of alkaline deep eutectic solvents pretreatment on CH4 yield from anaerobic digestion of corn stover

Deep eutectic solvents (DES), comprising hydrogen bond donors (HBD) and acceptors (HBA), are gaining prominence in biomass pretreatment due to their excellent lignin depolymerization capabilities. This study explored the impact of alkaline DES pretreatment, specifically focusing on CH4 yield from corn stover anaerobic digestion. Batch experiments were conducted to assess the influence of ethylene glycol (EG) concentration, pretreatment time, and organic loading rate (OLR) on CH4 yield. Results indicated that these factors markedly affected the cumulative CH4 yield. Subsequent optimization using Box-Behnken design (BBD) significantly enhanced the CH4 yield by 1.16 times, achieving the optimal conditions at 0.4 v/v EG concentration, 33.8 min of pretreatment, and 22.2 w/v OLR. Notably, DMER64 and Methanobacterium emerged as the dominant bacterial and archaeal communities, constituting 40.2 % and 71.9 % respectively. Spearman correlation analysis underscored that enhanced substrate accessibility fostered a hydrogen-based, CH4-producing synergistic metabolic pathway. Alkaline DES pretreatment notably resulted in 20.5 % of the carbon flow being directed to CH4, demonstrating its efficacy in converting corn stover into a viable clean energy source and mitigating the environmental impact of agricultural waste.

Impact of Ohmic Heating and Ultrasound Pretreatments on Oil Absorption and Other Quality Parameters of Fried Potato

Impact of Ohmic Heating and Ultrasound Pretreatments on Oil Absorption and Other Quality Parameters of Fried Potato

Effect of Scanning Electron Beam Pretreatment on Gas Carburization of 22CrMoH Gear Steel

22CrMoH was selected for the gear steel material in this work, and the temperature field change in the scanning electron beam was analyzed to determine the optimal scanning parameters and explored the effect of scanning electron beam pretreatment (Abbreviated as: SEBP) on gas-carburizing (GC) efficiency and organizational properties of gear steel. The results showed that the scanning electron beam caused the material to form a thermally deformed layer 110 μm thick, and it promoted the adsorption of carbon atoms on the surface and their inward diffusion. Under the same gas-carburizing conditions, the carburizing efficiency was improved, and the thickness of the carburized layer increased from 0.78 to 1.09 mm. Furthermore, the hardness of the GC specimens with the SEBP increased from 615 to 638 HV0.05 at 0.1 mm of the sample surface, whereas the hardness of the cross-sectional region decreased gradually, indicating that the scanning electron beam enhanced the adhesion between the carburized layer and matrix zone. A comparative analysis of the microstructures of the GC specimens with and without the SEBP showed that the carbide particles in the surface layer of the samples become smaller and that of volume fraction of residual austenite reduced in size. In terms of the mechanical properties, the surface friction coefficient decreased from 0.87 to 0.46 μ and the GC specimen with the SEBP had a higher cross-sectional hardness gradient. Its friction coefficient was reduced from approximately 0.8 to almost 0.45 μ, and the wear amount of the specimens with SEBP was 47.7% of that of the matrix specimens.

Effects of pretreatment on the recycling properties of birch holocellulose paper

Effects of pretreatment on the recycling properties of birch holocellulose paper

Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol production

This review surveys recent progress in pretreatment methods for enhancing bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Various pretreatment techniques, including physical, chemical, and biological approaches, are evaluated for their efficacy in breaking down biomass structure and improving enzymatic digestibility. Key parameters influencing pretreatment effectiveness and integration with downstream processes are discussed. The review highlights promising strategies and identifies areas for further research to optimize bioethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks.

Effects of Ibuprofen and Diclofenac Pre-Treatment on Viability and Apoptosis Processes in Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells.

Background and Objectives: Stem cell-based regeneration strategies have shown therapeutic efficacy in various fields of regenerative medicine. These include bone healing after bone augmentation, often complicated by pain, which is managed by using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, information is limited about how NSAIDs affect the therapeutic potential of stem cells. Materials and Methods: We investigated the effects of ibuprofen and diclofenac on the characteristics, morphology, and immunophenotype of human mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from the dental pulp (DPSCs) and cultured in vitro, as well as their effects on the expression of angiogenic growth factors (VEGFA and HGF) and selected genes in apoptosis signalling pathways (BAX, BAK, CASP3, CASP9, and BCL2). Results: Ibuprofen and diclofenac significantly reduced the viability of DPSCs, while the expression of mesenchymal stem cell surface markers was unaffected. Both ibuprofen and diclofenac treatment significantly upregulated the expression of HGF, while the expression of VEGFA remained unchanged. Ibuprofen significantly altered the expression of several apoptosis-related genes, including the upregulation of CASP9 and BCL2, with decreased CASP3 expression. BAK, CASP3, CASP9, and BCL2 expressions were significantly increased in the diclofenac-treated DPSCs, while no difference was demonstrated in BAX expression. Conclusions: Our results suggest that concomitant use of the NSAIDs ibuprofen or diclofenac with stem cell therapy may negatively impact cell viability and alter the expression of apoptosis-related genes, affecting the efficacy of stem cell therapy.

Comprehensive recycling of slag from the smelting of spent automotive catalysts

Spent automotive catalyst is a valuable source of platinum group metals (PGMs), making them crucial secondary resources. Currently, the main process for recovering PGMs from these catalysts is metal capture method. The smelting process would produce a significant amount of residual slags containing various components like SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, Fe2O3, Na2O, as well as high levels of heavy metals including Cr, Pb, and Ni. These slags are considered either solid waste or hazardous waste and usually disposed of in landfills, which can have detrimental effects on the environment. Furthermore, the smelting slags also contain approximately 2–5 % rare earth elements and trace amounts of precious metal elements. In this study, vacuum carbothermal reduction is employed to pretreat the smelting slags. This method not only successfully removes the heavy metal element lead, but also efficiently achieves the recovery of rare earths, and the enrichment of platinum group metals by mineral phase transformation of cerium-zirconium solid solution and in-situ iron capture. The lead removal rate exceeded 99 %, and the grade of precious metals in the enrichment process was approximately 12 times higher than the original material, with a recovery rate more than 90 %. The leaching rate of rare earths also increased from less than 50 % to more than 95 % after vacuum carbothermal reduction. The effect of vacuum carbothermal reduction pretreatment on the smelting slag phase was systematically studied, and the mechanism behind the increasing rare earth leaching rate due to this pretreatment was further analyzed.

Torrefaction and hydrothermal carbonization of waste from the paper industry: Effects of atmosphere choice and pretreatment with natural acidic reagent on fuel properties

The hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and torrefaction of paper sludges and biological sludges from the paper industry were investigated and the effect of pretreatment of the samples with alcoholic vinegar was evaluated. The HTC was performed at two different reaction times, while the torrefaction took place at two different temperatures and two atmospheres. The gas analysis showed that the optimal torrefaction time for the N2 atmosphere can be determined by observing the CO2 content in the gas phase, which is not possible for the CO2 atmosphere. The TGA analysis showed that the choice of atmosphere influences further combustion, with samples torrefied at lower temperatures being more sensitive to it. The carbon (C) content in the thermally treated samples increases from 39.85 to 48.06 wt% for biological sludge and from 40.02 to 60.21 wt% for paper sludge. The H/C and O/C ratios decrease and approach the values of conventional fuels. The fuel ratio is higher for the torrefied samples. The higher heating value (HHV) increased from 17.4 to 21.4 MJ/kg for biological sludge and from 16.2 to 22.4 MJ/kg for paper sludge. Higher temperature and longer treatment time led to products with a higher HHV and a higher energy density. The highest energy yields were achieved during torrefaction at 250 °C, regardless of the atmosphere, with temperature and type of material having the greatest influence. Acidification of the samples or acidic media in the HTC affects the properties of the products by increasing the C content and HHV and affecting combustion.

Municipal sewage sludge dewatering performance enhancement by ultrasonic cavitation and advanced oxidation: A case study.

The number of published literature on the effect of ultrasonic cavitation and advanced oxidation pretreatment on the dewatering performance of anaerobically digested sludge is very limited. This study aims at determining the optimum operating conditions of large-scale filtering centrifuges in wastewater treatment plants. The optimum dose of hydrogen peroxide, ultrasonic power, ultrasonic duration, ultrasonic pulse and particle size distribution for improved dewatering performance were determined in this study. In addition, shear stress-shear rate and viscosity-shear rate rheograms were developed to show the rheological flow properties for varying ultrasonic power and treatment duration. Optimum sonication power, time, pulse and amplitude were determined to be 14 W, 1 min, 55/5 and 20%, respectively. At a pH of 6.8, the optimum concentration of hydrogen peroxide was found to be 43.5 g/L. The optimum hydrogen peroxide dose in the combined conditioning experiments was determined to be 500 mg/L at a pH of 3. Under these optimum conditions, capillary suction time was reduced significantly by 71.1%. This study helps to reduce polymer consumption and provides the optimum pretreatment and dewatering operating conditions, and better monitoring and control in the dewatering unit has significant impact in the overall economy of wastewater treatment plants.

Effect of Ultrasonic Pre-Treatment on the Reverse Flotation of Kaolinite From Bauxite

ABSTRACT Cationic reverse flotation of kaolinite from bauxite is an alternative to adequate high silica bauxites to the specifications of the Bayer process. However, the presence of clay minerals influences the slurries rheology decreasing the flotation performance. The objective of this work was to investigate the use of ultrasonic pre-treatment on kaolinite flotation and contrast it with the traditionally used chemical dispersant. Two bauxite samples were characterized in terms of chemical and mineralogical composition, as well as particle size distribution. Flotation was accomplished after conditioning with sodium polyacrylate and/or pre-treatment in ultrasound. Determinations of viscosity, sedimentation yield, and screening followed by the analysis of available alumina and reactive silica were also conducted. By increasing the concentration of solids to more than 20 wt.%, the slurry behavior changed from a Newtonian to a non-Newtonian behavior, the viscosity increased, and the flotation performance decreased. The use of chemical dispersant and ultrasonic pre-treatment increased the flotation performance. The ultrasound had a more marked effect in slurries with higher concentrations of solids. This result is related to the synergic effect of particle dispersion and reduction of the slime coating promoted by kaolinite onto gibbsite particles.

Protein and Polysaccharide Recovery from Shrimp Wastes by Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent Mediated Subcritical Water Hydrolysis for Biodegradable Film.

Environmental pollution is a significant problem due to the improper disposal of plastics and shrimp shells outdoors. Therefore, the synthesis of biodegradable film from waste materials is highly important. The novelty of this research lies in the extraction of protein hydrolysates and chitosan from shrimp shells, as well as the fabrication of biodegradable film from these materials. In this study, the composite films were produced using the solution casting method. Moreover, the combined effect of ultrasound pretreatments (UPT) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) was investigated as extraction media, to determine their potential impact on shrimp waste subcritical water hydrolysis (SWH). Shrimp shells were submitted to UPT in NADES solution, followed by SWH at different temperatures ranging from 150 to 230°C under 3MPa for 20min. Then, the physiochemical properties and bioactivities of the hydrolysates were assessed to determine their suitability for use in biodegradable packaging films. Additionally, the physiochemical properties and bioactivities of the resulting hydrolysates were also analyzed. The highest amount of protein (391.96 ± 0.48mg BSA/g) was obtained at 190°C/UPT/NADES, and the average molecular size of the protein molecules was less than 1000Da with different kinds of peptide. Overall, combined UPT and SWH treatments yielded higher antioxidant activity levels than individual treatments. Finally, the application of composite films was evaluated by wrapping fish samples and assessing their lipid oxidation. The use of higher concentrations of protein hydrolysates significantly delayed changes in the samples, thereby demonstrating the film's applicability.