Effect of leachate recirculation and bulking agent on leachate quality

The purpose of leachate processing is to reduce pollutants in leachate without using equipment that requires high investment and complicated maintenance. This research aims to determine the impact of leachate recirculation and bulking agents on leachate quality. Fresh solid waste recirculated using artificial leachate with a continuous flow of 1 L/h. The study is conducting for 14 days on a laboratory scale. On the 14th day, combination recirculation and bulking accelerate the increased pH value. Leachate recirculation increases the potential for contact between methanogenic bacteria and dissolved organic matter and contributes to buffering pH during the hydrolysis process. R3 produces a higher Electric Conductivity (EC) value than other reactors since the 7th day. This increase is probably due to the addition of dissolved salts from solid waste decomposition. The role of the bulking agent may not be too significant for changes in the EC value. On day 14, TDS at R1 was 11,748 mg/L, R2 was 12.144 mg/L, and R3 was 14.916 mg/L.

Magnetic Agarose Microspheres/Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel as a Trackable Bulking Agent for Vesicoureteral Reflux Treatment

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is one of the most common congenital anomalies in the kidney and the urinary tract. Endoscopic subureteral injection of a bulking agent has become popular in VUR treatment due to its high success rates, few complications, and a straightforward procedure. In this study, a novel magnetic bulking agent was prepared by embedding Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles in cross-linked agarose microspheres with diameters of 80–250 μm and dispersing the magnetic microspheres in a hyaluronic acid hydrogel. The bulking agent has good biocompatibility and biosecurity validated by the tests of cytotoxicity, in vitro genotoxicity, animal irritation, skin sensitization, acute systemic toxicity, and pathological analysis after the injection of the bulking agent extract solution into healthy mice as well as injection of the bulking agent into VUR rabbits. The VUR rabbits were created by incising the roof of the intravesical ureter to enlarge the ureteral orifice. The success rate of the bulking agent in treating VUR rabbits using a subureteral transurethral injection technique was 67% (4/6) or 80% (4/5, excluding the unfinished rabbit), and no migrated particles were found in the organs of the rabbits. The transverse relaxation rate of the bulking agent was 104 mM−1s−1. After injection, the bulking agent was long-term trackable through magnetic resonance imaging that can help clinicians to inspect the VUR treatment effect. For the first time, this study demonstrates that the bulking agent with a long-term stable tracer is promising for endoscopic VUR treatment.

Comparing the Endoscopic Sub Ureteral Injection of Lyophilized/Micronized Decellular Prepuce with Urodex: Histological Findings

Objectives: In the present study, a new engineered bulking agent called lyophilized micronized prepuce was examined as a natural scaffold to compare its safety and efficacy with the Urodex®. Methods: For an in vivo study, 12 rabbits were divided into two groups. In the first group (n = 6), 0.2 cc of lyophilized and micronized prepuce, and in the second group, 0.2 cc of Urodex® was injected into the seromuscular wall of the bladder. The biopsy was provided from all animals for histological evaluation in 3 and 6 months’ post-surgery and for each timeline 12 animals were assigned. The biopsies were stained with H&E and trichrome Masson. IHC staining was also performed with anti-LCA+, anti-CD34+, and anti-CD68+ antibodies. Resluts: Microscopic examination of acellular prepuce compared with normal tissue demonstrated the success of this process, and ECM and collagen fibers were preserved with no evidence of cellular remnants in the acellular tissue, Immunohistochemistry staining with CD68 and LCA revealed a higher inflammation grade in Urodex as compared with Prepuce. However, no significant difference was detected in CD34 staining between Prepuce and Urodex experimental groups SEM analysis detected the micronized particle size varying between 2-5 µm. MTT assay revealed that cell proliferation was similar in the presence of control group and acellular prepuce. Conclusion: The results of this study disclosed that lyophilized and micronized prepuce could be an operative alternative to Urodex® as a natural and non-synthetic bulking agent in the treatment of children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR).