Efficiency of the Integrated Nitrogen Removal Device to Remove Ammonia in a Hog House

It is crucial to explore new methods to deal with ammonia pollution in hog barns. In this experiment, ammonia gas generated from the decomposition of nitrogenous organic matter, such as feed and manure in hog barns, was studied. Growing environmental parameters monitored included temperature, humidity, and ammonia nitrogen concentration. For 92 days between March and May, ammonia emissions were characterized by monitoring and collecting the ammonia concentration during the selected time. The results showed that the average temperature in the hog house was 18.2 ± 2.7°C, the humidity was 62.7 ± 0.3%, and the average ammonia concentration range was 17.7∼23.1 mg m−3. The collected ammonia-nitrogen-containing wastewater that entered the denitrification device showed 173, 232, 201, and 280 mgNH4-N/L, respectively. An integrated denitrification device with anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria as a functional strain was used for denitrification treatment. Through the change of ion concentration in the incoming and outgoing water, an 85.5% average denitrification efficiency was calculated according to the denitrification reaction chemical formula. Thus, the results presented here provide data support for the future use of microbial denitrification equipment to treat ammonia in hog houses.

Biodegradation of p-nitrophenol by engineered strain

Abstractp-Nitrophenol (PNP) is an important environmental pollutant and can causes significant environmental and health risks. Compared with the traditional methods, biodegradation is a useful one to completely remove the harmful pollutants from the environment. Here, an engineered strain was first constructed by introducing PNP biodegradation pathway via the hydroquinone (HQ) pathway into Escherichia coli. In the engineered strain BL-PNP, PNP was completely degraded to β-ketoadipate and subsequently enter the metabolites of multiple anabolic pathways. The high tolerance and rapid degradation ability to PNP enable the engineered strain to have the potential to degrade toxic substances. The engineered strain created in this study can be used as a functional strain for bioremediation of PNP and potential toxic intermediates, and the method of assembling aromatic hydrocarbons metabolic pathway can be used to eradicate nitroaromatic pollutants in the environment.

Biodegradation of P-Nitrophenol by Engineered Strain

p-Nitrophenol (PNP) is an important environmental pollutant and can causes significant environmental and health risks. Compared with the traditional methods, biodegradation is a useful one to completely remove the harmful pollutants from the environment. Here, an engineered strain was first constructed by introducing PNP biodegradation pathway via the hydroquinone (HQ) pathway into Escherichia coli. In the engineered strain BL-PNP, PNP was completely degraded to β-ketoadipate and subsequently enter the metabolites of multiple anabolic pathways. The high tolerance and rapid degradation ability to PNP enable the engineered strain to have the potential to degrade toxic substances. The engineered strain created in this study can be used as a functional strain for bioremediation of PNP and potential toxic intermediates, and the method of assembling aromatic hydrocarbons metabolic pathway can be used to eradicate nitroaromatic pollutants in the environment.

Simultaneous High-Efficiency Removal of Sulfamethoxazole and zinc (II) From Livestock and Poultry Breeding Wastewater by a Novel Dual-Functional Bacterium, Bacillus sp. SDB4

The complex mixtures of antibiotics and heavy metals are commonly existed in livestock and poultry breeding wastewater. Effective and simultaneous removal of these toxic compounds by microorganisms, especially single strains remains a considerable challenge. In this study, a novel functional strain SDB4, isolated from duck manure and identified as Bacillus sp., has been shown to possess high removal abilities for both sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and Zn2+. The maximum removal efficiency achieved 73.97% for SMX and 84.06% for Zn2+ within 48 h in sole system. It has great potential for eliminating SMX along with Zn2+, 78.45% of SMX and 52.91% of Zn2+ were removed in the 20 mg·L-1 SMX and 100 mg·L-1 Zn2+ binary system. Furthermore, the SMX-biotransformation ability of SDB4 was enhanced at low concentrations of Zn2+ (below 100 mg·L-1). N4-acetyl-SMX was identified as the main stable transformation product during SMX bioremoval. FTIR analyses revealed that OH, NH2, C=O, C-N/N-H and C-O-C played major roles in the biosorption of Zn2+. Our study of the dually functioning strain SDB4 provides a potential application for the simultaneous biological removal of antibiotics and heavy metals.

Co-morbidities to Vestibular Impairments—Some Concomitant Disorders in Young and Older Adults

Background: Dizziness and pain are common complaints that often appear concomitantly, with or without a causal relationship. However, these symptoms might maintain and exacerbate each other and other co-morbidities. Therefore, adequate rehabilitation may have to include an expanded focus on other deficits and preconditions, especially in older adults and in patients.Objective: To understand how frequently vestibular dysfunction coincided with medical conditions and aging, we studied two categories: Study 1: patients referred to a vestibular unit and Study 2: senior members in a fitness association.Method: Study 1: 49 patients [34 females/15 males; mean age 52 years (SEM 2.0)] seeking health care for balance disorders and vestibular deficits were asked in questionnaires about their perception of dizziness and pain, and emotional and functional strains. Study 2: 101 senior members in a fitness association [91 females/10 males; mean age 75 years (SEM 0.6)], were assessed for vestibular and balance deficits and for any co-morbidities. The participants were monitored for falls for 12 months after the initial assessments.Result: Study 1: Co-morbidity often existed between dizziness and pain (65%). The patients reported high emotional and functional strain related to their dizziness and pain. Patients older than 60 years reported longer durations of pain (p ≤ 0.028) but less emotional strain (p = 0.036), compared to younger patients. Study 2: 84% of the participants had a vestibular impairment, often without noticing any symptoms. Furthermore, 40% reported cardiovascular illnesses, 12% musculoskeletal disorders, and 63% reported other medical conditions. Forty-two percent experienced falls within 1 year after the initial assessments (thereof 42% in the group with vestibular deficits and 38% in the group without vestibular deficits).Conclusion: To enhance and preserve postural control, both in patients with vestibular deficits and in older adults, we suggest an expanded clinical perspective. Hence, we recommend detailed examinations of the vestibular system but simultaneously probing for possible co-morbidities. Since aging often entails deterioration of multimodal processes related to maintained mobility and postural stability, our results add focus on the importance of addressing balance disorders together with additional medical conditions.

Dizziness and localized pain are often concurrent in patients with balance or psychological disorders

Background and aimsSymptoms of dizziness and pain are both common complaints and the two symptoms often seem to coincide. When symptoms appear concomitant for sustained periods of time the symptoms might maintain and even exacerbate each other, sometimes leading to psychological distress. In order to evaluate such comorbidity we studied patients referred to a vestibular unit and to a psychiatric outpatient clinic with respectively balance disorders and psychological issues.MethodsConsecutive patients referred to a vestibular unit (n = 49) and a psychiatric outpatient clinic (n = 62) answered the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire and a questionnaire detailing occurrence of dizziness and pain.ResultsThe experience of dizziness and pain often coincided within individuals across both clinical populations, especially if the pain was located to the neck/shoulder or the back (p = 0.006). Patients who reported dizziness had significantly more often pain (p = 0.024); in the head (p = 0.002), neck/shoulders (p = 0.003) and feet (p = 0.043). Moreover, patients who reported dizziness stated significantly higher scoring on emotional (p < 0.001) and functional (p < 0.001) DHI sub-scales. Furthermore, patients who reported an accident in their history suffered significantly more often from dizziness (p = 0.039) and pain (p < 0.001); in the head (p < 0.001), neck/shoulders (p < 0.001) and arms (p = 0.045) and they scored higher on the emotional (p = 0.004) and functional (p = 0.002) DHI sub-scales.ConclusionsThe findings suggest comorbidity to exist between dizziness and neck/shoulder or back pain in patients seeking health care for balance disorders or psychological issues. Patients suffering from dizziness and pain, or with both symptoms, also reported higher emotional and functional strain. Thus, healthcare professionals should consider comorbidity when determining diagnosis and consequent measures.ImplicationsClinicians need to have a broader “receptive scope” in both history and clinical examinations, and ask for all symptoms. Although the patients in this study visited a vestibular unit respectively a psychological clinic, they commonly reported pain conditions when explicitly asked for this symptom. A multimodal approach is thus to favor, especially when the symptoms persist, for the best clinical management.

Industrial Validation of a Promising Functional Strain of Lactobacillus plantarum to Improve the Quality of Italian Sausages

This paper proposes the industrial validation of a functional strain of Lactobacillus plantarum (strain 178). First, acidification in a meat model medium and bioactivity towards Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli were assessed; the performances of Lb. plantarum 178 were compared to those of a commercial Lb. sakei and a probiotic Lb. casei. Lb. plantarum 178 inhibited the pathogens and experienced a higher acidification at 15 °C. Lb. casei and Lb. plantarum were used for an industrial fermentation of traditional Italian sausages. The strains assured the correct course of fermentation and inhibited pathogens and enterobacteria. This study represents the scaling up and the validation of a promising strain at industrial level and shows the possibility of performing the fermentation of traditional Italian sausage through functional starter cultures, combining the benefit of a controlled fermentation and possible health benefits.