Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) with external ultrafiltration membrane for the treatment of sugar beet vinasse.

Vinasse, a by-product of ethanol production, is generated at significant rates. While rich in nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, its high solids, organic matter, acidity, and sulfate content pose challenges when disposed directly on soil, necessitating treatment. Anaerobic digestion is a viable solution, reducing organic pollution while recovering energy in the form of biogas, aligning with the biorefinery concept.

Treatment of sugarcane vinasse in AnMBR and UASB: process performance and microbial community comparison.

Vinasse is a by-product of sugarcane processing which is often used in fertigation; however, the direct use of vinasse harms the environment and reduces soil productivity due to its physicochemical properties. Anaerobic digestion (AD) offers an alternative to mitigate part of the negative effects. Anaerobic high-rate reactors, which mainly rely on sludge granulation, are mostly used in AD of vinasse wastewater.

Centromeric AA motif in KIR as an optimal surrogate marker for precision definition of alloimmune reproductive failure.

Throughout pregnancy, the decidua is predominantly populated by NK lymphocytes expressing Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) that recognize human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) ligands from trophoblast cells. This study aims to investigate the association of KIR-HLA-C phenotypes in couples facing infertility, particularly recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and recurrent implantation failure (RIF), in comparison to a reference population and fertile controls. This observational, non-interventional retrospective case-control study included patients consecutively referred to our Reproductive Immunology Unit from 2015 to 2019.

Synthesis of 1-Methylcyclopropyl Aryl Ethers from Phenols Using an Alkenylation-Cyclopropanation Sequence.

1-Methylcyclopropyl aryl ethers (McPAEs) can be viewed as cyclized derivatives of their O--butyl counterparts. Although these compounds can find use in medicinal chemistry, they are much less represented in the literature than their aryl cyclopropyl ether analogues. McPAEs are generally prepared via an SAr reaction using 1-methylcyclopropanol.

Stener-Like Lesions in the Hand: A Qualitative Review.

A Stener-like lesion is defined as the interposition of the sagittal band between the torn collateral ligament of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint of a finger and its origin or insertion. Owing to the rarity of this injury, standardized protocols on the diagnosis and care of these injuries are not currently available. PubMed Central and Google Scholar were searched for published studies from 1962 to 2022.

On the Barton Copper-Catalyzed C3-Arylation of Indoles using Triarylbismuth bis(trifluoroacetate) Reagents.

Invited for this month's cover are the collaborating groups of Prof. Alexandre Gagnon at the Université du Québec à Montréal in Canada, and Dr. Claire McMullin at the University of Bath in the UK.

Behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased income diversity of urban encounters.

Diversity of physical encounters in urban environments is known to spur economic productivity while also fostering social capital. However, mobility restrictions during the pandemic have forced people to reduce urban encounters, raising questions about the social implications of behavioral changes. In this paper, we study how individual income diversity of urban encounters changed during the pandemic, using a large-scale, privacy-enhanced mobility dataset of more than one million anonymized mobile phone users in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle, across three years spanning before and during the pandemic.

Weekend Admission Increases Risk of Readmissions Following Elective Cervical Spinal Fusion.

Objective: The "weekend effect" occurs when patients cared for during weekends versus weekdays experience worse outcomes. But reasons for this effect are unclear, especially amongst patients undergoing elective cervical spinal fusion (ECSF). Our aim was to analyze whether index weekend admission affects 30- and 90-day readmission rates post-ECSF.

Harmonization and standardization of nucleus pulposus cell extraction and culture methods.

Background: In vitro studies using nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are commonly used to investigate disc cell biology and pathogenesis, or to aid in the development of new therapies. However, lab-to-lab variability jeopardizes the much-needed progress in the field. Here, an international group of spine scientists collaborated to standardize extraction and expansion techniques for NP cells to reduce variability, improve comparability between labs and improve utilization of funding and resources.

Robust prediction of nonhome discharge following elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion using explainable machine learning.

Purpose: Predict nonhome discharge (NHD) following elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using an explainable machine learning model.

Methods: 2227 patients undergoing elective ACDF from 2008 to 2019 were identified from a single institutional database. A machine learning model was trained on preoperative variables, including demographics, comorbidity indices, and levels fused.

On the Barton Copper-Catalyzed C3-Arylation of Indoles using Triarylbismuth bis(trifluoroacetate) Reagents.

We disclose herein our detailed investigation into the Barton copper-promoted C3-arylation of indoles using triarylbismuth bis(trifluoroacetates). The arylation of unsubstituted 1H-indole using Barton's conditions gave a low yield of the C3-arylated indole, along with small amounts of the product of double C2/C3-arylation and traces of the product of C2 arylation. On the contrary, the arylation of indoles blocked at the C2 position is highly efficient, affording the desired products of C3-arylation in good to excellent yields.

Hemodialysis vascular access flow measurements by the novel DMed NephroFlow® device: A comparative study with Transonic®.

Introduction: The current Spanish Clinical Guidelines on Vascular Access for Hemodialysis support the need for surveillance and monitoring of vascular access (VA) to avoid complications. Ultrasound dilution (UD) methods are accepted for the evaluation of VA flow and Transonic® has established the gold standard method for the measurement. The DMed NephroFlow (NIPRO®) device, based on UD method has recently been incorporated.

Effectiveness of Honey in the Treatment and Prevention of Alveolar Osteitis: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objectives: Honey has been used for millennia as a treatment for covering wounds that are difficult to repair. Hippocrates already reported the benefits of honey with this type of treatment. The objective of this work is to evaluate the literature on the use of honey in cases as preventive as treatment complications after extractions, more specifically alveolar osteitis or alveolitis.

Weekend Admission Increases Risk of Readmissions Following Elective Thoracolumbar Spinal Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective database study.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess the influence of weekend admission on patients undergoing elective thoracolumbar spinal fusion by investigating hospital readmission outcomes and analyzing differences in demographics, comorbidities, and postoperative factors.

Methods: The 2016-2018 Nationwide Readmission Database was used to identify adult patients who underwent elective thoracolumbar spinal fusion.

Successful Non-operative Management of Metacarpophalangeal Collateral Ligament and Sagittal Band Rupture of the Long Finger: A Case Report.

The metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint is surrounded by various structures critical to its stability and function. Though the ligamentous injury to the digits is common, rupture of the metacarpophalangeal collateral ligament and a sagittal band of the same finger is not well represented in the literature. We report a chronic case of a concurrent metacarpophalangeal collateral ligament and sagittal band injury.

Hypersensitivity Reaction to Carbon Fiber-Polyetheretherketone Composite Spinal Implant: A Case Report.

Case: A 52-year-old woman presented with localized hypersensitivity symptoms immediately after insertion of a carbon fiber-polyetheretherketone (CF-PEEK) vertebral fusion device. After a modified cutaneous patch test confirmed an allergic reaction to the implant, the device was surgically removed. The patient's symptoms were largely resolved 1 month after the removal of the device.

Relationship between mysticism and severe odontogenic infections in Africa: what to do?

Objective: This study is a case report of a severe odontogenic infection treated at Huambo Provincial Hospital, Angola. The case was made worse by local mysticism.

Case Report: A pregnant woman was treated for a severe odontogenic infection that caused descending mediastinitis and even a lumbar abscess.

Clinical, Laboratory, and Imaging Profile in Patients with Systemic Amyloidosis in a Brazilian Cardiology Referral Center.

Background: Systemic amyloidosis is a disease with heterogeneous clinical manifestations. Diagnosis depends on clinical suspicion combined with specific complementary methods.

Objective: To describe the clinical, laboratory, electrocardiographic, and imaging profile in patients with systemic amyloidosis with cardiac involvement.

Do the caregiving spouses of people with dementia in Spain perceive the same barriers for taking part in interventions as caregiving offspring?

The aim of this qualitative research is to examine the difficulties perceived by caregivers for taking part in an offered intervention, exploring whether there are differences depending on caregiver's degree of kinship. Forty-two family caregivers from Salamanca (Spain) were interviewed after declining an invitation to take part in an intervention programme. All the telephone conversations were transcribed verbatim.

Postoperative Rhabdomyolysis in the Bilateral Shoulder Areas After Cardiac Surgery.

Rhabdomyolysis (RML) is a disease that results from the death of muscle fibers and the release of intracellular contents into the bloodstream as a result of traumatic or non-traumatic muscle injury. Postoperative RML is a rare complication that may result from improper patient positioning, extended surgery time, or unique patient risk factors. We describe a case of a 43-year-old obese male who presented with postoperative bilateral shoulder RML after undergoing cardiothoracic surgery for aortic valve disease.

Evaluation of three different genomic regions for detection of bovine leukemia virus by real-time PCR.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is an oncogenic member of the genus Deltaretrovirus. BLV infects cattle worldwide and is responsible for significant economic losses. The objective of this study was to validate real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for the detection of BLV.