Community composting strategies for biowaste treatment: methodology, bulking agent and compost quality.

The European Union's commitment to increase recycling and recovery rates of municipal solid waste requires significant changes in current waste management. Local governments are developing various strategies for treating the organic fraction of municipal waste (biowaste) via composting. Community composting centres (CCC), green waste collection, treatment points and community gardens are some of these new approaches.

Gut-Kidney Axis on Chip for Studying Effects of Antibiotics on Risk of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome by Shiga Toxin-Producing .

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) infects humans by colonizing the large intestine, and causes kidney damage by secreting Shiga toxins (Stxs). The increased secretion of Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) by some antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin (CIP), increases the risk of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), which can be life-threatening. However, previous studies evaluating this relationship have been conflicting, owing to the low frequency of EHEC infection, very small number of patients, and lack of an appropriate animal model.

A genome-wide analysis of cardiac lesions of pigs that die during transport: Is heart failure of in-transit-loss pigs associated with a heritable cardiomyopathy?

While heart failure is a primary cause of death for many in-transit-loss (ITL) pigs, the underlying cause of these deaths is not known. Cardiomyopathies are considered a common cause of heart failure in humans and often have a genetic component. The objective of this study was to determine if genes associated with cardiomyopathies could be identified in ITL pigs.

Nightside condensation of iron in an ultrahot giant exoplanet.

Ultrahot giant exoplanets receive thousands of times Earth's insolation. Their high-temperature atmospheres (greater than 2,000 kelvin) are ideal laboratories for studying extreme planetary climates and chemistry. Daysides are predicted to be cloud-free, dominated by atomic species and much hotter than nightsides.

Thermophilic composting of hydrocarbon residue with sewage sludge and fish sludge as cosubstrates: Microbial changes and TPH reduction.

The hydrocarbon residue in petroleum product storage tanks is waste generated in large quantities that must be properly managed to reduce its risk to the environment. By comparing the effect of two organic cosubstrates, the aim of our research is to determine the feasibility of composting as a bioremediation method for the treatment of the solid phase of the hydrocarbon residue. For this purpose, four treatments of the pollutant waste were established in triplicate: waste only; waste with bulking agent (1:2); waste with fish sludge and bulking agent (1:2:6); and waste with municipal sewage sludge and bulking agent (1:2:6).

Rapid Communication: A comparison of cardiac lesions and heart weights from market pigs that did and did not die during transport to one Ontario abattoir.

In-transit losses of market hogs represent a small proportion of all market-weight pigs shipped in a year. This suggests that individual pig factors may be a significant cause of in-transit losses along with more traditionally considered environmental and transport factors. An investigation was performed to determine whether cardiac pathology and heart weights were associated with pigs that did or did not die during transport to an abattoir.

Cardiac weights and weight ratios as indicators of cardiac lesions in pigs: A study of pig hearts from an Ontario abattoir.

Clinically healthy pigs used in research are assumed to have normal cardiac structure and function. Subclinical cardiac abnormalities may adversely affect the responses being measured in these experiments. The gross and histologic lesions observed in hearts collected from a Canadian abattoir between 2012 and 2015 indicated an unexpectedly high prevalence of cardiac abnormalities: 75% (297/396) of the hearts examined had such lesions.

Product quality and microbial dynamics during vermicomposting and maturation of compost from pig manure.

This research evaluates, through microbial dynamics, the use of earthworms Eisenia andrei for maturation of pre-composted pig manure in comparison with maturation under static conditions and with vermicomposting of fresh pig manure. Therefore, two substrates were used (fresh and pre-composted pig manure) and four treatments were developed: fresh manure vermicomposting, control of fresh manure without earthworms, pre-composting followed by vermicomposting and static maturation of pre-composted manure. In order to determine the microbial dynamics, the enzymatic activities and profiles of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were evaluated over a 112-days period.

New copper(I) and heteronuclear copper(I)-ruthenium(II) complexes: Synthesis, structural characterization and cytotoxicity.

A new family of copper(I) complexes of general formula [Cu(dppe)(NN)] have been synthesized and fully characterized, with dppe=1.2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane and NN representing several bidentate heteroaromatic ligands: 2,2'-bipy=2.2'-bipyridine (1), Mebpy=4.

Seafood-Processing Sludge Composting: Changes to Microbial Communities and Physico-Chemical Parameters of Static Treatment versus for Turning during the Maturation Stage.

In general, in composting facilities the active, or intensive, stage of the process is done separately from the maturation stage, using a specific technology and time. The pre-composted material to be matured can contain enough biodegradable substrates to cause microbial proliferation, which in turn can cause temperatures to increase. Therefore, not controlling the maturation period during waste management at an industrial level can result in undesired outcomes.

Evolution of microbial dynamics during the maturation phase of the composting of different types of waste.

During composting, facilities usually exert greater control over the bio-oxidative phase of the process, which uses a specific technology and generally has a fixed duration. After this phase, the material is deposited to mature, with less monitoring during the maturation phase. While there has been considerable study of biological parameters during the thermophilic phase, there is less research on the stabilization and maturation phase.

Outbreak investigation of porcine epidemic diarrhea in swine in Ontario.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was first diagnosed in Ontario in January of 2014. An outbreak investigation was conducted and it was hypothesized that feed containing spray-dried porcine plasma contaminated with the virus was a risk factor in the introduction and spread of the disease in Ontario.

Adaptation to Resistance Training Is Associated with Higher Phagocytic (but Not Oxidative) Activity in Neutrophils of Older Women.

Failure in antimicrobial activity contributes to high morbidity and mortality in the geriatric population. Little is known about the potential effect of resistance training (RT) on the functional properties of the innate immunity. This study aimed to investigate the influence of long-term RT on the endocytic and oxidative activities of neutrophils and monocytes in healthy older women.

Changes in microbial dynamics during vermicomposting of fresh and composted sewage sludge.

Municipal sewage sludge is a waste with high organic load generated in large quantities that can be treated by biodegradation techniques to reduce its risk to the environment. This research studies vermicomposting and vermicomposting after composting of sewage sludge with the earthworm specie Eisenia andrei. In order to determine the effect that earthworms cause on the microbial dynamics depending on the treatment, the structure and activity of the microbial community was assessed using phospholipid fatty acid analysis and enzyme activities, during 112days of vermicomposting of fresh and composted sewage sludge, with and without earthworms.

G-quadruplex-binding benzo[a]phenoxazines down-regulate c-KIT expression in human gastric carcinoma cells.

There is considerable interest in the structure and function of G-quadruplex nucleic acid secondary structures, their cellular functions, and their potential as therapeutic targets. G-Quadruplex sequence motifs are prevalent in gene promoter regions and it has been hypothesized that G-quadruplex structure formation is associated with the transcriptional status of the downstream gene. Using a functional cell-based assay, we have identified two novel G-quadruplex ligands that reduce the transcription of a luciferase reporter driven from the G-quadruplex-containing c-KIT promoter.

Single-molecule analysis of human telomerase monomer.

Human telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that is minimally comprised of protein (hTERT) and RNA (hTR) components. We have applied single-molecule fluorescence two-color coincidence detection to characterize complex formation between fluorophore-labeled components in solution. By systematic labeling and in vitro assembly of hTERT, hTR and telomerase's DNA substrate, we have established that catalytically functional human telomerase comprises a stable hTERT:hTR:substrate interaction in a 1:1:1 absolute stoichiometry.

Outbreak of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 related to animal contact at a petting zoo.

Objective: To determine the cause of an outbreak of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 related to animal exposures so that further transmission could be prevented.

Design: Description of laboratory investigations and a case control study.

Setting: Agricultural pavilion at an annual fair in Ontario.

High performance temperature controlled UHV sample holder.

A requirement of many surface science studies is the capability to alter a sample temperature in a controlled mode. Sample preparation procedures such as heating or cooling ramps, high temperature spikes, fast annealing, or simply maintaining a sample at a very high, or very low, temperature are common. To address these issues, we describe the design and the construction of a multipurpose sample holder.

Triple reassortant H3N2 influenza A viruses, Canada, 2005.

Since January 2005, H3N2 influenza viruses have been isolated from pigs and turkeys throughout Canada and from a swine farmer and pigs on the same farm in Ontario. These are human/classical swine/avian reassortants similar to viruses that emerged in US pigs in 1998 but with a distinct human-lineage neuraminidase gene.

Analysis of human telomerase activity and function by two color single molecule coincidence fluorescence spectroscopy.

Telomerase is a nonclassical DNA polymerase that uses its integral RNA as a template to synthesize telomeric repeats onto chromosome ends. The molecular mechanism of telomerase is unique and involves a translocation step after the synthesis of each telomeric repeat. To directly measure the enzymatic turnover of substrate and the efficiency of the translocation step we have extended our two-color single molecule fluorescence coincidence method (Anal.

Kinematic evidence for an old stellar halo in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

The oldest and most metal-poor Milky Way stars form a kinematically hot halo, which motivates the two major formation scenarios for our galaxy: extended hierarchical accretion and rapid collapse. RR Lyrae stars are excellent tracers of old and metal-poor populations. We measured the kinematics of 43 RR Lyrae stars in the inner regions of the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) galaxy.

Synthesis and use of a pseudo-cysteine for native chemical ligation.

The process of native chemical ligation (NCL) is well described in the literature. An N-terminal cysteine-containing peptide reacts with a C-terminal thioester-containing peptide to yield a native amide bond after transesterification and acyl transfer. An N-terminal cysteine is required as both the N-terminal amino function and the sidechain thiol participate in the ligation reaction.

Canadian Perspectives on Verocytotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli Infection .

Infection with verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) became nationally reportable in 1990. Between 1990 and 1994, the national incidence of reported infections ranged from 3 to 5.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Assessment of the Microbiological Quality of Ready-To-Use Vegetables for Health-Care Food Services.

The microbiological quality of ready-to-use (RTU) vegetables, including chopped lettuce, salad mix, carrot sticks, cauliflower florets, sliced celery, coleslaw mix, broccoli florets, and sliced green peppers was determined before and after processing. Microbial profiles were obtained 24 h after processing and on days 4, 7, and 11 after storage at 4 and 10°C to simulate temperature abuse. In addition, the microbial profiles of four RTU vegetables, coleslaw mix, salad mix, cauliflower florets, and sliced green peppers were determined 7 days after distribution to a select group of Ontario hospitals.