Integrating hydrothermal carbonization and chemical leaching to recover biogenic carbon from sewage sludge.

With more than 10 million dry tons annually produced in the EU and a carbon content of approximately 30% db, sewage sludge (SS) can be a strategic source of biogenic carbon. However, the high moisture content and large amount of ash are strong barriers to sustainable valorisation. This study aims to assess the potential of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) as a sustainable alternative to sludge drying.

Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Materials Functionalized with Phosphinic Acid Ligand and Their Capability to Remove Cd(II).

This article presents a study of cadmium removal from nitrate medium using adsorption in calcined mesoporous silica (MCM-C), mesoporous silica doped (MCM_DIOPA), and calcined and impregnated mesoporous silica (MCM@DIOPA), with diisooctylphosphinic acid (DIOPA). The sorbents were synthesized via a sol-gel method. Several characterization techniques, such as XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, N sorption and elemental analysis, have been used to determine the main structural, textural, and chemical properties of prepared sorbents.

Neodymium Recovery from the Aqueous Phase Using a Residual Material from Saccharified Banana-Rachis/Polyethylene-Glycol.

Neodymium (Nd) is a key rare earth element (REE) needed for the future of incoming technologies including road transport and power generation. Hereby, a sustainable adsorbent material for recovering Nd from the aqueous phase using a residue from the saccharification process is presented. Banana rachis (BR) was treated with cellulases and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to produce fermentable sugars prior to applying the final residue (BR-PEG) as an adsorbent material.

Removal of Zinc from Aqueous Solutions Using Lamellar Double Hydroxide Materials Impregnated with Cyanex 272: Characterization and Sorption Studies.

Removal of heavy metals from wastewater is mandatory in order to avoid water pollution of natural reservoirs. In the present study, layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials were evaluated for removal of zinc from aqueous solutions. Materials thus prepared were impregnated with cyanex 272 using the dry method.

Boron Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Using a Novel Alginate-Based Sorbent: Comparison with AlO Particles.

Boron removal was evaluated in the present work by using calcium alginate beads (CA) and a novel composite based on alginate-alumina (CAAl) as sorbents in a batch system. The effects of different parameters such as pH, temperature, contact time, and composition of alginate (at different concentrations of guluronic and mannuronic acids) on boron sorption were investigated. The results confirm that calcium alginate beads (CA) exhibited a better adsorption capacity in a slightly basic medium, and the composite alginate-alumina (CAAl) exhibited improved boron removal at neutral pH.

Sorption of Hg(II) and Pb(II) Ions on Chitosan-Iron(III) from Aqueous Solutions: Single and Binary Systems.

The present work describes the study of mercury Hg(II) and lead Pb(II) removal in single and binary component systems into easily prepared chitosan-iron(III) bio-composite beads. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and point of zero charge (pH) analysis were carried out. The experimental set covered pH study, single and competitive equilibrium, kinetics, chloride and sulfate effects as well as sorption⁻desorption cycles.

Antimony Removal from Water by a Chitosan-Iron(III)[ChiFer(III)] Biocomposite.

The presence of antimony(III) in water represents a worldwide concern, mainly due to its high toxicity and carcinogenicity potential. It can be separated from water by the use of sustainable biopolymers such as chitosan or its derivatives. The present study applied chitosan modified with iron(III) beads to Sb(III) removal from aqueous solutions.

Sorption and Desorption Studies of Pb(II) and Ni(II) from Aqueous Solutions by a New Composite Based on Alginate and Magadiite Materials.

A new composite material based on alginate and magadiite/Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (CAM-D2EHPA) was successfully prepared by previous impregnation of layered magadiite with D2EHPA extractant, and then immobilized into the alginate matrix. Air dried beads of CAM-D2EHPA were characterized by FTIR and SEM⁻EDX techniques. The sorbent was used for the separation of lead and nickel from nitrate solutions; the main parameters of sorption such as contact time, pH of the solution, and initial metal concentration were studied.

Neodymium Recovery by Chitosan/Iron(III) Hydroxide [ChiFer(III)] Sorbent Material: Batch and Column Systems.

A low cost composite material was synthesized for neodymium recovery from dilute aqueous solutions. The in-situ production of the composite containing chitosan and iron(III) hydroxide (ChiFer(III)) was improved and the results were compared with raw chitosan particles. The sorbent was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analyses (SEM-EDX).

Sorption of his-tagged Protein G and Protein G onto chitosan/divalent metal ion sorbent used for detection of microcystin-LR.

A highly sensitive, specific, simple, and rapid chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) was developed for the determination of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) by using strategies for oriented immobilization of functionally intact polyclonal antibodies on chitosan surface. Several physicochemical parameters such as metal ion adsorption, hexahistidine-tagged Protein G sorption, the dilution ratio polyclonal antibody concentration, and peroxidase-labeled MC-LR concentration were studied and optimized. The sorption in batch system of G-histidine and G-proteins was studied on a novel sorbent consisting of chitosan/divalent metal ions.

Peptide conjugated chitosan foam as a novel approach for capture-purification and rapid detection of hapten--example of ochratoxin A.

A novel bioassay for the detection and monitoring of Ochratoxin A (OTA), a natural carcinogenic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi, has been developed and applied for the screening of red wine. Here we report the immobilization and orientation of NOF4, a synthetic peptide, onto 3-D porous chitosan supports using a N-terminal histidine tag to allow binding to M(++) ions that were previously adsorbed onto the high surface area biopolymer. Three divalent cations (M(++)=Zn(++), Co(++), Ni(++)) were evaluated and were found to adsorb via a Langmuir model and to have binding capacities in the order Zn(++)>Co(++)>Ni(++).

A series of five adult cases of respiratory syncytial virus-related acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Respiratory syncytial virus is a common cause of respiratory tract disease in children, predominantly presenting with mild symptoms. We present five cases of respiratory syncytial virus infection of the lower respiratory tract in immunocompromised adults suffering from severe respiratory insufficiency leading to bilateral pneumonia and fulfilling the criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Respiratory syncytial virus was cultured as the only pathogen in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in four of these patients.

Selective ambulatory management of imported falciparum malaria: a 5-year prospective study.

The ambulatory management of imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria is controversial because criteria for safe selection of patients are imprecise. The aim of the present study was to investigate the evolution and outcome of patients diagnosed with Plasmodium falciparum malaria at a Belgian referral institute in order to assess the safety of the institute's current selective ambulatory management protocol. From 2000 to 2005, all patients diagnosed with P.

Etiology and outcome of fever after a stay in the tropics.

Background: Information on epidemiology and prognosis of imported fever is scarce and almost exclusively limited to hospital settings.

Methods: From 2000 to 2005, all travelers presenting at our referral outpatient and inpatient centers with ongoing fever within 12 months after a stay in the tropics were prospectively followed. Case definitions and treatment were based on international recommendations.

High-dose cefepime as an alternative treatment for infections caused by TEM-24 ESBL-producing Enterobacter aerogenes in severely-ill patients.

This study evaluated retrospectively the efficacy of treatment with cefepime vs. a carbapenem, in combination with amikacin or ciprofloxacin, for seriously-ill patients infected with ESBL-producing Enterobacter aerogenes who were admitted to an intensive care unit. Forty-four episodes of infection were investigated in 43 patients: 21 treated with cefepime; 23 with a carbapenem.

Meningoencephalitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Diagnosis with diffusion-weighted MRI leading to treatment with corticosteroids.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of bacterial meningitis but only rarely causes other infections such as brain abscess, encephalitis, encephalomyelitis or meningoencephalitis. We report on three adult patients with meningoencephalitis caused by S. pneumoniae.

Unusual D-lactic acid acidosis from propylene glycol metabolism in overdose.

Objective: To report a case of D-lactic acid acidosis owing to massive oral ingestion of propylene glycol.

Case Report: A 72-year old man with known congestive failure was admitted to the ICU with encephalopathy. Twelve hours prior to admission he had erroneously ingested a large amount of propylene glycol (PG).

Herpes simplex virus in the respiratory tract of critical care patients: a prospective study.

Background: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is occasionally detected in the lower respiratory tract of patients in intensive care, but its clinical importance in such situations remains unclear. We did a prospective cohort study to define the prevalence, origin, risk factors, and clinical relevance of HSV in the respiratory tract of patients undergoing critical care.

Methods: We tested 764 patients admitted to intensive care for the presence of HSV in the respiratory tract, and assessed statistical relations between this virus and clinical variables.

Strategies for selecting antibiotics in intensive care units.

Crowding of severely ill patients in intensive care units has led worldwide to important increases in nosocomial (ICU-related) infections. Moreover, the nature of these hospital-acquired infections is shifting towards Gram-positive microorganisms, yeast and Gram-negative rods, possessing important resistance genes (e.g.

Early diagnosis of cerebral fat embolism syndrome by diffusion-weighted MRI (starfield pattern).

Background: Cerebral fat embolism syndrome is a rare, but potentially lethal, complication of long bone fractures. Neurological symptoms are variable, and the clinical diagnosis is difficult. The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate the value of diffusion-weighted MRI of the brain for early diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome.

Splenic rupture as a complication of P. falciparum malaria after residence in the tropics. Report of two cases.

Splenic rupture is an uncommon complication of malaria, which requires urgent medical investigation, close follow-up and adequate treatment. Until present, this complication was reported more often in P. vivax infections than in infections with other species.