Anaerobic digestion of stillage fractions - estimation of the potential for energy recovery in bioethanol plants.

Stillage processing can require more than one third of the thermal energy demand of a dry-grind bioethanol production plant. Therefore, for every stillage fraction occurring in stillage processing the potential of energy recovery by anaerobic digestion (AD) was estimated. In the case of whole stillage up to 128% of the thermal energy demand in the process can be provided, so even an energetically self-sufficient bioethanol production process is possible.

Enhancement options for the utilisation of nitrogen rich animal by-products in anaerobic digestion.

This study focuses on the enhancement of an Austrian anaerobic digestion plant at a slaughterhouse site which exclusively uses animal by-products as substrate. High ammonia concentrations from protein degradation cause severe inhibitions of anaerobic microorganisms. For improving the current situation the COD:TKN ratio is widened by (a) ammonia stripping directly out of the process and (b) addition of a C source to the substrate.

Comparing centralised and decentralised anaerobic digestion of stillage from a large-scale bioethanol plant to animal feed production.

A comparison of stillage treatment options for large-scale bioethanol plants was based on the data of an existing plant producing approximately 200,000 t/yr of bioethanol and 1,400,000 t/yr of stillage. Animal feed production--the state-of-the-art technology at the plant--was compared to anaerobic digestion. The latter was simulated in two different scenarios: digestion in small-scale biogas plants in the surrounding area versus digestion in a large-scale biogas plant at the bioethanol production site.

New data on temperature optimum and temperature changes in energy crop digesters.

As a result of self-heating in anaerobic digesters when using energy crops in the feedstock, the influence of temperature on the digestion process came back into focus. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of such temperature increases on process stability. Furthermore, different strategies for the transition from mesophilic to thermophilic conditions and the resulting methane yields at different temperature levels were evaluated.

The influence of energy crop substrates on the mass-flow analysis and the residual methane potential at a rural anaerobic digestion plant.

In a full scale anaerobic digestion plant exclusively operating on solid energy crops the mass-flows were analysed for two different substrate compositions over 583 d. The mono-fermentation of maize whole crop silage was compared to a mixture of maize and grass + clover silage. The two stage system required the input of dilution liquid guarantee digestion and agitation in the high loaded first stage (OLR: 5.

The impact of increasing energy crop addition on process performance and residual methane potential in anaerobic digestion.

In a full-scale agricultural biogas plant, the changes in process performance connected with the increasing energy crop addition were monitored. The substrates applied were pig manure, solid energy crops and agricultural residues. During the study, the organic loading rate and the volume-related biogas productivity were doubled to 4.

Integration of the HPV16 genome does not invariably result in high levels of viral oncogene transcripts.

Virus integration into the host genome is a characteristic step during cervical carcinogenesis. Experimental data provide evidence that integration could result in increased levels of oncogene (E6/E7) transcripts. This is the first study in which the level of viral transcripts is correlated to the physical state of the viral genome in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical carcinomas (CxCa).

Doubling the organic loading rate in the co-digestion of energy crops and manure--a full scale case study.

In the present study the increase of the organic loading rate from 2.11 to 4.25 kg VS m(-3) d(-1) in a two stage, agricultural biogas plant was investigated.

Optimised anaerobic treatment of house-sorted biodegradable waste and slaughterhouse waste in a high loaded half technical scale digester.

Anaerobic co-digestion of organic wastes from households, slaughterhouses and meat processing industries was optimised in a half technical scale plant. The plant was operated for 130 days using two different substrates under organic loading rates of 10 and 12 kgCOD.m(-3).

Self-heating of anaerobic digesters using energy crops.

With the increasing application of energy crops in agricultural biogas plants and increasing digester volumes, the phenomenon of self-heating in anaerobic digesters appeared in some cases. Until now this development was just known from aerobic systems. To obtain an idea of the thermodynamics inside an anaerobic digester, a detailed analysis of all heat fluxes in a full-scale agricultural biogas plant was carried out.

Prion protein: detection in 'spiked' anaerobic sludge and degradation experiments under anaerobic conditions.

The behavior of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) causing agent denominated "prion protein" in anaerobic sludge (biogas reactor) was assessed with incubation tests. A widely applied screening method for BSE in cattle on the basis of the Western blotting protocol was adapted to detect the Proteinase K resistant, scrapie-form prion protein (PrPSC). As PrPsc source homogenized TSE infected brain tissue of animals late in the clinical phase of disease was taken (301V/VM mouse-BSE; bovine BSE and 22A/SV mouse-scrapie).

Detection of cancer-related gene expression profiles in severe cervical neoplasia.

The molecular signatures of 20 severe cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN3) cases and 10 cervical squamous cell cancers were determined to define cancer-related gene expression profiles. RNAs extracted from microdissected tissues were amplified by SMART technology and used as probes for hybridization of commercially available cDNA array filters comprising 1,176 cancer-related genes. Ninety-two differentially expressed genes were identified by comparison of pooled cDNA from CIN3 vs.

Evidence for a putative senescence gene locus within the chromosomal region 10p14-p15.

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are involved in the multistep process of cervical cancer. Transfection of normal keratinocytes with high-risk HPV-DNA generally gives rise to immortal cultures. This may be explained by the loss of senescence genes as a consequence of HPV-induced genetic instability.

Human papillomavirus detection in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia by the second-generation hybrid capture microplate test, comparing two different cervical specimen collection methods.

Background: The second generation Hybrid Capture microplate-based human papillomavirus (HPV) test (HC II) was examined to determine its sensitivity for identification of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) by two different cervical specimen collection methods.

Objectives: A cohort of 115 women with a mean age of 34.6 years (SD 9.

Different detectability of high-risk HPV in smears from incident and prevalent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) status in cervical smears from cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3 diagnosed in 36 of 892 women with a history of normal cytology and colposcopy (incident CIN 2/3) was compared with CIN 2/3 in 40 patients with a history of abnormal cytology (prevalent CIN 2/3). In all patients cervical smears for HPV testing and cytology and two cervigrams were taken. The scrapes were collected in hybrid capture assay solution and analyzed with the hybrid capture and general primer/type-specific primer polymerase chain reaction system (GP/TS-PCR) after DNA extraction.

Screening for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3: validity of cytologic study, cervicography, and human papillomavirus detection.

Objective: A commercial test for human papillomavirus detection (hybrid capture assay) was examined for its potential value to augment the sensitivity of cytologic study or cervicography for screening for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3.

Study Design: In a cohort of 967 women with a mean age of 37.1 years who underwent routine cytologic screening, cytologic examination, cervicography, and testing for high-risk human papillomavirus by the hybrid capture assay were compared for their ability to detect cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3.

Myocardial Gi alpha-protein levels in patients with hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy, ischemic heart disease and cardiogenic shock.

Objective: Increased inhibitory G-protein alpha-subunits (Gi alpha) have been reported to be related to adenylyl cyclase desensitization in the failing human heart. In order to investigate whether this cellular alteration occurs already at the stage of hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy or in catecholamine-refractory cardiogenic shock, Gi alpha levels were studied in myocardial samples from patients with hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy, coronary heart disease without heart failure and from patients with cardiogenic shock on high-dose catecholamine therapy as well as from patients without evidence of heart disease.

Methods: Gi alpha was quantified with pertussis-toxin-catalyzed 32P-ADP-ribosylation and with a radioimmunoassay in myocardial samples from patients within 16 h of death.

Increase of myocardial inhibitory G-proteins in catecholamine-refractory septic shock or in septic multiorgan failure.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the mechanisms of myocardial catecholamine refractoriness in septic shock.

Methods: The inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (Gi alpha) were studied with pertussis toxin labeling and radioimmunologically in myocardium from patients who died while in catecholamine-refractory septic shock and from patients who died of noncardiac disease.

Results: An increase by 62% (immunological Gi alpha) and 221% (pertussis toxin substrate) of myocardial Gi alpha was observed in patients with catecholamine-refractory shock compared with controls.

Efficacy trial of topically administered interferon gamma-1 beta gel in comparison to laser treatment in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Objective: Dose dependent response of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) to topically administered interferon (IFN) gamma was assessed and compared with conventional laser therapy.

Patient And Methods: 33 women were included in a randomized phase II trial which was double blinded for IFN dosages. Twenty-four patients received IFN gamma-1 beta gel and a control group of nine patients was treated with laser surgery.

Effect of antioxidant treatment in rats with acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of free radical ablation therapy in acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis was induced in 64 rats by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate. Thirty animals were pretreated with 100,000 units/kg/hr of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and 400,000 units/kg catalase within the first 3 hr.

C-terminal modifications of pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein alpha-subunits differentially affect immunoreactivity. Evidence against endogenous ADP-ribosylation in human heart, lung, thrombocytes and adipose tissue.

Immunochemical detection of pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine-nucleotide binding proteins has been suggested to represent the most direct approach to quantitate the protein than pertussis toxin-catalysed [32P]ADP-ribosylation. The latter technique is potentially hampered by pre-existing covalent modification of the C-terminus. However, limited data exist as to whether and in what way modifications of the C-terminus affect immunoreactivity of Gi alpha (alpha-subunit of the inhibitory G-protein of adenylyl cyclase).

The involvement of oxygen radicals in acute pancreatitis.

The purpose of this study was to assess the involvement of oxygen radicals in acute edematous and hemorrhagic pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis was induced in rats by the CCK-analogue cerulein (5 micrograms/kg/h) and by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate for 30 min, 3.5 h, and 12 h.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus genomes in tissues from the lower genital tract as detected by molecular in situ hybridization.

Incidence cases of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related disease of the lower anogenital tract were prospectively collected and submitted to RNA-DNA in situ hybridization, which allows a direct correlation between morphology and the presence of viral DNA. The overall HPV detection rate in condylomata and intraepithelial or invasive neoplasia varied for the different genital areas: cervix (64%), vagina (56%), vestibule (59%), vulva (50%), and penis (42%). HPVs 6/11 were associated with condylomata, whereas HPV 16 was associated with intraepithelial and invasive neoplasia.

[Spectrum of HPV infections and HPV-associated diseases in the female and male].

Genital human papilloma viruses cause anogenital infections and are, in addition, associated with premalignant and malignant neoplasias. In HPV infections, clinical, subclinical and latent infections must be differentiated. HPV associated diseases comprise anogenital precancers and invasive cancers.

Pork intake and human papillomavirus-related disease.

Clinical and ecological evidence supporting an association between human papillomavirus (HPV)-related tumors and dietary factors are presented. Abstinence from high intake of fried pork (600-1,000 g/day) was associated with regression of an urethral condyloma in a healthy 19-year-old man treated with interferon gamma. International correlations suggest that pork intake is positively associated with incidence of cervical cancer, a disease also related to HPV.