Implementation of a Mindfulness-Based Crisis Intervention for Frontline Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak in a Public General Hospital in Madrid, Spain.

The COVID-19 outbreak is having an impact on the well-being of healthcare workers. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown effectiveness in reducing stress and fostering resilience and recovery in healthcare workers. There are no studies examining the feasibility of brief mindfulness-based interventions during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Modelling hydrolysis: Simultaneous versus sequential biodegradation of the hydrolysable fractions.

Hydrolysis is considered the limiting step during solid waste anaerobic digestion (including co-digestion of sludge and biosolids). Mechanisms of hydrolysis are mechanistically not well understood with detrimental impact on model predictive capability. The common approach to multiple substrates is to consider simultaneous degradation of the substrates.

Potentially toxic elements in commonly consumed fish species from the western Mediterranean Sea (Almería Bay): Bioaccumulation in liver and muscle tissues in relation to biometric parameters.

Marine pollution is one of today's most relevant problems. Public awareness has been raised about the harmful potential of heavy metals (HMs) accumulating in edible fish and possibly ending up in human diet through the food chain. This study aimed to characterize and evaluate As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb contents in four edible fish species from the western Mediterranean Sea.

Modeling the anaerobic co-digestion of solid waste: From batch to semi-continuous simulation.

The main purpose of this study was to validate the use of a simple model for forecasting methane production in co-digestion reactors run semi-continuously using substrate data acquired in batch mode. Firstly, seven solid substrates were characterized individually in successive batches to assess their Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) and kinetic parameters. Afterwards, eight mixtures of two, three or five substrates were processed in semi-continuous mode at an organic loading rate of 1 g VS L d.

Mercury contents in relation to biometrics and proximal composition and nutritional levels of fish eaten from the Western Mediterranean Sea (Almería bay).

Total liver and muscle mercury, and muscular composition, biometrics and trophic levels, were determined in four species (Mullus surmuletus, Merluccius merluccius, Auxis rochei and Scomber japonicus) of the Mediterranean Sea (Almería Bay, Spain). Mercury levels did not exceed the maximum residue limit, and M. merluccius obtained the highest level in muscle.

Sublethal and chronic effects of reclaimed water on aquatic organisms. Looking for relationships between physico-chemical characterisation and toxic effects.

The use of reclaimed water for irrigation and aquaculture purposes is generally considered a reliable alternative for sustainable water management in regions with water scarcity. Many organic compounds, generally called compounds of emerging concern (CECs), have been detected in reclaimed water, which implies continuous exposure for aquatic organisms. To date no quality criteria have been proposed for this group of compounds.

Wood and bark of Pinus halepensis as archives of heavy metal pollution in the Mediterranean Region.

Natural levels of heavy metals (HM) have increased during the industrial era to the point of posing a serious threat to the environment. The use of tree species to record contamination is a well-known practice. The objective of the study was to compare HM levels under different pollution conditions: a) soil pollution due to mining waste; b) atmospheric pollution due to coal-fired power plant emissions.

Co-digestion of solid waste: Towards a simple model to predict methane production.

Modeling methane production is a key issue for solid waste co-digestion. Here, the effect of a step-wise increase in the organic loading rate (OLR) on reactor performance was investigated, and four new models were evaluated to predict methane yields using data acquired in batch mode. Four co-digestion experiments of mixtures of 2 solid substrates were conducted in semi-continuous mode.

Co-ensiling as a new technique for long-term storage of agro-industrial waste with low sugar content prior to anaerobic digestion.

Biodegradable wastes produced seasonally need an upstream storage, because of the requirement for a constant feeding of anaerobic digesters. In the present article, the potential of co-ensiling biodegradable agro-industrial waste (sugar beet leaves) and lignocellulosic agricultural residue (wheat straw) to obtain a mixture with low soluble sugar content was evaluated for long-term storage prior to anaerobic digestion. The aim is to store agro-industrial waste while pretreating lignocellulosic biomass.

Optimal conditions for flexible methane production in a demand-based operation of biogas plants.

The aim of the presented work was to study the methane production limits and to determine optimal conditions for flexible operation of an anaerobic reactor in order to set up an operational strategy. Punctual overloads were conducted in a laboratory-scale anaerobic reactor with readily biodegradable solid substrates, and the influences of overload intensity, baseload value and substrate used were investigated. A maximal daily value around 1000mL/L of reactor for methane production has been assessed.

Robust assessment of both biochemical methane potential and degradation kinetics of solid residues in successive batches.

The well-known batch assay test is used worldwide to determine the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of solid substrates in a single batch but its use to estimate the degradation kinetics may lead to underestimations. To overcome this problem, a different approach was carried out to characterize simultaneously both BMP of solid substrates and their degradation kinetics in successive batches, i.e.

Fast ADM1 implementation for the optimization of feeding strategy using near infrared spectroscopy.

Optimization of feeding strategy is an essential issue of anaerobic co-digestion that can be greatly assisted with simulation tools such as the Anaerobic Digestion Model 1. Using this model, a set of parameters, such as the biochemical composition of the waste to be digested, its methane production yield and kinetics, has to be defined for each new substrate. In the recent years, near infrared analyses have been reported as a fast and accurate solution for the estimation of methane production yield and biochemical composition.

Comparison of the mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion of spent cow bedding in leach-bed reactors.

Anaerobic digestion of spent cow bedding in batch leach-bed reactors (LBRs) was compared in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions for the first time. Results show that the use of thermophilic conditions enhanced only the degradation kinetics of easily-degradable matter during the first days of the digestion, whereas similar methane yields (80% of the Biomethane Potential) were reached after 42days at both temperatures. Therefore, the anaerobic digestion in LBRs of spent cow bedding, a substrate rich in slowly-degradable compounds, was not improved in term of methane production considering the overall digestion time.

Leachate flush strategies for managing volatile fatty acids accumulation in leach-bed reactors.

In anaerobic leach-bed reactors (LBRs) co-digesting an easily- and a slowly-degradable substrate, the importance of the leachate flush both on extracting volatile fatty acids (VFAs) at the beginning of newly-started batches and on their consumption in mature reactors was tested. Regarding VFA extraction three leachate flush-rate conditions were studied: 0.5, 1 and 2LkgTSd.

Characterisation of the biodegradability of post-treated digestates via the chemical accessibility and complexity of organic matter.

The stability of digestate organic matter is a key parameter for its use in agriculture. Here, the organic matter stability was compared between 14 post-treated digestates and the relationship between organic matter complexity and biodegradability was highlighted. Respirometric activity and CH yields in batch tests showed a positive linear correlation between both types of biodegradability (R=0.

Comprehensive characterization of the liquid fraction of digestates from full-scale anaerobic co-digestion.

Waste management by anaerobic digestion generates a final byproduct, the digestate, which is usually separated into solid and liquid fractions to reduce the volume for transportation. The composition of the solid fraction has been recently studied to allow its valorization. However, full composition of liquid fraction of digestate and its size fractionation are less considered in the literature for efficient post treatment and valorization purposes.

Mesophilic anaerobic digestion of several types of spent livestock bedding in a batch leach-bed reactor: substrate characterization and process performance.

Spent animal bedding is a valuable resource for green energy production in rural areas. The properties of six types of spent bedding collected from deep-litter stables, housing either sheeps, goats, horses or cows, were compared and their anaerobic digestion in a batch Leach-Bed Reactor (LBR) was assessed. Spent horse bedding, when compared to all the other types, appeared to differ the most due to a greater amount of straw added to the litter and a more frequent litter change.

Endometrial study in patients with postmenopausal metrorrhagia.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to devise a strategy to diagnose malign endometrial pathologies (adenocarcinoma or atypical hyperplasia) that minimizes the number of invasive tests done (hysteroscopy, aspiration biopsy or curettage) with no loss of its detection efficiency.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively studied the clinical histories of 779 postmenopausal women at the University Hospital Complex of Albacete, for whom an endometrial study had been done (hysteroscopy, aspiration biopsy or curettage) with a 1-year follow-up between 1 March 2006 and 31 March 2008.

Results: There were 77 cases of a malignant pathology (66 adenocarcinomas and 11 hyperplasias with atypia); 96.

Kinetic modelling of anaerobic hydrolysis of solid wastes, including disintegration processes.

A methodology to estimate disintegration and hydrolysis kinetic parameters of solid wastes and validate an ADM1-based anaerobic co-digestion model is presented. Kinetic parameters of the model were calibrated from batch reactor experiments treating individually fruit and vegetable wastes (among other residues) following a new protocol for batch tests. In addition, decoupled disintegration kinetics for readily and slowly biodegradable fractions of solid wastes was considered.

Impact of gold mining associated with mercury contamination in soil, biota sediments and tailings in Kenya.

This work considered the environmental impact of artisanal mining gold activity in the Migori-Transmara area (Kenya). From artisanal gold mining, mercury is released to the environment, thus contributing to degradation of soil and water bodies. High mercury contents have been quantified in soil (140 μg kg(-1)), sediment (430 μg kg(-1)) and tailings (8,900 μg kg(-1)), as expected.

Single-phase and two-phase anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable waste: comparison of start-up, reactor stability and process performance.

Single-phase and two-phase digestion of fruit and vegetable waste were studied to compare reactor start-up, reactor stability and performance (methane yield, volatile solids reduction and energy yield). The single-phase reactor (SPR) was a conventional reactor operated at a low loading rate (maximum of 3.5 kgVS/m3 d), while the two-phase system consisted of an acidification reactor (TPAR) and a methanogenic reactor (TPMR).

Treatment of the biodegradable fraction of used disposable diapers by co-digestion with waste activated sludge.

The results presented in this paper are part of a project aimed at designing an original solution for the treatment of used disposable diapers permitting the recycling of materials and the recovery of energy. Diapers must be collected separately at source and transported to an industrial facility to undergo special treatment which makes it possible to separate plastics and to recover a biodegradable fraction (BFD) made up mainly of cellulose. The methane yield of BFD was measured and found to be 280 ml CH4/g VSfed on average.

Anaerobic co-digestion of solid waste: Effect of increasing organic loading rates and characterization of the solubilised organic matter.

The impact of stepwise increase in OLR (up to 7.5kgVS/m(3)d) on methane production, reactor performance and solubilised organic matter production in a high-loading reactor were investigated. A reference reactor operated at low OLR (<2.

Substrate removal kinetics in high-rate upflow anaerobic filters packed with low-density polyethylene media treating high-strength agro-food wastewaters.

The process kinetics for two upflow anaerobic filters (UAFs) treating high strength fruit canning and cheese-dairy wastewaters as feed were investigated. The experimental unit consisted of a 10-L (effective volume) reactor filled with low-density polyethylene media. COD removal efficiencies of about 80% were recorded at the maximum OLRs of 19 and 17 g COD L(-1) d(-1) for the fruit canning and cheese-dairy wastewaters, respectively.