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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The disposal of sludge from wastewater treatment plants into the natural environment represents a major danger to the environment and human health. The use of urban sludge as raw material in the manufacture of clay bricks not only reduces the amount of sludge but also transforms it into useful materials. This paper studies the physicochemical, geotechnical, mineralogical, mechanical, and environmental characterizations of earth bricks with the objective of evaluating the performance of the sewage sludge and eventually studying its consistency with natural clay to produce brick samples. The aim of the study is to evaluate the properties of bricks made from sewage sludge, innovating an effective elimination of the urban sludge. METHODS: Measurements of sludge heavy metal concentrations are made with an inductively coupled plasma on a 63-micrometer fine particle fraction. Organic matter performed by the Walkley-Black assay and the loss on ignition method for comparison. Volatile matter, total nitrogen, moisture content, dryness, pH, methylene blue assay, and carbonate rate were determined using a 2-millimeter Bernard calcimeter by volumetric method. Density, plasticity, liquidity index, and pore distribution were determined using a mercury porosimeter, and the specific surface and granulometric analysis have been established. Mineralogical characterization of sludge by X-ray diffraction, and X-ray fluorescence has been provided for comparative analysis with natural clay. The brick samples were then shaped, dried, fired at 930 Celsius degree, and qualified by tests, including linear and mass shrinkage, porosity, water absorption, density, compressive strength, X-ray diffraction, and leaching. FINDINGS: The analyses by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction of the sludge revealed the presence of mineral constituents, including calcite, silica, kaolinite, and dolomite and shows an important amount of silicon dioxide (31.6 percent) and aluminum oxide (11.5 percent). The sludge was classified as fine with a silty-clay character, with a plasticity index of 54.63 percent, and was therefore very plastic, and had trace element concentrations below the authorized standards. A sample containing 10 percent of sludge gives a strength of 25.9 megapascal which is close to that of the control brick. The bulk density analysis of brick sample 1 was 1.57 grams per cubic centimeter and classifies it as a light building material. Above 20 percent of samples substitution, their strength becomes less reliable, due to the large amount of organic matter that burns during firing which creates pores in the finished product. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that thermal processes limit the leaching of metals and are practically inaccessible to the ecosystem, so the brick cannot harm the environment. As the sludge content increases, the final structure no longer conforms to the control sample. This incorporation of natural clay and sludge allows to obtain a lighter brick than the conventional one. The study suggests that a 10 percent incorporation of sludge allows the production of efficient bricks and reinforces the potential of this valorization technique, which efficiently contributes to the accomplishment of sustainable waste management objectives. By helping reduce waste produced in very large quantities, this study contributes to the protection of the environment and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental work focuses on studying the effect of different barley straw treatments on the dimensional variation due to desiccation shrinkage, as well as the thermal properties of lightweight sand concrete. For this purpose, four methods of barley straw treatments have been used, such as waste oil, hot water, varnish and gasoil. In previous work, the optimal composition with untreated barley straw with the content of 15 kg / m³ has shown that the addition of straws alleviates the sand concrete and gives it acceptable thermal properties. Nevertheless, it has shown a remarkable increase in shrinkage. The objective of this study is to further improve the studied properties and therefore to target the best treatment. The results obtained showed an interesting reduction in the shrinkage in the case of hot water treatment, gasoil and varnish. Improvements in shrinkage have been achieved including a reduction of up to 21%. On the other hand, the treatment with the waste oil gave an increase of the shrinkage, compared to the concrete of sand based on untreated barley straw. It should be noted that even the thermal conductivity has been reduced where the reduction was about 40%. In fact, the straw treatments led to the increase of the Young's modulus and the tensile strength of the barley straw. Moreover, the study of X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed a slight difference between the concretes studied. Finally, a microscope visualization showed a good adhesion between the straw and the cement matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources, particularly rivers, are increasingly exposed to pollutants, especially heavy metals of chemical origin, which are difficult to monitor and can pose risks to both ecosystems and human health. This study assesses heavy metal contamination in the Oued Fez River, focusing on the bioaccumulation by the invasive plant Pistia stratiotes. The methodology involves measuring and comparing metal concentrations in water and plant tissues. Results revealed that while aluminium (Al) slightly exceeded recommended levels at 0.2978 mg L -1 , other metals like zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) remained within acceptable limits. The study demonstrates P. stratiotes' effectiveness in heavy metal phytoremediation, with its roots showing high bioaccumulation up to 19,726 mg kg -1 for Fe and 15,128 mg kg -1 for Al, indicating its potential for water decontamination. Eco-toxicological assessments, including bioconcentration and translocation factors, confirm the plant's capacity to mobilize toxic metals. Statistical analysis also points to possible industrial, urban, or agricultural contamination sources based on correlations between Al, Fe and Zn. The study underscores P. stratiotes' role in phytoremediation while emphasizing the need for monitoring and controlling contamination sources and managing the spread of this invasive species to ensure sustainable water resources., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an immune response syndrome characterized by excessive inflammation and tissue destruction. A limited number of cases involving HLH patients with concomitant multiple myeloma (MM), leading to significant mortality, have been documented, underscoring the importance of timely diagnosis. We present the case of a 78-year-old previously healthy male admitted to our hospital with a newly diagnosed MM. Subsequently, he was diagnosed with HLH and received treatment with anakinra, intravenous immunoglobulin, and dexamethasone. This case report highlights the unique aspect of being the first documented instance of myeloma-associated HLH treated with anakinra., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). eJHaem published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The high demand for building bricks underscores their essential role in the construction industry, which pushes researchers to continuously improve the characteristics of these products. This study aimed to investigate the impact of incorporating oleic components (Margins) in fired bricks manufacturing of by substituting water with different percentages of margins., Methods: Fired bricks were produced at the laboratory using clays taking from the Tangier region in northern Morocco. During this process, water used in the bricks production was substituted with margins in increasing percentages ranging from 10 % up to 30 %. To validate the results obtained from the physicochemical analyses performed on the manufactured bricks, three types of vegetable samples from three different regions of Morocco were utilized., Result: The study results are very remarkable, demonstrating a significant enhancement in compressive strength. The strength increased from 15.16 MPa for conventional bricks to 33.77 MPa for bricks manufactured with a 30 % substitution. Furthermore, porosity decreased from 33 % to 19 %., Conclusion: By integrating oleic components into the manufacturing process, we were able to achieve three main objectives.1. We have improved the characteristics of the bricks, which tend towards the load-bearing wall standards.2. We reduced the water quantity used in the bricks manufacturing by 30 %.3. We minimized the processing cost of the waste resulting from olive oil production, as well as its harmful effects on the environment., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:FAKIH LANJRI HAJAR reports equipment, drugs, or supplies was provided by National Centre for Scientific Research RABAT. FAKIH LANJRI HAJAR reports a relationship with CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE ET D’INDUSTRIE TETOUAN that includes: non-financial support and travel reimbursement. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Plant-derived polyphenols are bioactive compounds with potential health-promoting properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. However, their beneficial effects and biomedical applications may be limited due to their low bioavailability. In the present study, we have considered a microencapsulation-based drug delivery system to investigate the anticancer effects of polyphenol-rich (apigenin, caffeic acid, and luteolin) fractions, extracted from a cereal crop pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ), using three phenotypically different cellular models of breast cancer in vitro, namely triple negative HCC1806, ER-positive HCC1428, and HER2-positive AU565 cells. Encapsulated polyphenolic extract induced apoptotic cell death in breast cancer cells with different receptor status, whereas it was ineffective against non-tumorigenic MCF10F cells. Encapsulated polyphenolic extract was also found to be cytotoxic against drug-resistant doxorubicin-induced senescent breast cancer cells that were accompanied by increased levels of apoptotic and necrotic markers, cell cycle inhibitor p21 and proinflammatory cytokine IL8. Furthermore, diverse responses to the stimulation with encapsulated polyphenolic extract in senescent breast cancer cells were observed, as in the encapsulated polyphenolic extract-treated non-proliferating AU565 cells, the autophagic pathway, here cytotoxic autophagy, was also induced, as judged by elevated levels of beclin-1 and LC3b. We show for the first time the anti-breast cancer activity of encapsulated polyphenolic extract of pearl millet and postulate that microencapsulation may be a useful approach for potentiating the anticancer effects of phytochemicals with limited bioavailability.