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The great utility that plastics generate for society has generated a large amount of waste, producing tons of garbage from this material that damages the ecosystem, human health, and farmland. Likewise, the issue of the absence of electricity in low-income areas is critical for society. This research proposes a novel solution to simultaneously solve these two problems, which, through single-chamber microbial fuel cells, introduce plastic waste and the fungus Paecilomyces. The microbial fuel cells (MFCs) showed a maximum electric current of 0.547 ± 0.185 mA with a peak voltage of 0.575 ± 0.106 V on day 36; on this day, the MFCs operated with a pH of 6.524 ± 0.360 and electrical conductivity of 264.847 ± 6.395 mS/cm. These results demonstrate the potential of this system to generate electricity from plastic waste, addressing the issue of electricity scarcity in low-income areas. The chemical oxygen demand was also reduced by 85.47%, indicating the system's ability to degrade plastic waste. The power density calculated on day 36 was 0.0624 ± 0.0053 mW/cm2 at a current density of 0.0052 mA/cm2 and an internal resistance of 55.254 ± 7.583 Ω. The reducing action of the fungus on the plastic was demonstrated in the FTIR transmittance spectrum because the characteristic peaks (3378, 2854–2911, 1642, 1472, and 720 cm−1) of the plastic suffered reductions in the final state, and the micrographs of the plastic surfaces showed the lifting of layers and the formation of irregular structures and a decrease in the thickness of the plastic sample of 139.66 ± 4.19 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine associated factors for chronic kidney disease in people with diabetes mellitus type 2. Material and Methods: Retrospective cohort study with 371 patients evaluated in primary care for diabetes mellitus. Information on age, sex, disease duration, comorbidity and laboratory results was obtained. Patients of both sexes attended between 2022 and 2024 were included. Patients with other renal diseases or referrals were excluded. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify associated factors. Results: Males (p = 0.014), age > 60 years, (p = 0.01) uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1C > 7.99%± 1.84) and disease duration over 20 years (p = 0.02) are associated factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). HbA1c had significant differences between those with and those without CKD. The most frequent comorbidities are arterial hypertension (70%), dyslipidemia (43%), overweight/obesity (44%) and anemia (31%). CKD stage G2 is the most frequent (45%). One hundred percent of patients in G1 and G2 CKD stages have an elevated microalbuminuria/creatinuria rate, and 13% of patients between G3a and G4 stages have this rate within normal values. Most patients receive nephroprotection with ARA II and ACEIs. Conclusion: It is important to screen for kidney disease in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 who are male, over 60 years of age, with uncontrolled HbA1c and prolonged disease duration, as well as to treat comorbidities and nephroprotection regardless of the stage of chronic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic waste, a persistent and escalating issue, and the high costs of installing electric power, particularly in remote areas, have become pressing concerns for governments. This research proposes a novel method for generating electric power from sugarcane bagasse waste and reducing plastic waste. The key to this method is the use of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus in microbial fuel cells. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) demonstrated their effectiveness by generating peaks of electric current (4.325 ± 0.261 mA) and voltage (0.427 ± 0.031 V) on day twenty-six, with a pH of 5.539 ± 0.278. The peak electrical conductivity of the substrate was 130.574 ± 4.981 mS/cm. The MFCs were able to reduce the chemical oxygen demand by 83%, showing a maximum power density of 86.316 ± 4.724 mW/cm2 and an internal resistance of 37.384 ± 62.522 Ω. The infrared spectra of the plastic samples showed a decrease in the peaks 2850–2920, 1470, and 720 cm−1, which are more characteristic of plastic, demonstrating the action of the Pleurotus ostreatus fungus on the plastic samples. Also, the micrographs taken by SEM showed the reduction in the thickness of the plastic film by 54.06 µm and the formation of microstructures on the surface, such as pores and raised layers of the sample used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of waste from agriculture has significantly increased in recent decades due to the growing demand for food. Meanwhile, providing electricity to remote areas remains a challenge due to the high installation costs. Single-chamber fuel cells offer a promising solution as they can effectively generate electric power and treat organic waste. For this reason, the main objective of this research is to utilize pickled chili waste as fuel in SC-MFCs (single-chamber fuel cells), using carbon and zinc electrodes to assess its potential as a sustainable alternative fuel source. The fuel cells exhibited a maximum electric current and voltage of 5.565 ± 0.182 mA with 0.963 ± 0.033 V of voltage, respectively, with a substrate electrical conductivity of 113.526 ± 6.154 mS/cm with a pH of 6.62 ± 0.42 on the twelfth day. The internal resistance measured was 46.582 ± 6.845 Ω, and the maximum power density reached 148.128 ± 8.914 mW/cm2 at a current density of 3.657 A/cm2. Additionally, the microorganisms Pseudomonas taiwanensis and Candida parapsilosis were identified with 100% identity in the anode electrode. This study demonstrates that pickled chili residues can successfully generate bioelectricity and light an LED bulb connected to MFCs in series with a voltage of 2.67 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improper disposal of plastic waste has become a significant problem, with only a small amount recycled and the rest ending up in landfills or being burned, leading to environmental pollution. In addition, the cost of electric energy has risen by over 100% in the last 20 years, making it unaffordable for remote areas to access this service due to high installation costs, leaving people living far from major cities without electricity. This study proposes an innovative solution to these issues using microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology to simultaneously reduce plastic waste and generate electric energy by utilizing the fungus Aspergillus sp. As a substrate for 45 days. The MFCs reached maximum values of 0.572 ± 0.024 V and 3.608 ± 0.249 mA of voltage and electric current on the thirty-first day, with the substrate operating at a pH of 6.57 ± 0.27 and an electrical conductivity of 257.12 ± 20.9 mS/cm. Furthermore, it was possible to reduce the chemical oxygen demand by 73.77% over the 45 days of MFC operation, while the recorded internal resistance was 27.417 ± 9.810 Ω, indicating a power density of 0.124 ± 0.006 mW/cm2. The initial and final transmittance spectra, obtained using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared), showed the characteristic peaks of polyethylene (plastic), with a noticeable reduction in the final spectrum, particularly in the vibration of the C-H compound. After 45 days of fungus operation, the plastic surface used as a sample exhibited perforations and cracks, resulting in a thickness reduction of 313.56 µm. This research represents an initial step in using fungi for plastic reduction and electric energy generation in an alternative and sustainable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization has brought many environmental problems since its expansion, including heavy metal contamination in water used for agricultural irrigation. This research uses microbial fuel cell technology to generate bioelectricity and remove arsenic, copper, and iron, using contaminated agricultural water as a substrate and Bacillus marisflavi as a biocatalyst. The results obtained for electrical potential and current were 0.798 V and 3.519 mA, respectively, on the sixth day of operation and the pH value was 6.54 with an EC equal to 198.72 mS/cm, with a removal of 99.08, 56.08, and 91.39% of the concentrations of As, Cu, and Fe, respectively, obtained in 72 h. Likewise, total nitrogen concentrations, organic carbon, loss on ignition, dissolved organic carbon, and chemical oxygen demand were reduced by 69.047, 86.922, 85.378, 88.458, and 90.771%, respectively. At the same time, the PDMAX shown was 376.20 ± 15.478 mW/cm2, with a calculated internal resistance of 42.550 ± 12.353 Ω. This technique presents an essential advance in overcoming existing technical barriers because the engineered microbial fuel cells are accessible and scalable. It will generate important value by naturally reducing toxic metals and electrical energy, producing electric currents in a sustainable and affordable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, two significant problems involve the government, population, and environment: the accelerated increase in organic waste and the need to replace conventional energy with environmentally sustainable energy. The sustainable use of organic waste is being intensely investigated to generate energy plants that produce alternative sustainable electrical energy beneficial to the population at a low cost. The novelty of this research is given by the use of pepper waste as fuel in the generation of bioelectricity, giving added value to these types of waste, benefiting farmers and companies dedicated to the export and import of these fruits, because they will be able to generate their own electrical energy using their own waste at a lower cost. For this reason, this research uses pepper waste as fuel in single-chamber microbial fuel cells manufactured at a low cost as its primary objective. The maximum values of the electric current (5.118 ± 0.065 mA) and electric potential (1.018 ± 0.101 V) were shown on the fourteenth day, with an optimal operating pH of 7.141 ± 0.134 and electrical conductivity of 112.846 ± 4.888 mS/cm. Likewise, a reduction in the COD was observed from 1210.15 ± 0.89 mg/L to 190.36 ± 16.58 mg/L in the 35 days of monitoring and with a maximum ORP of 426.995 ± 8.615 mV, whose internal resistance was 33.541 ± 2.471 Ω. The peak power density was 154.142 ± 8.151 mW/cm2 at a current density of 4.834 A/cm2, and the Rossellomorea marisflavi strain was identified with 99.57% identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution generated by the misuse of large amounts of fruit and vegetable waste has become a major environmental and social problem for developing countries due to the absence of specialized collection centers for this type of waste. This research aims to generate electricity in an eco-friendly way using red dragon fruit (pitahaya) waste as the fuel in single-chamber microbial fuel cells on a laboratory scale using zinc and copper electrodes. It was possible to generate voltage and current peaks of 0.46 ± 0.03 V and 2.86 ± 0.07 mA, respectively, with an optimum operating pH of 4.22 ± 0.09 and an electrical conductivity of 175.86 ± 4.72 mS/cm at 8 °Brix until the tenth day of monitoring. An internal resistance of 75.58 ± 5.89 Ω was also calculated with a maximum power density of 304.33 ± 16.51 mW/cm2 at a current density of 5.06 A/cm2, while the FTIR spectra showed a decrease in the initial compounds and endings, especially at the 3331 cm−1 peaks of the O–H bonds. Finally, the yeast-like fungus Geotrichum candidum was molecularly identified (99.59%). This research will provide great opportunities for the generation of renewable energy using biomass as fuel through electronic devices with great potential to generate electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This correlational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge and its relationship with attitudes and Zika's preventive practices in the district of Chepen, La Libertad, Peru, 2017. Materials and methods. A questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices was applied to a sample of 284 adult persons, with an average age of 37 years. Results. The results showed that the level of general knowledge about zika was regular at 79% and good at 21%. As for the most common zika's preventive practices carried out by the inhabitants of Chepén, 83% mentioned that they frequently washed their water tanks, 77% used a brush and detergent to wash the tanks with water and 75% placed a lid over the tanks with water. Conclusions. There is a significant relationship between level of knowledge and sika's preventive practices (p<0.05). In addition, regular knowledge is a risk factor (OR: 5, CI: 2.073-10.063) for inadequate zika's preventive practice; people with regular knowledge are 5 times more likely to have inadequate preventive practices. However, the level of knowledge does not have a significant relationship with attitudes towards the prevention of zika (p>0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease affects the quality of life of people with diabetes mellitus, increases cardiovascular risk, and has high social costs., Objective: To determine associated factors for chronic kidney disease in people with diabetes mellitus type 2., Material and Methods: Retrospective cohort study with 371 patients evaluated in primary care for diabetes mellitus. Information on age, sex, disease duration, comorbidity and laboratory results was obtained. Patients of both sexes attended between 2022 and 2024 were included. Patients with other renal diseases or referrals were excluded. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify associated factors., Results: Males (p = 0.014), age >60 years, (p = 0.01) uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1C >7.99%±1.84) and disease duration over 20 years (p = 0.02) are associated factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). HbA1c had significant differences between those with and those without CKD. The most frequent comorbidities are arterial hypertension (70%), dyslipidemia (43%), overweight/obesity (44%) and anemia (31%). CKD stage G2 is the most frequent (45%). One hundred percent of patients in G1 and G2 CKD stages have an elevated microalbuminuria/creatinuria rate, and 13% of patients between G3a and G4 stages have this rate within normal values. Most patients receive nephroprotection with ARA II and ACEIs., Conclusion: It is important to screen for kidney disease in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 who are male, over 60 years of age, with uncontrolled HbA1c and prolonged disease duration, as well as to treat comorbidities and nephroprotection regardless of the stage of chronic kidney disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in conducting this research., (© 2024 Goicochea-Rios et al.)