Clostridium difficile infection in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Nanayakkara, Deepa; Nanda, Neha

2017-08-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major healthcare-associated infection that causes significant morbidity and an economic impact in the United States. In this review, we provide an overview of Clostridium difficile infection in solid organ transplant recipients with an emphasis on recent literature. C. difficile in solid organ transplant population has unique risk factors. Fecal microbiota transplantation has shown favorable results in treatment of recurrent C. difficile in this population. Preliminary data from animal studies suggests excellent efficacy with immunization against C. difficile toxins. Over the last decade, number of individuals receiving solid organ transplants has increased exponentially making peri-transplant complications a common occurrence.C. difficile is a frequent cause of morbidity in solid organ transplant recipients. Early and accurate diagnosis of C. difficile requires a stepwise approach. Differentiating between asymptomatic carriage and infection is a diagnostic challenge. Microbial diversity is inversely proportional to risk of C. difficile infection. Antimicrobial stewardship programs help to retain microbial diversity in individuals susceptible to CDI. Recurrent or relapsing C. difficile infection require fecal microbiota transplantation for definitive cure.

Rib fractures and their association With solid organ injury: higher rib fractures have greater significance for solid organ injury screening.

PubMed

Rostas, Jack W; Lively, Timothy B; Brevard, Sidney B; Simmons, Jon D; Frotan, Mohammad A; Gonzalez, Richard P

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to identify patients with rib injuries who were at risk for solid organ injury. A retrospective chart review was performed of all blunt trauma patients with rib fractures during the period from July 2007 to July 2012. Data were analyzed for association of rib fractures and solid organ injury. In all, 1,103 rib fracture patients were identified; 142 patients had liver injuries with 109 (77%) associated right rib fractures. Right-sided rib fractures with highest sensitivity for liver injury were middle rib segment (5 to 8) and lower segment (9 to 12) with liver injury sensitivities of 68% and 43%, respectively (P < .001); 151 patients had spleen injuries with 119 (79%) associated left rib fractures. Left middle segment rib fractures and lower segment rib fractures had sensitivities of 80% and 63% for splenic injury, respectively (P < .003). Rib fractures higher in the thoracic cage have significant association with solid organ injury. Using rib fractures from middle plus lower segments as indication for abdominal screening will significantly improve rib fracture sensitivity for identification of solid organ injury. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solid organ transplantation following end-organ failure in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children.

PubMed

Upadhyay, Kiran; Fine, Richard N

2014-08-01

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an accepted treatment modality for various malignant and non-malignant disorders of the lympho-hematopoietic system. Patient survival rate has increased significantly with the use of this procedure. However, with the increase in disease-free patient survival rates, complications including various organ toxicities are also common. Kidney, liver, lung, heart, and skin are among those solid organs that are commonly affected and frequently lead to organ dysfunction and eventually end-organ disease. Conservative measures may or may not be successful in managing the organ failure in these patients. Solid organ transplantation has been shown to be promising in those patients who fail conservative management. This review will summarize the causes of solid organ (kidney, liver, and lung) dysfunction and the available data on transplantation of these solid organs in post-HSCT recipients.

Stacked Multilayer Self-Organizing Map for Background Modeling.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhenjie; Zhang, Xuebo; Fang, Yongchun

2015-09-01

In this paper, a new background modeling method called stacked multilayer self-organizing map background model (SMSOM-BM) is proposed, which presents several merits such as strong representative ability for complex scenarios, easy to use, and so on. In order to enhance the representative ability of the background model and make the parameters learned automatically, the recently developed idea of representative learning (or deep learning) is elegantly employed to extend the existing single-layer self-organizing map background model to a multilayer one (namely, the proposed SMSOM-BM). As a consequence, the SMSOM-BM gains several merits including strong representative ability to learn background model of challenging scenarios, and automatic determination for most network parameters. More specifically, every pixel is modeled by a SMSOM, and spatial consistency is considered at each layer. By introducing a novel over-layer filtering process, we can train the background model layer by layer in an efficient manner. Furthermore, for real-time performance consideration, we have implemented the proposed method using NVIDIA CUDA platform. Comparative experimental results show superior performance of the proposed approach.

History of solid organ transplantation and organ donation.

PubMed

Linden, Peter K

2009-01-01

Solid organ transplantation is one of the most remarkable and dramatic therapeutic advances in medicine during the past 60 years. This field has progressed initially from what can accurately be termed a "clinical experiment" to routine and reliable practice, which has proven to be clinically effective, life-saving and cost-effective. This remarkable evolution stems from a serial confluence of: cultural acceptance; legal and political evolution to facilitate organ donation, procurement and allocation; technical and cognitive advances in organ preservation, surgery, immunology, immunosuppression; and management of infectious diseases. Some of the major milestones of this multidisciplinary clinical science are reviewed in this article.

Solid organ fabrication: comparison of decellularization to 3D bioprinting.

PubMed

Jung, Jangwook P; Bhuiyan, Didarul B; Ogle, Brenda M

2016-01-01

Solid organ fabrication is an ultimate goal of Regenerative Medicine. Since the introduction of Tissue Engineering in 1993, functional biomaterials, stem cells, tunable microenvironments, and high-resolution imaging technologies have significantly advanced efforts to regenerate in vitro culture or tissue platforms. Relatively simple flat or tubular organs are already in (pre)clinical trials and a few commercial products are in market. The road to more complex, high demand, solid organs including heart, kidney and lung will require substantive technical advancement. Here, we consider two emerging technologies for solid organ fabrication. One is decellularization of cadaveric organs followed by repopulation with terminally differentiated or progenitor cells. The other is 3D bioprinting to deposit cell-laden bio-inks to attain complex tissue architecture. We reviewed the development and evolution of the two technologies and evaluated relative strengths needed to produce solid organs, with special emphasis on the heart and other tissues of the cardiovascular system.

Current Trends in the Management of Blunt Solid Organ Injuries.

PubMed

Taviloglu, Korhan; Yanar, Hakan

2009-04-01

The management of patients with solid organ injuries has changed since the introduction of technically advanced imaging tools, such as ultrasonography and multiple scan computerized tomography, interventional radiological techniques and modern intensive care units. In spite of this development in the management of these patients, major solid organ traumas can still be challenging. There has been great improvement in the non-operative management (NOM) of intra-abdominal solid organ injury in recent decades. In most cases treatment of injuries has shifted from early surgical treatment to NOM.

Risk of myeloid neoplasms after solid organ transplantation

PubMed Central

Morton, Lindsay M.; Gibson, Todd M.; Clarke, Christina A.; Lynch, Charles F.; Anderson, Lesley A.; Pfeiffer, Ruth; Landgren, Ola; Weisenburger, Dennis D.; Engels, Eric A.

2014-01-01

Solid organ transplant recipients have elevated cancer risks, due in part to pharmacologic immunosuppression. However, little is known about risks for hematologic malignancies of myeloid origin. We linked the US Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients with 15 population-based cancer registries to ascertain cancer occurrence among 207,859 solid organ transplants (1987–2009). Solid organ transplant recipients had significantly elevated risk for myeloid neoplasms, with standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of 4.6 (95% confidence interval 3.8–5.6; N=101) for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), 2.7 (2.2–3.2; N=125) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 2.3 (1.6–3.2; N=36) for chronic myeloid leukemia, and 7.2 (5.4–9.3; N=57) for polycythemia vera. SIRs were highest among younger individuals and varied by time since transplantation and organ type (Poisson regression P<0.05 for all comparisons). Azathioprine for initial maintenance immunosuppression increased risk for MDS (P=0.0002) and AML (2–5 years after transplantation, P=0.0163). Overall survival following AML/MDS among transplant recipients was inferior to that of similar patients reported to US cancer registries (log-rank P<0.0001). Our novel finding of increased risks for specific myeloid neoplasms after solid organ transplantation supports a role for immune dysfunction in myeloid neoplasm etiology. The increased risks and inferior survival should heighten clinician awareness of myeloid neoplasms during follow-up of transplant recipients. PMID:24727673

Intra-abdominal solid organ injuries: an enhanced management algorithm.

PubMed

Kokabi, Nima; Shuaib, Waqas; Xing, Minzhi; Harmouche, Elie; Wilson, Kenneth; Johnson, Jamlik-Omari; Khosa, Faisal

2014-11-01

The organ injury scale grading system proposed by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma provides guidelines for operative versus nonoperative management in solid organ injuries; however, major shortcomings of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma injury scale may become apparent with low-grade injuries, in which conservative management may fail. Nonoperative management of common intra-abdominal solid organ injuries relies increasingly on computed tomographic findings and other clinical factors, including patient age, presence of concurrent injuries, and serial clinical assessments. Familiarity with characteristic imaging features is essential for the prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment of blunt abdominal trauma. In this pictorial essay, the spectrum of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma organ injury scale grading system is illustrated, and a multidisciplinary management algorithm for common intra-abdominal solid organ injuries is proposed. Copyright © 2014 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solid Organ Transplants in HIV-infected Patients

PubMed Central

Harbell, Jack; Terrault, Norah A.; Stock, Peter

2018-01-01

There is a growing need for kidney and liver transplants in persons living with HIV. Fortunately, with the significant advances in antiretroviral therapy and management of opportunistic infections, HIV infection is no longer an absolute contraindication for solid organ transplantation. Data from several large prospective multi-center cohort studies have shown that solid organ transplantation in carefully selected HIV-infected individuals is safe. However, significant challenges have been identified including prevention of acute rejection, management of drug-drug interactions and treatment of recurrent viral hepatitis. This article reviews the selection criteria, outcomes, and special management considerations for HIV-infected patients undergoing liver or kidney transplantation. PMID:23893004

Evaluating inhibition conditions in high-solids anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Schievano, Andrea; D'Imporzano, Giuliana; Malagutti, Luca; Fragali, Emilio; Ruboni, Gabriella; Adani, Fabrizio

2010-07-01

High-solids anaerobic digestion (HSAD) processes, when applied to different types of organic fractions of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), may easily be subjected to inhibition due to organic overloading. In this study, a new approach for predicting these phenomena was proposed based on the estimation of the putrescibility (oxygen consumption in 20 h biodegradation, OD(20)) of the organic mixtures undergoing the HSAD process. Different wastes exhibiting different putrescibility were subjected to lab-scale batch-HSAD. Measuring the organic loading (OL) as volatile solids (VS) was found unsuitable for predicting overload inhibition, because similar VS contents corresponded to both inhibited and successful trials. Instead, the OL calculated as OD(20) was a very good indicator of the inhibiting conditions (inhibition started for OD(20)>17-18 g O(2)kg(-1)). This new method of predicting inhibition in the HSAD process of diverse OFMSW may be useful for developing a correct approach to the technology in very different contexts. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organic chemistry on solid surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zhen; Zaera, Francisco

2006-07-01

Chemistry on solid surfaces is central to many areas of practical interest such as heterogeneous catalysis, tribology, electrochemistry, and materials processing. With the development of many surface-sensitive analytical techniques in the past decades, great advances have been possible in our understanding of such surface chemistry at the molecular level. Earlier studies with model systems, single crystals in particular, have provided rich information about the adsorption and reaction kinetics of simple inorganic molecules. More recently, the same approach has been expanded to the study of the surface chemistry of relatively complex organic molecules, in large measure in connection with the selective synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. In this report, the chemical reactions of organic molecules and fragments on solid surfaces, mainly on single crystals of metals but also on crystals of metal oxides, carbides, nitrides, phosphides, sulfides and semiconductors as well as on more complex models such as bimetallics, alloys, and supported particles, are reviewed. A scheme borrowed from the organometallic and organic chemistry literature is followed in which key examples of representative reactions are cited first, and general reactivity trends in terms of both the reactants and the nature of the surface are then identified to highlight important mechanistic details. An attempt has been made to emphasize recent advances, but key earlier examples are cited as needed. Finally, correlations between surface and organometallic and organic chemistry, the relevance of surface reactions to applied catalysis and materials functionalization, and some promising future directions in this area are briefly discussed.

Contraception and fertility awareness among women with solid organ transplants.

PubMed

French, Valerie A; Davis, John S; Sayles, Harlan S; Wu, Serena S

2013-10-01

To assess the contraception and fertility counseling provided to women with solid organ transplants. A telephone survey of 309 women aged 19-49 years who had received a solid organ transplant at the University of Nebraska Medical Center was performed. Of the 309 eligible women, 183 responded. Patients were asked 19 questions regarding pretransplant and posttransplant fertility awareness and contraception counseling. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Patients had undergone a variety of solid organ transplantations: 40% kidney (n=73); 32% liver (n=59); 6% pancreas (n=11); 5% heart (n=9); 3% intestine (n=5); and 14% multiple organs (n=26). Before their transplantations, 79 women (44%) reported they were not aware that a woman could become pregnant after transplantation. Only 66 women aged 13 and older at the time of transplantation reported that a health care provider discussed contraception before transplantation. Approximately half of women surveyed were using a method of contraception. Oral contraceptive pills were the most commonly recommended method. Twenty-two of the 31 pregnancies after organ transplantation were planned, which is higher than that of the general population. Few women with transplants are educated regarding the effect of organ transplantation on fertility and are not routinely counseled about contraception or the potential for posttransplant pregnancy. Health care providers should incorporate contraceptive and fertility counseling as part of routine care for women with solid organ transplants. : II.

Anticipated Transfusion Requirements and Mortality in Patients with Orthopedic and Solid Organ Injuries.

PubMed

Callahan, Devon S; Ashman, Zane; Kim, Dennis Y; Plurad, David S

2016-10-01

Long bone fractures are cited as an etiology for significant blood loss; however, there is scant supporting literature. We examined the relationship between long bone fractures, blood transfusions, and solid organ injuries. We hypothesize that transfusions are rare with long bone fractures in the absence of a liver or splenic injury. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients admitted with femur, tibia, and humerus fractures. Outcomes included transfusion requirements and mortality. A total of 1837 patients were included. There were 182 patients with at least one solid organ injury. A greater portion of patients with femur fractures and a lower proportion of patients with tibia fractures required transfusion. Adjusting for solid organ injuries, there was no difference in transfusions for any patient with these fractures compared with the group, or when grouped by organ injury severity. A solid organ injury significantly increases the risk of death among patients with long bone fractures. Blood loss requiring transfusion in patients with orthopedic and solid organ injuries should not be attributed to the presence of fractures alone. The need for transfusions in these patients should lower the threshold for reimaging or intervention for the solid organ injury. Further study is warranted to quantify blood loss by fracture type with or without solid organ.

Thermodynamics of phenanthrene partition into solid organic matter from water.

PubMed

Chen, Bao-liang; Zhu, Li-zhong; Tao, Shu

2005-01-01

The thermodynamic behavior of organic contaminants in soils is essential to develop remediation technologies and assess risk from alternative technologies. Thermodynamics of phenanthrene partition into four solids(three soils and a bentonite) from water were investigated. The thermodynamics parameters (deltaH, deltaG degrees, deltaS degrees) were calculated according to experimental data. The total sorption heats of phenanthrene to solids from water ranged from -7.93 to -17.1 kJ/mol, which were less exothermic than the condensation heat of phenanthrene-solid (i.e., -18.6 kJ/mol). The partition heats of phenanthrene dissolved into solid organic matter ranged from 23.1 to 32.2 kJ/mol, which were less endothermic than the aqueous dissolved heat of phenanthrene (i.e., 40.2 kJ/mol), and were more endothermic than the fusion heat of phenanthrene-solid (i.e., 18.6 kJ/mol). The standard free energy changes, deltaG degrees, are all negative which suggested that phenanthrene sorption into solid was a spontaneous process. The positive values of standard entropy changes, deltaS degrees, show a gain in entropy for the transfer of phenanthrene at the stated standard state. Due to solubility-enhancement of phenanthrene, the partition coefficients normalized by organic carbon contents decrease with increasing system temperature (i.e., ln Koc = -0.284 ln S + 9.82 (n = 4, r2 = 0.992)). The solubility of phenanthrene in solid organic matter increased with increasing temperatures. Transports of phenanthrene in different latitude locations and seasons would be predicted according to its sorption thermodynamics behavior.

Pneumocystis Pneumonia in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients

PubMed Central

Iriart, Xavier; Le Bouar, Marine; Kamar, Nassim; Berry, Antoine

2015-01-01

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is well known and described in AIDS patients. Due to the increasing use of cytotoxic and immunosuppressive therapies, the incidence of this infection has dramatically increased in the last years in patients with other predisposing immunodeficiencies and remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients. PCP in HIV-negative patients, such as SOT patients, harbors some specificity compared to AIDS patients, which could change the medical management of these patients. This article summarizes the current knowledge on the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnoses, prevention, and treatment of Pneumocystis pneumonia in solid-organ transplant recipients, with a particular focus on the changes caused by the use of post-transplantation prophylaxis. PMID:29376913

Travel medicine and the solid-organ transplant recipient.

PubMed

Rosen, Jessica

2013-06-01

More than a quarter of solid-organ transplant recipients are traveling to foreign regions where there are greater health risks than their home country. There may be higher risk of complications from typical travel-related illnesses and risk of opportunistic infections not faced by healthy travelers. Some vaccinations may be contraindicated after solid-organ transplant, and those that are safe may have decreased efficacy. Drug interactions between antirejection regimens and medications for malaria prophylaxis and traveler's diarrhea must be considered. This article discusses how providers can best advise and help protect these high-risk travelers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rechargeable quasi-solid state lithium battery with organic crystalline cathode

PubMed Central

Hanyu, Yuki; Honma, Itaru

2012-01-01

Utilization of metal-free low-cost high-capacity organic cathodes for lithium batteries has been a long-standing goal, but critical cyclability problems owing to dissolution of active materials into the electrolyte have been an inevitable obstacle. For practical utilisation of numerous cathode-active compounds proposed over the past decades, a novel battery construction strategy is required. We have designed a solid state cell that accommodates organic cathodic reactions in solid phase. The cell was successful at achieving high capacity exceeding 200 mAh/g with excellent cycleability. Further investigations confirmed that our strategy is effective for numerous other redox-active organic compounds. This implies hundreds of compounds dismissed before due to low cycleability would worth a re-visit under solid state design. PMID:22693655

Advanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy of natural organic matter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Solid-state NMR is essential for the characterization of natural organic matter (NOM) and is gaining importance in geosciences and environmental sciences. This review is intended to highlight advanced solid-state NMR techniques, especially the systematic approach to NOM characterization, and their ...

Recent Progress in Cell Therapy in Solid Organ Transplantation

PubMed Central

Garakani, R.; Saidi, R. F.

2017-01-01

There has been ample of preclinical and animal studies showing efficacy and safety of using various cells, such as stem cells or T regulatory cells, after transplantation for tissue repair, immunosuppression or tolerance induction. However, there has been a significant progress recently using cell therapy in solid organ transplantation in small clinical trials. Recent results have been promising and using cell therapy in solid organ transplantation seems feasible and safe. However, there are more hurdles to overcome such as dose and timing of the infusions. Current studies mainly focused on live donor kidney transplantation. Expansion of current regimes to other organs and deceased donor transplantation would be crucial. PMID:28924460

Porous organic polymers with different pore structures for sensitive solid-phase microextraction of environmental organic pollutants.

PubMed

Huang, Zhoubing; Liu, Shuqin; Xu, Jianqiao; Yin, Li; Zheng, Juan; Zhou, Ningbo; Ouyang, Gangfeng

2017-10-09

Adsorption capacity is the major sensitivity-limited factor in solid-phase microextraction. Due to its light-weight properties, large specific surface area and high porosity, especially tunable pore structures, the utilization of porous organic polymers as solid-phase microextraction adsorbents has attracting researchers' attentions. However, these works mostly concentrated on the utilization of specific porous organic polymers for preparing high-performance solid-phase microextraction coatings. The relationship between pore structures and adsorption performance of the porous organic polymers still remain unclear. Herein, three porous organic polymers with similar properties but different pore distributions were prepared by condensation polymerization reaction of phloroglucinol and terephthalaldehyde, which were fabricated as solid-phase microextraction coatings subsequently. The adsorption capacity of the porous organic polymers-coated fibers were evaluated by using benzene and its derivatives (i.e.,benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as the target analytes. The results showed that the different adsorption performance of these porous organic polymers was mainly caused by their different pore volumes instead of their surface areas or pore sizes. Finally, the proposed method by using the mesoporous organic polymer coating was successfully applied to the determination of benzene and its derivatives in environmental water samples. As for analytical performance, high pre-concentration factors (74-2984), satisfactory relative recoveries (94.5 ± 18.5-116.9 ± 12.5%), intraday precision (2.44-5.34%), inter-day precision (4.62-7.02%), low limit of detections (LODs, 0.10-0.29 ng L -1 ) and limit of quantifications (LOQs, 0.33-0.96 ng L -1 ) were achieved under the optimal conditions. This study provides an important idea in the rational design of porous organic polymers for solid-phase microextraction or other

Periocular Skin Cancer in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

PubMed

Perry, Julian D; Polito, Sara C; Chundury, Rao V; Singh, Arun D; Fritz, Michael A; Vidimos, Allison T; Gastman, Brian R; Koyfman, Shlomo A

2016-01-01

To determine the proportion of solid organ transplant recipients developing periocular nonmelanoma skin cancer and to describe the morbidity of these cancers in transplant recipients. Cohort study. Consecutive patients undergoing solid organ transplantation at the Cleveland Clinic between 1990 and 2008. The charts of all patients receiving a solid organ transplant from 1990-2008 evaluated in the dermatology department for a subsequent biopsy-proven head and neck malignancy through April 2015 were reviewed. Patients with a periocular region nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) or a nonperiocular NMSC causing a complication requiring eyelid surgery were included. Charts were reviewed for demographic data; transplant date, type, and source; immunosuppressive agents received at diagnosis; and type of NMSC, number of nonperiocular NMSCs, ophthalmologic findings, and periocular sequelae after the repair. Primary outcome measures included the type, location, final defect size, tumor-node-metastasis classification, presence of perineural invasion, and reconstruction technique(s) used for each periocular NMSC. Secondary outcome measures included the type and treatment of ocular sequelae due to nonperiocular facial NMSC. A total of 3489 patients underwent solid organ transplantation between 1990 and 2008. Of these, 420 patients were evaluated in the dermatology clinic for biopsy-proven NMSC of the head and neck during the study period, and 11 patients (15 malignancies) met inclusion criteria. Nine patients developed 12 periocular malignancies and 3 patients required eyelid surgery for facial malignancies outside the periocular zone. All 11 patients developed a squamous cell carcinoma (14 malignancies), and 1 patient (1 malignancy) also developed a periocular basal cell carcinoma. There was orbital invasion in 4 cases and paranasal and/or cavernous sinus invasion in 3 cases. Two patients underwent exenteration. Seven cases required reconstruction with a free flap or graft

Neutral particle background in cosmic ray telescopes composed of silicon solid state detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mewaldt, R. A.; Stone, E. C.; Vogt, R. E.

1977-01-01

The energy loss-spectrum of secondary charged particles produced by the interaction of gamma-rays and energetic neutrons in silicon solid state detectors has been measured with a satellite-borne cosmic ray telescope. In the satellite measurements presented here two distinct neutral background effects are identified: secondary protons and alpha particles with energies of about 2 to 100 MeV produced by neutron interactions, and secondary electrons with energies of about 0.2 to 10 MeV produced by X-ray interactions. The implications of this neutral background for satellite measurements of low energy cosmic rays are discussed, and suggestions are given for applying these results to other detector systems in order to estimate background contamination and optimize detector system design.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Ramesh Prasad, G V

2012-01-01

Solid organ transplant recipients are at an increased risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. To assist in their management, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has become increasingly used in both clinical research settings and practice. ABPM has been used to better define post-transplant hypertension incidence and prevalence in different solid organ transplantation populations. ABPM provides additional information on cardiovascular risk beyond that obtained by clinic-based readings, based on its ability to assess 24-h blood pressure (BP) load, detect nocturnal non-dipping, and predict target organ damage. It has provided some assurance about the safety of living kidney donation. Information from ABPM can be used to guide living kidney donor selection, and because ABPM-related data has been correlated with clinically important kidney and heart transplant recipient outcomes, it may be a valuable adjunct in their management. Despite these advantages, barriers to wider use of ABPM include expense, clinical inertia in hypertension management, lack of prospective clinical trial data, and clinical problems that compete with hypertension for attention such as acute or chronic allograft dysfunction. The increasing amount of research and clinical use for ABPM may allow for closer assessment and intervention to help address the increased cardiovascular risk faced by many solid organ transplant recipients. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Interfacial Effects and Organization of Inorganic-Organic Composite Solids.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-05-20

SITU NMR STUDY OF THE HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS OF TEMPLATE-MEDIATED MICROPOROUS ALUMINOPHOSPHATE MATERIALS, Conne M Gersrdin, Pnnccton Univ, Dept...quantitatively characterize the hydrothermal medium while the synthesis proceeds can yield to a better description of the different steps of the...Inorganic-Organic Composite Solids," focused on recent applications in materials synthesis that use structure-directing agents and self-assembly

Hybrid solid anaerobic digestion batch: biomethane production and mass recovery from the organic fraction of solid waste.

PubMed

Di Maria, Francesco; Gigliotti, Giovanni; Sordi, Alessio; Micale, Caterina; Zadra, Claudia; Massaccesi, Luisa

2013-08-01

An experimental apparatus was constructed to perform hybrid solid anaerobic digestion batch processing of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. The preliminary process was carried out with a high total solids concentration of about 33% w w(-1) and with an initial organic load of about 340 kg VS kg(-1). The fresh organic fraction to inoculum ratio used to enhance the anaerobic process start-up was 0.910 kg VS kg VS(-1). The process was conducted by spreading the percolate on top of the mixture. The percolate was stored in a separate section of the apparatus with a mean hydraulic retention time of about 1 day. During the process, acetate, butyrate and propionate in the percolate reached concentrations ranging from 3000 to 11 000 mg L(-1). In spite of these high concentrations, the biomethane produced from both the solid and the percolate was quite high, at about 210 NL kg VS(-1). The digestate obtained at the end of the run showed rather good features for being classified as an organic fertilizer according to Italian law. However, a residual phytotoxicity level was detected by a standardized test showing a germination index of about 50%.

Effects of biochars produced from solid organic municipal waste on soil quality parameters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

New, value-added uses for solid organic waste are needed for environmental and economic sustainability. Fortunately, value-added biochars can be produced from mixed organic solid waste, thereby addressing solid waste management issues, and enabling long-term carbon sequestration. We hypothesize that...

Lung Cancer Prognosis in Elderly Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

PubMed Central

Sigel, Keith; Veluswamy, Rajwanth; Krauskopf, Katherine; Mehrotra, Anita; Mhango, Grace; Sigel, Carlie; Wisnivesky, Juan

2015-01-01

Background Treatment-related immunosuppression in organ transplant recipients has been linked to increased incidence and risk of progression for several malignancies. Using a population-based cancer cohort, we evaluated whether organ transplantation was associated with worse prognosis in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry linked to Medicare claims we identified 597 patients age ≥65 with NSCLC who had received organ transplants (kidney, liver, heart or lung) prior to cancer diagnosis. These cases were compared to 114,410 untransplanted NSCLC patients. We compared overall survival (OS) by transplant status using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression. To account for an increased risk of non-lung cancer death (competing risks) in transplant recipients, we used conditional probability function (CPF) analyses. Multiple CPF regression was used to evaluate lung cancer prognosis in organ transplant recipients while adjusting for confounders. Results Transplant recipients presented with earlier stage lung cancer (p=0.002) and were more likely to have squamous cell carcinoma (p=0.02). Cox regression analyses showed that having received a non-lung organ transplant was associated with poorer OS (p<0.05) while lung transplantation was associated with no difference in prognosis. After accounting for competing risks of death using CPF regression, no differences in cancer-specific survival were noted between non-lung transplant recipients and non-transplant patients. Conclusions Non-lung solid organ transplant recipients who developed NSCLC had worse OS than non-transplant recipients due to competing risks of death. Lung cancer-specific survival analyses suggest that NSCLC tumor behavior may be similar in these two groups. PMID:25839704

Inorganic-Organic Molecules and Solids with Nanometer-Sized Pores

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maverick, Andrew W

2011-12-17

We are constructing porous inorganic-organic hybrid molecules and solids, many of which contain coordinatively unsaturated metal centers. In this work, we use multifunctional ²-diketone ligands as building blocks to prepare extended-solid and molecular porous materials that are capable of reacting with a variety of guest molecules.

Establishing a molecular relationship between chondritic and cometary organic solids

PubMed Central

Cody, George D.; Heying, Emily; Alexander, Conel M. O.; Nittler, Larry R.; Kilcoyne, A. L. David; Sandford, Scott A.

2011-01-01

Multidimensional solid-state NMR spectroscopy is used to refine the identification and abundance determination of functional groups in insoluble organic matter (IOM) isolated from a carbonaceous chondrite (Murchison, CM2). It is shown that IOM is composed primarily of highly substituted single ring aromatics, substituted furan/pyran moieties, highly branched oxygenated aliphatics, and carbonyl groups. A pathway for producing an IOM-like molecular structure through formaldehyde polymerization is proposed and tested experimentally. Solid-state 13C NMR analysis of aqueously altered formaldehyde polymer reveals considerable similarity with chondritic IOM. Carbon X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy of formaldehyde polymer reveals the presence of similar functional groups across certain Comet 81P/Wild 2 organic solids, interplanetary dust particles, and primitive IOM. Variation in functional group concentration amongst these extraterrestrial materials is understood to be a result of various degrees of processing in the parent bodies, in space, during atmospheric entry, etc. These results support the hypothesis that chondritic IOM and cometary refractory organic solids are related chemically and likely were derived from formaldehyde polymer. The fine-scale morphology of formaldehyde polymer produced in the experiment reveals abundant nanospherules that are similar in size and shape to organic nanoglobules that are ubiquitous in primitive chondrites. PMID:21464292

Infections in solid-organ transplant recipients.

PubMed Central

Patel, R; Paya, C V

1997-01-01

Solid-organ transplantation is a therapeutic option for many human diseases. Infections are a major complication of solid-organ transplantation. All candidates should undergo a thorough infectious-disease screening prior to transplantation. There are three time frames, influenced by surgical factors, the level of immunosuppression, and environmental exposures, during which infections of specific types most frequently occur posttransplantation. Most infections during the first month are related to surgical complications. Opportunistic infections typically occur from the second to the sixth month. During the late posttransplant period (beyond 6 months), transplantation recipients suffer from the same infections seen in the general community. Opportunistic bacterial infections seen in transplant recipients include those caused by Legionella spp., Nocardia spp., Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Cytomegalovirus is the most common cause of viral infections. Herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus and others are also significant pathogens. Fungal infections, caused by both yeasts and mycelial fungi, are associated with the highest mortality rates. Mycobacterial, pneumocystis, and parasitic diseases may also occur. PMID:8993860

Using background knowledge for picture organization and retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintana, Yuri

1997-01-01

A picture knowledge base management system is described that is used to represent, organize and retrieve pictures from a frame knowledge base. Experiments with human test subjects were conducted to obtain further descriptions of pictures from news magazines. These descriptions were used to represent the semantic content of pictures in frame representations. A conceptual clustering algorithm is described which organizes pictures not only on the observable features, but also on implicit properties derived from the frame representations. The algorithm uses inheritance reasoning to take into account background knowledge in the clustering. The algorithm creates clusters of pictures using a group similarity function that is based on the gestalt theory of picture perception. For each cluster created, a frame is generated which describes the semantic content of pictures in the cluster. Clustering and retrieval experiments were conducted with and without background knowledge. The paper shows how the use of background knowledge and semantic similarity heuristics improves the speed, precision, and recall of queries processed. The paper concludes with a discussion of how natural language processing of can be used to assist in the development of knowledge bases and the processing of user queries.

Organic compounds in re-circulated leachates of aerobic biological treated municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Franke, Matthias; Jandl, Gerald; Leinweber, Peter

2006-10-01

Biodegradation of organic matter is required to reduce the potential of municipal solid waste for producing gaseous emissions and leaching contaminants. Therefore, we studied leachates of an aerobic-treated waste from municipal solids and a sewage sludge mixture that were re-circulated to decrease the concentration of biodegradable organic matter in laboratory-scale reactors. After 12 months, the total organic C and biological and chemical oxygen demands were reduced, indicating the biodegradation of organic compounds in the leachates. Curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS) revealed that phenols, alkylaromatic compounds, N-containing compounds and carbohydrates were the predominate compounds in the leachates and solid waste. Leachate re-circulation led to a higher thermal stability of the residual organic matter as indicated by temperature-resolved Py-FIMS. Admixture of sewage sludge to solid waste was less effective in removing organic compounds from the leachates. It resulted in drastic higher and more bio-resistant loads of organic matter in the leachates and revealed increased proportions of alkylaromatic compounds. The biodegradation of organic matter in leachates, re-circulated through municipal solid waste, offers the potential for improved aerobic waste treatments and should be investigated on a larger scale.

A 10-year experience of tuberculosis in solid-organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Ulubay, Gaye; Kupeli, Elif; Duvenci Birben, Ozlem; Seyfettin, Emine Pinar; Dogrul, Mustafa Ilgaz; Ozsancak Ugurlu, Aylin; Oner Eyuboglu, Fusun; Haberal, Mehmet

2015-04-01

Tuberculosis remains an important problem in solid-organ transplant patients due to their immunocompromised state. The objective of the present study was to report the incidence, demographic characteristics, and various presentations of tuberculosis in solid-organ transplant recipients. We evaluated a total of 999 patients (male/female = 665/334, 661 renal and 338 liver transplants) who underwent solid-organ transplant between 2003 and 2013. The medical records of all patients were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' demographics, transplant type, primary site of tuberculosis specimen culture and pathology results, chest radiograph, and thoracic computed tomography findings, total blood count and chemistry were all recorded. Among the 999 subjects, 19 patients (1.9%) (male/female: 15/4, mean ± SD age, 42 ± 18.5 y) were diagnosed with tuberculosis. The majority of patients (85%) were diagnosed with tuberculosis within 6 months after transplant, and 15% were diagnosed within 3 months. Most diagnoses of tuberculosis were based on histopathologic examination of biopsy material. Of these patients, 9 were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, 8 had extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and 2 had both. Nontuberculosis mycobacteria infections were detected in 3 patients. Even with a negative exposure history, tuberculosis can manifest as different clinic presentations in solid-organ transplant patients on immunosuppressive drugs, particularly in the first 6 months after transplant. Therefore, clinicians should always consider tuberculosis as the potential cause of an infectious disease with unknown cause to successfully diagnose and manage solid-organ transplant recipients.

Forming a three-dimensional porous organic network via solid-state explosion of organic single crystals.

PubMed

Bae, Seo-Yoon; Kim, Dongwook; Shin, Dongbin; Mahmood, Javeed; Jeon, In-Yup; Jung, Sun-Min; Shin, Sun-Hee; Kim, Seok-Jin; Park, Noejung; Lah, Myoung Soo; Baek, Jong-Beom

2017-11-17

Solid-state reaction of organic molecules holds a considerable advantage over liquid-phase processes in the manufacturing industry. However, the research progress in exploring this benefit is largely staggering, which leaves few liquid-phase systems to work with. Here, we show a synthetic protocol for the formation of a three-dimensional porous organic network via solid-state explosion of organic single crystals. The explosive reaction is realized by the Bergman reaction (cycloaromatization) of three enediyne groups on 2,3,6,7,14,15-hexaethynyl-9,10-dihydro-9,10-[1,2]benzenoanthracene. The origin of the explosion is systematically studied using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, along with high-speed camera and density functional theory calculations. The results suggest that the solid-state explosion is triggered by an abrupt change in lattice energy induced by release of primer molecules in the 2,3,6,7,14,15-hexaethynyl-9,10-dihydro-9,10-[1,2]benzenoanthracene crystal lattice.

Prevalence of Chagas Disease among Solid Organ-Transplanted Patients in a Nonendemic Country.

PubMed

Salvador, Fernando; Sánchez-Montalvá, Adrián; Sulleiro, Elena; Moreso, Francesc; Berastegui, Cristina; Caralt, Mireia; Pinazo, María-Jesús; Moure, Zaira; Los-Arcos, Ibai; Len, Oscar; Gavaldà, Joan; Molina, Israel

2018-03-01

Reactivation of Chagas disease in the chronic phase may occur after solid organ transplantation, which may result in high parasitemia and severe clinical manifestations such as myocarditis and meningoencephalitis. The aim of the present study is to describe the prevalence of Chagas disease among solid organ-transplanted patients in a tertiary hospital from a nonendemic country. A cross-sectional study was performed at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona, Spain) from April to September 2016. Chagas disease screening was performed through serological tests in adult patients coming from endemic areas that had received solid organ transplantation and were being controlled in our hospital during the study period. Overall, 42 patients were included, 20 (47.6%) were male and median age was 50.5 (23-73) years. Transplanted organs were as follows: 18 kidneys, 17 lungs, and 7 livers. Three patients had Chagas disease, corresponding to a prevalence among this group of solid organ-transplanted patients of 7.1%. All three patients were born in Bolivia, had been diagnosed with Chagas disease and received specific treatment before the organ transplantation. We highly recommend providing screening tests for Chagas disease in patients with or candidates for solid organ transplantation coming from endemic areas, early treatment with benznidazole, and close follow-up to prevent clinical reactivations.

Management of children with solid organ injuries after blunt torso trauma.

PubMed

Wisner, David H; Kuppermann, Nathan; Cooper, Arthur; Menaker, Jay; Ehrlich, Peter; Kooistra, Josh; Mahajan, Prashant; Lee, Lois; Cook, Lawrence J; Yen, Kenneth; Lillis, Kathy; Holmes, James F

2015-08-01

Management of children with intra-abdominal solid organ injuries has evolved markedly. We describe the current management of children with intra-abdominal solid organ injuries after blunt trauma in a large multicenter network. We performed a planned secondary analysis of a prospective, multicenter observational study of children (<18 years) with blunt torso trauma. We included children with spleen, liver, or kidney injuries identified by computed tomography, laparotomy/laparoscopy, or autopsy. Outcomes included disposition and interventions (blood transfusion for intra-abdominal hemorrhage, angiography, laparotomy/laparoscopy). We performed subanalyses of children with isolated injuries. A total of 12,044 children were enrolled; 605 (5.0%) had intra-abdominal solid organ injuries. The mean (SD) age was 10.7 (5.1) years, and injured organs included spleen 299 (49.4%), liver 282 (46.6%), and kidney 147 (24.3%). Intraperitoneal fluid was identified on computed tomography in 461 (76%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 73-80%), and isolated solid organ injuries were present in 418 (69%; 95% CI, 65-73%). Treatment included therapeutic laparotomy in 17 (4.1%), angiographic embolization in 6 (1.4%), and blood transfusion in 46 (11%) patients. Laparotomy rates for isolated injury were 11 (5.4%) of 205 (95% CI, 2.7-9.4%) at non-freestanding children's hospitals and 6 (2.8%) of 213 (95% CI, 1.0-6.0%) at freestanding children's hospitals (difference, 2.6%; 95% CI, -7.1% to 12.2%). Dispositions of the 212 children with isolated Grade I or II organ injuries were home in 6 (3%), emergency department observation in 9 (4%), ward in 114 (54%), intensive care unit in 73 (34%), operating suite in 7 (3%), and transferred in 3 (1%) patients. Intensive care unit admission for isolated Grade I or II injuries varied by center from 9% to 73%. Most children with solid organ injuries are managed with observation. Blood transfusion, while uncommon, is the most frequent therapeutic intervention

Determinants of influenza vaccination among solid organ transplant recipients attending Sicilian reference center.

PubMed

Restivo, Vincenzo; Vizzini, Giovanni; Mularoni, Alessandra; Di Benedetto, Cinzia; Gioè, Santi Mauro; Vitale, Francesco

2017-02-01

Among solid organ transplant recipients, influenza infection is commonly associated with higher morbidity and mortality than immunocompetent hosts. Therefore, in these subjects influenza vaccination is of paramount importance. The main objective of the study was to assess compliance to vaccination and analyze factors associated with influenza vaccination of solid organ transplant recipients admitted to the Sicilian solid organ transplant Reference Center IRCCS-ISMETT in Palermo during 2014-2015 influenza season. Thirty one (37.8%) out of 82 solid organ transplant recipients were vaccinated against influenza. The main reason for vaccination refusal was fear of adverse reaction (n = 16, 31.4%), impaired health status (n = 14, 27.4%) and low vaccine efficacy (n = 10, 19.6%). Vaccinated solid organ transplant recipients compare with unvaccinated had smaller hospital admissions for infectious respiratory diseases (9.7% Vs 23.5%) during surveillance period. On multivariate analysis the factors positively associated with influenza vaccination were the advice of Reference Center physicians (OR 53.4, p < 0.001) and to perform vaccine against pneumococcus (OR 7.0, p = 0.016). This study showed that Reference Center physicians play a key role on vaccine communication and recommendation for patients at risk and it underlines the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in solid organ transplant recipients. However, it remains that, although physician advice resulted a strong determinant for vaccination, influenza vaccination coverage in this subset of population remains still unsatisfactory.

Long-term outcomes of children after solid organ transplantation

PubMed Central

Kim, Jon Jin; Marks, Stephen D.

2014-01-01

Solid organ transplantation has transformed the lives of many children and adults by providing treatment for patients with organ failure who would have otherwise succumbed to their disease. The first successful transplant in 1954 was a kidney transplant between identical twins, which circumvented the problem of rejection from MHC incompatibility. Further progress in solid organ transplantation was enabled by the discovery of immunosuppressive agents such as corticosteroids and azathioprine in the 1950s and ciclosporin in 1970. Today, solid organ transplantation is a conventional treatment with improved patient and allograft survival rates. However, the challenge that lies ahead is to extend allograft survival time while simultaneously reducing the side effects of immunosuppression. This is particularly important for children who have irreversible organ failure and may require multiple transplants. Pediatric transplant teams also need to improve patient quality of life at a time of physical, emotional and psychosocial development. This review will elaborate on the long-term outcomes of children after kidney, liver, heart, lung and intestinal transplantation. As mortality rates after transplantation have declined, there has emerged an increased focus on reducing longer-term morbidity with improved outcomes in optimizing cardiovascular risk, renal impairment, growth and quality of life. Data were obtained from a review of the literature and particularly from national registries and databases such as the North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies for the kidney, SPLIT for liver, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and UNOS for intestinal transplantation. PMID:24860856

Histoplasmosis After Solid Organ Transplant

PubMed Central

Assi, Maha; Martin, Stanley; Wheat, L. Joseph; Hage, Chadi; Freifeld, Alison; Avery, Robin; Baddley, John W.; Vergidis, Paschalis; Miller, Rachel; Andes, David; Young, Jo-Anne H.; Hammoud, Kassem; Huprikar, Shirish; McKinsey, David; Myint, Thein; Garcia-Diaz, Julia; Esguerra, Eden; Kwak, E. J.; Morris, Michele; Mullane, Kathleen M.; Prakash, Vidhya; Burdette, Steven D.; Sandid, Mohammad; Dickter, Jana; Ostrander, Darin; Antoun, Smyrna Abou; Kaul, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

Background. To improve our understanding of risk factors, management, diagnosis, and outcomes associated with histoplasmosis after solid organ transplant (SOT), we report a large series of histoplasmosis occurring after SOT. Methods. All cases of histoplasmosis in SOT recipients diagnosed between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2010 at 24 institutions were identified. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. Results. One hundred fifty-two cases were identified: kidney (51%), liver (16%), kidney/pancreas (14%), heart (9%), lung (5%), pancreas (2%), and other (2%). The median time from transplant to diagnosis was 27 months, but 34% were diagnosed in the first year after transplant. Twenty-eight percent of patients had severe disease (requiring intensive care unit admission); 81% had disseminated disease. Urine Histoplasma antigen detection was the most sensitive diagnostic method, positive in 132 of 142 patients (93%). An amphotericin formulation was administered initially to 73% of patients for a median duration of 2 weeks; step-down therapy with an azole was continued for a median duration of 12 months. Ten percent of patients died due to histoplasmosis with 72% of deaths occurring in the first month after diagnosis; older age and severe disease were risk factors for death from histoplasmosis. Relapse occurred in 6% of patients. Conclusions. Although late cases occur, the first year after SOT is the period of highest risk for histoplasmosis. In patients who survive the first month after diagnosis, treatment with an amphotericin formulation followed by an azole for 12 months is usually successful, with only rare relapse. PMID:24046304

Food allergies developing after solid organ transplant.

PubMed

Needham, J M; Nicholas, S K; Davis, C M

2015-12-01

The development of food allergy is an increasingly recognized form of morbidity after solid organ transplant. It occurs more commonly in liver transplant recipients, although it has also been reported in heart, lung, kidney, and intestinal transplants. Pediatric transplant recipients are more likely to develop symptoms compared to adults, and reports of frequency vary widely from 5% to 38% in pediatric liver transplant recipients. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed in the literature, although no single mechanism can yet account for all reported observations. As food allergy can have at worst potentially fatal consequences, and at best require lifestyle adjustment through food avoidance, it is important for recipients to be aware of the donor's food allergies and particularly in pediatrics, the possibility of completely de novo allergies. This review explores the recent reports surrounding food allergy after solid organ transplant, including epidemiology, proposed mechanisms, and implications for practice. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

What’s new in clinical solid organ transplantation by 2013

PubMed Central

Salvadori, Maurizio; Bertoni, Elisabetta

2014-01-01

Innovative and exciting advances in the clinical science in solid organ transplantation continuously realize as the results of studies, clinical trials, international conferences, consensus conferences, new technologies and discoveries. This review will address to the full spectrum of news in transplantation, that verified by 2013. The key areas covered are the transplantation activity, with particular regards to the donors, the news for solid organs such as kidney, pancreas, liver, heart and lung, the news in immunosuppressive therapies, the news in the field of tolerance and some of the main complications following transplantation as infections and cancers. The period of time covered by the study starts from the international meetings held in 2012, whose results were published in 2013, up to the 2013 meetings, conferences and consensus published in the first months of 2014. In particular for every organ, the trends in numbers and survival have been reviewed as well as the most relevant problems such as organ preservation, ischemia reperfusion injuries, and rejections with particular regards to the antibody mediated rejection that involves all solid organs. The new drugs and strategies applied in organ transplantation have been divided into new way of using old drugs or strategies and drugs new not yet on the market, but on phase Ito III of clinical studies and trials. PMID:25540734

Soft templating strategies for the synthesis of mesoporous materials: inorganic, organic-inorganic hybrid and purely organic solids.

PubMed

Pal, Nabanita; Bhaumik, Asim

2013-03-01

With the discovery of MCM-41 by Mobil researchers in 1992 the journey of the research on mesoporous materials started and in the 21st century this area of scientific investigation have extended into numerous branches, many of which contribute significantly in emerging areas like catalysis, energy, environment and biomedical research. As a consequence thousands of publications came out in large varieties of national and international journals. In this review, we have tried to summarize the published works on various synthetic pathways and formation mechanisms of different mesoporous materials viz. inorganic, organic-inorganic hybrid and purely organic solids via soft templating pathways. Generation of nanoscale porosity in a solid material usually requires participation of organic template (more specifically surfactants and their supramolecular assemblies) called structure-directing agent (SDA) in the bottom-up chemical reaction process. Different techniques employed for the syntheses of inorganic mesoporous solids, like silicas, metal doped silicas, transition and non-transition metal oxides, mixed oxides, metallophosphates, organic-inorganic hybrids as well as purely organic mesoporous materials like carbons, polymers etc. using surfactants are depicted schematically and elaborately in this paper. Moreover, some of the frontline applications of these mesoporous solids, which are directly related to their functionality, composition and surface properties are discussed at the appropriate places. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alcohol and substance abuse in solid-organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Parker, Richard; Armstrong, Matthew J; Corbett, Chris; Day, Edward J; Neuberger, James M

2013-12-27

This review focuses on alcohol and substance abuse in the context of solid-organ transplantation. Alcohol and substance abuse are common and may lead to a need for solid-organ transplantation and may also contribute to significant physical and psychologic problems that impact upon the recipient. Damaging levels of alcohol intake can occur in the absence of dependence. Alcohol or substance abuse after transplantation is associated with poor medication compliance and this may increase risk of graft loss. Intravenous drug use is associated with increased risk of infections (especially secondary to opportunistic organisms-bacterial, viral, protozoal, and others-and such infections may be more severe in the immunosuppressed), but there is only anecdotal evidence that such behavior has a worse outcome in transplant recipients. Whereas previous alcohol excess and drug use in kidney recipients are both associated with a small but statistically significantly increased risk of adverse outcomes (hazard ratio, 1.16-1.56), alcohol use within recommended guidelines after transplantation appears safe and possibly beneficial. Robust data are lacking for other organs, but those available suggest that heart transplantation is safe in individuals with a history of alcohol or substance abuse. Health specialists in drug or alcohol addiction should carefully screen all potential transplant candidates for these conditions, and where there is evidence of dependency or abuse, effective psychologic and physical treatment should be offered. Studies have shown that interventions such as psychologic intervention have improved alcohol behavior in the context of liver transplantation. Although there are no comparable studies with other solid-organ recipients, it is reasonable to expect transferable outcomes.

Comparison of solid-phase and eluate assays to gauge the ecotoxicological risk of organic wastes on soil organisms.

PubMed

Domene, Xavier; Alcañiz, Josep M; Andrés, Pilar

2008-02-01

Development of methodologies to assess the safety of reusing polluted organic wastes in soil is a priority in Europe. In this study, and coupled with chemical analysis, seven organic wastes were subjected to different aquatic and soil bioassays. Tests were carried out with solid-phase waste and three different waste eluates (water, methanol, and dichloromethane). Solid-phase assays were indicated as the most suitable for waste testing not only in terms of relevance for real situations, but also because toxicity in eluates was generally not representative of the chronic effects in solid-phase. No general correlations were found between toxicity and waste pollutant burden, neither in solid-phase nor in eluate assays, showing the inability of chemical methods to predict the ecotoxicological risks of wastes. On the contrary, several physicochemical parameters reflecting the degree of low organic matter stability in wastes were the main contributors to the acute toxicity seen in collembolans and daphnids.

Tissue-Resident Lymphocytes in Solid Organ Transplantation: Innocent Passengers or the Key to Organ Transplant Survival?

PubMed

Prosser, Amy C; Kallies, Axel; Lucas, Michaela

2018-03-01

Short-term outcomes of solid organ transplantation have improved dramatically over the past several decades; however, long-term survival has remained static over the same period, and chronic rejection remains a major cause of graft failure. The importance of donor, or "passenger," lymphocytes to the induction of tolerance to allografts was recognized in the 1990s, but their precise contribution to graft acceptance or rejection has not been elucidated. Recently, specialized populations of tissue-resident lymphocytes in nonlymphoid organs have been described. These lymphocytes include tissue-resident memory T cells, regulatory T cells, γδ T cells, invariant natural killer T cells, and innate lymphoid cells. These cells reside in commonly transplanted solid organs, including the liver, kidneys, heart, and lung; however, their contribution to graft acceptance or rejection has not been examined in detail. Similarly, it is unclear whether tissue-resident cells derived from the pool of recipient-derived lymphocytes play a specific role in transplantation biology. This review summarizes the evidence for the roles of tissue-resident lymphocytes in transplant immunology, focussing on their features, functions, and relevance for solid organ transplantation, with specific reference to liver, kidney, heart, and lung transplantation.

Percutaneous Dilational Tracheotomy in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients.

PubMed

Ozdemirkan, Aycan; Ersoy, Zeynep; Zeyneloglu, Pinar; Gedik, Ender; Pirat, Arash; Haberal, Mehmet

2015-11-01

Solid-organ transplant recipients may require percutaneous dilational tracheotomy because of prolonged mechanical ventilation or airway issues, but data regarding its safety and effectiveness in solid-organ transplant recipients are scarce. Here, we evaluated the safety, effectiveness, and benefits in terms of lung mechanics, complications, and patient comfort of percutaneous dilational tracheotomy in solid-organ transplant recipients. Medical records from 31 solid-organ transplant recipients (median age of 41.0 years [interquartile range, 18.0-53.0 y]) who underwent percutaneous dilational tracheotomy at our hospital between January 2010 and March 2015 were analyzed, including primary diagnosis, comorbidities, duration of orotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit and hospital stays, the time interval between transplant to percutaneous dilational tracheotomy, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, tracheotomy-related complications, and pulmonary compliance and ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen. The median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score on admission was 24.0 (interquartile range, 18.0-29.0). The median interval from transplant to percutaneous dilational tracheotomy was 105.5 days (interquartile range, 13.0-2165.0 d). The only major complication noted was left-sided pneumothorax in 1 patient. There were no significant differences in ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen before and after procedure (170.0 [interquartile range, 102.2-302.0] vs 210.0 [interquartile range, 178.5-345.5]; P = .052). However, pulmonary compliance results preprocedure and postprocedure were significantly different (0.020 L/cm H2O [interquartile range, 0.015-0.030 L/cm H2O] vs 0.030 L/cm H2O [interquartile range, 0.020-0.041 L/cm H2O); P = .001]). Need for sedation significantly decreased after tracheotomy (from 17 patients [54.8%] to

X-ray characterization of solid small molecule organic materials

DOEpatents

Billinge, Simon; Shankland, Kenneth; Shankland, Norman; Florence, Alastair

2014-06-10

The present invention provides, inter alia, methods of characterizing a small molecule organic material, e.g., a drug or a drug product. This method includes subjecting the solid small molecule organic material to x-ray total scattering analysis at a short wavelength, collecting data generated thereby, and mathematically transforming the data to provide a refined set of data.

New Approaches in Soil Organic Matter Fluorescence; A Solid Phase Fluorescence Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, M. M.; Sanclements, M.; McKnight, D. M.

2017-12-01

Fluorescence spectroscopy is a well-established technique to investigate the composition of organic matter in aquatic systems and is increasingly applied to soil organic matter (SOM). Current methods require that SOM be extracted into a liquid prior to analysis by fluorescence spectroscopy. Soil extractions introduce an additional layer of complexity as the composition of the organic matter dissolved into solution varies based upon the selected extractant. Water is one of the most commonly used extractant, but only extracts the water-soluble fraction of the SOM with the insoluble soil organic matter fluorescence remaining in the soil matrix. We propose the use of solid phase fluorescence on whole soils as a potential tool to look at the composition of organic matter without the extraction bias and gain a more complete understand of the potential for fluorescence as a tool in terrestrial studies. To date, the limited applications of solid phase fluorescence have ranged from food and agriculture to pharmaceutical with no clearly defined methods and limitations available. We are aware of no other studies that use solid phase fluorescence and thus no clear methods to look at SOM across a diverse set of soil types and ecosystems. With this new approach to fluorescence spectroscopy there are new challenges, such as blank correction, inner filter effect corrections, and sample preparation. This work outlines a novel method for analyzing soil organic matter using solid phase fluorescence across a wide range of soils collected from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) eco-domains. This method has shown that organic matter content in soils must be diluted to 2% to reduce backscattering and oversaturation of the detector in forested soils. In mineral horizons (A) there is observed quenching of the humic-like organic matter, which is likely a result of organo-mineral complexation. Finally, we present preliminary comparisons between solid and liquid phase

Influenza vaccine strategies for solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Hirzel, Cédric; Kumar, Deepali

2018-05-15

The aim of this study was to highlight recent evidence on important aspects of influenza vaccination in solid organ transplant recipients. Influenza vaccine is the most evaluated vaccine in transplant recipients. The immunogenicity of the vaccine is suboptimal after transplantation. Newer formulations such as inactivated unadjuvanted high-dose influenza vaccine and the administration of a booster dose within the same season have shown to increase response rates. Intradermal vaccination and adjuvanted vaccines did not show clear benefit over standard influenza vaccines. Recent studies in transplant recipients do not suggest a higher risk for allograft rejection, neither after vaccination with a standard influenza vaccine nor after the administration of nonstandard formulation (high-dose, adjuvanted vaccines), routes (intradermally) or a booster dose. Nevertheless, influenza vaccine coverage in transplant recipients is still unsatisfactory low, potentially due to misinterpretation of risks and benefits. Annual influenza vaccination is well tolerated and is an important part of long-term care of solid organ transplant recipients.

Rabies Virus Transmission in Solid Organ Transplantation, China, 2015-2016.

PubMed

Chen, Shuilian; Zhang, Heng; Luo, Meiling; Chen, Jingfang; Yao, Dong; Chen, Faming; Liu, Ruchun; Chen, Tianmu

2017-09-01

We report rabies virus transmission among solid organ transplantation recipients in Changsha, China, in 2016. Two recipients were confirmed to have rabies and died. Our findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the possibility of rabies virus transmission through organ transplantation for clinical and public health reasons.

Energy-effective Grinding of Inorganic Solids Using Organic Additives.

PubMed

Mishra, Ratan K; Weibel, Martin; Müller, Thomas; Heinz, Hendrik; Flatt, Robert J

2017-08-09

We present our research findings related to new formulations of the organic additives (grinding aids) needed for the efficient grinding of inorganic solids. Even though the size reduction phenomena of the inorganic solid particles in a ball mill is purely a physical process, the addition of grinding aids in milling media introduces a complex physicochemical process. In addition to further gain in productivity, the organic additive helps to reduce the energy needed for grinding, which in the case of cement clinker has major environmental implications worldwide. This is primarily due to the tremendous amounts of cement produced and almost 30% of the associated electrical energy is consumed for grinding. In this paper, we examine the question of how to optimize these grinding aids linking molecular insight into their working mechanisms, and also how to design chemical additives of improved performance for industrial comminution.

Cryptosporidium spp. Infection in Solid Organ Transplantation: The Nationwide "TRANSCRYPTO" Study.

PubMed

Lanternier, Fanny; Amazzough, Karima; Favennec, Loic; Mamzer-Bruneel, Marie-France; Abdoul, Hendy; Tourret, Jérome; Decramer, Stéphane; Zuber, Julien; Scemla, Anne; Legendre, Christophe; Lortholary, Olivier; Bougnoux, Marie-Elisabeth

2017-04-01

Diarrhea is a frequent complication of solid organ transplantation. Cryptosporidiosis is classically reported in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and emerged as a cause of persistent diarrhea in solid organ transplant patients. Through the ANOFEL Cryptosporidium National Network and the French Transplantation Society, we collected all cryptosporidiosis cases identified in solid organ transplanted patients between 2006 and 2010 in France. We reported 47 solid organ transplant recipients (41 kidneys) with cryptosporidiosis, mostly men (68%), with a median age of 52 (6-70) years old. Five patients had additional immunodepression favoring cryptosporidiosis (CD40 ligand deficiency [n = 1], human immunodeficiency virus infection [n = 4]). Cryptosporidiosis occurred at a median time of 3.4 (0-19.8) years posttransplant. Exposure to environmental risk factors was found before infection onset in 18 patients. Time between first symptoms and diagnosis was 10 (2-110) days. Four patients had associated extraintestinal location (biliary tract [n = 3] and lung [n = 1]). Thirty-five patients received specific therapy against cryptosporidiosis ie nitozoxanide, 25 in monotherapy, and 10 in association with azithromycin, 13 in association with immunosuppression (IS) reduction. Four patients were cured with IS treatment tapering only. The others patients had neither IS reduction nor specific therapy against cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidiosis was complicated by renal failure in 15 patients. Symptoms resolved after a median of 10 days of treatment. Six patients relapsed and 3 died, 1 with evolutive infection. Cryptosporidiosis is a late posttransplant infection that disseminated to biliar duct or lung in 9% of patients. When limited to digestive tract, infection may resolve without IS reduction.

Experiences Spreading Organic Solid Wastes on Forest Land

Treesearch

J.H. Wilhoit; L.J. Samuelson

1998-01-01

This paper reviews experiences spreading organic solid wastes on forest land over the past six years. Presented are some of the first-ever reported results on tree growth responses from fertilizing pine trees with poultry litter, spreader distribution pattern results for spreading in a pine plantation stand, and a discussion of equipment-related experiences spreading...

Future immunosuppressive agents in solid-organ transplantation.

PubMed

Gabardi, Steven; Cerio, Jeffrey

2004-06-01

To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of mycophenolate sodium, everolimus, and FTY720. Clinical trials and abstracts evaluating mycophenolate sodium, everolimus, and FTY720 in solid-organ transplantation were considered for evaluation. English-language studies and published abstracts were selected for inclusion. Mycophenolate sodium has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Adminstration for marketing in the United States; everolimus and FTY720 are immunosuppressive agents that may soon be available in the United States. These agents have proven efficacy in reducing the incidence of acute rejection in solid-organ transplantation. Clinical trials have shown that these newer agents are relatively well tolerated. The most common adverse events associated with these agents were gastrointestinal and hematologic effects (mycophenolate sodium); hyperlipidemia, increased serum creatinine, and hematologic effects (everolimus): and gastrointestinal effects, headache, and bradycardia (FTY720). Mycophenolate sodium has been approved in some European countries and the United States. Everolimus has been approved in some European countries and a new drug application has been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. FTY720 is currently in phase III clinical trials and submission to the Food and Drug Administration for approval is a few years away. The approval of these agents will furnish the transplant practitioner with even more options for immunosuppression.

Approaches to Establishing the Chemical Structure of Extraterrestrial Organic Solids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cody, G. D.; Alexander, C. M. OD.; Wirick, Susan

2003-01-01

The majority of extraterrestrial organic matter in carbonaceous chondrites resides in a chemically complex, insoluble and perhaps macromolecular phase. We have been applying a series of independent solid state NMR experiments that are designed to provide a self consistent chemical characterization of this complex material. To date we have thoroughly analyzed 8 organic residues from different meteorites, including a CR2 (EET92042), CIl(Orgueil), CM2 (Murchison), Tagish Lake, CM2 (AlH83100), CM2 (Cold Bokkefeld), CM2 (Mighei), CM3 (Y86720). In fig 1. (1)H to (13)C cross polarization NMR spectra of four of these are shown. Note that there exists an enormous range in chemistry exhibited in organic solid [evident by the breadth of the spectral features both in the aliphatic region (sp(sup 3)) and the aromatic region (sp(sup 2))]. There is also considerable differences in the carbon chemistry across the meteorite groups.

Aqueous liquid feed organic fuel cell using solid polymer electrolyte membrane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olah, George A. (Inventor); Surampudi, Subbarao (Inventor); Vamos, Eugene (Inventor); Halpert, Gerald (Inventor); Narayanan, Sekharipuram R. (Inventor); Frank, Harvey A. (Inventor); Prakash, G. K. Surya (Inventor)

1997-01-01

A liquid organic fuel cell is provided which employs a solid electrolyte membrane. An organic fuel, such as a methanol/water mixture, is circulated past an anode of a cell while oxygen or air is circulated past a cathode of the cell. The cell solid electrolyte membrane is preferably fabricated from Nafion.TM.. Additionally, a method for improving the performance of carbon electrode structures for use in organic fuel cells is provided wherein a high surface-area carbon particle/Teflon.TM.-binder structure is immersed within a Nafion.TM./methanol bath to impregnate the electrode with Nafion.TM.. A method for fabricating an anode for use in a organic fuel cell is described wherein metal alloys are deposited onto the electrode in an electro-deposition solution containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. A fuel additive containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid for use with fuel cells employing a sulfuric acid electrolyte is also disclosed. New organic fuels, namely, trimethoxymethane, dimethoxymethane, and trioxane are also described for use with either conventional or improved fuel cells.

Pyrolysis-GCMS Analysis of Solid Organic Products from Catalytic Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Locke, Darren R.; Yazzie, Cyriah A.; Burton, Aaron S.; Niles, Paul B.; Johnson, Natasha M.

2015-01-01

Abiotic synthesis of complex organic compounds in the early solar nebula that formed our solar system is hypothesized to occur via a Fischer-Tropsch type (FTT) synthesis involving the reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases over metal and metal oxide catalysts. In general, at low temperatures (less than 200 C), FTT synthesis is expected to form abundant alkane compounds while at higher temperatures (greater than 200 C) it is expected to product lesser amounts of n-alkanes and greater amounts of alkene, alcohol, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Experiments utilizing a closed-gas circulation system to study the effects of FTT reaction temperature, catalysts, and number of experimental cycles on the resulting solid insoluble organic products are being performed in the laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. These experiments aim to determine whether or not FTT reactions on grain surfaces in the protosolar nebula could be the source of the insoluble organic matter observed in meteorites. The resulting solid organic products are being analyzed at NASA Johnson Space Center by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (PY-GCMS). PY-GCMS yields the types and distribution of organic compounds released from the insoluble organic matter generated from the FTT reactions. Previously, exploratory work utilizing PY-GCMS to characterize the deposited organic materials from these reactions has been reported. Presented here are new organic analyses using magnetite catalyst to produce solid insoluble organic FTT products with varying reaction temperatures and number of experimental cycles.

Revisiting the elemental composition and the calorific value of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes.

PubMed

Komilis, Dimitrios; Evangelou, Alexandros; Giannakis, Georgios; Lymperis, Constantinos

2012-03-01

In this work, the elemental content (C, N, H, S, O), the organic matter content and the calorific value of various organic components that are commonly found in the municipal solid waste stream were measured. The objective of this work was to develop an empirical equation to describe the calorific value of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste as a function of its elemental composition. The MSW components were grouped into paper wastes, food wastes, yard wastes and plastics. Sample sizes ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 kg. In addition to the above individual components, commingled municipal solid wastes were sampled from a bio-drying facility located in Crete (sample sizes ranged from 8 to 15 kg) and were analyzed for the same parameters. Based on the results of this work, an improved empirical model was developed that revealed that carbon, hydrogen and oxygen were the only statistically significant predictors of calorific value. Total organic carbon was statistically similar to total carbon for most materials in this work. The carbon to organic matter ratio of 26 municipal solid waste substrates and of 18 organic composts varied from 0.40 to 0.99. An approximate chemical empirical formula calculated for the organic fraction of commingled municipal solid wastes was C(32)NH(55)O(16). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer of the head and neck region in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Rabinovics, Naomi; Mizrachi, Aviram; Hadar, Tuvia; Ad-El, Dean; Feinmesser, Raphael; Guttman, Dan; Shpitzer, Thomas; Bachar, Gideon

2014-02-01

Solid organ recipients are at an increased risk of developing various malignancies. We investigated the incidence, clinical features, and outcome of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer after organ transplantation. A retrospective analysis was undertaken of patients who underwent solid organ transplantation (kidney, liver, lung, heart) treated at our institution from 1992 to 2010. Of 2817 organ recipients, 175 patients (6.1%) developed 391 head and neck malignancies. Cutaneous malignancies were the most common (93%): squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; 51%) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC; 42%). The average interval from transplantation to diagnosis of head and neck malignancy was 7.3 years, with liver recipients diagnosed earlier. Eighteen percent of patients presented with an aggressive pattern of head and neck cancer, including 24% of patients with cutaneous SCC. Organ transplantation recipients are at a higher risk to develop head and neck cancer with an aggressive behavior characterized by multiple recurrences and decreased survival. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Generic immunosuppression in solid organ transplantation: a Canadian perspective.

PubMed

Harrison, Jennifer J; Schiff, Jeffrey R; Coursol, Christian J; Daley, Christopher J A; Dipchand, Anne I; Heywood, Norine M; Keough-Ryan, Tammy M; Keown, Paul A; Levy, Gary A; Lien, Dale C; Wichart, Jenny R; Cantarovich, Marcelo

2012-04-15

The introduction of generic immunosuppressant medications may present an opportunity for cost savings in solid organ transplantation if equivalent clinical outcomes to the branded counterparts can be achieved. An interprofessional working group of the Canadian Society of Transplantation was established to develop recommendations on the use of generic immunosuppression in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR) based on a review of the available data. Under current Health Canada licensing requirements, a demonstration of bioequivalence with the branded formulation in healthy volunteers allows for bridging of clinical data. Cyclosporine, tacrolimus, and sirolimus are designated as "critical dose drugs" and are held to stricter criteria. However, whether this provides sufficient guarantee of therapeutic equivalence in SOTR remains controversial, and failure to maintain an appropriate balance of immunosuppression may have serious consequences, including rejection, graft loss, and death. Published evidence supporting therapeutic equivalence of generic formulations in SOTR is lacking. Moreover, in the setting of multiple generic formulations the potential for uncontrolled product switching is a major concern, since generic preparations are not required to demonstrate bioequivalence with each other. Although close monitoring is recommended with any change in formulation, drug product switches are likely to occur without prescriber knowledge and may pose a significant patient safety risk. The advent of generic immunosuppression will require new practices including more frequent therapeutic drug and clinical monitoring, and increased patient education. The additional workload placed on transplant centers without additional funding will create challenges and could ultimately jeopardize patient outcomes. Until more robust clinical data are available and adequate regulatory safeguards are instituted, caution in the use of generic immunosuppressive drugs in solid organ

The Tompkins County Solid Waste Annual Fee: Background and overview

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Penniman, P.W.

1995-05-01

This report outlines the development by Tompkins County of a new revenue source for solid waste programs -- The Solid Waste Annual Fee. Over the past two decades in New York State, regulatory demands and the decline in available landfill space have combined to cause a rapid escalation in the cost of solid waste disposal. While the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has implemented tighter regulations for the siting of solid waste landfills, they have also mandated the permitting or closure of all existing landfills in the state. The result is that all communities have been requiredmore » to invest millions of dollars in landfill siting, closure and solid waste processing facilities. In addition, programs for reducing and recycling solid wastes have been mandated to reduce the outflow to landfills. Until recent years, solid waste services in most New York counties have been funded almost entirely through a collection of property taxes. During the past six years, fiscal stress has stimulated a movement toward funding solid waste programs by other means. Alternatives to the property tax include: (1) special assessment taxes or fees; (2) user charges (including tipping fees); and (3) intergovernment grants.« less

Solid waste containing persistent organic pollutants in Serbia: From precautionary measures to the final treatment (case study).

PubMed

Stevanovic-Carapina, Hristina; Milic, Jelena; Curcic, Marijana; Randjelovic, Jasminka; Krinulovic, Katarina; Jovovic, Aleksandar; Brnjas, Zvonko

2016-07-01

Sustainable solid waste management needs more dedicated attention in respect of environmental and human health protection. Solid waste containing persistent organic pollutants is of special concern, since persistent organic pollutants are persistent, toxic and of high risk to human health and the environment. The objective of this investigation was to identify critical points in the Serbian system of solid waste and persistent organic pollutants management, to assure the life cycle management of persistent organic pollutants and products containing these chemicals, including prevention and final destruction. Data were collected from the Serbian competent authorities, and led us to identify preventive actions for solid waste management that should reduce or minimise release of persistent organic pollutants into the environment, and to propose actions necessary for persistent organic pollutants solid waste. The adverse impact of persistent organic pollutants is multidimensional. Owing to the lack of treatment or disposal plants for hazardous waste in Serbia, the only option at the moment to manage persistent organic pollutants waste is to keep it in temporary storage and when conditions are created (primarily financial), such waste should be exported for destruction in hazardous waste incinerators. Meanwhile, it needs to be assured that any persistent organic pollutants management activity does not negatively impact recycling flows or disturb progress towards a more circular economy in Serbia. © The Author(s) 2016.

Re-fermentation of washed spent solids from batch hydrogenogenic fermentation for additional production of biohydrogen from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Muñoz-Páez, Karla M; Ríos-Leal, Elvira; Valdez-Vazquez, Idania; Rinderknecht-Seijas, Noemí; Poggi-Varaldo, Héctor M

2012-03-01

In the first batch solid substrate anaerobic hydrogenogenic fermentation with intermittent venting (SSAHF-IV) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), a cumulative production of 16.6 mmol H(2)/reactor was obtained. Releases of hydrogen partial pressure first by intermittent venting and afterward by flushing headspace of reactors with inert gas N(2) allowed for further hydrogen production in a second to fourth incubation cycle, with no new inoculum nor substrate nor inhibitor added. After the fourth cycle, no more H(2) could be harvested. Interestingly, accumulated hydrogen in 4 cycles was 100% higher than that produced in the first cycle alone. At the end of incubation, partial pressure of H(2) was near zero whereas high concentrations of organic acids and solvents remained in the spent solids. So, since approximate mass balances indicated that there was still a moderate amount of biodegradable matter in the spent solids we hypothesized that the organic metabolites imposed some kind of inhibition on further fermentation of digestates. Spent solids were washed to eliminate organic metabolites and they were used in a second SSAHF-IV. Two more cycles of H(2) production were obtained, with a cumulative production of ca. 2.4 mmol H(2)/mini-reactor. As a conclusion, washing of spent solids of a previous SSAHF-IV allowed for an increase of hydrogen production by 15% in a second run of SSAHF-IV, leading to the validation of our hypothesis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source Separation and Composting of Organic Municipal Solid Waste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gould, Mark; And Others

1992-01-01

Describes a variety of composting techniques that may be utilized in a municipal level solid waste management program. Suggests how composting system designers should determine the amount and type of organics in the waste stream, evaluate separation approaches and assess collection techniques. Outlines the advantages of mixed waste composting and…

Anaerobic digestion of organic solid poultry slaughterhouse waste--a review.

PubMed

Salminen, E; Rintala, J

2002-05-01

This work reviews the potential of anaerobic digestion for material recovery and energy production from poultry slaughtering by-products and wastes. First, we describe and quantify organic solid by-products and wastes produced in poultry farming and poultry slaughterhouses and discuss their recovery and disposal options. Then we review certain fundamental aspects of anaerobic digestion considered important for the digestion of solid slaughterhouse wastes. Finally, we present an overview of the future potential and current experience of the anaerobic digestion treatment of these materials.

Bio-charcoal production from municipal organic solid wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AlKhayat, Z. Q.

2017-08-01

The economic and environmental problems of handling the increasingly huge amounts of urban and/or suburban organic municipal solid wastes MSW, from collection to end disposal, in addition to the big fluctuations in power supply and other energy form costs for the various civilian needs, is studied for Baghdad city, the ancient and glamorous capital of Iraq, and a simple control device is suggested, built and tested by carbonizing these dried organic wastes in simple environment friendly bio-reactor in order to produce low pollution potential, economical and local charcoal capsules that might be useful for heating, cooking and other municipal uses. That is in addition to the solve of solid wastes management problem which involves huge human and financial resources and causes many lethal health and environmental problems. Leftovers of different social level residential campuses were collected, classified for organic materials then dried in order to be supplied into the bio-reactor, in which it is burnt and then mixed with small amounts of sugar sucrose that is extracted from Iraqi planted sugar cane, to produce well shaped charcoal capsules. The burning process is smoke free as the closed burner’s exhaust pipe is buried 1m underground hole, in order to use the subsurface soil as natural gas filter. This process has proved an excellent performance of handling about 120kg/day of classified MSW, producing about 80-100 kg of charcoal capsules, by the use of 200 l reactor volume.

Assessment of anaerobic biodegradability of five different solid organic wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristanto, Gabriel Andari; Asaloei, Huinny

2017-03-01

The concept of waste to energy emerges as an alternative solution to increasing waste generation and energy crisis. In the waste to energy concept, waste will be used to produce renewable energy through thermochemical, biochemical, and physiochemical processes. In an anaerobic digester, organic matter brake-down due to anaerobic bacteria produces methane gas as energy source. The organic waste break-down is affected by various characteristics of waste components, such as organic matter content (C, N, O, H, P), solid contents (TS and VS), nutrients ratio (C/N), and pH. This research aims to analyze biodegradability and potential methane production (CH4) from organic waste largely available in Indonesia. Five solid wastes comprised of fecal sludge, cow rumen, goat farm waste, traditional market waste, and tofu dregs were analyzed which showed tofu dregs as waste with the highest rate of biodegradability compared to others since the tofu dregs do not contain any inhibitor which is lignin, have 2.7%VS, 14 C/N ratios and 97.3% organic matter. The highest cumulative methane production known as Biochemical Methane Potential was achieved by tofu dregs with volume of 77 ml during 30-day experiment which then followed by cow rumen, goat farm waste, and traditional market waste. Subsequently, methane productions were calculated through percentage of COD reduction, which showed the efficiency of 99.1% that indicates complete conversion of the high organic matter into methane.

Quantitative analysis of impact of awareness-raising activities on organic solid waste separation behaviour in Balikpapan City, Indonesia.

PubMed

Murase, Noriaki; Murayama, Takehiko; Nishikizawa, Shigeo; Sato, Yuriko

2017-10-01

Many cities in Indonesia are under pressure to reduce solid waste and dispose of it properly. In response to this pressure, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Indonesian Government have implemented a solid waste separation and collection project to reduce solid waste in the target area (810 households) of Balikpapan City. We used a cluster randomised controlled trial method to measure the impact of awareness-raising activities that were introduced by the project on residents' organic solid waste separation behaviour. The level of properly separated organic solid waste increased by 6.0% in areas that conducted awareness-raising activities. Meanwhile, the level decreased by 3.6% in areas that did not conduct similar activities. Therefore, in relative comparison, awareness-raising increased the level by 9.6%. A comparison among small communities in the target area confirmed that awareness-raising activities had a significant impact on organic solid waste separation. High frequencies of monitoring at waste stations and door-to-door visits by community members had a positive impact on organic solid waste separation. A correlation between the proximity of environmental volunteers' houses to waste stations and a high level of separation was also confirmed. The awareness-raising activities introduced by the project led to a significant increase in the separation of organic solid waste.

SORPTION OF ORGANICS ON WASTEWATER SOLIDS: CORRELATION WITH FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES.

EPA Science Inventory

Sorption of toxic organic compounds on primary, mixed-liquor, and digested solids from municipal wastewater treatment plants has been correlated with octanol/water partition coefficients arid with modified Randic indexes. he correlations developed are useful for assessing the rol...

Free tissue transfer for head and neck reconstruction in solid organ transplant patients.

PubMed

Miller, Matthew W; Dean, Nichole R; Cannady, Steven B; Rosenthal, Eben L; Wax, Mark K

2012-08-01

Patients with head and neck malignancies who have had solid organ transplant and require free tissue transfer are a unique population. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of immunosuppression on the rate of perioperative complications and the success of free tissue transfer in the head and neck. Complications in solid organ transplant patients undergoing free tissue transfer for reconstruction of head and neck malignancies from 1998 to 2010 were evaluated. A total of 22 flaps in 17 patients were performed. Eight patients (11 of 22 flaps) had complications. The median hospital stay was 6 days (range, 4-26 days). The median length of follow-up was 13.5 months (range, 3.5-49.9 months). Solid organ transplant patients are at an increased risk of de novo malignancies due to chronic immunosuppression. This study demonstrates that free tissue transfer is a viable option in transplant patients with morbidity similar to nontransplant patients. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Case reviews of infections of the spine in patients with a history of solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Falakassa, Jonathan; Hirsch, Brandon P; Norton, Robert P; Mendez-Zfass, Matthew; Eismont, Frank J

2014-09-01

Retrospective clinical case series. To report on the epidemiological, microbiological, and clinical characteristics of spinal infections in patients who have undergone solid organ transplantation. Spine infections remain a therapeutic challenge, particularly in patients who are immunocompromised. Solid organ transplant patients represent a growing population of immunocompromised hosts. To our knowledge, no previous reports have examined the clinical characteristics spinal infections in this at-risk population in a systematic fashion. The records of patients with a history of solid organ transplantation from January 2007 through December 2012 were identified using Current Procedural Terminology procedure codes. Patients with spine infections who have received transplants were then identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for spine infection. In addition to demographic data, we recorded medical comorbidities, immunosuppressant medications, laboratory results, culture data, treatment received, and short-term results. During this 6-year period, 2764 solid organ transplants were performed at our institution. Of this cohort, 6 patients (0.22%) were treated for a spinal infection. Patient's age ranged from 51 to 80 years (mean, 63 yr). All spine infections occurred within 1 year after organ transplantation. All patients had an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Only 1 patient had an elevated white blood cell count. The most common organisms were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus. Four patients required surgical treatment. All patients had complete resolution of symptoms. Our data suggest that patients with a history of solid organ transplantation may be more susceptible to developing spine infections than the general population. The most common organisms in our cohort were E. coli and Staphylococcus. Spine infections caused by atypical organisms do also occur in the organ transplant population, as is the case in other

Risk for Transmission of Naegleria fowleri from Solid Organ Transplantation

PubMed Central

Roy, SL; Metzger, R; Chen, JG; Laham, FR; Martin, M; Kipper, SW; Smith, LE; Lyon, GM; Haffner, J; Ross, JE; Rye, AK; Johnson, W; Bodager, D; Friedman, M; Walsh, DJ; Collins, C; Inman, B; Davis, BJ; Robinson, T; Paddock, C; Zaki, SR; Kuehnert, M; DaSilva, A; Qvarnstrom, Y; Sriram, R; Visvesvara, GS

2015-01-01

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by the free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri is a rare but rapidly fatal disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting predominantly young, previously healthy persons. No effective chemotherapeutic prophylaxis or treatment has been identified. Recently, three transplant-associated clusters of encephalitis caused by another free-living ameba, Balamuthia mandrillaris, have occurred, prompting questions regarding the suitability of extra-CNS solid organ transplantation from donors with PAM. During 1995–2012, 21 transplant recipients of solid organs donated by five patients with fatal cases of PAM were reported in the United States. None of the recipients developed PAM and several recipients tested negative for N. fowleri by serology. However, historical PAM case reports and animal experiments with N. fowleri, combined with new post-mortem findings from four PAM patients, suggest that extra-CNS dissemination of N. fowleri can occur and might pose a risk for disease transmission via transplantation. The risks of transplantation with an organ possibly harboring N. fowleri should be carefully weighed for each individual recipient against the potentially greater risk of delaying transplantation while waiting for another suitable organ. In this article we present a case series and review existing data to inform such risk assessments. PMID:24279908

The psychosocial challenges of solid organ transplant recipients during childhood.

PubMed

Annunziato, Rachel A; Jerson, Bradley; Seidel, Jordan; Glenwick, David S

2012-11-01

A large proportion of pediatric solid organ transplant recipients are young children, yet dedicated studies on the challenges faced by these patients are sparse. The present article aims to provide a summary of key considerations for pediatric solid organ transplant teams, describing what challenges are more likely for younger patients and how they might identify and address these circumstances. Our findings suggest that the mental health of patients and caregivers, issues at school, neurocognitive difficulties, and self-management are areas of particular relevance for children. We offer several recommendations that stem from these identified areas of concern. Dedicated focus on the well-being of younger patients could in the long-term stave off adverse events that are often associated with adolescence. In the short-term, certainly intervening in any of these domains could lead to improved quality of life during childhood. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Late-onset Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Perez-Ordoño, L; Hoyo, I; Sanclemente, G; Ricart, M J; Cofan, F; Perez-Villa, F; de la Bellacasa, J Puig; Moreno, A; Cervera, C

2014-04-01

Anti-Pneumocystis prophylaxis is recommended for at least 6-12 months after solid organ transplantation, as most cases of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) occur during the first year post transplantation. Herein, we report 4 cases of late-onset PCP (>1 year post transplant). PCP appeared in a range of 50-68 months post transplant. Two cases had history of humoral rejection episodes treated with rituximab, and the other 2 had low CD4+ T-cell count (<200 cells/mm(3) ) at the time of diagnosis. All 4 patients survived. In conclusion, although the number of cases is low, we must be aware of the possibility of late-onset PCP in solid organ transplant patients. The role of previous use of rituximab or persistent CD4+ T-cell lymphopenia should be addressed in future studies. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Transmission of Babesia microti Parasites by Solid Organ Transplantation

PubMed Central

Herwaldt, Barbara L.; Kazmierczak, James J.; Weiss, John W.; Klein, Christina L.; Leith, Catherine P.; He, Rong; Oberley, Matthew J.; Tonnetti, Laura; Wilkins, Patricia P.; Gauthier, Gregory M.

2016-01-01

Babesia microti, an intraerythrocytic parasite, is tickborne in nature. In contrast to transmission by blood transfusion, which has been well documented, transmission associated with solid organ transplantation has not been reported. We describe parasitologically confirmed cases of babesiosis diagnosed ≈8 weeks posttransplantation in 2 recipients of renal allografts from an organ donor who was multiply transfused on the day he died from traumatic injuries. The organ donor and recipients had no identified risk factors for tickborne infection. Antibodies against B. microti parasites were not detected by serologic testing of archived pretransplant specimens. However, 1 of the organ donor’s blood donors was seropositive when tested postdonation and had risk factors for tick exposure. The organ donor probably served as a conduit of Babesia parasites from the seropositive blood donor to both kidney recipients. Babesiosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of unexplained fever and hemolytic anemia after blood transfusion or organ transplantation. PMID:27767010

No recurrence of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia after solid organ transplantation regardless of secondary prophylaxis.

PubMed

Kim, Tark; Sung, Heungsup; Lee, Yu-Mi; Hong, Hyo-Lim; Kim, Sung-Han; Choi, Sang-Ho; Woo, Jun Hee; Kim, Yang Soo; Lee, Sang-Oh

2012-11-01

There are no data on the efficacy of secondary prophylaxis against Pneumocystis pneumonia after solid organ transplantation. Therefore, we investigated the rate of recurrence of Pneumocystis pneumonia after solid organ transplantation in a retrospective cohort study. Between 2005 and 2011, a total of 41 recipients recovered from Pneumocystis pneumonia. Of these, 22 (53.7%) received secondary prophylaxis. None of the 41 recipients experienced recurrence of Pneumocystis pneumonia during the follow-up, regardless of secondary prophylaxis.

De novo head and neck cancer arising in solid organ transplantation recipients: The Asan Medical Center experience.

PubMed

Park, Marn Joon; Roh, Jong-Lyel; Choi, Seung-Ho; Nam, Soon Yuhl; Kim, Sang Yoon; Lee, Yoon Se

2018-08-01

De novo cancers of head and neck area in solid organ transplantation recipients show standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 3.8. Immunosuppression following transplantation is suggested to play as a crucial factor in pathogenesis of secondary malignancy. Prognosis of head and neck cancer arising in solid organ transplantation recipients is proven to have poor prognosis. The incidence, risk, prognosis, and survival of de novo malignancy of head and neck area in solid organ transplantation recipients in single-tertiary medical center followed up for 20 years. A retrospective medical record review of the patients who received solid organ transplantation in Asan Medical Center from 1997 to 2016 was conducted. Patients confirmed as de novo malignancy in the head and neck area after organ transplantation were included, and presented as in the case-series format. Patients with previous history of head and neck malignancy, irradiation history of head and neck area, cutaneous malignant lesion, hematopoietic malignant lesion, malignancy of thyroid and parathyroid gland and metastatic lesions newly developed in head and neck area were excluded. The incidence of head and neck malignancy in South Korea were reviewed from the National Cancer Information Center of South Korea. For the statistical analysis, standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was obtained with 95% confidence interval. Solid organ transplantation recipients show 20 times higher incidence of de novo cancer of head and neck area compared to general population. Of 13 de novo head and neck malignancy arising after solid organ transplantation, 2 (15.4%) patients were unable to withstand definitive management due to poor general condition. 2 (15.4%) patients had loco-regional recurrence, 1 (7.7%) patient with distant metastasis, and 3 (23.1%) patients died of cancer progression. Immunosuppression following solid organ transplantation gives a twenty-fold increased risk for the development of de novo head and neck cancer. A

Nonprescription analgesics and their use in solid-organ transplantation: a review.

PubMed

Gabardi, Steven; Luu, Linh

2004-09-01

To review the pharmacology, adverse events, drug interactions, and use of the nonprescription analgesics in solid-organ transplant recipients. Studies evaluating nonprescription analgesics in solid-organ transplantation were considered for evaluation. English-language studies were selected for inclusion. Nonprescription analgesics (aspirin, choline salicylate, magnesium salicylate, sodium salicylate, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen sodium, and acetaminophen) are the most commonly purchased over-the-counter agents in the United States. These agents, although generally considered safe, have been associated with a number of toxicities. The salicylates and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been associated with gastrointestinal damage, hematologic changes, liver and kidney dysfunction, and breathing difficulties. Acetaminophen has been shown to induce hematologic changes and liver and renal dysfunction. A closer look at the nonprescription analgesics reveals their potential for harm when used by solid-organ transplant recipients. In this patient population, the salicylates and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should generally be avoided if possible, because of their potential toxicities, especially renal dysfunction. Low-dose aspirin, for the prevention of cardiovascular and cardiocerebral events, appears to be safe, but patients must still be followed closely. Acetaminophen is generally considered the nonprescription analgesic and antipyretic of choice in transplant recipients because of its favorable toxicity profile. However, it is imperative that patients and transplant practitioners are aware that this agent is not without toxicities and proper monitoring is advised.

Analysis of selected volatile organic compounds at background level in South Africa.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ntsasa, Napo; Tshilongo, James; Lekoto, Goitsemang

2017-04-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are measured globally at urban air pollution monitoring and background level at specific locations such as the Cape Point station. The urban pollution monitoring is legislated at government level; however, the background levels are scientific outputs of the World Meteorological Organisation Global Atmospheric Watch program (WMO/GAW). The Cape Point is a key station in the Southern Hemisphere which monitors greenhouse gases and halocarbons, with reported for over the past decade. The Cape Point station does not have the measurement capability VOC's currently. A joint research between the Cape Point station and the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA) objective is to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of volatile organic compounds listed in the GAW program. NMISA is responsible for development, maintain and disseminate primary reference gas mixtures which are directly traceable to the International System of Units (SI) The results of some volatile organic compounds which where sampled in high pressure gas cylinders will be presented. The analysis of samples was performed on the gas chromatography with flame ionisation detector and mass selective detector (GC-FID/MSD) with a dedicate cryogenic pre-concentrator system. Keywords: volatile organic compounds, gas chromatography, pre-concentrator

Risk for transmission of Naegleria fowleri from solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Roy, S L; Metzger, R; Chen, J G; Laham, F R; Martin, M; Kipper, S W; Smith, L E; Lyon, G M; Haffner, J; Ross, J E; Rye, A K; Johnson, W; Bodager, D; Friedman, M; Walsh, D J; Collins, C; Inman, B; Davis, B J; Robinson, T; Paddock, C; Zaki, S R; Kuehnert, M; DaSilva, A; Qvarnstrom, Y; Sriram, R; Visvesvara, G S

2014-01-01

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by the free-living ameba (FLA) Naegleria fowleri is a rare but rapidly fatal disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting predominantly young, previously healthy persons. No effective chemotherapeutic prophylaxis or treatment has been identified. Recently, three transplant-associated clusters of encephalitis caused by another FLA, Balamuthia mandrillaris, have occurred, prompting questions regarding the suitability of extra-CNS solid organ transplantation from donors with PAM. During 1995-2012, 21 transplant recipients of solid organs donated by five patients with fatal cases of PAM were reported in the United States. None of the recipients developed PAM, and several recipients tested negative for N. fowleri by serology. However, historical PAM case reports and animal experiments with N. fowleri, combined with new postmortem findings from four patients with PAM, suggest that extra-CNS dissemination of N. fowleri can occur and might pose a risk for disease transmission via transplantation. The risks of transplantation with an organ possibly harboring N. fowleri should be carefully weighed for each individual recipient against the potentially greater risk of delaying transplantation while waiting for another suitable organ. In this article, we present a case series and review existing data to inform such risk assessments. © Copyright 2013 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Spiers memorial lecture. Organic electronics: an organic materials perspective.

PubMed

Wudl, Fred

2014-01-01

This Introductory Lecture is intended to provide a background to Faraday Discussion 174: "Organic Photonics and Electronics" and will consist of a chronological, subjective review of organic electronics. Starting with "ancient history" (1888) and history (1950-present), the article will take us to the present. The principal developments involved the processes of charge carrier generation and charge transport in molecular solids, starting with insulators (photoconductors) and moving to metals, to semiconductors and ending with the most popular semiconductor devices, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic field effect transistors (OFETs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The presentation will be from an organic chemistry/materials point of view.

Chemical ageing and transformation of diffusivity in semi-solid multi-component organic aerosol particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfrang, C.; Shiraiwa, M.; Pöschl, U.

2011-04-01

Recent experimental evidence underlines the importance of reduced diffusivity in amorphous semi-solid or glassy atmospheric aerosols. This paper investigates the impact of diffusivity on the ageing of multi-component reactive organic particles representative of atmospheric cooking aerosols. We apply and extend the recently developed KM-SUB model in a study of a 12-component mixture containing oleic and palmitoleic acids. We demonstrate that changes in the diffusivity may explain the evolution of chemical loss rates in ageing semi-solid particles, and we resolve surface and bulk processes under transient reaction conditions considering diffusivities altered by oligomerisation. This new model treatment allows prediction of the ageing of mixed organic multi-component aerosols over atmospherically relevant time scales and conditions. We illustrate the impact of changing diffusivity on the chemical half-life of reactive components in semi-solid particles, and we demonstrate how solidification and crust formation at the particle surface can affect the chemical transformation of organic aerosols.

Chemical ageing and transformation of diffusivity in semi-solid multi-component organic aerosol particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfrang, C.; Shiraiwa, M.; Pöschl, U.

2011-07-01

Recent experimental evidence underlines the importance of reduced diffusivity in amorphous semi-solid or glassy atmospheric aerosols. This paper investigates the impact of diffusivity on the ageing of multi-component reactive organic particles approximating atmospheric cooking aerosols. We apply and extend the recently developed KM-SUB model in a study of a 12-component mixture containing oleic and palmitoleic acids. We demonstrate that changes in the diffusivity may explain the evolution of chemical loss rates in ageing semi-solid particles, and we resolve surface and bulk processes under transient reaction conditions considering diffusivities altered by oligomerisation. This new model treatment allows prediction of the ageing of mixed organic multi-component aerosols over atmospherically relevant timescales and conditions. We illustrate the impact of changing diffusivity on the chemical half-life of reactive components in semi-solid particles, and we demonstrate how solidification and crust formation at the particle surface can affect the chemical transformation of organic aerosols.

Continuous high-solids anaerobic co-digestion of organic solid wastes under mesophilic conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dong-Hoon; Oh, Sae-Eun, E-mail: saeun@hanbat.ac.kr

2011-09-15

Highlights: > High-solids (dry) anaerobic digestion is attracting a lot of attention these days. > One reactor was fed with food waste (FW) and paper waste. > Maximum biogas production rate of 5.0 m{sup 3}/m{sup 3}/d was achieved at HRT 40 d and 40% TS. > The other reactor was fed with FW and livestock waste (LW). > Until a 40% LW content increase, the reactor exhibited a stable performance. - Abstract: With increasing concerns over the limited capacity of landfills, conservation of resources, and reduction of CO{sub 2} emissions, high-solids (dry) anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste (OSW) ismore » attracting a great deal of attention these days. In the present work, two dry anaerobic co-digestion systems fed with different mixtures of OSW were continuously operated under mesophilic conditions. Dewatered sludge cake was used as a main seeding source. In reactor (I), which was fed with food waste (FW) and paper waste (PW), hydraulic retention time (HRT) and solid content were controlled to find the maximum treatability. At a fixed solid content of 30% total solids (TS), stable performance was maintained up to an HRT decrease to 40 d. However, the stable performance was not sustained at 30 d HRT, and hence, HRT was increased to 40 d again. In further operation, instead of decreasing HRT, solid content was increased to 40% TS, which was found to be a better option to increase the treatability. The biogas production rate (BPR), CH{sub 4} production yield (MPY) and VS reduction achieved in this condition were 5.0 m{sup 3}/m{sup 3}/d, 0.25 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/g COD{sub added}, and 80%, respectively. Reactor (II) was fed with FW and livestock waste (LW), and LW content was increased during the operation. Until a 40% LW content increase, reactor (II) exhibited a stable performance. A BPR of 1.7 m{sup 3}/m{sup 3}/d, MPY of 0.26 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/g COD{sub added}, and VS reduction of 72% was achieved at 40% LW content. However, when the LW content was increased to

Many-body perturbation theory for understanding optical excitations in organic molecules and solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharifzadeh, Sahar

2018-04-01

Semiconductors composed of organic molecules are promising as components for flexible and inexpensive optoelectronic devices, with many recent studies aimed at understanding their electronic and optical properties. In particular, computational modeling of these complex materials has provided new understanding of the underlying properties which give rise to their excited-state phenomena. This article provides an overview of recent many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) studies of optical excitations within organic molecules and solids. We discuss the accuracy of MBPT within the GW/BSE approach in predicting excitation energies and absorption spectra, and assess the impact of two commonly used approximations, the DFT starting point and the Tamm–Dancoff approximation. Moreover, we summarize studies that elucidate the role of solid-state structure on the nature of excitons in organic crystals. These studies show that a rich physical understanding of organic materials can be obtained from GW/BSE.

Feasibility of using acoustic velocity meters for estimating highly organic suspended-solids concentrations in streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patino, Eduardo

1996-01-01

A field experiment was conducted at the Levee 4 canal site below control structure G-88 in the Everglades agricultural area in northwestern Broward County, Florida, to study the relation of acoustic attenuation to suspended-solids concentrations. Acoustic velocity meter and temperature data were obtained with concurrent water samples analyzed for suspended-solids concentrations. Two separate acoustic velocity meter frequencies were used, 200 and 500 kilohertz, to determine the sensitivity of acoustic attenuation to frequency for the measured suspended-solids concentration range. Suspended-solids concentrations for water samples collected at the Levee 4 canal site from July 1993 to September 1994 ranged from 22 to 1,058 milligrams per liter, and organic content ranged from about 30 to 93 percent. Regression analyses showed that attenuation data from the acoustic velocity meter (automatic gain control) and temperature data alone do not provide enough information to adequately describe the concentrations of suspended solids. However, if velocity is also included as one of the independent variables in the regression model, a satisfactory correlation can be obtained. Thus, it is feasible to use acoustic velocity meter instrumentation to estimate suspended-solids concentrations in streams, even when suspended solids are primarily composed of organic material. Using the most comprehensive data set available for the study (500 kiloherz data), the best fit regression model produces a standard error of 69.7 milligrams per liter, with actual errors ranging from 2 to 128 milligrams per liter. Both acoustic velocity meter transmission frequencies of 200 and 500 hilohertz produced similar results, suggesting that transducers of either frequency could be used to collect attenuation data at the study site. Results indicate that calibration will be required for each acoustic velocity meter system to the unique suspended-solids regime existing at each site. More robust solutions may

On-demand generation of background-free single photons from a solid-state source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweickert, Lucas; Jöns, Klaus D.; Zeuner, Katharina D.; Covre da Silva, Saimon Filipe; Huang, Huiying; Lettner, Thomas; Reindl, Marcus; Zichi, Julien; Trotta, Rinaldo; Rastelli, Armando; Zwiller, Val

2018-02-01

True on-demand high-repetition-rate single-photon sources are highly sought after for quantum information processing applications. However, any coherently driven two-level quantum system suffers from a finite re-excitation probability under pulsed excitation, causing undesirable multi-photon emission. Here, we present a solid-state source of on-demand single photons yielding a raw second-order coherence of g(2 )(0 )=(7.5 ±1.6 )×10-5 without any background subtraction or data processing. To this date, this is the lowest value of g(2 )(0 ) reported for any single-photon source even compared to the previously reported best background subtracted values. We achieve this result on GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots embedded in a low-Q planar cavity by employing (i) a two-photon excitation process and (ii) a filtering and detection setup featuring two superconducting single-photon detectors with ultralow dark-count rates of (0.0056 ±0.0007 ) s-1 and (0.017 ±0.001 ) s-1, respectively. Re-excitation processes are dramatically suppressed by (i), while (ii) removes false coincidences resulting in a negligibly low noise floor.

Measuring the electron affinity of organic solids: an indispensable new tool for organic electronics.

PubMed

Yoshida, Hiroyuki

2014-04-01

Electron affinity is a fundamental energy parameter of materials. In organic semiconductors, the electron affinity is closely related to electron conduction. It is not only important to understand fundamental electronic processes in organic solids, but it is also indispensable for research and development of organic semiconductor devices such as organic light-emitting diodes and organic photovoltaic cells. However, there has been no experimental technique for examining the electron affinity of organic materials that meets the requirements of such research. Recently, a new method, called low-energy inverse-photoemission spectroscopy, has been developed. A beam of low-energy electrons is focused onto the sample surface, and photons emitted owing to the radiative transition to unoccupied states are then detected. From the onset of the spectral intensity, the electron affinity is determined within an uncertainty of 0.1 eV. Unlike in conventional inverse-photoemission spectroscopy, sample damage is negligible and the resolution is improved by a factor of 2. The principle of the method and several applications are reported.

Generic maintenance immunosuppression in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Ensor, Christopher R; Trofe-Clark, Jennifer; Gabardi, Steven; McDevitt-Potter, Lisa M; Shullo, Michael A

2011-11-01

Survival after solid organ transplantation has increased in the era of tacrolimus and mycophenolate. This increased survival could be due in part to the broad clinical use of these potent and specific agents for maintenance immunosuppression. These drugs have enhanced specificity and potency for T and B lymphocytes compared with their predecessors, cyclosporine and azathioprine. Between 2008 and 2010, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved several generic formulations of both tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. Deciding whether generic products can be safely substituted for the innovator product is a clinical dilemma similar to that which occurred when generic formulations of cyclosporine became available. We describe the concerns regarding generic immunosuppression use, summarize expert opinion and consensus statements in transplantation, analyze the potential impact of generic substitution, and provide estimates of populations affected based on generic drug market penetration. Formulary considerations such as cost, availability, and potential drug ordering and drug selection errors are described, and transplant coordinator and patient perspectives are reviewed. Finally, general recommendations about the use of generic maintenance immunosuppression in solid organ transplant recipients are provided. Although more research is needed to confirm clinical and therapeutic equivalence and pharmacoeconomic benefit, generic immunosuppressants can be safely substituted for innovator products as long as patients consistently receive the same product, patients and clinicians are aware of when substitutions occur, and enhanced therapeutic drug monitoring is provided during the transition.

Reconstruction of structure and function in tissue engineering of solid organs: Toward simulation of natural development based on decellularization.

PubMed

Zheng, Chen-Xi; Sui, Bing-Dong; Hu, Cheng-Hu; Qiu, Xin-Yu; Zhao, Pan; Jin, Yan

2018-04-27

Failure of solid organs, such as the heart, liver, and kidney, remains a major cause of the world's mortality due to critical shortage of donor organs. Tissue engineering, which uses elements including cells, scaffolds, and growth factors to fabricate functional organs in vitro, is a promising strategy to mitigate the scarcity of transplantable organs. Within recent years, different construction strategies that guide the combination of tissue engineering elements have been applied in solid organ tissue engineering and have achieved much progress. Most attractively, construction strategy based on whole-organ decellularization has become a popular and promising approach, because the overall structure of extracellular matrix can be well preserved. However, despite the preservation of whole structure, the current constructs derived from decellularization-based strategy still perform partial functions of solid organs, due to several challenges, including preservation of functional extracellular matrix structure, implementation of functional recellularization, formation of functional vascular network, and realization of long-term functional integration. This review overviews the status quo of solid organ tissue engineering, including both advances and challenges. We have also put forward a few techniques with potential to solve the challenges, mainly focusing on decellularization-based construction strategy. We propose that the primary concept for constructing tissue-engineered solid organs is fabricating functional organs based on intact structure via simulating the natural development and regeneration processes. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pregnancy outcomes among solid organ transplant recipients in British Columbia.

PubMed

Humphreys, Robert A; Wong, Helen H L; Milner, Ruth; Matsuda-Abedini, Mina

2012-05-01

Since 1954, over 14 000 women have given birth after having had an organ transplantation. Unfortunately, some women and physicians remain misinformed about the feasibility and outcomes of pregnancy post transplantation. Our primary objective was to assess their perceptions and difficulties with regard to becoming pregnant. Our secondary objectives were to determine the incidence of pregnancies among transplant recipients in British Columbia and any maternal, graft, or fetal complications. From 1997 to 2007 in British Columbia, there were over 500 female recipients of solid organ transplants. We surveyed recipients in this group who were of child-bearing age. One hundred forty of 295 (47%) eligible recipients responded: 44 of these women had attempted pregnancy after transplant, and 31 women gave birth to 47 children. One half of the respondents planned to have children post transplant; 108 of 140 (77%) had no children before transplant. One quarter of the respondents were advised against pregnancy by their physician, and 33% of these women found a new physician to support their pregnancy. Rates of miscarriage (27%), rejection (21%), and prematurity (65%) were higher than expected. Infections were rare, and no birth defects or noteworthy health problems in the offspring were reported. Overall, pregnancy appears to be safe following solid organ transplantation, but careful monitoring and counselling are recommended.

Acute epidural-like appearance of an encapsulated solid non-organized chronic subdural hematoma.

PubMed

Prieto, Ruth; Pascual, José M; Subhi-Issa, Issa; Yus, Miguel

2010-01-01

We report the exceptional case of an encapsulated solid non-organized chronic subdural hematoma (SDH) in a 67-year-old woman that was admitted with acute hemiplegia followed by rapid deterioration in consciousness 5 months after a minor head trauma. Computed tomography (CT) showed an extracerebral biconvex shaped hyperdense mass that led to the misdiagnosis of an acute epidural hematoma. Urgent craniotomy revealed an encapsulated mass filled with solid fresh clot in the subdural space. Complete evacuation of this SDH, including both its inner and outer membranes, was achieved, and the patient recovered successfully. Histological analysis confirmed that the content of the hematoma corresponded to a newly formed clot that was enclosed between an inner membrane, composed of two collagen layers, and an outer membrane with a three layered structure. Chronic SDH may seldom present as an encapsulated solid non-organized lesion that consists of a fibrous capsule enclosing a fresh clot and lacking the thick fibrous septations that typically connect the inner and outer membranes of organized chronic SDH. This entity mimics the clinical course and radiological appearance of acute epidural hematomas and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of extracerebral hyperdense biconvex shaped lesions.

Altered Osteocyte-Specific Protein Expression in Bone after Childhood Solid Organ Transplantation.

PubMed

Pereira, Renata C; Valta, Helena; Tumber, Navdeep; Salusky, Isidro B; Jalanko, Hannu; Mäkitie, Outi; Wesseling Perry, Katherine

2015-01-01

Bone fragility is common post solid organ transplantation but little is known about bone pathology on a tissue level. Abnormal osteocytic protein expression has been linked to compromised bone health in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and immunosuppressant medications may impact osteocyte function. Transiliac bone biopsies were obtained from 22 pediatric solid organ allograft recipients (average age 15.6 years) an average of 6.3 ± 1.2 years after transplantation and from 12 pediatric pre-dialysis CKD patients (average age 13.2 years). Histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry for FGF23, DMP1, sclerostin, and osteopontin were performed on all biopsies. FGF23 and sclerostin were increased in transplant recipients relative to non-transplant CKD, regardless of the type of allograft received and despite, in the case of liver and heart recipients, a higher GFR. Bone DMP1 expression was higher in liver or heart than in kidney recipients, concomitant with higher serum phosphate values. Osteopontin expression was higher in CKD than in transplant recipients (p<0.01). Bone FGF23 and sclerostin correlated directly (r = 0.38, p<0.05); bone FGF23 expression and osteoid thickness correlated inversely (r = - 0.46, p<0.01). Solid-organ transplantation is associated with increased FGF23 and sclerostin expression. The contribution of these findings to compromised bone health post transplantation warrants further evaluation.

Complicated Outcomes After Emergent Lower Extremity Surgery in Patients With Solid Organ Transplants.

PubMed

Reid, Alexander T; Perdue, Aaron; Goulet, James A; Robbins, Christopher B; Pour, Aidin Eslam

2016-11-01

The complications of emergent or urgent surgery in solid organ transplant recipients are unclear. The goal of this nonrandomized retrospective case study, conducted at a large public university teaching hospital, was to determine the following: (1) 90-day postsurgical complications in solid organ transplant recipients who undergo fracture surgery of the lower extremities; (2) 90-day and 1-year mortality rates for this cohort; (3) correlation of particular postsurgical complications with the 90-day or 1-year mortality rate; and (4) correlation of body mass index with the 90-day or 1-year mortality rate. Subjects included 36 solid organ transplant recipients who underwent surgical treatment for 37 emergent or urgent lower extremity fractures within 72 hours of presentation to the emergency department. Patients were followed for all medical and surgical complications for 90 days and for all-cause mortality for 1 year. Within 90 days of surgery, patients had complications that included acute renal failure (15, 40.5%), deep venous thrombosis (3, 8.1%), pulmonary embolus (2, 5.4%), pneumonia (7, 18.9%), superficial surgical site infection (3, 8.1%), and nonorthopedic sepsis (4, 10.8%). In addition, 3 (8.1%) and 5 (13.9%) patients died within 90 days and 1 year, respectively. Hospital readmission correlated with a higher 1-year mortality rate (odds ratio, 14.000; P=.016). Higher body mass index correlated with higher 90-day (odds ratio, 1.425; P=.035) and 1-year (odds ratio, 1.334; P=.033) mortality rates. Solid organ transplant recipients with lower extremity fracture have high 90-day and 1-year mortality rates and may have multiple complications within 90 days of treatment. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(6):e1063-e1069.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Invasive fungal infections and antifungal therapies in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Gabardi, Steven; Kubiak, David W; Chandraker, Anil K; Tullius, Stefan G

2007-12-01

This manuscript will review the risk factors, prevalence, clinical presentation, and management of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Primary literature was obtained via MEDLINE (1966-April 2007) and EMBASE. Abstracts were obtained from scientific meetings or pharmaceutical manufacturers and included in the analysis. All studies and abstracts evaluating IFIs and/or antifungal therapies, with a primary focus on solid organ transplantation, were considered for inclusion. English-language literature was selected for inclusion, but was limited to those consisting of human subjects. Infectious complications following SOT are common. IFIs are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates in this patient population. Determining the best course of therapy is difficult due to the limited availability of data in SOT recipients. Well-designed clinical studies are infrequent and much of the available information is often based on case-reports or retrospective analyses. Transplant practitioners must remain aware of their therapeutic options and the advantages and disadvantages associated with the available treatment alternatives.

Elimination of persistent organic pollutants from fish oil with solid adsorbents.

PubMed

Ortiz, X; Carabellido, L; Martí, M; Martí, R; Tomás, X; Díaz-Ferrero, J

2011-02-01

Fish oils are one of the main sources of ω-3 fatty acids in animal and human diet. However, they can contain high concentrations of persistent organic pollutants due to their lipophilic properties. The aim of this study is the reduction of persistent organic pollutants in fish oil using silicon-based and carbon-based solid adsorbents. A wide screening study with different commercially available adsorbents was carried out, in order to determine their capacity of pollutant removal from fish oil. Moreover, adsorption conditions were evaluated and optimized with using an experimental design and adjustment of the experimental results to response surfaces, obtaining removals rates of more than 99% of PCDD/Fs, 81% of dioxin-like PCBs, 70% of HCB, 41% of DDTs, 16% of marker PCBs and 10% of PBDEs. Finally, fish oil fatty acids were analyzed before and after the treatment with solid adsorbents, confirming that it did not affect its nutritive properties. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Real-Time Time-Frequency Two-Dimensional Imaging of Ultrafast Transient Signals in Solid-State Organic Materials

PubMed Central

Takeda, Jun; Ishida, Akihiro; Makishima, Yoshinori; Katayama, Ikufumi

2010-01-01

In this review, we demonstrate a real-time time-frequency two-dimensional (2D) pump-probe imaging spectroscopy implemented on a single shot basis applicable to excited-state dynamics in solid-state organic and biological materials. Using this technique, we could successfully map ultrafast time-frequency 2D transient absorption signals of β-carotene in solid films with wide temporal and spectral ranges having very short accumulation time of 20 ms per unit frame. The results obtained indicate the high potential of this technique as a powerful and unique spectroscopic tool to observe ultrafast excited-state dynamics of organic and biological materials in solid-state, which undergo rapid photodegradation. PMID:22399879

49 CFR 176.400 - Stowage of Division 1.5, Class 4 (flammable solids) and Class 5 (oxidizers and organic peroxides...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Stowage of Division 1.5, Class 4 (flammable solids... Solids), Class 5 (Oxidizers and Organic Peroxides), and Division 1.5 Materials § 176.400 Stowage of Division 1.5, Class 4 (flammable solids) and Class 5 (oxidizers and organic peroxides) materials. (a) Class...

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA load predicts relapsing CMV infection after solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Sia, I G; Wilson, J A; Groettum, C M; Espy, M J; Smith, T F; Paya, C V

2000-02-01

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA load was analyzed as a marker for relapse of CMV infection in 24 solid organ transplant patients with CMV infection or disease who received a fixed 14-day course of intravenous ganciclovir. Viral load was measured in blood samples obtained before and at the completion of treatment. Eight (33%) of 24 patients developed relapsing CMV infection. Median pretreatment viral loads were higher in the relapsing group (80,150 copies/106 leukocytes) than in the nonrelapsing group (5500 copies/106 leukocytes; P=.007). The relapsing group also had persistent detectable viral DNA (median, 5810 copies/106 leukocytes) after treatment, whereas it was undetectable in the nonrelapsing group (P<. 0001). Primary CMV infection (seronegative recipients of seropositive organs, D+R-) was an independent marker for CMV relapse (P=.03), and these patients had higher pre- and posttreatment viral loads than did non-D+/R- patients (P<.0001 and P=.0014, respectively). CMV DNA load is a useful marker for individualizing antiviral treatment of CMV infection in solid organ transplant recipients.

Morphometric analysis of abdominal organs and rib cage: Implication for risk of solid organ injuries in children.

PubMed

Harbaugh, Calista M; Shlykov, Maksim A; Tsuchida, Ryan E; Holcombe, Sven A; Hirschl, Jake; Wang, Stewart C; Ehrlich, Peter F

2015-06-01

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury-related mortality in children, with a higher rate of multiorgan injuries than in adults. This may be related to increased solid organ volume relative to abdominal cavity and decreased protection of an underdeveloped cartilaginous rib cage in young children. To date, these anatomic relationships have not been fully described. Our study used analytic morphomics to obtain precise measures of the pediatric liver, spleen, kidneys, and ribs. This pilot study included 215 trauma patients (aged 0-18 years) with anonymized computed tomography (CT) scans. Liver, spleen, and kidney volumes were modeled using semiautomatic algorithms (MATLAB 2013a, MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA). Thirty-one scans were adequate to model the rib cage. Pearson's r was used to correlate absolute organ volume, fractional organ volume, and organ exposure with age and weight. Spleen, right and left kidney, and liver volumes increased with age and weight (p < 0.01). Right/left kidney and liver fractional volumes decreased with age (p < 0.01), whereas spleen fractional volume remained relatively constant. Exposed surface area of the liver only significantly decreased with age in the anterior (p < 0.01), right (p < 0.01), and posterior views (p = 0.02). With this study, we have demonstrated the ability to model solid organ and rib cage anatomy of children using cross-sectional imaging. In younger children, there may be a decrease in fractional organ volume and increase in liver surface exposure, although analysis of a larger sample size is warranted. In the future, this information may be used to improve the design of safety restraints in motor vehicles.

Noncutaneous head and neck cancer in solid organ transplant patients: single center experience.

PubMed

Nelissen, Charlotte; Lambrecht, Maarten; Nevens, Frederik; Van Raemdonck, Dirk; Vanhaecke, Johan; Kuypers, Dirk; Pirenne, Jacques; Nuyts, Sandra

2014-04-01

We investigated the incidence and survival of non-cutaneous head and neck cancer (HNC) after solid organ transplantation and identified prognostic factors impacting the outcome after treatment. A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent solid organ transplantation in our institution between 1987 and 2012. Of 5255 organ transplant patients, 48 recipients (0.9%) developed HNC in the posttransplant follow-up period. Liver transplant recipients showed the highest risk. Median follow-up of cancer patients was 46.7 months (range 2.9-256.2 months). Three-year overall survival and disease free survival (DFS) were 70% and 53%. Locoregional control was 67% and 48% at 3 and 5 years, respectively. Smoking and initial AJCC stage were two significant prognostic factors influencing DFS. Non-cutaneous HNC is rare in transplant recipients, but slightly more common after liver transplantation. Outcome after treatment is poor with locoregional recurrence being the main problem. Screening of high risk groups might be relevant. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic analysis of the energy recovery from the aerobic bioconversion of solid urban waste organic fraction.

PubMed

Di Maria, Francesco; Benavoli, Manuel; Zoppitelli, Mirco

2008-01-01

Waste management is of the utmost importance for many countries and especially for highly developed ones due to its implications on society. In particular, proper treatment before disposal of the solid urban waste organic fraction is one of the main issues that is addressed in waste management. In fact, the organic fraction is particularly reactive and if disposed in sanitary landfills without previous adequate treatment, a large amount of dangerous and polluting gaseous, liquid and solid substances can be produced. Some waste treatment processes can also present an opportunity to produce other by-products like energy, recycled materials and other products with both economic and environmental benefits. In this paper, the aerobic treatment of the organic fraction of solid urban waste, performed in a biocell plant with the possibility of recovering heat for civil or industrial needs, was examined from the thermodynamic point of view. A theoretical model was proposed both for the biological process of the organic fraction, as well as for the heat recovery system. The most significant results are represented and discussed.

International travel and exposure risks in solid-organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Uslan, Daniel Z; Patel, Robin; Virk, Abinash

2008-08-15

Although solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTR) have an increased risk of acquiring illnesses, they may not receive optimal pretravel care. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of travel activities and outcomes among SOTR. Two thousand five hundred fifty-four consecutive living SOTR from Mayo Clinic were surveyed regarding travel practices, pretravel counseling, exposure risks, and illness using a previously standardized and validated questionnaire. One thousand one hundred thirty SOTR (44%) responded to the survey and were included in the study. The most common transplanted organs were liver (519 patients) and kidney (515 patients). Three hundred and three (27%) respondents reported travel outside of the United States or Canada after their transplant. Liver recipients were more likely to travel than other organ recipients. Ninety-six percent of travelers reported that they did not seek specific pretravel healthcare before their trip. Forty-nine SOTR (16%) traveled to destinations at higher risk for infectious diseases; travelers to these destinations were more likely to be men (73% vs. 54% of low-infection risk travelers, P=0.018) or born outside the United Stated or Canada (29% vs. 6% P<0.0001). Twenty-four travelers (8%) required medical attention because of illness; illness was more likely among travelers to high-infection risk (18%) than low-risk (6%) destinations, P=0.004. International travel was common after solid organ transplantation, although the majority traveled to destinations at low risk for infectious disease. Although generally SOTR were able to travel safely, travelers to destinations at high-risk for infection had a significant rate of illness. Pretravel counseling and interventions were infrequent and should be improved.

Hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection among solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Donnelly, J P; Wang, H E; Locke, J E; Mannon, R B; Safford, M M; Baddley, J W

2015-11-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a considerable health issue in the United States and represents the most common healthcare-associated infection. Solid organ transplant recipients are at increased risk of CDI, which can affect both graft and patient survival. However, little is known about the impact of CDI on health services utilization posttransplantation. We examined hospital-onset CDI from 2012 to 2014 among transplant recipients in the University HealthSystem Consortium, which includes academic medical center-affiliated hospitals in the United States. Infection was five times more common among transplant recipients than among general medicine inpatients (209 vs 40 per 10 000 discharges), and factors associated with CDI among transplant recipients included transplant type, risk of mortality, comorbidities, and inpatient complications. Institutional risk-standardized CDI varied more than 3-fold across high-volume hospitals (infection ratio 0.54-1.82, median 1.04, interquartile range 0.78-1.28). CDI was associated with increased 30-day readmission, transplant organ complications, cytomegalovirus infection, inpatient costs, and lengths of stay. Total observed inpatient days and direct costs for those with CDI were substantially higher than risk-standardized expected values (40 094 vs 22 843 days, costs $198 728 368 vs $154 020 528). Further efforts to detect, prevent, and manage CDI among solid organ transplant recipients are warranted. © Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Biogas production from the mechanically pretreated, liquid fraction of sorted organic municipal solid wastes.

PubMed

Alvarado-Lassman, A; Méndez-Contreras, J M; Martínez-Sibaja, A; Rosas-Mendoza, E S; Vallejo-Cantú, N A

2017-06-01

The high liquid content in fruit and vegetable wastes makes it convenient to mechanically separate these wastes into mostly liquid and solid fractions by means of pretreatment. Then, the liquid fraction can be treated using a high-rate anaerobic biofilm reactor to produce biogas, simultaneously reducing the amount of solids that must be landfilled. In this work, the specific composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) in a public market was determined; then, the sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste was treated mechanically to separate and characterize the mostly liquid and solid fractions. Then, the mesophilic anaerobic digestion for biogas production of the first fraction was evaluated. The anaerobic digestion resulted in a reduced hydraulic retention time of two days with high removal of chemical oxygen demand, that is, 88% on average, with the additional benefit of reducing the mass of the solids that had to be landfilled by about 80%.

Generic tacrolimus in solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Taube, D; Jones, G; O'Beirne, J; Wennberg, L; Connor, A; Rasmussen, A; Backman, L

2014-05-01

The availability of a wide range of immunosuppressive therapies has revolutionized the management of patients who have undergone solid organ transplantation (SOT). However, the cost of immunosuppressive drugs remains high. This situation has led to the development of generic equivalents, which are similar in quality, safety, and efficacy to their approved innovator drugs. There are data available for three generic brands, tacrolimus (Intas), tacrolimus (PharOS), and tacrolimus (Sandoz). Bioequivalence has been demonstrated for generic tacrolimus (Sandoz) within a narrow therapeutic range to its innovator tacrolimus drug (Prograf) in both healthy volunteers and kidney transplant patients. Clinical experience with this generic tacrolimus formulation has also been established in both de novo and conversion patients who have undergone kidney and liver transplantation, as well as in conversion of other SOT patients, including lung and heart recipients. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strategies for the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste: an overview.

PubMed

Hartmann, H; Ahring, B K

2006-01-01

Different process strategies for anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) are reviewed weighing high-solids versus low-solids, mesophilic versus thermophilic and single-stage versus multi-stage processes. The influence of different waste characteristics such as composition of biodegradable fractions, C:N ratio and particle size is described. Generally, source sorting of OFMSW and a high content of food waste leads to higher biogas yields than the use of mechanically sorted OFMSW. Thermophilic processes are more efficient than mesophilic processes in terms of higher biogas yields at different organic loading rates (OLR). Highest biogas yields are achieved by means of wet thermophilic processes at OLRs lower than 6 kg-VS x m(-3) d(-1). High-solids processes appear to be relatively more efficient when OLRs higher than 6 kg-VS x m(-3)d(-1) are applied. Multi-stage systems show in some investigations a higher reduction of recalcitrant organic matter compared to single-stage systems, but they are seldom applied in full-scale. An extended cost-benefit calculation shows that the highest overall benefit of the process is achieved at an OLR that is lower and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) that is longer than those values of OLR and HRT, at which the highest biogas production is achieved.

Management of cytomegalovirus infection in solid organ transplant recipients: SET/GESITRA-SEIMC/REIPI recommendations.

PubMed

Torre-Cisneros, J; Aguado, J M; Caston, J J; Almenar, L; Alonso, A; Cantisán, S; Carratalá, J; Cervera, C; Cordero, E; Fariñas, M C; Fernández-Ruiz, M; Fortún, J; Frauca, E; Gavaldá, J; Hernández, D; Herrero, I; Len, O; Lopez-Medrano, F; Manito, N; Marcos, M A; Martín-Dávila, P; Monforte, V; Montejo, M; Moreno, A; Muñoz, P; Navarro, D; Pérez-Romero, P; Rodriguez-Bernot, A; Rumbao, J; San Juan, R; Vaquero, J M; Vidal, E

2016-07-01

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a major complication of solid organ transplantation. Because of management of CMV is variable among transplant centers, in 2011 the Spanish Transplantation Infection Study Group (GESITRA) of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) developed consensus guidelines for the prevention and treatment of CMV infection in solid organ transplant recipients. Since then, new publications have clarified or questioned the aspects covered in the previous document. For that reason, a panel of experts revised the evidence on CMV management, including immunological monitoring, diagnostics, prevention, vaccines, indirect effects, treatment, drug resistance, immunotherapy, investigational drugs, and pediatric issues. This document summarizes the recommendations. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The impact of repeated mismatches in kidney transplantations performed after nonrenal solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Côté, J M; Zhang, X; Dahhou, M; Sapir-Pichhadze, R; Foster, B; Cardinal, H

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether kidney transplantations performed after previous nonrenal solid organ transplants are associated with worse graft survival when there are repeated HLA mismatches (RMM) with the previous donor(s). We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Our cohort comprised 6624 kidney transplantations performed between January 1, 1990 and January 1, 2015. All patients had previously received 1 or more nonrenal solid organ transplants. RMM were observed in 35.3% of kidney transplantations and 3012 grafts were lost over a median follow-up of 5.4 years. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, we found no association between overall graft survival and either RMM in class 1 (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.89-1.07) or class 2 (HR: 0.95, 95% CI 0.85-1.06). Results were similar for the associations between RMM, death-censored graft survival, and patient survival. Our results suggest that the presence of RMM with previous donor(s) does not have an important impact on allograft survival in kidney transplant recipients who have previously received a nonrenal solid organ transplant. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Performance and kinetic study of semi-dry thermophilic anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sajeena Beevi, B., E-mail: sajeenanazer@gmail.com; Madhu, G., E-mail: profmadhugopal@gmail.com; Sahoo, Deepak Kumar, E-mail: dksahoo@gmail.com

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Performance of the reactor was evaluated by the degradation of volatile solids. • Biogas yield at the end of the digestion was 52.9 L/kg VS. • Value of reaction rate constant, k, obtained was 0.0249 day{sup −1}. • During the digestion 66.7% of the volatile solid degradation was obtained. - Abstract: Anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is promoted as an energy source and waste disposal. In this study semi dry anaerobic digestion of organic solid wastes was conducted for 45 days in a lab-scale batch experiment for total solid concentration ofmore » 100 g/L for investigating the start-up performances under thermophilic condition (50 °C). The performance of the reactor was evaluated by measuring the daily biogas production and calculating the degradation of total solids and the total volatile solids. The biogas yield at the end of the digestion was 52.9 L/kg VS (volatile solid) for the total solid (TS) concentration of 100 g/L. About 66.7% of the volatile solid degradation was obtained during the digestion. A first order model based on the availability of substrate as the limiting factor was used to perform the kinetic studies of batch anaerobic digestion system. The value of reaction rate constant, k, obtained was 0.0249 day{sup −1}.« less

Some considerations on the current debate about typing resolution in solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Vogiatzi, Paraskevi

2016-01-01

The shortage of suitable organs and achieved tolerance are uncontested main concerns in transplantation. Long waiting lists for deceased donors and limited numbers of living donors are the current scenarios. Kidney grafts from living donors have better overall survival compared to cadaveric and require less aggressive immunosuppressive regimens. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) labs have the key role to test the recipient and donors compatibility based on typing and antibody profile. The current standard molecular procedure in solid organ transplantation is low-resolution typing, at the antigen level. In this commentary, the merits of high versus low degree of typing resolution in solid organ transplantation are discussed. Critical questions and reasons to bring high-resolution typing as a routine test in health system are considered. Specifically, with the introduction of the next-generation sequencing (NGS) in HLA, the pros and cons in living donation and benefits after deceased donation are critically evaluated. NGS has the potential to improve the transplant rates and the overall graft survival. Alternative strategies to increase in demanding the number of transplants are briefly highlighted.

Bipolar molecular composites: a new class of high-electron-mobility organic solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Liang-Bih; Jenekhe, Samson A.; Borsenberger, Paul M.

1997-10-01

We describe high electron mobility in organic solids in the form of bipolar molecular composites of N,N'-bis(1,2-dimethylpropyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (NTDI) and tri-p-tolylaniine (TTA). The electron mobility in the NTDI/TTA composites is ~2 x 10 cm2/Vs, which is a factor of 4 to 6 higher than in pure NTDI and isone of the highest values reported for disordered organic solids. The field and temperature dependencies of the charge mobility can be described using the disorder formalism due to Bassler and co-workers, which provides an estimation of the energy width σ of the hopping site manifold. Analysis of the data gave σ=0.081 and 0.060 eV for the electron and hole mobilities in a NTDI/TTA composite of 0.5510.45 molar ratio. The energetic disorder for electron transport in the bipolar composites is substantially lower than for pure NTDI, which is 0.093 eV. The results suggest that the observed enhancement arises from a substantial reduction of energetic disorder in the electron transport manifold of the bipolar composites. The reduction of energetic disorder may be due to intermolecular charge transfer between NTDI and TTA. Such a charge transfer could stabilize the electron transport manifold by better charge delocalization, and consequently, less energetic disorder. Another possible reason for the observed enhanced electron mobility is the reduction of NTDI dimers that can act as carrier traps by the presence of TTA molecules in the bipolar composites. These results also suggest that bipolar composites represent a promising new class of high electron mobility organic solids.

Bacterial meningitis in solid organ transplant recipients: a population-based prospective study.

PubMed

van Veen, K E B; Brouwer, M C; van der Ende, A; van de Beek, D

2016-10-01

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at risk of infections of the central nervous system. However, the incidence and clinical course of bacterial meningitis in SOT recipients are unclear. We studied occurrence, disease course, and prognosis of bacterial meningitis in SOT recipients in the Netherlands. All patients with a medical history of solid organ transplantation were selected from our nationwide prospective cohort study on community-acquired bacterial meningitis in patients >16 years old, performed from March 1, 2006 to October 31, 2014. Data on patient history, symptoms and signs on admission, treatment, and outcome were collected prospectively. For transplant recipients, additional information was collected retrospectively. We identified 6 SOT recipients, all receiving renal transplants. The annual incidence of bacterial meningitis was 7-fold higher (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.94-17.02, P < 0.001) for renal transplant recipients as compared with the general population (9.56 [95% CI 3.98-22.96] vs. 1.35 [95% CI 1.28-1.43] per 100,000 patients per year). One of the 6 patients (17%) presented with the classic presentation of bacterial meningitis (fever, neck stiffness, and change in mental status). Seizures were common, occurring in 33% of patients. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Listeria monocytogenes were identified in 2 patients each, and Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were both identified once. Four of 6 patients (67%) had an unfavorable functional outcome. Bacterial meningitis is a rare but devastating complication of solid organ transplantation. SOT recipients are at high risk for developing meningitis, and recognition of this condition may be difficult, owing to atypical clinical manifestation. © 2016 The Authors. Transplant Infectious Disease Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The prevalence and implications of BK virus replication in non-renal solid organ transplant recipients: A systematic review.

PubMed

Viswesh, Velliyur; Yost, Sarah E; Kaplan, Bruce

2015-07-01

The significance of BK viruria and viremia in non-renal solid organ transplants is poorly understood. A systematic review was performed reviewing the incidence and implications of BK virus replication in non-renal solid organ transplants. Ninety-seven studies were identified, of which 18 including lung, heart, liver and pancreas transplants were included. The overall incidence of BK viruria and viremia was 20% and 3% respectively and 17 cases of BK nephropathy were identified. Heart transplant recipients had a higher overall incidence of BK viremia than other non-renal organ types, and the majority of cases of BK virus-associated nephropathy were in heart transplant recipients. The incidence of BK viremia was significantly lower in non-renal solid organ transplants than that of renal transplant recipients and BK virus-associated nephropathy was rare. BK virus-associated nephropathy may be considered in heart transplant recipients who have unexplained and persistent renal dysfunction not attributable to other causes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical perspectives on living donor organ transplantation in Asia.

PubMed

Concejero, Allan M; Chen, Chao-Long

2009-12-01

Live donors are a continuing source of organ grafts for solid organ transplantation in Asia. Ethical issues surrounding the development of living donor organ transplantation in Eastern countries are different from those in Western countries. Donor safety is still the paramount concern in any donor operation. Issues on organ trafficking remain societal concerns in low-income nations. Religion, cultural background, economic prerogatives, and timely legislation contribute to the social acceptance and maturation of organ donation.

Effect of organic compositions of aerobically pretreated municipal solid waste on non-methane organic compound emissions during anaerobic degradation.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanyuan; Yue, Dongbei; Liu, Jianguo; He, Liang; Nie, Yongfeng

2012-06-01

Odor pollution caused by municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment plants has become a growing public concern. Although aerobic pretreatment of MSW has advantages in accelerating landfill stabilization, the property of non-methane organic compound (NMOC) emissions from aerobically pretreated MSW (APMSW) during landfilling is unknown. To investigate NMOC emissions from anaerobic degradation of APMSW and to study the impact of organic compositions of APMSW and their decomposition stages, five simulative anaerobic bioreactors (R1-R5) were filled up with APMSW of different original organic compositions in a laboratory. For NMOC analysis, samples were collected from the gas that accumulated separately during two successive independent stages of the whole experiment. The results showed that the cumulative quantities of NMOCs from R1 to R5 were 1.11, 0.30, 0.18, 0.28, and 0.31 mg/kg DM, respectively, when volatile solid was degraded by 34.8-47.2%. As the organic content of the original waste was lower, the proportion of NMOCs generated in the early stage of anaerobic degradation became higher. Multiple linear regression analyses of the relationship between the quantities of degraded organics and generated NMOCs showed that lipid and protein have a strong effect on NMOC amount. The effect of lipid on NMOC quantity lasts longer than that of protein. This observation suggests that controlling the lipid and protein contents in MSW can reduce the odor from landfills. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

All-solid-state lithium organic battery with composite polymer electrolyte and pillar[5]quinone cathode.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhiqiang; Hong, Meiling; Guo, Dongsheng; Shi, Jifu; Tao, Zhanliang; Chen, Jun

2014-11-26

The cathode capacity of common lithium ion batteries (LIBs) using inorganic electrodes and liquid electrolytes must be further improved. Alternatively, all-solid-state lithium batteries comprising the electrode of organic compounds can offer much higher capacity. Herein, we successfully fabricated an all-solid-state lithium battery based on organic pillar[5]quinone (C35H20O10) cathode and composite polymer electrolyte (CPE). The poly(methacrylate) (PMA)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-LiClO4-3 wt % SiO2 CPE has an optimum ionic conductivity of 0.26 mS cm(-1) at room temperature. Furthermore, pillar[5]quinine cathode in all-solid-state battery rendered an average operation voltage of ∼2.6 V and a high initial capacity of 418 mAh g(-1) with a stable cyclability (94.7% capacity retention after 50 cycles at 0.2C rate) through the reversible redox reactions of enolate/quinonid carbonyl groups, showing favorable prospect for the device application with high capacity.

Alternative synthetic approaches for metal-organic frameworks: transformation from solid matters.

PubMed

Zhan, Guowu; Zeng, Hua Chun

2016-12-20

Developing economic and sustainable synthetic strategies for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is imperative for promoting MOF materials into large scale industrial use. Very recently, an alternative strategy for MOF synthesis by using solvent-insoluble "solid matters" as cation reservoirs and/or templates has been developed to accomplish this goal, in which the solid matters often refer to metals, metal oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, and so forth, but excluding the soluble metal salts which have been prevailingly used in MOF synthesis. Although most of the pioneering activities in this field have just started in the past 5 years, remarkable achievements have been made covering the synthesis, functionalization, positioning, and applications. A great number of MOFs in powder form, thin-films, or membranes, have been prepared through such solid-to-MOF transformations. This field is rapidly developing and expanding, and the number of related scientific publications has strikingly increased over the last few years. The aim of this review is to summarise the latest developments, highlight the present state-of-the-art, and also provide an overview for future research directions.

Electrochemical Control of Peptide Self-Organization on Atomically Flat Solid Surfaces: A Case Study with Graphite.

PubMed

Seki, Takakazu; So, Christopher R; Page, Tamon R; Starkebaum, David; Hayamizu, Yuhei; Sarikaya, Mehmet

2018-02-06

The nanoscale self-organization of biomolecules, such as proteins and peptides, on solid surfaces under controlled conditions is an important issue in establishing functional bio/solid soft interfaces for bioassays, biosensors, and biofuel cells. Electrostatic interaction between proteins and surfaces is one of the most essential parameters in the adsorption and self-assembly of proteins on solid surfaces. Although the adsorption of proteins has been studied with respect to the electrochemical surface potential, the self-assembly of proteins or peptides forming well-organized nanostructures templated by lattice structure of the solid surfaces has not been studied in the relation to the surface potential. In this work, we utilize graphite-binding peptides (GrBPs) selected by the phage display method to investigate the relationship between the electrochemical potential of the highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and peptide self-organization forming long-range-ordered structures. Under modulated electrical bias, graphite-binding peptides form various ordered structures, such as well-ordered nanowires, dendritic structures, wavy wires, amorphous (disordered) structures, and islands. A systematic investigation of the correlation between peptide sequence and self-organizational characteristics reveals that the presence of the bias-sensitive amino acid modules in the peptide sequence has a significant effect on not only surface coverage but also on the morphological features of self-assembled structures. Our results show a new method to control peptide self-assembly by means of applied electrochemical bias as well as peptide design-rules for the construction of functional soft bio/solid interfaces that could be integrated in a wide range of practical implementations.

Protection From Varicella Zoster in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Carrying Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor B Haplotypes.

PubMed

Schmied, Laurent; Terszowski, Grzegorz; Gonzalez, Asensio; Schmitter, Karin; Hirsch, Hans H; Garzoni, Christian; van Delden, Christian; Boggian, Katia; Mueller, Nicolas J; Berger, Christoph; Villard, Jean; Manuel, Oriol; Meylan, Pascal; Hess, Christoph; Stern, Martin

2015-12-01

Natural killer cell function is regulated by inhibitory and activating killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). Previous studies have documented associations of KIR genotype with the risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication after solid organ transplantation. In this study of 649 solid organ transplant recipients, followed prospectively for infectious disease events within the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study, we were interested to see if KIR genotype associated with virus infections other than CMV. We found that KIR B haplotypes (which have previously been linked to protection from CMV replication) were associated with protection from varicella zoster virus infection (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.91; P = 0.03). No significant associations were detected regarding the risk of herpes simplex, Epstein-Barr virus or BK polyomavirus infections. In conclusion, these data provide evidence that the relative protection of KIR haplotype B from viral replication after solid organ transplantation may extend beyond CMV to other herpes viruses, such as varicella zoster virus and possibly Epstein-Barr virus.

Dry-thermophilic anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste: Methane production modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fdez-Gueelfo, L.A., E-mail: alberto.fdezguelfo@uca.es; Alvarez-Gallego, C.; Sales, D.

2012-03-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Methane generation may be modeled by means of modified product generation model of Romero Garcia (1991). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Organic matter content and particle size influence the kinetic parameters. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Higher organic matter content and lower particle size enhance the biomethanization. - Abstract: The influence of particle size and organic matter content of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) in the overall kinetics of dry (30% total solids) thermophilic (55 Degree-Sign C) anaerobic digestion have been studied in a semi-continuous stirred tank reactor (SSTR). Two types of wastes were used: synthetic OFMSW (average particle size of 1 mm; 0.71more » g Volatile Solids/g waste), and OFMSW coming from a composting full scale plant (average particle size of 30 mm; 0.16 g Volatile Solids/g waste). A modification of a widely-validated product-generation kinetic model has been proposed. Results obtained from the modified-model parameterization at steady-state (that include new kinetic parameters as K, Y{sub pMAX} and {theta}{sub MIN}) indicate that the features of the feedstock strongly influence the kinetics of the process. The overall specific growth rate of microorganisms ({mu}{sub max}) with synthetic OFMSW is 43% higher compared to OFMSW coming from a composting full scale plant: 0.238 d{sup -1} (K = 1.391 d{sup -1}; Y{sub pMAX} = 1.167 L CH{sub 4}/gDOC{sub c}; {theta}{sub MIN} = 7.924 days) vs. 0.135 d{sup -1} (K = 1.282 d{sup -1}; Y{sub pMAX} = 1.150 L CH{sub 4}/gDOC{sub c}; {theta}{sub MIN} = 9.997 days) respectively. Finally, it could be emphasized that the validation of proposed modified-model has been performed successfully by means of the simulation of non-steady state data for the different SRTs tested with each waste.« less

Antibody-mediated rejection across solid organ transplants: manifestations, mechanisms, and therapies.

PubMed

Valenzuela, Nicole M; Reed, Elaine F

2017-06-30

Solid organ transplantation is a curative therapy for hundreds of thousands of patients with end-stage organ failure. However, long-term outcomes have not improved, and nearly half of transplant recipients will lose their allografts by 10 years after transplant. One of the major challenges facing clinical transplantation is antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) caused by anti-donor HLA antibodies. AMR is highly associated with graft loss, but unfortunately there are few efficacious therapies to prevent and reverse AMR. This Review describes the clinical and histological manifestations of AMR, and discusses the immunopathological mechanisms contributing to antibody-mediated allograft injury as well as current and emerging therapies.

The academic challenge of teaching psychomotor skills for hemostasis of solid organ injury.

PubMed

Lucas, Charles E; Ledgerwood, Anna M

2009-03-01

This study highlights the inherent challenges of achieving psychomotor skills in an era of nonoperative therapy for solid organ injuries. Technical procedures on the liver, the most frequent intra-abdominal solid organ injured, were assessed in five decades. Guided by prospective assessment and registry data, all patients with liver injury seen during 24 months in five consecutive decades were reviewed. Initially (1960s), all injuries were explored; currently (2000s), most injuries are observed. The number of patients was 235 (1960s), 228 (1970s), 79 (1980s), 116 (1990s), and 64 (2000s). The greater number in the 1990s reflects the diagnosis of minor, clinically insignificant, blunt injuries after abdominal CAT scan became available. Each injury was categorized by cause, severity (Abbreviated Injury Scale), associated shock, and primary therapy (observe [OBS], operation alone [OR], hepatorrhaphy [SUT], tractotomy [TRACT] with intraparenchymal hemostasis, hepatic dearterialization [HAL], and resection [RESECT]). Packing, used in each decade, was placed in one of the above primary treatment groups. The primary techniques for hemostasis are shown in the text table.Shock and Abbreviated Injury Scale correlated with mortality averaged 16%; 40 of 116 deaths (34%) exsanguinated from hepatic injury. During training, a resident performed an average of 12.0, 12.0, 2.4, 4.0, and 1.3 procedures for hemostasis. Reduced incidence and decreased therapeutic laparotomies for liver injury have created a training vacuum for future trauma surgeons. Surgical residents will need to supplement their clinical experience with solid organ hemostasis by practice on appropriate animal models of injury and cadaver dissections.

The Effect of Background Experience and an Advance Organizer on the Attainment of Certain Science Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAdaragh, Mary Kathleen

This study examined the effects of an advance organizer and background experience in science on the attainment of science concepts. Ninth-grade earth science students (N=90) were given the Dubbins Earth Science Test (DEST) and a Science Background Experience Inventory (SBEI) developed by the author. They were then placed into high, medium, and low…

Many-Body Perturbation Theory for Understanding Optical Excitations in Organic Molecules and Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharifzadeh, Sahar

Organic semiconductors are promising as light-weight, flexible, and strongly absorbing materials for next-generation optoelectronics. The advancement of such technologies relies on understanding the fundamental excited-state properties of organic molecules and solids, motivating the development of accurate computational approaches for this purpose. Here, I will present first-principles many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) calculations aimed at understanding the spectroscopic properties of select organic molecules and crystalline semiconductors, and improving these properties for enhanced photovoltaic performance. We show that for both gas-phase molecules and condensed-phase crystals, MBPT within the GW/BSE approximation provides quantitative accuracy of transport gaps extracted from photoemission spectroscopy and conductance measurements, as well as with measured polarization-dependent optical absorption spectra. We discuss the implications of standard approximations within GW/BSE on accuracy of these results. Additionally, we demonstrate significant exciton binding energies and charge-transfer character in the crystalline systems, which can be controlled through solid-state morphology or change of conjugation length, suggesting a new strategy for the design of optoelectronic materials. We acknowledge NSF for financial support; NERSC and Boston University for computational resources.

Highlight on the indigenous organic molecules detected on Mars by SAM and potential sources of artifacts and backgrounds generated by the sample preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buch, A.; Belmahdi, I.; Szopa, C.; Freissinet, C.; Glavin, D. P.; Coll, P. J.; Cabane, M.; Millan, M.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Stern, J. C.; Pinnick, V. T.; Coscia, D.; Teinturier, S.; Stambouli, M.; Dequaire, T.; Mahaffy, P. R.

2015-12-01

Among the experiments which explore the martian soil aboard the Curiosity Rover, SAM experiment is mainly dedicated to the search for indigenous organic compounds. To reach its goals SAM can operate in different analysis modes: Pyrolysis-GC-MS and Pyrolysis-MS (EGA). In addition SAM includes wet chemistry experiments [1] to supports extraction of polar organic compounds from solid samples that improves their detection either by increasing the release of chemical species from solid sample matrices, or by changing their chemical structure to make compounds more amenable to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). The two wet chemistry experimental capabilities of SAM provide alternatives to the nominal inert-thermal desorption/pyrolysis analytical protocol and are more aptly suited for polar components: MTBSTFA derivatization [2-3] and TMAH thermochemolysis [4-5]. Here we focus on the MTBSTFA derivatization experiment. In order to build a support used to help the interpretation of SAM results, we have investigated the artifacts and backgrounds sources generated by the all analysis process: Solid sample were heated up to approximately 840°C at a rate of 35°C/min under He flow. For GC analyses, the majority of the gas released was trapped on a hydrocarbon trap (Tenax®) over a specific temperature range. Adsorbed volatiles on the GC injection trap (IT) were then released into the GC column (CLP-MXT 30m x 0.25mm x 0.25μm) by rapidly heating the IT to 300°C. Then, in order better understand the part of compounds detected coming from internal reaction we have performed several lab experiments to mimic the SAM device: Among the sources of artifact, we test: (1) the thermal stability and the organic material released during the degradation of Tenax® and carbosieve, (2) the impact of MTBSTFA and a mixture of DMF and MTBSTFA on the adsorbent, (3) the reaction between the different adsorbents (Tenax® and Carbosieve) and calcium perchlorate and then (4) the sources

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Solid and Liquid Organic Fertilizers Applied to Lettuce.

PubMed

Toonsiri, Phasita; Del Grosso, Stephen J; Sukor, Arina; Davis, Jessica G

2016-11-01

Improper application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and environmental factors can cause the loss of nitrous oxide (NO) to the environment. Different types of fertilizers with different C/N ratios may have different effects on the environment. The focus of this study was to evaluate the effects of environmental factors and four organic fertilizers (feather meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and cyano-fertilizer) applied at different rates (0, 28, 56, and 112 kg N ha) on NO emissions and to track CO emissions from a lettuce field ( L.). The study was conducted in 2013 and 2014 and compared preplant-applied solid fertilizers (feather meal and blood meal) and multiple applications of liquid fertilizers (fish emulsion and cyano-fertilizer). Three days a week, NO and CO emissions were measured twice per day in 2013 and once per day in 2014 using a closed-static chamber, and gas samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. Preplant-applied solid fertilizers significantly increased cumulative NO emissions as compared with control, but multiple applications of liquid fertilizers did not. Emission factors for NO ranged from 0 to 0.1% for multiple applications of liquid fertilizers and 0.6 to 11% for preplant-applied solid fertilizers, which could be overestimated due to chamber placement over fertilizer bands. In 2014, solid fertilizers with higher C/N ratios (3.3-3.5) resulted in higher CO emissions than liquid fertilizers (C/N ratio, 0.9-1.5). Therefore, organic farmers should consider the use of multiple applications of liquid fertilizers as a means to reduce soil greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining high yields. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Exploiting the Synergy of Powder X-ray Diffraction and Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy in Structure Determination of Organic Molecular Solids

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

We report a strategy for structure determination of organic materials in which complete solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral data is utilized within the context of structure determination from powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. Following determination of the crystal structure from powder XRD data, first-principles density functional theory-based techniques within the GIPAW approach are exploited to calculate the solid-state NMR data for the structure, followed by careful scrutiny of the agreement with experimental solid-state NMR data. The successful application of this approach is demonstrated by structure determination of the 1:1 cocrystal of indomethacin and nicotinamide. The 1H and 13C chemical shifts calculated for the crystal structure determined from the powder XRD data are in excellent agreement with those measured experimentally, notably including the two-dimensional correlation of 1H and 13C chemical shifts for directly bonded 13C–1H moieties. The key feature of this combined approach is that the quality of the structure determined is assessed both against experimental powder XRD data and against experimental solid-state NMR data, thus providing a very robust validation of the veracity of the structure. PMID:24386493

Exploiting the Synergy of Powder X-ray Diffraction and Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy in Structure Determination of Organic Molecular Solids.

PubMed

Dudenko, Dmytro V; Williams, P Andrew; Hughes, Colan E; Antzutkin, Oleg N; Velaga, Sitaram P; Brown, Steven P; Harris, Kenneth D M

2013-06-13

We report a strategy for structure determination of organic materials in which complete solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral data is utilized within the context of structure determination from powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. Following determination of the crystal structure from powder XRD data, first-principles density functional theory-based techniques within the GIPAW approach are exploited to calculate the solid-state NMR data for the structure, followed by careful scrutiny of the agreement with experimental solid-state NMR data. The successful application of this approach is demonstrated by structure determination of the 1:1 cocrystal of indomethacin and nicotinamide. The 1 H and 13 C chemical shifts calculated for the crystal structure determined from the powder XRD data are in excellent agreement with those measured experimentally, notably including the two-dimensional correlation of 1 H and 13 C chemical shifts for directly bonded 13 C- 1 H moieties. The key feature of this combined approach is that the quality of the structure determined is assessed both against experimental powder XRD data and against experimental solid-state NMR data, thus providing a very robust validation of the veracity of the structure.

Calculation of NMR chemical shifts in organic solids: accounting for motional effects.

PubMed

Dumez, Jean-Nicolas; Pickard, Chris J

2009-03-14

NMR chemical shifts were calculated from first principles for well defined crystalline organic solids. These density functional theory calculations were carried out within the plane-wave pseudopotential framework, in which truly extended systems are implicitly considered. The influence of motional effects was assessed by averaging over vibrational modes or over snapshots taken from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. It is observed that the zero-point correction to chemical shifts can be significant, and that thermal effects are particularly noticeable for shielding anisotropies and for a temperature-dependent chemical shift. This study provides insight into the development of highly accurate first principles calculations of chemical shifts in solids, highlighting the role of motional effects on well defined systems.

Desensitization for solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PubMed Central

Zachary, Andrea A; Leffell, Mary S

2014-01-01

Desensitization protocols are being used worldwide to enable kidney transplantation across immunologic barriers, i.e. antibody to donor HLA or ABO antigens, which were once thought to be absolute contraindications to transplantation. Desensitization protocols are also being applied to permit transplantation of HLA mismatched hematopoietic stem cells to patients with antibody to donor HLA, to enhance the opportunity for transplantation of non-renal organs, and to treat antibody-mediated rejection. Although desensitization for organ transplantation carries an increased risk of antibody-mediated rejection, ultimately these transplants extend and enhance the quality of life for solid organ recipients, and desensitization that permits transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells is life saving for patients with limited donor options. Complex patient factors and variability in treatment protocols have made it difficult to identify, precisely, the mechanisms underlying the downregulation of donor-specific antibodies. The mechanisms underlying desensitization may differ among the various protocols in use, although there are likely to be some common features. However, it is likely that desensitization achieves a sort of immune detente by first reducing the immunologic barrier and then by creating an environment in which an autoregulatory process restricts the immune response to the allograft. PMID:24517434

The incidence of invasive aspergillosis among solid organ transplant recipients and implications for prophylaxis in lung transplants.

PubMed

Minari, A; Husni, R; Avery, R K; Longworth, D L; DeCamp, M; Bertin, M; Schilz, R; Smedira, N; Haug, M T; Mehta, A; Gordon, S M

2002-12-01

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplant recipients but data on the incidence rates stratified by type of solid organ are limited. To describe the attack rates and incidence of IA in solid organ transplant recipients, and the impact of universal Aspergillus prophylaxis (aerosolized amphotericin B or oral itraconazole) in lung transplant recipients. The 2,046 patients who received solid organ transplants at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from January 1990 through 1999 were studied. Cases were ascertained through computerized records of microbiology, cytology, and pathology reports. Definite IA was defined as a positive culture and pathology showing septate hyphae. Probable IA was clinical disease and either a positive culture or histopathology. Disseminated IA was defined as involvement of two or more noncontiguous anatomic sites. We identified 33 cases of IA (28% disseminated) in 2,046 patients (attack rate = 1.6%) for an incidence of 4.8 cases per 1,000 patient-years (33 cases/6,813 pt-years). Both the attack and the incidence rates were significantly higher for lung transplant recipients vs. other transplant recipients: lung 12.8% (24 cases/188 patients) or 40.5 cases/1,000-pt year vs. heart 0.4% (3/686) or 1.4 per 1,000-pt year vs. liver 0.7% (3/439) or 2.1 per 1,000-pt year vs. renal 0.4% (3/733) or 1.2 per 1,000-pt year (P < 0.01). The incidence of IA was highest during the first year after transplantation for all categories, but cases occurred after the first year of transplantation only in lung transplant recipients. The attack rate of IA in lung transplant recipients was significantly lower after institution of routine Aspergillus prophylaxis (4.9% vs. 18.2%, P < 0.05). The highest incidence and attack rate of invasive aspergillosis among solid organ transplant recipients occurs in lung transplant recipients and supports the routine use of Aspergillus prophylaxis for at least one year

Effect of solids retention time on the bioavailability of organic carbon in anaerobically digested swine waste.

PubMed

Kinyua, Maureen N; Cunningham, Jeffrey; Ergas, Sarina J

2014-06-01

Anaerobic digestion (AD) can be used to stabilize and produce energy from livestock waste; however, digester effluents may require further treatment to remove nitrogen. This paper quantifies the effects of varying solids retention time (SRT) methane yield, volatile solids (VS) reduction and organic carbon bioavailability for denitrification during swine waste AD. Four bench-scale anaerobic digesters, with SRTs of 14, 21, 28 and 42 days, operated with swine waste feed. Effluent organic carbon bioavailability was measured using anoxic microcosms and respirometry. Excellent performance was observed for all four digesters, with >60% VS removal and CH4 yields between 0.1 and 0.3(m(3)CH4)/(kg VS added). Organic carbon in the centrate as an internal organic carbon source for denitrification supported maximum specific denitrification rates between 47 and 56(mg NO3(-)-N)/(g VSS h). The digester with the 21-day SRT had the highest CH4 yield and maximum specific denitrification rates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional protonic conductivity in porous organic cage solids.

PubMed

Liu, Ming; Chen, Linjiang; Lewis, Scott; Chong, Samantha Y; Little, Marc A; Hasell, Tom; Aldous, Iain M; Brown, Craig M; Smith, Martin W; Morrison, Carole A; Hardwick, Laurence J; Cooper, Andrew I

2016-09-13

Proton conduction is a fundamental process in biology and in devices such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells. To maximize proton conduction, three-dimensional conduction pathways are preferred over one-dimensional pathways, which prevent conduction in two dimensions. Many crystalline porous solids to date show one-dimensional proton conduction. Here we report porous molecular cages with proton conductivities (up to 10(-3) S cm(-1) at high relative humidity) that compete with extended metal-organic frameworks. The structure of the organic cage imposes a conduction pathway that is necessarily three-dimensional. The cage molecules also promote proton transfer by confining the water molecules while being sufficiently flexible to allow hydrogen bond reorganization. The proton conduction is explained at the molecular level through a combination of proton conductivity measurements, crystallography, molecular simulations and quasi-elastic neutron scattering. These results provide a starting point for high-temperature, anhydrous proton conductors through inclusion of guests other than water in the cage pores.

Three-dimensional protonic conductivity in porous organic cage solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ming; Chen, Linjiang; Lewis, Scott; Chong, Samantha Y.; Little, Marc A.; Hasell, Tom; Aldous, Iain M.; Brown, Craig M.; Smith, Martin W.; Morrison, Carole A.; Hardwick, Laurence J.; Cooper, Andrew I.

2016-09-01

Proton conduction is a fundamental process in biology and in devices such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells. To maximize proton conduction, three-dimensional conduction pathways are preferred over one-dimensional pathways, which prevent conduction in two dimensions. Many crystalline porous solids to date show one-dimensional proton conduction. Here we report porous molecular cages with proton conductivities (up to 10-3 S cm-1 at high relative humidity) that compete with extended metal-organic frameworks. The structure of the organic cage imposes a conduction pathway that is necessarily three-dimensional. The cage molecules also promote proton transfer by confining the water molecules while being sufficiently flexible to allow hydrogen bond reorganization. The proton conduction is explained at the molecular level through a combination of proton conductivity measurements, crystallography, molecular simulations and quasi-elastic neutron scattering. These results provide a starting point for high-temperature, anhydrous proton conductors through inclusion of guests other than water in the cage pores.

Subcritical-Water Extraction of Organics from Solid Matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amashukeli, Xenia; Grunthaner, Frank; Patrick, Steven; Kirby, James; Bickler, Donald; Willis, Peter; Pelletier, Christine; Bryson, Charles

2009-01-01

An apparatus for extracting organic compounds from soils, sands, and other solid matrix materials utilizes water at subcritical temperature and pressure as a solvent. The apparatus, called subcritical water extractor (SCWE), is a prototype of subsystems of future instrumentation systems to be used in searching for organic compounds as signs of past or present life on Mars. An aqueous solution generated by an apparatus like this one can be analyzed by any of a variety of established chromatographic or spectroscopic means to detect the dissolved organic compound( s). The apparatus can be used on Earth: indeed, in proof-of-concept experiments, SCWE was used to extract amino acids from soils of the Atacama Desert (Chile), which was chosen because the dryness and other relevant soil conditions there approximate those on Mars. The design of the apparatus is based partly on the fact that the relative permittivity (also known as the dielectric constant) of liquid water varies with temperature and pressure. At a temperature of 30 C and a pressure of 0.1 MPa, the relative permittivity of water is 79.6, due to the strong dipole-dipole electrostatic interactions between individual molecular dipoles. As the temperature increases, increasing thermal energy causes increasing disorientation of molecular dipoles, with a consequent decrease in relative permittivity. For example, water at a temperature of 325 C and pressure of 20 MPa has a relative permittivity of 17.5, which is similar to the relative permittivities of such nonpolar organic solvents as 1-butanol (17.8). In the operation of this apparatus, the temperature and pressure of water are adjusted so that the water can be used in place of commonly used organic solvents to extract compounds that have dissimilar physical and chemical properties.

EVALUATION OF SOLID ADSORBENTS FOR THE COLLECTION AND ANALYSES OF AMBIENT BIOGENIC VOLATILE ORGANICS

EPA Science Inventory

Micrometeorological flux measurements of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) usually require that large volumes of air be collected (whole air samples) or focused during the sampling process (cryogenic trapping or gas-solid partitioning on adsorbents) in order to achiev...

Seasonal variation of organic aerosol in PM2.5 at Anmyeondo, a background site in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Kim, E. S.; Kim, Y. P.; Jung, C. H.; Lee, J.

2016-12-01

Routine measurements of PM2.5 and chemical speciation for 100 individual organic compounds were carried out to understand seasonal variation of organic compounds at a background area in Korea between 2015 and 2016. Organic compounds analyzed in this study were classified into five groups, n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), fatty acids (FA), dicarboxylic acids (DCAs), and sugar. Further, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and Humic Like Substance-Carbon (HULIS-C) in PM2.5 were simultaneously analyzed to make mass balance of carbonaceous aerosol in PM2.5 at a background site in Korea. PAHs concentrations at this site was lower than that at Seoul, a representative urban site in Korea. PAHs and n-Alkanes concentrations showed clear seasonal variation with summer minimum and winter maximum, while, seasonal variation of DCAs and Sugars were different with PAHs and n-Alkanes.WSOC concentrations were highly correlated with SOC (Secondary Organic Carbon) concentrations which were estimated by the EC tracer method. The results indicate the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is major factor for the determination of WSOC concentrations in this region. HULIS-C as known one of brown carbon was major component of WSOC which accounts for 39 to 99% in WSOC. The average concentrations of HULIS-C was 2.02±1.42 and the highest concentration was observed in fall.

A statistical analogy between collapse of solids and death of living organisms: proposal for a 'law of life'.

PubMed

Pugno, Nicola M

2007-01-01

In this paper we present a statistical analogy between the collapse of solids and living organisms; in particular we deduce a statistical law governing their probability of death. We have derived such a law coupling the widely used Weibull Statistics, developed for describing the distribution of the strength of solids, with a general model for ontogenetic growth recently proposed in literature. The main idea presented in this paper is that cracks can propagate in solids and cause their failure as sick cells in living organisms can cause their death. Making a rough analogy, living organisms are found to behave as "growing" mechanical components under cyclic, i.e., fatigue, loadings and composed by a dynamic evolutionary material that, as an ineluctable fate, deteriorates. The implications on biological scaling laws are discussed. As an example, we apply such a Dynamic Weibull Statistics to large data collections on human deaths due to cancer of various types recorded in Italy: a significant agreement is observed.

Surfactant-Free Solid Dispersions of Hydrophobic Drugs in an Amorphous Sugar Matrix Dried from an Organic Solvent.

PubMed

Takeda, Koji; Gotoda, Yuto; Hirota, Daichi; Hidaka, Fumihiro; Sato, Tomo; Matsuura, Tsutashi; Imanaka, Hiroyuki; Ishida, Naoyuki; Imamura, Koreyoshi

2017-03-06

The technique for homogeneously dispersing hydrophobic drugs in a water-soluble solid matrix (solid dispersion) is a subject that has been extensively investigated in the pharmaceutical industry. Herein, a novel technique for dispersing a solid, without the need to use a surfactant, is reported. A freeze-dried amorphous sugar sample was dissolved in an organic solvent, which contained a soluble model hydrophobic component. The suspension of the sugar and the model hydrophobic component was vacuum foam dried to give a solid powder. Four types of sugars and methanol were used as representative sugars and the organic medium. Four model drugs (indomethacin, ibuprofen, gliclazide, and nifedipine) were employed. Differential scanning calorimetry analyses indicated that the sugar and model drug (100:1) did not undergo segregation during the drying process. The dissolution of the hydrophobic drugs in water from the solid dispersion was then evaluated, and the results indicated that the C max and AUC 0-60 min of the hydrophobic drug in water were increased when the surfactant-free solid dispersion was used. Palatinose and/or α-maltose were superior to the other tested carbohydrates in increasing C max and AUC 0-60 min for all tested model drugs, and the model drug with a lower water solubility tended to exhibit a greater extent of over-dissolution.

Flow Cytometry and Solid Organ Transplantation: A Perfect Match

PubMed Central

Maguire, Orla; Tario, Joseph D.; Shanahan, Thomas C.; Wallace, Paul K.; Minderman, Hans

2015-01-01

In the field of transplantation, flow cytometry serves a well-established role in pre-transplant crossmatching and monitoring immune reconstitution following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The capabilities of flow cytometers have continuously expanded and this combined with more detailed knowledge of the constituents of the immune system, their function and interaction and newly developed reagents to study these parameters have led to additional utility of flow cytometry-based analyses, particularly in the post-transplant setting. This review discusses the impact of flow cytometry on managing alloantigen reactions, monitoring opportunistic infections and graft rejection and gauging immunosuppression in the context of solid organ transplantation. PMID:25296232

Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy of Metal–Organic Framework Compounds (MOFs)

PubMed Central

Hoffmann, Herbert C.; Debowski, Marta; Müller, Philipp; Paasch, Silvia; Senkovska, Irena; Kaskel, Stefan; Brunner, Eike

2012-01-01

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a well-established method for the investigation of various types of porous materials. During the past decade, metal–organic frameworks have attracted increasing research interest. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy has rapidly evolved into an important tool for the study of the structure, dynamics and flexibility of these materials, as well as for the characterization of host–guest interactions with adsorbed species such as xenon, carbon dioxide, water, and many others. The present review introduces and highlights recent developments in this rapidly growing field.

Method for the decontamination of soil containing solid organic explosives therein

DOEpatents

Radtke, Corey W.; Roberto, Francisco F.

2000-01-01

An efficient method for decontaminating soil containing organic explosives ("TNT" and others) in the form of solid portions or chunks which are not ordinarily subject to effective bacterial degradation. The contaminated soil is treated by delivering an organic solvent to the soil which is capable of dissolving the explosives. This process makes the explosives more bioavailable to natural bacteria in the soil which can decompose the explosives. An organic nutrient composition is also preferably added to facilitate decomposition and yield a compost product. After dissolution, the explosives are allowed to remain in the soil until they are decomposed by the bacteria. Decomposition occurs directly in the soil which avoids the need to remove both the explosives and the solvents (which either evaporate or are decomposed by the bacteria). Decomposition is directly facilitated by the solvent pre-treatment process described above which enables rapid bacterial remediation of the soil.

Pediatric solid organ transplantation and osteoporosis: a descriptive study on bone histomorphometric findings.

PubMed

Tamminen, Inari S; Valta, Helena; Jalanko, Hannu; Salminen, Sari; Mäyränpää, Mervi K; Isaksson, Hanna; Kröger, Heikki; Mäkitie, Outi

2014-08-01

Organ transplantation may lead to secondary osteoporosis in children. This study characterized bone histomorphometric findings in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients who were assessed for suspected secondary osteoporosis. Iliac crest biopsies were obtained from 19 children (7.6-18.8 years, 11 male) who had undergone kidney (n = 6), liver (n = 9), or heart (n = 4) transplantation a median 4.6 years (range 0.6-16.3 years) earlier. All patients had received oral glucocorticoids at the time of the biopsy. Of the 19 patients, 21 % had sustained peripheral fractures and 58 % vertebral compression fractures. Nine children (47 %) had a lumbar spine BMD Z-score below -2.0. Histomorphometric analyses showed low trabecular bone volume (< -1.0 SD) in 6 children (32 %) and decreased trabecular thickness in 14 children (74 %). Seven children (37 %) had high bone turnover at biopsy, and low turnover was found in 6 children (32 %), 1 of whom had adynamic bone disease. There was a great heterogeneity in the histological findings in different transplant groups, and the results were unpredictable using non-invasive methods. The observed changes in bone quality (i.e. abnormal turnover rate, thin trabeculae) rather than the actual loss of trabecular bone, might explain the increased fracture risk in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients.

Clostridium difficile colitis: increasing incidence, risk factors, and outcomes in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Boutros, Marylise; Al-Shaibi, Maha; Chan, Gabriel; Cantarovich, Marcelo; Rahme, Elham; Paraskevas, Steven; Deschenes, Marc; Ghali, Peter; Wong, Philip; Fernandez, Myriam; Giannetti, Nadia; Cecere, Renzo; Hassanain, Mazen; Chaudhury, Prosanto; Metrakos, Peter; Tchervenkov, Jean; Barkun, Jeffrey S

2012-05-27

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is an increasingly important diagnosis in solid organ transplant recipients, with rising incidence and mortality. We describe the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of colectomy for CDAD after solid organ transplantation. Patients with CDAD were identified from a prospective transplant database. Complicated Clostridium difficile colitis (CCDC) was defined as CDAD associated with graft loss, total colectomy, or death. From 1999 to 2010, we performed solid organ transplants for 1331 recipients at our institution. The incidence of CDAD was 12.4% (165 patients); it increased from 4.5% (1999) to 21.1% (2005) and finally 9.5% (2010). The peak frequency of CDAD was between 6 and 10 days posttransplantation. Age more than 55 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.16-1.81), induction with antithymocyte globulin (HR: 1.43, 95% CI=1.075-1.94), and transplant other than kidney alone (liver, heart, pancreas, or combined kidney organ) (HR: 1.41, 95% CI=1.05-1.92) were significant independent risk factors for CDAD. CCDC occurred in 15.8% of CDAD cases. Independent predictors of CCDC were white blood cell count more than 25,000/μL (HR: 1.08, 95% CI=1.025-1.15) and evidence of pancolitis on computed tomography scan (HR: 2.52, 95% CI=1.195-5.35). Six patients with CCDC underwent colectomy with 83% patient survival and 20% graft loss. Of the medically treated patients with CCDC (n=20), the patient survival was 35% with 100% graft loss. We have identified significant risk factors for CDAD and predictors of progression to CCDC. Furthermore, we found that colectomy can be performed with excellent survival in selected patients.

Advances in prevention of radiation damage to visceral and solid organs in patients requiring radiation therapy of the trunk.

PubMed

Ritter, E F; Lee, C G; Tyler, D; Ferraro, F; Whiddon, C; Rudner, A M; Scully, S

1997-02-01

As a part of multimodality therapy, many patients with tumors of the trunk receive radiation therapy. The major morbidity of this therapy is often secondary to incidental radiation damage to tissues adjacent to treatment areas. We detail our use of saline breast implants placed in polyglycolic acid mesh sheets to displace visceral and solid organs away from the radiation field. Analysis of CT scans and dose volume histograms reveal that this technique successfully displaces uninvolved organs away from the radiation fields, thereby minimizing the radiation dose to such organs and tissues. We believe this is a safe and efficacious method to prevent radiation damage to visceral and solid organs adjacent to trunk tumor sites.

Evaluation and Management of Blunt Solid Organ Trauma.

PubMed

Martin, Jonathan G; Shah, Jay; Robinson, Craig; Dariushnia, Sean

2017-12-01

Trauma is a leading cause of death in patients under the age of 45 and generally associated with a high kinetic energy event such as a motor vehicle accident or fall from extreme elevations. Blunt trauma can affect every organ system and major vascular structure with potentially devastating effect. When we consider abdominal solid organ injury from blunt trauma, we usually think of the liver, spleen, and kidneys. However, all of the abdominal organs, including the pancreas and adrenal glands, may be involved. Blunt hepatic trauma is more commonly associated with venous bleeding rather than arterial injury. Stable venous injury is often managed conservatively; when the patient is hemodynamically unstable from venous hepatic injury, operative management should be first-line therapy. When the injury is arterial, endovascular therapy should be initiated. Blunt trauma to the spleen is the most common cause of traumatic injury to the spleen. Management is controversial. In our institution unstable patients are taken to the operating room, and stable patients with Grades IV-V injuries and patients with active arterial injury are taken for endovascular treatment. Renal injuries are less common, and evidence of arterial injury such as active extravasation or pseudoaneurysm is warranted before endovascular therapy. Pancreatic trauma is uncommon and usually secondary to steering wheel/handlebar mechanism injuries. Adrenal injuries are rare in the absence of megatrauma or underlying adrenal abnormality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aspergillus spondylodiscitis in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Li, X-F; Liu, Z-D; Xia, Q; Dai, L-Y

2010-12-01

Transplantation practices have had a significant effect on the epidemiology of invasive Aspergillosis. Aspergillus spondylodiscitis is rare in transplant recipients. The optimal treatment has yet to be defined because of the rarity of such cases. This article reviews the available literature on Aspergillus spondylodiscitis in solid organ transplant recipients and provides recommendations on its management. We identified 15 cases of Aspergillus spondylodiscitis in transplant recipients. Most patients were heart transplant recipients. Back pain was the mode of presentation in all patients. Most cases were afebrile. The dominant location was the lumbar spine. Aspergillus fumigatus was responsible for 84.62% of cases and A flavus for 15.38%. The overall recovery rate was 66.67%. Delay in diagnosis remained a major impediment to the successful treatment of spinal aspergillosis. Treatment included antifungal therapy alone or combined with surgery. Initial therapy with voriconazole could lead to better curative effects. Combined medical and operative interventions are recommended for treatment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An audit of pregnancy outcomes in solid organ transplant recipients at a metropolitan hospital.

PubMed

Fang, Yunjing E; Nayyar, Roshini; Diplock, Hayley

2018-04-22

Pregnancies in patients with solid organ transplants have higher rates of complications and caesarean sections (CS). To perform an audit of the pregnancy outcomes in transplant recipients, to determine the rate of CS in our cohort, the appropriate skin incision for CS in these patients and to formulate recommendations for preoperative planning. This is a retrospective cohort study. All patients who had a solid organ transplant were identified from the obstetrics database. The operation records of the transplant recipients who delivered by CS were reviewed and the de-identified data were evaluated for pregnancy outcomes. This cohort consisted of 22 women: six had simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) transplants and 16 had kidney transplants. Over a ten-year period, four women had two pregnancies and one had a twin pregnancy, thus 27 babies were born. The rate of CS was 58% (n = 15) and the surgical approach in 13 of these patients was by Pfannenstiel incision. One patient had an elective midline incision at the first CS, which was repeated in the next pregnancy. Two CS were complicated by bladder injury, both occurring in SPK recipients. Patients with solid organ transplants have a higher rate of CS and SPK patients may be at a higher risk of bladder injuries during CS. Our data suggest that Pfannenstiel skin incision is still suitable for these patients. We recommend reviewing the operative details of the transplant operation and a pelvic magnetic resonance imaging for pre-operative planning. © 2018 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Desensitization for solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Zachary, Andrea A; Leffell, Mary S

2014-03-01

Desensitization protocols are being used worldwide to enable kidney transplantation across immunologic barriers, i.e. antibody to donor HLA or ABO antigens, which were once thought to be absolute contraindications to transplantation. Desensitization protocols are also being applied to permit transplantation of HLA mismatched hematopoietic stem cells to patients with antibody to donor HLA, to enhance the opportunity for transplantation of non-renal organs, and to treat antibody-mediated rejection. Although desensitization for organ transplantation carries an increased risk of antibody-mediated rejection, ultimately these transplants extend and enhance the quality of life for solid organ recipients, and desensitization that permits transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells is life saving for patients with limited donor options. Complex patient factors and variability in treatment protocols have made it difficult to identify, precisely, the mechanisms underlying the downregulation of donor-specific antibodies. The mechanisms underlying desensitization may differ among the various protocols in use, although there are likely to be some common features. However, it is likely that desensitization achieves a sort of immune detente by first reducing the immunologic barrier and then by creating an environment in which an autoregulatory process restricts the immune response to the allograft. © 2014 The Authors. Immunological Reviews Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dry-thermophilic anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste: methane production modeling.

PubMed

Fdez-Güelfo, L A; Alvarez-Gallego, C; Sales, D; García, L I Romero

2012-03-01

The influence of particle size and organic matter content of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) in the overall kinetics of dry (30% total solids) thermophilic (55°C) anaerobic digestion have been studied in a semi-continuous stirred tank reactor (SSTR). Two types of wastes were used: synthetic OFMSW (average particle size of 1mm; 0.71 g Volatile Solids/g waste), and OFMSW coming from a composting full scale plant (average particle size of 30 mm; 0.16 g Volatile Solids/g waste). A modification of a widely-validated product-generation kinetic model has been proposed. Results obtained from the modified-model parameterization at steady-state (that include new kinetic parameters as K, Y(pMAX) and θ(MIN)) indicate that the features of the feedstock strongly influence the kinetics of the process. The overall specific growth rate of microorganisms (μ(max)) with synthetic OFMSW is 43% higher compared to OFMSW coming from a composting full scale plant: 0.238 d(-1) (K=1.391 d(-1); Y(pMAX)=1.167 L CH(4)/gDOC(c); θ(MIN)=7.924 days) vs. 0.135 d(-1) (K=1.282 d(-1); Y(pMAX)=1.150 L CH(4)/gDOC(c); θ(MIN)=9.997 days) respectively. Finally, it could be emphasized that the validation of proposed modified-model has been performed successfully by means of the simulation of non-steady state data for the different SRTs tested with each waste. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Could Sentinel Skin Transplants Have Some Utility in Solid Organ Transplantation?

PubMed

Ali, J M; Catarino, P; Dunning, J; Giele, H; Vrakas, G; Parmar, J

2016-10-01

Accurate diagnosis of allograft rejection can be hazardous and challenging. A strategy that has emerged from experience with vascularized composite allografts (VCAs) is the use of sentinel skin transplants (SSTs)-portions of donor skin transplanted synchronously to an allograft. Work in nonhuman animal models and experience with VCAs suggest concordance between rejection occurring in the primary allograft and the SST, and that appearance of rejection in the SST may precede rejection in the primary allograft, permitting early therapeutic intervention that may improve outcomes with lower rates of chronic rejection. The encouraging findings reported in VCA transplantation raise the possibility that SST may also be useful in solid organ transplantation. Some evidence is provided by experience with abdominal wall transplantation in some intestinal and multivisceral transplant recipients. Results from those reports raise the possibility that rejection may manifest in the skin component before emergence in the intestinal allograft, providing a "lead time" during which treatment of rejection of the abdominal wall could prevent the emergence of intestinal rejection. It is plausible that these findings may be extrapolated to other solid organ allografts, especially those for which obtaining an accurate diagnosis of acute rejection can be hazardous and challenging, such as the lung or pancreas. However, more data are required to support widespread adoption of this technique. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PARTITION INFRARED METHOD FOR TOTAL GASOLINE RANGE ORGANICS IN WATER BASED ON SOLID PHASE MICROEXTRACTION. (R825343)

EPA Science Inventory

A new method is described for determining total gasoline-range organics
(TGRO) in water that combines solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and infrared
(IR) spectroscopy. In this method, the organic compounds are extracted from
250-mL of water into a small square (3....

Electronic functions of solid-to-liquid interfaces of organic semiconductor crystals and ionic liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeya, J.

2008-10-01

The environment of surface electrons at 'solid-to-liquid' interfaces is somewhat extreme, subjected to intense local electric fields or harsh chemical pressures that high-density ionic charge or polarization of mobile molecules create. In this proceedings, we argue functions of electronic carriers generated at the surface of organic semiconductor crystals in response to the local electric fields in the very vicinity of the interface to ionic liquid. The ionic liquids (ILs), or room temperature molten salts, are gaining considerable interest in the recent decade at the prospect of nonvolatile 'green solvents', with the development of chemically stable and nontoxic compounds. Moreover, such materials are also applied to electrolytes for lithium ion batteries and electric double-layer (EDL) capacitors. Our present solid-to-liquid interfaces of rubrene single crystals and ionic liquids work as fast-switching organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with the highest transconductance, i.e. the most efficient response of the output current to the input voltage, among the OFETs ever built.

EPICO 3.0. Antifungal prophylaxis in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Zaragoza, Rafael; Aguado, José María; Ferrer, Ricard; Rodríguez, Alejandro H; Maseda, Emilio; Llinares, Pedro; Grau, Santiago; Muñoz, Patricia; Fortún, Jesús; Bouzada, Mercedes; Pozo, Juan Carlos Del; León, Rafael

Although over the past decade the management of invasive fungal infection has improved, considerable controversy persists regarding antifungal prophylaxis in solid organ transplant recipients. To identify the key clinical knowledge and make by consensus the high level recommendations required for antifungal prophylaxis in solid organ transplant recipients. Spanish prospective questionnaire, which measures consensus through the Delphi technique, was conducted anonymously and by e-mail with 30 national multidisciplinary experts, specialists in invasive fungal infections from six national scientific societies, including intensivists, anesthetists, microbiologists, pharmacologists and specialists in infectious diseases that responded to 12 questions prepared by the coordination group, after an exhaustive review of the literature in the last few years. The level of agreement achieved among experts in each of the categories should be equal to or greater than 70% in order to make a clinical recommendation. In a second term, after extracting the recommendations of the selected topics, a face-to-face meeting was held with more than 60 specialists who were asked to validate the pre-selected recommendations and derived algorithm. Echinocandin antifungal prophylaxis should be considered in liver transplant with major risk factors (retransplantation, renal failure requiring dialysis after transplantation, pretransplant liver failure, not early reoperation, or MELD>30); heart transplant with hemodialysis, and surgical re-exploration after transplantation; environmental colonization by Aspergillus, or cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection; and pancreas and intestinal transplant in case of acute graft rejection, hemodialysis, initial graft dysfunction, post-perfusion pancreatitis with anastomotic problems or need for laparotomy after transplantation. Antifungal fluconazole prophylaxis should be considered in liver transplant without major risk factors and MELD 20-30, split or living

Impact of solids retention time on dissolved organic nitrogen and its biodegradability in treated wastewater

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and its biodegradability in treated wastewater have recently gained attention because DON potentially causes oxygen depletion and/or eutrophication in receiving waters. Laboratory scale chemostat experiments were conducted at 9 different solids retention times (SRTs)...

Clinical and immunological relevance of antibodies in solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Mehra, N K; Baranwal, A K

2016-12-01

The two important issues affecting recipients of solid organ transplants and of importance to immunologists are (i) sensitization of the recipient to HLA antigens and the resultant humoral immune response leading to the development of anti-HLA antibodies; and ii) development of robust assays for early detection of humoral rejection post-transplant. Evidence from several studies clearly indicates that presence of circulating anti-HLA antibodies especially donor specific leads to early graft loss and high titres of DSA may even lead to hyperacute or accelerated acute rejection. Long-term graft survival too is adversely affected by the presence of either pre- or post-transplant DSA. HLA matching status of the recipient - donor pair - is an important factor in the modulation of humoral response following transplantation and in a way affects de novo development of DSA. Data collected over the past decade clearly indicate significantly lower level of DSAs in optimally matched donor-recipient pairs. HLA mismatches especially those on HLA-DR and HLA-C loci have wider implications on post-transplant graft survival. The presence of circulating anti-HLA antibodies leads to endothelial damage in the newly grafted organ through complement dependent or independent pathways. Although detection of C4d deposition in renal biopsies serves as an important indicator of humoral rejection, its absence does not preclude the presence of DSAs and humoral rejection, and hence, it cannot be relied upon in every case. The emergence of epitope-based screening for anti-HLA antibodies on Luminex platform with high degree of sensitivity has revolutionized the screening for anti-HLA antibodies and DSAs. Studies indicate that humoral response to non-HLA antigens might also have a detrimental effect on allograft survival. High titres of such circulating antibodies may even lead to hyperacute rejection. Pre-emptive testing of solid organ recipients, especially kidney transplant recipients for anti

A quantitative property-property relationship for the internal diffusion coefficients of organic compounds in solid materials.

PubMed

Huang, L; Fantke, P; Ernstoff, A; Jolliet, O

2017-11-01

Indoor releases of organic chemicals encapsulated in solid materials are major contributors to human exposures and are directly related to the internal diffusion coefficient in solid materials. Existing correlations to estimate the diffusion coefficient are only valid for a limited number of chemical-material combinations. This paper develops and evaluates a quantitative property-property relationship (QPPR) to predict diffusion coefficients for a wide range of organic chemicals and materials. We first compiled a training dataset of 1103 measured diffusion coefficients for 158 chemicals in 32 consolidated material types. Following a detailed analysis of the temperature influence, we developed a multiple linear regression model to predict diffusion coefficients as a function of chemical molecular weight (MW), temperature, and material type (adjusted R 2 of .93). The internal validations showed the model to be robust, stable and not a result of chance correlation. The external validation against two separate prediction datasets demonstrated the model has good predicting ability within its applicability domain (Rext2>.8), namely MW between 30 and 1178 g/mol and temperature between 4 and 180°C. By covering a much wider range of organic chemicals and materials, this QPPR facilitates high-throughput estimates of human exposures for chemicals encapsulated in solid materials. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Putting Cocrystal Stoichiometry to Work: A Reactive Hydrogen-Bonded "Superassembly" Enables Nanoscale Enlargement of a Metal-Organic Rhomboid via a Solid-State Photocycloaddition.

PubMed

Chu, Qianli; Duncan, Andrew J E; Papaefstathiou, Giannis S; Hamilton, Tamara D; Atkinson, Manza B J; Mariappan, S V Santhana; MacGillivray, Leonard R

2018-04-11

Enlargement of a self-assembled metal-organic rhomboid is achieved via the organic solid state. The solid-state synthesis of an elongated organic ligand was achieved by a template directed [2 + 2] photodimerization in a cocrystal. Initial cocrystals obtained of resorcinol template and reactant alkene afforded a 1:2 cocrystal with the alkene in a stacked yet photostable geometry. Cocrystallization performed in the presence of excess template resulted in a 3:2 cocrystal composed of novel discrete 10-component hydrogen-bonded "superassemblies" wherein the alkenes undergo a head-to-head [2 + 2] photodimerization. Isolation and reaction of elongated photoproduct with Cu(II) ions afforded a metal-organic rhomboid of nanoscale dimensions that hosts small molecules in the solid state as guests.

Does CT evidence of a flat inferior vena cava indicate hypovolemia in blunt trauma patients with solid organ injuries?

PubMed

Liao, Yu-Ying; Lin, Hung-Jung; Lu, Yu-Hui; Foo, Ning-Ping; Guo, How-Ran; Chen, Kuo-Tai

2011-06-01

Nonoperative management for selective patients with solid organ injuries from blunt trauma has gained wide acceptance. However, for trauma surgeons, it is often difficult to estimate a patient's circulatory volume. Some authors have proposed that the presence of a collapsed inferior vena cava (IVC) on computed tomography (CT) scan correlates with inadequate circulatory volume. Our aim was to verify whether CT evidence of a flat IVC (FI) is an indicator of hypovolemia in blunt trauma patients with solid organ injuries. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all blunt trauma patients with solid organ injuries admitted to our Medical Center from July 2003 to September 2006. Of the 226 patients reviewed, 29 had CT evidence of FI. We compared Injury Severity Scores, hemodynamic parameters, fluid and blood transfusion requirements, mortality rate, and hospital course between patients with (FI group) and without FI (non-FI [NFI] group). The FI group had higher rates of intensive care unit admission and mortality, in addition to longer intensive care unit stays, when compared with the NFI group. In addition, the patients in the FI group needed larger amounts of fluid and blood transfusions and presented lower hemoglobin levels during the first week of admission; furthermore, the majority deteriorated to a state of shock in the emergency department. CT evidence of FI is a good indicator of hypovolemia and an accurate predictor for prognosis in trauma patients with blunt solid organ injuries.

Generic immunosuppression in solid organ transplantation: systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Molnar, Amber O; Fergusson, Dean; Tsampalieros, Anne K; Bennett, Alexandria; Fergusson, Nicholas; Ramsay, Timothy

2015-01-01

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy and bioequivalence of generic immunosuppressive drugs in patients with solid organ transplants. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of all studies comparing generic with innovator immunosuppressive drugs. Data sources Medline and Embase from 1980 to September 2014. Review methods A literature search was performed for all studies comparing a generic to an innovator immunosuppressive drug in solid organ transplantation. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed quality of studies. Meta-analyses of prespecified outcomes were performed when deemed appropriate. Outcomes included patient survival, allograft survival, acute rejection, adverse events and bioequivalence. Results 1679 citations were screened, of which 50 studies met eligibility criteria (17 randomized trials, 15 non-randomized interventional studies, and 18 observational studies). Generics were compared with Neoral (cyclosporine) (32 studies), Prograf (tacrolimus) (12 studies), and Cellcept (mycophenolate mofetil) (six studies). Pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials in patients with kidney transplants that reported bioequivalence criteria showed that Neoral (two studies) and Prograf (three studies) were not bioequivalent with generic preparations according to criteria of the European Medicines Agency. The single Cellcept trial also did not meet bioequivalence. Acute rejection was rare but did not differ between groups. For Neoral, the pooled Peto odds ratio was 1.23 (95% confidence interval 0.64 to 2.36) for kidney randomized controlled trials and 0.66 (0.40 to 1.08) for observational studies. For kidney observational studies, the pooled Peto odds ratios were 0.98 (0.37 to 2.60) for Prograf and 0.49 (0.09 to 2.56) for Cellcept. Meta-analyses for non-renal solid organ transplants were not performed because of a lack of data.There were insufficient data reported on patient or graft survival. Pooling of results was limited by inconsistent

Solid electrolytes

DOEpatents

Abraham, Kuzhikalail M.; Alamgir, Mohamed

1993-06-15

This invention pertains to Li ion (Li.sup.+) conductive solid polymer electrolytes composed of solvates of Li salts immobilized (encapsulated) in a solid organic polymer matrix. In particular, this invention relates to solid polymer electrolytes derived by immobilizing complexes (solvates) formed between a Li salt such as LiAsF.sub.6, LiCF.sub.3 SO.sub.3 or LiClO.sub.4 and a mixture of aprotic organic solvents having high dielectric constants such as ethylene carbonate (EC) (dielectric constant=89.6) and propylene carbonate (PC) (dielectric constant=64.4) in a polymer matrix such as polyacrylonitrile, poly(tetraethylene glycol diacrylate), or poly(vinyl pyrrolidinone).

Energy recovery from organic fractions of municipal solid waste: A case study of Hyderabad city, Pakistan.

PubMed

Safar, Korai M; Bux, Mahar R; Aslam, Uqaili M; Ahmed, Memon S; Ahmed, Lashari I

2016-04-01

Non-renewable energy sources have remained the choice of the world for centuries. Rapid growth in population and industrialisation have caused their shortage and environmental degradation by using them. Thus, at the present rate of consumption, they will not last very long. In this prospective, this study has been conducted. The estimation of energy in terms of biogas and heat from various organic fractions of municipal solid waste is presented and discussed. The results show that organic fractions of municipal solid waste possess methane potential in the range of 3%-22% and their heat capacity ranges from 3007 to 20,099 kJ kg(-1) Also, theoretical biogas potential of different individual fruit as well as vegetable components and mixed food waste are analysed and estimated in the range of 608-1244 m(3) t(-1) Further, the share of bioenergy from municipal solid waste in the total primary energy supply in Pakistan has been estimated to be 1.82%. About 8.43% of present energy demand of the country could be met from municipal solid waste. The study leads us to the conclusion that the share of imported energy (i.e. 0.1% of total energy supply) and reduction in the amount of energy from fossil fuels can be achieved by adopting a waste-to-energy system in the country. © The Author(s) 2016.

Possible interactions between recirculated landfill leachate and the stabilized organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Calabrò, Paolo S; Mancini, Giuseppe

2012-05-01

The stabilized organic fraction of municipal solid waste (SOFMSW) is a product of the mechanical/biological treatment (MBT) of mixed municipal solid waste (MMSW). SOFMSW is considered a 'grey' compost and the presence of pollutants (particularly heavy metals) and residual glass and plastic normally prevents agricultural use, making landfills the typical final destination for SOFMSW. Recirculation of leachate in landfills can be a cost-effective management option, but the long-term sustainability of such a practice must be verified. Column tests were carried out to examine the effect of SOFMSW on leachate recirculation. The results indicate that organic matter may be biologically degraded and metals (copper and zinc) are effectively entrapped through a combination of physical (adsorption), biological (bacterial sulfate reduction), and chemical (precipitation of metal sulfides) processes, while other chemicals (i.e. ammonia nitrogen and chloride) are essentially unaffected by filtration through SOFMSW.

"Liquid-liquid-solid"-type superoleophobic surfaces to pattern polymeric semiconductors towards high-quality organic field-effect transistors.

PubMed

Wu, Yuchen; Su, Bin; Jiang, Lei; Heeger, Alan J

2013-12-03

Precisely aligned organic-liquid-soluble semiconductor microwire arrays have been fabricated by "liquid-liquid-solid" type superoleophobic surfaces directed fluid drying. Aligned organic 1D micro-architectures can be built as high-quality organic field-effect transistors with high mobilities of >10 cm(2) ·V(-1) ·s(-1) and current on/off ratio of more than 10(6) . All these studies will boost the development of 1D microstructures of organic semiconductor materials for potential application in organic electronics. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

KIR and HLA interactions are associated with control of primary CMV infection in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

van Duin, D; Avery, R K; Hemachandra, S; Yen-Lieberman, B; Zhang, A; Jain, A; Butler, R S; Barnard, J; Schold, J D; Fung, J; Askar, M

2014-01-01

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a major source of morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplant recipients. Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors(KIR) are genetically polymorphic natural killer(NK) cell receptors important in antiviral responses. A retrospective, single-center cohort study was performed to study the interaction of KIR genotype and primary control of CMV infection after transplantation.Time to first CMV viremia was determined for a cohort of 531 CMV serology donor positive/recipient negative solid organ transplant recipients. Of the KIR genes,KIR2DL3 and KIR2DS2 were most strongly associated with time to CMV viremia in random survival forest analysis. As KIR2DL3 and KIR2DS2 both interact with HLA-C1, these interactions were evaluated. Seventy six recipients were found to be positive for both KIR2DL3 and KIR2DS2 and expressed only HLA-C1 antigens in both recipient and donor. These patients had a substantially reduced hazard of CMV viremia in the first year after solid organ transplantation (hazard ratio 0.44, 95% CI 0.27–0.72, p=0.0012). In KIR2DL3+/KIR2DS2+/HLA-C1/1 recipients who received an organ from a non-C1/1 donor, this protective effect was not observed. These results improve our understanding of human NK cell function in primary CMV infection after transplant.

Co-digestion of organic solid waste and sludge from sewage treatment.

PubMed

Edelmann, W; Engeli, H; Gradenecker, M

2000-01-01

Solid organic wastes were codigested together with sludge of a sewage treatment plant (STP). In the practical part of the study, a plant to pretreat the organic solid wastes provided by local super markets was constructed at the STP of Frutigen, Switzerland. Up to more than 1 cubic metre of wastes was added to the fermenter of the STP every day. Data collected during 14 months of practical works, showed that for raw fruit and vegetable wastes a two step pretreatment is necessary: First the wastes were chopped and afterwards reduced to a size of 1-2 millimetres, in order to get a homogeneous suspension together with the primary sludge. The vegetable wastes showed excellent digestibility: They seemed to accelerate the digestion process as well as to increase the degree of the anaerobic degradation of the sludge. The energy demand for both, pretreatment and digestion, was 85 kWh/ton of fresh wastes. 20% of the energy was used for the hygienization, a step which does not seem to be necessary for this kind of waste in most of the cases, however. After using the gas for energy conversion, a net yield of 65 kWh/ton of electricity and 166 kWh/ton of heat was measured. Treating cooked kitchen wastes, the net energy production will be higher, because in this case a one step pretreatment will be sufficient. The pretreatment and treatment costs for codigestion on STP's were calculated to be in the range of 55 US$/ton treating half a ton per day and 39 US$/ton treating one ton, respectively. A theoretical feasibility study showed that in Switzerland there is a short term potential on STP's for the codigestion of about 120,000 tons of biogenic wastes per year without big investments. Economic studies about codigestion on agricultural biogas plants showed that the codigestion is a must at the current energy prices, which are far too low for agricultural AD without an additional income by treating solid wastes for third parties.

A novel hybrid metal-organic framework-polymeric monolith for solid-phase microextraction.

PubMed

Lin, Chen-Lan; Lirio, Stephen; Chen, Ya-Ting; Lin, Chia-Her; Huang, Hsi-Ya

2014-03-17

This study describes the fabrication of a novel hybrid metal-organic framework- organic polymer (MOF-polymer) for use as a stationary phase in fritless solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for validating analytical methods. The MOF-polymer was prepared by using ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA), butyl methacrylate (BMA), and an imidazolium-based ionic liquid as porogenic solvent followed by microwave-assisted polymerization with the addition of 25 % MOF. This novel hybrid MOF-polymer was used to extract penicillin (penicillin G, penicillin V, oxacillin, cloxacillin, nafcillin, dicloxacillin) under different conditions. Quantitative analysis of the extracted penicillin samples using the MOF-organic polymer for SPME was conducted by using capillary electrochromatography (CEC) coupled with UV analysis. The penicillin recovery was 63-96.2 % with high reproducibility, sensitivity, and reusability. The extraction time with the proposed fabricated SPME was only 34 min. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of biochars produced from solid organic municipal waste on soil quality parameters.

PubMed

Randolph, P; Bansode, R R; Hassan, O A; Rehrah, Dj; Ravella, R; Reddy, M R; Watts, D W; Novak, J M; Ahmedna, M

2017-05-01

New value-added uses for solid municipal waste are needed for environmental and economic sustainability. Fortunately, value-added biochars can be produced from mixed solid waste, thereby addressing solid waste management issues, and enabling long-term carbon sequestration. We hypothesize that soil deficiencies can be remedied by the application of municipal waste-based biochars. Select municipal organic wastes (newspaper, cardboard, woodchips and landscaping residues) individually or in a 25% blend of all four waste streams were used as feedstocks of biochars. Three sets of pyrolysis temperatures (350, 500, and 750 °C) and 3 sets of pyrolysis residence time (2, 4 and 6 h) were used for biochar preparation. The biochar yield was in the range of 21-62% across all feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions. We observed variations in key biochar properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density and surface area depending on the feedstocks and production conditions. Biochar increased soil pH and improved its electrical conductivity, aggregate stability, water retention and micronutrient contents. Similarly, leachate from the soil amended with biochar showed increased pH and electrical conductivity. Some elements such as Ca and Mg decreased while NO 3 -N increased in the leachates of soils incubated with biochars. Overall, solid waste-based biochar produced significant improvements to soil fertility parameters indicating that solid municipal wastes hold promising potential as feedstocks for manufacturing value-added biochars with varied physicochemical characteristics, allowing them to not only serve the needs for solid waste management and greenhouse gas mitigation, but also as a resource for improving the quality of depleted soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AMBIENT LEVEL VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) MONITORING USING SOLID ADSORBANTS - RECENT U.S. EPA STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Ambient air spiked with 1-10 ppbv concentrations of 41 toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) listed in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Compendium Method TO-14A was monitored using solid sorbents for sample collection and a Varian Saturn 2000 ion trap mass spectrome...

Nitrogen isotopic fractionation during abiotic synthesis of organic solid particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuga, Maïa; Carrasco, Nathalie; Marty, Bernard; Marrocchi, Yves; Bernard, Sylvain; Rigaudier, Thomas; Fleury, Benjamin; Tissandier, Laurent

2014-05-01

The formation of organic compounds is generally assumed to result from abiotic processes in the Solar System, with the exception of biogenic organics on Earth. Nitrogen-bearing organics are of particular interest, notably for prebiotic perspectives but also for overall comprehension of organic formation in the young Solar System and in planetary atmospheres. We have investigated abiotic synthesis of organics upon plasma discharge, with special attention to N isotope fractionation. Organic aerosols were synthesized from N2-CH4 and N2-CO gaseous mixtures using low-pressure plasma discharge experiments, aimed at simulating chemistry occurring in Titan's atmosphere and in the protosolar nebula, respectively. The nitrogen content, the N speciation and the N isotopic composition were analyzed in the resulting organic aerosols. Nitrogen is efficiently incorporated into the synthesized solids, independently of the oxidation degree, of the N2 content of the starting gas mixture, and of the nitrogen speciation in the aerosols. The aerosols are depleted in 15N by 15-25‰ relative to the initial N2 gas, whatever the experimental setup is. Such an isotopic fractionation is attributed to mass-dependent kinetic effect(s). Nitrogen isotope fractionation upon electric discharge cannot account for the large N isotope variations observed among Solar System objects and reservoirs. Extreme N isotope signatures in the Solar System are more likely the result of self-shielding during N2 photodissociation, exotic effect during photodissociation of N2 and/or low temperature ion-molecule isotope exchange. Kinetic N isotope fractionation may play a significant role in the Titan's atmosphere. On the Titan's night side, 15N-depletion resulting from electron driven reactions may counterbalance photo-induced 15N enrichments occurring on the day's side. We also suggest that the low δ15N values of Archaean organic matter (Beaumont and Robert, 1999) are partly the result of abiotic synthesis of

Histoplasmosis after solid organ transplant.

PubMed

Assi, Maha; Martin, Stanley; Wheat, L Joseph; Hage, Chadi; Freifeld, Alison; Avery, Robin; Baddley, John W; Vergidis, Paschalis; Miller, Rachel; Andes, David; Young, Jo-Anne H; Hammoud, Kassem; Huprikar, Shirish; McKinsey, David; Myint, Thein; Garcia-Diaz, Julia; Esguerra, Eden; Kwak, E J; Morris, Michele; Mullane, Kathleen M; Prakash, Vidhya; Burdette, Steven D; Sandid, Mohammad; Dickter, Jana; Ostrander, Darin; Antoun, Smyrna Abou; Kaul, Daniel R

2013-12-01

To improve our understanding of risk factors, management, diagnosis, and outcomes associated with histoplasmosis after solid organ transplant (SOT), we report a large series of histoplasmosis occurring after SOT. All cases of histoplasmosis in SOT recipients diagnosed between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2010 at 24 institutions were identified. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. One hundred fifty-two cases were identified: kidney (51%), liver (16%), kidney/pancreas (14%), heart (9%), lung (5%), pancreas (2%), and other (2%). The median time from transplant to diagnosis was 27 months, but 34% were diagnosed in the first year after transplant. Twenty-eight percent of patients had severe disease (requiring intensive care unit admission); 81% had disseminated disease. Urine Histoplasma antigen detection was the most sensitive diagnostic method, positive in 132 of 142 patients (93%). An amphotericin formulation was administered initially to 73% of patients for a median duration of 2 weeks; step-down therapy with an azole was continued for a median duration of 12 months. Ten percent of patients died due to histoplasmosis with 72% of deaths occurring in the first month after diagnosis; older age and severe disease were risk factors for death from histoplasmosis. Relapse occurred in 6% of patients. Although late cases occur, the first year after SOT is the period of highest risk for histoplasmosis. In patients who survive the first month after diagnosis, treatment with an amphotericin formulation followed by an azole for 12 months is usually successful, with only rare relapse.

Chemical compositions of dissolved organic matter from various sources as characterized by solid-state NMR

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in surface waters plays an important role in biogeochemical and ecological processes. This study used solid-state NMR techniques to explore the molecular signatures of riverine DOM in relation to its point and nonpoint sources. DOM samples were isolated from (1) two st...

The effect of mixing ratio variation of sludge and organic solid waste on biodrying process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasution, A. C.; Kristanto, G. A.

2018-01-01

In this study, organic waste was co-biodried with sludge cake to determine which mixing ratio gave the best result. The organic waste was consisted of dried leaves and green leaves, while the sludge cake was obtained from a waste water treatment plant in Bekasi. The experiment was performed on 3 lab-scale reactors with same specifications. After 21 days of experiment, it was found that the reactor with the lowest mixing fraction of sludge (5:1) has the best temperature profile and highest moisture content depletion compared with others. Initial moisture content and initial volatile solid content of this reactor’s feedstock was 52.25% and 82.4% respectively. The airflow rate was 10 lpm. After biodrying was done, the final moisture content of the feedstock from Reactor C was 22.0% and the final volatile solid content was 75.9%.The final calorific value after biodrying process was 3179,28kcal/kg.

Regional Differences in Communication Process and Outcomes of Requests for Solid Organ Donation

PubMed Central

Traino, HM; Molisani, AJ; Siminoff, LA

2017-01-01

Although federal mandate prohibits the allocation of solid organs for transplantation based on “accidents of geography,” geographic variation of transplantable organs is well documented. This study explores regional differences in communication in requests for organ donation. Administrative data from 9 partnering Organ Procurement Organizations and interview data from 1,339 family decision makers (FDMs) were compared across 8 geographically distinct US donor service areas (DSA). Authorization to organ donation ranged from 60.4% to 98.1% across DSAs. FDMs from the three regions with the lowest authorization rates reported the lowest levels of satisfaction with the time spent discussing donation and with the request process; discussion of the least donation-related topics; the highest levels of pressure to donate; and, the least comfort with the donation decision. OPO region predicted authorization (Odds Ratios ranged from 8.14 to 0.24), as did time spent discussing donation (OR = 2.11), the number of donation-related topics discussed (OR = 1.14), and requesters’ communication skill (OR = 1.14). Standardized training for organ donation request staff is needed to ensure the highest quality communication during requests, optimize rates of family authorization to donation in all regions, and increase the supply of organs available for transplantation. PMID:27982508

Mathematical model of organic substrate degradation in solid waste windrow composting.

PubMed

Seng, Bunrith; Kristanti, Risky Ayu; Hadibarata, Tony; Hirayama, Kimiaki; Katayama-Hirayama, Keiko; Kaneko, Hidehiro

2016-01-01

Organic solid waste composting is a complex process that involves many coupled physical, chemical and biological mechanisms. To understand this complexity and to ease in planning, design and management of the composting plant, mathematical model for simulation is usually applied. The aim of this paper is to develop a mathematical model of organic substrate degradation and its performance evaluation in solid waste windrow composting system. The present model is a biomass-dependent model, considering biological growth processes under the limitation of moisture, oxygen and substrate contents, and temperature. The main output of this model is substrate content which was divided into two categories: slowly and rapidly degradable substrates. To validate the model, it was applied to a laboratory scale windrow composting of a mixture of wood chips and dog food. The wastes were filled into a cylindrical reactor of 6 cm diameter and 1 m height. The simulation program was run for 3 weeks with 1 s stepwise. The simulated results were in reasonably good agreement with the experimental results. The MC and temperature of model simulation were found to be matched with those of experiment, but limited for rapidly degradable substrates. Under anaerobic zone, the degradation of rapidly degradable substrate needs to be incorporated into the model to achieve full simulation of a long period static pile composting. This model is a useful tool to estimate the changes of substrate content during composting period, and acts as a basic model for further development of a sophisticated model.

Regional Differences in Communication Process and Outcomes of Requests for Solid Organ Donation.

PubMed

Traino, H M; Molisani, A J; Siminoff, L A

2017-06-01

Although federal mandate prohibits the allocation of solid organs for transplantation based on "accidents of geography," geographic variation of transplantable organs is well documented. This study explores regional differences in communication in requests for organ donation. Administrative data from nine partnering organ procurement organizations and interview data from 1339 family decision makers (FDMs) were compared across eight geographically distinct US donor service areas (DSAs). Authorization for organ donation ranged from 60.4% to 98.1% across DSAs. FDMs from the three regions with the lowest authorization rates reported the lowest levels of satisfaction with the time spent discussing donation and with the request process, discussion of the least donation-related topics, the highest levels of pressure to donate, and the least comfort with the donation decision. Organ procurement organization region predicted authorization (odds ratios ranged from 8.14 to 0.24), as did time spent discussing donation (OR = 2.11), the number of donation-related topics discussed (OR = 1.14), and requesters' communication skill (OR = 1.14). Standardized training for organ donation request staff is needed to ensure the highest quality communication during requests, optimize rates of family authorization to donation in all regions, and increase the supply of organs available for transplantation. © 2016 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Anaerobic digestion of pressed off leachate from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nayono, Satoto E.; Institute of Biology for Engineers and Biotechnology of Wastewater, University of Karlsruhe, Am Fasanengarten, 76131 Karlsruhe; Winter, Josef, E-mail: josef.winter@iba.uka.d

2010-10-15

A highly polluted liquid ('press water') was obtained from the pressing facility for the organic fraction of municipal solid waste in a composting plant. Methane productivity of the squeezed-off leachate was investigated in batch assays. To assess the technical feasibility of 'press water' as a substrate for anaerobic digestion, a laboratory-scale glass column reactor was operated semi-continuously at 37 {sup o}C. A high methane productivity of 270 m{sup -3} CH{sub 4} ton{sup -1} COD{sub added} or 490 m{sup -3} CH{sub 4} ton{sup -1} VS{sub added} was achieved in the batch experiment. The semi-continuously run laboratory-scale reactor was initially operated atmore » an organic loading rate of 10.7 kg COD m{sup -3} d{sup -1}. The loading was increased to finally 27.7 kg COD m{sup -3} d{sup -1}, corresponding to a reduction of the hydraulic retention time from initially 20 to finally 7.7 days. During the digestion, a stable elimination of organic material (measured as COD elimination) of approximately 60% was achieved. Linearly with the increment of the OLR, the volumetric methane production of the reactor increased from 2.6 m{sup 3} m{sub reactor}{sup -3} d{sup -1} to 7.1 m{sup 3} m{sub reactor}{sup -3} d{sup -1}. The results indicated that 'press water' from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste was a suitable substrate for anaerobic digestion which gave a high biogas yield even at very high loading rates.« less

Solid polymer electrolyte lithium batteries

DOEpatents

Alamgir, Mohamed; Abraham, Kuzhikalail M.

1993-01-01

This invention pertains to Lithium batteries using Li ion (Li.sup.+) conductive solid polymer electrolytes composed of solvates of Li salts immobilized in a solid organic polymer matrix. In particular, this invention relates to Li batteries using solid polymer electrolytes derived by immobilizing solvates formed between a Li salt and an aprotic organic solvent (or mixture of such solvents) in poly(vinyl chloride).

Solid organ transplantation: referral, management, and outcomes in HIV-infected patients.

PubMed

Roland, Michelle E; Carlson, Laurie L; Frassetto, Lynda A; Stock, Peter G

2006-12-01

Advances in HIV management make it difficult to deny solid organ transplantation to HIV-infected patients based on futility arguments. Preliminary studies suggest that both patient and graft survival are similar in HIV-negative and HIV-positive transplant recipients. While there has been no significant HIV disease progression, substantial interactions between immunosuppressants and antiretroviral drugs necessitate careful monitoring. The evaluation and management of HIV-infected transplant candidates and recipients require excellent communication among a multidisciplinary team, the primary HIV care provider, and the patient. Timely referral for transplant evaluation will prevent unnecessary mortality during the pre-transplant evaluation process.

Management of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in adult solid organ transplant recipients - BCSH and BTS Guidelines.

PubMed

Parker, Anne; Bowles, Kristin; Bradley, J Andrew; Emery, Vincent; Featherstone, Carrie; Gupte, Girish; Marcus, Robert; Parameshwar, Jayan; Ramsay, Alan; Newstead, Charles

2010-06-01

A joint working group established by the Haemato-oncology subgroup of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) and the British Transplantation Society (BTS) has reviewed the available literature and made recommendations for the diagnosis and management of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in adult recipients of solid organ transplants. This review details the therapeutic options recommended including reduction in immunosuppression (RIS), transplant organ resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Effective therapy should be instituted before progressive disease results in declining performance status and multi-organ dysfunction. The goal of treatment should be a durable complete remission with retention of transplanted organ function with minimal toxicity.

Life cycle assessment of integrated solid state anaerobic digestion and composting for on-farm organic residues treatment.

PubMed

Li, Yangyang; Manandhar, Ashish; Li, Guoxue; Shah, Ajay

2018-03-20

Driven by the gradual changes in the structure of energy consumption and improvements of living standards in China, the volume of on-farm organic solid waste is increasing. If untreated, these unutilized on-farm organic solid wastes can cause environmental problems. This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment to compare the environmental impacts of different on-farm organic waste (which includes dairy manure, corn stover and tomato residue) treatment strategies, including anaerobic digestion (AD), composting, and AD followed by composting. The input life cycle inventory data are specific to China. The potential environmental impacts of different waste management strategies were assessed based on their acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), global warming potential (GWP), ecotoxicity potential (ETP), and resource depletion (RD). The results show that the preferred treatment strategy for dairy manure is the one that integrated corn stover and tomato residue utilization and solid state AD technologies into the system. The GWP of integrated solid state AD and composting was the least, which is -2900 kg CO 2 eq/ t of dairy manure and approximately 14.8 times less than that of current status (i.e., liquid AD of dairy manure). Solid state AD of dairy manure, corn stover and tomato residues is the most favorable option in terms of AP, EP and ETP, which are more than 40% lower than that of the current status (i.e., AP: 3.11 kg SO 2 , EP: -0.94 kg N, and ETP: -881 CTUe (Comparative Toxic Units ecotoxicity)). The results also show that there is a significant potential for AP, EP, ETP, and GWP reduction, if AD is used prior to composting. The scenario analysis for transportation distance showed that locating the AD plant and composting facility on the farm was advantageous in terms of all the life cycle impact categories. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methanogenic pathway and community structure in a thermophilic anaerobic digestion process of organic solid waste.

PubMed

Sasaki, Daisuke; Hori, Tomoyuki; Haruta, Shin; Ueno, Yoshiyuki; Ishii, Masaharu; Igarashi, Yasuo

2011-01-01

The methanogenic pathway and microbial community in a thermophilic anaerobic digestion process of organic solid waste were investigated in a continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor using artificial garbage slurry as a feedstock. The decomposition pathway of acetate, a significant precursor of CH(4) and a key intermediate metabolite in the anaerobic digestion process, was analyzed by using stable isotopes. A tracer experiment using (13)C-labeled acetate revealed that approximately 80% of the acetate was decomposed via a non-aceticlastic oxidative pathway, whereas the remainder was converted to methane via an aceticlastic pathway. Archaeal 16S rRNA analyses demonstrated that the hydrogenotrophic methanogens Methanoculleus spp. accounted for >90% of detected methanogens, and the aceticlastic methanogens Methanosarcina spp. were the minor constituents. The clone library targeting bacterial 16S rRNA indicated the predominance of the novel Thermotogales bacterium (relative abundance: ~53%), which is related to anaerobic acetate oxidizer Thermotoga lettingae TMO, although the sequence similarity was low. Uncultured bacteria that phylogenetically belong to municipal solid waste cluster I were also predominant in the microflora (~30%). These results imply that the microbial community in the thermophilic degrading process of organic solid waste consists exclusively of unidentified bacteria, which efficiently remove acetate through a non-aceticlastic oxidative pathway. Copyright © 2010 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of Solid Ceramic Dosimeters for the Time-Integrative Passive Sampling of Volatile Organic Compounds in Waters.

PubMed

Bonifacio, Riza Gabriela; Nam, Go-Un; Eom, In-Yong; Hong, Yong-Seok

2017-11-07

Time-integrative passive sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water can now be accomplished using a solid ceramic dosimeter. A nonporous ceramic, which excludes the permeation of water, allowing only gas-phase diffusion of VOCs into the resin inside the dosimeter, effectively captured the VOCs. The mass accumulation of 11 VOCs linearly increased with time over a wide range of aqueous-phase concentrations (16.9 to 1100 μg L -1 ), and the linearity was dependent upon the Henry's constant (H). The average diffusivity of the VOCs in the solid ceramic was 1.46 × 10 -10 m 2 s -1 at 25 °C, which was 4 orders of magnitude lower than that in air (8.09 × 10 -6 m 2 s -1 ). This value was 60% greater than that in the water-permeable porous ceramic (0.92 × 10 -10 m 2 s -1 ), suggesting that its mass accumulation could be more effective than that of porous ceramic dosimeters. The mass accumulation of the VOCs in the solid ceramic dosimeter increased in the presence of salt (≥0.1 M) and with increasing temperature (4 to 40 °C) but varied only slightly with dissolved organic matter concentration. The solid ceramic dosimeter was suitable for the field testing and measurement of time-weighted average concentrations of VOC-contaminated waters.

Effect of liquid-to-solid ratio on semi-solid Fenton process in hazardous solid waste detoxication.

PubMed

Hu, Li-Fang; Feng, Hua-Jun; Long, Yu-Yang; Zheng, Yuan-Ge; Fang, Cheng-Ran; Shen, Dong-Sheng

2011-01-01

The liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S) of semi-solid Fenton process (SSFP) designated for hazardous solid waste detoxication was investigated. The removal and minimization effects of o-nitroaniline (ONA) in simulate solid waste residue (SSWR) from organic arsenic industry was evaluated by total organic carbon (TOC) and ONA removal efficiency, respectively. Initially, Box-Behnken design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the key factors of SSFP. Results showed that the removal rates of TOC and ONA decreased as L/S increased. Subsequently, four target initial ONA concentrations including 100 mg kg(-1), 1 g kg(-1), 10 g kg(-1), and 100 gk g(-1) on a dry basis were evaluated for the effect of L/S. A significant cubic empirical model between the initial ONA concentration and L/S was successfully developed to predict the optimal L/S for given initial ONA concentration for SSFP. Moreover, an optimized operation strategy of multi-SSFP for different cases was determined based on the residual target pollutant concentration and the corresponding environmental conditions. It showed that the total L/S of multi-SSFP in all tested scenarios was no greater than 3.8, which is lower than the conventional slurry systems (L/S ≥ 5). The multi-SSFP is environment-friendly when it used for detoxication of hazardous solid waste contaminated by ONA and provides a potential method for the detoxication of hazardous solid waste contaminated by organics. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solid polymer electrolyte lithium batteries

DOEpatents

Alamgir, M.; Abraham, K.M.

1993-10-12

This invention pertains to Lithium batteries using Li ion (Li[sup +]) conductive solid polymer electrolytes composed of solvates of Li salts immobilized in a solid organic polymer matrix. In particular, this invention relates to Li batteries using solid polymer electrolytes derived by immobilizing solvates formed between a Li salt and an aprotic organic solvent (or mixture of such solvents) in poly(vinyl chloride). 3 figures.

Extraction of soluble substances from organic solid municipal waste to increase methane production.

PubMed

Campuzano, Rosalinda; González-Martínez, Simón

2015-02-01

This work deals with the analysis of the methane production from Mexico City's urban organic wastes after separating soluble from suspended substances. Water was used to extract soluble substances under three different water to waste ratios and after three extraction procedures. Methane production was measured at 35 °C during 21 days using a commercial methane potential testing device. Results indicate that volatile solids extraction increases with dilution rate to a maximum of 40% at 20 °C and to 43% at 93 °C. The extracts methane production increases with the dilution rate as a result of enhanced dissolved solids extraction. The combined (extract and bagasse) methane production reached, in 6 days, 66% of the total methane produced in 21 days. The highest methane production rates were measured during the first six days. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of thermal hydrolysis pretreatment on organic transformation characteristics of high solid anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Han, Yun; Zhuo, Yang; Peng, Dangcong; Yao, Qian; Li, Huijuan; Qu, Qiliang

2017-11-01

The study evaluated the influence of thermal hydrolysis pretreatment (THP) on anaerobic digestion (AD) ability of high solid sludge. The transformation characteristics of organics during the THP+AD process of dewatering sludge from wastewater treatment plant was investigated using a lab-scale THP reactor and four anaerobic digesters. The reduction efficiency of volatile suspended solids using THP+AD exceeded 49%. The acceleration of biogas production during AD was due to the enhancement of protein hydrolysis and acidogenesis by THP. THP had only minimal influence on the improvement of carbohydrate acidogenesis. The hydrolysis of poly phosphates was likely the main reaction of phosphorus transformation. Biochemical generation of sulfide and ammonia nitrogen occurred during the acidogenesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward dual hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation and solid-organ transplantation for sickle-cell disease

PubMed Central

Levine, Jeffrey; Abt, Peter; Henry, David; Porter, David L.

2018-01-01

Sickle-cell disease (SCD) leads to recurrent vaso-occlusive crises, chronic end-organ damage, and resultant physical, psychological, and social disabilities. Although hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is potentially curative for SCD, this procedure is associated with well-recognized morbidity and mortality and thus is ideally offered only to patients at high risk of significant complications. However, it is difficult to identify patients at high risk before significant complications have occurred, and once patients experience significant organ damage, they are considered poor candidates for HSCT. In turn, patients who have experienced long-term organ toxicity from SCD such as renal or liver failure may be candidates for solid-organ transplantation (SOT); however, the transplanted organs are at risk of damage by the original disease. Thus, dual HSCT and organ transplantation could simultaneously replace the failing organ and eliminate the underlying disease process. Advances in HSCT conditioning such as reduced-intensity regimens and alternative donor selection may expand both the feasibility of and potential donor pool for transplantation. This review summarizes the current state of HSCT and organ transplantation in SCD and discusses future directions and the clinical feasibility of dual HSCT/SOT. PMID:29535106

Evaluation of thermophilic fungal consortium for organic municipal solid waste composting.

PubMed

Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Pandey, Akhilesh Kumar; Khan, Jamaluddin; Bundela, Pushpendra Singh; Wong, Jonathan W C; Selvam, Ammaiyappan

2014-09-01

Influence of fungal consortium and different turning frequency on composting of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) was investigated to produce compost with higher agronomic value. Four piles of OFMSW were prepared: three piles were inoculated with fungal consortium containing 5l each spore suspensions of Trichoderma viride, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus and with a turning frequency of weekly (Pile 1), twice a week (Pile 2) and daily (Pile 3), while Pile 4 with weekly turning and without fungal inoculation served as control. The fungal consortium with weekly (Pile 1) turning frequency significantly affected temperature, pH, TOC, TKN, C/N ratio and germination index. High degradation of organic matter and early maturity was observed in Pile 1. Results indicate that fungal consortium with weekly turning frequency of open windrows were more cost-effective in comparison with other technologies for efficient composting and yield safe end products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with the development of cytomegalovirus infection following solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

da Cunha-Bang, Caspar; Sørensen, Søren S; Iversen, Martin; Sengeløv, Henrik; Hillingsø, Jens G; Rasmussen, Allan; Mortensen, Svend A; Fox, Zoe V; Kirkby, Nikolai S; Christiansen, Claus B; Lundgren, Jens D

2011-05-01

Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains a potentially serious complication in transplant patients. In this study we explored the risk factors for CMV infection in the 12 months following a solid organ transplantation (n = 242) in patients monitored for CMV infection from 2004 to 2007. CMV infection was defined as 2 consecutive quantifiable CMV-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) values or 1 measurement of >3000 copies/ml. Data describing pre- and post-transplantation variables were extracted from electronic health records. Time to CMV infection was investigated using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Overall, 31% (75/242) of solid organ transplant patients developed CMV infection: 4/8 (50.0%) heart, 15/43 (34.9%) liver, 30/89 (33.7%) lung and 26/102 (25.5%) kidney transplant patients. The risk of CMV infection according to donor (D)/recipient (R) CMV serostatus (positive + or negative-) was highest for D+/R-(adjusted hazard ratio 2.6, 95% confidence interval 1.6-4.2) vs D+/R+, and was reduced for D-/R+(adjusted hazard ratio 0.2, 95% confidence interval 0.2-0.8) vs D+/R+. Positive donor CMV-serostatus is a major risk factor for CMV-infection in CMV-na ve recipients, but also in recipients with positive CMV-serostatus. Conversely, if donor is CMV serostatus is negative, the risk of CMV infection is low, irrespective of recipients CMV-serostatus. These findings suggest poorer immune function towards donor-induced strains of CMV versus recipient own latent strains.

Differences in fluorescence characteristics and bioavailability of water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) in sediments and suspended solids in Lihu Lake, China.

PubMed

Wang, Wenwen; Wang, Shuhang; Jiang, Xia; Zheng, Binghui; Zhao, Li; Zhang, Bo; Chen, Junyi

2018-05-01

The spectral characteristics, spatial distribution, and bioavailability of water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) in suspended solids and surface sediments of Lihu Lake, China, were investigated through excitation-emission matrix spectra and parallel factor analysis. The average content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the sediments reached 643.28 ± 58.34 mg C/kg and that in suspended solids was 714.87 ± 69.24 mg C/kg. The fluorescence intensity of WSOM totaled 90.87 ± 5.65 and 115.42 ± 8.02 RU/g for the sediments and suspended solids, respectively. The DOC and fluorescence intensity of the WSOM showed an increasing trend moving from the west to the east of the lake. The WSOM in sediments and suspended solids contained two humic-like (C1 and C2) and one tryptophan-like (C3) components. These components had different fluorescent peaks and relative proportions. In the sediments, the relative proportions of C1, C2, and C3 were 33.71% ± 0.71, 26.83% ± 0.68, and 39.50% ± 0.71%, respectively. Meanwhile, C1 (35.77 ± 0.84%), C2 (34.07 ± 0.61%), and C3 (30.16 ± 0.75%) had similar relative percentages in suspended solids. The sediments had a lower humification index (3.02 ± 0.08) than the suspended solids (4.04 ± 0.15). Exchangeable nitrogen for the sediments and suspended solids was dominated by exchangeable ammonium nitrogen and soluble organic nitrogen, respectively. WSOM plays an important role in migration and transformation of nitrogen in sediments and suspended solids. The sediment-derived WSOM exhibited higher lability and biological activity than did the suspended solid-derived WSOM. The relative ratio of the intensity of protein-like fluorescent component to that of the humic-like one can be used as a reference index to evaluate the lability and biological activity of WSOM in sediments and suspended solids.

Synergistic co-digestion of solid-organic-waste and municipal-sewage-sludge: 1 plus 1 equals more than 2 in terms of biogas production and solids reduction.

PubMed

Aichinger, Peter; Wadhawan, Tanush; Kuprian, Martin; Higgins, Matthew; Ebner, Christian; Fimml, Christian; Murthy, Sudhir; Wett, Bernhard

2015-12-15

Making good use of existing water infrastructure by adding organic wastes to anaerobic digesters improves the energy balance of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) substantially. This paper explores co-digestion load limits targeting a good trade-off for boosting methane production, and limiting process-drawbacks on nitrogen-return loads, cake-production, solids-viscosity and polymer demand. Bio-methane potential tests using whey as a model co-substrate showed diversification and intensification of the anaerobic digestion process resulting in a synergistical enhancement in sewage sludge methanization. Full-scale case-studies demonstrate organic co-substrate addition of up to 94% of the organic sludge load resulted in tripling of the biogas production. At organic co-substrate addition of up to 25% no significant increase in cake production and only a minor increase in ammonia release of ca. 20% have been observed. Similar impacts were measured at a high-solids digester pilot with up-stream thermal hydrolyses where the organic loading rate was increased by 25% using co-substrate. Dynamic simulations were used to validate the synergistic impact of co-substrate addition on sludge methanization, and an increase in hydrolysis rate from 1.5 d(-1) to 2.5 d(-1) was identified for simulating measured gas production rate. This study demonstrates co-digestion for maximizing synergy as a step towards energy efficiency and ultimately towards carbon neutrality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interface engineering and solid-state organization for triindole-based p-type organic thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Reig, Marta; Bagdziunas, Gintautas; Ramanavicius, Arunas; Puigdollers, Joaquim; Velasco, Dolores

2018-06-21

Inspired by the excellent device performance of triindole-based semiconductors in electronic and optoelectronic devices, the relationship between the solid-state organization and the charge-transporting properties of an easily accessible series of triindole derivatives is reported herein. The vacuum-evaporated organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) exhibited a non ideal behaviour with a double slope in the saturation curves. Moreover, the treatment of the gate insulator of the OTFT device with either a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) or a polymer controls the molecular growth and the film morphology of the semiconducting layer, as shown by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and theoretical calculations. N-Trihexyltriindole exhibited the best device performance with hole mobilities up to 0.1 cm2 V-1 s-1 at the low VG range and up to 0.01 cm2 V-1 s-1 at high VG, as well as enhanced Ion/Ioff ratios of around 106. The results suggest that the non-ideal behaviour of the here studied OTFT devices could be related to the higher interfacial disorder in comparison to that in the bulk.

Conformationally pre-organized and pH-responsive flat dendrons: synthesis and self-assembly at the liquid-solid interface.

PubMed

El Malah, Tamer; Ciesielski, Artur; Piot, Luc; Troyanov, Sergey I; Mueller, Uwe; Weidner, Steffen; Samorì, Paolo; Hecht, Stefan

2012-01-21

Efficient Cu-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions have been used to prepare two series of three regioisomers of G-1 and G-2 poly(triazole-pyridine) dendrons. The G-1 and G-2 dendrons consist of branched yet conformationally pre-organized 2,6-bis(phenyl/pyridyl-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine (BPTP) monomeric and trimeric cores, respectively, carrying one focal and either two or four peripheral alkyl side chains. In the solid state, the conformation and supramolecular organization were studied by means of a single crystal X-ray structure analysis of one derivative. At the liquid-solid interface, the self-assembly behavior was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) on graphite surfaces. Based on the observed supramolecular organization, it appears that the subtle balance between conformational preferences inherent in the dendritic backbone on the one side and the adsorption and packing of the alkyl side chains on the graphite substrate on the other side dictate the overall structure formation in 2D.

Liquid-Solid Dual-Gate Organic Transistors with Tunable Threshold Voltage for Cell Sensing.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu; Li, Jun; Li, Rui; Sbircea, Dan-Tiberiu; Giovannitti, Alexander; Xu, Junling; Xu, Huihua; Zhou, Guodong; Bian, Liming; McCulloch, Iain; Zhao, Ni

2017-11-08

Liquid electrolyte-gated organic field effect transistors and organic electrochemical transistors have recently emerged as powerful technology platforms for sensing and simulation of living cells and organisms. For such applications, the transistors are operated at a gate voltage around or below 0.3 V because prolonged application of a higher voltage bias can lead to membrane rupturing and cell death. This constraint often prevents the operation of the transistors at their maximum transconductance or most sensitive regime. Here, we exploit a solid-liquid dual-gate organic transistor structure, where the threshold voltage of the liquid-gated conduction channel is controlled by an additional gate that is separated from the channel by a metal-oxide gate dielectric. With this design, the threshold voltage of the "sensing channel" can be linearly tuned in a voltage window exceeding 0.4 V. We have demonstrated that the dual-gate structure enables a much better sensor response to the detachment of human mesenchymal stem cells. In general, the capability of tuning the optimal sensing bias will not only improve the device performance but also broaden the material selection for cell-based organic bioelectronics.

Cancer Risk After Pediatric Solid Organ Transplantation.

PubMed

Yanik, Elizabeth L; Smith, Jodi M; Shiels, Meredith S; Clarke, Christina A; Lynch, Charles F; Kahn, Amy R; Koch, Lori; Pawlish, Karen S; Engels, Eric A

2017-05-01

The effects of pediatric solid organ transplantation on cancer risk may differ from those observed in adult recipients. We described cancers in pediatric recipients and compared incidence to the general population. The US transplant registry was linked to 16 cancer registries to identify cancer diagnoses among recipients <18 years old at transplant. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated by dividing observed cancer counts among recipients by expected counts based on the general population rates. Cox regression was used to estimate the associations between recipient characteristics and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) risk. Among 17 958 pediatric recipients, 392 cancers were diagnosed, of which 279 (71%) were NHL. Compared with the general population, incidence was significantly increased for NHL (SIR = 212, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 188-238), Hodgkin's lymphoma (SIR = 19, 95% CI = 13-26), leukemia (SIR = 4, 95% CI = 2-7), myeloma (SIR = 229, 95% CI = 47-671), and cancers of the liver, soft tissue, ovary, vulva, testis, bladder, kidney, and thyroid. NHL risk was highest during the first year after transplantation among recipients <5 years old at transplant (SIR = 313), among recipients seronegative for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) at transplant (SIR = 446), and among intestine transplant recipients (SIR = 1280). In multivariable analyses, seronegative EBV status, the first year after transplantation, intestine transplantation, and induction immunosuppression were independently associated with higher NHL incidence. Pediatric recipients have a markedly increased risk for many cancers. NHL constitutes the majority of diagnosed cancers, with the highest risk occurring in the first year after transplantation. NHL risk was high in recipients susceptible to primary EBV infection after transplant and in intestine transplant recipients, perhaps due to EBV transmission in the donor organ. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Interaction of solid organic acids with carbon nanotube field effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klinke, Christian; Afzali, Ali; Avouris, Phaedon

2006-10-01

A series of solid organic acids were used to p-dope carbon nanotubes. The extent of doping is shown to be dependent on the pKa value of the acids. Highly fluorinated carboxylic acids and sulfonic acids are very effective in shifting the threshold voltage and making carbon nanotube field effect transistors to be more p-type devices. Weaker acids like phosphonic or hydroxamic acids had less effect. The doping of the devices was accompanied by a reduction of the hysteresis in the transfer characteristics. In-solution doping survives standard fabrication processes and renders p-doped carbon nanotube field effect transistors with good transport characteristics.

Hyperfine interaction and its effects on spin dynamics in organic solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Z. G.; Ding, Feizhi; Wang, Haobin

2013-05-01

Hyperfine interaction (HFI) and spin-orbit coupling are two major sources that affect electron spin dynamics. Here we present a systematic study of the HFI and its role in organic spintronic applications. For electron spin dynamics in disordered π-conjugated organics, the HFI can be characterized by an effective magnetic field whose modular square is a weighted sum of contact and dipolar contributions. We determine the effective HFI fields of some common π-conjugated organics studied in the literature via first-principles calculations. Most of them are found to be less than 2 mT. While the H atoms are the major source of the HFI in organics containing only the C and H atoms, many organics contain other nuclear spins, such as Al and N in tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum, that contribute to the total HFI. Consequently, the deuteration effect on the HFI in the latter may be much weaker than in the former. The HFI gives rise to multiple resonance peaks in electron spin resonance. In disordered organic solids, these individual resonances are unresolved, leading to a broad peak whose width is proportional to the effective HFI field. As electrons hop among adjacent organic molecules, they experience a randomly varying local HFI field, inducing electron spin relaxation and diffusion. This is analyzed rigorously based on master equations. Electron spin relaxation undergoes a crossover along the ratio between the electron hopping rate η¯ and the Larmor frequency Ω of the HFI field. The spin relaxation rate increases (decreases) with η¯ when η¯≪Ω (η¯≫Ω). A coherent beating of electron spin at Ω is possible when the external field is small compared to the HFI. In this regime, the magnetic field is found to enhance the spin relaxation.

Environmental Factors as Key Determinants for Visceral Leishmaniasis in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients, Madrid, Spain

PubMed Central

López-Medrano, Francisco; Fernández-Ruiz, Mario; Carrillo, Eugenia; Moreno, Javier; García-Reyne, Ana; Pérez-Ayala, Ana; Rodríguez-Ferrero, María Luisa; Lumbreras, Carlos; San-Juan, Rafael; Alvar, Jorge; Aguado, José María

2017-01-01

During a visceral leishmaniasis outbreak in an area of Madrid, Spain, the incidence of disease among solid organ transplant recipients was 10.3% (7/68). Being a black person from sub-Saharan Africa, undergoing transplantation during the outbreak, and residing <1,000 m from the epidemic focus were risk factors for posttransplant visceral leishmaniasis. PMID:28628447

Cumulative incidence of cancer after solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Hall, Erin C; Pfeiffer, Ruth M; Segev, Dorry L; Engels, Eric A

2013-06-15

Solid organ transplantation recipients have elevated cancer incidence. Estimates of absolute cancer risk after transplantation can inform prevention and screening. The Transplant Cancer Match Study links the US transplantation registry with 14 state/regional cancer registries. The authors used nonparametric competing risk methods to estimate the cumulative incidence of cancer after transplantation for 2 periods (1987-1999 and 2000-2008). For recipients from 2000 to 2008, the 5-year cumulative incidence, stratified by organ, sex, and age at transplantation, was estimated for 6 preventable or screen-detectable cancers. For comparison, the 5-year cumulative incidence was calculated for the same cancers in the general population at representative ages using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data. Among 164,156 recipients, 8520 incident cancers were identified. The absolute cancer risk was slightly higher for recipients during the period from 2000 to 2008 than during the period from 1987 to 1999 (5-year cumulative incidence: 4.4% vs. 4.2%; P = .006); this difference arose from the decreasing risk of competing events (5-year cumulative incidence of death, graft failure, or retransplantation: 26.6% vs. 31.9%; P < .001). From 2000 to 2008, the 5-year cumulative incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was highest at extremes of age, especially in thoracic organ recipients (ages 0-34 years: range, 1.74%-3.28%; aged >50 years; range, 0.36%-2.22%). For recipients aged >50 years, the 5-year cumulative incidence was higher for colorectal cancer (range, 0.33%-1.94%) than for the general population at the recommended screening age (aged 50 years: range, 0.25%-0.33%). For recipients aged >50 years, the 5-year cumulative incidence was high for lung cancer among thoracic organ recipients (range, 1.16%-3.87%) and for kidney cancer among kidney recipients (range, 0.53%-0.84%). The 5-year cumulative incidence for prostate cancer and breast cancer was similar or lower in

Brief report: Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus transmitted through solid organ transplantation--Massachusetts, 2008.

PubMed

2008-07-25

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a rodent-borne arenavirus found worldwide. House mice (Mus musculus) are the natural reservoir, but LCMV also can infect other wild, pet, and laboratory rodents (e.g., rats, mice, guinea pigs, and hamsters). Humans can be infected through exposure to rodent excreta. Person-to-person transmission has occurred only through maternal-fetal transmission and solid organ transplantation. LCMV infection in humans can be asymptomatic or cause a spectrum of illness ranging from isolated fever to meningitis and encephalitis. Overall case fatality is <1%. Fetal infections can result in congenital abnormalities or death. Immunosuppressed patients, such as organ transplant recipients, can develop fatal hemorrhagic fever-like disease. Transmission of LCMV and an LCMV-like arenavirus via organ transplantation has been documented in three previous clusters. Of 11 recipients described in those clusters, 10 died of multisystem organ failure, with LCMV-associated hepatitis as a prominent feature. The surviving patient was treated with ribavirin (an antiviral with in vitro activity against LCMV) and reduction of immunosuppressive therapy. On April 15, 2008, an organ procurement organization (OPO) notified CDC of severe illness in two kidney transplant recipients from a common donor; at the time of notification, one of the recipients had died. Samples from the donor and both recipients were tested at CDC; on April 22, test results revealed evidence of acute LCMV infection in the donor and both recipients. This report summarizes the results of the subsequent public health investigation.

Environmental aspects of the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes and of solid agricultural wastes.

PubMed

Edelmann, W; Baier, U; Engeli, H

2005-01-01

In order to obtain more detailed information for better decision making in future biogenic waste treatment, different processes to treat biogenic wastes in plants with a treatment capacity of 10,000 tons of organic household wastes per year as well as agricultural codigestion plants were compared by life cycle assessments (LCA). With the tool EcoIndicator, anaerobic digestion is shown to be advantageous as compared to composting, incineration or a combination of digestion and composting, mainly because of a better energy balance. The management of the liquid manure in agricultural codigestion of organic solid wastes causes increased gaseous emissions, which have negative effects on the LCA, however. It is recommended to cover the slurry pit and to use an improved manure management in order to compensate for the additional gaseous emissions. In the LCAs, the quality of the digester output could only be taken into account to a small extent; the reasons are discussed.

Thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) with food waste (FW): Enhancement of bio-hydrogen production.

PubMed

Angeriz-Campoy, Rubén; Álvarez-Gallego, Carlos J; Romero-García, Luis I

2015-10-01

Bio-hydrogen production from dry thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion (55°C and 20% total solids) of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and food waste (FW) was studied. OFMSW coming from mechanical-biological treatment plants (MBT plants) presents a low organic matter concentration. However, FW has a high organic matter content but several problems by accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and system acidification. Tests were conducted using a mixture ratio of 80:20 (OFSMW:FW), to avoid the aforementioned problems. Different solid retention times (SRTs) - 6.6, 4.4, 2.4 and 1.9 days - were tested. It was noted that addition of food waste enhances the hydrogen production in all the SRTs tested. Best results were obtained at 1.9-day SRT. It was observed an increase from 0.64 to 2.51 L H2/L(reactor) day in hydrogen productivity when SRTs decrease from 6.6 to 1.9 days. However, the hydrogen yield increases slightly from 33.7 to 38 mL H2/gVS(added). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combinatorial Solid-Phase Synthesis of Aromatic Oligoamides: A Research-Based Laboratory Module for Undergraduate Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Amelia A.

2016-01-01

A five-week, research-based experiment suitable for second-semester introductory organic laboratory students is described. Each student designs, prepares, and analyzes a combinatorial array of six aromatic oligoamides. Molecules are prepared on solid phase via a six-step synthetic sequence, and purities and identities are determined by analysis of…

Single Versus Multiple Solid Organ Injuries Following Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

PubMed

El-Menyar, Ayman; Abdelrahman, Husham; Al-Hassani, Ammar; Peralta, Ruben; AbdelAziz, Hiba; Latifi, Rifat; Al-Thani, Hassan

2017-11-01

We aimed to describe the pattern of solid organ injuries (SOIs) and analyze the characteristics, management and outcomes based on the multiplicity of SOIs. A retrospective study in a Level 1 trauma center was conducted and included patients admitted with blunt abdominal trauma between 2011 and 2014. Data were analyzed and compared for patients with single versus multiple SOIs. A total of 504 patients with SOIs were identified with a mean age of 28 ± 13 years. The most frequently injured organ was liver (45%) followed by spleen (30%) and kidney (18%). One-fifth of patients had multiple SOIs, of that 87% had two injured organs. Patients with multiple SOIs had higher frequency of head injury and injury severity scores (p < 0.05). The majority of SOIs were treated nonoperatively, whereas operative management was required in a quarter of patients, mostly in patients with multiple SOIs (p = 0.01). Blood transfusion, sepsis and hospital stay were greater in multiple than single SOIs (p < 0.05). The overall mortality was 11% which was comparable between the two groups. In patients with single SOIs, the mortality was significantly higher in those who had pancreatic (28.6%) or hepatic injuries (13%) than the other SOIs. SOIs represent one-tenth of trauma admissions in Qatar. Although liver was the most frequently injured organ, the rate of mortality was higher in pancreatic injury. Patients with multiple SOIs had higher morbidity which required frequent operative management. Further prospective studies are needed to develop management algorithm based on the multiplicity of SOIs.

Mending a Broken Heart: Treatment of Stress-Induced Heart Failure after Solid Organ Transplantation

PubMed Central

Kumm, Kayla; Kueht, Michael; Ha, Cindy P.; Yoeli, Dor; Cotton, Ronald T.; Rana, Abbas; O'Mahony, Christine A.; Halff, Glenn; Goss, John A.

2018-01-01

Stress-induced heart failure, also known as Broken Heart Syndrome or Takotsubo Syndrome, is a phenomenon characterized as rare but well described in the literature, with increasing incidence. While more commonly associated with postmenopausal women with psychiatric disorders, this entity is found in the postoperative patient. The nonischemic cardiogenic shock manifests as biventricular failure with significant decreases in ejection fraction and cardiac function. In a review of over 3000 kidney and liver transplantations over the course of 17 years within two transplant centers, we describe a series of 7 patients with Takotsubo Syndrome after solid organ transplantation. Furthermore, we describe a novel approach of successfully treating the transient, though potentially fatal, cardiogenic shock with a percutaneous ventricular assistance device in two liver transplant patients, while treating one kidney transplant patient medically and the remaining four liver transplant patients with an intra-aortic balloon pump. We describe our experience with Takotsubo's Syndrome and compare the three modalities of treatment and cardiac augmentation. Our series is novel in introducing the percutaneous ventricular assist device as a more minimally invasive intervention in treating nonischemic heart failure in the solid organ transplant patient, while serving as a comprehensive overview of treatment modalities for stress-induced heart failure. PMID:29670765

Proton conduction in metal-organic frameworks and related modularly built porous solids.

PubMed

Yoon, Minyoung; Suh, Kyungwon; Natarajan, Srinivasan; Kim, Kimoon

2013-03-04

Proton-conducting materials are an important component of fuel cells. Development of new types of proton-conducting materials is one of the most important issues in fuel-cell technology. Herein, we present newly developed proton-conducting materials, modularly built porous solids, including coordination polymers (CPs) or metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The designable and tunable nature of the porous materials allows for fast development in this research field. Design and synthesis of the new types of proton-conducting materials and their unique proton-conduction properties are discussed. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Use of hematopoietic cell transplants to achieve tolerance in patients with solid organ transplants.

PubMed

Strober, Samuel

2016-03-24

The goals of tolerance in patients with solid organ transplants are to eliminate the lifelong need for immunosuppressive (IS) drugs and to prevent graft loss due to rejection or drug toxicity. Tolerance with complete withdrawal of IS drugs has been achieved in recipients of HLA-matched and mismatched living donor kidney transplants in 3 medical centers using hematopoietic cell transplants to establish mixed or complete chimerism. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

Managing America's solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phillips, J. A.

This report presents an historical overview of the federal role in municipal solid waste management from 1965 to approximately 1995. Attention is focuses on the federal role in safeguarding public health, protecting the environment, and wisely using material and energy resources. It is hoped that this report will provide important background for future municipal solid waste research and development initiatives.

Oxidation of volatile organic vapours in air by solid potassium permanganate.

PubMed

Mahmoodlu, Mojtaba Ghareh; Hartog, Niels; Majid Hassanizadeh, S; Raoof, Amir

2013-06-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may frequently contaminate groundwater and pose threat to human health when migrating into the unsaturated soil zone and upward to the indoor air. The kinetic of chemical oxidation has been investigated widely for dissolved VOCs in the saturated zone. But, so far there have been few studies on the use of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) of vapour phase contaminants. In this study, batch experiments were carried out to evaluate the oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE), ethanol, and toluene vapours by solid potassium permanganate. Results revealed that solid potassium permanganate is able to transform the vapour of these compounds into harmless oxidation products. The degradation rates for TCE and ethanol were higher than for toluene. The degradation process was modelled using a kinetic model, linear in the gas concentration of VOC [ML(-3)] and relative surface area of potassium permanganate grains (surface area of potassium permanganate divided by gas volume) [L(-1)]. The second-order reaction rate constants for TCE, ethanol, and toluene were found to be equal to 2.0×10(-6) cm s(-1), 1.7×10(-7) cm s(-1), and 7.0×10(-8) cm s(-1), respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of in-sewer sources of organic solids contributing to combined sewer overflows.

PubMed

Ahyerre, M; Chebbo, G

2002-09-01

Previous research has shown that combined sewer systems are the main source of particle and organic pollution during rainfall events contributing to combined sewer overflow. The aim of this article is to identify in an urban catchment area called "Le Marais", in the center of Paris, the types of sediments that are eroded and contribute to the pollution of combined sewer overflow. Three sediment types are considered: granular material found in the inverts of pipes, organic biofilms and organic sediment at the water bed interface, identified as an immobile layer in the "Le Marais" catchment area. The method used consist, firstly, of sampling and assessing the organic pollutant loads and metallic loads of the particles in each type of sediment. Then, the mass of each type of sediment is assessed. The mass and the characteristics of each type of sediment is finally compared to the mass and characteristics of the particles eroded in the catchment area, estimated by mass balances, in order to find the source of eroded particles. The only identified type of deposit that can contribute to combined sewer overflows is the organic layer. Indeed, the solids of this layer have mean and metallic loads that are of the same order of magnitude as the eroded particles. Moreover, the mass of the organic layer considered over different time scales is of the same order of magnitude as the eroded masses during rainfall events and an erosion experiment showed that the organic layer is actually eroded.

Donor-derived infections in solid organ transplant patients: toward a holistic approach.

PubMed

Benamu, Esther; Wolfe, Cameron R; Montoya, José G

2017-08-01

Solid organ demand far exceeds organ supply. Strategies to increase the donor pool include the liberalization of selection criteria without increasing the risk of unexpected donor-derived infection (DDI), a rare complication of transplantation carrying high morbidity and mortality. We review the challenging aspects in the prevention of DDI, focusing on the complexities of data sharing and efficient communication and the role infectious diseases specialists play in the process. Advances in donor screening, transmission recognition and reporting allow for a better estimation of the risk of DDI. However, there is great variability in the frequency and methods with which organ procurement organizations report transmission events.Moreover, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients provides limited donor and recipient outcome infectious diseases related data. Infectious disease contribution to the allocation process has been found to improve organ donation efficiency and communication between involved parties. Although communication gaps are strongly associated with infection transmission (relative risk 2.36%, confidence interval 1.48-3.78), effective communication minimizes or prevents infection in transplant recipients (X(1) 13.13, P = 0.0003). Prospective research is still required to define optimal screening protocols and further prevent transmission of infection. A holistic approach is likely to result in enhanced transplantation safety. Toward this goal, development of standards of investigation; improvement in reporting and data sharing; and strategies ensuring coordinated and rapid communication among parties involved in the allocation process need to be pursued.

Improved method for recovery of organic solids from diluted swine manure in 3rd generation treatment system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Solid-liquid separation of the raw manure increases the capacity of decision making and opportunities for treatment. The high-rate separation up-front using flocculants allows recovery of most of the organic compounds, which can be used for manufacture of high-quality compost materials. However, t...

Anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste: Technical developments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rivard, C.J.

1996-01-01

The anaerobic biogasification of organic wastes generates two useful products: a medium-Btu fuel gas and a compost-quality organic residue. Although commercial-scale digestion systems are used to treat municipal sewage wastes, the disposal of solid organic wastes, including municipal solid wastes (MSW), requires a more cost-efficient process. Modern biogasification systems employ high-rate, high-solids fermentation methods to improve process efficiency and reduce capital costs. The design criteria and development stages are discussed. These systems are also compared with conventional low-solids fermentation technology.

IBD Selection for the 288kg Prototype SoLid Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saunders, D.; SoLid Collaboration

2017-09-01

The SoLid experiment aims to make a measurement of very short baseline neutrino oscillations using reactor antineutrinos. Key to its sensitivity are the experiment’s high spatial and energy resolution, combined with a very suitable reactor source and excellent background rejection. Placed on the surface at just 5 m from the reactor core, the cosmic flux and reactor output lead to a challenging environment. The fine segmentation of the detector, 5 cm cubes, allows the topology of events to be studied to previously unseen precision. This offers new and unexplored handles for tackling these backgrounds - a key requirement for SoLid physics aims. Using the most recent SoLid prototype (288 kg, 20% scale), we present the first selection to focus on IBD signals. This includes descriptions of SoLid signals and backgrounds, and demonstration that the segmentation can lead to gains in orders of magnitude in background rejection.

Effect of mixture ratio, solids concentration and hydraulic retention time on the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Fongsatitkul, Prayoon; Elefsiniotis, Panagiotis; Wareham, David G

2010-09-01

This paper describes how the degradation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is affected through codigestion with varying amounts of return activated sludge (RAS). Solid waste that had its inorganic fraction selectively removed was mixed with RAS in ratios of 100% OFMSW, 50% OFMSW/50% RAS, and 25% OFMSW/75% RAS. The total solids (TS) concentration was held at 8% and three anaerobic digester systems treating the mixtures were held (for the first run) at a total hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 28 days. Increasing amounts of RAS did not however improve the mixture's digestability, as indicated by little change and/or a drop in the main performance indices [including percentage volatile solids (VS) removal and specific gas production]. The optimum ratio in this research therefore appeared to be 100% OFMSW with an associated 85.1 ± 0.6% VS removal and 0.72 ± 0.01 L total gas g(- 1) VS. In the second run, the effect of increasing percentage of TS (8, 12% and 15%) at a system HRT of 28 days was observed to yield no improvement in the main performance indices (i.e. percentage VS removal and specific gas production). Finally, during the third run, variations in the total system HRT were investigated at an 8% TS, again using 100% OFMSW. Of the HRTs explored (23, 28 and 33 days), the longest HRT yielded the best performance overall, particularly in terms of specific gas production (0.77 ± 0.01 L total gas g(-1) VS).

Distributions of methyl group rotational barriers in polycrystalline organic solids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beckmann, Peter A., E-mail: pbeckman@brynmawr.edu, E-mail: wangxianlong@uestc.edu.cn; Conn, Kathleen G.; Division of Education and Human Services, Neumann University, One Neumann Drive, Aston, Pennsylvania 19014-1298

We bring together solid state {sup 1}H spin-lattice relaxation rate measurements, scanning electron microscopy, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic structure calculations for two methyl substituted organic compounds to investigate methyl group (CH{sub 3}) rotational dynamics in the solid state. Methyl group rotational barrier heights are computed using electronic structure calculations, both in isolated molecules and in molecular clusters mimicking a perfect single crystal environment. The calculations are performed on suitable clusters built from the X-ray diffraction studies. These calculations allow for an estimate of the intramolecular and the intermolecular contributions to the barrier heights. The {sup 1}H relaxation measurements,more » on the other hand, are performed with polycrystalline samples which have been investigated with scanning electron microscopy. The {sup 1}H relaxation measurements are best fitted with a distribution of activation energies for methyl group rotation and we propose, based on the scanning electron microscopy images, that this distribution arises from molecules near crystallite surfaces or near other crystal imperfections (vacancies, dislocations, etc.). An activation energy characterizing this distribution is compared with a barrier height determined from the electronic structure calculations and a consistent model for methyl group rotation is developed. The compounds are 1,6-dimethylphenanthrene and 1,8-dimethylphenanthrene and the methyl group barriers being discussed and compared are in the 2–12 kJ mol{sup −1} range.« less

Outcomes of Foot and Ankle Surgery in Diabetic Patients Who Have Undergone Solid Organ Transplantation

PubMed Central

Zou, Richard H.; Wukich, Dane K.

2017-01-01

Foot and ankle problems are highly prevalent in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Increased rates of surgical site infections and noninfectious complications, such as malunion, delayed union, nonunion, and hardware failure, have also been more commonly observed in diabetic patients who undergo foot and ankle surgery. DM is a substantial contributor of perioperative morbidity in patients with solid organ transplantation. To the best of our knowledge, postoperative foot and ankle complications have not been studied in a cohort of diabetic patients who previously underwent solid organ transplantation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes of foot and ankle surgery in a cohort of diabetic transplant patients and to compare these outcomes with those of diabetic patients without a history of transplantation. We compared the rates of infectious and noninfectious complications after foot and ankle surgery in 28 diabetic transplant patients and 56 diabetic patients without previous transplantation and calculated the odds ratios (OR) for significant findings. The diabetic transplant patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery in the present cohort were not at an increased risk of overall complications (OR 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33 to 2.08, p = .67), infectious complications (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.09 to 3.09, p = .49), or noninfectious complications (OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.41 to 3.15, p = .81). Four transplant patients (14.3%) died of non–orthopedic surgery-related events during the follow-up period; however, no deaths occurred in the control group. Diabetic patients with previous solid organ transplantation were not at an increased risk of developing postoperative complications after foot and ankle surgery, despite being immunocompromised. The transplant patients had a greater mortality rate, but their premature death was unrelated to their foot and ankle surgery. Surgeons treating transplant patients can recommend foot and ankle surgery when

Vapor-phase infrared spectroscopy on solid organic compounds with a pulsed resonant photoacoustic detection scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartlome, Richard; Fischer, Cornelia; Sigrist, Markus W.

2005-08-01

There is a great need for a low cost and sensitive method to measure infrared spectra of solid organic compounds in the gas phase. To record such spectra, we propose an optical parametric generator-based photoacoustic spectrometer, which emits in the mid-infrared fingerprint region between 3 and 4 microns. In this system, the sample is heated in a vessel before entering a home built photoacoustic cell, where the gaseous molecules are excited by a tunable laser source with a frequency repetition rate that matches the first longitudinal resonance frequency of the photocaoustic cell. In a first phase, we have focused on low-melting point stimulants such as Nikethamide, Mephentermine sulfate, Methylephedrine, Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine. The vapor-phase spectra of these doping substances were measured between 2800 and 3100 cm-1, where fundamental C-H stretching vibrations take place. Our spectra show notable differences with commercially available condensed phase spectra. Our scheme enables to measure very low vapor pressures of low-melting point (<160 °C) solid organic compounds. Furthermore, the optical resolution of 8 cm-1 is good enough to distinguish closely related chemical structures such as the Ephedra alkaloids Ephedrine and Methylephedrine, but doesn't allow to differentiate diastereoisomeric pairs such as Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine, two important neurotransmitters which reveal different biological activities. Therefore, higher resolution and a system capable of measuring organic compounds with higher melting points are required.

The PROCESS experiment: an astrochemistry laboratory for solid and gaseous organic samples in low-earth orbit.

PubMed

Cottin, Hervé; Guan, Yuan Yong; Noblet, Audrey; Poch, Olivier; Saiagh, Kafila; Cloix, Mégane; Macari, Frédérique; Jérome, Murielle; Coll, Patrice; Raulin, François; Stalport, Fabien; Szopa, Cyril; Bertrand, Marylène; Chabin, Annie; Westall, Frances; Chaput, Didier; Demets, René; Brack, André

2012-05-01

The PROCESS (PRebiotic Organic ChEmistry on the Space Station) experiment was part of the EXPOSE-E payload outside the European Columbus module of the International Space Station from February 2008 to August 2009. During this interval, organic samples were exposed to space conditions to simulate their evolution in various astrophysical environments. The samples used represent organic species related to the evolution of organic matter on the small bodies of the Solar System (carbonaceous asteroids and comets), the photolysis of methane in the atmosphere of Titan, and the search for organic matter at the surface of Mars. This paper describes the hardware developed for this experiment as well as the results for the glycine solid-phase samples and the gas-phase samples that were used with regard to the atmosphere of Titan. Lessons learned from this experiment are also presented for future low-Earth orbit astrochemistry investigations.

Chemical oxidative and solid state synthesis of low molecular weight polymers for organic field effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahale, Rajashree Y.; Dharmapurikar, Satej S.; Chini, Mrinmoy Kumar

2018-03-01

Solution processability of the precursor molecules is a major issue owing to their limited solubility for the synthesis of conjugated polymers. Therefore, we favour the solvent free solid state chemical oxidative polymerization route for the synthesis of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) based donor-acceptor (D-A) type conjugated polymers. D-A type polymer Poly(S-OD-EDOT) which contains DPP coupled with EDOT donor units is synthesized via solid state polymerization method. The polymer is employed as an active layer for organic field-effect transistors to measure charge transport properties. The Polymer shows good hole mobility 3.1 × 10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1, with a on/off ratio of 1.1 × 103.

Enhancing biogas production from anaerobic biodegradation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste through leachate blending and recirculation.

PubMed

Nair, Arjun; Sartaj, Majid; Kennedy, Kevin; Coelho, Nuno M G

2014-10-01

Leachate recirculation has a profound advantage on biodegradation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste in landfills. Mature leachate from older sections of landfills (>10 years) and young leachate were blended and added to organic fraction of municipal solid waste in a series of biomethane potential assay experiments with different mixing ratios of mature and young leachate and their effect on biogas production was monitored. The improvement in biogas production was in the range of 19%-41% depending on the ratio of mixing old and new leachate. The results are conclusive that the biogas generation could be improved by blending the old and new leachate in a bioreactor landfill system as compared with a conventional system employed in bioreactor landfills today for recirculating the same age leachate. © The Author(s) 2014.

Analysis of hazardous organic residues from sodium hydrosulfite industry and utilization as raw materials in a novel solid lubricant production.

PubMed

Shang, Jiwu; Zhang, Yihe; Zhou, Fengshan; Lv, Fengzhu; Han, Feng; Lu, Jinbo; Meng, Xianghai; Chu, Paul K; Ye, Zhengfang; Xing, Jing

2011-12-30

The hazardous organic residual wastes produced by the sodium hydrosulfite industry are demonstrated to be convertible into a novel solid lubricant. Identification and isolation of the organic residues are achieved by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). FTIR and GC-MS provide important information about the residues and the two main components obtained by column chromatography are further analyzed by NMR. The main organic residues are found to be thiodiglycol and 2,2'-dithiodiethanol which have potential applications in petroleum drilling because of their S-S and/or C-S functional groups. The lubricity of the organic residues is subsequently studied and the influence of different adsorbents on the lubricity is investigated and discussed. This homemade lubricant is observed to have good lubricity and by increasing the concentration of the commercial solid lubricant M, the lubricity diminishes. The process is expected to not only have commercial impact but also help to reduce environmental pollution. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of spent household batteries to the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes during composting.

PubMed

Komilis, Dimitrios; Bandi, Dimitra; Kakaronis, Georgios; Zouppouris, Georgios

2011-06-01

The objective of this work was to investigate the potential transfer of 9 heavy metals from spent household batteries (zinc-carbon and alkaline-manganese batteries) to the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes during active composting. Six runs were performed including one control and 2 replications. Eleven types of alkaline and non-alkaline batteries were added at 3 different levels to the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes, namely at percentages equal to 0.98% w/w (low), 5.2% w/w (medium) and 10.6% w/w (high). Experiments were performed in 230 l insulated plastic aerobic bioreactors under a dynamic air flow regime for up to 60 days. Iron, copper and nickel masses contained in the organic fraction of the wastes were found significantly higher in the high level runs compared to the corresponding masses in the control. No metal transfer was obtained in the low and medium level runs. Metal mass balance closures ranged from 51% to 176%. Metals' concentrations in the leachates were below 10 mg l⁻¹ for most metals, except iron, while an increasing concentration trend versus time was measured in the leachates of the high level runs. In all cases, the contents of 5 regulated heavy metals in all end products were below the Hellenic limits. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Change of sleep quality from pre- to 3 years post-solid organ transplantation: The Swiss Transplant Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Denhaerynck, Kris; Huynh-Do, Uyen; Binet, Isabelle; Hadaya, Karine; De Geest, Sabina

2017-01-01

Background Poor sleep quality (SQ) is common after solid organ transplantation; however, very little is known about its natural history. We assessed the changes in SQ from pre- to 3 years post-transplant in adult heart, kidney, liver and lung recipients included in the prospective nation-wide Swiss Transplant Cohort Study. We explored associations with selected variables in patients suffering persistent poor SQ compared to those with good or variable SQ. Methods Adult single organ transplant recipients enrolled in the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study with pre-transplant and at least 3 post-transplant SQ assessment data were included. SQ was self-reported pre-transplant (at listing), then at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months post-transplant. A single SQ item was used to identify poor (0–5) and good sleepers (6–10). Between organ groups, SQ was compared via logistic regression analysis with generalized estimating equations. Within the group reporting persistently poor SQ, we used logistic regression or Kaplan-Meier analysis as appropriate to check for differences in global quality of life and survival. Results In a sample of 1173 transplant patients (age: 52.1±13.2 years; 65% males; 66% kidney, 17% liver, 10% lung, 7% heart) transplanted between 2008 and 2012, pre- transplant poor SQ was highest in liver (50%) and heart (49%) recipients. Overall, poor SQ decreased significantly from pre-transplant (38%) to 24 months post-transplant (26%) and remained stable at 3 years (29%). Patients reporting persistently poor SQ had significantly more depressive symptomatology and lower global quality of life. Conclusion Because self-reported poor SQ is related to poorer global quality of life, these results emphasize the need for further studies to find suitable treatment options for poor SQ in transplant recipients. PMID:29020112

Lubrication with solids.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckley, D. H.; Johnson, R. L.

1972-01-01

Brief discussion of the historical background, variety range, chemistry, physics, and other properties of solid lubricants, and review of their current uses. The widespread use of solid lubricants did not occur until about 1947. At present, they are the object of such interest that a special international conference on their subject was held in 1971. They are used at temperatures beyond the useful range of conventional lubricating oils and greases. Their low volatility provides them with the capability of functioning effectively in vacuum and invites their use in space applications. Their high load carrying ability makes them useful with heavily loaded components. Solid lubricants, however, do lack some of the desirable properties of conventional lubricants. Unlike oils and greases, which have fluidity and can continuously be carried back into contact with lubricated surfaces, solid lubricants, because of their immobility, have finite lives. Also, oils and greases can carry away frictional heat from contacting surfaces, while solid lubricants cannot.

CTEPP STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR EXTRACTING AND PREPARING SOLID FOOD SAMPLES FOR ANALYSIS OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (SOP-5.20)

EPA Science Inventory

This SOP describes the procedures for homogenizing, extracting and concentrating solid food samples for persistent organic pollutants such as organochlorine compounds, organophosphate compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, substituted phenols, and...

New insights into the thermal behaviour of organic ionic plastic crystals: magnetic resonance imaging of polycrystalline morphology alterations induced by solid-solid phase transitions.

PubMed

Romanenko, Konstantin; Pringle, Jennifer M; O'Dell, Luke A; Forsyth, Maria

2015-07-15

Organic ionic plastic crystals (OIPCs) show strong potential as solid-state electrolytes for lithium battery applications, demonstrating promising electrochemical performance and eliminating the need for a volatile and flammable liquid electrolyte. The ionic conductivity (σ) in these systems has recently been shown to depend strongly on polycrystalline morphology, which is largely determined by the sample's thermal history. [K. Romanenko et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 15638]. Tailoring this morphology could lead to conductivities sufficiently high for battery applications, so a more complete understanding of how phenomena such as solid-solid phase transitions can affect the sample morphology is of significant interest. Anisotropic relaxation of nuclear spin magnetisation provides a new MRI based approach for studies of polycrystalline materials at both a macroscopic and molecular level. In this contribution, morphology alterations induced by solid-solid phase transitions in triisobutyl(methyl)phosphonium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (P1444FSI) and diethyl(methyl)(isobutyl)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate (P1224PF6) are examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), alongside nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, diffusion measurements and conductivity data. These observations are linked to molecular dynamics and structural behaviour crucial for the conductive properties of OIPCs. A distinct correlation is established between the conductivity at a given temperature, σ(T), and the intensity of the narrow NMR signal that is attributed to a mobile fraction, fm(T), of ions in the OIPC. To explain these findings we propose an analogy with the well-studied relationship between permeability (k) and void fraction (θ) in porous media, with k(θ) commonly quantified by a power-law dependence that can also be employed to describe σ(fm).

Solid materials for removing metals and fabrication method

DOEpatents

Coronado, Paul R.; Reynolds, John G.; Coleman, Sabre J.

2004-10-19

Solid materials have been developed to remove contaminating metals and organic compounds from aqueous media. The contaminants are removed by passing the aqueous phase through the solid materials which can be in molded, granular, or powder form. The solid materials adsorb the metals and the organics leaving a purified aqueous stream. The materials are sol-gel and or sol-gel and granulated activated carbon (GAC) mixtures. The species-specific adsorption occurs through specific chemical modifications of the solids tailored towards the contaminant(s). The contaminated solid materials can then be disposed of or the contaminant can be removed and the solids recycled.

Pyridinium ionic liquid-based liquid-solid extraction of inorganic and organic iodine from Laminaria.

PubMed

Peng, Li-Qing; Yu, Wen-Yan; Xu, Jing-Jing; Cao, Jun

2018-01-15

A simple, green and effective extraction method, namely, pyridinium ionic liquid- (IL) based liquid-solid extraction (LSE), was first designed to extract the main inorganic and organic iodine compounds (I - , monoiodo-tyrosine (MIT) and diiodo-tyrosine (DIT)). The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: ultrasonic intensity 100W, IL ([EPy]Br) concentration 200mM, extraction time 30min, liquid/solid ratio 10mL/g, and pH value 6.5. The morphologies of Laminaria were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The recovery values of I - , MIT and DIT from Laminaria were in the range of 88% to 94%, and limits of detection were in the range of 59.40 to 283.6ng/g. The proposed method was applied to the extraction and determination of iodine compounds in three Laminaria. The results showed that IL-based LSE could be a promising method for rapid extraction of bioactive iodine from complex food matrices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunosuppressive therapy after solid-organ transplantation: does the INTERMED identify patients at risk of poor adherence?

PubMed Central

Michaud, Laurent; Ludwig, Gundula; Berney, Sylvie; Rodrigues, Stéphanie; Niquille, Anne; Santschi, Valérie; Favre, Anne-Sophie; Lange, Anne-Catherine; Michels, Annemieke A.; Vrijens, Bernard; Bugnon, Olivier; Pilon, Nathalie; Pascual, Manuel; Venetz, Jean-Pierre; Stiefel, Friedrich; Schneider, Marie-Paule

2016-01-01

Background: Lack of adherence to medication is a trigger of graft rejection in solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Objective: This exploratory study aimed to assess whether a biopsychosocial evaluation using the INTERMED instrument before transplantation could identify SOT recipients at risk of suboptimal post-transplantation adherence to immunosuppressant drugs. We hypothesized that complex patients (INTERMED>20) might have lower medication adherence than noncomplex patients (INTERMED≤20). Methods: Each patient eligible for transplantation at the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland, has to undergo a pre-transplantation psychiatric evaluation. In this context the patient was asked to participate in our study. The INTERMED was completed pre-transplantation, and adherence to immunosuppressive medication was monitored post-transplantation by electronic monitors for 12 months. The main outcome measure was the implementation and persistence to two calcineurin inhibitors, cyclosporine and tacrolimus, according to the dichotomized INTERMED score (>20 or ≤20). Results: Among the 50 SOT recipients who completed the INTERMED, 32 entered the study. The complex (N=11) and noncomplex patients (N=21) were similar in terms of age, sex and transplanted organ. Implementation was 94.2% in noncomplex patients versus 87.8% in complex patients (non-significant p-value). Five patients were lost to follow-up: one was non-persistent, and four refused electronic monitoring. Of the four patients who refused monitoring, two were complex and withdrew early, and two were noncomplex and withdrew later in the study. Conclusion: Patients identified as complex pre-transplant by the INTERMED tended to deviate from their immunosuppressant regimen, but the findings were not statistically significant. Larger studies are needed to evaluate this association further, as well as the appropriateness of using a nonspecific biopsychosocial instrument such as INTERMED in highly morbid

Organic Solid Matter as a Coloring Agent in Outer Solar System Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruikshank, D. P.; DalleOre, C. M.; Roush, T. L.; Khare, B. N.; Fonda, Mark (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Small bodies in the outer Solar System OSS, exhibit a range of color, or slope of the reflectance in the photovisual spectral region, ranging from neutral to very red, sometimes with and sometimes without distinct absorption bands. These objects range in geometric albedo from 0.03 to 1.0, with the higher albedo objects typically showing clear evidence of water ice. Water ice has also been found in a few objects with albedo 0. 1 or less. We explore here the identification of the material or materials that color these icy and non-icy surfaces through scattering models that incorporate minerals, meteoritic material, and organic solids (tholins) produced ID the laboratory by energy deposition in ices and gases. These models must match not only the color in the photovisual region, but the spectral reflectance properties throughout the near-infrared. Among some classes of objects, such as Kuiper Belt objects, the coloring agent may be a single material that is present in greater or lesser abundance, thus accounting for the range in color from neutral to very red. This may also apply to the Centaur objects, the Jovian Trojans, and the outer-main belt asteroids, each taken as a separate class. If so, each class may be colored to varying degrees by a different material, or they all might be colored by a common material that is widespread throughout the OSS, from 3 to 50 AU, and beyond. In this paper, we model the reflectances of "Kuiper Belt objects, Centaurs, Trojans, outer ARAB asteroids, and planetary satellites. Our models show that the reddest surfaces cannot be colored by minerals or meteoritic materials, but can be matched throughout the photovisual and near-infrared by organic solids, specifically certain tholins.

Managing America`s solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This report presents an historical overview of the federal role in municipal solid waste management from 1965 to approximately 1995. Attention is focuses on the federal role in safeguarding public health, protecting the environment, and wisely using material and energy resources. It is hoped that this report will provide important background for future municipal solid waste research and development initiatives.

Immunology Update: Long-Term Care of Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

PubMed

Starr, S Paul

2016-11-01

Nearly 31,000 US patients received solid organ transplants in 2015 and the number is increasing. Care of transplant recipients includes management of a variety of common posttransplantation issues. Skin cancers are common because of immunosuppression and require skin examinations at intervals. Patients should be educated about the need to report new skin lesions. The rates of other cancers also are increased, including cancers of the head and neck, lung, esophagus, cervix, and urinary tract. Osteoporosis is common in transplant recipients; monitoring and early therapy are important. Patients should not smoke, and vaccinations should be current except for live-virus vaccines, which are contraindicated in patients with immunosuppression. Family physicians should be familiar with the posttransplantation immunosuppression drugs their patients are taking and know their adverse effects and drug interactions. For example, calcineurin inhibitors (eg, cyclosporine, tacrolimus) can impair renal function and increase rates of hypertension and myocardial ischemia. They also interact with statins, macrolide antibiotics, diltiazem, and other drugs. Interval laboratory testing is required to monitor the health of the transplanted organ (eg, renal function tests for kidney transplants, transaminases for liver transplants). Finally, clinicians should remain alert for development of opportunistic infection. Written permission from the American Academy of Family Physicians is required for reproduction of this material in whole or in part in any form or medium.

A pilot-scale steam autoclave system for treating municipal solid waste for recovery of renewable organic content: Operational results and energy usage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A pilot-scale (1800'kg per batch capacity) autoclave used in this study reduces municipal solid waste to a debris contaminated pulp product that is efficiently separated into its renewable organic content and non-renewable organic content fractions using a rotary trommel screen. The renewable organi...

Survey of background scattering from materials found in small-angle neutron scattering.

PubMed

Barker, J G; Mildner, D F R

2015-08-01

Measurements and calculations of beam attenuation and background scattering for common materials placed in a neutron beam are presented over the temperature range of 300-700 K. Time-of-flight (TOF) measurements have also been made, to determine the fraction of the background that is either inelastic or quasi-elastic scattering as measured with a 3 He detector. Other background sources considered include double Bragg diffraction from windows or samples, scattering from gases, and phonon scattering from solids. Background from the residual air in detector vacuum vessels and scattering from the 3 He detector dome are presented. The thickness dependence of the multiple scattering correction for forward scattering from water is calculated. Inelastic phonon background scattering at small angles for crystalline solids is both modeled and compared with measurements. Methods of maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio by material selection, choice of sample thickness and wavelength, removal of inelastic background by TOF or Be filters, and removal of spin-flip scattering with polarized beam analysis are discussed.

Survey of background scattering from materials found in small-angle neutron scattering

PubMed Central

Barker, J. G.; Mildner, D. F. R.

2015-01-01

Measurements and calculations of beam attenuation and background scattering for common materials placed in a neutron beam are presented over the temperature range of 300–700 K. Time-of-flight (TOF) measurements have also been made, to determine the fraction of the background that is either inelastic or quasi-elastic scattering as measured with a 3He detector. Other background sources considered include double Bragg diffraction from windows or samples, scattering from gases, and phonon scattering from solids. Background from the residual air in detector vacuum vessels and scattering from the 3He detector dome are presented. The thickness dependence of the multiple scattering correction for forward scattering from water is calculated. Inelastic phonon background scattering at small angles for crystalline solids is both modeled and compared with measurements. Methods of maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio by material selection, choice of sample thickness and wavelength, removal of inelastic background by TOF or Be filters, and removal of spin-flip scattering with polarized beam analysis are discussed. PMID:26306088

Clinical management and humoral immune responses to rabies post-exposure prophylaxis among three patients who received solid organs from a donor with rabies

PubMed Central

Vora, N.M.; Orciari, L.A.; Niezgoda, M.; Selvaggi, G.; Stosor, V.; Lyon, G.M.; Wallace, R.M.; Gabel, J.; Stanek, D.R.; Jenkins, P.; Shiferaw, M.; Yager, P.; Jackson, F.; Hanlon, C.A.; Damon, I.; Blanton, J.D.; Recuenco, S.; Franka, R.

2015-01-01

Background The rabies virus causes a fatal encephalitis and can be transmitted through organ transplantation. In 2013, a man developed rabies 18 months after receiving a kidney from a donor with rabies, who was not known to have been infected when the organs were procured. Three additional persons who received organs from the same donor (liver, kidney, heart), all of whom were not vaccinated for rabies before transplantation, received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with rabies immune globulin and 5 doses of rabies vaccine as soon as the diagnosis of rabies was made in the donor (18 months after their transplant surgeries). We describe their clinical management. Methods As the 3 recipients were all on immunosuppressive medications, post-vaccination serologic testing was performed using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test to measure rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNAs). An acceptable antibody response to administration of rabies vaccine was defined as detection of RVNAs at a concentration ≥0.1 IU/mL from a serum specimen collected ≥7 days after the fifth vaccine dose. Results All 3 recipients demonstrated an acceptable antibody response despite their immunosuppressed states. More than 36 months have passed since their transplant surgeries, and all 3 recipients have no evidence of rabies. Conclusions The survival of 3 previously unvaccinated recipients of solid organs from a donor with rabies is unexpected. Although the precise factors that led to their survival remain unclear, our data suggest that PEP can possibly enhance transplant safety in settings in which donors are retrospectively diagnosed with rabies. PMID:25851103

Solid-state radioluminescent compositions

DOEpatents

Clough, Roger L.; Gill, John T.; Hawkins, Daniel B.; Renschler, Clifford L.; Shepodd, Timothy J.; Smith, Henry M.

1991-01-01

A solid state radioluminescent composition for light source comprises an optically clear polymer organic matrix containing tritiated organic materials and dyes capable of "red" shifting primary scintillation emissions from the polymer matrix. The tritiated organic materials are made by reducing, with tritium, an unsaturated organic compound that prior to reduction contains olefinic or alkynylic bonds.

Outcomes of Foot and Ankle Surgery in Diabetic Patients Who Have Undergone Solid Organ Transplantation.

PubMed

Zou, Richard H; Wukich, Dane K

2015-01-01

Foot and ankle problems are highly prevalent in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Increased rates of surgical site infections and noninfectious complications, such as malunion, delayed union, nonunion, and hardware failure, have also been more commonly observed in diabetic patients who undergo foot and ankle surgery. DM is a substantial contributor of perioperative morbidity in patients with solid organ transplantation. To the best of our knowledge, postoperative foot and ankle complications have not been studied in a cohort of diabetic patients who previously underwent solid organ transplantation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes of foot and ankle surgery in a cohort of diabetic transplant patients and to compare these outcomes with those of diabetic patients without a history of transplantation. We compared the rates of infectious and noninfectious complications after foot and ankle surgery in 28 diabetic transplant patients and 56 diabetic patients without previous transplantation and calculated the odds ratios (OR) for significant findings. The diabetic transplant patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery in the present cohort were not at an increased risk of overall complications (OR 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33 to 2.08, p = .67), infectious complications (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.09 to 3.09, p = .49), or noninfectious complications (OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.41 to 3.15, p = .81). Four transplant patients (14.3%) died of non-orthopedic surgery-related events during the follow-up period; however, no deaths occurred in the control group. Diabetic patients with previous solid organ transplantation were not at an increased risk of developing postoperative complications after foot and ankle surgery, despite being immunocompromised. The transplant patients had a greater mortality rate, but their premature death was unrelated to their foot and ankle surgery. Surgeons treating transplant patients can recommend foot and ankle surgery when

In Situ Miniaturised Solid Phase Extraction (m-SPE) for Organic Pollutants in Seawater Samples

PubMed Central

Abaroa-Pérez, B.; Sánchez-Almeida, G.; Hernández-Brito, J. J.

2018-01-01

Solid phase extraction (SPE) is a consolidated technique for determining pollutants in seawater samples. The current tendency is to miniaturise systems that extract and determine pollutants in the environment, reducing the use of organic solvents, while maintaining the quality in the extraction and preconcentration. On the other hand, there is a need to develop new extraction systems that can be fitted to in situ continual monitoring buoys, especially for the marine environment. This work has developed a first model of a low-pressure micro-SPE (m-SPE) for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that can be simply applied to in situ monitoring in the marine environment. This system reduces the volumes of sample and solvents required in the laboratory in comparison with conventional SPE. In the future, it could be used in automated or robotic systems in marine technologies such as marine gliders and oceanographic buoys. This system has been optimised and validated to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in seawater samples, but it could also be applied to other kinds of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and emerging pollutants. PMID:29805837

Solid-State Electrolyte Anchored with a Carboxylated Azo Compound for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

PubMed

Luo, Chao; Ji, Xiao; Chen, Ji; Gaskell, Karen J; He, Xinzi; Liang, Yujia; Jiang, Jianjun; Wang, Chunsheng

2018-05-23

Organic electrode materials are promising for green and sustainable lithium-ion batteries. However, the high solubility of organic materials in the liquid electrolyte results in the shuttle reaction and fast capacity decay. Herein, azo compounds are firstly applied in all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLB) to suppress the dissolution challenge. Due to the high compatibility of azobenzene (AB) based compounds to Li 3 PS 4 (LPS) solid electrolyte, the LPS solid electrolyte is used to prevent the dissolution and shuttle reaction of AB. To maintain the low interface resistance during the large volume change upon cycling, a carboxylate group is added into AB to provide 4-(phenylazo) benzoic acid lithium salt (PBALS), which could bond with LPS solid electrolyte via the ionic bonding between oxygen in PBALS and lithium ion in LPS. The ionic bonding between the active material and solid electrolyte stabilizes the contact interface and enables the stable cycle life of PBALS in ASSLB. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Background Lamb waves in the Earth's atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishida, K.; Kobayashi, N.; Fukao, Y.

2013-12-01

Lamb waves of the Earth's atmosphere in the millihertz band have been considered as transient phenomena excited only by large events [e.g. the major volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in 1833, the impact of Siberian meteorite in 1908, the testing of large nuclear tests and the huge earthquakes, Garrett1969]. In a case of the solid Earth, observation of background free oscillations in the millihertz band-now known as Earth's background free oscillations or seismic hum, has been firmly established. Above 5 mHz, their dominant excitation sources are oceanic infragravity waves. At 3.7 and 4.4 mHz an elasto-acoustic resonance between the solid Earth and the atmosphere was observed [Nishida et al., 2000]. These seismic observations show that the contribution of atmospheric disturbances to the seismic hum is dominant below 5 mHz. Such contribution implies background excitations of acoustic-gravity waves in this frequency range. For direct detection of the background acoustic-gravity waves, our group conducted observations using an array of barometers [Nishida et al. 2005]. However, the spatial scale of the array of about 10 km was too small to detect acoustic modes below 10 mHz. Since then, no direct observations of these waves have been reported. In 2011, 337 high-resolution microbarometers were installed on a continental scale at USArray Transportable Array. The large and dense array enables us to detect the background atmospheric waves. Here, we show the first evidence of background Lamb waves in the Earth's atmosphere from 0.2 to 10 mHz, based on the array analysis of microbarometer data from the USArray in 2012. The observations suggest that the excitation sources are atmospheric disturbances in the troposphere. Theoretically, their energy in the troposphere tunnels into the thermosphere at a resonant frequency via thermospheric gravity wave, where the observed amplitudes indeed take a local minimum. The energy leak through the frequency window could partly contribute to

Characterization of organic compounds in biochars derived from municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Taherymoosavi, Sarasadat; Verheyen, Vince; Munroe, Paul; Joseph, Stephen; Reynolds, Alicia

2017-09-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) generation has been growing in many countries, which has led to numerous environmental problems. Converting MSW into a valuable biochar-based by-product can manage waste and, possibly, improve soil fertility, depending on the soil properties. In this study, MSW-based biochars, collected from domestic waste materials and kerbsides in two Sydney's regions, were composted and pyrolysed at 450°C, 550°C and 650°C. The characteristics of the organic components and their interactions with mineral phases were investigated using a range of analytical techniques, with special attention given to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metal concentrations. The MSW biochar prepared at 450°C contained the most complex organic compounds. The highest concentration of fixed C, indicating the stability of biochar, was detected in the high-temperature-biochar. Microscopic analysis showed development of pores and migration of mineral phases, mainly Ca/P/O-rich phases, into the micro-pores and Si/Al/O-rich phases on the surface of the biochar in the MSW biochar produced at 550°C. Amalgamation of organic phases with mineral compounds was observed, at higher pyrolysis temperatures, indicating chemical reactions between these two phases at 650°C. XPS analysis showed the main changes occurred in C and N bonds. During heat treatment, N-C/C=N functionalities decomposed and oxidized N configurations, mainly pyridine-N-oxide groups, were formed. The majority of the dissolved organic carbon fraction in both MSW biochar produced at 450°C and 550°C was in the form of building blocks, whereas LMW acids was the main fraction in high-temperature-biochar (59.9%). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organic Molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freissinet, C.; Glavin, D. P.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Miller, K. E.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Summons, R. E.; Brunner, A. E.; Buch, A.; Szopa, C.; Archer, P. D.;

Methane yield in source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Davidsson, Asa; Gruvberger, Christopher; Christensen, Thomas H; Hansen, Trine Lund; Jansen, Jes la Cour

2007-01-01

Treating the source-separated organic fraction of municipal solid waste (SS-OFMSW) by anaerobic digestion is considered by many municipalities in Europe as an environmentally friendly means of treating organic waste and simultaneously producing methane gas. Methane yield can be used as a parameter for evaluation of the many different systems that exist for sorting and pre-treating waste. Methane yield from the thermophilic pilot scale digestion of 17 types of domestically SS-OFMSW originating from seven full-scale sorting systems was found. The samples were collected during 1 year using worked-out procedures tested statistically to ensure representative samples. Each waste type was identified by its origin and by pre-sorting, collection and pre-treatment methods. In addition to the pilot scale digestion, all samples were examined by chemical analyses and methane potential measurements. A VS-degradation rate of around 80% and a methane yield of 300-400Nm(3) CH(4)/ton VS(in) were achieved with a retention time of 15 days, corresponding to approximately 70% of the methane potential. The different waste samples gave minor variation in chemical composition and thus also in methane yield and methane potential. This indicates that sorting and collection systems in the present study do not significantly affect the amount of methane produced per VS treated.

Spectrum of Cancer Risk among U.S. Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: The Transplant Cancer Match Study

PubMed Central

Engels, Eric A.; Pfeiffer, Ruth M.; Fraumeni, Joseph F.; Kasiske, Bertram L.; Israni, Ajay K.; Snyder, Jon J.; Wolfe, Robert A.; Goodrich, Nathan P.; Bayakly, A. Rana; Clarke, Christina A.; Copeland, Glenn; Finch, Jack L.; Fleissner, Mary Lou; Goodman, Marc T.; Kahn, Amy; Koch, Lori; Lynch, Charles F.; Madeleine, Margaret M.; Pawlish, Karen; Rao, Chandrika; Williams, Melanie A.; Castenson, David; Curry, Michael; Parsons, Ruth; Fant, Gregory; Lin, Monica

2012-01-01

Context Solid organ transplant recipients have elevated cancer risk due to immunosuppression and oncogenic viral infections. Since most prior research has concerned kidney recipients, large studies that include recipients of differing organs can inform cancer etiology. Objective Describe the overall pattern of cancer among solid organ transplant recipients. Design Cohort study using linked data from the U.S. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (1987–2008) and 13 state/regional cancer registries. Participants and Setting Solid organ transplant recipients in the U.S. Main Outcome Measure Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and excess absolute risks (EARs) assessing relative and absolute cancer risk in transplant recipients compared to the general population. Results Registry linkages yielded data on 175,732 solid organ transplants (58.4% kidney, 21.6% liver, 10.0% heart, 4.0% lung). Overall cancer risk was elevated (N=10,656 cases, incidence 1374.7 per 100,000 person-years; SIR 2.10, 95%CI 2.06–2.14; EAR 719.3, 95%CI 693.3–745.6, per 100,000 person-years). Risk was increased (p<0.001) for 32 different malignancies, some related to known infections (e.g., anal cancer, Kaposi sarcoma) and others unrelated (e.g., melanoma, thyroid and lip cancers). The most common malignancies with elevated risk were non-Hodgkin lymphoma (N=1504, incidence 194.0; SIR 7.54, 95%CI 7.17–7.93; EAR 168.3, 95%CI 158.6–178.4) and cancers of the lung (N=1344, incidence 173.4; SIR 1.97, 95%CI 1.86–2.08; EAR 85.3, 95%CI 76.2–94.8), liver (N=930, incidence 120.0; SIR 11.56, 95%CI 10.83–12.33; EAR 109.6, 95%CI 102.0–117.6), and kidney (N=752, incidence 97.0; SIR 4.65, 95%CI 4.32–4.99; EAR 76.1, 95%CI 69.3–83.3). Lung cancer risk was most elevated in lung recipients (SIR 6.13, 95%CI 5.18–7.21) but also increased among other recipients (SIR 1.46, 95%CI 1.34–1.59 for kidney; 1.95, 1.74–2.19 for liver; 2.67, 2.40–2.95 for heart). Liver cancer was elevated only

Analysis of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with cryotrap gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Huang, Zhongping; Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Peipei; Wang, Hong; Pan, Zaifa; Wang, Lili

2016-07-01

Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with cryotrap gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was applied to the analysis of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions. The highly volatile organic compounds were separated successfully with high sensitivity by the employment of a cryotrap device, with the construction of a cold column head by freezing a segment of metal capillary with liquid nitrogen. A total of 76 volatile organic compounds were identified in 50 pleural effusion samples (20 malignant effusions and 30 benign effusions). Among them, 34 more volatile organic compounds were detected with the retention time less than 8 min, by comparing with the normal headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry method. Furthermore, 24 volatile organic compounds with high occurrence frequency in pleural effusion samples, 18 of which with the retention time less than 8 min, were selected for the comparative analysis. The results of average peak area comparison and box-plot analysis showed that except for cyclohexanone, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, and tetramethylbenzene, which have been reported as potential cancer biomarkers, cyclohexanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-heptane, ethylbenzene, and xylene also had differential expression between malignant and benign effusions. Therefore, the proposed approach was valuable for the comprehensive characterization of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mass screening of multiple abdominal solid organs using mobile helical computed tomography scanner--a preliminary report.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Susumu; Aoki, Jun; Ohwada, Susumu; Takahashi, Toru; Morishita, Yasuo; Ueda, Keisuke

2007-04-01

The possibility of a new screening procedure for multiple abdominal solid organs using a mobile helical computed tomography (CT) scanner was evaluated. A total of 4,543 residents, who were 40 years of age or older, received CT scanning without contrast medium. The mean age of participants was 64 years including 2,022 males and 2,521 females. A total of 2,105 abnormal findings were uniquely detected in 1,594 participants. Liver and kidney diseases including ureter occupied around 30% of total abnormal findings, respectively. Besides frequent cystic or calcified lesions, solid tumours were suspected in 56 lesions, which received further examination by specialized physicians. Five (9%) of them were confirmed as being malignant tumours including pancreatic cancer in two patients, and liver, lung and ovary cancers in one patient each, respectively. All five patients with each malignant lesion received curative operations. Small-sized abdominal aortic aneurysms and heart valve diseases were uniquely found in 22 and two patients, respectively. Qualitative diagnoses of solid tumours were difficult using CT findings without contrast medium. CT screening procedures require further investigation in aspect of the selection of examinees, CT scanning procedure, sensitivity and specificity, and cost-effectiveness.

SOLIDS PRECIPITATION EVENT IN MCU CAUSAL ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SOLIDS RECOVERY TEAM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garrison, A.; Aponte, C.

A process upset occurred in the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) facility on April 6th, 2014. During recovery efforts, a significant amount of solids were found in the Salt Solution Feed Tank (SSFT), Salt Solution Receipt Tanks (SSRTs), two extraction contactors, and scrub contactors. The solids were identified by Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) as primarily sodium oxalate and sodium alumina silicate (NAS) with the presence of some aluminum hydroxide. NAS solids have been present in the SSFT since simulant runs during cold chemical startup of MCU in 2007, and have not hindered operations since that time. During themore » process upset in April 2014, the oxalate solids partially blocked the aqueous outlet of the extraction contactors, causing salt solution to exit through the contactor organic outlet to the scrub contactors with the organic phase. This salt solution overwhelmed the scrub contactors and passed with the organic phase to the strip section of MCU. The partially reversed flow of salt solution resulted in a Strip Effluent (SE) stream that was high in Isopar™ L, pH and sodium. The primary cause of the excessive solids accumulation in the SSRTs and SSFT at MCU is attributed to an increase in the frequency of oxalic acid cleaning of the 512-S primary filter. Agitation in the SSRTs at MCU in response to cold weather likely provided the primary mechanism to transfer the solids to the contactors. Sources of the sodium oxalate solids are attributed to the oxalic acid cleaning solution used to clean the primary filter at the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) filtration at 512-S, as well as precipitation from the salt batch feed, which is at or near oxalate saturation. The Solids Recovery Team was formed to determine the cause of the solids formation and develop recommendations to prevent or mitigate this event in the future. A total of 53 recommendations were generated. These recommendations were organized into 4 focus areas: �

Ab initio random structure searching of organic molecular solids: assessment and validation against experimental data.

PubMed

Zilka, Miri; Dudenko, Dmytro V; Hughes, Colan E; Williams, P Andrew; Sturniolo, Simone; Franks, W Trent; Pickard, Chris J; Yates, Jonathan R; Harris, Kenneth D M; Brown, Steven P

2017-10-04

This paper explores the capability of using the DFT-D ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS) method to generate crystal structures of organic molecular materials, focusing on a system (m-aminobenzoic acid; m-ABA) that is known from experimental studies to exhibit abundant polymorphism. Within the structural constraints selected for the AIRSS calculations (specifically, centrosymmetric structures with Z = 4 for zwitterionic m-ABA molecules), the method is shown to successfully generate the two known polymorphs of m-ABA (form III and form IV) that have these structural features. We highlight various issues that are encountered in comparing crystal structures generated by AIRSS to experimental powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR data, demonstrating successful fitting for some of the lowest energy structures from the AIRSS calculations against experimental low-temperature powder XRD data for known polymorphs of m-ABA, and showing that comparison of computed and experimental solid-state NMR parameters allows different hydrogen-bonding motifs to be discriminated.

Biogas production from municipal solid wastes using an integrated rotary drum and anaerobic-phased solids digester system.

PubMed

Zhu, Baoning; Zhang, Ruihong; Gikas, Petros; Rapport, Joshua; Jenkins, Bryan; Li, Xiujin

2010-08-01

This research was conducted to develop an integrated rotary drum reactor (RDR)-anaerobic-phased solids (APS) digester system for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) to produce biogas energy and achieve waste reduction. A commercial RDR facility was used to provide a 3-d pretreatment and sufficient separation of the organics from MSW and then the organics were digested in a laboratory APS-digester system for biogas production. The organics generated from the RDR contained 50% total solids (TS) and 36% volatile solids (VS) on wet basis. The APS-digester was started at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 3.1 gVS L(-1) d(-1) and operated at three higher OLRs of 4.6, 7.7 and 9.2 gVS L(-1) d(-1). At the OLR of 9.2 gVS L(-1) d(-1) the system biogas production rate was 3.5 L L(-1) d(-1) and the biogas and methane yields were 0.38 and 0.19 L gVS(-1), respectively. Anaerobic digestion resulted in 38% TS reduction and 53% VS reduction in the organic solids. It was found that the total VFA concentration reached a peak value of 15,000 mg L(-1) as acetic acid in the first 3d of batch digestion and later decreased to about 500 mg L(-1). The APS-digester system remained stable at each OLRs for over 100d with the pH in the hydrolysis reactors in the range of 7.3-7.8 and the pH in the biogasification reactor in 7.9-8.1. The residual solids after the digestion had a high heating value of 14.7 kJ gTS(-1). Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soluble CD30 serum level--an adequate marker for allograft rejection of solid organs?

PubMed

Schlaf, G; Altermann, W W; Rothhoff, A; Seliger, B

2007-11-01

The CD30 molecule, a 120 kDa cell surface glycoprotein, is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R) superfamily and was originally identified on the surface of Reed-Sternberg cells and anaplastic large cell lymphomas in Hodgkin's disease patients. In addition to lymphoproliferative disorders the expression of CD30 was found in both activated CD8+ and CD4+ Th2 cells which lead to the activation of B-cells and consequently to the inhibition of the Th1-type cellular immunity. The membrane-bound CD30 molecule can be proteolytically cleaved, thereby generating a soluble form (sCD30) of about 85 kDa. Low serum levels of soluble CD30 were found in healthy humans, whereas increased sCD30 serum concentrations were detected under pathophysiological situations such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, certain viral infections and adult T cell leukaemia/lymphoma. In addition, it has recently been suggested that pre- or post-transplant levels of sCD30 represent a biomarker for graft rejection associated with an impaired outcome for transplanted patients. We here review (i) the current knowledge of the clinical significance of sCD30 serum levels for solid organ transplantations and (ii) our own novel data regarding inter- and intra-individual variations as well as time-dependent alterations of sCD30 levels in patients. (iii) Based on this information the implementation of sCD30 as predictive pre-transplant or post-transplant parameter for solid organ transplantation is critically discussed.

Contemporary Role of Embolization of Solid Organ and Pelvic Injuries in Polytrauma Patients

PubMed Central

Ptohis, Nikolaos D.; Charalampopoulos, Georgios; Abou Ali, Adham N.; Avgerinos, Efthymios D.; Mousogianni, Iliana; Filippiadis, Dimitrios; Karydas, George; Gravanis, Miltiadis; Pagoni, Stamatina

2017-01-01

Abdominopelvic trauma (APT) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the 15- to 44-year-old age group in the Western World. It can be life-threatening as abdominopelvic organs, specifically those in the retroperitoneal space, can bleed profusely. APT is divided into blunt and penetrating types. While surgery is notably considered as a definitive solution for bleeding control, it is not always the optimum treatment for the stabilization of a polytrauma patient. Over the past decades, there has been a shift toward more sophisticated strategies, such as non-operative management of abdominopelvic vascular trauma for haemodynamically stable patients. Angiographic embolization for bleeding control following blunt and/or penetrating intra- and retroperitoneal injuries has proven to be safe and effective. Embolization can achieve hemostasis and salvage organs without the morbidity of surgery, and the development and refinement of embolization techniques has widened the indications for non-operative treatment in solid organ injury. Moreover, advances in computed tomography provided more efficient scanning times with improved image quality. While surgery is still usually recommended for patients with penetrating injuries, non-operative management can be effectively used as well as an alternative treatment. We review indications, technical considerations, efficacy, and complication rates of angiographic embolization in APT. PMID:28824919

An Industrial Ecology Approach to Municipal Solid Waste Management: II. Case Studies for Recovering Energy from the Organic Fraction of MSW

EPA Science Inventory

The organic fraction of municipal solid waste provides abundant opportunities for industrial ecology-based symbiotic use. Energy production, economics, and environmental aspects are analyzed for four alternatives based on different technologies: incineration with energy recovery...

[Dementia in families with a Turkish migration background. Organization and characteristics of domestic care arrangements].

PubMed

Mogar, M; von Kutzleben, M

2015-07-01

Until recently public health and health services research has not been concerned with people suffering from dementia with a Turkish migration background as a priority. There is little evidence about the situation of this population; however, it is known that these individuals almost always live with their families and are cared for by their families generally without seeking professional support. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the organization and characteristics of home-based care arrangements for people suffering from dementia with a Turkish migration background from the family carer's perspective. Interviews with seven family carers. The principles of the grounded theory served as a framework for data analysis. Unconditional commitment to caring for a family member with dementia was identified as the main characteristic of care arrangements in families with a Turkish migration background. Dementia is not a factor that has an impact on the decision of families to assume care responsibility for an affected family member and there is a lack of knowledge about dementia in general. There are various inhibiting factors for the utilization of formal services and the family carers in this sample complained that the available services are not culturally sensitive. There seems to be an extensive need for information and counselling regarding care dependency and dementia among the Turkish community. To provide personal-centred care and relief to these families in the future, efforts should be made to adapt the current care system to the specific needs and demands of this population. Cultural sensitivity in general and individual subjective needs of persons with a Turkish migration background affected by dementia should be taken into account.

CTEPP STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR EXTRACTING AND PREPARING SOLID FOOD SAMPLES FOR ANALYSIS OF POLAR ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (SOP-5.28)

EPA Science Inventory

This SOP describes the extraction and preparation of a solid food sample for analysis of acidic persistent organic pollutants such as acid herbicides, pentachlorphenol, and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-phenol. It covers the extraction, concentration and derivatization of samples that are to...

Co-biodrying of sewage sludge and organic fraction of municipal solid waste: Role of mixing proportions.

PubMed

Zhang, Difang; Luo, Wenhai; Yuan, Jing; Li, Guoxue

2018-04-26

This study investigated the performance of co-biodrying sewage sludge and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) at different proportions. Cornstalk was added at 15% (of total wet weight) as the bulking agent. Results show that increasing OFMSW percentage promoted the biodegradation of organic matter, thus enhancing the temperature integration value and water removal to above 75% during sludge and OFMSW co-biodrying. In particular, adding more OFMSW accelerated the biodegradation of soluble carbohydrates, lignins, lipids, and amylums, resulting in more organic loss and thus lower biodrying index (3.3-3.7 for 55-85% OFMSW). Water balance calculation indicated that evaporation was the main mechanism for water removal. Heat used for water evaporation was 37.7-48.6% of total heat consumption during co-biodrying. Our results suggest that sludge and OFMSW should be mixed equally for their efficient co-biodrying. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochemical methane potential tests of different autoclaved and microwaved lignocellulosic organic fractions of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Pecorini, Isabella; Baldi, Francesco; Carnevale, Ennio Antonio; Corti, Andrea

2016-10-01

The aim of this research was to enhance the anaerobic biodegradability and methane production of two synthetic Organic Fractions of Municipal Solid Waste with different lignocellulosic contents by assessing microwave and autoclave pre-treatments. Biochemical Methane Potential assays were performed for 21days. Changes in the soluble fractions of the organic matter (measured by soluble chemical oxygen demand, carbohydrates and proteins), the first order hydrolysis constant kh and the cumulated methane production at 21days were used to evaluate the efficiency of microwaving and autoclaving pretreatments on substrates solubilization and anaerobic digestion. Microwave treatment led to a methane production increase of 8.5% for both the tested organic fractions while autoclave treatment had an increase ranging from 1.0% to 4.4%. Results showed an increase of the soluble fraction after pre-treatments for both the synthetic organic fractions. Soluble chemical oxygen demand observed significant increases for pretreated substrates (up to 219.8%). In this regard, the mediocre results of methane's production led to the conclusion that autoclaving and microwaving resulted in the hydrolysis of a significant fraction of non-biodegradable organic substances recalcitrant to anaerobic digestion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The start of the transplant journey: Referral for pediatric solid organ transplantation

PubMed Central

Shellmer, Diana; Brosig, Cheryl; Wray, Jo

2014-01-01

The focus of the majority of the psychosocial transplant literature is on post-transplant outcomes but the transplant journey starts much earlier than this, at the point when transplantation is first considered and a referral for transplant evaluation is made. In this review we cover information regarding the meaning of the referral process for solid organ transplantation. We discuss various factors of the referral for transplantation including the impact of referral on the pediatric patient and the family, potential expectations and misconceptions held by pediatric patients and parents, the role of health literacy, decision making factors, and the informational needs of pediatric patients and parents. We elucidate steps that providers can take to enhance transplant referral and provide suggestions for much needed research within this area. PMID:24438194

Race and invasive fungal infection in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Boehme, Amelia K; McGwin, Gerald; Andes, David R; Lyon, G Marshall; Chiller, Tom; Pappas, Peter G; Baddley, John W

2014-01-01

Health disparities in access to solid organ transplantation (SOT) and graft survival are well recognized, but there are limited data on the relationship of race to risk of invasive fungal infection (IFI) among SOT recipients. We conducted a case-control study using data from the Transplant-Associated Infection Surveillance Network (TRANSNET) to investigate race and IFI. Cases (n = 1,214) and controls (n = 16,550) were compared on demographic variables using chi-square, and the relationship between race and IFI was assesses with unconditional logistic regression. Compared to White transplant patients, Blacks had similar odds of developing IFI (OR = .97, 95% Cl 0.82-1.15, P = .7125), while participants who identified as other ethnicity were less likely to develop IFI (OR = .56, 95% Cl .41-.75, P < .001). Blacks, when compared to White patients, were at increased odds of developing cryptococcal infection (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.35-3.54, P = .002). Despite pharmacogenetic differences, Black transplant recipients were not more likely overall to develop IFI compared to White transplant recipients.

Parents' perspectives on caring for children after solid organ transplant.

PubMed

Lerret, Stacee M; Johnson, Norah L; Haglund, Kristin A

2017-07-01

To explore parents' experiences of the transition from hospital to home and complex chronic illness management following their children's solid organ transplant (SOT). Qualitative component of a larger mixed methods longitudinal study. Parents of SOT recipients were interviewed three times following hospital discharge from five major pediatric transplant hospitals in the United States. Analysis of parent interviews (N = 48) resulted in three themes that characterized the phases of transition to home and complex chronic illness care. Three themes, corresponding to the three time periods of data collection, included "getting back to normal" at 3 weeks, "becoming routine" at 3 months, and "facing a future" at 6 months. Challenges families experienced over the course of their transition are also described. The transition from hospital to home and complex chronic condition care is challenging and changes over time. Nurses are called upon to prepare parents to become knowledgeable and confident to care for the child after hospital discharge. Nurses can best support families in transition after SOT by anticipating and understanding their dynamic challenging complex care needs. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cryptococcus gattii infection in solid organ transplant recipients: description of Oregon outbreak cases.

PubMed

Forrest, G N; Bhalla, P; DeBess, E E; Winthrop, K L; Lockhart, S R; Mohammadi, J; Cieslak, P R

2015-06-01

Cryptococcus gattii was recognized as an emerging infection in the Pacific Northwest in 2004. Out of 62 total infections in Oregon since the outbreak, 11 were in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. SOT recipients were more likely to have disseminated disease and higher mortality than normal hosts, who mostly had isolated mass lesions. The median time from transplantation to C. gattii diagnosis was 17.8 months. The primary sites of infection were lung (n = 4), central nervous system (n = 3), or both (n = 4). The Oregon-endemic strain, VGII (subtypes IIa and IIc) was present in 10 of 11 patients; the median fluconazole minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 12 μg/mL (range 2-32 μg/mL) for this strain. We found C. gattii infection among organ transplant recipients was disseminated at diagnosis, had low cerebrospinal fluid cryptococcal antigen titers, and was associated with an elevated fluconazole MIC and high attributable mortality. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Solid waste from leather industry as adsorbent of organic dyes in aqueous-medium.

PubMed

Oliveira, Luiz C A; Gonçalves, Maraísa; Oliveira, Diana Q L; Guerreiro, Mário C; Guilherme, Luiz R G; Dallago, Rogério M

2007-03-06

The industrial tanning of leather usually produces considerable amounts of chromium-containing solid waste and liquid effluents and raises many concerns on its environmental effect as well as on escalating landfill costs. Actually, these shortcomings are becoming increasingly a limiting factor to this industrial activity that claims for alternative methods of residue disposals. In this work, it is proposed a novel alternative destination of the solid waste, based on the removal of organic contaminants from the out coming aqueous-residue. The adsorption isotherm pattern for the wet blue leather from the Aurea tanning industry in Erechim-RS (Brazil) showed that these materials present high activity on adsorbing the reactive red textile dye as well as other compounds. The adsorbent materials were characterized by IR spectroscopy and SEM and tested for the dye adsorption (reactive textile and methylene blue dyes). The concentrations of dyes were measured by UV-vis spectrophotometry and the chromium extraction from leather waste was realized by basic hydrolysis and determined by atomic absorption. As a low cost abundant adsorbent material with high adsorption ability on removing dye methylene blue (80mgg(-1)) and textile dye reactive red (163mgg(-1)), the leather waste is revealed to be a interesting alternative relatively to more costly adsorbent materials.

Low-energy N+ ion irradiation induced synthesis of nitrogenous compound from solid organic sodium salts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiangqin; Yu, Zengliang

2003-08-01

In this paper, samples of solid organic sodium salts (sodium formate, sodium acetate and sodium benzoate) were irradiated by low-energy N+ ions. The induced damage was detected by infrared (FT-IR). It is shown that a new cyano group (-CN) and amino group (-NH2) were formed in the irradiated sodium carbroxylic sample with N+ ion irradiation. The experimental results examined the effect of N+ ion irradiation by reacting with sodium salt molecules, and presented a new way for the synthesis of nitrogenous compound by low-energy ion irradiation.

Characteristics of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and methane production: A review.

PubMed

Campuzano, Rosalinda; González-Martínez, Simón

2016-08-01

Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is a viable alternative for waste stabilization and energy recovery. Biogas production mainly depends on the type and amount of organic macromolecules. Based on results from different authors analysing OFMSW from different cities, this paper presents the importance of knowing the OFMSW composition to understand how anaerobic digestion can be used to produce methane. This analysis describes and discusses physical, chemical and bromatological characteristics of OFMSW reported by several authors from different countries and cities and their relationship to methane production. The main conclusion is that the differences are country and not city dependant. Cultural habits and OFMSW management systems do not allow a generalisation but the individual analysis for specific cities allow understanding the general characteristics for a better methane production. Not only are the OFMSW characteristics important but also the conditions under which the methane production tests were performed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Composite Solid Electrolyte For Lithium Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peled, Emmanuel; Nagasubramanian, Ganesan; Halpert, Gerald; Attia, Alan I.

1994-01-01

Composite solid electrolyte material consists of very small particles, each coated with thin layer of Lil, bonded together with polymer electrolyte or other organic binder. Material offers significant advantages over other solid electrolytes in lithium cells and batteries. Features include high ionic conductivity and strength. Composite solid electrolyte expected to exhibit flexibility of polymeric electrolytes. Polymer in composite solid electrolyte serves two purposes: used as binder alone, conduction taking place only in AI2O3 particles coated with solid Lil; or used as both binder and polymeric electrolyte, providing ionic conductivity between solid particles that it binds together.

Effect of initial moisture content on the in-vessel composting under air pressure of organic fraction of municipal solid waste in Morocco.

PubMed

Makan, Abdelhadi; Assobhei, Omar; Mountadar, Mohammed

2013-01-03

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of initial moisture content on the in-vessel composting under air pressure of organic fraction of municipal solid waste in Morocco in terms of internal temperature, produced gases quantity, organic matter conversion rate, and the quality of the final composts.For this purpose, in-vessel bioreactor was designed and used to evaluate both appropriate initial air pressure and appropriate initial moisture content for the composting process. Moreover, 5 experiments were carried out within initial moisture content of 55%, 65%, 70%, 75% and 85%. The initial air pressure and the initial moisture content of the mixture showed a significant effect on the aerobic composting. The experimental results demonstrated that for composting organic waste, relatively high moisture contents are better at achieving higher temperatures and retaining them for longer times.This study suggested that an initial moisture content of around 75%, under 0.6 bar, can be considered as being suitable for efficient composting of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. These last conditions, allowed maximum value of temperature and final composting product with good physicochemical properties as well as higher organic matter degradation and higher gas production. Moreover, final compost obtained showed good maturity levels and can be used for agricultural applications.

Effect of initial moisture content on the in-vessel composting under air pressure of organic fraction of municipal solid waste in Morocco

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of initial moisture content on the in-vessel composting under air pressure of organic fraction of municipal solid waste in Morocco in terms of internal temperature, produced gases quantity, organic matter conversion rate, and the quality of the final composts. For this purpose, in-vessel bioreactor was designed and used to evaluate both appropriate initial air pressure and appropriate initial moisture content for the composting process. Moreover, 5 experiments were carried out within initial moisture content of 55%, 65%, 70%, 75% and 85%. The initial air pressure and the initial moisture content of the mixture showed a significant effect on the aerobic composting. The experimental results demonstrated that for composting organic waste, relatively high moisture contents are better at achieving higher temperatures and retaining them for longer times. This study suggested that an initial moisture content of around 75%, under 0.6 bar, can be considered as being suitable for efficient composting of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. These last conditions, allowed maximum value of temperature and final composting product with good physicochemical properties as well as higher organic matter degradation and higher gas production. Moreover, final compost obtained showed good maturity levels and can be used for agricultural applications. PMID:23369502

36 CFR 401.3 - Background.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... § 401.3 Background. Following World War I many American individuals, organizations and governmental... many issues including host nation approvals, design adequacy, and funding for perpetual maintenance. As...

Quantifying the chemical composition of soil organic carbon with solid-state 13C NMR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldock, J. A.; Sanderman, J.

2011-12-01

The vulnerability of soil organic carbon (SOC) to biological decomposition and mineralisation to CO2 is defined at least partially by its chemical composition. Highly aromatic charcoal-like SOC components are more stable to biological decomposition than other forms of carbon including cellulose. Solid-state 13C NMR has gained wide acceptance as a method capable of defining SOC chemical composition and mathematical fitting processes have been developed to estimate biochemical composition. Obtaining accurate estimates depends on an ability to quantitatively detect all carbon present in a sample. Often little attention has been paid to defining the proportion of organic carbon present in a soil that is observable in solid-state 13C NMR analyses of soil samples. However, if such data is to be used to inform carbon cycling studies, it is critical that quantitative assessments of SOC observability be undertaken. For example, it is now well established that a significant discrimination exists against the detection of the low proton content polyaromatic structures typical of charcoal using cross polarisation 13C NMR analyses. Such discrimination does not exist where direct polarisation analyses are completed. In this study, the chemical composition of SOC as defined by cross polarisation and direct polarisation13C NMR analyses will be compared for Australian soils collected from under a diverse range of agricultural managements and climatic conditions. Results indicate that where significant charcoal C contents exist, it is highly under-represented in the acquired CP spectra. For some soils, a discrimination against alkyl carbon was also evident. The ability to derive correction factors to compensate for such discriminations will be assessed and presented.

Contributions from transport, solid fuel burning and cooking to primary organic aerosols in two UK cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allan, J. D.; Williams, P. I.; Morgan, W. T.; Martin, C. L.; Flynn, M. J.; Lee, J.; Nemitz, E.; Phillips, G. J.; Gallagher, M. W.; Coe, H.

2010-01-01

Organic matter frequently represents the single largest fraction of fine particulates in urban environments and yet the exact contributions from different sources and processes remain uncertain, owing in part to its substantial chemical complexity. Positive Matrix Factorisation (PMF) has recently proved to be a powerful tool for the purposes of source attribution and profiling when applied to ambient organic aerosol data from the Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). Here we present PMF analysis applied to AMS data from UK cities for the first time. Three datasets are analysed, with the focus on objectivity and consistency. The data were collected in London during the Regent's Park and Tower Environmental Experiment (REPARTEE) intensives and Manchester. These occurred during the autumn and wintertime, such that the primary fraction would be prominent. Ambiguities associated with rotationality within sets of potential solutions are explored and the most appropriate solution sets selected based on comparisons with external data. In addition to secondary organic aerosols, three candidate sources of primary organic aerosol (POA) were identified according to mass spectral and diurnal profiles; traffic emissions, cooking and solid fuel burning (for space heating). Traffic represented, on average, 40% of POA during colder conditions and exhibited a hydrocarbon-like mass spectrum similar to those previously reported. Cooking aerosols represented 34% of POA and through laboratory work, their profile was matched with that sampled from the heating of seed oils, rather than previously-published spectra derived from charbroiling. This suggests that in these locations, oil from frying may have contributed more to the particulate than the meat itself. Solid fuel aerosols represented 26% of POA during cold weather conditions but were not discernable during the first REPARTEE campaign, when conditions were warmer than the other campaigns. This factor showed features associated

Transmission of Tropical and Geographically Restricted Infections during Solid-Organ Transplantation

PubMed Central

Martín-Dávila, P.; Fortún, J.; López-Vélez, R.; Norman, F.; Montes de Oca, M.; Zamarrón, P.; González, M. I.; Moreno, A.; Pumarola, T.; Garrido, G.; Candela, A.; Moreno, S.

2008-01-01

In recent years, the increasing number of donors from different regions of the world is providing a new challenge for the management and selection of suitable donors. This is a worldwide problem in most countries with transplantation programs, especially due to the increase in immigration and international travel. This paper elaborates recommendations regarding the selection criteria for donors from foreign countries who could potentially transmit tropical or geographically restricted infections to solid-organ transplant recipients. For this purpose, an extensive review of the medical literature focusing on viral, fungal, and parasitic infections that could be transmitted during transplantation from donors who have lived or traveled in countries where these infections are endemic has been performed, with special emphasis on tropical and imported infections. The review also includes cases described in the literature as well as risks of transmission during transplantation, microbiological tests available, and recommendations for each infection. A table listing different infectious agents with their geographic distributions and specific recommendations is included. PMID:18202437

Weighted Genetic Risk Scores and Prediction of Weight Gain in Solid Organ Transplant Populations

PubMed Central

Saigi-Morgui, Núria; Quteineh, Lina; Bochud, Pierre-Yves; Crettol, Severine; Kutalik, Zoltán; Wojtowicz, Agnieszka; Bibert, Stéphanie; Beckmann, Sonja; Mueller, Nicolas J; Binet, Isabelle; van Delden, Christian; Steiger, Jürg; Mohacsi, Paul; Stirnimann, Guido; Soccal, Paola M.; Pascual, Manuel; Eap, Chin B

2016-01-01

Background Polygenic obesity in Solid Organ Transplant (SOT) populations is considered a risk factor for the development of metabolic abnormalities and graft survival. Few studies to date have studied the genetics of weight gain in SOT recipients. We aimed to determine whether weighted genetic risk scores (w-GRS) integrating genetic polymorphisms from GWAS studies (SNP group#1 and SNP group#2) and from Candidate Gene studies (SNP group#3) influence BMI in SOT populations and if they predict ≥10% weight gain (WG) one year after transplantation. To do so, two samples (nA = 995, nB = 156) were obtained from naturalistic studies and three w-GRS were constructed and tested for association with BMI over time. Prediction of 10% WG at one year after transplantation was assessed with models containing genetic and clinical factors. Results w-GRS were associated with BMI in sample A and B combined (BMI increased by 0.14 and 0.11 units per additional risk allele in SNP group#1 and #2, respectively, p-values<0.008). w-GRS of SNP group#3 showed an effect of 0.01 kg/m2 per additional risk allele when combining sample A and B (p-value 0.04). Models with genetic factors performed better than models without in predicting 10% WG at one year after transplantation. Conclusions This is the first study in SOT evaluating extensively the association of w-GRS with BMI and the influence of clinical and genetic factors on 10% of WG one year after transplantation, showing the importance of integrating genetic factors in the final model. Genetics of obesity among SOT recipients remains an important issue and can contribute to treatment personalization and prediction of WG after transplantation. PMID:27788139

A pilot-scale steam autoclave system for treating municipal solid waste for recovery of renewable organic content: Operational results and energy usage.

PubMed

Holtman, Kevin M; Bozzi, David V; Franqui-Villanueva, Diana; Offeman, Richard D; Orts, William J

2016-05-01

A pilot-scale (1800 kg per batch capacity) autoclave used in this study reduces municipal solid waste to a debris contaminated pulp product that is efficiently separated into its renewable organic content and non-renewable organic content fractions using a rotary trommel screen. The renewable organic content can be recovered at nearly 90% efficiency and the trommel rejects are also much easier to sort for recovery. This study provides the evaluation of autoclave operation, including mass and energy balances for the purpose of integration into organic diversion systems. Several methods of cooking municipal solid waste were explored from indirect oil heating only, a combination of oil and direct steam during the same cooking cycle, and steam only. Gross energy requirements averaged 1290 kJ kg(-1) material in vessel, including the weight of free water and steam added during heating. On average, steam recovery can recoup 43% of the water added and 30% of the energy, supplying on average 40% of steam requirements for the next cook. Steam recycle from one vessel to the next can reduce gross energy requirements to an average of 790 kJ kg(-1). © The Author(s) 2016.

Impact of different particle size distributions on anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Zhang, Y; Banks, C J

2013-02-01

Particle size may significantly affect the speed and stability of anaerobic digestion, and matching the choice of particle size reduction equipment to digester type can thus determine the success or failure of the process. In the current research the organic fraction of municipal solid waste was processed using a combination of a shear shredder, rotary cutter and wet macerator to produce streams with different particle size distributions. The pre-processed waste was used in trials in semi-continuous 'wet' and 'dry' digesters at organic loading rate (OLR) up to 6kg volatile solids (VS) m(-3)day(-1). The results indicated that while difference in the particle size distribution did not change the specific biogas yield, the digester performance was affected. In the 'dry' digesters the finer particle size led to acidification and ultimately to process failure at the highest OLR. In 'wet' digestion a fine particle size led to severe foaming and the process could not be operated above 5kgVSm(-3)day(-1). Although the trial was not designed as a direct comparison between 'wet' and 'dry' digestion, the specific biogas yield of the 'dry' digesters was 90% of that produced by 'wet' digesters fed on the same waste at the same OLR. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermochemical pretreatments of organic fraction of municipal solid waste from a mechanical-biological treatment plant.

PubMed

Álvarez-Gallego, Carlos José; Fdez-Güelfo, Luis Alberto; de los Ángeles Romero Aguilar, María; Romero García, Luis Isidoro

2015-02-09

The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) usually contains high lignocellulosic and fatty fractions. These fractions are well-known to be a hard biodegradable substrate for biological treatments and its presence involves limitations on the performance of anaerobic processes. To avoid this, thermochemical pretreatments have been applied on the OFMSW coming from a full-scale mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plant, in order to pre-hydrolyze the waste and improve the organic matter solubilisation. To study the solubilisation yield, the increments of soluble organic matter have been measured in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD), total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) and acidogenic substrate as carbon (ASC). The process variables analyzed were temperature, pressure and NaOH dosage. The levels of work for each variable were three: 160-180-200 °C, 3.5-5.0-6.5 bar and 2-3-4 g NaOH/L. In addition, the pretreatment time was also modified among 15 and 120 min. The best conditions for organic matter solubilisation were 160 °C, 3 g NaOH/L, 6.5 bar and 30 min, with yields in terms of DOC, sCOD, TVFA and ASC of 176%, 123%, 119% and 178% respectively. Thus, predictably the application of this pretreatment in these optimum conditions could improve the H2 production during the subsequent Dark Fermentation process.

Principles and Applications of Solid Polymer Electrolyte Reactors for Electrochemical Hydrodehalogenation of Organic Pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Hua; Scott, Keith

The ability to re-cycle halogenated liquid wastes, based on electrochemical hydrodehalogenation (EHDH), will provide a significant economic advantage and will reduce the environmental burden in a number of processes. The use of a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) reactor is very attractive for this purpose. Principles and features of electrochemical HDH technology and SPE EHDH reactors are described. The SPE reactor enables selective dehalogenation of halogenated organic compounds in both aqueous and non-aqueous media with high current efficiency and low energy consumption. The influence of operating conditions, including cathode material, current density, reactant concentration and temperature on the HDH process and its stability are examined.

Modified Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 for dry and semi-dry anaerobic digestion of solid organic waste.

PubMed

Liotta, Flavia; Chatellier, Patrice; Esposito, Giovanni; Fabbricino, Massimiliano; Frunzo, Luigi; van Hullebusch, Eric D; Lens, Piet N L; Pirozzi, Francesco

2015-01-01

The role of total solids (TS) content in anaerobic digestion of selected complex organic matter, e.g. rice straw and food waste, was investigated. A range of TS from wet (4.5%) to dry (23%) was evaluated. A modified version of the Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 for a complex organic substrate is proposed to take into account the effect of the TS content on anaerobic digestion. A linear function that correlates the kinetic constants of three specific processes (i.e. disintegration, acetate and propionate up-take) was included in the model. Results of biomethanation and volatile fatty acids production tests were used to calibrate the proposed model. Model simulations showed a good agreement between numerical and observed data.

Solid polymer electrolyte compositions

DOEpatents

Garbe, James E.; Atanasoski, Radoslav; Hamrock, Steven J.; Le, Dinh Ba

2001-01-01

An electrolyte composition is featured that includes a solid, ionically conductive polymer, organically modified oxide particles that include organic groups covalently bonded to the oxide particles, and an alkali metal salt. The electrolyte composition is free of lithiated zeolite. The invention also features cells that incorporate the electrolyte composition.

Raman spectroscopy of organic, solid and fluid inclusions in the Oldest Halite of LGOM area (SW Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toboła, Tomasz

2018-01-01

Raman spectroscopy was applied to determine the degree of recrystallization and the influence of the secondary solution migration on the Oldest Halite (Na1) in Lubin-Głogów Copper District (LGOM). Numerous organic matter (OM) inclusions which generally show weak structural ordering was found in halite crystals. In this context they are similar to solid bitumens or carbonaceous matter of low thermal alteration. The difference in the Raman line-shape of OM indicated various thermal alteration of salt from the Oldest Halite formation due to hot fluid flow. Solutions included in the secondary fluid inclusions often contain dissolved gases such as CH4, N2, H2S. The presence of these gases is connected with migration process from basement to the salt formation. Moissanite in fluid inclusions was accidentally trapped during inclusion formation, i.e. is not a daughter mineral. It was also found in the halite as an individual solid inclusions as well as in the anhydrite concentrations. Raman spectroscopy allowed to determine also such solid inclusions in halite as celestine, magnesite, pyrite, lepidocrocite and goethite as well as hydrocarbons.

Organic and Hybrid Organic Solid-State Photovoltaic Materials and Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-06

Microscopy Research, 2012, 7, 158-169. Organic photovoltaic materials, hybrid organic devices, solar cells 6 1 FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT 1... hybrids have potential applications in solar cells and may thus provide mobile energy sources for aircraft and soldier technologies. Modeling and...modeling and simulation developed in this project are encouraging further development. 2. Technical Activities Hybrid organic solar cells are an

Current Development in Treatment and Hydrogen Energy Conversion of Organic Solid Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Hang-Sik

2008-02-01

This manuscript summarized current developments on continuous hydrogen production technologies researched in Korea advanced institute of science and technology (KAIST). Long-term continuous pilot-scale operation of hydrogen producing processes fed with non-sterile food waste exhibited successful results. Experimental findings obtained by the optimization processes of growth environments for hydrogen producing bacteria, the development of high-rate hydrogen producing strategies, and the feasibility tests for real field application could contribute to the progress of fermentative hydrogen production technologies. Three major technologies such as controlling dilution rate depending on the progress of acidogenesis, maintaining solid retention time independently from hydraulic retention time, and decreasing hydrogen partial pressure by carbon dioxide sparging could enhance hydrogen production using anaerobic leaching beds reactors and anaerobic sequencing batch reactors. These findings could contribute to stable, reliable and effective performances of pilot-scale reactors treating organic wastes.

Solid-phase extraction versus matrix solid-phase dispersion: Application to white grapes.

PubMed

Dopico-García, M S; Valentão, P; Jagodziñska, A; Klepczyñska, J; Guerra, L; Andrade, P B; Seabra, R M

2007-11-15

The use of matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) was tested to, separately, extract phenolic compounds and organic acids from white grapes. This method was compared with a more conventional analytical method previously developed that combines solid liquid extraction (SL) to simultaneously extract phenolic compounds and organic acids followed by a solid-phase extraction (SPE) to separate the two types of compounds. Although the results were qualitatively similar for both techniques, the levels of extracted compounds were in general quite lower on using MSPD, especially for organic acids. Therefore, SL-SPE method was preferred to analyse white "Vinho Verde" grapes. Twenty samples of 10 different varieties (Alvarinho, Avesso, Asal-Branco, Batoca, Douradinha, Esganoso de Castelo Paiva, Loureiro, Pedernã, Rabigato and Trajadura) from four different locations in Minho (Portugal) were analysed in order to study the effects of variety and origin on the profile of the above mentioned compounds. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied separately to establish the main sources of variability present in the data sets for phenolic compounds, organic acids and for the global data. PCA of phenolic compounds accounted for the highest variability (77.9%) with two PCs, enabling characterization of the varieties of samples according to their higher content in flavonol derivatives or epicatechin. Additionally, a strong effect of sample origin was observed. Stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) was used for differentiation of grapes according to the origin and variety, resulting in a correct classification of 100 and 70%, respectively.

High solids fermentation reactor

DOEpatents

Wyman, Charles E.; Grohmann, Karel; Himmel, Michael E.; Richard, Christopher J.

1993-03-02

A fermentation reactor and method for fermentation of materials having greater than about 10% solids. The reactor includes a rotatable shaft along the central axis, the shaft including rods extending outwardly to mix the materials. The reactor and method are useful for anaerobic digestion of municipal solid wastes to produce methane, for production of commodity chemicals from organic materials, and for microbial fermentation processes.

High solids fermentation reactor

DOEpatents

Wyman, Charles E.; Grohmann, Karel; Himmel, Michael E.; Richard, Christopher J.

1993-01-01

A fermentation reactor and method for fermentation of materials having greater than about 10% solids. The reactor includes a rotatable shaft along the central axis, the shaft including rods extending outwardly to mix the materials. The reactor and method are useful for anaerobic digestion of municipal solid wastes to produce methane, for production of commodity chemicals from organic materials, and for microbial fermentation processes.

The role of non-governmental organizations in residential solid waste management: a case study of Puducherry, a coastal city of India.

PubMed

Rajamanikam, Ramamoorthy; Poyyamoli, Gopalsamy; Kumar, Sunil; R, Lekshmi

2014-09-01

Poorly planned and uncontrolled urbanization in India has caused a variety of negative, often irreversible, environmental impacts. The impacts appear to be unavoidable and not easily mitigable due to the mounting public health problems caused by non-segregation of solid wastes at source and their subsequent improper management. Recently in India, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society organizations have increasingly started to get involved in improving waste management services. Municipal solid waste management being a governmental function, the contribution of NGOs in this field has not been well documented. This study highlights the activities and services of Shuddham, an NGO functioning in the town of Puducherry within the Union Territory of Puducherry in South India. The NGO program promoted much needed awareness and education, encouraged source separation, enhanced door-to-door collection, utilized wastes as raw materials and generated more job opportunities. Even though source separation prior to door-to-door collection is a relatively new concept, a significant percentage of residents (39%) in the study area participated fully, while a further 48% participated in the collection service. The average amount of municipal solid waste generated by residential units in the Raj Bhavan ward was 8582 kg/month of which 47% was recovered through active recycling and composting practices. The study describes the features and performance of NGO-mediated solid waste management, and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats of this system to see whether this model can sustainably replace the low-performance conventional solid waste management in practice in the town of Puducherry. The experiences from this case study are expected to provide broad guidelines to better understand the role of NGOs and their contributions towards sustainable waste management practices in urban areas. © The Author(s) 2014.

Use of a novel saline/bipolar radiofrequency energy instrument as an adjunct for arresting ongoing solid organ surface and laceration bleeding in critically injured patients.

PubMed

Ball, Chad G; Campbell, Andre; Grondin, Sean C; Dixon, Elijah; DuBose, Joseph; McBeth, Paul B; Lall, Rohan

2016-09-01

Solid organ (liver, spleen and kidney) haemorrhage is often life threatening and can be difficult to stop in critically ill patients. Traditional techniques for arresting this ongoing bleeding include coagulation by high voltage cautery (Bovie), topical haemostatic application, and the delivery of ignited argon gas. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new energy device for arresting persistent solid organ haemorrhage. A novel instrument utilizing bipolar radiofrequency (RF) energy which acts to ignite/boil dripping saline from a simple hand piece was employed to arrest ongoing bleeding from solid organ injuries at 2 high volume, level 1 trauma centres. This instrument is extrapolated from experience within elective hepatic resections. Standard statistics were employed (p<0.05=significant). From January 2013 to January 2015, 36 severely injured patients (mean injury severity score=31; blunt mechanisms=32/36 (89%)) underwent use of this new saline/RF energy instrument to arrest ongoing haemorrhage from the liver (29), spleen (5) and kidney (2). Of these patients, 25 received instrument use during an initial laparotomy, while 11 patients underwent use following removal of sponges during a return laparotomy after an initial damage control procedure. Success in arresting ongoing haemorrhage was 97% (35/36) in these highly selected cases. The surgeons reported an 'ease of use' score of 4.9 out of 5. No postoperative complications (including delayed haemorrhage) were noted as a direct result of the energy instrument. This simple saline/RF energy instrument has the potential to arrest ongoing solid organ surface/capsular bleeding, as well as moderate haemorrhage associated with deep lacerations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of background organic matter and alkalinity on the degradation of the pesticide metaldehyde by two advanced oxidation processes: UV/H₂O₂ and UV/TiO₂.

PubMed

Autin, Olivier; Hart, Julie; Jarvis, Peter; MacAdam, Jitka; Parsons, Simon A; Jefferson, Bruce

2013-04-15

The impact of background constituents on the degradation of trace levels of micropollutants by two advanced oxidation processes: UV/H₂O₂ and UV/TiO₂ was studied. Experimental results demonstrated that the background scavenging rate rather than the concentration of micropollutant controls the required UV irradiation dose. The character of the natural organic matter had a limited impact on scavenging when the water source remains unchanged, however, a periodic bleed of hydrophobic material may substantially increase the minimum UV dose required to reach the desired micropollutant concentration. Moreover, in the case of UV/TiO₂, high concentrations of background organic matter do not only act as scavengers but also saturate the TiO₂ surface. Alkalinity inhibits the efficacy of UV/TiO₂ photocatalysis due to the formation of large TiO₂ aggregates. The study also demonstrated that the use of synthetic waters for treatability test purposes was an acceptable approach as long as both the background organic matter and the alkalinity were matched to that of the projected application. Finally spiking micropollutants at higher concentrations does not alter the significance of the findings as long as the background constituents represent more than 85% of the total scavenging rate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of solid organic waste processing by oxidative pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolibaba, O. B.; Sokolsky, A. I.; Gabitov, R. N.

2017-11-01

A thermal analysis of a mixture of municipal solid waste (MSW) of the average morphological composition and its individual components was carried out in order to develop ways to improve the efficiency of its utilization for energy production in thermal reactors. Experimental studies were performed on a synchronous thermal analyzer NETZSCH STA 449 F3 Jupiter combined with a quadrupole mass spectrometer QMC 403. Based on the results of the experiments, the temperature ranges of the pyrolysis process were determined as well as the rate of decrease of the mass of the sample of solid waste during the drying and oxidative pyrolysis processes, the thermal effects accompanying these processes, as well as the composition and volumes of gases produced during oxidative pyrolysis of solid waste and its components in an atmosphere with oxygen content of 1%, 5%, and 10%. On the basis of experimental data the dependences of the yield of gas on the moisture content of MSW were obtained under different pyrolysis conditions under which a gas of various calorific values was produced.

Mechanism of formation of humus coatings on mineral surfaces 3. Composition of adsorbed organic acids from compost leachate on alumina by solid-state 13C NMR

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wershaw, R. L.; Llaguno, E.C.; Leenheer, J.A.

1996-01-01

The adsorption of compost leachate DOC on alumina is used as a model for elucidation of the mechanism of formation of natural organic coatings on hydrous metal oxide surfaces in soils and sediments. Compost leachate DOC is composed mainly of organic acid molecules. The solid-state 13C NMR spectra of these organic acids indicate that they are very similar in composition to aquatic humic substances. Changes in the solid-state 13C NMR spectra of compost leachate DOC fractions adsorbed on alumina indicate that the DOC molecules are most likely adsorbed on metal oxide surfaces through a combination of polar and hydrophobic interaction mechanisms. This combination of polar and hydrophobic mechanism leads to the formation of bilayer coatings of the leachate molecules on the oxide surfaces.

Non-Destructive High-Resolution Organic Matter Record on Lake Sediment using Steady-State Solid Phase Fluorescence: Organic Matter Quality and Quantity Assessment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quiers, M.; Perrette, Y.; Etienne, D.; Develle, A. L.; Jacq, K.

2017-12-01

The use of organic proxies increases in paleoenvironmental reconstructions from natural archives. Major advances have been achieved by the development of new highly informative molecular proxies usually linked to specific compounds. While studies focused on targeted compounds, offering a high information degree, advances on bulk organic matter are limited. However, this bulk is the main contributor to carbon cycle and has been shown to be a driver of many mineral or organic compounds transfer and record. Development of target proxies need complementary information on bulk organic matter to understand biases link to controlling factors or analytical methods, and provide a robust interpretation. Fluorescence methods have often been employed to characterize and quantify organic matter. However, these technics are mainly developed for liquid samples, inducing material and resolution loss when working on natural archives (either stalagmite or sediments). High-resolution solid phase fluorescence (SPF) was developed on speleothems. This method allows now to analyse organic matter quality and quantity if procedure to constrain the optical density are adopted. In fact, a calibration method using liquid phase fluorescence (LPF) was developed for speleothem, allowing to quantify organic carbon at high-resolution. We report here an application of such a procedure SPF/LPF measurements on lake sediments. In order to avoid sediment matrix effects on the fluorescence signal, a calibration using LPF measurements was realised. First results using this method provided organic matter quality record of different organic matter compounds (humic-like, protein-like and chlorophylle-like compounds) at high resolution for the sediment core. High resolution organic matter fluxes are obtained in a second time, applying pragmatic chemometrics model (non linear models, partial least square models) on high resolution fluorescence data. SPF method can be considered as a promising tool for high

Catalytic conversion of nonfood woody biomass solids to organic liquids.

PubMed

Barta, Katalin; Ford, Peter C

2014-05-20

This Account outlines recent efforts in our laboratories addressing a fundamental challenge of sustainability chemistry, the effective utilization of biomass for production of chemicals and fuels. Efficient methods for converting renewable biomass solids to chemicals and liquid fuels would reduce society's dependence on nonrenewable petroleum resources while easing the atmospheric carbon dioxide burden. The major nonfood component of biomass is lignocellulose, a matrix of the biopolymers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. New approaches are needed to effect facile conversion of lignocellulose solids to liquid fuels and to other chemical precursors without the formation of intractable side products and with sufficient specificity to give economically sustainable product streams. We have devised a novel catalytic system whereby the renewable feedstocks cellulose, organosolv lignin, and even lignocellulose composites such as sawdust are transformed into organic liquids. The reaction medium is supercritical methanol (sc-MeOH), while the catalyst is a copper-doped porous metal oxide (PMO) prepared from inexpensive, Earth-abundant starting materials. This transformation occurs in a single stage reactor operating at 300-320 °C and 160-220 bar. The reducing equivalents for these transformations are derived by the reforming of MeOH (to H2 and CO), which thereby serves as a "liquid syngas" in the present case. Water generated by deoxygenation processes is quickly removed by the water-gas shift reaction. The Cu-doped PMO serves multiple purposes, catalyzing substrate hydrogenolysis and hydrogenation as well as the methanol reforming and shift reactions. This one-pot "UCSB process" is quantitative, giving little or no biochar residual. Provided is an overview of these catalysis studies beginning with reactions of the model compound dihydrobenzofuran that help define the key processes occurring. The initial step is phenyl-ether bond hydrogenolysis, and this is followed by

Use of the levonorgestrel 52-mg intrauterine system in adolescent and young adult solid organ transplant recipients: a case series.

PubMed

Huguelet, P S; Sheehan, C; Spitzer, R F; Scott, S

2017-04-01

This case series reports on the safety and efficacy of the levonorgestrel 52-mg intrauterine system in adolescent and young adult solid organ transplant recipients. All patients used the device for contraception, with no documented cases of disseminated pelvic infection or unplanned pregnancy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Removing Background Noise with Phased Array Signal Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podboy, Gary; Stephens, David

2015-01-01

Preliminary results are presented from a test conducted to determine how well microphone phased array processing software could pull an acoustic signal out of background noise. The array consisted of 24 microphones in an aerodynamic fairing designed to be mounted in-flow. The processing was conducted using Functional Beam forming software developed by Optinav combined with cross spectral matrix subtraction. The test was conducted in the free-jet of the Nozzle Acoustic Test Rig at NASA GRC. The background noise was produced by the interaction of the free-jet flow with the solid surfaces in the flow. The acoustic signals were produced by acoustic drivers. The results show that the phased array processing was able to pull the acoustic signal out of the background noise provided the signal was no more than 20 dB below the background noise level measured using a conventional single microphone equipped with an aerodynamic forebody.

Metal-organic framework based in-syringe solid-phase extraction for the on-site sampling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental water samples.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoqiong; Wang, Peiyi; Han, Qiang; Li, Hengzhen; Wang, Tong; Ding, Mingyu

2018-04-01

In-syringe solid-phase extraction is a promising sample pretreatment method for the on-site sampling of water samples because of its outstanding advantages of portability, simple operation, short extraction time, and low cost. In this work, a novel in-syringe solid-phase extraction device using metal-organic frameworks as the adsorbent was fabricated for the on-site sampling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental waters. Trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were effectively extracted through the self-made device followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis. Owing to the excellent adsorption performance of metal-organic frameworks, the analytes could be completely adsorbed during one adsorption cycle, thus effectively shortening the extraction time. Moreover, the adsorbed analytes could remain stable on the device for at least 7 days, revealing the potential of the self-made device for on-site sampling of degradable compounds in remote regions. The limit of detection ranged from 0.20 to 1.9 ng/L under the optimum conditions. Satisfactory recoveries varying from 84.4 to 104.5% and relative standard deviations below 9.7% were obtained in real samples analysis. The results of this study promote the application of metal-organic frameworks in sample preparation and demonstrate the great potential of in-syringe solid-phase extraction for the on-site sampling of trace contaminants in environmental waters. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Polymeric Sorbent with Controlled Surface Polarity: An Alternate for Solid-Phase Extraction of Nerve Agents and Their Markers from Organic Matrix.

PubMed

Roy, Kanchan Sinha; Purohit, Ajay Kumar; Chandra, Buddhadeb; Goud, D Raghavender; Pardasani, Deepak; Dubey, Devendra Kumar

2018-06-05

Extraction and identification of lethal nerve agents and their markers in complex organic background have a prime importance from the forensic and verification viewpoint of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Liquid-liquid extraction with acetonitrile and commercially available solid phase silica cartridges are extensively used for this purpose. Silica cartridges exhibit limited applicability for relatively polar analytes, and acetonitrile extraction shows limited efficacy toward relatively nonpolar analytes. The present study describes the synthesis of polymeric sorbents with tunable surface polarity, their application as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) material against nerve agents and their polar as well as nonpolar markers from nonpolar organic matrices. In comparison with the acetonitrile extraction and commercial silica cartridges, the new sorbent showed better extraction efficiency toward analytes of varying polarity. The extraction parameters were optimized for the proposed method, which included ethyl acetate as an extraction solvent and n-hexane as a washing solvent. Under optimized conditions, method linearity ranged from 0.10 to 10 μg mL -1 ( r 2 = 0.9327-0.9988) for organophosphorus esters and 0.05-20 μg mL -1 ( r 2 = 0.9976-0.9991) for nerve agents. Limits of detection (S:N = 3:1) in the SIM mode were found in the range of 0.03-0.075 μg mL -1 for organophosphorus esters and 0.015-0.025 μg mL -1 for nerve agents. Limits of quantification (S:N = 10:1) were found in the range of 0.100-0.25 μg mL -1 for organophosphorus esters and 0.05-0.100 μg mL -1 for nerve agents in the SIM mode. The recoveries of the nerve agents and their markers ranged from 90.0 to 98.0% and 75.0 to 95.0% respectively. The repeatability and reproducibility (with relative standard deviations (RSDs) %) for organophosphorus esters were found in the range of 1.35-8.61% and 2.30-9.25% respectively. For nerve agents, the repeatability range from 1.00 to 7.75% and reproducibility

Rapid mineralisation of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste.

PubMed

Martínez-Valdez, F J; Martínez-Ramírez, C; Martínez-Montiel, L; Favela-Torres, E; Soto-Cruz, N O; Ramírez-Vives, F; Saucedo-Castañeda, G

2015-03-01

The effect of pH, C/N ratio, addition of a microbial consortium (MC) and temperature upon mineralisation of Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) was studied; mineralisation was measured through the CO2 production rate and total CO2 formation. Through this process up to 432.9mg of CO2g(-1) initial dry matter (IDM) after 2days of treatment was obtained. It was found that under a slightly acidic pH (5-6) and C/N of 30, the mineralisation process was accelerated. Moreover, temperature (27-50°C) had no effect on the total CO2 produced. The highest CO2 production rate (5.28d(-1)) was observed at 27°C, C/N ratio of 30 and 8% of microbial consortium; it is at least 3.52 times higher than that reported (1.5d(-1)). The highest release of reducing sugars was determined at 50°C, possibly due to an increase in hydrolytic enzymes. Results suggest the potential use of rapid mineralisation of OFMSW for further friendly environmental processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organic Binder Developments for Solid Freeform Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Ken; Mobasher, Amir A.

2003-01-01

A number of rapid prototyping techniques are under development at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) National Center for Advanced Manufacturing Rapid Prototyping Laboratory. Commercial binder developments in creating solid models for rapid prototyping include: 1) Fused Deposition Modeling; 2) Three Dimensional Printing; 3) Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). This document describes these techniques developed by the private sector, as well as SLS undertaken by MSFC.

Molecular composition of recycled organic wastes, as determined by solid-state 13C NMR and elemental analyses.

PubMed

Eldridge, S M; Chen, C R; Xu, Z H; Nelson, P N; Boyd, S E; Meszaros, I; Chan, K Y

2013-11-01

Using solid state (13)C NMR data and elemental composition in a molecular mixing model, we estimated the molecular components of the organic matter in 16 recycled organic (RO) wastes representative of the major materials generated in the Sydney basin area. Close correspondence was found between the measured NMR signal intensities and those predicted by the model for all RO wastes except for poultry manure char. Molecular nature of the organic matter differed widely between the RO wastes. As a proportion of organic C, carbohydrate C ranged from 0.07 to 0.63, protein C from <0.01 to 0.66, lignin C from <0.01 to 0.31, aliphatic C from 0.09 to 0.73, carbonyl C from 0.02 to 0.23, and char C from 0 to 0.45. This method is considered preferable to techniques involving imprecise extraction methods for RO wastes. Molecular composition data has great potential as a predictor of RO waste soil carbon and nutrient outcomes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Yearly Burden of Skin Cancer in Non-Caucasian and Caucasian Solid-organ Transplant Recipients

PubMed Central

Ruiz DE Luzuriaga, Arlene M.

2015-01-01

Objective: To examine the skin cancer tumor accrual rates in non-Caucasian and Caucasian post-transplant recipients. Design/Setting/Participants: Retrospective chart review of solid-organ transplant patients who presented to the outpatient dermatology clinic at the University of Chicago and have had at least one skin biopsy to rule in/out skin cancer in the 10-year period from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2012. One hundred fifty-two solid-organ transplant recipients were identified through a natural language search in CoPathPlus. Measurements: Each transplant patient’s skin cancer accrual rates, defined as the number of skin cancers per person per year, were examined. The average accrual rates for non-Caucasians and Caucasians were compared and analyzed. Results: Of the 152 post-transplant patients identified, 58 were non-Caucasian and 94 were Caucasian. Eight (13.8%) non-Caucasians developed skin cancer, compared to 61 (64.9%) Caucasians (P< 0.001). Non-Caucasian post-transplant patients had lower skin cancer accrual rates with an overall skin cancer accrual rate of 0.13, squamous cell carcinoma accrual rate of 0.10, and basal cell carcinoma accrual rate of 0.01 versus 1.13 (P< 0.001), 0.96 (P< 0.001), and 0.15 (P< 0.001), respectively, for Caucasian patients. Comparison of post-transplant non-Caucasian and Caucasian patients who developed skin cancer revealed lower overall (0.96 vs. 1.74; P=0.25), squamous cell carcinoma (0.75 vs. 1.49; P=0.16), and basal cell carcinoma (0.06 vs. 0.24; P=0.13) accrual rates in non-Caucasians. Conclusion: The authors’ findings highlight the importance of annual total body skin exams for post-transplant patients and the need to identify and further educate those transplant patients with a higher risk for skin cancer development. PMID:25852809

Needle-like instruments for steering through solid organs: A review of the scientific and patent literature.

PubMed

Scali, Marta; Pusch, Tim P; Breedveld, Paul; Dodou, Dimitra

2017-03-01

High accuracy and precision in reaching target locations inside the human body is necessary for the success of percutaneous procedures, such as tissue sample removal (biopsy), brachytherapy, and localized drug delivery. Flexible steerable needles may allow the surgeon to reach targets deep inside solid organs while avoiding sensitive structures (e.g. blood vessels). This article provides a systematic classification of possible mechanical solutions for three-dimensional steering through solid organs. A scientific and patent literature search of steerable instrument designs was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science Derwent Innovations Index patent database, respectively. First, we distinguished between mechanisms in which deflection is induced by the pre-defined shape of the instrument versus mechanisms in which an actuator changes the deflection angle of the instrument on demand. Second, we distinguished between mechanisms deflecting in one versus two planes. The combination of deflection method and number of deflection planes led to eight logically derived mechanical solutions for three-dimensional steering, of which one was dismissed because it was considered meaningless. Next, we classified the instrument designs retrieved from the scientific and patent literature into the identified solutions. We found papers and patents describing instrument designs for six of the seven solutions. We did not find papers or patents describing instruments that steer in one-plane on-demand via an actuator and in a perpendicular plane with a pre-defined deflection angle via a bevel tip or a pre-curved configuration.

Impact of electronic health record-based, pharmacist-driven valganciclovir dose optimization in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Hensler, David; Richardson, Chad L; Brown, Joslyn; Tseng, Christine; DeCamp, Phyllis J; Yang, Amy; Pawlowski, Anna; Ho, Bing; Ison, Michael G

2018-04-01

Prophylaxis with valganciclovir reduces the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection following solid organ transplant (SOT). Under-dosing of valganciclovir is associated with an increased risk of CMV infection and development of ganciclovir-resistant CMV. An automated electronic health record (EHR)-based, pharmacist-driven program was developed to optimize dosing of valganciclovir in solid organ transplant recipients at a large transplant center. Two cohorts of kidney, pancreas-kidney, and liver transplant recipients from our center pre-implementation (April 2011-March 2012, n = 303) and post-implementation of the optimization program (September 2012-August 2013, n=263) had demographic and key outcomes data collected for 1 year post-transplant. The 1-year incidence of CMV infection dropped from 56 (18.5%) to 32 (12.2%, P = .05) and the incidence of breakthrough infections on prophylaxis was cut in half (61% vs 34%, P = .03) after implementation of the dose optimization program. The hazard ratio of developing CMV was 1.64 (95% CI 1.06-2.60, P = .027) for the pre-implementation group after adjusting for potential confounders. The program also resulted in a numerical reduction in the number of ganciclovir-resistant CMV cases (2 [0.7%] pre-implementation vs 0 post-implementation). An EHR-based, pharmacist-driven valganciclovir dose optimization program was associated with reduction in CMV infections. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Solids, organic load and nutrient concentration reductions in swine waste slurry using a polyacrylamide (PAM)-aided solids flocculation treatment.

PubMed

Walker, Paul; Kelley, Tim

2003-11-01

Increased swine production results in concentration of wastes generated within a limited geographical area, which may lead to land application rates exceeding the local or regional assimilatory capacity. This may result in pollutant transfer through surface water or soil-groundwater systems, environmental degradation, and/or odor concerns. Existing swine waste pit storage and lagoon treatment technologies may be inadequate to store or treat waste prior to land application without these concerns resulting. Efficient swine waste solids separation may reduce environmental health concerns and generate a value-added bioresource (solids). This study evaluated the efficiency of a polyacrylamide (PAM) flocculant-aided solids separation treatment to reduce pollution indicator concentrations in raw (untreated) swine waste slurry. Swine waste slurry solids separation efficiency through gravity settling (sedimentation) was evaluated before and after the addition of a proprietary polymeric (PAM) flocculant. Results indicated that polymer amendments at concentrations of 62.5-750 mg/l improved slurry solids separation efficiency and significantly reduced concentrations of other associated aquatic pollution indicators in a majority of analyses conducted (33 of 50 total analyses conducted). Results also suggested that PAM-aided solids separation from swine waste slurry might facilitate further treatment and/or disposal and therefore reduce associated environmental degradation potential.

Comment on "Synergistic co-digestion of solid-organic-waste and municipal-sewage-sludge: 1 plus 1 equals more than 2 in terms of biogas production and solids reduction" [Water Research 87, 416-423].

PubMed

Insam, Heribert; Markt, Rudolf

2016-05-15

Co-digestion of organic waste and sewage sludge enhances biogas production and reduces the mass of remaining solids. This phenomenon of enhanced organic matter decomposition by adding labile substrate is known from other habitats like soils and sediments where it is called priming effect. It is thus suggested to adopt the term priming effect also in environmental biotechnology, and in particular for biomethanisation of wastewater sludges by the addition of energy-rich co-substrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Release of non-methane organic compounds during simulated landfilling of aerobically pretreated municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanyuan; Yue, Dongbei; Liu, Jianguo; Lu, Peng; Wang, Ying; Liu, Jing; Nie, Yongfeng

2012-06-30

Characteristics of non-methane organic compounds (NMOCs) emissions during the anaerobic decomposition of untreated (APD-0) and four aerobically pretreated (APD-20, APD-39, APD-49, and APD-63) samples of municipal solid waste (MSW) were investigated in laboratory. The cumulative mass of the NMOCs of APD-20, APD-39, APD-49, and APD-63 accounted for 15%, 9%, 16%, and 15% of that of APD-0, respectively. The intensities of the NMOC emissions calculated by dividing the cumulative NMOC emissions by the quantities of organic matter removed (Q(VS)) decreased from 4.1 mg/kg Q(VS) for APD-0 to 0.8-3.4 mg/kg Q(VS) for aerobically pretreated MSW. The lipid and starch contents might have significant impact on the intensity of the NMOC emissions. Alkanes dominated the NMOCs released from the aerobically pretreated MSW, while oxygenated compounds were the chief component of the NMOCs generated from untreated MSW. Aerobic pretreatment of MSW prior to landfilling reduces the organic content of the waste and the intensity of the NMOC emissions, and increases the odor threshold, thereby reducing the environmental impact of landfills. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the heterogeneous interfaces in organic or ruthenium dye-sensitized liquid- and solid-state solar cells.

PubMed

Kwon, Young Soo; Song, Inwoo; Lim, Jong Chul; Song, In Young; Siva, Ayyanar; Park, Taiho

2012-06-27

The interfacial properties were systematically investigated using an organic sensitizer (3-(5'-{4-[(4-tert-butyl-phenyl)-p-tolyl-amino]-phenyl}-[2,2']bithiophenyl-5-yl)-2-cyano-acrylic acid (D)) and inorganic sensitizer (bis(tetrabutylammonium) cis-bis(thiocyanato)bis(2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylato) ruthenium(II) (N719)) in a liquid-state and a solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC). For liquid-DSCs, the faster charge recombination for the surface of D-sensitized TiO2 resulted in shorter diffusion length (LD) of ∼3.9 μm than that of N719 (∼7.5 μm), limiting the solar cell performance at thicker films used in liquid-DSCs. On the other hand, for solid-DSCs using thin TiO2 films (∼ 2 μm), D-sensitized device outperforms the N719-sensitized device in an identical fabrication condition, mainly due to less perfect wetting ability of solid hole conductor into the porous TiO2 network, inducing the dye monolayer act as an insulation layer, while liquid electrolyte is able to fully wet the surface of TiO2. Such insulation effect was attributed to the fact that the significant increase in recombination resistance (from 865 to 4,400 Ω/cm(2)) but shorter electron lifetime (from 10.8 to 0.8 ms) when compared to liquid-DSCs. Higher recombination resistance for solid-DSCs induced the electron transport-limited situation, showing poor performance of N719-sensitized device which has shorter electron transport time and similar LD (2.9 μm) with D-sensitized device (3.0 μm).

China: Background Notes Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reams, Joanne Reppert

Concise background information on the People's Republic of China is provided. The publication begins with a profile of the country, outlining the people, geography, economy, and membership in international organizations. The bulk of the document then discusses in more detail China's people, geography, history, government, education, economy, and…

Tethered tertiary amines as solid-state n-type dopants for solution-processable organic semiconductors

DOE PAGES

Russ, Boris; Robb, Maxwell J.; Popere, Bhooshan C.; ...

2015-12-09

A scarcity of stable n-type doping strategies compatible with facile processing has been a major impediment to the advancement of organic electronic devices. Localizing dopants near the cores of conductive molecules can lead to improved efficacy of doping. We and others recently showed the effectiveness of tethering dopants covalently to an electron-deficient aromatic molecule using trimethylammonium functionalization with hydroxide counterions linked to a perylene diimide core by alkyl spacers. In this work, we demonstrate that, contrary to previous hypotheses, the main driver responsible for the highly effective doping observed in thin films is the formation of tethered tertiary amine moietiesmore » during thin film processing. Furthermore, we demonstrate that tethered tertiary amine groups are powerful and general n-doping motifs for the successful generation of free electron carriers in the solid-state, not only when coupled to the perylene diimide molecular core, but also when linked with other small molecule systems including naphthalene diimide, diketopyrrolopyrrole, and fullerene derivatives. Our findings help expand a promising molecular design strategy for future enhancements of n-type organic electronic materials.« less

Tethered tertiary amines as solid-state n-type dopants for solution-processable organic semiconductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russ, Boris; Robb, Maxwell J.; Popere, Bhooshan C.

A scarcity of stable n-type doping strategies compatible with facile processing has been a major impediment to the advancement of organic electronic devices. Localizing dopants near the cores of conductive molecules can lead to improved efficacy of doping. We and others recently showed the effectiveness of tethering dopants covalently to an electron-deficient aromatic molecule using trimethylammonium functionalization with hydroxide counterions linked to a perylene diimide core by alkyl spacers. In this work, we demonstrate that, contrary to previous hypotheses, the main driver responsible for the highly effective doping observed in thin films is the formation of tethered tertiary amine moietiesmore » during thin film processing. Furthermore, we demonstrate that tethered tertiary amine groups are powerful and general n-doping motifs for the successful generation of free electron carriers in the solid-state, not only when coupled to the perylene diimide molecular core, but also when linked with other small molecule systems including naphthalene diimide, diketopyrrolopyrrole, and fullerene derivatives. Our findings help expand a promising molecular design strategy for future enhancements of n-type organic electronic materials.« less

Potential application of biodrying to treat solid waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaman, Badrus; Oktiawan, Wiharyanto; Hadiwidodo, Mochtar; Sutrisno, Endro; Purwono; Wardana, Irawan Wisnu

2018-02-01

The generation of solid waste around the world creates problems if not properly managed. The method of processing solid waste by burning or landfill is currently not optimal. The availability of land where the final processing (TPA) is critical, looking for a new TPA alternative will be difficult and expensive, especially in big cities. The processing of solid waste using bio drying technology has the potential to produce renewable energy and prevention of climate change. Solid waste processing products can serve as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), reduce water content of solid waste, meningkatkan kualitas lindi and increase the amount of recycled solid waste that is not completely separated from home. Biodrying technology is capable of enhancing the partial disintegration and hydrolysis of macromolecule organic compounds (such as C-Organic, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, total nitrogen). The application of biodrying has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and dinitrooksida (N2O). These gases cause global warming.

Recent developments in biochar utilization as an additive in organic solid waste composting: A review.

PubMed

Xiao, Ran; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Li, Ronghua; Park, Jonghwan; Pensky, Scott M; Wang, Quan; Wang, Jim J; Zhang, Zengqiang

2017-12-01

In recent years, considerable studies have been devoted to investigating the effect of biochar application on organic solid waste composting. This review provides an up-to-date overview of biochar amendment on composting processes and compost quality. Biochar production, characteristics, and its application coupled with the basic concepts of composting are briefly introduced before detailing the effects of biochar addition on composting. According to recent studies, biochar has exhibited great potential for enhancing composting. It is evident that biochar addition in composting can: (1) improve compost mixture physicochemical properties, (2) enhance microbial activities and promote organic matter decomposition, (3) reduce ammonia (NH 3 ) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and (4) upgrade compost quality by increasing the total/available nutrient content, enhancing maturity, and decreasing phytotoxicity. Despite that, further research is needed to explore the mechanism of biochar addition on composting and to evaluate the agricultural and environmental performances of co-composted biochar compost. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fresh organic matter of municipal solid waste enhances phytoextraction of heavy metals from contaminated soil.

PubMed

Salati, S; Quadri, G; Tambone, F; Adani, F

2010-05-01

In this study, the ability of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW) to enhance heavy metal uptake of maize shoots compared with ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) was tested on soil contaminated with heavy metals. Soils treated with OFMSW and EDDS significantly increased the concentration of heavy metals in maize shoots (increments of 302%, 66%, 184%, 169%, and 23% for Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb with respect to the control and increments of 933%, 482%, 928%, 428%, and 5551% for soils treated with OFMSW and EDDS, respectively). In soil treated with OFMSW, metal uptake was favored because of the high presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) (41.6x than soil control) that exhibited ligand properties because of the high presence of carboxylic acids. Because of the toxic effect of EDDS on maize plants, soil treated with OFMSW achieved the highest extraction of total heavy metals. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrolysis-acidogenesis of food waste in solid-liquid-separating continuous stirred tank reactor (SLS-CSTR) for volatile organic acid production.

PubMed

Karthikeyan, Obulisamy Parthiba; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Wong, Jonathan W C

2016-01-01

The use of conventional continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) can affect the methane (CH4) recovery in a two-stage anaerobic digestion of food waste (FW) due to carbon short circuiting in the hydrolysis-acidogenesis (Hy-Aci) stage. In this research, we have designed and tested a solid-liquid-separating CSTR (SLS-CSTR) for effective Hy-Aci of FW. The working conditions were pH 6 and 9 (SLS-CSTR-1 and -2, respectively); temperature-37°C; agitation-300rpm; and organic loading rate (OLR)-2gVSL(-1)day(-1). The volatile fatty acids (VFA), enzyme activities and bacterial population (by qPCR) were determined as test parameters. Results showed that the Hy-Aci of FW at pH 9 produced ∼35% excess VFA as compared to that at pH 6, with acetic and butyric acids as major precursors, which correlated with the high enzyme activities and low lactic acid bacteria. The design provided efficient solid-liquid separation there by improved the organic acid yields from FW. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conversion of solid organic wastes into oil via Boettcherisca peregrine (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) larvae and optimization of parameters for biodiesel production.

PubMed

Yang, Sen; Li, Qing; Zeng, Qinglan; Zhang, Jibin; Yu, Ziniu; Liu, Ziduo

2012-01-01

The feedstocks for biodiesel production are predominantly from edible oils and the high cost of the feedstocks prevents its large scale application. In this study, we evaluated the oil extracted from Boettcherisca peregrine larvae (BPL) grown on solid organic wastes for biodiesel production. The oil contents detected in the BPL converted from swine manure, fermentation residue and the degreased food waste, were 21.7%, 19.5% and 31.1%, respectively. The acid value of the oil is 19.02 mg KOH/g requiring a two-step transesterification process. The optimized process of 12∶1 methanol/oil (mol/mol) with 1.5% H(2)SO(4) reacted at 70°C for 120 min resulted in a 90.8% conversion rate of free fatty acid (FFA) by esterification, and a 92.3% conversion rate of triglycerides into esters by alkaline transesterification. Properties of the BPL oil-based biodiesel are within the specifications of ASTM D6751, suggesting that the solid organic waste-grown BPL could be a feasible non-food feedstock for biodiesel production.

Conversion of Solid Organic Wastes into Oil via Boettcherisca peregrine (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) Larvae and Optimization of Parameters for Biodiesel Production

PubMed Central

Yang, Sen; Li, Qing; Zeng, Qinglan; Zhang, Jibin; Yu, Ziniu; Liu, Ziduo

2012-01-01

The feedstocks for biodiesel production are predominantly from edible oils and the high cost of the feedstocks prevents its large scale application. In this study, we evaluated the oil extracted from Boettcherisca peregrine larvae (BPL) grown on solid organic wastes for biodiesel production. The oil contents detected in the BPL converted from swine manure, fermentation residue and the degreased food waste, were 21.7%, 19.5% and 31.1%, respectively. The acid value of the oil is 19.02 mg KOH/g requiring a two-step transesterification process. The optimized process of 12∶1 methanol/oil (mol/mol) with 1.5% H2SO4 reacted at 70°C for 120 min resulted in a 90.8% conversion rate of free fatty acid (FFA) by esterification, and a 92.3% conversion rate of triglycerides into esters by alkaline transesterification. Properties of the BPL oil-based biodiesel are within the specifications of ASTM D6751, suggesting that the solid organic waste-grown BPL could be a feasible non-food feedstock for biodiesel production. PMID:23029331

Effect of solid waste landfill organic pollutants on groundwater in three areas of Sicily (Italy) characterized by different vulnerability.

PubMed

Indelicato, Serena; Orecchio, Santino; Avellone, Giuseppe; Bellomo, Sergio; Ceraulo, Leopoldo; Di Leonardo, Rossella; Di Stefano, Vita; Favara, Rocco; Candela, Esterina Gagliano; La Pica, Leonardo; Morici, Sabina; Pecoraino, Giovannella; Pisciotta, Antonino; Scaletta, Claudio; Vita, Fabio; Vizzini, Salvatrice; Bongiorno, David

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to obtain information on the presence and levels of hazardous organic pollutants in groundwater located close to solid waste landfills. Eighty-two environmental contaminants, including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 20 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 29 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 7 dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, PCDDs) and 10 furans (polychlorinated dibenzofurans, PCDFs) were monitored in areas characterised by different geological environments surrounding three municipal solid waste landfills (Palermo, Siculiana and Ragusa) in Sicily (Italy) in three sampling campaigns. The total concentrations of the 16 PAHs were always below the legal threshold. Overall, the Fl/Fl + Py diagnostic ratio revealed that PAHs had a petrogenic origin. VOC levels, except for two notable exceptions near Palermo landfill, were always below the legal limit. As concerns PCB levels, several samples were found positive with levels exceeding the legal limits. It is worth noting that the % PCB distribution differs from that of commercial compositions. In parallel, some samples of groundwater containing PCDDs and PCDFs exceeding the legal threshold were also found. Among the 17 congeners monitored, the most abundant were the highest molecular weight ones.

Solid-phase microextraction for qualitative and quantitative determination of migrated degradation products of antioxidants in an organic aqueous solution.

PubMed

Burman, Lina; Albertsson, Ann-Christine; Höglund, Anders

2005-07-08

Low molecular weight aromatic substances may migrate out from plastic packaging to their contents, especially if they consist of organic aqueous solutions or oils. It is, therefore, extremely important to be able to identify and quantify any migrated substances in such solutions, even at very low concentrations. We have in this work investigated and evaluated the use of solid-phase microextraction for the specific task of extraction from an organic aqueous solution such as a simulated pharmaceutical solution consisting of 10 vol.% ethanol in water. The goal was furthermore to investigate the possibility of simultaneously identifying and quantifying the substances in spite of differences in their chemical structures. Methods were developed and evaluated for extraction both with direct sampling and with headspace sampling. Difficulties appeared due to the ethanol in the solution and the minute amounts of substances present. We have shown that a simultaneous quantification of migrated low molecular weight degradation products of antioxidants using only one fibre is possible if the extraction method and temperature are adjusted in relation to the concentration levels of the analytes. Comparions were made with solid-phase extraction.

Persistence of yellow fever vaccine-induced antibodies after solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Wyplosz, B; Burdet, C; François, H; Durrbach, A; Duclos-Vallée, J C; Mamzer-Bruneel, M-F; Poujol, P; Launay, O; Samuel, D; Vittecoq, D; Consigny, P H

2013-09-01

Immunization using live attenuated vaccines represents a contra-indication after solid organ transplantation (SOT): consequently, transplant candidates planning to travel in countries where yellow fever is endemic should be vaccinated prior to transplantation. The persistence of yellow fever vaccine-induced antibodies after transplantation has not been studied yet. We measured yellow-fever neutralizing antibodies in 53 SOT recipients vaccinated prior to transplantation (including 29 kidney recipients and 18 liver recipients). All but one (98%) had protective titers of antibodies after a median duration of 3 years (min.: 0.8, max.: 21) after transplantation. The median antibody level was 40 U/L (interquartile range: 40-80). For the 46 patients with a known or estimated date of vaccination, yellow-fever antibodies were still detectable after a median time of 13 years (range: 2-32 years) post-immunization. Our data suggest there is long-term persistence of antibodies to yellow fever in SOT recipients who have been vaccinated prior to transplantation. © Copyright 2013 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

A Magic-Angle Spinning NMR Method for the Site-Specific Measurement of Proton Chemical-Shift Anisotropy in Biological and Organic Solids.

PubMed

Hou, Guangjin; Gupta, Rupal; Polenova, Tatyana; Vega, Alexander J

2014-02-01

Proton chemical shifts are a rich probe of structure and hydrogen bonding environments in organic and biological molecules. Until recently, measurements of 1 H chemical shift tensors have been restricted to either solid systems with sparse proton sites or were based on the indirect determination of anisotropic tensor components from cross-relaxation and liquid-crystal experiments. We have introduced an MAS approach that permits site-resolved determination of CSA tensors of protons forming chemical bonds with labeled spin-1/2 nuclei in fully protonated solids with multiple sites, including organic molecules and proteins. This approach, originally introduced for the measurements of chemical shift tensors of amide protons, is based on three RN -symmetry based experiments, from which the principal components of the 1 H CS tensor can be reliably extracted by simultaneous triple fit of the data. In this article, we expand our approach to a much more challenging system involving aliphatic and aromatic protons. We start with a review of the prior work on experimental-NMR and computational-quantum-chemical approaches for the measurements of 1 H chemical shift tensors and for relating these to the electronic structures. We then present our experimental results on U- 13 C, 15 N-labeled histdine demonstrating that 1 H chemical shift tensors can be reliably determined for the 1 H 15 N and 1 H 13 C spin pairs in cationic and neutral forms of histidine. Finally, we demonstrate that the experimental 1 H(C) and 1 H(N) chemical shift tensors are in agreement with Density Functional Theory calculations, therefore establishing the usefulness of our method for characterization of structure and hydrogen bonding environment in organic and biological solids.

Distinguishing solid bitumens formed by thermochemical sulfate reduction and thermal chemical alteration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelemen, S.R.; Walters, C.C.; Kwiatek, P.J.; Afeworki, M.; Sansone, M.; Freund, H.; Pottorf, R.J.; Machel, H.G.; Zhang, T.; Ellis, G.S.; Tang, Y.; Peters, K.E.

2008-01-01

Insoluble solid bitumens are organic residues that can form by the thermal chemical alteration (TCA) or thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) of migrated petroleum. TCA may actually encompass several low temperature processes, such as biodegradation and asphaltene precipitation, followed by thermal alteration. TSR is an abiotic redox reaction where petroleum is oxidized by sulfate. It is difficult to distinguish solid bitumens associated with TCA of petroleum from those associated with TSR when both processes occur at relatively high temperature. The focus of the present work was to characterize solid bitumen samples associated with TCA or TSR using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS is a surface analysis conducted on either isolated or in situ (>25 ??m diameter) solid bitumen that can provide the relative abundance and chemical speciation of carbon, organic and inorganic heteroatoms (NSO). In this study, naturally occurring solid bitumens from three locations, Nisku Fm. Brazeau River area (TSR-related), LaBarge Field Madison Fm. (TSR-related), and the Alaskan Brooks range (TCA-related), are compared to organic solids generated during laboratory simulation of the TSR and TCA processes. The abundance and chemical nature of organic nitrogen and sulfur in solid bitumens can be understood in terms of the nature of (1) petroleum precursor molecules, (2) the concentration of nitrogen by way of thermal stress and (3) the mode of sulfur incorporation. TCA solid bitumens originate from polar materials that are initially rich in sulfur and nitrogen. Aromaticity and nitrogen increase as thermal stress cleaves aliphatic moieties and condensation reactions take place. Organic sulfur in TCA organic solids remains fairly constant with increasing maturation (3.5 to ???17 sulfur per 100 carbons) into aromatic structures and to the low levels of nitrogen in their hydrocarbon precursors. Hence, XPS results provide organic chemical composition information that helps to

Demonstration-scale evaluation of a novel high-solids anaerobic digestion process for converting organic wastes to fuel gas and compost.

PubMed

Rivard, C J; Duff, B W; Dickow, J H; Wiles, C C; Nagle, N J; Gaddy, J L; Clausen, E C

1998-01-01

Early evaluations of the bioconversion potential for combined wastes such as tuna sludge and sorted municipal solid waste (MSW) were conducted at laboratory scale and compared conventional low-solids, stirred-tank anaerobic systems with the novel, high-solids anaerobic digester (HSAD) design. Enhanced feedstock conversion rates and yields were determined for the HSAD system. In addition, the HSAD system demonstrated superior resiliency to process failure. Utilizing relatively dry feedstocks, the HSAD system is approximately one-tenth the size of conventional low-solids systems. In addition, the HSAD system is capable of organic loading rates (OLRs) on the order of 20-25 g volatile solids per liter digester volume per d (gVS/L/d), roughly 4-5 times those of conventional systems. Current efforts involve developing a demonstration-scale (pilot-scale) HSAD system. A two-ton/d plant has been constructed in Stanton, CA and is currently in the commissioning/startup phase. The purposes of the project are to verify laboratory- and intermediate-scale process performance; test the performance of large-scale prototype mechanical systems; demonstrate the long-term reliability of the process; and generate the process and economic data required for the design, financing, and construction of full-scale commercial systems. This study presents conformational fermentation data obtained at intermediate-scale and a snapshot of the pilot-scale project.

Heat impact caused molecular level changes in solid and dissolved soil organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, Diana; Steffen, Bernhard; Eckhardt, Kai-Uwe; Leinweber, Peter

2015-04-01

The ubiquitous abundance of pyrolysed, highly aromatic organic matter, called "Black Carbon" (BC), in all environmental compartments became increasingly important in different fields of research beyond intensive investigated atmospheric aerosol due to climatic relevance. Its predominant high resistance to abiotic and biotic degradation resulted in turnover times from less than a century to several millennia. This recalcitrance led to the enrichment of BC in soils, accounting for 1-6% (European forest soils) to 60% (Chernozems) of total soil organic matter (SOM). Hence, soil BC acts an important sink in the global carbon cycle. In contrast, consequences for the nitrogen cycle up to date are rather inconsistently discussed. Soil related dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a major controlling factor in soil formation, an important pathway of organic matter transport and one of the largest active carbon reservoirs on earth, if considering oceans and other bodies of water. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of artificially simulated wildfire by thermal treatment on the molecular composition of water extractable soil organic matter (DOM). Soils from two outdoor lysimeters with different management history were investigated. Soil samples, non-heated and heated up to 350°C were analyzed for elemental composition (carbon, nitrogen and sulfur) and for bulk molecular composition by Pyrolysis-Field Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Py-FIMS) and synchrotron-based X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy (XANES) at the C- and N K-edges. DOM-samples obtained by hot water extraction, desalting and concentration by solid phase extraction were subsequently analyzed by flow injection analysis in a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer (FTICR-MS), equipped with an ESI source and a 7 T supra-conducting magnet (LTQ-FT Ultra, ThermoFisher Scientific). This technique is the key technique for the analysis of complex samples due to its outstanding mass

The San Francisco Bay - Delta Wastewater and Residual Solids Management Study. Volume III. Technical Appendix. Wastewater Residual Solids Management Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-08-01

of public health hazards and may alter reuse approaches to de -emphasize the fertilizer uses of these sludges because of the heavy metals involved...materials are removed with organic sludges, or lime sludges where that process is used. Toxic solids would typically include phenols and heavy metals , 80...solids would typically include phenols and heavy metals , 80 percent and 40 percent respectively being removable with the organic sludges. - 8

Measurement of organic and elemental carbon in downtown Rome and background area: physical behavior and chemical speciation.

PubMed

Avino, Pasquale; Manigrasso, Maurizio; Rosada, Alberto; Dodaro, Alessandro

2015-02-01

A significant portion of the particulate matter is the total carbonaceous fraction (or total carbon, TC), composed of two main fractions, elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC), which shows a large variety of organic compounds, e.g. aliphatic, aromatic compounds, alcohols, acids, etc. In this paper, TC, EC and OC concentrations determined in a downtown Rome urban area are discussed considering the influence of meteorological conditions on the temporal-spatial aerosol distribution. Similar measurements were performed at ENEA Casaccia, an area outside Rome, which is considered as the ome background. Since 2000, TC, EC and OC measurements have been performed by means of an Ambient Carbon Particulate Monitor equipped with a NDIR detector. The EC and OC concentrations trends are compared with benzene and CO trends, which are specific indicators of autovehicular traffic, for identifying the primary EC and OC contributions and the secondary OC fraction origin. Further, a chemical investigation is reported for investigating how the main organic (i.e., n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and nitro-polyaromatic hydrocarbons) and inorganic (i.e., metals, ions) fractions vary their levels during the investigated period in relationship to new regulations and/or technological innovations.

Solid organ allograft survival improvement in the United States: the long-term does not mirror the dramatic short-term success.

PubMed

Lodhi, S A; Lamb, K E; Meier-Kriesche, H U

2011-06-01

Organ survival in the short-term period post-transplant has improved dramatically over the past few decades. Whether this has translated to a long-term survival benefit remains unclear. This study quantifies the progression of nonrenal solid organ transplant outcomes from 1989 to 2009 in liver, lung, heart, intestine and pancreas transplants. Long-term graft survival was analyzed using data on adult solid organ transplant recipients from the UNOS/SRTR database and is reported as organ half-life and yearly attrition rates. Liver, lung, heart, intestine and pancreas half-lives have improved from 5.8 to 8.5, 1.7 to 5.2, 8.8 to 11, 2.1 to 3.6 and 10.5 to 16.7 years, respectively. Long-term attrition rates have not shown the same consistent improvement, with the yearly attrition rate 5-10 years post-transplant for liver, lung, heart and pancreas changing from 4.7 to 4.3, 10.9 to 10.1, 6.4 to 5.1 and 3.3 to 4.2, respectively. Attrition rates for intestine and pancreas transplantation alone display more variability due to smaller sample size but exhibit similar trends of improved first-year attrition and relatively stagnant long-term attrition rates. With first-year survival and attrition rates almost at a pinnacle, further progress in long-term survival will come from targeting endpoints beyond first-year rejection and survival rates. ©2011 The Authors Journal compilation©2011 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

CMV Infection in Bone Marrow and Solid Organ Transplant Patients in the Era of Antiviral Prophylaxis.

PubMed

Hebart, Holger; Jahn, Gerhard; Sinzger, Christian; Kanz, Lothar; Einsele, Hermann

2000-02-01

Recent developments in the diagnosis and therapy of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection have helped to reduce CMV-associated morbidity and mortality following allogeneic bone marrow and solid organ transplantation. The clinical symptoms of active CMV infection and the prevalence of life-threatening CMV disease vary widely between different patient populations according to the type of transplant and the intensity of immunosuppression employed. Antiviral prophylaxis with aciclovir, valaciclovir and ganciclovir has been shown to reduce CMV infection and disease following organ transplantation. Antiviral drugs, in particular ganciclovir and foscarnet, have varying sideeffects, however, and antiviral resistance due to prolonged administration of ganciclovir and foscarnet has been reported recently. Short courses of pre-emptive antiviral therapy for documented CMV infection help to reduce the duration and sideeffects of therapy, offering an alternative strategy to antiviral prophylaxis. Studies are required to compare the efficacy and costs of antiviral prophylaxis with pre-emptive therapy.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Refractory Clostridium difficile Colitis in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

PubMed Central

Friedman-Moraco, R. J.; Mehta, A. K.; Lyon, G. M.; Kraft, C. S.

2015-01-01

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been shown to be safe and efficacious in individuals with refractory Clostridium difficile . It has not been widely studied in individuals with immunosuppression due to concerns about infectious complications. We describe two solid organ transplant recipients, one lung and one renal, in this case report that both had resolution of their diarrhea caused by C. difficile after FMT. Both recipients required two FMTs to achieve resolution of their symptoms and neither had infectious complications. Immunosuppressed individuals are at high risk for acquisition of C. difficile and close monitoring for infectious complications after FMT is necessary, but should not preclude its use in patients with refractory disease due to C. difficile . Sequential FMT may be used to achieve cure in these patients with damaged microbiota from antibiotic use and immunosuppression. PMID:24433460

Methods to Identify Changes in Background Water-Quality Conditions Using Dissolved-Solids Concentrations and Loads as Indicators, Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, in the Vicinity of Pueblo, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, Roderick F.

2004-01-01

Effective management of existing water-storage capacity in the Arkansas River Basin is anticipated to help satisfy the need for water in southeastern Colorado. A strategy to meet these needs has been developed, but implementation could affect the water quality of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek in the vicinity of Pueblo, Colorado. Because no known methods are available to determine what effects future changes in operations will have on water quality, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Southeastern Colorado Water Activity Enterprise, began a study in 2002 to develop methods that could identify if future water-quality conditions have changed significantly from background (preexisting) water-quality conditions. A method was developed to identify when significant departures from background (preexisting) water-quality conditions occur in the lower Arkansas River and Fountain Creek in the vicinity of Pueblo, Colorado. Additionally, the methods described in this report provide information that can be used by various water-resource agencies for an internet-based decision-support tool. Estimated dissolved-solids concentrations at five sites in the study area were evaluated to designate historical background conditions and to calculate tolerance limits used to identify statistical departures from background conditions. This method provided a tool that could be applied with defined statistical probabilities associated with specific tolerance limits. Drought data from 2002 were used to test the method. Dissolved-solids concentrations exceeded the tolerance limits at all four sites on the Arkansas River at some point during 2002. The number of exceedances was particularly evident when streamflow from Pueblo Reservoir was reduced, and return flows and ground-water influences to the river were more prevalent. No exceedances were observed at the site on Fountain Creek. These comparisons illustrated the need to adjust the concentration data to account for

Solid phase microextraction device using aerogel

DOEpatents

Miller, Fred S.; Andresen, Brian D.

2005-06-14

A sample collection substrate of aerogel and/or xerogel materials bound to a support structure is used as a solid phase microextraction (SPME) device. The xerogels and aerogels may be organic or inorganic and doped with metals or other compounds to target specific chemical analytes. The support structure is typically formed of a glass fiber or a metal wire (stainless steel or kovar). The devices are made by applying gel solution to the support structures and drying the solution to form aerogel or xerogel. Aerogel particles may be attached to the wet layer before drying to increase sample collection surface area. These devices are robust, stable in fields of high radiation, and highly effective at collecting gas and liquid samples while maintaining superior mechanical and thermal stability during routine use. Aerogel SPME devices are advantageous for use in GC/MS analyses due to their lack of interfering background and tolerance of GC thermal cycling.

Effect of organ donation after circulatory determination of death on number of organ transplants from donors with neurologic determination of death

PubMed Central

Rao, Vivek; Dhanani, Sonny; MacLean, Janet; Payne, Clare; Paltser, Elizabeth; Humar, Atul; Zaltzman, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: To increase the available pool of organ donors, Ontario introduced donation after circulatory determination of death (DCD) in 2006. Other jurisdictions have reported a decrease in donations involving neurologic determination of death (NDD) after implementation of DCD, with a drop in organ yield and quality. In this study, we examined the effect of DCD on overall transplant activity in Ontario. METHODS: We examined deceased donor and organ transplant activity during 3 distinct 4-year eras: pre-DCD (2002/03 to 2005/06), early DCD (2006/07 to 2009/10) and recent DCD (2010/11 to 2013/14). We compared these donor groups by categorical characteristics. RESULTS: Donation increased by 57%, from 578 donors in the pre-DCD era to 905 donors in the recent DCD era, with a 21% proportion (190/905) of DCD donors in the recent DCD era. However, overall NDD donation also increased. The mean length of hospital stay before declaration for NDD was 2.7 days versus 6.0 days before withdrawal of life support and subsequent asystole in cases of DCD. The average organ yield was 3.73 with NDD donation versus 2.58 with DCD (p < 0.001). Apart from hearts, all organs from DCD donors were successfully transplanted. From the pre-DCD era to the recent DCD era, transplant activity in each era increased for all solid-organ recipients, including heart (from 158 to 216), kidney (from 821 to 1321), liver (from 477 to 657) and lung (from 160 to 305). INTERPRETATION: Implementation of DCD in Ontario led to increased transplant activity for all solid-organ recipients. There was no evidence that the use of DCD was pre-empting potential NDD donation. In contrast to groups receiving other organs, heart transplant candidates have not yet benefited from DCD. PMID:28947546

Epstein-Barr virus lymphoproliferative disease after solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Prockop, Susan E; Vatsayan, Anant

2017-11-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first identified human oncovirus and is also one of the most ubiquitous viral infections known with established infections in more than 90% of individuals by early adulthood. EBV establishes latency by controlling expression of the viral genome making it silent to immune surveillance. In immunocompetent individuals, up to 1% of circulating T cells are directed at maintaining control over EBV replication. In addition to being involved in oncogenesis of lymphoid and epithelial tumors in immune-competent individuals, loss of immune surveillance over EBV predisposes individuals to EBV malignancies. Lymphoid proliferations from EBV-infected B cells arise in up to 20% of recipients of solid organ transplants (SOTs). One question not answered is why, when EBV requires such active immune surveillance, EBV malignancies are not even more prevalent in severely immune-compromised individuals. A better understanding of who develops complications related to EBV and what the immunologic risks are will ultimately make it feasible to perform prophylactic trials in those at highest risk. This review summarizes our current understanding of factors in SOT recipients that predispose them to the development of an EBV malignancy and that predict response to initial therapy. We then review the current landscape of those therapies, focusing on the goal of restoring long-term EBV-directed immunity to patients at risk. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of anaerobic digestion on sequential pyrolysis kinetics of organic solid wastes using thermogravimetric analysis and distributed activation energy model.

PubMed

Li, Xiaowei; Mei, Qingqing; Dai, Xiaohu; Ding, Guoji

2017-03-01

Thermogravimetric analysis, Gaussian-fit-peak model (GFPM), and distributed activation energy model (DAEM) were firstly used to explore the effect of anaerobic digestion on sequential pyrolysis kinetic of four organic solid wastes (OSW). Results showed that the OSW weight loss mainly occurred in the second pyrolysis stage relating to organic matter decomposition. Compared with raw substrate, the weight loss of corresponding digestate was lower in the range of 180-550°C, but was higher in 550-900°C. GFPM analysis revealed that organic components volatized at peak temperatures of 188-263, 373-401 and 420-462°C had a faster degradation rate than those at 274-327°C during anaerobic digestion. DAEM analysis showed that anaerobic digestion had discrepant effects on activation energy for four OSW pyrolysis, possibly because of their different organic composition. It requires further investigation for the special organic matter, i.e., protein-like and carbohydrate-like groups, to confirm the assumption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Activity patterns in networks stabilized by background oscillations.

PubMed

Hoppensteadt, Frank

2009-07-01

The brain operates in a highly oscillatory environment. We investigate here how such an oscillating background can create stable organized behavior in an array of neuro-oscillators that is not observable in the absence of oscillation, much like oscillating the support point of an inverted pendulum can stabilize its up position, which is unstable without the oscillation. We test this idea in an array of electronic circuits coming from neuroengineering: we show how the frequencies of the background oscillation create a partition of the state space into distinct basins of attraction. Thus, background signals can stabilize persistent activity that is otherwise not observable. This suggests that an image, represented as a stable firing pattern which is triggered by a voltage pulse and is sustained in synchrony or resonance with the background oscillation, can persist as a stable behavior long after the initial stimulus is removed. The background oscillations provide energy for organized behavior in the array, and these behaviors are categorized by the basins of attraction determined by the oscillation frequencies.

The SoLid experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalousis, L. N.; SoLid Collaboration

2017-09-01

The SoLid experiment is a short-baseline project, probing the disappearance of reactor antineutrinos using a novel detector design. Installed at a very short distance of ˜ 5.5 - 10 m from the BR2 research reactor at SCK·CEN in Mol (Belgium) it will be able to search for active-to-sterile neutrino oscillations, exploring most of the allowed parameter region. SoLid will make use of a highly segmented detector, built from 5 cm PVT cubes, interleaved with 6LiF:ZnS(Ag) screens, and read out by optical fibers and Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). The detector granularity allows for the localization of the positron and neutron signals from antineutrino interactions and the robust neutron identification capabilities, offered by the 6LiF:ZnS(Ag) inorganic scintillator, provide background suppression to an unparalleled level. This paper reviews the experimental layout and current status of SoLid. Emphasis is put on the challenges one faces towards this measurement, focusing on the decisions and strategy adapted by the SoLid collaboration. The analysis scheme and the details of the oscillation framework are also presented, highlighting the sensitivity contour and physics potential of SoLid. Finally, other physics topics, such as, reactor monitoring or measurement of the 235U spectrum are also covered.

76 FR 44093 - Definition of Solid Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-22

...) 325199 All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing; (5) 325211 Plastics Material and Resin... 1056). In its most recent opinion dealing with the definition of solid waste, Safe Food and Fertilizer... excludes from the definition of solid waste hazardous secondary materials used to make zinc fertilizers...

Self-organized criticality in a two-dimensional cellular automaton model of a magnetic flux tube with background flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dănilă, B.; Harko, T.; Mocanu, G.

2015-11-01

We investigate the transition to self-organized criticality in a two-dimensional model of a flux tube with a background flow. The magnetic induction equation, represented by a partial differential equation with a stochastic source term, is discretized and implemented on a two-dimensional cellular automaton. The energy released by the automaton during one relaxation event is the magnetic energy. As a result of the simulations, we obtain the time evolution of the energy release, of the system control parameter, of the event lifetime distribution and of the event size distribution, respectively, and we establish that a self-organized critical state is indeed reached by the system. Moreover, energetic initial impulses in the magnetohydrodynamic flow can lead to one-dimensional signatures in the magnetic two-dimensional system, once the self-organized critical regime is established. The applications of the model for the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is briefly considered, and it is shown that some astrophysical parameters of the bursts, like the light curves, the maximum released energy and the number of peaks in the light curve can be reproduced and explained, at least on a qualitative level, by working in a framework in which the systems settles in a self-organized critical state via magnetic reconnection processes in the magnetized GRB fireball.

Design of Solid-Gas Interfaces for Enhanced Thermal Transfer

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-28

modifications. Specifically, for metal surfaces modified with organic self - assembled monolayers (SAMs), both TAC and MAC are close to its theoretical...we designed solid surfaces functionalized with organic self - assembled monolayers (SAMs) and demonstrated associated significant improvement of the...at solid-gas interfaces by self - assembled monolayers ” Applied Physics Letters 102, 061907 (2013). 2. Zhi Liang, William Evans, and Pawel Keblinski

Modeled summer background concentration nutrients and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

We used regression models to predict background concentration of four water quality indictors: total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), chloride, and total suspended solids (TSS), in the mid-continent (USA) great rivers, the Upper Mississippi, the Lower Missouri, and the Ohio. From best-model linear regressions of water quality indicators with land use and other stressor variables, we determined the concentration of the indicators when the land use and stressor variables were all set to zero the y-intercept. Except for total P on the Upper Mississippi River and chloride on the Ohio River, we were able to predict background concentration from significant regression models. In every model with more than one predictor variable, the model included at least one variable representing agricultural land use and one variable representing development. Predicted background concentration of total N was the same on the Upper Mississippi and Lower Missouri rivers (350 ug l-1), which was much lower than a published eutrophication threshold and percentile-based thresholds (25th percentile of concentration at all sites in the population) but was similar to a threshold derived from the response of sestonic chlorophyll a to great river total N concentration. Background concentration of total P on the Lower Missouri (53 ug l-1) was also lower than published and percentile-based thresholds. Background TSS concentration was higher on the Lower Missouri (30 mg l-1) than the other ri

Energy performance evaluation of ultrasonic pretreatment of organic solid waste in a pilot-scale digester.

PubMed

Rasapoor, Mazdak; Adl, Mehrdad; Baroutian, Saeid; Iranshahi, Zeynab; Pazouki, Mohammad

2018-04-30

It has been proven that ultrasonic pretreatment (UP) has positive effect on biogas generation from previous lab-scale studies. However, that is not always the case in larger scale processes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of UP to biogas generation in terms of anaerobic digestion process and energy efficiency. Parameters including total solids (TS) and ultrasonic treatment operational parameters of organic solid waste (OSW) resulted from our past lab scale UP studies were applied in this study. OSW with 6-10% TS was treated using a lab-scale ultrasonic processor using various power densities (0.2-0.6 W/mL) at different time periods up to 30 min. Results of lab scale confirmed that OSW with 6% TS sonicated with 0.2 W/mL power density in 30 min gave the best outcome for the pilot scale experiment. To simulate the condition of an actual scale, in addition to energy analysis, two different organic loading rates (OLR), namely 500 and 1500 gVS/m 3 day were examined. The pilot digester was fed with OSW with or without the pretreatment based on the aforementioned specifications. The results showed that UP effectively improves biogas generation in terms of quantity and quality (CH 4 /CO 2 ). Furthermore, it decreases the time to reach the maximum cumulative biogas volume comparing to the untreated feed. The key achievement of this research has confirmed that although the relative increase in the energy gain by the influence of UP was more remarkable under the 500 gVS/m 3 day OLR, energy analysis showed a better energy gain and energy benefit as well as jumping in biogas yield up to 80% for UP treated OSW under 1500 gVS/m 3 day OLR. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recommendations for Management of Endemic Diseases and Travel Medicine in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors: Latin America.

PubMed

Clemente, Wanessa Trindade; Pierrotti, Lígia Camera; Abdala, Edson; Morris, Michele I; Azevedo, Luiz S; López-Vélez, Rogelio; Cuenca-Estrella, Manuel; Torre-Cisneros, Julian; Petersen, Eskild; Camargo, Luis Fernando A; Wright, Alissa Jade; Beeching, Nicholas J; Vilela, Eduardo Garcia; Santoro-Lopes, Guilherme; Len, Oscar; Stucchi, Raquel S B; Manuel, Oriol; Faria, Luciana Costa; Leblebicioglu, Hakan; Huprikar, Shirish; Molina, Israel; Mourão, Paulo Henrique Orlandi; Kotton, Camille N; Aguado, José María

2018-02-01

The Recommendations for Management of Endemic Diseases and Travel Medicine in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors: Latin America clinical practice guideline is intended to guide clinicians caring for solid-organ transplant (SOT) donors, candidates and recipients regarding infectious diseases (ID) issues related to this geographical region, mostly located in the tropics. These recommendations are based on both systematic reviews of relevant literature and expert opinion from both transplant ID and travel medicine specialists. The guidelines provide recommendations for risk evaluation and laboratory investigation, as well as management and prevention of infection of the most relevant endemic diseases of Latin America. This summary includes a brief description of the guideline recommendations but does not include the complete rationale and references for each recommendation, which is available in the online version of the article, published in this journal as a supplement. The supplement contains 10 reviews referring to endemic or travel diseases (eg, tuberculosis, Chagas disease [ChD], leishmaniasis, malaria, strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis, travelers diarrhea, arboviruses, endemic fungal infections, viral hepatitis, and vaccines) and an illustrative section with maps (http://www.pmourao.com/map/). Contributors included experts from 13 countries (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Italy, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay) representing four continents (Asia, the Americas and Europe), along with scientific and medical societies.

Passivation-free solid state battery

DOEpatents

Abraham, K.M.; Peramunage, D.

1998-06-16

This invention pertains to passivation-free solid-state rechargeable batteries composed of Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} anode, a solid polymer electrolyte and a high voltage cathode. The solid polymer electrolyte comprises a polymer host, such as polyacrylonitrile, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl sulfone), and poly(vinylidene fluoride), plasticized by a solution of a Li salt in an organic solvent. The high voltage cathode includes LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}, LiCoO{sub 2}, LiNiO{sub 2} and LiV{sub 2}O{sub 5} and their derivatives. 5 figs.

Passivation-free solid state battery

DOEpatents

Abraham, Kuzhikalail M.; Peramunage, Dharmasena

1998-01-01

This invention pertains to passivation-free solid-state rechargeable batteries composed of Li.sub.4 Ti.sub.5 O.sub.12 anode, a solid polymer electrolyte and a high voltage cathode. The solid polymer electrolyte comprises a polymer host, such as polyacrylonitrile, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl sulfone), and poly(vinylidene fluoride), plasticized by a solution of a Li salt in an organic solvent. The high voltage cathode includes LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4, LiCoO.sub.2, LiNiO.sub.2 and LiV.sub.2 O.sub.5 and their derivatives.

Process performance of high-solids batch anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge.

PubMed

Liao, Xiaocong; Li, Huan; Cheng, Yingchao; Chen, Nan; Li, Chenchen; Yang, Yuning

2014-01-01

The characteristics of high-solids anaerobic digestion (AD) of sewage sludge were investigated by comparison with conventional low-solids processes. A series of batch experiments were conducted under mesophilic condition and the initial solid contents were controlled at four levels of 1.79%, 4.47%, 10.28% and 15.67%. During these experiments, biogas production, organic degradation and intermediate products were monitored. The results verified that high-solids batch AD of sewage sludge was feasible. Compared with the low-solids AD with solid contents of 1.79% or 4.47%, the high-solids processes decreased the specific biogas yield per gram of sludge volatile solids slightly, achieved the same organic degradation rate of about 40% within extended degradation time, but increased the volumetric biogas production rate and the treatment capability of digesters significantly. The blocked mass and energy transfer, the low substrate to inoculum rate and the excessive cumulative free ammonia were the main factors impacting the performance of high-solids batch AD.

Atmospheric oxalic acid and related secondary organic aerosols in Qinghai Lake, a continental background site in Tibet Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Jingjing; Wang, Gehui; Li, Jianjun; Cheng, Chunlei; Cao, Junji

2013-11-01

Summertime PM2.5 aerosols collected from Qinghai Lake (3200 m a.s.l.), a remote continental site in the northeastern part of Tibetan Plateau, were analyzed for dicarboxylic acids (C2-C11), ketocarboxylic acids and α-dicarbonyals. Oxalic acid (C2) is the dominant dicarboxylic acid in the samples, followed by malonic, succinic and azelaic acids. Total dicarboxylic acids (231 ± 119 ng m-3), ketocarboxylic acids (8.4 ± 4.3 ng m-3), and α-dicarbonyls (2.7 ± 2.1 ng m-3) at the Tibetan background site are 2-5 times less than those detected in lowland areas such as 14 Chinese megacities. Compared to those in other urban and marine areas enhancements in relative abundances of C2/total diacids and diacids-C/WSOC of the PM2.5 samples suggest that organic aerosols in the region are more oxidized due to strong solar radiation. Molecular compositions and air mass trajectories demonstrate that the above secondary organic aerosols in the Qinghai Lake atmosphere are largely derived from long-range transport. Ratios of oxalic acid, glyoxal and methylglyoxal to levoglucosan in PM2.5 aerosols emitted from household burning of yak dung, a major energy source for Tibetan in the region, are 30-400 times lower than those in the ambient air, which further indicates that primary emission from biomass burning is a negligible source of atmospheric oxalic acid and α-dicarbonyls at this background site.

Pre-Modeling Ensures Accurate Solid Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gow, George

2010-01-01

Successful solid modeling requires a well-organized design tree. The design tree is a list of all the object's features and the sequential order in which they are modeled. The solid-modeling process is faster and less prone to modeling errors when the design tree is a simple and geometrically logical definition of the modeled object. Few high…

Production and characterization refuse derived fuel (RDF) from high organic and moisture contents of municipal solid waste (MSW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dianda, P.; Mahidin; Munawar, E.

2018-03-01

Many cities in developing countries is facing a serious problems to dealing with huge municipal solid waste (MSW) generated. The main approach to manage MSW is causes environmental impact associated with the leachate and landfill gas emissions. On the other hand, the energy available also limited by rapid growth of population and economic development due to shortage of the natural resource. In this study, the potential utilized of MSW to produce refuse derived fuel (RDF) was investigate. The RDF was produced with various organic waste content. Then, the RDF was subjected to laboratory analysis to determine its characteristic including the calorific value. The results shows the moisture content was increased by increasing organic waste content, while the calorific value was found 17-36 MJ/kg. The highest calorific value was about 36 MJ/kg obtained at RDF with 40% organic waste content. This results indicated that the RDF can be use to substitute coal in main burning process and calcinations of cement industry.

Transmission of dengue virus from deceased donors to solid organ transplant recipients: case report and literature review.

PubMed

Rosso, Fernando; Pineda, Juan C; Sanz, Ana M; Cedano, Jorge A; Caicedo, Luis A

Dengue fever is a vector-transmitted viral infection. Non-vectorial forms of transmission can occur through organ transplantation. We reviewed medical records of donors and recipients with suspected dengue in the first post-transplant week. We used serologic and molecular analysis to confirm the infection. Herein, we describe four cases of dengue virus transmission through solid organ transplantation. The recipients had positive serology and RT-PCR. Infection in donors was detected through serology. All cases presented with fever within the first week after transplantation. There were no fatal cases. After these cases, we implemented dengue screening with NS1 antigen detection in donors during dengue outbreaks, and no new cases were detected. In the literature review, additional cases had been published through August 2017. Transmission of Dengue virus can occur through organ donation. In endemic regions, it is important to suspect and screen for dengue in febrile and thrombocytopenic recipients in the postoperative period. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Infectologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical growth of highly oriented organic-inorganic superlattices using solid-supported multilamellar membranes as templates.

PubMed

Xing, Li-Li; Li, Da-Peng; Hu, Shu-Xin; Jing, Huai-Yu; Fu, Honglan; Mai, Zhen-Hong; Li, Ming

2006-02-08

Controllable depositing of relatively thick inorganic sublayers into organic templates to fabricate organic-inorganic superlattices is of great importance. We report a novel approach to fabricating phospholipid/Ni(OH)(2) superlattices by electrochemical deposition of the inorganic component into solid-supported multilamellar templates. The well-ordered and highly oriented multilamellar templates are produced by spreading small drops of lipid solution on silicon surfaces and letting the solvent evaporate slowly. The templates which are used as working electrodes preserve the lamellar structure in the electrolyte solution. The resulting superlattices are highly oriented. The thickness of the nickel hydroxide is controlled by the concentration of nickel ions in the electrolyte bath. The electron density profiles derived from the X-ray diffraction data reveal that the thickness of the nickel hydroxide sublayers increases from 15 to 27 A as the concentration of nickel nitrate increases from 0.005 mol/L to 0.08 mol/L. We expect that the new method can be extended to depositing a variety of inorganic components including metals, oxides, and semiconductors.

Survey of Environmental Technician Employment Needs in Solid Waste Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sen, Satyakam

A study was done to determine the extent of current employment, expected job growth, necessary job skills, and the educational background preferred by employers in the solid waste field. Eight different questionnaires were developed and representatives of the solid waste management industry from 1,004 state agencies, municipalities, and private…

Production of biogas from solid organic wastes through anaerobic digestion: a review.

PubMed

Muhammad Nasir, Ismail; Mohd Ghazi, Tinia I; Omar, Rozita

2012-07-01

Anaerobic digestion treatments have often been used for biological stabilization of solid wastes. These treatment processes generate biogas which can be used as a renewable energy sources. Recently, anaerobic digestion of solid wastes has attracted more interest because of current environmental problems, most especially those concerned with global warming. Thus, laboratory-scale research on this area has increased significantly. In this review paper, the summary of the most recent research activities covering production of biogas from solid wastes according to its origin via various anaerobic technologies was presented.

Utilizing thin-film solid-phase extraction to assess the effect of organic carbon amendments on the bioavailability of DDT and dieldrin to earthworms

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improved approaches are needed to rapidly and accurately assess the bioavailability of persistent, hydrophobic organic compounds in soils at contaminated sites. The performance of a thin-film solid-phase extraction (TF-SPE) assay using vials coated with ethylene vinyl acetate polymer was compared to...

Pyrolytic in situ magnetization of metal-organic framework MIL-100 for magnetic solid-phase extraction.

PubMed

Huo, Shu-Hui; An, Hai-Yan; Yu, Jing; Mao, Xue-Feng; Zhang, Zhe; Bai, Lei; Huang, Yan-Feng; Zhou, Peng-Xin

2017-09-29

In this study, we report a facile, environmental friendly fabrication of a type of magnetic metal-organic framework (MOF) MIL-100 that can be used for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The magnetic MOF composites were fabricated using in situ calcination method. The as-synthesized materials exhibited both high porosity and magnetic characteristics. They used for the MSPE of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from water samples. Such MOF-based magnetic solid-phase extraction in combination with gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID), exhibited wide linearity (0.02-250μgL -1 ), low detection limits (4.6-8.9ngL -1 ), and high enrichment factors (452-907) for PAHs. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for intra- and inter-day extractions of PAHs were ranging from 1.7% to 9.8% and 3.8% to 9.2%, respectively. The recoveries for spiked PAHs (1μgL -1 ) in water samples were in the range of 88.5% to 106.6%. The results showed that the special anion-π orbital (electron donor-acceptor) interaction and π-π stacking between magnetic MIL-100 and PAHs play an important role in the adsorption of PAHs. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characteristics of microRNAs enriched in specific cell types and primary tissue types in solid organs.

PubMed

Kriegel, Alison J; Liu, Yong; Liu, Pengyuan; Baker, Maria Angeles; Hodges, Matthew R; Hua, Xing; Liang, Mingyu

2013-12-01

Knowledge of miRNA expression and function in specific cell types in solid organs is limited because of difficulty in obtaining appropriate specimens. We used laser capture microdissection to obtain nine tissue regions from rats, including the nucleus of the solitary tract, hypoglossal motor nucleus, ventral respiratory column/pre-Bötzinger complex, and midline raphe nucleus from the brain stem, myocardium and coronary artery from the heart, and glomerulus, proximal convoluted tubule, and medullary thick ascending limb from the kidney. Each tissue region consists of or is enriched for a specific cell type. Differential patterns of miRNA expression obtained by deep sequencing of minute amounts of laser-captured cells were highly consistent with data obtained from real-time PCR analysis. miRNA expression patterns correctly clustered the specimens by tissue regions and then by primary tissue types (neural, muscular, or epithelial). The aggregate difference in miRNA profiles between tissue regions that contained the same primary tissue type was as large as one-half of the aggregate difference between primary tissue types. miRNAs differentially expressed between primary tissue types are more likely to be abundant miRNAs, while miRNAs differentially expressed between tissue regions containing the same primary tissue type were distributed evenly across the abundance spectrum. The tissue type-enriched miRNAs were more likely to target genes enriched for specific functional categories compared with either cell type-enriched miRNAs or randomly selected miRNAs. These data indicate that the role of miRNAs in determining characteristics of primary tissue types may be different than their role in regulating cell type-specific functions in solid organs.

Characteristics and long-term outcomes of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

Alsidawi, Samer; Price, Katharine A; Chintakuntlawar, Ashish V; Westin, Gustavo F; Garcia, Joaquin J; Ma, Daniel J; Okuno, Scott H

2017-09-01

Immunosuppression after solid organ transplant prevents graft rejection, but leads to increased incidence of various malignancies including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Outcomes of patients with post-transplant HNSCC are unknown. We retrospectively identified patients who developed HNSCC after solid organ transplant between 1995 and 2010. Adults with pathology-proven HNSCC and adequate follow up were included. Median overall survival and progression free survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The prognostic effect of variables was studied with Cox proportional hazards models. Thirty-three patients met study inclusion criteria. The median time to diagnosis of HNSCC after transplant was 5.9years. The primary site was oral cavity in 15 patients, oropharynx in 10, larynx in 3, hypopharynx in 2, parotid in 2 and unknown in 1 patient. Eighty-eight percent underwent upfront surgical resection. Of those, sixty-six percent received adjuvant therapy. Six percent of patients had definitive chemoradiation. Treatment was well tolerated and did not lead to graft rejection. The 5-year overall survival rate was 45% and 37% for localized and locally advanced disease respectively. Seventy-five percent of patients with oropharyngeal tumors were HPV-positive and they had better outcomes (5-year overall survival rate of 67%). In multivariate analysis, age ≥60years was a negative predictor of survival (HR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.1-6.5; P=0.03). Patients with post-transplant HNSCC have relatively poor survival and high risk of locoregional and distant recurrence. HPV- positive oropharyngeal tumors continue to have better outcomes in this population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life cycle modelling of environmental impacts of application of processed organic municipal solid waste on agricultural land (EASEWASTE).

PubMed

Hansen, Trine Lund; Bhander, Gurbakhash S; Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Bruun, Sander; Jensen, Lars Stoumann

2006-04-01

A model capable of quantifying the potential environmental impacts of agricultural application of composted or anaerobically digested source-separated organic municipal solid waste (MSW) is presented. In addition to the direct impacts, the model accounts for savings by avoiding the production and use of commercial fertilizers. The model is part of a larger model, Environmental Assessment of Solid Waste Systems and Technology (EASEWASTE), developed as a decision-support model, focusing on assessment of alternative waste management options. The environmental impacts of the land application of processed organic waste are quantified by emission coefficients referring to the composition of the processed waste and related to specific crop rotation as well as soil type. The model contains several default parameters based on literature data, field experiments and modelling by the agro-ecosystem model, Daisy. All data can be modified by the user allowing application of the model to other situations. A case study including four scenarios was performed to illustrate the use of the model. One tonne of nitrogen in composted and anaerobically digested MSW was applied as fertilizer to loamy and sandy soil at a plant farm in western Denmark. Application of the processed organic waste mainly affected the environmental impact categories global warming (0.4-0.7 PE), acidification (-0.06 (saving)-1.6 PE), nutrient enrichment (-1.0 (saving)-3.1 PE), and toxicity. The main contributors to these categories were nitrous oxide formation (global warming), ammonia volatilization (acidification and nutrient enrichment), nitrate losses (nutrient enrichment and groundwater contamination), and heavy metal input to soil (toxicity potentials). The local agricultural conditions as well as the composition of the processed MSW showed large influence on the environmental impacts. A range of benefits, mainly related to improved soil quality from long-term application of the processed organic waste

DESORPTION OF PYRETHROIDS FROM SUSPENDED SOLIDS

PubMed Central

Fojut, Tessa L.; Young, Thomas M.

2014-01-01

Pyrethroid insecticides have been widely detected in sediments at concentrations that can cause toxicity to aquatic organisms. Desorption rates play an important role in determining the bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds, such as pyrethroids, because these compounds are more likely to be sorbed to solids in the environment and times to reach sorptive equilibrium can be long. In this study, sequential Tenax desorption experiments were performed with three sorbents, three aging times, and four pyrethroids. A biphasic rate model was fit to the desorption data with r2 > 0.99 and the rapid and slow compartment desorption rate constants and compartment fractions are reported. Suspended solids from irrigation runoff water collected from a field that had been sprayed with permethrin one day prior were used in the experiments to compare desorption rates for field-applied pyrethroids to those for laboratory-spiked materials. Suspended solids were used in desorption experiments because suspended solids can be a key source of hydrophobic compounds to surface waters. The rapid desorption rate parameters of field-applied permethrin were not statistically different than those of laboratory spiked permethrin, indicating that the desorption of the spiked pyrethroids is comparable to those added and aged in the field. Sorbent characteristics had the greatest effect on desorption rate parameters; as organic carbon content of the solids increased, the rapid desorption fractions and rapid desorption rate constants both decreased. The desorption rate constant of the slow compartment for sediment containing permethrin aged for 28 d was significantly different from those aged 1 d and 7 d, while desorption in the rapid and slow compartments did not differ between these treatments. PMID:21538493

Using solid 13C NMR coupled with solution 31P NMR spectroscopy to investigate molecular species and lability of organic carbon and phosphorus from aquatic plants in Tai Lake, China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aquatic plants are involved in the storage and release capacity for organic matter and nutrients. In this study, solid 13C and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the biomass samples of six aquatic plants. Solid 13C NMR spectroscopy revealed the domin...

Dissolved Solids as HD Bioeffluent Toxicants.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-12-01

12 The question still remains about whether the toxicity of the SBR effluent was caused by either the animals’ inability to osmoregulate in a high...the dissolved solids. The inability of freshwater organisms to osmoregulate in such high saline environments caused toxicity. Freshwater organisms are

EPA Method 525.3 - Determination of Semivolatile Organic Chemicals in Drinking Water by Solid Phase Extraction and Capillary Column Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)

EPA Science Inventory

Method 525.3 is an analytical method that uses solid phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the identification and quantitation of 125 selected semi-volatile organic chemicals in drinking water.

Co-composting as an oxygen stabilization of an organic fraction of municipal solid waste and industrial sewage sludge.

PubMed

Milczarek, M; Neczaj, E; Parkitna, K

2013-01-01

The purpose of this work is to study the characteristics of the co-composting of municipal solid waste (MSW), sewage sludge, grass and sawdust. Differing proportions of biodegradable waste were investigated through changes of temperature, oxygen consumption, organic matters, moisture content, carbon, nitrogen, C/N ratio as well as heavy metals and pathogen microorganisms content. The present study has shown that addition of MSW above 10% had a negative impact on the composting process. The initial C/N of the mixtures with a higher MSW content was below 18. Lower losses of organic matter occurred during composting for the mixture with the highest addition of MSW. Although studies have shown that composting is a good method for the disposal of organic waste additional research is required in order to optimize the organic and nitrogen compounds degradation during the co-composting process. In conclusion, a 1:4:4:1 mixture of MSW:sewage sludge:grass:sawdust is recommended because it can achieve high temperature as well as the highest organic matter degradation and highest N content in the final composting product. The concentration of heavy and light metals in all composts was within the limits of regulation of the Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A novel and organic solvent-free preparation of solid lipid nanoparticles using natural biopolymers as emulsifier and stabilizer.

PubMed

Xue, Jingyi; Wang, Taoran; Hu, Qiaobin; Zhou, Mingyong; Luo, Yangchao

2017-10-05

In this work, a new and novel organic solvent-free and synthetic surfactant-free method was reported to fabricate stable solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) from stearic acid, sodium caseinate (NaCas) and pectin, as well as water. Melted stearic acid was directly emulsified into an aqueous phase containing NaCas and pectin, followed by pH adjustment and thermal treatment to induce the formation of a compact and dense polymeric coating which stabilized SLNs. The preparation procedures and formulations were comprehensively optimized. The inter- and intra-molecular interactions among three ingredients were characterized by fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The stability of as-prepared SLNs was evaluated under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, and compared with traditional SLNs prepared with organic solvents. Our results revealed that the SLNs prepared from this organic solvent-free method had superior physicochemical properties over the traditional SLNs, including smaller size and better stability. Furthermore, redispersible SLNs powders were obtained by nano spray drying, but only the SLNs prepared by organic solvent-free method had sub-micron scale, uniform and spherical morphology. The organic solvent-free preparation method was proved to be a promising approach to prepare stable and uniform SLNs for potential oral delivery applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis and treatment of histoplasmosis in solid organ transplant patients.

PubMed

Gajurel, Kiran; Dhakal, Reshika; Deresinski, Stan

2018-05-05

Unlike immunocompetent hosts, solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with posttransplant histoplasmosis (PTH) often present with disseminated disease and have an attributable mortality of approximately 10%. In this review, we discuss currently available diagnostic tests and treatment strategies in PTH. None of the available tests have a 100% diagnostic accuracy. Histoplasma antigen assays are the most sensitive commercially available tests. However, crossreactivity of histoplasma antigen with aspergillus galactomannan and false positive histoplasma antigen tests because of rabbit antithymocyte globulin may cause difficulty in interpreting positive test results in transplant recipients. Molecular assays such as amplification and sequencing of 'panfungal' portions of the 28S ribosomal RNA from clinical specimens appear to be promising.Lipid formulations of amphotericin B and itraconazole are the drugs of choice in the treatment of PTH. Other extended spectrum azoles also appear to be effective, but, like itraconazole, problems with drug interactions and prolongation of the QTc interval (except for isavuconazole, which shortens the QTc interval) remain. Mycophenolate therapy is associated with severe disease and should be stopped during active disease and, if feasible, calcineurin inhibitors and steroids should be reduced. A combination of various tests (culture, antigen tests, nucleic amplification tests, etc.) should be used to optimize diagnostic yield. The role of unbiased next generation sequencing for early diagnosis and newer azoles in the treatment needs to be further explored.

Mobile Health in Solid Organ Transplant: The Time Is Now.

PubMed

Fleming, J N; Taber, D J; McElligott, J; McGillicuddy, J W; Treiber, F

2017-09-01

Despite being in existence for >40 years, the application of telemedicine has lagged significantly in comparison to its generated interest. Detractors include the immobile design of most historic telemedicine interventions and the relative lack of smartphones among the general populace. Recently, the exponential increase in smartphone ownership and familiarity have provided the potential for the development of mobile health (mHealth) interventions that can be mirrored realistically in clinical applications. Existing studies have demonstrated some potential clinical benefits of mHealth in the various phases of solid organ transplantation (SOT). Furthermore, studies in nontransplant chronic diseases may be used to guide future studies in SOT. Nevertheless, substantially more must be accomplished before mHealth becomes mainstream. Further evidence of clinical benefits and a critical need for cost-effectiveness analysis must prove its utility to patients, clinicians, hospitals, insurers, and the federal government. The SOT population is an ideal one in which to demonstrate the benefits of mHealth. In this review, the current evidence and status of mHealth in SOT is discussed, and a general path forward is presented that will allow buy-in from the health care community, insurers, and the federal government to move mHealth from research to standard care. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Speciation of inorganic and organometallic compounds in solid biological samples by thermal vaporization and plasma emission spectrometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanamura, S.; Smith, B.W.; Winefordner, J.D.

1983-11-01

By means of thermal vaporization, inorganic, organic, and metallorganic species are separated and elemental emission in a microwave plasma is detected as a function of vaporization temperature. Solid samples of 250 mg or more are used to avoid problems with sample heterogeneity. The precision of characteristic appearance temperatures is +/-2/sup 0/C. The single electrode atmosphere pressure microwave plasma system is extremely tolerant to the introduction of water, organic solvents, and air. The measurement system contained a repetition wavelength scan device to allow background correction. The plasma temperature was 5500 K. The system was used to measure C, H, N, O,more » and Hg in orchard leaves and in tuna fish. 9 figures, 5 tables.« less

Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials: Multi-Functional Solids for Multi-Step Reaction Processes.

PubMed

Díaz, Urbano; Corma, Avelino

2018-03-15

The design of new hybrid materials with tailored properties at the nano-, meso-, and macro-scale, with the use of structural functional nanobuilding units, is carried out to obtain specific multi-functional materials. Organization into controlled 1D, 2D, and 3D architectures with selected functionalities is key for developing advanced catalysts, but this is hardly accomplished using conventional synthesis procedures. The use of pre-formed nanostructures, derived either from known materials or made with specific innovative synthetic methodologies, has enormous potential in the generation of multi-site catalytic materials for one-pot processes. The present concept article introduces a new archetype wherein self-assembled nanostructured builder units are the base for the design of multifunctional catalysts, which combine catalytic efficiency with fast reactant and product diffusion. The article addresses a new generation of versatile hybrid organic-inorganic multi-site catalytic materials for their use in the production of (chiral) high-added-value products within the scope of chemicals and fine chemicals production. The use of those multi-reactive solids for more nanotechnological applications, such as sensors, due to the inclusion of electron donor-acceptor structural arrays is also considered, together with the adsorption-desorption capacities due to the combination of hydrophobic and hydrophilic sub-domains. The innovative structured hybrid materials for multipurpose processes here considered, can allow the development of multi-stage one-pot reactions with industrial applications, using the materials as one nanoreactor systems, favoring more sustainable production pathways with economic, environmental and energetic advantages. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ceramic and polymeric solid electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fergus, Jeffrey W.

Lithium-ion batteries are important for energy storage in a wide variety of applications including consumer electronics, transportation and large-scale energy production. The performance of lithium-ion batteries depends on the materials used. One critical component is the electrolyte, which is the focus of this paper. In particular, inorganic ceramic and organic polymer solid-electrolyte materials are reviewed. Solid electrolytes provide advantages in terms of simplicity of design and operational safety, but typically have conductivities that are lower than those of organic liquid electrolytes. This paper provides a comparison of the conductivities of solid-electrolyte materials being used or developed for use in lithium-ion batteries.

Influence of temperature fluctuation on thermophilic anaerobic digestion of municipal organic solid waste*

PubMed Central

Wu, Man-Chang; Sun, Ke-Wei; Zhang, Yong

2006-01-01

A laboratory-scale experiment was carried out to assess the influence of temperature fluctuation on thermophilic anaerobic digestion of municipal organic solid waste (MOSW). Heating failure was simulated by decreasing temperature suddenly from 55 °C to 20 °C suddenly; 2 h time is needed for temperature decrease and recovery. Under the conditions of 8.0 g/(L·d) and 15 d respectively for MOSW load and retention time, following results were noted: (1) biogas production almost stopped and VFA (volatile fatty acid) accumulated rapidly, accompanied by pH decrease; (2) with low temperature (20 °C) duration of 1, 5, 12 and 24 h, it took 3, 11, 56 and 72 h for the thermophilic anaerobic digestion system to reproduce methane after temperature fluctuation; (3) the longer the low temperature interval lasted, the more the methanogenic bacteria would decay; hydrolysis, acidification and methanogenesis were all influenced by temperature fluctuation; (4) the thermophilic microorganisms were highly resilient to temperature fluctuation. PMID:16502503

Origin and variability in volatile organic compounds observed at an Eastern Mediterranean background site (Cyprus)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debevec, Cécile; Sauvage, Stéphane; Gros, Valérie; Sciare, Jean; Pikridas, Michael; Stavroulas, Iasonas; Salameh, Thérèse; Leonardis, Thierry; Gaudion, Vincent; Depelchin, Laurence; Fronval, Isabelle; Sarda-Esteve, Roland; Baisnée, Dominique; Bonsang, Bernard; Savvides, Chrysanthos; Vrekoussis, Mihalis; Locoge, Nadine

2017-09-01

More than 7000 atmospheric measurements of over 60 C2 - C16 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were conducted at a background site in Cyprus during a 1-month intensive field campaign held in March 2015. This exhaustive dataset consisted of primary anthropogenic and biogenic VOCs, including a wide range of source-specific tracers, and oxygenated VOCs (with various origins) that were measured online by flame ionization detection-gas chromatography and proton transfer mass spectrometry. Online submicron aerosol chemical composition was performed in parallel using an aerosol mass spectrometer. This study presents the high temporal variability in VOCs and their associated sources. A preliminary analysis of their time series was performed on the basis of independent tracers (NO, CO, black carbon), meteorological data and the clustering of air mass trajectories. Biogenic compounds were mainly attributed to a local origin and showed compound-specific diurnal cycles such as a daily maximum for isoprene and a nighttime maximum for monoterpenes. Anthropogenic VOCs as well as oxygenated VOCs displayed higher mixing ratios under the influence of continental air masses (i.e., western Asia), indicating that long-range transport significantly contributed to the VOC levels in the area. Source apportionment was then conducted on a database of 20 VOCs (or grouped VOCs) using a source receptor model. The positive matrix factorization and concentration field analyses were hence conducted to identify and characterize covariation factors of VOCs that were representative of primary emissions as well as chemical transformation processes. A six-factor PMF solution was selected, namely two primary biogenic factors (relative contribution of 43 % to the total mass of VOCs) for different types of emitting vegetation; three anthropogenic factors (short-lived combustion source, evaporative sources, industrial and evaporative sources; 21 % all together), identified as being either of local origin

Stability of pharmaceuticals and other polar organic compounds stored on polar organic chemical integrative samplers and solid-phase extraction cartridges.

PubMed

Carlson, Jules C; Challis, Jonathan K; Hanson, Mark L; Wong, Charles S

2013-02-01

The stability of 24 chemicals, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and some agrochemicals on extraction media was evaluated by preloading them onto Oasis hydrophilic lipophilic balanced solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) followed by storage at -20°C over time. After 20 months, the average loss was 11% on POCIS, with only 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, atrazine, chlorpyrifos, and gemfibrozil showing a statistically significant decline compared with initial concentrations. Losses on SPE cartridges were below 19%, with an average loss of 9%. In addition to laboratory spiked samples, multiple POCIS deployed in wastewater-impacted surface waters and SPE extracts of these waters were stored in their original coextracted matrix for nearly two years with minimal observed losses. Errors from typical sampling, handling, and concentration estimates from POCIS sampling rates were typically ± 15 to 30% relative standard deviation, so observed storage losses are minimal for most POCIS applications. While losses during storage on SPE cartridges for 20 months were small but statistically significant for many compounds, addition of labeled internal standards prior to freezing should correct for such losses. Thus, storage of processed water samples for analysis of polar organic pollutants is viable for archival purposes or studies for which samples cannot be analyzed in the short term. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Construction of Metal-Organic Framework/Conductive Polymer Hybrid for All-Solid-State Fabric Supercapacitor.

PubMed

Qi, Kai; Hou, Ruizuo; Zaman, Shahid; Qiu, Yubing; Xia, Bao Yu; Duan, Hongwei

2018-05-30

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hold promising potential in energy storage but are limited by poor conductivity. In this work, a metal-organic framework/polypyrrole hybrid is constructed by a facile one-pot electrodeposition method in the presence of dopamine. An all-solid-state fabric supercapacitor based on this hybrid demonstrates excellent electrochemical energy-storage performance, which achieves a specific capacitance of 10 mF cm -1 (206 mF cm -2 ), a power density of 132 μW cm -1 (2102 μW cm -2 ), and an energy density of 0.8 μWh cm -1 (12.8 μWh cm -2 ). The stable cycling life and excellent mechanical flexibility over a wide range of working temperature are also achieved, which maintains a capacitance retention of 89% over 10 000 charging/discharging cycles, a capacitance decrease of only 4% after 1000 frizzy (360° bending) cycles, and no obvious capacitance loss under 100 repeated heating (100 °C)/cooling (-15 °C) cycles. This fibrous supercapacitor displays promising potential in wearable textile electronics as it can be easily woven into common cotton cloth. Our strategy may shed some valuable light on the construction of MOF-based hybrids for flexible energy-storage electronics.

Rapid Screening of Volatile Organic Compounds from Aframomum danielli Seeds Using Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction Coupled to Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Njobeh, Patrick B.; Gbashi, Sefater; Adegoke, Gabriel O.; Dubery, Ian A.

2018-01-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) derived from plants have been used in the fragrance industry since time immemorial. Herein we report on the rapid screening of VOCs from seeds of ripe Aframomum danielli (family, Zingiberaceae) using a polydimethylsiloxane fibre headspace solid phase microextraction coupled to a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) instrument. Portions of 0.25, 0.35, and 0.50 g of ground sample were weighed and extraction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was achieved using a 100 μm polydimethylsiloxane solid phase microextraction (PDMS SPME) fibre, with the equilibrium time of 40 minutes and extraction temperature of 50°C; the following compounds with their respective relative abundances were obtained as the top ten most abundant and annotated ones using NIST, Wiley, and Fragrances Libraries: eucalyptol (58%); β-pinene (22%); α-pinene (7.5%); α-terpineol (4%), α-terpinyl acetate (2%); α-bergamotene (1%); pinocarveol (0.39%); α-copaene (0.35%); caryophyllene (0.34); and β-bisabolene (0.31%). These compounds have been reported elsewhere in the literature and listed in the Fragrances Library, incorporated into the Saturn QP2020 GCMS Solution® software used for their analysis. PMID:29849643

Biological treatment of soils contaminated with hydrophobic organics using slurry- and solid-phase techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassidy, Daniel H.; Irvine, Robert L.

1995-10-01

Both slurry-phase and solid-phase bioremediation are effective ex situ soil decontamination methods. Slurrying is energy intensive relative to solid-phase treatment, but provides homogenization and uniform nutrient distribution. Limited contaminant bioavailability at concentrations above the required cleanup level reduces biodegradation rates and renders solid phase bioremediation more cost effective than complete treatment in a bio-slurry reactor. Slurrying followed by solid-phase bioremediation combines the advantages and minimizes the weaknesses of each treatment method when used alone. A biological treatment system consisting of slurrying followed by aeration in solid phase bioreactors was developed and tested in the laboratory using a silty clay loam contaminated with diesel fuel. The first set of experiments was designed to determine the impact of the water content and mixing time during slurrying on the rate an extent of contaminant removal in continuously aerated solid phase bioreactors. The second set of experiments compared the volatile and total diesel fuel removal in solid phase bioreactors using periodic and continuous aeration strategies. Results showed that slurrying for 1.5 hours at a water content less than saturation markedly increased the rate and extent of contaminant biodegradation in the solid phase bioreactors compared with soil having no slurry pretreatment. Slurrying the soil at or above its saturation moisture content resulted in lengthy dewatering times which prohibited aeration, thereby delaying the onset of biological treatment in the solid phase bioreactors. Results also showed that properly operated periodic aeration can provide less volatile contaminant removal and a grater fraction of biological contaminant removal than continuous aeration.

Dermatologic manifestations of solid organ transplantation-associated graft-versus-host disease: A systematic review.

PubMed

Kim, Grace Y; Schmelkin, Leah A; Davis, Mark D P; El-Azhary, Rokea A; Farrell, Ann M; Meves, Alexander; Lehman, Julia S

2018-06-01

Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) after solid organ transplantation (SOT) is extremely rare. To investigate the dermatologic manifestations and clinical outcomes of SOT GVHD. Systematic literature review of SOT GVHD. After full-text article review, we included 61 articles, representing 115 patients and 126 transplanted organs. The most commonly transplanted organ was the liver (n = 81). Among 115 patients, 101 (87.8%) developed skin involvement. The eruption appeared an average of 48.3 days (range, 3-243 days) posttransplant and was pruritic in 5 of 101 (4.9%) cases. The eruption was described as morbilliform in 2 patients (1.9%), confluent in 6 (5.9%), and desquamative in 4 (3.9%) cases. In many cases, specific dermatologic descriptions were lacking. The mortality rate was 72.2%. Relative time of death was reported in 23 patients who died during the follow-up period. These patients died an average of 99.2 days (range, 22-270 days) posttransplant, or 50.9 days after the appearance of dermatologic symptoms. Frequent causes of death were sepsis and multiorgan failure. Incomplete descriptions of skin findings and potential publication bias resulting in publication of only the most severe cases. GVHD is a potentially fatal condition that can occur after SOT and often presents with a skin rash. We recommend that dermatologists have a low threshold to consider and pursue this diagnosis in the setting of post-SOT skin eruption. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A multi-criteria ranking of different technologies for the anaerobic digestion for energy recovery of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes.

PubMed

Karagiannidis, A; Perkoulidis, G

2009-04-01

This paper describes a conceptual framework and methodological tool developed for the evaluation of different anaerobic digestion technologies suitable for treating the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, by introducing the multi-criteria decision support method Electre III and demonstrating its related applicability via a test application. Several anaerobic digestion technologies have been proposed over the last years; when compared to biogas recovery from landfills, their advantage is the stability in biogas production and the stabilization of waste prior to final disposal. Anaerobic digestion technologies also show great adaptability to a broad spectrum of different input material beside the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (e.g. agricultural and animal wastes, sewage sludge) and can also be used in remote and isolated communities, either stand-alone or in conjunction to other renewable energy sources. Main driver for this work was the preliminary screening of such methods for potential application in Hellenic islands in the municipal solid waste management sector. Anaerobic digestion technologies follow different approaches to the anaerobic digestion process and also can include production of compost. In the presented multi-criteria analysis exercise, Electre III is implemented for comparing and ranking 5 selected alternative anaerobic digestion technologies. The results of a performed sensitivity analysis are then discussed. In conclusion, the performed multi-criteria approach was found to be a practical and feasible method for the integrated assessment and ranking of anaerobic digestion technologies by also considering different viewpoints and other uncertainties of the decision-making process.

Structure of organic solids at low temperature and high pressure.

PubMed

Lee, Rachael; Howard, Judith A K; Probert, Michael R; Steed, Jonathan W

2014-07-07

This tutorial review looks at structural and supramolecular chemistry of molecular solids under extreme conditions, and introduces the instrumentation and facilities that enable single crystal diffraction studies on molecular crystals at both high pressure and low temperature. The equipment used for crystallography under extreme conditions is explored, particularly pressure cells such as the diamond anvil cell, and their mechanism of action, as well as the cryogenic apparatus which allows materials to be cooled to significantly low temperatures. The review also covers recent advances in the structural chemistry of molecular solids under extreme conditions with an emphasis on the use of single crystal crystallography in high pressure and low temperature environments to probe polymorphism and supramolecular interactions.

Chest X-ray and chest CT findings in patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis following solid organ transplantation: a systematic review.

PubMed

Giacomelli, Irai Luis; Schuhmacher Neto, Roberto; Marchiori, Edson; Pereira, Marisa; Hochhegger, Bruno

2018-04-01

The objective of this systematic review was to select articles including chest X-ray or chest CT findings in patients who developed pulmonary tuberculosis following solid organ transplantation (lung, kidney, or liver). The following search terms were used: "tuberculosis"; "transplants"; "transplantation"; "mycobacterium"; and "lung". The databases used in this review were PubMed and the Brazilian Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (Virtual Health Library). We selected articles in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, regardless of the year of publication, that met the selection criteria in their title, abstract, or body of text. Articles with no data on chest CT or chest X-ray findings were excluded, as were those not related to solid organ transplantation or pulmonary tuberculosis. We selected 29 articles involving a collective total of 219 patients. The largest samples were in studies conducted in Brazil and South Korea (78 and 35 patients, respectively). The imaging findings were subdivided into five common patterns. The imaging findings varied depending on the transplanted organ in these patients. In liver and lung transplant recipients, the most common pattern was the classic one for pulmonary tuberculosis (cavitation and "tree-in-bud" nodules), which is similar to the findings for pulmonary tuberculosis in the general population. The proportion of cases showing a miliary pattern and lymph node enlargement, which is most similar to the pattern seen in patients coinfected with tuberculosis and HIV, was highest among the kidney transplant recipients. Further studies evaluating clinical data, such as immunosuppression regimens, are needed in order to improve understanding of the distribution of these imaging patterns in this population.

Universal chemiluminescence flow-through device based on directed self-assembly of solid-state organic chromophores on layered double hydroxide matrix.

PubMed

Wang, Zhihua; Teng, Xu; Lu, Chao

2013-02-19

In this work, a universal chemiluminescence (CL) flow-through device suitable for various CL resonance energy transfer (CRET) systems has been successfully fabricated. Highly efficient CRET in solid-state photoactive organic molecules can be achieved by assembling them on the surface of layered double hydroxides (LDHs). We attribute these observations to the suppression of the intermolecular π-π stacking interactions among aromatic rings and the improvement of molecular orientation and planarity in the LDH matrix, enabling a remarkable increase in fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield of organic molecules. Under optimal conditions, using peroxynitrous acid-fluorescein dianion (FLUD) as a model CRET system, trace FLUD (10 μM) was assembled on the surface of LDHs. Peroxynitrous acid/nitrite could be assayed in the range of 1.0-500 μM, and the detection limit for peroxynitrous acid/nitrite (S/N = 3) was 0.6 μM. This CL flow-through device exhibited operational stability, high reproducibility, and long lifetime. While LDHs were immobilized in a flow-through device in the absence of FLUD, the detection limit for peroxynitrous acid/nitrite was 100 μM. On the other hand, FLUD at the same concentration can not enhance the CL intensity of peroxynitrous acid system. This fabricated CL flow-through column has been successfully applied to determine nitrite in sausage samples with recoveries of 98-102%. These satisfactory results demonstrated that our studies pave a novel way toward flow-through column-based CRET using solid-state organic molecules as acceptors for signal amplification.

Tailored Organic Electrode Material Compatible with Sulfide Electrolyte for Stable All-Solid-State Sodium Batteries.

PubMed

Chi, Xiaowei; Liang, Yanliang; Hao, Fang; Zhang, Ye; Whiteley, Justin; Dong, Hui; Hu, Pu; Lee, Sehee; Yao, Yan

2018-03-01

All-solid-state sodium batteries (ASSSBs) with nonflammable electrolytes and ubiquitous sodium resource are a promising solution to the safety and cost concerns for lithium-ion batteries. However, the intrinsic mismatch between low anodic decomposition potential of superionic sulfide electrolytes and high operating potentials of sodium-ion cathodes leads to a volatile cathode-electrolyte interface and undesirable cell performance. Here we report a high-capacity organic cathode, Na 4 C 6 O 6 , that is chemically and electrochemically compatible with sulfide electrolytes. A bulk-type ASSSB shows high specific capacity (184 mAh g -1 ) and one of the highest specific energies (395 Wh kg -1 ) among intercalation compound-based ASSSBs. The capacity retentions of 76 % after 100 cycles at 0.1 C and 70 % after 400 cycles at 0.2 C represent the record stability for ASSSBs. Additionally, Na 4 C 6 O 6 functions as a capable anode material, enabling a symmetric all-organic ASSSB with Na 4 C 6 O 6 as both cathode and anode materials. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of Scedosporium infections among solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Johnson, L S; Shields, R K; Clancy, C J

2014-08-01

Few studies of Scedosporium infections following solid organ transplantation have been performed in the era of induction immunosuppression and widespread antifungal prophylaxis. We performed a single-center, retrospective study of transplant recipients from 2000 through 2010 who had a positive Scedosporium culture. Among 27 patients, 67% (n = 18) and 33% (n = 9) were infected with Scedosporium apiospermum and Scedosporium prolificans, respectively. A total of 67% received induction immunosuppression and 74% received prior antifungal therapy. Isolates were broadly resistant to antifungals. Of these patients, 59% (n = 16) were colonized by Scedosporium, and 41% (n = 11) had disease (scedosporiosis). No significant clinical differences were seen between species. Colonization occurred exclusively in the lungs of lung transplant recipients (LTR). Scedosporiosis followed lung transplantation in 55%, and other organ transplants (multivisceral [18%]; and heart, liver, small intestine [9% each]) in 45%. Scedosporiosis was preceded by colonization in 36%. Diseases included pneumonia (64%), mediastinitis (18%), and fungemia/disseminated infections (18%). The 6-month outcomes were death in 55%, progression in 18%, stability in 9%, and resolution in 18%. Patients who died had earlier onset scedosporiosis post transplant (median: 80.5 vs. 1388 days; P = 0.04), and were more likely to have mediastinitis or disseminated infections than pneumonia (100% vs. 29%; P = 0.06). The 3 patients who developed scedosporiosis >1 year post transplant survived. All patients who survived were treated with a voriconazole-containing regimen. LTR were most susceptible to Scedosporium colonization and scedosporiosis, particularly within the lungs. Death was common with scedosporiosis in the first year after all types of organ transplants, consistent with profound immunosuppression and antifungal resistance, but not encountered thereafter. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons

Municipal solid waste composition determination supporting the integrated solid waste management system in the island of Crete

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gidarakos, E.; Havas, G.; Ntzamilis, P.

A one-year survey was conducted in the greater region of Crete (located at the lower region of the Aegean Sea) for the purpose of identifying waste composition (including chemical and physical characterization), as well as any seasonal variation. The investigation was carried out repeatedly at seven landfills and one transfer station in Crete, in four phases. Each sampling phase corresponded to a season (autumn, winter, spring, summer). ASTM D5231-92(2003) standard method and RCRA Waste Sampling Draft Technical Guidance were used. Hand sorting was used for classifying the collected wastes into the following categories: plastics, paper, metals, aluminium, leather-wood-textiles-rubbers, organic wastes,more » non-combustibles and miscellaneous. Further analysis included proximate and ultimate analysis of combustible materials. Metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury were also investigated. The results show that there has been a significant decrease of organic wastes during the last decade due to the increase of packaging materials, as a result of a change in consumption patterns. Three main waste categories were determined: organic wastes, paper and plastics, which combined represent 76% of the total waste in Crete. Furthermore, a high fraction of glass and a seasonal variation of aluminium indicate a strong correlation of waste composition with certain human activities, such as tourism. There is also a variation between the municipal solid waste (MSW) composition in the region of Crete (2003-2004) and MSW composition suggested in the National Solid Waste Planning (2000) [National Solid Waste Planning, 2000. Completion and particularization of Common Ministerial Act 113944//1944/1997: National Solid Waste Planning, June 2000]. The results of this survey are to be utilized by the regional solid waste authorities in order to establish an integrated waste treatment site, capable of fulfilling the regional waste management demands.« less

Municipal solid waste composition determination supporting the integrated solid waste management system in the island of Crete.

PubMed

Gidarakos, E; Havas, G; Ntzamilis, P

2006-01-01

A one-year survey was conducted in the greater region of Crete (located at the lower region of the Aegean Sea) for the purpose of identifying waste composition (including chemical and physical characterization), as well as any seasonal variation. The investigation was carried out repeatedly at seven landfills and one transfer station in Crete, in four phases. Each sampling phase corresponded to a season (autumn, winter, spring, summer). ASTM D5231-92(2003) standard method and RCRA Waste Sampling Draft Technical Guidance were used. Hand sorting was used for classifying the collected wastes into the following categories: plastics, paper, metals, aluminium, leather-wood-textiles-rubbers, organic wastes, non-combustibles and miscellaneous. Further analysis included proximate and ultimate analysis of combustible materials. Metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury were also investigated. The results show that there has been a significant decrease of organic wastes during the last decade due to the increase of packaging materials, as a result of a change in consumption patterns. Three main waste categories were determined: organic wastes, paper and plastics, which combined represent 76% of the total waste in Crete. Furthermore, a high fraction of glass and a seasonal variation of aluminium indicate a strong correlation of waste composition with certain human activities, such as tourism. There is also a variation between the municipal solid waste (MSW) composition in the region of Crete (2003-2004) and MSW composition suggested in the National Solid Waste Planning (2000) [National Solid Waste Planning, 2000. Completion and particularization of Common Ministerial Act 113944//1944/1997: National Solid Waste Planning, June 2000]. The results of this survey are to be utilized by the regional solid waste authorities in order to establish an integrated waste treatment site, capable of fulfilling the regional waste management demands.

Stimulation of the anaerobic digestion of the dry organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) with carbon-based conductive materials.

PubMed

Dang, Yan; Sun, Dezhi; Woodard, Trevor L; Wang, Li-Ying; Nevin, Kelly P; Holmes, Dawn E

2017-08-01

Growth of bacterial and archaeal species capable of interspecies electron exchange was stimulated by addition of conductive materials (carbon cloth or granular activated carbon (GAC)) to anaerobic digesters treating dog food (a substitute for the dry-organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW)). Methane production (772-1428mmol vs <80mmol), volatile solids removal (78%-81% vs 54%-64%) and COD removal efficiencies (∼80% vs 20%-30%) were all significantly higher in reactors amended with GAC or carbon cloth than controls. OFMSW degradation was also significantly accelerated and VFA concentrations were substantially lower in reactors amended with conductive materials. These results suggest that both conductive materials (carbon cloth and GAC) can promote conversion of OFMSW to methane even in the presence of extremely high VFA concentrations (∼500mM). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Airborne soil organic particles generated by precipitation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Bingbing; Harder, Tristan H.; Kelly, Stephen T.

Airborne organic particles play a critical role in the Earth’s climate1, public health2, air quality3, and hydrological and carbon cycles4. These particles exist in liquid, amorphous semi-solid, or solid (glassy) phase states depending on their composition and ambient conditions5. However, sources and formation mechanisms for semi- solid and solid organic particles are poorly understood and typically neglected in atmospheric models6. Here we report field evidence for airborne solid organic particles generated by a “raindrop” mechanism7 pertinent to atmosphere – land surface interactions (Fig. 1). We find that after rain events at Southern Great Plains, Oklahoma, USA, submicron solid particles, withmore » a composition consistent with soil organic matter, contributed up to 60% of atmospheric particles in number. Subsequent experiments indicate that airborne soil organic particles are ejected from the surface of soils caused by intensive rains or irrigation. Our observations suggest that formation of these particles may be a widespread phenomenon in ecosystems where soils are exposed to strong, episodic precipitation events such as agricultural systems and grasslands8. Chemical imaging and micro-spectroscopy analysis of their physico-chemical properties suggests that airborne soil organic particles may have important impacts on cloud formation and efficiently absorb solar radiation and hence, are an important type of particles.« less

Solid state photosensitive devices which employ isolated photosynthetic complexes

DOEpatents

Peumans, Peter; Forrest, Stephen R.

2009-09-22

Solid state photosensitive devices including photovoltaic devices are provided which comprise a first electrode and a second electrode in superposed relation; and at least one isolated Light Harvesting Complex (LHC) between the electrodes. Preferred photosensitive devices comprise an electron transport layer formed of a first photoconductive organic semiconductor material, adjacent to the LHC, disposed between the first electrode and the LHC; and a hole transport layer formed of a second photoconductive organic semiconductor material, adjacent to the LHC, disposed between the second electrode and the LHC. Solid state photosensitive devices of the present invention may comprise at least one additional layer of photoconductive organic semiconductor material disposed between the first electrode and the electron transport layer; and at least one additional layer of photoconductive organic semiconductor material, disposed between the second electrode and the hole transport layer. Methods of generating photocurrent are provided which comprise exposing a photovoltaic device of the present invention to light. Electronic devices are provided which comprise a solid state photosensitive device of the present invention.

Clostridium difficile infection is associated with graft loss in solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Cusini, A; Béguelin, C; Stampf, S; Boggian, K; Garzoni, C; Koller, M; Manuel, O; Meylan, P; Mueller, N J; Hirsch, H H; Weisser, M; Berger, C; van Delden, C

2018-01-19

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea in solid organ transplant recipients (SOT). We aimed to assess incidence, risk factors, and outcome of CDI within the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (STCS). We performed a case-control study of SOT recipients in the STCS diagnosed with CDI between May 2008 and August 2013. We matched 2 control subjects per case by age at transplantation, sex, and transplanted organ. A multivariable analysis was performed using conditional logistic regression to identify risk factors and evaluate outcome of CDI. Two thousand one hundred fifty-eight SOT recipients, comprising 87 cases of CDI and 174 matched controls were included. The overall CDI rate per 10 000 patient days was 0.47 (95% confidence interval ([CI] 0.38-0.58), with the highest rate in lung (1.48, 95% CI 0.93-2.24). In multivariable analysis, proven infections (hazard ratio [HR] 2.82, 95% CI 1.29-6.19) and antibiotic treatments (HR 4.51, 95% CI 2.03-10.0) during the preceding 3 months were independently associated with the development of CDI. Despite mild clinical presentations, recipients acquiring CDI posttransplantation had an increased risk of graft loss (HR 2.24, 95% CI 1.15-4.37; P = .02). These findings may help to improve the management of SOT recipients. © 2018 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Solids and nutrient removal from flushed swine manure using polyacrylamides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vanotti, M.B.; Hunt, P.G.

1999-12-01

Most of the organic nutrients and reduced carbon (C) materials in liquid swine manure are contained in fine suspended particles that are not separated by available mechanical separators. Treatment with polyacrylamide (PAM) polymers prior to mechanical removal or gravity settling has the potential for enhancing solids-liquid separation, thus concentrating nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and organic C. In this work, the authors determined PAM charge and density characteristics most desirable for swine wastewater applications and established the optimum chemical requirement. Treatments were applied to flushed manure from two swine operations in North Carolina. Cationic PAMs significantly increased solids separation while performancemore » of neutral and anionic types was not different from a control. Cationic PAMs with moderate-charge density (20%) were more effective than polymers with higher charge density. Flocs were large and effectively retained with a 1-mm screen. Optimum PAM rate varied with the amount of total suspended solids (TSS) in the liquid manure; 26 and 79 mg PAM/L for samples containing 1.5 and 4.1 g TSS/L, respectively. Corresponding TSS removal efficiencies were 90 to 94%. In contrast, screening without PAM treatment captured only 5 to 14% of the suspended solids. Polymer usage rate was consistent and averaged 2.0{degree} based on weight of dry solids produced. Volatile suspended solids (VSS) were highly correlated with TSS and comprised 79.5% of TSS. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and organic nutrient concentrations in the effluent were also significantly decreased by PAM treatment. The decrease of COD concentration, an important consideration for odor control, was linearly related with removal of suspended solids, at a rate of 2.0 g COD/g TSS and 2.6 g COD/g VSS. Removal efficiency of organic N and P followed approximately a 1:1 relationship with removal efficiency of TSS. Chemical cost to capture 90% of the suspended solids was estimated to be $0

Thailand--Secondary Education for Employment, Volume II: Background Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Bank, Washington, DC.

This report, a series of three background papers, was prepared as part of the Thailand Secondary Vocational Education Sector Study. The first background paper, "Intro Changing Workplaces, Changing Skills: Views from the Thai Private Sector on Work-Organization, Employee Recruitment and Selection" (Charles Abelmann, Lee Kian Chang,…

Biodegradation of organic matters from mixed unshredded municipal solid waste through air convection before landfilling.

PubMed

Mahar, Rasool B; Liu, Jianguo; Yue, Dongbei; Nie, Yongfeng

2007-01-01

Landfilling is a dominant municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal method in most developing countries. In China, approximately 85% of the generated MSW is being disposed of in the landfills. The amount of MSW is growing rapidly with the rate of approximately 8-10% annually, which contains a high quantity of moisture and organic matters. The problems of leachate treatment and landfill gas (LFG) emissions are increasing gradually. Reducing the hazard before emplacement, pretreatment of MSW before landfilling has become very important for the conventional landfill. In this study, aerobic pretreatment of mixed MSW was used, and much attention has been given to the natural convection of air in the mixed and unshredded MSW for bioconversion of organic matter (OM). This study is an attempt to investigate aerobic pretreatment suitability for the mixed and unshredded MSW at Beijing. A pilot-scale aerobic pretreatment simulator (APS) was developed at Beishen Shu Landfill in Beijing. To work out the biodegradation of the OM in the APS, fresh and pretreated MSW samples were collected and analyzed for OM, moisture content, temperature, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, lignocelluloses, and biochemical methane potential at various stages of the pretreatment. Furthermore, results of the fresh and pretreated MSW are compared. Significant reduction in the observed parameters of the pretreated waste samples is observed. This work demonstrates that pretreatment is significantly effective in reducing the landfill emissions that is leachate and LFG.

REMOVAL OF URANIUM FROM ORGANIC LIQUIDS

DOEpatents

Vavalides, S.P.

1959-08-25

A process is described for recovering small quantities of uranium from organic liquids such as hydrocarbon oils. halogen-substituted hydrocarbons, and alcohols. The organic liquid is contacted with a comminuted alkaline earth hydroxide, calcium hydroxide particularly, and the resulting uranium-bearing solid is separated from the liquid by filtration. Uranium may then be recovered from the solid by means of dissolution in nitric acid and conventional extraction with an organic solvent such as tributyl phosphate.

Diagnosis of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in solid organ transplant recipients - BCSH and BTS Guidelines.

PubMed

Parker, Anne; Bowles, Kristin; Bradley, J Andrew; Emery, Vincent; Featherstone, Carrie; Gupte, Girish; Marcus, Robert; Parameshwar, Jayan; Ramsay, Alan; Newstead, Charles

2010-06-01

A joint working group established by the Haemato-oncology subgroup of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) and the British Transplantation Society (BTS) has reviewed the available literature and made recommendations for the diagnosis and management of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in adult recipients of solid organ transplants. This review details the risk factors predisposing to development, initial features and diagnosis. It is important that the risk of developing PTLD is considered when using post transplant immunosuppression and that the appropriate investigations are carried out when there are suspicions of the diagnosis. These must include tissue for histology and computed tomography scan to assess the extent of disease. These recommendations have been made primarily for adult patients, there have been some comments made with regard to paediatric practice.

Solid-phase extraction using bis(indolyl)methane-modified silica reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes for the simultaneous determination of flavonoids and aromatic organic acid preservatives.

PubMed

Wang, Na; Liao, Yuan; Wang, Jiamin; Tang, Sheng; Shao, Shijun

2015-12-01

A novel bis(indolyl)methane-modified silica reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes sorbent for solid-phase extraction was designed and synthesized by chemical immobilization of nitro-substituted 3,3'-bis(indolyl)methane on silica modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, the extraction properties of the sorbent were evaluated for flavonoids and aromatic organic acid compounds. Under optimum conditions, the sorbent can simultaneously extract five flavonoids and two aromatic organic acid preservatives in aqueous solutions in a single-step solid-phase extraction procedure. Wide linear ranges were obtained with correlation coefficients (R(2) ) ranging from 0.9843 to 0.9976, and the limits of detection were in the range of 0.5-5 μg/L for the compounds tested. Compared with the silica modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes sorbent and the nitro-substituted 3,3'-bis(indolyl)methane-modified silica sorbent, the developed sorbent exhibited higher extraction efficiency toward the selected analytes. The synergistic effect of nitro-substituted 3,3'-bis(indolyl)methane and multiwalled carbon nanotubes not only improved the surface-to-volume ratio but also enhanced multiple intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, π-π, and hydrophobic interactions, between the new sorbent and the selected analytes. The as-established solid-phase extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography and diode array detection method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of flavonoids and aromatic organic acid preservatives in grape juices with recoveries ranging from 83.9 to 112% for all the selected analytes. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Institute of American Indian Arts Background Information (Task One of the Transition Evaluation). Background Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tippeconnic, John W., Jr.

The paper, prepared as Task One of the Institute of American Indian Arts Transition Evaluation, provides pertinent background information about the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A brief history of the Institute is given, with information about its philosophy and purpose; objectives; organization and administration; the…

An organically modified silica aerogel for online in-tube solid-phase microextraction.

PubMed

Bu, Yanan; Feng, Juanjuan; Tian, Yu; Wang, Xiuqin; Sun, Min; Luo, Chuannan

2017-09-29

Aerogels have received considerable attentions because of its porous, high specific surface, unique properties and environmental friendliness. In this work, an organically modified silica aerogel was functionalized on the basalt fibers (BFs) and filled into a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) tube, which was coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME). The aerogel was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR). The extraction efficiency of the tube was systematically investigated and shown enrichment factors from 2346 to 3132. An automated, sensitive and selective method was developed for the determination of five estrogens. The linear range was from 0.03 to 100μgL -1 with correlation coefficients (r) higher than 0.9989, and low detection limits (LODs) were 0.01-0.05μgL -1 . The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for intra-day and inter-day were less than 4.5% and 6.7% (n=6), respectively. Finally, the analysis method was successfully applied to detect estrogens in sewage and emollient water samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Airborne soil organic particles generated by precipitation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Bingbing; Harder, Tristan H.; Kelly, Stephen T.

Airborne organic particles play a critical role in Earth’s climate 1, public health 2, air quality 3, and hydrological and carbon cycles 4. However, sources and formation mechanisms for semi-solid and solid organic particles 5 are poorly understood and typically neglected in atmospheric models 6. Laboratory evidence suggests that fine particles can be formed from impaction of mineral surfaces by droplets 7. Here, we use chemical imaging of particles collected following rain events in the Southern Great Plains, Oklahoma, USA and after experimental irrigation to show that raindrop impaction of soils generates solid organic particles. We find that after rainmore » events, sub-micrometre solid particles, with a chemical composition consistent with soil organic matter, contributed up to 60% of atmospheric particles. Our irrigation experiments indicate that intensive water impaction is sufficient to cause ejection of airborne soil organic particles from the soil surface. Chemical imaging and micro-spectroscopy analysis of particle physico-chemical properties suggest that these particles may have important impacts on cloud formation and efficiently absorb solar radiation. Lastly, we suggest that raindrop-induced formation of solid organic particles from soils may be a widespread phenomenon in ecosystems such as agricultural systems and grasslands where soils are exposed to strong, episodic precipitation events 8.« less

Airborne soil organic particles generated by precipitation

DOE PAGES

Wang, Bingbing; Harder, Tristan H.; Kelly, Stephen T.; ...

2016-05-02

Airborne organic particles play a critical role in Earth’s climate 1, public health 2, air quality 3, and hydrological and carbon cycles 4. However, sources and formation mechanisms for semi-solid and solid organic particles 5 are poorly understood and typically neglected in atmospheric models 6. Laboratory evidence suggests that fine particles can be formed from impaction of mineral surfaces by droplets 7. Here, we use chemical imaging of particles collected following rain events in the Southern Great Plains, Oklahoma, USA and after experimental irrigation to show that raindrop impaction of soils generates solid organic particles. We find that after rainmore » events, sub-micrometre solid particles, with a chemical composition consistent with soil organic matter, contributed up to 60% of atmospheric particles. Our irrigation experiments indicate that intensive water impaction is sufficient to cause ejection of airborne soil organic particles from the soil surface. Chemical imaging and micro-spectroscopy analysis of particle physico-chemical properties suggest that these particles may have important impacts on cloud formation and efficiently absorb solar radiation. Lastly, we suggest that raindrop-induced formation of solid organic particles from soils may be a widespread phenomenon in ecosystems such as agricultural systems and grasslands where soils are exposed to strong, episodic precipitation events 8.« less

Solid waste information and tracking system server conversion project management plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MAY, D.L.

1999-04-12

The Project Management Plan governing the conversion of Solid Waste Information and Tracking System (SWITS) to a client-server architecture. The Solid Waste Information and Tracking System Project Management Plan (PMP) describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion will be released as supporting documents.

Concentration of organic compounds in natural waters with solid-phase dispersion based on advesicle modified silica prior to liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Parisis, Nikolaos A; Giokas, Dimosthenis L; Vlessidis, Athanasios G; Evmiridis, Nicholaos P

2005-12-02

The ability of vesicle-coated silica to aid the extraction of organic compounds from water prior to liquid chromatographic analysis is presented for the first time. The method is based on the formation of silica supported cationic multi-lamellar vesicles of gemini surfactants inherently ensuring the presence of hydrophilic and hydrophobic sites for the partitioning of analytes bearing different properties. Method development is illustrated by studying the adsolubilization of UV absorbing chemicals from swimming pool water. Due to the requirement for external energy input (intense shearing) a method based on solid-phase dispersion (SPD) was applied producing better results than off-line solid-phase extraction (SPE). Meticulous investigation of the experimental parameters was conducted in order to elucidate the mechanisms behind the proposed extraction pattern. Analyte recoveries were quantitative under the optimum experimental conditions offering recoveries higher than 96% with RSD values below 5%.

Supercritical water oxidation - Microgravity solids separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Killilea, William R.; Hong, Glenn T.; Swallow, Kathleen C.; Thomason, Terry B.

1988-01-01

This paper discusses the application of supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) waste treatment and water recycling technology to the problem of waste disposal in-long term manned space missions. As inorganic constituents present in the waste are not soluble in supercritical water, they must be removed from the organic-free supercritical fluid reactor effluent. Supercritical water reactor/solids separator designs capable of removing precipitated solids from the process' supercritical fluid in zero- and low- gravity environments are developed and evaluated. Preliminary experiments are then conducted to test the concepts. Feed materials for the experiments are urine, feces, and wipes with the addition of reverse osmosis brine, the rejected portion of processed hygiene water. The solid properties and their influence on the design of several oxidation-reactor/solids-separator configurations under study are presented.

40 CFR 1.47 - Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Office of Solid Waste and Emergency... ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION Headquarters § 1.47 Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), under the supervision of the Assistant...

40 CFR 1.47 - Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Office of Solid Waste and Emergency... ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION Headquarters § 1.47 Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), under the supervision of the Assistant...

Intercalation of the layered solid acid HCa/sub 2/Nb/sub 3/O/sub 10/ by organic amines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobson, A.J.; Johnson, J.W.; Lewandowski, J.T.

1987-01-01

Layered compounds of formula C/sub n/H/sub 2n+1/NH/sub 3/Ca/sub 2/Nb/sub 3/O/sub 10/ are formed by reaction of n-alkylamines with the solid acid HCa/sub 2/Nb/sub 3/O/sub 10/. Other organic bases such as pyridine can also be intercalated. The lattice constants of the new compounds have been determined by powder X-ray diffraction. The unit cells are tetragonal with a axes that are unchanged with variation of the intercalated amine. The c axes lengths (layer spacings) vary systematically with the hydrocarbon chain length of the alkylamine.

Optimizing the performance of microbial fuel cells fed a combination of different synthetic organic fractions in municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Pendyala, Brahmaiah; Chaganti, Subba Rao; Lalman, Jerald A; Heath, Daniel D

2016-03-01

The objective of this study was to establish the impact of different steam exploded organic fractions in municipal solid waste (MSW) on electricity production using microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In particular, the influence of individual steam exploded liquefied waste components (food waste (FW), paper-cardboard waste (PCW) and garden waste (GW)) and their blends on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, columbic efficiency (CE) and microbial diversity was examined using a mixture design. Maximum power densities from 0.56 to 0.83 W m(-2) were observed for MFCs fed with different feedstocks. The maximum COD removed and minimum CE were observed for a GW feed. However, a reverse trend (minimum COD removed and maximum CE) was observed for the FW feed. A maximum COD removal (78%) accompanied with a maximum CE (24%) was observed for a combined feed of FW, PCW plus GW in a 1:1:1 ratio. Lactate, the major byproduct detected, was unutilized by the anodic biofilm community. The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) could serve as a potential feedstock for electricity generation in MFCs; however, elevated protein levels will lead to reduced COD removal. The microbial communities in cultures fed FW and PCW was highly diversified; however, the communities in cultures fed FW or a feed mixture containing high FW levels were similar and dominated by Bacteroidetes and β-proteobacteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-operative management of blunt trauma in abdominal solid organ injuries: a prospective study to evaluate the success rate and predictive factors of failure.

PubMed

Hashemzadeh, S H; Hashemzadeh, K H; Dehdilani, M; Rezaei, S

2010-06-01

Over the past several years, non-operative management (NOM) has increasingly been recommended for the care of selected blunt abdominal solid organ injuries. No prospective study has evaluated the rate of NOM of blunt abdominal trauma in the northwest of Iran. The objective of our study was to evaluate the success rate of this kind of management in patients who do not require emergency surgery. This prospective study was carried out in Imam Khomeini Hospital (as a referral center of trauma) at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, between 20 March 2004 and 20 March 2007. All trauma patients who had suffered an injury to a solid abdominal organ (kidney, liver, or spleen) were selected for initial analysis, using the Student's t test or the c2 test. During the three years of the study, 98 patients (83 males and 15 females) with blunt trauma were selected to NOM for renal, hepatic and splenic injuries. Mean age was 26.1+/-17.7 years (range, 2 to 89) and mean injury severity score (ISS) was 14.5+/-7.4. The success rate of NOM was 93.8%. Fifty-one patients (43 males, 8 females; mean ISS, 14.2+/-5.8) underwent NOM of splenic trauma; 38 patients (33 males, 5 females; mean ISS, 12.9+/-8.2) hepatic trauma, and nine patients (7 males, 2 females; mean ISS, 22.2+/-7.6) renal trauma. Six patients underwent laparotomy due to the failure of NOM. The success rates of this treatment were 94.1%, 94.7% and 88.8% for the spleen, liver and kidney injuries, respectively. Age, female gender and ISS were significant predictors of the failure of NOM (P<0.05). According to the authors NOM can be successfully performed for the hemodynamically stable patients with solid organ blunt trauma. The study indicates that the rates of NOM vary in relation to the severity of the organ injury. This suggests trauma centers should use this approach.

Solid-State Molecular Nanomagnet Inclusion into a Magnetic Metal-Organic Framework: Interplay of the Magnetic Properties.

PubMed

Mon, Marta; Pascual-Álvarez, Alejandro; Grancha, Thais; Cano, Joan; Ferrando-Soria, Jesús; Lloret, Francesc; Gascon, Jorge; Pasán, Jorge; Armentano, Donatella; Pardo, Emilio

2016-01-11

Single-ion magnets (SIMs) are the smallest possible magnetic devices and are a controllable, bottom-up approach to nanoscale magnetism with potential applications in quantum computing and high-density information storage. In this work, we take advantage of the promising, but yet insufficiently explored, solid-state chemistry of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to report the single-crystal to single-crystal inclusion of such molecular nanomagnets within the pores of a magnetic MOF. The resulting host-guest supramolecular aggregate is used as a playground in the first in-depth study on the interplay between the internal magnetic field created by the long-range magnetic ordering of the structured MOF and the slow magnetic relaxation of the SIM. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Immunizations in solid organ and hematopoeitic stem cell transplant patients: A comprehensive review

PubMed Central

L'Huillier, Arnaud G; Kumar, Deepali

2015-01-01

The Solid Organ Transplantation (SOT) and Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) population is continuously increasing as a result of broader indications for transplant and improved survival. Infectious diseases, including vaccine-preventable diseases, are a significant threat for this population, primarily after but also prior to transplantation. As a consequence, clinicians must ensure that patients are optimally immunized before transplantation, to provide the best protection during the early post-transplantation period, when immunosuppression is the strongest and vaccine responses are poor. After 3–6 months, inactivated vaccines immunization can be resumed. By contrast, live-attenuated vaccines are lifelong contraindicated in SOT patients, but can be considered in HSCT patients at least 2 years after transplantation, if there is no immunosuppression or graft-versus-host-disease. However, because of the advantages of live-attenuated over inactivated vaccines - and also sometimes the absence of an inactivated alternative - an increasing number of prospective studies on live vaccine immunization after transplantation are performed and give new insights about safety and immunogenicity in this population. PMID:26291740

Micro-scale anaerobic digestion of point source components of organic fraction of municipal solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chanakya, H.N.; Sharma, Isha; Ramachandra, T.V.

The fermentation characteristics of six specific types of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) were examined, with an emphasis on properties that are needed when designing plug-flow type anaerobic bioreactors. More specifically, the decomposition patterns of a vegetable (cabbage), fruits (banana and citrus peels), fresh leaf litter of bamboo and teak leaves, and paper (newsprint) waste streams as feedstocks were studied. Individual OFMSW components were placed into nylon mesh bags and subjected to various fermentation periods (solids retention time, SRT) within the inlet of a functioning plug-flow biogas fermentor. These were removed at periodic intervals, and their compositionmore » was analyzed to monitor decomposition rates and changes in chemical composition. Components like cabbage waste, banana peels, and orange peels fermented rapidly both in a plug-flow biogas reactor (PFBR) as well as under a biological methane potential (BMP) assay, while other OFMSW components (leaf litter from bamboo and teak leaves and newsprint) fermented slowly with poor process stability and moderate biodegradation. For fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW), a rapid and efficient removal of pectins is the main cause of rapid disintegration of these feedstocks, which left behind very little compost forming residues (2-5%). Teak and bamboo leaves and newsprint decomposed only to 25-50% in 30 d. These results confirm the potential for volatile fatty acids accumulation in a PFBR's inlet and suggest a modification of the inlet zone or operation of a PFBR with the above feedstocks.« less

Micro-scale anaerobic digestion of point source components of organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Chanakya, H N; Sharma, Isha; Ramachandra, T V

2009-04-01

The fermentation characteristics of six specific types of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) were examined, with an emphasis on properties that are needed when designing plug-flow type anaerobic bioreactors. More specifically, the decomposition patterns of a vegetable (cabbage), fruits (banana and citrus peels), fresh leaf litter of bamboo and teak leaves, and paper (newsprint) waste streams as feedstocks were studied. Individual OFMSW components were placed into nylon mesh bags and subjected to various fermentation periods (solids retention time, SRT) within the inlet of a functioning plug-flow biogas fermentor. These were removed at periodic intervals, and their composition was analyzed to monitor decomposition rates and changes in chemical composition. Components like cabbage waste, banana peels, and orange peels fermented rapidly both in a plug-flow biogas reactor (PFBR) as well as under a biological methane potential (BMP) assay, while other OFMSW components (leaf litter from bamboo and teak leaves and newsprint) fermented slowly with poor process stability and moderate biodegradation. For fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW), a rapid and efficient removal of pectins is the main cause of rapid disintegration of these feedstocks, which left behind very little compost forming residues (2-5%). Teak and bamboo leaves and newsprint decomposed only to 25-50% in 30d. These results confirm the potential for volatile fatty acids accumulation in a PFBR's inlet and suggest a modification of the inlet zone or operation of a PFBR with the above feedstocks.

Clinical impact of culture-positive preservation fluid on solid organ transplantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Oriol, Isabel; Sabé, N; Tebé, C; Veroux, M; Boin, I F S F; Carratalà, J

2018-04-01

Contamination of the preservation fluid (PF) used for donated organs is a potential source of post-transplant infection. However, the information on this issue is scarce. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the incidence of culture-positive PF and its impact on solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Seventeen studies were identified and included. The overall incidence of culture-positive PF was 37% (95% CI: 27% to 49%), and the incidence of PF-related infections among SOT recipients with PF cultures that grew pathogenic microorganisms was 10% (95% CI: 7% to 15%). There were differences in the rates of infections due to pathogenic microorganisms between SOT recipients who received pre-emptive treatment and those who did not, but without statistical significance. The mortality rate among SOT recipients with PF-related infection was 35% (95% CI: 21% to 53%). In conclusion, although contamination of the PF of donated organs is frequent, the incidence of PF-related infection is relatively low. A closely clinical and microbiologic monitoring of the SOT recipient in case of culture-positive PF, regardless of the type of microorganism isolated might be do in order to establish a prompt diagnosis of PF-related infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ion-exchange solid-phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of veterinary drugs in organic fertilizers.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhiyong; Zhang, Yanmei; Xuan, Yanfang; Song, Wei; Si, Wenshuai; Zhao, Zhihui; Rao, Qinxiong

2016-06-01

The analysis of veterinary drugs in organic fertilizers is crucial for an assessment of potential risks to soil microbial communities and human health. We develop a robust and sensitive method to quantitatively determine 19 veterinary drugs (amantadine, sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones) in organic fertilizers. The method involved a simple solid-liquid extraction step using the combination of acetonitrile and McIlvaine buffer as extraction solvent, followed by cleanup with a solid-phase extraction cartridge containing polymeric mixed-mode anion-exchange sorbents. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was used to separate and detect target analytes. We particularly focused on the optimization of sample clean-up step: different diluents and dilution factors were tested. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, recovery, precision, sensitivity and specificity. The recoveries of all the drugs ranged from 70.9% to 112.7% at three concentration levels, with the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviation lower than 15.7%. The limits of quantification were between 1.0 and 10.0μg/kg for all the drugs. Matrix effect was minimized by matrix-matched calibration curves. The analytical method was successfully applied for the survey of veterinary drugs contamination in 20 compost samples. The results indicated that fluoroquinolones had higher incidence rate and mean concentration levels ranging from 31.9 to 308.7μg/kg compared with other drugs. We expect the method will provide the basis for risk assessment of veterinary drugs in organic fertilizers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrolytic activities of extracellular enzymes in thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic sequencing-batch reactors treating organic fractions of municipal solid wastes.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Woo; Nam, Joo-Youn; Kang, Seok-Tae; Kim, Dong-Hoon; Jung, Kyung-Won; Shin, Hang-Sik

2012-04-01

Extracellular enzymes offer active catalysis for hydrolysis of organic solid wastes in anaerobic digestion. To evidence the quantitative significance of hydrolytic enzyme activities for major waste components, track studies of thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic sequencing-batch reactors (TASBR and MASBR) were conducted using a co-substrate of real organic wastes. During 1day batch cycle, TASBR showed higher amylase activity for carbohydrate (46%), protease activity for proteins (270%), and lipase activity for lipids (19%) than MASBR. In particular, the track study of protease identified that thermophilic anaerobes degraded protein polymers much more rapidly. Results revealed that differences in enzyme activities eventually affected acidogenic and methanogenic performances. It was demonstrated that the superior nature of enzymatic capability at thermophilic condition led to successive high-rate acidogenesis and 32% higher CH(4) recovery. Consequently, these results evidence that the coupling thermophilic digestion with sequencing-batch operation is a viable option to promote enzymatic hydrolysis of organic particulates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CMOS image sensor with organic photoconductive layer having narrow absorption band and proposal of stack type solid-state image sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takada, Shunji; Ihama, Mikio; Inuiya, Masafumi

2006-02-01

Digital still cameras overtook film cameras in Japanese market in 2000 in terms of sales volume owing to their versatile functions. However, the image-capturing capabilities such as sensitivity and latitude of color films are still superior to those of digital image sensors. In this paper, we attribute the cause for the high performance of color films to their multi-layered structure, and propose the solid-state image sensors with stacked organic photoconductive layers having narrow absorption bands on CMOS read-out circuits.

Patterns of kidney injury in pediatric nonkidney solid organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Williams, C; Borges, K; Banh, T; Vasilevska-Ristovska, J; Chanchlani, R; Ng, V L; Dipchand, A I; Solomon, M; Hebert, D; Kim, S J; Astor, B C; Parekh, R S

2018-06-01

The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and its impact on chronic kidney disease (CKD) following pediatric nonkidney solid organ transplantation is unknown. We aimed to determine the incidence of AKI and CKD and examine their relationship among children who received a heart, lung, liver, or multiorgan transplant at the Hospital for Sick Children between 2002 and 2011. AKI was assessed in the first year posttransplant. Among 303 children, perioperative AKI (within the first week) occurred in 67% of children, and AKI after the first week occurred in 36%, with the highest incidence among lung and multiorgan recipients. Twenty-three children (8%) developed CKD after a median follow-up of 3.4 years. Less than 5 children developed end-stage renal disease, all within 65 days posttransplant. Those with 1 AKI episode by 3 months posttransplant had significantly greater risk for developing CKD after adjusting for age, sex, and estimated glomerular filtration rate at transplant (hazard ratio: 2.77, 95% confidence interval, 1.13-6.80, P trend = .008). AKI is common in the first year posttransplant and associated with significantly greater risk of developing CKD. Close monitoring for kidney disease may allow for earlier implementation of kidney-sparing strategies to decrease risk for progression to CKD. © 2018 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Risk factors and outcomes of bacteremia caused by drug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens in solid-organ transplant recipients.

PubMed

Bodro, Marta; Sabé, Núria; Tubau, Fe; Lladó, Laura; Baliellas, Carme; Roca, Josep; Cruzado, Josep Maria; Carratalà, Jordi

2013-11-15

Although infections due to the six ESKAPE pathogens have recently been identified as a serious emerging problem, information regarding bacteremia caused by these organisms in solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients is lacking. We sought to determine the frequency, risk factors, and outcomes of bacteremia due to drug-resistant ESKAPE (rESKAPE) organisms in liver, kidney, and heart adult transplant recipients. All episodes of bacteremia prospectively documented in hospitalized SOT recipients from 2007 to 2012 were analyzed. Of 276 episodes of bacteremia, 54 (19.6%) were due to rESKAPE strains (vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium [0], methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [5], extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae [10], carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii [8], carbapenem- and quinolone-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa [26], and derepressed chromosomal β-lactam and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacter species [5]). Factors independently associated with rESKAPE bacteremia were prior transplantation, septic shock, and prior antibiotic therapy. Patients with rESKAPE bacteremia more often received inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy than the others (41% vs. 21.6%; P=0.01). Overall case-fatality rate (30 days) was higher in patients with rESKAPE bacteremia (35.2% vs. 14.4%; P=0.001). Bacteremia due to rESKAPE pathogens is frequent in SOT recipients and causes significant morbidity and mortality. rESKAPE organisms should be considered when selecting empirical antibiotic therapy for hospitalized SOT recipients presenting with septic shock, particularly those with prior transplantation and antibiotic use.

DNP-enhanced ultrawideline solid-state NMR spectroscopy: Studies of platinum in metal–organic frameworks

DOE PAGES

Kobayashi, Takeshi; Perras, Frederic A.; Goh, Tian Wei; ...

2016-06-06

Ultrawideline dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced 195Pt solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy and theoretical calculations are used to determine the coordination of atomic Pt species supported within the pores of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). The 195Pt SSNMR spectra, with breadths reaching 10,000 ppm, were obtained by combining DNP with broadbanded cross-polarization and CPMG acquisition. Although the DNP enhancements in static samples are lower than those typically observed under magic-angle spinning conditions, the presented measurements would be very challenging using the conventional SSNMR methods. The DNP-enhanced ultrawideline NMR spectra served to separate signals from cis- and trans-coordinated atomic Pt 2+ species supported on themore » UiO-66-NH 2 MOF. Here, the data revealed a dominance of kinetic effects in the formation of Pt 2+ complexes and the thermodynamic effects in their reduction to nanoparticles. A single cis-coordinated Pt 2+ complex was confirmed in MOF-253.« less

Utilizing thin-film solid-phase extraction to assess the effect of organic carbon amendments on the bioavailability of DDT and dieldrin to earthworms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrade, Natasha A.; Centofanti, Tiziana; McConnell, Laura L.; Hapeman, Cathleen J.; Torrents, Alba; Anh, Nguyen; Beyer, W. Nelson; Chaney, Rufus L.; Novak, Jeffrey M.; Anderson, Marya O.; Cantrell, Keri B.

2014-01-01

Improved approaches are needed to assess bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds in contaminated soils. Performance of thin-film solid-phase extraction (TF-SPE) using vials coated with ethylene vinyl acetate was compared to earthworm bioassay (Lumbricus terrestris). A DDT and dieldrin contaminated soil was amended with four organic carbon materials to assess the change in bioavailability. Addition of organic carbon significantly lowered bioavailability for all compounds except for 4,4′-DDT. Equilibrium concentrations of compounds in the polymer were correlated with uptake by earthworms after 48d exposure (R2 = 0.97; p 40yr of aging. Results show that TF-SPE can be useful in examining potential risks associated with contaminated soils and to test effectiveness of remediation efforts.

Estimation of anisotropy parameters in organic-rich shale: Rock physics forward modeling approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Herawati, Ida, E-mail: ida.herawati@students.itb.ac.id; Winardhi, Sonny; Priyono, Awali

Anisotropy analysis becomes an important step in processing and interpretation of seismic data. One of the most important things in anisotropy analysis is anisotropy parameter estimation which can be estimated using well data, core data or seismic data. In seismic data, anisotropy parameter calculation is generally based on velocity moveout analysis. However, the accuracy depends on data quality, available offset, and velocity moveout picking. Anisotropy estimation using seismic data is needed to obtain wide coverage of particular layer anisotropy. In anisotropic reservoir, analysis of anisotropy parameters also helps us to better understand the reservoir characteristics. Anisotropy parameters, especially ε, aremore » related to rock property and lithology determination. Current research aims to estimate anisotropy parameter from seismic data and integrate well data with case study in potential shale gas reservoir. Due to complexity in organic-rich shale reservoir, extensive study from different disciplines is needed to understand the reservoir. Shale itself has intrinsic anisotropy caused by lamination of their formed minerals. In order to link rock physic with seismic response, it is necessary to build forward modeling in organic-rich shale. This paper focuses on studying relationship between reservoir properties such as clay content, porosity and total organic content with anisotropy. Organic content which defines prospectivity of shale gas can be considered as solid background or solid inclusion or both. From the forward modeling result, it is shown that organic matter presence increases anisotropy in shale. The relationships between total organic content and other seismic properties such as acoustic impedance and Vp/Vs are also presented.« less